Stagnant Water of Apocalypse

So, my country is currently in a music Festival season. There’s 3 or 4 music fest in a single week. That’s the reason I can’t translate much this month, have to play at stage again~ Tho, my schedule is calming down in 1 or 2 weeks…

Shintaro Koyama, 25 years old. It was not an exaggeration to say that as an office worker from Gunma, he was lucky to survive the D-day. Then he came to Tokyo, thinking that in order to get food, he had to go to the city.

There he met a woman. He became very close with her and even promised her that they would live together.

Yuzuka’s expression contorted as if she couldn’t understand it.

“Why did you use your name? You shouldn’t be called Vengeful Shintaro, but Vengeful Koyama instead…”

Right…

Japanese people rarely use their own name. They were more comfortable using their family name. Kenji also identified himself as Shiraishi in the letter.

“Well, I just want to be called that way.”

As Seokhyun said, it seemed like he had a severe case of chuunibyou. Anyway, according to Shintaro’s words, his story became a tragedy-tagged story; His lover was killed by the boss of the Monster Association.

However, the way he said it was weird.

Yuzuka continued to hurl one question after another, proof that she is feeling something strange about him. In the end, it was revealed that his lover, or should I say ex-lover, was still alive.

Seokhyun, who was grooming his alter ego–the rabbit ears–smiled.

“You mean you got NTR’d?”

“AHHHHH! Don’t say it like that!”

“Shuuush. Don’t be too noisy unless you want to attract all the surrounding monsters.”

When I threatened him softly, Shintaro shut his mouth and rolled his eyes. In summary, the boss of the Monster Alliance had taken Shintaro’s lover and turned her into a Monster.

Shintaro told us that he forced her to kill others before bringing her anywhere he goes. When a man and a woman are always together, it is impossible for them to have a pure relationship. Which means, at least, they would have been involved in a sexual relationship.

Shintaro finally started to shed his tears.

“I, I worked hard to change Yoko back… but it wasn’t enough… She’s already turned into a Monster…”

When someone become a murderer, they wouldn’t feel anything at first. But the more they kill, the more difficult it is to control the urge. Later on, they would find ecstasy in killing, but their ending was always disastrous. They would be caught by a guy like me, got a reality check, and got killed.

“Do you know who Monster Alliance’s boss is?”

“I don’t know his name, but I heard the Monsters called him Murayama-sama…”

“What is the size of the Monster Alliance?”

“I’m not sure, but I think they are a group of five or six… about three of them aren’t Monsters…”

“How strong is the boss?”

Seokhyun asked while feeling excited, probably because he wants to fight a strong opponent, and Shintaro made an ambiguous expression.

“There are rumors that Murayama has surpassed level 25.”

“Forget it…” Seokhyun sighed.

“Hey. I guess because you came from Korea you don’t know the situation well…”

Yuzuka looked at me. I told her with my eyes that she didn’t have to tell the guy about us. After all, as long as we managed to acquire the gryphons, it’s all good.

I asked a few more questions, and he answered obediently. Turns out, Monster Alliance wasn’t as great as their name. They were just bunch of murderers who went under the umbrella of one particular murderer who had the Friendliness skill.

I untied the rope that tied him up.

“I warned you, be quiet. Then I’ll give you some food.”

“I know you guys are stronger than me…”

I pulled out a couple of canned eggs from my backpack and instant side dishes from the backpack and put it in front of us. As it was a rarity, Yuzuka said she wanted to eat more, but she didn’t eat it in the end.

Shintaro’s eyes widened.

“Where did you get this canned food?”

“You’re surprised by this, but stayed unfazed seeing guns? Anyway, you’ll only get hurt if you know, so just eat. If it’s not enough, tell me.”

“The more I look at you, the weirder you are. Well, it’s not as weird as that guy’s attire though.”

It seemed like even for the eyes of a chuunibyou like him, Seokhyun’s over the top attire was quite shocking. He glanced at us and devoured the instant side dish and canned food.

Only after he finished eating, he asked Yuzuka carefully.

“You look like a Japanese person.”

“You’re right.”

“How did you end up with these dangerous Koreans?”

She glanced at us and said.

“Yuzuka knows it’s dangerous, but it’s still better since there’s a good chance that we’ll survive.”

“Who the hell are they? What level are they?”

“I don’t know for sure. All I know is that both of them are the strongest in Korea.”

“In Korea? So they should at least be level 20, right?”

“Yuzuka, let’s go.”

“Yes, I’m sorry…”

When Shintaro heard her name, he was surprised.

“Yuzuka? Is it possible that you are Shiraishi Yuzuka from Fukuoka?”

It seemed like it was a name he recognized. Yuzuka felt bashful when her name was called. Meanwhile, Shintaro started talking to himself.

“Aren’t those two a great combination? The strongest man in Korea and descendant of the royal family…”

“It is not like that. Yuzuka is just following him as payment. Moreover, the royal family is no more.”

