Tougen Anki, chapter 244 translation
244 The eerie man
Tougo: I'll be sure to deliver the finishing blow to this oni.
Kuroba: Hold on a moment, would you.
Tougo: ...Who are you?
Kuroba: I'm Momoin Kuroba, captain of the Koutou city unit affiliated with the Momotarou Agency. I'd like to collect Ichinose. We have a winning bidder for him, you see.
Tougo: Winning bidder?
Kuroba: Yes, they won Ichinose and Hidaka Rei sitting over there at the auction. Which is why I cannot have you kill either of them.
Tougo: Auction? Making money off oni isn't something becoming of a Momotarou. A Momotarou's duty is to kill any oni he comes across without hesitation.
Kuroba: I see. You're an honest kid. I also hear you're quite capable. But you know, no matter how capable someone is, if they're too honest, depending on circumstances they become nothing but hindrance. Oni bring money. There is no reason not to put them to use, is there? If you don't learn to live smartly, society will eat you up alive, you know?
Tougo: ...I'm thankful for the advice. But rather than live smartly... I choose to stick to my beliefs as a Momotarou.
Kuroba: Then consider this an order from your superior. If you're a Momotarou brimming with a sense of justice, you cannot very well disobey a direct order from someone outranking you, can you? Either way, you can rest easy: these two will still be dead in the end. After they will have been used and abused in experiments, that is. From this angle, they will die a death more torturous than if you kill them now. If you're under the impression that it is possible for you alone to stick to living honestly, you should give up the notion. Society isn't accommodating enough to allow you that.
Tougo: I eradicate oni in order to prevent there appearing any more people hurt by them... And I believe that's how a Momotarou should be... It's the ideal Momotarou that I... no... that we admired. (An auction where they sell oni... If I go there, I'll find lots of oni there, no doubt...) The others got lost again, huh? What a troublesome bunch. I should contact them... Oh well...
Box: Haru: out of commission due to psychological assault.
Tougo: They're fine, I'm sure.
Box: Natsuki: out of commission due to overheating.
Box: Shuukyou: simply out of commission.
Tougo: Guess I'll head to where that auction is held...
Box: Tougo, being an extreme case of directionally challenged... naturally heads off in the direction opposite of where the auction venue is located.
Homare: Hmmm... I know said "let's go" but... I have no idea where Ichinose-san might be... or how far the blood trail goes on... I'm such a garbage person, losing heart on the very first step... Hm? Let's search the truck, you say? I see! We might find some clue this way! I'm not losing heart on the very first step, I was just kidding, kidding~~ Let's say this is the first step~~ Eek...! I'm sorry a dirty thing like me got so full of myself... Mn? I found an envelop with some papers inside. This...! Auction lots...? Ichinose Shiki-san is among them?! What does that mean?! Winning bidder... Soukoku Pharmaceuticals...?!
Paper: Auction Lot Winning Bidder List
Lot - Species - Winning Bidder
Ryuumezaki Arata - Oni - something
Ichinose Shiki - Oni - Soukoku Pharmaceuticals
Hidaka Rei - Oni - Soukoku Pharmaceuticals
Tadokoro Hiroshi - Oni - something
Homare: Could it be that Ichinose-san... got taken to that Soukoku Pharmaceuticals place...?! I did it, I did it! Oneechan, thank you! We got ourselves a clue!
slips up
Homare: I'm so sorry someone like me got all triumphant... it made even the ground beneath my feet angry... Let's proceed without getting carried away... All right... Let's try our hardest!
Researcher1: Let's take a break. We reconvene half an hour later, be sure to eat something before that.
Shiki: ...Hey...
Researcher2: Hn?
Shiki: Why can you people... do something... like this... Did oni... kill your entire family...?
Researcher2: Why are you talking about? We do it because it's our job.
Shiki: Huh...? You can do... these things... just for work...? And you don't think... anything of it...?
Researcher2: No, we don't. Why would one think anything of a heinous criminal dying?
Researcher3: Hey, we gotta hurry and eat or we'll be out of time.
Researcher2: Right.
Shiki: (For real...? After doing all this... they don't think anything of it...? Even though I did absolutely nothing to them... they're still easily capable of doing something this inhuman to me...?) You guys... are way scarier than we are...
Researcher4: All right, let's get started.
Shiki: (They're starting on Rei now...?) Rei! Stay strong man! Don't lose! Help's on the way, I promise! So endure! (He's not screaming or reacting at me...? Is he out cold...?)
Secretary: What is even he...? He is so eerie... His arms just got cut off without any anesthesia... yet his expression didn't change in the slightest...
Researcher4: Hey... What's his heart rate...?
Researcher5: It's... just normal... It's so creepy...
Researcher4: Next, his leg. Let's start...
Rei: (This pain... this discomfort... You went through these too, didn't you... Ema... Did you feel like this too...?)