Mukami Monologue part 2

Yui: What was that just now…?

???: Fufu…You will eventually reach the answer. …No need to rush.

Yui: H-Hold on…Please wait! Who are you…!?

ー Yui wakes up in her room

Yui: …!?

???: …!

Yui: Who are you…?

???: What did you do…?

Yui: …Are you Richter-san…?

( If I recall correctly, he’s everyone’s uncle… )

Richter: Answer me truthfully! What did you do to my dearest?

Yui: Eh…!?

Richter: Answer me right now. If not, I will rip out your heart from your body!

Yui: What are you…talking about…?

Richter: Ever since last night, her…Cordelia’s presence disappeared.

Yui: …!?

Richter: Didn’t you pull some cheap trick!? Answer me!

ー He grabs hold of her throat

Yui: …Stop…It hurts…!

ー Richter tightens his grip

Richter: …!?

Don’t tell me…No way…

Yui: …Cough…Cough cough…

ー Ayato bursts into the room

Ayato: Oi, Chichinashi. What was that just no…Huh!? Aaah!? Richter…The fuck are you doing?

Yui: A-Ayato-kun!

Richter: Ayato…Have you…realized?

Ayato: Haah? What are you talking ‘bout, for real? Are you half asleep?

Richter: No way…Brother…Kuh…I see…Not only did he know about all of this…

ー He walks away

Ayato: Oi, Richter! Where are you going!?

Richter: …

Ayato: What’s his problem…? Oi, Chichinashi…

Yui: …

Ayato: Chi-chi-na-shi!! Are you listening, hey!?

Yui: Ah…Yeah, I’m listening…Thank you, Ayato-kun.

Ayato: Aahー …Fuck. …I was finally dozing off but this totally threw me off…Pwaaah…Sleepy…

Oi, make sure to lock up properly before going to bed. If you wake me up again, give me your blood.

Yui: Yeah, goodnight.

ー Ayato leaves the room

Yui: ( What was that about just now…? )

( And once again, I saw that strange dream… )

My neck…There are bite marks after all…Are these from that dream earlier?

( Richter-san seemed very surprised to see these…Furthermore, he seemed to be grieving very strongly about something… )

ー The scene shifts to Yui’s bedroom

Yui: Ever since yesterday, it’s been one strange happening after the other…What is going on…?

Selection

→ Get some rest (S Prologue)

→ Get up (M Prologue)

Yui: Guess I’ll sleep one more time…Haah…

*Rustle*

Yui: ( But…However, I’m still shaken up from what happened earlier, I feel wide awake. )

( What should I do…? )

*TIMESKIP*

Yui: ( Haah, it’s no use…I really feel wide awake…Guess I’ll just stay awake today. )

ー She gets up from the bed

Yui: Pwaah…

( I’m not tired even though I’m yawning but for some reason, I feel really out of it… )

I’ve gotta get a grip now that I’ve decided to stay awake.

ー The scene shifts to the garden

Yui: It’s been so long since I stepped outside at this time of day…Hmm, it feels nice.

( The sun’s shining brightly and the greenery looks so refreshing…The breeze feels nice too… )

( Perhaps I should visit the garden during the day more often by myself from here on o… )

…!?

Yui: ( Dizzy spells…Am I lacking sleep after all…? )

ー It suddenly goes white before her eyes

Yui: …!?

ー A flashback shows Yui a scene of the young Mukami brothers plotting to escape the orphanage

Yui: ( Eh…? Where is this place…? )

???: Let’s run away.

???: …Don’t make it sound so easy! How can we escape when the adults are always keeping an eye on us?

???: Sneaking past the guards is an easy feat. All we need is money.

???: …Are you…sure?

???: Good or bad…That doesn’t matter. For one, there really is no reason for us to stay locked up in here.

???: That’s true but…

???: The two of us will cause an uproar. We’ll set fire to the surveillance room.

???: Then use that as an opportunity?

???: ーー We’ll escape this Hell. No matter what it takes.

???: …

???: When are we putting this plan into action? 

???: Tomorrow evening. We won’t take any luggage with us. Leave everything behind. Understood?

???: Yeah!

???: Roger.

???: If you guys…say so…

ー The flashback ends

Yui: ( …!? What was that…just now? )

???: ーー This place is Hell.

Yui: …!?

( What was that just now…? A daydream of some sorts…? )

( A group of children I don’t know were trying to escape from someplace…? )

…

*Rustle*

Kou: Found you~ ♪

Yui: …!? Y-You are…

Kou: It was nice meeting you yesterday.