I had heard that Kenji and Yuzuka were noble descendants, but I didn’t know they were part of the royal family.

But she didn’t seem to care. Seriously, what help would it be in this situation to say that you are a descendant of the royal family?

I told her.

“To be honest, I don’t care who Yuzuka is. What’s important is that we can help each other.”

She smiled lightly.

“Yuzuka thinks that’s good too.”

But Shintaro had an ambiguous face at that moment.

“But you guys better not show Shiraishi-san to Murayama.”

“Why?”

“He’s looking for a member of the royal family. He seemed to be trying to influence people by making himself the focal point.”

Seokhyun tilted her head as if strangely.

“Is that even possible for a murderer? He’s going to become a problem for many people just by being close to them.”

“There’s definitely someone backing him up.”

At my words, Shintaro said ah, and opened his mouth.

“Come to think of it, I heard Murayama often called him ‘Mister’. I don’t know exactly who he’s referring to, though.”

The story just got complicated. We’re here just to look for a few gryphons. However, as long as they were looking for Shiraishi, it was difficult to ignore them.

The answer is simple.

“For now, we’ll just do what we have to do. But if they decide to come, we’ll answer accordingly.”

“Yes. Let’s scold him with our fists.”

Hearing our words, Shintaro smiled bitterly and shook his head.

“You guys are really clueless…”

“You talk too much… Just leave.”

When I told Shintaro so, he was taken aback.

“Leave? Can’t I… follow you?”

“I can’t guarantee your safety.”

After all, it’s a Battle Royale battlefield. Which means, killing would not turn someone into a murderer.

When Seokhyun made a terrifying expression on his face, Shintaro disappeared in a panic.

Look at him…

He ran through the wall. Looked like him knowing a lot of information was due to that unique skill. That was the best ability for running away in the apocalypse.

I told both Yuzuka and Seokhyun.

“Let’s go too. But since Yuzuka hates the Royal Palace… Let’s just find another battlefield.”

She bowed her head to express her gratitude.

“Yuzuka is grateful. In my opinion, Odaiba would be good… How about it?”

Not bad.

Like that, the battlefield to be cleared was decided. As we were all leaving the building, we heard a very weak heartbeat. It seemed to make fun of us as when we looked at its direction it instantly disappeared before coming back again when we decided to walk again.

You want to do this, huh?

Let’s see who will outlast who.

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.

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Murayama of Monster Alliance heard an interesting report from his subordinates who roamed through Ikebukuro.

“Koreans? Is that true?”

“Yes. This is a fact that was confirmed through the paper airplane that Sakaguchi-sama sent.”

Ozawa, who replied that way, was a difficult person for even Murayama to deal with. It was due to the fact that he’s not his subordinate, but someone from the Sakaguchi Federation which was active in Roppongi.

It was not a stretch to say that he’s dispatched from a higher organization to his organization. But surprisingly, Ozawa was kind to Murayama. And that made Murayama happy.

“Koreans, huh? There is no reason for them to come here, so why?”

“Perhaps they want to see the situation here.”

“Who’s the girl they are with?”

“It seems to be… No, I’m sure she’s Japanese.”

“Should we treat her as a defector because she’s hanging out with Koreans?”

“Sakaguchi-sama also expressed concern about that.”

“Then that’s good. Our group had no choice but to step out.”

The Monster Alliance, which exerts influence in the Ikebukuro area, consisted of a total of about 10 people. Its leader was, of course, Murayama. He’s known as the strongest and worst Monster. His monstrous ability made him famous even to the other murderer.

Murayama gathered more additional information. His original style was to act immediately. But since the other party was Korean, he wanted to prepare more thoroughly.

“Since they had passed through that dangerous passage, I’m sure they aren’t weak.”

The dangerous passage he said refers to the Great Labyrinth. There were quite a few Koreans who played Survival Life, so a lot of them knew about the Great Labyrinth, but it couldn’t be said the same for the Japanese.

Ozawa bowed his head.

“Of course that’s the case. But I believe Murayama-sama won’t lose against them.”

“It’s only natural. First of all, I want to see some of their skills… but the question is where they’re going.”

Ozawa said after contacting someone through the Auction House.

“Looks like they are going to Odaiba. They just crossed the bridge.”

“Follow them till the end.”

“I understand.”

After a while, the two Monsters headed for Odaiba. But the news about the Koreans disappeared without a trace. It was also said that the paper planes launched by the Sakaguchi Federation were destroyed.

When this happened, Murayama’s eyes lit up with blood. He was fine with most things, but the thing he hated the most was causing trouble for the Sakaguchi Federation.

He grinded his teeth in front of two of his men.

“Are you going to embarrass me for letting those guys go? I can’t stand it any longer. I will go on my own.”

But he couldn’t….

Recognizing the seriousness of the case, Sakaguchi came to visit him personally.

