Hinamizawa Hell
"The Truth of Fate" Arc: 3
Ch. 7: The Beginning of the End
/
The fire from what seemed like a thousand burning pyres of wood fueled the night sky as the stars shone brightly in the darkness of the cosmos. Smoke and heat rose into the air high above what seemed like a giant mansion, probably owned by a very wealthy family. Flashes of events rushed all around the observer; people screaming to put out the massive fire which was set to the great mansion, and others screaming in terror as some great epidemic of madness clutched at the minds and mannerisms of the village's inhabitants. Nothing could have prepared the observer from understanding these odd yet very old memories from coming forth.
"…you can't…I WON'T DO IT!"
She heard screams from inside the burning household, unable to see who exactly it was that pleaded for the situation to take a turn for the better. As she tried to move forth to get a better view inside the household, more screams and more authoritative yells were heard.
"YOU MUST! IT IS THE ONLY WAY! KILL…"
"NEVER! I CAN'T DO THIS TO MY OWN…"
Utter despair could be heard from whoever held the younger of the voices. The observer ran further into the fire, surprised that their flames did not singe nor burn her very skin. If anything, everything felt cold and unreal to her. As she dashed around another corner, she was met by a beam falling into the hallway, blocking her path to the next room containing the two females arguing amidst this great fire.
"…You have to…my fate is already decided. I give unto you this sin, like the many I shall…"
As the observer finally found an entrance into the room, she saw what appeared to be someone much like herself, though different slightly. The other woman stood next to another, crying deeply while holding the now deceased female; a sword impaled into her chest and poking out the backside. As the fire again obscured her view, the observer saw once more the girl turning to meet her eyes, pleading to her as if to know and remember this moment.
That's when the dream ended, and reality set in once more...
/
"Hey, wake up?"
"Ugh…5 more minutes…"
"I SAID WAKE UP!"
*Crash*
"WAH!"
Satoko, wearing a white tank-top and brown shorts, sighed while looking over her doing. She had tried her best for awhile to wake up Rika, granted that it was almost noon that day. She had been working on their lunches and other sorts of treats for the major event later on, but during her work she repeatedly found Rika underneath her futon covers breathing softly. Not even a word from the small girl was heard when Satoko tried to gently wake her from sleep.
After about 5 attempts, and trying to remain subtle, she had had enough of Rika's laziness. Today was too important to pass up, especially for what would happen at 3 o'clock later that day.
"Mii…Satoko-chan, I was still sleepy…" Rika yawned and looked at Satoko with dreary eyes, a pout upon her face for the time being. Satoko only blushed slightly and puffed her cheeks up, scolding Rika.
"How can you honestly sleep so late? Don't you remember what today is?"
Rika mused for a second, hummed slightly, then fell back into her futon trying to go back to sleep once again. This act only infuriated Satoko, causing her to surprisingly pull a nearby rope which idly hung nearby.
"Ugh! I knew you would do this, so I prepared this as a countermeasure! O ho ho ho!"
*Splash*
"WAAAAAH!"
Satoko pulled on the rope, which led to an overhead lever holding a bucket of water. In moments, the mechanism did its magic and drenched Rika and anything nearby in water; soaking the young girl to the bone. Rika shot up with wide eyes, her anger slowly rising suddenly. Satoko walked into the kitchen and peeked around the corner before resuming what she was doing previously.
"Good! Now that you're up, clean the mess up and get dressed. We have a long day ahead of us!" piped Satoko, sounding oddly cheerful that day. Rika shaked herself from the water and gave up; wishing that she could have had her blissful slumber on that Sunday morning.
However, another set of thoughts crossed her mind. For an instant, Rika remembered the odd dream she perceived while sleeping, yet some parts were still blurry in her mind. She shook her head in defeat, unsure of what the dream meant or was supposed to mean to her. Sighing again, she got up and began to clean up the mess, thanks to Satoko and her devious methods.
When she was finished, Rika peered over to the calendar, noticing that today's paper was highlighted in red marker. She smiled and closed her eyes, becoming thoughtful of what today meant for everyone.
