Re:BIRTH－The Lunatic Taker－ 17

[Scanlation with this translation reserved for Muda]

Re:BIRTH
Chapter 17
Guild


p.01

Kyouka: What do you think?
Kyouka: Isn’t it on a different scale from your hunts?

Kyouka: It’s... finished.

What they witnessed there was an unbelievable scene...


p.02
Chapter 17: Guild
Volume 4 on sale August 23!!
Story: Im Dal Young
Art: Lee Soo Hyun


p.03
They actually...!
Defeated a large-size angel...!!

Kyouka: So, you showing up here... can I take it to mean you’ve accepted my offer the other day?

Kyouka: Let’s go.
Kyouka: There’s someone I’d like to introduce you to.

Ryuusuke: Princess!!
Ryuusuke: Get ready.

Reiji: ......!


p.04

An iron... mask...?
Is it a woman?


p.05
[none]


p.06
She’s absorbing the life points...
Is that woman going to absorb it all...?

Ryuusuke: !

Ryuusuke: This is the first time I’ve seen you...

Ryuusuke: Who are they,
Ryuusuke: Kyouka?


p.07
Kyouka: They’re the super rookies I reported about the other day.

Ryuusuke: Mmm...

Ryuusuke: The ones
Ryuusuke: Who bloomed the phantom...

Reiji: That person is...?
Kyouka: Yeah, the very person I wanted you to meet.
I’ll introduce him.

Kyouka: He is the chief of our guild...
Or rather, the president of the corporation Life Inc...
Kyouka: Ishigami Ryuusuke.


p.08
Corporation...?
Life Inc.?

Ryuusuke: It’ll be a bother if you exaggerate my introduction with stuff like president or corporation.
We’re simply a guild that assembled for the same purpose...
Ryuusuke: Wouldn’t that be much quicker for them to understand?
Kyouka: I thought it would be better for them to know if they were joining us...

Reiji: I am Tachibana Reiji.
Reiji: I know we just met and this is abrupt, but there’s something I would like to ask.

Reiji: I heard this from Kyouka-san... If we join this guild...
Reiji: We won’t have to fear the stealing and the limits of life points...!!


p.09
Reiji: Is that true?
Reiji: And what is the restraint that eliminates betrayal between everyone!?

Ryuusuke: For how abrupt they are, those are some questions that strike at the core...

Ryuusuke: From how you said that,
Ryuusuke: It seems you’ve had quite a grim path...

Ryuusuke: If you sum it up, that is true.
Ryuusuke: We aren’t in fear of life points and can’t betray each other...

Ryuusuke: We have indeed arranged a system for that,
Ryuusuke: Since that is our absolute rule.


p.10
Rule...?

Ryuusuke: Those who join this guild must never harm another of our Takers.
Those who break that will be dealt with by the entirety of our guild’s power.
Ryuusuke: It’s a very simple rule.

Ryuusuke: Those who bring harm to one of us...
Will have to suffer a detriment several times worse.
Natsuhi: ......
Reiji: Is it okay with something so simple?


p.11
It’s absurdly simple, but it certainly is a rational restraint...
Only, it’s a system that can only be realized with the premise that individuals won’t be pressed by the consumption of life points...

Ayaka: ......
Ryuusuke: !

Ryuusuke: By the way, the lady over there...
Ayaka: !
Ryuusuke: Doesn’t look like she’ll last until the next interspatial time.

Ryuusuke: Princess.


p.12

The one who took all the life points for herself just now...!?
Reiji: What are you...!?

Ryuusuke: You don’t need to worry. We won’t do anything bad.
Ryuusuke: How many life points do you currently have?

Can I reveal it...?
Reiji: ...16...

Ryuusuke: Give them to her so they’ll have the same amount.

Natsuhi: ......!?


p.13

Ayaka: !?
Reiji: ......!?

Natsuhi: Mm...Mbgh...
Natsuhi: Urgh...!?

Natsuhi: ......!?


p.14
Natsuhi: Huh...? Huh...!?
Reiji: ......!!

Reiji: Your life points!?
Reiji: Could it be that that person has an ability to replenish life points!?

Ryuusuke: It’s a skill to transfer her own life points to others, to be precise.
Ryuusuke: It’s not like she can infinitely recover life points.

Ryuusuke: Why don’t we continue after changing locations?

Ryuusuke: You might become important guests. This street corner isn’t very suitable...
Ryuusuke: For your hospitality, is it...?


p.15

Ryuusuke: Igarashi-kun, I’m sorry, but can I ask you the tea?

Ryuusuke: Now then...

Ryuusuke: What should I talk about first...?


p.16
Reiji: This guild...
No, it was Life Inc...

Reiji: What does it do?
Reiji: Since it’s a corporation... don’t you do something?

Ryuusuke: A reasonable question... Yes,
Ryuusuke: Of course you’d be interested in what this company is.

Ryuusuke: To explain it briefly...
Ryuusuke: For some reason, Takers continue to increase in this world.

