Begg[]

Early December 1931 Somewhere in New York

In the dark room, two men were waiting.

Their heartbeats were almost smothered by the silence, giving a feeling of extreme weakness.

"Please understand, Begg. Today will be the last time I'll be meeting you as a 'negotiator'."

Without any warning, the tall man suddenly shattered the deadlock of silence. Once the words were spoken, the two's surroundings regained the usual sounds, activity and color. As though verifying the passage of time, the tall man- Maiza Avaro drew in a deep breath.

"Begg, say something. Until you answer, I won't leave. I need your answer to determine the degree to which you'll be hurt."

Staring at Maiza, who seemed troubled, the man called Begg finally opened his mouth. His vocal cords vibrating lowly, he stammered to Maiza,

"I, I, I understand. Ju-, ju-, just do, as you, say."

Emptiness and anxiety were reflected in Begg's eyes, and he was only standing by Maiza in his mind.

"From, from, from now on, I won't, e-, ever, dis-, dis-, distribute dr-, dr-, drugs on the Marti-, ti, tillo Family's te-, te, territory."

When he finished, a relieved expression surfaced belatedly on Maiza's face and he walked over to his old friend.

"Thank you, Begg! If that's the case, you aren't our enemy anymore."

In Maiza's expression, hints of sorrow were mixed in with his joy. After some moments of silence, he once again spoke to the man before him. But his tone no longer possessed the coldness of civility, thawed by the trace, caring concern for an old friend.

"Here onwards I speak not as an executive of the Martillo Family, but just as your old friend—Begg, if possible, don't distribute your drugs on the market an—"

"C-, c-, can't. Th-, that's my li-livelihood."

"Begg!"

"A-, a-, as an apothecary, I had to push past, all frontiers, to become an alchemist. My dreams, my wishes, my missions, ev-, everything was going to succeed. Using two centuries, finally, finally, finally, I'll achieve it. Humans, to make humans, become more fortunate, the method, of doing so."

Hearing this, Maiza gave a light shake of his head.

"How can you still say this? That kind of thing doesn't exist."

"It, it does. I, I, only, wanted, to make humans, become the ruler, of the world, that, was all. Wanted to create, a world, with only, one person, that's all. To that person, creation, is the highest, order of, the world. If this state were to, continue on, forever, and ever, people, humans, people, will laugh, even as they die."

"In that case, isn't that annihilating the human race? Until they die, while humans medicate themselves into a stupor of their own fantasies, no offspring will be produced and they wouldn't intake any food either."

"Of, of course, but, that is just, the first, stage. I, I, I will also, create a drug, to let, people, to awaken, at any time, and afterwards, continue their dreams. The drug, will not harm, the body, but only, make people, feel, happy."

Hearing Begg's childlike narration of his 'dream', Maiza heaved a sigh.

"Your soul is already worn out. Why do you still not understand?"

"Ha, ha, ha. You too. Do men, even have, to believe, in souls and other, unscientific, things?"

"Regardless, now is not the time for a discussion about the scientific nature of things. Isn't it obvious? We, who have made a contract with the demon and ultimately became immortal."

'Immortal'. This extremely well-worn word was a shackle that forever bound these two people together. The power of immortality obtained from the contract with the demon, and--- the curse of 'eating and being eaten'.

They were able use their right hand to 'eat' the other party.

And by doing so, they would completely consume and assimilate the other party, down to their knowledge, past and experiences. This was a curse of misfortune, much like how a would not stand untouched.

Having heard Maiza's speech, Begg fell into a contemplative silence.

"Humans, seeking, happiness, it's an instinct, is it not? I, just, wanted, to raise it, to a higher, level."

"Any happiness that surpasses human instinct will always be brought to ruin. Please don't forget this one fact."

With that, Maiza turned to leave the room.

"Thank, thank, thank you, Maiza. Thank you, for not, eating me."

"...... If you say that again next time, I'll become upset."

After Maiza left the room, Begg slipped the needle of the syringe into his own wrist.

Although this was a drug many times purer than what was on the market, it didn't have any effect on him any more.

For he who lives an eternal life, his heart had already gained a resistance that far surpassed the effects of the drug.

He could no longer experience the happiness he was yearning for.

He was passing on the task he could never realize to others.

But even doing so was meaningless.

The Gandor Family[]

"Honestly, just how did the world become so tumultuous?"

In contrast to this man's words, New York was brimming with a peaceful and pleasant atmosphere.

The sun hanging in the sky shone down warmly on the red-bricked alleyway.

The corner of Manhattan, far away from the towering skyscrapers. Within an old bookstore surrounded by dilapidated offices, a young man once again paced towards the shopkeeper.

"Don't you think so? Not only will this recession continue, but on top of that we have to deal with these ever-changing governmental decrees that end up not changing anything in the slightest. Look around us- the only result is that the economic condition and security are worsening by the day. Under these kinds of circumstances, can you still operate here without any worries?"

"Ah, thanks to you, my small store can still get by."

