Kimi no Kakera
	 Volume 6
	  Chapter Thirteen

 - Page 169 -

Kimi no Kakera
Chapter Thirteen

 - Page 170 -

Soldiers: Western Kamui's wailing again...
	By damn, what a sad sound it is.
	Bah!
	Freaky thing... Woke up when the Whale fell outta the sky...
	This place is going to the dogs.
	Don't say that! It'll come true.
	H-
	Help! Come quick!

 - Page 171 -

Soldiers: Th... they've finally come...
	It's-
	MONSTERS...
	How many men down?!
	Seven.
	What were the watch doing?!
	It's so...
	Th-that's including the watch...
	They all died...
	Without using gun or blade...
	...Like they were ripped apart...
	No!
	What is it, the rumored monsters from the Azure Rent?!

 - Page 172 -

Mataku: (coff)
	Gramma, that voice... (coff)
	What is it?

Shah: It is the Western Kamui's lamenting, dear.

Mataku: La... ment?

Shah: It sees the dying throes of this land...
	And it cries out in pain and sorrow.

Mataku: (coff)

 - Page 173 -

Mataku: (coff)
	Who is the Western Kamui sad for?

Shah: ...I don't know.
	I don't know what the Kamui thinks.

Mataku: (coff)

Shah: For everything, I suppose.

Mataku: Everything?

Shah: Yes...
	It's crying over everything,
	every sad thing that man has created in this land.

Mataku: That sounds like...
	What Icoro did...

Shah: It's said that "Kamui" means "what sees."

Mataku: (coff)
	Just... sees?

Shah: Gramma doesn't know why. That's just what has been passed down.

 - Page 174 -

Shah: Does it watch over us, the little people...?
	Or...
	Does it stand GUARD,
	watching over us, the foolish...?

Mataku: If it's like Icoro,
	then, (coff)
	...The Kamui must be watching over us.
	She watched over me, to keep me safe.
	Because I can't see.
	And she was always crying and working hard... (coff)
	(coff)

<<Icoro: Your big sister believes, Mataku. Hang in there!
	Someday, you and me and everyone in this country can be happy.
	Someday...

 - Page 175 -

<<Icoro: ...Someday...

Mataku: Yeah. I bet,
	she's crying like the Kamui,
	saying... You can do it. Hang in there.

Shah: {Princess...}

 - Pages 176 & 177 -

 - Page 178 -

Yona: Grrr, it's too dang COLD!
	(Travelin's tough!)

Kids: (gross)
	Stop that, Yona! You're a girl!
	That's so nasty!

Yona: Shut up! Even the prettiest girls sneeze and get boogers!
	Though they don't poo or pee. (nope)

Kids: Liar!
	Already onto the bodily functions. (Great way to start a chapter)

Yona: What, you didn't know? When girls grow up, they don't need to poop anymore!
	That's how idols work.

Kids: What? That's really true?!
	Even farts?!

 - Page 179 -

Kids: (Dirty story time)

Girl: ...Yona just HAD to get them all worked up...
	...Well...
	...I don't blame her...
	What do you think, Shiro? It just keeps going...

Shiro: Huh?
	T-the dirty jokes?!
	Um! Um! Shiro has a wee-

Girl: Not THOSE!
	(They already finished.)
	The sound of the monsters' voices coming from the Azure Rent is getting louder...

 - Page 180 -

Girl: Well... It's only a rumor...
	But...
	If the monsters that are being born in the Rent come and attack...

<<Shopkeep: They come to signal the collapse of the kingdom...
	From the cursed "Azure Rent"...

<<Kids: (I'm scaaared!)

<<Shiro: I... I didn't forget!

Yona: {Shiro becomes a warrior when he holds a weapon,
	and loses his memory when he fights...
	...But...}

Girl: Shiro, I know how you feel, but we're running out of food! We need to fight soon, or...

Yona: Shiro! Are you listening?!

 - Page 181 -

Yona: Everyone's starving, they just don't want to admit it to you!
	Y-you brought these kids along, so you take care of them! Okay?!