"So the Dam Project sees its last day. I'm truly happy…"
What set in motion the events of a long struggle between villagers and government officials years ago was now coming to an end. At last, after so many meaningless days of pain and suffering, an old wound would finally be healed. Today marked the demolition of the Dam Project; an event that surely everyone in the village would unite to attend. There was no question to it that this was a long overdue compensation for the villagers to receive at last. For everyone in the village, no one could be happier.
As Rika beamed more smiles and started to get dress, she noticed Hanyuu wasn't anywhere to be found. Rika poked her head around the corner while putting on her shirt for that day.
"Mii…have you seen Hanyuu-chan anywhere?"
"Oh, she said she was going to find us a good spot to see the demolition. She went with Rena and Ryuu earlier to set up for us. I think this should be enough food, what do you think?"
Rika nodded her head to Satoko's question and left the room, now making her way over to a secluded part of the house. With the moment for her privacy, Rika silently slid open a door and slipped into the room, the area dark and small. Kneeling over to what seemed like an array of candles; she took a match from a nearby desk and lit every one of them. Soon, the room grew with light and illuminated her surroundings, giving a peaceful glow to everything.
Rika sat in her family's personal shrine, once dedicated for personal blessings to Oyashiro but as of late changed to be a small shrine in remembrance of her parents. She knelt before the altar, staring at the picture of her parents during happier days. They held each other lovingly, smiling at the person taking the picture for them. Rika could only wonder if they ever knew the disaster that would fall on them later on. This loss of her parents was something Rika could not fathom to understand, more so, how easily she could forgive Takano for. In her heart, she knew the woman was not at fault when put into a corner like that, but somehow Rika could only surmise that this was her fate; to live on without her mother and father.
Saying some few prayers she had learned from her father, Rika lit a few sticks of incense and placed them into a small container with grains of rice. She watched as the lights flickered before the image of her parents, almost giving them the power to see her again.
"Mother…Father…today marks the end of what caused so much pain and anger in this village. I wish you could have seen this day, to have been among us as the Dam Project crumbled beneath our might. I wish…I truly wish…I could have been with you two again…"
Rika, for the few times in her life, shed tears of sadness as she thought of her parents. Wiping them away, she looked at the picture again with confidence.
"I know deep down you two are happy in the afterlife, looking over this village like you used to in better times. Please, continue to watch over me and my friends. I love you, and always will…"
Saying one last prayer, Rika clasped her hand together three times and remained silent for a little longer. As she finished giving her praise and thanks to her parents, Rika blew out the candles and let the smoke rise into the ceiling of the room. Walking out, she closed the door to the room, just as the last embers of the incense burned and diminished before the portrait of her parents.
/
The Dam Project grounds, once used as places for peaceful yet raucous demonstrations against the government and the final showdown between Komoto, Mizuho and the Dark Spector, now remained eerily silent when one looked it over. Old ramparts and metal bars lined the side of the uncompleted Dam, the massive concrete and stone walls towering from side to side of the cliffs. Other smaller housing projects around the grounds were existent across the area, though currently dark and empty after being abandoned years ago. The area, for what caused so much turmoil, remained as it was; a failure.
This day, though, broke its uneasy silence with the gathering of thousands of people; a majority of those from the village and others from nearby cities coming to see the demolition. Safely positioned across the forest nearby and on the opposite hillside, people lined their blankets on the soft ground with drinks and bento boxes for the festivities afterward. Others set up chairs trying to get as close to the demolition as possible for the best viewing seats. Many, though, grouped together into their own areas and made a spectacle of their grounds for later use. For the Game Club members, though, they could have easily said to have the best seats in the house.
"Wow, I didn't think Mi-chan would get us so close! It's going to be awesome!" Satoko ran forward with her bento boxes stacked on her back, whilst everyone else came up behind with the rest of the supplies. It seemed she went all out with the amount of food she made for the occasion.
"Well, Sis and I ARE leaders of one of the three great families! Besides, Rika-chan is here too, and Komoto-san even gave us permission to get this far ahead." Spoke Shion, coming up behind Satoko and patting her on the head. She knew most of all people how much today meant to Satoshi and Satoko, given that their parents had been all for the Dam Project. After today, though, all remnants of their involvement in this mess would fade away at last.
"Yup, just comes with the perks of having power." Mion came up next to her sister, helping Hanyuu set down the blanket for the event.
