Sleep Learning

Chapter 23

Episode II Prologue

A certain man was going mad at his life’s sudden misfortune. His loving and attentive wife of many years, as well as the son and daughter he raised, were gone. He had been labeled as a murderer which had brought harm to his family.

Within a lonely jail cell, the man began to slowly lose his mind.

“Why did this happen when I’m not meant for this! (どうして俺がこんなめに合わなければいけないんだっ)Even though it should have just been a normal day! D**n!” (Man)

Digging his nails into his skin as he held his forehead, his blood dripped.

“It’s all because of him! I didn’t do anything bad!” (Man)

Crouching in the corner of the cage, the man recalled his hate many, many times and cast it into the darkness.

Gradually, the man’s expression was filled with hatred and understanding. Wrinkling his forehead between the eyebrows, his eyes drooped gently. Since he also gnashed his teeth, they had become worn down and his lip had split. Tears had fallen from his withered, bloodshot eyes, and had changed him into something that could not be thought of as human.

The drastic change of the prisoner was enough to cause fear in the person monitoring.

As usual, the man could not sleep due to hatred. Then, something happened at midnight.

“Are you so desperate for vengeance?” (Voice)

Out of nowhere, a voice was heard. The voice was cold and hateful. However, the man answered the voice. Perhaps he was fascinated by the word, vengeance.

“But, he is already dead. Unforgivable. Vengeance is impossible!” (Man)

“Your hatred for this dead person is so strong?” (Voice)

“Oh yes! I long to kill him once more with these hands!” (Man)

“Hoh? How interesting. Although he is already dead, you are still hateful?” (Voice)

“Still hateful? Of course! My life went crazy because of that murder! If it were possible to revive him, I’d kill him once more by this hand!” (Man)

“Kakaka, you pass.” (Voice)

The voice heard from the darkness laughed. The man sensed the laughter from somewhere, but could not connect it to its source.

“…What?” (Man)

“Awaken it with your hatred. Shouldn’t you have said it? (と言えばいいか？) Such a thing is good. More than that, did you know? He’s in a different world from Earth, blissfully enjoying himself.” (Voice)

“What did you say!?” (Man)

The man didn’t know if the story was true, but it is enough to cause a sudden response. Grinding his teeth, his face distorted in ugliness.

“Here’s a proposition. Since you face only death in this world, would you abandon this world and want to have revenge on the guy?” (Voice)

“Of course! My hands will beat him to Hell! Is it possible? You can take me to the different world where he is?” (Man)

“It is possible. However…” (Voice)

The voice from the darkness hesitated.

“What is it! Say it quickly!” (Man)

“Even if I took you to the guy on a different world now, the current you would just die.” (Voice)

Without talking back, the man simply ground his teeth.

“But there is a way to make it possible. Kakaka, Stop being human.” (Voice) (人をやめることだ)

“Stop being human?” (Man)

“To do this you must eat a soul.” (Voice)

The voice from the darkness said no more. And from the dark corners of the cell, a single-edged sword shone and sparkled. It was an ominous blade in a jet-black sheath. Perplexed, the man took the sword in hand.

“Sword?” (Man)

Once the man pulled the sword from its jet-black sheath he understood why he had been given it. In a moment his hatred and the sword synchronized as required – –

“Well done…eat a soul (魂を喰らうか)…kukuku ahaha ahaha” (Voice) (TL: not exactly sure about the soul part here and before, in that I’m not sure if he’s feeding someone else a soul, or himself, or if that’s the name of the sword.)

The next day on Earth, a large incident was featured. The truck driver in jail from the murder of a high school student had died. On the news it said he had committed suicide with some kind of blade.