Chapter 2: The Sound of Newly Born Evil

The awful ringing in my ears didn’t settle down.

My vision was distorted, but I could still see people walking the streets moments ago, then collapsing towards the ground.

I propped my body on a street light pole that was close to me, as I was trying to stand up.

With all those terrific sounds, I could still barely hear and comprehend the contents of the warning announcement.

It seems an ability user manifested their power.

Most likely, this awful ringing is that ability user’s fault.

A subject of forceful elimination, above the norm……It’s the first time I’m hearing this……

I must leave this place fast…..!

Staggering and covering my ears, I was walking towards my house.

This buzzing in my ears started to loosen up a bit.

However, at this point, I realized I could hear that someone was approaching me from the sky. It was the sound of flying.

I looked up and saw a SDF soldier flying towards me.

Did they come to save those citizens who couldn’t find shelter yet?

I thought and waved my hand in order to make my presence known.

The ringing was completely gone now, but I didn’t know when it’d start again.

Having done so, the soldier noticed me and flew down to stand in front of me. On his chest he had a second-lieutenant badge.

“Gr…..great….. Please, save me…….What is going on?……”

With staggering steps, I walked towards the second-lieutenant.

Then, I got blown away by a mysterious shock wave.

I hit my back on something and felt a sharp pain.

It all happened too sudden.

“What!?  !?”

What? What just happened?

Eh? It hurts.

I realized that I was slapped into a wall and finally understood.

I was attacked.

Because I also hit my head, my vision was swaying.

I started to cough.

Despite my head being in a state of chaos, I desperately tried to think.

Why? Why did he attack me?

“……..Sorry kid, but your manifestation just now poses too much danger to us all.

It’s also because we don’t want to inflict even more damage on the citizens. You have to be eliminated…..”

The second-lieutenant really seemed to feel sorry about it.

His words were pretty clear though.

“What are you saying…….”

I started to speak, but shut my mouth the next instant.

I could clearly see the sign now.

‘Point B-56’

It was said in the warning.

That at point B-56 the manifestation of an ability user was confirmed.

That the danger level was above the norm. And that a forceful elimination is to take place.

And then, I was attacked by the second-lieutenant in front of me.

He also gave me the finis.h.i.+ng blow with his words.

The ear buzzing……..When I think about it, it might have been a sign.

The manifestation of an ability user……Was it me?

Becoming aware of this, the first thing that a.s.saulted me was fear.

The second-lieutenant in front of me was scary.

Normally, they’re the supporters of justice, the SDF that I deeply admired. But now they’re frightening me.

Thinking about it, for the SDF I simply got switched from a protection target to an elimination target.

“It….can’t…be…..”

I looked around me and caught sight of the great number of collapsed people.

“This is all your doing, kid.

When an above the norm ability manifests lately, like in your case, it can’t be controlled anymore and things like this happen. It’s a certainty that people will die.

The SDF prefers to save the lives of the many against the life of a single individual.

I’m sorry……”

The second-lieutenant was drawing near me. I let out a short scream.

Then, I started running, trying to get away from him.

The tears piled up in the corner of my eyes, started to pour out.

I don’t want this. I don’t want to die……

Why? Why do I have to pay for this……..?

Giiiiiiiiiin.

I heard another ear buzzing and felt an excruciating pain in my head, like something was breaking my skull apart.

I fell down on the ground.

“Argh…..”

And yet, I started to crawl on the ground.

I could hear the footsteps of the second-lieutenant, walking at a leisurely pace, steadily approaching me.

There were sounds in the air too.

When I tried to stand up and look above me, I could see the other SDF soldiers, who were flying towards me.

What? You’re all joining forces against me? No, I don’t want to die……

It’s unreasonable….. I gave up the idea of being an ability user a long time ago……

If all it brings is death, no one would want such a power.

The second-lieutenant’s footsteps got closer.

I don’t want to die, stay away from me……

“STAY AWAY FROM ME!!”

