“Hey, Odagiri. Why are you scowling? You’re creeping me out.”

Aya peered into my face with a frown. She was learning me up shut.

I swallowed. I may nonetheless see Aya in her face. Her expression was completely different and her look had modified significantly, however the core was the identical. I recalled what she stated earlier than.

Aya was Aya’s want materialized. Aya’s mannequin.

I used to be the one who killed Aya. However the weapon was…

“…Me,” Aya stated.

My eyes grew extensive.

Aya shrugged awkwardly. “Why do you look shocked? Your ideas are written throughout your face. You’re really easy. I additionally needed to speak to you about that.”

On the finish of the bridge was a staircase. Aya grabbed the railing and ran all the way in which all the way down to the underside.

The riverbank was coated with bright-green grass that had grown in the summertime. The odor of grass stuffed the air. Leaping into the ocean of inexperienced, Aya ran straight forward, wading by means of the grassy area all the way in which to the riverside, and stopped. She walked over to the sandy soil, then turned to take a look at me.

She was behaving playfully, however on her grim expression was a touch of sorrow.

“Hurry up,” she stated. “You don’t make a girl wait.”

“Okay, I’m coming.”

What did she wish to discuss?

I jumped into the sphere and adopted her, brushing apart the powerful grass blocking my approach. Damp soil caught to the underside of my sneakers. The odor of grass rose with every step I took.

As quickly as I made it to the riverbank, I confronted Aya.

“Hehe.”

Aya chuckled, for causes unknown. She rolled up her sleeves, exposing her pale, higher arms. A small dent appeared round her elbow, rising wider and deeper. Flesh continued sinking till forming a deep lower.

Her arm tore from the lower, revealing fatty crimson flesh inside. She didn’t shed any blood. Following the regulation of gravity, her decrease arm fell to the bottom.

Each her arms had cut up on the elbow.

One thing fell one after one other from between flesh and bone.

A number of blades rolled on the sand and stones.

Knives, scissors, small kitchen knives. All types of weapons fell from her arms, moist with blood, viscous fluid, and fats.

Aya smiled. I slowly took a step again.

“How’s that? I put so much inside,” she stated.

“What are you doing?”

What was she planning on doing with all these blades?

I positioned myself in order that I may transfer at a second’s discover. Aya, nonetheless, regarded bewildered. Her arms have been beginning to fuse again collectively. Blinking repeatedly, she shook her head.

“Oh, you bought it flawed,” she stated. “They’re not for me to make use of.”

Aya rummaged by means of the blades and picked one up. Her fingers dug into the blade of the small knife, and blood poured out of the white flesh, sliding down the blade and the grip.

Aya confirmed her crimson hand to me. “They’re for you.”

“…What?”

Blood trickled earlier than me. The blade had severed her finger midway by means of. Aya’s eyes have been narrowed, her fingers quivering. I simply stared blankly on the scene in entrance of me.

Aya, who was smiling at the same time as her arms have been ripped aside, was biting her lip.

“Wait, do you’re feeling ache?”

“I do! I’ve observed it not too long ago. Shifting my flesh by myself feels superb, however a lower hurts so much. Oh, don’t fear about scars. I can simply erase them.”

Extra blood dribbled down. I grabbed her arm. My thoughts went clean.

I had no thought what she was getting at.

Why was she doing one thing silly?

“You fool!” I roared. “What are you doing?! Let it go!”

“You’re the fool! I’m telling you to seize it!”

As quickly as I grabbed the deal with of the knife, Aya pulled her hand away. Blood gushed out. I felt the disagreeable sensation of the blade sliding throughout my palm.

Aya screamed as she grabbed her bloody hand. The knife had lower by means of a lot of the dangling fingers.

“Cease! Take a look at your fingers!”

“I-I don’t care! I already made up my thoughts!” Aya backed away from me and shook her head like a baby throwing a tantrum.

The cat apron was stained crimson.

“Odagiri,” she stated, waving her bloody hand. “There’s scissors, kitchen knife, and uh… Sorry, my reminiscence’s nonetheless hazy. This factor that I gave to her…”

“You imply the knife?”

Aya unfold her bloody arms. Nodding, she stood tall.

“Sure, the knife. You are able to do no matter you need with my physique. You may lower and stab me as a lot as you need. I gained’t die, however at the very least you’ll really feel higher.”

“…What?”

What was she saying? I couldn’t comprehend her odd phrases, which in flip, allowed me to regain my composure.

Why ought to I lower her? Why ought to I stab her?

There was no cause or want for me to try this.

Aya was severely ready for my subsequent transfer. She was biting her lip in anticipation of the ache.

A breeze stirred the grass. I studied the knife in my hand. Its silver blade was stained with blood and fats. I had seen this scene earlier than.

Via the reminiscence that my little one devoured, I regarded on the knife Aya had held earlier than.

“You’ll assist me, gained’t you?”

A dispirited voice. A knife provided to the woman, urging her to take it.

“You promised him, didn’t you?”

A grim voice. Arms beckoning.

And the woman took the knife.

An occasion from the previous that would not be undone.

Oh, I get it now.