As the shopkeeper spoke, he bowed his head to this young man, who was around the same age as his son. Although his motions and tone of voice were very humble, there was a subtle hint of something else in his eyes.

"Is that so? But very few customers come here... If there's anything I can help you with, please, feel free to tell me."

"I can't do that! Also, we haven't paid the protection fee, so if we trouble you any further..."

"Even if we don't receive this store's protection fee, we won't close you down. If anything, we'd amass some cash to pay for your living expenses. After all, you've taken good care of us!"

"Please don't say that! It's only because of the Gandor Family that my business could succeed, so you don't have to concern yourself with us."

This young man had expected such a reply from early on. Once something like that was said, no one would dream of saying 'please give us money' outright anymore.

The Gandor Family. In this melting pot of a city that was Manhattan, it was a tiny, tiny organization occupying a very small area. Although their territory wasn't large, it was no exaggeration to say that it had very far-reaching influence.

At first, their territory wasn't even half of what they had today, but ever since the founder passed on his seat to his three sons, it rapidly expanded outwards. They used the tried-and-tested methods of the threatening and cajoling residents while maintaining peace, and avoiding unnecessary contact with other organizations insofar as was possible. They absolutely refused to accept cease-fire agreements, protection or constraints by other organizations, and persisted in walking down their own path.

Of course, to that end, they had committed countless unimaginable atrocities, just like other organizations running on similar models of operation.

So, for this man, one of the leaders of this group, to actually say something like 'the world has become tumultuous' now was a joke. As the shopkeeper thought that deep in his heart, he smiled as he gazed at the youngest of the three brothers- Luck Gandor.

At first glance, his smile was extremely friendly, but that was just on the surface. The faint smile in those eyes created an indescribable feeling of fear in the shopkeeper's heart.

As though trying to break free from the grip of terror, the shopkeeper quickly said,

"Ha, haha, aah, that's how things are. I think the Gandor Family must be doing very well!"

"No, no, not at all. We've got our own troubles."

Hearing the shopkeeper's words, this young leader shook his head, sharing the organisation's worries with him. Whether or not slight changes in the small details could win the residents' hearts was critical.

Of course, they wouldn't reveal their true weaknesses. In these situations, many of those who controlled ordinary people behind the scenes would act as though their weakness was that they were 'helpless before residents'. As such, what gave them headaches were those operating legitimate businesses who played dumb.

"I mean, even we have time when we can't show our faces for shame. For example, with this 'drug' incident."

"Drugs... That's just because some young people smuggled it in!"

"But it's still around."

The Gandor Family never dealt in drugs. This was also the reason why most people trusted them, but that wasn't the complete truth. It was just that they didn't have enough power to become involved in drug trade, so there were no guarantees they wouldn't enter the drug market once they had gathered enough power. Although Luck had always thought that way, in the end, a lack of power was a lack of power. Luck personally felt that avoiding the unfamiliar to prevent a loss of confidence was for the better. Furthermore, it was once again the boom of a drug era and the Gandor Family didn't want to involve the residents in this. But this was only a temporary measure for now.

-- Brother Berga seemed to have never considered the potential gains from drugs, while Brother Keith has always loathed drugs to the very core.

At that moment, the two faces of the second-in-command, Berga, and of the boss, Keith, surfaced in Luck's mind.

If one had to clearly divide the three brothers' fields of work, then Keith's would be the 'shield' and Berga's would be 'terror'. As for Luck, his was 'strategy'. To those around them... especially to those in legal professions, that was how things seemed.

The eldest, Keith. Rather than just a sense of righteousness, it would be more accurate to say he possessed a pride in protecting these residents. So, for this reason, Keith would never cross the line of life and death of innocent people. It was also clear proof that the probability of the Gandor Family dealing in drugs was infinitesimally small.

However, signs of disturbances were appearing in the areas under their jurisdiction, exploiting the vacuum in their management.

Recently, a new 'drug' had started circulating around the area. Although as of now it hadn't caused any big disturbances, news about that drug had leaked out. Immediately the next day, the Gandor headquarters received the actual good.

With the situation out in the open, they couldn't leave the matter alone anymore.

No matter what, they had to find the source of the drug and bring an end to this incident.

Luck's fox-like eyes narrowed further, and the darkness in his heart started to well up.

"Oh? Isn't this the script of an opera? That's rare."

Luck held up a worn book. For an instant, the shopkeeper's expression changed, but he immediately put on a smile again.

"Ah, if you like it, then I'll give it to you!"

"I can't accept that."

Pushing the thoughts of the drug to the back of his mind, Luck took out a thick wallet from his breast pocket. Just as he was about to take some bills out from the wallet, his hand suddenly stopped.

"Ah."

Just as suddenly, a strange groan sounded from behind Luck.

"?"

When he turned to see what was going on, a cold knife sliced across his throat.

"Nnn..."

By the time Luck felt the searing heat and agony of metal severing flesh, blood was already everywhere. His vision was drowned by the same shade of crimson.

"Ah!?"

Bam. When he saw Luck sprawled on the floor, the shopkeeper finally understood what was happening before his eyes.

