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  “Now, you are our enemy.”

  A shadow fell towards us from above.

  We all looked up, and saw a person dropping down from the school roof.

  Someone I knew.

  Yurihara Minako.

  She was looking right at Echoes.

  Falling on him... no, attacking him.

  “ __ f”

  Blood gushing from his throat, Yurihara Minako cut him open from his shoulder to his waist... with her mere fingers- her nails hideously long.

  She'd fallen more than ten meters, but bounded upwards again like a grasshopper.

  By God, she wasn't human!

  “Ah... “ I could do nothing but stand there with my mouth hanging open.

  “M-Manticore!” Nagi shrieked, following the leaping monster that looked like Yurihara Minako with her eyes.

  That cost her her life.

  Saotome Masami was standing right in front of her.

  She looked down just in time to see his hand slash downwards.

  The knife in his hand flashed.

  “--!” Nagi's voice never made it to words. It was a tiny little survival knife, the size of his palm, like a toy, but the blade was sharp, and it sliced her throat open.

  “I just changed teams -- from the killed, to the killers.”

  I doubt anyone but Saotome Masami himself could understand the meaning behind his words.

  Kirima Nagi spun around, blood spraying from her throat. She fell over.

  “--!”

  His throat pierced, his torso cut in two, Echoes was still watching Nagi. He clearly wasn’t human either.

  He dodged Yurihara Minako as she attacked again, and dashed to Nagi’s side.

  Ignoring Saotome Masami, who backed away, Echoes scooped up Nagi's convulsing body, and leapt away. He cleared the roof of the school in a single jump, vanishing into the night sky.

  He ran away...?

  “Chase him! This is your chance!” Saotome Masami shouted, and Yurihara Minako reversed her course, leaping back the way she had come.

  I was dumbfounded.

  Beside me, Tanaka-kun wailed, then ran away screaming.

  Saotome Masami swung towards me.

  I was frozen stiff, and I couldn't move a muscle.

  “Heh heh heh,” he laughed. His smile was exactly the same as it had been a moment before, back when he was on our side.

  But this boy had just killed another human being...

  My knees rattled. I was shaking with fear.

  “To be honest, the plan was for Kirima Nagi to kill me here, but oh well. This way was pretty fun too,” he said, grinning. Like everything was normal.

  “I could get addicted to doing things myself,” he commented, walking towards me, moonlight glittering off the knife in his hand.

  ***

  As Echoes fled upwards to the roof, he realized that there was little power left in his body.

  The pencil from a moment before -- instead of lead, it had been filled with a fatal poison created by the Manticore. He was infected.

  “......I”

  He quickly pulled the pencil out of his throat. But it was too late.

  His feet and hands felt numb. Injuries that his massive regenerative powers should have healed instantly showed no signs of iinproving.

  But what had happened?

  That boy was the Manticore's ally?

  He hadn't been brainwashed. Echoes was sure of that. But why would a normal human be working with a monster?

  Echoes glanced down at Nagi.

  She was no longer breathing. Her pupils were dilated, nothing reflected in her eyes. Her lips were half open, a stream of blood flowing out of them. She wasn't moving.

  This girl had protected everyone from the shadows, in secret, and it had killed her.

  “............”

  Echoes stared down at her ashen face.

  (Which is it...?)

  He wondered inside. But only Kamikishiro Naoko could answer, and sadly, she was gone.

  Yurihara Minako hit the roof behind him, giving chase.

  Echoes gathered Nagi up again, and leapt off of the roof.

  “You can't get away from me! “ The Manticore yelled, following him.

  She was smiling. Saotome Masami’s plan was going perfectly.

  Echoes was running, but he was too badly wounded. He could not hope to hide.

  She was an imperfect copy, and would never have been his equal in a fair fight, but now the tables were turned.

  When she next caught sight of Echoes, he was abandoning Kirima Nagi's body in the bushes of the schoo1's garden. Clearly, he was trying to lighten the load, but it was too late.

  Grinning from ear to ear, the Manticore flung herself at the slow-moving Echoes.

  Her kick sent Echoes flying.

  ***

  There was a low thud from the school garden.

  I snapped out of it.

  Saotome Masami was right in front of me, waving a knife.

  I narrowly dodged it by rolling on the ground.

  I got my feet up from under me and tried to run, but my right foot slipped, and I fell again.

  I looked down.

  My hands were resting in a pool of Kirima Nagi’s blood.

  “Aaaaahhhh!” and at last, I was able to scream.

  Saotome Masami came after me.

  I tried to spin around. My fingers touched something.

  It gleamed. It was the stun gun that Kirima Nagi had dropped.

  “...... !”

  I snatched up the weapon.

  “Grr... “ Saotome Masami scowled.

  “St-stay back!” I pointed the weapon in his direction, and squeezed the switch-like thing on the side.

  With a crackle, fireworks spat off of the tip, but they were only a few centimeters long. It was but a tiny little light, and it didn't look at all threatening.

  “Hmph,” Saotome Masami smiled, coldly. “What are you going to do to me with that? That kind of weapon can't kill anyone.”

