Hello and long time no see, everyone. Here's part four for you~
We're finally reaching the climax of the story.
WARNING: INCOMING ROLLER-COASTER RIDEPlease fasten your seatbelt and remain seated until the ride is over.Well then, enjoy~
不死鳥
~Project: Fushichou - part four ~
__________________________________________________________
Hey, if my life does have an end
and I can spend that limited time with you
Can I call that a miracle?
=0=0=0=0=0=0=0=0=
“Umm, welcome... to my house...”
Ryouha quietly said as she walked through the automatic door, glancing at the hooded figure beside her. The figure stepped inside, lowering the white fabric that covered her head to reveal her long wavy hair. She blinked.
“A house. So this is a house?”
The girl skipped ahead, stopping by the nearby table to poke at the little lamp on its top, a hint of curiosity in her jet black eyes. Ryouha smiled as she saw that. She took her sight off the girl for a while, removing her shoes before stepping inside the living room herself, taking the time to scan the small optics by the ceiling. She had made sure to disable all the security cameras and load a different footage so that her father wouldn't know this.
That she had brought what was called humanity's hope out of its confinement and took the creature all for herself.
…
Hm.
Putting it that way made her sound like the bad guy.
Ryouha sighed, walking toward her room with hesitant steps. Why is it only now that she realized how big of a danger she'd got herself into? She managed to get the girl out of the lab, then what? She should've thought everything a lot more thoroughly. The young scientist let out another long sigh.
“Ryouha?”
She heard the Fushichou called and she turned her head toward the source of the voice, only to find the said girl poking her left cheek with her finger. Ryouha took a step back in surprise, covering her cheek in reflexes. She could feel it heating up a bit.
“W-what is it?”
The Fushichou gave her a blink.
“You seem to be spacing out. Is there anything wrong?”
Ryouha didn't answer, eyeing the oblivious girl silently as the guilt inside her melted away. This girl had suffered enough 'for the sake of humanity'. If there's anyone she could call 'the bad guy' it would be those people who forced this girl to partake in such cruel experiments. Sure she was artificially made but is it enough of a reason to torture her? Ryouha shook her head, giving the Fushichou a small smile.
“...it's nothing.” She pushed a button by the steel wall, making another door opening up beside her. “Come on in.”
The Fushichou paused for a while before following the girl inside. She let her eyes wandered around; a closet, a bed, a desk complete with its computer set and a chair, then a huge shelf with various kind of books inside. She glanced at Ryouha, seeing the girl putting away her lab coat on the nearby hanger, her eyes avoiding hers.
“...this is my room.”
Ryouha said that quietly, very quietly, and if it wasn't for her good hearing the Fushichou might've missed it.
“Your room. I see.”
The older girl walked toward the bookshelf, taking a random book and absentmindedly flipped through its pages. Ryouha took the chance to calm her racing heartbeat. She had never brought anyone to her house let alone her room, but she didn't think it would this...awkward. She let out another sigh.
This is no time be so flustered! She shouted to herself.
I have to come up with the next plan. Fast. The girl tried to shake herself back to reality as she walked over to her closet.
“Fushichou? Can you...come here for a while?”
“What is it?”
“!?”
Ryouha nearly screamed when she felt the cold air by her ear, finding the girl already standing beside her with her usual blank look. She didn't understand why the Fushichou never made any noise when she walked but it seemed like the undying bird had took that to her advantage lately, catching her off-guard and purposely startling her. Ryouha knew. Because there's one time when she shrieked and slapped her in reflexes, and she almost sure she saw the girl smirked.
This girl... just where did she pick up such an annoying hobby...? That, she never knew.
“...stop sneaking up on me.”
“Did I?”
“...”
Forget it. Ryouha sighed and opened the closet, rummaging through the clothes. The Fushichou staring at her with curious gaze.
“What are you looking for, Ryouha?”
“...proper clothes. For you. But...” Ryouha glanced at the girl for a while. “I don't think any of my clothes will fit...”
“Is that so?”
Ryouha slowly nodded. Actually she had grown quite a lot in the last ten years and the gap between their height wasn't too far now, but still there are...places where she's sure they wouldn't fit. The Fushichou seemed to not understand the problem though, and the girl simply eyed her, up and down and up and down.
“W-what are you looking at?”
“I see.”
“?”
