Tatakau Shisho

March 21, 2016Tgurneu

Three years have pa.s.sed since Enlike met Ganbanzel.

It was a sandy beach with seagulls flying ahead and crabs crawling around. There were about ten boys there.

They were all clad in the same kind of worn-out military uniforms. Everyone was sitting on the beach with even intervals between them. The one sitting at the very end was Enlike.

The sounds of waves on this windless day sounded pleasant to his ears. Sometimes, this sort of moderate background noise sharpened people’s minds better than silence. The waves extended all the way to Enlike’s knees and slightly wet his trousers.

He closed his eyes, listened and kept calming his breath. He focused his consciousness on the axioms flowing through him.

“Imagine it.”

A man stood behind Enlike’s group.

He was a middle-aged man wearing a military uniform that was slightly higher-quality than theirs. The lower half of his face was concealed by a curly black beard, and the upper half was covered by a quirky black hair. Looking at his face, one could only see small parts of his eyes and nose. The man’s name was Boramot Mafe. He was the cloth controller that once stood by Ganbanzel’s side.

Adding his large build, he looked like a clothed bear from afar.

“Magic begins from your mental image. You need to destroy the order of the world inside you, while at the same time destroying your order inside the world. With the power of imagination you can give shape to the chaos inside your consciousness.”

Listening to Boramot’s words, Enlike enhanced his concentration.

Enlike’s group was learning about Magic now.  It was so they could turn into monsters just like Ganbanzel said.

What was Magic? In order to explain, Boramot first presented them with a gla.s.s full of seawater. This was quite soon after Enlike came to this island. When he arrived, there were already several dozens of boys there. He was the last one.

“If I were to tilt this gla.s.s, what would happen to the water inside?”

“It would spill.”

One in Enlike’s group said.

“Why?”

“…Because it’s just like that?”

“Please explain in more detail.”

The boy faltered, and thus Boramot kept talking.

“It is because it was established as such in this world. Tilting the gla.s.s would make the water spill. Letting go of the gla.s.s would make it fall. Birds fly in the sky, fish swim in the sea, the sun rises every morning and sinks every night.

In the past, the Overseer of the Beginning and the End established the world like that when he created it. Everything in this world was made according to those principles. No, it would be better saying that the section made to be that way by the Creator Deity is the world.

As humans are also things that the Creator Deity created, they obviously operate under those principles as well.

Therefore, no matter how strong humans are, they can’t lift a boulder weighing a ton, and no matter how good they are at swimming, they can’t swim faster than fish. They can’t produce light from their hands or breathe fire. It is natural. The Creator Deity made humans this way.

Fundamentally humans are just a bit smart but have no abilities. However, this isn’t everything about them.

Boramot talked while presenting the gla.s.s of water to Enlike’s group.

“The Creator Deity made humans to be the sole existence in this world that could defy His established principles.

The right to defy the Creator Deity;

A deviation from the axioms organizing the world;

Those are what humans refer to as Magic. Tilting this gla.s.s would make the water inside spill… that kind of rule can also be negated. Like this-”

After saying so, Boramot muttered something under his breath and turned over the gla.s.s in his hand. The water inside had stuck to the inside of the gla.s.s as if it were ice.

“It isn’t difficult at this level. Anyone can do this if they were trained to some extent. And the phenomenon itself isn’t a big deal, because if I want to keep the water from spilling, I could simply cover the gla.s.s.”

Then, the water that was stuck inside the gla.s.s fell on the sand as if it suddenly lost its support.

“The Magic you brats need is something like this.”

This time, Boramot’s clothes started shuffling around noisily as if they were living. They boys started getting alarmed, but Enlike wasn’t surprised. He saw him crush a caretaker on the ship using this.

“This is my ability. Magic that allows me to freely control clothes in contact with my skin. Even I wanted to teach this, it cannot be learned. I am the only one with the right to use this power. ‘Boramot Mafe can manipulate any cloth he touches at will, surpa.s.sing the laws of physics’ – thus I overturned the world’s principles.

Currently almost all of those who are called first-cla.s.s warriors can control this kind of Magic. This is a Magic that only I can use and n.o.body else.

