No.6 Volume 8 summary
Whoops, I'm late with this. Volume 9 summary should be up... well, later today. I have time today and I want to get the summary up before the last episode airs, but I'm not 100% certain it'll be on time. Because this one was late orz. Just a battle between me and the anime airing time here, don't mind me.
Enjoy reading~
Chapter 1 translation here.
Chapter 2: I've Done
I've done with fancies, imaginary errors and phantoms! Life is real! haven't I lived just now?
(cut)
Now for the reign of reason and light... and of will, and of strength... and now we will see! We will try our strength!
Crime and Punishment, Fyodor Dostoevsky
{Note: "I've Done" is a terrible chapter title, but it still has to be pulled from the quote and match the Japanese one, so... yeah.}
In No.6 - Lili and her mother are both worried that Getsuyaku has yet to come home. While Lili is sleeping in Karan's shop, Yoming comes over. He's deduced that Getsuyaku most likely works in the correctional facility (the government forbade him from revealing his job to anyone, including family) and that something is happening there that's preventing him from coming home. He says that No.6 is on the verge of destruction and he plans to take part in it - he's going to spread rumors via internet that the government has vaccines for the bee disease but are keeping it for themselves, then incite the citizens and have them storm city hall. Karan tries to stop him, saying that that would cost many people's lives, but Yoming refuses to listen. He says that sacrificing lives are necessary for the greater good and that he's disappointed in Karan for not agreeing with him. Karan thinks that his methods aren't much different from No.6's own.
Meanwhile, Inukashi and Rikiga have snuck into Getsuyaku's former work room. They’re quarreling with each other as expected, which basically just ends in Inukashi concluding that dogs > people. Inukashi is... frustrated and bored I suppose, so she pretends to threaten Rikiga with a gun, which makes him turn on the lights to blind her for a moment and escape danger. However, the lights give away their location and some soldiers enter the room. Inukashi and her dogs and Rikiga hide in the garbage area, where Inukashi attempts to shoot at the soldiers but misses completely. The soldiers plan to blow up the whole place by using a sonic boom cannon - the same type used in the manhunt but smaller. Inukashi is left wondering how to get out of this predicament.
Chapter 3: Stop This Warful Strife
Odysseus, noble son of Laertes, stop this warful strife, or Zeus will be angry with you.
The Odyssey, Homer
Shion and Nezumi escape the elevator. They suddenly start hearing explosions and see flames and smoke in the distance. It seems that once the Mother Computer is destroyed, all the other computers in the facility have been programmed to self-destruct as well. They run downstairs where they see a huge flock of people rushing out, not only workers but also escaped prisoners. Nezumi urges Shion forward, but he doesn't budge. He's regretting Safu's death and in a fit of anger lashes out at Nezumi, accusing him of only using her to destroy Mother. He then calms down and apologizes, saying that he should have been the one who took on the responsibility of Safu's death and not Nezumi. Nezumi retorts by saying that was Shion said earlier was true, that he was only using both of them - Shion to memorize the map and Safu to destroy Mother. Shion starts to object, but Nezumi senses danger - he turns around and sees a soldier pointing a gun at them. The soldier was one of Rashi's subordinates, seeking revenge on them now. Nezumi pushes Shion out of the way, but he takes the bullet instead.
Meanwhile, one of Inukashi's dogs has taken a bullet for Inukashi and dies. Rikiga's just hiding somewhere, but Inukashi's trying to fight back somehow. Right when the soldiers have finished setting up the sonic boom cannon, they hear the emergency alarms and explosions and flee in fear, saving them by a hair's breadth. Inukashi meets back up with Rikiga, who wonders if the explosions and smoke mean that the facility is about to collapse. He worries about the gold under the facility, but Inukashi asks if he still actually believes that rumor. Rikiga believes it since one of his prostitutes told him and they all get their information from No.6 officials. Inukashi tells him that it was probably just Nezumi pulling the strings all along, roping Rikiga in by making him think there'll be a monetary reward for going to the facility and helping them. She explains that "out of 100 girls, 99... no, 100 of them would rather sleep with Nezumi than you, old geezer," so convincing one of them to spread false rumors to Rikiga should have been simple for him.
