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V13 Story I – Part 02

We began shoveling food into our mouths, barely pausing to breathe. We devoured the sweet, freshly cooked rice, nibbled on the fragrant kinpira sprinkled with sesame seeds, and scooped steaming hotpot ingredients into our bowls. We sipped the rich broth, peeled shrimp, and bit into its tender flesh, followed by mouthfuls of pork and cabbage. After emptying our bowls, we went for seconds. Yusuke slurped up shirataki noodles while Nanami gulped down tofu. One by one, we cleared the dishes.

Sweet, rich, refreshing, sour, savory. Meat, vegetables, fish, rice. We kept eating what felt like an unlimited amount of food, washing it down with hot tea. It felt like every cell in my body was being rejuvenated. Of course, the speed of cell regeneration shouldn’t be affected by what you ate, but it felt as if everything I consumed was instantly turning into blood and flesh.

Finally, the last dish was gone. We each ate one piece of simmered eggplant, then set our chopsticks down.

Clatter.

Three pairs of chopsticks hit the table, and we all collapsed onto the tatami mat at the same time. No one spoke. We were too full to say anything.

Suddenly, in a trembling voice, Yusuke muttered, “I… I can’t believe we actually finished all of that.”

“Yeah,” I agreed. “It’s hard to imagine all that fitting into a human stomach.”

“Even I’m surprised,” Nanami said. “I guess if we really put our minds to it, humans can do anything.”

We felt like we had just survived a grueling battle. After conquering this culinary battlefield, we lay sprawled out on the tatami mat. As I stared blankly at the ceiling, the sweat on the back of my neck began to dry. Despite the heater being off, I was drenched. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes.

Yusuke’s somewhat somber voice broke the silence. “Maybe I should’ve just done this back then.”

“Back then? Which time are you… talking about, Yusuke? Sorry, but I’m so out of breath… I can barely speak.”

“You know, when… when I realized I’d never see Hirugao again… and caused all that trouble for you. Maybe I should’ve just kept eating and eating until I couldn’t move.”

“It probably wouldn’t have worked then. But it would’ve been nice if it had.”

“Yeah, maybe you’re right. Maybe that’s just how it is.”

“Yup. No point in thinking about it now. Sometimes, there’s just nothing you can do.”

“And you two… How can you talk so casually? Aren’t you in pain? Doesn’t it hurt?” Nanami asked.

“If you try hard enough, it’s surprisingly manageable,” Yusuke said. “Even a little girl can handle it if you have the fortitude.”

“Hush. Be quiet. Damn it. I’m scared to see my weight tomorrow.”

“Wait, you worry about your weight? At your age? Wow, girls are terrifying.”

“Go home, you barnacle. Why don’t you head back to your beloved ocean?”

“Why does ‘go home’ mean the ocean? What am I, seafood? Anyway, Odagiri-san.” Yusuke’s voice suddenly turned serious, cutting off our playful banter.

A heavy silence settled over us. We stared at the ceiling, quiet. It felt like we could lie here forever, like fish. But I broke the silence.

Closing my eyes tightly, I asked Yusuke, “What is it?”

“What are you gonna do now?”

Nanami didn’t say a word, but I could feel her waiting for my answer too. I took a deep breath and exhaled, my heavy stomach rising and falling with each breath. I clenched my right hand, feeling the scar from a burn—a burn I got from when I crushed a cigarette in my hand in Mayuzumi’s office. The pain was still raw.

I slowly opened my eyes. The familiar, slightly dingy ceiling came into focus.

Staring up at the warm light from the fluorescent bulb, I said, “I’m going to bring Mayu-san back.”

For me, that was the gunshot that signaled the start of the real battle.

---

“It should be possible in theory. Allow me to explain. At least there’s more hope than there had been with Orpheus when he went to retrieve Eurydice.”

Even I wasn’t exactly sure what I was saying. Comparing the situation to mythology already meant it was beyond human capability. Nanami and Yusuke didn’t respond immediately but turned to face me.

