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V13 Story IV – Part 02

Uka had sunk her teeth into my arm. Blood streamed from the wound.

I was glad she’d latched onto my right arm. My left arm was all that remained of Aya. I didn’t want to lose it if I could help it. Uka, wearing a blissful expression, licked the blood. Her hunger was starting to overpower her reason. And as the object of her craving, I had no way to escape.

“I can’t put the demon back into your belly. A demon that can’t be trapped in flesh will soon devour its host completely. Even if you return to the real world, death is inevitable. You didn’t have any other choice but to come here. The child inside you does not belong in the world of the living. No need for any more powerful espers. There isn’t a single person in the world who can stand against you or the child. Living this long with a demon growing inside you is abnormal in and of itself. There’s no one left who can stop a child that has grown this powerful.”

I agreed. I already knew that. That’s why I said goodbye to everything and everyone. In the short time I had left, I wandered through familiar places with Shirayuki, always thinking.

What had Odagiri Tsutomu’s life really been? But whether I found the answer or not, the end was coming either way. Uka could only hold out for so long. Soon, she would devour me. Just straight up dying would be nice. I had no idea what it would be like inside a fully-matured demon, but if I was just digested, I’d count that as a blessing. I could only hope my soul wouldn’t remain trapped within her.

Asato clenched his fist and took a large step forward, brushing past me. He stopped, staring straight ahead before speaking.

“You broke your promise pretty quick. Much too quick.”

“Yeah, sorry about that. I did say I’d give you a lifetime of fun, didn’t I? This isn’t much, but here. Hold out your hand.”

I rummaged in my suit pocket, felt something hard, and raised my arm. After a few seconds, Asato lifted his hand, and I dropped it into his palm. He looked down, puzzled.

The apartment key glinted in his hand. The one Nanami had thrown at me.

“I’m giving you my place. It’s just a rental, but you can handle the paperwork, right? There’s an urn in there that Maihime-san will come to collect, so make sure she gets it. And hold a memorial for Shizuka too. Oh, and go to Nanami-san—the girl who was just choking you. She’ll end up looking after you, one way or another. She’s stronger than anyone. And if you do all that, one day you’ll realize, that that arrangement is a lot more fun than being with me.”

Asato clenched the key in his fist. He let out a deep sigh, closing his eyes like he was sorting through his thoughts. After a long pause, he opened them and sighed again.

“I don’t want to. The thought of going to her makes my skin crawl. But fine. No point in complaining now. Besides, when you used the demon, as stupid as it was, you did it to save my life. No use whining about broken promises. That’s like asking a dead man to pay back a loan. Fine, Odagiri Tsutomu. Looks like this is the end of your silly story. I’d tell you to cry and regret it, but I know you won’t—not even in death.”

“You were crazy, Odagiri Tsutomu. You called Mayuzumi Azaka your fate, but in a way, you were fate for the people gathered there. You tossed us all around, helped us when we didn’t want saving, and dragged us all the way here against our will. You really were crazy, Odagiri Tsutomu.”

Asato started walking again. He stopped in front of me and turned around. We stood facing each other. He stood on the path leading back. I stood on the road to the fissure. He looked like he wanted to say something but gave up and closed his mouth.

Meow.

A sleek black cat appeared at Asato’s feet. Its head blended seamlessly into its body, and it rubbed itself affectionately against his legs.

Looking confused, Asato bent down and casually scooped her up. She settled in his arms, proud and content, snorting as she glanced up at me.

Jinguu Yuri wagged her tail happily. I couldn’t help but smile.

Even after you kissed me, you still prefer Asato, huh?

Asato hugged the black cat tightly, his hands slowly stroking its back. The trembling in his fingers faded. Drawing strength from the cat’s warmth, he finally managed to speak.

“Goodbye, Odagiri Tsutomu. I’ll probably forget about you in no time.”

Thud.

Asato shoved my shoulder. My body tipped backward.

I didn’t resist. Instead, I pulled Uka close with one arm, and together we fell into the abyss. The void stretched out beneath us, swallowing us whole.

I expected Asato to turn and leave immediately. But for some reason, his hand, the one that had pushed me, remained extended. His palm moved, as if trying to convey something without words. It was as if he wanted me to grab it, as if he were trying to pull me back up.

With no rhyme or reason, he reached for my hand. But I didn’t take it. His figure grew smaller, and his face disappeared into the distance.

