[Lullaby of the Heart]
“Desuko, you were…the leader of the Nursery Rhymes…!”
“That’s right, but Byakurei should shut up for the moment, kay.”
Having said that, Desuko-san threw two knives in a row, both piercing the back of Byakurei-san. Byakurei-san groans collapses on the spot.
Meanwhile, I was stuck in place. I hesitated to move in this situation.
Even though I could have knocked away the knives thrown at Byakurei-san, but I just stood still, looking at it.
Just like that, it was a helpless situation.
“But it was worth the many years of effort. Shion-kun, who only had a short relationship with me, was the only uncertain factor for me, but the unfolding situation didn’t turn out badly. Rather, the fact that Shion-kun is here means that Yoiyami noticed it after all.”
Roll, Byakurei-san, and many other members should already have their thinking induced by Desuko-san. That’s why they didn’t doubt her.
The fact that I was the only who could doubt her was, as she said, because I didn’t have that much relationship with her, huh.
And the fact that I was made to train under Yoiyami-san, was perhaps because of Desuko-san, to rid of the uncertain factor. At least she should have taken a considerable amount of time and effort to prepare for this situation.
Perhaps, Kemuri-san was also not suspicious of Desuko-san.
That was why he only ordered for three people to rush into the hideout. Thinking that it would be fine since Byakurei-san was there.
We were completely isolated.
Dammit, even though I was the only who could predict this situation…!
“Now, Shion-kun, what are you going to do? Roll and Byakurei can’t move anymore. Shion-kun is also in a state where he can hardly fight, right?” Desuko-san said with a smile filled with insanity.
Although I was turning my eyes to the two people on both of my sides, my heart was already completely seized by Desuko-san. Byakurei-san was struck by knives and collapsed on the spot, and Roll just stood still, not moving even by a tiny amount.
It is one of Desuko-san’s abilities. The power to deprive the freedom of your body. If she feels like it, she should be able to make you to lose consciousness.
However, now that it has come to this, it won’t matter even if I know anything about Desuko-san’ ability.
I don’t know since when Desuko-san become a part of Nursery Rhymes, but if she was originally an enemy, it’s highly likely that she hadn’t told the truth about her ability. And it is better to think that this thought of mine is also being read.
She also knows that I’m already at my limit. I can’t beat someone who can read my mind in such a state.
Roll and Byakurei-san can’t move.
Is there something that I can do?
The more I thought I about it, the more I felt like I was dancing in her hands.
I see how much psychological advantage can be gained by being able to read mind.
It’s a desperate situation. I lay out my consciousness, thinking of a way to overcome this situation, but I was too powerless before Desuko-san.
If she figures out what I’m thinking about, isn’t that mean that she has all the initiatives?
“…That is Desuko-san’s real nature, isn’t it?” As a result, I make the most wasteful choice.
Dialogue.
I know. Having a dialogue with Desuko-san is meaningless. I can see it from the surroundings. At this disastrous scene.
The best choice is to silence the sounds emitted by Desuko-san and fight her in that state. Words are Desuko-san’s greatest weapon, so if I seal them, I may still have a small chance of winning.
Desuko-san probably read such inner thoughts of mine, she lifted the corner of her mouth to a grin.
“That’s right. We have a similarity, right, Shion-kun.”
Similarity, huh. That’s an unpleasant way of saying it.
And then, Desuko-san got into a dialogue with me. No, now that Desuko-san is in control, it won’t be a dialogue. It’ll be a conversation.
“Still, powerlessness is wonderful, right, Shion-kun.”
“Powerlessness… is it?”
“Look, Byakurei who is lying there and Roll who can’t move are powerless. When people who originally had power is turned powerless, they will become beautiful like this, you know. I think that Shion-kun perhaps understands this feeling. Shion-kun has experienced it for himself after all.
‘I don’t need ability’, that’s what you thought, right? Well, Shion-kun who entered Anonymous had to become stronger though.”
