Night 2: Melancholic Officer and a Long-Armed Demon“Let’s compare how long our arms are!”
It was an abandoned building where children who had no place in their families had gathered. The present youths of varying age and gender were currently terrified with a sudden abnormality. It was a night that should have been the same as any other. Unable to sleep and feeling irate, they come here at night to chat and have fun with strangers who dressed in the same way as they did.
It was their daily life, a life remaining the same day after day that they took for granted.
And now this normality had cracked. It had been smashed apart with ease.
A demon.
One of the youths had already died, his abdomen heavily pummelled by the invisible fist that the demon stretched out.
Death. That was death. It wasn’t fake – he really died.
Everything shattered.
“Uwoaaaaahhh, enough fooling around!”
A boy, half-mad, rushed at Long-Armed Demon with his bare fists. Those youths had too many enemies: the police, adults who didn’t understand them, violent juvenile derelicts, criminals… therefore, they had armed themselves for their own protection.
With electric batons and tear gas.
With wooden planks, craft knifes, and baseball bats.
But those things…
Couldn’t help them at all.
“Hehe?”
There was a grade-schooler girl, so thin she might have accidentally disappeared into s.p.a.ce. She was the abnormality these youths were facing. With her short hair tied up in two ponytails, she was a completely ordinary girl, cute and inconspicuous and wore sandals even in this chilling winter.
Only, she didn’t have arms.
“Urk!”
A muscular boy heaved up a baseball bat with all his strength, but his blow was abnormally stopped mid-air. The boy gave out a mortified screech and tried to move the bat as hard as he could, but it remained unmovable as if held down by some unknown force.
In the next instant, five incredible dents – like that made by five fingers – appeared on the bat. Then, unbelievably, the bat became twisted and crumpled up.
“Hey – ho!”
With invisible fingers, Long-Armed Demon spent a while wringing the bat as if it were a tea towel.
“Boring!”
She tilted her head cutely and smashed the boy with her invisible hand. “Bam – “, the part of the boy’s head above the jaw flew off. His spraying blood and brain matter spattered everywhere, and he died instantly. Stumbling, he fell down while still tightly holding on the bat that had lost its shape.
Silence.
The five teenagers who saw this scene gave out sharp shrieks of despair.
There are very few opportunities to truly come into contact with ‘death’ in modern-day j.a.pan. Corpses were quickly taken away and cremated, turning into dust in the blink of an eye. THe illusions of death, mimicked to such detail by video games and movies and manga, made true death no longer feel real. They took away those teenagers’ fear of death.
Therefore, true death was like magic for these teenagers; it was an abnormal phenomenon that they could not understand.
Traumatized, they sprinted away like mad.
“Noisy. You’re ruining this quiet night.”
Long-Armed Demon’s expression was evidently displeased, but then she discovered the only young girl among the teenagers. She finally found a young girl! The townspeople were more on guard nowadays, and Long-Armed Demon had found it hard to discover her target – the girl with the Apple.
She must find her soon.
Long-Armed Demon nodded to herself, and chased after the girl as she hoped her lucky day had finally come.
“Did I get it right? – Did I get it right? – ”
Then she stretched out her invisible arms.
“Ahhh!”
The girl’s ankles were suddenly caught by something, and she fell violently forward as her body lost its balance. Cigarettes and a lighter fell out of her pockets.
She was obviously not old enough to smoke; but she didn’t do anything that deserved to be slaughtered, either.
She was simply unfortunate.
She could only lament that her luck ran out. She happened to meet something that represented abnormality, happenstance, and death – a demon.
It was an uncanny scene.
“It’s so high – ”
An uncanny and cruel scene.
All four of the girl’s limbs were grasped by invisible arms, and she was lifted into the air with an irresistible force. The girl looked like she was freely floating in air, but in truth she had been robbed of all free movement and could only slightly shift her body. Her pupils were completely dilated with fear, and her teeth cluttered and grind.
While she was facing her fatal crisis, all the other teenagers had already run away. The girl despaired. So that was the truth – those people who gathered in this deserted building with her weren’t her family or friends, but only strangers who happened to have similar experiences. How could they possibly want to save her?!
When she understood this, the girl asked for help from someone she had not even considered a possibility.
“Hel, help me… Dad, Mom…”
Her parents, whom she had thought she no longer cared about and were only bound to her through blood; her annoying parents, whom she had once thought only existed to provide her with three meals a day and pocket money, and whom she thought would be better off without personalities.
“Help me – Dad, Mom!”
The only time she desired her parents to save her is when she reached this helpless end.
“Hehehe, Long-Armed Demon feels a little like having a dejanew.”
Saying those cryptic words, Long-Armed Demon tilted her head.
“Huh?! No, that’s not it. Dejanew – what was it again? DEIYtop? No… Deja vecu? Whatever – Onee-chan, you’re very similar to how Long-Armed Demon was before.”
Deja vecu wasn’t correct either. A reminiscing expression surfaced on Long-Armed Demon’s face.
“But there won’t be a savior appearing! There are no G.o.ds, no heroes, and no princes on white horses who can save us in a pinch. Because had G.o.d truly existed…
There was a small, tearing sound.
“… Then I, Long-Armed Demon, shouldn’t have become a demon.”
The girl’s arms were torn off. With the tearing sound, the external force twisted apart the girl’s flesh, bones, fat and veins. Her two arms fell away from her body. The dim deserted building was saturated with an unbelievably large amount of blood, and her sharp and shrill screams.
“AHH – AHHHHH. AHHHHH –”
The girl’s eyes rolled upwards with pain, as if she had lost consciousness. That was understandable. After all, her arms were torn off while she was still alive and conscious. The fact that she hadn’t gone into shock was incredible enough.
“An insect…”
Long-Armed Demon’s expression didn’t change. Even as she faced this cruel scene that she had created, she still had an innocent appearance.
“I want to break its legs as soon as I find an insect. Isn’t that right? A kid would want to tear off its wings, yank off its antennae, and cut apart its body, right? Long-Armed Demon was such a kid, and probably – no, I definitely did not grow up any more from that point onwards.”
Tearing, tearing.
Then, the girl’s legs were also torn off without much ado.
“But that’s alright, because Zeki-kun accepted Long-Armed Demon as who she is.”
Long-Armed Demon muttered to the girl, who had already died from the pain or the blood loss.
“So I can simply be Long-Armed Demon. I can be a demon who can kill humans like insects, a demon with no heart.”