Across from where blood was spraying into the air, a single man stood on the sun-lit street. It was a middle-aged man wearing ragged clothing, whose body trembled sporadically and whose complexion didn't look very healthy. In his hand was a knife, and his eyes were wide open.

"M-, m-, murdeerrrr!"

The shopkeeper, shocked by the sudden murder, collapsed onto the floor and didn't move.

"I've been seen ki- ki- ki- killed must ki-ki-ki-ki-kill the witness I've been seen been seen been seen ki-ki-killed Luck in the bookstore kill kill kill kill kill kill kill..."

The middle-aged man who had completely lost his senses slurred his words, and his wits were even more scrambled.

"Uoooooooh!"

The huge knife was raised over the shopkeeper's head. And on the blade of the knife--- there wasn't any blood from Luck's cut throat.

Gichiiiiiiiiiiii gichi gichiiiiiiiii...

The gleaming knife in the man's hand swung down in a bright arc, making a strange, almost instrumental noise.

With a slash, the knife halted right before the shopkeeper's eyes.

"..."

The shopkeeper nervously opened his eyes, and saw the man before him struck in his temple by the corner of a book. And the one holding the hardcover book was the man whose throat should have already been slit just now.

"Are you all right?"

The instant he finished his question, the middle-aged man wielding the knife swayed and crumpled at the door of the bookstore.

There wasn't a trace of a wound on Luck's throat, and the blood that should have been splattered across the book was gone.

"H-, h-, huh? Mr. Luck, Mr. Luck, just now, what? Just?"

Luck ignored the befuddled shopkeeper and took up a red magazine, as though nothing had happened. Then, he shredded the cover of the magazine as he gave the shopkeeper an icy smile, saying,

"My, my. That was dangerous! If not for the timely rescue by this book, I'd probably have just died."

"Uh, but, that, no, blood..."

"It was the cover of this book scattering everywhere- you've been mistaken. After all, it was too sudden."

"But..."

Faced with the relentless questioning by the shopkeeper, Luck tossed the scraps of the torn cover into the air.

"Ah, I ought to pay you back for this book."

He hadn't finished speaking and a thick wad of notes were already shoved into the shopkeeper's hand. Forget repaying the book- this princely sum was almost equal to a month's revenue of the bookstore.

"N-, no! I can't take your money..."

Luck disregarded the shopkeeper's refusal, and plucked out another wad of cash and stuffed it into the shopkeeper's hand, repeating in a warning tone of voice,

"What that bastard cut just now was this book. Do you understand?"

With those words, the shopkeeper didn't retort anymore and just silently nodded.

"Very good. Only those who understand the times can stand out. The smart alone will succeed in business. Keep up the good work!"

That said, Luck turned his back on the shopkeeper and hauled the middle-aged man with a collapsed temple onto his shoulder. This scene looked extremely unbalanced, just like an ant carrying a beetle corpse. Finally, he gave the shopkeeper a light wave of a hand, saying,

"Honestly, just how did the world become so tumultuous. Right?"

The Wealthy[]

October 1930 Somewhere in western New Jersey

In the beginning, there were two strange thieves.

That day, Eve Genoard was very anxious.

As the daughter of the local millionaire and born with a silver spoon in her mouth, she was a young girl of only 15 years of age. This was everything about her, and she had no other special characteristics.

A few days ago, her grandfather, the head of the house, had passed away, plunging the Genoard family into chaos. The sudden death of her genial grandfather saddened Eve immensely, but her anxiety was due to a completely different reason. It was about her brother who had rushed back from New York, Dallas Genoard.

This brother treated Eve very kindly, but Eve didn't think well of him in the slightest. Because when he was around people other than Eve, Dallas acted like a complete 'hoodlum'.

When he had just arrived back home, there was a complete absence of grief for his grandfather's death. For some reason Eve couldn't quite put her finger on it; there was a feeling that he was plotting something sinister in his heart.

As though he wanted to murder someone after this----

In the early days of America's economic boom, industries expanded like wildfire across the state. It was during this period that their grandfather amassed a huge quantity of wealth. Exactly what kind of industry would prosper in this small, rural town, far away from the state capital, New York City? Eve had only ever heard of 'factory operations' and wasn't interested in the other areas. This was the sizeable factory in the depths of the forest, but since her grandfather and father never let Eve get close, she had never visited the place. So what kind of businesses did her family run, what kinds of products were produced- she didn't know a single thing.

But she understood why other people described her family as 'wealthy'. And, she also understood that money could corrupt people's hearts.

In her frequent appearances in various social events, she had had contact with every type of person out there- those who would do anything to get money, those whose greed was unrivalled, those who were manipulated by others, and even those who treated money like dirt. There were those with countless facades, and also those who had gone mad.

Such experiences have led her to realize two things:

First, the sum of her grandfather's inheritance was enough to die for.

Secondly, her older brother, Dallas, would definitely join in the dispute over the inheritance.

But even under these circumstances, she was powerless. If this continued, what she sought to protect would one day collapse around her.