Yui: Mukami-san…

Kou: The name’s Kou. What’s wrong? Why are you spacing out?

Yui: Uhm…This is reality, right?

Azusa: …It is.

Yui: …!

Yuma: Oi! Don’t just stand there spacin’ out! Ya hit yer head or somethin’? Aahn?

Yui: …Why are you guys here?

Ruki: …Isn’t that obvious?

Yui: ( …!? )

Ruki: ーー We’ve come to get you.

Yui: When did you get behind me…!? 

Ruki: Hmph…Oi, you guysーー

ー The other three brothers grab hold of Yui

*Rustle*

Yui: …!? Don’t touch me…!

Kou: Sorry? They’re Ruki-kun’s orders after all…Fufu.

Yuma: Pipe down!

Yui: Let me go!!

Azusa: …Don’t struggle…

*Rustle*

Ruki: Why do you fight back?

Yui: I-Isn’t that a given? I’m being restrained by a bunch of strangers against my will…!?

Ruki: That is definitely true…However, do you not wish to escape this place?

Yui: Eh? This place…?

Ruki: This manor. You should have been through hell and back over here.

Those Vampire brothers are using you for their own comfort, as you’re being forced to share the blood running through your body with them…Am I wrong?

Yui: Well…

Ruki: Like livestock.

Yui: …

Ruki: They will use you as they please…Then once they’ve grow bored of you, toss you aside.

I wonder if you’ve already fully committed to being a livestock, considering you have not attempted to run from this place despite those circumstances.

Yui: ( I can’t prove him wrong… )

Kou: Say, even if you were to awaken as a Vampire, you’d pretty much just be degraded to being a monster.

Yui: Awaken as…A vampire…

Azusa: …You know, don’t you? That it’s possible to become Vampire…If you continue to have your blood sucked by one…

Yui: …

( I’ve heard of said possibility before but I… )

ー A flashback ensues

Subaru: Hmph. Don’t apologize to me, it’s annoying. Actually…Why did you choose to remain here despite the circumstances?

Have you never considered living by yourself if you don’t have any other place to go to? You do have a head sitting on top of your shoulders, don’t you?

ー The flashback ends

Yui: ( Actually, why have I never attempted to escape? I don’t quite understand myself… )

( It’s not as if I’ve never had any chances to. )

( However, if they were to catch me…I’m sure I’d get killed… )

( Of course, that scares me as well, but…even more than that… )

Yuma: You’ve got the hots for them, huh?

Yui: The hots…?

Ruki: Hmph. …In that case, I can only call you foolish. Harboring feelings for a Vampire…Your Master will never see you as anything but a prey.

Open your eyes.

Yui: …!

Kou: Or are you perhaps a true masochist in heart and soul? Fufufu…You really are an ‘M-neko-chan’~

Azusa: That might be…possible. She…looks like one of us to me…Isn’t that right? Fufufu.

Yui: …E-Even if I were to run…I wouldn’t go with you guys.

I’ve heard that you all are Vampires too after all…

Ruki: Yeah. We are Vampires. However, I do not want you to group us together with them. We have certain standards we keep to.

Yui: N-No way I would believe that…!

( Exactly. If I were to run, I’d…Go somewhere without any Vampires, by myself. )

Kou: You might claim not to believe us but when it comes down to it, do you truly believe you can succesfully escape on your own?

While you may not know it yourself, but your scent is pretty unique.

To put it into words, you’re basically screaming ‘I’m here’…!

Yuma: Even if ya were to run, they’d catch ya in a second and you’d go back to your merry piglet life. Heh…Pathetic.

Azusa: Or perhaps…They’ll brainwash you…Making you unable to think straight…?

Ruki: Don’t you think her current state is a perfect example of that already?

Yui: Brainwashing…? That’s not true, I…

Azusa: …Justin…Seems like there really is something wrong with this girl…

Yui: ( Justin…? )

Ruki: Either way, we will not treat you badly. Come with us.

Yui: I…

( …I obviously can’t trust these guys, but more importantly… )

( Why didn’t I try harder to escape…? )

( I’ve barely had any good moments, and I should have suffered much more. )

( Even though I know that if I remain here, I’ll either die or awaken as a Vampire… )

( Am I being brainwashed after all? It’s strange… )

Kou: What now? She went silent. Ruki-kun, you’re gonna take the word?

Ruki: Don’t speak to her. I assume we should give her some time.