Long-Armed Demon discarded the girl’s corpse. “Another miss?” She sighed.
“I hate those weak humans who only know how to wait for G.o.d; I hate those pathetic humans who only know how to wait for a hero. I don’t want to be a human. I just want to be a Long-Armed Demon serving beside a fallen angel.”
With an innocent and empty smile, she yelled out loud: “How was that? Aren’t Long-Armed Demon’s arms very very long?”
Kannonsakazaki Private High School was an ordinary school located in a remote township. Thanks to the school"s culture and traditions, all the students were well-mannered and relaxed and therefore had a good reputation. The four school buildings were loosely scattered across the school grounds, and the inconvenient distance between them was rather annoying. Moreover, as the school was established a long time ago, the remains of ancient graffiti were everywhere in the buildings.
It was a place where a cool breeze often blew past and emanated an anachronistic atmosphere.
The second-oldest building was Building Two. The room at the end of the second-storey corridor was for Cla.s.s B, Year One, taught by a teacher named Sakaki Guryū who was very incongruous with this ordinary school. Since the students here always cleaned the rooms diligently, the school buildings did not seem dilapidated despite their age.
It was the time to go home. The afterschool bell was ringing loudly, and Rinne poked Guriko, who was dead asleep.
For some reason, Guriko was always sleeping at school these days. That was Guriko’s hobby. In other words, her special ability. There really wasn’t anything anyone could do about it. However, she didn’t sleep in cla.s.s as frequently as before since she started living with Rinne.
Was it because she was tired from that weird ‘training program’? Rinne didn"t know a lot about what the training involved. She just felt that Guriko must have worked very hard. At least, she’ll try not to bother Guriko, who was trying her best, and make sure she didn’t have to worry excessively.
Rinne lived like a zombie for a while after Katsumi’s death.
Time had flown away so mercilessly.
According to witness accounts, the murderer labelled ‘Long-Armed Demon’ had killed ten people already, and all of them were girls of Rinne’s age. Ten people. Numbers were always empty. They carried no emotions.
Though she would not die due to the Apple’s power, Rinne was still scared. She emphasized with those who were killed, and wished they would catch the criminal soon.
“…”
Then she remembered Katsumi, that girl who was willing to be friends with her. She remembered those youthful memories they created together, and the funeral that left a deep shadow in her heart. Katsumi’s parents were crying, her younger brother was crying, and Rinne also kept crying. The heavy atmosphere, vague with tears, was locked within Rinne’s heart, unable to be digested away.
She remembered Katsumi’s face that she saw last, a face that had a lonely smile.
“It"ll be my treat next time.”
“Treat to what?”
“Ahh!”
Guriko was already awake. It seemed that Rinne, lost in her thoughts, didn’t notice it. With a tired expression, Guriko scratched at her unique wolf-like hair cut and moved closer to stare at Rinne’s tear-filled eyes.
Guriko’s eyes were pitch-black like gun-barrels. They had no emotions and did not speak. They were dark as if sucking everything into them. However, now something close to gentleness seemed to have mixed into it.
Guriko pretended not to notice Rinne’s tears. She stood up and stretched.
“Ahh, I’m so sleepy… I never seem to get enough sleep.”
“Have you been staying up lately, Guriko-chan?”
Immortals like Guriko didn’t particularly have a desire to sleep. Guriko only treated sleep as a hobby, so she slept for about the same length of time as a normal human.
She took the school bag on the table and replied nonechalantly: “Yeah, I’m looking for the Long-Armed Demon.”
Rinne’s heart almost stopped with fear when she heard this.
“Long-Armed Demon… you mean that murderer?”
“Yep. That person seemed to only act at night, so I go out at night and stroll around a bit. I just haven’t found him yet.”
Rinne paled. It was simply far too dangerous. She knew how powerful Guriko was; Guriko can easily defeat an ordinary Mushi. However, for some reason, she still didn’t want Guriko to do anything too dangerous, especially when the opponent is an unknown murderer.
A rare, gentle smile surfaced on Guriko’s face as if she read Rinne’s expressions.
“Don’t worry. Besides, fighting is the only thing I know.”
She muttered.
“I won’t let the Long-Armed Demon kill you or Sakaki, or Kio and Hino and these people at school.”
As if she just realized something, Guriko said with a weaker voice and a face full of embarra.s.sment: “Kio and Hino – I probably shouldn’t worry about them. They invade my bedroom every night, reading bedtime stories and singing lullabies. It’s quite ridiculous, especially when I’m older than them… seriously, do they have no manners, or do they simply not understand shame?”
Rinne felt this was quite incredulous, and she tilted her head as she looked like Guriko, who was mumbling to herself.
Guriko startled herself with realization again, and shook her head.
“N-never mind. Dammit, I can’t control my emotions…”
Then she rushed out of the cla.s.sroom. Though Rinne was confused and didn’t know what to do, she still chased after Guriko.
Since Guriko said she wanted to go shopping after school, Rinne went with her. Rinne wasn’t working on that day. January was quickly drawing to an end. The sun speedily disappeared beneath the horizon, and the shops painted with the shade of dusk held a nameless sense of melancholy.
Rinne felt just how much she relied on Guriko when she parted with her for only three weeks. She owned that home, but it was Guriko who protected that home. Rinne despised such a life, a life where she was always reliant on someone else and lived under someone else’s protection.
Sakaki, Guriko, and Katsumi; Rinne was used to relying on others because there were so many people around her who gently protected her. She felt she owed them, and that she needed to grow stronger little by little.
Was it inevitable? The shops, which were usually cluttered with students after school, were now rather desolate. The Long-Armed Demon was the murderer that appeared in Kannonsakazaki at the beginning of January. It had already killed ten people in less than a month.
It was thought that there was only one common thing among all victims: they were all young girls.
But then, the news pointed out a few days ago that wayward boys and male police officers were also counted among the victims.
It had been explained that the officers were killed when they discovered the Long-Armed Demon and attempted to arrest the culprit – but that explanation did not work for the boys.
However, they were only rare exceptions. The main targets were high-school girls. Girls of Rinne’s age were most scared of the Long-Armed Demon. In fact, apart from Rinne and Guriko, the majority of the girls chose not to go school. They probably thought they might be killed by the Long-Armed Demon if they left their houses, and they either voluntarily took days off or were forced to stay home by their parents. There were even those who indicated they’d like to leave this place until things calmed down, and had left for the countryside. After all, the Long-Armed Demon only killed in the township of Kannonsakazaki, and leaving it would be a wise way to stay alive.