Back in No.6, Karan is comforting Renka, Lili's mom, about Getsuyaku. They suddenly hear a scream from outside, where they discover that the son of one of their acquaintances was shot at the town square. The woman explains that they were called to rally town hall from information spread on the internet, so a giant crowd of people did so. But once they got there, an army sudddenly appeared and opened fire on them. However, the deaths have only incited the citizens' anger more, so they head out to rally town hall once more.
Chapter 4: To The Evening Breeze
For more than a thousand years sad Ophelia
Has passed, a white phantom, down the long black river.
For more than a thousand years her sweet madness
Has murmured its ballad to the evening breeze.
Ophelia, Arthur Rimbaud
The soldier that shot Nezumi is caught in an explosion and blown away. Shion carries the shot Nezumi to a medical room. H's incredibly distraught, but forces himself to calm down and give Nezumi emergency medical treatment. The wound is serious, close to the heart - Shion estimates that he'll die in about 2 hours if they don't get to a hospital soon. Shion carries him back out to the hallway, where a barely conscious Nezumi mutters that they can escape using the trash chute. Flashback to a conversation between Shion and Nezumi two days before the manhunt. They're eating dinner which includes a free pack of cheese from a shop lady because Nezumi "flashed her a smile". They've discussed the infiltration and noted that the trash chute is a possible escape method.
The dull light from the lamp shined within the room. As he looked at Nezumi's profile with his eyes closed and heard the deeply whistling wind, Shion felt somewhat like he was watching a scene in a play.
He was sitting in the audience, engrossed in the dimly lit and quiet play. Feelings of satisfaction, comfort, melancholy, and something close to fear yet couldn't be given a name were mixed and intertwined together, filling his heart.
If only this moment could last an eternity.
If only time could stop. If only everything here could become my entire world.
He suddenly wished that from the bottom of his heart.
Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player.
He didn't know why, but a line from Macbeth suddenly appeared in his head.
Out, out, brief candle!
Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player.
Nezumi opened his eyes. His gaze met Shion's.
"What?"
"Huh? Oh, nothing..."
Shion slightly shifted his body outside the range of the lamp's light. He didn't want Nezumi to see the blush that was probably already covering his cheeks.
"Shion, can you guess what I was thinking just now?"
"You? Um... were you still thinking about the trash chute?"
"As if, I'm not going to keep worrying about being thrown in the trash. And we've already settled that problem anyway. The possibility's there, so it's worth a shot, right?"
"Right."
No matter whether it was a theory or speculation, as long as the possibility was there, he had to store it in his memory.
That's what Nezumi meant. Shion nodded his head in agreement, showing that he understood.
"Good. Although I'd prefer to leave without making too much commotion, but that sort of luxury probably isn't allowed."
"Probably. At the very least we shouldn't expect VIP treatment. But if it's not about the trash chute, then what? Other methods of escaping?"
Nezumi switched the foot he had propped up and said in a melancholy sigh,
"About food."
"What?"
"Food. F-o-o-d. I was thinking if I could order anything I wanted to eat right now, what I would choose."
"...You sure do think about practical stuff."
"Having food is important. Sometimes a shopkeeper giving away a piece of bread has more significance than a famous philosopher discovering a great truth... That's also an essence of life. Meaning, whenever I'm hungry to the point that I even pity myself, I won't be able to fall asleep."
"But didn't we just eat? You just had two pieces of bread."
"Dry and stale bread plus some soup and cheese, that's not nearly enough."
"Stop talking luxuries. Thanks to that shop lady we were able to get some high quality cheese, right? It was a fine dinner."
"If you had shown her a bit more courtesy, we might have gotten a can of mutton or a bottle of milk too. What a pity."
"Me? Did it have something to do with me?"
"Of course it had something to do with you. That shop lady was throwing you flirty looks the entire time, wasn't she? I thought you were ignoring it on purpose, but you actually didn't notice it at all?"