Yuma: Keh…Is there really anythin’ to hesitate ‘bout? I can’t believe her!

Azusa: …From her point of view…We are…unknown Vampires after all…So it can’t be helped, right?

Kou: Ahー I’m starting to get irritated. Hey, M-neko-chan, cut the crap already, will you?

If you think we’ll always be nice…You’re gravely mistaken!

Yuma: Oi, oi, Kou! That’s gonna have the opposite effect! Altho, I get why you’re upset.

Yui: …Either way, I won’t go with you guys…! Even if escaping is impossible…

If I’m gonna run anyway, it’d be pointless unless I do it by myself…! So let me go!

Ruki: …Oi, Yuma.

Yuma: Che…Guess it can’t be helped. I don’t usually raise my fist at chicks but…Yoh!

ー Yuma knocks Yui out cold

*Thud*

Yui: …!?

Kou: Woah…! Catch!

Ruki: We’re taking her back home. Carry her.

Kou: Fine, fine. Geez, you’ve always been such a slave driver, Ruki-kun.

Yuma: Anyway, those Sakamaki’s sure are careless, huh?

Azusa: …We’ve made it all the way to their garden after all.

Ruki: Hmph. Try putting yourself in their position. You live in a world without any natural enemies. Do you believe a wild animal kept in a cage at the zoo would still be cautious of its surroundings?

Yuma: Ahー …Well, I guess so. If anythin’, they’d just carelessly snooze away exposin’ their belly right in front of the enemy…Lame!

Ruki: ーー It is typical of humanoid creatures to only realize how precious something or someone is to them, after they’ve already lost it.

Monologue

ーー I wonder what I mean

to everyone…?

Just a prey? A convenient woman? 

I’m no family, nor a friend.

Then what exactly am I?

Does the fact that I can’t state it myself,

prove that I have been brainwashed after all?

I no longer understand myself. 

I don’t even know how I want them to think of me.

Or what I want to be to them. 

Or which answer they are longing for.

It should be something trivial, yet for some reason

as if the answer remains shrouded by mistーー

I can never reach a conclusion.

ー The scene shifts to the living room in the Mukami manor

Yui: Uuーー …Where…am I…?

Azusa: This is our home…Eve…

Yui: …

Ruki: So you’ve awakened? How do you feel?

Yui: …Not good, obviously. How dare you take me by force…

Yuma: Hmm? I held back a lil’ tho? My bad if it leaves a mark.

Yui: …

( An insincere apology like that doesn’t make me happy at all… )

Kou: Oh come on, don’t be sulking like that~ You like this kind of stuff, don’t you, M-neko-chan?

Yui: …This kind of stuff?

Kou: Being forced to do things against your will, or being oppressed? 

Yui: I-I don’t like that…!

Ruki: Either way, you’re already here so give up. We don’t plan on letting you go back.

Yui: …A-Are you guys…after my blood too…?

Yuma: Oi, ya for real after everythin’ we told you? What other value do ya think ya have?

*Rustle*

Yui: …

Ruki: Yuma. Don’t hurt her.

Yuma: I won’t punch her or anythin’. I just acted on instict.

ー Yuma lets her go

Ruki: Either way, your blood is most definitely our objective. We cannot deny that.

ーー Your blood is absolutely vital to this project.

Yui: Eh?

Ruki: Fighting over a prey is ridiculous. It isn’t what I truly desire, but we simply couldn’t let you stay with them.

At this rate, that man’s efforts would have all gone to waste.

Yui: Who are you talking about…?

Ruki: That is something you do not need to know. Either way, we’ll have you obey us here at our manor from now. Understood?

Yui: No way, I don’t get a say…? 

Kou: Fufu…Even though you like it when people force things upon you~ You really always say the opposite of what you mean, don’t you? (12)

Ruki: Don’t try and contact them without permission. Furthermore, you are prohibited from stepping outside.

Azusa: …I’ll watch over you…I’ll keep an eye on you…day and night…

Kou: Ehー? You say that, but aren’t you actually just trying to get ahead of us, Azusa-kun?

Azusa: …I mean…This person is one of my kind after all…You like being hurt…Don’t you?

I’m sure of it. Mmh…

Yui: …

Yuma: Oi, Azusa. You’re gettin’ way too close to her.

Azusa: …You can punch me if you want…?

Kou: Oh come, you two.

Ruki: Haah…Good grief, what a troublesome existence she is. If left unattended, she might even strain our good relationship.

Yuma: It can’t be helped, right? Only her blood is special, possessing a kind of power, right?