Even you brats must learn it. Right now, this is the best method for you.

“…”

“By the way, it is extremely rare, but there are people who are granted a Right from G.o.d while they are born. Those kinds of people are also born with unnatural hair colors.

For example, there’s the famous Ever-Laughing Witch who had striped hair… but well, this doesn’t have anything to do with you brats.”

Boramot continued.

“Remember that you are all here only so you can become of use for Ganbanzel-sama. You were kept alive only for his n.o.ble purposes. You are nothing more than that. Do not forget this.

I’m strict. But I’m doing this for Ganbanzel-sama and not only for you. If you are able to acquire powerful Magic, you will become monsters. The most important thing is for you to produce something n.o.ble and thus become something n.o.ble.

But until that day comes, you are all trash. I will not allow you to talk back to me. Is that understood?!”

Everyone, including Enlike, nodded in unison.

Ever since that day, the group started their Magic Deliberation.

Enlike, while sitting on the sand, kept sharpening his focus.

He shut himself out to shield his consciousness from the outside world. He connected his subconscious with the Present G.o.d inside and led his consciousness to the deepest parts.

In his mind, he started reciting the words of the Magic Deliberation he learned from Boramot.

‘Those who go will not go, and those who come will not come. The moon is the sun. Birds are fish. Living beings become corpses. Steel becomes weak. All of reality becomes dreams, and illusions become all of reality. Existent things cease existing, nonexistent things exist, everything is defined as false, and thus I undergo the Magic Deliberation.’

The Magic Deliberation began.

Enlike pushed his way through his deep consciousness, held his intentions and begun rewriting the axioms of this world. He started eroding the axioms governed by the Present G.o.d like carnivorous insects feasting on their prey, and began rewriting them according to his own wishes.

‘Enlike Bishile controls lightning.’

‘Enlike Bishile controls even stronger lightning.’

‘Enlike Bishile controls even stronger and more precise lightning.’

While chanting this inside his mind, Enlike changed the principles of the world. He imagined his Magic to be stronger and more precise. As he imagined it, he started turning it real.

He changed the world’s axioms. The Magic Deliberation ended.

Enlike opened his eyes and stretched out his hand. Together with that action, a blue flash came surging out from his hand. About five meters ahead from him on the sandy beach, a cloud of dust rose where the flash pierced it.

“…”

Enlike sighed in relief among the swirling sand. The power he used was lightning. He could freely emit it from his body and control it.

Coming this far wasn’t easy.

It all started from imagining himself shooting lightning. He materialized that image and refined it. And he believed from the bottom of his heart in bringing lightning forth. Discarding his hesitation and grasping the world’s axioms in his hands took him a year.

It took him another year until he could freely control that lightning. When he couldn’t control it, he burnt his own body again and again. Being able to use it like this to attack was a recent development. Since then, he repeated the Magic Deliberation countless of times to improve his precision and power.

The boys around him opened their eyes. They directed startled looks towards Enlike and the traces of his lightning.

“So you raised your power further.”

Boramot said and gave a piece of cloth to Enlike. He wiped the sweat and sand on his face.

“Lightning, huh… such an amazing ability. Trying to master it is a h.e.l.l, but once you can use it your enemies will be in h.e.l.l.”

Boramot looked at Enlike’s body. Never mind his fingers or arms, there were also burn marks all over his body that was concealed under his clothes. He went through the danger of dying countless times.

“You have done well to survive this far.”

Boramot clapped on Enlike’s shoulder.

“This is enough for today. Everyone rise.”

Enlike and the rest of the group stood up. It was already close to sunset.

Every day they conducted their Deliberation like this and strengthened their Magic. The only one who was able to complete the Deliberation and strengthen the power of his Magic today was Enlike.

“Enlike’s progress lately has been remarkable. However, the rest of you slackers make me want to cover my eyes. Do you have no shame?”

All of the boys other than Enlike lowered their gazes.

“Do not forget you have been left alive by Ganbanzel-sama. In exchange for your lives you should all have enough guts to acquire Magic. We’re done for today.”

