Black Bullet, Vol. 1: Those Who Would Be Gods (25 page)

“Yeah, somehow,” said Kagetane. “But it was pretty effective. I’ve been ordered to rest for now. I won’t be able to work for a while. It’s a bother.”

“Work murdering people?” said Rentaro. “Why don’t you take this as an opportunity to quit that line of work?”

“No, work my day job. I’m sure we’ll meet again eventually. I just wanted to tell you that today. I won’t lose the next time we meet.”

“Yeah, I won’t lose either.” In reality, in that fight, Rentaro was only barely able to win because of the pile of clever tricks he’d used to outsmart his enemy. He wasn’t sure what he could do if he had to fight a completely prepared Kagetane pair head-on.

“Also, I thought it was about time I introduced you to my client.”

Damn it, that was what it was?
Hearing the sound of a gun cock behind his back, Rentaro threw the phone down and drew his XD without looking back. He pointed it at the sound. Standing up slowly, Rentaro prepared himself as he turned around.

Pointed at his nose was a gun with double Magnum barrels. Rentaro had his finger on his own trigger, at a distance that couldn’t be avoided.

“Sneaking around like a thief, Rentaro?” said the man holding the gun.

“You’re home already?” said Rentaro. “I thought you wouldn’t be back until tonight, Lord Tendo.”

Kikunojo Tendo was wearing a formal Japanese
hakama
on his toned body, and stood almost 180 centimeters tall. His back was completely straight, and even though his beard and hair were white, the sharp, glittering eyes that Kisara had inherited were serious. “What are you doing here?” he demanded.

“I was looking for things that could be used as evidence,” said Rentaro. “But I don’t need to anymore. Asking the person himself is faster. Kikunojo Tendo—on the surface, the recent incident was settled with the reckless behavior of Defense Minister Kutsuwada. But I don’t think that was the end. The mastermind behind these events was you, Kikunojo Tendo.”

Kikunojo didn’t move an eyebrow. However, his finger on the trigger tightened slightly, making Rentaro’s heart race faster. With their guns pointed at each other, they moved in a small circle around the fulcrum of the point where their arms crossed. It was a suffocating dance in bad taste that took place on top of the carpet.

“Did Kisara instigate this?” Kikunojo asked.

“I’m acting on my own judgment,” said Rentaro.

When he said that, Kikunojo snorted derisively. “Oh? Why did you suspect me?”

Rentaro was taken aback. “You’re…not going to deny it?”

Kikunojo’s shoulders shook as he scoffed at him. “If I did, would you believe me?”

“No……” But he had still wanted Kikunojo to deny it. He started saying so before he closed his mouth. Rentaro lifted his face. “Defense Minister Kutsuwada died. He hung himself at home while out on bail!”

“I know that. What about it?”

“What do you mean, ‘What about it’? I saw the joint compact. It’s true that everyone whose name was written on it was arrested… But the real ringleader’s name wasn’t even on there. I was surprised when I saw the names written on the joint compact. Every single one of them was either in your faction or had been connected to your faction in the past. When I was younger, I greeted all of them at the evening parties held in this house. What is the meaning of this?!”

“This child seems so wise. Only to be expected from a child adopted by Master Tendo.”

“I’m sure you’ll be an excellent politician when you grow up, Rentaro.”

Thinking back on their words, Rentaro’s eyes prickled with tears. His hand shook with anger as he held his gun, and he felt like he could almost pull the trigger.

“Everyone was kind,” Rentaro continued. “They all respected you! How could I believe that you, their chief, was the only one not part of this plan? Mr. Kutsuwada hanged himself to stop the investigation against you. The second he died, all the people who were arrested immediately used him as a scapegoat. There’s no way I can know what you’re thinking. But… But, after all this, you’re not embarrassed to continue acting arrogantly, Kikunojo Tendo?!” Rentaro said all this, panting.

But Kikunojo’s face only twisted slightly with the faintest bit of self-deprecation. “Why would I do such a thing? Are you saying that my goal was the destruction of Tokyo Area, then? That’s absurd.”

“I didn’t know why at first, either. But when Kagetane stole the case and went to the Unexplored Territory to summon the Stage Five, for
some reason, that information was almost systematically leaked. If that happened, Tokyo Area would’ve fallen into a ruinous panic, and no one stood to benefit from that.”

“Did you figure it out?”

“The New Gastrea Law.”

Kikunojo’s eyebrow twitched in surprise.

