Zaregoto

A tragedy isn"t when an incident occurs.

When an incident doesn"t occur, it"s a tragedy.

What Professor Shadou Kyouichirou said as too dirty for the Lady of Kunagisa, what a.s.sistant Oogaki s.h.i.to said as Haunted Mansion, were not exaggerated at all. If anything, they were incredibly fitting.

It was a such a building that one might think it would better be called an abandoned building more than an inn, such that it seemingly had never been touched up since its construction, such that it may have been built as an experiment for a report on how concrete solidifies. Such a building stood at the back of the forest, so it could only be an object of fear. It would be more surprising for a ghost to not appear in this inn.

Of course, our group consisted of Suzunashi Neon and Kunagisa Tomo, both of whom astoundingly showed no reaction at all, or if anything seemed to be on the side of being pleased. Suzunashi-san said, "my, it seems quite fitting. I wish I could take a photo, Asano would be overjoyed," in a cool fashion, and she seemed so eager to enter that she was tugging my shirt, which seemed to cause s.h.i.to-kun to be genuinely frightened.

An abandoned building... or which could also be described as a three-story inn. We were to stay on the second floor, through the three doors that were aligned right next to the stairs. Kunagisa took the first door, Suzunashi-san took the second door, and I took the third door. Given the outside, I thought I should not expect much of the interior; however, the interior was actually relatively alright. Of course, alright was still simply relative to that exterior. If we were to bring that extremely fastidious maid here, she would probably go insane, unleashing all of her pent-up stress, is what I absent-mindedly thought.

We finished our belated dinner, then laundered our lives by taking a bath in order (Suzunashi-san → Kunagisa → Me was the order we took a bath. By the time I went in, there was almost no water left. It was because Kunagisa had put up a fight), and then after midnight, the three of us gathered in Kunagisa"s room.

Kunagisa was lying around on her bed, Suzunashi-san leaned against the wall while almost dozing off, and I had my back to the door, wondering why Suzunashi-san"s pajamas were a china shirt.

"Hmmm. Hmmm hmmm hmmm."

For whatever number time, Kunagisa groaned.

"Really, what to do-."

"What to do-, you mean about Utsurigi?"

That had come up in our conversation many times over dinner and also when Suzunashi-san was taking a bath. It was a topic, but of course no solution ever came forth. There would never be a solution for that. And I said,

"There is nothing that can be done, is there?"

The same thing I said during our discussions to this point.

"If the obstacle were only Professor Kyouichirou it would be one thing, but -- if Utsurigi himself does not intend to leave, then it would be impossible to drag him out."

"That"s the thing -- that"s why I"m in a bind. Ahh, gosh. Boku-sama-chan hates being in a bind-."

".........."

Utsurigi had apparently said to Kunagisa.

Indeed, by being here I end up in the shape such that I am submissive to Professor Kyouichirou. This workplace is like a garbage can compared to when you were the leader, when I was surrounded by members like Cheetah and Double Flick.

But that"s because you had, and they had immeasurable talent, and so this place isn"t too shabby. Professor Kyouichirou pursues things I think of. Isn"t that enough? Two people thinking is always better than one person thinking, after all.

It was a truly reasonable answer.

It was a truly far-too-reasonable answer.

Reasonable such that it could not be true.

"Sacchan isn"t the type to say something like that -- he must be hiding something important," Kunagisa rolled over on the bed. "I don"t know what, but he"s definitely hiding something, that Sacchan."

"Something -- that is probably related to Professor Kyouichirou"s confidence. That steadfast confidence," I said. "However, whatever he is hiding and whatever he is not hiding, either way Utsurigi has no intention of leaving that building, right? Let us say we somehow miraculously succeed in dragging Utsurigi out from there. But then we would have to compromise with that Professor Kyouichirou, right? Given the conversation earlier, I cannot help but feel like that is also impossible. The phrase inflexible and obstinate senior fits him perfectly, so it is not whether it might be impossible, it just is impossible. And one impossible might be something that can be dealt with, but two together? There is nothing that can be done."

"Impossible and impossible... well, about Professor Kyouichirou -- yup, right. Sacchan was always an unpredictable factor, but I had already prepared a way of dealing with that one. But, I didn"t think he"d actually still be holding a grudge toward boku-sama-chan. What a grudge-holder."

Kunagisa squirmed across the bed. Squirm I said, but she remained facing upward, so that looked rather eerie. Or rather, this was the first time I had ever seen someone move by squirming on their back.

Kunagisa scrounged through her belongings, and then pulled out some circular case with a disk, and tossed that to me. I caught it with my right hand. Of course, I am not a CD drive just by having caught it, so I could not read its contents just by that. I asked Kunagisa, "What is this?"

"According to my knowledge, having studied electronic engineering at the ER Program, I can deduce this to be a circular disk."

"Yup... well, if you couldn"t deduce that much you"d be having a tough life ahead."

"CD-ROM. Hmm... so this is the reason why you said a bunch of gifts and tomorrow?"

In other words, Kunagisa"s wild card.

"Actually that"s not a CD-ROM, but, exactly. Egg-zact-lee."

Kunagisa swung her hand up and down. It seemed she wanted it back. I tossed the case back like a frisbee, but Kunagisa did not catch it with her hand, instead taking it in the face.

"....."

"....."

"....."

"....."

"It hurts."

Well of course.

"So you were wanting to exchange the contents of that with Utsurigi Gaisuke. However, data that can be compressed in under 700 MB and the intellect of Utsurigi Gaisuke, an ex-member of Team or an ex-member of Cl.u.s.ter... the Professor did not seem the type to accept such an unbalanced trade."

"Information isn"t quant.i.ty but quality, Ii-chan. If you get fooled by numbers for everything you"ll take a pretty big beating, in a lot of ways. Forget 700 MB, there was a genius machinist who brought electronic darkness onto the entire world with a mere 16 byte program."

"What is that. Green Green Green?"

"-- even Sacchan wouldn"t do something that grievous. Sacchan knew of limits -- just knew, but anyways he knew. But that never bothered learning about limits. The one who did that wasn"t part of Team. Rather, it was like part of the extreme opposite."