"I didn't notice it at all."
Nezumi deliberately twisted his expression and shook his head.
"Shion, you definitely need to polish your sensibility toward the opposite sex a little, no, a lot more. If this goes on, it'll be bad."
"How bad?"
"It'll be so bad that I don't even dare put it into words. At least I can't say it. Ah, but honestly, it's going to be bad. Just thinking about it gives me goosebumps."
"Come on, if you say it like that I won't be able to stop thinking about it. I won't be able to sleep, just like with you and your empty stomach."
Nezumi laughed a rare hearty laugh. A very happy and gentle sounding laugh penetrated Shion's heart.
"Nezumi."
"What?"
"Can you recite Macbeth for me?"
"Macbeth? Which part?"
"Act 5 scene 5, the lines after Macbeth finds out that his wife dies."
"Why do you want to hear Macbeth?"
"I don't know, I wonder why? I just suddenly want to hear Macbeth right now. Can't I?"
"It's fine, I don't mind."
Hamlet and Tsukiyo climbed onto Shion's shoulder. Nezumi, who was sitting in the chair, shifted a bit, and then starting moving his lips.
The tranquil yet sorrowful voice of a general facing his demise due to his own ambitions and love for his wife carried though.
To-morrow, and to-morrow, and to-morrow,
Creeps in this petty pace from day to day,
To the last syllable of recorded time;
And all our yesterdays have lighted fools
The way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle!
Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player,
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage,
And then is heard no more.
Shion and the little mice all held their breath, listening attentively. The lamp's flames flickered and the shadows swayed. Nezumi's voice and expression all carried shadows. Shion felt like he was floating away from reality, being brought up to a high place. He felt eternally satisfied by that feeling of drifting.
That moment was just that vibrant, rich, and beautiful.
Two days before the manhunt. In all the days Shion had lived in that house, it was that scene that had given him the deepest impression.
It was obviously not long ago, yet it felt like it was in the distant past.
Teardrops slid down his face.
The smoke had choked them out. It definitely wasn't because a cherished memory had disrupted his mind.
Squeak squeak squeak!
Tsukiyo jumped onto the ground and persistently squeaked. The superfiber cloth dropped to the ground. Shion quickly picked it up. Nezumi collapsed, all of his body weight falling onto Shion's shoulders.
"Nezumi, keep yourself together! Don't fall asleep!"
"...Escape... Hurry, escape."
"I know, I'm not going to rest in a place like this. We're almost there, Nezumi. Hold on just a bit longer."
"Shion... we can't... both... escape."
"What? What are you saying?
"Escape... by yourself... escape."
"Idiot! Stop joking around!"
His anger swiftly burst out. Anger at Nezumi, so much anger that his head felt steaming. The hot air wasn't coming from the outside, but from within Shion.
You want me to escape without you? You want me to escape by myself? Stop screwing around! Stop screwing around! You actually want to insult me like this? You look down on me this much?
I'm not so much of a coward that I would leave you behind and continue struggling by myself. I'll protect you. Even I can do so much as protect you.
"Damn it, don't look down on people so much!"
In an instant, his anger turned into the strength he needed to step forward.
Shion put more strength into his arms and stared in front of him. No people were left anymore, all that remained was the wind. The fire had started spreading to the ceiling. It seemed to have ignited some sort of chemical, since after the faint sound of an explosion, a pungent odor filled the area.
"Tsukiyo, climb up."
Tsukiyo squeezed himself into Shion's pocket. He peeped his head out and loudly squeaked. It sounded like an underwater guide to him, and gave him a boost.
This little creature has endured stifling pains and did his best to keep calling. I also need to escape quickly for his sake.
He stumbled over something and almost tripped.
A male prisoner with a large build was lying on the floor. His face was buried in a pool of his own blood, not breathing anymore. Shion crossed over the man's body and kept going forward.
There's a staircase here, so the trash chute must be...
Shion accurately recalled the map in his memory and searched through it. Smoke filled a corner of the hallway. Shion stuffed Tsukiyo into his pocket.
"Nezumi."
