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The city of Sugamo, which is somewhat long and narrow from north to south, is divided into four districts by the main streets that run crisscross the city. The city is divided into seven wards, including the central ward, where the Sugamo City Hall and the City Council building are located, the industrial ward outside the north gate, and the agricultural ward outside the west gate (although the term “city” generally refers to the area inside the city walls, the two outer wards are also city territory, and many people live there).
My house was located in the northwest ward, close to the main street near the west gate. Along the main street, where two or three horse-drawn carriages can pass at once, there is an orderly streetscape (On the first and second days of each month, the street becomes as bustling as a street market, with stalls lining the street during the daytime.)
The traffic has calmed down after dark, but if you step off the street and into an alley toward the downtown area, you will immediately feel more excitement than during the daytime.
The downtown area of the northwestern district is usually lively, but recently it has been getting busier and busier day by day, as if in anticipation of the birthday festival. Tourists and merchants are probably gathering here in preparation for the festival, which is just two weeks away.
It has the exotic atmosphere of an old Asian downtown. The lights of lanterns and lamps spilling from the eaves, the bustle of people passing by, the smell of teppan-yaki, fried food, and liquor wafting from the many stalls.
“Wow, there are a lot of people here.” (Sparkle)
Pulling on my hand, Sparkle, who has borrowed Noa’s body, is walking in front of us. I struggle to hold her hand back as if controlling an excited dog on a walk. I don’t have time to worry about the softness of her hands or my own sweatiness.
She may have seen it through Noa, but still, of her own volition, Sparkle makes no attempt to hide her curiosity at the sight she sees in her eyes. She looks around curiously, her shoulders bouncing.
“It smells good… hey, can I have something to eat?” (Sparkle)
“We just ate a meal a while ago.” (Shuu)
“It’s okay, it wasn’t me who ate it. There’s a dessert stomach.” (Sparkle)
“You share a stomach.” (Shuu)
“Look, there’s soup dumplings over there? Well, it smells very delicious. It’s a good idea, right?” (Sparkle)
Sparkle’s innocent smile was dazzling. Ignoring my advice, she took a bite of the small package and, as expected, fainted in agony.
From the outside, do we look like a close brother and sister? Or is it like a date between lovers… Hold up.
“Hey girlie, you’re a bubbly one! Come over here and dink with me!” (Drunk)
“I’ll buy you a drink and your boyfriend too!” (Drunk)
Her smile disappears for a moment as she is accosted by a drunk holding a beer mug from the food stall. I was chilled inside, but Sparkle didn’t seem to have much interest in the drunk men, she turned away and immediately started walking again.
This is not the time to be distracted. I pulled myself together.
Certainly, the current Sparkle is different from when she went on a rampage in the Bandit Boss’s body. Even with her help in the fight against the demon Arato (Hold up), and from the feel of the words we just exchanged, I really don’t feel that she should be exterminated right now.
Besides, she herself firmly swore that she would “never do anything dangerous” or “cause trouble to anyone”. So, after consulting with Kure and Utsuki, I allowed her to go out for a little while on the condition that she never leaves my side and that she answers all my questions when she’s done.
However… I wonder how much I can trust that oath. It doesn’t change the fact that we are parading around downtown with a biological weapon that could go off at any moment.
From the standpoint of a hunter, or even as a citizen of the “Country of Threadweavers,” it may be a clear act of treachery. If a traitor to mankind… is found out by the guild, I will not just get fired.
(If this guy tries to do something strange.) (Shuu)
Just in case. If she transformed into a monster like that time in the midst of such a large number of people coming and going.
Even though she was in a berserk state, she had eaten and killed several bandits at that time.
(–I should.) (Shuu)
So now, I will never let go of this hand. I will not take my eyes off her every move. I’ll spread [Sensory Spores] and keep an eye out for any unforeseen circumstances.
“Abeshuu, I want to eat a chocolate banana too, squeak.” (Tamiko)
“How can you be carefree?” (Shuu)
Tamiko is on my shoulder and Kure and Utsuki are standing by a little behind us. Both of them haven’t grasped the details of the situation yet, but even so, they probably have a rough idea, and they’re watching over with a grim expression just in case.
—No, they are not. Utsuki is scrutinizing the men passing by with a serious look, while Kure is glaring resentfully at our clasped hands. Why are they being carefree?
