Tokyo bombing incident Nth time

“Yuri, you really don’t understand the situation here, which is why I’m telling you that just running away is absolutely not enough.” Mingmei suppressed her anger. “You don’t understand, they can use guns, Yuri, and not just one. What do you think that means?”

“This means they are ruthless and will not hesitate to cause enormous damage, which is extremely dangerous,” Yuri quickly replied. “If we can’t risk our lives to fight them, we should retreat immediately.”

"Didn't you think about what role the police played in this?" Akemi offered a hint.

To my surprise, the Japanese police were not even in Yuri's mind. "Give me ten seconds, no, fifteen seconds, let me think about it."

Japanese police... Yuri never really had any close contact with them. They were always busy, in Tokyo, a place rife with murders...

“You mean we can report it to the police? I don’t think that’s very reliable.” He gave his response, “Although they try very hard, they can only solve the problem after the incident. If we report it directly, it will only be useful after Yamanaka Yuka gets those people to kill her. The problem is that if that happens, we will have already lost.”

“…Sigh, when you get back I’ll give you a crash course in common sense.” Akemi’s voice became weak and listless. “Didn’t you think that it’s one gun, but the other side had several guns, even repeating weapons? What does that mean? In Japan, it’s forbidden for ordinary people to own guns, and the police are not allowed to carry firearms when not on duty. Transporting and selling firearms is also illegal.”

“…What does this mean?” Yuri wanted to answer, “Does this mean that Japanese police are all useless?”, but Akemi seemed to have no reason to emphasize this conclusion to herself.

While this conclusion is reasonable, if the Japanese police weren't all incompetent, how could Tokyo have become like this?

“This means there are people within the Japanese police force assisting them—otherwise, how could they so easily use repeating firearms?” Akemi’s voice carried a hint of tension. “Japan’s security situation isn’t that bad…”

“I think it’s more reasonable to say they’re all useless compared to each other.” Yuri finally couldn’t help but say, “Many of the murders reported in the newspapers involve the use of privately owned handguns or something. I think their gun control is really not up to par.”

“Single-shot pistols are one thing, automatic firearms are another—it’s like news of a series of arson attacks can be suppressed, but if someone causes a Ferris wheel in an amusement park to roll down, it definitely can’t be suppressed, you understand?” Akemi raised her voice. “Think about it carefully, what if there were collaborators within the Japanese police force?”

Is it really that exaggerated? The difference between automatic firearms and single-shot pistols is so great that it's like a Ferris wheel rolling down a hill? Yuri didn't really have a concept of this, but since Akemi had already brought it up, Yuri stopped arguing—after all, he didn't have any evidence to prove that the Japanese police were truly incompetent rather than having a mole within them.

"Does this mean they'll use Japanese police channels to track us?" Akemi repeatedly reminded them of this possibility.

“That’s right, so your idea of ​​getting away with Yuka is probably just wishful thinking—the Japanese police’s tracking methods aren’t that effective, but they’re still better than your efforts alone—the police search and determine the general area, and then those so-called ‘hunters’ use supernatural methods to pinpoint the exact location. You say Yuka’s health isn’t good? How far can you run with her?”

"What else can we do but abandon her?" Yuri raised his voice. "Running is better than standing still and not running at all, right?"

“We still have to run, at least we can’t stop in a phone booth on the street, but don’t leave Tokyo—Yuri. News spreads more easily in Tokyo, and they’ll be more cautious.” Akemi’s voice returned to calm. “I guess you don’t understand either, and I didn’t know at first either, but Lehwa told me that news spreads much faster in Tokyo than outside—something about someone having a gun is more likely to become big news.”

"Big news?" Yuri repeated the last few words.

“Yes, big news, Yuri. Several people are running amok with guns. This is big news—once this is exposed, public opinion will put pressure on the police, forcing them to solve the case—and then, as long as they catch the mole, they will expose all the illegal things these ‘hunters’ have done.” Mingmei paused for a moment. “Of course, they may not catch them, but normally we wouldn’t gamble on this; the risk is too great.”

The reason for the pause was probably that I remembered just how incompetent the Tokyo police really are.

“They’ve already fired shots in the hospital, Akemi—I don’t know the state of the hospital’s surveillance system, but they don’t seem to be trying to dodge anything.” Yuri provided new information. “It was wrong of me not to explain the whole situation beforehand—but Akemi, judging from their actions in the hospital, they don’t seem very afraid of their information being recorded.”

“I don’t know the whole story, but I think the surveillance cameras in a hospital can be cut off and deleted, Yuri—” Akemi’s voice softened, and then she whispered a location, “Go here, Yuri, the surveillance cameras here won’t be easily dealt with.”

"Are you sure? That direction isn't very convenient."

