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V13 Story IV – Part 05

A pause.

“What did you say?”

“I will go with you.”

The scarlet woman’s demonic form wavered. Her monstrous face softened, becoming human once more. She blinked, staring at Uka as if she couldn’t believe what she’d heard.

Slowly, a tired, worn smile spread across her face—a smile that didn’t belong to the ruler of the spirit world.

And I remembered the question that had haunted me for so long.

Why did the scarlet woman yearn for a companion she could laugh with for eternity?

“What I seek is a demon like myself.”

“A being that can laugh while gazing at red flesh for eternity without getting bored.”

Did she really just want a toy she could break? The spirit world was too lonely a place to live in solitude.

“Even the girl I gave birth to died without taking in a single breath.”

“You wouldn’t break or go mad, would you?”

“Won’t you come with me?”

Only a demon could offer comfort to another demon. Mayuzumi Azaka was human.

And Uka was the only pure demon in this world.

“Of course. You can come with me. From this moment on, we will be together for eternity.”

The scarlet woman opened her arms, gently drawing Uka closer. Her arms, wrapped in red fabric, enveloped Uka’s light blue dress with an incredibly soft touch. For a moment, Uka turned to look at me.

She raised one hand, hesitating. Still, she smiled. Uka softly opened her mouth and spoke to me, as if imparting something genuinely important.

“I love you, Papa.”

“U… ka!”

I reached out my hand, but it didn’t reach her. She didn’t reach out either. Uka buried her face in the scarlet woman’s chest. Instantly everything began to drift away from Mayuzumi and me. I sensed it instinctively—the world around was shifting, bending to the woman’s will. The scarlet woman rejected everything else, as if to say nothing else mattered apart from Uka. The image of the two of them in an embrace receded, growing fainter. The crimson world melted away and flowed out all at once.

We twisted and spun, tossed up and down, before being expelled.

Before I could see where we had landed, darkness enveloped my vision.

I found myself in a dark space.

I recognized this place—the deep black void where I had once met Shizuka, guided by Uka’s tiny hand, slick with amniotic fluid.

In the same shadowy dreamscape, Uka sat alone.

She was at my feet. I patted her small head, and she looked up with a wide smile. There were times I hated her, cursed her existence. But she had always liked me. She called me her father. I tried to lift her, but she was too heavy. I realized then—I would never be able to hold her again.

She had grown. Desperation welled up inside me as I called out to the girl in the light-blue dress.

This can’t be right. Why did it have to be you? Why?

But she only shook her head, smiling. Her figure began to fade. She was no longer inside me, and the bond between us was unraveling. We could no longer share dreams. And still, she smiled as she vanished.

It’s okay. I didn’t want to eat you. So, it’s okay.

I love you, Papa. Do you… love me?

It’s okay. It will always be okay.

I will never forget.

No matter what happens, Uka will always be Uka. And you will always be my Papa.

She waved. She faded away while saying goodbye.

In this dream—or perhaps something more than a dream—her voice was bright.

Look, they’re calling you.

Odagiri-kun, Odagiri-kun! Can you hear me? Odagiri-kun!

A milky hand reached through the darkness. Someone was desperately calling my name. I stared at that familiar hand. If I took it, would my fate change once again? I couldn’t make a decision. Should I stay here? Should I follow my daughter and wander forever in the dark? I turned to look back.

I saw Uka’s fading face. She shook her head, over and over, to discourage me. I clenched my fists, my gaze locked on my beloved daughter.

She promised she wouldn’t forget me. She said she would always remember. And I wouldn’t forget her either. But if I stayed in this darkness, I would lose even the memory of having a daughter. The void offered nothing. If I truly wanted to remember her, I had to leave. So, I etched her image into my mind.

Goodbye, Uka.

Goodbye, Papa.

I turned away from her and grasped the pale hand.

Soft and warm, just like it had been before. The hand I thought I would never hold again.

“Haah!”

