Livingstone 3

All of my translations are RESERVED


Livingstone, Chapter 3 (Weekly Morning, No. 38, 2009)


<1>
[x2]SPLASH

[van]Utility Services//Livingstone
SPLASH

=A lot of earth got washed downstream from that rainstorm last week.

=Thought we might be able to find some interesting stones.

=CONK

[left text]Souls that leave the body turn into stone, becoming a "Livingstone."


<2>
=It's like we're on the bank of the River Styx.
The Livingstone,
Bears the memory of the soul,
For all eternity.
Author: 前川知大
Artist: 片岡人生
Chapter 3: The Game Begins

[left of ghost logo]90% of this world is inevitable.
[below logo]The 3rd installment of the new series that asks, "What is the soul?"


<3>
=Hah-hah,//The River Styx really does exist.
=Hup...//They say all the stones down there are Livingstones.

=Well, that was a long time ago.
WOBBLE
=Whoa...

=Now there's too many people.
GLOT
=There's a serious shortage of Livingstones now.

=Phew...//Is this also a Livingstone, Mr. Tokieda?
=It's huge.

=Wanna look "inside?"


<4>
=...I'll pass.
=Hah-hah-hah,//Pussy.

=How's your partner?
ZRICK
=Ohh—Amano?

=He's a fast worker...
=But he's not like Mr. Suzuki, who I first started working with.//It's like he doesn't have tears and blood.

=...That's why Suzuki is finished.
=You don't need tears and blood.


<5>
=The stones those guys have inside them are special. They're different from humans.
=It's like a magnet.//That's how they attract the Livingstones.

=Maybe it's because of that magnet...//It's annoying how he just goes off on his own sometimes.

=I'm getting stomach pains from having to worry about him so much...
SIGH..
=You'll get used to it.

=But, I thought you might be having some trouble, so...
SHUFF..


<6>
=I shall give you this.

=Take good care of it. They're quite rare these days.//Amano shouldn't get distracted as long as he has this.
SHUFF
=Wow... Thank you sir.

=...A Game Boy...!?
=Rare, isn't it?


<7>
[x3]PIP

=...And now this?
=Right...

=Gosh...//Why did Dad pull out a Game Boy this day and age...

=Your meatloaf is getting cold, Amano.
ZZ—T
[x2]PIP
=I'm eating it.


<8>
=You like Cola?
=Not really.

=This one's easier.
ZZ—T
[bubble]P-PIP//BANG
[bubble]BA—NG

=Easier...!?
Uck...
[bubble]PIP//PIP
[bubble]BA—NG
=Guess he's not that interested in food...

=Well... At least he's being a lot quieter now, right?
=Yeah,//Now I'll have an easier time dealing with him, and...

WHACK!


<9>
=Wha...! Amano!?
AHH—
ZZT
=Don't need it anymore.//I'm not getting anywhere.

=Huh? What are you talking about?//See, you get this item like this,
[x2]PIP
Wow, this brings back memories
=You go here, jump 3 times, then do this.//It's so easy, why can't you...

=Huh? Is he angry?//...Nah, couldn't be.
GATHUCK
=Look,

=I can't do it, alright.
=And it's got nothing to do with work, either.


<10>
=Amano, where are you going!?

URK
=Ahh—Gosh, he's doing it again...!
GATHUCK

=Guess I'm gonna be relying on stomach medication for a while now...
=Sorry, Kae. I'll see you later.

Good luck..
=Maybe this is what raising children is like...


<11>
=WHIRR...

CONK

=Wait up, Amano!//I told you, you can't...!
PANT
HUFF


<12>
The stones those guys have inside them are special.
—It's like a magnet.

=That's how—


<13>
—They attract the Livingstones.


<14>
=*swoo...*
WHOOSH...

=*sigh...*

WHOOSH


<15>
WHAP
=ACK!

=Whoa, what the...!?
[x2]SPIT
=That was close—!

BLAM

=Hey! What are you...!?
[x2]HUFF

=...D-
=Don't come any closer!


<16>
=This has gotta be...

A suicide...
Right...?

Try not to excite her, for now...
=...This shoe,//Is it yours?

=...Yes,//You came to return it to me?
=But I don't need it anymore.

=Because I'm about to turn into a ghost.


<17>
=Hey, this thing isn't moving.
=Well you gotta put some money in.//—I mean, this isn't the time for that!
HEY!

