Ch.51Chapter 8. About the Future (4)

“Kyuu.”

I find the crying sound cute.

Is this some kind of preference? Well, considering this body was made by Shab-Nirlas, maybe cuteness and prettiness are its preferences.

Or more accurately, the author’s preferences.

“Turn right here.”

I spoke as I looked in the direction Chi was facing.

I don’t know the exact principle, but it’s not just about seeing the direction. It feels like… I’m connected to it on a more fundamental level.

Perhaps it’s also considered a Shab-Nirlas avatar.

“……”

Grandfather and Yuka didn’t say anything. Both were trying their hardest not to show any expression, but I could feel the guilt squirming beneath their expressionless faces.

It would only make things more awkward if I said it was okay.

Drip. Drip.

Blood was still flowing into the bucket.

Since the wound had been forcibly gouged and opened, bandaging it wouldn’t make any difference.

“Kyuu!”

“Wait!”

When I shouted, Yuka turned toward me.

“What?”

“Stop the car!”

As soon as I spoke, Grandfather hit the brakes.

Thankfully, I was wearing a seatbelt. I clutched the bucket tightly with my right arm. My body lurched forward, but the bucket was deep enough that blood didn’t spill out.

“Child, what’s—”

Fortunately, the car had been moving slowly so it didn’t lead to an accident—

“Grandfather, over there!”

Yuka shouted immediately.

The ground was rumbling.

This sound… it was the sound of rolling stones.

Grandfather and I looked out the window simultaneously.

Rocks were tumbling down.

Grandfather immediately shifted into reverse and stepped on the accelerator.

It wasn’t just one large rock, but several smaller ones pouring down. Some were as big as my body, some as small as a fist, and many that weren’t as big as a person but still too heavy to lift.

Tick. Tick.

I heard the sound of sand particles hitting the car. If Chi hadn’t warned us, we would have been reduced to something like a pulp along with the car.

“Kyuu— Kyuu—”

Looking down at Chi’s crying, I realized I was holding it too tightly.

I wasn’t sure if it was different from ordinary creatures… well, of course it would be different, but still, seeing something “alive” that was being squeezed in the middle and about to burst felt a bit strange.

When I loosened my grip slightly, Chi immediately returned to its original state with those gear-like red fingers.

“Did it tell you that?”

Yuka asked.

I nodded.

“I think so.”

The gazes of Grandfather and Yuka on me became somewhat peculiar.

…

Wait a minute.

Did I just look like I was prophesying earlier?

As I was glancing up cautiously, Grandfather and Yuka got out of the car.

I opened the door with my right hand and got out of the van—

Realizing I was holding the bucket, I just set it down next to the car.

I’d probably spill it if I carried it around anyway.

Blood was still dripping down my hand.

“……”

After staring at Chi in my hand for a moment, I just placed it on the nape of my neck.

I could feel my clothes getting damp with blood, but in the current situation, it didn’t matter anymore.

When I approached Yuka, she flinched upon seeing me.

“Um… are you okay?”

“I’m fine.”

Except for my arm hurting a bit.

I’d definitely terrify someone if they saw me in the middle of the night.

Actually, I’d been wondering what to do since the moment I got out of the car.

I still don’t know what happens to me if I fail to meet the “conditions” Shab-Nirlas set for me.

At least so far, Shab-Nirlas has been treating me quite leniently.

…

No, that’s not right.

I looked down at my left wrist again. The bandage Yuka had wrapped around my left arm was quite thick, but the area around the wound was already stained a dark red.

Looking at the wound again, I don’t think it’s lenient at all. It seems like it sees me as some kind of toy.

At best, I’m like a pet to a psychopath who abuses the dog they raise.

Hmm, I’d rather just be a toy.

“Kyuu.”

Chi said, looking straight ahead.

“This way.”

I looked in that direction.

When I started walking in front, Yuka quickly followed beside me.

It’s fortunate I wore sneakers. Though I only had one pair of sneakers and one pair of school shoes anyway.

The direction Chi was pointing to was an unpaved mountain path.

Click.

Yuka turned on a flashlight and illuminated the ground at my feet.

“Wait.”

As I was about to walk, Yuka held out her hand to stop me.

“Ah.”

Looking at where the light was shining, I let out a small sound.

There were footprints on the path.

It wasn’t quite mud, but soil full of moisture. The trees overhead must have kept it from drying.