"Should be some event! Just look at how many people already came." Ryuu came up next lugging along a cooler with Keiichi and Satoshi at the other end. After giving it one last heave and placing it safely near their blanket, they all sat down and took a moment to rest.
"I wonder who Komoto-san will pick to push the button, I wonder?" asked Rena. She and Rika brought up the chairs for them to use during the demolition portion of the day. With everyone assembled, they began to take out drinks and toast to the occasion before the event really went all out.
"Cheers!" they all said in unison, sipping on the cool drinks. The cicadas nearby singed loudly with the passing hour, giving a serene feel to the day.
"Mii…where's Komoto-senpai? Has anyone seen him?" asked Rika, looking to the Dam Project below.
"I'm not sure. Is he still setting up down there?" asked Shion, looking over the area too. Caution tape lined the bottom of the hillside, marking off the danger zones that people could not cross into. Likewise, many workers were putting the final preparations to the bomb connections and placements, a massive gathering of workers leaving together towards the safe zone. Below, crowds began to help with the small platform set up for Kimiyoshi's speech just before the demolition was scheduled to go off.
"Judging by the amount of wire and bomb packages down there, I would think he's finished actually…" Ryuu looked down nervously below, seeing the C-4 lining the walls of the dam and going off a safe distance away.
"No kidding, you'd think he was blowing up a city with that much material. Insane!" Mion awed at the sight below, wondering if the village would be put at risk from such power.
"Oh, Komoto-kun would never do that! Well, hold on a second, he actually did that once, nevermind…"
"Eh?"
Right on time, Mizuho appeared next to the others and sat down in her own chair, sighing at the sight below. She greeted the others, and took the time to rest for the moment. Waving her hand midair, she tried her best to fan off the humidity of the heat around her.
"My, this heat is pretty intense. Are you sure you guys don't want to be in the shade?" asked Mizuho.
"No way! With this killer view? How could we pass this up?" declared Mion, looking prideful of the event on hand. Mizuho sighed and accepted their answer, sipping again on her soft drink.
"Well, I guess it's only natural. I've seen enough explosions and gunfire in my life already, so it's nothing new to me, heheheh…"
"So where is Komoto-san anyway?" asked Rena.
"He's coming up shortly. This is the best spot to oversee the entire demolition, plus we decided to watch over you guys to make sure you're safe. Shion…Mion, your mother gave us quite the talk about letting you guys up here in the first place."
"Oh, she's just being overprotective. Besides, we're a good distance away anyhow. What's the worst that could happen?" asked Shion. She chuckled slightly, however, stopped the instant Hanyuu spoke up.
"As a matter of fact, with that much C-4 down there I wouldn't be surprised if the aftershock caused an earthquake or something, nipah!"
"Hanyuu!"
Rika scolded Hanyuu jokingly as she ate a creampuff, almost making her choke on it in the process. They all had a laugh except for Shion, who honestly gave thought to something like that occuring. Mizuho reassured her that nothing of the sort would take place, given that Komoto took measures to ensure that the demolition officials would not mess up and cause risk to the village's safety. After chatting with Mizuho and the others some more, Rika brought up in discussion Keiichi and Mion's new living arrangements.
"So how is it living with Mi-chan, Keiichi?"
"It's not like anything I expected. She has me doing the chores she would normally do herself now. She wasn't kidding when she said I'd be her slave for life…though…it's not so bad really, heh hehe…" Keiichi smiled nervously, remembering how their first week of living went together. He could honestly say that by day 4 Mion had worn him out to the bone in more ways than one.
"My mom and I told you so Kei-kun. Just know that you made this decision and are bound till death, muhahahaah!" Mion laughed eerily in Keiichi's direction, causing him to look back at her and retort.
"Hey, I haven't said "I do" yet Mion Sonozaki! Besides, one of these days I'll make you my slave and see how you like it!" yelled Keiichi.
"If you're talking about a punishment game, I'm all for it! Give me your best Keiichi Maebarra!" laughed Mion.
"My, those two are quite lively today, aren't they?" stated Mizuho nervously.
"Yeah, that's just my Sis for you," responded Shion, sweat beading down her forehead at the sight of Keiichi and Mion lock heads with one another.
