Livingstone 5

All of my translations are RESERVED


Livingstone, Chapter 5 (Weekly Morning, No. 40, 2009)


<1>
[logo]90% of this world is inevitable.

Chapter 5: Cheat Code
Author: MAEKAWA Tomohiro
Artist: KATAOKA Jinsei

[left text]For better or for worse, the man was still alive. And this fact is about to change her destiny forever...


<2>
=SNO—RE

=SN-
=SNO—RE
=SNORE

=Loud snoring...!

=No way... He wasn't breathing before...!
=Is he asleep?

=No... It's a common symptom of a subarachnoid hemorrhage.//He's in a very dangerous situation.
=We need an ambulance...


<3>
WHAP
=Stop!//Don't get me into any trouble!
=I'd rather die than be arrested!

=Y-You're already in a great deal of trouble...
Wait, gimme back my phone.
=Then what are you going to do about this?

=SNORE

=...What should I do?
=SNORE
=SNO—RE

=—Anyways,//This is an "accident," right?
CLICK
=Shouldn't we check the soul's plan?
It's gonna turn into a stain


<4>
=Oh, good point.
SHUFF

ZZ—T
[bubble]CLICK

=Uhh—Ichiro Sakuma, age 34...
[camera]Ichiro Sakuma//Age 34//Fulfillment Rate

=...//No way...
=Fulfillment rate... 99%...!? Almost no time of life remaining...!?

=Huh?
=Then this person was destined to die here from the start?

ZZT...


<5>
=...I see.
=The sleeping pills, the ashtray—//All of it was "correct" for this person...

=Ms. Kanzaki was dragged into this man's destiny by committing a murder.//But,
=In our industry, we would say—

=She sacrificed herself to this man's soul.


<6>
[x2]UCK
=GAH...
=GLUB.

GUSH

=...He's not breathing anymore.

=And the soul,


<7>
=Is leaving.

=...Is he...//Dead?

=...Wow.
=Death comes pretty quick, huh...//No emotion or anything.

...You're the one who did it.
IRK...
=I guess the situation hasn't improved at all...


<8>
Wait a sec...

=—Do you still wish to die, Ms. Kanzaki?
=...Yep.

=What if you were completely cleared of embezzlement and murder?

=Huh?//What!? You can do something that awesome!?
=Whoa, hold on!//How come you didn't tell me that before—!?

=Then I would consider staying alive...


<9>
=Even if you turn into somebody else?

=Somebody else?

=—Amano, can you do a "Soul Quelling?"

=Huh?//The one where you put the soul back?
=I've never tried it before.

=There's a first time to everything.
=But I guess we're gonna have to apply it right off the bat.


<10>
=Take the soul out of here,
=And put it back in there.

=Huh?//What are you talking about, Sakurai...?
=Listen, I'm going to explain this very quickly. You see...

=We don't wish to harm your soul.//Meaning, we want you to fulfill your plan.
=But in reality, you're guilty of embezzlement and murder...//You don't want to keep living.

=However,
=If we move your soul over to this man's body,


<11>
=You'll be able to continue living as Mr. Sakuma, free of any crimes.

=...No way!!


<12>
=Huh?

=Me!?//This guy!?
=You think I have the nerves to deal with this guy's B.O.!?//Why do I have to do go through like that!!?

=I don't want to do it either.//Soul Quelling, applying...
=It's too much trouble and I can't do it.

=...Wha...
=Huh?
[bubble]BEEP
[flame character]Rage
[box title]Sakurai's Rage Level

=Some things you just can't do.//So there's no point in even trying.
[x2]BEEP
=Yeah.//Why do I have to do something I don't even want to do.

=Oh, I know.//Can't you at least get someone a bit more cute or handsome?
[x2]BEEP
=Then I might consider it.


<13>
[bubble]BEEP
[flame character]Rage
[box title]Sakurai's Rage Level

=...Cut it...

=Out!!//What the hell is up with you two!!?
RATTLE
=You guys only know how to be selfish!!?


<14>
=Embezzlement when you're in trouble!? Murder when you don't want to deal with something!?//Suicide when you're cornered!?
WHIP

=If it wasn't for my job, I'd break your soul into pieces and feed it to the carp in the Tamagawa River!!
=Wha

=This is your job, Amano!//Giving up without even trying—You're like a little kid!
WHIP
=Don't underestimate society just because you don't have a soul!//You're so willing to back off because you've never finished something you can't do!

=You guys seriously need to think about working harder!!
=You guys suck!!//You're the worst of the worst!!


<15>
=I'm the one who can't deal with you two...!

WHACK

=Got it?

=...//Just went with it.

=...What the hell...
=Why do I have to get ripped on by somebody like you...!


<16>
=Fine. Let's do this.

[x2]RATTLE

=—Alright,


<17>
=Let's get on with it while the body's still fresh.
=Are you ready,//Amano?

=...I guess.
=Ready when you are.

