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V13 Story I – Part 09

Suddenly, I remembered a conversation we’d had once, in that closed-off apartment.

“There’s no point in killing you.”

“Is that really the case, though?”

“You have to repent yourself.”

Hurting the fox wouldn’t accomplish anything. He needed to regret things himself. He needed to find joy in life, even once, realize the weight of his sins, and continue to struggle through his terribly long life.

He wasn’t allowed to live in a casket. So I went on.

“You’re just Mayuzumi Asato. I will never forgive you. But you will come with me.”

Asato said nothing, his face as unreadable as ever.

Then, he muttered, “Get me out of here, then.”

“What?”

“As a start. If that’s what you want, do it, Odagiri Tsutomu.”

His eyes were cold. He didn’t even attempt to rise from his chair. Behind that icy stare, a quiet fury simmered, teetering on the edge of hatred. He was dead serious.

“Show me, Odagiri Tsutomu.” His voice was as cold as ice.

He was challenging me. And then it hit me: one wrong move and I could die. Closing my eyes, I fought to steady my breathing.

The hand holding Asato’s was slick with sweat. Trying to calm my nerves, I rubbed my stomach with my free hand. Uka had been in a deep sleep since the scarlet woman sealed her away. But now, perhaps sensing the tension, she stirred faintly. From deep within, I heard her small voice, something I hadn’t heard in a long time.

“Hmm, what is it, papa?”

“It’s nothing, Uka. Nothing at all… I’m just—”

I glanced around the room filled with Mayuzumi’s possessions. It looked like her private chamber, and it felt as if she might walk in at any moment. I closed my eyes, breathing in the lingering scent of chocolate. For a fleeting second, I almost heard her voice.

“Are you there, Odagiri-kun? You have to come right away when I call.”

She used to summon me at her whim. Everything that once filled her now-empty room was here.

I slowly opened my eyes, taking in the casket that held so many of Mayuzumi Azaka’s memories.

How stupid and infuriating it all was. All her personal belongings were here. But Mayuzumi Azaka was not.

Bones? Casket? The very idea made me sick. She wasn’t dead yet. And Mayuzumi Azaka wasn’t a god. She was a horrible girl, but she wasn’t some enigmatic, terrifying person.

“I’m just thinking how fucked-up this room is.”

I tightened my grip on Asato’s hand. His eyes widened, locking onto mine. He looked like he wanted to say something, but before he could, Uka’s murky voice cut through, hesitant but clear.

“Papa?”

“What is it, Uka?”

“Should I… destroy it?” she asked earnestly.

Asato’s eyes widened even further. I must have looked terrifying just then. I smiled anyway. To hell with all this.

But at that moment, I’d never felt clearer. With a wide grin, I said, “Yeah. Break it to your heart’s content!”

“Okaaay!”

In an instant, searing pain shot through me. Uka, now fully awake, burst out of my stomach like a coiled spring. Her pale body bounced like a rubber ball, growing larger with each spin. She flailed her lengthening limbs, sending blood splattering. Wood splinters flew as she tore through Mayuzumi’s belongings. My child, awake and moving for the first time in a while, seemed to be having the time of her life.

Her excited voice echoed around the room. “Is it really okay, papa? Is it okay to break it? Can I break it, papa? Can I?”

“Yeah, go ahead. Destroy it all, as much as you want. Just don’t eat anyone. That’s absolutely forbidden. And make sure not to crush me or this person. Can you manage that? Will you be okay?”

“I’ll… try my best!”

A white whirlwind tore through the room. Pottery shattered, a bear’s head flew off, and the piano splintered with a deafening crash. Curtains were ripped apart, ribbons fluttered wildly, and clothes were tossed about in the chaos. Gaping holes appeared in the walls and ceiling. Debris whipped past my cheek, but neither Asato nor I moved.

Amid the swirling dust, we kept staring hard at each other. Blood poured from my stomach, and my fingers started to tremble from the loss. I wasn’t even sure if Uka would really refrain from crushing us, yet we stayed rooted, hands locked in a grip that bordered on hatred. Uka turned into a cannonball, and with an explosive sound, the roof blew off.

The house groaned. A cut appeared on Asato’s cheek, and part of my ear was torn.

Even then, we didn’t budge. Foolishly, we just kept staring each other down.

