Chapter - 9

It was the nature of fatigue to accumulate. After Shizuku swallowed a cup in the beginning, it wasn't long before she started nodding off on the sofa. Soon, she drifted to sleep completely due to the hour.

Now that you mention it, when we went to the bar that time, she ended up falling asleep.

Maybe she had the kind of constitution that makes her sleep whenever she takes alcohol. While thinking like this, Arisuin picked Shizuku up like a princess. Though she probably wouldn't catch a cold sleeping on the sofa since it was summer, it was still ill-mannered to sleep on a sofa. That was why Arisuin decided to bring Shizuku to her bed.

"…Nnnuuu… Onii-sama…."

Along the way, Shizuku stirred in his arms, and a childish voice came out.

"Haha, what kind of dream are you having?"

"Get out of the way… I can't kill her… munya munya…."

"Wh-What kind of dream are you having…?"

With his face paling a little bit, Arisuin brought Shizuku to her bed, and placed her on it without waking her. He pulled the covers over her. When he did so, Shizuku broke out with a comfortable expression, and curled up in the futon.

"What a cute sleeping face."

While looking at Shizuku's adorable face, Arisuin sat down on his own adjacent bed, and he thought back on the words Shizuku had said before.

"Big sister… was it?"

Murmuring, Arisuin stared toward the sofa they had been sitting at a while ago. What he was staring at was… the sooty-labeled green bottle of alcohol that was left on the table. And… within the dim pale alcohol, the remembrances it brought back.

Associated with the bottle, the old memories of before he was found by Rebellion, and turned into an assassin. In a foreign country, raising up younger street children together with a girl named Yuuri, with children looking up to him as a big sister―the memories of those final days.

　※　※　※

He would not forget. In the early morning of that day, rain was falling on the neighborhood. It had not become snow yet, but it was rain chilly enough to freeze the body.

In the cold rain, Alice was carrying a plastic umbrella, facing a tall man. The man was a bill collector from the local gang. The profit from the work brought around by the gang was brought to this man, and the part remaining after they took their cut was given to Alice.

But this was just an underling of the gangs. He was not a decent man who keeps his word.

『…Look.』

The share of the money that Alice handed over that should've remained with him was far and away too small.

『You promised twenty percent—』

Alice complained, and the man spat in his face.

『Don't make fun of me, you shitty brat. Just be grateful we let you do business on our island.』

Speaking with eyes that seemed to be looking at garbage, the man left.

After Alice couldn't see that back any longer, he stuck his tongue out a little.

Even though we're so alike on the outside.

Wiping the man's spit off his cheek with his sleeve, Alice took shelter and brushed off the snow that had fallen on him.

There, a pink-colored plastic container had been wrapped up and concealed.

『I wonder if it's become a little cold.』

Its content was a meat pie obligingly carried by a tourist.

If that man had seen such a thing, there was no doubt he would've taken it, so Alice had hidden it beforehand.

『It's been a while since we had meat. Everyone will be happy.』

I have to share it with the sister too. Ah, but there's a congregation today, so she went to the neighboring town, didn't she?

While pondering this, Alice hurried on his way back with quick steps.

He wanted to see everyone's happy faces as soon as he could.

But—

『…Eh?』

When Alice got back, the door of the shed behind the church was smashed, partially destroyed.

Seeing that, Alice who was used to seeing fights understood immediately. Some hostile people had attacked.

『…E-Everyone!』

Raising a cry, Alice dropped everything he was carrying and rushed into the shed.

But there was no one inside. It was still early in the morning. It wasn't time for the little sisters to get up yet. But they couldn't be found, and only the dirty blankets they used were left.

What happened!? Where did everyone go…?

And at the moment he picked up one of the blankets, Alice saw what was under it, and his breath caught in his throat.

There was a bloodstain. Furthermore, it wasn't dried, but fresh blood. And when he looked at the bloodstain closely, he found little drops of it scattered leading out into the main street. After being washed away by the rain, they wouldn't have been noticeable if he wasn't paying attention, but he was sure.

Alice, with his feet snarled by urgency, rushed out, and followed the trail of blood.

An unpleasant premonition. It was an extremely unpleasant premonition. Cold sweat was running down his back. The fact that there was a bloodstain meant that someone had been wounded.

Could it be, was it from his friends?

