泡雪のようにはかなげに

[rikoren]

Akane: ...Yoshiki.

Yoshiki: ...Akane-chan...

【朱音】　うちには分かる。　由季やろ？
Akane: I know. You're Yoshiki, aren't you?

Yoshiki: .......



【朱音】　何で、うちの前から、突然いんようになったん………？
Akane: Why'd you suddenly disappear from my side...?

Yoshiki: .......

【朱音】　ずっと探してたんえ？　なんも言わんと消えて………「神隠し」に遭うたんや、って夜市と話して
Akane: I've been searchin' for you all this time, you know? You disappeared without a word...I told Yaichi you'd been spirited away.



【朱音】　けど、戻ってきたんやね………　昔の、その姿のままで
Akane: But you came back...Lookin' the same as you did all those years ago.



【由季】　………僕は………　もう、こちら側の人間じゃ、ないから
Yoshiki: ...I'm...no longer a human of this world.

【朱音】　どうして？………何で由季なん？
Akane: Why? ...How aren't you Yoshiki?

【由季】　おばさんと………朱音ちゃんのお母さんと、約束したから。………朱音ちゃんを、守るって
Yoshiki: I made a promise to Aunty...to your mother....That I'd protect you, Akane-chan.



【朱音】　そやから、いなくなったん………？　うちの、代わりに
Akane: So that's why you disappeared...? To take my place.

Yoshiki: .......

【朱音】　狐に、食べられる為に
Akane: To be eaten, by a fox.



Yoshiki: Akane-chan...



Akane: .......



【灯吾】　………なんだ、これ………
Tougo: ...What is this...

Yue: .......



【灯吾】　ヨシキと、朱音………？
Tougo: Yoshiki and, Akane...?



【朱音】　………ほな、どうしたら、元に戻れるん？　うちのところに、戻って来られるん？
Akane: ...Well how can you come back? You can come back to me, can't you?

【由季】　………それは………出来ないよ
Yoshiki: ...That's...something I can't do.



【朱音】　………ほんなら、何でうちらの前に姿を現したん？
Akane: ...Then why'd you show yourself to us?

Yoshiki: .......

【朱音】　灯吾の前に、どうして現れたん？
Akane: Why'd you show up in front of Tougo?

Yoshiki: .......

【朱音】　………由季も、「食事」を探してるんとちゃうんか？　うちの、母親みたいに
Akane: ...Did you come lookin' for a "meal" of your own, Yoshiki? Like my mother.

Yoshiki: .......!



【朱音】　………そうなんやろ？
Akane: ...That's it, huh?



Yoshiki: ...Akane-chan...



【由】　…………………身体を失った白狐の魂を預かる器
Yue: .......A vessel to hold the soul of the white fox who lost his body.

【灯吾】　………え………
Tougo: ...Eh...

【由】　………依代。　ヒトのカラダを容れ物にして、守っているいのち
Yue: ...A yorishiro. A person's body made into a container, a guarding life force.



Tougo: ...Yue...?



【由】　「オレ達」のなかには、狐がいるんだ。　ずっと、昔から何度も肉体を変えて
Yue: Inside "us" is a fox. It has changed bodies many times, over countless years.

【灯吾】　…………………おれたち、って………
Tougo: .......By "us," you mean...

【由】　………ヨシキさんと、………今のオレ
Yue: ...Yoshiki-san and...me, right now.

Tougo: .......!

【由】　その為に、ずっと食べられているヒトがいる。………「食事」という儀式を通して
Yue: There have always been people to eat, for that purpose. ...Through the ritual called the "meal".



【由季】　そんなつもりじゃないよ。　姿を現すつもりは、なかったんだ。　こうなった時から、ずっと
Yoshiki: I don't plan to do anything like that. I never planned to show up. Not since I became like this.

Akane: .......

【由季】　もう、二度と君たちの前には、現れないから。　君も、夜市くんも、灯吾くんも、心配しないで………
Yoshiki: I'll never appear before you again. You, Yaichi-kun, and Tougo-kun too, you don't have to worry...

【朱音】　………いやや
Akane: ...No.

【由季】　…………………え………
Yoshiki: .......Eh...

【朱音】　どうせ、いずれ「代わり」は必要になるんやろ？　由季は、「食事」を探さなあかんようになるんやろ？
Akane: Either way, you'll eventually need a "replacement" right? You'll have to search for a "meal" right?

【由季】　…………………それは………
Yoshiki: .......That's...



【朱音】　………そやったら、今でも変わらへんやんなぁ？
Akane: ...Things haven't changed at all since we've grown up, huh?



【由季】　…………………え………
Yoshiki: .......Er...

【朱音】　由季の、代わりの、容れ物があればええんやろ？
Akane: If there was another vessel, to take Yoshiki's place, would that be okay?

Yoshiki: ...Akane-chan...?

【朱音】　代わりが必要なら、それを、うちがつくれば、ええんやろ………？
Akane: If you need a replacement, then it'll be fine if I make one, right...?

【由季】　………手を、離して、朱音ちゃん
Yoshiki: ...Let go of my hand, Akane-chan.

【朱音】　…………………いやや
Akane: .......No.



【灯吾】　…………………代わり………
Tougo: .......Replacement...

Yue: .......

【灯吾】　………まさか
Tougo: ...It can't be.

【？？？】　………そう。　朱音がヨシキを解放する為に身籠もった、新しいいのち。　それが、由じゃ
???: ...That's right. In order to free Yoshiki, Akane became heavy with new life. That life, was Yue.