“I could see the problem from the size of our ch—“ SLAP“Here.you.go.”The Fushichou stopped mid-sentence as Ryouha threw a piece of jacket to her face, taking it with her hands afterwards. Ryouha crossed her arms.
“Don't worry, it's my mother's. So it WILL probably fit.”
“...understood.”
“Good. Then start changing while I'll find some shoes for you.”
Ryouha handed her a t-shirt and a pair of pants right after, pushing the oblivious girl to the bathroom and closing door. She huffed.
“Ryouha?”She heard the Fushichou called from behind the door.
“How do you put these things on?”Ryouha froze.
She got to be kidding me... The young scientist ran and fetched her portable computer in reflexes as she heard the door being pushed open.
“Would you—“ "Take this. 'Push this button once you finish. It has all the procedure intact. Now g-go and get change!”
She handed the device to the girl and quickly pushed her inside, her eyes avoiding the exposed body all the while. Ryouha sighed, her back against the bathroom door as she slowly slid down to the floor. Seriously. All of these trivial matters suddenly made her felt so exhausted. She covered her face with both hands and quietly squirmed. The room fell silent for a good few minutes, with only some shuffling sounds of the Fushichou changing and the clock ticking by the wall.
“Hey, Ryouha.” Ryouha lowered her hands as she heard the girl called.
“Can I ask you a question?”“...what is it? Is there something you don't understand?”
“No. It doesn't concern the clothing procedure.”“?”
The Fushichou paused, before she finally spoke.
“That 'mother' person that you mentioned, who are they?” Ryouha flinched as she heard that. Why did the Fushichou suddenly bring that up? Ah, could it be? That she realized the strange atmosphere and decided to switch the topic? That girl sure learned fast concerning human conversation. But still she didn't expect that question, so she stopped for a while, trying to find the right words to explain.
“My mother...is the person who gave birth to me...and she's a 'she' by the way.”
“Is that so?”“Yeah...”
“Is it alright to lend her clothes to me?”Ryouha blinked.
“It's fine... Father said that she disappeared when I was still a baby, so...”
“My mistake. I shouldn't have bring that up.”“It's fine, really...”
Ryouha stood and walked over to her closet, a soft smile on her face as she recalled the little memories she had of her mother. She could barely make up her face but she clearly remember her voice. It was a very beautiful voice. She always loved her mother's voice, especially when she sang that soothing lullaby—
Ryouha suddenly stopped.
“...Fushichou?”
“Yes?”“That song you always sing everytime...where did you learn it?”
How could she be so oblivious? Why that song sounded so familiar, why she always found the melody comforting; why did she only realize it now? There wasn't any lyrics back then, but if that melody was really the same with the one she heard when she was small, then...
“
I learned it from a certain woman. A woman with that lab coat and straight long hair that resembled yours.”
Ryouha clenched her hands, a feeling of sadness and joy mixing inside her as she heard those words. She swallowed her breath, trying to find her voice.
“...what did she look like?”
“...”
“The woman you met back then...what did she look like?”
“She's very kind. And a very strange woman, just like you.”She could feel a soft grip around her shoulder and she closed her eyes, letting the warmth comforted her.
“She had your smile and silky long hair, but she barely glares as much as you.”
“...well, people always said that I have my father's eyes.”
“That solves the equation then. But she did have your timid way of speaking.”
Ryouha smiled as she heard that. She raised her face, staring eye to eye with the Fushichou.
“...you're sneaking up on me again.”
“I just walked over normally. It was you that didn't realized my presence, Ryouha.”
She playfully puffed her cheek and the Fushichou did the same. The two girls laughed at each other.
“...so...my mother...is she...”
“I'm sorry. The last time I saw her was more than ten years ago, way before we met.”
“...”
She could feel the Fushichou hugged her tighter but Ryouha only smiled.
“...let's get your shoes and get going...”
The Fushichou release her grip on the girl, tilting her head.
“Where to?”
“...
to get the information we need to escape the dome...or more precisely, an antique bookstore by the edge of this birdcage...”
=0=0=0=0=0=0=0=0=
It's been a long time since Ryouha walked around the dome city and she never enjoyed it much. She barely knew anyone around the neighborhood, and she couldn't say she had any friends back in school. Not that she regretted it. If there's one thing she's concerned about right now was the fact that the Fushichou kept dragging her all over the place, asking this and that like a curious child. They should keep a low profile and yet there they were touring around as if there's no care in the world. Well, she had made sure that the girl put on her hood and tried to avoid as many security cameras as possible but it was proved to be difficult. If not at all impossible. Ryouha sighed, shaking her head as she heard the Fushichou called her for what seemed like the hundreds time that day.