After finishing the training, Boramot walked alone to a house located inside the forest. None have followed him. Boramot had said that the status of those who were Meats, like Enlike and the rest, and his, as a False Human who served Ganbanzel, was different. Boramot lived inside a wooden cabin that was built when they first arrived on the island. The residences allocated for Enlike’s group were caverns on the cliffs.

With only a lamp and beds inside, it looked like a dwelling from the Paradise Era.

Enlike had no issues with that treatment. It was unexpected for him, who previously had to pick up bread crumbs from the ground, to get such a promotion.

“Is it over for today?”

One in the group mumbled.

“We’re just going to eat and sleep now.”

Someone answered him.

Enlike’s group returned in front of the cave. On that cliff, which had holes here and there as if it was cheese, there was a small plaza. At its center a small bonfire was burning. A lone girl was tossing firewood inside one at a time.

She was around seventeen years old. She was a pet.i.te girl that could only reach up to Enlike’s chest. Two braids of hair were hanging from her small head.

“We’re back, Qumola.”

One in the group raised his voice towards her. The girl turned around and greeted Enlike’s group with a timid voice.

“Good work, everyone.”

Her name was Qumola. She was a maid on this island from before Enlike came here.

Enlike and the rest sat around the bonfire in a circle. Qumola moved quickly around the center of that circle. The group received oil paper-wrapped packages around the size of a Book from her one by one. After she finished distributing the packages, she started giving them boiled water inside an iron gla.s.s.

“Once in a while we should eat different things.”

Someone’s voice was heard inside the circle. Because everyone thought so, no one had answered.

Enlike’s group’s meal was a military ration of beans and flour kneaded together. Chewing it inside their mouths, together with the half-baked saltiness, it tasted terrible. If Qumola hadn’t given them hot water, they wouldn’t have been able to eat it.

Finally, she put boiled water in front of Enlike. Then, she went to seat in a small distance outside the circle.

As if on cue, one of the people in the group started speaking.

The one talking was a tall boy called Kayas. He was the youth who had the most lively voice and expression among them. He naturally ended up becoming the group’s leader.  Kayas began the usual greetings in a jesting tone.

“Well then, good work for today. Our meal tastes like c.r.a.p but let’s eat it to our heart’s content, you b.a.s.t.a.r.ds!”

As if responding to Kayas’s joking words, everyone started eating.

While eating, everyone began chatting with one another.

Conversation topics for them weren’t numerous. The main topic was of course fighting. Today they talked about one of their friends, a boy named Lonkenny.

“I still think there’s a defect in your ability.”

Kayas said.

“Me too.”

Joined a boy called Sasari.

“Mm, is that so?”

Lonkenny answered bashfully. He was a slightly introverted boy.

The Magic he used was controlling fire. He could ignite a powerful flame inside his mouth and shoot it out in the form of a fireball. It had tremendous power; he could thoroughly burn a large tree with one blow.

“It doesn’t matter how much power you have if you can’t hit. You have to shoot it faster.”

Kayas said to Lonkenny while eating his disgusting military ration.

“Right. There’s also the range. You have to make it go far.”

Sasari added.

“…Yeah, I’m trying my best.”

“Anyway, you have to alter your thinking itself.”

“Exactly.”

As Kayas and Sasari kept this, all the others joined them in criticizing Lonkenny’s abilities as they pleased. He looked down in embarra.s.sment but listened to his friends.

Among them, only Enlike hadn’t said anything. He kept chewing his military ration in silence.

“What do you think, Enlike?”

Kayas casually pa.s.sed the conversation to Enlike.

At that moment, the relaxed atmosphere suddenly became tense. The gaze directed at Enlike was different than the ones exchanged among the group of comrades. He was instead met with fear, awe, and a slightly concealed killing intent.

“I don’t think anything.”

Enlike, receiving the others’ gaze in silence, answered just this.

“How unusual to hear Enlike talk.”

Sasari shrugged. He sent a hostile look towards him.

“Even a prodigy killer will answer if you’ll speak to him.”

“Stop that, Sasari.”

Kayas tried keeping Sasari, who provoked Enlike, in check.

