So the MILGRAM Novel Preview released. Here's a very rough TL. It seems that Dark Triad / Justice Alliance is mentioned in it. I haven't finished translating it yet because I'm not used to reading this kind of orientation.
プロローグ
Prologue
青空がどこまでも、どこまでも広がっていた。
The endless blue sky stretched as far as the eye could see.
背の高いビル群が立ち並ぶ街並みの中から見上げても、その空だけは全く窮屈さを感じさせず、深い青色で穏やかに世界を包み込む。
Even when gazing up from amidst the cityscape lined with tall buildings, the sky imparted no sense of confinement and peacefully enveloped the world with its deep blue hue.
天気予報では、明日も同じ空が見られるという。
The weather forecast predicted the same sky to be seen tomorrow as well.
けんそう ボクはゆっくりと視線を落とす。繁華街は日々の喧騒であふれていた。
Amidst the hustle and bustle of the city, I slowly lower my gaze.
往来する人々はそれぞれの目的のためにどこかへと向かっていく。
People were heading somewhere, each with their own purpose.
複数人で笑い合っている学生たち。疲れた表情をしたスーツ姿の中年男性。髪色の明るい若い女性がスマホで通話をしながら、ボクの目の前を通りすぎていく。
Students laughed together in groups, a middle-aged man in a tired suit and a young woman with bright hair walked past me while talking on her smartphone.
この街には多くの人がいる。多すぎるほどの人がいる。きっと、ボクたちが置かれている境遇なんて生ぬるいと感じるような、想像もできない過酷な現実を生きている人もいるだろう。
There were so many people in this city. Too many people. Surely, there were those who were living in unimaginably harsh realities, making our own circumstances seem lukewarm in comparison.
それでも。
Nevertheless.
他の人に比べたらまだマシだなんて、ボクは思うことができない。
I can't bring myself to think that I have it better than others.
つら この世界のどこかで、知らない誰かがもっと辛い思いをしていたとしても、彼女が今感じている痛みは確かに本物だから。
Even if somewhere in this world, someone unknown is going through even more difficult experiences, the pain she is feeling right now is undeniably real.
学校では見せない笑顔を浮かべて、ボクの少し前を歩いていく彼女の背中を視界に入れると胸がかすかに痛む。他人の痛みに共感するなんて、少し前までなら考えられなかったのに。
As she walks ahead of me, donning a smile she wouldn't show at school, I catch a glimpse of her back, and my chest twinges faintly. Empathizing with someone else's pain is something I couldn't have imagined just a little while ago.
また明日。平日が始まれば、彼女は吐き気がするような、悪意の連鎖の中に戻っていボクにはそれを止められない。学校の屋上を彼女の心の支えにすることしかできない。
Tomorrow will come again. Once the weekdays begin, she will return to the chain of malice that makes her nauseous. I can't stop that. All I can do is be her pillar of support on the rooftop of our school.
ふっと自嘲気味な笑みが自然と漏れた。
A wry smile involuntarily escapes my lips.
ボクは人間の命の尊さを理解できない人間だ。その辺に転がった無機物も、繁華街を埋め尽くす人間たちも、その価値は本質的に同じだと思っている。
I am a person who can't comprehend the value of human life. Be it the inanimate objects scattered around or the humans flooding the bustling streets, I believe their worth is inherently the same.
冷たい人間だ。……そのはず、だった。
I am a cold person. …Or so I thought.
自覚している。彼女と出会い、多くの時間を共にしたことで、ボクの価値観は少しずつ変わっていった。戸惑いがないわけじゃない。でも、それでいい。
I'm aware that meeting her and spending time together has gradually changed my perspective. It's not without confusion, but that's okay.
おも 今のボクは彼女のことを大事に思っている。その想いに気づかないフリをしても仕方がない。ボクはすでに深入りしすぎた。
Right now, I care deeply about her. There's no point in pretending not to notice those feelings. I've already gone too deep.
なら最後まで突き通すしかない。
If that's the case, I have no choice but to see it through until the end.
―彼女がどんな結末を迎えようとも、ボクは最後まで彼女のことを守ろう。
No matter what fate awaits her, I will protect her until the very end.
大きな商業ビルが目に入った。そのビルの壁面には巨大なディスプレイが埋め込まれており、ニュースの映像が流れていた。
I caught sight of a large commercial building. Its walls embedded with massive displays were broadcasting news footage.
画面に映ったキャスターが原稿を読み上げる。
The caster on the screen reads the script.
「現在、インターネット上にアップロードされた動画群が物議を醸しています。その発信元アカウントは『正義同盟』と呼称されており――」
"Currently, a group of uploaded videos on the internet is causing controversy. The originating account is referred to as the 'Justice Alliance'—"
ひもり 「氷森くん」
Himori 「Himori-kun」
不意に名字を呼ばれて視線を戻すと、彼女が立ち止まってこちらを振り返っていた。ボクがニュースに気を取られていたことが不満だったようで、彼女は頬を膨らませている。
Suddenly called by my last name, I turn my gaze back and she stops, looking back at me. She seems displeased that I was preoccupied with the news, and she puffs up her cheeks.
「何見てたの?」
"What were you looking at?"
「あそこの、街頭ニュース」
"The street-side news over there."
いちべつ
She glances at it briefly, and her expression darkens ever so slightly.
7月が始める。
July begins.
