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V8 Story IV – Part 03

Even after entering the public road, Kugutsu continued his reckless driving, ignoring the speed limits as he weaved through traffic, overtaking one vehicle after another. We were even chased by the police along the way, but Kugutsu managed to shake them off. Just as the driver hurled, we arrived on a familiar road in a desolate rural town. We had only been here once. A four-story building came into view, standing tall between the ordinary roofs. The lights around the door indicated that someone was inside.

Rubbing the back of the driver, I stared at the building. Were Maihime and Yusuke inside?

The car screeched to a halt near the fence surrounding the tower. Kugutsu instantly opened the door and bolted out.

“Princess! Princess! Are you all right?!”

“Wait, Kugutsu! I’m coming too!” I quickly followed him.

I wasn’t sure what went on in his mind, but the fox remained seated. Mayuzumi also stayed in the car. When I glanced back, my eyes met her bored gaze, and she looked away. I turned my gaze back up front and sprinted through the darkness.

I opened the gate, crossed the small front yard, and reached the entrance. Pulling the door open, I entered with my shoes on and was greeted with a row of puppets lined up along the wall.

Maihime’s residence had no corridors; instead, the circular space was divided into several sections. This room was where Maihime and Mayuzumi had their previous meeting. There were two chairs in the middle, and a giant puppet lay sprawled on the floor. I saw my reflection in its moist eyes. Its face was twisted with worry.

I looked away and rushed to the next room. I searched the first floor, but neither Maihime, Kugutsu, nor Yusuke were there. As I paused, I heard a noise coming from above.

I dashed towards the staircase and made my way to the second floor, but I couldn’t catch up with the footsteps. Someone was ascending to the fourth floor. I followed them, leaving drops of blood on the stairs from my wounded palm.

“Hirugao? Are you sleepy? You feeling well?”

“I’m fine, Yusuke. I’m used to this.”

Familiar conversation suddenly replayed in my mind, causing me to stop momentarily. I had climbed these stairs with Yusuke before, but the situation was completely different now. Pushing aside the sentimental thoughts, I continued running. Finally, I reached the top floor and peeked through the entrance set in the floor.

Bang!

In the distance, a bat swung in an arc, and Kugutsu jumped back.

The fourth floor was a small theater with no partitions. Wooden puppets portraying actors lined the walls, a thick carpet covering the floor. The curtains on the wooden stage were drawn up.

Someone was standing in front of the stage.

“Yusuke,” I called shakily.

He stood there, holding a bat in each hand, covered in blood. His eyes were hollow.

Maihime was nowhere to be seen. It was still unclear whether her absence was good news or bad news.

Kugutsu moved a little away from Yusuke, crouching like a beast. “Where’s the Princess? Where is my gentle master?”

“Uh… Princess?” Yusuke mumbled, cocking his head. His unfocused gaze flitted about. Then, he stared at Kugutsu with narrowed eyes. A moment later, he nodded a few times. “Ah, you’re the guy who performed that puppet show. I see.”

I frowned. I thought I had understood Yusuke’s state of mind through his memories, but he was changing once again. There was no emotion in his eyes. He was at the end of his ropes.

Furious, Kugutsu lunged forward and reached out to grab Yusuke. Yusuke, in an intoxicated motion, leaped back, creating distance between them once more.

Kugutsu growled. “If something happened to the Princess, you will pay. Where is she?!”

“Oh, yeah. You’re that self-proclaimed dog, right? I remember you. Yeah, I didn’t like how you were broken. Princess… Ah, yes.”

Yusuke took a pointless deep breath. Irritated, Kugutsu charged again. Yusuke leaped and fell backward. Kugutsu’s arm swung above his head, missing its target.

Gazing at the ceiling, Yusuke relaxed his entire body. “Sorry, then,” he mumbled tiredly.

A heavy silence fell. I understood what he meant before Kugutsu. Immediately, I rushed forward. Kugutsu’s whole body began to tremble.

“You bastaaaaard!” Kugutsu bent down and leaped like a beast.

I barely slipped in front of him. I carried Yusuke and rolled onto the floor. Kugutsu landed on all fours. He slowly stood up, his eyes, burning with hatred, studying me.

“Why are you interfering, sir?”

“I know… But I can’t just stand back and watch!”

I had to do something, or Kugutsu would kill Yusuke. I couldn’t just sit idly by.

My vision blurred from exhaustion and blood loss. I wanted Yusuke to escape on his own, but he remained limp, immobile as a puppet.

Then suddenly he pulled the tie wrapped around my palm. It fell to the floor, revealing the wound created by the chain.

“I have the same wound,” he said. “So you went there. Thanks.”

He shook his injured right hand. There was a shallow wound between his thumb and forefinger.

Yusuke sprang up. He regained his grip on the bat and swung it horizontally. The approaching Kugutsu stepped back.

Yusuke cracked his neck. “I don’t wanna drag you further into this mess. This dude’s raring to go, so I’m gonna oblige. Man, what a pain. I wanted to see the place where we watched the play with Hirugao. Maybe I shouldn’t have come here.”

