CHAPTER 8 – THE ATOMIC
EPISODE 1 – DARK BLUE
Yu and Jexter were walking through the silent city of Yagumaki.
The streets felt… empty.
Too empty.
Suddenly—
THUD!
Yu bumped into someone.
A girl fell to the ground.
She looked weak… fragile… terrified.
Girl (shaking):
"I-I'm sorry… please don't kill me!"
Yu raised his hands slightly.
Yu:
"Hey… relax. I'm not killing you… or any weak person."
The girl slowly calmed down.
Girl:
"…Thank you."
Yu smiled a little.
Yu:
"What's your name?"
Girl:
"Yamiko."
Yu:
"Yamiko… nice name."
Yamiko:
"Thanks…"
Yu looked at her seriously.
Yu:
"If you want to survive in this world…"
Yamiko:
"…Yes. I do. But how?"
Yu pointed at himself… then at Jexter.
Yu:
"Join my clan."
Yamiko blinked.
Yamiko:
"Clan…?"
Yu:
"Yeah. I mean… I don't really have one yet.
But there's me… and him."
Jexter stepped forward slightly.
Jexter:
"Hello."
Yamiko:
"H-Hi…"
Yu smiled.
Yu:
"So… will you join?"
Yamiko hesitated… then nodded.
Yamiko:
"Yes… I will."
Yu:
"Good. Now we're three."
Yamiko looked curious.
Yamiko:
"What's the name of your clan?"
Yu looked straight at her…
A strange smile forming.
Yu:
"Death Sucker."
For a moment—
Everything felt wrong.
Yamiko's body froze.
Her vision distorted.
She saw something horrifying—
Jexter… cutting off her limbs.
Yu… smiling… like a monster.
Yamiko screamed—
Yamiko:
"AAAH—!!"
Yu stepped forward, confused.
Yu:
"What happened, Yamiko?!"
She suddenly stopped.
Breathing heavily.
Yamiko:
"…N-Nothing. I'm fine…"
Yu looked at her for a second… then turned away.
Yu:
"If you don't want to tell us… it's okay."
They started walking again.
Yu:
"Come on."
Yamiko followed…
But her expression changed.
Yamiko:
"I… want to tell you something."
Yu and Jexter stopped.
Yu:
"What is it?"
Yamiko whispered—
Yamiko:
"The Dark Blue."
Jexter's eyes widened.
For the first time—
He looked… scared.
Jexter:
"…Dark Blue?"
Yamiko nodded.
DARK BLUE
1% → 20%
20% → 60%
60% → 80%
80% → 100%
THE DARK BLUE OPERATOR — GRUNZ
Yamiko's voice changed… almost emotionless.
Yamiko:
"Dark Blue… is everything."
"A flower…
water…
the sky…
a color…
even food…"
"…Everything is Dark Blue."
Silence.
Yamiko:
"It started as an experiment…"
EXPERIMENT 0018 — GRUNZ
EXPERIMENT 00148 — LONSO
EXPERIMENT 00972 — TENJU
A pause.
Yamiko looked up slowly.
Yamiko:
"EXPERIMENT 6666…"
"…YAMIKO."
CUT — UNKNOWN LOCATION
A dark laboratory.
Doctor:
"Everything is under control now."
Boss (smiling):
"Ohh… that's interesting.
So… we finally have working experiments."
Doctor hesitated.
Doctor:
"…There's a problem."
Boss:
"What is it?"
Doctor looked at the screen.
His eyes filled with fear.
Doctor:
"…All of them…"
A pause.
Doctor:
"…are ATOMIC."
EPISODE END
TO BE CONTINUED