Episode 38 — Surarin, Do Your Best
～ Part 2 ～
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A few days after Washio’s funeral. The class was regaining its peace. Everyday, many students offered their prayers to the Buddhist altar that was established for the funeral. Although the number of students who harbored distrust toward Akai wasn’t just a few, but seeing her figure bowing her head toward the altar every morning without fail, they seemed to feel inclined to forgive her somewhat. Just that the ditch in Hakuba who was close to Washio still seemed to be very deep.
These past few days, Akai was looking through the memo Selena left behind while having various consultation with Ryuzaki and Sakuma. What kind of Phase 2 ability can each student awake to?, from Akai’s perspective, how many students have already awaken? It was consultations regarding those matters.
Then,
“Himemizu, thanks for waiting.”
Akai came along to the place where Rin was waiting in the dining room.
“No, I haven’t waited–. I came just n—“
“It’s not a date…”
Akai seemed as bored as usual, she sat down in front of Rin with a face like she heard a very uninteresting joke. Well, she did actually hear a very uninteresting joke though.
Rin unblinkingly stared at Akai’s face.
“…What?”
“No, I never thought that Akai-san would return such a tsukkomi…”
“Since it’s bothersome, can I start the story?”
“Ah, yes.”
∗Ton ton∗, putting the documents in order, Akai said. In response to that, Rin straighten her back.
Akai, while flipping through the documents, put on the thin rim glasses that she took out from her (chest) pocket and squinted at the documents.
“Huh, Akai-san…”
“Myopia. Is it bad?”
“Despite being a vampire…. And a native one at that.”
“I can see everything if it’s dark. I read books without lighting in the middle of the night.”
Or rather, didn’t her eyes go bad because she was doing such things?
Well, it’s fine. Today, Himemizu Rin received a summons from Akai Asuka. In fact, Hino Akira was supposed to have participated as well, but he refused. When he heard that it was related to Utsurogi Kyousuke, Akira said 『Then it’s much better if it’s not me but Himemizu alone』.
Rin had been entrusted with Kyousuke by Akira. He said that 『water will fill the vessel』. She was glad to be trusted but somehow, it was strangely anxious without Akira here.
“First of all, about Phase 2, Himemizu has already reached it.”
“Ah, yup. It’s as expected.”
“Slime’s Phase 2 hypothetically has 5 or 6 possibilities, but Himemizu’s is probably this one.”
The document presented by Akai had 《Liquid Control》 properly written in Japanese. That’s it.
Others are 《Magic Awakening》 or 《Biological Power Generation》 , etc. Hey, isn’t this 《Humanization》 unusual? Doesn’t it feel like this one is better? I will be able to run even by myself.
“The transformed monsters’ figure that was caused by the Transference Denaturation Gate reflects the mental scenery in the adapting person.”
“Fun fun. Everyone has vaguely noticed this too.”
That is to say, they became the figure which reflected the condition in their heart. There was also things that she couldn’t understand about some of the students, or couldn’t be convinced but it wasn’t the case that Rin could completely grasped the heart of very classmates. There would certainly be some reasons.
Rin who had a ∗funya funya∗ personality became a slime, Akira the passion house became a wisp. Goubayashi who was too conscious of the demon within himself became an ogre. Hakuba who was abnormally fixated on female virginity became a unicorn.
“Speaking of which, how about Saa-chan?”
“About Sachi? You want me to say it?”
“I’m sorry.”
Is it as expected? Rin completely thought so. Awkward.
“The power after Phase 2 changes depending on that figure and how properly you’re facing it, and then whether or not you can master it.… Ah, thank you.”
A little late breakfast was carried to Akai’s place. 『Take your time』, Sugiura who carried the meal said while waving her hand and returning to the kitchen.
Akai was a vampire but unexpectedly she ate food as normal. Would it be okay if she doesn’t drink human’s blood?
“Himemizu is probably facing it properly. And then Ryuzaki and Goubayashi as well. That’s why you can use your power freely.”
“Ah–, then, the fact that Utsurogi-kun become unable to combine with me is because he cannot believe in himself anymore.”
“Yes.”
Akai nodded and picked up a long thin bread from on top of the dish.
