This is the sixteenth chapter of the Banana Fish manga.
Summary[]
Ash is forced to make a difficult decision when he watches a drug induced Shorter attempt to kill Eiji.
Plot[]
Ash watches in horror as Shorter begins to react drastically to Eiji's presence. Ash recognizes Shorter's behavior as being similar to how Griffin had been years earlier. Abraham sees how Ash recognizes what Shorter is going through and admits that Shorter was given Banana Fish. The announcement right away horrifies Ash, Max, and Ibe but things only become worse when Arthur pulls Eiji forward and urges Shorter to kill him.
Almost immediately, Shorter takes out his knife and begins to advance on Eiji. Arthur frees Eiji from his bindings and tosses him a knife to use. Picking up the knife to use in defense, Eiji tries to get through to Shorter but is unable to. Shorter takes a swing at Eiji who is able to dodge at Ash's instruction. Despite this, Shorter was able to cut Eiji's arm. Ash tries to deal with Arthur about taking his life in exchange to letting Shorter and Eiji go but Arthur refuses as he wants to see Ash suffer.
Shorter manages to get another swipe at Eiji's chest. Seeing the Japanese man isn't fighting back, Arthur urges him to do so or else Shorter will end him sooner than expected. Ash continues to try to get through to Shorter, but Abraham makes it clear that nothing he says can get Shorter to stop as suggestion under Banana Fish is too strong for him to ignore. Having gotten Shorter to believe the only way he'll be free of his constant terror and pain is to kill Eiji, Abraham admits that he lied and that Shorter will forever be trapped in the state he's in now, similar to Griffin.
Warning Eiji that Shorter if left-handed and should therefore swipe to his right, Ash starts to breakdown as he watches his friend's fight. In an observation room, Dino and his guests are watching everything take place. He asks the senator for his thoughts so far as well as his potential interest of using Banana Fish that could get strangers and family members to turn on one another. Before giving his thoughts, the senator asks if there is an antidote. Dino answers that there isn't.
Arthur gives Shorter the order to cut out Eiji's guts. Shorter starts making his way to Eiji but suddenly stops when Ash calls his name. In a possible moment of clarity, Shorter pleads for Ash to kill him and end his suffering. When Shorter starts falling back under Banana Fish, Arthur places a gun on the ground and warns Ash that there is only one bullet available to use.
Shorter disarms Eiji and Ash's chains are given enough slack for him to reach for the gun. He fires and hits Shorter in the chest, killing him instantly. Everyone is stunned by what has happened as Arthur right away gloats how Ash killed his best friend. He continues to savor Ash's pain as the younger teen is hoisted back into place and Eiji is captured while yelling at Abraham to stay away from Shorter's body.
Abraham is especially grateful that Shorter's brain is undamaged and boasts to his brother how this will allow the research on Banana Fish to greatly improve. Hearing Abraham try to tempt his brother to join in the autopsy, Ash tries to prevent this but is forced to watch as Shorter's body is carried away with Alexis in tow.
Arthur continues to laugh at the situation while, in the hallway, Yut-Lung is shocked by everything he saw and he himself having found the whole thing cruel and terrifying. Yut-Lung quickly hides when Dino's men force Eiji out of the room and toward another location.
Ash weakly asks where Eiji is being taken and is terrified to learn that Eiji is planned to be put through all of the torture that Ash had gone through. While admitting that Ash had been strong enough to survive such pain, Arthur doubts Eiji would last very long. Further tormenting Ash, Arthur reveals that Eiji is going to be given Banana Fish and will be ordered to kill Ash. He wonders if Ash would be able to kill Eiji as Ash pleads for Eiji to be spared. Arthur promises to grant this wish but only after Ash is forced to watch Max and Ibe kill each other and after he is forced to kill Eiji.
In the observation room, the senator and colonel decide to go forward with their plans.
Characters[]
- Shorter Wong
- Ash Lynx
- Frederick Arthur
- Abraham Dawson
- Max Lobo
- Shunichi Ibe
- Eiji Okumura
- Dino Golzine
- Senator Kippard
- Yut-Lung
- Colonel Holstock