【灯吾】　…………………な………
Tougo: .......Wha...



【由】　…………………ああ、だからか………
Yue: .......Oh, so that's why...



【灯吾】　馬鹿言え、アイツがいなくなったの、七年前だぞ！？　コイツ、俺と同い年くらいじゃ………
Tougo: That's crazy, she disappeared seven years ago, didn't she!? This guy's about my age...

【？？？】　…………………狐の魂を預かる為の新しい依代が誕生した時、最初に何を食事すると思う？
???: .......When a new yorishiro is formed to hold a fox's soul, what do you think it makes its first meal?

【灯吾】　………え………？
Tougo: ...Eh...?

【？？？】　赤子にとっては抱えきれぬ大きさだったのじゃろうな。　ヒトのいのち、ふたつぶんというのは。　あっと言う間に、この大きさに育ってしまった
???: It's much too much for a baby to hold. Two whole human lives. In the blink of an eye, he'd grown to this size.



【灯吾】　…………………それ、どういう………
Tougo: .......How does that...

【由】　だから、だったんだね
Yue: So, that's how it is.

【灯吾】　………え？
Tougo: ...Eh?

【由】　オレが、なんでつばきにこんなにも会いたいのか。………懐かしく、思うのか………
Yue: Why I wanted to meet Tsubaki so badly. ...Why it felt nostalgic...



【灯吾】　お前………　………お前まさか、アイツらを………？
Tougo: You......Don't tell me, you...?

【由】　…………………うん。　オレのなかで、ふたりの記憶が、ずっと生きてる。　だから、あんなにも君に会いたいと思ったんだ
Yue: .......Mmhm. Their memories continue to live on, inside of me. I think that's also why I wanted to meet you.



【灯吾】　…………………！！！　お前………アイツらを、食ったのかよ………！？
Tougo: .......!!! You...you actually ate them...!?

【由】　………オレの中の、おとうさんと、………おかあさんの記憶が、つばきに会いたいと思ってるから
Yue: ...Because Father and Mother,...their memories, inside me, wanted to meet Tsubaki.

【灯吾】　………ッやめろよ！　何でそんな事に………！　なんで、代わりなんて………　ヨシキが好きで裏切ったんじゃないのかよ！？
Tougo: ...Stop it! Why'd it have to be like this...! Why a replacement...Don't tell me he betrayed us out of love!?



【灯吾】　コイツが、代わり………？　俺の弟だって？………ふざけんな！！！！
Tougo: This guy's a replacement...? He's my little brother? ...Don't screw with me!!!!

Yue: .......

【灯吾】　それで、結局二人とも消えたのかよ………　食われた、ってなんなんだよ………
Tougo: And then, in the end those two just disappeared...The hell d'you mean, they got eaten...

【由】　ごめんね、苦しませて………
Yue: Sorry, for making you suffer like this...



【灯吾】　………ッ………
Tougo: ...Ugh...

【由】　もう、終わりにするから
Yue: It'll all be over soon.



【ミコト】　さあ、着いたぞ。　ようこそ、椿の子。　由、約束通り、連れてきてくれたな。　わしのところへ
Mikoto: Now then, we've arrived. Welcome, child of Tsubaki. Yue, you brought him along, just as promised. To my domain.



【由】　………ミコ、様………
Yue: ...Miko, sama...

【灯吾】　お前は………？
Tougo: Who are...?



【ミコト】　この空環のこどもたちを、見守る者じゃ。………やまのかみ、と呼ばれたりもするが………
Mikoto: I am the one who watches over the children of Utsuwa. ...Though I am sometimes called the god of the mountain...

【灯吾】　…………………やまの、かみ………？
Tougo: .......The god, of the mountain...?

【ミコト】　………依代が、ぼろぼろじゃな、由。　あんまり無理をするからじゃ
Mikoto: ...The yorishiro seems rather worn out, Yue. You must have really overworked yourself.

【由】　…………………いえ………
Yue: .......It's nothing...

【ミコト】　さあ、選べ、由。　「食事」を、するのかしないのか。　椿の花の子どもを喰って、己の糧とするか、それとも、…………………………　………もう、決めておるのじゃろう？
Mikoto: Now, choose, Yue. Will you make him your "meal", or won't you? Will you eat the child of tsubaki flowers, as nourishment, or else.............You've already decided, haven't you?

Yue: .......



【灯吾】　…………………本当なんだな。　ホントに、俺を食うために、近づいたんだな。　お前………　多分、ヨシキも
Tougo: .......So it's true. You really did get close to me so you could eat me. You...Yoshiki too, probably.

Yue: .......



【灯吾】　けど、壊した原因は、俺か。………俺が、最初から食われてれば、アイツら、今頃生きてたかもしれないのに、何やってんだか
Tougo: But, the cause of this destruction was me, wasn't it. ...If I'd let myself be eaten from the start, those two might still be alive now, doing their thing, right?

Yue: .......

【灯吾】　いいよ、そんなに食いたければやるよ。　もういいよ、俺………
Tougo: It's fine, if you want to eat me that bad then go ahead. It's fine already, I...

Yue: .......Tsubaki...

【灯吾】　そんなに望むんなら、いい………
Tougo: If you want it that much, it's fine...

Yue: .......



【灯吾】　もう、沢山だ………！
Tougo: I've had enough...!

Yue: .......

この人を救いたい
この人を守りたい
> I want to save this person
> I want to protect this person