A thunderous sound shock.

With me as the epicenter, all the concreted ground surrounding me had a great number of cracks in it.

The buildings’ walls were heavily impacted too, with huge cracks in them. The concrete fences were damaged as well, and started to crumble down.

The second lieutenant in front of me fell down, blood spouting out of his ears.

The other people of the Self-Defense Forces were falling head over heels into the ground, hitting it with a really nasty sound.

“…….Eh?”

Did I…..do this?

I cautiously approached the second-lieutenant in order to check him out, but I couldn’t hear his heart beating.

He was dead.

“…….Ah, ah…….”

This wasn’t intentional.

I thought I was about to get killed……

I didn’t do this…..!

I didn’t plan to…..

I didn’t do……anything wrong. It was legitimate self-defense.

Wrong. I was saved. I am still alive…..

I haven’t died yet.

“……!”

Suddenly, I heard the sound of someone else approaching me. Such incredible speed.

If they find me, I’ll surely get killed this time…..!

I have to hurry and run away!

I stood up and forced my aching body to walk.

My house is really close from here.

I’ll run home. No, it’s no good. They’ll find me……

If it’s the abandoned building close to my house, maybe…..

When I was pondering on where I should hide, I felt something grazing my cheek.

This ‘something’ directly hit a private house’s shutter; a pebble, which made a huge hole in that shutter.

“Found you.”

It was a man’s voice.

I turned around, and saw a man wearing the SDF uniform, standing in the place where I fell down, moments ago.

I can’t see his face properly.

The street lights were s.h.i.+ning on this man and I could see that he was surrounded by countless little stones, or something like that, floating in the air around him.

“I’m SDF’s lieutenant-colonel Nakai. I’m sorry, but I’ll have you dead.

If you don’t want to suffer, it’s better if you don’t struggle pointlessly. Reinforcements are coming anyway, and they’ll be here soon.”

The SDF man pointed at me.

Then, the stones floating around him came flying towards me at a tremendous speed.

No, if I were to be precise, I couldn’t see them at all.

I only heard the sound of them charging at me.

“Aaaargh!”

I lied down on the ground, desperately trying to avoid the attack.

Having done so, the stones flew right above my head.

However, I heard another sound coming from behind me.

They come from behind too……!

Right at this point, my worn-out body stopped listening to my command.

Helpless to avoid it, I got my back hit by a stone.

“Gaah…..!”

I felt an awful pain, like the skin on my back got split open.

At the moment of the impact, I hit my head on the ground and my forehead was now shedding blood.

I could barely maintain my consciousness, but I didn’t have the power to stand up anymore.

A violent pain was running all throughout my body.

Lying with my face on the ground, I rested my head on its surface and listened to the footsteps of lieutenant-colonel Nakai.

“Even though I don’t know your name nor your face, you were the one who manifested your powers moments back.

You stole the lives of many citizens, even my comrades.

In order to stop you from inflicting any more damage…….in order to make you pay for your crimes, you have to die.”

Pay for my crimes?

I felt great absurdity towards these words.

It’s not like I’ve done all this because I wanted to.

This is irrational.

It…..it just can’t be.

You’re too cruel to say such words……You’re terribly cruel!

I realized that I was too worn-out; my tears fell on the ground.

Ah, so this is the moment I die?

Despite today being my birthday.

My birthday became my death anniversary…..Such a ridiculous situation…….

Will my family……feel sad, I wonder.

My father, my mother….

After all, we’ve never done anything family oriented…..

Is there anyone else? ……..Did someone else ever died a death such as mine?……

I resent them……

I curse them all, I hate them all, I curse them all.

How can you call yourselves the Self-Defense Forces……?

Protect me too……!

“Even I…….even I want to keep living!!”

Right after I spoke that, lieutenant-colonel Nakai got blown away at great speed by a shockwave.

“Huh……Ha……..”

I could still hear the sound of lieutenant-colonel Nakai’s respiration.

