Rin (HAROLD Sakuishi) 22

Rin 22



p1: ============================================
[white text on left]: The Infinity of the Soul
[red text]: Entering the climax of the Kou-no-Mori Festival with a color cover and 66 pages‼!

p2-4: ============================================
<no text>

p5: ============================================
[sfx]: Yaaawwn

……..

p6: ============================================
But still, that there’s boulder is mighty creepy.

p7: ============================================
Ishidou-san, don’t tell me…
you’re going to that place we went yesterday, with the fence?

p8: ============================================
Huh?!

p9: ============================================
Huh?!

Doesn’t the fence look a little off?
Did someone come in here?

p10: ============================================
……

There are two high tides each day, right?
Maybe… the ceremony took place during the low tide at night.

I—I’m scared…

Huh?!

p11: ============================================
I—Ishidou-san, you’re going up?

If we don’t hurry, the tide will come in.

‼

p12: ============================================
!

*Huff*
*Huff*

Fushimi-kun, be careful. The moss is slippery.

*Huff*
*huff*

*Gasp*
*Wheeze*

p13: ============================================
*Huff*
*Huff*
*Huff*

Th—There’s something in there…
I’m too scared to go any closer…

p14: ============================================
[inset]: HUH?!

I—Ishidou-san?

p15: ============================================
Was this prepared during the night…?
Another doll…

p16-18: ============================================
<no text>

p19: ============================================
Here, the court ladies would be given food for a number of days.
When they were on the verge of losing their sanity, they would be offered up as sacrifices.

p20: ============================================
Have you ever heard of sharing a meal with a god?
Huh?
It’s not like the god is eating your offering right before your eyes.

p21: ============================================
Once the festival ended, the offering would be removed.
Afterwards…

‼

p22: ============================================
[panel 2, sfx] Munch munch

[pane 4, sfx]: Ahhh

……
By eating the same food as their god, they must have been blessed with the same power and benefits.

p23: ============================================
…….
I—I don’t think I’m going to eat any more mochi today.

Compared to the long history of the Kou-no-Mori Festival, this dark era only lasted for an instant.
However, the despair and anguish experienced by the girls who were sacrificed still clings to this island.

Fushimi-kun, wait over there.

Huh?

I’m just imitating what I see, but I’m going to try.

p24: ============================================
Just like what was done in the era before this island was called “Umehime Island,”
I’m going to try to send my soul over to the other world.

I hope I can reproduce their act.

p25: ============================================
I’m headin’ up ahead. You hang on to this here sword.
R—Roger.

You keep a close eye on Hiroki. Make sure he ain’t tryin’ to do nothin’.

[sfx]: Wahoo!
Bro, pops is back‼

p26: ============================================
Naomichi, nice thing ya got there.

It’s freakin’ heavy‼
A real sword.

Give it here.

p27: ============================================
Bro, Pops left that in my hands. I oughtta be the one carryin’ it.

What about the girl?

p28: ============================================
Shuuhei oughtta be keepin’ an eye on her.
Lemme give him a call.

W—Well… Ishidou, she’s a wary one.
I let my eyes off her for a second, and she done…

YOU LOST HER?!
I—I’m sorry, Nao-chan‼

I’m standin’ out by the sandbank.
She ain’t come back yet.

p29: ============================================
YOU RETARD‼
Your friend’s mighty useless.

I thought a ton o’ things up in advance,
but ain’t nothin’ goin’ like I expected. My plans are worthless!

Umm… We ain’t got much time; let’s hurry to the inner shrine.

Huh? Where’s the court lady?

She done went home already.
Huh?

p30: ============================================
She ain’t yet 100%,
so yer father gave her special dispensation to leave early.

P—Pops…
You ain’t givin’ us one sliver of trust‼
Or rather, it’s Bro you ain’t trustin’.

p31: ============================================
She’s saying something…

Is she chanting? Or singing?

p32: ============================================
I can’t make out her words clearly,
but they have a faintly reassuring sound to them.

But still, it’s taking a long time.

‼
[sfx]: Collapse

p33: ============================================
‘Parently, up till the start of the Showa era, the person in charge’d have to spend all night at the inner shrine, keepin’ watch over the offerin’ and meal.

Don’t’cha think that’s crazy?
To stay all night on this creepy island?

Then good thing we got rid o’ that shitty custom.

p34: ============================================
……..
But still….

This map Pops done gave us’s kinda vague.
[map]: {
[bottom right]: Sandbar
[upper right]: Hime-iwa
[lower left]: Entrance Forbidden (Don’t take this path)
[middle]: Inner Shrine
}

p35: ============================================
*Huff*
*Huff*
*Huff*

*Huff*
*Huff*

………..
Fushimi-kun, are you all right?

I’m fine!

p36: ============================================
I’ve been training myself
in case of an emergency!

[bg]: Wait one second!! / I’ll take you to your room!!
[middle]: How frustrated I was back at Nishigaitsu’s residence spurred me to act!
[bg, lower right]: Wah!
[bg, lower left]: Yes, Nishiguchi-san. Could you get in front of me and get the door?
[bg, lower-lower left]: Roger‼

For a while, I’d even wake up in the middle of the night to drink a whey protein drink.
Wh—What’s that?
I’ll explain later.

p37: ============================================
Fushimi-kun, this isn’t the path we took to get here. Is there a problem?
We’re fine. This is the path those brothers used to leave yesterday.
/ It’s gotta be a shortcut back to the sandbar.
I have a good sense of direction.

