pertwk Chapter 101 Head Balloon
Chapter 101 Head Balloon
Chapter 95 Head Balloon (3k)
"Huff—huff—huff—"
My lungs felt like they were being filled with a spoonful of scalding hot sand, and every breath was accompanied by a rusty, sweet smell.
Kurichi Mirai had no idea how long she had been running. Ten minutes? Half an hour? Or a century?
Her legs had lost all feeling and she was moving mechanically, relying entirely on her biological instinct for survival.
Sweat streamed down her bangs and into her eyes, causing a stinging sensation, but she didn't even have the strength or courage to lift her hand to wipe it away.
This is Shinjuku.
Shinjuku, Tokyo's most bustling and vibrant city, is known as the "city that never sleeps."
Logically, even at 3 a.m., this place should be packed with drunk office workers, male escorts soliciting customers, and tourists taking photos under the giant Godzilla statue.
But now, it's as silent as a giant concrete tomb that's just been unearthed.
The wide asphalt road was deserted.
There were no vehicles, no pedestrians, not even a stray cat in sight. Only the vending machines by the roadside continued their monotonous humming.
"Mirai-chan—Mirai-chan—"
A voice abruptly broke the deathly silence.
The sound didn't come from behind, nor from the surrounding alleyways, but from above.
It was an extremely sweet voice with a strangely moist quality, like someone with a lump of phlegm stuck in their throat trying to sound cute.
What terrified Kurichi Mirai the most was that she knew that voice all too well.
That was the voice she had heard for seventeen years.
That was her own voice.
"Mirai-chan~ Why are you running away? Look at me—it's me—"
"As long as you look up—as long as you glance at me—we can be together forever—"
Kurichi Mirai's body trembled violently, and the chill ran up her spine and straight to the top of her head, almost causing her to stumble and fall to the ground.
Don't look up! Don't respond! Don't stop!
These three ironclad rules were like a red-hot wire, firmly imprinted in her mind.
She stared intently at the ground beneath her feet, not daring to let her gaze stray even a centimeter.
Even so, she could still feel the unease of being watched like a thorn in her side.
It was as if a cold finger was hovering above the back of her neck, just a hair's breadth away from touching her skin, and then slipping onto the noose that would snap her neck.
"Hehehe—this child is really shy in the future."
Another voice joined the chorus.
It was a deep, hoarse voice, the kind of voice that comes with smoking and drinking that is typical of middle-aged men.
"Dad's here, how come you didn't even say hello? That's so rude—so rude—"
"dad----"
Kurichi Mirai's eyes instantly reddened, and tears welled up in them.
That was my father's voice.
The father who always came home drunk, but who would buy her a cake on her birthday.
He was clearly already—already—by that thing yesterday—
"Don't listen—don't think—it's fake—it's just rotten flesh filled with hydrogen—"
In the future, she silently chanted these words frantically in her mind, trying to resist the temptation from her family in this almost self-destructive way.
In this bizarre world, family ties are the biggest trap, and familiarity is the bait of death.
Those things floating in the air have the exact same face as your loved one, the exact same voice, and even the smallest habits in their tone of voice are perfectly imitated.
But they are not people.
They are hunters.
Mirai Kurichi ran past the window of a high-end department store.
Although she tried her best to avoid looking, it's impossible to shut down one's peripheral vision.
The view above the street was reflected in the huge, spotless floor-to-ceiling windows.
In that instant, Future felt her heart skip a beat.
In the reflection of the glass, against the backdrop of the gray sky.
Several enormous "heads," each the size of a yoga ball, floated lightly behind her head, like a group of mischievous children flying a kite.
No, they are both kites and kite flyers.
The one flying at the very front had a delicate face, the face of a seventeen-year-old girl. That was none other than Kurichi Mirai's own face!
However, the skin of this "face" was as pale as paper, and although the eyes were wide open, the pupils looked as stiff as if they were painted on.
Beneath that cherry-like mouth, instead of being connected to the neck, was a long, incredibly strong steel cable, the end of which was tied in a despairing hanging knot.
The noose swayed right above the future, making a "whooshing" sound as the balloon drifted, as if searching for the best landing spot.
Next to the "Future Balloon," several other balloons were crowded together.
There's the "Father Balloon" with a full beard, the "Class Monitor Balloon" with glasses, and even the "Sato-kun Balloon" who once confessed to her.