Yusuke wore a distant look. I recalled that day while climbing the stairs earlier. He must’ve experienced the same, considering he was carrying Hirugao. This place held memories.

“Run, Yusuke!” I shouted. “Kugutsu, stop!”

Kugutsu sprinted, and Yusuke swung the bat in a precise motion. Kugutsu leaped sharply at an angle. He landed on all fours and jumped up. Yusuke stepped back. I stood up to stop them.

“Stop caring about me,” Yusuke spat coldly. “You don’t understand a thing anyway.”

His words made my gut stir wildly. I was reminded of what happened in Yusuke’s apartment.

When I said I understood his anger and sorrow, Yusuke looked confused. Maybe I didn’t actually comprehend his emotions. But before I could say anything, my throat tightened.

The image of a swaying corpse flashed in my mind. A scene from my dream. The body, altered to the extreme, was disgusting.

Perhaps I was failing to understand something more basic.

But what was it…?

Papa?

As I doubted myself, the baby cried, bringing me back to my senses. There was no time to dwell on it.

Yusuke swung the bat and fled closer to the stage. Kugutsu, in his unique running posture, chased after him. Rhythmic footsteps resounded. Kugutsu jumped with both feet, bounding like a spring.

Apparently, back at Hishigami’s atelier, he was trying to match with me. He didn’t say anything in particular back then, but I was probably dragging him down.

His movements were akin to a beast’s.

“Yusuke, Kugutsu, stop!” I yelled.

But they didn’t stop. My cries were pointless. I had to step in.

As I chased after them, Kugutsu snapped his fingers. The puppets by the wall all lifted their heads simultaneously and stepped forward in unison.

“Welcome!” They announced loudly, moving with graceful steps.

Soldiers began marching, an old man shook a glass, and a child started crying without reason. A noblewoman fluttered her fan, a maid began cleaning, and elderly women started singing in unison.

I stared wide-eyed at their random movements. The puppets were performing a play.

Several actions from different plays were preprogrammed into them. Kugutsu should have the authority to choose the act. The puppets were enacting different scenes based on the instructions he had given.

The puppets blocked my path, stopping my advance.

“Greetings! Would you like some tea?”

”Are you bored, dear guest?”

“Awful things in this town.”

”A lesson. A lesson.”

”Oh, you did that to your father for a few copper coins?”

“Beautiful things don’t exist.”

Familiar words were mixed in with the nonsensical lines.

Scenes from the play I watched before appeared in my mind, intermingling with the chaos before me. I felt dizzy.

Yusuke and Kugutsu were on the stage now, facing each other, avoiding the dancing puppets on the floor. Kugutsu crouched like a beast, while Yusuke’s arms were lowered.

I tried dashing through the gaps, but the puppets kept bumping into me.

Knowing it was pointless, I shouted, “Stop it, both of you! Stop killing each other!”

“Regardless, it’s just a simple story, a trivial tale about a dog and a corpse,” declared a puppet.

As if hearing a signal, Kugutsu closed the distance. Yusuke swung the bat in his right hand. However, either due to the blood or some other reason, it slipped from his grasp.

His eyes widened. Not missing the delayed reaction, Kugutsu sank his teeth into Yusuke’s empty right arm.

“Ugh, gah! Shit!” Yusuke cursed, raising the bat in his left hand.

Kugutsu pulled his face back, avoiding the attack. The bat hit Yusuke’s right wrist, and his face scrunched up in pain.

Kugutsu grinned widely, baring his teeth. He tried to bite Yusuke’s throat. Yusuke opened his mouth and bit Kugutsu’s nearing face.

“Wha—?!”

Reflexively, Kugutsu pulled his face back, losing his balance. Yusuke’s bat dug into his abdomen.

It was weak. Kugutsu quickly jumped back. Wobbling, Yusuke distanced himself from Kugutsu. They faced each other, and the situation came at a standstill again. I kicked away the puppets in front of me, pondering my options. Suddenly, a thought occurred to me.

“Kugutsu, what about Maihime-san?! She might need treatment!”

Yusuke hadn’t declared with certainty that he killed her. There might still be a chance that Maihime was alive. Kugutsu’s face froze. He lifted one foot and stomped it down.

Bam!

The puppets collapsed to the floor. They fell silent, as if their strings had been cut. A painful stillness filled the air.

“Where is the Princess?” Kugutsu asked, his voice cold as ice. “Is she alive?”

Yusuke remained silent. I prayed fervently for him to answer. Fear crept into my chest.

If Yusuke said that he killed Maihime, Kugutsu wouldn’t stop. I shot Yusuke an imploring look. I wanted to believe him, clinging to the slight possibility that Maihime might still be alive.

Yusuke turned his face away from Kugutsu. “Behind the storehouse,” he mumbled softly.

Kugutsu’s face contorted fiercely. Hatred and animosity surged, then abruptly dissipated.

He turned on his heel and started running. Ignoring us, he rushed down the stairs. I heard a door opening from afar. He had left the house.

Amid the fallen puppets, Yusuke and I faced each other. He avoided looking at me.

I took a deep breath and asked again. “Yusuke… Did you kill Karakuri Maihime?”

He didn’t answer. A heavy silence filled the space between us.