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V12 Story III – Part 03

I thought back to that day, and a vague pain returned in my left hand. Kugutsu had severed its fingers. Showing early signs of paralysis, it was replaced with flesh from the scarlet woman, who then used it to invade from the spirit world. I then fed the arm to my child, and received a new one from Aya, one that was flawless and moved perfectly.

I pressed my gloved left hand to my forehead and closed my eyes in prayer. Aya’s smile appeared in my mind before fading away. I could feel the pulse in my wrist, which filled me with sorrow. Biting my lip, I raised my head again.

Kugutsu was still looking away. I studied him and the smiling Maihime. Then I glanced at Yusuke, who was holding Yukihito. Maihime had acquired new legs through the fox’s abilities. Yusuke’s legs were supplemented with mechanical parts. Now that I thought about it, it was a very strange scene. We had destroyed each other’s limbs out of hatred and then given and taken them back. Yet here we were, gathered together as if nothing had happened.

It was, in all likelihood, a miracle. Maihime, Kugutsu, and Yusuke could have easily died. As Maihime said, the afterlife was too far away, and the dead were unreachable. I felt a surge of gratitude that the three of them were alive.

“Why the faraway look, Odagiri-san? You look like a grandpa watching his grandkids,” Yusuke said.

“It’s just… you three went through a lot.”

“A hell lot that I’m not sure exactly what you’re referring to, but yes, it was tough.”

“I just feel grateful that you’re all alive.”

For some reason, Yusuke looked exasperated. Kugutsu turned his face back to me, wearing an expression of confusion. Maihime tilted her head, puzzled. Did I say something weird?

“You haven’t changed a bit,” Yusuke said.

“For better or worse, you’re still the same,” Kugutsu added. “And that’s for the best. Though you might face difficulties because of it, I still think it’s a good thing.” His gaze was gentle despite his words.

Yusuke sighed deeply and pointed at me. “You should be thanking yourself, Odagiri-san.”

His words were perplexing. I hadn’t done anything. Everything was a result of their desperate efforts. Shirayuki stroked my head for some reason.

Maihime smiled again and picked up her iron mask. “It seems you’re unaware, but that’s fine. It gives us more reason to repay your kindness. I simply wish to return the favor we’ve received. I can’t entertain our guests properly yet, but I ask for your patience. Miss Mayuzumi doesn’t have much time. I must make necessary preparations quickly.”

“Preparations?”

“Yes, preparations.”

Maihime nodded confidently. Her white lace rustled as she turned back to her workbench. She held the mask before her face. Her smile changed to a thin, sharp one.

“We have made many puppets upon request, in all sorts of situations. Nowadays, most orders are for personal preferences, but quantity is power, and war is the tyranny of the majority. No one understands that better than a puppeteer. The true essence of a puppeteer lies in mass production, and I will show it to you.”

Still smiling, Maihime placed the iron mask on her face. Flames burst forth again from the tip of her blowtorch. It didn’t look like she would turn to talk soon. Staying here would only hinder her work. Shirayuki, Yusuke, Yukihito, and I decided to leave.

Kugutsu would remain in the workshop. He saw us off with a deep bow. I placed my hand on the thick door and pushed it open.

Creak.

The narrow adjacent room, which served as a boundary with the living quarters, had turned into a sort of storage room.

The barren room housed many puppets in progress. The sight of several puppets hanging from the bare walls reminded me of a factory displaying slabs of meat. I spotted a group of three girl puppets hanging together. Judging by their identical, thick-lipped faces, they were likely ordered by the same person. I averted my eyes from their exposed ribs.

“So what’s the plan, Odagiri-san?” Yusuke said. “Should we go back? Are you concerned about Mayuzumi Asato?”

I started to nod but then stopped. Asato had returned alone to Mayuzumi’s office after we met up with Maihime. Just before I lost consciousness, he had looked at me with eyes that had lost their will to fight. His gaze said he didn’t know what to do next.

