Meow – Part 04
“Yaaay!”
Haruna was a lot more excited than I expected, her cowlick bobbing up and down.
The table was crammed with seafood and shrimp-mayo pizzas. There was another identical set sitting beside me. It still might not be enough. Haruna and Eu could eat like black holes.
Haruna’s eyes sparkled as she stared down the shrimp-mayo pizza. “It’s been forever since I had an Alfred Gunnarson L. Let’s dig in!”
She grabbed a slice and brought it to her mouth. Wait… Alfred what? Huh? Gunnarson what now?
“Huh?” After stuffing her cheeks, Haruna tilted her head, cowlick swaying. “This isn’t Alfred Gunnarson L!”
She jumped up with wide eyes. Her energy levels were off the charts.
“What exactly is that Alfred—whatever thing you’re talking about?” I asked.
“Oh, it’s when you roll out the Alfred real thin, slather on the Gunnarson, and then sprinkle on some melty L all over—ah! Wait, this food doesn’t even exist in this world, does it?”
The cooking method sounded kind of similar.
“Probably not,” I said.
“Yeah, makes sense. No way this crappy world would have Alfred or Gunnarson.”
She deflated instantly and slumped back into her seat. Then she took a bite of the shrimp-mayo pizza.
“Oh, but this is tasty. I guess this’ll do.”
So it’s good? That easy?
Her drooping cowlick started to perk up again, and soon she was reaching for more slices. A smile slowly returned to her face. Eu, as always, reached for the pizza with a perfectly blank expression. And then, in an instant, the slice vanished. It was like she vacuumed it up. Her tiny mouth moved ever so slightly, so the pizza must’ve gone in there.
“Ayumu,” called a quiet voice. ”Is that today you’re allowed to be greedy order still valid?”
The only one who hadn’t touched the pizza was Sera. Her dignified face showed a hint of hesitation, so I asked, “What’s wrong?”
“I’ve never eaten anything other than Japanese food. I’m ashamed to admit that this kind of cuisine… terrifies me a little. May I have miso soup instead?”
She quickly slipped back into her usual composed tone. But hang on.
Only Japanese food? Was she telling me that hellish concoction she made the other day—the one where not even the seasonings or utensils stood a chance—was Japanese?
“Just try it. It’s good stuff. Not poisoned or anything.”
I handed her a slice. She stared at it, frowning, then steeled herself.
“A Vampire Ninja must face any foe without fear.”
She shut her eyes tight and took a big bite. Then she opened them and went in for another. Inclining her head, she took yet another bite, and kept on eating more and more.
“Incredible. Far beyond expectations.”
Apparently, she liked it. The pizzas disappeared in no time. Definitely not enough.
The table was full of noise and laughter. I’d come to find happiness in moments like this. And right now, I could say it without a hint of embarrassment. Being with these girls was fun.
“Phew! Pizza’s not half bad. Ayumu, give me your phone.” Haruna flopped onto her back and reached toward me.
“Here.”
I handed her my phone. She dialed right there on the spot, a regular check-in with her world.
Beep, beep, beep. Brrr, brrr.
“Ah, is this Big Teach? Oh, I see. Then please just let them know that Haruna, student number 634,526,379 from Refrain Year, Rising Class called.”
How many students are in that class?
There was no way I could say that when Haruna looked so down. Not like I’d actually say it any other time.
“They weren’t around?” I asked.
“I was told they went to another world to look for research materials.”
Haruna slumped onto the table and closed her eyes. Was she planning to sleep there?
“Ugh. No Artifact, can’t become a Magiclad Girl, can’t even get through to Big Teach. Today sucks.”
All that energy from earlier had vanished. Her mood changed faster than mountain weather.
“Hey, Haruna. What exactly is an Artifact? I’ll help you look for it,” I offered.
“Hah. As if someone like you could ever find one.”
“Well, better than searching alone, right? What’s it called?”
Haruna kept her pouty face for a moment, then suddenly softened like a well-behaved kid.
“Yeah, you’re right. That makes sense. Let’s see. The name is, uh, Kyo… No, tutu… A taboo. Yeah, that’s it.”
Taboo? What kind of terrifying name was that? Could taboo even take a physical form? Maybe I really wasn’t cut out to find it.
“Does it have an actual form?”
“Of course it does! It’s like… square and soft.”
She gestured with her hands, but I still didn’t get it. It didn’t seem very big, at least.
I turned to Sera. “Do you know about it?”
She shook her head. I tried Eu, but she just ignored me.
“Well, if I ever see something like that, I’ll let you know.”
“Not that I’m expecting much.”
Haruna collapsed face-down on the table again.
Ding-dong.
The doorbell rang, and I stood up.
“Coming.”
When I opened the door, I found a man in a trench coat and hat standing there, despite the damn heat.
“Hello. My name is Cerberus One-Third.”
He took off his hat, revealing the face of a black dog. A big one, like a Doberman. Long snout, short fur.
