The Hand That Wouldn't Let Go
Wham— chapter twenty's dialogue is hitting on all cylinders, holy crap—
KUUUUUUUUUUU—!!!!
Behind them, between the buildings, something that hadn't existed a moment ago revealed itself — a massive black circle.
At first, it looked like simple darkness.
But it wasn't darkness.
It was a gigantic black hole, devouring the surrounding light and warping the very air.
The heart of the enormous circle was pitch black.
Around it, brilliant white light swirled and churned.
The wreckage of buildings lifted into the empty air.
Fragments of concrete.
Shattered steel girders.
Everything was being dragged toward the black hole.
"............!!!!!"
All the blood drained from Chain's face in an instant.
"What... is that..."
Thud.
She took a step back.
But.
Her feet wouldn't move.
".......!"
Chain spun around, trying to flee.
She was already far too close.
Fwoomph—!!
Her body lurched forward.
"Kgh...!"
Chain scrambled to grab the ground.
Screeee—!!
Her fingers scraped against the concrete.
"No, no...!"
Her body was slowly lifting off the ground.
The tips of her toes floated free, and within moments her whole body tilted toward the black hole.
Instinctively, Chain checked her waist.
For her wires.
Nothing there.
She had used every last one in her battle with Shalla.
"...Damn it."
She reached out again.
Swish.
But nothing caught her hands.
KUUUUUUUUU—!!
Chain's body began to be pulled in faster and faster.
"Ha...."
Chain understood the situation she was in.
There was no way out.
Her wires were already gone.
She couldn't fight gravity of this magnitude.
And then... Chain slowly closed her eyes.
"...So this is how it ends."
She smiled with quiet resignation.
Eyes still closed.
She looked toward Rai — the junior she had been beating half to death only minutes ago.
Her junior, lying bloodied and motionless on the ground.
Chain spoke quietly.
"......Sorry for hitting you."
Her voice was small.
"Junior."
And then.
The moment she was about to give her body over entirely to the black hole.
Grab—!!
"......!"
Something seized Chain's wrist.
Startled, Chain slowly opened her eyes.
"...What?"
And she saw what was holding her hand.
"Tha... uuuugh..."
It was Rai.
"...Junior?"
Rai, drenched head to toe in blood.
His body couldn't even manage proper movement.
And still, he was gripping Chain's hand.
His fingers were trembling.
But he didn't let go.
Tighten.
Rai clenched his teeth.
Blood trickled down between teeth that were already broken.
"Ngh...."
A confused expression crossed Chain's face.
"Junior...!"
Thrum-thrum-thrum...!!!
Rai's body was being dragged toward the black hole too.
Chain shouted.
"If this keeps up, you'll be sucked in too—!!!!"
Grind.
Rai's grip on Chain's hand only tightened.
"Let go...!!!"
"No."
"I won't hold it against you..."
Chain pleaded, her voice cracking.
"I already did something horrible to you... you have the right. So... let go of my hand..."
Rai shook his head.
"I said no....!!"
His voice was trembling.
"Over my dead body... no...!!!!"
"Junior...."
"You think...."
Rai clenched his teeth.
"You beat the crap out of me, and I'm just going to let you die...?!!!"
Chain stared at Rai with disbelief written across her face.
"Have you..."
Chain's voice shook.
"forgotten what I did?"
"........."
"I was trying to kill you."
Chain's voice broke, thick with tears.
"I told you I'd never loved anyone, and no one had ever loved me..."
"......!!!"
"If you leave me alive...."
"......."
"I might try to kill you all over again."
Rai's face twisted in pain.
"Of course... I hate that."
"........"
"But...."
Rai gripped Chain's hand even harder.
"If you die... I'd hate that more."
Chain's eyes wavered.
"...Why."
Chain asked.
"Why would you go this far...?"
Rai gasped for breath.
Then, with a blood-soaked face, he smiled — just barely, just faintly.
"You said...."
He caught his breath.
"That I would...."
"......."
"Grow up to be a fine adult, remember?"
Chain's eyes flew wide open.
"........!"
Strength flowed back into Rai's hand.
"So if...."
His voice trembled.
"If you let go of my hand here...."
Rai clenched his teeth.
"I... won't ever grow up to be a fine adult or anything...."
His body slid further and further down.
Thrum-thrum-thrum-thrum-thrum-thrummm—!!!
"I'll never be anything at all. So please...."
Tears welled in Chain's eyes.
"Please...."
Rai cried out desperately.
"Don't give up...!"
Slip—!!!
In that instant, Rai's grip slipped off Chain's wrist.
"Kyaak—!!!"
Snatch—!!!
But Rai immediately caught Chain's wrist again with his other hand — barely, just barely.
Chain couldn't say a single word.
Rai's hand, holding onto her.
It was so weak.
It felt like it could slip away at any second.
And yet, to the very end, he refused to let her go.
Tears spilled from Chain's eyes.
"...I'm sorry."
Chain said quietly.
"Junior...."
And then.
She slipped her hand into her pocket.
Click.
She drew out a dagger.
Rai's eyes went wide.
"...Senpai?"
Chain stared down at the dagger.
And then.
"...I'm sorry."
"Wait."
Rai's voice shook.
"Don't tell me...."
Chain raised the dagger.
Rai screamed with everything he had.
"If you stab your wrist with that...!"
Chain's eyes turned to Rai.
"I'll resent you for the rest of my life."
Rai's voice cracked.
"I really... for my whole life...!"
Chain was silent for a moment.
Then she smiled, faintly.
"...If it's your resentment, Junior."
