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V11 Story I – Part 03

“Wouldn’t it be better to simply amputate it altogether?” I asked.

“If you won’t regret it, I recommend that option. That arm is like a malignant tumor. A foreign contamination within an otherwise healthy body. It’s likely benign, but faster to just cut it off altogether, no? But either way, we need to keep the woman out. You’ve gone to the spirit world too many times. Yusuke-kun and Kugutsu-kun were dragged into her realm because she used you as a medium. Let’s devise a more permanent solution for locking her out. You can contemplate amputation afterward.”

“I understand. I’m sorry, but please expedite the process.”

“Unfortunately, I can’t make any promises. We need specific items for the new procedure, and there’s the problem of obtaining them. They’re not always easy to come by.”

Faced with a bleak response, I gritted my teeth. I’d already regretted my decision countless times over. But now, I lacked the courage to make another choice.

Seeing my tense features, Mayuzumi smiled faintly. “That woman’s presence is a curse on the Mayuzumi clan. Rest assured, I’ll proceed with the preparations. You’ve prioritized other matters over these preparations thus far. Just hold on a little longer.”

“I’m counting on you, Mayu-san… I feel like I’m reaching my limit.”

Riiiiiiiiiiing!

The phone blared, interrupting my plea. Mayuzumi gracefully rose to her feet. She picked up the receiver herself, and after a brief exchange, a rare smile crept onto her lips.

“Ah, I see, it’s you. Perfect timing. Your predictions are likely accurate. I suspected this moment would arrive soon. It might not be off. We’ll be there.”

Click.

She hung up the phone and turned, her dress flaring.

“Let’s go, Odagiri-kun. I just received a notice. Unfortunately, you won’t have time to rest.”

“What kind of notice? We’re in a state of emergency. The scarlet woman is trying to reach me to get to you. We don’t know what will happen. And I need to look for Kotori-san. We need to secure her quickly. There’s no time to be taking a case.”

Around the same time I fell into a coma, Yagase Kotori set the facility ablaze and vanished. Her whereabouts were unknown. It’s uncertain what she was up to now. She declared her intent to become a pawn of the scarlet woman.

The scarlet woman was actively trying to seize Mayuzumi through direct means. It’d be reckless to take a case at such a critical juncture. However, Mayuzumi, to my surprise, shook her head.

“That’s precisely why we need to go and hear her prophecy.”

“…Prophecy?”

Mayuzumi flashed her usual smirk, and with amusement, delivered ominous tidings.

“A premonition about the death of Mayuzumi Azaka. The end of everything for you, and me.”

---

A bell chimed somewhere in the distance. The dark room was filled with faint smoke.

Sickly sweet, murky air clung to my throat. Thin silk sheets hung from the ceiling, their purple fabric softly illuminated from within, perhaps by light bulbs. Two types of tiles adorned the floor with intricate patterns. Shadows concealed the room, making it hard to grasp its full layout.

The apartment we entered, Mayuzumi and I together, felt like the home of a fortune teller. The overly theatrical space exuded mystique but also dubiousness. According to Mayuzumi, this staging was essential for conducting business.

A fortune teller intentionally sows seeds of doubt in the minds of visitors who aren’t important clients, providing an exit route. It’s up to the person to believe in both good news and bad news. People who believe too much will destroy themselves.

Soon, a woman emerged from the shadows at the rear of the room. Her satin garments billowed as she settled at the round table. Her sleek black hair swayed gently. Her bangs were long on the left side, covering one eye.

When her right eye met mine, my breath caught. Her pupils were bright gold, sparkling like stars. They didn’t seem human. More like celestial orbs crafted from some special colored glass.

With a smile, the woman spoke softly. “Sorry to keep you waiting, especially since I was the one who summoned you. But let’s keep apologies brief and save greetings for later. I called you here, because there’s something I need to tell you.”

“Cut the introduction short please. I may be a guest, but you won’t get any money from me. Just get straight to the point.”

Mayuzumi’s blunt words elicited a smile from the woman. She delicately rested her long nails against her cheek.

Mikage Tsubura, the oracle, delivered her message in a surprisingly cheerful tone.

“I regret to inform you, but you will die, Mayuzumi Azaka.”

That was the reason she had summoned Mayuzumi to her residence. She had seen Mayuzumi’s death through her future-seeing eyes.

