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V11 Story I – Part 04

“A dinner party with no return ticket, hosted at a mansion on an isolated island, huh? Sounds too good to be true, doesn’t it?”

Against the backdrop of roaring engines, Mayuzumi adjusted her hat. The crow feather danced wildly in the sea breeze. I felt anxious about the fragile ribbon tearing and the hat possibly being blown into the sea, but I kept quiet. Restless and craving a cigarette, I tapped the hard floor with my toes.

There was no turning back now. I surveyed our surroundings, encircled by the sea.

We stood on the cruiser’s deck, the only passengers on the boat from the island. They said the other guests had already arrived.

Mayuzumi’s porcelain finger pointed at my cheek. “So, what’s the story behind that mark on your cheek?”

“It’s from Shirayuki’s punch. Why?”

She burst into laughter. Ignoring her, I replayed the events from moments ago in my mind.

Even after my discharge from the hospital, Shirayuki remained in Nago City. After learning about the crisis from Mayuzumi, she decided to stay out of solidarity with an ally clan. Some of her attendants accompanied her.

As such, she didn’t expect to be denied to go to the dinner party, sparking an argument between me and her. Without an official invitation or the organizer’s consent, she couldn’t come with us. Eventually, she apologized and prayed for our safety. I didn’t want to go back. Not because I didn’t want to see her, but because I hated myself for making her cry. I never fail to worry her.

Breathing a sigh, I turned away from Mayuzumi and glanced back at Mikage standing at the stern. Today, she was dressed in male clothing—a white shirt and dark gray suit—looking plain lovely. She was silently staring at the sky, her golden eye reflecting the sunset’s fiery glow.

As the boat cut through the golden-hued sea, Mayuzumi suddenly joined me, pointing forward with her parasol before I could say anything.

“Look, we’re almost there.”

Leaning out, I spotted the looming outline of the island on the horizon. The cliff base of the island was frothy white, lush trees covering its tops. The forest extended to a sandy beach with a pier. I could see a house on the jutting cape.

“So that’s where the dinner party is hosted.”

As we neared the island, its true form became clearer. The mansion, exposed to the sea breeze, was decaying.

Its red walls, covered in vines, were stained a dirty white. Bird droppings, perhaps. The eroded bricks made for a dangerous condition. The hexagonal tower was missing its roof. After the former owner’s death, his daughter and servants resided there, and tonight, the mansion would host a dinner party.

A peculiar banquet for those courting death. And someone there had purchased Mikage’s eye.

“My eye was preserved and turned into an ornament,” Mikage had said. “And it seems like the man who bought my eye plans to eat human flesh and die.”

What she said was difficult to process, but at the same time, I was all too familiar with this type of situation. Wearily, I thought back to what Mayuzumi said earlier.

On this island, there was a girl who served human flesh. From the time her father was still alive, dinner parties were held every night, and even now, the immortal girl continued to offer her own flesh.

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“Welcome and farewell to all, whether old acquaintances or newcomers. Please enjoy the next few days in peace, and may you find happiness to the fullest.”

With these venom-laced words, the young hostess—a girl—smiled. Furrowing my brow, I looked up at her as she stood atop the staircase of the dim foyer.

Gracefully, she pinched her skirt and bowed, revealing sickly pale feet peeking out from beneath her red skirt. The dark wood around her made her seem as if she were floating in the abyss. Her chestnut curls stirred as she flashed a childish smile.

I thought back to the name written on the invitation—Yuuyami Towa. She was both the guest of honor and the main course of the dinner party.

She behaved as if she were playing pretend, but her eyes, cold and piercing, studied the guests below like she was watching flies gathering around rotten flesh.

“Though I’ve made some changes from my father’s time, you still grace me with your presence. Your sins run deep. I will do my best to entertain you.”

Her gaze, sharp as needles, scrutinized us—four guests and ourselves. I glanced at the others. A skinny old woman, what seemed to be a brother and sister, and a pale-faced, middle-aged man in a gray suit.