"Well, with all this fuss and festivity going on, I guess I'll enjoy a nice cool, refreshing…"
Mizuho picked out of her own cooler a can of beer, smiling while trying to open the tab. However, like a shadow in the darkness Komoto suddenly came up right behind her and snatched the beer right out of her hand, sipping on it himself. She almost fell back out of her chair in surprise and astonishment, had Komoto not held the chair up in reaction.
"Ah, beer…C-4….good day!"
"Hey Komoto-kun…umm…I…"
"Mizu-chan…."
As everyone watched on, Komoto lightly poked Mizuho's forehead, causing her to blush slightly and at the same time in remorse. Mizuho realized what she tried to do and mentally bashed herself during her lack of thinking that moment.
"…You know better. No alcohol till the baby is born, remember?" Komoto had a cold stare in his eyes, causing Mizuho to take a step back for a moment smiling nervously.
"Ha hahah…yeah, I forgot about that…how many more months is it?"
"7 long months…."
"Damnit…."
Everyone laughed at Mizuho's unfortunate circumstance, but all in all Komoto was right. As much as Mizuho loved her alcohol from time to time, she couldn't drink during her pregnancy and that made it all the more harder. Komoto joked with Mizuho for awhile, ruffling her hair and looking back at the others.
"I see everyone found a good spot. You guys ready for this?"
"Definitely! Who are you going to let push the button?" Keiichi seemed excited, hoping to be the one to literally blow the dam to smithereens with the push of a red button. However, much to his dismay Komoto sighed and shook his head.
"After all the work I put into making these bombs? Assembling the components, wiring the devices, measuring out the exact amount of plastic explosive to each bomb set? I think that the most logical answer would be for me to do it, wouldn't you agree?" replied Komoto, nodding his head in agreement to himself with eyes closed. The others, however, merely protested this in response.
"Aw, that's no fun Komoto-san. Come on, at least let one of us do it. I'm sure you've done this plenty of times before!" Satoko looked hard at Komoto, giving him chills down his spine. It was at that moment that he remembered an old memory of Satoko's, absorbed when he had still been cursed with his eyes some time ago. He remembered Satoko's hatred for the dam and her parent's decisions, much like in thought to Satoshi and his own suffering. Thinking on this for a few moments, his attitude changed solemnly.
"On second thought, I guess I'll let Satoshi-kun and you blow it to hell. No hard feelings, right?"
Pulling out the remote detonator from his pocket, Komoto idly threw it into Satoko's hands as if it were nothing. As she and Satoshi stood there like white statues, much the same for the others at that moment in complete and utter disbelief, Komoto grabbed another beer from the cooler and sat down near Mizuho, lazing back for the coming festivities.
Komoto's lack of thought in passing a highly destructive remote device into the hands of a mere child dumbfounded everyone else nearby. Satoko merely looked down to the device laying in her hands, stuttering in complete confusion and fear.
"W...w…w…WHAT!"
"Komoto, are you freaking serious?" asked Keiichi, noting the devices key lock and blocked flip switch above the main button. The others studied it too, however, Shion tried to pull Satoshi and Satoko out of their dazes.
"Wow, and here I thought you would keep all the fun to yourself?" asked Mizuho, elbowing Komoto in his side. He just chuckled and watched as the others marveled at the simple remote device.
"Hey, it seems fitting for those two to do it anyway. Besides, why not? I know how much trouble all this caused you guys. Do the honors!"
For a few more moments, Satoshi and Satoko looked from Komoto to the device once more, their mouths gaping open from the whole spectacle. Shion, noticing how much of a surprise they took to this, patted the two on the back in response, hoping to pull them from their dazes. She came up in the middle of the two, smiling nervously.
"Ah…that's great Satoshi-kun, Satoko-chan! I guess this is what you call Karma, huh?" Shion smiled again at the two, but oddly enough something felt strange in the atmosphere. As the slow chuckles of Satoshi and Satoko filled the air, their maniacal laughter rising with every moment, the others crouched back in fear. They saw the darkness in the two blonde sibling's eyes, their fangs bearing for the first time in years. Even Komoto looked on with wide eyes as the two looked at the others with vengeance in their thoughts.