The Long-Armed Demon had therefore stirred up a mighty ripple in Kannonsakazaki’s formerly calm atmosphere.
TV stations, news reporters, and various media had all swarmed into town for the past few days. Those curious onlookers were also roaming around and taking pictures. Inky bloodstains still remained at the murder scenes that the police hadn"t cleaned in time, and officers dressed in their navy blue uniform patrolled those places day and night.
Since she felt uneasy when she was alone, Rinne slept and ate with the big-sister-figure young lady next door now. Though it wasn’t helping much, it was better than being anxious on her own. She kept going to school, not because she wasn"t scared, but because she was immortal. She still felt, more or less, that she would not be killed though she still retained the sense of pain.
That was completely different from Guriko’s confidence, her belief that she will not lose to the Long-Armed Demon, and her complete lack of fear towards the murderer.
Ahh, I hate this feeling. Rinne thought to herself. She was weak. She was so weak.
She owed Katsumi. Katsumi often worried about Rinne; wouldn’t she find it hard to leave for Heaven then?
“Sorry for the wait.”
Guriko poked her head out of the make-up shop and looked emotionlessly towards Rinne, all the while holding on to a small paper bag.
“Ah, right.” Rinne, who was lost in her thoughts and was startled, blinked at Guriko: “What did you buy?”
“Not sure.”
Well, that only made Rinne more confused.
Guriko placed the paper bag into her school bag with a smile: “But it’s really pretty.”
“That’s so rare! Guriko-chan bought something!”
Did this mean Guriko was beginning to change? The goal of that training seemed to be making Guriko into an ordinary high-school student. If that was the case, then that training was already having some good results, wasn’t it?
However, Guriko pouted when Rinne said this.
“Shut it. It’s because Hino’s birthday is coming up.”
“Hino?”
Rinne’s face was full of confusion. Guriko blushed and rushed forward. Startled, Rinne quickly caught up with her. Recently, Guriko often behaved in this manner. Though Rinne liked Guriko showing her human emotions, Rinne rarely understood the reasons behind it and often felt Guriko was leaving her behind.
“I know, t-this is really unlike me. But that’s because she was literally telling me with her eyes, telling me to buy something for her. It’s Hino’s fault anyways, suddenly talking about her birthday. I knew what she meant as soon as I heard it. Er – it’s not like I regard them as parents. Just that, um, they do take care of me and all –”
“What?”
She couldn’t understand what Guriko was saying at all.
When they reached a cafe among the shops, Rinne suddenly had a thought and pulled on Guriko’s clothes to stop her from walking forward. Like a puppy that had its leash pulled taut, Guriko whimpered and stopped.
“What?”
Guriko looked dubiously over at Rinne. Rinne couldn’t help but feel that Guriko’s expression was very cute. She patted Guriko’s head and pointed at the cafe with a gentle smile: “Let’s go in.”
“What? Why?”
“Don’t worry about it. Just go in.”
Rinne opened the cafe doors without explaining. This was the cafe where she saw Katsumi last. It was an anachronistic cafe named ‘Indian Bar’, and the inside always seemed rather dim.
Guriko was changing. Rinne wanted to know the reason behind it. They were friends – no, that was not exactly correct. However, as long as she understood Guriko’s viewpoint, then Rinne can at least be someone Guriko can talk to when distressed, right? Rinne wanted to help Guriko.
She saved me a month ago.
Then she had also healed mine and Sakaki’s lonely hearts.
And, most importantly, I want to love Guriko from the bottom of my heart, to love Guriko with the intensity that Katsumi had missed out on.
“Ding dong.”
The bells tied to the door of the cafe emitted a crisp sound.
“Welcome.”
The young owner approached them with a run and a big smile, but Rinne couldn’t bring herself to reply to her immediately. That was because a very strange person was sitting on a seat in front of her towards the right.
Rinne was a little startled.
It was a male, and his true height could not be seen due to his bad posture. His slightly long hair covered the majority of his face, and she could only barely see his wide-open eyes that were emitting a golden light. He was dressed in a worn-out coat, slowly breathing out the smoke of a cheap cigarette, and wore a pair of sport shoes. For some reason, out of everything that was on him, only those shoes were of the latest fashion.
- A hair demon.
Rinne instinctively thought that. His hair was not particularly long, but the unkempt fringe covered his entire face and made his expression invisible, giving out the feeling of a lack of humanity. Moreover, he was sitting in an odd pose. For some reason, he was sitting cross-legged in the chair with his neck c.o.c.ked to one side as if he was a strange puppet. He maintained that pose, and did not move apart from reaching out his hand to tap his cigarette ash into the ashtray.
There were no other customers in the shop apart from him. It seemed like the townsfolk didn’t wander around after work anymore due to the presence of the Long-Armed Demon, and all chose to go straight home.
“That customer,” maintaining her smile, the owner said quietly without moving her lips too much, “seems to be a detective.”
“A detective?”
She couldn’t tell that. A detective was a police officer responsible for catching criminals. But… that man looks more like a criminal himself. However, as a detective, he was probably looking for the Long-Armed Demon as well. Shouldn’t detectives move about in pairs? Rinne thought of this based on the vague information she learnt from TV.
The owner then said with a voice as gentle as a soft song: “Hmm, so we shouldn’t disrupt him.”
“I see.”
Rinne nodded. As she turned away from the owner, she heard a soft voice beside her ears.
“This is lonely. I can’t hear Katsumi’s voice anymore.”
Did she remember the faces of all the guests who came into her shop?
“So lonely. Cla.s.sic music is too lonely.”
The owner changed to another CD, a jazz piece that was full of energy. Tears kept swelling up in Rinne’s eyes. She didn’t look at the owner and sat down at a table with Guriko. The shop was not big, and they sat only one table away from the odd man who was apparently a detective.
Rinne gave him one glance and realized he was gazing at the ceiling with an empty look in his eyes, apparently deep in thought. She decided not to bother him, and moved her eyes to the menu instead. Feeling rather cold, she ordered a cup of hot coffee.
Rinne still retained some feelings toward temperature. Guriko mumbled “hot chocolate”, then added “to stay awake” as if she was defending herself.
There wasn’t much caffeine in hot chocolate. Rinne knew the that. Guriko’s sense of taste could only come alive when she was eating or drinking something sweet.