=...Look, what do you people want?

The question is, whether this person is really serious... Or not.
=Stay calm... Be friendly...

=Hey, lady.//Are you in the middle of diving practice?
=It's all concrete down there.


<18>
=I...//I can't believe this...! How could you say something like that...!
[x2]TREMBLE
=It's a joke!
=He's just joking around! He wants you to relax!
*jingle*
VRR—

=You've completely ruined it...!//Talking to people like you in the final moments of my life,
=Completely ruins everything I've done up until now!

=So you're trying to commit suicide even though you've lived such a wonderful life till now?
=That's weird.


<19>
=My stomach... My stomach...
[x4]ICK
=...You're enjoying this, aren't you.//Go away!

=You think it's fun to tease someone who's trying to die!?

=I don't really know what fun means.//So I think it's more like,
=Not caring...?//I guess?

=...You gotta be kidding me...//What do you guys want from me...!?


<20>
=We're here,
=To save you.

WHOOSH...


<21>
=—That's right. That's our job, after all.
=I'm taking a look at your soul's plan.
PIP

=Hey...!
=What do you think you're doing!?//I'm gonna fucking kill you!
RATTLE

=Yeah, good. Come over here.
They say a half-hearted attempt at persuasion can actually strengthen a person's resolve.
=If she can yell at us, it's proof that she still has the desire to live...!

=Hey! Are you guys planning on stopping me or not!?
[x2]CLACK

=Are you gonna die or not?
*jingle*
=I am! I told you already!//Don't ask me that while you're riding a freaking panda—!


<22>
=She's definitely got a lot of energy...
[x2]WAH—

=Her fulfillment rate is 88%—//Soul has 362,000 hours left.
=Nothing abnormal.
[camera]Fulfillment Rate 88%

=It's "unplanned,"//Amano.
=Oh, then it's...//Work after all, huh.

=...Yeah.
=—Our job is,


<23>
=To manage souls.

All human souls have a predetermined "plan."

The "plan" refers to the growth a soul makes as it fulfills its destiny in its present life, and is passed on to the next human being.

However, that "plan" can collapse due to all sorts of reasons.


<24>
Our job is to prevent the number of souls from decreasing.
=...Huh?

=Hey... Wait,//Forget about dying early... She's got a really high-ranking soul.
=Age?

=4000 years.

=Her life must have very high potential,
=Yet she's committing suicide... What a waste.

=Gosh, what are you guys mumbling about...!?//Just leave me alone, alright!?
RATTLE


<25>
=You're free to die, but we can't have you commit suicide.//That would get things messy.
=—So we'll be taking the proper measures to kill you.

=...Huh?
=Meaning,
=If you refuse to put on this shoe,//And are truly serious about ending your life...

=I'll see to it that your "soul" is properly disposed of, and he'll do the same for your "flesh."
=How's that?


<26>
=Soul...?

=Ohh—//I get it.//So in other words, you're going to kill me,
=And Glasses over there is going to get rid of my body, right?

=There won't be any traces left.//You'll vanish from society.

=Hah...//Ah-hah-hah-hah!
=Vanish, huh. That's good too.
=What are you guys anyways? You run a business helping runaways or something?

=So there's something you need to run away from?

=You'll help me run away?


<27>
=...Would that want to make you continue living?

=You can't, you said you were gonna die.
=Oh,//Hah-hah, that's true.

...It's alright. She's starting to calm down.
This person is still searching for a reason to live.
One change of mind, and the soul will never try this again...

=If you've got the will to die, I can kill you. Right here, right now.
=There won't be any pain whatsoever.

=Wow...//Guess that's more than I could ever ask for...


<28>
=It's a simple procedure.//All I need is your soul's permission.
=Permission...?

=Right.//The same way you took off your shoe,

=This is a ceremony taking you from this world to the next.
=You'll forfeit the remainder of your life...

=To take a literal "step up" into the next world...
=—Alright with you?


<29>
=—Yes.

=Thank you.

=—Don't worry. She's all talk...
=The soul can't be extracted unless the person wants to die from the very bottom of their heart...

WHOOSH


<30>
[right text]Her resolve is strong. Why does she choose death above all else!?

=Wha...!
=Impossible...!
Chapter 3 / End
To be continued in the next issue