"Satoko-chan, you know what this means, right?"
"Yes Nii-Nii, we will finally have our revenge for all these years of pain! We're going to blow this Dam sky high and send it to hell for all the misery and anger we've endured! O HO HO HO!"
"And it's going to happen, right…about…No…w…"
"Actually, at 3:00 p.m. on the dot. I still haven't given you guys the remote's safety key yet…" spoke Komoto, breaking the tense air between Satoko, Satoshi and the others. Everyone fell over in shock, thinking that Satoshi and Satoko, for a moment, held the complete and utter power to annihilate the Dam walls. Meanwhile, Komoto just sipped again on his beer, enjoying his prank on the others…
/
*BLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP*
*BLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP*
"OK, EVERYONE! STAND BACK! KEEP THE RESTRICTED AREA CLEAR FOR THE DEMOLITION!"
One of the demolition workers, once given the go ahead for clearing the area, initiated some of the last safety precautions for the spectacle. He spoke on the loudspeaker with utmost authority, announcing to the spectators for the day to clear at least 300 yards away from the blast zone. Doing as told, the crowds that came today moved and then reassembled around a small stage area where the village leaders and some government officials were waiting. Nearby, employees from a local news channel were recording the entire event to be broadcasted live in the prefecture area. Seemingly, this promotion for the demolition only attracted more people to the site just as 3:00 p.m. hit its mark.
Before the initial demolition took place, village leaders such as Mion and Shion, Kimiyoshi and even Rika were on stage in chairs waiting to deliver a speech to everyone. Banners were strewn from side to side, promoting the Dam Project's demolition and final hours. As everyone surrounded the stage to hear the leaders of Hinamizawa, Keiichi and the others did their best to move to the front, squeezing between villagers and citizens alike. Managing to see their friends on stage at last, they were satisfied with their position for the time being.
"So does anyone know what kind of speech Mion and the others had to give?" asked Ryuu, waving a hand at his face to stem off the heat that day. It didn't help his cause being surrounded by so many people.
"They're not giving any speech really. Kimiyoshi-sama said he would take care of it, seeing as he is now the oldest Anti-Dam proponent alive, at least, that's what Shi-chan told me." Satoshi came up beside him, drinking a bottle of water. It seemed like no one cared that either he or Satoko were even in attendance, given their parent's history with this whole mess.
"Hau…there's so many people here! It's almost too much! Hau hau hau!" Hanyuu couldn't help but be scared around so many people without Rika nearby for support. People absentmindedly bumped and crowded around her, causing Rena to pull her aside and clear a path by swinging her around in take-it-home mode.
"Auau! You are so cute Hanyuu-chan! I want to take you home with me! ASIDE NOW!"
Instantly, Rena swung Hanyuu in concentric circles, causing everyone in her path to either move aside or dodge the village's self-declared kidnapper. In no time at all did Rena manage to clear a small area for her friends.
"Good job Rena-chan! Now we can see with no problems!" spoke Satoko, as nearby villagers stood dazed from Rena's onslaught.
"Umm…Hanyuu-chan, are you still alive?"
"A..au…auu…" Hanyuu slipped out of Rena's grasp and fell to the floor, the environment spinning in circles in her mind. After trying to get up again, Hanyuu stumbled to the floor with a loud thud.
"Shh! Guys, they're about to start!" stated Ryuu. Just like he said, Kimiyoshi stood up and moved towards the microphone stand to make an announcement. Other government officials remained at his side, just as the photographers began taking pictures.
"Good afternoon everyone! Hinamizawa welcomes all outsiders and residents today for this most awaited moment. Today will mark the day in this village's history when a long overdue mistake will finally be corrected. Those of you who fought alongside us years ago remember the sacrifices and costs made to fight this project. Personally, I never thought I would live to see a day like this come. However, like all of you are surely thinking and realizing, the day when the Dam Project would finally be removed from this village has come at last! Today will remain as proof that a strong, united village will remain so and fight off those who attempt to threaten our peaceful existence!"