Fear of the impending tragedy, anger at her weak, helpless self. To Eve, who was conflicted by the turmoil in her heart, the pressure of these two feelings was almost suffocating.

Whenever she was distressed about these matters, she would automatically pray to God.

(Please, let there be a miracle.)

-- She just wanted to be freed from her worries, that was all.

With that one wish in life, she hid under her blankets, praying endlessly to God.

Then, a miracle suddenly happened.

Late at night, the entire mansion was shrouded in darkness and silence. Suddenly, two people broke into her room.

Eve didn't even have time to scream. She stared at the duo with wide eyes.

After the door was slowly opened, a man and a woman dressed as native Indians appeared.

An animal skin was draped across the man's torso, and on the lower half of his body he wore thick, burlap trousers. The woman was also dressed in a matching Indian outfit. There were even strings of beads on their clothing, which formed colorful pictures. Daubed on their faces were Indian paints, and on their heads were large feather headdresses. But unbelievably, these two were actually white people. If this wasn't the case, Eve would probably have screamed out loud long ago.

Facing Eve, who didn't understand what was going on, the couple spoke as though nothing out of the ordinary had happened:

"Hey! Keep quiet! We're not bad guys."

"Just for a moment, let us hide here for just a moment."

They carried on their backs what looked like Santa Claus's sack, and a few bills were protruding from the opening. Judging from the way the sack bulged and dipped, at the bottom of the sack were probably gems and ornamental-type items- with just one look, anyone could tell what they were doing.

Thieves. Although this answer sprung to mind, Eve didn't scream or panic. She didn't know why, although it was probably because--- those two were staring at her innocently.

"Ah! It can't be, a Genoard!"

"The young mistress with a silver spoon in her mouth!"

On hearing their whispered conversation, Eve's feelings of anxiety instantly awoke.

Did they want to take me hostage? But, that worry was immediately shattered. What the two Indians said next was completely beyond her expectations— or to be more accurate, what they said was the complete opposite of what Eve imagined.

"Great! Now we can relax!"

"Great!"

She didn't understand. While Eve's thoughts were scrambled, the two said light-heartedly,

"We will take away all your misfortunes!"

"This way, there won't be any internal disputes!"

"Peace and harmony in the family is the most important!"

"You'll definitely become happy!"

Just as if it were their own, these two were happy for the good fortunes of a girl they had met only for the first time. Finally, the meaning of what those two had said sunk in.

If there was no inheritance, there would be no disputes. If the money was gone, people's hearts would not be twisted. What these two were doing, was it not fulfilling her wish?

What a ridiculous, absurd theory. If this was heard by anyone else other than Eve, these two would have already been beaten to the ground. Eve instead wanted to thank them. After praying to God, her own 'life-long wish' was going to come true.

Aah, these two had to be emissaries sent from Heaven.

The Genoard family never really believed in God, so Eve's impression of God and angels were very vague.

Eve didn't care about the two's Indian outfits anymore, and suddenly knelt before the couple.

"Hey, hey, Miria. Why is she kneeling in front of us?"

"I don't know, but if someone worships us then we ought to give them something!"

"Um... Originally I was thinking of performing the , but that takes more than ten days and requires over 50 snakes. Also, I'm not a priest, so if I really did do something like that, I would definitely anger the spirits."

"Then, let's do the ! The one the children from taught us!"

"Yes, let's do that!"

The two exchanged light nods and started dancing the Hopi ritual dance. There was no music or song, just the two people dancing, so it was rather comical. Nevertheless, Eve watched them very seriously.

"Miss! Miss Eve!"

The two's dance was interrupted by the knocking on the door from outside.

"Thieves appear to have broken in! Is everything all right?"

-- Oh no, quick, hide--

Just as Eve was about to tell the two to hide, they were nowhere to be seen. Except that, the large French windows were open and swaying in the breeze.

-- Aah, they must have flown back to heaven.

As though she had just awoken from a dream, the girl looked out of the window. Other than the trees, there was no sign of Indians to be seen anywhere.

The next day, Dallas came to Eve's room, worn and haggard. Although he had a testy expression, once he saw his younger sister, a faint smile immediately surfaced on his face. The sincere smile on her brother's face was one Eve hadn't seen in a number of years.

"It's been a while. Want me to teach you a little billiards, Eve?"

Eve was so touched she almost cried, and nodded her head with a radiant smile on her face.

<==>

After that, just as the two thieves said, every day was filled with happiness.

But, one year later—their happiness was shattered, just like that.

December 1931 Same residence

What shattered her life of happiness was sudden loneliness.

Her father, Raymond, and his eldest son, Jeffrey. They had taken over grandfather's businesses and became the core of the family. But ever since they left to Manhattan for work, they never came back. No, to be precise, they did return, but once she saw the two deformed bodies, Eve simply couldn't believe what was before her eyes were her own relatives.

They were bodies discovered in a car that had fallen into New York Bay. The police didn't say whether it was a murder or an accident, only that further investigations were taking place.