“...Fushichou.” She nudged the girl and spoke quietly, barely above whisper.
“Would you...stop running ahead of me? We have to stay hidden...”
“Hidden? Why?”
Ryouha didn't answer. She simply pulled the girl away from another security camera, blending into the crowded street.
“But Ryouha.” She heard the girl spoke. “You said nobody but you and your father knew my face. And that there's barely anyone in this town who know you.”
“...that's true... but...”
I don't fancy meeting anyone who do know me right now. She wanted to say that but she decided otherwise, holding the girl's hand to make sure that she wouldn't run off again. Those who knew her wasn't necessarily
like her. She could even say the opposite. Whether out of envy, or fear, or plain unease; they didn't like her company and so did she. So if possible she wanted to avoid any kind of confrontation with them.
“Do you hate this world, Ryouha?”
Eh? She glanced at the Fushichou, trying to read her blank expression. The girl had been asking everything out of the blue lately.
“I...not that I hate them...it's just...”
“If you hate them I can always eliminate the whole world for you.
“DON'T.”Ryouha flicked the girl over her nose, scolding her.
“I don't want you to get hurt or hurting anyone...”
“And if there's someone hurting you?”
“...I'll find a way myself.”
“You really are strange.”
The Fushichou pulled her closer and nuzzled her cheek.
“I won't let you though.”
“...”
Ryouha couldn't answer that. She only pushed the girl's face away, trying to hide her own flushed face. After a few more walks around the tall buildings and skyscrappers they finally reached the edge of the dome; the dark quiet slums where the remnants of the old world resided. There's barely any security cameras around, unlike in the main city; if there's any it would've already being scavenged and sold by the pawn shop. Anyways. Ryouha walked down the dirty road silently and she could feel the Fushichou tightened her grip on her hand, the girl's eyes sharpened in alert.
“...don't worry. We're just stopping by a bookstore on the next intersection.”
“Affirmative. Scanning the area for any imminent danger.”
Ryouha tried to stifle her laugh as she noticed the flat robotic tone. Who's being careful now? She shook her head and continued walking. They reached an old two-storey house after a while, and Ryouha pushed the wooden door open.
“Baachan?”
She called, her voice echoed inside the messy room filled with many bookshelves.
“I'm here to look for some books again.”
The girl stepped inside and urged the Fushichou to do the same, seeing the undying bird darted her eyes around carefully. Seems like she's still in alert mode... Ryouha closed the front door behind her.
“Baacha—“ “
Yes, yes! Geez, lass, I can hear you just fine.”
There was some rumbling sound from the deeper end of the house followed by footsteps. The Fushichou flinched as she heard that, stepping in front of Ryouha and hiding the girl behind her.
“What's that? Yer' bringing a friend 'ere?”
“Unidentified specimen found.”
“Huh!? Yer' one rude brat, ain't cha?”
“Calculating the best possible action—“
“This.”Ryouha pushed the Fushichou aside, addressing the old lady. “...is Yabushita-baachan. The owner of this bookstore.”
The Fushichou blinked.
“Data recorded. A strange pattern of speaking found.”
“Hmph, like yer' one to talk. If there's anything strange, lass, it'd be yer mechanical tone not my Kansai-ben.”
The old lady spat while the Fushichou deepened her glare. Ryouha wondered where their mutual hostility came from but whatever it is it wouldn't do them any good. She nudged the Fushichou by her arm.
“...she's been very kind to me, so be a good girl. Okay?”
“...if you insist.”
The Fushichou lowered her arm carefully, while Ryouha gave her a small smile.
“And Baachan, she's...umm, my friend. Her name is...Fushichou.”
The said girl bowed her head halfheartedly.
“Eh, what a strange name. Don't know about parents nowadays naming their child that way. And what with wearing a hood inside a room? 's that supposed to be cool lately?”
Ryouha sighed, stealing a glance at the Fushichou as the girl didn't seem to be pleased.
“...Baachan, can you be a bit...gentle to her? ...she has her own reason.”
