The Knight's Farewell and the Hunter's Shadow

My days with Ellen begin and end like this. First, the morning. I wake up from the floor. I spend my time idly scrolling through the gallery with my eyes and fingers in the air. “Tsk.” “Good morning!” As if she’d grown used to my weirdness, Ellen clicks her tongue and heads off to wash up. I call out a morning greeting to her. After rolling around a bit more, I see her off as she leaves early for work. “Have a good day, Ellen!” “…I’m not Ellen.” —Slam! The door shuts. It’s the warm attitude of someone inside the house seeing off an outsider. Then I lie down again! My back got sore last night, so this time I climb into Ellen’s bed! I scroll through the gallery in the air some more. When my neck and back start to ache from lying down too long, I get up, tidy the bed, and do a little cleaning. As always, I kill some time outside before coming back to ponder my thoughts. Then I return and flop onto the bed again!

Around the time the clank of armor echoes from beyond the chicken-coop-like walls of the one-room apartment, I jump up and open the fridge. I throw together something resembling food from rotten canned goods and retort pouches, then open the door. “Welcome back! Dinner first? Bath? Or me?” “…Move.” —Shhh. I hear the sound of the shower while I prepare dinner. Then we eat together. “Slurp slurp!” “….” Late at night, I lie down on the floor to sleep. “Coco-nene! Sleep well!” “You’re… noisy.” And so the day ends. That’s how Lumen Lux’s day concludes.

But this routine repeats for one day, two days, three— “Good morning! Another miraculously wonderful day awaits!” “Sigh.” “Sweet dreams! Have nice ones!” “Just go to sleep.” “Poop? Food? Me?” “Food.” On the day it reached a full week, I realized something while the routine continued without a hitch. “This is pretty livable. Being kept might not be so bad.” At this point, it seemed fine to keep staying. Of course, I wasn’t talking about myself. I meant Ellen. There had been no news of her death counter, and several days had passed without any notable deaths. From what I could guess, my contact with her must have triggered a new butterfly effect. The death of Ellen I experienced at the regression point had twisted on that first day and opened a different path. Little by little, my complacent certainty grew, and thanks to Ellen’s treatment, the bones in my neck healed steadily.

It was one of those days as the week drew to a close. —Creak. The girl who was the head of the household opened the door as usual, and I greeted her. “Welcome home~ Dinner? Bath? Or me first?” “…….” But the atmosphere was different from the usual Ellen. There was no displeased gaze, no deliberate attempt to ignore me. She just looked more injured and exhausted than usual. The eyes that usually held nobility and goodwill were clouded, and she seemed like she might collapse if pushed. Like a doll with its insides hollowed out. She staggered for a moment, then looked straight at me. Her tired, murky gaze licked over me. Her eyes locked onto the rice worm. “….” Was I finally being kicked out? Well, the cooldown for that had come. Honestly, Ellen’s generosity, patience, and tongue had been stretched to their limits. A guy who’d sweet-talked his way into lounging around the house and only eating? A freeloading rice worm who’d settled in however he pleased? And she’d put up with him for a whole week? Was she that much of a pushover? Well, it was fine. My injuries had healed to some extent, and Ellen had safely passed the critical period. After staring at me silently for a while, Ellen spat out, “—You first.” “Oh?” “Ha… No, never mind. That was a slip of the tongue.” Ellen, who was trying to take back what she’d said, looked sorrowful. She looked exhausted. —Swish. But regardless of her feelings, my heart moved. And my body reacted. I approached Ellen in one stride and pulled her into a tight hug. She flinched at my touch. “Eep.” “How about we start with a shower?” “W-what?” “You chose, didn’t you?” I grabbed her wrist and led her inside. We showered and lay on the bed. Both of us. “Wait. This is too fast.” “Light is always fast.” “…That’s not what I meant.” —Smooch. Our lips met, and for the first time in what felt like forever, I felt someone else’s body heat. Not the warmth of blood flowing beneath the skin, but the complete warmth held within the body. “W-wait. It’s been a while, so… take it slow.” “Does that slow mean hard? Or gentle?” And so that night, late in the evening, we skipped even dinner and became starving beasts devouring each other. When hunger is sated, the hunger is forgotten for a while; when the heat cools, we savor the lingering embers. The night was soft yet firm, and narrow. On the cheap bed that had endured quite the workout, the woman lying on her side—sweat-soaked Ellen—said, “Thank you, really. I feel a little better now.” “A little? From what I saw earlier, you felt a lot better.” “…You always have to say one extra thing, don’t you?”