Be purged; be cleansed; may all that is good
Be unto you, oh ye myriad gods

[sfx]: Pissed x6

Then I’ll go back first.
‘Kay.

p38: ============================================
The sanbar’ll be gone ‘fore long, so don’t go takin’ too long finishin’ up here.
It is customary to finish by visitin’ the Hime-Iwa before headin’ home.

[sfx]: Ring!

[phone]: Shuuhei / People are leavin’ the island one after another, but Ishidou (and her man) ain’t passed by.

What’s he doin’, casually sendin’ me some picture…
…….

Naomichi, let’s split into two groups on the way home.

p39: ============================================
[map is same as above]

You take the path past the Hime-iwa.
I’ll go take the route Pops said we’re not to enter.

*Gasp*
*Gasp*
*Gasp*

Sorry. I need a break.

*Gasp*
*Gasp*
*Gasp*
Are you all right?
I guess I didn’t train enough.

p40: ============================================
I can walk now.

………
By the way… Did that go well?

……
You don’t trust me?

N—No, it’s not that…
But a normal guy like me can’t sense anything.

It’s your left ear, right?
Huh?

p41: ============================================
Yesterday and today both,
you put your hand up against your left ear.

But in Tokyo, I’m certain you put your hand up against your right ear.

………
Well done seeing that.

p42: ============================================
I mean, people who draw manga are good at observing such things.

I realized I can see better with my left.
“See”?

It feels like it’s entering through my ear, and then I see it with my brain.

I can see the spirits in front of me with my eyes, like normal,
but I can see things not in front of me and phenomena with my ears.

W—We’re getting into territory an average guy can’t understand, huh.
It’s hard to explain intuitively.

p43: ============================================
Well, the path in the sand’s disappearing,
so let’s get…

!

Ah.

p44: ============================================
A—Are you all right?

Yeah…

p45: ============================================
‼

p46: ============================================
<no text>

p47: ============================================
Let’s go!
Yeah!

Naomichi, ya’ there?
They’re fleein’ right now towards the sandbar.

Give Shuuhei a ring, too.

p48: ============================================
Okay!

p49: ============================================
Wassup? Roger!

Oh, good work today.

Good work.
You waitin’ around for Naomichi?

Nah, nah. I’ve been waiting for y’all.
Nao-chan and Hiroki-kun done gone on ahead.
Huh?‼

They wanted to see the mocha be thrown, or go play pachinko, or somethin’…
Their age, kids just wanna play.

p50: ============================================
Did they properly tidy everythin’ up?
They couldn’t have taken the forbidden path, right?
If they went home without visitin’ the Hime-Iwa, they’re gonna done get cursed.

Now, the tide’s comin’ in mighty fast,
so let’s hurry on across.

I’ll do one last check ‘n make sure there ain’t no one still on the island.
Oh, kid, there ain’t no need.

We’re the last ones.
There ain’t no one left.

p51: ============================================
Huh? That so?
Now, why don’t you come head home with us?

We ain’t comin’ back here for seven years.

……..
We got tons to clean up tomorrow.
[lower right]: I’m comin’ back here an hour from now.
My hips are hurtin’ up a storm.
The hospital is…

p52: ============================================
Ishidou-san, you all right?
*Huff*
Yeah!
*Huff*

We’ve almost made it to the sandbar‼

*Huff*
*Huff*
*Huff*

p53: ============================================
<no text>

p54: ============================================
‼

p55: ============================================
<no text>

p56: ============================================
Ouch‼

Naomichi, his cell!

GImme your cell‼

You too, Ishidou‼
I ain’t got one.
You liar‼
I done left it at the Hirano’s.

p57: ============================================
Pops said this here path was only used when the court lady came.

Below the inner shrine, she’d apparently share a farewell cup with her parents.

‼

p58: ============================================
I bought me this here toy. Figured I’d give it a whirl!
[insert, lower right]: A stun gun‼

Ishidou,

You done entered a forbidden path. You ain’t got no right to complain ‘bout what happens to you.

p59: ============================================
…….
You don’t do nothin’ to Fushimi-kun.

We’re goin’ to the shrine, or the boulder, or… Somwhere.

The boulder’s way closer.
Fushimi-kun, absolutely do not move from this spot.

p60: ============================================
No matter what…
Do not peek!

p61: ============================================
*Huff*
*Huff*
*Huff*
*Huff*

I skinned my knee…
I need a tissue…

!

*Huff*
*Huff*

*Huff*
*Huff*

p62: ============================================
Take this as your souvenir of the island.

WHAAT?!!
I—I can’t! It’s forbidden to take even a single branch, or a blade of grass, or a pebble!

Don’t worry. I’m saying it’s fine.
[inset]: Here.
Wh—What sort of logic is that?!!

*Huff*
*Huff*

p63: ============================================
*Huff*
*Huff*
*Huff*

p64: ============================================
[top two segments of container]: Feel free to use one.
[bottom of the container]: Five minutes

[inset]: *Heart Pounding*

p65: ============================================
[container]: Feel

p66: ============================================
[sfx, last panel]: *Heart Pounding*