The dawn sky was quite beautiful. The blue full moon in the sky brightly illuminated the ground, and the occasional passing clouds cast shadows in the moonlight. Four small rings connected around a large central circle, and the countless constellations spread beyond those rings formed the Milky Way.
"...."
Kenji blankly looked up at that beautiful sky from the hospital rooftop. With the new year starting in a few days, the night air was cold, but not unbearably so. The winter patient gown was thick to begin with, and with a coat on top, he could stay reasonably warm except for his face.
After admiring the sky for a few more minutes like that, a voice came from behind. It was a deep and, at the same time, intellectual voice.
"I didn't know you'd be at the hospital."
"Tell me about it. Normally, I should have been preparing to move."
Clop, clop.
The sound of dress shoes approached. Kenji didn't turn his head until the footsteps were right beside him. Although he had reason to be displeased, the black-clad man sat carefully in the empty spot next to Kenji without any change in expression. Then, he looked up at Kivotos's night sky just like Kenji.
"The sky here seems truly beautiful. Those shining rings without distinction between day and night evoke indescribable emotions."
"...Didn't think I'd share the same sentiment as you. That's disgusting."
"Kukukuku, my apologies."
At the man's laughter, Kenji turned his head. The same appearance he had encountered before entered his view. Black smoke rose from the head that looked like a cracked mannequin, and the neatly worn suit exuded an elegant atmosphere. Still, Kenji only felt displeasure.
"You said there was a lot to talk about."
"That's correct. But there's no need to rush."
The man stood up. Then he bought two cans of warm coffee from the vending machine on the rooftop and handed one to Kenji. Kenji hesitated about accepting it, then clicked his tongue and took the can. The warm sensation heated his cold hands.
"You don't have to thank me."
"Wasn't planning to."
"How cold. Well, I don't mind though."
The man sat back down next to Kenji. Pshhh. Upon opening the can, steaming heat pushed through the hole. White vapor rose upwards, swayed in the wind, and disappeared. Kenji stared blankly at that sight, then took a sip of coffee. As the warm liquid went down his throat, warmth spread throughout his body.
"As I said before, all knowledge in the world has its appropriate value. But that value changes depending on who possesses that knowledge."
The man spoke. Instead of rebutting, Kenji listened to his words while glancing sideways at him.
"Let's take an extreme example. Even if an insect discovers human conversation methods, it holds little value. An insect's vocal organs can't mimic human speech, and no matter how hard it moves its tiny legs, humans would only perceive it as a disgusting spectacle rather than communication."
"...."
"Conversely, if a human discovers an insect's conversation methods, that holds great value. Human vocal cords could mimic insect cries. Even if not, they could create sounds through machines, or make robots identical to insects to directly control them."
"What's your point."
At Kenji's words, the man's neck turned. He opened the coffee can's lid and let out a kukukuku laugh.
"I'm saying that even if I convey information to you, whether it holds excellent value. You are an outsider to Kivotos, and unlike us, your understanding of Mystery and Terror is lacking."
"You make things so complicated. All I asked was the identity of those tin can bastards and who owns them."
Kenji twisted his mouth sideways.
Mystery this, Terror that. Those obscure things didn't matter. What's important is the mastermind who put 'me' in danger. That was all. Even if I find out, hunting down that bastard would be difficult, but I could at least be cautious. There's a big difference between knowing and not knowing the enemy's identity.
Moreover, I'm not the only one involved. Because of this incident, three Gehenna students and Mika, Nagisa, and Seia have probably caught that guy's attention. No, perhaps he was targeting them from the beginning.
Ultimately, it's an unknown. Meaning there's insufficient information. But the guy who can supplement that is right in front of me.
"I don't really like beating around the bush. So if you're going to spout that kind of nonsense, just leave."
Although he said that, Kenji secretly hoped the man wouldn't leave. His strong attitude was a kind of bluff. A bluff to not relinquish control of the conversation. After all, the information he wanted was held by the man, and that alone firmly established their roles as subordinate and superior. In truth, if the man got up saying he didn't want to share information, Kenji had no ability to stop him.
Fortunately, the man didn't get up. Instead, he crossed his legs while laughing softly.
"I seem to have caused a misunderstanding. My words meant, 'Even if I show you goodwill, will you be able to understand it?'"
"...Goodwill?"
"I said I would show you goodwill. This is an extension of that."
The man slightly tilted the opened can of coffee. The hot brown liquid wet his face, and the cracks except for his eyes absorbed the liquid. He went 'Hmm,' let out a short exclamation, and set down the can.
"First, let me explain the identity of that machine. It was made by one of our Gematria colleagues, 'Maestro.' A kind of experimental piece. A practice work to create a more perfect being. That's all."
"...Then who owns it."
"Maestro didn't like his experimental pieces. As practice for 'Jubilation,' he inverted the concept of 'Pleasure,' but that didn't satisfy his artistic desires. So he discarded it. However, even if it was unnecessary to him, it wasn't a completely worthless object. To someone, it was a needed item. So 'she' picked it up and kept it."