=Alright, Ms. Kanzaki.//As requested,//You will now be dead to the rest of society.

*glance*

My soul...? In this guy...?
=...Uck...

=No... Wait.//I still haven't...
BLEH

=Sorry, but I've already gotten your soul's permission.


<18>
ZZ..
=N-

[x2]ZZ..

=...No...!
=I don't want to die!

=You're going to live.
=We're forcing you to.


<19>
BOOF

=It's huge!

=Don't let it harden into a Livingstone, Amano!
=Keep the light shining!


<20>
[x2]BZZT
[bubble]HUFF

[bubble]HUFF//HUFF
BZZT
=...Shit.

=I can't do this. {HUFF}
=I think I'm losing consciousness...

There's no way I can hold on to a soul this big...
=Forget it, I ca...

=You better not run away!

=...UCK


<21>
WHAP

=Alright!//Now place it inside of Mr. Sakuma's body!
=Slowly!//Like you're handling an egg!

[x2]=HUFF

=Sew the soul on to the poles! Accurately!
=HUFF

ZZT..


<22>
SWUP..

=Ohh, it went in!
[bubble]BEE—P

=...Hmph.

=Alright,//Now it all depends on whether we can revive Mr. Sakuma's body or not...


<23>
BLEH—

=...Do I have to do,
=Mouth to mouth resuscitation...?

=You better not run away.
=UCK...

Excuse me
[x2]WIPE

=Oh well,//Just pretend it's Ms. Kanzaki...
SWOO

FWHOOSH


<24>
=Whoaa—!! What the hell are you doing...!?

PHEW
WIPE
=Alright.//This soul really is strong.

...Huh?
My body's not moving!

Body...?

=Now we just have to call the hospital.//Good job, Amano.
[x5]WIPE
=Yeah.
I'm tired


<25>
=...Is that,
=Me...?

=—Several days later


<26>
[labels from top]Ichiro Sakuma//Masayuki Yamamoto
CLICK

CLACK

SHUCK


<27>
=So it wasn't a dream after all.

=...Unfortunately.

=...Yeah,//Otherwise I wouldn't suddenly turn into a crazy body like this, would I.
PLOP
=All those yoga classes and beauty treatments ended up being a waste.

=Living as the person I killed—It's worse than being in a prison.

=...Sorry we did it without your consent.
=...Do you still want to die?


<28>
=What if I said I wanted to?

=We're gonna kill you, of course.

=Hah-hah...//You're pretty direct, huh? I like that.
=Hey, hand me that mirror over there.//I was too scared to look.

=Man, I wanna die—//...Heh-heh.
=Heh...//Ah-hah-hah-hah!


<29>
=Ah-hah-hah...!
=...//Please contact us if you seriously wish to die.

=We'll stop by and kill you anytime.

=Hah-hah,//That's good to know.
=But I'd rather not sit through one of yours lectures again.

=This is a list of Ichiro Sakuma's personal history and acquaintances.

=Mr. Sakuma's soul completed its life, as planned.
=From now on, this is your life.


<30>
=Please be mindful of how you handle money.
=Hah-hah

=May I take one picture before I go?

=Huh? Wait, I don't have any makeup on.

=PFFT
=Don't worry,//I'm just taking a picture of your soul.

=Alright, take care.

=Oh, one last thing.//Make sure you stop sounding like a girl.
=People will think you're weird.

=I know! Geez!

[black box]Newspaper


<31>
[black box top]Newspaper
[right box]TSE 20 points down
[black box lower]Embezzlement suspect commits suicide

[black box]Embezzlement suspect commits suicide

=—Her real destiny might've been to spend the rest of her life in prison.//But ultimately, being in a man's body is the equivalent of being in prison.
=Once she accepts that as her destiny, she'll be set free.


<32>
=The choice to die twice, or to live a new life...
=I've got to write up my case report for now.

=Hmm
=That is an interesting case.
[bubble]PIP


<33>
=What about her "plan?"
[bubble]PIP

=A 72% fulfillment rate.//She can definitely get back on track again.
[bubble]BANG//PIP
[bubble]BANG
=Really!

=Her remaining lifespan hasn't changed that much either.//Oh well.
[bubble]PIP//BA—NG
=Anyways, what's all that beeping and booping going on?
[bubble]PIP

Hey
=Amano!
[bubble]PIP
[bubble]BA//BA—NG

=...This is your fault, Mr. Tokieda.
=Or maybe I said some stuff I shouldn't have...


<34>
=Done.
ZZ—T
=Gimme the next game, Sakurai.

=Again—!? They don't hand those out for free, you know—!
How many is that!?
=Uhh Mr. Tokieda, can I write the receipt out to Livingstone?

=No way.
ZZ—T

=Where's the next one, Sakurai—?
=URR...//No waaay...

[right text]Human life is just a video game for the soul.

Chapter 5 / End
To be continued in a future issue