Ryuusuke: However, angel hunting, which is crucial to our survival, is not something everyone can do successfully.
Ryuusuke: Even so, there were many people who weren’t able to kill other Takers to steal their life points...

Ryuusuke: But that doesn’t mean they’d sit around waiting for their approaching death, does it?
Ryuusuke: We are a company born through the aspirations of people like that.


p.17
Ryuusuke: In other words, for Takers who are not able to fight against angels or start killing each other,
Ryuusuke: Concentrate our power so they can gain life points safely and stably... That’s what we mainly do.

Reiji: I-if what you’re saying is true...
There was a way to be saved in a place like this...!!

Reiji: An organization for protecting good Takers without power!
Reiji: It was a company for that!?

Natsuhi: Are you saying... for free?
Reiji: ......!


p.18
Natsuhi: Such a one-sided and risky business... of course it won’t be free of charge, right?
Natsuhi: There must be a price in exchange for the life points.

Natsuhi...!

Ayaka: ......

Ryuusuke: Of course we receive expenses befitting that.
Ryuusuke: We are risking our lives to secure life.

Reiji: What’s... that cost?


p.19
Ryuusuke: Of course, just as the word means...
Ryuusuke: It’s money.

Ryuusuke: We need quite a bit of preparation to hunt angels. Of course our members’ ordinary lives will be sacrified.
We need the appropriate funds in order to support them. It’s give and take.

Reiji: H-however... that’s almost like...!!
Reiji: Buying lives with money, isn’t it...?

Ryuusuke: I can’t deny that.


p.20
Ryuusuke: But Tachibana-kun, you can’t live in our current society without money, can you?
Reiji: Th...that’s true, but...!
Ryuusuke: Even though we’re Takers, we’re essentially human so there’s no difference.

Ayaka: It’s very rational.
Reiji: ......!?

Ayaka: Gather life points at high risk,
Make money by trading it, and turn it into an organization.
Then, prevent the largest problem, betrayal between Takers, and give them life points and money for their work.
Ayaka: It’s a really well-made system.

Nee-san...?

Ryuusuke: I’m happy you were able to understand it.
Ryuusuke: I’d like to move on to our main topic, then...


p.21
Ryuusuke: Would you... like to join our company?

Ayaka: Does that mean you’re scouting us? Do you think we have that much value?
Reiji: Ayaka-nee-san!?

Ryuusuke: You do, in abundance... That’s why I called you directly to offer you...
Reiji: Let us think about it for a little while!
Ryuusuke: !

Ryuusuke: ......

Reiji: We’ll... consider your offer...
So could we excuse ourselves for today?


p.22
Ryuusuke: ......
Ryuusuke: Of course. Well then, think about it amply.

Reiji mutter: Let’s go home then.


p.23

Kyouka: They’re cautious for Takers these days.

Ryuusuke: It’s probably that... they’ve seen their fair share of battles.

Ryuusuke: Even so, they’re just on the level of children... I suppose.


p.24
Reiji: To do business with life points!
It kind of feels creepy! It’s suspicious!!

Ayaka: It had me in agreement, though... I can maintain Reiji’s safety with that, too.
Reiji: Agreement!?

Ayaka: What that Ishigami person was saying was logically sound.
Ayaka: Regulations you must obey, a way to transfer life points—
It’s all too rational as an environment for Takers to continue surviving in.

Ayaka: It’s more realistic than the fairy tale Misaki-san spoke of.

Reiji: Then are you saying you’re going to join them, Nee-san?


p.25

Ayaka: I’ll follow your decision on that, Reiji.

Reiji: Hey! Why are you bringing the topic to...
Ack!?
Natsuhi mutter: You sister complex
Natsuhi: Geez~ that was where you should clearly make up your mind!!

Reiji: S-since when... did I take on a... role like that...?
Mutter: Don’t hit my vitals...
Ayaka/Natsuhi: You’re a boy!!


p.26

An organization that trades people’s lives for money...
Is it really okay if we side ourselves with it...?

Ishigami-san’s logic is very rational.
I think it’s a well-made system.

If I don’t decide soon... Natsuhi...
And Nee-san would also regard Natsuhi as a threat again...

Reiji: !


p.27
......!?

Igarashi...san?

Kyouka: What a coincidence to meet in a place like this, eh?
Maybe we have some sort of connection...?
Reiji: ......
Reiji: W-who knows.

Kyouka: Our president was worried... are you okay with life points?
Reiji: We’re... still okay.


p.28
Kyouka: I don’t know if you can say... not being able to guarantee the next time by failing a hunt once to be okay.

Kyouka: How about it? Did you think about it? Joining the company...

Reiji: Yeah...
Reiji: But I can’t really decide, to be honest...

Kyouka: Get on for now.
Reiji: Excuse me?


p.29
Kyouka: I’m telling you to get on.
Kyouka: I’ll drive you home.

Reiji: N-no... I’m almost there...!
Kyouka: What? Are you trying to humiliate a girl?