The old lady only shrugged and walked away, leaving Ryouha with another sigh. She turned to the Fushichou.
“...would you stay here for a while? I need to talk to her.”
The Fushichou obediently nodded, busying herself with some of the books. Ryouha took that as a 'yes' and proceed to catch up with the bookstore owner.
“Baachan...”
“Yea?”
The old lady put down a kettle of water above the stove and turned the fire on.
“I... I-I need your help...”
"Sure. Shoot up.”
“Do you know of a way...to escape the dome?”The old lady froze as she heard that. She gave the girl a skeptical look, before sighing and motioning her to sit by the dining table on the middle of the room.
“I always thought it's strange for a bright lass like ya to come to this wretched place.”
She sat adjacent to the girl, folding her hands above the wooden surface.
“Ya finally got yerself into a crime or somethin'?”
Urgh. Ryouha switched her gaze away. Well, she couldn't really deny that.
“Ya gotta be kiddin' me...”
“...”
“Ryouha, lass.” The old lady leaned forward, trying to whisper to the girl. “What have ya got yerself into?”
“I kind of...” Ryouha tilted her head slightly to the Fushichou by the other room. “Sneak a certain specimen out of the lab...”
“A specimen? That brat?”
Ryouha nodded, and the old lady leaned back to her chair.
“Heh, what a joke. So those scientists still carry out their crazy experiment?”
Ryouha blinked as she heard that.
“Baachan...? You know...”
“Xenotransplant, was it? There's so many of 'em back in the day but not anymore. Thought they already done with it.”
“...are you one of a recipient too, Baachan?”
“Nah.” The old lady stood, turning off the stove as she heard a loud whistling from it. She took the kettle with her, telling Ryouha to get the cups and teabags.
“A friend of mine was. But once she knew the true nature of that project she declined the transplant.”
“...umm, then how is she...”
“Dead.” The old lady blantantly said as she poured some hot water into the cup.
“She's all dead with a happy smile on 'er face. As if sleepin'.”
“...”
“Eh, what with this gloomy talk. Call that friend of yours over and--“
CRASH CRACK THUD—“Oi!!”The grumpy store owner shouted as she heard the loud sound, finding one pile of her books crashing down onto the unsuspecting girl.
“Watch yer hands, those books are one of a kind!”
The said girl poked her head out of the mountain of books, her hood falling down to her shoulder to show her full appearance. She blinked and turned her head toward the old lady.
“I apologize, Yabushita-san. That was my mistake.”
“...you.”
“...”
“Baachan?” Ryouha narrowed her eyes in worry as she saw the old lady shivered.
“I-is something wrong?”
“...you...why are you...”
The old lady slowly walked over the fallen girl, reaching her wrinkled hands toward her. The Fushichou flinched a bit as the harsh skin touched her face, feeling uneasy from the sudden closeness.
“...fifty years...it's almost fifty years, damn it... and I couldn't even recognize yer voice anymore...”
The store owner fell to her knees, her body trembling as tears silently fell down her eyes. The Fushichou blinked and glanced at Ryouha, who seemed be as shocked as she was.
“I'm glad I can see ya one more time.” The old lady whispered under her breath.
“Nagisa...”=0=0=0=0=0=0=0=0=
...
...
...
“I see. Project Fushichou...huh.”
The old lady sipped her tea, her eyes closed as if lost in remembrance. Ryouha glanced at the said creature beside her, finding her sipping her own tea quietly.
Project Fushichou. A project that was born when one of the subject from Xenotransplantion suddenly showed a sign of mutation. The subjects were made from human stem cell, which means...
“Baachan... your friend, could it be that she...”
“Most likely.”
The old lady stood from her chair, walking toward the dusty chimney with some photos lining by its top. She took one of the rusty frame, wiping away the cobwebs covering it. She chuckled.
“Nah, I'm sure about it. I just can't mistake her stupid face.”
She returned to the table, showing the photo to the two girls. Ryouha's eyes widened as she recognized the person in that picture, and she switched her eyes to the Fushichou.
“Shibuya Nagisa. You, dear Fushichou, were created from her stem cell.”The Fushichou touched the faded picture silently, the exact copy of herself standing there behind the frame. The girl was smiling widely. And the way that girl smiled struck her somehow, leaving a strange little pain.
“This girl.” Fushichou softly whispered. “If I was never born, would she still be alive?”