And on it were the jumbled footprints of several people.

“Do you think someone got here before us?”

“Hmm.”

Grandfather took out his flashlight and shone it behind us.

…There was a black car parked there.

It’s not surprising we didn’t notice it on our way up. If we came up from below, that car must have come down from above. And from the completely unpaved upper path.

It seemed that following the path up there would lead to a road on the opposite side. The path bent once, making it difficult to spot among the trees unless you looked carefully.

Plus, it was the middle of the night, and there were no proper streetlights around.

We went back briefly to check.

…It was a car similar to the van we came in. There was nothing written on the outside. Apart from being black and parked in such a remote place, there wasn’t anything particularly unusual about it. Nothing was visible inside when we shone light through the windows.

“We need to be careful.”

Grandfather said.

Yes, indeed.

It could be a car carrying extremely dangerous people. It wouldn’t be strange if a serial killer came to bury bodies in this setting.

Well, that could happen even outside this setting.

We turned back.

Should I take out my knife? After a moment’s consideration, I decided against it.

I’m not going to hunt yokai, nor am I going to point a knife at people. If a fight breaks out, I’ll just be a burden.

It would be more helpful to hide in a corner than to jump into the middle of it.

Yuka gripped the scabbard tightly, and Grandfather nocked an arrow to his bow. He skillfully held it with just his left hand, while holding the flashlight in his right.

And like Yuka, he illuminated the ground at my feet.

“I’ll tell you if I see anyone ahead. From then on, stay hidden.”

I nodded at Grandfather’s words.

We started walking again.

“Do you need help?”

Yuka asked with a very worried expression.

“I’m fine.”

Every time I bleed, I notice that either I’m adapting or my body is actually getting stronger, as I can endure for longer periods.

The first time I cut myself, I collapsed right after defeating the enemy. The next time, I felt dizzy just riding the subway, but now I’m even hiking.

The mountain path was quite gentle. It didn’t feel like a full-fledged hiking trail, but there were traces of people having walked around.

Could this be private property? If so, I feel a bit sorry for leaving drops of blood along the path.

“Kyuu, kyuu.”

“……”

“……”

Apart from Chi’s crying, there was no conversation between us. Only the distant sounds of cicadas and birds could be heard.

Alright.

Let me organize my thoughts a bit.

Anyway, in Shab-Nirlas’s eyes, I seem to be like a toy that’s fun to play with. It doesn’t handle me roughly enough to completely break me, but it seems to be guiding me to play according to its intentions.

At least so far, Shab-Nirlas hasn’t told me what will happen if I fail to meet the conditions.

Whether I’ll suffer pain, die, or it will just lose interest and leave.

…Didn’t they say that the response depends on the heart of the responder, not the method of calling?

Considering how strangely well Kaneko summons it every time, there must be some conditions, but I think that statement isn’t completely false.

Perhaps Shab-Nirlas’s way of answering lies somewhere between her free will and instinct.

Like how a starving person automatically turns their head when they smell delicious food.

“Grandfather.”

“What is it?”

“Could it be that the falling rocks earlier were because Kudan had foreseen it?”

“That might be the case. If it’s a yokai that sees the future, it’s possible. Of course, no one knows until we meet it directly.”

“Then the people who followed Kudan…”

Silence again.

…Hear the prophecy from Kudan. Alone.

I remembered that. There was also mention that I could tell my friend if I wanted to.

However, given that there was no mention of “it’s okay to listen together,” it might be something I couldn’t tell Yuka.

After walking up a bit—

“Wait.”

Grandfather immediately turned off his flashlight.

Yuka followed suit.

Yuka extended her hand and gently pushed my back.

Hiding me behind a tree by the dirt path, Yuka and Grandfather crouched down and held their breath.

In the distance, voices could be heard. No lights were visible yet.

Grandfather’s gesture was faintly visible.

I followed Yuka slowly, careful not to cause the two of them to be discovered because of me.

“Stay here.”

Grandfather said after we had moved some distance.

“Kyuu.”

Chi answered for me.

“How…?”

Even though I didn’t finish with “are you going to do this,” Grandfather moved immediately. Holding his bow with an arrow nocked, he pulled the string slightly as he moved.

Yuka also drew her sword.

“…I’ll go see what those people are doing.”

I nodded at Yuka’s words.

Indeed, without me, we couldn’t achieve our goal of finding Kudan.