Kunagisa"s expression momentarily turned into something very unpeaceful. It was the same expression she showed when she was dealing with Utsurigi Gaisuke, when she was confronting Professor Shadou Kyouichirou.

"It wasn"t a hacker or a cracker, or any branching issue like that. -- you know, Ii-chan. There definitely are, in this world. For a slight whim, for no reason whatsoever, off a tiny ponder and thought, without the least of effort, inhumane ones that want to stomp all over the planet. Non-human-species for whom the logic and theory and tactics and strategies that our human side uses are completely and utterly useless. One that far surpa.s.ses the Cl.u.s.ter exists -- no, once existed, that sort of being. The existence called Desert Fox--"

I felt as if a cold breeze had swept through the room. However, before I could realize that this was just a false feeling, Kunagisa returned to her carefree tone and expression, and she said "well, leaving those outlier cases aside," while picking up the case.

"But Ii-chan"s worry whiffed either way. This disk has plenty of quality as well as plenty of quant.i.ty. This is called a C3D and is media that boasts a memory capacity of 140 GB. It"s not produced for practical purposes yet... but it"s probably a question of time. Anyways, this has lots and lots, without wasting a single byte, of data. Chii-kun and Acchan helped me, too."

"So the suspicious activity that you had been doing while cooped up in your room is that," I nodded. "I see... a wild card. Certainly and certainly that is not ordinary. Then that might indeed have enough value to trade of the intellect of one genius."

After all, it is an extreme work of art produced by three former members of Team from full scratch. I did not really comprehend, having never seen it myself, but if a person with knowledge were to see it, if a scientist specializing in information engineering or mathematical theory were to see it, they would see information worth ditching everything for. And that came in a package of unprecedented proportions, a whole 140 gigabytes. Even that stubborn Professor Kyouichirou"s wall might--

"-- then why are you worried? If you have this, then the first problem might as well already be dealt with."

"Yup. But Ii-chan probably deduced too, having spoken to the Professor, but -- I mentioned it, didn"t I, while we were walking to see Sacchan? That the Professor"s progressed even more."

"You did say something like that," I remembered something vaguely about a scientist"s duty or lifestyle or something. I responded while remembering. "And?"

"So, that"s what. That"s that," Kunagisa sighed. "Boku-sama-chan was careless, too careless -- there"s no real point in saying this now, but I thought something was strange. That someone like Shadou Kyouichirou -- this isn"t sarcasm, Ii-chan. Leaving aside my reaction when I was twelve, right now, boku-sama-chan actually thinks Professor has been doing something amazing -- that someone like Shadou Kyouichirou would do something like obsess over Sacchan"s intellect, I could never figure out the answer. The Professor is plenty genius without doing something like that, and he wasn"t the type to have any interest in honor or status or anything."

"But Utsurigi"s level of genius is on a higher plane from the Professor, right?"

"It"s not a question of high or low. Higher plane isn"t something that works for genius. And, you probably understood this well from the conversation earlier, but -- that person, is quite proud. Right?"

"Right, but..." or rather, I felt like that att.i.tude leaned more toward the side of abnormal. "... so what?"

"People with a lot of pride, they have a lot of problems, but that"s one area where you can trust them."

"Hmm. Well I would have to nod to that..."

Indeed, someone who cared for honor or status would probably not stow away deep, deep, deep in the mountains like this. That was not just for the Professor, but for all the other researchers as well.

"However, then why is Professor Kyouichirou so fixated on Utsurigi..."

If, just if their stated reason was truly just a fake. Then what was the Professor trying to do, accepting such a dishonor?

"He was still cute when he was researching artificial intelligence and the possibility of artificial life... but I see, that"s without a doubt Mad Demon. No matter how you try to defend it, that thought process is very inhuman. He"s completely fallen," Kunagisa suddenly sat up and then looked at me. "Ii-chan, to begin with, what do you think a Demon is?"

".....? A demon, you mean like a devil, right?"

"Yup. That"s one way of looking at it. That"s certainly one way. Ii-chan"s way of putting it might be right. But, in the world of information cryptography, where the Professor resides, it holds a different meaning. A Demon is a process that waits and carefully observes for a certain condition, and waits and waits and waits and waits some more, and then when the condition materializes they execute their pre-configured function. ..... perhaps the Professor, since meeting boku-sama-chan -- no, even before then, may have been waiting -- for this type of chance. A mad demon -- an insane process. Well-stated. Sacchan"s preferred psycho and logical way of thinking is far better."

".........."

Kunagisa said all of that with a very serious tone, but I did not understand in the least what Kunagisa was saying. Not talking about the same thing -- this seemed like a case of that. Kunagisa"s feeling of danger was not coming across to me. What was she fearing, I could not piece together at all. However, even so, there was no mistaking that things may be turning out for the worst.

"I don"t get it. But basically," Kunagisa said. "That chance that finally appeared, that chance, that opportunity that finally appeared when he became sixty-three, whether the Professor would trade that for one or two of these discs is actually very dubious."

"Does that mean what the Professor is doing has more value than the contents of that disc, which was created by Team, Cl.u.s.ter?"

"That"s not it. I"ll guarantee that in terms of value this disc is probably much higher. A hundred of a hundred people would answer that way, and it would be the same if we raised the number to a thousand people. But determining the difference in absolute value and relative value is hard to calculate. Not to steal the Professor"s words, but one scientist threw his entire life -- an entire single life into that research. I think that"s irreplaceable, that can"t be traded for anything. If I were to think about it from something other than logic or fair trade."

"Really? I would have to disagree," I questioned Kunagisa"s lines. "I do not think a scientist would say such a romanticized thing. In the end, Academia is about getting to a result and deflecting everything else, right?"

"My, Inoji. That"s an odd thing to say. The entire profession of a scientist is a romanticism, isn"t it?"

Suzunashi-san, who I had thought was already in her dreams, suddenly broke her silence, cutting into our conversation.

"Without being a romanticist, no one would think of something idiotic like firing a rocket to the moon. Getting perfect marks on a test, too, is after all just a boy"s romance, isn"t it?"

"Romance..."