Sakaguchi Yosuke. He’s someone who even Murayama–who is famous for being the most monstrous amongst Monsters– did not dare to be reckless against.

The vertical slash scars across his face spoke enough volume about the man’s past.

“You looked bad, Murayama-kun.”

“I’m sorry. Because of those guys, I was in a bit of a hurry…”

“So, have you found them?”

“Not yet…”

Sakaguchi, who was in his fifties, put his hand on his pocket and clicked his tongue.

“Well, I’ll leave the matter to you, Murayama-kun. More than that, did you know who the woman who was with the two Koreans is?”

“I’m sorry, I don’t know.”

“She’s Shiraishi from Fukuoka. Heir to the blood of the old royal family.”

“Shiraishi, huh?”

Sakaguchi pulled his hand out of pocket and opened it.

“To create a new Japan, we need a central point. Shiraishi is perfect for that role. Bring her to me. Alive, of course.”

“I will keep that in mind.”

“By the way, can I take a look this time? I want to see you fight.”

Murayama could only laugh at that moment. The man was trying to show the prowess of their group to the other executives of Sakaguchi Federation.

Sakaguchi brought his face closer to Murayama.

“Don’t let your guard down. Those two Koreans… They accurately shot down a paper airplane that flew 100 meters in the air with a bow. They are not normal.”

Murayama couldn’t believe it.

Shooting something so small that flew 100 meter above them? Is that really possible?

However, since Sakaguchi was someone he dared not to disobey, he just nodded.

“I will go on my own.”

“If Murayama-kun comes forward, I will be reassured. Let’s go.”

“Yes.”

Even though Murayama was the strongest and worst Monster, there was a reason why he treated Sakaguchi like that.

Firearms.

The Sakaguchi Federation was one of the few groups who had guns. They obtained information from Korea two weeks before the end of the world and completed the preparations. It was a remarkable act of action compared to the government’s.

Rumor has it that they hired a producer with experience in gun making from foreign country. Thanks to that, the Sakaguchi Federation had recently succeeded in securing several firearms.

Even though it’s a clumsy handmade gun, it didn’t have any problems doing its job to kill people.

Murayama was afraid of that.

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.

.

Odaiba was an area with fewer monsters. All the people who worked on the artificial island before the end of the world fled to Bedtown. There was no way monsters would stay in such a commercial area where there’s a little to none to eat.

But it’s weird…

Even though it has fewer monsters, how can it be so empty?

In addition, as they approached Odaiba Beach, the effect of the Shackles of War disappeared.

Sakaguchi walked through Nozomi Bridge with Murayama and his men.

“Isn’t it strange… the battlefield’s shackles effect is gone.”

“It is already weird that there are no monsters at all… It’s also so quiet.”

“It sounds pretty loud to me, though.”

What Sakaguchi talked about was the heartbeats of Monsters.

Murayama hurriedly bowed his head.

“I’m sorry. Sakaguchi-sama.”

“It’s fine. More importantly, are you confident in subduing the two Koreans?”

“Subduing?”

“I wanted to hear their story.”

“I’m sorry to say this, but I’m sure they are in a worse situation than we are.”

“That’s precisely what I want to hear. Murayama-kun, please.”

Murayama stared at him without saying a word. Rumors that Sakaguchi was Japanese-Korean have existed for a long time. He was supposed to be ruthless as someone who always followed a yakuza who had a big pachinko business, so it felt strange when he was told to subdue them.

Did he want to hear news from his hometown?

On the subject of Japanese-Korean,

Murayama’s lips twisted, but Sakaguchi couldn’t see it. All of a sudden, his men start reporting that they’d found someone on the beach in Odaiba.

“It’s a woman and two guys who look Korean.”

“They must have been waiting. Then it would be wise to say hello. Go.”

Sakaguchi, who took the lead, was followed by his men. Some of them were carrying backpacks with guns.

Sakaguchi went down to Odaiba Beach and opened his mouth.

“The smell here is really unbearable.”

Seongho, who was waiting for them, smiled.

“It’s also unbearable for us who have been waiting, Sakaguchi.”

The faces of Sakaguchi and Murayama contorted.

How did he know their name?

They didn’t know that since the battlefield had been cleared. The effect of the ‘Shackles of War’ had disappeared, and Seongho as well as Seokhyun regained their original strength.

Murayama stepped forward at that moment. It was a move he made to put pressure on the two of them through the intense heartbeat.

But it turned out to be a complete failure.

When the man who wore only panties and a rabbit headband pressed the switch on the boombox, a violent beat echoed on the beach.

Thump, Thump, Thump, Thump, Thump, Thump!

“Yea!!!! SEEEEGGGGGSSS!!!!”

The Japanese were mesmerized by the dazzling stick dance of the rabbit man. Meanwhile, Yuzuka couldn’t help but close her eyes.