Chapter 01: Immortal Boy and the killing Devil

“Node Kugito!”

To be honest, I was in a pinch.

I was surrounded by a couple of guys who knew it. “It” being “that”, which is just your plain old pinch.

It looks like they wanted to lecture my recent arrogance by executing group violence, so after school they forcefully brought me to an abandoned factory without anyone else around. And at present, these guys, everyone holding on either a wooden sword, a nail-bat, a golf club or a steel pipe, were threatening me while standing in a circle around me. The eyes blood-shot, the teeth baring, their expression towards me were like a beast unable to suppress it’s hunger.

They were totally after my head.

“Aw, guys, calm down.”

I first advised this to the angered bunch. The one and only ability to draw the line between a human and a beast is language, isn’t it?

“Shut it!”

I was shut down immediately. Darwin was completely ignored.

“C’mon, don’t say that. Listen to me for a bit. For now let’s start with the most basic thing…. Just what did I do?”

“Shut up! Take a close look at the situation you’re in!”

Delinquent A, whose name I don’t know, spew that at me while waving his hands. Like he told me to, I took a look around me. Aha, on the dusty concrete floor laid a bunch of delinquents, who came at me, dithering, and I really mean dithering. The scene resembled a fish market. That would make these guys worth

-5000 yen per kilo.

“You did all this, so don’t play dumb now!”

Delinquent A raged. In other words, he wanted to say this: You beat up all our guys, so what are you trying to play innocent for now, you crying chicken. Is the term crying chicken a bit too old? Anyways, his speech was a bit misleading. To begin with, these guys started the fight. With the result as it is, the “What did I do” applies to them and the “You did all this” part can be seen as them shifting all the blame on me. Also, technically speaking, he didn’t answer my question.

And lastly the most important fact, “I didn’t do anything”.

“Hey, hey, you’re the ones playing dumb. It’s them who started coming at me for no reason.”

And then they collapsed for no reason.

Yes.

“—They got tired of hitting me.”

They all became tired, didn’t they?

I haven’t done anything that could be called retaliation.

“Hey, I’m not at fault here. You guys are just too weak.”

“You bastard are just too rough, damnit! You monster!”

When delinquent A shouted this, delinquent B besides him whispered to him.

“Hey, careful, Head. This guy… you know, from the rumour.”

“Don’t call me Head! Also, how stupid can you get? That story is obviously all made-up!”

Upon delinquent A, no, Head’s statement I made a questioning look. I don’t know what the rumour is about, but it can’t be anything decent.

“Hey, Head”

“I just said not to call me Head!”

“That rumour you’re speaking of, could it be that one? The one about me—”

I said while inclining my head.

“—me being . What an honour. Fucking shit. Inevitability my ass!

She’s enjoying it to the fullest!

“Now then— Farewell”

Speaking in a high soprano singing voice, she let go off me.

Just then—–

“Rest in peace”

The knife in her hand deeply pierced into my heart.