At these words, a loud uproar was heard from the growing crowd. Every villager and newcomer cheered in response from Kimiyoshi's last sentence. They would truly show that day what Hinamizawa was made of; to the localities, to the government and to the world. Cheering for him to go on, Kimiyoshi looked closely at his watch and made haste to make sure the demolition would stay on schedule.
"I will not waste anyone else's time. We have 10 minutes before the initial countdown of the demolition. Now, at my side, are the government officials here with the official order to sign and document the papers which will be the death warrant of this construction site…"
As everyone looked on, three officials holding documents came up next to Kimiyoshi, began signing and stamping some documents as a show of authority for the village, and handed them to Kimiyoshi, who then held them in the air as a sign of victory. The cheers from the crowd were much louder this time around, some people even crying in response. Again, Kimiyoshi spoke once more for everyone to hear.
"The die is cast! There will be no going back now! For my last remark, everyone please remain a safe distance away per the instructions of the safety officials, and enjoy the spectacle! You are allowed to commence festivities after the demolition. Enjoy!"
Kimiyoshi and the officials walked off stage, heading to their own site to watch with eagerness. The crowd immediately dispersed with Mion, Shion, Rika and the others coming down to meet with their friends. Hurrying back up the hill, everyone went to regroup with Komoto and Mizuho for the meantime.
After regaining their breath and grabbing some more water, the group of friends sat with anticipation for the demolition. Satoko stood full and ready, the remote gripped tightly in her hands. With the power to blow up the construction site in her palms, Satoko counted down the minutes to the Dam Project's demise. The others, however, didn't dare to even be in reach of her area, much like that of Satoshi, while they were so close to exacting their revenge.
"If Satoko grips that remote any harder she might just break it." Keiichi moved next to where Mion sat and waited patiently for the event. While looking over the Dam site, he noticed in the area below many old red drum barrels against the outer cliff area. There was probably a good 40 barrels stacked atop and side by side one another; an indication of how abandoned the area had been for some time. Shrugging and looking along some more of the area, he saw the line of C-4 packages lining the walls, their red lights beeping. "So how do those C-4 packs work anyway Komoto?"
"Good question. Once Satoko presses the button, the remote will send a signal to a nearby tower, which will then set off an electric current to the packages. From there, they will ignite in mere seconds and explode one by one in succession. The force of the blast will demolish the main dam walls and surrounding structures, including the back area where most of the concrete is. I know the site is small, but it still will put on a pretty good show…" Komoto laughed at his handiwork, and again looked down at his watch.
"Only three more minutes, then the 10 second countdown will begin. Satoko can push the button on the last countdown mark, and only at that time. Got it?" stated Mizuho, moving her chair up for the show. Satoko quickly nodded her head, standing next to her older brother all the while.
As everyone enjoyed their time, Rika, as she sipped on her soda can, noticed for a mere moment out of the corner of her eye Hanyuu smiling oddly. For a split second, she thought Hanyuu's eyes were narrowed, and her smile curving ever so upwardly as if in satisfaction. However, upon closing and opening her eyes again, she found Hanyuu smiling normally and eating one of her creampuffs. Noticing Rika's odd stares, Hanyuu looked at her friend in question.
"Auau…Rika-chan, is something wrong? Do I have cream on my face somewhere?" Hanyuu quickly began wiping her face quickly, embarrassed that she may have been making a mess. Rika merely smiled and laughed in response, causing Hanyuu to blush.
"Mii, nothing is wrong. Nipah!" Rika began eating her own food now, thinking nothing of what she thought she saw.
/
"DEMOLITION WILL COMMENCE IN 10 SECONDS…"
Over the loudspeakers, people all around could hear the demolition experts announce the final countdown. Crowds stood well away from the area, yet, as close as they could stand near the caution tape. Families and friends waited eagerly, ready to see the Dam Project crumble at last. On the nearby hill, Komoto stood with a pair of binoculars watching for the go ahead down below. After a demolition expert began the countdown, Komoto turned to find everyone surrounded by Satoko, the Dam site in the distance ahead.
"Ok Satoko-chan, remember to press it on the final mark."
"5 SECONDS…4 SECONDS…"
"Got it! Ready everyone!"
"READY!"
"IN 3…2…1…"
"NOW!"