We're going.
Shion held his breath and burst into the smoke. He didn't have the time or a way to confirm the entrance. Visibility was almost zero in the smoke filled hallway - a few seconds of hesitation would lead to a choking death.
Believe in yourself, believe in yourself! If you need someone to rely on, rely on yourself.
Shion halted his steps.
He spotted the entrance to the trash chute. A soldier was leaning there, blocking the door. His legs were spread on the ground, eyes half closed and not moving at all. His neck was magnificently bent.
Perhaps because he had held onto it tightly when blown away by the explosion, a rifle was lying on his knee. It was the rifle that shot Nezumi.
Shion felt nothing toward the soldier. No hatred, no anger, no pity, not even any condolences for the deceased.
To him, the thing in front of him wasn't the remains of a human but a mere hindrance. If he didn't think like that, he wouldn't survive.
Shion kicked the soldier away.
The soldier's body and rifle rolled to the side. The entrance was now completely free.
It hurts. I can't breathe. My throat's burning. I want fresh air.
His veins swelled, his heart was violently beating, his consciousness was starting to fade, and his strength was gradually slipping away.
Damn it, there's only one more step. How could I give up now! Just one more step...
Nezumi. What? Can you recite Macbeth for me? Macbeth? Which part? Act 5 scene 5...
The wind was whistling and the flames were flickering.
I suddenly wanted to hear you recite those lines. I don't know why, I probably just wanted to listen to your voice and immerse myself in your presence. My emotions resounded and were satisfied by the words of a man headed to his own demise.
Out, out, brief candle!
Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player.
We're going back, Nezumi. We're going back to that house. We can't repeat the times we've had, but we can create new ones.
Normally the door would automatically respond and open if a person stood in front of it, but of course it wouldn't move an inch now. Shion set Nezumi down and grabbed the pistol. He raked the door with gunfire until the bullets ran out and broke the door open.
Shion gets himself and Nezumi ready to slide down the chute. Meanwhile, the mice have alerted Inukashi that they're about to arrive. She and Rikiga start setting down cushions to soften their fall out of the chute. Inukashi, for the first time in her life, prays to God that they'll come back safely.
(volume 8 end)
Enjoy reading~
Chapter 1 translation here.
Chapter 2: I've Done
I've done with fancies, imaginary errors and phantoms! Life is real! haven't I lived just now?
(cut)
Now for the reign of reason and light... and of will, and of strength... and now we will see! We will try our strength!
Crime and Punishment, Fyodor Dostoevsky
{Note: "I've Done" is a terrible chapter title, but it still has to be pulled from the quote and match the Japanese one, so... yeah.}
In No.6 - Lili and her mother are both worried that Getsuyaku has yet to come home. While Lili is sleeping in Karan's shop, Yoming comes over. He's deduced that Getsuyaku most likely works in the correctional facility (the government forbade him from revealing his job to anyone, including family) and that something is happening there that's preventing him from coming home. He says that No.6 is on the verge of destruction and he plans to take part in it - he's going to spread rumors via internet that the government has vaccines for the bee disease but are keeping it for themselves, then incite the citizens and have them storm city hall. Karan tries to stop him, saying that that would cost many people's lives, but Yoming refuses to listen. He says that sacrificing lives are necessary for the greater good and that he's disappointed in Karan for not agreeing with him. Karan thinks that his methods aren't much different from No.6's own.
Meanwhile, Inukashi and Rikiga have snuck into Getsuyaku's former work room. They’re quarreling with each other as expected, which basically just ends in Inukashi concluding that dogs > people. Inukashi is... frustrated and bored I suppose, so she pretends to threaten Rikiga with a gun, which makes him turn on the lights to blind her for a moment and escape danger. However, the lights give away their location and some soldiers enter the room. Inukashi and her dogs and Rikiga hide in the garbage area, where Inukashi attempts to shoot at the soldiers but misses completely. The soldiers plan to blow up the whole place by using a sonic boom cannon - the same type used in the manhunt but smaller. Inukashi is left wondering how to get out of this predicament.
