*Sigh*
Exasperatingly, Gello sighed and took a seat just in front of the lifeless boy. He lifted his arm to wipe the sweat and blood on his forehead.
He could not do it with his hand because it was stained with blood.
He was exhausted because it was the longest time he has spent experimenting on a boy.
So obviously, he was both happy and tired from this session.
He looked at the body, now unrecognizable. His face was more disfigured than one of his previous victims named Shinagawa Miyauchi.
"Whew.....more resilient than Miyauchi-kun.....Nice..."
His fingers were fidgeting, itching to do more but there was nothing else that he could do.
After all, the boy in front of him is already a corpse. No reaction from the boy would not be a good experiment for Gello.
He decided to sit and relax for a few minutes. He closed his eyes and let the strength in his body drift away.
Gello himself looked like a dead body with no injuries. It was his presence that did the trick.
*Knock* *Knock*
Gello opened his eyes from his small slumber. A disgusted voice behind the door called out to him.
"Are you finished?"
It was Yemon that came to visit him.
".....Yes...Aota-kun was a good one."
Yemon opened the door and saw the gruesome scenery in front of him. He clicked his tongue, grossed out by the actions that he has done.
He just remembered the first time that he had encountered Gello to recruit him in this criminal group. The only difference now is that Yemon aided Gello in capturing an innocent life for his torture.
Guilt strongly chained his brain and his emotions started to waver.
He helped a murderer,.....no, a demon in his deeds which can easily mess up his mind.
However, the constant reminder of his mission did not derail his feeling into rage and remorse.
He suppressed them, tied them down with force.
All for his mother and Zaizen.
Yemon blocked his nose as a pungent smell wafted in this room.
"-?? This stench....It is awful..."
Gello glanced back at Yemon who was pinching his nose and slowly approaching behind him.
".....You have never smelled the odour of piss, blood and shit mixed together?"
"...." Yemon remained silent as he was grossed out that Gello adapted to such a smell.
He can never grasp the kind of environment that Gello has been in.
"Are you.....going to clean that up?"
".....What? Do you think I am a guy that just leaves pieces of evidence lying around even if the crime was done in a secret underground hideout? No way. I am an extremely cautious person. And in no way am I going to let this place be stained......"
"...Why are you suddenly so talkative right now."
Yemon could say that Gello was breaking out of his silent and mysterious type of personality.
What was it that triggered this kind of behaviour?
An adrenaline rush that was still in effect after torturing this innocent boy?
Yemon did not indulge his thoughts more into this. It did prick his curiosity about wanting to know more about Gello. But, he deemed it to be an unsuitable time.
"Then clean it up, I can't stand this unpleasant smell."
".....Wait a minute. I am a bit tired right now, I will do it later.
".....Do it right now. I can't stand it."
"Then get out of here. I will do it myself."
Yemon squinted his eyes with disdain. The sight of this, he wanted to dispose of it as soon as possible. The smell was just a cover-up for his impatience.
That innocent boy was the symbol of his irreversible and despicable action.
He wanted to get rid of him to make himself forget about this.
"Tsk!"
Yemon clicked his tongue, blatantly showing the inconvenience that Gello was creating.
He heard it but instead of being angry at Yemon, he gave him an idea.
"How about you tell that old man to use his powers. He said he can control the dead, right? Then tell him to make the corpse do the cleaning himself."
"....." Yemon could not believe what he heard.
"At least the dead boy would not get tired."
Gello darted a meaningful look at him before going back to relaxing in his chair. He closed his eyes and rested amongst the revolting stench.
Yemon gritted his teeth and did not want to wait for Gello to wake up so that he would clean it himself.
Yemon would have done it long before if he did not have to look at the corpse itself.
The mere sight of Aoto, the boy, haunts him.
He has got no choice, but to try and do what Gello says. It may not be as efficient as he thinks, but it will be the quickest.
So, he exited the room and looked for Shi.
Shi was practising lifting weights with Omocha, Jo and Gui.
Yemon called out to him.
"Shi, can you come here? I have a request for you."
"...What is it?"
Omocha, Gui and Jo looked at Yemon with curiosity.
Yemon did not know how to say it. That too a weird help to say. So he blurt out what was on his mind.
"Can you.....make a corpse clean their own mess?"
"Huh?" Shi was hella confused
"...." Omocha's interest rose a little bit.
""The fuck?"" Both Jo and Gui looked at him with parts of their brain not functioning anymore after hearing that.
........
"Blegh!?!"
Jo vomited upon seeing that bloody room. He spewed on the entrance and caught Gello's attention.
He saw that Yemon not only brought Shi but also Omocha, Jo and Gui.
".....Helping hands?"
"No, they just came to watch." Yemon denied Gello's assumption.
However, the one who was supposed to help was having trouble to even peek at the corpse he was supposed to control.
"What is-!?.....Did you do this?"
Shi aimed his gaze towards Gello. The thought of that happening to his daughter made him shiver.
Gello nonchalantly nodded with the most little of movement.
A struck of imminent fear crawled under Shi's skin.