Kou: Besides, when you’re told that something is extremely delicious…It only makes sense you’d want to have a little nibble, right? 

Azusa: Let’s…do something painful together…Okay…Eve?

Ruki: …Oi, you.

Yui: …The name’s Yui…

Ruki: …I am aware. Yui, choose one of us.

Yui: Choose…?

Ruki: Or would you rather have several Vampires gang up on you like before?

Kou: Fufufu…That sounds like trouble. Taking all four of us at once.

Ruki: Oi, Kou.

Kou: I know, I know. That was dirty, huh?

Ruki: Since you are Eve, you should be able to correctly choose your partner.

Yui: Uhm, what does this ‘Eve’ thing mean…? He’s been calling me ‘Eve’ this whole time too, but I’m…

Kou: You are Eve. Without a doubt.

Ruki: Exactly. You do not need to know what exactly that entails though.

Yui: But…

Ruki: Come on, choose your Adam. Just follow your instinct, and whisper the name you see fit.

Yui: ( Adam…? What is he talking about…? I really don’t understand… )

( However, even if I try to run from here, I’m sure they’ll catch me again… )

( But… )

Yuma: Oi, Sow! Hurry up! Who do ya choose!?

Yui: …I can’t pick…

Ruki: …

Kou: Eeh!? What do you mean? Wasn’t her instinct supposed to guide her?

Ruki: Just as I thought, huh…? I suppose it can’t be helped then. We’ll have to decide…with these.

Azusa: What are…those cards?

Ruki: They’ve got our four names written on them. Pick whichever one you like.

Kou: I see. …M-neko-chan, pick me! I won’t treat you badly!

Yui: ( Even if he says that, the cards are facing down so I don’t know which one is which… )

…

( …I’ve got no other choice. Either way, they won’t let me know unless I pull one, right…? )

ーー TO BE CONTINUED ーー

Translation notes

(1) The verse 豚となりて楽しまんより、人となりて悲しまん or ‘buta to narite tanoshiman yori, hito to narite kanashiman’ is an old verse which originates from the Greek philosopher Socrates. It literally means ‘Rather than having fun as a pig, I would rather suffer as a human’ In these times, it was assumed that animals are incapable of experience pain and agony and therefore led peaceful, happy lives without any worries.

(2) He says 堕落という名の椅子に深く腰をかけている or ‘daraku to iu na no isu ni fukaku koshi o kaketeiru’ which literally means ‘to deeply sit down on the chair that goes by the name of ‘corruption.’

(3) He repeats Yui’s words, adding the particle の or ‘no’ after the sentence to turn it into a ‘noun’ so he can add the negation じゃない or ‘janai’ to it.

(4) Yui says 自分なりに or ‘jibun nari ni’ which is a common expression to refer to ‘in my own way’ and it is often combined with verbs like ‘trying your best’, ‘thinking about’, etc. In this case, Yui is not a Vampire, so the value of (her) blood is a difficult concept to grasp.

(5) The subject ‘Japanese’ is actually not called 日本語 or ‘nihongo’ as one may suspect. Instead, they call it 国語 or ‘kokugo’, which literally means ‘language of the country/nation’.

(6) Literally she calls his actions ‘tyranny’ or ‘oppressive’.

(7) Laito is most likely referring to the fact that their Father, Karlheinz, also is active as a politician going by the name ‘Sakamaki Tougo’ in the human world.

(8) In Japanese, no distinction is made between ‘mouse’ and ‘rat’ since both are referred to as ネズミ or ‘nezumi’. However, I went with mouse in this case because it is a little less insulting. xD

(9) At Japanese high schools, it is common to have a 掃除当番 or ‘souji touban’, which involves the students having to clean the classrooms and sometimes even hallways after class.

(10) Just like the expression ‘smells fishy’ in English, in Japanese, the verb 匂う or ‘niou’ can be used in two different ways. Either to refer to something that actually smells (strongly), or to imply that something is suspicious about someone or something.

(11) 外道 or ‘gedou’ literally means ‘outside of the way/path’ and refers to those who were non-Buddhist (and therefore unpure) originally. However, it can also be used as a synoniem for ‘demon’ or ‘fiend’. 

(12) I found あまのじゃく or ‘ama-no-jaku’ as both ‘pervert’ or ‘contrary person’, but the latter actually makes sense in this case because Yui keeps denying the fact that she enjoys what the boys do to her, even though she ultimately finds some pleasure in it as well. 

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