“Shuddup, Kayas.”

“I’m telling you to stop.”

This time, the dispute began between the two of them. Enlike didn’t get involved. He just stayed silent and kept chewing mechanically.

Among the group of ten or so boys, he was the least talkative and the strongest. He also loved killing and battles more than anyone else – this was how the group evaluated Enlike. This evaluation wasn’t favorable in the least. They have feared and alienated him.

Enlike had spent his days in a detached manner as if he didn’t feel the gazes of fear directed at him.

The idle talk kept after this, and meal time was almost over.

“Well, thanks for the meal.”

Kayas was the first to finish eating. He still had some leftovers in his hands. He threw them on the cloth lying next to the bonfire.

“Here, Qumola.”

Following him, the rest also threw the leftovers on the cloth.

“Me too.”

“Thanks for the meal.”

Small leftovers, none of them larger than a single bite, were placed on the cloth.

When everyone except Enlike finished eating, Kayas pinched the four corners of the cloth and picked it up. He brought it to Qumola who sat at the edge of the circle.

“Here, Qumola. It’s your share.”

“Thank you for always, everyone.”

She quickly lowered her head and received the package. Then, while she was sipping the remaining hot water from a ladle, she began eating the leftovers everyone gathered for her.

Enlike kept looking at their actions while thinking they were strange.

He couldn’t remember when this started.

At some stage they gave their leftovers to Qumola like this, and it became a habit.

While looking at Qumola who pinched the food and continued eating, Enlike swallowed the last bite.

Even after the meal, the group kept chatting together until the bonfire would run out. Only Enlike kept silent inside the circle. He didn’t join the conversation nor did he listen to it; he simply stayed silent. n.o.body turned their eyes towards him.

Their conversation topics were incredibly silly. The weather, the sea, their friends, and Qumola.

Enlike felt extremely uncomfortable. He couldn’t understand why those guys that were talking in front of him could be so calm. What will come out of getting along? Was there any value to this fake harmony? Eventually, everyone will die and they’ll stay alone.

While thinking so, Enlike stared at the group with gloomy eyes.

Before long, the bonfire went off and they started gradually getting up. Enlike rose listlessly.

“Hey, Lonkenny. Think a bit more about your Deliberation tomorrow.”

Kayas started saying.

“I know, Kayas. I’m working hard.”

Lonkenny smiled bashfully. Enlike then approached him from behind.

“Lonkenny.”

Lonkenny flinched at the sudden voice directed to him.

“…Enlike.”

He muttered in a fearful tone.

“Tonight. Me and you.”

Enlike said only this and immediately left.

Lonkenny looked at him with his legs trembling. Without paying attention to him, Enlike went inside the cave which was like his bedroom.

“It can’t be… after this… but then…”

He could faintly hear Lonkenny muttering so.

It was during the middle of night, when the full moon rose high in the heavens. Enlike and Lonkenny sneaked away from the cave. The two stood on the beach and faced each other. The distance between them was about three meters. The moon’s light was bright, so they could clearly see each other’s faces.

“Boramot is late.”

Enlike said. His face was completely expressionless. He calmly looked directly at Lonkenny as if he was staring at the deep darkness.

“…Enlike.”

Lonkenny was looking at the sand with bloodshot eyes. His eyes were like this after crying until he tired of it. In contrast with Enlike, he wasn’t calm at all.

“What?”

“Aren’t you afraid?”

“I’m not.”

“…I’m afraid.”

“I see.”

Enlike replied as if not answering at all. He then looked towards the direction of Boramot’s hut. He thought about going to call him, but immediately decided against it.

“I don’t want to do this. I don’t care about Hamyuts Meseta at all.”

“I see.”

“I want… I want to stay with everyone.”

Enlike calmly answered.

“That’s impossible.”

“…Impossible?”

“Yes. If you won’t become a monster you’ll just die.”

Enlike simply stated a fact indifferently. His way of speaking was unbelievably blunt.

Lonkenny abruptly raised his face.

“Enlike, do you enjoy killing?”

Enlike thought for a while before answering.

“Don’t you enjoy it?”

