Mercury
What are you saying!?
You know that he has the advantage, even when blinded!
James
Just trust me!
Ok!?
Believe that I have a plan!
Please!
Mercury
…
Mercury and James exchange stares for a few seconds
Mercury
Ok James…I trust you…
I know you can pull off whatever kind of plan you have.
(Those eyes…)
(I keep getting fixated on his eyes…)
(The hatred, the intent to kill, they're both still there!)
(But, there's something more…confidence!)
(He's finally becoming confident in his own abilities, and I know that he can pull off whatever plan he's come up with!)
Cancer!
Cancer appears, and fog begins to spray from its seams
May
Coughs
I guess I overestimated you!
You already know that I'm used to attacking with the fog!
Cetus!
James
(Good, he's attacking!)
(Now I need to follow the effect it leaves on the ground!)
James notices a ripple in the ground
(There!)
(Ok, don't announce my attacks, don't let him know that I can shoot it…)
May
(I've got you now brat!)
(You're right on top of it and you don't even know it!)
Cetus!
Jump out, now!
James
(Now or never!)
Lacerta!
Fire!
There's a splatter of blood on the next panel
It's not shown who it was
Mercury
Cancer!
Stop the fog!
Now!
The fog clears
Mercury
James!?
James!?
Can you hear me!?
Are you ok!?
James
I'm fine…
I got a clean shot off on his Manifesto…
I did it…we did it…
We won…
Mercury
Y-you're right!
We did it!
I never thought I'd have to fight one of my students…
I never knew any of them, any of the victims…
But I kept a list of everyone…every single one of the people we killed…
I kept a list of names, jobs, and loved ones…
So if I ever got the chance, I could apologise…
I dreaded the day I'd have to watch one of my students di–
Ach!
Mercury coughs up blood
May
Coughs
You have to kill me…
Otherwise…I'm not going down alone…
May removes the knife from Mercury's back…
James
NO!
James catches the falling Mercury
May
Ha…haha…HAHAHA!!!
May starts laughing Maniacally
That was so funny!
That look on your face!
Ho! I love that!
That's the best expression I've ever seen on someone!
And you wanna know what makes it better?!
I bet even after this…
You still refuse to kill me!
Am I right?!
James looks up from Mercury's body at May
James has a look of pure hatred and spite on his face
May
See?!
I was right!
That look on your face!
You wanna kill me, don't you!?
But, you won't kill a person!
Will you!?
You hurt me pretty bad by destroying my Manifesto, but, not bad enough!
You're gonna need to be a bit more bloodthirsty if you wanna defeat me!
Did you think that the boss would hire a hitman that was nothing without his Manifesto!?
Who would do that!?
No, our boss was too smart for that!
He only hires the best of the best!
James
Who is he…
May
Huh?
What was that?
You gotta speak up…
You can't just mumble and assume people will understand you.
Be clear!
James turns again and stares right at May
James
I said…
Who.
Is.
He?
May
(Th-that look…)
(I don't like that look in his eyes…)
(He's not just angry…)
(I think I went too far…)
James rests Mercury's head onto the ground, before getting up
May
(Fuck!)
(It's time for some damage control!)
H-hey…
I was just kidding…
Y'know…
Joking around…
A-and all that…
James
Joking…huh?
He…hehe…
Y'know it's pretty funny when you think about it…
May
Y-yeah!
It is!
Isn't it!?
James
I WASN'T FUCKING FINISHED!
DON'T EVER INTERRUPT ME!
May
Y-yes sir…
(Who is this?)
(This definitely isn't the same person from before…)
(There's no more sense of intelligence behind his eyes!)
(No sign of any thoughts other than hatred!)
(He's just a rampaging gorilla at this point!)
James raises his arm and points it like a gun at May
May cowers in fear
James
I have a question for you…
If you answer correctly, I won't shoot you…
May
Y-you're joking…right?
James doesn't answer, his face is blacked out, with only the glowing yellow eyes of his Manifesto shining through
May
W-what's the question?
James
What do you do when you see a cockroach?
May
Y-you squash it!
James
Correct, but I wasn't gonna shoot you anyways…
May
W-what do you mean?
Are-are you letting me go?
James
I only said I wouldn't shoot you…
No…You don't deserve a quick and painless death…
You don't get that luxury…
Instead…
James' eyes are shown for the first time, fighting back tears…
I'll avenge every last one of your victims…
I'll pummelled you for every single life you cut short…
For every person you betrayed…
For every time you chose your boss over morality…
Over human decency…
You never showed any restraint when killing and pursuing your victims…
So why should I give that to you?
May
NO!
P-p-please!
Spare me!
I'll turn over a new leaf!
I swear!
I'll never kill anyone again!
I'll leave the Casa Dei Re!
You'll never see me again! If you leave me alone!
James
What did I say?
You never gave such a chance to your victims…
Why should I give it to you?
May
N-no…
please…Mercury…Sinatra…someone!
Please!
HELP ME!!
James
Lacerta…
Beat him senseless…
Lacerta throws countless punches directed at May, while James coldly watches from behind. Despite May's screams James doesn't move. Until, finally, James lunges in front of Lacerta to throw a punch, connecting with May's jaw…knocking him unconscious
James
You're being left off light…
For everything you've done…
For everything you put your victims through…
You deserve no less than this…
Mercury
Coughs up blood
James
Mercury!
Are you ok!?
Can you hold on until we can get you to a hospital?!
Mercury
No…I don't think I'm long for this world…
But, before I fade out of this world…
I want you to tell me…
Do you not have a single good memory of me?
James
Any good memories…?
Mercury
That look in your eyes when you saw me…
All I could see was hatred and distaste for me…
I saw no hesitations in your attacks until I halted my assault…
But I want you to know, I consider you my greatest success…
The kind of strong, independent student I've been trying to raise…
Every moment we spent together was a good memory for me…
And you'll never know how much it hurt me to see your name on our hitlist…
Mercury gives a key to James
That's the key for my office at our boss's lair…
It has the list of everyone we've killed…
My last request for you–
Coughs up blood
My last request is for you to get that notebook, and apologise and provide closure to every family I listed!
Please!
Promise me this one last act of closure, and I can rest easy, knowing you'll fix my greatest regret…
Through tears, James tries to speak
James
Ok, I'll do it Mercury…
You hear me?
I'll provide closure to them…
Mercury?
Can you hear me?
MERCURY?!
PLEASE ANSWER ME!?
Mer…cury…
Sobs on top of body…
In his office, James stares blankly at a folder he had made
James
(It's coming back to me now, I can't believe I forgot so much…)
I thought of one, Mercury…
A good memory we shared…
I remember, after I had first learned to control my bullets, you took me fishing at a nearby lake…
That was such a great day…
I felt like I didn't need to be scared of myself anymore after that day…
And it was all thanks to you…
A single tear begins to roll down his cheek
I'm just sorry, I couldn't think of one while you were still here with me…
Begins to cry again