V5 Story III – Part 02

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Translator: Kell


Words popped into my mind.

Copycat crime.

But only very few people were privy to the details of the incident. Even Asato’s followers would not know anything.

How was she able to imitate him, then?

I thought long and hard about it. I felt the urge to smoke. As my fingers moved, my gaze went down to the floor—to the object that had fallen from the envelope.

It was covered in red petals.

The moment I picked it up, my vision turned red.

My stomach burned. My throat hurt. My belly squirmed. Rage blazed in my guts, making my fingers tremble.

A lovely, wooden brooch in the shape of a small bird.

It was split in half.

Revolting. Self-gratifying mischiefs are sickening, period.

Do humans mean nothing to her?

The brooch broke apart. I put the chips of wood on the table. Pieces resembling cookies lay scattered next to the hot chocolate.

Mayuzumi picked up a red petal and glanced at me.

“Well then, Odagiri-kun. What’s your plan?”

“I’m going. I have no other choice but to go. I have to save Kotori-san. She might just be imitating the fox, but she’s trying to do the same thing as him. The childish game must be stopped.”

I touched my belly. I would need her help depending on the situation. Uka purred in delight.

Papa, I heard her say.

“What about you, Mayu-san?” I asked.

Mayuzumi was silent. She gave me a surprised look.

Moments later, a chuckle escaped her lips. She brought the petal she picked up to her lips and kissed its arched tip softly.

“I’m going this time,” she said. “I’m not going to get dragged into these silly little games over and over. I don’t have time for childish games. If someone else took over writing the fox’s tales, I’ll have to read it, even if I don’t want to, and tear the book apart.”

A wet tongue slithered under the petal.

Wearing a bewitching smile, Mayuzumi went on, “The story resumes.”

There was a sweet scent, and the smell of iron.

Red glowed against pale skin. She licked the flower.

“After every beginning, there is only an end.”

Red petals crumbled between her teeth. It smelled rich and thick.

And Mayuzumi ate the flower.


The place was located in the mountains of Nago City.

From the office, we took the freeway west, and, using the map, headed for the mountainside. A small Western-style house stood among the trees, with a huge greenhouse next to it. I looked at the map to check if it was the right place. Memories from June replayed in my head.

We took a right turn on the same road that I had taken with Higasa. We had been to a Western-style house nearby. The atmosphere of this house was similar to that burned-down mansion.

It was like a haunted house, solemn and profoundly silent.

A backup location.

What if the fox had this place built as an alternative? It was very likely that he was waiting here while Higasa led me to his trap at the other mansion.

But how could anyone else know of its location?

The mansion stood silently under the dazzling blue sky. I swallowed. As I stepped forward, I felt a poke at my back. I turned around and saw Mayuzumi holding her parasol.

“What are you doing, Mayu-san?”

“Take a good look at the map. The map is not pointing to the house.”

The tip of the red parasol moved from the mansion to the building next to it.

Crimson shimmered behind the clear glass.

“It’s the greenhouse.”

It resembled a spider’s web, with its black, ornamented frames and glass panels. On the other side of the glass was a cluster of red, pulsing as if alive. Layers of thick petals reminded me of exposed flesh.

It smelled thickly of iron. The child in my belly stirred.

The red flowers were born from the dead.

I led the way through the door. The soles of my shoes touched water.

Splash.

There was a thin layer of water on the ground, mixed with soil and fertilizer. Red petals flowed like little boats over the surface. The greenhouse was filled with rich vegetation. Red flowers were densely clustered under fully-grown trees. Between the plants were narrow paths filled with water.

Clank.

I heard the door being locked behind us. But we didn’t turn around.

We continued deeper inside the building.

Splash, splash, splash.

It sounded like a child was playing with water. The ripples grew louder. We proceeded onward, following the sound, until we arrived at an open space. In the small circular clearing was a cabriole-legged table and chair. Cups, saucers, a pitcher of milk, and some tea cakes sat on the desk.

The cat was sitting there.

“You’re here.”

She turned and smiled. A loose black dress covered her body, and her cloak hung over the chair. A cat mask concealed her face.

Her lips curled up gently. She welcomed us whole-heartedly.

A pale girl was lying at her feet.

Her long hair was fanned out in the water. Thick bandages were wrapped around her thin wrists, and her sheer, wet negligee was stuck to her body. Lying there in the water, she looked as if she were floating in a river.

Her figure brought Ophelia to mind.

A woman who descended into madness because of grief and drowned.

“Are you okay, Kotori-san?!”

Ignoring the cat, I scrambled to the girl and lifted her body up. Water dripped from her hair. Her body was thin but heavy like a corpse. Her skin was cold.

Her eyes were not looking at me.

Light-brown eyes stared at the glassy sky.

Petals fell from her mouth. Torn red flowers whirled.

