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Atsuko Asano NO. 6 Beyond

9ui%kly trans$ormed into a towerin" monster. !he %ity had %rum led asi$ su%%um in" to the wei"ht o$ its own horri$i% u"liness.

3e*umi I:ll wait here for you. I:ll keep waiting.ShionMs #oi%e e%hoed deep inside his ears.KAha, I see. So you are $rom that %ity. !he man umped up and

attempted to "rasp Ne5umiMs hand.K/onMt tou%h me. Ne5umi atted away the arm that was o$$ered

to him. +e hadnMt meant to do it with mu%h $or%e, ut the mansta""ered a%k and plun"ed one $oot into the water.

KNo need to e so hostile, the man said. KItMs ust that i$ you are aresident o$ No. 6, there are a lot o$ thin"s IMd like to ask you.

KAnd I ha#e less than a "rain o$ sandMs worth to say to you. IMm nota %iti5en o$ No. 6.

KBut you know a out it. Is it true that the %ity is destroyed now?!he manMs e pression showed an o #ious tension. !he %orners o$ hiseyes were turned up, and they twit%hed sli"htly.

KI hear rumours e#erywhere, ut no one knows the truth. And Ithink you know. I saw #a%uum)pa%ked rations and a li"htwei"ht L3/"enerator in your pa%k. !hatMs $rom No. 6, isnMt it? I %anMt think o$anywhere else you would "et it.

Be$ore the day o$ Ne5umiMs departure, Haran and Shion hadpa%ked all manners o$ thin"s into Ne5umiMs a"s, Haran with the $a%eo$ a mother seein" her son o$$, and Shion in stolid silen%e.

We really are saying good1bye.Ne5umi had $inally $elt the reality o$ their partin" in his $lesh as hewat%hed ShionMs pro$ile, with the oyMs lips pursed in a sti$$, almost"rumpy, line.

Tomorrow I:ll be leaving. +hion will stay and I will leave.!heir two li#es, %onne%ted almost mira%ulously $our years a"o,

were now partin" and "oin" their separate ways. Ne5umi and Shion

had li#ed to"ether $or less than hal$ a year. It was a #ery short period

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%ompared to the days he had spent alone until then, and pro a ly tothe days that were to $ollow. It was a rie$, yet intense, period.

Would there be any period in the future more intense and finely1definedthan that period I spent with him?

Ne5umi shook his head. No. 6 had $allen. +e had $ul$illed what hehad set out $or.

+o it:s fine.Shion was a person o$ the past. Althou"h he would remain in

Ne5umiMs memories, ne#er to disappear, he was not in#ol#ed in

Ne5umiMs present.+e had to draw a line. I$ he didnMt he would not e a le to mo#e

$orward. +e would not e a le to li#e the present i$ he was trapped inthe past.

+eMd had enou"h. 3nou"h o$ dra""in" the past ehind him and earin" its wei"ht. +e wanted no more o$ it.

K1ome on, wonMt you answer me? A pleadin" tone %rept into the

manMs #oi%e. KI hear rumours. Lots o$ them. I hear that No. 6 has $allen, ut IM#e also heard that thatMs all a lie, and that %ity is still there, stillprosperin". I %anMt tell i$ either story is true or $alse.

K'ou %an always see $or yoursel$.!he man drew his %hin a%k and let his throat rum le.K...But No. 6 is su%h a distant land.KItMs only a out a si )month walk. !hatMs pretty %lose.

K+al$ a year... ust thinkin" a out it makes me $eel $aint. !he man"a#e su%h a len"thy e hale that his ody seemed to shrink a si5e.KArenMt you a tra#eller, too, old man? Or donMt tell me youM#e

settled in this wilderness?!he manMs lip %urled re#ealin" a part o$ his teeth, whi%h were

surprisin"ly white. +is tone and his #oi%e %arried none o$ thepiteousness o$ e$ore.

KOh, I wouldnMt e so in%redulous. It mi"ht e a more %om$orta le

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pla%e to li#e than you think.!he earth was mostly uninha ita le y humans $or the lon")term,

aside $rom the si %ities and their surroundin"s―it had een said so $oryears.

eople had uilt the si i" %ities in sear%h o$ the ri"ht lo%ation,land, and %onditions $or sur#i#al. !hose who %ould not "et inside hadno %hoi%e ut to die, or to %lin" to their li#es y han"in" on mar"ins o$the %ities.

But a$ter wanderin" the wilderness, Ne5umi reali5ed that not all o$

it were adlands that inhi ited any %han%e o$ sur#i#al. !here was more"reenery, more oases than he saw a%k when he had wandered withthe old woman& there were e#en s%attered streams, "rassy $ields, andmarshlands.