Lonkenny shook his head.

“It’s not fun at all.”

“I see.”

The two went silent again.

More importantly, Boramot is late, Enlike thought. Should we just start without waiting for him?

Just as this crossed his mind, Lonkenny suddenly drew closer.

“Hey, Enlike. Will you please take this?”

Lonkenny put a hand inside his breast pocket. Enlike was slightly confused about what he pulled out. It was a seash.e.l.l. A shiny scarlet seash.e.l.l of the sort that could be seen from time to time on the beach.

“I don’t need it.”

“It’s not for you. Can you pa.s.s it to Qumola?”

“Qumola?”

Enlike just became more confused.

“Please. This will really be my only regret.”

Enlike received the seash.e.l.l without any real interest.

“I wonder if I could have live more comfortably if I became a killer like you.”

Lonkenny muttered. Then, they heard a voice.

“So you came. We will begin immediately.”

Boramot was walking on the beach.

“Let us commence the battle training.”

From time to time, under the moonlight, when everyone was asleep, matches between two comrades would occur like this.

On paper, they were battle training. However, in actuality it was harvesting of the strong. Those with weak abilities or low potential would be erased, thereby giving experience to the strong. This was the method devised by Boramot.

“Begin.”

Boramot said while grinning. Enlike’s body scattered blue sparks. A red flame lit up inside Lonkenny’s mouth.

March 25, 2016Tgurneu

Enlike washed his hands in the seawater. They were slightly burned. He popped his blisters and washed them with salt water. As he slightly winced due to the pain, he scrubbed his wounds with salt. His hands were burnt by his own lightning.

“Once again, this isn’t even practice for you, Enlike.”

Boramot raised his voice while smiling.

The match was over in an instant. Enlike’s lightning bore into Lonkenny’s body before he was able to shoot a fireball from his mouth.

After getting hit by lightning, the fireball inside his mouth exploded and blew his head to pieces.

The difference in battle strength was overwhelming. Speed, accuracy, destructive power… Enlike had exceeded Lonkenny’s power in all categories.

“Indeed, if I want to make you gain some battle experience this won’t be enough. Maybe we should try two against one next time?”

Boramot manipulated his clothes and threw Lonkenny’s body into the sea. It drifted away and was soon out of sight.

“It doesn’t matter.”

Enlike answered indifferently.

“Didn’t make you bat an eyelid, huh? Really, even I had goose-b.u.mps while just watching from the side. It’s like you were born to kill.”

Boramot smiled happily as he said so.

Enlike had already won four of these matches. Nowadays it was as if everything was only a hunt for him.

“Well, you can go back to sleep. There’s always tomorrow.”

While wiping his hands on his pants, Enlike said to Boramot,

“Boramot. I want to see the Book about Hamyuts again.”

While looking uncomfortable, Boramot beckoned to Enlike with his finger.

Enlike tread upon Boramot’s log cabin. He had a warm-looking cotton bed, a dish of soup that hadn’t been washed and pieces of white bread scattered around. It was incomparable to the living environment of Enlike’s group; this was a human room.

“You really are eager to study. Do you look forward to the day you kill Hamyuts Meseta that much?”

While saying this, Boramot placed a small box on the table and took several Book fragments out of it.

Those were fragments of Books belonging to people who were killed by Hamyuts Meseta. Ganbanzel brought them for Enlike’s group.

Enlike touched one of them.

It was a Book of an Armed Librarian named Haiza.

Haiza was running through a dense forest. He was fast, but not only that. While running, he also evaded attacks coming from all directions. Haiza’s physical fitness was way above that of Enlike. He was frighteningly fast, accurate and had no wasted movements to boot. If Enlike as he was now would fight Haiza, his chances for victory were slim. He might be killed by gunfire before he would be able to shoot his lightning.

“s.h.i.t! Where are you, Hamyuts?!”

Armed Librarian Haiza was being chased. He sold confidential information that he obtained as an Armed Librarian to some country’s intelligence agency. Due to their line of work, those who had this information equivalent to state secrets couldn’t be allowed to convey it to any country or organization.