That may indeed be as Suzunashi-san said. I thought of one scientist that I met this April, and nodded at Suzunashi-san"s words. However, I could not imagine that old man Shadou Kyouichirou was so simple. He was far away from such simplicity, an incredible vile type of person. I am saying it, so it must be right.

"And you know. I thought maybe I shouldn"t b.u.t.t in being an outsider, so I tried to stay quiet, but this conversation is still really messed up, Inoji, Ao-chan," Suzunashi-san continued. "Inoji, first of all, you said let us say we somehow miraculously succeedearlier, but that isn"t a problem you can be taking into your own hands, right? Why is Inoji the one dictating Sir Utsurigi"s will?"

"No, that was just part of the conversation..."

"Hah, part of the conversation. What a handy phrase," Suzunashi-san laughed, dryly. "And then, Ao-chan."

"Uni?" Kunagisa twisted her neck toward Suzunashi-san. "Did boku-sama-chan say something odd?"

"Something odd... no, maybe it"s more odd that someone like me would be talking back to a girl as smart as Ao-chan, but I"ll say it anyways," Suzunashi-san paused for a moment. "Hey, Ao-chan, I just think, if Sir Utsurigi himself says he doesn"t want to leave this place, isn"t that fine? If Sir Utsurigi is fine being here, then why do you want to push him out with you? If you"re thinking of saving him then that"s just being selfish. If Sir Utsurigi wants to remain here of his own accord, then you"re just b.u.t.ting in."

"But Suzunashi-san," I could not restrain myself, firing a retort at Suzunashi-san. "According to Chii-kun, Professor Kyouichirou has blackmail... or something like that over Utsurigi. And based on our conversation with the Professor, I feel like that must be the case. That means that Utsurigi is being restrained here. In other words, even before his physical imprisonment in the seventh ward, he is being locked in place by an invisible chain. Then -- in that case I would not be able to call it his own will."

"Even so. Did Sir Utsurigi say to Ao-chan or Ii-chan please help me, or even show it in his demeanor? If so, I would understand. Fine, in that case even I would try to help. Not to steal Asano"s words but a man must show his dutifulness -- this is what any person would do."

She said, and then Suzunashi-san stared straight through us.

"However, right now you two are wrong. Completely wrong. Absolutely wrong, so wrong you"re shooting the wrong way. So wrong, so wrong, that you"re on the opposite extreme. That... who was it? Chii-kun? You learned of Sir Utsurigi"s pinch from Chii-kun"s information, received help from Acchan to create a plan, and arrived here at the Shadou Kyouichirou Research Facility. Now, Inoji, where are you saying Sir Utsurigi Gaisuke"s will lies? Or perhaps Ao-chan wants to say that because they were friends some time ago, that she can understand what Sir Utsurigi is thinking?"

".........."

"Suzunashi-san, you are going too far."

Kunagisa went silent, and I noted that and turned to Suzunashi-san. However, Suzunashi-san did not mind at all, instead responding, "Actually, not far enough."

"This isn"t far enough at all," and this time Suzunashi-san turned solely to me. "Then, how about I say -- what if miraculously and incredible and unexpectedly."

Because this was a serious mood I opted not to act the straightman.

"Sir Utsurigi actually wants to leave this place. Let us say that he really wants to leave but for reasons he cannot. Let"s presume that with our own personal and biased judgment. However, despite that desire, he remains here -- imprisoned do you want to call it? That"s what he"s doing. Then I think you should respect his decision."

"Respect...?"

"Respect. Because an adult man has even thrown away his own life, a single life in order to remain here, right? He"s submitting to someone who"s less talented than he, but he"s fine with that, isn"t he? Then isn"t that alright? There"s no reason at all to interject. It seems like you"re mistaking something so I"m going to correct you on this, but Sir Utsurigi isn"t a child. If anything, it"s you two who"ve lived about half of him--"

Suzunashi-san pointed at me and Kunagisa, in order.

"It"s you two who are children."

Children.

That is true.

Until it was pointed out to us, I was about to forget, that of course myself, but Kunagisa Tomo as well, along with her childish appearance, were both just children. A child of nineteen years and maybe three or four extra months.

"-- yup."

After a while, Kunagisa nodded. She had an expression of seriousness that I had never once seen before.

"I think what Neon-chan says is correct. I truly think that what Neon-chan says is correct. About that. And honestly, even boku-sama-chan, if Sacchan really thinks that it"s fine, I wouldn"t bother interjecting."

"Hmm?" Suzunashi-san opened her eyes wide. "What do you mean by that?"

"I mean that if Sacchan is hiding something, then that"s fine on its own. Boku-sama-chan has no intent of b.u.t.ting in to Sacchan"s business more than needed. But, Neon-chan, the problem here is with Professor Kyouichirou. With the goal of Mad DemonProfessor Shadou Kyouichirou."

"..... what do you mean?" this time I asked. "Of course the Professor seems like someone with a lot of problems... but by goal, do you mean the Professor is scheming something?"

"That"s why -- or rather, Ii-chan, don"t you think it"s weird? That there"re only six researchers in this enormous facility? Add the a.s.sistant s.h.i.to-chan and you still only have seven. When boku-sama-chan went to the Hokkaido facility with Nao-kun, there were at least thirty researchers."

"Well, I thought it was odd, at least -- but that just means quality over quant.i.ty, right?"

This sort of research activity differs from sports in that just having superior numbers counted little. In fact, having more and more people caused a meshing of a lot more thoughts, and causes things to lose clarity. Athletic prowess has a differentiation between top and bottom, too, but it is still small compared to the difference in thinking abilities and process.

"Yup, right, exactly. So, Ii-chan. Don"t you think that the number one reason of having a small number of elite is because it"s beneficial to keeping secrets?"

"I understand that, but... this facility does a sufficient job of keeping secrets, does it not? Is there any point in reducing the number of people on top of it?"

"On the other hand, you could deduce that the Professor is doing something that requires secrecy to that extent, don"t you think?"

"..... you look like you deduced something."

"Yup. Just a guess, though."

Kunagisa paused.