And the other piece of news was that her other brother, Dallas, had disappeared.

Her mother had passed away early on, before grandfather died, and so the only person left in the entire Genoard family was Eve alone. All the servants had gradually resigned and left, and the entire estate became quiet, like an abandoned ruin.

Management of the Genoard-run 'businesses' had also been handed over to key factory staff. They paid Eve royalties, but this was only in name. In reality, the only assets remaining to the family were just land and this estate. No one was going to inherit this massive family business, and now there were just an old steward and a black servant left.

"Ooh, my! Miz, yer really wanna go?"

The fat, black servant asked worriedly as she looked at Eve, who had made up her mind.

As a servant, she--- Samasa, had traveled across the entire country quite a few times to date so she spoke many dialects, making communication very difficult.

"Yes, I've decided."

From a very young age, Eve had grown up under Samasa's care and so she didn't have a single racist sentiment.

"Miss, though I am old, my good-for nothing self can still lead the way."

"Mr. Benjamin, is it really all right?"

"Miss, you don't have to be so courteous with me. Taking care of you is one of my responsibilities and also part of my profession. The only wish of this set of old bones is to see you grow up healthily."

Speaking reverently and respectfully was the German steward, who had been serving the Genoard family since the previous generation. He was always a very gentle, dignified old man, but today he showed uncharacteristic resolution and resilience.

Seeing the resolute steward, Samasa smiled as she thumped her own chest.

"Miz, dun worry. No ma'er wut happenz, 'm alwayz by yer side."

Accompanied by the two long-time servants, Eve set off on the journey to the city she had never seen before, Manhattan.

To look for her missing brother, Dallas Genoard.

The Drug Addict[]

Ahh, feels good, so good, great!

There were no other words that could describe this kind of feeling.

Or perhaps there were, but I didn't want to think, nor was there any need to.

Everything I needed was here. The deep recesses of my brain held all that I desired.

Before my eyes, everything melded together. Aah, the sky and earth, people and streets, day and night- everything merged into one. I had really come to paradise. My fingers, wrists, feet, waist, head, chest, bones, heart, everything around me all fused into one point, everything I saw focused on my own body. The me right now was the only thing that existed in this world.

Then, even my eyes started to merge. Aah, I could see every corner of the world.

I could feel the world that had combined with me. This was an extremely, extremely peaceful feeling.

Without noticing, I was already completely merged with the world.

"...... R-, Roy......"

Cracks started to appear in the world.

Who? Who was trying to destroy my world? Stop, stop! Was it a problem with my eyes? Vision returned to its original state. Aah, my body, my body has already started to part from this world. Stopstopstopstopstopstopstopstopstopstopstop.........

"Roy...... Roy..."

My entire body started coalescing in mid-air, and with that the descent into the chaotic world began. With the sound of howling wind, the entire world started to fragment. The sky and earth, people and streets, day and night, they all split into individual units. My dreams and reality separated, then there was only reality, falling towards the floor.

"Roy!"

Then, my body hit the floor, shattering.

Staring blankly at the skylights was a man— Roy. His body suddenly convulsed, then leapt up from the bed like a spring, glaring at his surroundings. In his field of vision, he could just about make out the figures of several men and women seated around him, all looking at him with the same expressions of confusion.

"Roy, pull yourself together!"

There was a woman calling out quietly.

-- This woman seemed to be... Aah, it's my girlfriend, Edith.

Then, he instantly understood. It was her who had called him back into 'this world'. Roy didn't look at her and just rolled over, grumbling irritably.

"What's with this attitude! I was worried you wouldn't make it back this time--"

Edith's rebuking tone of voice thundered in Roy's head. It pierced through his cerebrum and went straight down his spine, triggering spasms of shaking.

"Didn't you promise? To quit your drug addiction! So why're you here again?"

As though he had injured his neck during the earlier journey, sporadic attacks of dull pain assaulted his neck. Roy's consciousness was now fully awake and he also 'understood' he had already returned to reality.

Urgh---

At the same time, he threw up what had been churning around in his stomach.

The cement floor was showered with colorless vomit. But Edith just frowned a little and didn't call for anyone. This was not a side-effect of the drug itself but just the fear and anger from the rude awakening to reality, which had momentarily seized hold of his digestive system.

There was a reason why the floor in this room was simply just cement. Vomiting and incontinence was a daily occurrence in this place. To make cleaning as easy as possible, no decorations had been put up. That was to say, the purpose of this place was--- a studio especially prepared for the intake of certain 'drugs'.

After emptying his stomach onto the space beside him, Roy said hollowly,

"Dunno, I never knew about that promise thing, don't talk to me about such real things."

"Cut out the jokes! Didn't you say you wanted to turn over a new leaf?... So what happened this time?"

So he could answer this question, Roy reached out and took a bag of powdered drug.

"Don't worry. Recently, several new drugs have popped up around this area. S'different from weed and cocaine, the newest out there, so it hasn't been banned yet, so it's not really illegal per se. There shouldn't be any problem then?"

