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V11 Story III – Part 01

In a field of flowers, a girl scattered crimson. Red petals swirled in the heavens and on earth, masking her figure.

Her slender legs disappeared into the flowers. She stood alone in the world of red.

Flesh melted, flowers bloomed. Deep red flowers blossomed.

In this world of red, realm of crimson, she smiled softly.

“The curtains close soon. Everyone gather around and pay close attention.”

As she bowed deeply, the flowers around her rustled in mockery. The writhing mass resembled flesh walls, the soft flesh of a woman, the folds of the stomach, and even the inside of a uterus. Gradually, the flowers engulfed the girl.

In the soft sea of red, she whispered, “The end of the beginning’s end is surely painful. Now, what will you do, cutie?”

She extended her arms, as if pleading for a hug. Soon, her voice was lost in the sea of flowers. Crimson surged, covering everything.

Only her high-pitched laughter rang high.

A gust of wind blew again.

The field of flowers vanished. After the crimson petals scattered, only a mundane town remained. There was no trace of red on the plain gray roads. And where the girl had stood, there was no one.

No one remained.

---

A few days after the night the city turned red, we found ourselves back at sea.

The salty breeze slapped against our cheeks, carrying a metallic tang. Each time the sticky wind brushed against my skin, I instinctively wiped my face with my palms. Yet, my fingertips came away clean. Strangely, though, my leather gloves bore stains resembling blood.

The dusk sky blazed with vibrant crimson hues. Our cruiser cut through the water beneath the unusually cloudless sky. A sense of unease gnawed at my gut. I straightened up and scanned our surroundings.

The people on the Mayuzumi clan’s vessel was different this time, a motley crew.

There was a handsome man with slicked-back hair, clad in a sharp suit. An elderly gentleman with gray hair, fiddling with his tie like he wasn’t used to it. A girl, doll-like in appearance, donning a black kimono adorned with a vermillion sash.

Beside them stood Mayuzumi Azaka and Mayuzumi Asato. The sight of these five seemingly disparate individuals sent shivers down my spine. I raked my fingers through my hair. They were all supposedly part of the Mayuzumi clan.

The young man represented the branch family. The elderly gentleman acted as a stand-in for the head. The girl in the black kimono was said to be the next Azaka. But their true roles remained dubious. I turned my attention to the elderly gentleman.

Though he resembled a good-natured, grandfatherly figure, his thick palms did not look like they belonged to an assistant, and instead betrayed a life more suited to wielding a gun than a cane. It wasn’t just him; everyone onboard exuded an air of mystery. I couldn’t shake the feeling of wanting to steer clear of them.

But I was trapped. Once more, I wiped my face. This time there was sweat on my leather gloves. Despite the biting winter wind, cold sweat kept pouring out of me. The iron-like scent of flowers, reminiscent of blood, lingered, refusing to dissipate no matter how far we sailed. I glanced at Mayuzumi, silently pleading for answers.

But she remained silent, her gaze fixed on the sky. Asato mirrored her silence.

It seemed I was the only one perplexed among this enigmatic group.

I hung my head once more, inhaling deeply before speaking to the final member of our crew.

“It won’t be long now, Aya.”

Aya trembled in my arms.

Ever since the night when red flowers filled the sky, she had reverted to a lump of flesh, stripped of her human form.

---

That night, the world turned crimson, then reverted to normal.

But in that fleeting moment, the boundary fractured ever so slightly.

The crimson flowers weren’t native to our world. Their sudden abundance caused the city’s boundary to shift. But balance was swiftly restored. The temporary upheaval left no lasting impact on the mortal realm.

Or so it should’ve been. But for those ambiguous beings of the boundary, it spelled doom.

Since she crumbled, Aya’s condition had worsened. Unable to endure the rapid merging of realms, she lost her form. I could vividly recall that moment, as if it were yesterday.

Her human form instantly disintegrated. I couldn’t shake the memory of someone liquefying like cheese.

Nanami remained surprisingly composed as she cradled Aya. She demanded explanations and solutions, but we excused ourselves and headed to the Mayuzumi clan, spurred on by Mayuzumi’s ominous words.

“If it’s like this here, then it’s already too late there.”

And so, we confronted the worst at the Mayuzumi estate.