"But, you know, you would have to be guessing to think of something like this. But you know, the architecture and placement of this facility, and the researchers that were gathered -- Koutari Hinayoshi, Neo Furuara, and Miyoshi Kokoromi, Kasugai Kasuga -- if you mix them together with Chii-kun"s information -- and then do some mental math, you"ll probably realize that it"s probably right."

".........."

"The reason for locking Sacchan -- Utsurigi Gaisuke here isn"t to perform research together -- isn"t for receiving advice. Professor Kyouichirou isn"t treating Sacchan as a researcher."

"-- not a... researcher?"

"Using Sacchan"s power because of his own lacking -- that was the wrong a.s.sumption. The Professor would never have done such a thing. Ii-chan. What Professor Shadou Kyouichirou is conspiring to do,"

Kunagisa.

Looked at me with a desperate, clinging look.

"Is to create an Ultra Humanoid Dogma[1] using Green Green Green Utsurigi Gaisuke himself as an test body."

It is time for philosophy, curtain two.

According to what I heard from Kokoromi-sensei, it is considered common-knowledge among biological scientists that the most powerful life form on Earth is, without a doubt, bacteria. Bacteria exists everywhere on Earth and has propagating abilities full digits better than any other. If one considers bacteria"s propagating abilities a 1, then even someone completely clueless would realize that human beings would rate 1/100,000,000,000,000. That is a number that mathematically is synonymous with zero. In other words, from the perspective of bacteria, humans might as well not exist.

However, bacteria have no intelligence. I cannot determine for sure that they do not have intelligence, for I have never experienced being bacteria myself, but I a.s.sume I can make that conclusion. And if you think from that perspective, Humans have without a doubt intelligence. Therefore, it should be said that humans are superior life forms to bacteria. When and where would you find bacteria using a computer to enjoy the internet? is a question that naturally appears. I think that is a perfectly fine way of looking at it. Regardless of whether the culture and inventions that human intelligence have brought forth are good or evil... no, being that they are good and evil, it is the truth that they must be acknowledged as being valuable.

However, I think that this would mean that it would simply be following the same path as the paradox of energy conservation. For example, if I were to create an application using C, I would first go to a bookstore to buy a book on C, no, I would first buy an introductory book, read that, and then turn the computer power on, and awkwardly and hesitantly type the language, and complete the application. Then on one hand, what would Kunagisa Tomo or Utsurigi Gaisuke, hackers that were part of Teamdo? Simple, they would simply make the application. How to do it, what to do, they do not think of such things. It is like riding a bicycle, and there is not even a trick to it. That is how veterans work. They do not even think. In the end, the reason why good memory does not equal genius is because unreasonable things like this exist. They do not even need to remember.

But no matter how superior they may be, what they can do is the same as me.

Is there actually superiority when it comes to human life forms which pieced together culture, society, research, technology, and academia in order to survive, and when it comes to bacteria which just live? Of course, I do not have even an inkling of intent to look up with reverence at the smallest of life forms, to look down with disdain on the G.o.ds of all things. What I am questioning is not in this case intelligence itself, but the why of intelligence. If no matter how masterful and expertly you become you still do the same thing, then what is it that you might seek?

"Such questions should be stated once you have actually mastered something yourself, so some pitiful n.o.body like me saying that would simply be a self-pitying cry. Philosophy over."

I mumbled, and then opened my eyes.

It was past one in the morning. The place is the courtyard of the Shadou Kyouichirou Research Facility -- a bricked area surrounded by the research wards -- and I sat there alone. Afterwards I left Kunagisa"s room and returned to my room, and went to bed at once, but in the end I was oddly awake -- or rather I had too many things to think about -- and so, unable to sleep, I sneaked out of the inn and walked all the way here.

It was not raining yet. The rain clouds seem to be teasing, as if they would rain any minute, any minute. It was fairly warm during the afternoon, but once it became midnight, as you would expect from being so deep in the mountains, along with the air circulation, it became quite cold. I thought, why did you walk out despite it being so cold? as I kept trudging forward.

Suddenly, I turned my head. I faced the third research ward. The third research ward. In other words, the abode of instructor Miyoshi Kokoromi. I wondered if that human dissection maniac was already aslumber. Who knows, these buildings (although there were for the inn) lacked windows, so there was no way to tell if there was lighting inside.

".........."

Researchers who lectured at the ER Program were a galaxy of peoples, and as a result, cla.s.ses were taught in all sorts of languages, but when it would come to j.a.panese there only managed to be Kokoromi-sensei. As such, as a j.a.panese, and at the same time as someone who came from the Kansai region, I naturally became a sort of medium, and ended up interacting with Kokoromi-sensei a lot.

Of course, there were a good number of j.a.panese study-abroad students like me (and foreigners who understood the Western j.a.panese dialect), but most of them dropped out of the Program. The nickname given to Kokoromi-sensei, who forced one young talent after another to drop out of the Program was Early Harvester. Incidentally, the nickname given to me, the lone student to not drop out under Kokoromi-sensei"s tutelage was Harakiri[1] m.a.s.o.c.h.i.s.t.

"..... huh?"

Now that I thought about it, I feel like I was given the more terrible nickname.

"..... however, well, really, to end up meeting up again in a place like this..."

This trip was supposed to be a reunion of Kunagisa and Utsurigi Gaisuke, but it ended up becoming a reunion for me as well.

I remembered Suzunashi-san"s words. The words Suzunashi-san said to me right after reuniting with sensei. And Suzunashi-san was completely correct. I do not want to tell Kunagisa what I did over there. Probably for the same reason that I do not want to know what sort of Team Kunagisa and Utsurigi and the others were.

"Y"know, I feel like I"ve become a really nasty person lately... was I always like this?"

In other words, that could mean that my facade was being torn off.

Just then, I heard the sound of an animal growling. As for where, in this darkness, where it was hard to even see myself, I would not know unless it were the enormous size of the research wards. I tensed up to some extent, and looked around. However, I saw nothing. Just as I thought I might have been hearing things, once again from somewhere, I could hear a growling, reverberating voice -- no, sound.

"Can hear the voice but cannot see the figure... yet not hiding that odor..."

