WeTried Translations

Translator: Hydrogen B

Editor: Hydrogen B

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

Chapter 181: Purge Day

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Similar events unfolded throughout the military state.

The long-standing hatred of beastkin, inherited from the kingdom era, continued even after it became the military state. People simply no longer had the leisure to act on that hatred. The military state exploited beastkin and humans alike.

Even the few who had time to spare could not carelessly lay hands on beastkin because of the Family. They could not stand against organized retaliation. At least there had been knights in the old days. If they tried attacking now, they would all end up in labor camps together.

JJJ was a discriminatory group whose urges had been building up for a long time.

JJJ had heard that the Family's field commander had been killed by Shadow. When explosions rang out from that district, they immediately sprang into action.

It was time to hunt.

Some orphans held grudges against the shelter.

The shelter was run by retired soldiers who cared for children. Its children grew accustomed to military drills from an early age and stood out even in primary civic school.

Anything that rose high cast a shadow. Children from ordinary orphanages grew up feeling inferior to those from the shelter. They had only graduated from civic school and spent their days doing forced labor. Gathering from time to time to vent their dissatisfaction was their one small comfort, and Shadow's temptation was unbearably sweet to them.

Still young, and all the more dangerous for it, the children formed groups and walked through the military state's night.

Saying they had mistaken the operation date was not enough. The situation had grown so uncontrollably large that they would have been fools not to ride the wave. On top of that, the fireworks that began in District 13 were so loud that the information claiming the operation was tomorrow felt like a lie.

Chaos bred chaos all by itself. Alarmed citizens reported it to the police, but this was not something the police, puppets under military rule, could resolve.

Whether it was a snowball or a blaze, if it was not suppressed at the start, it would only grow larger. That was exactly the military state's current condition.

Premature riots broke out throughout the military state.

Still, just because Shadow had gathered a great deal of rabble did not mean its core had become rabble itself. Messengers watching the situation from the darkness hurried into motion, and the news quickly reached Shadow.

Upon receiving the report that something unplanned had happened, Ulfen summoned the Shadows.

They gathered in darkness so deep that one could barely make out the face of the person beside them. It was impossible to tell exactly who was there or how many stood together. In that pitch-black space, where only the sound of tightly restrained breathing could be heard,

Ulfen's voice came through the shadows.

"...The plan has gone awry."

Their voice seemed to come from right beside them, then echo from far away. The Shadows trembled at the strange sensation of being unable to judge the distance.

One thing was certain. Ulfen's voice reached everyone there.

"But it does not matter. The one who interfered with us does not know the true plan."

Swish.

Ulfen settled like smoke onto the platform beneath the faint moonlight. They made no sound at all, and it took quite some time for every Shadow to notice their arrival.

Six Half Shadows appeared beside Ulfen in turn. Wrapped in black clothes and giving off an aura as sharp as a blade, they overwhelmed the gathering simply by being there.

The leader of Shadow and their executives. Every one of them was an assassin capable of killing even a general.

They believed Ulfen themself might even be able to assassinate one of the military state's Six Generals.

Ulfen's stealth arts and qi techniques were that exceptional.

Ulfen spoke.

"Our purpose remains the same. To spread chaos, sound a warning to the military state, and use their hands to clean up the trash."

That was right. There was no reason to be anxious just because the date had shifted by one day.

The ones fighting outside were no more than common rabble anyway. The powder meant to explode had simply gone off a day early. It was hardly a major problem.

"I do not know who it is, but they seem to have plotted to throw our movements out of step... Fine. If someone insists on pulling our hand forward, we will keep pace with them."

In the blink of an eye, Ulfen vanished. They had been certain they were watching them, but when they came to their senses, nobody stood where they should have been.

Stealth arts were useless once discovered, and movement arts were no more than a way to leap far away. Yet Ulfen, who had mastered both to their limits, moved like an illusion.

One who was everywhere and nowhere. Ulfen Penstein, leader of Shadow.

Their voice came again from where they had melted back into the darkness.

"I hereby declare that the operation begins early. Shadows, incite disorder. Half Shadows, spread poison. Starting today, we reclaim the darkness."

In the pitch-black darkness, countless Shadows bowed their heads in unison.

