The Disappearance of Osomatsu-san

Chapter 96: Nonsense Words

When the group of seven managed to get out of the manor, they just realized the amount of panicking people outside, as well as the guards from earlier, both from the manor and from the abandoned church. Ken-san was yelling orders to the guards to keep the guests safe and to check for anyone injured, but the moment Dekapan and the rest managed to get out, he called out to the captain, which caused every single guard of Flag Corporation to approach them all at once, in a neat line, and while saluting.

"Sir Dekapan, sir!" Ken-san called out, with the others echoing his words. "We are awaiting your orders, sir!"

Dekapan gestured for Ken-san to come closer. Hatabou's body was still on both of his arms, but he had enough decency to wrap a blanket around it. He didn't want all these people to see a corpse after all. "Did you all call the fire department? Checked to make sure that no one else is in there?" Ken-san nodded, and Dekapan gave him Hatabou's body. "Good. Matsuno-kun is still in there, unfortunately. As well as the criminal. Ken-san, I need you to take this now. It's Hatabou's body, make sure that they clean this properly later. Oh, and have the other guards take care of the others too." He jabbed a thumb at Kaoru. "Masayoshi-kun is injured, as well as Yowai-kun and Kodoku-kun."

Not necessarily injured, but they did suffer from brainwashing that probably made them use all of their energy to the point they passed out. Hell, Totoko was still unconscious, while Yuki, Chibita, and Iyami were up and well. Maybe even Hana too, if she was alive, that is. Still, it was worrisome that those two still haven't awakened yet. Who knows how long Totoko had been unconscious upon falling on Tougou's control.

I wonder how it feels though.. to have your body used against the ones you love.. to hurt them.. and to watch helplessly as your body hurts them.. I wonder how Jyushi felt when he killed Hatabou under Tougou's influence..

He didn't want to think about it much. He knew how much Jyushi hated himself, his own existence, and blaming him for a murder he didn't willingly do was just.. unacceptable. Jyushi was just a kid when he started hearing such harsh words from his own father..

Words that would permanently stay within Jyushi's head for years to come.

Words that Jyushi would cry out whenever he was asleep and suffering from night terrors.

Words that Jyushi would write on his sketchpad in black crayon, especially when feeling upset.

Words that Jyushi would tell himself whenever he did a mistake, despite everyone's reassurances that it was fine.

Words that Jyushi practically lived by and believed without hesitation, often believing that his existence was nothing more than a mistake.

Dekapan remembered those words; every time Jyushi would break down at the mention of his father, he would yell the same words over and over, until Jyushi's voice was hoarse and his eyes were puffy.

"I truly am an evil child!"

Dekapan desperately wished he hadn't been busy at the lab at the time. Maybe he could have prevented Jyushi's fate, maybe even Jyushi's father's.

Maybe Ichi wouldn't have to end up like this.

Maybe Ichi wouldn't have ended up being a murderer at the age of thirteen.

I'm his guardian. I'm supposed to help him. Yet, here I am..

"Sir!"

Ah. He forgot Ken-san was talking to him.

"What is it?" He asked, irritated that Ken-san snapped him out of his thoughts.

"S-Sir! Are we going to send in more people there to get him?!" Ken-san sputtered out, trying his best not to freak out when the body was given to him. He instantly knew this was Hatabou, as there were only three people who were small enough to look like a child. And this definitely wasn't Chibita or Hana. He adjusted his hold by a bit, still irked by the fact he was holding a corpse wrapped in a blanket. "Also.. we found yet another girl in the mansion. Pink hair, sir. She's at the church with the other guards, and she's unconscious. Miss Hana is there too."