Was this guy here because Eu’s emotions stirred? Did my fate just change?
“What can I do for you?”
“I’m a watchman of the Underworld. Ah, and please, no comments about a dog being a watchman, okay? Watchdog just doesn’t have the same vibe, you know?”
What kind of response was he expecting? I said nothing and waited for him to continue.
“Well, watchman might be misleading. I allow entry, but make sure nothing gets out. I mean from the Underworld, of course. You’ve been there once, then came back here, didn’t you? I figured I’d catch you and gobble you up.”
“So you’re here to drag me back to hell?”
“Oh, you catch on quick. That really helps move things along.”
Pain tore through my shoulder. Cerberus—nah, he was just a dog now—bit into my shoulder like it was a loaf of bread. Flesh tore off like nothing. I kicked the mutt with 310% of my strength and ran back inside.
My arm wouldn’t move. A hole gaped in my shoulder, and every time it swung, it felt like it would rip clean off. I held it in place as I dashed down the hall toward the living room.
Eu had mentioned she had healing abilities. Something this bad wouldn’t heal fast on its own. I needed her help.
“Eu! Sorry, I know it’s sudden, but can you heal me?!” I shouted to the Necromancer lounging in front of the TV. She didn’t even turn her head, just gave a small nod.
I sat beside her and showed her the wound. Eu removed her left gauntlet and placed her snowy white hand against my chest. That was all it took. The bleeding stopped, and the wound closed.
Damn, that was impressive. She didn’t even have to touch the injury directly.
“You’re really stubborn, Aikawa. Just die already, and be done with it.”
The dog stepped into the living room. Sera glared at him with crimson eyes, while Haruna, who had been sprawled across the table, suddenly leapt up in alarm.
“A-A talking dog!”
Come on. Even Megalo talked. Remember the crawfish dude?
“Well, well. I wondered where you’d gone. So this is where you’ve been, Lady Hellscythe. I see now. This is your doing, isn’t it? Of course it is. There’s no way a normal human could come back from the Underworld otherwise. You could’ve just told me from the start.”
For some reason, the dog sat down and joined us at the table. Wait, was the fight over already?
Everyone froze with confused looks, creating a weird kind of tension.
Eu picked up a pen that had rolled across the table and wrote something in her notepad.
Tap, tap.
“I forgot.”
“Ehe. I totally forgot. Sorry!”
“This was a wasted trip,” the dog said with a sigh. “You should’ve said something before calling the soul back. If I’d known this was your doing, I wouldn’t have come all the way here.” He shook his head wearily.
I still had no clue what they were talking about. But there was one thing I wanted to clear up.
“So, you’re not fighting me anymore?”
With a smile so casual it deflated all the tension, the dog replied, “Correct. Lady Hellscythe was responsible, wasn’t she? Then there’s no problem. She can do whatever she pleases. Even the kings of the Underworld would grovel if they met her. I mean… you know… she’s just… amazing.”
“She’s that amazing?” I muttered.
“Yes,” the dog replied. “The kings call her the center of everything.”
The center of everything, huh. I didn’t fully get it, but clearly, she was some big deal. Not that it mattered what Eu really was. Though yeah, I was super curious.
“But something’s been bothering me,” the dog added. “That wound on your shoulder earlier. It was pretty serious, no? Forgive me if I’m wrong, but… did you make Lady Hellscythe use her power?”
Tap, tap.
“It’s fine. I can bear the pain.”
Pain. Right. I’d forgotten. Her power came with a price. A headache, wasn’t it?
“I figured,” the dog sighed, then swatted me with like a cat.
Before I could even snap back, he explained. It seemed like he read my face.
“Lady Hellscythe’s hand has the power to heal. Whatever she touches, it heals what that object—or person—wants to be healed.”
“Oh wow, that’s actually kinda awesome. She can heal anything?” Haruna, for once, seemed genuinely interested.
“But the cost,” the dog continued, “is that she takes on the pain of the injury she heals.”
“You’re saying Eu’s feeling the pain of having her shoulder torn open right now?”
“Yes. Because of you, Lady Hellscythe is suffering. I know how much pain she’s endured using this power. That’s why I hit you.”
“I’m sorry, Eu. I should’ve asked about the drawbacks first.”
“It’s fine.”
“It’s okay. I did it for you, big brother.”
The dog read the note, his already round eyes growing even wider. He glanced at Eu’s face. “I… I see. Well then, I’ll be on my way. Sorry for the trouble. Oh, right. Someone nearby’s about to be killed, so I’ll go collect that soul too.”
“Wait a sec!” I gasped. “Someone nearby’s about to be killed?! That’s not something you just breeze past!”
“Why does it matter? It has nothing to do with you. Don’t tell me… you actually want to help?”
It wasn’t just that I wanted to help. If someone around here was about to be killed, then the killer was probably the same guy who killed me.
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