“Utsurogi has a part that has been looking away from his own problem, right? And now that he noticed it, he is rejecting it. Of course, there is also the mental shock, but because of that combining with Himemizu is…”
Then, Akai was trying to say something but stopped. Whether the long thin bread was skillfully baked, it limply broke.
“…Did I say something strange just now?”
“Not at all. Then, what I should do after this is helping Utsurogi-kun regain his self-confidence and get him back on his feet, isn’t it?”
“Himemizu also noticed, didn’t you?”
It is important to solve the problem of the heart, Akai said. However, as a major premise in the first place, Kyousuke had refused his own problem. He was denying a part of his of my humanity. It could be said to be quite a troublesome problem.
Kyousuke didn’t participate in Washio’s funeral. It was because his heart had entered defensive mode. It seemed that he had to endure quite a lot when he couldn’t combine at the most important timing.
“Solving the problem, and become able to completely draw out the your power, is the preliminary step to Phase 3.”
Purposely not putting her hands on the funyafunya bread, Akai said so.
“Then, by receiving the blood of the blood clan, you can awaken to Phase 3.”
“Ah, that’s right. Then, once Utsurogi-kun solves his problem, he will power up more.”
“More or less.”
Akai’s words had a strange implication. She had said it before, the story of 『good side effect』 and 『bad side effect』. From the fact that Akai hesitated to present her blood and that Akai herself was perpetrating the betrayal to her own blood clan, that «demerit» could be guessed to a certain extent. There was no intention to make her said it out loud.
It was a fact that Kyousuke was saved thanks to Akai’s blood.
“Then what is Himemizu going to do? Does it look like you can manage Utsurogi somehow?”
“U–n. What do I do? I’m getting hints from Hino-kun and Goubayashi-kun.”
Flattening her whole body, stretching it, Rin replied.
“Akai-san, can you not give more hints than this?”
“I don’t want to put out on the emotional basis. Because I’m on Sachi’s side.”
“Ahh, yeah…. Is that so…”
“But I think what Himemizu is trying to do is the correct answer.”
Akai said so and leaned her back on the chair. She brought the teacup containing herbal tea to her mouth.
That moment, the heavy cruiser branch school suddenly stopped. The herbal tea inside the cup that was about to fly around violently was kept in check by Akai’s black energy. In contrast to Rin who was thrown off from her seat, Akai didn’t even shake, as though she was detached from space itself.
So this is the power of the Queen. She said she wouldn’t participate in battle as much as possible in order to not let the King find out her location, but it seemed that using just this amount strength was fine.
『Ah–, this is Gofunkawahara!』
The broadcast echoed inside the ship, so Rin and Akai looked up.
“Sorry. Combat personnel who can move please come out. The hydra came again! 5 heads are already regenerating and it stays on the route of the branch school, so I want to repel it!”
In this mountainous area, the direction of travel that could be taken was limited. It was difficult to compete with the Blood of Red Moon head-on at the moment, so securing a path was a top priority. If they got careless, the Pawn and Knight attacking again might very well be happening.
Akai put down the herbal tea cup with a grim face. Certainly, if she joined, the problem would be settled quickly.
“What is Himemizu going to do?”
“I’m going to call out to Utsurogi-kun.”
To Rin who tried to leave the dining room while crawling, Akai smiled slightly.
“Good luck.”
“Yup, thank you!”
When she arrived at Kyousuke room, it was exactly then that he opened the door and was about to come out.
Kyousuke suddenly and turned his line of sight toward Rin. That intended line of sight was diverted a little, but then Kyousuke turned it back to Rin again.
“Himemizu…”
“Yo, Utsurogi-kun!”
∗Pyonkon∗, extending her body, Rin greeted.
“Are you going to the deck?”
“Ahh…. Since I just can’t seem to stay still…”
Kyousuke’s voice had no ambition. So unreliable that he seemed to collapse if you just slightly nudge him.
In the end, Rin’s relationship with him was less than two month at most, so she couldn’t understand what Kyousuke was thinking. All the more so since a skeleton has no expression. It was still easy to understand if he received a shock and completely shut himself away in his own shell, rejecting others, but he also didn’t show such appearance at the moment.