From Yuri's current location, connecting to the hospital and then to the location Akemi mentioned, it's about a 150-degree angle, meaning they're practically opposite each other across the hospital.

Although the hospital was clearly not the hunters' main stronghold, the chances of encountering them were still relatively high if they turned around like this.

“I’m sure that place is special—the surveillance inside won’t stop easily—do you believe me?”

What's there to disbelieve? Who could be more trustworthy?

“I believe you, of course,” Yuri replied.

"Alright, then get there as safely as possible... I can tell you definitively that you're unlikely to be able to hide there for two days, but at least during the day it's relatively safe. You can expect your enemies to attack at night. Don't fight them head-on. Hold out until the surveillance gathers enough evidence, and then I'll use that evidence to threaten them. If they don't retreat, I'll release it to the whole society—"

"Wait a minute, this plan won't work." Yuri suddenly realized, "Don't do anything stupid, Minmei. They have guns. If you suddenly show up, you'll put yourself in great danger."

“I’m not stupid enough to commit suicide. Of course, I’ll communicate with them through the loudspeaker—you go there now, and once you get there, you can talk to me using their telephone. —How long will it take?”

"Two to four hours," Yuri estimated the distance.

If it were just him, it definitely wouldn't take this long, but carrying Yuka Yamanaka along the way would take at least two hours—double that if you include hiding from people along the way.

This was in the early morning when there were few people; if we had set off at noon, we probably would never have made it.

"...Did you guys run off to the other side of Tokyo?"

"Please be understanding, we didn't bring our motorcycles."

"Please take a taxi, I'm begging you, when it's a matter of life and death, don't try to save money."

...Actually, I hadn't thought of it at all; it wasn't about saving money.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Yuri left the phone booth and walked over to Yuka Yamanaka, who was shivering on the ground.

The ground was very cold in the early hours of winter. Yuri hadn't thought much about it when he left her there, and she hadn't complained. But now it seems a bit excessive.

"Did you...done the call?" The sin-eater girl sitting on the ground looked up, a trembling expression on her face. "What were you planning to do?"

"Did you bring any money? We might have to take a taxi to a place that's supposedly safe and warm, where we can relax a little... just a little."

Yuka Yamanaka nodded vigorously.

172 Two-sided statements

After half an hour of commotion, the two arrived at their destination without incident: the ground floor of a suspicious hotel.

Before setting off, Yuri stole a box of candy from a convenience store. The candy itself wasn't particularly important, but the box was made of metal. He vaguely remembered his textbook saying that metal containers could block signals—now, although he didn't know whether the pistol would transmit signals or whether the metal box could completely block them, he decided to try to eliminate all possibilities… at least as much as possible.

Then I thanked Yuka Yamanaka for her wallet; if she hadn't been rich, the journey would have taken several times longer.

Although the taxi driver had some doubts about the two's situation, Yuri would raise his voice and announce, "My sister is just a little anemic," whenever he tried to ask, effectively shutting him down.

Although Yuri didn't know if anemia could make someone so weak that they needed to be helped to walk, he had heard that it was a disease with a very wide range of effects, affecting everyone from newborns to the elderly.

I'm grateful that Yuka Yamanaka's condition has improved; otherwise, it would be even harder to explain if she still had to be carried.

Of course, what's even harder to explain is this hotel... its heart-shaped neon sign is a bit too obvious.

Upon closer inspection, the building shows obvious signs of aging and subsequent repairs, indicating it is quite old. Meanwhile, the equally old neon lights appear to be completely unmaintained.

It doesn't seem to be doing very well. Why did Mingmei specifically choose this place?

"Are you sure we haven't come to the wrong place? This hotel looks different from the others." Yuka Yamanaka pointed to the heart-shaped neon sign. "Love? This hotel doesn't seem to be just a place to stay."

“The address seems correct, and although this looks a bit off, the rest doesn’t seem like the kind of place where people would be allowed to live.” Yuri was also a little hesitant.

The surrounding buildings are mostly shops, and they don't look like places where people would go in to rest.

“Standing here like an idiot won’t do any good. There’s another way to confirm.” Yuri came up with an idea. “Mingmei said there’s an event going on here where you can stay in XX room and not have to pay and you’ll even get free food. Let’s just go in and ask.”

"Uh? Why?"

Good question. Yuri doesn't know why either.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

"So that old lady at the door... that lady just let us in like that? She only asked us to write a short essay to prove that the room was fine when we left?" Yuka Yamanaka started muttering to herself in a hurry before she had gone far.

"Yeah, they even gave us two boxes of instant noodles. They said they'd give us two more tomorrow. If I wanted to eat something, that would be really stingy, but I don't need any, so it should be enough for a couple of days..." Yuri said, holding up the box of instant noodles. "Do you have a big appetite?"