*Click*
Upon turning the key and pressing the red button, the group of friends and those nearby watched what the science of explosive devices could do. As Satoko pressed the button with Satoshi at her side both looking menacing, the signal went to the nearby tower and connected to the C-4 package line. From there, an electric current hit each C-4 package one by one, igniting the material and initiating a deafening roar. Each package had enough strength to blow each section of the dam wall with tremendous force; easily crumbling the concrete material and inner steel walls. Like a well trained symphony, each C-4 pack went off and blew the entire lining of the area off. Smoke filled the air and even mushroom clouds of fire went up, signaling the end of the explosion.
"MUAHAHAAHAHAHAHAH!" went Satoko and Satoshi, laughing into the air at last. Once their revenge was complete, the others moved closer to inspect the damage done. They still couldn't see that much with all the dirt and debris still in the air.
"Geez, Komoto wasn't messing around! There's nothing but rubble and steel bars left." Keiichi rubbed his ears a bit, trying to fend off the feeling of the explosion. It was so loud that a lot of them felt somewhat disoriented; however Komoto reassured them that it would only be momentarily.
"I told you guys I wasn't going light here. All that C-4 I had went to good use though. Just enough of my storage supply to clear out my armory." Komoto stated.
"Why did you even bring that much in the first place?" asked Rena. She was somewhat afraid of the initial explosion, and cowered behind Ryuu for protection. He, on the other hand, was just as enthusiastic as his cousin.
"Well…I'm not really sure…I couldn't leave it lying around. Besides, in my line of work I use a lot of that stuff. And since I've come back to this peaceful village, I've had no use for it. So I might as well have used most of it up here anyway…"
Komoto smiled down to the others, and pulled his binoculars out again. Once the smoke cleared, he witnessed firsthand just how destructive the entire setup was. He had to admit, the explosion and the initial blast could not have been any more perfect. Every section was hit exactly, and most if not all the rubble fell within the impact zone as planned.
"Hmm…everything seems fine by me. The wall was taken down, most of the scaffolds are blown to shreds, and even the foundations are demolished. No problems…hey, wait!"
As everyone in the crowd below marveled at the demolition with loud cheers, Komoto quickly radioed to the workers below to still keep everyone back. Mizuho looked up to her fiancé, worried with what he saw. The others did likewise, looking back at the smoldering stone and rubble below.
"Komoto-kun, what's the matter?" asked Mizuho. She got up and took the binoculars from his hands, and saw exactly what he was seeing.
"Those barrels down there…they weren't empty. Something from the blast must have punctured one of them. I'm positive that oil or even gasoline was stored in those things. I can smell it in the air even…"
Rika noticed, unlike the others, Komoto's eyes suddenly grow a little dull, as if he were remembering something from his past. The mere mentioning of oil brought up to mind Rika's readings in his journal. Specifically, Komoto must have been remembering the night he set fire to an entire city during battle. Slowly grabbing him by the arm Rika managed to get Komoto to snap out of his daze and refocus.
"Huh? What?"
"Mii…what should happen if it ignites?" asked Rika. The others shared in the same thought.
"I'm not sure. I don't even know how much of the stuff is down there…"
Komoto radioed again to the workers his concerns, and said he had an idea. Leaving for a few moments and rushing by some people, Komoto went over to his car and pulled out a large rifle bag. After a few minutes, Komoto returned and handed the bag to Mizuho. She instantly knew what he was thinking.
"Well, I guess this could work. Just tell everyone that I'm sending down a round…" replied Mizuho. She took out her favorite .50 cal rifle, and began setting in the scope's dials. Everyone saw just how much Mizuho was focusing, therefore, asked Komoto what they were going to do.
"You're going to try to ignite the gasoline, aren't you?" asked Shion. He held her hands behind her head, watching closely as those below were still being told to stay away. Komoto relayed to everyone below that gasoline was spreading quickly; therefore, they were going to try to create a spark with a few rounds from a gun. Those below began preparing themselves to hear gunfire next.