Girl: Y-Yona!
	I wasn't going THAT far...
	(you know!)
	It's just been dangerous lately, so I figure...

Kids: Oh no, you guys! Look out!
	W-what is it, Nitan?
	M...
	Monster!!
	W-w-where?
	What kind?
	Over there! Where the snow's piled under the tree...
	It had two pokey horns on the top!!
	EEEEEEEKK!

 - Page 182 -

Monster: (Kyu?)

Kids: (IT'S SO CUUUTE)
	THAT'S the monster?
	What a sweetie!
	(It's like a bunny!)
	Come here!
	Over here!
	Come here, honey!
	(Loo loo loo loo)
	(What?!)
	Oooh!
	There's another one!

Yona: ...Huh? Have I seen that before...?
	(I think so.)
	(Deja vu?)
	(gasp)

 - Page 183 -

Kids: Aaaah!
	I'm scared!
	They'll kill us...

Yona: {Aha...
	Now I know!!}

 - Page 184 -

Yona: {They were together with those monsters in the Catfish...!!}

Kids: Shiro!!
	Help, Shiro...
	Shiro!!

 - Page 185 -

Kids: Save us, Shiro!
	Come on, Shiro!

Yona: {No!
	This means the huge monsters will be right behind.
	We'll all be slaughtered!!}
	Shiro!!

 - Page 186 -

<<Shiro: Mommy...

 - Page 187 -

Kids: Huh...?
	Shiro?!
	Aah... Run!
	Run away!
	Hurry!!
	Come on!
	Don't just stand there, Yona!!

 - Page 188 -

Yona: {It's true... There ARE monsters...
	It's all true!
	They're being born to destroy this land...}
	Shiro...
	...Help.

Kids: Come on, Yona!
	Yona!

Yona: {Shiro...}
	Shiro...
	YOU DUMMY!!

 - Page 189 -

Yona: YOU DUMMYYYYY!!

 - Page 190 -

Old Man: Hate that
	DAMN voice...

Shopkeep: We ain't open today.
	Can't you read the closed sign?

Old Man: ...Five days of food.

Shopkeep: ...Can't stand running an inn with only homeless around.
	And so many thieves... I'm still a member of the Merchant Tribe, dammit...
	'Course, all the ones who made a killing with the Politick Tribe have lost it now...
	Serves them right. Had their fortunes seized by the Warmongers...

 - Page 191 -

Old Man: I toldja ta hand over 10 days' worth of food. Didn'tcha hear me?
	HUH?!

Shopkeep: Great... The number's increasing...

Old Man: Well, I don't blame ya fer not knowin' who I am! Haven't seen proper society in a while!
	More food, shopkeep!!
	Been busy an' in mournin' for comrades.

Shopkeep: Mourning?
	You've suffered a loss, then? Terribly sorry to hear it. (but I'd like to close up)

 - Page 192 -

Old Man: Shopkeep... You're a good man...
	MORE FOOD!!
	So, tell me more about these thieves that you want taken care of.
	KIDS,
	You say?
	No. Not gonna do it.
	Been hearin' about this rough band o' thieves, so I came down the mountain...
	But I'm a PROFESSIONAL thief.
	My pride don't let me beat on kids.
	Later. Thanks fer the grub.

Shopkeep: B-but they're no normal kids! Not that pale one!!

Old Man: ...Pale... you say?

 - Page 193 -

Shopkeep: According to the bratty, talkative little girl who leads the group,
	(and looks like this)
	He has no memory!
	He turns vicious the moment he holds a weapon!
	He's got those huge handcuffs on!
	No doubt he's wanted by the auth...
	EEEEEEK!

Old Man: Tell me everything you know,
	about this pale boy.

 - Page 194 -

SFX: (thump)
	(creak...)
	(kshh)
	(kssh)(kssh)(kssh)

 - Page 195 -

<<Kids: (huff)
	Shiro...
	(huff)
	Shiro!
	(huff)

 - Page 196 -

<<Yona: Why didn't you grab the sword, Shiro...?
	They could have killed every single one of us!
	You saw how terrible those things are, inside the Whale...
	Didn't I just tell you to think of how the rest of us feel?!
	SHIRO!!

