3 bar menu

V10 Story III – Part 06

The forest rustled. Winter’s chill embraced me from the left, while the heat of flames engulfed me from the right.

I stared at Kotori. She was bowing, with her left hand on her chest. The light from the flames showed a gentle smile on her face. Her behavior was theatrical.

First the cat imitated the fox, and now the little bird was imitating the cat. It was a bizarre chain of events. By imitating the cat, Kotori had become something incomplete. What was she trying to achieve?

I sighed, but Kotori remained unfazed. She was still reverently holding my hand.

Suddenly, a window shattered from the heat. A small figure fell, screaming. They seemed to have jumped out to escape the unbearable heat. Human-shaped flames rolled on the ground.

Children writhed on the lawn, wailing, and the grass blazed. It was probably too late to save them. I watched the scene somewhat somberly.

It didn’t feel real. I stared at them as if I were witnessing the death of characters in a movie.

“Did you do this?” I asked. “Why?”

“Why, why, why. That’s all you ever ask, cutie. I get it, though. You are the ultimate spectator here. If you can’t do anything, you’ll start asking questions. People often seek explanations in art galleries. What’s this? What’s that? It’s good to be curious about things you’re not familiar with. Except, for you, curiosity is a dangerous tendency.”

Kotori sneered. She gently placed a kiss on my fingertips. Then, she wiped her lips off. She let go of my hand and started dancing.

The reflection of the flames made her cloak burn crimson. I spotted another shadow dancing nearby.

The pale ghost of a child was running around, his jovial behavior reminding me of a dancing fairy. In the darkness, his silhouette was clearer than ever before. There was nothing to fear anymore. The residents of the kingdom, except for the departed and the witch, had all burned.

“Can I ask you a question? It’s been one confusing thing after another. To be honest, I’m seriously doubting my sanity right now.”

“I know you are, cutie. I can see it in the blank look in your eyes. Very well. I’ll answer your questions. I wanted to become the cat. She burned down the school, and this is just a crude imitation. I gathered the children in the cafeteria and set it on fire. That’s number one. Number two…”

She took a deep breath and stared at me with cold eyes. Her face was more contorted than ever.

“This place is very similar to the academy.” There was venom in her voice. “Greedy adults who live only for money, brats who kill others without hesitation. A stupid mansion that prevents anyone from going outside. It’s ridiculous. Why does a place like this still exist? Burn, burn! I want everyone to burn to ashes. Burn, burn, burn, burn, burn, burn down everything!”

She laughed shrilly. Spreading her cloak wide, Kotori twirled around. As I watched her, something became painfully clear. Her scars were too deep.

She had not moved on from the cat incident.

“Number two: a regrettable good news. I wanted to become the cat. I have to become what I fear. If I don’t, I’ll never be free. But you scorned my efforts and called me an imitation.”

She froze, regarding me with crystal-clear eyes. Her face was devoid of emotion.

Cocking her head sharply, she said, “I might actually become a cat.”

“No way. That’s absolutely impossible,” I asserted.

That could never happen. Jingu Yuri was the only cat I knew. No one else could become her.

Kotori’s expression remained firm. “Do you know about the spirit world, cutie?” she said softly, as if sharing a secret.

“H-How do you know about that?”

A chill ran down my spine. She shouldn’t know about that place. Ordinary people couldn’t perceive the spirit world.

Kotori smiled, not answering my question. Drawing nearer, she extended her pale arm. Her forefinger touched my lips. She pried my mouth open, and sharp nails pressed against my tongue.

“For a while, I was forced to eat red flowers, things that had been altered by the spirit world. Not that it had any particular effect… until recently, when I came into contact with the scarlet woman.”

“…The scarlet woman?”

My vision blurred. I knew about her. Or not. A baffling urge clawed at my mind. I should know about her, so I had to recover my memories.

A horrifying restlessness engulfed my entire being. Unfounded speculation burned my mind.