"I can't risk having anyone get near that area with so much gasoline pouring out. Even the heat alone would be enough to kill someone if they were close enough. Mizu-chan is going to manually spark the pool down there to set off the gasoline and oil tanks. That way, all of that supply down there will be no danger to us after everything settles…"
Komoto's plan seemed full proof, and oddly enough some below in the crowds enjoyed this idea of another explosion. However, unlike the last one this one was much more dangerous in terms of the smoke and damage that could be produced given the quantity of the barrels. Still remaining a safe distance away, Mizuho lied on her stomach at the edge of the cliff and began sighting in the scope of the rifle.
"You guys might want to cover your ears. This could get pretty loud." She stated with darkness in her voice. Her green eyes narrowed into the scope's sight, her finger slowly squeezing toward her on the trigger. "Ready?" she asked.
"Fire when ready love…" stated Komoto, looking through the binoculars.
As the group watched on, Mizuho pulled the trigger of her rifle and, with a loud crack, sent a round down the line straight into the pool of gasoline. However, she aimed just near a strip of metal, managing to create a spark. As the pool ignited, she began unloading round after round into the barrels, managing to reload quickly enough to puncture a majority of them. By doing so, she sent more and more of the gasoline and oil to pour out, this time, straight into the pool of fire now. In moments, the fire soared up the stream, and with the pressure and concoction of oil and gasoline, another loud explosion was heard.
For those around watching, just as it was also caught on camera from the news crew's side, a loud blast followed by a plume of black smoke and fire soared into the sky. The initial blast from the gasoline and oil drums created such force into the hillside that the hanging cliff suddenly shifted in midair; cracks forming along the earth and into the cliff. In less than a minute, after only the remnants of the gas and oil burned off, the cliff eventually crumbled and sent into the air again another plume of debris and dirt.
"That was incredible, Mizuho-sensei. I can't believe you can shoot so fast…" stated Satoshi, awed at such force of power.
"Eh, that was a piece of cake considering I train with moving targets. Hmm…speaking of cake…"
Without intent, Mizuho's mind wandered on food again, her lips displaying a small amount of drool escaping. This caused the others to chuckle, smiling at their success of making the area safe again. As they looked back to the area again, however, Rika noticed Hanyuu making that odd smile again.
"Mii…Hanyuu…" she asked. Her friend turned to her and then looked back in the general direction of the dam site.
"It's finally over, huh Rika-chan?"
As Hanyuu smiled at her friend again, she sighed and walked back towards the others, seemingly being bored with the spectacle. If anything, she seemed satisfied with what happened oddly enough. Before Rika could stop Hanyuu, though, another loud sound, this time different, was heard. To everyone's surprise, once the smoke cleared did they see what was happening.
"The cliff! It's crumbling down!" yelled Mion. Almost everyone around could feel under their feet the earth shake and shift. Mion even had to grab onto Keiichi for support, as everything around them seemed like it was experiencing an earthquake.
"What's going on?" yelled villagers from down below. They all moved back farther from the area, as the Cliffside fell into the smoldering flames of the gasoline and oil fires, ironically extinguishing them.
Once the smoke and debris cleared again, those around walked forward to witness something magnificent and unexpected. Rika and the others stood as still as statues, unable to comprehend what they saw in place of the Cliffside.
"What…is that?" stated Satoko, the remote dropping from her hands.
"It looks like…an old…" Mion couldn't even find the words for this event. She was at a complete loss as to what was just unearthed.
"It's a giant…" villagers below began yelling out.
And all Rika could say, for what was before her and the others, stood part of something massive and unbelievable. For her to see its white, smooth structure and almost perfect sections, all Rika could compare it too was something unlike what humans long ago could ever build.
"It looks like…a giant dome…"
/
Can you see Evil,
Even in its most innocent of forms?
Can you stop Evil,
Using the power of mankind?
Can you compromise with Evil,
To stem off a dire Fate?
Can you become Evil,
By committing the simplest of acts?
Someone found the answers to all of this,
And only that person will suffer the most…
For knowing the truth of Evil…
Next time on Hinamizawa Hell, "The Truth of Fate" arc, ch. 8: Foundations of the Past
Could you ever foresee this?
Author's note: Sorry for the incredibly long update. I have returned to another semester of college and have been quite busy as of late. Like the title states, this is the beginning of the end. Everything from this point on will take new turns and even more horrors to be unleashed upon those in Hinamizawa. What is Evil and what will happen in the village? Stay tuned, because everything is going to hell…