The owner nodded after taking down their orders. Rinne then looked at Guriko, who was sitting very straight in her chair and had an emotionless countenance.
“A lot has been going on. It feels very restless.”
“That’s true, but I don’t feel bothered about this oppressive feeling.” Guriko stared straight at Rinne, her barrel-like eyes pitch-black as ever. “It was painful to keep living those mediocre and listless days. It was very painful, especially since I have lived such a life for hundreds of years. Though I like those peaceful days when nothing ever happens, I am also very scared of them.”
Guriko took out a spoon in the blink of an eye, and stared calmly at it: “They make me want to find and kill Mushi.”
Rinne drew an inward breath. Guriko smiled.
“The reason that I opposed Mushi… indeed, a large part of it was to find something to do with my time. Though I do want to avenge my family, such hatred or spite won’t last for a thousand years. Chances are I’m only killing Mushi to get rid of my boredom.”
Rinne didn’t think so. Guriko was fighting for the Apple holders who have been targeted by Mushi. If she was just killing time, she couldn’t possibly have kept at it for a millennium. A strong sense of ‘duty’ was required to be continuously committed to something like this, whereas sheer boredom would normally not have kept up.
Guriko lowered her head a little.
“However, I’ve come to dislike those interesting – or rather, tumultuous – days. I began to be afraid that our ordinary lives may be disrupted.”
"I’ve become weaker" – she said through gritted teeth. Rinne didn’t think so. Compared to the person Guriko was when they first met – that girl who had nothing, sought nothing, and only lived like a machine and a monster – a willpower tenfold more powerful now sparkled in Guriko’s eyes.
As if speaking to herself, Guriko spoke while she gazed at the sparkling silver spoon.
“Rinne, did I change back into a human?”
She became weak and began to fear losing things important to her.
However, she now had a heart, and could seriously consider others.
Did she become such a human –
“The world is too full of melancholic things.”
Suddenly, she felt like a blunt knife brushed past her back – it was the voice of a man.
Turning her head, she realized the odd detective was standing next to Rinne’s and her table. He still didn’t look like a human upon close inspection. He had short stubble around his mouth and he was looking at a vague spot that was neither Rinne or Guriko. Tilting his head, he continued: “And that’s especially true for this town. It’s too full of it.”
“What do you want?”
Guriko asked brusquely. “Gigigi,” the detective laughed emotionlessly, his shoulders shaking. “Sorry. I’m not some suspect. It’s just how I am.”
The detective then took out his police ID to show them. Despite his gloomy looks which wouldn’t be out of place even if he turned out to be secretly re-developing Frankenstein, it seemed he really was a detective.
However, the photo printed in the ID was completely different from his person. In other words, it was the picture of an incredibly handsome man. So does that meant his looks would definitely improve if he fixed his hair – or did that mean it was actually someone else’s photo?
The ends of this incredible detective’s lips turned upward: “I’m a detective – the name is Nageki Kurukiyo, specializing in homicides.”
“Nageki Kurukiyo.” Guriko furrowed her brows: “What a savage name.”
He probably wouldn’t want someone called “Eguriko” to say this about his name.
Guriko showed no fear to his odd appearances and asked with a threatening tone: “So, what does Nageki Kurukiyo want with us?”
“Oh dear, how straightforward.”
“Gigigi,” Nageki laughed loudly with his unnatural laugh. While they talked, the shop owner arrived with coffee and hot chocolate. She looked worriedly at Nageki, but he was unmoved with her gaze, and even explained the situation to her a little.
Then he sat down next to Rinne without asking her permission. It was a square table made for four people. Startled, Rinne unconsciously shrank away from him. Meanwhile, Guriko glared at Nageki with a look full of hostility: “I said, what do you want with us?”
“Oh my, gigigi, please don’t give me such a scary look. Such a waste of your pretty face. Oh, your expression is getting more and more scary!”
After those completely meaningless words, his expression suddenly became serious: “Anyways, do you know about the killer called Long-Armed Demon?”
“We don’t. Hurry up and disappear.”
As if pleased, Nageki looked at Guriko, whose tone was getting rather sour. “Lying is bad. Gigi, do you find me annoying? I’m honored. It’s not like I set out to be the good cop loved by all. After all, there shouldn’t be a single person in Kannonsakazaki who doesn’t know about the Long-Armed Demon.”
Then don’t bother to ask about it! Rinne thought as she kept her head low and sipped at her coffee. In contrast to Nageki’s dirty looks, this man didn’t smell too bad and even had some rather pleasant cologne on. It wasn’t uncomfortable sitting next to him. Was his appearance only a fashion trend? Was he actually a keen follower of pioneering fashion tastes?
“I think we’ll never catch the Long-Armed Demon this way.”
With an incredulous tone, Nageki went on: “Everyone is being so obstinate. Honesty, they’d rather believe senseless guesses such as the criminal being a few giants or having super-powerful weapons, but are willing to ignore the witnesses’ words about how a little girl was the killer. They discounted that evidence as ‘impossible’. How’s that so? That’s the incomprehensible part. There are so many cops here, but none of them paid that evidence any attention. What a bother!”
“Stop ranting to us. You’re getting more annoying. Get out.” A murderous light was being emitted from Guriko’s eyes.
“Don’t say that.”
Nageki was unmoved. He must be a pretty tough man to stand his ground when Guriko was staring at him seriously; Rinne was certain of that. This detective was much more than just weird.
“Well, ladies, please humor this lonely man’s desire to chat. Most witnesses for this case verified that a girl of grade school age appeared at many crime scenes. If she walked away alive from all of them, then she’s probably the criminal, right? The question is – can a grade school student shatter a human body to that degree?”
Practically speaking, it was impossible. Though the victims were often thin high school girls, how could a grade-schooler push them against walls or the ground and kill them thus? There were also victims whose limbs were pulled off their bodies. Even adults would find that hard to accomplish without using tools.
But Rinne knew the truth.
Humans were not the only beings living in this world.
“But I knew it.”
As if he read Rinne’s mind, Nageki said softly: “I saw an enormous monster a month ago. I also saw a human who looked like a girl fighting that monster.”
Guriko’s eyebrows twitched once. She tried her best to keep a nonchalant appearance, trying to hide that expression. She didn’t know if that pretense will work against Nageki, who was certainly a man to be feared. A monster, an enormous monster – that was Guriko’s opponent in the incident a month ago. The girl Nageki saw was definitely Guriko.