“Oh, you’re breathing. Honestly, I thought you were dead,” said a grumpy voice.

I opened my eyes to see a familiar figure beside me. Mayuzumi Azaka was leaning over, glaring at me with clear annoyance.

I was gripping her hand tightly, my sweaty palm squeezing her soft, warm hand hard enough to make her bones stand out. Despite the pain, she said nothing. Staring at her face, I cautiously called her name.

“Mayu-san?”

“Yes, it’s me. Who else would it be?” she replied, exasperated.

The Mayuzumi Azaka who had vanished into the spirit world was now right in front of me. Finally processing that, I lifted my head and checked our surroundings.

We were lying on barren ground. Judging by where we had entered, this was probably the Mayuzumi estate. But the crimson hue and the bones had vanished.

Time flowed differently between the spirit world and the mortal world. Somehow, the Mayuzumi estate had been freed from the red flowers.

I glanced up. A clear blue sky stretched above us. The air was warm. Everything around felt soft, peaceful. I recognized the season, and a thought stirred deep within me.

Ah, it’s spring.

At last, the bright and cheerful season had come.

“Don’t move. I’m going to close up your wound. Honestly, you’ve caused me more trouble than you’re worth,” she muttered.

“You’re… still the same… Mayu-san. Even when someone’s… on death’s door…” I rasped.

“Of course. That’s who I am. You yourself called me heartless, didn’t you? You weren’t wrong. Your wounds are nothing but a nuisance to me.”

Her attitude remained unchanged, even in this situation. It felt surreal that I had brought her back from the spirit world. She let out a sigh. Once again, she showed a face that didn’t belong to a young girl.

“You have my gratitude, Odagiri Tsutomu,” she said sincerely. “You actually shattered my fate.”

Just then, something fluttered in front of my eyes. I blinked. At first, I thought it was a red petal, but no—it was white. A soft, pale cherry blossom petal drifted gently through the air.

I raised myself, scanning the area. My eyes widened.

The cherry tree that had survived at the Mayuzumi estate was blooming again. White petals gently floated down from the sky.

Then, my ears caught the sound of footsteps approaching.

Crunch.

“Huh?”

Mayuzumi and I turned toward the sound. Familiar faces stood there.

The girl holding a bucket froze in shock. She’d grown taller, and her face looked more mature than I remembered. Her signature fluffy pigtails now trailed down her back.

The boy next to her stood with his mouth hanging open. His hair, once a faded blonde, had returned to its natural black. Though he looked different, his build remained the same. Seeing him healthy filled me with relief.

Behind them, a young man stepped forward, his expression stiff with surprise. His long white hair was tied back. Didn’t he say he would forget about me in no time? He was carrying a black cat in his arms. With Mayuzumi Asato’s ability and flesh from the spirit world, it made sense that the cat could survive here. Even the cat seemed astonished to see us.

Further back, a woman in a white dress smiled, showing no signs of surprise. Meanwhile, the man standing beside her, dressed in a butler’s uniform, stared wide-eyed in disbelief. It seemed they were still getting along just fine.

Behind him, a boy carrying fruit nervously glanced around. He, too, had grown taller, appearing more mature. He tugged insistently at the arm of the woman standing beside him, dressed in a white kimono.

And then, slowly, my eyes found her face. She held a bouquet in her arms. Everyone looked like they were visiting a grave.

That’s when it hit me. This was the very spot where I’d fallen into the abyss and vanished into the spirit world. I didn’t know what day it was, but it might well have been the anniversary of my death. Whether our return today was fitting or ill-timed, I couldn’t tell. Awkwardly, I turned my head and managed a smile. After a brief hesitation, I said the first thing that came to mind.

“Your hair’s gotten longer.”

She broke into a run. The others rushed toward us, calling out as they came. We were jostled, enveloped by their warmth, their voices.

And so, Odagiri Tsutomu and Mayuzumi Azaka returned back from the spirit world to the real world.