“The bill the Seitenshi is pushing to pass despite the resistance from those around her. A law that would improve the social positions of Initiators and allow the Cursed Children to coexist with everyone else. Ever since your wife was killed by a Gastrea in the Great War ten years ago, you’ve been a staunch advocate of discrimination against Initiators.

“I don’t know what kind of deal you made with Kagetane, and I don’t want to imagine. However, Kagetane, the Gastrea elite who think it would be disgraceful for humans and Initiators to coexist, shares with you a mutual interest in crushing that bill. If it were leaked to the press that Kohina Hiruko, one of the Cursed Children, was participating in terrorist activities to destroy Tokyo Area, then there would be no one supporting the girls in public opinion. You weren’t planning on destroying Tokyo Area from the start, you coward.”

Without warning, Rentaro was kicked in the stomach, struck with enough force to make him feel like regurgitating the contents of his stomach. A gun was pressed against his throat, and he was pushed like that into the bookshelf. The moment his back hit, hardcover books began thumping to the floor.

Kikunojo pressed the gun against Rentaro with a look of rage. “Try saying that again!”

“I’ll say it as many times as you want!” said Rentaro. “This is how the incident progressed. You had one of your subordinates go to the Unexplored Territory to get the catalyst to summon the Stage Five, what the Seitenshi called the Inheritance of the Seven Stars. He successfully acquired the catalyst and was supposed to hand the case over to Kagetane, thus finishing everything smoothly.

“However, on his way back from the Unexplored Territory, your subordinate was attacked by a Gastrea and took in its bodily fluids. Your subordinate barely escaped alive running back into the Monolith barrier, but there, he unfortunately turned into a Gastrea. He became a
Model Spider Gastrea and infected a human. As evidence, one person whose name was written on the joint compact is still missing even now. I’m sure he was the source Gastrea that Enju and I defeated.

“In the end, Kagetane was somehow able to get the case, but now the information that was supposed to have been leaked was quickly sealed off with a news blackout by the Seitenshi. So in order to make people remember their fear of the Gastrea and crush the New Gastrea Law, you approved the actual summoning of the Stage Five.”

“That’s right!” Suddenly, Kikunojo yelled like he was on metaphorical fire. “It was all to wake up those complacent fools. How could they forget? How? Ten years ago on that day, the sun set, the earth split apart, and humans were driven out of their own world! Demon brats with the blood of those worms are strutting around town with innocent looks on their faces, you know. Those Red-Eyes are demons who will destroy the whole world. How can you be so calm about it? You want to give them human rights? Don’t be ridiculous.”

Rentaro took the space of a moment to brush away the hand with the gun. When he did, the sound of a gunshot boomed and the bullet grazed Rentaro’s cheek. As Rentaro swept Kikunojo’s legs from under him, he drove his knee into the older man’s ribs. The feeling was a familiar one to Rentaro, and Kikunojo raised his voice in anguish.

“Everyone’s like that!” Rentaro said. “It’s true that your wife was killed. But Kisara’s parents were killed. You lost your lover. But everyone, everyone lives coming to terms with their past. You’re a ghost, Kikunojo Tendo! You’re a ghost being dragged along by hatred from ten years ago. Even in your position of aide to the Seitenshi, you try to forestall her. Do you hate the Seitenshi?”

Kikunojo coughed violently as he declared, “Don’t say ridiculous things. I regard her with respect and affection. Of all the Seitenshis, she is the only one who could be called a match for the wise monarchs of the past. She is a queen I truly want to serve.”

“Then…”

“That’s why there are things I cannot forgive!”

Rentaro kept his XD sighted on Kikunojo’s forehead as he looked at the man’s fiery eyes. He could not see any affectation in them at all. This man held in equal parts devotion to the Seitenshi and hatred for the Gastrea, and it was driving him mad.

“I’m sure Kisara has also realized the truth,” said Rentaro.

“I’m sure she has,” said Kikunojo. “But you have no proof. You can’t do anything.”

Rentaro met Kikunojo’s eyes for a long time. When he finally moved his knee, Rentaro tucked the XD in his belt and turned on his heel.

“What are you planning?” said Kikunojo. “If you don’t kill me now, you’ll regret it.”

“I’m already regretting it, ’cause you’re Kisara’s greatest enemy,” said Rentaro.

“What about you, Rentaro…?”

“What?”