Ryouha clenched her hand tightly.
“Fushichou... that's— “
Tell me, Yabushita-san. Will she be alive?”
The old lady stared at the girl, before chuckling and shaking her head.
“Didn't I told 'cha? That kindhearted idiot refused the transplant by her own. She's dead and she wanted YOU to live on. Heck, seeing ya here might be enough to make her laughing in heaven now.”
The store owner laughed, walking to the nearby shelf to retrieve a small old book.
“Now, Ryouha my lass, to answer yer previous question.”
She put the book down on the table and Ryouha took it to her hand, flipping through the fragile pages carefully.
“Baachan...this is...”
“The blueprint of the dome. Don't ask how I got it but there's only one of this. Will it help?”
Ryouha smiled and put the book into her bag, hugging the old lady.
“Thank you very much, Baachan.”
“Hey now, since when yer being this touchy?”
The old lady chuckled and glanced at the Fushichou, giving the undying bird a smile.
“Fushichou.”
“...”
“Thank you for being born.”
“...yes.” The girl returned the smile, a soft smile of her own that came from her own heart. “Please thanks Shibuya-san too one day, for giving birth to me.”
"Heh, are ya telling me to die now? Silly brat."
The two girls bid goodbye to the store owner, walking down the empty road of the slum in silence. There were so many things swimming in their heads that they couldn't say any word; about their past and how everything will unfold from now. The Fushichou decided to break it first.
“I remember.” She quietly spoke.
“A voice telling me to live on. Is that why I could never die?”
Ryouha giggled as she heard that and she moved closer to the girl.
“If that really is the secret to your immortality...then I'm sure my father will flip out...”
“I'd like to see that.”
The two of them quietly laughed, holding each other close. The sight of steel white buildings and skyscrappers could be seen the distance and they walked slower. From here on they would return to the harsh reality, and they'd need to carefully think of a escape plan before the month ended. Two weeks left. Ryouha gulped. If she didn't managed to find the way to escape the dome in that time then...
“It's alright, Ryouha.” She felt the Fushichou squeezed her hand.
“Everything will be—“ SPLAT--…eh?
Ryouha froze, feeling a strange wind beside her, the grip on her hand weakened. She glanced to her right.
“Fu...shichou...?”
--TARGET ACQUIRED.A metal cord. A strong metal cord attached to a huge harpoon pierced through the girl's chest.
“Ryouha...” The Fushichou released the girl, switching her grip to the sharp metal.
“Run--!”WHIRR--The cord contracted, pulling the Fushichou off the ground and smashing her to the far away building. Ryouha gasped, her legs moving without a second thought and her eyes darting around to find the source of that attack. Her brain already spinning. A weapon that big must be shot from an automaton or a vehicle. If she could pinpoint the location and disable it from behind...
“I can't believe you have become such a naughty girl, Ryouha.”
That voice... No. It can't be.
CLANK“!!”
Ryouha gasped as another metal cord shot out and caged her left hand painfully.
--SECOND TARGET ACQUIRED.She gritted her teeth, glaring at the patrol robot coming out of the dark alley and the man standing beside it.
“You...”
“
Why are you here? Aren't you supposed to be away until the end of the month? Is that what you want to say, my dear Ryouha?”
It was not a hologram, Ryouha was sure. Her father was really there, staring and looking down on her with his usual cold expression.
--THE FIRST TARGET HAD CEASED ALL FUNCTION. WAITING FOR THE NEXT COMMAND.“Oh? Keep it within that condition until we transport it back to the lab.”
--AFFIRMATIVE. Ryouha froze as she heard that, staring at her father calm demeanor with disbelief. He raised a brow at her.
“My, my. I wonder what is the meaning of that expression you're making.”
“...you monster...”
“No, Ryouha.
I am a human. I am doing all of this for the sake of humanity.”
Her father approached her slowly, and if it wasn't for the contraption on her left hand Ryouha would've tear him apart right then. The man seemed to realize the dangerous glare she was giving and stopped on his track.
“It is you who are the monster, child. Ignoring public concern and putting your own desire above it, what else should you be called?”
“...”
“I wonder who is it that had been tweaking with the lab's protocol? Hacking the system and letting the data being stolen by outside source?”
“...why? Is it bad for your reputation now that your filthy experiments had been exposed?”
“That is enough.”The girl flinched, feeling a small needle pricked her left wrist. She started to feel faint.
