TBETW Chapter 29

Chapter 29 – Runaway Uncle

Main Story 2, Chapter 6, Part 2

Novel Title: 獣はかくして囚われる (The Beasts are Ensnared This Way)

Author：風結子 沙野 (Fuyuko Sano)

Illustrator：小山田 あみ (Oyamada Ami)

Translator: K (@kin0monogatari)

Protagonists: 鹿倉 陣也 (Kagura Jinya -MC) & ゼロ (Zero -ML)

*Please read at novels.space, the original site of translation. TQ*

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As Itou charged forward, he bent his left arm.

“………!”

Kagura was distracted by the knife thrown at his face and narrowly avoided it. By the time he noticed, another knife was already closing in on his throat.

―――This is bad…

His palm was slashed as he tried to protect his throat.

“Ugh…”

Before he could react, the knife was swung down toward his neck—.

Suddenly, Itou’s body jerked, and the knife slipped from his hand.

Through Itou’s shoulder, a man entered through the door, and his presence struck Kagura’s senses.

His black hair and eyes were so vivid they almost hurt Kagura’s optic nerves.

“Zero…”

The mixed scent of blood and gunpowder filled the air.

Zero quickly closed the distance to Itou, who was staggering while holding his injured shoulder. From behind, Zero wrapped one arm around his body and pressed the barrel of a silenced pistol to Itou’s temple.

“…What happened to Renjou?” Itou, gritting his teeth to endure the pain from his shoulder wound, raised his voice.

“I struggled, but I managed to get him to tell me where Jinya is, and I took his gun and this room’s invitation card.”

Itou had called Zero to the castle to have Renjou deal with him. It must have been a fierce battle. Upon a closer look, Zero’s lips were cut, bleeding, and there were large, reddish bruises on his cheeks as if from being struck. Though his leather jacket and pants didn’t show any visible blood, it was clear he had sustained more injuries. Like a wild animal, Zero didn’t show any weakness, but it was apparent from his injuries.

Zero shot a killing glare at Kiriyama, who remained seated on the sofa.

“Are you trying to use this guy to try to kill Jinya?”

Before Kiriyama could answer, Itou confessed.

“It wasn’t Shungo-sama’s will. It was all my decision.”

Zero’s gaze shifted from Kiriyama to Itou.

“You tried to kill Jinya on your own, huh?”

“Yes. Both Detective Kagura and you need to die.”

Zero’s face became completely expressionless.

“If that’s the case, then it’s you who has to disappear.”

The air in the room became heavy and cold.

Zero was serious—he intended to kill Itou right here.

Kagura felt a stirring in his chest but focused his attention on the cold, solid mass deep inside his stomach.

―――Itou is a fatal obstacle for Zero.

Kagura had even considered dealing with Itou himself. He wouldn’t allow emotions to interfere and risk being a hindrance to Zero now.

Zero’s finger tightened on the trigger.

Kiriyama, who had been silently watching until now, stood up from the sofa.

Despite having served him since childhood, Kiriyama didn’t show the slightest change in expression, not even a flicker of concern as someone he had relied on was about to be killed. He was still the same, like a lifeless statue.

The statue’s lips moved.

“Zero.”

The heavy, metallic voice made the air in the room tremble from the very bottom.

“I know who your father is.”

Zero stopped moving, narrowing his eyes as he glared at Kiriyama.

Their gazes met, and an oppressive pressure filled the room, making every hair on Kagura’s body stand on end.

“I don’t care who it is.”

At Zero’s response, a faint, mocking smile curled on Kiriyama’s thin lips.

“You are my stain.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“Zero. Your father is Kiriyama Shunji—my father.”

The room fell silent.

Kagura couldn’t comprehend what he had just heard.

―――Zero’s father is…?

A muffled groan escaped from Zero.

In that moment of confusion, Itou gripped the silencer tightly. The gun was wrenched from Zero’s hand.

Itou immediately pointed the gun at Zero from close range.

Kagura’s body moved instinctively, his mind still numb, and he kicked the floor, pulling a folding knife from his inner pocket.

He collided with Itou, who had his back turned. The gun fell from Itou’s hand. As he leaned forward, Zero grabbed both of his arms.

Kagura’s and Zero’s gazes met across Itou.

It was Zero who blinked first.

Kagura blinked as well, realizing what he was doing.

“Ah…” A muffled groan escaped from Itou as he twisted his body. The movement was transmitted directly to Kagura’s hand, through the knife embedded inside Itou.

A cold numbness spread throughout Kagura’s body. With a clear mind, he knew what he had to do next. Twist the knife and destroy Itou from the inside, delivering a fatal blow.

He put strength into his right arm, holding the knife.

But he couldn’t twist it.

Zero’s hand firmly gripped Kagura’s right wrist, stopping him.

“Stop, Jinya.”

Just when Kagura had finally reached the point where he could choose the same path as Zero, why was he being stopped?

This was exactly the same as when he stopped Zero from killing Renjou. Now, Zero was doing the same to him.

It was as if darkness and light had reversed, and the back of Kagura’s mind flickered violently. He squeezed his eyes shut, only to feel Zero pull on his arm.

“We’re going home.”

―――Home…

For some reason, those words felt strangely natural to him.

As Zero pulled him, Kagura glanced back at the room as they exited through the door.

Itou, collapsed on the floor, was trying to pick up the gun with his trembling hands. Kneeling beside him, Kiriyama seemed to whisper something into his ear.

His eyes slowly opened, and tears spilled from the corners.

***

After leaving the ‘Invincible Castle’, the familiar van appeared almost immediately.

Once inside, Haiiro, fiddling with his lip piercings, spoke to Kataware, who was in the driver’s seat.

“Alright, alright. ‘Runaway Uncle’ retrieval complete. Let’s get out of here.”

Riki, who had likely planned to rush in if things went wrong, seemed frustrated that he hadn’t been able to make a move, judging by the way he dramatically rotated his shoulders.

Despite the overwhelming pressure of unresolved matters weighing on his mind, Kagura tended to the first-aid on his left hand, which had been cut, and slumped into the seat.

The side of Zero’s right hand brushed against the side of Kagura’s injured left hand.

The throbbing pain from the wound now carried a strange, sweet warmth.

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*Translator’s Note: Lol! ‘Runaway Uncle’! I’m gonna make that the title of this chapter hahaha. This crosses my mind. If Zero were to enter the ring in the underground fighting arena, I think he can go head to head with Renjou. Their strengths are kinda equal, don’t you think? -K

Next update: 5 Minutes Later

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