“Shion, don’t… Don’t listen to Desuko’s words… That is Desuko’s…” Roll said, barely able to squeeze out her voice. I know that. I was just following along with the conversation.
“Roll, you have to stay silent. I’m talking to Shion-kun right now, you know?”
“Desuko… You, why…!”
“Moreover, Roll doubted her partner, Shion-kun, more than me; to open her mouth now after such a long time, is kinda distasteful, right? Generally, Roll lives quite carefreely after all.”
“Desuko…!”
“Even though she killed all her family. If it’s me, I would have committed suicide.”
I glanced with my eyes.
Roll is silent. Then seeing Desuko-san took out a new knife, I hurriedly say,
“…I don’t know about the second half, but Roll doubted me because Desuko-san induced her thoughts, right?”
I found that my forehead was sweating.
“There’s that too, but still, that’s terrible. I think she would realize it if you tell her normally. I just erased myself as the option from everyone.
That’s why I think that this wouldn’t have happened if Shion-kun made more logic and insisted that I was suspicious at the beginning.”
No, I’m sure Desuko-san had calculated so far. Even thought she said that I’m an uncertain factor, I don’t know whether she really thought so. Certainly, it might have changed if I insisted more strongly, but Desuko-san made us prioritizing the matters at hand over identifying the traitor.
The reason why the Nursery Rhymes and the ‘Association’ didn’t come and invade this place immediately is because they were Desuko-san’s diversion.
“Desuko-san, did you want to crush Anonymous since the beginning?”
“That’s not the case, y’know. Don’t misunderstand me; I don’t hate everyone in the organization. I just wanted to kill a lot of people. To me, killing people is something like a cleansing shower.
If that’s not the case, I don’t have to this roundabout thing, right?”
It’s useless. I can’t talk to her.
This person is completely insane.
“In this rotten world, you can’t live if you’re not one, you know.”
“Desuko-san… Perhaps Desuko-san touched people’s hearts too much. Because she looked too much at the ugly part of people…”
After I said that, Desuko-san had a blank look for a moment, and suddenly began to laugh while holding her belly.
“Fufu, Fufufufu! Ahaha! Ahahahahaha!”
“Is there something funny…?”
“No, it’s just I don’t think that Shion-kun would say such things. There’s a limit even in giving empty gesture, you know. Ahaha…!”
Empty gesture, huh. Certainly, my line was noncommittal. Desuko-san probably laughed because I said something she didn’t expect. But even thought I don’t think so, there must be some truths to it.
I think that Desuko-san lost track of what’s what while using her ability to touch people’s hearts.
“Or rather, insane you thought, I don’t to want to hear that from Shion-kun. Even though Shion-kun himself is insane enough. No, it is more correct to say that Shion-kun is broken, isn’t it?
You also followed a no less sorrowful fate than me, right?”
“Such a thing.”
“You know without even have to be told, right?”
“…”
I lost for words to the line she said earlier.
“You don’t know? Shion-kun.”
“About what?”
“Shion-kun is misunderstanding it, you know. You don’t understand about yourself. You thought that you had changed. But, that’s wrong.
Shion-kun didn’t change at all. That’s how you suggest yourself, trick yourself, with that you survive the situation and live.”
“That may be the case, but…”
Desuko-san’s expression is distorted happily. It made me stepped back.
From there I could see Roll’s expression. Roll seems to be desperately appealing for something with teary eyes, but her body still doesn’t seem able to move.
“You don’t have to deny it, Shion-kun. You are beautiful. You don’t want to die even if you have to sacrifice everyone.
Even if Roll is dead, even if Tameiki is dead, even if everyone, eeeeveryone is dead, you don’t care as long as you are alive, right?”
“That’s…”
True.
“That’s not wrong, you know. That’s Shion-kun’s real nature. …Well certainly, if your loved ones die, Shion-kun will be sad, but that’s it. That’s the end of it.
In other words, Shion-kun can reaffirm the importance of his precious preeecious life, right?”
