20th Century Boys
	 Volume 4 : Love and Peace
	  Chapter Forty-Three
	   In the Darkness

 - Page 193 -

Kenji: And here comes pitch number two...

[At the empty lot where we always played baseball...]

Kenji: The disappearing Baffler!!

Chapter 43 : In the Darkness

[There was a little cave, sitting wide open there.]

Yoshitsune: Hanagata goes deep!!  (fwap)

Kenji: Ah...

Maruo: Ah...

Otcho: Hm?

 - Page 194 -

[There were rumors that some soldiers hid in there as an "air-raid shelter".]
[Of course those rumors were totally absurd, but at the time...]
[We were looking into a darkness that must not be approached.]

Chapter 43 : In the Darkness

 - Page 195 -

Yoshitsune: What should we do?  That was the only ball...

Maruo: Maybe I'll go home and get another one...

Otcho: What should we do, Kenji?

Kenji: W...  what do you mean...?

Otcho: You think something's in there?

Kenji: Ha...  haha...  course not.

Otcho: Then let's go.

Kenji: Huh?!

Otcho: I don't think there are any runaway soldiers in there.

Kenji: N...  nah, but...

Otcho: The war was years and years ago...

Kenji: Y...  yeah, but remember they just found that Yokoi guy on Guam...

 - Page 196 -

Otcho: If we find someone, we could be heroes.

Kenji: Heroes?

Maruo: Um...  F...  for some reason my tummy started hurting a lot right now...

Yoshitsune: Ah, that's funny...  mine, too...

Kenji: I...  I guess we could look for a minute or so.

Both: DON'T DO IT!!

Otcho: (gsh)

Kenji: If we're not out in three minutes, go call someone.

Maruo: But, but even Ultraman would be dead in three minutes!!

Yoshitsune: Trust me, you don't wanna go in there!!

Boards: (garan)

Kenji: Um, helloooooo...

Otcho: Could you get our ball, please?

 - Page 197 -

Otcho: Go!!

Kenji: Wawawawa!!

Otcho: Can you see anything?

Kenji: Nope...  not a thing...
	F...  forget about it, let's go back...

Otcho: IS ANYONE DOWN THERE?!
	(there)
	(here)
	(ere)
	(re)

Kenji: EEEEP!!
	It's okay!!  I don't want to be a hero after all!!

Otcho: Huh?

Kenji: Wha-?

 - Page 198 -

Ball: (pon)
	(pon)
	(pash)

Both: Ah...
	Ah...
	AAAAAAAAHH!!

 - Page 199 -

[Present Day, 2000]

Kenji: Ever since then, I've hated places like this.
	"Underground Emperor Kenji".  Bah.
	Oh...
	This door looks fishy.

Otcho: From watching the way you search, you seem to be pretty skilled at it.

Kenji: Yeah.
	It's not like I want to live underground...
	But lately I've been able to tell what's fishy and what's not, underground.

 - Page 200 -

Kenji: Meaningless doors...  unused passageways...  Tokyo Underground's full of suspicious crap.  (gacha)
	By the way Otcho, what do you think that was?

Otcho: Huh?

Kenji: Why did that ball come bouncing back to us in the cave...?  (gacha)
	Was it actually a runaway soldier...?  (gacha)

Otcho: Mushroom cultivator.

Kenji: Mushrooms?

Otcho: Later someone told me that a guy nearby was using the cave to grow mushrooms.

Kenji: Growin' shrooms...

 - Page 201 -

Kenji: Even the scariest stories have the stupidest explanations...
	It'd be nice if the one we're following now was the same...
	There we go...

Door: (kii...)
	(criik)

Kenji: What is this place...?

 - Page 202 -

Kenji: The foundation for a building in construction...?

Otcho: This is it.

Kenji: Huh?

Otcho: No doubt about it...  This is where that photo was taken.
	There was a giant THING here...

 - Page 203 -

Kenji: "It sleeps now, waiting for the great awakening"...
	"In Kasumigaseki"...
	So, it's already awake...?

Otcho: What is this?
	A VCR...

 - Page 204 -

Kenji: (click)

Lights: (vreee)
	(jjssh)

Screen: (zzxxzxz...)

Friend: Keeenji-kuuuun!!
	Leeet's plaaaaay.

 - Page 205 -

Friend: Keeenji-kun!
	Leeet's plaaay!
	KEEEENJI-KUN!!

Kenji: Ugh...

Friend: Are you ready?
	If you're not prepared, it's going to start soon.

 - Page 206 -

Friend: If you don't gather everyone together again,
	you'll lose.

Kenji: Everyone...?

Ball: (pon)
	(pon)

 - Page 207 -

Kenji: (pash)

[And the darkness that must not be approached...]

 - Page 208 -

[Gazed down upon us.]

Robot: (fssss)
	(fssss)

 - Page 209 -

Robot: (fssss)
	(fssss)

Kenji: Th...
	THIS IS WHAT'S...!!

Friend: All nine.

 - Page 210 -

Friend: If you don't get them all together, it'll begin.

Shogun: Wait...  it's disappearing...!!

Robot: (fssss)
	(fssss)

Friend: The time for play is about to begin.
	You have to get all nine together.

 - Chapter 43 Owari -

 - Volume 4 Kan -