In the distance, people with flashlights were moving around, shining their lights here and there. They were too far away to see their expressions or hear what they were saying. But one thing was clear: they seemed to be “searching” for something.

And these people were different from the ones we met at the ranch. Their attire was different, and there was no reason for them to change clothes in between.

Grandfather and Yuka quickly disappeared into the forest.

They seemed quite accustomed to this sort of thing.

“……”

I remained still for a moment.

My body was starting to tremble slightly. It’s summer. Even though it was approaching midsummer, it shouldn’t have been that hot, but I had lost quite a bit of blood by now.

My mind was still clear. But I was anxious. I didn’t know how much longer this would take, and I wasn’t sure what would happen if I spent too much time here.

“Kyuu.”

“I know.”

I responded to Chi’s whimpering sound.

Chi was anxious. As if reflecting my concerns, it wanted to find Kudan and complete the objective quickly.

…Has midnight passed yet? I didn’t think about checking my phone. Even a small light would be visible from a distance in this darkness.

If midnight has passed, I have an appointment tomorrow.

Curling up with my knees together, I wrapped my right hand around my left wrist and held it to my chest. Then I lay down, leaning against the base of a tree.

“Kyuu?”

“It’s okay.”

It’ll be fine.

“It’s okay.”

“…Are you okay?”

Startled by someone suddenly responding to my self-talk, I jumped to my feet.

“Ah, it’s okay. Calm down. I’m not here to harm you—”

The person speaking stopped when they saw my face.

“…Miss Kurosawa?”

She wasn’t wearing a nun’s habit.

But even in this darkness, I could recognize who it was.

Hana Hagiwara.

I quickly turned my head away, but Hagiwara already seemed certain that I was Kotone Kurosawa.

“What are you doing here? And what’s this smell?”

“……”

Smell.

Ah, right.

She didn’t have some animal-like sense of smell, but people in this line of work tend to have quite sensitive senses. Especially someone trained like Yuka or Hagiwara.

If it had been very far away, she wouldn’t have noticed.

But if Hagiwara had been searching nearby.

No, maybe she joined a bit later. Hagiwara didn’t have a flashlight in her hand, but she could have seen the droplets of liquid on the ground.

And if she touched it, she would have known it was blood.

Traces leading all the way to me.

“Are you bleeding?”

As Hagiwara took a step closer, I backed away until my back hit a tree.

Ah, right. I was leaning against a tree until just now.

“What are you doing here…?”

“I—”

Hagiwara opened her mouth, then closed it. She stared at me expressionlessly.

I examined Hagiwara’s clothes.

Despite it being midsummer night, she was wearing a long-sleeved shirt with wide sleeves. Her skirt also hung long over her legs. Honestly, it was a somewhat mature-looking outfit. The original character was such a beauty that she looked like a college student or a young wife.

But there was a reason for sticking to such attire.

After all, she couldn’t walk around in a nun’s habit in public places. So she wore clothes that were as similar as possible.

“What are you doing here?”

Those eyes turned toward my left wrist, which I was clutching. Blood was streaming down. Plus, my clothes were soaked with blood.

Hagiwara’s face contorted.

“Who did this to you?”

She doesn’t seem to have grasped the situation accurately yet. But… she doesn’t seem to view me as just a suicidal person or a lost hiker either.

As I positioned myself to run, Hagiwara swiftly extended her right arm downward.

And the next moment, she was holding a sword.

It was a small dagger shaped like a cross. The short part of the cross was the handle, and the long part was the blade. The blade seemed to be about 20 centimeters long. At least shorter than a 30-centimeter ruler.

That makes sense.

All nuns in these kinds of novels from this era are like that.

“Wait. Don’t move.”

Hagiwara said.

She didn’t point the sword at me.

“…You’re Souta’s friend, right? I’d appreciate it if you didn’t make me cut you.”

Well, normally people don’t think about cutting other people.

Of course, I did. But my opponent was a man-eater.

“Tell me why you’re here. I won’t hurt you.”

“…With a knife in hand?”

“……”

Hagiwara seemed at a loss for words at my comment.

I’m glad I didn’t take out my knife.

Otherwise, I would have looked very threatening too. She would have thought I might stab her if I moved quickly.

I slightly released my right hand that was covering my left wrist. Blood gushed out from the wound I had been covering. The bandage was now completely useless.

