amatsuki 98

amatsuki 98

69
Text: [Chapter 98]
Text: [The Nightingale That Calls To The Moon, Part 1]

70
Toki: ...So this is Ueno?
Bonten: Sort of.
Bonten: It's not like there's a clear boundary
Bonten: Between the demon paths and reality.
[Toki: Whoa, this is pretty freaky.]
[Tsuyukusa: (no idea what he's saying there, it's too cut off)]
Bonten: So whenever you enter or leave,
Bonten: Reality and the spirit world tend to melt together.
Bonten: Hm, it's hard to tell exactly where we are...
SFX: [*rustle*]

71
Toki: Oh!
Bonten: Well, I guess we're back.
Bonten: Come on.
Bonten: THis way.
SFX: [*rustle*]
Toki: Really?
Toki: I know this is Ueno, but...
Toki: [Something doesn't feel right...]
Toki: [I wonder if it's still being affected by the demon world.

72
TOki: [It feels like...]
SFX: [*rustle*]
Hashita: Oi!!
Hashita: [*Hey!*]
Hashita: Toki!!
Tsuyukusa: Oh...
Tsuyukusa: You really came back...
Toki: [We're somehow on the border between Amatsuki and my world...]

73
Toki: Tsuyukusa!!
Toki: Hashita-san!!
SFX: [*gasp*]
Toki: Tsuyukusa, you got so big!!
SFX: [*hug*]
SFX: [*waaaaah!*]
Toki: I'm crying so hard that I can't see...
SFX: [*wibble*]
Tsuyukusa: Shut up!
SFX: [*twitch*]
Tsuyukusa: [What the hell are you doing!?]
Susutake: Hey, the bird and the brat are here, too?
SFX: [*rustle rustle*]
Toki: Yeah, we're over here!!

74
SFX: [*gasp*]
Hashita: .....
Hashita: fufu...

75
Hashita: Bwahahahaha!!
Toki: [*huh?*]
Toki: Hashita-san?
Toki: What are you doing?
SFX: [*laugh laugh*]
Hashita: Isn't it obvious!?
Ainezu: Hashita...
Hashita: Well, I mean, I guess I look pretty funny too.  (pffft!)
SFX: *laugh laugh*
Susutake: Hashita...?
Hashita: What is it?
Hashita: You two aren't saying anything.
Toki: What's going on...?

76
Ainezu: ......
Ainezu: H...
Ainezu: Hashita-san?
Ainezu: B...
Ainezu: But how...
Ainezu: This can't be...
Toki: Huh?

77
Susutake: What the...
Susutake: Wait...
SFX: [*gasp*]
SFX: [*cough cough*]
Susutake: Hashita?  Old man?
Susutake: But why...
Susutake: Are you dressed like the bird?
Susutake: I don't...
Susutake: What's going on?
Susutake: ...Hashita?  But how!?
Susutake: Um...
Hashita: Wait...
Hashita: You guys...
Hashita: Don't you know who I am?

78
Hashita: Aonibi...
Hashita: Wakasa...

79
Ainezu: I...
Ainezu: I know, but...
Ainezu: I don't...
Ainezu: Do I...
Aizezu: Know you...?
Susutake: Hey...
Susutake: Time out!
Susutake: What the hell is going on!?  Why am I...?
Toki: Hashita-san!?
Toki: Could it be that you...
Toki: Know these guys!?
Hashita: Huh?
Hashita: Yeah, of course I do!
Hashita: They're my buddies from work!

80
Hashita: They look pretty close to the way they do in real life, so I guess I'm still dreaming...
SFX: [*wahaha*]
Toki: Hashita-san!
Toki: I keep telling you - this isn't a dream!!
Toki: [You've got to trust me, okay!?]
Hashita: Eh!?
Hashita: What!?
Hashita: You mean... I'm really not dreaming?
Toki: Um...
Hashita: But then why do I suddenly look like this?
Hashita: How did that happen!?
Toki: Well, uh...

81
Ainezu: You know, it's terribly difficult to prove that the world you see is the "real" one...
Ainezu: But...
Hashita: Aonibi?
Ainezu: Utsubushi-san...
Ainezu: No, Hashita-san...
Ainezu: Why...
Ainezu: Why is it that I suddenly have memories of you?
Ainezu: But...
Aienzu: If all of a sudden I have knowledge that I shouldn't be able to have,
Ainezu: Then that means this can't all be happening in my head.
Hashita: ......
Hashita: Oi...
SFX: [*gulp*]
Hashita: You...
Toki: !?
Ainezu: Wakasa-san,
Ainezu: It's the same for you, right?
Susutake: Uwah...
Susutake: Give me a minute...

82
Susutake: Ugh...!!
Susutake: This feels just like when I play sensory immersion video games for too long...
Susutake: [I feel sick...]
Susutake: [My head is spinning...]
Susutake: I don't think this is a dream...
SFX: [*uggggggh*]
Susutake: Holy shit, what happened to me!?
Susutake: What the hell is going on!?
SFX: [*shock*]
TOki: Susutake-san...
Toki: How do you know about video games!?
Susutake: What is this shit, cosplay!?
SFX: [*gasp*]
Susutake: This is some kind of total immersion game, right!?