They huddled together, not with the unity of monsters in horror movies, but more like wild dogs fighting over food.
"Get out of my way! The future is mine! That neck is mine!"
Suddenly, the "Sato-kun Balloon" slammed into the "Future Balloon" with a ferocious expression, making a squeaking sound that was so loud it made your teeth ache.
"I am her lover! I want to be with her forever!"
"Hehe—a family should always be together—"
"Father Balloon" grinned, revealing a set of teeth stained yellow by smoke, his smile stiff as if stapled on: "A daughter is a father's little cotton-padded jacket—a father wants to give her the best—the best rope—"
"You bunch of bastards! That's my body! Only I can hang myself!"
The "future balloon" let out a sharp roar.
That once handsome face was now twisted like a demon, and the huge eyeballs on the balloon were so engorged with anger that they seemed about to burst out of their sockets.
"Mirai-chan! Look at me! Look at me! Just one look—just one look, and I can slip this awful rope over my head! It feels so good! It doesn't hurt at all! It's like swinging on a swing!"
Listening to the argument erupting above her, where a group of "familiar people" were fighting over "who could strangle her," Kurichi Mirai felt a strong sense of nausea.
This is ridiculous.
This is disgusting.
If there are gods, this must be the worst joke they ever played when they were drunk.
"I must—I must find a place to hide—"
My physical strength is almost completely exhausted, and the burning sensation in my lungs has turned into excruciating pain.
She knew it was a cat-and-mouse game.
These balloons seemed to have built-in GPS; no matter how far she ran or how narrow the alleyways she entered, they always floated in the air, following her at a leisurely pace.
They were waiting, waiting for her to run out of energy, waiting for her to have a mental breakdown, waiting for the moment she subconsciously turned around.
"That building over there—maybe we can get in—"
In the future, a brightly lit office building can be seen ahead, with huge revolving glass doors that look like entrances to the road to survival.
She used her last bit of strength to rush over and slammed her hands heavily against the glass door.
"Bang!"
Not moving.
It's locked.
"Open the door! Is anyone there?! Help!"
In the future, she desperately pounded on the glass, her fingernails scratching against it with a harsh sound.
Through the glass, she could see that the lights in the lobby were still on, the computer at the front desk was still on, and the coffee in the security room was still steaming.
But there was no one.
The entire building was empty, as if everyone had evaporated in an instant.
Not just this one.
Along the way, all the convenience stores, all the internet cafes, and all the subway station entrances were locked up.
Some were even locked from the inside with thick iron chains, as if the people inside were not guarding against thieves, but against some kind of plague that had fallen from the sky.
"Why—why is there no one here—?"
In the future, he slid helplessly to the ground, staring despairingly at the empty street.
This is clearly a busy downtown area. Even if everyone is trying to avoid the balloons, it's impossible for everyone to disappear, right? Where is the government? Where are the Self-Defense Forces?
Just when her eyes were unfocused and she was about to give up.
Out of the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of the end of the street, where the GG sign should have been.
There is no GG there.
In that corner where shadows intertwined, stood a black metal pillar with an extremely strange shape.
It doesn't look like something from Earth; its surface is covered with complex blue light paths, and a crystal-like object at the top is flashing at a strange frequency.
The light wasn't dazzling, but the moment it appeared, Wei Lai felt as if the space around him had undergone a slight, almost imperceptible distortion.
【SRA - Reality Stabilization Anchor】
[Status: In Operation / Actual Isolation Facility: 100% Coverage]
Of course, as an ordinary high school girl, she wouldn't recognize this high-tech containment device in the future.
"Hehehe—Mirai-chan, can't run anymore?"
The sound of "future balloon" grew closer, and the steel cable noose was almost hanging over her head, the cold metallic touch gently brushing against her hair.
"Then don't run away—come on—stick your head in—Daddy will take you flying—"
"Get out of here! Get out of here!!!"
'
In a final burst of survival instinct, Kurichi Mirai sprang up from the ground and slammed her schoolbag hard against her head.
"Snapped!"
The schoolbag hit the "father balloon" that was about to be put on its back.
The balloon was knocked askew, making that light, airy sound that only inflatable toys make.
The disgusting smiley face was smashed flat, but just a second later, it bounced back as if it were supported by shape memory metal.
With a sickening "squeak," the face returned to its original state.
Even the curve of that smile didn't change.
It was as if mocking her futile efforts.