Chapter 3: Stop This Warful Strife
Odysseus, noble son of Laertes, stop this warful strife, or Zeus will be angry with you.
The Odyssey, Homer
Shion and Nezumi escape the elevator. They suddenly start hearing explosions and see flames and smoke in the distance. It seems that once the Mother Computer is destroyed, all the other computers in the facility have been programmed to self-destruct as well. They run downstairs where they see a huge flock of people rushing out, not only workers but also escaped prisoners. Nezumi urges Shion forward, but he doesn't budge. He's regretting Safu's death and in a fit of anger lashes out at Nezumi, accusing him of only using her to destroy Mother. He then calms down and apologizes, saying that he should have been the one who took on the responsibility of Safu's death and not Nezumi. Nezumi retorts by saying that was Shion said earlier was true, that he was only using both of them - Shion to memorize the map and Safu to destroy Mother. Shion starts to object, but Nezumi senses danger - he turns around and sees a soldier pointing a gun at them. The soldier was one of Rashi's subordinates, seeking revenge on them now. Nezumi pushes Shion out of the way, but he takes the bullet instead.
Meanwhile, one of Inukashi's dogs has taken a bullet for Inukashi and dies. Rikiga's just hiding somewhere, but Inukashi's trying to fight back somehow. Right when the soldiers have finished setting up the sonic boom cannon, they hear the emergency alarms and explosions and flee in fear, saving them by a hair's breadth. Inukashi meets back up with Rikiga, who wonders if the explosions and smoke mean that the facility is about to collapse. He worries about the gold under the facility, but Inukashi asks if he still actually believes that rumor. Rikiga believes it since one of his prostitutes told him and they all get their information from No.6 officials. Inukashi tells him that it was probably just Nezumi pulling the strings all along, roping Rikiga in by making him think there'll be a monetary reward for going to the facility and helping them. She explains that "out of 100 girls, 99... no, 100 of them would rather sleep with Nezumi than you, old geezer," so convincing one of them to spread false rumors to Rikiga should have been simple for him.
Back in No.6, Karan is comforting Renka, Lili's mom, about Getsuyaku. They suddenly hear a scream from outside, where they discover that the son of one of their acquaintances was shot at the town square. The woman explains that they were called to rally town hall from information spread on the internet, so a giant crowd of people did so. But once they got there, an army sudddenly appeared and opened fire on them. However, the deaths have only incited the citizens' anger more, so they head out to rally town hall once more.
Chapter 4: To The Evening Breeze
For more than a thousand years sad Ophelia
Has passed, a white phantom, down the long black river.
For more than a thousand years her sweet madness
Has murmured its ballad to the evening breeze.
Ophelia, Arthur Rimbaud
The soldier that shot Nezumi is caught in an explosion and blown away. Shion carries the shot Nezumi to a medical room. H's incredibly distraught, but forces himself to calm down and give Nezumi emergency medical treatment. The wound is serious, close to the heart - Shion estimates that he'll die in about 2 hours if they don't get to a hospital soon. Shion carries him back out to the hallway, where a barely conscious Nezumi mutters that they can escape using the trash chute. Flashback to a conversation between Shion and Nezumi two days before the manhunt. They're eating dinner which includes a free pack of cheese from a shop lady because Nezumi "flashed her a smile". They've discussed the infiltration and noted that the trash chute is a possible escape method.
The dull light from the lamp shined within the room. As he looked at Nezumi's profile with his eyes closed and heard the deeply whistling wind, Shion felt somewhat like he was watching a scene in a play.
He was sitting in the audience, engrossed in the dimly lit and quiet play. Feelings of satisfaction, comfort, melancholy, and something close to fear yet couldn't be given a name were mixed and intertwined together, filling his heart.
If only this moment could last an eternity.
If only time could stop. If only everything here could become my entire world.
He suddenly wished that from the bottom of his heart.
Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player.
He didn't know why, but a line from Macbeth suddenly appeared in his head.
Out, out, brief candle!
Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player.
Nezumi opened his eyes. His gaze met Shion's.
"What?"