I took a lighter and a cigarette from my chest pocket. Holding the knife, I inhaled smoke with the odor of iron. Aya gave me a puzzled look.

I blew out smoke. “You shouldn’t be forcing folks to do one thing they don’t wish to do.”

“What?”

I took a protracted drag and breathed out. “I don’t wish to be a choose.”

Asking to be punished means telling somebody to be the choose.

Aya swallowed. There was agitation in her eyes. She shook her head wildly.

A twisted smile appeared on her lips. However her voice was trembling.

“Th-That’s not what I meant,” she stated. “You hate me, don’t you? I killed that woman. However nobody can choose me. So I…”

Aya unfold her arms. Her dangling fingers swayed.

She checked out me grimly. “I’ve determined to dwell so long as I can. However I can’t have you ever hating me ceaselessly. It’ll make it exhausting for me. So I got here up with one thing to offer you closure.”

Was that why she ready a number of blades? She needed me to forgive her with this?

To begin with, her thought of a closure was sickening. I breathed a sigh. I took one other puff and regarded the bloody knife.

“No. That’s not it,” I stated. “That’s not all, is it? For the document, I don’t wish to lower or stab you, and I don’t wish to get killed.”

I flicked the cigarette away and crushed it underfoot. After ensuring the hearth was extinguished, I picked it again up and put it in my chest pocket. It was nonetheless heat.

I took a deep breath, and stated, “Additionally, I used to be the one who let go of Aya’s hand. I killed that woman. How do I atone for what I did, then?”

She and I have been equally responsible. That’s why I couldn’t forgive her.

I approached her with the knife in my proper hand and grabbed her shoulder tight.

Aya closed her eyes to organize herself. However I didn’t stab her. As an alternative, I held the knife earlier than her eyes. A drop of blood trickled, dripping down her face.

“Open your eyes and look intently. We put a knife in that woman’s hand.”

Nothing we may do would undo what occurred. There was no level in grieving or regretting now.

It was too late.

Aya’s face contorted, and she or he took a step again. However I didn’t let go of her shoulder. It was too late to grieve or remorse. Nobody would supply forgiveness, and there was no level in being forgiven.

That woman felt the identical factor.

“Do you bear in mind?” I requested. “You’re feeling what Aya felt again then.”

“I’m a assassin. I killed somebody I care about. I killed my pal. I killed somebody. However nobody condemns me for what I did. Nobody blames me.”

“Nobody criticizes me. Nobody calls me a assassin.”

“You must now know the way that woman felt.”

She ought to know the ache and the burden of it higher than anybody else.

“My forgiveness means nothing,” I stated.

Aya raised her bloody hand. Blood dripped down her severed fingers. I let go of the knife and grasped her hand. The second my palm got here involved along with her blood, I heard a shriek.

The kid laughed as she devoured Aya’s feelings. Her screams echoed in my thoughts.

Aya cried and howled like a baby.

I can’t escape. I can’t be forgiven. Irrespective of the place I am going, it’s the identical. I’m lonely. I’m unhappy. I’m in ache. However I don’t wish to die.

If she needed to be like me, if I used to be her mannequin, she should have needed to be like this. That’s the way it was. I knew all alongside. If I had simply given it a little bit thought, I might have understood.

“I’m certain she would have needed to dwell, too.”

Tears streamed down Aya’s cheeks. She cried as she pounded on my chest.

Her fingers trembled. It should damage, however she didn’t cease.

“Why, why…” she mumbled between sobs. “Please… Please be mad at me.”

I eliminated my tie and wrapped it round her hand. She may heal her wounds at will, however I did it anyway to cease the bleeding.

“I’m not going to do something to you,” I stated, fastening her fingers again. “However don’t fear. I am offended. I’ll by no means forgive you for what you probably did to Aya. It doesn’t matter what you do, I’ll by no means forgive you, simply as I’ll by no means forgive myself. However you possibly can dwell your life as you want to any extent further. You gained’t hear any complaints from me. Dwell as you want. You determine the way you wish to atone in your sins.”

There was no forgiveness to be given, no stone to be solid.

There was just one factor I may say to her.

“Don’t ask me for assist.”

Aya plopped down on the bottom. She howled, forgetting to heal her wounds. Tears dripped onto the fallen knife. I regarded on the scattered weapons.

The identical blades she had Aya maintain in her hand.

“Even I don’t know what to do,” I stated.

“It doesn’t matter… what you say… Ahaha…”

Aya chuckled. She pounded on the bottom time and again, turning the soil crimson. I didn’t say something extra and sat down beside her. I regarded up on the sky and lit a cigarette.

I laughed weakly, then took a protracted drag. Tears streamed down Aya’s cheeks as she laughed.

As soon as we perceive the idea of demise and know its horror, the burden of an individual’s demise turns into heavier.

Much more so if, even whenever you weren’t afraid of demise, you felt remorse.

If she had realized what sort of emotions had given her kind.

Killing her pal and dwelling on would weigh heavy on her.

Aya bawled like a baby. I stayed by her facet.

A cool breeze brushed my cheeks. Nightfall slowly crept throughout the sky.

I simply stayed nonetheless till she stopped crying.

That was all I may do.