It seemed as i$ the en#ironment was re%o#erin" suddenly andrapidly, thou"h Ne5umi %ould not tell i$ this impro#ement was theearth e ertin" its inner stren"th or somethin" that was simply

temporary. Ne5umi $i"ured no one would e a le to tell.But he did $eel one thin": oth the earth and humankind wereresilient.

+umans were "atherin" near odies o$ water and esta lishin"small settlements. !hey irri"ated water and plou"hed the $ields,planted seeds, tended %attle, produ%ed %hildren, and were attemptin"to rear them. Althou"h they were in e tremely harsh %onditions, they

were esta lishin" li#es that were separate $rom the si i" %ities.+hion the world is shifting. It:s always moving and changing shape.Have your eyes caught this change? Have your ears caught the sound of thischange its movements in the womb?

+e spoke mentally to Shion, who was pro a ly still in the midst o$a di$$i%ult attle in a new orn %ity.

KOh, I know. +ow a out this: why donMt you stay o#er at my house

toni"ht, youn"Mun? IMll "i#e you a ni"htMs lod"in" as a way to apolo"i5e

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$or my rudeness. (ill you sit down with me and tell me your story? ItMsa small %otta"e, ut I ha#e a ed and a ath. ItMs a pretty "ood lod"in"

$or these parts.KI wonMt take it.K(hy not? ItMs a warm ed and a hot ath.K'ou %ould o$$er me a mar le athtu and IMd still re$use. I donMt

e#en want to set $oot into a thie$Ms lod"in".KAs I said e$ore, IMm not a thie$. IMm No.6Ms― the man a ruptly

shut his mouth. Ne5umi %ould hear the %lear sounds o$ a horseMs nei"h

and human $ootsteps. !here were se#eral horses and men. !he airsuddenly %arried a s%ent o$ $ore odin".

KOh, no. !hey %ame a$ter us. 1olour $led $rom the manMs $a%e. Inan attempt to es%ape, he tripped o#er his $eet and landed on his

ottom.K!here, I see him< !here he is< !hree men appeared, wadin"

throu"h the shru ery. All three o$ them were o$ immense si5e. One

was tan)skinned, and the other two were $air)skinned with a hint o$pink.K(e $ound you, $raud< /onMt think you %an "et out o$ this ali#e.

!he tan man raised a thi%k arm. +is animal a""ression waso#erwhelmin". K(hat the hell kind o$ eli ir is this? he roared. KItMs

ust %oloured water< Stop $u%kin" around.K!ake him down<

K8inish him o$$

K()(ait< +old on a minute< 'ou misunderstand me. !hatmedi%ine is really an eli ir. ')you must ha#e made a mistake while you

were preparin" it―

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KShut up< Still "ot the alls to lie, huh? ellowed one.K4ip his mouth apart and pull his ton"ue out so he %an ne#er

speak a"ain< (hile youMre at it, reak two or three o$ his teeth<K3eek< the man %ried. K ) lease, letMs %alm down and talk a out

this without resortin" to #iolen%e. I)IMll "i#e you your money a%k<K oney? the tan man smirked. It made $or a per$e%t sta"e #illainMs

$a%e. KO$ %ourse youMll "i#e it a%k to us. IMll take my time with themoney a$ter IMm $inished with you.

K3eeek, help< 1)1ome on, youn"Mun< +elp me< !he man looked at

him with pleadin" eyes.K+m? (hoMre you? Are you this $raudsterMs $riend? !he ponytail

manMs eyes ul"ed as he "lared at Ne5umi.KNe#er. I was ust passin" y. See ya. Ne5umi turned his a%k on

the men. !he last thin" he wanted to do was "et in#ol#ed in a s%u$$le,mu%h less a dispute in#ol#in" a thie$.

K()(ait< lease, donMt lea#e me<

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K+ey, kid. !he man with the ponytail strode o#er to him. KI$youMre ust a passer y, you etter hand that man o#er to us and "et

"oin". Or else―KOr else, what?!he ponytail snapped his $in"ers as his $a%e twisted into a "rin.KOr else youMll e uried in the wild ri"ht alon"side him.KOh, I think IMd like to de%line, i$ you donMt mind. I donMt really like

ein" in the dirt.K+ey, $ella. !he tanned man twisted his $a%e into the same kind o$

#ul"ar "rin. K'ouMre a%tually 9uite the looker up %lose. ItMs a waste toput you under"round. (hy donMt you %ome alon" with us? (eMll "i#eyou a "ood time.

