Warau Ishi 8

P686

I found…
the target♪

She’s got some guts, being out in a crowded amusement park…
in broad daylight.

I’m going back briefly to report this.
You?
…I’ll stay.

Now that we’ve found the target…
there’s no way we can let it go.
sfx: shut…

They’re aiming at Ataru…!!


P687

Volume 1 of the manga, now on sale!!

I will eradicate the root of all evil.

Warau Ishi
Keiichirou Arita

Certain death awaits the target……!!

Chapter 8
The worst is still to come.


P688

Huh…?
You know you’re being possessed, but you decided to leave it alone?
…Yes…
Why… would you do that…?

You might not ever be able to go to heaven this way…
So why…
sfx: blurt
I-… I’m sorry!!
Ah… no… I didn’t mean to accuse you…

I’m… different…
This…

evil spirit is…
sfx: whoosh


P689

My…
sfx: poof

my pet……

Your pet…? You’re KEEPING an evil spirit…?
That’s right!
sfx: squeal
After I died, I was lonely by myself…
But then these little ones started keeping me company……

And when I had a closer look at them, I noticed how big and round their eyes are. Aren’t they cute!?
sfx: stare
Well… I dunno…

I call them Kurikuri-chan!!
Do you want to pet them!?
N-… No thanks…
That name is so obvious…

TL note: “kurikuri” is a sound effect for big and round eyes.

★This story is a work of fiction. It has no relation to existing people, groups or events.


P690

But wow...
There are all sorts of people in this world...
...Huh?

I didn’t think there’d be anybody who could love the evil spirit that possessed them when they died...
Ah... Yes...
I’m sorry.
sfx: gloom

But I kinda get it.
You are the first person to talk to me since I became like this...
Most people can’t even see me, and the ones that can are usually scared of me because I’m a ghost, and won’t approach me...

......

I’ll talk to you any time if you’d like.
R-… R-r-really!?
No need to be so surprised……
B-… But no one’s ever told me that before…

…Wow…
I’m so happy…

sfx: clench
Uh…
Um…


P691

I’m Hazuki Watanuki.
I was only 16 when I died, so I might be clumsy, but…
I hope we could be friends.

I’m… Ataru Natsumeda…
Freshman in high school…
Nice to meet you…

Oh…
We’re the same age.


P692

Did you come here with a friend?
Yeah. It’d been 10 years since I last came here.
I got tired after a while though, so I was resting.

My friend is probably still playing around somewhere.
Hahaha.
There’s no point coming together then.

But to be honest…
I’m a little jealous…

I hardly have any memories of playing with friends like that…
from when I was alive…

Well, I don’t really have memories like that either…
Huh!?
...That’s surprising…
Really? It’s the main reason why I came here.
Isn’t it the same for you?

…I’m-…
Eeeeeek!!


P693

My…
My purse…
sfx: dash

Give back… my purse…!
Heh…
Heh heh…

What’s going on?
Looks like a purse snatcher!

Ataru-kun, take care of that old lady!
sfx: whoosh…
Huh?
My purse…

Go.
Kurikuri-chan.
sfx: fwoosh…
sfx: boing boing boing
Nmo!


P694

Your target is that person! I want to give the purse he’s carrying back to the old lady!!
Will you help me?!

Nmo!
sfx: fa-whoosh

Heh… Heh heh…
I did it.
sfx: rumble

Looks like no one’s chasing me
sfx: rumble
It’s my big victory…


P695


sfx: whack
Ack!

sfx: snatch

sfx: thud…
Mofu.

Mofu


mail: The “kurikuri-chan” makes random cutesy noises (like “nmo!” and “mofu mofu”, I wasn’t sure how to render those in English so I just wrote them as-is…


P696

Thank you very much…
for helping my grandmother…
It’s okay… I didn’t really…

No, you got my purse back for me. Thanks a lot.
Well… Actually… Um… Yes…

sfx: smile

Thank you……

Huh?

For accepting their thanks instead of me.
It’s nothing…

But you’re amazing!
You can really help people like that!
…
I never thought an evil spirit would do stuff like that…

…
Huh… This is awkward…

……
Is it… wrong what I’m doing……?


P697

I keep sticking to this place, by myself, without going to heaven…
And befriending the evil spirit possessing me, and hanging out with it…
And even helping people like this…

I don’t… even remember how long I’ve been here, doing this…
I know…
it must be weird…

I don’t know if it’s weird, or wrong, but…

I think what you’re doing is… praiseworthy.

…….When I…
was alive, I was sick the whole time.


P698

I’ve been in the hospital since I was little, so I rarely got to go out.
There was nothing to do, so all I did was read books……
And sometimes, I looked out of the window.

Admiring…
this amusement park.

From what I could see, it looked like everybody had fun there.
To me, it looked like they were sparkling.


P699

Hey, mommy, daddy.
I wanna go to that park!

Okay, let’s all go there together after your surgery then.
Really?
sfx: pat
Alright! I’ll go get some pamphlets right now!

Oh dear!
Daddy is always in such a hurry…

What rides do you want to go on, Hazuki?
“Um… That one called the roller coaster… And the haunted house!
Oh my… You’re like a boy… Your daddy doesn’t like scary rides…
“Then I wanna go on the Ferris wheel with mommy and daddy!”
I think I’d prefer the merry-go-round…
Dear… At least try to be a LITTLE manly…

“I hope we can go soon…”
…You’ll have to be strong and get through the surgery first.
“Yeah!”