<<Kids: Shiro...
	Do you care about your memory...
	More than you care about us...?

 - Page 197 -

Yona: ...Are you going?

 - Page 198 -

Shiro: Sorry... Icoro.
	Shiro can't fight...
	There's no point being around everyone. I'm no use...

Yona: Shiro...

Shiro: I'll look for food for the group, rather than fighting! So just wait!!

Yona: Shiro... Are you mad at me?
	...You are, aren't you...

 - Page 199 -

Yona: Shiro! We all know how you feel!
	But... we all want to be able to think "I want to live"!
	Even if...
	We don't understand what "living" means...
	We want to believe the princess.
	We want to think it's right to "survive."
	That it's the right way...
	Otherwise,
	even breathing feels like such an empty thing.
	So...

Shiro: ...Icoro.
	Do you know how we breath?

 - Page 200 -

Yona: Huh?

Shiro: When Shiro tries...
	Not to forget Coroli,
	and mommies,
	and hitogatas,
	and the kids,
	...and Icoro, too,
	and tries,
	tries so hard...
	To think about important things,
	The less anything makes sense anymore.

Yona: Shiro...?

Shiro: I mean, memory has no shape, right? You can't touch it. What if it just disappears and you never notice?
	How do you find it, again?!

 - Page 201 -

Shiro: After that, everything seemed so scary...
	And all the things that I did without thinking...
	Suddenly stopped making sense anymore...
	And then,
	Ha ha... The next thing I noticed...
	Aha ha ha! It got hard to breathe! Isn't that weird?
	Icoro!

Yona: Shiro...
	...You can't...

Shiro: Icoro?
	Shiro doesn't get it.
	After Coroli died...
	Ever since then,
	I've been trying to not fight, so I wouldn't forget... I was thinking all the time...
	...But I still don't get it.

 - Page 202 -

Shiro: ...I don't get it...

Yona: Shiro...
	...You dummy.
	You're just as dumb as me,
	but you try to think about all those tricky things, like the princess!
	Shiro! Just do this!! And remember!!
	(hff hah hff hah)
	(Go on, try!!)

Shiro: ...Yeah, I wish I could...
	I don't know much about this land or the collapse.
	But when I think about Coroli, and Icoro,
	and the time that I met all those kids...
	And this princess... The one you say...
	I used to be friends with...

 - Page 203 -

Shiro: If I have parents... I hope I can remember them...
	Then maybe... I won't have to think about why I'm living.
	And then...
	I wouldn't have...
	to be strong...

 - Page 204 -

Yona: Uhhh...
	...Shiro...
	I...
	I'm... sorry.
	For making you... do that stuff.
	But...

Shiro: ...It's okay.
	I don't know what I was doing, but it kept the kids alive, right?
	It's okay.
	Shiro doesn't remember.
	Why wasn't Coroli breathing?
	Why didn't she move?
	Why was she so pretty and cold?
	Because that's right?
	Is that why everyone wanted to cry when Coroli died? But there were two dead Warmongers, too...

 - Page 205 -

Yona: Shiro...
	Shiro!! Don't go! Don't go!!
	I'll be your mommy, in Coroli's place!!

Shiro: You can't. You don't have boobies!
	The little monsters are safe.
	They said they won't attack if you leave them alone.

Yona: Huh?

Shiro: Just wait.
	I'll bring back a huge pile of food.
	Seeya,
	Icoro!

Yona: Shiro...
	Don't go...
	Don't go...
	DON'T GO.

 - Page 206 -

Yona: {I-I'm sorry, Shiro...
	I... I... I actually just didn't like that you stopped smiling...}
	Hgg!
	Uhgh!
	Sob!
	Ahuh!
	{Sigh...}
	Nnnkuh...
	{I just wanted you to smile at me... Like you always used to!!}
	Shiro...
	Don't go...!