Despite my anxiousness, Sparkle was in the best possible mood. She stared at everything she could see, inhaling the drifting smells to her heart’s content, pulling my hand and smoothly slipping through the crowd.
“Yup… this is fun.” (Sparkle)
They certainly look happy, even if they aren’t ecstatic.
“The city at night is so beautiful. Thank you for taking me here, Shuu.” (Sparkle)
She doesn’t have a big smile, but she certainly looks happy.
(However–) (Shuu)
I don’t take my eyes off her. So, I don’t miss anything.
—What is that mysterious profile she sometimes shows?
After walking around, eating and drinking a lot.
She took me by the hand and we arrived at the watch tower in the central district.
This brick building is the tallest in Sugamo and was built at about the same time when the city of Sugamo was born. It is almost 30 years old, and for the citizens of the city, it is a symbolic presence that has watched over the entire history of the city.
It is open to the public until 8:00 p.m., and each person pays 100 yen to enter (and Tamiko has a fee as well). Kure and Utsuki will also come with us. There is no elevator, so we take the stairs up to the observation deck on the fifth floor. It seems that the usual girls’ favorite date, a stroll through the city followed by a night view at the observatory, has not changed even 100 years later.
It’s hot and humid and I’ve been walking around, so I’m sweating as it is, but when I go out to the terrace on the north side, the wind is somewhat cool.
“…Yup, it’s beautiful.” (Sparkle)
Sparkle leans over the railing and looks at the cityscape. I turned my gaze to the same scenery a step behind her.
There is no moon or stars due to the light overcast, but there are countless scattered red, orange, and yellow lights that bleed into the humid air. In the industrial area near the north gate and beyond, whitish smoke still rises dimly from the chimneys at this hour. Some factories are probably still in operation.
“……it’s amazing.” (Sparkle)
“Eh?” (Shuu)
“Each one of these was made by a human, yet smoke from the chimneys is still dimly visible at this time of the day. How do they do that?” (Sparkle)
“Well, that’s what you call 30 years of hard work, isn’t it?” (Shuu)
In the beginning, the city was not this big, and the population was small. The city has been able to grow steadily in this way thanks to the efforts of the chief and his son, who preceded him in office.
Our house and the bakery could not be seen from the angle, but the downtown area and the plaza they passed earlier could be seen perfectly. There was so much light that we could even follow the flow of people passing by. The large, flat shadow in the northeast is the Sugamo Martial Arts Center, the venue for the tournament. It is said to have a capacity of about 5,000 people.
Sparkle rested her elbows on the railing and stared at the scene in silence.
“……Satisfied?” (Shuu)
I called out from behind her.
“Yup. Thank you, Shuu. I understand.” (Sparkle)
Sparkle replies without looking back.
“You understand?” (Shuu)
“I think it’s beautiful. I think so… But when the time comes… I may want to destroy this place too.” (Sparkle)
“……eh?” (Sparkle)
Her short glossy hair sways in the wind, and the city lights give her a mysterious silhouette.
“I think I’ll become a demon. Probably. Someday.” (Sparkle)
I could only gasp. My throat parched.
“…Become a demon? What do you mean?” (Shuu)
Sparkle pauses for a moment as if searching for words.
“In the beginning, there was nothing… Vaguely living on instinct, there was no consciousness or ego or anything you could call like that. My host became a beast with a more advanced brain, and it was only then that something resembling emotion developed. I grew up by absorbing my host’s intelligence and knowledge. I am a creature like that.” (Sparkle)
She turns her head halfway and her eyes narrow.
“When I inhabited that man, I was finally able to think using language and logic. The scenery, objects, and creatures I saw were given symbols. But not long after that, Shuu defeated me and I went straight to Noa. From then on, it was the first time I stayed so long in one host… Thanks to this girl, my world has expanded so much—‘what am I?’ I’ve been thinking about that question all the time.” (Sparkle)
She looked down at her palms.
“The world I see through her eyes is nothing like mine. There is no living thing in her knowledge that corresponds to it. The words ‘demonic disease’, but I don’t even know how it is related to those other words. Shuu asked, ‘What are you?’ but really, I was the one who wanted to know the most.” (Sparkle)