"That's not what this is about! If you, continue there'll only be death waiting for you! You, d'you know how dreadful you look right now? Just like some beached octopus or squid! At least open your eyes and take a look at the people around you!"

Not wanting to be lectured any further, Roy raised his voice.

"No matter what, I'll never insult my friends. Don't you also drink with others in bars? That's illegal too."

Hearing this, Edith did a little double take, then fell into a seething silence.

"What, gonna go run and cry to your employers, your Gandor pals? No? Sadly, the Gandors have forbidden any contact with drugs. And also, with what their rivals, the Runorata Family, have gotten their hands on! I noticed it long ago that you kept quiet about this kind of stuff. I might be killed by the Gandors, but you too—"

At this point, Roy suddenly stopped. He saw the large, large drops of tears spilling from Edith's eyes.

"I don't care what happens to me, but—I don't want to just watch you die! But I've had enough! If you refuse to come to your senses, just go to hell!"

With that, Edith turned and ran out.

Bam-- with a loud slam of the door, Roy's expression started to crumble.

"Eh? What, what did, did I just say? Why'd she run out crying? No, I, that's right, I didn't keep my promise, I should apologize to her. No, I, eh, what's this?"

On reflecting on his own actions, grief and pain welled up in Roy's heart.

"Wait, wait! It's my fault! I was wrong! Why did she have to cry? No! I'm the one who should be crying. How strange. Eh! Wait, waitwaitwait. Wait! Why're you not here, why, wait, come back! I was wrong, it's my fault..."

As Roy mumbled to himself, he started weeping.

"Wait... wait. I can't not apologize..."

Seeing him in this state, a man and a woman in the corner of the room whispered to each other.

"Bastard, that woman should have dumped him long ago!"

"Eh? Heh, this kind of argument is just superficial for those two."

The two looked at Roy, who was temporarily free from the effect of drugs and had regained his wits.

"But what that woman said wasn't totally correct either."

"What?"

"Even if he escaped the Gandors' notice, that Roy guy would still die. Think about it, how many of those who were caught and made to kneel before the Gandors survived?" (!)

"So death's inevitable, huh? But to say that the drug has no side effects on the human body..."

"It's all the Runorata's fault! If it were true, it's the same as having the Grim Reaper to descend into one's body, and there'd be no way of escaping... The first time that guy inhaled cocaine, he started scrabbling at his head- it's not a normal reaction. He's too sensitive to drugs. I suppose you don't know that people new to cocaine won't run around wildly, but just want to throw up. It's only after the next few shots that they get used to it- that kind of phenomenon would never happen the first time. But this guy had such a large reaction on just his first batch- it's really bizarre."

Roy drew a little bag from his breast pocket, and took out several satchels of powdered drug from within.

"After he got admitted into the hospital, Edith's been desperately trying to persuade him to quit. Ah, he'd already cut his drug addiction in the beginning, but he got ahold of the drugs those Runorata bastards were distributing again. They said 'this drug has no harmful side effects whatsoever' and such nonsense, and so like an idiot, he was tricked by these lies. As if such good things exist!"

Roy started talking as he opened the satchel.

"Ah, I know I shouldn't touch this kind of stuff, but still I'm an idiot who can't pull himself free. Basically, all drug addicts are idiots. But that doesn't matter, haha, not at all... That's right. Ehe, hahaha!"

<==>

Aah, I had to apologize to Edith.

First, I needed to leave this place, then say it when I see her.

This time, I'd definitely overcome my addiction this time. This way, she'd definitely forgive me. No matter what, this would be the last satchel of the so-called new stimulant. Although the was very painful, but it was tolerable without the actual drug itself.

So, so this had to be the last time. I had to treasure it well. It was my last, hard to come by dose, so I must soar.

Seemed like I had thought the same thing when I made a promise with Edith in the past, but during that time my willpower must've been really weak. But that was in the past and I have already matured. This would definitely be the last time.

Aah, it was coming coming coming coming, so great, so fantastic, my right half of my brain was opening and closing. Ahh— looked like it split, I could see rainbows. Oh! My God! Was this, was this me? Was this my body moving right now? Was this functioning brain mine? Amazing, right now I was invincible. The me right now had already surpassed myself. My brain was evolving. My consciousness had already flown into the future.

Unbelievable, simply unbelievable! To be so miraculous, I was too amazing!

I could, I could! Right now, I was invincible.

Invincibleinvincibleinvincibleinvincibleinvincibleinvincible invincible invincible invincible invincible invincible invincible invincible invincible invincible-------

<==>

I opened my eyes.

Looked like I'd come back home unawares, and before my eyes was a familiar sight.

My head hurt. Cold. So cold. Coming. Oh no, the high was going to pass.

Intense unease and irritation was born deep in my heart, and nausea gushed up.

Suddenly, the entire world became terrifying. This feeling grew stronger and stronger, as if the Gandor people would rush in and kill me the moment I opened the door.

A sniper's gun was aimed right at my forehead.

Their men were hiding under my bed.