It was probably wrong to say aloud such an unfitting, joking line, as for just a moment, my concentration waned. And before that moment ended, that -- no, they jumped at me.

One from behind, one from ahead.

"--!"

Of course, I was pushed down. I crumpled to the brick ground right-side down, and hit my left arm hard on the ground. I was able to cushion myself a bit, but it did not seem I would be able to get back up soon. No, even if I could they would not allow me. They pinned me down with immense strength, and then -- licked my face.

".........."

And that was when I realized.

"..... dog?"

Dogs. Two, black and large enough to be the size of a middle-school boy, dogs. They growled as they licked my face. Saliva covered my face, and to be frank it was inordinately unpleasant, but they pinned me down with their front legs -- and the two of them both, at that -- so I was unable to move. I could not even attempt to struggle to break free, and could only let them do what they pleased.

I see, I could not see them because they had jet-black fur and melded in with the darkness, and the reason why I could not discern where the growl was coming from was because there were two of them growling individually... I calmly thought while being violated by the dogs.

"-----------t."

A voice.

I heard a human voice, this time. I was not able to hear what was said, so I lifted my head a bit, and turned in the direction of the voice. Because of the darkness I was unable to see very clearly, but I could tell at least that someone was standing there.

"-- stop it."

It was a woman. She said that with a terribly cold, yet astonishingly clearly enunciated, voice. The moment they heard that, the two dogs stepped away from me. And then they quickly trotted to where she stood. I was finally freed, and placed my hands on the ground to lift myself, and shook my head, and wiped the saliva off my face with my sleeves. When I looked at my chest, I found four clean dog paw-prints, like you might see in a comic. It felt more pathetic than pitiful.

"Sorry about that, boy," she said with the same, cold voice. "I didn"t think any human would be walking about at midnight, so I didn"t put a leash on them. I humbly apologize, like so."

It was a way of speaking that had no intonation whatsoever. There was not a single punctuation. But even so, it is a bit hard to explain but, her p.r.o.nunciation and voice were as clear as a singer, and so it was not at all difficult to understand.

".........." I slowly stood up, and stepped closer to her. "..... no, I do not mind."

"A strange boy to say you do not mind despite having that much saliva on your face."

She laughed a little. And then she came toward me herself, and wiped my face with a handkerchief she took out of her pocket. I felt oddly embarra.s.sed (in the sense that I can wipe my own face), but all I could do was let her do what she wanted.

While letting her do what she wanted, I observed. Lab coat. In other words, this means she is a researcher. I mean, this was not a middle school uniform or anything, and I do not think there is any obligation to always wear these things in a research facility, but it seemed in this Kyouichirou Research Facility, the researchers all had a habit of wearing a lab coat.

That means, this person.

"..... yes. Much manlier," she said that bizarre line more befitting an old lady, and put her handkerchief back in her pocket. "I"m Kasugai Kasuga -- but you probably already knew. -- are you the rumored Kunagisa Tomo?"

"No. The inexplicable kid."

"Ahh, the accompanying boy who came back to j.a.pan. Now that you mention it your hair isn"t blue. And you"re a boy. You"re a boy, right? I"m sorry. I couldn"t tell because it"s dark."

She nodded, and stretched her right hand to me. It seemed she was wanting a handshake. I hesitated a bit, but decided to take her hand.

The two enormous dogs meandered about at Kasugai"s feet, as if in servitude to her. Now that I looked at them once more from a distance, I thought they had adorable faces. What is their species? They looked like Dobermans, but I felt like they were slightly too big for that. They were one or two sizes bigger than Saint Bernards or Pyrenees. Given their large size they might even be mixed breeds, but these two seemed to have a sort of an elegant air about them.

"I think it"s quite dangerous to walk about at this hour," Kasugai-san said with a stern feel to her voice after our parting hands. "This is a research facility with some numbers of confidential things. Wouldn"t you prefer not having a painless stomach sifted through? Or did you have business with someone?"

"Yes, well...." I responded with a stuttered tongue, in complete opposite of Kasugai-san. "I am actually trying to remember that right now."

"Trying to remember?"

"I have bad memory, so I forgot why I left the inn."

"You like jokes I see, despite how you look. You are that Miyoshi-chan"s disciple, after all."

Kasugai-san laughed with just her lips, "ufufu." I was not joking or anything, but nothing good would happen if I were to try to persuade her by replying with something like, "no, really. My memory is like zero, so it is basically zero. I am sc.u.m. Sometimes I forget my own name. Forgetting would be alright but sometimes I remember it wrong. So in that case my memory is not zero, it is negative. When I was in elementary school, I wrote the name of the girl sitting next to me on an exam, and then answered everything wrong and caused her to get a zero, that is how stupid I am." I felt like it was better to be considered a joker than an inconceivable fool, so I simply said, "perhaps."

"Are you walking your dogs this late at night?"

"I like the night. These triplets also like night. Or at least, more than noon anyways."

"Triplets?" I looked at the dogs at her feet once more. One, two. There were only two, if counting in decimal. "They are a triplet?"

"Yes. Do you hate triplets?"

"No, I love triplets. But, one is missing?"

"One is sick and being looked at -- or rather to be honest it"s being experimented on," Kasugai-san said without shrugging and without any trace of joking. "These two are waiting their turn. I need them to be healthy so I"m exercising them."

Kasugai Kasuga.

Animal biology, animal psychology, beast molecular biology. While a scientist just the same, unlike Professor Kyouichirou or Utsurigi, Koutari-san or Neo-san, who tackled machinery or physics theory, reason or equations, yes, if anything she is more like the human dissection specialist Kokoromi-sensei, in other words a scientist that specializes in life forms. To her, all animals are not pets or objects of affection, but rather just objects of experimentation.

I looked at the two dogs once more. This is probably just a case of my own feelings clouding my views, but the two by Kasugai-san"s feet were not just elegant, but they seemed to also be pitiful.

"By the way what did you all come this deep into the mountains to do?" Kasugai-san said still with a lack of intonation. "It does not look like you came here to look at a familiar face nor that you came here to see how the Professor is doing."