Comparing the situation here with the sudden cascade of petals near the apartment, I finally understood the fox’s words.

“It’s worse over there, you know?”

The Mayuzumi clan’s mansion had been swallowed by flowers.

Its stone walls toppled, tiles strewn across the ground. Countless vines pierced through the building, leaving not even a semblance of its former shape. It resembled the carcass of an animal ravaged from within. All that remained were shattered bones, stripped of flesh and organs.

And in a way, that grotesque notion held true.

Multiple corpses entangled in vines emerged from the rubble. Their skulls were hollowed from the inside, vines spilling from their mouths like flower pots. Nurtured with human lives, the vines bloomed crimson. Countless gorgeous flowers exuded a sickening scent of blood.

Red petals, easily carried by the winter breeze, danced in the garden, cascading like a sudden shower or a blizzard.

And amid the suspended bodies and debris, she stood.

Kotori’s black cloak billowed as she gave a respectful and elegant curtsy.

“Greetings, familiar yet abominable guests. As you can see, the situation has escalated. Therefore, I propose something to you. A gesture of goodwill. My master needs more to appear on this side. Let’s have a talk. Perhaps a futile yet constructive dialogue, born of goodwill.”

Kotori flashed a twisted, cat-like grin.

She designated the isolated island as our meeting ground.

---

“If Kotori knows about this island, does that mean we were under surveillance from the start? But how? I didn’t see her around the whole time.”

“I’m not sure if ‘surveillance’ is quite the right word. But I can’t think of anything else to call it,” Mayuzumi said softly in front of the decaying Western-style mansion.

The structure loomed silently under the cloak of night. It had apparently been locked up tight ever since the Mayuzumi clan visited to retrieve the bodies.

But now, the door stood wide open. A sense of foreboding washed over me as I stared at the entrance.

Leaves had piled on the stairs. Despite the door being opened by human hands, there were no traces of anyone passing through. A contradictory sight that made my nerves twinge. But despite my unease, Mayuzumi pressed on.

“Let’s go. Follow me.”

“As you wish, Azaka-sama.”

Bowing deeply, the old man took the lead in front of Mayuzumi, his movements oddly spry. But despite his agility, he stumbled on the stairs. Swiftly, the girl in black moved in front of him and offered a helping hand. They went up the stairs together, like a granddaughter supporting her grandfather. But on closer inspection, it was clear the girl acted as a shield for Mayuzumi and the old man. A chilling revelation.

The Mayuzumi clan members were disconcerting, and ideally, I would have preferred not to accompany them. But Kotori insisted. She demanded three members of the Mayuzumi clan, along with Mayuzumi Asato and Odagiri Tsutomu, to accompany Mayuzumi to the island.

Minase Shirayuki was absent; she was waiting in a fishing village where we had changed ships.

That was as far as the rest of the Mayuzumi clan were allowed to go. Furthermore, if she received a call, she had to return to Nago City immediately. Her retainers who had descended the mountain with her were recently hospitalized. People who were traumatized by what Shiramine did fell ill as soon as they saw the red sky. They had never actually witnessed the summoning of a god, but the wounds they bore were deep.

Miyabi and Yukihito kept them company. After a discussion with Miyabi, Shirayuki opted to serve as Mayuzumi’s guard to repay her debt. Though truthfully, she probably wanted to be by her retainers’ side.

For Shirayuki’s sake, we needed to return soon. Adjusting the weight on my shoulder, I readjusted Aya in my arms. Aya was an outsider, like the baggage, but she received special permission.

The absurdity of the situation grated on my nerves, but for now, I had to be thankful.

I took a few strides forward and fell in beside Asato. He glanced at me from the corner of his eye.

“Can you hold off on that for later, Odagiri? I can’t muster any motivation in front of the clan.”

“I know that. Can you hold on a bit longer, Aya? We’re almost there.”

Aya quivered. She couldn’t even recreate a vocal organ. Stroking her gently, I resumed walking, when I felt a piercing gaze on the back of my head. I stopped. Looking over my shoulder, I saw the man from the branch family staring at me—no, his sharp gaze seemed to pass right through me and focus ahead.

I followed his gaze and saw Mayuzumi standing there. And past the red parasol…

“Hey, you made it.”

Kotori, mimicking the cat, sneered.