Maybe before this, every other human besides me was already dead. Then there won't be any sound in the room just now. What? Perhaps before I had woken up, the Martians had attacked Earth and wiped out all humanity.

At this very moment, those Gandor bastards were probably dancing with those octopus monsters outside. Or maybe they were even discussing how to eliminate me this very instant.

I'd definitely be shot dead, burnt to a crisp, drowned by those Gandors and sunk to the bottom of the ocean, then tortured, maimed, killed, violated, eaten, exposed by those octopus Martians living at the bottom of the ocean—no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no n-n-n-n-n-n-n-n-n-nooooooooooooo no no no no no no no no no no no no nooooo n-n-n-n-nooooooooooooooo-----------

Calm down! Myself! These had to be hallucinations, delusions. I understood. But even if I knew these were hallucinations, they were still extremely terrifying. Maybe these weren't hallucinations or delusions, but reality, and that there were really people behind that door... no! Don't think! Don't think any further! I lost! I was gonna die! Damn! If I still had the drug, if I still had that drug just now! Again, give me that drug again, so there won't be the hallucinations like now! Drug, give me the drug! Someone, quick, go to the Runorata family and help me buy the druuuuuuuuug! Otherwise, otherwise I'd die. Quick, quick, someone help me! Edith, Edith, Ediiiiiiiiiiiiiith......

Seven hours later, Roy ended up regaining consciousness in the bathtub in his house. He was stark naked, standing on a floor covered with his own vomit. He had long expected something like this to happen, so he purposely rented an apartment with a bathroom. And what a wise move it was too! To enter the bathroom while he had not yet fully lost his wits. He was truly thankful of himself.

Because this was the first time he had taken it, so after all the effects of the drug had passed, his body felt comfortable. However, normally, he also intook other drugs so there was a strange feeling. No matter what he said, his behavior right now was simply a case of initial rebound. From a medical point of view, these after-effects may very well be due to this new drug. Roy was clueless about the particulars: the only thing he knew was that there was an instant of ecstasy in the beginning, and the kind of terror that came after the high died down.

He had to apologize to Edith. Her devotion was what enabled him to break free from terror. But in the end, he succumbed at the very last moment and took the drugs, and was once again granted release from terror. Roy was such a remarkably mercurial person.

Roy washed himself and the bathroom, feeling a small sense of accomplishment. This time, this time he would definitely abide by Edith's promise. He seemed to have also experienced this kind of feeling in the past, but he was probably just remembering wrongly.

After a shower, Roy changed into a pair of shorts and a T-shirt, and sang as he walked into his bedroom--- but his body was still twinging with faint pangs of pain. Was he hungry? Or was it a side effect of the drug?

Then, his footsteps suddenly stopped.

-- What was that big case?

Under the table was a case he had never seen before. A large, leather briefcase that bulged, like it was filled with something.

He seemed to have seen it somewhere before, but he was simply unable to recall when or where. He really didn't want to use his brain to remember.

The lost terror was reawoken. His heart overtook his brain, and started thudding faster.

Nervously, hesitantly, he approached, and carefully opened the briefcase---

Everything flooded back, and Roy was so shocked his heart skipped a few beats. Inside the suitcase, filled to the brim, were paper packets of the powdered drug. This was what the Runorata Family sold, what had just revived him from the dead- the newest drug. The Grim Reaper lodging in his body raised its scythe and swung it at him in one ponderous move.

The Runorata Family[]

New Jersey An estate on the outskirts of New York

"And?"

Standing by an extravagant table, a man asked.

He seemed to be in his fifties, his wrinkles deep and shallow, but set on the stern face was a pair of intellectual-looking glasses.

No emotion whatsoever could be inferred from his expression or tone of voice, but the expressions of the group of suited people around him froze.

"The new drug was taken and you let them escape, am I right?"

All the people in the house didn't even dare to breathe heavily when confronted by this elderly man who was stating the facts at a measured pace.

Then, just like a death-row criminal on the bench waiting for his sentence, one man waited for his own boss, Bartolo Runorata, to cont-

Bartolo spoke. After drawing a very long breath, Bartolo slowly opened his eyes, saying,

"And?"

Faced with Bartolo's question, that large man answered shakily, sweating all the while,

"G-gather all the men. That guy, we'll definitely--"

"No, what I wanted to ask was--"

Interrupting him, Bartolo said quietly,

"Is it of any benefit to you and me— or to the organization, reporting such small matters like these to me everyday?"

Although his tone was level and calm, it carried a certain chill that penetrated to the very bone, assailing the listeners' hearts.

"Gustavo. Didn't I say before, that everything to do with Manhattan will be 'your responsibility'? So what you report should be the results, good or bad. Nothing else. So since what you're reporting is considered bad news, should I regard this as your incompetence?"

The man called Gustavo had an expression like a frog that was about to be eaten by an eagle, and his huge, muscular frame leapt into the air in fright.

"Definitely not, sir."

"Then, are you saying you're competent?"

Hearing this, Gustavo fell silent.

"I'll be seeing my grandson today. I don't want such pointless conversation to tarnish a good day like today."

