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The "release" that happened to Kyo's person, continued from one to the next, and has now reached Yuki who was about to tell Machi about the "secret of the 12shi"...!! |
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Once upon a time
That person was there.
Since a long, long time ago,
They were always alone.
If they left the mountain,
They knew many people lived there.
But they were alone.
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Having a thousand powers
Having a thousand lives
That person having a thousand memories
Knew they were different from other people. |
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The one who stands at the top is normally also all alone---
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That person was
Afraid of people
They were afraid of being hurt
While having so many powers
They were afraid
Of themself for being different from the many other people
And, one day
A single cat visited.
Extremely dismayed at the sudden visitor
The cat adoringly bowed its head
"I had the honour of seeing your presence before."
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"You are a most unusual person.
My attraction to you doesn't end."
"I am just a stray cat, but
Please, won't you keep me by your side."
"Please, "God"."
And since then,
Per his words, the cat
Did not leave God's side.
He didn't leave even for a moment.
God was so very, very happy by that
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When a thought suddenly came to mind.
"That's it. Maybe I'll be able to get along well,
With those who aren't human."
"If it's with those who have had the same sort of experience as I have
Perhaps I'll be able to hold a fun banquet."
God wrote many, many invitations
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As a result, twelve individuals
Came to visit God.
After that,
Those thirteen and God would hold a banquet every night when the moon shone.
Singing, dancing,
And laughing together.
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And God too, for the first time, laughed aloud.
The moon too watched quietly
Over the banquet of those who were not human.
However, one night
The cat collapsed.
He'd reached the end of his lifespan
And so there was nothing that could be done.
Each and everyone cried.
Each and everyone realised
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That some day, everyone would die.
That the banquet would end
Regardless of how much fun it was.
Regardless of how much they cared,
Some day
God
Cast
A single spell
And drew a circle around a sake cup
And had the cat take a sip.
Facing the others, he said
"Our bond"
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"Let us make it eternal here and now."
"Even if I or everyone were to die and crumble away,
Let us be joined by an eternal bond."
"However often we may die
We will also be reborn
And again, in the same way
However often
Let's have another banquet."
"Everyone getting along
For all time,
Let us be unchanging."
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Everyone nodded
And the rat took a sip first
Next was the ox
Followed by the tiger
Followed by the rabbit
In their turn
They all shared the pledge cup
And at the end when boar finished drinking,
The cat cried out gasping
"God"
"Why, God.
Why did you make me drink it.
God, I
Don't want eternity."
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"I don't want 'unchanging'."
Those
Were most unexpected words.
To God and all the others,
they were words of rejection.
And each and everyone of them were sad.
They reproached the cat and tried to convince him.
But even so, the cat said,
"God. God. Even though you're afraid,
Let's accept that things end.
Even though it's lonely,
Let's accept that lives come to an end."
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"God, even though it was only for a short while, I
Was so happy to be by your side.
If
We both die and are reborn
And we are able to meet once again,
Next time, rather than only during the moonlit nights,
I want to meet you as you smile in the light of the sun.
Next time, rather than only by ourselves,
I want to meet you
As you smile among people.
At the end, the cat waved his tail, and died.
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But no one cared about the cat any more.
Everyone was filled with the feeling of having been betrayed by the cat.
And soon after that, one by one,
They all died.
In the end, the dragon too died.
And God became all along again.
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And then eventually
the day came that God too, died.
However, he wasn't afraid.
Because the promise that was made with everyone supported him.
"Again"
"Let's have a banquet again.
Once again.
Countless times.
For all time.
Without changing.
Even though, right now, I'm all by myself and feeling lonely,"
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"Everyone's waiting on the other side of that promise." |
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[Right now, it's a story
From very long ago
Everyone has since forgotten
That first memory
That first promise.]
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| Yuki: |
...... |
| Machi: |
President...? |
| Yuki: |
Sorry...
I'm sorry, all of a sudden...
It's just
...Parting
From someone I've
Always been with......
While we were always together,
Being together was always... so painful
A burden...
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| Yuki: |
And yet, when it comes
to actually parting
......
Being this way; I'm
Being unfair... |
| Machi: |
...
Can you...
Never
Meet that person again...? |
| Yuki: |
......Yeah.
We'll never meet again.
I know it... |
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"Farewell" |
| Yuki: |
In return
He gave me
"Freedom"...
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| Yuki: |
...
I'm sorry...
You don't
Understand, do you?
What I wanted to tell you,
Was a bit
Different from this, but
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| Yuki: |
...For now, this
Is enough... |
| Machi: |
...
...Uh
Umm
Actually
There's
Something I wanted
To ask
You... |
| Yuki: |
...What?
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| Machi: |
Would it be okay for me
...to call you by name? |
| Yuki: |
...
Of course.
Say it. |
| Machi: |
......
...Yu-
Ki...
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| Yuki: |
...Once more. |
| Machi: |
...Yu-
Yuki......
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| Yuki: |
......
However many times... |
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That first
Promise
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When did it end up
Becoming a "curse"?
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When did it end up
Becoming a "burden"?
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Those days when we were so happy,
That time when it was so difficult to part,
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Love
Was supposed to have been there then.
Time went by,
Things changed
And ended up only causing torment.
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I'm sorry.
I'm so sorry.
But
Though the promise wore out,
And though the promise lost its initial form,
To everyone who continued to keep it
What I most, most wanted to tell you is
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Thank you
Thank you
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[That story from long, long ago
That very first memory that everyone had since forgotten
The story of when the cat's words were finally realised
Was much]
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[Much, much
Later.] |
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The time when the cat's words finally reached God's heart, the long, long banquet finally ended. A different today from yesterday finally comes to God... |
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To be continued in issue 19, Sept 5 release. |
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