Why can I even hear the sound of his breathing……..?

My head hurt. And I felt sick.

If I don’t run away quickly, someone else will show up. ….

“Gah, haa…….huh…….ha……”

I somehow managed to stand up, leaned on the buildings’ walls, and walked out of the shopping street.

My forehead and my back were leaving behind trails of blood.

I have to run away.

My head was filled with determination.

Even so, I realized I had no place to hide.

Still, I averted my eyes.

Because that reality was irrational.

I was desperate to escape with my life.

The defenders of justice….such a downright lie. They won’t save just anyone……

I just wanted them to think about me too!

I ran the silent back alley.

Once I came out, I would see my house.

“……..!”

However, it was all over.

Once I got there, I’ve been discovered.

I could hear sounds in front of me.

Not mentioning his face, I couldn’t even see his shape. He couldn’t see me either.

Still, I was sure I heard the sound of someone’s breathing.

“…..Haa, Haaa…..Haa…..”

“I am the SDF colonel s.h.i.+kijima.

Stay put. It’s regrettable…..but you must die tonight.”

I heard this death sentence coming from the dark.

I can’t escape.

“Haaa….huh…..”

At this point, all that was left for me was to desperately try to fight back.

The enemy is a colonel. I have no chances of winning.

But still…….even though I don’t know how to use my powers, it’s better than quietly waiting to be done for.

I might as well struggle with all my might……!

It was at that time.

I could suddenly hear another sound.

“Wha?……You are……the Anonymous! Why are you he……..Gaaaah!”

And then, after I heard someone’s shriek coming from the dark, one breathing sound and heartbeat disappeared.

“This is unexpected…….It seems it got it right this time.”

“The Observer gets it right once in a while, it seems.”

An Anonymous masks wearing pair showed up from the darkness, talking to themselves.

The evil organization, Anonymous.

The Anonymous masks are this organization’s trademark.

In short, these two people in front of me are Anonymous’ members.

They stopped before my eyes and I stood there not saying a word.

I could not hear the colonel’s breathing sound anymore.

The mask of the man walking in the front was soaked in blood.

He killed the colonel in an instant.

I took a step back.

A mysterious feeling of oppression made my heart pound.

Still…..!

Even if this guy tries to kill me, I’ll resist him.

I want to keep on living……And for that……

I glared at him, and I could see his eyes through the Anonymous mask, looking down at me.

From behind that mask, his eyes entrapped me.

“……Hmm.”

The Anonymous woman, hidden in the man’s shadow, let out that sound.

“I like those eyes, kid.”

The man took a step towards me.

I wanted to step back so badly, but I somehow managed to stay still.

If I were to step back, I would give up my life.

That’s the feeling I got.

I must fight.

I could hear the loud beating of my heart.

“Huh……Haa……”

My breathing was wild.

I tried to endure the small ringing in my ears, manifesting at fixed intervals, while still glaring at the enemy in front of me.

My feet were staggering…..

He could hit me any time.

Suddenly, he stopped in place and thrust his hand inside his jacket’s interior pocket and took something out.

It was an Anonymous mask.

I looked at him vigilantly.

Doing so, the man held the Anonymous mask out to me.

“……Sound kid, won’t you become our comrade?”

“Eh?”

I’m certain he asked me to become their comrade.

……I see. Because my powers are strong, the Anonymous would pretty much want to use them.

And if I turn them down, they’ll abandon me. In that case, the SDF will surely dispose of me.

“They are getting closer.

However, this is not a threat.

Even if you turn us down, I still intend to save you this time.

If you want to be our comrade, take that mask.”

…….Comrade. Their comrade?

An evil organization.

What do I ………

“Tell me….. …….What are you lot fighting for?”

The answer came immediately after I asked the question.

“The SDF will kill one man for the sake of the many.

However, we will kill the many for the sake of one man.

We’re evil, there’s no mistaking it.”

I thought I saw the man smile behind his mask.

Then, I took that mask in front of me.