『That… can't be…!』

He had no basis, but he muttered this as if trying to persuade himself.

However, the truth was merciless.

The blood that Alice was following from the church to the road out front—it went in the opposite direction of where Alice had returned from after work. And he saw—

—Ah.

A red-haired girl with a torso dyed in fresh blood, leaning lifelessly against the brick wall beside the road.

『Y-Yuuriiiii!』

Screaming her name, Alice immediately ran to her side.

Yuuri, who was sitting at the roadside, certainly responded to his voice.

『…Ah….』

She slowly opened her eyes, and looked at Alice who was running up.

『…Ah… thank goodness… Alice. You're… safe….』

『Are you okay!? What happened here!?』

At the question, Yuuri's face twisted in both pain and frustration.

『…I don't… know. Sergei's people… suddenly attacked us… said they were cleaning up garbage…. Dammit, they took everyone…. How useless, huh…?』

『The gang did it!? Why…!? Even though we paid their tribute…!』

『Dunno… *cough* *cough*…!』

Choking violently, Yuuri spat out blood on the frozen ground.

『Yuuri! Don't talk right now!』

It would be bad for her to speak anymore. If he didn't get her to a doctor immediately….

Luckily, there were pedestrians on the road, and all of them noticed the situation.

『Excuse me! Will someone please call a doctor!?』

So Alice begged that with a raised voice. However—

At that instant, everyone who was watching the situation from all around them averted their eyes from Alice and Yuuri in a hurry. And all of them departed at a quick pace. As if no one had heard Alice's voice.

Eh…wh-what is this…?

『P-Please! Will anyone lend me a phone!? If it's money, I'll pay!』

Despite Alice's repeated requests, no one took notice.

The people who had been watching the bloody girl with interest from a distance all left in a hurry when Alice called out. Every single one of them, as if escaping from a troublesome matter. At that utterly bleak response, Alice doubted his own eyes.

Why…? Even though she's bleeding like this… no one will….

『Hey! You can hear me, right!? My friend is dying!』

『Forget it….』

To Alice who was screaming with a heartbroken voice, Yuuri spoke with strain.

『No one will… help. There's nobody here who will save people like us…. You know that, right?』

Yuuri's words. Alice understood them well. Because Alice and the others were abandoned people with no relatives or money. There was not a single benefit in helping them. That was something adults understood very clearly.

『But we're… different, aren't we?』

『Eh…?』

『We're… not like them…. We're cool adults…! R-Right!?』

Alice was taken aback at those words, and his eyes widened. Cool adults—those words were the vow between them, and he admonished himself.

On that day Alice and Yuuri first joined hands, they swore over that alcohol. They wouldn't think of only themselves, and would no longer be people of low birth. They had become cool adults who helped others, who loved others.

But—

『…You're right. You're exactly right! But why are you saying it now?』

But to his questioning voice, Yuuri didn't answer. She just looked at Alice peacefully, and,

『In that case, go and help… them….』

How could she… say those words as if she was entrusting everything to him?

At her words, Alice felt an anxiety he couldn't express, and grabbed Yuuri's shoulder.

『What stupid things are you saying!? Hold it together! I can't do some thing like that by myself, you know!? I was the one who lost to you!』

『…Ha ha, *cough*… no way. We've been together for a long time…. so I know… that you've always… gone easy… to avoid killing me…. With your power… you can protect them… so….』

『Stop it! I don't want to hear you make excuses like that!』

He shouted at her with tears spilling down his face.

But the eyes Yuuri looked at him with were already empty, and she said….

『…It's up to you… Alice….』

And at last, Yuuri closed her eyes, as if sleeping. At that moment, all strength vanished from her body.

『…Yuuri?』

Raising his voice, Alice shook her shoulder.

『Hey, answer me….』

But she didn't stir. She didn't wake.

『…Yuuri, you can't. You can't sit here like this. We said we'd go south. We promised… didn't we just promise….』

Drip drop. He continued to speak as the tears fell. But Yuuri didn't answer.

How could she? Alice understood, after all.

…That Yuuri wouldn't wake up again.

It wasn't like this was the first time, or even that rare an occurrence. It happened all the time in this city.

But he didn't want to acknowledge it. The place he wanted to protect, it was so easily, so abruptly broken.

