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V8 Story II – Part 05

The new puppet approached slowly. Kugutsu loosened his tie with his fingers.

“Dismantling them until they stop functioning will take time,” he said. “Their firm grip makes it difficult to disarm them. It would be wiser to run away than face both of them head-on. A lowly dog being injured is of no consequence, but it would be a problem if you were hurt, sir. Should we retreat?”

“Don’t be absurd. It would be a major problem for me if you got injured.”

I bit down on the cuff of my gloves and pulled it tightly, filling the gap between my fingers. My numbed hands could still move. I stared at the two puppets.

Kugutsu smiled faintly. “As always, you’re too nice. Let’s go, sir. Don’t fall behind!”

Kugutsu released his grip on the axe and leaped away. Simultaneously, the puppet brandishing the knives took off.

We charged straight at her. Knives clinked as they closed in, and we slipped under them. The tips of our hair were trimmed, swirling down onto our shoulders.

We passed through the puppet. She turned around at an impossible angle; if she were human, her muscle would have torn. White hair fluttered wildly. She thrust her knives forward.

The interval between her shifting stance and launching into an attack was extremely short. Kugutsu grabbed my arm and pulled me aside.

Crash!

We tumbled through the open door and into the parlor.

It was the same room we were in a few days ago. A lavish sofa surrounded the coffee table. Navigating around the furniture, we made our way toward the window. Kugutsu pulled the deep-red curtains.

“Damn it. It won’t budge.”

He couldn’t remove the thick fabric. The shelf integrated with the mantelpiece held nothing of use that could serve as a distraction. I looked over my shoulder and saw the two puppets had caught up to us.

Circling cautiously around the coffee table, the puppets closed in on us from both sides. As soon as they bolted, we leaped over the table. One puppet swung her axe down on the table.

We landed on the floor, barely dodging the attack. The puppet lifted the axe, and with it the smashed table.

“What?!”

The puppet swung the axe toward Kugutsu. He swiftly maneuvered between the sofas. The table collided with the sofa and came to a halt. I grabbed Kugutsu’s shoulder and pulled him up.

“Thank you, sir!”

“Stop! Why are they trying to kill us?!” I shouted.

The puppet with the knife stopped. She gazed at me with vacant eyes.

“I was ordered to.”

My suspicions were confirmed. A shiver ran down my spine at the sheer malice of his plans. The puppet took a step forward.

Out of nowhere, the puppet with the axe wedged herself in front of her. We stumbled away. She swung both the axe and table, and I felt something huge grazing my back.

Something crashed against the door. I turned to look and saw the entrance blocked by the table.

The puppets stood still, unable to pass through the door. Grateful for the fortuitous turn of events, we hurried away.

We momentarily evaded the obstacles and reached the end of the hallway, right in front of the workshop.

And there, we were faced with a harsh reality.

“…Oh.”

The entrance to the workshop was sealed by a door requiring a passcode.

The last puppet was standing in front of the door, her back turned to us.

We had forgotten that there was another door along the passage to the workshop. We came to a sudden halt, exercising caution, but there was no sign of the puppet turning around. Her attention was fixed solely on the door.

White petals adorned her hair. Upon closer inspection, her entire body was covered in petals.

Petals lay scattered on the carpet, too, shimmering like seashells. Roses that had lost most of their petals were strewn at the puppet’s feet, ribbons and thin paper wrapped around the stems. The white roses had likely been part of a bouquet.

Frowning, I studied the puppet. What brought her here? It was as if someone had thrown a bouquet of flowers at her.

Ignoring the motionless puppet, Kugutsu pounded on the door.

“It won’t open. I can’t believe it. We’ve come so far.”

I agreed with him. Hishigami’s body was likely inside the workshop. There was a chance it had been moved, but searching the atelier now was a tall task. I looked behind us to check the situation. In the distance, the glint of a knife caught my eye.

“We should bail. One of them is on us already.”

She appeared to have emerged through the entrance. The one with the axe must have moved away from the door.

We should leave before the other one showed up as well. Exchanging glances, we took off.

I glanced back one last time. The puppet remained still.

It was as if she was waiting for the door to open.

---

When we tumbled out into the front yard, the summer light blinded my eyes.

Both of us dropped to our knees on the grass, gasping for breath. I turned back to look at the door, relieved to see no sign of the puppets pursuing us. My attention shifted to the front yard, and what I saw left me speechless.

Figures clad in black and white were sitting on chairs. The table was filled with an array of snacks.

“Oh, what happened to you two? It doesn’t seem like you have the body with you.”

“Looks like it. Do you even remember what you were supposed to bring here?”

Mayuzumi was nibbling on the chocolates she had brought, while Maihime snacked on the cookies Hishigami had prepared as props. They appeared unreasonably calm. My brain’s vessels felt like they were about to burst.

It was infuriating to see them make light of our efforts while they enjoyed their snacks.

“Well, you see, Mayu-san, it’s impossible for us to bring the body. The door is locked! How are we supposed to open it?!”

“I knew it. So the workshop is sealed off. That’s a problem.”

Mayuzumi sluggishly rested her chin on her hand. She had anticipated the possibility of the door being sealed from the beginning.

Maihime tilted her head. She smiled, pressing her chest. “Well, that is quite concerning. I am very worried.”

“And yet you’re smiling,” Mayuzumi said. “It’s unlikely that they’ve moved the body. Searching the atelier would be a waste of time. By the way, Odagiri-kun, what about the puppets?” She abruptly changed the topic.

I told her about the puppets’ behavior. She showed no particular reaction to the scuffle that had taken place inside the mansion. Her interest lay solely in the puppet adorned with flowers.

“Flower petals, huh? And a bouquet.”

For once, Mayuzumi actually took my thoughts into consideration. She bit her lips as she pondered something. Then, she reached for the box of sweets and picked up a rose-shaped chocolate.

“You should search for flowers next, Odagiri-kun. She’s ignoring the white roses on the floor. There’s a slim chance she would recognize them as a bouquet. There should be at least one flower displayed somewhere inside the mansion. You should have a higher chance of finding it than a non-existent corpse. Find the flower and give it to her.”

“…What?”

I frowned. I didn’t understand why we had to give flowers to the puppet.

Mayuzumi smiled. “She probably intended to toss a bouquet of flowers but couldn’t,” she said, crushing the rose in her mouth. She had no intention of explaining further.

Asking for clarification from Mayuzumi when she had no intention of elaborating was a waste of time. Letting out a sigh, I shifted my gaze to Maihime. I was about to call her name, but cleared my throat instead.

Maihime was gently stroking Kugutsu’s head, which was resting on her lap. Her gesture was filled with affection, as if she were caressing a beloved dog. Kugutsu’s eyes were closed in bliss.

“Kugutsu, Kugutsu, you’re not injured, are you?” Maihime asked.

“No, Princess, I am not. I appreciate your kind concern for a lowly dog like me.”

“That’s good to hear. But don’t push yourself too hard.” Her voice dripped with honey. “You’re one of a kind, my one and only. You mustn’t die and leave me behind.”

A smile of genuine happiness appeared on Kugutsu’s face. This was how his dependence on his master intensified. The thought made my chest stir wildly. Clenching my fist, I averted my gaze.

“Let’s go, Kugutsu,” I said without looking at him. “We’re searching for a flower.”

He swiftly rose to his feet, joining me at my side. We stood before the door once again. I placed my hands on the double doors.