The one sent to a.s.sa.s.sinate him was Hamyuts Meseta.

While this still young – only 22 years old – woman was a newcomer amongst Armed Librarians, everyone already knew about her battle strength.

“Where are you? Where are you, Hamyuts?!”

The one being chased after was Haiza. However, he was the one physically chasing her around.

When the battle began Hamyuts suddenly turned her back and fled. She attacked him while escaping. This was Hamyuts’s conventional tactic.

Haiza chased after her. She attacked while running away and he gave chase while protecting himself. While Haiza was fast, Hamyuts was overwhelmingly faster.

But he still had to chase her down. For him, who used a gun, the maximum range was about 150 meters. As long as he can’t get into range, he wouldn’t even be able to attack.

“Gwoh!”

Haiza tumbled. A large amount of blood poured from his calf. Hamyuts. .h.i.t his artery. But she wouldn’t stop. Another attack came without pause.

Just how many attacks had it been? Gravel was thrown with an intense rotation that made it curve like a snake. From the front, diagonally, and from directly above. The attacks also came flying at him from behind even though he was the one supposed to be chasing her.

If he was just shot at once or twice he would have been able to avoid it. But if ten shots were to be launched at him, one or two would graze him. If a hundred shots were to be launched at him and about ten or twenty of them would graze him, getting hit once or twice would inflict a fatal wound.

He’ll have to finish her before getting finished. However, Hamyuts already was more than 500 meters away from him. He couldn’t tell where she was. Haiza had completely lost any means of attack.

After that he was tortured to death.

His cheeks were cut, his shoulders were grazed, his flank was gouged into, and his legs were torn off.

Finally, when his head was crushed, the rain of stone bullets had stopped.

This was the pattern of Hamyuts’s certain victories: a unilateral attack from outside the range and expectations of the enemy. Once inside that pattern, no matter what kind of powerful person would stand against her, they would be tortured to death in a way that couldn’t be called a battle.

Both of his feet were torn to shreds and his gun was blown away.

Haiza, who stopped resisting, gazed up to the heavens.

“…How lacking.”

At some point, Hamyuts came to his side. She looked down at him as if obstructing his view of the sky. The smile Haiza could see was a radiant smile such as one of a snake who caught his prey.

“You still aren’t a match for Hamyuts with your current power.”

Boramot said to Enlike who touched the Book.

“However, if you follow Ganbanzel-sama, there will definitely be a day when you can kill her. Never doubt this.”

“…”

Enlike didn’t say anything. His fingers touched the next Book.

The second Book fragment was of a soldier. He was a low-grade soldier in the Imperial Army of Guinbex. After invading the neighboring Rona Kingdom, the Imperial Army of Guinbex received an order of ceasefire from the Modern Management Agency. However, the higher-ups of the Army unilaterally broke it and resumed the attack. One of the Imperial Army’s squads confronted Hamyuts, who was stationed there as an inspector of the ceasefire.

The soldiers already knew Hamyuts by name. However, a single woman wielding a sling couldn’t possibly match things like fighter aircrafts and tanks as well as the Magic users among the special troops. This was common knowledge amongst the higher-ups and simple soldiers alike.

Their strategy was the typical one of defending against Hamyuts with solid fortifications while bombarding her from the skies to immobilize her. They meant to completely burn out wherever she was.

When the battle started, all the airplanes, artillery deployed from within the fortification and tank guns bombarded her simultaneously. During this bombardment, Hamyuts hadn’t resisted at all.

When it finally ceased, the tanks charged forward.

And just as those tank corps grew closer to Hamyuts…

Suddenly, the airplanes in the sky caught fire and crashed. They fell headlong on the tank corps on the surface.

Next, something huge had flown and hit the fort’s wall. It was the gun barrel of a tank.

This gun barrel, meant to shoot bullets, became a bullet itself. It looked like a complete joke.

Next came flying the caterpillar tracks, engine, turret, and for the finishing blow, the corpses of the tank personnel that were twisted and smashed.

Those corpses were stuck to the fort’s wall and turned into flimsy material that no longer had any human form.

The soldiers started panicking at this gruesome sight.