Kyouka: You’re mean, Reiji-kun...

Kyouka: Or is it that you don’t want to associate with a middle-aged woman?
Reiji: I-i-it’s not like that!!


p.30

I got on without thinking...
Is it really going to be okay like this...?

Reiji: This is a nice car... It looks very expensive...
Kyouka: Hm?

Kyouka: Yeah, maybe around 25 million? [around $306,000]
Reiji: T-twenty...!?

Kyouka: I’m working with my life on the line, after all. Isn’t this amount of luxury natural?
Kyouka: The world is a “zero-sum game” regardless of Takers and whatnot.

Kyouka: If I don’t have it, someone else will just take it.


p.31
Reiji: I don’t think so.
Kyouka: !

Reiji: Because it’s not a world like that, as well as to make sure it doesn’t become like that...!
Reiji: People came up with ways to help each other out!

Kyouka: You’re scary when you get sullen. Are you surprisingly the type who has to have his way? How cute~
Reiji: Huh? N-no... that’s not what I intended...


p.32
Kyouka: It’s kind of moe! I’m not going to return you home! Let’s go on a date! A date!!
Reiji: Huuh!? A date!!? Even though they’re waiting for meeee!?

Reiji: ......


p.33
Kyouka: Now~ don’t hold back and you can keep ordering whatever you want~ you’re growing, right?

Reiji: Igarashi-san...
Reiji: It’s a lie that we met by coincidence, right?
Kyouka: !

Reiji: Did the company put you up to this? To persuade us to join...

Reiji: Do they think I’d be okay it right away if you showed me the money and environ?

Kyouka: And if it was?
Reiji: Please don’t underestimate us.
I don’t have any intention of handling lives with covetous feelings!


p.34
Kyouka: What are you saying is wrong with openly acknowledging your desires? You little~
Kyouka: You’re young, but you say things an old man would, Reiji-kun.

Kyouka: Desires are pure. People are creatures that take things they can hold without hesitation.
Kyouka: If they let the chance to have something go, they criticize those who have it.

Kyouka: A good home, a good car, and a nice member of the opposite sex... What’s so strange about being drawn to those things? I think it’s a very natural thing.
Kyouka: Only, those things only approach those with ability. That’s why you should be confident in yourself and grasp for them.

Reiji: What kind of cheap logic is that!? Even animals can live according to their desires!
Reiji: Aren’t there things more important than desires for people to be people?


p.35
Kyouka: Well, I don’t know about that.

Reiji: ......!

Kyouka: You say all that...
Kyouka: But I wonder how much control you have over your desires...


p.36

Reiji: It-it’s true that it’s not something I can say for sure, but...
Reiji: I have to work hard all the time to become like that...

Kyouka: Didn’t you... just now
......!?
Kyouka: Imagine the shape of my breasts?

Kyouka: You want to see the rest that’s hidden by my clothes... what they feel like if you touched them...
Kyouka: What color they are... didn’t you imagine things like that?


p.37
Reiji: Hey!! There’s an extent to jokes...!


p.38
Kyouka: Oh~ right here...
Kyouka: It’s very honest, unlike your thoughts, though~

Kyouka: Desires are the true natures of humans...

Kyouka: A governing structure called society tries to force us to emphasize reason to maintain those inborn things.
Kyouka: However, now that we’ve become Takers, those who are honest with their true natures survive. Am I wrong?

Reiji: Are you telling me to live...

Reiji: Following my instincts, like a beast?
Kyouka: ......


p.39
Kyouka: You’re too stubborn, even though you’re still a high school student...
Kyouka: You must have... been raised properly by good parents.
Reiji: ......

Kyouka: Then I’ll change the way I say it... If you’re that confident, then there’s actually no need to hesitate, is there?

Kyouka: Take advantage of the company...!

Kyouka: Regardless, there they hold a large power that you don’t have.
Kyouka: You... are wary of being drawn in by that power and drowning in it.

Kyouka: But if that conviction of yours is certain, you can stay the same.
Kyouka: Protecting people precious to you with power you obtain like that... There’s no problem with that, is there?


p.40
Kyouka: Put protecting those precious to you and fulfilling your desires onto the same table...
Kyouka: That’s what an adult is.


p.41
Kyouka: The desire to not just protect yourself... to protect others... But in order to accomplish that, at times compromise is also necessary.
Kyouka: I think it’s a truly noble thing.

Reiji...!

Be careful!!
Reiji!!


p.42
I think it’s rational!!
I can maintain Reiji’s safety that way.

Reiji: The desire...
Reiji: For protecting others... is it?


p.43

Princess: Those children... do you think they have that much value...?
Princess: Enough to invest life points in them...?

Ryuusuke: Value... huh. They have more than enough of that
If Kyouka’s report is true.

Ryuusuke: In any case...


p.44
Ryuusuke: They might be able to become the key...
Ryuusuke: To solve the matter with Nikaidou Ran...
Box: The strongest Taker also casts her shadow here... Next issue, color pages to celebrate the volume release!!