Ellen was a far more impressive woman than she appeared. What you saw wasn’t all there was. Beneath the armor she usually wore, she had been hiding a massive weapon. No, it wasn’t just a weapon she’d hidden. Ellen, whose real name I still didn’t know, swept her silver hair behind her ear and said, “Your neck is fine now, right? How long do you plan to stay?” “I’m leaving tomorrow.” “I see….” After that, Ellen said nothing. She simply trembled faintly in the breeze coming through the small window in the room. ‘Necro Corps proudly presents: Autonomous toy dolls. Experience more vivid interactions and realism. For details, please inquire at the store or contact our operators.’ ‘Public service announcement. Today’s contamination levels are favorable. The Corridor City is safe. Citizens, please rest ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠assured and—’ ‘Life is such absolute bullshit!’ ‘Drink up! Chug it!’ The lights and noises of the Corridor City pouring into the room. Ellen stared blankly out the window, taking in the city’s turbulence and sounds with her entire body. I moved closer and placed my hand on her body, which was slowly cooling. “What’s wrong? You’ll miss me?” “Miss you? I’m not the type of woman who gets all clingy like that.” “Well, you kind of look like it right now.” It didn’t matter. Ellen had gone several days without dying. My worries and concerns had been pointless. I could just slip out tonight. We’d been good to each other these past few days, right? I survived, and she was still alive—that was good enough. The death counter I’d been worried about had apparently been nothing but needless anxiety. Staying here any longer would only dull my eventual end. I’d achieved my small goal, so it was time to leave this comfortable shelter. —Grope. For now, I kneaded Ellen’s breasts. “…Stop that. I’m not the kind of woman you can just grope whenever you feel like it, you know?” Despite her words, Ellen didn’t reject me. We did it several more times after that.

…Morning. This time I woke up early and stood by the door. She came out looking disheveled and said, “Take care.” “Yessir. Thanks for letting me rest comfortably these past few days!” I gave her a crisp ninety-degree bow. Ellen held out her hand. I thought it was for a handshake, but there was a thick bundle of Jeni in it. “…It’s compensation. Take it.” Whoa, she’s drawing a clear line. Well, this much is necessary for her to be called a warm woman in this cold Corridor City. Relationships tied by money have no lingering feelings or worries. It’s just strange because the person giving it is the overly kind Ellen. “Thank you, Lady Ellen! I’ll put it to good use!” “I’m not—” She stopped mid-sentence and shook her head. As if it didn’t matter anymore. She never told me her name until the very end. Well, whatever. To me, she’ll always be Ellen. Time to buy some soup with this! I didn’t refuse and stuffed it into my pocket. It was thicker than I expected, so my pocket bulged. Then I said goodbye to Ellen, who stood by the door. “If I see you on the street, I’ll say hi!” “Yeah. Be careful. Someone like you should definitely—” Ellen nodded carefully. “Be able to survive in this city.”

…And so I was thrown back into the Corridor City. Ellen’s cozy nest had nearly turned me into a kangaroo. Trapped in the sweet pouch of her one-room apartment. Baby kangaroo Lumen! Doesn’t want to leave Ellen’s house! The lion Lumen who boldly shattered that inner voice roared. “Boss lady! One bowl of soup with the meat packed in real thick!” “Boss lady my ass. Pay first.” Cash upfront. What a harsh world. Anyway, the first thing I did was fill my stomach. After a week, I’d remembered what it meant to actually eat something. I ate a hearty bowl of some unidentified soup at the market in the lower district of D-Sector, then opened the gallery.

These were the results from searching with the keyword “brain hunter” over the past week. Whenever the guy appeared, the Corridor Walker gallery would briefly catch fire with brain hunter posts before quickly dying down again. I also realized he had a proper true name. [Brain-Eye-Pin]. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠It was a true name that perfectly captured the brain hunter’s identity. Among Corridor Walkers, those with particularly high aggression and danger were called Notorious. In other words, they were targets for blocking. And this Notorious known as “Brain-Eye-Pin” apparently hunted both Corridor Walkers and ordinary people alike. He was a deranged Corridor Walker who collected brains and organs for research. In the past week, this brain hunter fuel had been tossed into the gallery’s incinerator at least three times. Meaning he’d claimed at least three victims. He seemed to mainly use the gallery for lurking and gathering information or finding victims, just like me. He never posted anything himself, occasionally appearing in comment sections to scout targets. He probably disliked leaving traces of his own activities. Yet the irony of using the gallery at all. Maybe he got off on watching the gallery and people react to his “works.” “Hiya, this place really is brutal. Even lunatics like this get to be Corridor Walkers.” Well, why would it be any different here? Back in my time, there were plenty of dangerous types like this. Not all immortals walk the path with pure intentions. Many were consumed by slaughter or pleasure intense enough to throw away their bodies and minds. The waves of information and community always mix unrefined malice with refined goodwill. Not every immortal uses the Corridor (gallery) for trials.

