Jail Bird volume 1 | Chapter 4

By Takamure Tamotsu
Translated by asphodel

~Shion, flashback
Who did you meet today?

(Mahumi is in the street, hurrying towards the church.)

Mahumi
Why did you have that expression on your face? Was it something about the Father? But Shion doesn’t know the Father. I have to catch him.
—Why?
I have such an awful feeling—...

Uriel
Are you still with him?

(Mahumi looks up. Uriel is standing on top of a telephone pole.)

Mahumi
You...!

Uriel
Even though I warned you. Have you lost your brains along with your memory?

(Mahumi glares.)

Naaaah, I’m joking, I’m joking!

Mahumi
He was absolutely serious, wasn’t he.He’s a guy with bad character.

I told you! I don’t know you at all! How are we of a kind! Why would I do something like that!

Uriel
Eh? What kind of a greeting is that?

Mahumi
Shut up! Anyway, don’t get any closer to me! My only companion is Shion!

Uriel
You shouldn’t trust him. You don’t know anything about him, do you? Then why do you trust him so much?

Mahumi
I know enough. I know him more than I know you.

Uriel
...how many people has he killed?

Mahumi
Wh...!

Uriel
It’s obvious. He’s a demon, isn’t he?
Hey, Mahumi, aren’t you mistaking something? There are no good demons. I suppose, compared to other demons, his outward appearance isn’t atrocious. He’s not stupid, and his features are beautiful.
But you only see one side of him. The face that he wears only to show to you.
You probably feel confused. One who betrays his own kind to protect an angel—what do you think that makes him?
One who is ostracized. From demonkind.

Shion, flashback
—one who is ostracized from his kind...

Uriel
If there is risk of that, why do you think he’s with you? He has some secret motive.

(Mahumi strikes Uriel.)

Mahumi
Don’t toy with me!
You bad-mouth people pretty freely, but I won’t forgive you this time if you say things like that about Shion in front of me!
What “companion of old”? I don’t remember anything about you at all. I hate you most of all! I’m in a hurry, so don’t mess with me!

Woman
Uriel. Looks like you’re thoroughly hated, hmm? Mean-child-san.

Uriel
Mikael.
Humph. Not really. It doesn’t matter. It was necessary for the first part of Raphael’s plan.

Mahumi, flashback
I hate you!

Uriel
—...sheesh—
you’re the one who’s truly mean.

(Mahumi is running once more down the street.)

Mahumi
What the heck is with him? Why did he have to say things like that? Things like—

Shion, flashback
Did you think that it could be forgiven? To betray one’s own kind?

Mahumi
Shion only wants to stay in the human world. Is that the only reason he agreed to help me? But that’s weird. He must have a reason. Then—....
Then...
Why is Shion with me?

(At the church, Raphael slashes towards Shion with the Sword of Flame and opens a gash in his shoulder.)

Shion
Ugh...!

Raphael
Heh...hahah...!!
How it is? The taste of the Sword of Flame?
This Sword of Flame is the demon-exterminator of legend. Let me show you its effect! —in any case, if it touches people like me or Mahumi, we are completely fine. But it will cause great damage to one with the dark blood of a demon like you.
Here! Shall we see it burn once more?

Shion
Ug...!

(He wrenches away and spreads his wings.)

Raphael
Wings...!
—An angel’s—

Those things on your back...!
This is getting more and more unpleasant...!
Those unnatural wings! Just that makes me ten times angrier!

Shion
You can say whatever you want...! Damn you...!
I won’t leave him no matter what you say! Even if I die!

Mahumi
Shion

(Mahumi enters the church, panting.)

—Shion. Father...? What are you doing...!

Shion
Mahumi...!

(Raphael cringes back from Shion.)

Raphael
Waaaah! Stop! This demon!! He’s going to kill me!

Shion
Wha...!
You...!

(Power rushes into Shion’s hands.)

Mahumi
Shion?!

Raphael
Do you really want to do that? Mahumi will cry, you know!

Shion
WH...AT?

Raphael
You don’t understand, do you. I am different from those ghouls you’ve been defeating up until now. I am not Mahumi’s enemy. I am your good neighborhood priest.

(He sits agains the wall, the wall cracked behind him.)

A priest targeted because of this holy sword—... If you injury his friend the priest, Mahumi will be sad. And if you exposed your true demonic nature, will he hate you...?