“Please continue,” they both said.

“Thanks. I’ll explain further. Mayu-san has vanished into the spirit world. But she isn’t dead.”

Unlike the past Mayuzumi Azakas, she opened a door to the spirit world herself to confront the scarlet woman and was subsequently swallowed by it. In the spirit world, the human body could transform in countless ways but would not be harmed. There, flesh was like clay.

After spending a considerable amount of time in the spirit world, I realized it was, in a sense, the furthest place from death.

In accordance with the laws of nature, those who arrived in the spirit world alive were denied the release of death.

Mikage Tsubura had prophesied Mayuzumi’s death, but that had proven inaccurate.

Even the prophecy that bound her was wrong. No, that’s not quite it. I closed my eyes and recalled the details of Mikage’s prophecy. She had slid a card across the table with her delicate fingers. The card showed a girl in a black dress wearing a vague smile, her left arm missing.

I pictured Mayuzumi’s body transforming into cherry blossoms. Mikage’s voice mingled with this fleeting, beautiful memory.

“This is you, Mayuzumi Azaka. It appears that shortly after this depiction, your physical body will vanish from this world. A scenario that, for all intents and purposes, spells death for a human being.”

Disappearance from the world was effectively the same as death for humans. That was all she had prophesied.

Just as she stated, Mayuzumi hadn’t actually died. She hadn’t crossed the absolute boundary between this world and the next. There was still a chance. As long as her body existed, it should be possible to bring her back.

“But time works differently in the spirit world. While her body might not die, her mind is another matter. Mayu-san’s mental strength is exceptional, but I doubt she could endure forever. She isn’t a full-fledged demon. We need to get to her as soon as possible.”

I needed to bring Mayuzumi Azaka back before her mind deteriorated completely.

Nanami and Yusuke shifted restlessly and looked up at the ceiling. Nanami silently searched the tatami mat. Yusuke handed her a cushion. She hugged it tightly like it was a stuffed animal. Yusuke then burped, and Nanami’s fist flew in response. A strangely calm moment passed. Just as I began to wonder if I even actually said what I said, Yusuke spoke.

“How do you plan to get to the spirit world?”

“What?”

“Mayuzumi-san is gone now. I’ve heard there are other ways to enter the spirit world, but you can’t commit mass murder or sacrifice people, can you? Are you planning to summon a large amount of foreign matter? That might be possible with the help of the clan head, but using human blood is risky. I doubt Yukihito’s god can do it either. Mayuzumi-san said that even if they multiply in number, the total volume doesn’t change, so that’s not an option. What’s your plan? Besides, there’s gotta be more. It’ll be tough.”

Yusuke’s rapid-fire questions stopped. I glanced at him. His clear eyes caught the fluorescent light.

“Stealing a treasure from under the scarlet woman’s nose is pure lunacy,” he added.

The scarlet woman appeared in my mind. She had shown respect to us, her enemies.

She had placed her hands on the road and bowed deeply, exposing her horribly mangled body while offering us a graceful smile. With her lips curled up, she had smiled, laughed, and sneered with benevolence.

The sight made me realize something. Demons are creatures that smile.

Mere mortals are no match for a being that looks down on humans with such immense compassion.

“You’ve already been through a lot, Odagiri-san. What’s your plan this time?”

“…”

“You’re rushing in again without a solid plan. Do you really think you will make it back?”

Yusuke’s tone was cold, pushing me away, yet there was a desperate edge to it, as if he was trying to hold me back. I thought back to the spirit world. I never wanted to return to that bloody place that resembled human organs. But Mayuzumi’s final smile lingered in my mind, that face I hated, telling me that Mayuzumi Azaka was gone. That the story was over.

I couldn’t accept such a stupid conclusion. I opened my eyes abruptly and stared into the void. I knew Yusuke had a point. Then, a question I hadn’t considered before came to mind. I was so preoccupied with what I wanted that I never really thought about it.

What did Saga Yusuke truly think of Mayuzumi Azaka?