The Gifted Vol.8 - The Demonic Face

By Ryosuke Akizuki

The girl, who jumped off from the rooftop of an abandoned building, was a vocalist of an indie rock band that was rapidly rising in popularity. She did not just commit suicide, but might have been possessed by the “human face tumor”, the mysterious phenomenon in which a human face appears on the skin of a human body. Is it “The Demonic Face” as the embodiment of curse? Or, is it caused by the supernatural power of the gifted?

Milo and his companions investigate the incident, specify the gifted behind the human face tumor, and are about to corner the culprit. However, matters around the suspect start going haywire, and then ...

The earthshaking truth is waiting for the readers in Epilogue, in which the demon is smirking with the air of condescending pity. The foreshadowing has already been set up in Prologue.

Who is the gifted, who fears no God? Has the one been lurking closely to the main characters from the beginning?

The most formidable enemy in The Gifted series is finally emerging!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Dec 1, 2019
• ISBN: 9781794778528

Book preview

The Gifted Vol.8 – The Demonic Face

Originally written in Japanese by Ryosuke Akizuki

Translated by Ryusui Seiryoin

Cover illustration by SAKUMA, Makoto

Cover design by SAKUMA, Makoto

Copyright © 2019 Ryosuke Akizuki / The BBB: Breakthrough Bandwagon Books

All rights reserved.

ISBN: 978-1-79477-852-8

    Prologue

... I wonder whether it is a bad thing for me to ruin someone who obstructs me.

I frequently thought such a thing in the past.

It is a bad thing, people around me said unanimously.

Why?

When I asked so, everyone gave me the same answer routinely.

Because the one who obstructs you also has his or her friend, family, and life.

But, the one attempts to entrap me and my family. The one tries to rob us, weaker ones, of our happiness by despising, ridiculing, yelling at, making use of, and subduing us. In order to protect my family, I have to fight against such kind of people. I think so.

But ..., the people around me continue. Even though they obstruct you, if you ruin them, the law will not overlook your deed. The law is based on justice and virtue is involved in it. They say such things.

If that is the case, and if no one is aware that I did it, who is going to judge me?

People around me always say the same thing. You cannot escape police. Perfect crimes cannot be done so easily.

Then, what if perfect crimes can be done? Can the act become the virtue?

People around me would reply. It cannot be the virtue. Destroying other people and luring them into death is evil.

Then, if I become evil, what is it going to be like? Would there be any problem with ruining others?

People around me would answer. There are problems with ruining others, and any evil will be judged, sooner or later.

Then, I think. If the evil is designed so that it will never be judged ... then that would not be any problem for me.

Still, people around me warn. There is no evil that will never be brought to justice. God knows even the evil deed that is beyond human comprehension.

Then, I think. God does not exist. I have never been saved by God. Not even once. I am always the only one who has saved me. There is no way that God exists.

However, people around me insist. Still, God exists. In everyone’s mind, God exists.

I am not convinced. Then, the answers of our discussion remain as far apart from each other as ever, without reaching the conclusion.

But, I already know the truth. God has never existed since the beginning of this universe. What weak people resort to as the final stand to pray for is a ghost named God.

And, if God does not exist, good and evil also do not exist. It is because human beings cannot judge what is beyond human comprehension. Even if they can define evil, it would be meaningless if they cannot sit in judgment over it. I wonder if we can call it evil.

I will ruin all of those who obstruct my life. I don’t care whether it is good or evil for the people around me. If no one can distinguish what I do, then they do not even understand if I am evil. If God does not exist, then there would be no one who would bring justice to me to deem the deed as evil.

We all will die, sooner or later.

If one dies, then the life is finished and followed by nothing after that.

If so ..., it is best for us to live a life as we like. If all of us, I, my family, and my friends, become happy, then I would not care about whatever happens to those who obstruct our lives. Those who are killed by me just put the end to their lives. Even if the bereaved cried and screamed, then that would be none of my business. I neither have any conscience nor guilt. Because they have obstructed my life. Because they showed their ill-will against me. They deserve the retaliation.

When I look around the world and read the history, I find so many of such countless similar cases. Powerful figures in any ages enjoyed their lives fully in such ways. People refused to accept it because they did not have such powers.

However, I have it.

I was born with it.

Unlike powerful figures in the history who have obtained the powers with their desire or by inheritance, I gained that gift all of a sudden by accident. It is the gift that even the parents did not have ...

    ***

I blend into the society, and live a life as I like. I understand that being suddenly conspicuous is dangerous. If I gather attention from people, then some of them may notice unusual things happening around me. I improve my skills little by little, increase the income, get many companions, and gather my strength. Until the day in the future when I can make others around me happy without using this gift ...

    -1-

It was a little before 04:00 p.m. on December 19th, when Yoma Fialka visited a deserted place in a suburb of the southern area of City. A tall, weather-beaten concrete wall with black mottled patterns was overlooking Yoma. Maybe because of the cloudy dusk, she was feeling that the atmosphere around her was dark and lonely.

While caring about the hem of her thick russet skirt, Yoma was walking between puddles left on a gravel road. They were being the remainders of the rain falling on the day before yesterday. The edges of the puddles seemed to be slightly frozen. Yoma ducked under the chains, which were restricting the trespass, and opened the reddish brown, iron-barred gate. She went through the gate that was generating the grating sound and saw gray stairs to her right. This old, six-story apartment had been deserted for a long time. Instead, ghosts, which were called floating spirits or earthbound spirits, had been inhabiting the building.

Yoma was climbing up the concrete stairs toward the rooftop. Each time the roundish brown heel of her shoe touched the tread, the high dry sound echoed in the dead silence inside the building. She reached the sixth floor, opened an iron door, and got outside to the rooftop. There seemed to be no one else on the deserted rooftop.

... I knew no one would be in such a place, as expected.

While applying the spiritual reading on the vicinity surrounding her, Yoma walked around a