"I eat relatively little compared to others my age, so what?" Yuka Yamanaka gave her a wary look. "Why are you asking that?"

"That's good." If you had an appetite as good as Akemi's, this little bit of food probably wouldn't even be enough to fill your stomach.

The two chatted as they arrived at the room door.

open the door.

Yuri suddenly raised his foot and kicked the female ghost that was lunging at him back.

“Well, now we know why this free accommodation event was held.” Yuri easily released Yamanaka Yuka, and after making sure she was standing firmly against the wall, he faced the female demon who was pouncing on him again.

"The situation is urgent, and we must act expediently. Lady Ghost—I don't know your exact situation, but I've decided to send you to your death as soon as possible." With ease, Yuri subdued the ghost and prepared to eliminate her by extracting her energy.

"Wait a minute, there's no need to do this." The sin-eater girl walked over unsteadily. "Are you really that short of spirit essence right now?"

"To be honest, it's somewhere between lacking and not lacking." The internal damage caused by being shot multiple times was healed by Yuri by consuming spiritual essence.

"Then let's not rush things." Yamanaka Yuka walked to Yuri's side, took out a talisman, and pressed it hard on the vengeful spirit.

"..." Yuri had forgotten that such a method existed.

The ghost stopped moving, remaining frozen in the position where Yuri had pinned her down. It looked a bit strange, so Yuri quickly helped her up and stuffed her into the large cabinet on the wall.

"It's strange, it feels like decades have passed since we last collaborated like this, almost like it was a past life." A sigh came from behind.

"Yeah, it seems like it was a long time ago." Yuri slammed the wardrobe shut, locking the vengeful ghost and the other male ghost that was already inside.

The wounds on their bodies were quite similar, suggesting they were inflicted by the same type of knife—Yuri had no immediate interest in investigating unsolved cases.

"Looks like you're alright—hmm?" Turning her attention back to Yuka Yamanaka, she found that she was already lying in bed and had covered herself with a blanket, pulling the double blanket over herself twice.

Wow, you moved so fast! You didn't take anything off except your shoes, did you?

"Hmm, it's much better than before," Yuka Yamanaka's voice came from under the covers. "Although it might be better if I sleep some more, I don't think I'll be able to fall asleep."

"Are you mentally prepared to give an effective response now?" Yuri asked. "I think we do need to take a break."

"No, just ask me whatever you want. I owe you a lot of explanations, and I can't sleep until you finish asking." The girl who ate sins sounded a little muffled, perhaps because she was huddled under the covers. "Ask whatever you want. I'll tell you what I know, and I can't help you with what I don't."

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

"First question, is what he said true? Do sin eaters kill other people to prepare for their resurrection?" This is almost the most horrifying part of the Hirosaki dialect, and Yuri intends to find out the answer to this question first.

“…It wasn’t in the way he described, but…that’s the meaning.” Yuka Yamanaka’s voice was even more somber. “It’s easy to explain, but…it’s hard to say.”

Yuri awaited what followed, not exactly the same, but with similarities?

“He said that the Sin Eaters would kill people in advance by binding spirits to accumulate resurrection opportunities—that’s false.” The voice from under the covers wasn’t loud, but the room was well soundproofed, and Yuri could hear it clearly without any external noise. “But it’s true that the Sin Eaters’ resurrection comes at the cost of other people’s lives… or at least it’s very close to the truth.”

“…What does this mean?” Yuri urged the other person to continue.

"Sin Eaters are immortal in a certain sense. As long as they maintain a contract with the Bound Spirit, the Bound Spirit will continuously revive the Bound Spirit... However, each revival comes at a price, in addition to the contract itself being weakened—the death of another person." The Sin Eater girl paused for a moment. "It wasn't killed by the Bound Spirit. There's no concrete evidence to prove that the death is absolutely related to the Sin Eater—but it's said that any Sin Eater who has experienced resurrection knows that they killed the other person—because during the resurrection process, the Sin Eater experiences the death of the other person."

"It is said?" Yuri seized on a key word.

“Yes, it is said that, after all, I have never died again.” Yamanaka Yuka changed her position in the blanket. “As for the first time, when the contract was signed, no one else would die this time—if someone did, I would not know, but at least I did not experience the death process of other people at that time.”

"Is it possible that when the Sin Eaters are resurrected, they are actually experiencing their own death?" Yuri, who was floating around the room, thought hard. "Otherwise... I mean, if the Sin Eaters... neither the Bound Body nor the Bound Spirit went to kill anyone, then how are the deaths of other people connected to the resurrection of the Sin Eaters?"

“It’s a common way to convince yourself that you’re just resonating with other people who ‘just happened to die at this time.’” The Sin Eater girl made a strange sound, almost like she was breathing heavily. “That might make them feel better… but my spirit binder said that this is the result of the Sin Eater’s resurrection—and if I die, he will resurrect me anyway, whether I agree or not.”