She didn’t know whether Nageki discovered this.
“Therefore I was certain the world is too full of melancholic things. There were so many incomprehensible things, enough to make people feel melancholic. I’ve been very melancholic since that day. Once I realized the existence of a world that humans cannot comprehend, I felt the job of a policeman too foolish to be continued. After all, beings that ignore morality, law, and common sense exist with us.”
The melancholic officer smiled ominously. His expression was too profound, and Rinne couldn’t read it. Guriko also remained silent. The low sounds of a jazz rhythm permeated throughout the cafe.
Calmly, Nageki declared: “The information I had personally gathered shows there is a desolate graveyard close to this cafe and next to the shrine. Many rumors indicated a girl looking like the Long-Armed Demon had been seen there. I’m going to go there next. Police usually don’t actively investigate about rumors. However, as long as it is investigated thoroughly, there are bound to be some traces. I may even find the Long-Armed Demon herself.”
Then he plonked a voice recorder on the table and smoothly pressed the ‘stop’ b.u.t.ton. Facing the bewildered duo before him, he continued without a pause: “I have recorded everything I’ve just said. I hope you can deliver this to the Kannonsakazaki police station – although it may be problematic for you. If I am killed, it shows I was correct. With this, the other policemen should be able to find out the truth of the matter at once.”
“What are you talking about?”
Guriko was very puzzled, and Rinne’s face turned ashen grey. So that was why Nageki started to chat with them. He wanted to catch the Long-Armed Demon. He wanted everyone to know that the Long-Armed Demon was the girl witnesses spoke of and he wanted, more than everything else, to quickly end this cruel homicide case.
“But I don’t plan to die.”
Nageki stood up gently and walked toward the cashier to pay. Then he wobbled, mindlessly and ominously, and muttered: “Honestly, this world – is too full of melancholic things.”
Guriko soon made up her mind. She gave the bill to Rinne and told her not to follow, then quickly chased after Nageki. Nageki was weird, but he was only a mortal. If that Long-Armed Demon was not a human but a monster, then he may really be killed.
She wasn’t sympathetic to Nageki; he wasn’t even her friend. However, if Nageki’s a.n.a.lysis was correct and the Long-Armed Demon was in the graveyard, then Guriko must face her in battle. As a fellow monster, she was the only one who can defeat her.
Humans cannot win against monsters.
So I must kill her.
She walked along the road that was dirtied with mud, dust, and tire marks. She ran into the shrine that never had any visitors. She pa.s.sed through the gate, went up the stone steps, walked around the donation box. The graveyard lay before her. The dry sand sprayed itself up into the cold wintry air. Guriko arrived deep within the shrine complex, and jumped lightly over the rusty railing. Uneven rows of moss-covered headstones greeted her as she landed.
Insects were flying aimlessly in the air.
“Dong,” the bell in the shrine sounded.
“What are you doing?”
Guriko asked in a low voice. She looked at Nageki, who was crawling between the headstones with his face close to the ground, crawling as if he was an ant that landed on top of an ice cream. His cheap jacket was already dirtied with mud.
She followed him rather quickly and even took shortcuts in the shrine, but he still got here before her. Nageki probably got here on a bicycle or a motorbike. He just has to be problematic at the oddest times. This man would be a hindrance during her fight with the Long-Armed Demon, so she had hoped to get here before him.
Nageki didn’t even look at Guriko, and only stared carefully at the ground: “You’re here. I knew you’d come.”
Nageki’s voice was like a dispa.s.sionate whisper. Hearing this, Guriko furrowed her brows.
d.a.m.n this guy.
“You were the one who fought the monster in the incident a month ago, right?”
“What of it?”
Guriko didn’t hide it and answered it straightaway. Nageki laughed his strange laugh, and slowly crawled along the ground. Guriko approached him slowly, but was immediately warned away by him when she stood next to him.
“Please don’t stand there. You’ll make the tracks disappear.”
“Tracks?”
“Yes, the Long-Armed Demon’s tracks.”
Nageki was silent for a long time, then he slowly stood up. Though he crouched while standing, he was still much taller than Guriko. By the way, Guriko was one of the shorter kids in her cla.s.s. She can certainly use the Apple’s power to grow taller, but it would be such a foolish waste. Yes, an Apple has the power to twist cause and effect and create miracles. Once she uses the power of the Apples to their greatest potential, Guriko can obtain unimaginable strength in battle.
The Long-Armed Demon’s battle prowess, which murdered humans as if they were toys, can also be something similar. Though Guriko didn’t think so – but could she be another Apple holder? That’s certainly possible. But in all honesty, her way of killing was far too cruel. If she was another Apple holder, then she must be more of a monster than Guriko.
“What did you mean, tracks?”
“Hmm, we can call it – evidence to ascertain the Long-Armed Demon’s current location. In real cases, we can sometimes find fingerprints or hair. But this time I found something simpler!”
He didn’t keep talking, but walked firmly away in one direction. Guriko hurried to follow: “What did you find?”
“Foot prints.” Nageki, whose gait made him look like he had no spine, explained in an even voice: “I found some cute sandal foot prints that looked like they belong to a grade school girl. Witnesses also said the Long-Armed Demon was wearing sandals. It’s winter right now, so there’s a high chance we’ve hit jackpot. Thankfully, the ground was wet and it was easy to find the foot prints. Speaking of, it was just raining yesterday.”
“…”
Guriko looked silently at Nageki. He kept his neck bent as if he had some anatomical problems, and he seemed gloomy all over. She still couldn’t discern his real motive. However, the reasons for his actions were enough to be considered justice. He didn’t seem to be a useless detective, after all.
However, the Long-Armed Demon had left foot prints, and was seen by many people. It seriously didn’t look like she was avoiding the police. Was it because she was confident of her powers against the police? Or was it simply because she was careless?
Guriko shook her head. That wasn’t important. Right now, a girl – or rather, a monster – who was the culprit of ten killings was waiting for her. If Guriko let her guard down, she could be the next victim.
It has been a long time since Guriko felt this way.
She had temporarily forgotten the tension before the kill and the dry, barren feeling of battle.
She kept walking forward, keeping her guard up. The two of them soon arrived at their destination.
It was a simple place before a simple headstone. The moss-covered headstone couldn’t be missed. It was a beautifully polished limestone work standing in this graveyard. There was nothing unique about the gravestone, except the words ‘the Aizawa Family’ and a family crest consisting of a plum blossom.