K(hat, you didnMt reali5e I was eauti$ul until you looked at meup %lose? I %an see eyesi"ht wasnMt one o$ the thin"s you were "i#en,alon" with looks.

K(hat the hell did you say?

Ne5umi put his pa%k down and "a#e a small si"h. $nd so it goes inthe end. +hion your name always gets me involved in some kind of conflict. Ihope you:re aware of that.

K!urnin" a"ainst us, huh, little astard?KI wish I didnMt ha#e to.K+ah, well, thatMs $ine. (eMll ust eat you up a little until you 9uiet

down. A$ter we "et rid o$ the $raudster, weMll ha#e all the time to en oy

with you.KNot the $a%e, thou"h. !his one rin"s in the u%ks.KI know that. +eh heh, we $ound oursel#es a "em. !he tanned

man li%ked his lips. !hen he %len%hed his $ist and lun"ed $orward. +ismo#ements were pra%ti%ed and smooth, like one who was used to#iolen%e and $i"htin".

Ne5umi retreated a step and whistled. +amlet urst out o$ his hair

and laun%hed itsel$ at the tanned $a%e in $ront o$ it.

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KAr"h< (hat is it?<Be$ore the tanned man %ould "rasp +amlet, Ne5umi sank his knee

into the manMs elly. !he manMs enormous tanned ody $ell to the"round without a sound. Ne5umi umped o#er the $allen man anddrew ri"ht up to the ponytailed man.

KL)Little astard―!he ponytail ore down on him, his eyes ul"in". Ne5umi already

had an idea o$ the timin". +e dod"ed the low, slipped %lose to theman and hammered the lade o$ his hand into the manMs throat. !he

ponytail ent o#er a%kwards e$ore %ollapsin" on his a%k. +e, too,was una le to raise so mu%h as a %ry.

KOh, youM#e done it― !he ald man, the last one remainin",drew a da""er out. KIMm "onna smash you.

!he ald manMs mo#ements were sli"htly less nim le than theother two. Ne5umi spun around so that he was ehind him, and %oiledhis arm around the manMs ne%k, ti"htenin" his "rip.

!he da""er $ell at his $eet. Ne5umi ki%ked it towards the sprin". Amoment later, he heard a %lear splash.KA kni$e isnMt somethin" you ust swin" around. I su""est you "et a

little more trainin". Ne5umi ti"htened his headlo%k e#en more. All thestren"th le$t the ald manMs ody. (hen Ne5umi un%oiled his arm, theman $ell to his knees with a mu$$led "asp.

+amlet s%urried up to Ne5umiMs shoulder and %hirruped so$tly.

+e heard applause.KBrilliant. I $elt like I was wat%hin" a sta"e play. Ama5in". Euststunnin". !hat was "ood work. +ey, what are you―

Ne5umi snat%hed the pou%h o$ "old %oins $rom the manMs %loth a"and pla%ed it in the tanned manMs hand. !he tanned man "roaned so$tlyand raised his head sli"htly.

KSorry a out that. 1an you take this money as an apolo"y $or what

he did and write it o$$? lease.

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!he tanned man linked. +e seemed to nod e#er so sli"htly.K+)+ey< !hatMs too mu%h. ItMs my money<

K!hereMll e no "rud"es this way. Or would you rather these men$ollow you around e#erywhere? Let me tell you that these types aretena%ious.

!he man shru""ed, and resumed %lappin".KI see. But anyway, you %ertainly did a rilliant o o$ %leanin"

them up. IMm hum led.K(ere you a %iti5en o$ No. 6?

!he manMs hands $ro5e. (ithout his smooth talk and %lappin", thesilen%e seemed to rin" in Ne5umiMs ears.

KAnswer me. /id you li#e in that %ity?K...'es, I did. But I said my "ood yes a lon", lon" time a"o.K(hy?K(hy? +mm, letMs see. Be%ause that %ity was $ake, youn"Mun. I$ itMs

$ake, it will always someday e"in to unra#el. I knew No. 6 would

pro a ly e"in to ti"hten its sur#eillan%e and e%ome e#en moredomineerin" in its attempt to keep itsel$ to"ether. I didnMt think I %ouldstand ein" su$$o%ated like that.

I see. +o this man saw through 3o. 4:s true form and its destiny.KAnd you es%aped $rom the %ity alone, lea#in" your elo#ed little

oy ehind.KI %ouldnMt %on#in%e my wi$e to lea#e. She re$used to lea#e No. 6

with me. I donMt think she %ould trust me %ompletely.K!hatMs shrewd ud"ement enou"h. I$ she had %ome with someoneas irresponsi le as the likes o$ you, she wouldM#e een a pile o$ ones

y now.KNot e a%tly a polite one, are you? But anyway, is it true? +as No.