83
Toki: .....!?
Toki: You two...
Toki: Are from the real world!?
Hashita: Hey, hey...
Hashita: Are you serious about this!?
Ainezu: I think we can rule out the possibility that this is a dream.
Ainzeu: There's simply too much new information content.
Ainezu: I have memories of being "Ainezu," but I'm also aware that I'm "Aonibi."
Ainezu: It's like they're blended together.
Susutake: Me too, me too!
Susutake: But I can't remember what I was doing in my last few moments as Wakasa...
Susutake: It's like I woke up and I was suddenly Susutake!!

84
Hashita: The more we're reminded of our old lives, the more memories start coming back...
Susutake: What does it mean...!?
Utsubushi: Hey, you guys!  What's got you so worked up?
SFX: [*flap flap*]
Utsubushi: This isn't a good place to stop and chat!
Utsubushi: We have to go find the priestesses...
SFX: [*shock*]
SUsutake: KACCHAN!!
Utsubushi: Ah!  What are you doing, Susutake!?
Utsubushi: [Ee!?]
SFX: [*kyaa*]
Susutake: Kacchan, it's you!!
Susutake: And you can talk!!

85
Utsubushi: [Nooooo, let me go!!]
Susutake: [Uwaaaah, I'm so happy!!]
Toki: No way...
Susutake: [I get to see my creation come to life!]
(Note: "Kacchan" was the unofficial mascot sprite of their spy business, back in Chapter 49)
Toki: That version of Utsubushi-san...
Toki: Is from the real world too?
SFX: [*shock*]
SFX: [*staaaaare*]
Toki: OMG, what about you guys!?
Toki: Do you remember your other lives, too!?
Tsuyukusa: ...What are you talking about?  Are you guys...
Tsuyukusa: Okay?

86
Toki: .....!
SFX: [*tremble*]
Toki: What if... we're all from the world they call "Nirvana?"
Toki: It's starting to seem possible...
Toki: But why...?  It doesn't make sense...
Hashita: Whoa, whoa...
Hashita: So this isn't a dream.
Hashita: We're all really in this place.
Hashita: So it begs the question...
Hashita: What *is* Amatsuki?
SFX: [*shock*]

87
Ainezu: And for what purpose were we brought here?
Ainezu: Something about that Yakou's face covering seems really familiar...
Ainezu: The Sensai Corporation!!
Susutake: You're right!!
Susutake: It's the same as their logo!!
Susutake: Back in the real world...
Susutake: We were investigating the Sensai Corporation!!

88
Ainezu: So the Yakou is wearing their logo on his face...
Ainezu: This place must have something to do with Sensai.
Ainezu: But while we were investigating,
Ainezu: We never saw anything about "Amatsuki,"
Ainezu: Or about this "Yakou."
Ainezu: ...Unless you know something,
SFX: [*glance*]
Ainezu: Bonten-san?

89
Ainezu: Now that I think about it,
Ainezu: You've always seemed to avoid letting me, Utsubushi and Susutake-san all be in the same place at the same time.
[Bonten: I guess you could call it destiny.]
[Bonten: Hey, you two, quit fighting!]
Ainezu: Honestly,
Ainezu: I assumed that you disliked me.
Ainezu: But now I wonder...
Ainezu: Was it that you were trying to prevent something like this from happening?
Bonten: ......
Ainezu: ......
Ainezu: Well, it doesn't matter.
Ainezu: If I worry too much about your involvement in all of this, I'm probably just going to make the situation even worse.

90
Ainezu: Anyhow,
Ainzeu: I'm sure that everything will soon come to light.
Bonten: .....
Hizame: Ainezu...?
Ainezu: ....
SFX: [*wibble*]
Ainzeu: Please forgive me.
Ainezu: I've caused you to worry, haven't I?
Ainezu: I promise, I'll explain everything to you soon.

91
Toki: Hashita-san?
Toki: What is the Sensai Corporation?
Hashita: Oh!
Hashita: Right, you wouldn't know.
Hashita: They're a business that we were investigating...
Toki: [Maybe somewhere in my heart...]
Toki: [I'd started to think that the world was just a game, and I was the main character.]
Toki: [I was always the nameless protagonist.]
Toki: [I didn't know anything.]
Toki: [I didn't have any bonds with other people.]

92
Toki: [But...]
Hashita: Sensai's the company that created that "Bakumatsu Interactive Exhibit" museum.
[Teacher: A mandatory social studies field trip over your spring vacation!!]
[SFX: [*tadaa*]]
[Text: [Greater Edo Bakumatsu Interactive Exhibit]
[SFX: [*slam*]]
[Teacher: It opens tomorrow!  You're invited to the Bakumatsu Interactive Exhibit!!]
[Toki: WHAAAT!?]
[Toki: [My spring vacation!?]]
[Toki: What do you mean!?]
[Toki: Waaaah!]
[Teacher: Feel the breath of history on your skin and in your bones and in your eyes!!]
Hashita: Have you heard of it?
Toki: [But really... maybe I was just...]
Toki: Yeah... I've been there.
Toki: That...
Toki: That was how...
Toki: I came into this world...
Toki: [An outsider in this world.]