“…”
“You’re not wrong. You don’t have to deny it, that’s okay, Shion-kun. I said it before, right?
Shion-kun is correct.”
“I didn’t deny it!!” The moment I shouted, my body became heavy.
Crap, I thought so, but it’s too late. I completely fell into Desuko-san’s trick.
She already entered and tied my heart.
“Okay, checkmate.” Desuko-san closed one of her eyes and said, making a deliberate footstep and slowly walking to this way.
“Death, is too close, too ephemeral, too abrupt.”
I can’t even swallow my saliva.
All I’m allowed to do is breathe and move my eyes.
“But what does ‘death’ mean? Is it mean your heart stopped beating?”
When Desuko-san finally came right in front of me, she touched my cheek lightly.
“I don’t think so. I think death means your heart lost the place to go.
I irresistibly love the death of a person who shines in that moment.”
“Desuko…-san…!”
“Now who will die first? I’m the one to choose though.”
“Desuko, the one who choose is me.”
That man suddenly appeared.
Sitting on the front row desk board in the monitor room, unknown since when did he enter the room.
Looking at the corpse of Shikkou-san, overlooking this tragedy, with eyes that didn’t gave out his thoughts, he had his usual smile on his face.
“Hyde…!? Why are you here…!”
Desuko-san looked back vigorously.
“Because the main body moved, I came back in a hurry.”
“Main body…? No way ‘Observer’s’…?”
Desuko-san put her hand on her forehead, making a thinking gesture. Then as if having thought of something, she opens her eyes wide and looked at Shikkou-san’s body.
“That means…”
“Correct. I wouldn’t have rushed here if she hadn’t activated the master code at the end.”
Desuko-san distorted her face greatly and bit her lips.
“Shikkooooooou!! How did she did it without me noticing…!”
“Did you forget Shikkou’s ability?”
“’Rapid Process’…! Don’t tell me, she was thinking so fast that I couldn’t notice…!”
“That’s right. Now, do you have any last words? Desuko.”
[Lullaby of the Heart]
“Desuko, you were…the leader of the Nursery Rhymes…!”
“That’s right, but Byakurei should shut up for the moment, kay.”
Having said that, Desuko-san threw two knives in a row, both piercing the back of Byakurei-san. Byakurei-san groans collapses on the spot.
Meanwhile, I was stuck in place. I hesitated to move in this situation.
Even though I could have knocked away the knives thrown at Byakurei-san, but I just stood still, looking at it.
Just like that, it was a helpless situation.
“But it was worth the many years of effort. Shion-kun, who only had a short relationship with me, was the only uncertain factor for me, but the unfolding situation didn’t turn out badly. Rather, the fact that Shion-kun is here means that Yoiyami noticed it after all.”
Roll, Byakurei-san, and many other members should already have their thinking induced by Desuko-san. That’s why they didn’t doubt her.
The fact that I was the only who could doubt her was, as she said, because I didn’t have that much relationship with her, huh.
And the fact that I was made to train under Yoiyami-san, was perhaps because of Desuko-san, to rid of the uncertain factor. At least she should have taken a considerable amount of time and effort to prepare for this situation.
Perhaps, Kemuri-san was also not suspicious of Desuko-san.
That was why he only ordered for three people to rush into the hideout. Thinking that it would be fine since Byakurei-san was there.
We were completely isolated.
Dammit, even though I was the only who could predict this situation…!
“Now, Shion-kun, what are you going to do? Roll and Byakurei can’t move anymore. Shion-kun is also in a state where he can hardly fight, right?” Desuko-san said with a smile filled with insanity.
Although I was turning my eyes to the two people on both of my sides, my heart was already completely seized by Desuko-san. Byakurei-san was struck by knives and collapsed on the spot, and Roll just stood still, not moving even by a tiny amount.
It is one of Desuko-san’s abilities. The power to deprive the freedom of your body. If she feels like it, she should be able to make you to lose consciousness.
