Amidst the nauseating stench of corpses and heavy blood lingering in the sewers, Jax and Yuko continued on their way. As Yuko walked alongside Jax, he noticed something:
despite Jax's claims of enslaving people, the memories he shared did not resemble a master-slave relationship at all.
Every story he told was warm and sincere, as if he were speaking about his own family.
He didn't just refer to them by their names; he recounted the adventures they embarked on together with great enthusiasm.
Though, if one could even call them "adventures"... because the memories he shared usually involved simple yet peaceful moments like fishing or camping together.
There was one person in particular; a small, five-year-old boy named David, with blonde hair and blue eyes... Jax spoke of him with such vivid and heartfelt language that Yuko could almost visualize David right before his eyes.
Jax spoke of this child as if he were his own son. In fact, David was the one who had given Jax his name, and in return, Jax had nicknamed him "Dev".
As Yuko continued to talk with Jax, an old door creaked open in his mind; he felt as though he were remembering something. It was as if someone else had shared similar activities with him in the past.
At that very moment, a voice echoed from the back of his consciousness:
— Come on, son, I believe in you.
Suddenly, Yuko found himself inside a boat. Above him was a deep blue sky, shining with an appetizing brilliance.
As Yuko looked at the fishing rod in his hand and the hook descending into the depths of the crystal-clear ocean, he wondered how he had ended up here.
The sharp scent of salt coming from the sea was something he normally wouldn't like; yet here, inside this boat, everything was somehow so...
so
peaceful.
While lost in these thoughts, Yuko looked up and saw someone sitting directly across from him. There sat a cheerful and smiling man, roughly 25-30 years old, with pure snow-white hair and blood-red eyes, gazing out at the ocean. Yuko did not know who this man was, but in a strange way, he seemed very familiar. He felt as if he could overcome anything in the world as long as he was by this man's side.
The man then turned his blood-red eyes toward Yuko and smiled:
— What is it, son? You're extra quiet today.
Then he chuckled softly:
— Or are you like this because I said we must be quiet while fishing?
Yuko looked first into the man's eyes, and then at the endless blue ocean stretching before him:
— I... I don't know.
The man leaned forward, approaching Yuko:
— Hey, it's okay... calm down. What's wrong, son? Tell me.
Just as Yuko turned his face toward the man to speak, the scenery underwent a terrifying transformation. There he saw him again:
MALACH.
The sea was no longer deep blue, but a dark blood-red. Malach fixed his horrifying blood-red eyes on Yuko; the navy-blue rings within his eyes were more prominent than ever.
— Hello, Yuko. We meet again.
As Yuko went to lung forward to attack Malach, he realized the hands that had been holding the fishing rod moments ago were now bound by heavy chains.
Malach gave Yuko a mocking smile:
— Oh, come on... do you really think you can hurt me?
Yuko screamed at Malach in a rage:
— Who do you think you are? The whole world is in this state because of you, and you expect a 'thank you' from me on top of that?
Malach shook his head hopelessly from side to side:
— Of course not, Yuko. My only wish is for you not to die. That is why you need to get along with me.
Yuko was stunned by these words; he was utterly confused:
— W-what... what do you mean?
As Malach put on that sinister smile once again, Yuko noticed something: Malach was slowly turning into green violets. Then, with a warm breeze, the green violets scattered into the blood-red sea. Not a trace of Malach remained; Yuko was left alone in the boat.
As Yuko looked into the blood-red sea, he noticed his reflection on the water. But it wasn't his own reflection; it was Malach's. Just as he reached his hand out toward it...
He suddenly woke up with a sharp slap from Jax.
— Yuko! What happened? You just fainted out of nowhere!
Holding his stinging cheek, Yuko looked at Jax blankly.
Jax leaned in close and looked into his eyes:
— Yuko, what's wrong? Did you have a nightmare or something?
As if he had only just heard Jax, Yuko suddenly snapped out of his deep daze:
— Ha... nothing, I was just thinking about something.
Jax narrowed his eyes, studying Yuko:
— What were you thinking about?
Yuko let out a deep sigh:
— Come on, we don't have time for this.
Jax chuckled:
— Of course, of course... it's a long way ahead, after all... isn't it, spacey Yuko?
Without answering, Yuko continued to walk away irritably.
Chapter 11 – End