Ichijō Mirai: "..."
Sick guy.
He wrote down: one, physical subduing.
Two, sincere probation.
Akai Shūichi doesn't say why he's after the organization, but being able to fight like he's in a calm frenzy and respond to teasing without hesitation, it's clear that the reason for going after the organization is classic, and most likely related to a family member or loved one.
Akai Shūichi doesn't go soft when he's one step away from a clue, if there's a physical move left, just like when he stabbed the bones of his right elbow out of his jacket, but still used his intact left hand to try and subdue Ichijō Mirai, stopping him from leaving and trying to catch a clue.
For Ichijō Mirai, that was enough.
He was ready to go back into gear and do some real cheating.
But instead of going back to gear, he flicked his hand on the cuffs around his neck.
Akai Shūichi released some of the force, and took a deep breath to minimize the blackness above his field of vision.
Ichijō Mirai: "Ask."
At a time like this, every question Akai Shūichi asked could be a weakness.
Mastering a weakness means mastering a person.
"I'll answer you," Ichijō Mirai said, "as much as I know, and I'll tell you everything."
In return, the other Akai Shūichi would have to be held in the palm of his hand.
That's fair.
After a moment's thought, Ichijō Mirai added, "Truth for truth, I'll only tell the truth."
He smiled in the rearview mirror, idly guessing what question Akai Shūichi would ask.
Would he ask if 'Satan' was a member of the organization? No, that's a stupid question.
Where is 'Satan' now?
It's possible, more likely if Akai Shūichi's purpose in tracking down the organization is related to Satan.
Would he ask about family members and lovers that Ichijō Mirai hadn't paid attention to?
Or something else?
These speculations were transformed into light blue letters that popped up, spreading out a bunch of analyses.
In the midst of the countless blue alerts that popped up in response to his thoughts, Ichijō Mirai recognized Akai Shūichi taking a deep breath to stay awake, and heard voices coming from the back of the room.
Akai Shūichi said word for word, "How did 'Messiah' and 'Satan' become enemies..."
The question...
Ichijō Mirai's smile paused for two or three seconds before he smiled again, "You're a smart guy."
This question, touched on many issues, such as the organization, such as 'Satan', and also Ichijō Mirai's own 'Messiah'.
To give a serious answer, one would have to go through all three, or at least pick out a part of them for clarification.
One part was enough, and for Akai Shūichi, that was a lot.
If 'Messiah' and 'Satan' weren't the same person...
"The concept is different."
Ichijō Mirai smiled, and instead of answering as Akai Shūichi expected, he explained literally, "Even criminals have different outlooks and norms,"
"'Satan' is a recognized madman, whether it's the police, the FBI or the organization," he said, telling the truth, "He's very high up in the organization, so high that many of the code name members back away from him, and is often active in Tokyo."
That's really the truth, the truth from Gin's point of view.
What's even more true is: "No one can control this madman."
"The three Satan incidents in Tokyo were him taking care of whoever he thought should be taken care of, like human beings cleaning up trash."
He added a friendly reminder, "And, in the organization, he's a 'non-entity'."
It's 100% true.
"Whereas 'Messiah'," Ichijō Mirai paused, "treats criminals more gently, not cleaning them up like garbage, but like soft, ignorant tissue paper."
Tissues can be used.
But after it's used, it's trash that needs to be cleaned up.
In other words, for 'Satan', criminals are garbage, and for 'Messiah', criminals are still garbage.
It's...
A subtle, vague feeling surged up.
Akai Shūichi listened, his gaze shifting from Ichijō Mirai's smile in the rearview mirror to Ichijō Mirai himself, whose blood-stained white hair and part of his smiling face were all that could be seen.
Narrowing his dark green eyes slightly, he inquired coldly, "Are 'Satan' and 'Messiah' one and the same?"
Seeing that part of the sideways smile stop, Ichijō Mirai denied without hesitation as if he was a bit surprised, "No."
"What are you thinking?"
From the beginning, the only temporary code name he had given himself was 'Messiah'.
As for 'Satan', Ichijō Mirai denied the responsibility of whoever gave him that nickname.
His denial was quite justified.
Akai Shūichi could tell that Ichijō Mirai was not only in denial, but also a bit offended by the slander, "I thought you had a blood feud with 'Satan'."
That's why he was involved in the case in a special way to attract the attention of the FBI and the criminals.
But Ichijō Mirai spoke of 'Satan' in a familiar tone, not as if Akai Shūichi had assumed that he didn't know him and was trying to attract his attention.
Rather, it's like he knew each other from the beginning, then parted ways due to philosophical differences, and now he's attracting each other's attention and trying to lure them into appearing.
Why is that?
And: 'The Man Who Doesn't Exist'?
"'Satan,'" Akai Shūichi said, not asking himself if he could ask a second question, "...has disappeared?"
Ichijō Mirai didn't answer.
He only smiled, "Are you afraid to ask a question that would reveal your weakness?"
"Why?"
Akai Shūichi: "You know."
No matter how desperate he was to find out about the organization, he wouldn't be so stupid as to ask about his father directly, or bring up the name 'Akai Tsutomu'.
Mentioning it would be tantamount to handing over a knife to Ichijō Mirai.
"If you're thinking that asking questions will expose your weaknesses, after we leave here, I'll be holding a knife that can be stabbed directly into your chest," Ichijō Mirai said in a lighthearted tone, 'Then don't worry about it,' he said in a really lighthearted tone.
He sounded really relaxed, "We're all going to die here today."
As he said that, he shook the handcuffs on his right hand, and Akai Shūichi's left hand moved by the handcuffs.
"The handcuffs go through the door, and the car is about to explode," Ichijō Mirai said, "so let's wait for the car to explode together."
"Be warned, don't try to pick the lock. I'll stop you from doing something you wouldn't dare to do."
Akai Shūichi's expression remained unchanged.
"You're not afraid to die," he said lightly, "but you have an abundance of curiosity."
And curious about him.
So curious that today, not knowing his weaknesses, he decided to die with him.
Ichijō Mirai said perfunctorily, "You're right."
"Well, have you thought about it? Ask."
He wasn't joking, he wasn't pretending not to care, he wasn't afraid to die.
Akai Shūichi had sensed this from the moment he tightened Ichijō Mirai's neck without any resistance, and after a moment of silence, the handcuffs jiggling impatiently as a reminder, he spoke, "I just asked you a question."
It was a 'winner answers a question for the loser' question.
So: "We don't owe each other anything."
"Next, we ask each other."
He asks, "What is your relationship with Satan?"
Adding to the premise, "Before