Mayonaka no X Giten 20

Midnight Cross Method 20

p1: ================================
#20: The Heart of Justice Never Dies
What’s the situation?

Well, all the detectives we had watching the place fell asleep, and…
?!

Any injured?
Umm, the investigators are fine, but we found one on the second floor.

An elderly male.

Story / Yamaguchi Mikoto Art / BAREISHO

p2: ================================
Dammit. We can’t stop the bleeding!
Hey! Where’s the damn ambulance?!
[sfx]: Swing!

p3: ================================
…
[sfx]: Shake

Shion-san!
/ What in the world happened?!

It…
/ It’s…

All of it,
/ it’s all my fault.

p4: ================================
Hurry off and contact your family.

[sign]: In Surgery
We’ll do our best,
/ but I fear it might be…

We’ll call you if the time comes.

[sfx]: Running

p5: ================================
[small bubbles]: *Huff*

Y-You…
/ You little…

WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU DOING?!
[sfx]: Grab!

p6: ================================
I-I’m sorry…
I-I didn’t think, I just acted, and now…!

The fuck’s an apology gonna do?!
/ Right now, your grandfather’s body…

It’s got Hiroki’s soul in it!
If… If he doesn’t pull through this, then…

Then Hiroki’s the one who’s gonna die!

p7: ================================
And if… If you let him fucking die…
/ you’re gonna pay for it!

He’s one hell of a guy.
[flashback, c3]: {
SHUT UP!
/ Y—You haven’t been able to cry for ten years,
so I’m crying all the tears you couldn’t!!
}
Someone kind enough to cry for me, even once he knew my shitty-ass past.

Without him, I… I dunno what I’d do.
So please…
Don’t let him die.

I don’t like this either. I don’t want him to die.
I mean, I’ve… I’ve been in love with him for years.

p8: ================================
But I—I can’t make that choice!
How can I choose his life
/ over my grandfather’s?

Ain’t this all your fault?
It is. It is, but…

Screw this!
/ I guess I—I’ll just have to tell him!

…Old man, we need you back in your body. Now.
And then…

p9: ================================
Take Hiroki’s place… and die for him. Please.

?

I know I don’t have any right to ask.
/ But even so…

To me,
Hiroki’s too precious to lose.

p10: ================================
Oh,
were you two having a spat over that?

Relax.
That was my plan goin’ in.

Mine’s the body at Death’s door,
so it’s my soul he ought to see.

If I was there, I would’ve done just what he did to protect Shion.
So given that…

p11: ================================
Being able to share a few last words with you’s a godsend.
[sfx]: Pat

Mind giving us a minute or two?

If time runs out, we can wrap things up quick.
[sfx]: Nod

Shion, I don’t blame you nothing for this.
I’m right sure there’s enough regret filling your heart to stop you ever making this mistake again.

So I’m not gonna let my last words be those of a bitter old Stooge.
/ Instead I’mma ask, both as a detective and as your assistant…

You figure out who X is?

p12: ================================
Yes,
I have.

…I see.

Then go catch X.
/ Their evil deeds must be brought to an end!
But Grandpa…

Stick with your gut
[sfx]: Grab
and do what is right.

p13: ================================
Or would you have the Heart of Justice die with me?

…[sfx]: Tight

[sfx]: Rub

[sfx]: Slap

[sfx]: Slap

14: ================================
[sfx]: Slide

…I won’t let anyone else die,
not now, not ever!

Good.
Well spoke.

p15: ================================
[sfx]: Ah
…We’ve done all we could, but…
Could his family come this way?

I see…
[sfx]: Pat

In that case, well,
[sfx]: Pat
I bid you all…

a fond farewell.

p16: ================================
…I’m so sorry. It shouldn’t have come to this.
What, this? There’s nothing here to apologize for.

…You must have been scared.
So, so scared.
Yet still you stood your ground and protected my granddaughter.

p17: ================================
I thank you, Kamiya-kun.

I chose well to entrust you with my body.

p18: ================================
[sign]: [gen]eral Hospital <the first word is cut off>
This time, could you tell me the full story?

p19: ================================
Yes, we’ll tell you everything.

We told her everything that we knew.
All the things we’d been through,

all about body swapping,

and X’s identity.
X is actually…

p20: ================================
…I see. I understand things, by and large.

So. We the police will be handling things from here.

That’s not acceptable.
/ Let us assist you in arresting X!

Shion-san, you’re—

I’m fine.
/ I won’t demand that I get vengeance with my own hands, or anything like that.

p21: ================================
But X has multiple bodies,
and what’s more, he possesses powerful Cross Abilities.

When you put that into consideration,
/ the rational determination would be that you need our help, since we’re decently knowledgeable about body swapping.

…You have a point. Since we can’t identity X based on appearance,
this will be a tricky one.

I would take it, Shion-san, that you have an idea on how to find this “X”?
I do.

I do, but… But if X doesn’t try anything fancy and simply shows up in Ai’s body,
/ her Cross Ability might make arresting X tricky.

p22: ================================
You mean Love Lullaby,
/ the ability to make everyone who hears it fall asleep?

Even if we wear earplugs,
/ it would be difficult to block out all of the sound.

We have to figure out a better way.
Failure is not an option.

…

p23¨================================
[sfx]: Rumble

…Who’s calling me now, of all…
Geh!

I’m sorry, I have to take this!
Hello? This is Mikuni.

Huh?
/ Can’t that wait?
I’m in the middle of something important right now!

Oh?
/ Something important, is it?

That, coming from the girl who thinks money makes the world go round?
[sfx]: Jump!

p24: ================================
So what is it? What’s more important than your work?
[sfx]: Crack

R-Rikako…

…Wait, isn’t she from BKR?
Yeah, isn’t she she’s Shimazu Rikako?

Kaede, you snitched on me?!
I-I’m sorry, Mikuni-sempai.

p25: ================================
Don’t go glaring at Kaede!
/ You’re the one who’s been skipping out of work left and right!
[sfx]: Pinch!

I’m sorry for the fuss, everyone.
/ I’ll be bringing this one back with me, so…
[sfx]: Slide
H-Hold on a second!

Shut up!
/ You know how many times you screwed up during the performance? Twelve times. Twelve!
[sfx]: Scream!

----------!!

U-Umm, by “performance,” you wouldn’t mean…?!

The same one we’re always doing at the BKR theatre.
/ So, well… The concert.

p26: ================================
That’s it!
[sfx]: Squeeze
[insert]: L-Let go of me…

I’ve figured it out!
I know how to capture X!
[insert]: Let’s corner X at BKR48’s “Special Performance”!!
[arrow]: To be continued in the June issue [on sale 4/27]!