3 bar menu

V9 Story IV – Part 01

An invisible wall surrounds me.

No matter what happened, I believed it to be unbreakable.

Through the wall, I could see the outside. But even though I’m separated from it, the pain in my heart remains the same.

There was no change in the visceral graphicness of the outside world. While I was the only one inside the walls, unable to connect with anyone, there was no significant difference between the outside and the inside.

It’s like I’m observing everything from a distance. I watch people, much like me, reaching out, sometimes causing harm without reason. I see the tragedies of the outside world as if they had nothing to do with me, and I’ve learned to accept them.

This wall is unbreakable. Even if I could invite someone in, the wall would stay. No one would ever visit this place. Inviting others is forbidden.

The last time I invited someone in, she died. That’s why I’ll always be alone.

I shouldn’t yearn for simple happiness, because it’s beyond what I deserve. Someone with a body so greatly inferior to that of a human should never seek it.

The invisible wall is thick, and there’s no way out. I’m so isolated, so alone.

But fortunately, it doesn’t interfere with my life. I continue to exist in this confined space, like a fish in an aquarium, breathing meaninglessly.

And that’s okay. It’s enough. I’ve believed in that for a long, long time.

Or so I thought.

I can’t help myself from thinking.

What is happiness?

---

The car screeched to a sudden halt, and Maihime swiftly jumped out of the driver’s seat. The car was mere inches away from crashing into the fence surrounding the front yard.

I opened my door. Before us stood a building resembling the Karakuri mansion’s tower.

“Please carry Mr. Yusuke inside,” Maihime urgently called out. “Quickly, right this way!”

Though my left hand wasn’t fully functional, I didn’t have time to hesitate. Shirayuki’s brush started moving on her blood-soaked sleeve, creating a tiger. With both Shirayuki and me working together, we managed to transfer Yusuke from the back seat onto the back of the tiger. Shirayuki mounted the beast as well to hold Yusuke, then the tiger bolted after Maihime.

I followed suit, opening the door and leaping inside.

The interior remained in disarray, with a multitude of crows having transformed back into ink, staining the floor black. Fragments of broken puppets were scattered about, creating what seemed like a murder scene.

Maihime, however, showed no signs of distress, and she didn’t even pause. She simply kicked the debris aside as she hurried up to the second floor. In Maihime’s mansion, there were no hallways; the circular room was divided into multiple compartments. In one of these partitioned spaces, we found what resembled an operating room.

A surgical table occupied the center of the room, with various instruments neatly arranged on shelves. We gently placed Yusuke on the table. Maihime quickly tied up her hair without looking back at us.

“Please boil some water,” she said. “The stove is in the room to the left of the entrance on the first floor. You’ll find a dedicated kettle and bowl there. Bring the water here.”

Following Maihime’s instructions, Shirayuki and I went downstairs, boiled water, and carried it back. In the meantime, Maihime had completed her preparations. She donned sterilized gloves and a mask and held a pair of scissors. A pile of components surrounded Yusuke; cogs, screws, and various unidentifiable parts. Next to them, various tools like scalpels, pliers, screwdrivers, and wrenches were laid out, as though someone had spilled a toolbox.

We couldn’t utter a single word. It didn’t feel like she was going to work on a human body.

Maihime lifted her head. Scissors in hand, she looked at us with a dignified gaze.

“If you could please leave the room,” she stated firmly. “I will handle the rest.”

---

Following Maihime’s orders, we made our way back to the first floor. We turned on all the lights and moved the two chairs.

Shirayuki and I settled in side by side. I surveyed the room; glass shards glittered like stars. The broken window made the room chilly, but I lacked the energy to move elsewhere again.

The cool night breeze provided a welcome relief against my feverish head. I let out a long sigh.

It felt like I was trapped in a nightmare. Every time I closed my eyes, I couldn’t help but picture the gruesome sight of Yusuke.

I wondered about Maihime’s intentions with him. Though I wasn’t privy to the details, she insisted that the Karakuri Mansion offered better treatment than a hospital. I didn’t think she was lying.