"Huh? Oh, nothing..."
Shion slightly shifted his body outside the range of the lamp's light. He didn't want Nezumi to see the blush that was probably already covering his cheeks.
"Shion, can you guess what I was thinking just now?"
"You? Um... were you still thinking about the trash chute?"
"As if, I'm not going to keep worrying about being thrown in the trash. And we've already settled that problem anyway. The possibility's there, so it's worth a shot, right?"
"Right."
No matter whether it was a theory or speculation, as long as the possibility was there, he had to store it in his memory.
That's what Nezumi meant. Shion nodded his head in agreement, showing that he understood.
"Good. Although I'd prefer to leave without making too much commotion, but that sort of luxury probably isn't allowed."
"Probably. At the very least we shouldn't expect VIP treatment. But if it's not about the trash chute, then what? Other methods of escaping?"
Nezumi switched the foot he had propped up and said in a melancholy sigh,
"About food."
"What?"
"Food. F-o-o-d. I was thinking if I could order anything I wanted to eat right now, what I would choose."
"...You sure do think about practical stuff."
"Having food is important. Sometimes a shopkeeper giving away a piece of bread has more significance than a famous philosopher discovering a great truth... That's also an essence of life. Meaning, whenever I'm hungry to the point that I even pity myself, I won't be able to fall asleep."
"But didn't we just eat? You just had two pieces of bread."
"Dry and stale bread plus some soup and cheese, that's not nearly enough."
"Stop talking luxuries. Thanks to that shop lady we were able to get some high quality cheese, right? It was a fine dinner."
"If you had shown her a bit more courtesy, we might have gotten a can of mutton or a bottle of milk too. What a pity."
"Me? Did it have something to do with me?"
"Of course it had something to do with you. That shop lady was throwing you flirty looks the entire time, wasn't she? I thought you were ignoring it on purpose, but you actually didn't notice it at all?"
"I didn't notice it at all."
Nezumi deliberately twisted his expression and shook his head.
"Shion, you definitely need to polish your sensibility toward the opposite sex a little, no, a lot more. If this goes on, it'll be bad."
"How bad?"
"It'll be so bad that I don't even dare put it into words. At least I can't say it. Ah, but honestly, it's going to be bad. Just thinking about it gives me goosebumps."
"Come on, if you say it like that I won't be able to stop thinking about it. I won't be able to sleep, just like with you and your empty stomach."
Nezumi laughed a rare hearty laugh. A very happy and gentle sounding laugh penetrated Shion's heart.
"Nezumi."
"What?"
"Can you recite Macbeth for me?"
"Macbeth? Which part?"
"Act 5 scene 5, the lines after Macbeth finds out that his wife dies."
"Why do you want to hear Macbeth?"
"I don't know, I wonder why? I just suddenly want to hear Macbeth right now. Can't I?"
"It's fine, I don't mind."
Hamlet and Tsukiyo climbed onto Shion's shoulder. Nezumi, who was sitting in the chair, shifted a bit, and then starting moving his lips.
The tranquil yet sorrowful voice of a general facing his demise due to his own ambitions and love for his wife carried though.
To-morrow, and to-morrow, and to-morrow,
Creeps in this petty pace from day to day,
To the last syllable of recorded time;
And all our yesterdays have lighted fools
The way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle!
Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player,
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage,
And then is heard no more.
Shion and the little mice all held their breath, listening attentively. The lamp's flames flickered and the shadows swayed. Nezumi's voice and expression all carried shadows. Shion felt like he was floating away from reality, being brought up to a high place. He felt eternally satisfied by that feeling of drifting.
That moment was just that vibrant, rich, and beautiful.
Two days before the manhunt. In all the days Shion had lived in that house, it was that scene that had given him the deepest impression.
It was obviously not long ago, yet it felt like it was in the distant past.
Teardrops slid down his face.
The smoke had choked them out. It definitely wasn't because a cherished memory had disrupted his mind.
Squeak squeak squeak!