They understood – Hamyuts dismantled the tank and threw its parts as if they were pebbles. The soldiers noticed their own earlier misunderstanding. The one with the overwhelming advantage in resources wasn’t them. It was Hamyuts since she could use everything around her as a weapon. Those cannonb.a.l.l.s came flying one after another – tank parts, fighter aircraft parts, boulders, barbed wires that have been torn into shreds, as well as the sandbags and lumber which have been used for the trenches.

These attacks, simply by virtue of their weight and speed, were stronger than any other attack exactly because they were so simple.

The last thing the soldier who was the owner of the Book saw was a human shape soaring above.

He tried escaping with his airplane, but he suddenly lost control and entered a tailspin.

Are you kidding me? That woman hit an airplane while it was flying?

That was the last view he had seen.

Enlike thus read several Books of people who were killed by Hamyuts.

“I’ll go back and sleep.”

Enlike said as he closed the lid of the casket.

“Enlike, who would you like to fight next?”

Boramot asked.

“I don’t mind.”

“I see. Everyone on this island is your prey, huh? There’s no need to rush.”

Boramot went silent and smiled.

“Isn’t it fun, Enlike? Enjoy yourself more and more. You’re doing it for Ganbanzel-sama after all.”

Without saying anything, Enlike opened the door and went out.

Enlike stopped after walking to the beach. It was near the sea where Lonkenny disappeared. He recalled their fight there. Lonkenny’s expression, the fireball that was almost shot and the lightning that struck him – Enlike recalled those one by one while staring into the dark sea.

“Try to smile.”

Enlike muttered. Then, he began distorting his face. He raised the meat of his cheeks awkwardly. His eyebrows became deformed in a weird manner. His eyes narrowed unnaturally. It didn’t look like a smile at all, but rather an odd expression.

“Smile, I want to smile.”

Enlike muttered and tried twisting his face forcefully.

But it wasn’t a smile. It was the fake smile, the same he had inside the ship before meeting Ganbanzel.

“This is all wrong.”

Muttering this, Enlike stopped trying to smile. His face returned to the previous gloomy expression.

“…Once again it’s not enough.”

He held his head.

Everyone on this island had misunderstood one thing about Enlike. Boramot, Kayas, Lonkenny and Sasari – they have all misunderstood. They were calling him a natural killer and one who loved to fight above all.

However, Enlike didn’t find battle enjoyable even once.

When he succeeded in his Magic Deliberation and could shoot out lightning, when he first killed one of his comrades, and the one after him, and the one after, and even now – he never even once enjoyed it.

If he were to tell this to anyone they would be shocked. It was already common knowledge on the island that he liked to battle.

Once, Ganbanzel had said – fighting and killing is the best of joys. And now, Boramot told him to enjoy killing.

Enlike wanted to do so from the bottom of his heart. Even he couldn’t understand why he wasn’t enjoying it.

Why couldn’t he smile?

Enlike recalled the face of Hamyuts that he seen before. When she killed Haiza, Hamyuts was smiling. When she annihilated the Imperial Army of Guinbex, she probably smiled as well.

That nauseating, repulsive smile. Why couldn’t he smile like Hamyuts?

He wanted to try and ask her. Why could she smile? What did she enjoy? How does it feel to enjoy something?

He wanted someone to tell him – what can he do to smile?

Enlike looked towards the sky. He saw that the full moon hanging in the heavens was sinking. He saw that stars were twinkling throughout the sky. However, Enlike couldn’t think of them as beautiful.

During the next morning, there obviously was no sign of Lonkenny. However, no one had talked about it. Talking about combat practice was taboo amongst them. It was because just mentioning it would raise fear and collapse the equilibrium within their hearts. They only exchanged gazes filled with fear and despair from time to time.

“…Kayas-san. What will we do about the surplus?”

Qumola muttered while boiling water.

“…You eat it.”

Kayas said.

“But it’s bad.”

“Then what will we do?”

“…Because it’s Lonkenny-san’s share, I’ll give it to him.”

After saying this, Qumola returned it to inside the paper package.