"..." Yuri didn't know what to say.

“Then, this death usually happens to those who are close to the sin-eater…most commonly, to the sin-eater’s living relatives, but it could also be others.” Yuka Yamanaka’s sense of loss was palpable. “They die in situations where they could have lived—a small accident, a point in fate where they could have lived or died—the pointer points to death.”

"...Why?" Yuri felt very uncomfortable. "This is not fair, this... is completely unfair."

“Of course it’s unfair. Those other people wouldn’t have died in the first place. However, the resurrection of the Sin Eaters caused a ripple in fate—and then this world demanded a life for a life.” The Sin Eater girl continued speaking with a noticeably trembling voice, “My spirit believes that the resurrection of the Sin Eaters, with this extra life, has put pressure on the world—this pressure will be placed on others until a life that would not have died is dissipated and the numbers return to balance, before it will stop.”

The room was silent. Yuri felt he had suddenly discovered the unique beauty of the room filled with pink and gold colors—if he could focus on appreciating the beauty of the room, he could probably escape this reality.

"Aren't you going to say something? Like, 'you murderers,' or something like that." The self-destructive Sin Eater girl spoke from under the covers. "See, I told you. It's different from what that traitor said, but it's hard to say which is worse—is it choosing to kill, or killing no matter what?"

“So, killing a sin-eater is…” Yuri’s memories were piecing together, “That’s why you said you don’t understand beauty…”

“Yes, at the time I thought she would kill me outright, at least her expression seemed to suggest it—then I would be resurrected, and the other person would die.” Yuka Yamanaka’s wavering didn’t diminish in the slightest. “I don’t know who I should blame if this really happened. It seems obvious it would be myself, but…”

"You just said that the spirit will resurrect you no matter what? You mean, even if you don't want to?" Yuri found a target to shirk responsibility.

“Yes, and that’s part of the contract—at least most of the contracts that bind spirits give include that—they have to resurrect the bound body if they can.” Yuka Yamanaka curled up under the covers. “The bound spirits really want to return to this world—and the bound body… I may have said something like ‘they won’t let go even if I beg them,’ but do I really want them to let go?… I once wanted to accuse the bound spirits of not explaining each clause and its consequences to me in detail… but…”

However, without this contract, Yuka Yamanaka would have died at the time, leaving no room for such accusation.

“Then, of course, I immediately thought of the best solution—as long as I keep being careful not to die a second time, no one else will die because of me.” The sin-eater girl perked up a bit. “You have to believe me, I have absolutely no intention of acting recklessly just because I can use someone else to die in my place. I would never do such a thing!”

“I believe you on that point,” Yuri responded. “You are definitely not that kind of person.”

Neither her personality nor her intelligence supported her doing this... however...

“But others might be different, wouldn’t they?” Yuri stopped pacing. “There’s a flaw in this explanation: if the Sin Eater… or rather, the Bound Body, is a beast devoid of conscience, wouldn’t that create a huge problem?”

What if the sin-eater is completely indifferent to the collateral damage caused by his resurrection? What do the lives of others matter to him? He can do whatever he wants, since others will pay the price anyway.

He can take other people's lives in place of his own, and doesn't even have to lift a finger; he can do whatever he wants and risk any death.

“That is indeed a problem. If there really is such a sin-eater who is so ruthless, although there are other ways to stop his resurrection, as long as his level is not too low, the death of innocent people is almost inevitable.” The girl poked her head out from under the covers. “That is why I suggested that if we see a sin-eater as an enemy, we should capture him alive.”

"What exactly is the method to crack it?"

It is very impolite to directly ask someone "how to get rid of your immortality", but now is the best time to ask. If you miss this opportunity, you don't know when you will be able to ask it again.

“The simplest method is to die multiple times. Resurrection will weaken the connection between the bound spirit and the bound body, weakening the contract. If you die too many times in a short period of time, the bound spirit will be unable to resurrect the bound body.” Yuka Yamanaka seemed not to have noticed the problem with this statement and answered bluntly, “Other methods can basically be summarized as restricting the activities of the bound spirit. For example, you can use the root of the bound spirit’s evil to deal with the sin eaters, or, although I don’t know how to do it, you can do it by directly breaking the contract between the two parties.”

It sounds like simply killing them wouldn't work.

173 Four-sevenths

"...Is it possible that this is the reason why those traitors deliberately used this method? The spirit binding disappeared—was it because you weakened as a result, leading to your sudden elimination?"

The topic then shifted to a more practical aspect: the characteristics of the Sin Eaters determined whether Yuri should help Yamanaka Yuka—and she had at least provided a plausible explanation. So, the next step was to figure out how to help her.

In other words, we need to first figure out what exactly happened.