 - Page 207 -

Yona: {When I think about the future, it's so terrible and scary...
	...It was that smile that gave me courage!
	Shiro...}
	No, Shiro... YOU watch out for those monsters!
	We'll... we'll be waiting... for that food!!

Girl: ...Huh?
	Yona.

 - Page 208 -

Girl: What's up? Still awake?
	Do you feel bad about being harsh to Shiro?
	Sorry... I know you always have to play the bad guy...
	It's okay. We always lived like each day was the last. Shiro should be free...

Yona: I'm... not Yona.

Girl: Huh?

Yona: I'll keep...
	Everyone safe.
	Starting now, my name...
	Is Icoro!

 - Page 209 -

Yona: What's that?!

Girl: What's that sound?!

Beth: Yawn...
	Shut up,
	stupid brother...

 - Page 210 -

Soldiers: The Western... Kamui...
	...Standing...

 - Page 211 -

Soldiers: Round two charged,
	Ready!
	FIRE!!

 - Page 212 -

 - Page 213 -

Soldiers: It's collapsing!!
	Aaah!
	We can't win, Captain! The Kamui is no ordinary rock!
	It's like the Wall; you just can't blast it down! It goes back to normal...
	I knew it! The Wall and the Kamui were made by God!
	If we continue, we'll be cursed...
	Eeh?

 - Page 214 -

Captain: Who asked you if it would work or not?
	Remember when YOU told ME that orders were absolute in the Warmongers? Fool.
	Ignoring a direct order is a death sentence, Sergeant.

Kids: The...
	The Kamui...

 - Page 215 -

Kids: Hey, look...
	Look at that...
	Is it... running away?
	See that...?
	Doesn't it look like it's trying to get away?!
	The Western Kamui!!

Yona: Nng...

Girl: Yona...?
	What's wrong?

Yona: I don't know!
	Sniff...
	I don't know...
	Why, but...

 - Page 216 -

Yona: It's so...
	So sad...
	Hic...
	Such a sad cry...!!

Mataku: Gramma, Gramma, what's that voice?!
	What's wrong with the Kamui?

Shah: Prince Mataku,
	it's okay.
	Your Gramma is here for you!
	Using fire...
	Against the Kamui...
	Oh, dear...
	What a terrible, foolish thing to do...
	It's okay, Prince...

 - Page 217 -

Shah: It only means...
	That the day we are freed from the royal family's crime comes sooner.
	Freed from... this forbidden, cursed crime...

Yona: It's okay, people!
	I'm here... Icoro's here for you!!
	{Big Girl, I... I...
	I'll protect this poor country, in your place... In Shiro's place...
	Just, please...}

 - Page 218 -

Yona: It's okay...
	It's okay...
	It's okay...
	{Please...}
	Save us,
	Princess...
	{Big Girl... Where are you now...?!}

 - Page 219 -

Kimi no Kakera
to be continued.

 - Page 220 -

 - Page 221 -

Afterword

	It's been another year and a half.
	In that time, I've worked on the short story "Star Child," the short story collection
"Alone With You at the End of the World," the mini-series "Tom Sawyer," and the novelization of
"Saishu-heiki Kanojo," all the while finding time here and there to hold meetings with staff to
complete this series, "Kimi no Kakera," which we have put together several volumes of, including
this one here. We also managed to work on the book of "Tom Sawyer," and got them on sale at the
same time. I hope to bring you the continuation and end of this story without too much delay.
The staff and I will do our best to make sure this happens.
	This volume, once again, was made possible by my staff, Shogakukan, my editors, and most
of all, the people who have waited for and now read this book. Thank you very much.
	One of the pleasures of reading is being able to experience new things through a book.
We'd love if this opportunity leads you to look into our previous publications.

	Little Icoro and Shiro's adventure will go on just a bit longer.
	In future installments, what will Shiro and Icoro discover?
	Childen and adults alike, please enjoy this adventure.

June 2007, Shin Takahashi

 - Volume 6 End -