3 bar menu

V8 Story IV – Part 02

“I apologize. When we secured him, Asato-sama requested that he be taken to your location. Of course, we first confirmed that he had no intention of harming you.”

The driver repeated his excuses while maneuvering the steering wheel. Mayuzumi, sitting in the passenger seat, remained silent.

The fox raised both arms, revealing gleaming silver rings. Despite the handcuffs on his thin wrists, he seemed oddly cheerful. Maybe some screws in his head went loose after I beat him too hard.

“Your being in the trafficker’s house means you have a dire situation at hand,” Asato said delightfully. “You all look like you’re going to a funeral. What happened? Would you tell me?”

He apparently found the current situation amusing. At least, his desire for death had subsided. His behavior irritated my exhausted mind. He was persistent, so I briefly explained the situation.

The game in the Hishigami’s atelier, the call from Yusuke, the two bodies in the human trafficker’s house, and the fact that Maihime had chosen to bet on her own dignity and walk the path to her own death.

“I see. This Karakuri Maihime sounds like a very peculiar woman. Her dignity is, in a way, the ultimate form of self-satisfaction. It’s honestly beyond me. Facing every enmity you incur sounds exhausting.”

Satisfied, the fox’s smile deepened. His expression remained the same even when Kugutsu glared at him. To me, the fox was more incomprehensible. I gave up talking to him.

Mayuzumi continued to ignore him. Kugutsu began grinding his teeth next to me.

The body was moved to the trunk at the driver’s request. I felt sorry for her, but she wouldn’t feel anything anymore. I realized that the air inside the car was stagnant, even just with the foul odor that had permeated our clothes. It was like being inside a coffin. To allow some fresh air in, I opened the window, and a cold breeze blew in.

Kugutsu’s hair fluttered wildly. His profile showed signs of uneasiness.

The situation was strikingly similar to when we headed to the Mayuzumi clan from Hishigami’s atelier, except for one critical difference.

We didn’t have a destination. We had no idea where Maihime went.

For now, the car was heading to the Mayuzumi household. Once we were down the mountain, Kugutsu might jump out of the car in his restlessness. I kept searching my mind for any clues.

If Yusuke were to meet Maihime, where would it be? No definite place came to mind.

Asato cast me a sidelong glance. “Odagiri, are you stupid?” he asked sluggishly.

“…What?”

An insult out of nowhere. The fox’s smile widened, and he shrugged. “Let me ask you something trivial. Did you tell anyone that Yusuke obtained the girl’s… Hirugao, was it? That he obtained her memories using my power?”

His question came out of nowhere. Come to think of it, I hadn’t told anyone. I hadn’t even informed Mayuzumi about how I ran into him.

“I haven’t,” I said. “What about it? Does it matter?”

“As I thought. Well then, you should have noticed, I think.”

The fox chuckled. He spoke vaguely to mock me. I grew more frustrated.

Racking my brain didn’t help. Was I missing something?

“What are you talking about?”

“…”

“Answer me, Asato.”

The fox’s lips twisted, and he fell silent. He didn’t seem willing to speak. Suddenly, an arm reached out from the side.

Kugutsu lightly strangled Asato. “If you know something, you better tell us,” he said icily. “If you want to hide it, I’m going to kill you.” He ground his teeth.

Asato’s throat might get torn apart depending on his answer. I had to stop him.

“Kill me, huh?” Asato said with a sigh. “I couldn’t ask for anything better. But then again, this is far from what I call a wish… All right, I’ll tell you. It’s simple, really.”

The fox easily gave in. He raised both hands in surrender.

“After obtaining the memories, Yusuke visited the human trafficker’s house. His remaining targets are me and Karakuri Maihime. Since I haven’t run into him yet, it’s likely that he headed to Maihime’s place.”

“Ah!”

My eyes widened. It was indeed simple. If he still had the intention to seek revenge, he would head to Maihime. He might have realized his mistake of telling me to contact her. However, he wouldn’t have the luxury to hide somewhere else and wait for an opportunity.

“I don’t know if he’s there, but there’s a high possibility that he’s lurking nearby. If Maihime contacted him, he would invite her to the house. If it were me, that’s what I’d do.”

The fox’s lips once again twisted into a foul smile, a smile that did not touch his eyes.

