Chapter 17: Soar to Your Heart's Content

"Ark Tetsuya sent you to find me?"

In the noisy bar, JIN found R, who was also dressed entirely in black. The two bore some resemblance, but R carried an aura about him—sharp-edged brows and eyes, a person of conspicuous brilliance, yet simultaneously exuding an air of lifelessness.

"You didn't get on the ship?"

JIN looked at him, hesitating, not speaking. He had gradually begun to believe that perhaps the "ship" really could carry him away from this world, but he was uncertain whether he truly wanted to try.

"The next ship comes on the 13th..." R smiled nonchalantly, tossed aside the sunflower seeds in his hand, picked up his whiskey, and walked off on his own.

It was plain to see that this was an extremely decisive, sharp-edged individual, and his manner of doing things reflected it. People like this are not easily swayed by external things.

Meanwhile, K had already located the workplace of a security guard who had left on the ship, and was now following him toward the surveillance room.

"The missing security guard, Sazano, was on night duty at the time."

The guard walked and looked back as he spoke:

"He was usually a man of few words, but he was an extremely conscientious worker."

In the surveillance room, K stared at the images on the monitor. Contrary to his expectations, Sazano appeared to show no signs of anything unusual at all.

This was also thanks to the government—because they had gone to great lengths to strengthen surveillance, cameras were almost everywhere, and when such situations arose, it was possible to pull up surveillance footage at a moment's notice.

"According to the surveillance footage, Sazano worked approximately 160 hours this month."

"160 hours..." K crossed his arms over his chest, repeating the figure, then suddenly something occurred to him, and he asked in astonishment:

"160 hours!?"

"I want to hear what you have to say about the ship!"

JIN continued to doggedly follow R, making his way to the bar counter.

R gave JIN a cold look but didn't take up the thread. Instead, he nodded toward the footage projected on the wall and said, "I recommend you take a look at this."

JIN looked over and saw that it was footage of himself fighting in his transformed state as Seven X. Watching a recording of one's own battle from the perspective of a bystander was a strange sensation, but it also allowed him to see more clearly just how formidable Seven X's combat power was.

"He seems to be fighting on his own will..."

R's gaze showed no ripple, only a cold skepticism: "But... is that really his own will?"

JIN was slightly taken aback. The meaning of those words...

"The ship isn't abducting people..."

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R's cold gaze swept over and settled on JIN. He said flatly:

"The ship isn't abducting people. It's for those who hold hope that the ship comes!"

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"Lonely people always needlessly add to their own heartaches. So, please actively keep small animals like cats and dogs."

Outside the bar, R raised a hand slightly, pointing at a holographic screen floating in midair. His face was full of mockery as he said with a soft laugh:

"These are nothing more than little tricks used to fill the emptiness within—they can't actually pull people out of their loneliness. And so, to let people attain peace of mind, the ship comes."

"But... no one can be certain that the ship will take us to Utopia." JIN voiced the doubt that plagued him.

"Evidence...?" R smiled faintly and pointed ahead. "The evidence is right there!"

JIN looked, and there he saw a familiar figure approaching from around the corner. She was tall, with her hair tied in a ponytail and glasses perched on her nose—she looked capable and intellectual.

"Eriko!?"

That was Eriko, the one who had left on the ship!

Her face bore a beautiful smile, one that seemed utterly unlike any beauty this world had to offer. The joy that came from the depths of her heart made her seem out of place in this cold world.

"Come with me... let's go to Utopia together!" Eriko slowly walked up to JIN and extended her hand to him, saying softly:

"There is no darkness there. It is our home. It was only when I arrived there that I found my true self, and I believe you will too. This world—full of darkness, coldness, and surveillance—how could it be worthy of our lingering attachment?"

"There is warm sunlight there. There is everything that soothes the soul. Come... go find your true self!"

JIN felt himself wavering. Eriko no longer bore the slightest trace of the confused, timid look she'd had when he first met her. The ship—or rather, the legendary Utopia—had changed her. She seemed to carry a warmth about her now.

All of these things were utterly incongruous with this world...

And at that moment, Eriko continued: "In Utopia, I saw the real you..."

JIN froze, his heartbeat quickening.

"Me like that... what... what exactly am I? What kind of life am I living!?"

But Eriko gently shook her head and reached out to JIN once more, saying softly: "Since you're so eager to understand these things, why don't you... go find your true self?"

"..."

JIN stopped in his tracks. This was the question he had been searching for all along. Faced with Eriko's words, he found no way to refuse.

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"You saw... the real me?"

JIN's gaze became utterly serious as he stared straight into Eriko's eyes and repeated:

"You truly... saw the real me?"

"Yes!" Eriko nodded firmly. She was not lying about this.

"You... are a pilot!"

JIN froze, because her words conjured in his mind the scene of flying a fighter jet freely beneath the blue sky. He had once piloted an F-15, weaving through the clouds. He had once fallen in love with the roar of fighter jets streaking across the horizon...

I once soared through the sky like this...

I... truly am a pilot!

These things seemed to have been buried deep in his memory, and now they surged forth.

"A pilot... no wonder... I miss the feeling of flying so much..."

She hadn't deceived him...

"Then... are you willing to leave this cold world with me?"

JIN looked into Eriko's warm, expectant eyes and nodded heavily.

"Yes..."

"Then come with me!" Eriko smiled. Though she was a capable office woman, the way she smiled looked endearing and warm. She slowly extended her hand, open, before JIN.

JIN raised his hand, about to place it in hers.

"Don't!!!"

But at that moment, a familiar female voice suddenly called out from behind. JIN turned around and saw the mysterious woman. She was just as before—slightly wavy hair resting on her shoulders, a white coat enveloping her delicately proportioned figure. She stood not far behind JIN, a small laser gun in her hand pointed at Eriko.

"JIN, don't believe them!"

She seemed somewhat flustered and anxious, her eyes filled with anger as she looked at Eriko, but her tone was firm as she said:

"Have you forgotten... the power that the light bestowed upon you!"

"Don't forget... you are the savior of this world!!!"