Smack!!!
With the heavy impact that rang through my hand, Ms. Ishmael's head snapped to the side. Before long, she turned back to look at me with a gaze full of incomprehension.
The instant her eyes met mine exactly, the atmosphere froze over.
The Sinners only stared at us with uncertain expressions, as if they didn't know what to do.
I wasn't sure whether that was purely because we were at each other's throats, or because I, who had rarely stepped forward, had finally done so.
...Or whether the past I had exposed to them had affected it too.
No, that was probably just self-importance. Not that it mattered.
"I'll ask just one thing."
"...What is it."
"Have you really lost your mind?"
"Who's the one doing something insane right no—!?"
"Enough with the blame. At least try to make an excuse."
"Hah, do you really think I've done anything wrong?"
Wrong? Wrong, she says. She was seriously bringing that up now? After nearly pulling off something like that just now?
"You did. You were just about to stab Dante's body with that harpoon. Right through, like this."
"That was because the Manager first—!"
"First stopped you. You were the one who disobeyed an order."
"So you're saying saving him was the right choice?"
"If that was the order, then of course it was."
At my words, Ms. Ishmael's face twisted horribly. Just like that time when Dante stepped in and stopped her...
Ah, ...ha! Come to think of it, she had said something like that too.
"Right, I remembered. You definitely said it with that mouth of yours. That if Dante ordered it, you'd obey. So if you want something, say it clearly! Say it!!"
"......"
"You said it yourself, all proud of it. And now you can't even keep to it properly!?"
Before I knew it, I was grabbing her by the collar.
That was... if I were to look back on it, an act born of rage, or perhaps hatred.
Against my nature, I had let go of reason and surrendered myself to emotion.
I knew it was wrong in the end, but I do not regret it.
Because I had no idea where all the emotions I had suppressed and piled up might have burst out next.
"Ha, so you said that too, did you. That I'd never have the right to step in and do something first, or explain anything. Looking back, there's nothing more ridiculous than that. If I feel stifled, I step in first. And only after all the discussion is over do I come forward all high and mighty to explain. What exactly are you trying to do?"
"......"
"If you have a mouth, answer me. At the very least, I need to be able to understand—"
"Saramago, stop."
Ah.
At that moment, the steady ticking of Dante's clock brought my reason back from wherever it had wandered off to.
Only then could I objectively observe my own state.
It was clearly an act of overreach beyond the bounds of a mere prisoner. And one that was happening in real time, at that.
Normally, it would have been something I couldn't complain about even if I were disciplined for it... but Dante didn't seem to have any intention of blaming anyone.
"...I'm sorry. That was excessive interference."
"It's fine. It's all because of my carelessness. I'm the Manager. I'll handle it myself now."
...What a pathetic sight, spewing out frustration while crushed under emotion.
And the other side probably had no intention of having a proper conversation in the first place.
"Ishmael."
"What. Are you going to lecture me again? Hah, how funny."
"I—!"
"Otis, hold it."
"But, Manager! That man's behavior was the very peak of insubordination. It was practically the brink of murdering a superior! We must report every detail to the higher-ups immediately, then discuss how to handle him going forward."
"It's fine, Otis. I was the one who stepped in."
"It is not fine!! That man has continuously caused serious disruptions to our mission! He has crossed the line!"
That bastard really perked up the moment I dropped out of the conversation. Why... ah.
...Does Otis dislike me? No way... wait, maybe she does?
Come to think of it, that woman had been a participant in the Smoke War too. Then... it wasn't impossible.
"I told you. It's fine. And Otis, what I just protected was not him, but Ishmael."
"Hah? So now you've decided to play the saint? You, who until now never once got your own hands dirty with blood... and instead told us to get stained in your place. Now you want to say, 'Let's not kill people anymore, I hope you aren't pushed to the brink mentally'... What? Something warm and tender like that?"
"It's my intuition. ...That won't convince you, will it?"
"Of course not... Intuition comes from experience and memory, doesn't it? The you before the clock is no longer in your head, so you want me to trust that intuition?"
"That man... at least in this area, seems to hold a fairly high position. If we kill him rashly, the situation could become even more complicated."
"And if we leave him alive, have you considered that it could produce the same result?"
"...And if we keep trying to solve everything by killing someone without any discussion like this... I don't think anything will improve going forward."