"...."
"Beatrice. The name of the woman who took that item."
"Beatrice...."
Kenji lowered his gaze while mulling over the name. Beatrice, Beatrice. He repeated it a few more times, but it wasn't a name he remembered. The same went for Maestro. Names he had never heard in his life.
To begin with, they were ambiguous words to even call names. Names that didn't fit in this place with many Japanese-style names, names suitable for use in a play. Moreover, Maestro was a kind of concept. But if they belonged to Gematria, they weren't names beyond understanding. Since they were composed of outsiders to Kivotos, they probably didn't need to follow this place's naming conventions.
'I'm the same, after all.'
He raised his head.
"That woman is also part of Gematria, I assume."
"That's correct."
"Then, ultimately this whole incident is because of you guys?"
"Hmm... I won't deny it."
The man shrugged his shoulders. Kenji spat on the ground and glared at him.
"The rumors. Who spread the rumors to the Gehenna students? Was that Gematria too?"
"I don't know that much. But if I were to guess, probably yes. If my assumption is correct, what happened to you was likely orchestrated by Beatrice."
"Reason?"
"Since I'm not her, I don't know the details. And she's a kind of dissonance even among us, making it hard to predict where and how she'll jump."
"...Tch."
Kenji clicked his tongue hard and threw the can in his hand toward the trash bin. But it didn't go in. The can fell powerlessly right in front of the trash bin. In contrast, the can thrown by the man drew a clean trajectory and entered the bin.
"So, have you heard all the information you wanted to know?"
"If everything you said is true, then yes."
"Kukukuku, that's fortunate."
The man pulled down his black gloves as he spoke. Then, he lifted his head to look at the night sky. While they were talking, the moon's position had changed slightly.
"Please consider what I'm about to say as the goodwill I mentioned earlier. You can believe it or not."
"...? What is it."
"How much do you know about Mystery?"
The man looked back at Kenji. A serious face without a trace of laughter. Although it was no different from his usual expression, Kenji sensed seriousness from him. He, in turn, also became serious.
"...The halos above students' heads and the durability to remain unharmed even when shot."
"Hmm... You only know the most representative features. Then what about 'Terror'? Do you know anything about it?"
"Terror?"
Kenji's expression slightly twisted. Terror—how could he not know it? It's one of the important emotions humans have. But he instinctively realized. The Terror he spoke of wasn't merely discussing emotions.
A more high-dimensional concept than that.
He recalled what the man had said about Gematria's purpose. Mystery and Terror. And the pursuit of the Sublime. What exactly did that mean? In Kenji's thinking, Mystery referred to the students with halos. Then what about Terror? What is Terror? What is the Sublime?
"You don't seem to know much."
The man spoke while looking at Kenji's twisted expression. He tilted his head while tapping his thigh with a finger.
"To explain simply, Terror is the opposite of Mystery. That is, a concept of inversion."
"...."
"Terror and Mystery are like a kind of coin. Like the front and back of a coin, they coexist but can never face each other. But it's possible with external interference. Like cutting the center of a coin to forcibly make them face each other."
"...."
"This is a concept. No different from reciting a simple definition."
"Why are you telling me this?"
"You are being rejected by Mystery."
As Kenji narrowed his eyes, the man raised one finger and pointed at the sky.
"Those rings in the sky are evidence of Mystery. We, at least, think so. Because in our world outside Kivotos where Mystery doesn't exist, there were no such rings. The 'Earth' you mentioned. It's the same there, isn't it?"
Kenji agreed with silence. The man folded his finger.
"As long as you're under that sky, all beings on the ground are influenced by Mystery. But you're wandering outside that sphere of influence. Simply put, it means you're receiving no benefits whatsoever."
"...."
"You are vulnerable. Unlike the residents here, a single bullet could mean life or death, and you'd crumble without being able to resist their power even once. I think you've already experienced it several times. The reason you're in the hospital now... is likely because of that."
"...Unfortunately, that's right."
Sigh.
Kenji let out a deep sigh and closed his eyes. Undeterred, the man continued speaking.
This time, his voice carried a hint of laughter.
"You are special. The only being outside Mystery's sphere of influence and, at the same time, a being who can directly witness the duality of Mystery."
"...Terror?"
"Ironically."
The man paused briefly before uttering his next words.
"Instead of being rejected by Mystery, you react to Terror. Intensely so, as if receiving their favor and love."
"...I've never felt that way. To begin with, that 'Terror' thing is still—"
The moment he spoke. A scene came to mind.
The machine that looked like a mask, drenched in ink. The unknown emotion—a blend of fear, familiarity, strangeness, grotesqueness, and terror—felt the moment he faced it. The space entirely composed of black. Pain. Buoyancy.
Resembling.
Resembling me.
A voice.
"Just as you recalled, you have faced Terror. And...."
Tap.
The man gently poked Kenji's heart area with his finger.
"Finally, you have observed each other."
"...."
"Congratulations."
It has taken root.
At the following words, Kenji's face twisted violently.