When he turned around, Kikunojo had on a fierce expression with his wrinkles scrunched in the middle of his face. “What about you, Rentaro? Your arm and leg were eaten, and you lost Takaharu and Mafuyu, didn’t you? How can you forgive them? You don’t resent them?”

“I do resent them! Tearing them apart from limb to limb wouldn’t be enough. I thought I would kill all the Gastrea and the Cursed Children with these hands!”

“Then why?!”

“Have you talked to even one of those girls? They cry at the smallest things, laugh, sulk—they’re filled with human warmth. You called them worms? I say they’re humans. I, Rentaro Satomi, believe in Enju Aihara!”

“Rentaro… You…”

Rentaro closed his eyes slowly. “You saved my life. You told me, ‘If you do not want to die, survive, Rentaro.’ So concise, and so very like you. At times when I closed both eyes in despair, I would remember these words, and they would help me push through. I remember every single day what happened that day ten years ago. Thank you… Good-bye, Father.”

Rentaro left the house.

“Hey, Rentaroooo! Over heeeeere!” Enju, dressed in a thin hospital gown, was hopping and yelling loudly enough to be heard throughout the district. A surprised old woman strained her back, a three-year-old girl peed her pants, and an old man’s dentures and wig were blown off at the same time.

“A-at least be quiet inside a hospital, you dummy,” said Rentaro. “Do you know what the word
manners
means…?”

Before he could finish, there was a thud as Enju thrust her face into his chest. “Rentaro, Rentaro, Rentaro! Big news! During the checkup, I got my body measurements, too, and my boobs got a little bigger! Aren’t you happy, Rentaro?”

Looking at Enju proudly sticking out her flat chest, he almost let slip a “Huh, where?”

“Don’t you think I should wear a brassiere soon?”

“Y-yeah. Maybe in about five years?” Rentaro nonchalantly said something mean.

“How was the ceremony thing? Were you praised? Did they say ‘Good job’? My checkup was
so
boring. I wanted to go see, too. Oh, that suit makes you look cool, Rentaro!” Enju’s eyes sparkled as she asked Rentaro question after question.

“Enju, what were the results of the checkup?”

Her eyes suddenly glittering, she made a victory sign as if saying,
Listen to this!
“Twenty-four point nine percent. It barely changed.”

Rentaro almost involuntarily let out a groan, but he somehow swallowed it. “I… I see…”

“Rentaro, I’m gonna change now, ’kay?”

When Rentaro looked up, he saw the unusual sight of Sumire Muroto out of her basement room beckoning him. “I’m going to go hear what annoying things Doc has to say.”

“Then I’ll wait for you at the park in front of the hospital.” Saying that, Enju raced down the hall. As Rentaro watched her leave, he went to the room where Sumire was waiting.

In the park, there was nothing to block the sunlight, and it was a very comfortably warm day for April. Even though the peak of the cherry blossom season was over, the cherry trees squeezed out the last of their strength to bloom proudly. Rentaro and Enju strolled along a walking path that was scattered with flower petals every time the wind blew. The smell of sprouting plants filled his nostrils.

“Oh ho, so our IP Rank went up that much?” said Enju.

“Yeah,” said Rentaro. “They said it was the first time in history anyone went up that fast. We’ll get the official notification next week.”

As Enju spotted an ice cream stand in the corner of the park, she said, “Can I buy some, Rentaro?”

Thinking that they were expensive, Rentaro reluctantly opened his wallet and let out an involuntary groan. Even if their ranking went up, the inside of his wallet still continued to be as empty as ever.

Rentaro sighed. Grabbing hold of the bill with a shaking hand, he slipped it into Enju’s hand. “This needs to cover this month’s living expenses, so use it wisely.”

“I understand,” said Enju. “I should buy as much ice cream as I can with this, right?”

“Why did you take it that way? Hey, wait! Enju!”

Already not listening to the yelling Rentaro’s words, Enju ran away. Rentaro looked at her retreating back in shock.

He smiled unwittingly. He was alive. He was hungry. What a wonderful thing.

Enju didn’t know. In the peacefulness of Tokyo Area, she didn’t know that one more precious life had been sacrificed.

After operating the railgun, Rentaro put Enju, deep asleep, gently onto the floor, and then slipped outside the facility. Looking at the sky, he saw that the night sky was slowly starting to grow lighter. Because of the high altitude, his breath had been white, and he’d kept rubbing his hands as he made his way down the bare rock.