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V12 Story I – Part 03

Suddenly, the image of the girl who was killed on the island resurfaced in my mind. She was the first to wear that kimono covered in the ashes of burned people.

I never knew what kind of person she was. Doll-like in appearance, she was killed in Mayuzumi’s place. But did she have her own will? I shook my head to rid myself of the thoughts.

It was too late for sentiments. I thought nothing of her death back on the island.

Perhaps due to the experience of being killed tens or hundreds of times in my nightmare, I had become desensitized to death.

The same went for Aya’s death. The old me would have been paralyzed with grief. I would have been crushed by the fact that she died protecting me. But now I lived my life naturally. I breathed, ate, and slept as if nothing had happened. Even though she was dead.

Would Aya be angry, calling me heartless for living like this? I doubt it. She would likely smile brightly and say it was fine. That thought made me incredibly sad. Just unbearably heartbroken.

I stroked my left arm softly. Feeling only sadness was a coward’s escape. Others had died too. Mikage, whose eyes were gouged out. And Kotori, whom I murdered.

Despite taking lives, I didn’t change at all. I had fed others, even offered my left arm, yet I still lived the same life. All the while babbling about how I felt sad.

I didn’t grieve over killing Kotori. I certainly regretted it. There had to be something more I could’ve done before things reached that point. But that was all.

If time could be rewound, I would still kill her. Over and over again.

Just as she chose to become a monster and, with her last shred of dignity, screamed for everyone to die, I chose to kill her. Tsutomu Odagiri was a murderer. I had no choice but to carry that burden. If hell was real, I would be a resident.

“What do you mean by ‘how about you’?” Mayuzumi’s voice brought me back to reality. “You need to be more specific.”

“I mean Sadashita. I just bumped into him at the door.”

“Oh, that. I had forgotten. We received an ultimatum from the branch family.”

That wasn’t something to be forgotten. As if hearing my unspoken remark, Mayuzumi smirked. She rummaged through the items on the table, tossing aside an empty box she grabbed by mistake.

“The branch family has no intention or means of opposing the scarlet woman. Their plan is to offer me as a sacrifice to appease her. However, they’re not heartless. They said that if you and I have the will and means to resist, they will wait for us to act for the sake of the Mayuzumi clan. They’re essentially telling me to deal with the scarlet woman. What an unreasonable demand.”

Mayuzumi spoke with a strangely amused tone. The branch family’s reaction seemed novel to her.

The Mayuzumi clan’s blind worship of her was clearly waning. Despite being treated now as an ordinary human, the former living god appeared to be in good spirits.

“So, Mayu-san. What’s our next move?” I asked, intertwining my fingers.

As I awaited her response, Mayuzumi casually popped a piece of chocolate into her mouth. Silence filled the room. Asato should be sleeping in the next room, but no noise came from there.

Yusuke, who had stayed here for nights out of concern for us, returned home yesterday. He didn’t say anything, but his leg must have been hurting. Unlike in my dream, he seemed unwilling to share his pain with others. Despite grappling with the loss of his leg, he made an effort to approach each day with brightness. It wasn’t easy to extend a helping hand to someone who showed such determination.

Hirugao liked his smile. For that reason alone, he continued to wrestle with himself.

It would be a prolonged struggle. But if he wished for it, I wanted to lend my support. I should be able to stand by his side, just as someone had been there for me.

While I was lost in thought, Mayuzumi suddenly moved, tossing her legs to the side. Her black dress shifted. She lifted herself up. The ribbons on her arms and legs rustled.

Mayuzumi faced me and began to speak slowly. “I have an idea. Let’s see how it pans out.”

Riiing!

The phone rang. Mayuzumi gracefully rose and moved to answer it. Without hesitation, she lifted the receiver, her ribbons swaying as she did. I watched her silently as she engaged in conversation.

A sense of foreboding gripped my chest. But even with the timing of the call, I wasn’t particularly surprised. Danger was a constant presence in our lives. Requests for Mayuzumi’s assistance arrived regularly.

“I understand. Very well. I will take your case,” she declared, without consulting me.

While the new case didn’t shock me, agreeing to it was another matter. Mayuzumi’s life was currently at risk. Prioritizing entertainment in such a dangerous situation was pure madness. I needed to stop her.

“Are you sure about this, Mayu-san?”

“An unidentified organ is going to fall from a building.” She abruptly placed the receiver down.

I was rendered speechless. That case was familiar, unforgettable even. Her maniacal words echoed in my mind.

“I loved my sister. Loved her more than anyone. That’s why I have to kill my sister. It’s my duty. That’s why I have to kill her. Did I tell you why? Well… Because I love her.”

I recalled the image of the white figure plummeting from the sky. All parts of her body should have fallen. Yamashita Kazue’s corpse had already jumped from the roof, successfully taking her own life.

What was happening? I sought an explanation with my gaze. Mayuzumi smiled coolly in response.

“This case is not a coincidence. And it might be a chance for us to strike back. Besides, I don’t see the problem. There’s no need to think about it too hard, Odagiri-kun.”

Mayuzumi reached for the parasol lying beside her. Red blossomed on her back. Twirling the parasol round and round, she spoke softly, almost singing.

“The fated time is near. This might be our last chance to do something trivial.”

Why would she say such a thing? Why would she say it like that?

Disregarding my displeased gaze, Mayuzumi continued to twirl the parasol.

“The final case of Mayuzumi Azaka and Odagiri Tsutomu,” she said with genuine delight.

---

I remembered the unbearable heat of that day, so intense it felt like my body might start to rot.

Under the blazing white sun, a crowd had gathered around the buildings where the organ had fallen. Amid the commotion, Mayuzumi alone was eating chocolate.

“It’s a uterus this time, apparently,” she had said. “It’s getting really interesting.”

Recalling the unpleasant stickiness of sweat, I wiped my neck several times. But nothing came off on my hand. It was winter now, starkly different from that sweltering day in every way—season, location, everything.

This incident with the falling organs had happened unexpectedly close to Mayuzumi’s office.

The slope in front of her apartment inclined gently from east to west, with the appearance of the district changing between the top and bottom. At the bottom, there was a quiet residential area centered around a shopping mall. At the top, backed by a mountain, were a girls’ high school and a girls’ university, surrounded by parks and plazas.

Beyond the tranquil area around the schools, the scenery changed drastically. To the east of the town stood a cluster of buildings excluded from redevelopment projects, too desolate to be called an office district. Although many people came and went, the area was enveloped in a steady silence both day and night.

Even there, red petals fluttered in the air. The sight of petals floating among the gray buildings was almost magical.

Mayuzumi and I stopped up the slope. Standing side by side, we looked up at our destination. In front of us stood two dilapidated buildings, similar in appearance, like twins.

Because of the incident, the surroundings were eerily deserted. It was good for us, but they gave off an inexplicable sense of dread. We stood alone on the road.

One building was vacant. It used to be a multi-tenant building, but a fire in the first-floor restaurant had closed it down. The damage to the building was less severe than the human casualties. The back door had been blocked with supplies, trapping many employees when the fire broke out at dusk. It seemed like the kind of incident that would intrigue Mayuzumi, but it was unrelated to this case. The other building still housed a designer’s office but had temporarily ceased operations due to the creepiness of the incident.