Some wild flowers were placed before the headstone, mingled with dirt. They were flowers that bloomed even in winter, plants that could easily be regarded as weeds. Also, there were somehow cans of beer and red-bean buns, a blanket and –
A little girl with no arms.
“Found you.” Nageki muttered: “Honestly – ”
The girl was sleeping soundly, breathing cutely like a little baby. Her expression was soft and calm, as if she was dreaming sweet dreams. However, the more ordinary she looked, the more incongruous she felt. She was sleeping right before the headstone of a dead man.
“Is she – ”
Was this thin girl –
“ – the Long-Armed Demon?”
The Long-Armed Demon, the murderer who had killed ten people and spread fear throughout Kannonsakazaki – appeared to be only a little girl without arms.
Of course, she did not look as strong as a terrifying monster.
However –
“Hey, you…”
While Guriko was thinking, Nageki stretched his hands towards the Long-Armed Demon. He probably let down his guard because the opponent looked too harmless. That won’t do; they must tie her up while she’s sleeping. Wait, no, a police officer can’t just do something like that.
d.a.m.n, Nageki never planned to kill her. Too naive; he was too naive.
If you do not kill a monster, then you will be killed.
“Bam.”
In the next moment, Long-Armed Demon savagely opened her eyes.
“Who is it? Long-Armed Demon is sleepy!”
Then – up high, up high.
Nageki Kurukiyo was propelled into the air by an invisible force, and literally flew off. It was so powerful that Guriko thought something had exploded. Nageki didn’t even have the chance to scream before he smashed into a few headstones and smacked into the ground.
Guriko switched her brain to battle mode, and glared at Long-Armed Demon who was sleepily rubbing away at her eyes. What just happened? She couldn’t see the source of the attack. It was different from something that was too fast to be seen; instead, Nageki was simply beaten by something invisible.
Long-Armed Demon didn’t even look at Nageki’s direction and just gave a big yawn: “Mmm, mmmmm… Long-Armed Demon works so hard during the night, and gets so tired! At least let me sleep while the day lasts. Honestly – hurry up and say bye-bye!”
The invisible attack moved towards Guriko this time. She originally planned to dodge the attack from the movement of the wind even if she couldn’t see it, but she didn’t detect any shift in the air at all. What was this?
“Urgh!”
Having observed how Nageki was beaten, Guriko judged the opponent would aim at her face and crossed her arms to block Long-Armed Demon’s attack. It was heavy, as if someone just hurled a boulder at her. Right, if such an attack was repeated over and over, the human body would easily be damaged.
No mistake. This was the Long-Armed Demon who killed ten people!
Listening to the grating of her own bones, Guriko withstood this impact. She leapt up and stood on top of a headstone, then she drew out her spoons from the pocket of her uniform and threw them at Long-Armed Demon with lightning speed.
“Woah?!”
Perhaps instinctively detecting the danger. Long-Armed Demon straightened her sleepy face and jumped up. She twirled as she leapt backwards, and landed on top of a headstone just like Guriko did. Cold sweat was appearing on her face, and she looked stunned.
Then – the two monsters, Gankyū Eguriko and Long-Armed Demon, finally stood face to face.
“Huh? Wait, wait a minute.”
With doubt in her voice, Long-Armed Demon asked for a pause. She then put on a solemn expression as if deep in thought: “Eh, eh eh, no way. Um, that’s not how she looks. You’re not who Long-Armed Demon is looking for. Did Long-Armed Demon get it wrong? Did I remember it wrong… I feel like I keep saying this over and over.”
Having completed this senseless soliloquy, Long-Armed Demon asked: “What’s your name?”
“Gankyū Eguriko.”
Though she considered giving the name ‘Itsuwara Eguriko”, she decided against it. It was not like that name was any better. Guriko looked at Nageki as she thought of this. Though he suffered a strong impact, it wasn’t fatal. He’ll get by even if she left him alone, but he really did something stupid this time! He woke up the sleeping demon!
“Are you the Long-Armed Demon?” Guriko asked while holding a new spoon.
Long-Armed Demon grinned before replying. “Yep, I am Long-Armed Demon, with long long arms… huh? Gankyū-san, why are you so strong? Long-Armed Demon is a bit surprised!”
“I don’t need to explain that to you.”
Guriko couldn’t be bothered. Although Long-Armed Demon was smiling, murderous intent was emanating out of her entire body. If she were to disregard that feeling and keep on talking, Guriko would probably be struck down. Long-Armed Demon was undoubtedly an opponent that required all her strength. Guriko tensed, and asked only one question.
“You said you’re looking for someone. Why?”
“Oh, you wanna know?”
Naively, Long-Armed Demon easily told it to Guriko. “Long-Armed Demon must, um… must kill someone called Uzagawa Rine!”
“Who’s that?”
“I can’t find her!”
Long-Armed Demon said with disappointment, then suddenly asked with an intent look in her eyes. “Oh! Hey, Gankyū-san, could it be you also have an Apple?”
She didn’t mean ordinary apples, but the Apples of Eden that could give a human immortality and power to achieve miracles. Since she knew about the Apple – did that mean she was also an Apple holder? If that was the case, Guriko hoped to avoid mutual slaughter as much as possible. After all, they were sisters who fell into the same h.e.l.l. Moreover, they couldn’t even die, so there was nothing to be gained from fighting each other.
There was, however, only one possible solution: to ‘take the other’s Apple’.
The moment the Apple holder gave up on her right to the Apple, she would lose it. Therefore, in order to defeat an Apple holder, one must torture and threaten and use all methods imaginable to take another’s Apple. Someone had slyly used this trick a month ago, and Guriko and Rinne had suffered enough because of it.
Guriko nodded guardedly, and continued to interrogate her: “Yes, I’m an Apple holder, are you also – ?”
“Wow, lucky!” Long-Armed Demon interrupted Guriko, and jumped up and down on top of the headstone: “Then, then please give your Apple to Long-Armed Demon! Zeki-kun wants that Rine person’s Apple, but you can’t tell one Apple apart from another. Even if I give him the Apple I get from you, Zeki-kun would never be able to tell!”
“That’s enough.”
This extremely naive speech rattled Guriko before she got the chance to feel afraid. However, Long-Armed Demon didn’t care. She jumped with a smile, and yelled pa.s.sionately: “Give it to me! Long-Armed Demon wants it!”