Shion
YOU...BASTARD...!

(Raphael stretches out a hand.)

What? My body is...

Raphael
You will be still. Like a wooden puppet.
I am writing this entire script. “The Shion I liked so much was really a bad guy after all. He attacked the church, but my ally the righteous priest killed him.”
“The end.”
How about it?
And afterwards I tell that child that I’m of his kind. He’ll forget all about you in time.

Shion
Ra...pha...el...you bastard...!

Raphael
Mahumi! Look out!

(He whispers a spell, then jumps in front of Mahumi and grabs him. Something strikes him from behind.)

Mahumi
Father!

Shion
He struck himself...!

Raphael
U...ugh.
This demon would attack even you...!
It seems that he came to snatch away this sword... I wouldn’t hand it over to him...!

Mahumi
It couldn’t be...
It couldn’t be...! Shion attacked the priest...? Because this sword irritated him? That’s impossible.

Mahumi
Fa...Father. There must be a misunderstanding here! He isn’t a bad person! Truly! He’s my friend. There must be a mistake.

Raphael
This isn’t good. It seems that he has much more confidence in him than I thought.

...ah... My poor Mahumi...you’ve been completely deceived. It was easy to beguile your pure soul. They can lie with such cleverness...!

I guess It’ll be necessary to put more pressure on him.

I’m fine—take this.
—At least I know you won’t run away.

(He hands Mahumi the sword.)

Mahumi
Father...!

Shion
No. That’s not true, Mahumi.
Dammit...! I can’t speak.

Mahumi
If I am serious about it, I can beat Shion. But—...

(Raphael grabs Mahumi.)

Raphael
Mahumi! Don’t look!
AAAH! U...gh...

Mahumi
Father...Father...!

(Mahumi looks at his hands—they’re covered in blood.)

Blood? It’s blood...! He’s bleeding...!

Raphael
Oh...Ma...humi...

Hah. I’m putting on a fine performance, aren’t I?

Please...believe me... Open...your eyes...

Mahumi
How cruel... That was cruel, Shion! Doing something like this to the Father. It’s cruel!

“You shouldn’t trust him.”
Is this what he meant?

...I trusted you.
You’re so cruel, Shion...!

Is that it? ...Shion.

Shion
Raphael...! You...bastard...!

(Power glows around Shion.)

Mahumi
Father...Father... Don’t die...!

(Shion is released from the binding.)

Shion
!
It came apart. I’ll get you back for that!

(Power gathers at his fingertips.)

Shion
You...!

Mahumi
Stop! Shion, don’t injure the Father any—-...

(Shion doesn’t hear him. His face is a mask of rage and hatred.)

—no. This is not Shion...!

(Mahumi slashes toward Shion with the Sword of Flame, and blood bursts from Shion’s chest. They stare at each other, equally shocked.)

Shion
...!
Wh...! —y. —Why, Mahumi? Why...did you hurt me...!

Mahumi
Be...because! Because, because you’ll kill him! That’s cruel...! He hasn’t done anything!!

Shion
Mahumi. He is not a priest. He—

Mahumi
...I trusted you. You were different from the other demons. But doesn’t this make you the same? This you...you— You are entirely like a demon...!

Shion
Yes, I am a demon. What did you think I was...?
You...trust his words over mine?

Mahumi
!?
What are you talking about? You attacked him, didn’t you? How has the Father lied? You did this to him just for the sake of that sword? The poor Father. I didn’t think you were a guy like that!

Shion
...you merely don’t know.
What I... What cruel things I have done to others.

(Shion grabs Mahumi.)

You... You were the only one who didn’t know what cruel things I have done for your sake!

Mahumi
—deja vu—
It’s the same at the dream...!

(Shion wrenches away from Mahumi and walks away.)

Mahumi
Shion!

(Shion stops at the door.)

Shion
—Mahumi. Since you don’t trust me

Mahumi
...!

Mahumi
It hurts as if my chest has been stabbed by a cold needle.

Shion
...I can no longer be with you.

(Shion opens the door and walks out of the church.)

Mahumi
Shion!

(Mahumi stands frozen, gazing after Shion.)

Raphael
Ugh...

(Mahumi goes to the priest, but he is still looking at the door.)

Mahumi
It’s the same as the dream! But somehow the look in Shion’s eyes is so much sadder...

END