* * *

Guilt and shame come from one's face. Put differently, covering one's face gave people the courage to stop fearing sin.

The beastkin-hating members of JJJ, their faces covered by black masks, marched boldly through the dark streets.

Usually, they went about with their shoulders slumped. Today was different. With like-minded people gathered together, they had nothing to fear.

Their target was the Black Cat Magazine.

It was full of filthy paparazzi who gave beastkin jobs and peace, stray-cat bastards who dug into other people's business for money and shamelessly called it a profession.

Normally, they would never have dared to do this because of the Family's retaliation and the military state's surveillance. Today was different.

Shadow had already stirred things up.

A masked person wearing a pointed cap shouted.

"Run wild to your heart's content. Nobody will pay attention to us tonight. Even the public order the military state prides itself on is powerless today."

A day when Shadow ran rampant, when confusion swept across every part of society.

This was the moment their long-repressed lives would be set free. Behind their masks, dangerous instincts crushed beneath military boots bared their teeth at beastkin.

"Let loose the hatred we've held back. We'll teach those beasts, who do not even recognize their masters and dare covet humanity's place, a lesson. Uum!"

"Uum!"

The members marched down the street, chanting the slogan they had made for themselves.

Watching them from afar, the Fifth Half Shadow surveyed the surroundings with cold eyes.

'...Hmm. Nothing looks suspicious. Were they really just fooled by false information?'

Aside from moving a day before the operation date, JJJ was acting exactly as Shadow had expected. The Fifth let go of their doubts.

Whenever they encountered beastkin on the street, they immediately attacked. A few managed to escape, but not all of them had instincts as sharp as theirs. Young, slow-witted, or elderly beastkin were captured, beaten severely, tied up with ropes, and dragged along as prisoners.

Beastkin were dragged through the streets with the fur on their ears and tails singed by fire. The Fifth watched the sight and nodded with great satisfaction.

'Hmph. Even with the military state in power, the truth does not change. Beasts belong in collars.'

The Fifth hated beastkin to their bones. Their hatred ran so deep that when the Full Shadow had selected a beastkin as the Seventh Half Shadow, they had seriously considered leaving the organization.

Nobody could know how happy they had been when the Seventh died at Ulfen's hands.

'You people have survived by betraying others and wagging your tails at them... You belong beneath humanity's feet.'

Part of the reason they had volunteered to take charge of this district was the sticky hatred clinging to the bottom of their heart.

They did not get many chances to kill beastkin with their own hands.

'Come on, howl like beasts.'

Beastkin might have their feral nature, but it was not some authority that made the impossible possible.

It was nothing more than a death struggle unleashed at the brink of death.

'There is nothing more enjoyable than driving a blade into the neck of a struggling beast...'

Their first kill had been intoxicating. The moment they had buried a knife in the back of a rampaging beastkin's neck, the Fifth became certain that being an assassin was their calling.

They still had not forgotten the feeling in their hand. Just as the Fifth anticipated the pleasure that would soon come,

"Get them!"

It seemed they had found another victim. The members charged forward.

The figure in the distance leaped away to avoid them, but after the members' persistent pursuit, she was eventually driven into a dead end.

"Do not run!"

"Nya? Run? When did nya say I was running away?"

The beastkin turned with a deep frown.

She was a strikingly beautiful beastkin girl. Her neatly kept white and black hair fell to her waist, and her long tail swayed softly. She was small, but her cat ears and tail stood out sharply.

The beastkin girl, who appeared to have inherited beast blood in abundance, frowned in displeasure.

"Nya does not run away, human. I only avoided you because you were annoying, nya."

"Ha ha. All pride and nothing else... Shall I make you like these ones too?"

The masked member grinned, their mouth exposed beneath the mask. When they stepped aside, the beastkin prisoners tied with ropes came into view. Covered in blood and burned fur, a beastkin sobbed as they looked at their companion.

The girl frowned and replied.

"I thought only dogs wore collars, but humans put collars on each other too, nya. Humans and dogs really are all the same..."

How would a discriminator feel about being compared to a dog by a cat? It could not have been pleasant.

The masked group abruptly stopped laughing and gave off a vicious aura.

"You dare compare us to dogs? Do not worry. You will end up the same way."