“I’m already aware of that. You’re a little late to the party. Mayuzumi Azaka will be killed, no exception. It won’t be long for me.”

“If you’re already privy to this information, all the better. You’re certainly tough. Some people break into tears the moment I tell them. I’m glad we can keep this short and simple. In that case, allow me to provide you with some information you don’t have.”

Mikage produced a few cards and scattered them across the table. Ominous images littered the surface. A painted-over picture caught my eye. Some trick of the lighting seemed to make the distorted lines writhe eerily.

Two eyeballs resting on milky palms. Two hands raised in the air. A bewildered man.

And a girl with a missing left arm.

“What does this mean?” I asked.

“My, quite the intriguing reaction,” Mikage said. “Is this the companion I’ve heard so much about? I don’t think this should be shocking for a man with a demon inside his belly. He’s already experienced the worst card that fate can deal.”

“Odagiri-kun has always been like this. If you entertain him, we’ll be here all day. Just ignore him. So, what precisely are these?”

Mikage did not respond to her scathing remark. Without a word, she grabbed a card that featured a man in a suit standing frozen in the darkness, his mouth agape. She slid it in front of me.

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

Mikage slid another card in front of Mayuzumi. I peered at the illustration—a girl in a black dress, her lips curled into a vague smile. Her left arm was missing.

The wound appeared murky and indistinct. My eyes widened, my heart racing at the incomprehensible image. Words that felt surreal swirled in my mind.

Mayuzumi Azaka is destined to be killed.

It was ridiculous. There was no way it could be true. Unaware of my inner turmoil, Mikage smiled.

“We don’t know the specifics, but your death is set in stone. Well? Shocked?”

“Instead of fishing for reactions, how about you continue? I doubt you’re sharing my fate out of the goodness of your heart. Frankly, this free service feels rather unsettling.”

“That’s a bold claim. I’d love to say I’m not money-hungry, but I don’t have any excuse to offer. You’re right. I have no intention of rendering this service gratis.”

Mikage tossed the remaining cards featuring eyeballs on palms and two raised hands. Upon closer inspection, the hands appeared to be crushing something, with liquid oozing between the fingers.

“These… are my eyeballs,” Mikage said.

“Fascinating.” For once Mayuzumi sounded astounded.

Mikage’s lips curled up. She gathered the cards, stacking the ones depicting the eyeballs, hands, man, and girl into a single pile. Holding them between her fingers like a single card, she waved them around.

“Our deaths are intertwined. Since all images are linked in some way, avoiding the one before or preventing the next would affect the others. In other words, removing one card could prevent any of the depicted scenarios from unfolding. I don’t want to die. Therefore, I’ll assist you. And in turn, you will help me.”

She was seeking cooperation, but fixed Mayuzumi with a provocative stare.

Mayuzumi shrugged. “I get where you’re coming from, but it’s a rather asinine request. You should know. Not once have your visions been avoided.”

“Oh, indeed. I’m well aware of that. But the destinies I’ve witnessed thus far belong to others. I can’t really judge the validity of someone else’s efforts to avoid them. It might be worth a shot.”

“Well, I’m not keen on surrendering myself to her either. I’ll accept my own death, but I’m not interested in being others’ amusement. I’m willing to collaborate, but I have one question.”

Mayuzumi pointed her black-nailed finger at Mikage’s left eye.

“You have only one eye, correct?”

Mikage nodded, lifting her left bangs to reveal a black leather eyepatch underneath. She removed it slowly. Her eyelid lifted, exposing empty eye sockets. Her left eye was gone. But the card showed two crushed eyeballs resting on pale palms.

The future depicted on the card was impossible. Still, Mikage shook her head.

“My left eye still exists. I need your help to erase it from this world.”

Her nonexistent eye still exists. A contradictory statement.

Mikage produced a new card. Examining it, we saw a piece of flesh on a plate. A chill ran down my spine. The lighting was exceptional, lending the image a grim quality.

It dawned on me that Mikage had invited us to her place as part of her act. She sought to arouse Mayuzumi’s interest.

Tracing the bloodstains on the plate with her finger, Mikage said softly. “This is an invitation. You’ll join me at a dinner party. A peculiar banquet for those courting death.”