"Who knows," I put both my hands in the air and feigned ignorance. "I just came along. You would have to ask Kunagisa herself, because I do not know."

"I think trying to drag Utsurigi-san out of here is an impossible task."

".........."

I paused, with both of my hands up.

"The Professor"s obsession over Utsurigi-san is abnormal. Whatever that old man is thinking. And whatever I am to do."

She said, and Kasugai-san turned her back to me, and looked far away. What lay down the path of her sight is, yes, the seventh ward. The research ward that houses Utsurigi Gaisuke.

"..... what research the Professor is doing, Kasugai-san does not know?"

I remembered what Kunagisa said earlier, and asked Kasugai-san.

"Research. Research..." Kasugai seemed to smile lightly at my choice of words. "Is that Professor actually doing research. Maybe he"s not doing any research. Because what Professor Kyouichirou"s doing is more like war than research. But I might not be able to answer if I were asked what sort of war that is."

"..... huh?"

I did not understand, at all.

Kasugai-san turned her eyes back to me and said, "More importantly."

"To be precise, I don"t know what I"m doing, that"s all. What am I doing here I think as I am being told to do absurd and unreasonable things every day every day without rest like the horse of a horse carriage."

"You are."

"I am," Kasugai-san nodded deeply, in a sagely way. "I am. What in the world is that old man fixated on."

".........."

It seemed the topic was heading toward a rather unpleasant direction. Speaking of which, s.h.i.to-kun was pretty venomous toward Neo-san, but it seemed like Kasugai-san"s words toward Professor Kyouichirou were not filled with the same sort of malice. Yet it was not like she was complaining or whining. What is this, really.

"Dogs."

Suddenly, Kasugai-san changed the topic.

"You like dogs?"

"..... not particularly. I do not like or hate. Dogs are animals, right?"

"Yes. There"s an urban legend that animals gravitate toward people who like animals. Considering they gravitate toward me that must be true."

"Who knows. I have never studied animal psychology."

"Mmm. Well this field is relatively minor even in the science crowd," for some reason Kasugai-san smiled in a seductive way at me. I do not understand the meaning. "As a result I am locked up deep in the mountains like this."

"Locked up...?"

"Oh dear what a slip of the tongue. How careless of me. It appears you have the ability to make other people let down their guard. Anyways please forget what I said boy."

And then she returned to normal.

"Yes. It seems you have time so let"s pa.s.s time talking."

Just as she said that, Kasugai-san gave some sort of order to the two dogs. They responded promptly, and one went behind Kasugai-san, and another went behind me, and then both lay down.

"No need to stand around have a seat boy."

Said Kasugai-san, and she really sat down on the back of the black dog. That enormous body was indeed a perfect fit to be a sofa, but it was a sight that probably would not rest well with animal rights activists.

".........."

I turned around, and the black dog behind me was glancing at me in an accusing way. Well, accuse me all you want, what am I supposed to do.

"What"s wrong? Don"t feel modest take a seat. It"s fundamentally a wild animal so it"s soft and comfortable. No worries, that child has a firm body. You don"t particularly like dogs anyways right?"

"No, thank you for your concern, but unfortunately I have an illness where I die in two seconds if I sit on the back of a dog."

"Mmm. Suit yourself," Kasugai-san twirled her finger. In response, the dog that was behind me quickly stood up, and then walked to Kasugai-san"s right. And Kasugai-san naturally leaned her elbow on it.

"Everyone seems to dislike this. I think it"s the same as a feather blanket. I guess they"re alright with if it"s dead but not alright if it"s alive."

"Well, I am simply just afraid of being bitten."

"Don"t worry. These two haven"t been experimented on yet so they"re gentle. The other one is being experimented on right now so I can"t guarantee safety though. Yes -- to be honest I heard about you a number of times from Miyoshi-chan."

"Huh. That is a frigid thing to hear," that pervert, better not have said things that should not be told. Unfortunately I am not able to trust Kokoromi-sensei"s loose lips as much as Suzunashi-san. "What sort of things did you hear? From my respected master?"

"Mostly nonsense. But from what I heard from Miyoshi-chan I can"t help but feel like your current actions seem off. You"re trying to help Utsurigi-san -- help is the right word I hope -- and came all the way here but you"re not the type of kid do to that right?"

"That is a rather frank rudeness... despite my appearances I am pretty active, you know? I write a poem in my journal every day," I shrugged my shoulders. "However, with regards to all the way here, it is as you say. I do not care in the least about helping Utsurigi-san. Kunagisa is the only one thinking that, and Suzunashi-san is intending on staying a neutral party to all of this, and for my part to be direct I really do not care."

"Mmhmm."

"And I just did a rescue mission like this last month. It is one thing if I am to rescue a cute girl, but I do not have the intent to do anything wild in order to help a middle-aged man. I intend to just be an observer, this time."

"Observer. A good word."

Kasugai-san smiled. Completely unlike Kokoromi-sensei, her smile had the full seductive beauty of an adult woman.

"Observer is a good word. Probably the most good of words. Good words never disappear."

Those words spoken lyrically by Kasugai-san stuck with me, but I also felt like some famous foreign movie may be the source material.

"Hey boy. Neo-san and Koutari-san and also Miyoshi-chan all seem convinced that you"re Kunagisa Tomo"s lover but that"s not actually the case right?"

"I finally meet someone who says that," I shrugged my shoulders. "The people here, they all open their mouths and immediately lover this lover that -- it was unbearable, honestly. Not just the people here, it seems like most people."

"I don"t blame them. When a boy and girl of age are that friendly everyone looks at them through that sort of lens."

"Of age... if you want to go there, Kunagisa"s mental maturity is too young, and mine is too old."

"Old. Miyoshi-chan said his mental maturity is stuck as a middle school soph.o.m.ore."

Middle school soph.o.m.ore -- thirteen-years old.

The age that I met Kunagisa Tomo?

Six years ago.

".........."

"But still lovers. A distasteful word. Lovers is a distasteful word. Probably the most distasteful of words. Distasteful words never disappear."

This time it was arranged so that it would be hard to guess the source material.

"It felt like an allotment. Not that I"m saying allotments are bad. What do you think of allotments? Do you support love?"