The headstone shattered. Guriko leapt up in the blink of an eye and dodged the invisible arm. The hard rock behind her was smashed into smithereens. Just how powerful was she? If this thing – if it landed squarely on someone’s body, it would be enough to send flesh flying.
Guriko jumped among the scattered headstones. Every time she jumped, the headstones around her were smashed with those invisible arms.
“Hey, stop dodging!” Long-Armed Demon puffed out her cheeks, and controlled her invisible arms without moving her body.
“But – you can’t escape from me! What if I do this?”
As she spoke, a few headstones were simultaneously uprooted, and were thrown at Guriko like a judgement from heaven.
It was an overpowering weight that Guriko wouldn’t dream of handling with her spoons, but she kept her composure.
“Enough gloating.”
“Slam!”
She moved with incredible agility.
It was a conglomerate of dust, mud, and dark headstones.
Guriko put strength into her legs and jumped upward. She reached one headstone, then leapt swiftly onto the second one, then the third, using the headstones as stairs, leaping up faster and faster and towards Long-Armed Demon. The beauty of her movements was as enthralling as a dance.
“Wow. You’re so impressive! This is so fun!”
Long-Armed Demon was neither stunned nor afraid. She was actually happy.
“Gankyū-san is so strong! Long-Armed Demon is excited!”
“You can die excited.”
Guriko threw out her spoon with those cold words. The silver light swiftly sliced through the sky in a straight line.
However, the spoon was deflected by an invisible hand before reaching Long-Armed Demon, and landed with a small clank. Though it handled Mushi, it was far too weak for a monster. Guriko had such thoughts a month ago already.
But this was different.
The merciless personality that could only be restrained with a weapon as fragile as a spoon was released one month ago. Guriko had immediately turned into a terrifying monster. She became a monster who drew pleasure from killing, a monster who belonged to humanity in neither body nor soul.
That event made Guriko’s millennium-old Apple disappear into nothingness. She shouldn’t be able to change into such a monster anymore. However, even though the Apple disappeared, her strength – which should have decreased as well – remained unaltered within Guriko’s body –
She didn’t know what changes had occurred in her body.
She didn’t know the truth behind the red monster that she metamorphosed into.
I think, that was – G.o.d – but why did I change into G.o.d’s image then?
I don’t know, because no one can answer this question anywhere.
Anyways, now I fight to protect the ordinary lives of Sakaki and Rinne, who had freed my heart.
The girl who died a thousand years ago thus lived on.
“Urgh!”
The invisible arm suddenly attacked from behind her on the left. Guriko didn’t manage to keep her footing. A solid punch landed on her, and she fell down with a spin. She quickly stood up, licked the blood on her cracked lips, and furrowed her brows in thought.
The closer she was to Long-Armed Demon, the worse it became. The invisible attacks were like bullets; it was too late to dodge once they had already been fired. She could only predict them from the opponent’s movements and line of sight before the attack initiates. However, that was very difficult to do in close quarters. The opponent seemed naive, but was actually rather difficult to fight.
Even if she wanted to use ranged attacks, her spoons would just be easily brushed away. If she could at least throw some headstones like what Long-Armed Demon had been doing –
She suddenly realized something.
This should be worth trying.
“Hey hey! I’m gonna kill you if you keep s.p.a.cing out!”
With a happy expression on her face, Long-Armed Demon stretched her invisible fists toward Guriko. Guriko leapt backwards to dodge it and grabbed a small headstone. Though she was still cautious about using weapons apart from spoons, this was not the time to have such doubts. Guriko stood with her legs apart as she endured the slimy touch of the moss and lichen.
Despite appearances, she was very confident about her upper body strength.
However – aaaah, the headstone didn’t even move an inch. Long-Armed Demon could easily move the headstone, why? As she thought of this, Long-Armed Demon’s attack flew toward her, and Guriko had to move away.
Am I really physically weaker than Long-Armed Demon?! Such a headstone could be shattered with enough force, but Guriko was simply unable to uproot it from the ground and throw it.
And there was one more incredulous thing.
Long-Armed Demon was evidently controlling more than two arms. She needed at least two arms to pull out a headstone, but she was throwing four or five headstones at once. That meant – there were more than two invisible arms attached to Long-Armed Demon. She should probably have at least ten arms.
Guriko stared at Long-Armed Demon. Missing her arms – if others were fooled by her appearance and thought she only had twi invisible arms, then defeat would become certain.
Her ability seemed to be more complex than just controlling invisible long arms.
“Let’s test this.”
Guriko muttered as she stood in the middle of the ruined graveyard like a guardian, as if she was provoking Long-Armed Demon. If the shrine’s high priest saw the graveyard in such a messy state, he’d probably hang himself. Guriko then put up a fearless expression, and waved at Long-Armed Demon.
“What’s wrong, weren’t you very proud of those arms? If this is the best you could do, then they’re just invisible. That’s not very impressive!”
Long-Armed Demon’s left eyebrow twitched.
“You are looking down – looking down on me? You are looking down on L-L-Long-Armed Demon’s – long arms?”
Long-Armed Demon was shaking. She was easily angered.
“Huh, Gankyū-san, I won’t be soft on you anymore! Game over! Die!”
A torrential murderous intent rushed towards Guriko together with a scream. That was an aura completely incomparable with what was there beforehand. Guriko turned her torso in the blink of an eye, but she deliberately did not dodge too far away. She moved in small steps, and the rim of her uniform’s skirt blew upwards due to the wind.
Instantly.
“Snap!”
Guriko felt an impact over her entire body the moment Long-Armed Demon gave that command.
“Argh!”
She moaned and frowned as she felt an ominous discomfort around her left foot. She tried to grasp the invisible arm that was holding her. The hand – even if there was no hand and only an arm – should be physically present.
However, Guriko’s fingers pa.s.sed through the area where the arm was supposed to be. There was only empty air.
“Ahahaha,” Long-Armed Demon laughed shrilly: “You can’t touch Long-Armed Demon’s arms! Long-Armed Demon’s arms are s-p-e-c-i-a-l~~! Gankyū-san can’t touch it, nor can Zeki-kun, or even Long-Armed Demon herself! They can only touch others! They are such invincible and pretty arms! So now you won’t look down on it, right? You can honestly praise it now!”
Astonished, Guriko dodged behind a large headstone and checked the discomfort of her foot. It turned out the left foot was already fractured. Guriko had long lost the sensation of pain with her immortal body, and that would only be a disadvantage in battle. Pain was a signal to injury. If that signal wasn’t felt, then she wouldn’t know her limits.