All I could do at this moment was to trust her. I shook my head, and Shirayuki, seated next to me, unfurled her fan.

“Why did Mr. Yusuke lose his legs? Why did the oddity do this?”

“…Why, huh? I…”

I pictured the scarlet woman, and my headache instantly worsened.

It felt as if my skull was being physically compressed. I remembered the scarlet woman’s mocking laughter. However, the more I focused on her enigmatic form, the more the pain intensified, and my memories became blurrier.

I had a hunch that speaking about it would only make the memories hazier. So, I carefully kept my words to myself.

I couldn’t afford to lose these distorted memories. I needed to convey information about the scarlet woman to someone.

Perhaps Mayuzumi Azaka could help deduce her true identity.

I shook my head, dispelling my thoughts. I managed to croak out a hoarse voice from my throat.

“I’m sorry, I can’t discuss it right now.”

I seared the lingering image of the scarlet woman into my mind, redirecting my focus to prevent my memories from fading further.

Though perplexed, Shirayuki folded her fan. She cast her gaze downward but soon opened her fan again. It was evident she had more questions. She moved her brush hesitantly.

“I thought, from the way you drove earlier, the way you carried Mr. Yusuke, and when you carried the hot water…”

“…What is it?”

“Are you not able to move your left hand properly?”

Her sudden words took me aback. Large eyes studied me closely. My mind went blank, unable to conjure any excuses. Still, I managed to speak.

“No, it’s not that…”

Shirayuki’s face contorted sadly. As I observed her, I realized she had already formed her own conclusion and was simply waiting for my admission.

Lies would serve no purpose. I nodded wordlessly. Shirayuki pursed her lips, then began to write with her brush but abruptly stopped. She opened and closed her fan, before tucking it into her sash. Then, she rose abruptly.

“…Shirayuki-san, are you upset?”

Her slender arms extended, and she buried my face in her soft chest, embracing me without uttering a word. Astonished, I tried to move, but she didn’t release her hold.

Droplets fell onto my head. Shirayuki was crying. I shifted my head to look up at her. Her tear-filled eyes displayed a myriad of emotions: anguish, bitterness, and anger.

An overwhelming sorrow.

“Shirayuki-san?”

Noticing my gaze, she moved her lips, and in a voiceless whisper, she repeated the same words again and again.

“You fool.”

She gently caressed my head, sniffling softly.

“It must have been hard.”

I swallowed hard and timidly shifted my gaze to my left hand.

The fear I’d felt when I was on the verge of losing my legs vividly resurfaced. I recalled the overwhelming disgust. It became too much to bear. I finally realized the most compelling reason behind it all.

It had been genuinely hard.

My left hand’s impaired mobility was something I couldn’t easily come to terms with. Until now, I hadn’t truly confronted my own emotions.

But repressed emotions have a way of reaching their breaking point. I knew that. I was utterly stupid. Shirayuki’s words helped me become aware of what I had been avoiding.

At the same time, I wondered, why was everyone so nice to me?

I had to stay focused or I might just break into tears. Steeling myself, I spoke.

“Shirayuki-san, I…”

However, Shirayuki turned her face away. She was deeply hurt.

It was my lies that had wounded her. Even if I remained silent, the fact that my left hand couldn’t move remained unchanged. If we were going to work together, I had to be honest with her.

“I’m sorry for not saying anything,” I said.

Shirayuki gave my head a gentle tap and then embraced me even tighter.

Suddenly, she looked up at the ceiling, and I followed her gaze. There was no sound coming from where Yusuke and Maihime should be. A heavy silence filled the room. Shirayuki gently released me.

She returned to her seat and extended her hand toward me. I placed my hand on top of hers.

Her lips moved again. “Let’s pray. Together.”

“Good idea. Let’s pray.”

For now, that was all we could do. Shirayuki and I closed our eyes together.

We didn’t know the specifics of the treatment Maihime was providing to Yusuke. All we could do was put our faith in her.

And so we prayed earnestly. Hoping for his safety.

We just kept repeating those silent prayers.