“Then we’ll go to the park together for sure.”


P700

But in the end…
I turned out like this, without ever getting to go…

So that’s why I decided to come here…
But I didn’t know what to do……

Then… I noticed the crime rate is pretty high here.
sign: Out of Order
And kids keep getting lost, and the rides break down…

It made me…
want to protect this place……

So… That’s why you’ve been here the whole time…?
…Yes…


P701

That’s depressing.
sfx: loom

It’s way too depressing!!
And you’re too pessimistic!!
Huh…? Ah…
S-… sorry…
sfx: fret fret
Don’t apologize!
You’re doing something great!!

But… This isn’t what you truly wanted to do, is it?
Huh?

You wanted to come here with your family, right?

…Hm… Yeah…
That’s right, but…

Then we should go right away!!
Yeah!
Eep!
Go to the farthest ends of the universe!!
Huh? Wait… Ataru-san… Where are we going…?
sfx: Wahahahahahaha
And so, our young heroes ran off because things suddenly got awkward.


P702

Th-… There’s still time before the park closes…
So let’s go on some rides together.

I won’t be able to replace your parents…
but I think it’ll be fun to play together anyways.

Okay!


P703

Wow! The buildings look so small from up here!
Where did Nirasaki go, anyways…?

……
It’s so pretty…

I had no idea my city was THIS big…

……
Um… Ataru-san……

Do you believe…
in “reincarnation”?


P704

Reincarnation…? You mean like, being reborn?
Yeah, that.

I…
believe…

I exist in this world as a ghost now, but if I went to heaven…
my “self” would probably go somewhere else…

I decided I wanted to ride this Ferris wheel with my family…
And in the end… my wish couldn’t be granted, but…

It’s really pretty……

I wonder…
if my mom and dad ever saw this scenery…

Hazuki-san… Um…
I……


P705

I’ll go to heaven.

…Huh?

Taking with you today made me realize…
I just wanted to spend some time with somebody like this…

There’s no reason for me to stay here forever.

What I should do right now…
is go and “die” for real, also for the sake of my mom and dad.


P706

If people really reincarnate after they die…
I might be able to talk to them again…

And that’s what I feel I should do, as a good daughter.
sfx: clench…

Thank you very much for playing with me one last time.
If I’m reborn, then… let’s play again…

……

I… couldn’t say anything.
In this world, dead people and animals exist as ghosts.
But I don’t know what happens to their souls in the end.

The girl in front of me is about to disappear.
I don’t know if that’s good or bad…
I just looked at her, in silence.


P707

sfx: flash
!

……
Huh…?
Where are we…?

……

It’s the square… in the park…?
sign: petting zoo

Attention, all visitors.
The park will be closing soon. Please make your way to the exit…
Hazuki-san… Did you do anything?
No, I didn’t… But I’m sure… we were just on the Ferris wheel…
Thank you very much for visiting today…


P708

This world is overrun with ‘things’ which threaten its peace.
They are nothing but pests.

We should eradicate them.

Something’s strange… Isn’t it…?
Yeah…
We should meet up with Nirasaki and ask if she knows anything……

I repeat: Attention, all visitors.
The park will be closing…

Hey, Hazuki-san.
My friend knows a lot about stuff like this, so I’ll go ask……
Thank you very much for visiting…


P709

sfx: slash


P710

sfx: splatter

sfx: wobble…


P711

Hazuki-san!!
sfx: thud

Huh… Hey… Hazuki-san?!
Hey?! Hazuki-san?!

H-… uh…?
A-…ta-…ru-sa-…
Stay with me…

What…
will…
happen… to… me… now…?

sfx: fwoosh…
My consciousness… is…
fa-…ding…


P712

What… happens… to a ghost… if they don’t… go to… heaven?
sfx: fwoosh…
Will… they not…
be able… to reincarnate… then?

I’m sure you can!
So…
hang in there……

I see…
that’d be… nice…

sfx: fwoom…
Is a ghost still able to reincarnate if their soul disappeared completely…?
That’s a fascinating question.
In fact… For evil spirits, the concept of reincarnation might only be superficial.


P713

Anyways.
It looks like you were able to have a friendly chat with that girl…
sfx: fwoosh

What…
are you?

Hazuki-san… disappeared…


P714

She didn’t “die”. She “disappeared”.
Unlike with Azuki’s case… I didn’t see…
a soul come out.

Do you mean that Hazuki-san...
was erased completely?

Pugii!!

I’m not interested theories about the fate of the soul.
Pugii!
Pugii!
Pugii!

I just want to rid this world of all atrocious things which threaten it.

sfx: grab

sfx: crush
Mofu…
I erase them, that’s all.


P715

Don’t mess with me…

P716

sfx: crackle crackle crackle

sfx: roar

……

sfx: rumble

So you’re one of “those”, after all…

Bonds, huh…


P717

sfx: fwoosh
You…
need to die.

sfx: grin…


P718

Hmph…
Now that I’ve found you, there’s no way I’ll let you get away.

I’ll destroy you.

A mysterious man erased Hazuki’s presence!! In the next chapter… the battle starts!!
To be continued in the August issue!!