If left alone, the power of the Apple should heal her bones. But it was unlikely to reach full recovery during this fight.
Guriko sighed and took off both her shoes and stockings, making it easier for her to move about.
In fact, when she still casually called herself ‘Gankyū Eguriko’, she always went barefoot. That made her steps solid on the ground and agile at the same time, and was best for such fights.
There were some bad swellings around the ends of her left tibia and fibula, which were broken by the Long-Armed Demon. Guriko used her stockings to tightly wrap around the fractured areas, and made some appropriate first-aid measure. But the best she could do was just to hold the broken bones in place.
“You can’t hide!”
The headstone she was leaning against was instantly smashed. Gusts of dirt flew up into the air, and she couldn’t see anything. Guriko shut her eyes to prevent the dirt from going into her eyes, and threw out a few spoons to keep Long-Armed Demon busy as she tried to think.
Though she didn’t understand the basis and logic behind her opponent’s power, she could roughly grasp its effects. But it was a foolish thing to ponder about the basis of a monster’s abilities anyways. She didn’t need academic evidence and she didn’t need scientific theories; all she needed to know was what effect the power would cause.
Strictly speaking, Long-Armed Demon’s ability was not ‘invisible arms’.
If she had to describe it, it would be something like telekinesis – a supernatural power. She was able to create a force field with her thoughts and move objects. Apart from direct attacks such as smashing headstones and beating humans, she should also be able to accomplish ordinary movements – such as putting coins into a vending machine and opening cans – with ease. Seemed like she could do the same movements as a normal human’s two hands.
Guriko thought about her enemy’s tactics as she tried to dodge attacks while hopping on one foot.
The first plan she had was to escape to a distance where Long-Armed Demon couldn’t reach. However, it’d be cruel to simply leave Nageki behind and escape by herself, and it wouldn’t solve the problem. Then, she could only hope to divert the Long-Armed Demon’s attention. She seemed a simple girl; Guriko just needed to make her unable to concentrate on using her arms.
But how?
Ironically, the situation took a worse turn for Guriko as she was thinking these things.
“ – ”
She heard a very small sound.
She couldn’t hear what was said. The sound was very very small.
This sound…
Guriko instinctively looked to its source, and shivered when she saw Usagawa Rinne standing there. She saw her gentle face, thin body, and the lovely ribbon decorating her hair.
“Rinne… why?”
How did this happen? This is so weird. I told her not to follow me. Rinne isn’t a stupid girl; she should know she would only be problematic for me here. But why?
Did she become careless because she knew she couldn’t die? – No, no way.
Rinne, why?
“Eh?” Long-Armed Demon finally noticed Rinne. Turning her head, she stayed silent for a while, as if planning something. She soon decided carelessly: “I see. Hmm! She’s a bother, so let me kill her.”
Her voice sounded unnatural, but there wasn’t time to think –
“Rinne, run!”
Guriko yelled, and threw three spoons towards Long-Armed Demon. Usagawa Rinne must not be in danger. I will protect her –
I’ll show you that I can protect her, even if I must exchange my life for hers.
Therefore – although it was only for a moment – Guriko lost her composure in battle.
And Long-Armed Demon turned her head around during this gap – this worst possible moment.
“Shall we start with Gankyū-san?”
“Squeak.”
Guriko felt something odd around her neck the moment she heard a repulsive sound. It was a pressing feeling. Then she flew off into the sky within an unbelievable force – no, she was lifted up into the air by Long-Armed Demon’s invisible arms.
“Urgh – urgh – !”
Guriko’s neck was being strangled. She hung in the air, unable to move, still clutching her spoons. d.a.m.n, Guriko moaned. She was way too careless.
“How is it? Long-Armed Demon’s arms are strong, right? Is it painful? Do you want to die? Or should I say, I want to strangle you until you would rather die.”
She was strangled with a force that was just strong enough not to crush her bones. Her arteries and airway were both pressed by an invisible hand. Guriko screamed senselessly, trying to pull away those intangible arms, and clawed aimlessly at the air.
Guriko sought out Rinne’s figure through her murky sight, barely keeping control over her diminishing consciousness. There. Rinne was standing motionlessly near the fountain at the entrance to the graveyard. She wasn’t running away, nor did she seem scared. Only her shoulders were shaking slightly – shaking with laughter.
Why?
Why, Rinne?
As Guriko thought this – her conscious became dim.
Her conscious disappeared.
“Huh? That’s boring.” Long-Armed Demon lowered her head with boredom and looked at Guriko, whose limbs were hanging powerlessly downwards: “Now you know Long-Armed Demon is very very powerful, right? Because Long-Armed Demon won’t ever lose to anyone apart from Zeki-kun. Hmm, but that was fun, Gankyū-san. I’ll take my time to torture you until you give up your Apple!”
Guriko didn’t answer.
At the end, even her fingertips fell limp.
Twirling, the spoons fell from the air.
Long-Armed Demon looked satisfactorily at her.
“Ahaha. Honestly, why would you use something like a spoon – ”
“Why do you think?” It was a short and low sound.
That sound came from Guriko, who should have fainted.
“What?”
Long-Armed Demon’s expression changed, but it was already too late.
The spoon fell downwards with a spin and reached Guriko’s bare feet, instantly grasped by her toes. Then, using her intact right foot, she swung forcefully to the right –
And she kicked forward with all her strength at that moment. The spoon flew forward – towards Long-Armed Demon’s location.
“Eh – Ahhhhhhhhhhh?!”
The spoon planted itself accurately into Long-Armed Demon’s right eye before she had the time to react. Long-Armed Demon gave out a sharp cry. She stumbled backward, whether from pain or the impact, and fell struggling on the ground.
“Ahhhh! Woahhhh! It hurts, it hurts!”
Her invisible arms disappeared, perhaps due to her loss of concentration. Guriko was released, and she landed lightly on the ground. Then she instantly and mercilessly rushed up to Long-Armed Demon.
It was as she had thought. Long-Armed Demon lacked battle experience and easily fell for Guriko’s faked death. She was too naive.
Guriko walked forward confidently once she ascertained her victory.
“You ask me why I’m using spoons? Of course that’s to make gouging out eyeb.a.l.l.s easier. Why do I want to gouge eyeb.a.l.l.s? I have – forgotten that reason long ago.”
&