Editor's comments and actions are denoted by [brackets]. Sound effects are written {like this}. (Parenthesis) indicate side notes in the dialogue bubble or the mangaka's note. And finally, italics are thoughts.

Down in the city, Yuuki stares as a falling stone gargoyle heads his way.

Yuuki: WH...AT...?

Kai suddenly looks over and focuses on the stone.

{sound f/x pikipishii: cracking noises from the statue}

{soung f/x gago: large explosion}

The stone explodes in a shower of dust and pebble-sized debris.

{sound f/x oo: raining noise}

{sound f/x para: patter of pebbles hitting the ground}

Yuuki slowly lowers his arms from where they protect his face.

Yuuki: Just now...... something happened!?

Above him, Kai floats. The two stare at each other in shock.

Yuuki: That's————!!

Kai: Why's...... ...someone's here.

{sound f/x ton: Ruri tapping Kai on the shoulder}

Ruri floats up to Kai.

Ruri: Kai? What is it? If we don't hurry up, Shin-Lu will finish up all by herself.

Kai: Right now, below us, someone's...... ...not there......!?

Below Kai, there's no sight of Yuuki. Close by, in the ruins of a small building, Yuuki hides by bracing himself halfway up the walls.

Yuuki: ......... That was close——... [sigh]

{sound f/x zuri: Yuuki sliding down the wall again}

Yuuki: That was "Ashurum's" special ability fighters. ...That guy... did he save me? Maa... ——whatever.

Elsewhere, Ruri and Kai continue flying on their way.

Kai: I just thought I saw something.

Ruri: But Eiji-san said that all of the citizens have taken shelter, right?

Kai: ...... Ruri! I want to check on that.

Ruri: Huh!?

Kai: Let's try going down to the city.

Ruri: K...Kai!!

Ruri cries out to Kai as he descends to the city level. Ruri follows him, and the two begin walking around the destroyed streets.

{sound f/x to: Ruri touching down}

{sound f/x fuwa: Ruri's hair floating}

Kai: When the people who took shelter come back, they won't be able to return to their old lives.

Ruri: From the beginning, Gard was an abandoned city. So don't worry. After this, they'll readjust and it'll certainly be a nicer place to live in than before.

Kai and Ruri look around the burning wreckage.

{sound f/x go: menacing atmosphere}

Ruri: Just like I thought, there's no one here. Let's go back already.

{sound f/x aan: a baby crying}

Kai: Just now... a voice—— A kid's... crying!

{sound f/x ba: Kai leaping across some ruins}

Ruri can only yell as Kai goes running off through the ruins of the city.

Ruri: KAI!!

{sound f/x ta: Kai running off}

In the shadows, men watch the two. In a burning house, Kai wanders through looking for the voice.

Kai: I can hear it from inside this house. I have to get the kid out of here quickly or else...

{sound f/x paki: crackling fire}

{sound f/x suu: Kai parting the flames with his power}

Kai: The force of the flames is making the house——...

{sound f/x bishi: a beam cracking}

Kai: Collapse——

{sound f/x gara: clattering as roof beams start to fall}

{sound f/x pita: Kai stopping the beams with his power}

{sound f/x suu: the sound of Kai's power}

Trap door: [cough cough...] [COUGH~...]

Kai: There!

Kai lights up as he hears noises coming from a trap door in the floor. He opens the door to find a small girl sitting on the floor alone.

{sound f/x gii: creak of the trap door}

{sound f/x kon koho: the little girl coughing}

Girl: M...other?

Kai: ...I'm glad...... You're okay...

Girl: Oniichan... ...who are you...? [In Japanese, Oniichan means older brother, but it's also used by children or young teens to address any young man older than them.]

In his mind's eye, Kai envisions a similar little girl with light hair, smiling up at him.

Vision: ——Oniichan——

Kai: She's maybe about the same age as Hikaru... I'm going to save you now.

Kai wraps the little girl in his Ashurum jacket and picks her up.

Kai: Hold on tight.

Kai teleports out in a flash of light. Seconds later, the ceiling collapses. Outside, Ruri watches the building collapse. Shortly after, Kai and the little girl teleport in front of the wreckage.

{sound f/x gaga: crash of the building collapsing}

{sound f/x shun: Kai teleporting in}

Ruri: Kai! [running over] This girl...?

Girl: [coughing]

Kai: She was shut up in a cabinet beneath the floor.

Girl: [coughing still]

Kai: ...I wonder if there's... water around here somewhere.

Ruri: ...... Earlier... I didn't think... When we were flying I noticed a fountain in the plaza... we should be saving a human but...

{sound f/x moji: Ruri mincing shyly}

Ruri looks shy as Kai grins at her.