"Who knows? I have never once liked someone."

"A common line. However well smart people are not well-suited for love for many reasons. It is like a cul de sac of evolution. In that sense I think Professor Kyouichirou is amazing."

"-- in what way?"

"At its core talent isn"t ma.s.s produced. If anything it"s destructive. You understand being that you were in the ER3 System -- geniuses who leave their name in history generally shine their genius in their tens or twenties and then they"re done."

"Yes -- well, yes."

There were plenty of esteemed people who were recorded in history in their senior appearances; however, the time they could be called a genius pure to the word was until they were around thirty, and afterwards they lived off the experience of being agenius -- in other words, they live the rest of their lives using the leftover crumbs of their genius. It is not that there are no examples of someone spending their whole entire life being a genius, but in those cases they simply died young.

The reason why Kunagisa Tomo and Shadou Kyouichirou do not mesh well may be because of that. The conversation with Suzunashi-san on the second floor of the first research ward -- I thought of the difference in generations. One who was once agenius and one who is currently a genius -- that difference is decisive.

The professor who is shown the genius he once was.

Kunagisa who shows genius that will one day be lost.

Just by living in different eras, is this much difference created between the same ilk?

If so -- the man positioned in the middle.

How about, Utsurigi Gaisuke.

Is he right now a genius?

Or is he a once was a genius?

"However despite his age the Professor continues to try to produce. Even if that is production born out of destruction it is still incredible."

"But even so--"

I almost let slip what Kunagisa had talked about earlier as a retort, but I managed to hold myself back at the last instant. Smiling slightly at my reaction, Kasugai-san tilted her head to the side and said, "mmm this time we both were about to slip our tongues." She remained as refined as ever.

"It seems we"d be able to enjoy a conversation better without going there so let"s return to the topic. It"s fine that we both agree that you and the Kunagisa girl are not lovers but," Kasugai-san continued speaking without pausing. "It looks like you and the Kunagisa girl are not particularly friends either. Because I think that is my deduction incorrect?"

"What a strong opinion... but it would depend on the definition of friend, that."

"Probably. It was a foolish question to ask without defining," Kasugai-san nodded slightly. "However to begin with life doesn"t give you that many options anyways. There"re probably six options at the most. Like hate normal -- and maybe three more something."

"Pleasant and unpleasant and indifferent."

"My. You"re good with words. But that ends up being like rolling a die [2]. That"s why destined lovers and such are all just sleight of minds. Not that I"d say everything is coincidence or happenstance."

"I agree about that, for the most part."

"My my we think alike. I"m a wee bit surprised. But perhaps this is also coincidence?"

"Who knows... even if it is a coincidence, this is not a bad coincidence."

"Not bad. I might be happy if you"re saying that honestly," Kasugai-san lightly chuckled. "Six options. I said that without thinking but it has quite the flavor and oddity."

"..... however, I do not have six options. If I think about it I, from birth to now, feel like I have never once chosen."

"That might be the same as I."

Kasugai-san said almost immediately. I looked at her but with doubt, but she still had a plain expression, as if she thought nothing of it.

"Yes. Even in the case that we presume there"re only six options no matter what there exists a seventh. Because I think no matter what the options are you always have the option to not choose."

"Choose to not choose... how psychological (contradictory paradox)."

"Yes. I hate choosing and deciding. Given what Miyoshi-chan said and what I heard earlier it"s probably that. You might be the same way maybe."

"Indeed, I do have that sort of aspect to me," I confirmed Kasugai-san"s inquiry. "To be honest, that is the easiest."

Yes, Kasugai-san nodded.

To not choose.

To not select.

What Professor Kyouichirou"s secretary Misachi-san said to me -- I prefer to have no opinion, that line may be fitting for myself and Kasugai-san.

"Right. I think so too -- oh, dear," Kasugai-san stopped abruptly and then stood up from the back of the dog. "-- rain."

Told that, I looked up. It seemed the boredom level of the rain clouds had finally reached its limit. Droplets that could be expressed as a drizzle fell through the cracks in the sky. Kasugai-san petted the back of the two dogs one at a time in order.

"It wouldn"t be good if these kids caught a cold so I"m going back to my research ward before it starts pouring. There"s still a mountain of extremely impossible work left for me to do after all."

"Sounds tough."

"Work must be tough I think. Whether you want to do it or you don"t want to do it. You think so too don"t you?"

Kasugai-san said, and then she took a step closer. I thought she might be wanting another handshake, but it seemed not, as she took another two steps closer, and then held my head firm with both of her hands. And then she stared at me.

".....? Kasugai-san? Wha-"

-t is the matter, I wanted to say, but then Kasugai-san stuck out a tongue so long that it did not seem to suit her small mouth, and then with that tongue she licked my cheek. The warm, raw living feeling connected directly with my brain.

".....!"

I instinctively, in a flurry of action that could be called violent, flung Kasugai-san away, and then jumped back about three meters.

"What. Are. You. Doing. Suddenly."

"..... you said you did not mind if a dog did it so I wondered how about a person."

"I absolutely and positively mind."

"I see. Well sorry. I apologize," Kasugai-san apologized nonchalantly. "It"s been a while since I met a boy so I couldn"t help myself."

Could not help herself what.

"Boy. I might as well ask you now."

"What..."

"Would you like to carry yourself on those two legs to my research ward with me and then into my bedroom and have s.e.x?"

"..... please do not might as well ask such a crazy thing."

"Is it crazy?"

"It is crazy."

"No?"

"No."

"Even if I agree to any sort of play you want?"

".........."

No, I am not actually pondering that?

However I see, the reason why her enunciation was so clear despite her lack of intonation must have been because of that long tongue. Thinking this would be really bad if this were a precursor to something else, I said, "there are plenty of other men around."

"Like Koutari-san, or Neo-san."

"Someone with long hair and someone who"s fat don"t count I think."

Princess Kasugai nonchalantly said something brutal.

"Then how about s.h.i.to-kun? That young boy is like fresh fruit, ripe for picking."

I tried redirecting.

"Hmmmm. Uze-chan already put her hands on him."

He was already taken.

