Ena Tsubakiyama: 09/16/2030, 16:52 ---- --  ♪ BGM: LABO Security Lv. 3 ♫ The first thing Natsuhiko saw... was Jun, slowly falling down with the engine cutter still in hand.  Jun!Natsuhiko promptly caught Jun by her hand. An intense shock ran through his body and pain ran through his wounds-- and yet he still did not let go. But his body wasn't the only thing in pain.  Ghh...!Pain ran through his head again just like what happened when he had erased the Subject N inside of Ukita.   The pain and discomfort were clearly more intense this time.  H-Hikorin? Don't tell me it's happening ag--Yuuri raised her voice when she noticed something wrong with Natsuhiko-- but he promptly replied with telepathy. {Yuuri, please don't bring that up now!} !? {Just as I feared, it looks like my brain takes damage each time I come in contact with Subject N. But please don't say that out loud here. It'll just make everyone worry. It won't improve our fortunes at all. So please, let's keep this a secret.}Yuuri looked at Natsuhiko in worry... but she eventually replied with telepathy. {... Okay. But... please, don't force yourself...}Natsuhiko nodded at those words.  He appreciated the sentiment, but there was no way he could take Yuuri up on those words. No matter how much damage his brain took, he had to keep fighting Subject N until everyone was free from malice. In the same way that Watase had tried to save everyone no matter how much damage his body took.  (Will my brain crumble first, or will I erase all of Subject N's malice first...? It's a battle of wits.)A smile of bravado formed on Natsuhiko's lips. Ena and Ukita called out to him as he waited for his headache to subside.  ...What's wrong, Mr. Tenkawa? D-do your wounds hurt? Yeah, a little... but Jun's more important now. Jun, are you okay? Jun?After Natsuhiko called her name, Jun eventually groaned.  ...Mmm. With vacant eyes, Jun looked at each person in the shelter one by one-- And then, as if realizing something, she gasped. Wh... what have I done...? Jun, are you fully conscious now? Y-yeah... but... That's odd... I was completely bonkers just a moment ago, wasn't I? Did I just suddenly go back to normal or something...?Natsuhiko was relieved to hear those words from Jun. That's fine, then. The you right now is the original you. The original me...? Long story short, there's something in this facility that's caused people to become aggressive and paranoid, much like you were until just now... Huh... Why's that? She had the power to change the minds of those around her into ones full of malice. And because of that, everyone inside the facility went crazy. No way... BC has that sort of power...? It does. Though do I realize how unbelievable it is.Jun looked a bit dubious for a while, but-- ...Judging by what happened to me, I guess I have to believe it, huh... Wait, did Mr. Ukita go crazy for the same reason? Yeah... But having said that, I don't expect you to forgive me for attacking you.Ukita and Jun looked at each other awkwardly. A little while later, Jun politely bowed her head. No... I should be the one to apologize. I chased you around with an engine cutter and said extremely rude things... No, it's okay... I deserved at least that much disparagement.It seemed that the discord between the two of them was settled for now. Ena took a deep breath and whispered to Natsuhiko. Thanks for trusting me, Mr. Tenkawa. Looks like you were able to tie things up. No... it's all thanks to you, Professor. It was a really big help that you weren't infected with malice, Ms. Ena.Natsuhiko and Yuuri bowed their heads in gratitude. Don't be foolish, you two. It's too early to celebrate, you know? ...Huh? Judging by what we saw of Ms. Moribe, those infected with malice aren't aware of it themselves, right? In that case, you can't be entirely sure that I'm not infected with malice, can you? !?Once Natsuhiko heard that, he promptly stood between Ena and Yuuri. But Ena just placed her gun on the floor and spoke with a smile. Don't panic. I'm probably not infected. But I still want you to check my mind just in case. You're serious? You're telling us to peek into your mind even though there's not a shred of evidence that you've been infected with malice?He certainly felt guilty about doing something like that. But Ena tried to persuade him. Mr. Tenkawa, I understand why you don't like the idea. You've never liked the idea of using BC abilities in the first place, have you? Huh...? The reason you've been unable to manifest you BC abilities despite your Rank S Aptitude is because you've been rejecting them yourself. You've avoided trespassing into other people's minds this whole time, haven't you? ...I have.Now that he thought about it, Ena was exactly right. The manifestation of BC abilities was greatly affected by the user's ''will''. And that was why Natsuhiko's BC abilities had never flourished. But listen, Mr. Tenkawa. Now you can use BC at will. And that's because you believe that you need it right now. But... I don't believe that I need to peek into your mind now, Professor. No, you do. That's the only way I can completely gain your trust. After all, you and the others see me as suspicious, don't you? ...Ena smiled wryly as Natsuhiko found himself at a loss for an answer. It's only natural. I've closed my heart to everybody and said nothing but lies. So much so that nothing I say really carries any weight anymore... If you peek into my mind, I believe you'll be able to understand all of the thoughts behind my actions.Ena placed her hand on Natsuhiko's shoulder. ...Memories don't tell lies. So dive into my mind and experience my life vicariously through them. I'm sure that you'll come to trust me if you do...Indeed, that probably would help them understand her feelings.   So once again, we have the question of ''do we want to look into more memories or less memories'' and once again, we're giving the answer of ''more memories''. (But what should I do...? If I do go through with memory access, how exactly do I go about it?)What he needed to confirm was ''Ena's true identity'' and ''what motivated her to mobilize in LABO today'', as well as ''whether or not she was infected with malice''. (Should I look in detail, or just do a quick check...? I think it's best to keep exposure of other people's minds to a minimum, but...)That's what he thought for a second, but then another thought suddenly welled up in his gut. (No... I really should learn about Prof. Tsubakiyama in detail. That seems to be what she wants too, after all...)And with that thought in mind, Natsuhiko declared to Ena. Understood... If you insist, I shall go ahead and peek through your memory, Professor. Please allow me to experience your life.And as Natsuhiko said that, Yuuri nodded beside him. Please allow me to do so as well. I want to believe you from the bottom of my heart, Professor...Those words brought a gentle smile to the teacher's face. ...Thanks, you two. I'll open my heart for real this time... And remember, what you see in my head is the truth of this country.And as Ena gave them that veiled warning, the kids walked up to her-- --and activated Senses Sympathy. 
TheMcD fucked around with this message at 15:41 on Apr 29, 2017 |
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| ← # ? Apr 29, 2017 15:07 |
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