“Brain-Eye-Pin, huh. Well, it’s nothing new. No need to pay attention anymore.” It wasn’t like I’d just been playing around and eating at Ellen’s house. I’d been figuring out her movements and trying to build favor to find out why she died. But instead of sincere conversation, we ended up communicating with our bodies. “Well, any man who pulled out in that situation wouldn’t be a man, right?” When I asked Lumen Lux Junior, it nodded vigorously. Still ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠stiff from last night’s release. More surprising was the fact that I still had sexual desire at all. Anyway, instead of Ellen dying, it seemed victims had been dropping like flies over the past week. That confirmed it. There was no longer any need to stay at Ellen’s house. “Well, time to get ready then.” My priorities had shifted, so I needed to prepare for the journey. I got up from the soup shop and wandered around weapon and equipment stores. In a dangerous city like this, medicine and weapons sold like hotcakes. No matter which shop I picked, they were overflowing with blades and instruments of violence. “Oh, this looks like something I could test on Astarote?” “Hehe, you’ve got a good eye! With that, conversations get real smooth real quick!” “Nice, boss, you know your stuff. Yeah, I’m talking about physical conversation!” In the end, I bought two mid-length flintlock pistols and an all-purpose sword. Once I put on my coat, I finally looked like I was ready for a fight. “Whoa! As expected of Ellen! She’s generous! And her chest is huge too!” I spent all the allowance Ellen gave me, but there was ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠still enough left to buy several more bowls of soup. It wasn’t as much as the Luden I got on the first day, but it was more than enough to spend. I left the shop feeling satisfied. After that, I just had to move on instinct. The same old inertia that always led me toward ruin. The laziness that, like gravity, could not be resisted and needed no resistance. “Survive, she says. Talking like she’s the one who’s going to die.” Ellen’s words from our morning farewell and greeting lingered in my mind, but there was no need to pay them much attention, right? What’s good is good. I raised my hand. There’s nothing I need to worry about! Hah!

As if that could be true. Twilight falls over the Corridor City. I crouched in the lengthening shadows of the city and stared at the main road. More precisely, I did so from the lower district where Ellen’s villa was located. I waited for the person I was expecting to come out. And there she was. The silver-haired female knight was crossing through the downtown area. ‘Public service announcement. The current contamination level in the Corridor City has reached ‘Warning’ status. Citizens are advised to refrain from going out and to return home with caution for your safety—’ Passersby hurried home at the city’s loudspeakers. Defying that flow, the female knight walked alone into the darkness of the city. Armed with weapons for fingernails and armor for her own skin. Watching her, I took a deep drag from my cigarette. “Sssip.” The last cigarette I bought with the allowance Ellen gave me. Cigarettes sold in the Corridor City were quite the luxury item. Inhaling that expensive, fleeting smoke, thoughts flooded my jaded brain and lungs. I exhaled the smoke that granted me thoughts through killing me. “Phew~ So you came, little knight.” It was the true name that unfailingly appeared alongside the brain hunter’s comments or appearances.

My memory wasn’t that bad after all. My senses were still sharp too. Ellen and the brain hunter. Petit Knight and Brain-Eye-Pin. Their tracks led to similar places. It must be because Ellen was chasing the brain hunter. I didn’t know the circumstances or the inside story, but a meddlesome person like Ellen wouldn’t let a Notorious like this slide. A small chuckle escaped me at Ellen’s true name. It suited her perfectly and was rather cute. I understood now why she’d been reluctant to say her true name at our first meeting. She probably thought she’d be laughed at. Yeah. The pronunciation and usage made it easy to look down on. But it wasn’t just funny. It was actually quite cool, wasn’t it? In French, “Petit” means small or precious. The famous Little Prince is also “Le Petit Prince” in the original French title. A small yet precious female knight who establishes her own justice in this trivial, shining city. Small and insignificant. Precious, therefore fleeting. “Though her chest was definitely not small.” Ellen was like a white dot stamped on the black canvas that was this Corridor City. It bothered me and caught my eye. My brainstem and instincts told me so. Today, Ellen would die. At least, she seemed prepared for it. “Shall we go?” I crushed the cigarette under my foot and followed after her. Inertia cried out. My imperfection roared. My body and mind were rotting. Now you finally have something to lose. Fear and anxiety tightened around me, grabbing at my ankles. But I shook it all off cleanly. When you build yourself atop violence, all those noises and hesitations settle down neatly. I bared my teeth and smiled. Night falls. And today, I will kill my own heart.