aka Miroku's story in the first Psyren novel.
I can't understand
The meaning of the creeping melancholy
The legend from long, long ago
That won't let go of my heartThis is one year before he encountered Yoshina Ageha.
"It seems like the search for #01's whereabouts will take a little longer. Seeing that the government's been in a frenzy for 10 years and yet still can't find him, it's understandable……anyways, this 'Yusaka'……can we trust him? It looks like he's devoted to you, but……isn't he the same as the lot who treated us like lab rats?"
As Junas gave his report, sitting and putting his left leg over his right and resting his chin in his hands, [Miroku] listened while seemingly indulged in thought.
He had handsome facial features by nature, and, like a saint of ancient time, looked like a philosopher contemplating something.
"……I don't like him. If that man is made into your servant, he'll be included in the 'not-human side,' and will think he can just kill as much as he likes……he isn't different from the old race* after all. He'll do anything as long as he has a reason to, and he's just a deranged serial killer."
It was three months after they–––––or more specifically, he had destroyed the Grigori research lab.
Revenge against the old race that treated them as tools, and the liberation of those with power–––––and so he, who stood up for the sake of his "goal," began by gathering those with power who had been branded as heretics by the world as he had been.
First was the search for the same Grigori test subjects as they were, but they didn't know the whereabouts of the first test subject and called the strongest, #01–who destroyed the first plan–through #04.
The only one he could take out, was #05 in the same research lab–––––only Junas.
There, in order to have more battle power, two with power, Inui Kiyotada and Yusaka Aoi, were recruited and slipped into town.
Inui, who was currently brainwashed, apparently had connections with some other people, and therefore was put in charge of gathering funds needed as the outward one in charge, while Yusaka gathered information from the old race's side and observed Iba Kouichi.
"Heyy……are you listening to me?"
Gaining no reaction at all from his words, Junas asked this while slightly emphasizing the end of his sentence.
"………Can you really not understand why I let Iba live?"
He spoke as if reading Junas' mind, a faint smile appearing.
"……Obviously…… [Junas says stuff here about Yusaka and how Iba is different and stuff idk I can't understand it!! ;o;]"
Iba Kouichi–––––the man who gave him the absolute best birthday present. The old race's greatest offender.
"Fufufu……it's not really that big a reason. If Yusaka is there, he can't do anything foolish. There's no need to kill him."
"Have you become attached to him? Is that why you let Yusaka live?"
While still one of the Grigori researchers, Iba, while feeling bad for him, had pressed the switch to turn off the PSI represser mechanism on a promise for only one night.
One night–––––just that amount of time of freedom was enough for his power to turn everything upside down.
All the researchers were killed. But Iba Kouichi was the only one he left alive.
Junas took that as his being sympathetic towards Iba, and thought he was being soft.
He thought that giving a more believable reason of observer and information gatherer, and being on good terms with Yusaka, who was the same, were because of that as well.
"Did I not explain it correctly……? It's just that there's no reason to kill him 'now'……in any case, after a few years, the world will crumble. Even surviving will be difficult. At that time, he will reflect on how horribly he betrayed his own kind and die……it's just a little fun, you know?"
"……………………"
When Junas saw him say that and smile, a chill ran up his spine.
Grigori test subjects had lost all feelings. Otherwise, their minds would've broken.
But even so, he was smiling.
Though he was older than Junas, or around the same age, at that time he had a smile that was of an innocent child.
Yes, innocent.
Like a child as it laughed while pulling off the legs of an insect, like he could smile without any sense of guilt as he turned human lives into playthings.
Junas had felt the nothingness, as if all life was empty and worthless, like he was before a god or something like it.
"What's wrong? Junas?"
"………No, it's nothing. If that's how it is, I won't speak out against it anymore."
The feelings that had blossomed within Junas at that time weren't of "fear."
They were the feelings of facing God or the Devil, or something like it–––––"fear."**
"Then……for the time being, the regulation of your past and………if possible, should we also look for the whereabouts of #07?"
"#07, huh……that'd most likely be difficult. She'd probably hide from me. Also–––––no, it'd be a waste of time to look for her. More importantly……there's something that's been bothering me."
It was what he'd been thinking about ever since before.
"Junas……do you hear a song?"
"……………A song?"
Junas' eyebrows knit in puzzlement.
"I can hear a song……I see, again……"
"……………Maybe it's–––––"
"Pft………"
Before Junas finished, he laughed amusedly.
"Don't worry, it's not the aftereffects of my medicine or something. Those went away a long time ago. It's not that, it's not that………but, I see……as I thought, only I can hear it……"
He had a face that wanted to say, "as I thought," but thought "but then[…]."
The song didn't reach him by "sound" vibrating through the air.
It was being transmitted via thought waves, something like Trance.
It was very weak and fragile, and even though he had one of the best powers within the Grigori test subjects, it would take a bit of time though he'd noticed the song.
He knew the general direction, but it was from a considerable distance away.
It was like he was being invited by a sweet, sad singing voice.
"I can't hear it, but……is it supposed to be a distress signal?"
"I don't know……but long ago, I'd heard this singing voice before……so I thought maybe I'd answer it once."
"It could be a trap, you know? Or is this another 'just a little fun'?"
In revenge for before, Junas shrugged his shoulders as if teasing.
"I understand. I'll take care of the preparations for cleaning up your past."
"Sorry about that."
While he said that, he smiled again.
Junas had chosen to walk with him to liberate those with power that had been oppressed like he had been. Even if they had just a tiny bit of power, if they wanted to be saved he wouldn't just let them be.
It was covered by a cold mask, but Junas knew that he held deep feelings towards those like him.***
"In three days, let's meet here again."
And thus, he and Junas temporarily took off for different things.
~~~~
*They refer to humans as what I chose to translate as "old race," but it's kinda like…what we think of the cavemen? They're saying they are the more adept and whatnot than humans, like they're the next evolution.
**Oh my god this sounds SO STUPID in English. The first "fear" is like if something popped up in front of you and you go "AAAAAAHHHH" kind of fear. The second is…well…like it says, the "fear" of being in front of a god or someone with a lot of power, and you're just kinda nervous and frozen before them because you realize how inferior you are to them and respect them.
***Uh…lol? Was this part just added in to justify his sudden kindness to Riko? Because the first we EVER see of him is him wishing Dholaki died. In the second novel, he fights with Dho like daily, and he also mouths off to Uranus as shown in Uranus' first appearance in the future. He's indifferent to Grana, and soon becomes indifferent to Miroku.
And, I don't even know if this is referring to him in the first place? Lack of pronouns is bad enough, Miroku isn't even NAMED at this point yet, he's just referred to as "him." Junas followed Miroku to liberate oppressed people my butt. Besides, MIROKU is the obvious one who's most like him? Junas, you're a cutie and I love you, but if you think you can relate to Riko more than Miroku (or Uranus and Grana, even!) you've got some screws loose.
at least Junas caring for people like him canonizes that he's a nice dude at heart, and he and Uranus loooove each other deep down~~ I KNEW ITThis is all I translated, because this is the only part with decent interaction with Junas. I'm biased. Shoot me. Miroku goes and finds the girl, meets up with this creepy dude who also knows of the song despite Junas, the other Grigori, being unable to hear it, and Junas comes back after 3 days and says the girl is pitiful which Miroku is like "THAT'S WRONG" to him and Junas describes Miroku's talking with the girl like a boy and girl on their first date.
This was weird to translate, and some places may be weird-sounding.
but man, Junas is such a QT, especially here. "Heyy, are you listening to me?" EEEEEEEEE
can you imagine him saying this EOS? BI I didn't think so