Eventually, the walls collapsed outward. Above us, the clear blue sky came into view. A cold wind swept over me. I turned behind me to see the door fall inward, kicking up a cloud of dust. Standing in the hallway, covered in grime, was a maid who had somehow remained through it all. Her previously calm demeanor was gone, replaced by wide-eyed shock. She was frozen on the spot with her mouth agape. I pulled my eyes away from her and looked out into the garden.

The elderly gardener emerged from behind the bushes, looking up at the destruction. He squinted at the partially ruined mansion and, for some reason, gave a slight nod of understanding. I quickly returned the gesture.

Just then, Uka, now larger, came bounding toward me. Full of spirit, she leaped into my arms.

Crack!

“Papa! Uka did it! I did it! Hmm? I did, right?”

“Yes, you did, Uka. You really are my child. Thank you. It was a tall order, but you did great.”

If my neck bones had shifted just a bit more, I would’ve been dead. I let go of Asato’s hand and, trembling from the pain, hugged Uka tightly. I stroked her smooth, bare back as she buried her face in my shoulder. As I patted her head, I looked up at the sky again. The air was clear. The sweet scent had vanished.

The casket for the living was gone.

“Thank you,” I muttered sincerely, pulling a torn dress from the rubble to wipe the blood from her body. Uka giggled with delight.

Then, a thought crossed my mind, and I picked up a few intact dresses, stuffing them into a nearby bag. Enduring the pain in my stomach, I glanced up. Despite having suggested all this himself, Asato stayed there, dumbfounded. Abruptly, he looked down at his arms. The parasol was no longer in his hands.

Asato and I both scanned the area. Then, at the same moment, we both fixed our gaze on one spot.

“Ah.”

The red parasol was lodged in a pile of rubble, likely caught by the wind pressure from Uka’s movements. It had lost all its former mystique, now nothing more than garbage. It was a miracle it still held its shape, though just barely. I approached the parasol, placing my fingers on the handle and wiggling it. It snapped, and the red parasol crumbled into pieces.

The fox’s face twisted slightly. That was his only reaction. After a long, long silence, he finally opened his mouth.

“Hah.”

A small breath escaped his lips. The next moment, Asato burst into laughter. He slapped his knees, unable to contain himself.

“Haha, haha, hahaha, ahahahaha, ahahahahahaha, ahahahahahahahaha!”

I stared at him in disbelief. We’d known each other since high school, but I couldn’t recall ever seeing him laugh like this. I started to worry he’d finally lost his mind. Asato kept clutching his stomach, writhing in laughter. Just as I seriously doubted his sanity, he suddenly stopped. Any trace of amusement vanished from his face, and he let his body relax. He seemed completely exhausted.

He gazed up at the blue sky. His lips moved slightly.

Asato muttered something, but I couldn’t hear it. He exhaled sharply.

Then, without warning, he snapped his mouth shut and sprang to his feet. The force knocked over the chair behind him. He straightened his back and stood amidst the rubble, looking at me directly.

Asato spread his arms wide and took a deep breath. “I’ve never had any desires of my own since the moment I was born.” His voice boomed. “I’ve lived solely for the desires of others. How foolish, how trivial, how absurd. I had been constantly tossed around by the Mayuzumi clan, the scarlet woman, and people in general. Yes, that’s the fox’s story—a pointless tale that continues even now.”

He sounded like he was possessed. Why was he talking about the fox now? Bracing myself, I listened closely, my brows furrowed. His tone was somewhat different now, far removed from the affected voice of the fox or the narrator.

“The fox’s story is over. He will continue to live in a casket as if dead. And they all lived happily ever after. That should have been the end. How stupid.”

There was a sense of resignation in his voice, his tone, his words.

“But fine. I’ll write a new page. I don’t know if it’s better to keep dying or to move on. So be it, Odagiri Tsutomu. You might as well regret your choices. If you truly desire it, I will give you a continuation of this impossible story.”

Asato’s voice carried well, like someone giving a speech. Then, he fell silent again.

His sharp gaze fixed on me, his eyes blazing with a fierceness unlike the usual fox mask.

“Fine, Odagiri Tsutomu.”

Asato reached out his hand, and with no apparent reason or meaning, took mine.

Then, with a dignified air, Asato announced, “The fox will come with you.”