As he overlooked the city from the top of the Shibuya Police Department, Shogo held out his arms as he let the autumn air blow through his hair. After a few moments, he started to sing again, “The bystanders, pitying us, were farther from life or death we longed for…”
The safety of a gun clicked behind him. He turned to stare at the Scarlet Titania, who held a revolver in her right hand, aimed to shoot him in the head.
“Oh. Hi, Auntie.” He said calmly, completely unconcerned with his impending doom. “How is your relationship with Soshi now?”
She didn’t answer. Her eyes were fixed on him- which he could tell with or without the mask- and her resolve was unshakable.
“…I see.” He smiled a bit. “You wouldn’t really shoot me, would you?”
The vigilante flicked a card at him. He caught it before the wind took hold of it and read it aloud. “Dead End.” He said. “Huh. I guess it’s official, then.” The blonde sighed a bit. “Y’know, Auntie, I hope you know what you’re doing. You go around killing people who kill. Does that make you any better than me, really?” He started walking towards her, closing the gap between them in slow, easy strides. “You preach about justice, and I’ve given justice. Those people I killed committed crimes of their own. For instance, that last guy, the one I ‘hung by his toes’…” His voice dropped to a murmur. “He’s murdered more people than you can count, really. ‘Hang the poor by their toes’ he said. So I made sure he couldn’t say it anymore.”
He noticed her fingers trembling. Her resolve was shaking.
Cockily, he pressed the nose of the revolver to his forehead. “Shoot me.”
She did not.
After what seemed like an eternity, he stepped back, hands held open by either side of his head. “See? I’m still your nephew. I haven’t changed.”
“You have.” She spoke quietly, and she did not lower the gun. “You are not my nephew.” A tear slipped down her right cheek (from where he stood), but again, she did not lower the gun.
“Then shoot me.” He said again. When she didn’t, he started to sing again, “In a tiny garden at the end of the ends, I believed that there would be a boundless-”
BANG.
-miracle…
As the shot went off, he glanced down at his chest to see the fresh hole in its right side, just off-center. He sighed. So there it is.
He smiled a bit; fingers damp with his own blood, he fell to his knees. I see, my latest victim was me. I’d forgotten that I’d planned-
The curtains closed.