  “Wh-what are you people? That -- Yurihara Minako thing... what is it?!”

  “She is Yurihara Minako, but she is not Yurihara Minako. The original is dead. She is the Manticore.”

  “.....?” I could swear I'd heard that name “Manticore” somewhere. In a computer game or something. I'm sure it meant...... Man-eater.

  Oh. God. That meant... that meant Naoko-san was...

  Saotome Masami saw my expression, and guessed what I was thinking. He grinned. “Exactly. She's already been digested.”

  He said it so normally. Without a shred of guilt.

  “A-and all the other people who vanished?”

  “Mostly. Well, there may be a few girls who just ran away on their own.”

  “And Kirima Nagi was looking for you...”

  That's why she captured us. But she thought we had nothing to do with it, so she released us, without realizing that one of her enemies was hiding among us...”

  “You used us as cover, didn't you?”

  “You had your uses. She was a fool. She allied herself with Echoes, but it never occurred to her that his enemy might have allies as well.”

  His complete composure put a match to the flames of anger inside me. They soon banished my fear.

  “So you lied when you said you loved her?”

  “No, that was the truth. But I no longer need her. Still, I wasn't going to let the Manticore have her; no, I wanted to kill her with my own hands. Do you know how good that feels?”

  “How the hell would I know that?”

  I thrust my weapon towards him. He dodged easily.

  “Beautiful, President. I love your eyes. I love strong- willed, powerful eyes.”

  Grrr. “You little...” I swung my weapon wildly, not getting anywhere near him.

  Then something passed over my head.

  It was “Echoes.” He slammed into the ground. He'd been thrown there.

  He was torn to pieces.

  While I was distracted, Sao
tome Masami kicked my hand.

  “Ah?!” I yelped, but the stun gun was already flung out of my reach.

  From behind me, Yurihara Minako yelled, “Enough, Saotome-kun! I'll finish things.”

  “Okay,” Saotome Masami replied, picking up the stun gun and stepping away. I ran over to Echoes.

  He was a wreck. His right arm was half torn off his shoulder, and there were holes all over his body. He was covered in blood.

  “E-Echoes?” I said, pulling him upright.

  He opened his eyes feebly.

  A pained moan escaped his purple lips.

  “President, it's no use asking him to save you. He's almost dead,” Yurihara Minako -- the Manticore -- said, laughing.

  “That wasn't so hard. You might even have been able to win without any tricks,” Saotome Masami said, evidently enjoying himself.

  “I never thought he would be this weak,” the Manticore replied, amused. “I'm sure he used to be stronger.”

  I glared at her.

  “You aren't human! You're both devils!”

  ***

  As he lay dying, Echoes heard the girl holding him shout, “You aren't human!”

  Not human. She meant they weren't fit to be called human.

  He still didn't understand.

  Which were humans?

  Humans had captured him for being different, and forcefully and quite mercilessly studied his body. Humans had made the Manticore. But the people who had saved him, the cloaked boy in the black hat, Kamikishiro Naoko, and Kirima Nagi, were all human too.

  Which is it?

  Which is the truth?

  “Ha ha ha! You are stupid, aren't you?!” The Manticore laughed, mocking the girl. “I never was human! And Saotome-kun is nothing like you foolish humans. Devils? Fine with me! I think I like being called a devil!”

  “You will be destroyed!” The girl shouted back, not at all cowed. “I will die here, and so will this man, but there will be other people who will stand in your way! No matter where you hide, there will be people who can't ignore the distortions in the world that you're trying to create! And you will be found just like Kirima Nagi found you!” Big tears were again, running down her cheeks.

  She was sad.

  Because she was about to die?

  Then why was she holding him so tightly?

  It was as if she was protecting him from the Manticore.

  Like Kamikishiro Naoko had, when she found him wounded in town.

  (Humans... )

  He had no more time.

  He had to make a choice.

  ***

  “Like Kirima Nagi?” the Manticore chuckled. “I think I'll be her next.”

  “......?” I didn't know what she meant. I had to ask. “What do you mean?”

  “Just that I'll change from Yurihara Minako into Kirima Nagi.”

  At first, I couldn't comprehend this. My mind went blank. Then I was horrified. “W-what?!”

  “She's an ideal specimen. She's crazy, so nobody will say anything if I behave a little oddly; she's rich, and has a vast information network set up. It's perfect. There will be a commotion when Yurihara Minako vanishes, which I would prefer to avoid, but the benefits far outweigh that.”

  “...... !” I shuddered, turning to look at Saotome Masami. He had said that he no longer needed her. Because he had a new girlfriend now.

  Saotome Masami stared back at me, expressionless.

  I had no words.

  “As for you, Niitoki Kei,” the Manticore continued. “The world will never know you've died. We will alter you, and make a slave of you. You'll be moving around, but you will have no heart. Even if you meet a boy you liked, you will feel nothing.”

  I was horrified again.

  I could see it.