6 really een destroyed? It has, hasnMt it? An arti$i%ial world like thatwould ne#er e a le to e ist in reality $or lon". It must ha#e %rum led

$rom its $oundations... itMs true, isnMt it?

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KI$ it is, what do you plan to do?KIMm "oin" home.

K+ome? !o No. 6? ItMs pretty $ar)o$$.KOh, si months o$ walkin" will "et me there. ItMs not a i" deal.

'ou said so yoursel$.K'earnin" to see your wi$e and son a"ain, huh, e#en a$ter you

a andoned them on%e? retty sel$ish thin" to do, I think.KNo... thatMs not all o$ it. !he man $ell silent $or a while, then

raised his $a%e determinedly. KI owe you. 'ou sa#ed my li$e. So let me

tell you somethin". 1ome here.!he man in#ited Ne5umi out o$ the shru ery. !hree horses were

tethered and "ra5in". !hey were a dark rown %olour.KNo one will o#erhear us here. !ake this. !he man drew a a"

$rom under his shirt. +e had apparently kept it han"in" around hisne%k. Both the $a ri% and strin" o$ the a" were worn and $aded.

K!his...

Inside was a ro%k a round smaller than the $ruit on the ushes.Ne5umi did not e#en ha#e to take a %loser look to %on$irm. !his was....KIs this... "old ore?K'es. Listen to me: there are "old deposits in the area around No.

6. I donMt know how lar"e the area is, ut I think thereMs a %onsidera leamount o$ "old hidden there.

KNo way.

KItMs true. I dis%o#ered it when I was youn"er. I mi"ht look like thisnow, ut I was on%e a "eolo"ist. (e in#esti"ated all soil around No. 6,and this was part o$ the dis%o#ery.

KBut you put it under wraps and didnMt report it.KO$ %ourse I did. (hy would I ha#e to report it, anyway? Cold

would ne#er rin" prosperity to No. 6. It would result in a hundredtrou les with not one "ood thin" to make up $or it.

KI %an see that. Ne5umi $elt a sli"ht %hill.

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KAs $ar as I know, the ore hasnMt een dis%o#ered yet. I ha#enMtheard any rumours a out any dis%o#ery. Besides, No. 6 is destroyed

now, so the pla%e must e in the throes o$ %on$usion. (hi%h means I%an enter and lea#e $reely. I %an e#en di" up "old in road dayli"ht andno one would reprimand me.

K(ait a minute. (hereMs this "old mine youMre talkin" a out?KA strip o$ land runnin" $rom the north to the south. art o$ it e#en

rea%hes the re"ion that used to e %alled the Land o$ ao. None o$ it is#isi le a o#e "round. !he "old is slum erin" away, deep inside the

earth. lus―!he man lowered his #oi%e and %ontinued in a low murmur, as i$

to uild tension.KI %anMt say this is $or sure yet, ut... thereMs also a possi ility that

thereMs a hu"e deposit o$ rare metals ri"ht eneath No. 6. Ni%kel,"allium, 5ir%onium, nio ium, indium.... I %anMt say mu%h more, utwhat do you think? Creat news, isnMt it?

Ne5umiMs %hill worsened sli"htly.K...ItMs "reat to hear as a $airy tale. !his is how youM#e tri%kedpeople all the way up until now, isnMt it? As the $raudster that you are.

KIMm not a $raud. IMm the one who waits.K!he one who waits?K'es, IM#e een waitin"―$or No. 6Ms $all. And it seems like the time

has $inally %ome. I ha#e to make preparations to "o a%k home. +ey,

why donMt you %ome alon" with me? I %ouldnMt ask $or a etter partner.LetMs "o a%k to No. 6 and %laim that enormous $ortune $or oursel#es.!he manMs eyes shone with a dis"ustin", slimy kind o$ li"ht. It was

not the li#ely kind o$ li"ht that illuminated the way $orward. +is eyeswere "lowin" dimly $rom their depths in an attempt to lure the prey%lose.

This man.... Ne5umi reali5ed he had "ritted his teeth. This man isn:t

insane nor is he trying to trick me. He:s "ust telling the truth&at least the

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truth as it appears to him.KAnd what do you plan to do with those ri%hes? 3n oy a lu urious

retirement? 3o. That isn:t what this man wants.KIMm "oin" to uy it.KBuy what?KNo. 6.8or an instant, Ne5umiMs #oi%e and reath %au"ht in his throat. All

he %ould do was stare, ewildered, at the man.KBuy No. 6? (hat do you mean?