"...Going forward."
"Sorry, but for now I can't explain my actions in any more detail than this..."
"I don't know how far 'going forward' is supposed to reach. But at the very least, what lies before me and what lies before the Manager are certainly different."
"Ah..."
That, that way she talks...!
Ms. Ishmael's infuriating manner of speech once again threatened to sour the atmosphere.
Just as a few of them were frowning and about to argue, Mr. Yi Sang's gentle voice smoothly shifted the topic elsewhere.
"Dante... please do not recklessly throw your body away again."
"Hm... I've been thinking since a moment ago, but that doesn't sound like something you lot, who keep dying and dying, should be saying."
...You?
"As Mr. Saramago added earlier, you are the one responsible for thirteen of us, so you must be thirteen times more careful than the rest of us. Moreover, your death can never be undone, so all the more so. And..."
Mr. Yi Sang drew out his words lightly, as if recalling something.
"Because that which cannot be undone is unbearably painful."
That which cannot be undone...
Perhaps because it was Mr. Yi Sang who said it, the past I had seen during the last mission came back to me.
However, what cannot be undone probably does not refer only to that.
After all, most of the Sinners likely carry at least one irreversible regret of their own.
...I feel sick. Now I'm irritated for no reason.
"...?"
"Yup."
I grabbed the minute hand of the bewildered Dante and yanked it hard.
"Wait, wait. What now...!?"
"I'm just being petty."
Hah... seriously, I can't live because of this miserable excuse for a human being.
Why does someone with no combat ability keep recklessly stepping into danger...
"Ugh... fine. Let's head to the destination. We've already fallen behind schedule more than I expected."
"...Right. Understood."
He looked like he had something he wanted to say, but what of it. That was karma!
Tick-tock.
After one round of recovery, we headed to the eastern section of the pirate crew's hideout based on Sumi's testimony.
That place was, how should I put it...
"A mountain of containers. No, maybe 'container district' is more fitting."
"Could all of these containers possibly contain..."
"Let's not imagine what's inside..."
Were they containers with living people marked by green triangles on them?
If so, the others... ugh.
And judging from what Sumi had said about the eastern section being recent, the other areas probably weren't doing so well either, green triangles or not.
...Would this place be the same?
"Hey there! Who are you? How did you find this place?"
Ah, we were spotted.
"Ah, we'll just open this green-triangle container and leave right away~ Please let us off, okay?"
"Ms. Rodion, isn't that a bit unlikely?"
"Thought so?"
"Let's hurry and finish them off before anything worse happens to the kidnapped crew member..."
"I'm starting to get tired, honestly..."
Using my eyes so much had made my body tired. It didn't hurt, but the heaviness dragged my motivation down fast.
I should have still been in perfect condition by now, but certain people had put me through a lot of trouble.
That didn't mean I could avoid fighting, though... Fine, I've decided.
"All right, let's make this battle a nice, efficient free ride. Dante's side is mine."
"...Did you really need to say that out loud?"
"I guess I've been too quiet lately, so everyone's been acting awkward around me. I've decided to go back to being shameless like before."
"So you're openly saying you want to slack off?"
"My carefully honed harpoon hurts too much, so I just..."
"It's healed already."
"My heart hurts too much."
"Oh... that's a fresh answer. Have you finally gone insane?"
"Maybe."
"Saramago's acting weird..."
"Please just say I've gone crazy from stress. I am human, after all."
Was my mental state really in good shape right now? No matter how I looked at it, I seemed to be leaning more toward crazy than normal.
Then again, was there even such a thing as a normal mind? To survive in this insane city, wasn't madness the default—
...If I'm thinking like this, I really must be crazy. I should rest properly once we get back to the bus.
"Hup! Then could you please handle multiple Identity swaps during the fight? It's a hassle to keep going back to pick up the harpoon I throw."
"Sure. Leave it to me."
Mm, mm. It was a small loophole using Identity techniques, but it was convenient in situations like this.
Now then...
"First... one."
The harpoon that left my hand lightly flew straight toward the enemy's leg.
The foe facing off against Mr. Gregor failed to react to the harpoon that suddenly came flying in...
Crack!
Direct hit!
"Kuh..."
"Nice assist! Doctor, your accuracy's pretty good!"
"Keep it going!"
At this rate, let's clear them out one by one.