The thought of that happening to his daughter is too much to handle for him. He just got a headache for that.
"Interesting....I have never thought that humans could be displayed in this way."
Gui was genuinely admiring the work Gello created.
Yemon, Shi and Jo darted their sight to Gui and could not believe what he said.
Omocha though was with Gui and added his own opinion when he saw the brutal fate of being Gello's victim.
"I can't imagine being in that boy's place," while he said that, he felt envious.
Truly a masochist.
'Bloody psychopaths.....' Yemon pondered on how he could stay in the same room as them.
"So? Are you going to clean this?" Yemon questioned Shi.
Shi was still in a daze. He did not hear a single word of what Yemon said.
However, in his head, he just wants to avoid the worst-case possible. But how can he do that?
How can he make Gello stay away from his daughter? His priority was his little princess that knew little about the world.
A preying demon like him that could kidnap anyone can snatch his daughter unbeknownst to his knowledge.
So what can he do?
'Should i.....just tell him...?'
Of course, that is a far fetched and unrealistic option. If he decreases the number of victims available to his atrocities, then Gello would surely be discontent about that fact.
Since not everywhere can he find all children that fit the criteria he needs.
*Gulp*
Shi resolved himself and stepped up to see through where his actions lead him.
He is not thoughtlessly going to ask him but the little information he has on Gello could help him.
"...Gello."
He did not turn his head but he listened to Shi because he was going to clean his mess.
"Can you promise me one thing?"
"...."
Gello was confused. What was there to promise when getting rid of a corpse?
"I have a....daughter."
Behind Shi, Yemon and the others wondered why Shi was revealing such a detail about his private life to Gello.
But soon, they understood his intentions.
However, Gello investigated him for more confirmation.
"Why are you telling me this?"
Shi clenched his fists and hoped that everything would go his way.
"I have but just one request..... Please,...do not target my daughter."
All of them stayed silent from his words. Gello took a few seconds to consider his request.
He stood from his chair and he gazed into Shi's determined eyes which were about to falter when faced with Gello's lifeless eyes.
Unconcerned about Shi's feelings, he proceeded to open his mouth.
"Shi, how old is your daughter?"
That question accompanied by his monotonous voice made Shi grit his teeth with anger.
It showed how much it did not care if his victim was the daughter of his fellow comrade.
Restraining his seething anger, Shi replied with the calmest voice that he tried to exert in his state.
"She is....She's soon going to turn 11..."
"11? Then you should rest assured,'' Gello pointed at the bloody corpse and stated, " She won't ever be in that seat."
The audacity to say that, made Shi relieved from all the stress that he was experiencing up until Gello reassured him.
Shi closed his eyes and sighed exasperatingly.
"Thank goodness!"
The others could not imagine how much of a pickle that Shi was in. They were not fathers, they have no sons or daughters so there isn't any empathy in them.
But they could guess how nerve-wracking it was.
"Really.....Thank goodness.....or I would have killed someone....Thank goodness..."
They heard Shi's desperation.
Yes, it was desperation.
His desperation to not kill someone. Even if that someone was the worst criminal.
Yemon raised his eyebrow.
'Did I hear that correctly...?'
If that is the case then this is problematic for his mission.
Omocha scoffed at Shi and showed the absurdity of Shi's mindset.
"You are a guy that controls dead people yet you are against killing? How contradictory."
Yemon, Gui and Jo also pondered about that.
Jo said, "Seriously, this group is starting to become weirder and weirder by the day."
"Look who is saying that, "Gui insulted him.
"What did you say!?"
"Quiet down! Shi, just clean that body up quickly. I don't want to see him again."
"....Okay..."
Shi approached the boy and stared intently at the body.
Then.....
"Woah....."
The boy got up slowly with his guts spilling out.
Seeing this, Jo again vomited. This time, outside the room.
Shi made the boy pick up his own gut and started walking towards the room. The way he walked was just like a human, not like some zombie or any sluggish creature.
They were in awe of this power.
"Where should I put him."
Shi asked in a low volume Yemon.
"O-Oh um, at the end of the corridor, there is a barrel of acid, just.....make him enter in it..."
"...Sure..."
Shi walked beside the boy and lead him to where Yemon requested.
The rest of them also exited the room while having a last look at Gello's room.
Only Yemon and Gello were left here.
"Now, clean off those piss and blood."
"Yes, I will do it....later."
Yemon's biggest guilt has gone so from here on out, he left the cleaning to Gello, as it should.
"Tsk!"
With that, he was about to leave also with the others. Before he could do that, Gello mischievously warned him about the future.
"I will be in your care for next month too, Yemon."
He gritted his teeth, realizing that he got into a never-ending loop where he has to supply Gello with guinea pigs.
If Yemon refused then Gello would go out by himself and kidnap his prey. But he would get captured by Heroes or SMF and that would prove fatal to his plan.
Since Zaizen said that everyone was precious, then he cannot afford to lose anyone.
So that is why...
That is why he had no choice but to do it.
On that day, Yemon was threatened by Gello and the bargaining chip was Gello's safety.