Tsukiyo jumped onto the ground and persistently squeaked. The superfiber cloth dropped to the ground. Shion quickly picked it up. Nezumi collapsed, all of his body weight falling onto Shion's shoulders.
"Nezumi, keep yourself together! Don't fall asleep!"
"...Escape... Hurry, escape."
"I know, I'm not going to rest in a place like this. We're almost there, Nezumi. Hold on just a bit longer."
"Shion... we can't... both... escape."
"What? What are you saying?
"Escape... by yourself... escape."
"Idiot! Stop joking around!"
His anger swiftly burst out. Anger at Nezumi, so much anger that his head felt steaming. The hot air wasn't coming from the outside, but from within Shion.
You want me to escape without you? You want me to escape by myself? Stop screwing around! Stop screwing around! You actually want to insult me like this? You look down on me this much?
I'm not so much of a coward that I would leave you behind and continue struggling by myself. I'll protect you. Even I can do so much as protect you.
"Damn it, don't look down on people so much!"
In an instant, his anger turned into the strength he needed to step forward.
Shion put more strength into his arms and stared in front of him. No people were left anymore, all that remained was the wind. The fire had started spreading to the ceiling. It seemed to have ignited some sort of chemical, since after the faint sound of an explosion, a pungent odor filled the area.
"Tsukiyo, climb up."
Tsukiyo squeezed himself into Shion's pocket. He peeped his head out and loudly squeaked. It sounded like an underwater guide to him, and gave him a boost.
This little creature has endured stifling pains and did his best to keep calling. I also need to escape quickly for his sake.
He stumbled over something and almost tripped.
A male prisoner with a large build was lying on the floor. His face was buried in a pool of his own blood, not breathing anymore. Shion crossed over the man's body and kept going forward.
There's a staircase here, so the trash chute must be...
Shion accurately recalled the map in his memory and searched through it. Smoke filled a corner of the hallway. Shion stuffed Tsukiyo into his pocket.
"Nezumi."
We're going.
Shion held his breath and burst into the smoke. He didn't have the time or a way to confirm the entrance. Visibility was almost zero in the smoke filled hallway - a few seconds of hesitation would lead to a choking death.
Believe in yourself, believe in yourself! If you need someone to rely on, rely on yourself.
Shion halted his steps.
He spotted the entrance to the trash chute. A soldier was leaning there, blocking the door. His legs were spread on the ground, eyes half closed and not moving at all. His neck was magnificently bent.
Perhaps because he had held onto it tightly when blown away by the explosion, a rifle was lying on his knee. It was the rifle that shot Nezumi.
Shion felt nothing toward the soldier. No hatred, no anger, no pity, not even any condolences for the deceased.
To him, the thing in front of him wasn't the remains of a human but a mere hindrance. If he didn't think like that, he wouldn't survive.
Shion kicked the soldier away.
The soldier's body and rifle rolled to the side. The entrance was now completely free.
It hurts. I can't breathe. My throat's burning. I want fresh air.
His veins swelled, his heart was violently beating, his consciousness was starting to fade, and his strength was gradually slipping away.
Damn it, there's only one more step. How could I give up now! Just one more step...
Nezumi. What? Can you recite Macbeth for me? Macbeth? Which part? Act 5 scene 5...
The wind was whistling and the flames were flickering.
I suddenly wanted to hear you recite those lines. I don't know why, I probably just wanted to listen to your voice and immerse myself in your presence. My emotions resounded and were satisfied by the words of a man headed to his own demise.
Out, out, brief candle!
Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player.
We're going back, Nezumi. We're going back to that house. We can't repeat the times we've had, but we can create new ones.
Normally the door would automatically respond and open if a person stood in front of it, but of course it wouldn't move an inch now. Shion set Nezumi down and grabbed the pistol. He raked the door with gunfire until the bullets ran out and broke the door open.
Shion gets himself and Nezumi ready to slide down the chute. Meanwhile, the mice have alerted Inukashi that they're about to arrive. She and Rikiga start setting down cushions to soften their fall out of the chute. Inukashi, for the first time in her life, prays to God that they'll come back safely.
(volume 8 end)