“Let us return. I shall see what kind of punishment befitting this treacherous behavior of yours...”
=0=0=0=0=0=0=0=0=
Oh, Phoenix please grant me immortality
I won't be scared as long as we're together
and if you're nowhere in that place called 'heaven'
then I'll--=0=0=0=0=0=0=0=0=
It's dark. It hurts.
Everything is painful.
How many days had passed? Ryouha didn't know.
Everything had been a constant relapse between pitch black room and constricting arm chair since her capture.
She didn't even know what came in and out of her body anymore, with the numerous syringe being injected to her and several torturing device cutting into her skin. Even then, she was alive. And she could only think of one thing.
What happened to the Fushichou? Where is she? The girl silently thought as she crawled on the corner of the room, staring into the darkness.
--”What a stubborn child you are.”Her father's voice. Ryouha lifted her head to nowhere in particular, listening to the recording.
--”I will ask you one more time, Ryouha.”“...”
--”What have you done to the Fushichou? What kind of virus had you injected to its system?” Ryouha could feel a small smile tugged on her lips.
--”Did you ever think the consequences of your action? The subject had been rejecting all of our experiments and is on the loose now! Do you even know how much delay your selfish action have caused to the project!?"“...well.” Her voice was hoarse, and speaking even felt so painful.
“How about...you just give up on the experiment?”
--”...”“...”
--”I have enough of your nonsense.”She could hear a whirr of machineries, followed by cold steel grips around her wrist. The light turned painfully bright and Ryouha squinted her eyes, feeling two mechanical hands dragged her to the now so familiar arm chair.
--“You and your mother. The two of you are just the same.”Her ears pricked as she heard that, and she glared at the speaker.
“...you...what did you do to mother?”
--”That woman always spouting that same nonsense as you. Stop with the experiment, she said? Ridiculous.”“...”
She could hear the familiar sound of a steel door opening, showing the furious and crazed face of her father.
“The only thing valuable from the both of you were just your resourceful brain.”
“...then what? You will...cut out my brain and preserved just that...?”
“You really are a bright child, Ryouha. Yes I will. And I will watch it with my bare eyes, just like I did to your mother...”
Ryouha stared at the man silently, before switching her eyes slowly to her right and left.
“Searching for a way to escape? You should have known that it's impossible after your numerous failed attempts.”
She gazed at her father one more time, seeing the twisted grin he was wearing as he browsed through the surgery equipment.
“Let me tell you one thing, my dear child. The dome had fallen into a complete disarray thanks to your doing. You've been labeled the greatest enemy of mankind now. And if it wasn't for me you would have been executed on place by the government.”
“...I prefer dying...rather than being toyed around by a madman like you...”
“You have become quite a rude child.”
“And what makes you think...you have the right to call yourself a father?”
“Touche.”
The man took the knives one by one, arranging them by the mechanism in front of him.
“Once the other countries learned about Project Fushichou a great uproar was created. Each and one of them spouted their protest and accused the Japanese government for hiding a potentially dangerous weapon. Can you believe them? We were only researching for the perfect cure to all illness and the key to immortality. What else can humanity ask in this barely extinct earth?”
Ryouha couldn't contain her laugh anymore. She snickered, ignoring the pain on her throat and the perplexed look the man was giving her.
“...you..are just the same...”
“Pardon?”
“...hiding the Fushichou for yourself...for the benefit of your own 'country'...if it's really for humanity, then why don't you all just work together? ...fighting over it like children pulling each other's toy...”
“...”
“...all of us are the same, father...the same selfish humans...” “Enough is enough!!”The man shouted on top of his lung. Her vision was blurry but Ryouha could still make up his furious face, and the man roughly took one of the surgical knives with him. He approached the helpless girl slowly.
“I will cut you apart myself girl, and I will make sure it will be as painful as possible...”
Ryouha smiled, staring back at the man silently.
...
...
...
“...I’m looking forward to it…”BZZZ--The room turned pitch black.
--SUDDEN DROP IN POWER SUPPLY DETECTED.“What?”
--RESUMING OPERATION IN 5 SECONDS.
“What is going on—“
The man didn't manage to finish his sentence as he was knocked off the floor, cold iron grips around his both wrist as he felt his body being locked in place.