Kai: Thanks, Ruri. I'm going to get some water, so watch over her.

Ruri: U... um...

Kai rushes off, leaving Ruri and the little girl behind.

Girl: [coughing still]

Ruri worriedly pulls her handkerchief out of her pocket and begins wiping the soot from the little girl's face.

{sound f/x katsu: Ruri's foot whacking something}

As Ruri shifts, her foot hits something. It's one of Ashurum's uniform guns.

Ruri: My goodness Kai... he dropped his weapon.

As Ruri reaches to pick up Kai's weapon, someone else's foot hits an empty can.

{sound f/x gara: clatter of the can}

{sound fx jii: shadowed figures freezing}

Ruri: [gasping]

Ruri draws Kai's gun as men begin running at her from the shadows.

{sound f/x pashi: Ruri whipping the gun around}

Ruri: WHO'S THERE!?

In an open, empty plaza, Kai stands before an unfilled fountain.

Kai: The water won't come out?

With a flash of his power, the fountain erupts with water.

{sound f/x suu: Kai's power activating}

{sound f/x bishi: the street cracking beneath Kai's feet}

{sound f/x gaga: chunks of concrete breaking up}

{sound f/x ga: blast of power}

{sound f/x pashan: Kai's steps splashing through the water}

Kai: What should I carry the water in...... It's drinking water so... no way I'll have to use buckets.

Kai turns his attention from the buckets to a nearby store.

Kai: It's an antique shop.

Inside, Kai finds some fine glasses. Only one isn't cracked. He picks it up.

Kai: This one isn't broken, so it'll work.

{sound f/x zuga: loud bang}

{sound f/x ba: Kai whipping around}

Kai: Gunfire!?

{sound f/x tan: Kai hopping over rubble}

{sound f/x da: Kai dashing off}

Behind him, the last glass falls onto the ground and shatters.

{sound f/x za: Kai sliding to a stop}

What Kai sees makes him stop cold. Ruri lies on the ground, gun clutched in one hand. Blood spatters her chest and forms a large pool around her. In the rubble, a mother clutches the little girl. Menacing men stand in the shadows around them.

Kai: Wha......

Mother: ...There's still more of you... What were you planning on doing with my child.

Kai begins walking forward slowly, deeply in shock.

Kai: ......We were... we... saved her... and so... why did Ruri...

Mother: DON'T COME ANY CLOSER~!! YOU MONSTER!!

Kai looks deeply shocked as he's shot twice in the shoulder.

{sound f/x za za: Kai dropping to his knees}

{sound f/x bishi: splash of Kai's blood}

Kai ......~ (~AHHH...) [sudden realizing] Ah~

Mother: That's right! I killed that one, too. It's what you get for coming to town like that!!

Shen-Long: How do you think that other humans look at people outside of "Ashurum" with special powers?

Mother: You things aren't human.

Kai: That's...wrong. I'm...... (——) I can't not say anything—— If I can tell her... make her understand.

Mother: I had to kill that one in order to keep from being killed. I'll kill you!!

Kai: I have to say something, but my voice...

Shen-Long: You're saying naïve things like that because you don't know the truth.

Kai: sto...... (STOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOP)

Kai screams as the mother aims her gun at him.

{sound f/x zuga: loud bang}

The woman suddenly splits apart, spraying blood over her watching child. The surrounding men can only watch in shock.

{sound f/x bikun: Kai's own surprise}

{sound f/x goto: the woman's arm hitting the ground}

Girl: ...huu...

{sound f/x aan: the girl crying}

The little girl begins screaming as the men run away.

Man: It's a monster~!!

Man: Run away!! It'll kill you, too!!

Kai chokes on his tears.

{sound f/x u~: Kai trying not to be sick}

{sound f/x dokun: loud heartbeat}

{sound f/x aan: the girl crying}

Kai: ...you... you'd better run away, too... hurry. Run away from me...... Please. Because... I... don't want to kill you—— HURRY!!

{sound f/x biku: the girl's surprise}

Girl: ...~hu...

The little girl, still sniffling, gets up and quickly runs away.

Kai: Run away...

{sound f/x zu: Kai sinking into depression}

Kai digs his fingers into the soft ground, before collapsing into desperate tears.

Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4

Manga belongs to Yuiga Satoru, G Fantasy Comics, and Enix, taken from the E'S, Volume 1 manga, ISBN4-87025-596-0. Not like the story makes sense if you haven't read the manga anyway. Romanized and translated into English very badly by Mina-P, with desperately needed help, as always, by Mako-chan. Any comments or corrections can be mailed to Mina-P at Minako@senshigakuen.com.

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