Tears streamed down Chain's face once more.
"I'll accept it gladly."
The dagger moved.
"Senpai—!"
The moment Chain tried to cut through Rai's grip.
"Don't you DARE try to die without my permission—!!!
KUUUUUUUUNG!!!
At the sudden shout, Chain's eyes flew wide open.
"........!"
Shatter—!!!!
Fragments of the violet barrier came raining down onto the rooftop.
BOOOOOM----!!!
It was Shalla, bursting through the shattered remains of the barrier.
Her entire body was drenched in blood.
She couldn't even breathe properly anymore.
And still, she ran.
Da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da...!!!
"Shalla...?"
Chain murmured in disbelief.
Shalla charged straight toward the black hole.
"Don't you let him goooooooo----!!!"
And she clenched her fist.
Grind.
She gathered every ounce of strength left in her body into a single point.
"You think some overgrown vacuum cleaner...!"
Fury blazed in Shalla's eyes.
"Gets to take my LANDLORD away from me?!!!
Her fist struck the black hole.
In that instant.
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!!
Space itself tore apart.
The space surrounding the black hole fractured like a colossal pane of glass.
Crack-crack-crack-crack----!!!
The black circle shuddered.
A fissure split across its center.
And then.
CRAAACK!!!
The black hole shattered into pieces.
Thrum-thrum-thrum-thrum-thrum—!!!
The black expanse split into thousands of fragments.
And even those fragments scattered away into the light.
"........."
The gravity vanished.
Chain and Rai's bodies were flung back into the open air.
Fwump—!!!
Chain instinctively twisted in midair.
And landed on the rooftop.
THUD!!
"..."
Rai collapsed onto the ground just the same.
Chain pushed herself up.
And looked at Shalla.
Shalla lay sprawled on the ground, every last ounce of her strength spent.
"...Shalla."
No answer.
She appeared to have lost consciousness entirely.
Chain gazed at Shalla for a long moment, then turned her head.
Rai wasn't moving either.
Chain approached him.
Step... step... step...
And stopped in front of him.
Her junior, soaked in blood.
For a while, Chain couldn't say anything at all.
Then, in a trembling voice, she spoke.
"...Junior."
"........."
"Already."
Tears fell from Chain's eyes.
"You were already...."
Her lips trembled.
"From the moment you met me... you were already a fine adult."
Chain tried to smile, but the expression was closer to sobbing.
"I was...."
Her voice shook.
"I was the one who was a broken little kid."
Chain slowly sank to her knees.
Thump.
"Back then...."
"........"
"And even now...."
Chain looked at Rai's face.
"I didn't understand anything at all."
And then, carefully, Chain reached out.
With her fingertips, she gently touched Rai's cheek.
Swoosh.
"...I'm sorry."
Chain bowed her head.
And then, she pressed the smallest of kisses to Rai's bloodied cheek.
Peck.
"...Junior."
And so the long, long night passed.
___ ___
How much time had gone by?
The sky was gradually brightening.
A faint morning glow spilled down over the darkened city.
Rai's fingers twitched.
"Ugh...."
Everything hurt.
Even breathing was agony.
Rai forced his eyes open.
"Where am I...."
Someone was right in front of him.
It was Shalla, crouching on the rooftop with her head drooping, dozing on and off.
Rai stared at her for a long, long while.
And then...
"...Shalla."
At the sound of his voice, Shalla's eyelids twitched.
"...Mmm."
She opened her eyes slowly, and her gaze met Rai's.
"...You're awake."
Rai scanned his surroundings.
"Where's Chain senpai....?"
Shalla's expression crumpled at once.
"........"
Rai asked again.
"Where did Chain senpai go?"
"You."
Shalla glared at him.
"Shouldn't you be worrying about yourself first?"
Rai flinched.
"...I suppose."
"........"
Rai's voice was trembling so badly that Shalla momentarily found herself at a loss for words.
Then.
Pfft.
The corners of her mouth lifted.
"Unbelievable."
Shalla moved closer to Rai.
And took his right hand.
"What on earth is wrong with you, anyway?"
Rai tilted his head.
"...What do you mean?"
"While you were being sucked into a black hole."
Grip.
Shalla squeezed Rai's hand tight.
"You reached out your hand to save someone else?"
Rai smiled faintly.
"...Because you were there."
Shalla blinked, and Rai went on.
"That you'd... come at the very last moment."
He smiled, soft and faint.
"I think I believed it, somewhere deep down."
Shalla's face froze.
And then.
"...You."
Shalla's face flushed red.
"You really...."
Then, suddenly, she broke into a huge toothy grin.
"This debt isn't getting paid off with just one restaurant."
Rai blinked.
"...What?"
"Brace yourself."
Shalla beamed.
"This time, I'm going to eat you out of house and home."
Rai chuckled too.
"...Go easy on me."
"Nope~!"
"...That's so unfair."
"You brought it on yourself."
The two of them looked at each other for a moment.
And then they laughed, both at the same time.
The bloodstained rooftop.
The night that had seemed like the end of everything.
And at its very edge, the two of them were laughing.
Swoosh.
Just then, Rai looked up at the sky.
Somewhere along the way, the sun had fully risen.
Warm sunlight fell across the two of them.
Rai looked at Shalla and asked.
"...By the way."
"Yeah?"
"For today to finally be over...."
Rai asked in a trembling voice.
"How many hours do we have left...?"
"Ha...."
Shalla burst out laughing, utterly exasperated.
The first light of dawn bathed the two of them.
At the end of a night filled with pain and despair.
Their ordinary, everyday lives were beginning all over again.