Was I in a remarkably precarious situation? To begin with, everything about the current situation was downright absurd.

I tried desperately to move my legs, but to no avail. It felt as if my limbs were bound.

“For starters, I’m thinking of becoming her hands and feet,” Kotori went on. “She will need a physical body in the real world. Oh, wipe that baffled look on your face. I just said something threatening to you. Well? You’re not here. What do you think? What will you do when you see me?”

Kotori extended her hand. As it neared, I felt a distinct sense of revulsion. Her empty hand seemed like a dreadful weapon. My heart pounded incredibly fast.

I was afraid of the scarlet woman. Kotori said she would become her hands and feet, and that terrified me. I didn’t want that woman, who dwelt in the spirit world, to gain real limbs.

She touched my belly softly, and all the hair on my body stood on end. In the next instant, her hands vanished.

“…Huh?”

Blood spurted from the gruesome cut. There were teeth marks on it. Her hand had been bitten off at the wrist. Warm blood soaked my body. It took me a few seconds to understand.

Something in my stomach had apparently eaten her hand. I didn’t feel any pain, nor hear any voice. Although she was gone, I could still see the effects before me.

Puzzled, I wiped away the blood on my face. Kotori took a step back, swinging her torn arm up and down.

She fixed her gaze on me. “I knew you would do this,” she spat.

Thud.

Kotori fell face first on the ground. I snapped back to my senses. Blood spread beneath my feet.

The winter wind and the heat of the flames brushed against my cheeks. I stood rooted in the darkness.

Blackened remains lay scattered on the ground. Their backs were still burning gently.

The acrid odor of burning flesh tightened my chest. The ghost had disappeared, and Mayuzumi was nowhere to be found. Kotori kept bleeding as she convulsed.

There was no living thing here besides me. Then, a fundamental question popped in my mind.

Was I really here?

“What the hell is going on?!” I shouted in confusion.

No answer came. The image in front of me remained silent. It felt like being shown a ridiculous play. The images were fragmented and tied together poorly. And I was thoroughly manipulated.

First there was an extremely jarring feeling, and now everyone was dead. It didn’t make any sense. Rapidly, I began denying the situation.

Yes, it’s impossible. This can’t be. Everything about this is not right.

Even a mere spectator had the right to resist.

“There’s something wrong here,” I mustered.

Tears spilled from my eyes. My tear ducts erupted, flowing down my cheeks and onto my left hand. They appeared vividly red. Blood trickled down between my fingers, fingers as slim as a woman’s.

“This isn’t right,” I mumbled, closing my eyes.

And then, I opened them.

---

Riiiiiiiiiiiiing!

“…Huh?”

The phone rang loudly, rocking my eardrums. I paused from my cleaning. Clad in leather gloves, my left hand tightly gripped a damp rag. A few droplets of water fell onto the floor.

I surveyed the office curiously. It smelled sweet. Mayuzumi lay sprawled on the leather couch, adorned with black feathers. Her eyes were closed. Her motionless figure almost resembled a corpse. Despite the insistent ringing, she remained still. Reluctantly, I rose from my crouched position.

As I approached the phone, I abruptly stopped. My fingers were quivering. I slowly picked up the receiver, pressing it to my ear.

Before the caller could speak, I said, “I apologize, but we have to decline.”

Click.

I swiftly hung up. My heart was pounding out of my chest. A few moments passed in silence, but the phone remained quiet. I retreated from the device with shaky legs.

Gripping the rag once more, I vigorously scrubbed the floor, slowly tidying up the office.

Nothing had changed around me. The office was filled with peace and quiet. Days passed, more tranquil as ever before. I didn’t care if it was forced. I wanted it to go on.

I held onto that sentiment. Mayuzumi opened her eyes.

“Odagiri-kun, what was that phone call just now?” she asked languidly.

My breath caught, and my mind went blank. What was that call about? I thought hard before giving an answer.

“It was a wrong number.”