“Don’t give me that look,” I muttered. “It doesn’t suit you.”

I couldn’t see his hand anymore. The same hand that had once pushed me into the pits of despair, now trying to pull me up, was gone. Slowly, I sank into the darkness with Uka, never to return.

Tears floated through the air, large and shimmering like stars, brushing my cheeks as they passed.

“Yeah, I guess so,” I mumbled.

A thought rose in my mind.

I want to talk about Odagiri Tsutomu. About the foolish man I know.

What was Odagiri Tsutomu’s life all about? Whether I found the answer or not, the end had come, inevitably. But fortunately, I had my answer. If I had to sum it up, it would be a short, simple tale—a worthless life full of mistakes.

Odagiri Tsutomu’s life was a wild roller coaster ride, but it was a good one, far better than I ever deserved.

The light slowly faded, and swallowed me.

Yet somehow, I could still see Uka, held close in my arms. She looked around anxiously. Her light blue dress fluttered, and her black hair floated in the air. She looked like Alice falling down the rabbit hole. That comparison wasn’t too far off. We were heading somewhere beyond the real world. I wrapped my arms tighter around her, holding my daughter close.

“Uka,” I said softly, “there’s something I want you to hear.”

Hmm?

Suddenly, I hit the ground. The impact jolted through my body, leaving me numb. The air around us grew cold. It was an abrupt change. My eyes widened. Did she notice us already? If the scarlet woman interfered, we wouldn’t reach our destination. But even so, I had to keep moving. I walked together with Uka. The path ahead was the color of a womb’s inner walls.

As we walked, I continued, “Just hang in there a little longer. When I say it’s okay, you can eat me. Just one thing, though. Please, listen. After this, you’ll have to live an endless life, all alone.”

Uka didn’t respond. I couldn’t tell if she understood. Barely clinging to her lovely form, she tilted her head, covered in my blood. We continued walking. Apparently, I had twisted my ankle in the fall. Dragging my leg, I limped down the sticky path.

“You’ll stay here, but maybe one day, you’ll find a way out. When you do, do not eat people. Don’t hurt anyone. You’re a kind girl, so stay kind. Ah, but that would be too lonely, wouldn’t it? Maybe it’d be better if, after you ate me, I could stay with you. It might be tough for a human being like me, but if it’ll make you happy.”

I couldn’t imagine what her stomach would be like after she fully transformed into a demon. What happens to the flesh eaten by a demon? Is it simply digested, or does the soul remain? If that would make Uka happy, then maybe I could endure it.

I looked at Uka. Her breathing had steadied, and her complexion looked better. It seemed the spirit world agreed with her. But eventually, it would be unbearable.

This place was far too lonely to live in alone.

She remained silent as we walked. Her toenails grazed my thigh, tearing the skin. My arm had already been pierced by her nails. With each step, more cuts appeared. I wasn’t sure if Uka still had her wits about her. Still, I had to leave her with something.

I needed to make her understand. That was my duty as a parent.

“You’re mine and Shizuka’s child. You may be a demon, but you’re also human. Please don’t forget that. Live without becoming a monster, without being shunned. Don’t forget that someone once loved you. Even if you feel lonely, keep on living. Keep in mind that even though I feared you…”

I pulled her thin frame closer without looking at her face. Her nails scratched my shin as we touched. Her shoulder under the dress felt hard, no longer human flesh. She would completely lose her human form the moment she devoured me.

“I truly loved you. You’re my child. Never forget that.”

Papa.

Uka cried. Large tears rolled down her cheeks, and her nails sank deeper into my arm. Bleeding, I kept my eyes ahead.

The red path stretched endlessly. Uka wouldn’t hold on much longer. Doubt flickered in my mind. We might not make it. I might fail to change Mayuzumi’s fate. But I kept moving forward. Uka’s nails dug deeper into my leg, and I stumbled. I pressed my palms to the ground but couldn’t stand.

“What are you doing, Odagiri?” said a voice out of nowhere. “Get up. Why are you crying, you weirdo?”

I froze, eyes wide in disbelief. I looked around, but no one was there. It didn’t feel like a hallucination. It was a voice I knew too well. The spirit world responded to emotions, desires. Just like before, it might have reflected my wish and replayed that voice.

I stood up, clutching my left arm, and muttered to myself, “’Weirdo’ is a bit much.”