--SWITCHING THE POWER BACK ON.Ryouha stood, looking down at the man by the arm chair with a cold gaze.
“…what did you say…about failed attempts again? …do you think I did that without purpose?”
“Ryouha, you ungrateful child! Release me this instant!!”
“...ungrateful?”
The girl coughed, taking the knife by the floor and putting it back to the previous mechanism.
“I don't know how this machine works...” She patted the robotic figure.
“...what did you type into its command system, I wonder...”
“Don't you dare...”
She pushed the power button, and soon the cold machinery whirred into life. The girl sighed and limply walked toward the door, giving her father one last glance.
“...goodbye, father.” “RYOUHA—“
SLID-- SLAMRyouha rested her back on the steel door, taking a good whiff of the air. Her muscles felt like screaming everytime she moved but she couldn't stop now. She leaned her weight to the wall and started walking. Third floor, east wing. Ryouha mentally noted her position as she looked around the familiar lab, finding some broken walls here and there and papers scattered all over the floor. Something had happened when she was confined in that room. Something big enough to leave the lab half-ruined. She bit her lip, gathering her courage to look out of the lab's broken window.
“...what...is this...?”The scenery beyond that was nothing but destruction; buildings were razed, the street abandoned and fire danced all over the city. The gray murky sky she always saw all her life were covered in more smoke, a part of the dome's roof cracking and threatened to fall off. It was the same as that nightmare she saw back in the underground facility, only at a bigger scale. And all those people down there wasn't anywhere near immortal. They were only humans. A weak and fragile human being.
“...why..?”
Ryouha fell to her knees.
“...why...does it have to come down...to this...?”
Tears silently trailed down her cheek as she saw mountain corpses down the main street, as if nobody was even care enough to give them proper burial.
“..so it's true? ...it's true...” She chuckled between her sobs.
“There's nothing called 'Heaven' in this world.”It's over. There's really nothing else she could do now. She raised her face to the sky and laughed.
...hey, is it my sin to ask for 'happiness'? There was nobody to answer her. Only the howling wind and the screaming sound of people in the distance. The only thing left in this world is hell. So, at least, if she really have to live through this hell, she wanted to spend it with
her. That was her one and only wish. The last force that kept her legs moving. The girl pushed herself back to her feet, stepping down the almost deserted lab all the way to the ground floor.
--”--quest--back up--”Ryouha stopped on her track, hearing the broken voice coming from a speaker by the wall.
--”--unable to stop—subject—regenerate--too quick--”Eh?
--”The Fushichou—east building—irst floor—now--”She pushed her legs as quickly as she could, running toward the mentioned place. There was nothing else in her mind now. She just need to see her. That is all. Ryouha could hear some gunshots as she reached the east building but she couldn't care less. She stepped inside, trying to find that undying bird amidst the countless destruction.
“Fushichou...”
She could see the girl standing there, a dangerous glare on her face as she spit out a bullet from her mouth. She tried to find her voice and shouted.
“Fushichou!”The undying bird flinched as she recognized the voice, and slowly, she turned her face toward the girl.
“Ryouha...?”
--“Cease fire.”
--”Is that a civillian? What are they doing here?”
The heavy infantry around the hall lowered their rifles, seemingly more than puzzled to see the girl's sudden appearance.
--”Wait, that girl...could she be?”
--”Commander. Waiting for order.”
--”...”
--”...”
--”...”
--”Take her down.”DRIP... DRIP......huh? What just...happened?Ryouha felt as if the world was running in slow motion, the sense of gravity left her as she slowly felt herself fell to her side.
Cold. Cold. Cold. Red.
What...is this?She could see some red liquid start pooling around her. She switched her gaze upward, finding the Fushichou rushing toward her.
Fushichou? What’s wrong? Are you...crying?The only thing she could feel now was the girl's strong grip around her shoulder. The girl was shouting something, but even in such a close distance she couldn't hear anything.
Don't cry... Her voice wouldn't come out and her whole body felt numb.
We’ll be together from now on...
She shakily hold the girl's hand in hers, smiling. The light around her started to fade.
In this scorching hell...
forever......
..
.
=0=0=0=0=0=0=0=0=
You are beautiful just like the Phoenix
I pray that one day death will come to you too
Because all things with shapes will one day break
So, until that time I'll be here
hugging your hand tightly...__________________________________________________________
Project: Fushichou // END OF PART FOUR