そうだ。この世界のどこでどんな事件が起きたとしても、悲惨な出来事が誰かを苦しめても、ボクは目の前の彼女のことだけ考えていればいい。日までは。
That's right. No matter where or what kind of incidents occur in this world, no matter how tragic they may be, as long as I keep thinking about her in front of me, it will be enough. Until the day…
少なくとも、一緒に高校を卒業して、彼女が悪意の呪縛から解放されるその…
At least until we graduate from high school together, and she is freed from the curse of malice…
「『正義同盟』、か」
"'Justice Alliance,' huh?"
正義のヒーローみたいな名前。
A name like that of a hero of justice.
だけど、この世界に救いの手を差し伸べてくれるヒーローなんていない。純粋な正義な ゆが んてものも存在せず、どんな行動の裏にも歪んだ欲望と打算が隠されている。
But in this world, there are no heroes extending a helping hand. There is no pure notion of justice. Behind every action, there are hidden desires and calculations.
もし本当に正義の味方がいるのなら、彼女はとっくに助けられている。その後、ボクがそのニュースを思い出すことはなかった。
If there were truly allies of justice, she would have been saved long ago. After that, I never recalled that news.
翌日に起こった悪夢が全てを吹き飛ばしたからだ。血塗れの彼女の姿が脳を満たしたからだ。「正義同盟」が本格的に世間の話題の中心になっていっても、放心状態のボクは全く興味を持たなかった。
The nightmare that occurred the next day wiped away everything. It filled my mind with the image of her covered in blood. Even as "Justice Alliance" became the talk of the town, I, in a dazed state, had no interest at all.
だけど、それで良かったのだ。
But that was for the best.
もしあの時、「正義同盟」の思想に触れていたら、のめり込んでいた可能性がある。女を死に追いやったクラスメイトたちにその歪んだ思想を突きつけていた可能性がある。結局、ボクは「正義同盟」の思想に取り込まれることはなかった。
If I had been exposed to the ideology of "Justice Alliance" at that time, there's a possibility I would have been drawn into it. There's a possibility that I would have confronted the classmates who drove the girl to her death with their twisted beliefs. In the end, I never became consumed by the ideology of the "Justice Alliance."
そして今、ここにいる。
And now, I'm here.
囚人を裁き、粛清を与える監獄。
A prison to judge prisoners and administer purges.
その中にあるメインルーム「パノプティコン」。
Within it lies the main room, the "Panopticon."
何度も見てきた。
I've seen it many times.
粛清が執行され、囚人たちが鮮血に浸る姿を。
The purges being carried out, the sight of prisoners drenched in fresh blood.
命と存在が消える瞬間を。
The moment life and existence disappear.
だが、目の前で繰り広げられている光景はその性質が根本から違った。塔のように縦に長いパノプティコン、その上層から高速で落下してくる人影が一つ。
But the scene unfolding before me is fundamentally different in nature. The Panopticon, tall and elongated like a tower, with a figure descending rapidly from its upper level.
周囲は無音だった。その信じられない光景を目にしている囚人たちも、落下する人影も、そしてボクも声を出さなかった。
The surroundings were silent. The prisoners witnessing this unbelievable scene, the descending figure, and even I, none of us uttered a word.
いや、出せなかった。
No, we couldn't.
だって。こんなことが起こるなんて、いったい誰が予想できる?
Because who could have predicted that something like this would happen?
A render I made for a contest on a discord server Miku Miku Central. This month's theme is album where the contestants draw inspiration from music and album covers. They can choose to recreate one's album covers or design an album cover for a single song.
I went with recreating takamatt's album called "East End Pandemonium". Funny thing is that while making this render I was listening to this album for the first time ever. I only get to know about it because of one song I adore - Tokio Funka. I could listen to it for hours hehe
While it's not a perfect recreation of the original image, I think it still matches the vibe of it. I had a lot of troubles with getting this to look right like never before but in the end I think it's good enough.
Credits under the cut ↷
************************************
※ models
"Apocalypse Miku" by Party-P
"Apocalypse Haku" by Party-P
"Apocalypse Rin" by Party-P
"Apocalypse Len" by Party-P
※ stages / accessories
"DTEX Stage 059" by SEGA / Wirda Fauzia / Chrrox
"昭和初期の商業ビル2" by Makey-Models
"たばこ自販機" by Makey-Models
"看板建築2" by Makey-Models
"Pipe" by Etheluu
"スカイラインGT-R KPGC10" by 大崎わたる
※ effects
"msReplaceColor_ver.1.0" by ましまし
"ExcellentShadow2" by そぼろ
"FXAA-master" by rui
"OilPaint_v1_0_0" by ビームマンP
"Dippen" by サンフラワーふじ
"HgPointLight_v002" by 針金P
"msColorCorrection_ver.1.0" by ましまし
"ikBokeh_v020a" by ikeno
"ikClut_adjustment" by ikeno, chestnutscoop
"LightBloom-1.1.1" by rui
In order to ensure that disaster-stricken areas continue to remain safe and secure, it is essential to design housing that can withstand disasters of the same scale. I will now think about it in detail. If people who wish to remain on the Noto Peninsula build the same kind of houses again, another tragedy will occur. This is the same everywhere in Japan
1978年岡山県岡山市生まれ。雑誌やタレント写真集、広告などの商業写真で活動する傍ら自身の作品を発表している。2019年に写真集「我我」(青幻舎)、2020年に写真集「我旅我行」(青幻舎)を発表。主な個展に2020年「前我我後」GALLERY X BY PARCO (東京)、2022年「distance」BOOK AND SONS (東京)、「GAGA」PURPLE (京都)など。