Kyousuke advanced through the corridor, 2 steps, 3 steps, and then stood still again.
“You’re not going to go after all?”
Rin tried to make a bright voice and asked.
“The outside is cold after all. I guess this is also good.”
“……”
Kyousuke suspended and stopped moving like he was paralyzed.
I just can’t seem to stay still. But even if I go, what can I do? I don’t know. Was that what he was thinking?
Kyousuke who was trying to avert his eyes from his inner self was trying to compensate for his feelings by acting for the sake of others at least. But acting for the sake of others was originated from his our ego after all so Kyousuke couldn’t accept that. Therefore, he couldn’t move.
“Ne–, Utsurogi-kun, let’s combine with me.”
While looking at Kyousuke’s back, Rin said. Beyond his ribs, the scenery on the other side could be seen through.
“…I cannot do it, just the other day.”
“Well, the other day is already the other day. I’m telling you I want to do it, so let’s combine?”
In the end, no matter how depressed Kyousuke was, he couldn’t refuse other people’s request. This was his good point and at the same time his bad point. It was the part that became his support and also his hollow part. Even if he hated himself for «pretending to act for the sake of others», he couldn’t refuse others.
Rin at the moment, was trying to use that naivety of his to forcibly push her way through his shield.
A little evil, she thought, but there was no choice but to do it.
“……”
Kyousuke showed a positive attitude within silence. Rin crawled to his feet and touched that his bones.
There was no feeling of strength welling up, and neither the sense that Kyousuke’s heart was being transmitted directly. It felt completely like a stone-made stick, dull and uninteresting feel. After all, Kyousuke’s Phase 2 ability had completely died.
“All…”
Nevertheless, Rin tried to coil around Kyousuke’s body and constructed a body. Making Kyousuke’s skeleton as the core, she imitated a human shape. Meanwhile, Kyousuke didn’t move at all.
“All … all right, per … fectt…!”
“Himemizu…”
“Utsurogi-kun…! You can do it, combine…!”
This, was only Rin forcibly mimicking a human form using Kyousuke’s body as a prop. Without receiving the benefit of Phase 2 ability 《Characteristics Amplification》, Rin couldn’t fixed her body as Kyousuke’s flesh. Her body was heavy with an unfamiliar posture. The surface of the whole body couldn’t resist gravity, it was mushy, gelatinous liquid was dripping. The liquid that had fell to the floor, repeated feeble trembling motion and returned to Rin’s body.
It was unsightly and misshapen, to make the matter worse, this posture was painful. This was not the «Cross Combine (Named by Akira)» that could only be done because it was Kyousuke’s body, this was just the figure of a slime suitably placed on top of a skeleton. Nevertheless, Rin clearly announced that 『we can combine』.
“Eh, ehehe…. Ne–, we can combine but, what do we do after this–?”
“……”
Kyousuke kept silent and looked his right arm. Opened, closed. It was action that he often did in order to confirm how familiar his body felt every-time he combine. Rin’s body that was sticking to Kyousuke’s palm, its moment was slow, opened, closed, repeated.
“Himemizu…”
“First of all, Utsurogi-kun…, errr. Le–let’s go to the deck!”
Surely her bluff was already exposed. Even Kyousuke was not thickheaded to that extent.
But even if she assumed that it had already been sensed, she couldn’t afford to let him spell it out. Rin forcibly pushed the truth called 『we can combine』 to Kyousuke. As long as she pushed hard, he wouldn’t be able to refuse.
“…I understand.”
Kyousuke nodded and slowly walked through the corridor. Gelatinous liquid continued to drip from his whole body, his pace was slow. Rather than calling him a skeleton, it would be more suitable to call him a zombie instead.
Even if she got this close to Kyousuke, the voice of his heart still didn’t echo.
In truth, she wanted to said more skillful words. But what she could do then, was only this.
I cannot solve my problem, there was no choice but to face it, said Goubayashi.
What can fill the empty container is only water, said Akira.
What Kyousuke was thinking, she didn’t know. But what she could do, was only this.
Until the container that had become empty was filled, she would absolutely never let go of this body. Rin was prepared for it.
Next Episode: Branch School Assault
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