There were no reprimands, no suggestions- Bartolo simply said the above and turned and left.

The remaining people exchanged looks to see how others were faring. Then, a mix of anxiety and nervousness surfaced on everyone's faces.

"Now's not the time for daydreaming, you shitheads."

A completely different person from when his boss was around, Gustavo hollered frenziedly at his underlings.

"This is the same as handing over the drug to those robbers! We're being ridiculed! The way things are, our work in Manhattan will only be 'bad news'! I don't care what you do, just find those bastards!"

To his subordinates, this kind of attitude was somewhat uncalled for.

The large bag full of case had been snatched away by some guy who appeared out of nowhere. This wasn't due to their negligence, but the abruptness of the situation, so even the transport driver couldn't react in time.

A large truck had slammed into the side of their vehicle. The strong impact sent the large case of drugs tumbling down from the car onto the ground, and the young person leaping down from the truck ran away with the new drug worth USD 60,000 on the market.

The robber should have also suffered from the tremendous impact, but he picked up the case and ran off as though he didn't feel any pain. These guys didn't dare to report it as a robbery, and just treated it as a simple case of a car accident to escape responsibility.

Through investigation, they finally found out that the responsible truck had been stolen and the culprit seemed to have committed the act while on stimulants or some kind of drug. But the scene of the incident was in the Gandor Family's territory, and they had never heard of them setting foot into the drug market! Investigated the Gandors would yield nothing, so the investigation never got off the ground.

From others' perspectives, this was a joke. The ones secretly distributing drugs in that area were none other than the Runorata Family themselves. The drug had had been stolen by some unknown druggie in transit. To the lowest of the low-ranked members of the selling family, this was a complete joke.

"In any case, find the drug. Then butcher that guy—"

"That will, be, diffi, cult."

A hair-raising, sickly voice came from behind. Gustavo hurriedly looked back and saw that, at some point, Begg had sat himself in the corner of the room. There were many chairs, but he chose to sit on the floor.

"Oh, Begg. You scared me! ... But what're you saying is difficult?"

"I want, to hear, that guy's, thoughts. Stealing, my, medicine, commit, ting, such, astonishing, deeds, I must, talk, to him, and, depending, use him, as a, guinea pig, for my, new drug. So, you, must, catch him, alive."

"What'd you say—"

Gustavo roared without thinking. His vocal cords couldn't get any louder than that. He knew a little about Begg: that he was already there before Gustavo joined the organization, that he appeared to be the earliest member, and Gustavo wasn't very sure of how old he was. At first glance, he looked around thirty, but in the eight years since Gustavo joined the organization, Begg didn't seem to have aged the slightest.

It was probably the effect of some kind of medication- every part of his body was very strange. But rather than saying those around him all envied his enduring youthfulness, it was more appropriate to say everyone treated him like a creep, so many people now discussed such things behind his back.

"—Quit making those impossible demands. Didn't we already give you a splendid factory? So stay the fuck outta our affairs!"

"H, huh. Give, me? That's, just, a coc, caine, factory, you, plundered, from, others. That's, just, on, the, surface. I, seem, to, remem, ber it, was, the, Genoards'. The, ones, who ran, the, previous, busi, ness."

The mockery in those fragmented sentences was obvious.

"Plundering doesn't sound good. You should say that we just committed some deeds that people refer to as frightful incidents in a proprietor-less enterprise. It's the same whether on the surface or within."

"Pro, prietor, less? Y-, you, mean, dumping, the car, into, New, York Bay, with, its, passen, gers, still, inside? Vio, lent, too, violent. Crueler, than, Bartolo, by, far."

"... If you still consider yourself a member of the Family, then watch you say!"

Confronting an expressionless Gustavo, who was suppressing his own anger, Begg gave a faint smile of thinly-veiled disdain. As though tired of it all, Begg's satisfied smile immediately vanished, and, as though nothing had happened, he turned and walked out of the room. Just as he was leaving, he said something that sounded like an agreement.

"Listen, close, ly. I, said, so, before. Do, do, don't, raise, a hand, against, the, Martillo Family. This, is, the, condition, for my, coop, eration, with, you, Gustavo."

With that, Begg disappeared out of the door without even a backward glance.

"Hmph! So arrogant even though he knows fuckall but drugs..."

Gustavo raged, then turned his gaze back to his subordinates.

"Got it, men? Wipe out all the preposterous, small organizations like the Gandor Family, but put our drug business at the fore. This is our duty in Manhattan. We might've got some extra work, but that ain't changing what needs doing. Destroy all obstacles. Destroy all the shitty weaklings, even those who didn't mess with us. Don't bother with warnings or negotiations- save this for only those with the same power as us. Listen, we just want them to see and acknowledge our power, it'll be too late by the time they realize, so be quick, be fast--"

Gustavo issued orders as though he were boss, as though the earlier scene had never happened.

"This is our time. That stupid robber and those Mafia assholes who still play 'hide-and-seek' don't exist. Destroy, destroy without a trace, wipe them from the past, present and future. That's— our mission."