However, now that it has come to this, it won’t matter even if I know anything about Desuko-san’ ability.
I don’t know since when Desuko-san become a part of Nursery Rhymes, but if she was originally an enemy, it’s highly likely that she hadn’t told the truth about her ability. And it is better to think that this thought of mine is also being read.
She also knows that I’m already at my limit. I can’t beat someone who can read my mind in such a state.
Roll and Byakurei-san can’t move.
Is there something that I can do?
The more I thought I about it, the more I felt like I was dancing in her hands.
I see how much psychological advantage can be gained by being able to read mind.
It’s a desperate situation. I lay out my consciousness, thinking of a way to overcome this situation, but I was too powerless before Desuko-san.
If she figures out what I’m thinking about, isn’t that mean that she has all the initiatives?
“…That is Desuko-san’s real nature, isn’t it?” As a result, I make the most wasteful choice.
Dialogue.
I know. Having a dialogue with Desuko-san is meaningless. I can see it from the surroundings. At this disastrous scene.
The best choice is to silence the sounds emitted by Desuko-san and fight her in that state. Words are Desuko-san’s greatest weapon, so if I seal them, I may still have a small chance of winning.
Desuko-san probably read such inner thoughts of mine, she lifted the corner of her mouth to a grin.
“That’s right. We have a similarity, right, Shion-kun.”
Similarity, huh. That’s an unpleasant way of saying it.
And then, Desuko-san got into a dialogue with me. No, now that Desuko-san is in control, it won’t be a dialogue. It’ll be a conversation.
“Still, powerlessness is wonderful, right, Shion-kun.”
“Powerlessness… is it?”
“Look, Byakurei who is lying there and Roll who can’t move are powerless. When people who originally had power is turned powerless, they will become beautiful like this, you know. I think that Shion-kun perhaps understands this feeling. Shion-kun has experienced it for himself after all.
‘I don’t need ability’, that’s what you thought, right? Well, Shion-kun who entered Anonymous had to become stronger though.”
“Shion, don’t… Don’t listen to Desuko’s words… That is Desuko’s…” Roll said, barely able to squeeze out her voice. I know that. I was just following along with the conversation.
“Roll, you have to stay silent. I’m talking to Shion-kun right now, you know?”
“Desuko… You, why…!”
“Moreover, Roll doubted her partner, Shion-kun, more than me; to open her mouth now after such a long time, is kinda distasteful, right? Generally, Roll lives quite carefreely after all.”
“Desuko…!”
“Even though she killed all her family. If it’s me, I would have committed suicide.”
I glanced with my eyes.
Roll is silent. Then seeing Desuko-san took out a new knife, I hurriedly say,
“…I don’t know about the second half, but Roll doubted me because Desuko-san induced her thoughts, right?”
I found that my forehead was sweating.
“There’s that too, but still, that’s terrible. I think she would realize it if you tell her normally. I just erased myself as the option from everyone.
That’s why I think that this wouldn’t have happened if Shion-kun made more logic and insisted that I was suspicious at the beginning.”
No, I’m sure Desuko-san had calculated so far. Even thought she said that I’m an uncertain factor, I don’t know whether she really thought so. Certainly, it might have changed if I insisted more strongly, but Desuko-san made us prioritizing the matters at hand over identifying the traitor.
The reason why the Nursery Rhymes and the ‘Association’ didn’t come and invade this place immediately is because they were Desuko-san’s diversion.
“Desuko-san, did you want to crush Anonymous since the beginning?”
“That’s not the case, y’know. Don’t misunderstand me; I don’t hate everyone in the organization. I just wanted to kill a lot of people. To me, killing people is something like a cleansing shower.
If that’s not the case, I don’t have to this roundabout thing, right?”
It’s useless. I can’t talk to her.
This person is completely insane.
“In this rotten world, you can’t live if you’re not one, you know.”
“Desuko-san… Perhaps Desuko-san touched people’s hearts too much. Because she looked too much at the ugly part of people…”
After I said that, Desuko-san had a blank look for a moment, and suddenly began to laugh while holding her belly.