I rubbed my stomach. Mayuzumi wasn’t here, yet my wound had healed, and the blood I lost had been restored. Someone had to have done something. And at the moment I lost consciousness, there was only one person present who could have healed my wound. I clenched my fist.

We helped and saved the person we hated. We were balls of inconsistencies.

“I’m not heading back,” I said. “I don’t think he’ll do anything now. It’s better he mulls over his situation alone than have us constantly watching him to see if he does something. He needs that time.”

Yusuke nodded. He clasped his hands behind his back and began walking.

“All right. In that case, there’s somewhere I wanna go. What about you? I don’t think Maihime will mind if we stay here. Do you wanna come?”

“Where to?”

Yusuke stopped. He unclasped his hands and turned to face me.

“To visit Hirugao’s grave,” he said easily, but with a hint of sadness.

Rustle.

A bouquet of white flowers was gently placed on the stone.

The lilies stirred in the cold wind. Stored in a florist’s case, they seemed to shiver in the winter air. Spring was near, yet today’s wind cut sharply. Still, the clear blue sky hinted at the promise of warmer days.

We had taken two buses from Maihime’s mansion and hiked up a mountain path in an old part of town for an hour. At the end of the trail lay a surprisingly large cemetery, centered around an old, seemingly forgotten temple. We stood in front of a small gravestone nestled deep within the grounds.

White smoke drifted from the incense. The small gravestone was unmarked. Shirayuki clasped her hands in silent prayer before the grave blanketed by a bed of pebbles. Yusuke, having placed the bouquet, pointed into the distance.

“Over there, much farther ahead.”

Where he pointed, rows of nameless gravestones stretched out. Amid the gray stones, a few people moved like shadows, visiting the graves out of season. The closer to the cemetery’s entrance, the more graves with inscribed names, often larger and more ornate.

“There’s a family grave of the Karakuri clan,” Yusuke said quietly. “But Hirugao wasn’t included and wouldn’t have wanted to be. So, she’s here. I wonder how they managed the paperwork. The caretaker monk is apparently an esper, so maybe he forged it. They say he’s lived for hundreds of years. Who knows if it’s true.”

Yusuke lowered his hand. I looked around again.

The cemetery’s paths were bordered by bright green hedges. A refreshing breeze swept through. This place felt isolated from the real world, much like the homes of espers rejected by society. But here, that separation felt beneficial.

A soft silence enveloped the cemetery. It seemed a good place to rest. I thought about the child’s bones still in the urn and wondered if I could create a grave for her here. I should do it before anything happened to me. She needed a place where she could rest in peace.

“Honestly, I thought I’d keep Hirugao’s bones with me forever,” Yusuke muttered, crouching down. “But I knew it wouldn’t be right.”

He quietly clasped his hands, and I did the same. A strong wind blew, sending the white smoke into the light blue sky. The water in the basin rippled. After a long silence, Yusuke opened his eyes.

“Would that really be so bad?” I said.

“Don’t you think it’s wrong?”

“Yeah, it’s wrong. You’d never be able to move on that way.”

Yusuke agreed, looking at the grave with a calm expression.

Grabbing my left arm, I continued, “It doesn’t mean we forget them. We have to say goodbye. We have to part to remember their smiles when they were alive. We have to accept that they’re gone.”

Yusuke nodded again, slowly processing my words before speaking.

“When people die, they turn to bones. That’s true. But we can’t cling to those bones forever. I think I finally realized that. Hirugao’s skull wouldn’t sing or smile. And that’s okay. If I had clung to Asako and Aki, it would’ve been wrong too.”

Yusuke shook his head, stood up, then faced the grave.

“I’ll come again, Hirugao,” he said softly. “I’ll… keep hanging on from now on.”

He clenched his fist. The pain in his leg would never go away. The gruesome memories would continue to haunt him. I closed my eyes again, wishing for peace for those around me. I hoped that at least those I knew would find happiness. But that was a difficult wish. Yusuke’s struggle would last until his death.

Simply living could sometimes be very challenging.