He didn't want to accept it. This—bitter reality.

However, time continued on without stopping, and it wouldn't wait for Alice.

『Oh, here he is! Hey bro! That guy Alice came back!』

『Great, catch him. But don't scratch up his face. He's worth the price of twenty of those kids by himself.』

He could hear rude voices and many footsteps behind him. Turning his gaze, he saw the hometown gang members that he and Yuuri had associated with, all carrying guns and Devices. And they surrounded Alice in the blink of an eye, each of them pointing a weapon at him.

Alice stared at all the adults surrounding him with impassive, hollow eyes… and asked―

『…Why did you do this? We've always given you the money you wanted.』

『Heh heh. Well, it's because of the public officials. The big shots want this city to look pretty, you know? And the money you bring in just totals up too small. If we can get a big bonus for it, we can't refuse to betray you, understand?』

『Well, the strong eat the weak. That's just how the adult world is. Give up and don't resist, alright? We don't want to smash you into garbage like that idiot over there.』

Saying so, one of the gang members stretched out a hand. He grabbed Alice's hair, and tried to drag Alice up.

Staring at the arm pulling at him, Alice thought,

The strong eat the weak—yes, that's true.

After all, these were people who had lived longer than him and the other kids. What the man said was correct. Because if not, this tragedy couldn't have happened.

The world hadn't made a mistake. All of this… was neither unreasonable nor irrational. Cool adult—dancing to some fantastic ideal, it was he who was mistaken.

He understood that well, now. Truly so. He comprehended this, even if reluctantly. So—

—I'll take everything from you.

And at the moment the outstretched hand pulled Alice's hair,

『Ah—』

Alice's vision exploded in furious red.

『Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhh!』

And—everything ended in a flash.

When his vision regained color… Alice was at the gang's hideout. It was a room that apparently had a thick coat of red paint splattered all over its walls. He was standing above the wreckage of those who were no longer shaped like humans, only meat. Amidst the vapor rising from scattered entrails, Alice's entire body was colored by blood.

And as the color returned, he saw before him… in a corner of the room, the sight of his younger brothers and sisters, their teeth clattering noisily.

『H-Hiiii….』

『P-Please don't… kill us….』

『Ahh—aaaaahhh….』

Their eyes reflected Alice clearly. Murky eyes with terror and despair jumbled inside. There was no hint of the respect they always turned toward him. No shadow of their heartwarming smiles.

Seeing the expressions of his little sisters, Alice was convinced. That he had protected them.

And—at the same time, he had lost them as well.

　※　※　※

When Alice came to himself, he was walking through the city alone in the rain without an umbrella.

He wasn't heading in any particular direction. He was just wandering like an aimless ghost. The freezing rain had soaked him thoroughly from top to bottom, and he was beyond caring. He was soaked in blood even before that, so what difference did it make?

The pedestrians who sometimes passed by him, once they laid startled eyes on Alice's blood-covered body, instantly turned their gazes and hurried away. Because whether he was a bloodstained orphan, or about to die, they had no relation to any of his life.

He couldn't remember his resentment anymore. Not frustration, not sadness, nothing. All of his feelings, they had flowed out along with his exhausted tears.

But… Alice thought that was good.

—He remembered. The last moments of his close friend, the warmth leaving her body as he held her. The terrified expressions of his little sisters as they gazed at his face. The pain of losing the sweet people he loves.

If he had to remember such pain, he would rather not feel anything at all.

At that time.

『I don't believe it, I'm the first to find such a child.』

Suddenly, behind Alice who was wandering like a ghost, a voice sounded.

Alice turned his head sluggishly, and looked behind him with murky eyes. There, a young gentleman wearing a black priest's robe was staring in his direction.

That expression, it had a certain atmosphere. Alice who had lived a long hardened life understood it—this man was not a decent person. He was even worse than the gang members Alice had just killed, but Alice didn't fear any unease. Because that emotion too had flowed out with his tears. So Alice asked without hesitation.

『…Who are you?』

『Just an idiot hitman who got his prey stolen by you.』

The young man answered so, that he was cleaning the garbage that was the local gang at the request of the mayor.

It was certainly ironic. Calling Alice and the others garbage, the ones who came to clean them up was scheduled to be cleaned up themselves.

Really, how stupid.

