On hearing that, I reply.
"Let's see. I forgot."
"What's with that ~"
"It must be something unimportant."
That's right. That isn't important. In a dark and rotten world like this, a world devoid of light, things like friendship, romance, and love are meaningless.
Because we are killing girls.
Because we are killing innocent girls who just have the misfortune of contracting a disease, in order to save the world.
How arrogant is that, I wonder. How hypocritical is that, I wonder.
But, even so, I saw a light inside of me. Though, that might just be called worthless friendships, dreams, and fantasies.
But someday.
Someday for sure.
I will no longer kill girls.
Not giving up on my little sister.
Someday, I will,
"...... save the girls, and save the world ---"
I murmur softly, those childish, silly words, and enter the classroom, with a smirk on my face.
* * *
Afterword
Hello, this is Kagami Takaya.
How was 『Apocalypse Alice (Mokushiroku Arisu)』?
Killing girls, six hour lessons.
Labyrinth disease.
Magic employed through depleting money --- 《Headphone Fuzz》.
Young men and women with overwhelmingly bad personalities.
Magic in a seemingly school setting, but yet, in the fantastic world of labyrinths, a time limit exists.
This is a yarn about a group of students bearing their own burdens, a yarn that will never exist in the real world.
When I started writing this work, I had a goal in mind. And that is, to challenge myself and write a work with a whirling, vast setting that has never been done before in my previous works.
In order to do that, I chose to use a first-person narration, something which I haven't done for ages. Since my debut series. Ah, but, this might be the first time I'm using a first-person male narrative. The literary style also might be a little different from before.
This is my first new work under Fantasia Bunko label in 5 years. To top that, right before writing this work, I was spending, as I thought, a substantial amount of time in writing under a different publishing label another work, 『Seraph of the End (Owari no Serafu)』 series and it turns out to be very successful, so, in order not to hand up a sloppy piece of work --- this work you are reading --- in the following year to my debut work's publishing label, Fantasia Bunko label...... I got psyched, gave it my all and spent, as I thought, just about as much time in plot conception, and rewriting it (though I pretty much got psyched every time LOL); so how was it? I hope and would be pleased if you had fun reading it.
Ah, since this is my new work, there are probably new readers, so I shall introduce myself here.
I've written the following works for Fujimi:
『Military Lawyer El Wihn (Bukan Bengoshi Eru Uin』 series.
『The Legend of the Legendary Heroes (Densetsu no Yuusha no Densetsu)』 series.
『The Dark Rabbit Has Seven Lives (Itsuka Tenma no Kuro Usagi)』 series.
And, I'm writing the script for the following manga in Jump SQ:
『Seraph of the End (Owari no Serafu)』 series.
And writing for Kodansha Bunko label,
『Seraph of the End - Ichinose Glen, 16-year old's Catastrophe (Owari no Serafu - Ichinose Glen, 16-sai no Katasutorofi』
Ah, for those who felt like having read these works before, or haven't read these works but felt like having watched the anime before, long time no see! Thank you as always.
Thanks to everyone, I'm again able to create this very new work this day.
Whenever I'm writing a work, it becomes my favorite work then, so today, it's 『Apocalypse Alice's』 turn to be my favorite.
Shinnosuke will kick the ass of my other works! as I'm writing this book --- but, of course, when I writing the other works, the respective characters will scream out how they will kick the asses of the rest, and that will be my favorite work then, so for those who have any of them, thank you! I'll let Ryner and Yuu-chan and Glen and Taito and Wihn know.
And thus, from this day onward, a new story starts.
A story about killing girls to save the world.
It'll be nice that Shinnosuke, Gunjou, Kiri, and Shiro can continue to flourish from the support of everyone.
In this seemingly long yet short life, in this very instant, this very second --- truly, a moment that will occur only once, it's fun to be able to share the same world view with the readers, and it'd be a blessing if we could have a verbal exchange on it, I hope. Even though it will occur only once, a but transient moment, it's still an important moment --- here, with 《Acceleration Switch!》, I want to tear through it together with everyone!
Well then, please continue to support 『Apocalypse Alice』!
Kagami Takaya
* * *
Translator's Notes and References
↑ Headphone Fuzz: Always written as Intra-Cerebral Magic Activator (脳内魔導起機), and read as Headphone Fuzz (ヘッドフォンファズ). Subsequently in the rest of the volume, I will only use the reading in the translations.
Return to Main Page Forward to Volume 2
Mokushiroku Arisu - Volume 01 Page 17