“Being killed is surprisingly hard work,” he continued indifferently. “It’s not easy to die quietly. If you really wish to be killed, it’s best to invite the person to your domain where no one can trespass.”

A chill ran down my spine. I realized why the fox had chosen an uninhabited apartment as his hiding place. A place avoided by people was ideal both as a hiding spot and as a place to commit a murder.

His seriousness was terrifying. I looked away and turned my attention to the driver.

“You heard the conversation just now. Please take us to Karakuri Maihime’s residence.”

“I need permission before I could that.” The driver looked at Mayuzumi hesitantly.

Mayuzumi didn’t respond. She kept her gaze forward, her regal figure unmoving.

“I’ll say it again, Odagiri-kun. I have no interest in whether she lives or dies,” her voice rang coldly. She continued in a melodious tone, “I have no reason to be involved in her wish. Her dignity is hers alone, and she should bear the consequences herself. And she intends to do just that.”

Mayuzumi turned slightly and glanced at me from the corner of her eye. Her clear eyes glinted coldly.

“Would you still turn to me for help?”

Her sharp gaze made me choke. It felt like my throat was being squeezed. But I opened my mouth anyway; I finally figured out where Maihime was. I couldn’t back down now.

“If we get out of the car now, it will take too much time for us to get there. Please, cooperate with us.”

“…Is that all?” Mayuzumi turned her gaze back to the front.

I instantly grabbed her shoulder with my left hand.

“How dare you touch—!” The driver swallowed the rest of his words after seeing my bloodied hand.

I applied force to my palm, and blood flowed with intense pain from where I tied my tie. Red streaks spread onto Mayuzumi’s collar. The blood trailed down her slender neck.

A stream of crimson traced its way over her white skin.

“I won’t let go until you say yes. Please.”

“You call that a threat? Your shedding blood means nothing. Or do you think digging into your own wounds gives you value in the eyes of others? How stupid.”

“You don’t want to be bloodied, do you? I don’t want to threaten physically. My only option is to keep begging for your help. Please, Mayu-san.”

Blood trickled down her shoulder and dripped onto her arm. A moment later, it seeped into the black fabric.

Crimson pooled at the curve of her slender neck. Mayuzumi’s expression remained unchanged.

My hand started to feel numb from the loss of blood. Mayuzumi cast me a sidelong glance again.

And then her lips curled up. “To the Karakuri household.” Her voice rang full and powerful.

My eyes grew wide. I was the one who begged her, and I couldn’t believe it. I felt deeply grateful that Mayuzumi gave in.

“…Mayu-san,” I said in a trembling voice.

Her nails suddenly dug into the wound on my palm. I groaned and hastily pulled my hand away.

Mayuzumi wiped her fingers. “Don’t get the wrong idea, Odagiri-kun. It’s sickening. Before doing anything stupid, take a look at who’s sitting next to you.”

I turned to my side and looked towards the window, past the fox crossing his legs.

Kugutsu was baring his teeth, a glint of madness in his eyes. He glared at Mayuzumi and growled like a mad dog.

“If I refused, we’d all be torn to shreds,” Mayuzumi said calmly. “Including you.”

I wanted to tell her that was ridiculous. That Kugutsu wasn’t that kind of man. But he didn’t deny it. He kept growling, looking distressed.

“Kugutsu… are you okay?”

Even when I called his name, he didn’t respond. Suddenly, he leaned forward and swung his foot, kicking the driver’s seat.

Bang! Screeeech!

The driver reflexively hit the brakes and looked behind him, his eyes wide in confusion.

Kugutsu was sitting quietly like he hadn’t just gone ballistic. He ground his teeth. “Switch seats with me. I will drive us to the Karakuri household.”

The fox clapped his hands. Mayuzumi shook her head wearily. Trembling, the driver looked at Mayuzumi. Seeing that she wasn’t protesting, he hastily got out of his seat.

Kugutsu sat at the driver’s seat and gripped the steering wheel. He looked like a completely different person.

A sense of dread crept over me. Maihime disappeared to get killed. Yusuke was trying to kill her. If anything were to happen to Maihime, what would he do to Yusuke?

The car accelerated sharply. Kugutsu fearlessly raced through the dark mountain road. My body was pressed against the seat. The driver screamed. The fox kept his faint smile.

Mayuzumi took a handkerchief from her purse and wiped away the blood on her neck. The red left on her dress dried black, then vanished.