Then it hit me. Her mouth was moving rapidly. Every time her jaw moved from side to side, I saw white teeth and the color red.

Her teeth clattered. She was munching on something with her eyes wide open.

A chill ran down my whole body. I put my finger in her lips and forced her mouth open.

“Kotori-san, what did you eat?”

A clump of red flowers fell from her upper jaw.

Liquid leaking from the flowers trickled down. The reddish-black clump looked like flesh. There was real flesh and blood mixed in. The wounds on her tongue suggested she had bitten it with her teeth.

Kotori grinned.

There was no delight in her broken smile.

She was just sneering.

“Please don’t ignore me, cutie,” the cat said. “I can understand your concern for the young lady, but women are jealous creatures by nature. I’d like to have your company.” Her voice was grating.

I gently set Kotori down. She lay on her back like a doll with her eyes open. I stood up and turned to the cat. Her legs were crossed, her cheek in her hand.

She grinned like a Cheshire cat.

“I haven’t had a chance to talk to you guys yet.”

I slammed my fist into her face.

The cat’s mask cracked, and the chair toppled. Yuri fell, holding her stomach, and skidded across the water. She stopped when she hit a brick. Breathing heavily, she struggled to get up.

I rushed toward her and grabbed her by the collar. Her lips were bleeding, her cheeks swollen. The cat regarded me with a surprised look.

“I’m not interested in talking to you,” I said, raising my fist. “What did you do to the girl?”

“Oh, now this is a surprise. I didn’t expect you to hit a woman,” Yuri replied. “Am I correct in assuming that it’s because you think of me as a monster and not a human being?” Her face contorted into a grin. “That makes me happy,” she muttered with genuine delight.

I dropped my hand and let my boiling head cool down. But I kept my hold on her collar.

“The game is over,” I said. “We’ll talk later. Let’s get out of here.”

I started walking. Like a cat being pulled by its owner, she didn’t resist as I dragged her away.

“A curse prevents the princess from leaving the glass coffin,” she suddenly murmured.

It sounded as if she was reciting a story. I stopped in my tracks.

I looked over my shoulder and saw a crooked smile on Yuri’s face.

“Once she steps outside, she will stop breathing.”

Our gazes met. I looked at Kotori.

Lying on the ground, she reached out a hand, wrapping her fingers around a red flower.

The flower snapped.

“You’re lying,” I said.

“Feel free to test it out.”

Yuri and I glared at each other. Moments later, I let go of her.

Yuri rose slowly. She put a hand on her chest and bowed.

“Thank you for coming, cuties,” she said. “Please accept my warm welcome.”

“Odagiri-kun,” said a clear voice.

Mayuzumi was sitting in a chair; I didn’t even notice her move. Legs crossed, she munched on a chocolate cookie. There was a card on her fingertips.

The white card came with the plate, it seemed. She flipped it up and held it to the sky.

“I see,” she said. “So this is the kind of game you’re playing.”

Mayuzumi flicked the card away. I caught it before it landed on the water.

The card contained a story. I read the blurry text.

“Once upon a time, there was a pitiful princess.

She was trapped by flowers, waiting for help for a long time.

Like Sleeping Beauty, who spent a hundred years asleep.

Like Rapunzel, held captive by a witch.

She made a wish to the witch, and a curse befell her.

A curse that prevented her from leaving the glass coffin.

If she stepped outside, she would stop breathing.

The coffin door remained closed, covered in red flowers.

Who will break the curse?”

“What do you think, dear reader?” Yuri finished.

She watched us with her fingers interlaced behind her.

Moments later, she shook her head. “Ignoring a girl hurts her feelings. I’d appreciate it if you’d be a little more thoughtful. I like to fool around, but I don’t want to be treated like a clown. That’s it for the rules. Please do your best to save her. Otherwise it wouldn’t be worth it for the organizer.” She bowed once more.

Even without her cat mask, her eyes still glowed like those of an animal. Mayuzumi turned the card with her fingertips. The image of a cat spun round and round.

Mayuzumi stopped. “Sounds like a very lax condition compared to what the fox gave. He gave three choices: leave, kill, or kill yourself. But the conditions you set are a little different. What exactly are you plotting, pretending to be the fox?”

Yuri smiled. A bright, feline smile appeared on her face.

She held her head high. Like an actor on stage, her voice carried sonorously.

“I want you to think about it. I have no reason to impose death upon you. A little bit of modification is fine, no? I am merely an imitation,” she admitted. “I’d appreciate it if you could overlook a few flaws. After all, I am a novice.” She bowed again.

Placing her hand on her belly, she smiled. Mayuzumi watched her with narrowed eyes.

“What are you?” Mayuzumi asked.

The cat laughed. Laughed in genuine happiness.

“Cats serve as foxes’ messengers. They are monsters that understand monsters.”

Her twisted smile was very similar to Asato’s.


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