When the masked person yanked the rope hard, the bloodied beastkin fell to the ground. Their skin scraped against the concrete, and drops of blood fell.

In the end, the humans made the foolish mistake of presenting the girl with the scent of blood and ash.

The girl raised every hair on her body and let out a low growl.

"Nyaaa... The smell of blood..."

"Ha ha. Do you understand now? Now it is your turn to end up like this."

"Nyaa-. Nyaa--."

A pitiful yet chilling cat's cry filled the alley, then the district. It was an ominous sound that made one's body hair stand on end.

The members hesitated for a moment, then grew angry that they had been frightened. One holding a torch shouted.

"Get her!"

At their words, the members gripped their ropes tightly and approached the girl...

The Fifth watched the sight and muttered inwardly.

'...This is ominous.'

What was it? She looked like nothing more than an ordinary girl.

Before their hatred of beastkin, an instinct for survival boiling up from their very core sounded an alarm. Even knowing they would not hear them, the Fifth reached out to stop them.

"Kyaaaah!"

Too late. The ones who extended their hands while holding ropes had their arms split into three pieces.

Vertically.

Blood cast from its owners' bodies traced its path across the concrete wall. The sharp claws that had emerged from the girl's hands gleamed coldly.

Sharp claws and one ruined arm.

Even a fool could infer the connection. A masked person let out a scream of agony.

"Aaaaargh!"

"M-murder! Call the police!"

"W-what is this? What happened?"

It was utter chaos. A few foolish members who had not grasped the situation rushed in, only to be thrown aside with crippling wounds.

Those who had held the advantage by moving in a pack met a true predator, and the situation reversed.

After blood sprayed a few times, the members recognized the difference in their strength and staggered backward in terror. The masked person holding the beastkin prisoners threw away the rope in their hand and fled.

Another masked person saw this and shouted as if coughing up blood.

"You idiot! Take them hostage!"

"Right!"

That aside.

Nabi was full of stress, and frightened beasts swarmed before her eyes. Her vertical pupils narrowed further.

Nabi raised her tail stiffly, ready to slaughter the humans before her. Then she suddenly remembered something, suppressed her killing intent, and rummaged through her pocket.

"Nya-. Instead of humans, an offering..."

A magic herb she had been given to use when she wanted to kill humans, instead of suppressing her murderous urge.

This was a chance to smoke magic herb legally. Clever Nabi did not miss the opportunity. She took out a magic herb and put it in her mouth.

Her face immediately relaxed.

A happy, refreshing scent covered the stench of blood and smoke, filling Nabi's nose. The humans before her, the smell of blood and smoke, none of it bothered Nabi anymore.

Nabi was happy in that moment.

"Nyaha...!"

Feeling good, Nabi brought her claws together in front of the tip of the magic herb. Sparks flew, lighting its end.

That blasphemous scent, gained by burning the World Tree, quickly made the King of Cats happy.

Humans, as always, were the problem.

As Nabi enjoyed her happiness with her eyes closed, human groans reached her ears. Disturbed during her pleasant time, Nabi frowned deeply.

"You are interrupting, nya!"

Then she leaped away, heading to the rooftop of a building where nobody would disturb her.

It was beyond absurd. She had torn people apart, suddenly taken out a magic herb and smoked it, then run away.

She was fickle, and her intentions were impossible to understand. There was no telling why she had even appeared.

The Fifth had no time to think about any of that.

They had come face to face with Nabi, who had just reached the rooftop.

"Nyaa? There is a human here too, nya."

"Kh...!"

Faced with a being more beastlike than any beastkin, the Fifth felt fear rather than disgust. Their hatred could not overcome their instinct for survival.

Treating Nabi as though she were a fierce beast, the Fifth met her eyes and slowly, very slowly, began stepping backward...

"If you are leaving, hurry up, nya!"

Nabi's patience was shorter than the magic herb burning away by the moment. Nabi dashed forward and swatted the Fifth aside with her forepaw.

Before they could block or dodge, thump, the Fifth's body flew toward the edge of the building.

When they barely managed to cling to their fading consciousness, their body was already far out in the open air beyond the rooftop.

"Kuhk!"

And so, the Fifth answered Mother Earth's call and fell to the ground.

Footnotes:

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