Tengoku e no Hangyaku - Rebellion against Heaven (english version)

Chapter 4: GROWING DOUBTS

Ryuusei held the documents in his hand, feeling the weight of antiquity on each yellowed sheet. He handed them over to Death, who greeted them with an inscrutable expression. At that moment, Ryuusei felt a twinge of doubt. Until now, he had followed his orders without question, but something about this mission made him feel uncomfortable.

—Why are these documents so important to you? He asked, staring at the dark silhouette in front of him.

Death was silent for a moment, flipping through the papers with his bony fingers.

"These documents contain secrets that no mortal should know," he replied in a deep voice. They are traces of a forgotten past, a past where the supreme heralds were not always the only servants of death.

Ryuusei frowned.

"You mean there were others before us?"

"There were many before you," Death replied, pausing on one of the pages. Some tried to defy the balance, others protected it with their lives. But these documents contain information about a particular group... one that nearly destroyed the order between life and death.

The weight of his words felt like an echo in the room. Ryuusei folded his arms, still feeling that distrust growing inside him.

"If they're so dangerous, why were they just kept in a vault?" Wouldn't it be better to destroy them?

Death smiled slightly, a gesture that was disturbing on his lifeless face.

"Some truths cannot be erased so easily. Also, there are things I still need to confirm.

Ryuusei felt that the conversation was spinning in circles.

"Okay... But there's something else that bothers me. Why didn't Haru, Kenta, and Daichi participate in this mission?

Death stared at him.

"It wasn't necessary. You and Aiko were enough to retrieve the documents.

Ryuusei gritted his teeth.

"And why did they call only Aiko afterwards?" Why not me?

A tense silence filled the room. Death looked down at the documents for a moment before answering.

"Do you distrust them?" He asked calmly.

Ryuusei swallowed.

"I don't know," he admitted, feeling a knot in his stomach. But it doesn't make sense. Something doesn't fit. We always do the missions together, and now suddenly they call her and not me. I don't like it.

"Or perhaps you are afraid of what you may discover?" Death interjected, watching him intensely.

Ryuusei felt his heart race. What was he talking about? Fear what?

"What do you mean?" He asked suspiciously.

"Maybe Aiko knows something you don't," Death replied, turning his back on her as he examined a scroll more closely. Or maybe they're hiding something from you.

The words stuck in Ryuusei's mind like sharp daggers. He trusted his teammates... right? They had fought together, bled together, survived together. He had no reason to doubt them. But then, why didn't this feeling leave him alone?

"If you have something to say, do it at once," he growled, feeling the frustration grow inside him.

Death left the documents on the table with a thud.

"There's nothing more to say," he said calmly. The answers you're looking for aren't here, Ryuusei. They're out there. Go and discover them for yourself.

Ryuusei felt a chill run down his spine. Was it possible that Death was manipulating him? Or was he really trying to warn him of something?

His thoughts were tangled up in his head, confusing him more than he already was. His instinct told him to leave, find Aiko and find out what was really going on.

He took a step back and looked towards the exit.

"I'm going to see what's going on.

Death smiled, his voice sounding almost amused.

"Good luck, Ryuusei. I hope you find the answers you're looking for.

Without answering, Ryuusei hurried out, his mind full of doubts and his heart pounding with unease. Something was wrong... and he had to figure out what it was before it was too late.