Lips curling in scorn, Alice asked again. This hitman, why was he here to begin with?

『…And? What complaints do you want to lay on me?』

In response, the young man answered.

『Not at all. Since you straightened out the business for me, I'm here to bring you your pay. Take it.』

From inside the young man's robe, he pulled out something round and rolled it to Alice's feet.

Rolling, rolling.

What fell there was… an old man's head. The head of the mayor of the city. In other words, the head of the man who had ordered Alice and his friends swept up.

Staring at that head without surprise,

『…It's truly a thoughtful gift, isn't it?』

Alice stepped on that head and crushed it under his foot without any hesitation. And,

『Hehehe… ahahaha….』

A rattling laugh emerged from deep inside him.

—Really, what a world.

Yuuri was killed by the gang, the gang that killed Yuuri was supposed to be killed by the mayor, and that mayor was killed by the hitman he himself called.

Alice was convinced. Hell was supposed to be a place one goes when he dies, but how ridiculous. If the place he was in now wasn't hell, where else could hell be?

In this world, protecting something… loving something…—how absurd.

Really, how comical are we?

Suddenly, to Alice who was laughing loudly with a dry voice, the young man spoke.

『The realization you've just come to is right. Love, money, ethics, morals—this world is full of fictions. Various deceits, excuses, lies, they obscure the world's truths. There is only one rule governing this world. The strong take, the weak are taken from. The outstanding ones follow their own egos. It is the sole providence of this world. And by realizing this, you have become qualified to join with us like-minded ones. We, who bring truth to this world replete with deceptions, are Rebellion. Your ability to kill is something that would be useful to us. Come with me, boy.』

It was an invitation from an underworld even darker than this place. In response, Alice asked―

『If I say no?』

『I've already said it. The strong take everything. That is the truth of the world. If you don't accept, I will claim you by force.』

Bloodlust surged from the young man's body.

But Alice stood against it as though it was only a breeze. Alice could no longer be threatened by violence. The man could take things away with violence, but Alice had nothing left to lose. However―

『Ha ha ha, I see. It's good that it's easy to understand, huh…?』

Precisely because he had nothing, Alice was interested in this discussion.

『I don't really mind. Anyhow, I have nowhere to return, no one to protect, nothing. …So if you accept one condition, I'll follow you.』

『What is it?』

『One hundred million–get that for me. If you do, I'll work for you.』

What Alice demanded was money. And not just a trivial amount, but a colossal amount.

『One hundred million to a brat without a background like you? That's a really exaggerated number.』

Of course, the young man made a grim face. And he returned a question.

『…If I refuse?』

In response, Alice laughed scornfully.

『Do you need me to say it?』

He was saying if the man demurred, he would take it regardless—at his utter arrogance, at his desperate attitude,

『…Hahaha, what an interesting brat. Very well. One hundred million, I will arrange it for you.』

The young man seemed exceedingly amicable. He consented readily to Alice's ludicrous demand, and asked again.

『Well then, boy. What is your name?』

『Alice. That was what everyone called me.』

『I am a member of the Twelve Apostles, the One-Armed Swordsmaster, Wallenstein. I welcome you, Alice.』

Wallenstein extended an arm from his robe, and sought a handshake from Alice. Alice also responded to that—and forged an agreement in this place.

Immediately after, he entrusted the full one hundred million he received to the Sister for the expenses to take care of his young brothers and sisters, cut off all his relations with that city, and left.

And as Wallenstein desired, he suppressed all the falsehoods of ethics and morals, focused his resourcefulness on murder, and exhibited full loyalty to Rebellion. As the Black Assassin—

That was the past life of the boy who called himself Nagi Arisuin.

It's funny, isn't it?

Reflecting on his past life, Arisuin laughed bitterly. As part of his infiltration duties, becoming an older sister as he was now was only a sham.

But that farce would end today. In a short while, this fictional relationship would go to meet its demise.

At that time, what kind of eyes would Shizuku look at him with? Arisuin remembered the terrified expressions on his little sisters back then, the eyes full of rejection and disgust against a murderer.

She would probably not forgive him. But he wasn't really sad about it. At best, it was a relationship for making his duties easier.

Hagun's key player, the B-rank knight called Lorelei. To get close to her, becoming like an older sister was the most efficient method.

It was nothing more than that.