"Then Utsurigi-san. He is a pretty good man."

"Really?" Kasugai-san tilted her head, her interest seemingly piqued. "Utsurigi-san never leaves his research ward so I"ve never seen him. Of course I"ve seen the fruits of his research through mail and such and I"ve felt awed and inspired by them but I"m not perverted enough to s.e.xual l.u.s.t over information."

I thought that at the point she tried to lay her hands on a minor she had met for the first time she was already perverted barely, or already barely perverted, but I did not say that.

Hmm, Kasugai-san, she did not seem the way she looked. I thought perhaps people who study too much all end up crazy in some way, but I did not say that either.

"Well think about it anyways please. Well then you should hurry back quickly. It wouldn"t be good if your body broke down this deep in the mountains. I specialize in animals and Miyoshi-chan specializes in humans but only dead ones, you know. Bye bye."

Kasugai-san bowed her head, and then began walking toward the fourth ward. The two black dogs followed behind her like familiars. It looked not like a walk but more like them being bodyguards, I absent-mindedly thought. I rubbed at the cheek that was licked, and saw off Kasugai-san.

"Hurry back quickly..."

Did that mean to return to the inn, or did that mean return all the way home. The me of now could not determine which. This me, who did not comprehend even one percent of the vastness of this Shadou Kyouichirou Research Facility, could not determine which.

Gradually my clothes began to dampen with water. In any case, I need now return to the inn, and I turned on my heel and headed toward the dense forest.

"However, I did not think I would meet Kasugai-san," I spoke to myself while walking through the forest, which was already beginning to look eerie -- come to think of it, if I had been gone an hour it would be around three in the morning. "Perhaps this is one type of coincidence..."

The once comrade of Dead Blue, Green Green Green, no matter the reason was working at none other than the Mad Demon Shadou Kyouichirou Research Facility that just so happened to be funded by the Kunagisa household, and accompanying that Kunagisa Tomo as a friend on the journey was me, and my instructor Miyoshi Kokoromi-sensei was working at that research facility as a fellow. Speaking of which, by the time we arrived at this laboratory it was evening, and it had not been even six hours since arriving, that after meeting Kasugai-san just now, I had finished meeting with every face within the facility.

Truly, why do I gravitate toward misfortune.

"..... ahh, I remember now."

My feet stopped, and I froze in the middle of walking under the drizzle.

"That is right... I have not actually met everyone within the facility yet....."

One more.

One more, there is a possibility that there is another person within this facility. I do not know what sort of number that probability may be, but if there is any possibility whatsoever, then I am not able to not move. If there is any probability, even if that would be mathematically the equivalent of zero, it does not matter to me.

In the first place, why I left the inn at this hour. It was not just because I was unable to sleep. To meet Kasugai-san? Nonsense. I am not superhuman enough to predict such a coincidence.

Yes.

I left the inn to confirm. I remembered that there was one more element of turbulence, and I had stepped outside to confirm that I was not just guessing wrong.

"-- now then," I slowly closed my eyes, and then opened my eyes. "Is it the second coming of the human failure.....?"

That thing I felt while we were walking to the seventh ward to meet Utsurigi. I still feel it. I still feel it digging into my back. That humid feeling, of being watched from somewhere far away, of being observed from somewhere far away, from being peeped upon from somewhere far away, of being watched over from somewhere far away, that sort of disgusting, unidentifiable feeling. No, it cannot even be called a feeling, as it is more like a muddy, muddy mood.

That is a look.

"Come out... Mr. Intruder. Or should I call you Zerozaki Itoshiki?" I mumbled. "If you keep running and hiding like that, your manliness will go down."

"I never particularly bother with sneaking, running or hiding."

Right behind me.

In the literal sense, she was right behind me. A few millimeters, no, a few microns was the distance, as she stood behind me. She existed right behind me, in that incredibly small s.p.a.ce where I still would not hear her breath or even the beating of her heart.

".....-----"

This -- this close.

To not realize even when she was in a position of such closeness that she definitively controlled my life or death. I was hoping to surprise her by suddenly calling out you looking at me, wherever you are, but it felt like my heart had just been gouged out in return. I could not jump away, or even turn around. Or even, I was so stunned that my body locked up. To confirm her appearance, basically all I could do was wait for her to walk all the way around in front of me.

Denim pants and leather, laced boots that seemed too cool for a lady to wear. She had a rough shirt covering her upper body. And then above them, she wore a denim jacket that seemed to be made of the same material as her pants that also had long sleeves. She had long hair, and they were braided on both sides of her head. Presumably her gla.s.ses served no actual function, and of course a denim hunting cap. The cap was too deep, and so I could not see her eyes.

My body trembled. No, my body did not even tremble. There was not even a will to fight. There was not even any fear. There was no shock or confusion or terror. I was terribly calm. I was forced to be terribly calm. This feeling, this feeling of déjà vu. This feeling, of opposing that Mankind"s Strongest.

The rain began falling heavier and heavier. It was becoming difficult to confirm what lay ahead of me. It seemed it was beginning to pour. But that did not matter right now. Such a thing was completely irrelevant to the current situation. Compared to this feeling, if it were to continue raining like this forever, it would still be a trivial problem.

"Mad Demon Shadou Kyouichirou Research Facility--" she spoke first, with a light tone of voice that was ill-suited to the setting. "-- in any case, the condition of this place is just like that of a graveyard to which the dead flock."

".........."

"Do you not think that there are few things as unbecoming as the dreams of an elder? Do you not think that the sight of an elder who"s envious of a mere child is one that screams of patheticness? Like an apparition that clings to the world after death -- so unseemly and pathetic and sad and wretched and self-interested and pitiful and piddling and pitiable that I cannot stand to watch."

".........."

I could not react. I was completely smothered.

And to my state, she smiled and said, "Yet however, this rain is well is it not?" and then pulled her brim back down over her eyes, and then like a forest faerie -- creepily laughed.

"As though it hints at the path you will take, what a fantastic rain. Fufu, this is itself consummate."

"-- you,"

"I present to you my real name, Ishimaru Kouta -- pleased to be your acquaintance, from thenceforth."