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V12 Story II – Part 09

Until now, his actions had only led to the destruction of others. But Aya had given them new meaning for the first time. Could that impact have imprinted itself on the fox in the wrong way? He deluded himself into thinking he admired her final moments. Aya died with a smile for someone else. And now, here I was, facing death.

Could that explain the fox’s sudden actions? Were his meticulous preparations in the stack room and not the library influenced by wistful sentiments in his final hour? How did he perceive our past?

What did those days mean to Mayuzumi Asato? What did his life mean to him?

My thoughts spun in circles, yielding no clear answers. My guesses about the fox’s desires and Aya’s death seemed too far-fetched, likely just delusions. But if they were true…

How utterly ridiculous it would be.

If he thought her way of dying wasn’t bad, why didn’t he consider living his life like hers from now on? Aya, though struggling with her nonhuman nature, lived her life as herself.

Killing others, mocking them, becoming disillusioned, and losing sight of oneself.

And then she chose to live her life as Aya. Like a human, she stayed by someone’s side and tried to keep smiling.

“When will you ever get it right?!” I shouted.

I dashed past the shelves and slid behind the counter, lying flat on my stomach. I heard the sound of paper piercing the wooden counter. I searched for the chair used at the reception desk. Ignoring the heavy, wheeled office chair, I grabbed a folding chair, knelt down, and barely lifted it with one arm.

I listened carefully. I couldn’t hear much of the paper. He was probably trying to locate me. Since the paper was sharp, the wound on my right arm was already closing. Despite his efforts, the fox wasn’t that serious about killing me.

I peeked out and threw the chair. Papers swarmed it instantly. After confirming Asato’s location and the papers’ ability to automatically track their target, I crouched back down and formed a plan in my head. I couldn’t let Uka eat the fox, no matter what.

I had to find a way to break the stalemate. Though I managed to gather my thoughts, I wasn’t sure if I could move well. Once this was over, I planned to call Yusuke for help, but if he took too long, I might die. Nevertheless, I had to do this. I had no other choice. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes.

The situation called for composure, but my boiling thoughts wouldn’t stop. I kept thinking about the fox.

Mayuzumi Asato’s twisted life, driving others mad, was his own responsibility. That’s why only he could change his future. No one else could do anything about it.

Whether he wanted me to kill him out of malice or goodwill, the result was the same. I refused to be the one to end his life. Why should I be the one to attend his deathbed?

“This is the story of a certain fox,” he had always said.

He failed to notice a simple fact. Because of that, he kept trying to push his troubles onto others. It made me sick. He should be the one living his life crawling in the dirt. I had been doing that all along without him telling me.

I heard multiple steel pipes clattering on the floor. The chair was finally destroyed. Steeling myself, I took a deep breath and called out loudly enough for the fox to hear.

“Come out, Uka!”

With searing pain, my stomach split open. A mass of flesh burst forth and thudded onto the floor, warm amniotic fluid and blood splattering in its wake. The mass writhed like a caterpillar as it grew.

After the grotesque transformation, limbs emerged.

A girl of about fourteen tilted her head. “Papa?”

She seemed lucid now. Uka gazed up at me with her big eyes. Leaning close to her ear, I quickly explained the situation and what I needed from her. It was a gamble whether she would comply. I wasn’t sure how much intelligence the grown-up Uka possessed. As expected, she appeared puzzled.

“…Huh? …Hmm, okay!”

Nevertheless, she cheerfully nodded. Pushing me aside, Uka rose to her feet.

She probably intended to gently nudge me away, but I crashed into the counter behind me. My spine protested, the wind knocked out of me. Uka leaped onto the counter. I forced myself to stand. My knees buckled as I fought the urge to vomit from the pain in my belly.

Perched on the counter, Uka flashed a ferocious smile. Blood and amniotic fluid dripped from her black hair. Asato looked at me with a somewhat satisfied smile.

Uka opened her mouth wide. Hunger gleamed in her eyes. I hastily grabbed her arm to bring her back to her senses.

“Uka, please.”

“…Okay.”

Though pouting with dissatisfaction, Uka agreed nonetheless. The sturdy board warped slightly as she leaped off the counter and spun in the air. A swarm of paper pursued her. Uka dove into the black vortex herself. Countless papers tore at her simultaneously, resembling a swirling blender. Her pale skin rent, and the vortex turned crimson in an instant.

I didn’t expect her to do that. I swallowed hard. But she didn’t seem to feel any pain. She was giggling innocently. Her flesh wriggled and immediately knitted itself back together.

Crouched at the bottom of the vortex, Uka jumped and thrust her fingers into the ceiling with force.

As the tornado approached, she withdrew her fingers and darted toward the fox. He extended his arm to her, but when he saw the nearing vortex, he sidestepped. Uka, drawing the papers toward her, gradually shifted the fox’s position. She was executing a complex instruction flawlessly.

Seizing the opportunity, I pushed something out from behind the counter. My stomach gaped wide, blood soaking my feet with every step. Slowly, I made my way towards Asato. He turned to face me, and in the same instant, I hurled the heavy office chair toward him.

“Asato!”

Caught off guard, the fox tumbled awkwardly, his body sliding towards the entrance as planned.

I seized his collar and dragged him away, gritting my teeth. As soon as we reached the corridor, I slammed the door shut. Sheets of paper pierced the door behind me.

The corridor remained shrouded in silence. In the dim light, the fox and I faced each other.

“I win,” I declared, struggling to catch my breath. “No, it’s a draw. Asato, stop the papers.”

He gave a puzzled frown. Then, he sighed, exhaling sharply.

“I’ve said it many times, Odagiri, and I’m tired of repeating myself,” he said wearily. “Either you die, or I die. That’s all there is to it. That’s the only way to settle this.”

I clucked my tongue. I had expected as much. Once more, we found ourselves at an impasse. Uka’s rampage continued in the library. She was still drawing the attention of the papers.

Fleeing and meeting up with her later was an option, but I had lost too much blood. I wasn’t even sure I could walk away from this place. Leaving seemed impossible. But this was fine too. I took a deep breath.

The fox had hoped that we could’ve talked and gained answers before it came to this. So I dragged him out here so we could have a conversation.

“Asato, there’s something I need to tell you. What exactly were you?”

The fox furrowed his brow, clearly puzzled by my question. Why was I asking this question now? I was puzzled myself. But I had to say it. It was a simple fact that had long been forgotten.

Once upon a time, there was a fox.

The fox chose to live near humans.

Pretending to be human, it made two friends.

And the name of the human who believed they were a fox…

“You’re Mayuzumi Asato, aren’t you?”

Not fox. Not Mayuzumi Azaka.

It was none other than Mayuzumi Asato.

It happened a long, long time ago.

And the story still continues.