“Fufu, Fufufufu! Ahaha! Ahahahahaha!”
“Is there something funny…?”
“No, it’s just I don’t think that Shion-kun would say such things. There’s a limit even in giving empty gesture, you know. Ahaha…!”
Empty gesture, huh. Certainly, my line was noncommittal. Desuko-san probably laughed because I said something she didn’t expect. But even thought I don’t think so, there must be some truths to it.
I think that Desuko-san lost track of what’s what while using her ability to touch people’s hearts.
“Or rather, insane you thought, I don’t to want to hear that from Shion-kun. Even though Shion-kun himself is insane enough. No, it is more correct to say that Shion-kun is broken, isn’t it?
You also followed a no less sorrowful fate than me, right?”
“Such a thing.”
“You know without even have to be told, right?”
“…”
I lost for words to the line she said earlier.
“You don’t know? Shion-kun.”
“About what?”
“Shion-kun is misunderstanding it, you know. You don’t understand about yourself. You thought that you had changed. But, that’s wrong.
Shion-kun didn’t change at all. That’s how you suggest yourself, trick yourself, with that you survive the situation and live.”
“That may be the case, but…”
Desuko-san’s expression is distorted happily. It made me stepped back.
From there I could see Roll’s expression. Roll seems to be desperately appealing for something with teary eyes, but her body still doesn’t seem able to move.
“You don’t have to deny it, Shion-kun. You are beautiful. You don’t want to die even if you have to sacrifice everyone.
Even if Roll is dead, even if Tameiki is dead, even if everyone, eeeeveryone is dead, you don’t care as long as you are alive, right?”
“That’s…”
True.
“That’s not wrong, you know. That’s Shion-kun’s real nature. …Well certainly, if your loved ones die, Shion-kun will be sad, but that’s it. That’s the end of it.
In other words, Shion-kun can reaffirm the importance of his precious preeecious life, right?”
“…”
“You’re not wrong. You don’t have to deny it, that’s okay, Shion-kun. I said it before, right?
Shion-kun is correct.”
“I didn’t deny it!!” The moment I shouted, my body became heavy.
Crap, I thought so, but it’s too late. I completely fell into Desuko-san’s trick.
She already entered and tied my heart.
“Okay, checkmate.” Desuko-san closed one of her eyes and said, making a deliberate footstep and slowly walking to this way.
“Death, is too close, too ephemeral, too abrupt.”
I can’t even swallow my saliva.
All I’m allowed to do is breathe and move my eyes.
“But what does ‘death’ mean? Is it mean your heart stopped beating?”
When Desuko-san finally came right in front of me, she touched my cheek lightly.
“I don’t think so. I think death means your heart lost the place to go.
I irresistibly love the death of a person who shines in that moment.”
“Desuko…-san…!”
“Now who will die first? I’m the one to choose though.”
“Desuko, the one who choose is me.”
That man suddenly appeared.
Sitting on the front row desk board in the monitor room, unknown since when did he enter the room.
Looking at the corpse of Shikkou-san, overlooking this tragedy, with eyes that didn’t gave out his thoughts, he had his usual smile on his face.
“Hyde…!? Why are you here…!”
Desuko-san looked back vigorously.
“Because the main body moved, I came back in a hurry.”
“Main body…? No way ‘Observer’s’…?”
Desuko-san put her hand on her forehead, making a thinking gesture. Then as if having thought of something, she opens her eyes wide and looked at Shikkou-san’s body.
“That means…”
“Correct. I wouldn’t have rushed here if she hadn’t activated the master code at the end.”
Desuko-san distorted her face greatly and bit her lips.
“Shikkooooooou!! How did she did it without me noticing…!”
“Did you forget Shikkou’s ability?”
“’Rapid Process’…! Don’t tell me, she was thinking so fast that I couldn’t notice…!”
“That’s right. Now, do you have any last words? Desuko.”