“Qumola, Lonkenny is already…”

Kayas tried to say something, but he held back. While looking at the bonfire, the two of them felt a silent sadness.

Enlike stared at them. Suddenly, Qumola raised her face. She then noticed Enlike was looking at her.

“Umm, is something the matter?”

Qumola spoke towards him in a frightened state. Enlike suddenly thought she resembled a mouse – her size, the atmosphere around her, and the way she ate food leftovers.

“I don’t need anything from you.”

Enlike said. While shrinking her body, Qumola got away from him. Speaking of which, it was the first time he had watched her in action. Until now, he acted indifferently towards her, as if she was a mere pebble on the roadside.

Why was it that he suddenly felt curious about her today? While pondering this, Enlike recalled what happened last night. Lonkenny talked about Qumola. For some reason, he mentioned her as he gave Enlike a seash.e.l.l.

Enlike, who finished having his meal, went back to the cave. He left the seash.e.l.l he received yesterday inside the suspended hammock.

He searched inside the hammock that he used.

Then, he heard a voice coming from behind.

“Enlike. What’s that?”

When Enlike turned around he saw Kayas. He slept in the hammock next to him in the same cave.

“A seash.e.l.l.”

Enlike answered while showing it. Raising his eyebrow, Kayas asked again.

“That belongs to Lonkenny. Why do you have it?”

“He gave it to me last night.”

Enlike answered honestly. He had no need to hide it.

“I see, so it was you who…”

For a split second, Kayas’s eyes were filled with hatred. However, he soon averted his eyes as if he let it go. It was obvious. No matter how angry he was, he wouldn’t be able to kill Enlike with his power.

“What is it?”

Enlike showed the seash.e.l.l to Kayas.

“Isn’t it obvious by looking at it? It’s a seash.e.l.l.”

“What am I supposed to do with it?”

“What did he say?”

“He said to give it to Qumola.”

“…So do that. Just give it to her.”

Enlike still couldn’t understand.

“What for?”

“Are you stupid? It’ll make Qumola happy. Girls like pretty things.”

Enlike didn’t understand.

“We sometimes do that. Seash.e.l.ls, pretty stones, bird feathers… If we find unusual things, we give them to Qumola.”

“I don’t get it. Is there any meaning to doing this?”

Enlike shook his head.

“If you don’t understand it doesn’t matter. It doesn’t have anything to do with you. Hand it over. You probably don’t want to pa.s.s it anyway.”

Enlike hesitated a little. He was somewhat interested, but neither Qumola nor the seash.e.l.l had anything to do with him. He tossed the sh.e.l.l to Kayas.

Then, someone called to them from the cave’s entrance.

“Kayas-san. Enlike-san. It’s time for Magic Deliberation.”

“Qumola, come here for a second.”

Kayas beckoned.

“What is it?”

“Take this.”

Kayas took Qumola’s small hand and placed the seash.e.l.l inside of it. She looked at it with a slightly surprised expression.

“So pretty.”

Qumola mumbled and gently caressed the sh.e.l.l with her fingertips.

“That color’s probably uncommon.”

“Yes. Thank you so much, Kayas-san.”

“…No, the one you need to thank is Lonkenny.”

“Lonkenny-san?”

At that moment, Enlike saw – while Qumola caressed the seash.e.l.l, she began to slightly smile. Even Kayas, who stood in front of him, started smiling so weakly that Qumola herself hadn’t noticed.

Enlike became shocked, but not because her face seemed beautiful.

It was because her face overlapped with Relia’s expression engraved inside his mind.

That smile held for a split second. Qumola’s face then returned to its previous expression.

“What’s wrong, Enlike?”

Kayas spoke to the engrossed Enlike.

“…You smiled.”

Enlike muttered. He stared at Kayas with a puzzled look.

“What’re you saying? Let’s go. That b.a.s.t.a.r.d is waiting for us.”

Enlike didn’t think about that at all. She smiled. In front of him. Just like Relia during that day.

“Hey, come already. You idiot.”

Kayas urged him. Enlike followed him despite the painful reluctance he felt.

From that day on, Enlike looked at Qumola in a different way than before.