!he man stowed the ore a%k in its pou%h and smiled amia ly.KListen, youn" man. I$ you plan on takin" o#er the world, you

wonMt e needin" armies, %ommandments, or thorou"h systems o$sur#eillan%e and %ontrol. 'ou need wealth. (ealth is the sin"le lar"est,most si"ni$i%ant weapon. No. 6 didnMt 9uite "et that part ri"ht. (ell, the%ity was also unlu%ky to ha#e a $oolish ruler.

K'ou plan on e%omin" the ruler o$ No. 6 with wealth?

KOh, I donMt know. !he man %o%ked his head to the side. K(hoknows what $ate will rin"? IMm not mu%h o$ an am itious person. IdonMt aspire to e an emperor or a ruler.

K!hen why?K8or $un. I %an make a mess o$ peopleMs li#es with these two hands.

It would e olly. Eust olly. No "ame %ould e etter than this.K(h... Ne5umi stared harder at the man. +e was not like Shion.

Shion ne#er looked at peopleMs li#es as somethin" to toy with. +e ne#ermanipulated them $or $un.KNo. 6―that %ity is $inally on the road to re uildin". !heyMre

tryin" to esta lish a new %ity)state, and youMre ust "oin" to make amess o$ it e%ause you $eel like it?

K4e uild? New? Impossi le. It doesnMt matter who "ets in#ol#edand in what manner. A state is a state. ItMll e#entually stren"then its

"o#ernment and attempt to put people under its rule. !hatMs the true

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$a%e o$ a state, and the history o$ humankind has pro#en that $a%t to us.No. 6 %an %han"e its ro e as many times as it likes, ut itMll still e No.

6, all the same. I$ there is any %han"e, it would e whether the personat the %ore o$ No. 6―its ruler―is $oolish or intelli"ent. +eMll set hismethods o$ rule in pla%e: i$ heMs $oolish, heMll make it o #ious& i$ heMsintelli"ent, heMll e nim le and dis%reet. !he $ool would e#entuallydestroy himsel$, ut a man o$ de%ent intelle%t would "radually "ain%omplete hold o$ No. 6. !hose are the types you should e the mosta$raid o$. So?

K...+uh?K(hat kind o$ person is in#ol#ed in the re uildin" o$ No. 6? 8rom

your point o$ #iew, is he $oolish? Is he intelli"ent?Ne5umi shook his head slowly. !he ase o$ his ne%k a%hed dully.K+eMs #ery ri"ht, and holds su stantial intelle%t. I %anMt ima"ine

him e%omin" the type o$ ruler you were talkin" a out.KAh, you ha#e hi"h re"ard $or him, I see. And you must know the

man―he is a man, ri"ht?―you must know him well?In a sense I know him more than anyone else. $nd in a sense I knownothing at all.

KAnd you also elie#e in him.I do believe in him. 3othing in the world would be worth believing if I

couldn:t believe in +hion. I believe in him. %ut I was also afraid of him wasn:tI?

Ne5umi $ell silent. !he man "lan%ed at him and stepped $orward.K+ow a out it? 1ome with me. IMm not 9uite sure a out the raremetals, ut thereMs de$initely "old.

Ne5umi took a $irm step a%kwards.KNo thanks. IMll dri$t to where#er I want to "o.KI see... thatMs un$ortunate. !he man "rima%ed as i$ he were really

disappointed. KBut I "uess thereMs nothin" we %an do. IMll e o$$, then. I

think IMll orrow this horse here. 1onsiderin" how mu%h "old I paid

2

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a%k there, I donMt think heMll mind i$ I take one horse.!he man took hold o$ the reins o$ a "rey horse and turned around.

KOne last thin". eople %han"e, oy. !hat man you elie#e in will%han"e, too. Anyone who stands at the top o$ a state will %han"e. I$ hedoesnMt %han"e, heMll e destroyed. 'ou remem er that.

Ne5umi tou%hed the kni$e atta%hed to his elt. -aybe if I finish thisman off here... if I finish him off I would nip a bud that would otherwise bringharm to +hion.

+is $in"ers it%hed. Ne5umi %lasped his it%hin" $in"ers.

I:ll never forgive you for harming much less killing someone for me.3e*umi don:t kill him. /on:t commit a crime for my sake.Shion was holdin" his arm a%k and pleadin" with him

desperately.3e*umi don:t kill him.

That:s right. That:s what you would say. I know you would say that and

stop me. #ou:ve always been and always will be a naive do1gooder.+hion....K(ell, i$ the $ates rin" us to"ether, let us meet a"ain. !he man

mounted the horse with a sweep, and du" his heels in. !he "rey horse"a#e a whinny and started o$$. !he man and the horse disappeared in a%loud o$ dust

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