  The Manticore disguised as Nagi, and me standing beside her as her slave... I could see myself on gate duty, Nagi beside me, and I'm pointing her to her next meal... even if the boy I had once loved and his pretty girlfriend came, I would think nothing, simply greet them mechanically...

  And that’s not all. The Manticore's terrifying words gave me a glimpse of a higher purpose.

  She and Saotome Masami weren't killing for their own self-preservation. This was just one part of their plan to take control of the world from us humans.

  But if they graduated, and went out of school, what would happen to the world?

  She came closer to me.

  “......!”

  I hugged Echoes’ body tightly.

  Then...

  Echoes slowly raised his wounded arm.

  It was shaking. His fist wasn't clenched or open, his fingers

  just hung there limply.

  He pointed his hand at the Manticore.

  “What? What's that mean? You still think you can do something to stop me?” The Manticore smirked.

  “............” But Echoes wasn't looking at her.

  He was looking at the stars in the sky behind her.

  And he suddenly spoke, using actual words, not to anybody, but to the sky above.

  “My body into information, transmit to source!”

  And the air around me was filled with white light.

  4.

  That evening, a strange electrical disturbance was recorded in the area. Satellite broadcast monitors all went white, computer hard drives were cleared of all data, and a multitude of other similar unnatural phenomenon were encountered. The television stations and newspaper offices were deluged with questions and complaints. There were several investigations launched, with no real satisfactory results. But a number of witnesses said, “About that time, I could swear I saw the sky glow. It was just for a second, but it was like a bright light was launched from the ground into the sky.” But these reports were never connected to anything, and were eventually buried and forgotten.

  ***

  ...I know what I saw.

  Echoes changed into light, and that light swallowed the Manticore.

  And a second before it did, Saotome Masami leapt in front of the Manticore, shielding her with his body --

  I don't know what he was thinking, why he was on the side of the Manticore, and frankly, I don't want to know.

  But there was one thing that I did have to admit... he might have killed a number of people for the Manticore, but that casual disregard for life sure included his own.

  Saotome Masami was swept up in the torrent of light, his body blown away, not a trace of it left.

  He was disintegrated... no, he was erased.

  But moments before Echoes had self-destructed, the Manticore had been flung aside by her companion and out of the beam's path.

  “...... !”

  Even as I was flung aside by the shockwave, I desperately struggled to grasp the situation.

  But no, I didn't understand anything.

  From my point of view, there was absolutely no way for me to grasp the first thing about what had just happened.

  What the hell was Echoes? How could something that looked like a human turn into light and explode?! And what ‘information’ was he ‘transmitting’? To who? I simply had no way of knowing.

  (What's happening--?!)

  I hit the ground and rolled, screaming with frustration inside.

  When I finally managed to stop myself, there was no light left around me.

  Grunting in pain, I sat up, looked in front of me, and gasped.

  She was standing there alone.

  Half of her body was burned black, and smoke was rising off of it. The uniform she'd been wearing had been blown away, and beneath the moonlight, every inch of her slim, limber body was exposed.

  “............”

  She was gazing blankly at the sky.

  She didn't seem to be looking at anything.

  “............”

  Her lips trembled. Like they were scrambling to form words that never emerged.

  “Ah... ahh...”

  There was no expression on her face. It had been replaced by em
ptiness.

  The face of someone that had lost something that they valued more than their own life.

  As if half of her body had been torn away.

  As if her capacity for joy had been pulled up by the roots.

  She looked as if she could no longer perceive any meaning, like there was nothing left for her.

  “Aaaaaarrggggghhhhhhhhh!!”

  Somewhere, her endless scream turned into a howl.

  It was the sound of her heart breaking.

  The scream seemed to shake the moon.

  “............”

  I sat and watched, nailed to the spot.

  But then I realized that was the last thing I should be doing.

  (G-got to run... !)

  As I tried to get to my feet, the gravel scrunched beneath me.

  Like a mechanical response, the Manticore's battered face swung towards me.

  Our eyes met.

  A shiver ran down my spine.

  Even by the light of the moon, I could tell her eyes were blood red. The whites were completely soaked in crimson hostility.

  “You die... !” she howled. “I'll kill every last one of you! !”

  As if her voice had been a trigger, I shot to my feet, and ran for it.

  Naturally, she came after me.

  I was running, but from the sound of it, she was walking, dragging one leg.

  But the sound was getting closer.

  (Waaaah!)

  At the time, I was convinced that fear had fmally driven me round the bend.

  I was hearing things.

  I could hear a melody corning through the bushes in front of me-an impossible, unnatural melody.

  Someone was whistling.

  Whistling a tune that should never be whistled, Wagner's “Die Meistersinger von Numberg.”

  Unnatural or not, at that moment I had no other straws to grasp at.

  I ran for my life towards the sound.

  When I was almost there, my leg slipped.

  “Aah-!” I screamed, pitching forward, falling flat on my face. I smacked my forehead on the ground, and everything went black for a moment.

  The whistling stopped.

  I could hear the sound of the Manticore’s footsteps, several times louder than it had been a moment before.

  “-----!”

  I spun around, and the Manticore’s hand was already reaching towards me.