He occasionally glanced at us, particularly at Mikage. In response, Mikage smiled. As he opened his mouth, the girl continued in her theatrical tone.

“Unfortunately, I’m unable to serve meat to everyone simultaneously as before. Each night, one guest will receive their portion individually, brought to their rooms. The schedule will be shared later by the servants. Please look forward to your final dinner. Wouldn’t it be best if you hungered, thirsted, and eagerly waited until then?”

With a loving smile, she turned and traipsed up to the second floor, leaving the guests behind. I sighed in frustration. The thought of the girl being the main dish made my stomach turn. Towa, with her immortal body, offered her organs to the guests.

Both the giver and the receiver’s feelings were incomprehensible to me. I didn’t want to understand them either. The desire to consume human flesh was ridiculous to me. Why would people give in to such fucked up cravings? Such base desires had cursed the Mayuzumi clan.

I turned my gaze to the other guests, observing the faces of the flies swarming around human flesh, without any particular reason.

The elegantly dressed old woman tapped her foot nervously. The brother and sister were silent. The middle-aged man, walking with a cane, approached Mikage.

Without warning, he grabbed her shoulder, his dark face twisted with emotion.

“Mikage Tsubura? Why are you here?” he demanded, spraying spit. “What happened?!”

“That’s my question, Tatenashi. You want to die? That’s a good one. What happened to my eye? When I handed it over, you swore you would keep it for the rest of your life. You still have it, don’t you? If you don’t, I came here for nothing. Show it to me,” Mikage spat.

With trembling fingers, the man pointed to the brooch on his chest. My breath seized in my throat. The amber-colored glass contained a cloudy human eye. It rolled around.

“Hah, so you’re keeping it there,” Mikage snorted. “Surprising you haven’t been arrested.”

“I don’t wear it normally. It’s just for this island. But more importantly, what are you doing here?”

“It looks murky. Are you even treating it with care? If you don’t need it, you should just eat it instead of trying to preserve it for no reason. You’re wasting it.” Mikage clicked her tongue.

The man looked visibly hurt by her reaction, but his gaze was fixed on Mikage’s right eye. The fire in his eyes sent a shiver down my spine. Whether Mikage noticed his odd behavior or not, I couldn’t tell.

Mikage shrugged. “Well, it’s your business what you do with your purchase. But right now, my eye being safe is a bad thing for me. Could you please dispose of it?”

“Uh… sorry? What did you just say?”

“I said to throw away that left eye of mine. There’s no point in holding onto it!”

I was shocked by Mikage’s sudden outburst.

Mikage fixed a cold glare on the man. “Listen,” she said coldly. “That eye can no longer see the future, and is therefore worthless. The distinct color you all coveted is gone. That cloudy thing is nothing but refuse now. Don’t you get that?”

“Th-That’s easy for you to say, but this is the first esper body part that I’ve ever acquired. I can’t just discard it. B-But if you were to offer me your right eye, that would change things.”

“That could work in avoiding the future. But no matter how annoying this eye is, I’m not willing to lose my sight. Just hand it over. You came here to die anyway, didn’t you?”

“Your being here means you’re in the same boat. I don’t see the problem in giving it to me, then. Eating your eye will surely give me satisfaction.”

He abruptly seized Mikage’s arm, and I quickly stepped forward.

Ignoring me, the man said, “If you give me your eye, I’ll take care of you for the rest of my days! I’ll make sure you live comfortably. I promise! Let’s leave this place together, Mikage. You won’t die. Give me that eye right now.”

“Enough! Get away from her!”

I grabbed his shoulder, but just as I pulled him away from Mikage, he stumbled forward.

Turning around, I saw Mayuzumi with a closed parasol. She had jabbed him in the back of the knee with it. She stared irritably at the man as he crawled on all fours.

“What an annoying fellow,” she said. “Keep it down. You too, Mikage-kun. You’re jumping the gun. It would be easier to retrieve what’s yours at a later point. Besides, you can’t go home even if you wanted to.”