“…!”

Hagiwara was startled at the sight.

I moved my left hand, which her gaze was fixed on, and threw Chi, which I had been holding, toward Hagiwara’s face.

Hagiwara instinctively slashed at the bloody mass with her knife.

Slash!

It probably had almost no function as a godo. Even if it did, it would be weak, and there was no “malice” between us.

But blood suddenly sprayed like a mist toward her face, which was good for momentarily blocking someone’s vision.

“Eek!?”

I immediately covered my face with my arm and turned away, so I was fine, but Hagiwara got blood in her eyes. She probably closed them quickly, so it wasn’t a major issue.

However, while she was wiping the blood that covered her face, I had a chance to run toward the path.

I ran.

“Wait, stop right there!”

At Hagiwara’s shout, all the flashlights from above turned in our direction. Damn.

But I kept running anyway. With my abilities, I couldn’t navigate through the densely wooded forest like a wolf or fox.

It was better to have a path.

Besides—

Clang!

I heard the sound of blades clashing. And the sound of a blade falling to the ground.

“You…!”

“You shouldn’t point a sword at a person, you know?”

Yuka, that’s cool.

It seemed Yuka had jumped out of the forest just as Hagiwara was about to chase after me. She probably noticed when she heard Hagiwara speaking to me.

“I didn’t point it at you!”

Hagiwara was angry, but I didn’t look back.

“Kurosawa!?”

When I didn’t stop and continued running, Yuka called out, sounding a bit confused.

“There she is! Catch her!”

People rushed down from above. There were six of them.

Thud!

But the footsteps of those six people quickly stopped.

An arrow was stuck in the ground, quivering.

It was an arrow shot by Yuka’s grandfather.

“Don’t move from there.”

I stopped running too.

It wasn’t directed at me, but damn, I was really struggling. This path, though gentle, was still a mountain path. It was an uphill path and an unpaved dirt road.

There seemed to be a grassland without trees further up, but it was a bit challenging to climb all the way up there while losing blood.

“Kurosawa, what’s going on?”

Yuka, who had approached me, asked. She was standing with her back to me, pointing her sword at Hagiwara.

“I suppose they were trying to find it too. Isn’t that right?”

Grandfather said, deliberately omitting the word “Kudan.”

“……”

The people coming down from above were all men. It seemed Hagiwara was the only woman in her group.

The men were all dressed in ordinary clothes, but about two of them were wearing shirts with the distinctive collar that clergy wear. Black shirts with short collars, and a white part showing in the middle of the neck.

“Church?”

Yuka muttered.

“How did they—”

“They have their own methods.”

Grandfather said to Yuka, then turned his head back toward the men.

“What’s your reason for being here? State your purpose.”

“……”

No response came.

“…This land has its own rules. Withdraw. This doesn’t concern you.”

“Sir.”

Hagiwara responded to Grandfather’s words.

I turned around.

Hagiwara’s face was covered in blood here and there. Though she still looked somewhat bewildered, she maintained a calm voice as she continued.

“It does concern us.”

When one of the men flinched, Hagiwara held up her hand.

“Are you here to find Kudan?”

“……”

“It seems you’ve used methods that we don’t know about and don’t want to know about, even injuring that child.”

Yuka tightened her grip on her sword.

“What’s important to you?”

“The prophecy.”

“Do you want to know the prophecy?”

Hagiwara shook her head.

“No. We aim to prevent the prophecy from being heard. We want to cut its throat before it can speak.”

“Why?”

“They say Kudan prophesies calamity.”

Hagiwara said as she took a step closer to us.

“But that’s a false prophecy. We can’t allow people to believe it.”

Ah, I understand.

In Christianity, “prophecy” is something done by prophets. And those prophecies don’t predict individual fortune or misfortune. They only concern the world, God’s judgment, and other religious content.

But if such prophecies were made by a “beast” like Kudan.

By their standards, that’s not a prophecy. It’s the whisper of Satan.

…It looks like a demon too.

“…I’ll say it again, this land has its own ways.”

“The ways of this land.”

Hagiwara asked.

“By the ways of this land, do you mean we are not included?”

“……”

Hagiwara took another step closer.

“How many more years must we wait to become people of this land? God’s will has reached ‘this land’ for 450 years now.”

Hagiwara closed her eyes, took a small breath, and spoke as if exhaling.

“In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti.”

The sound was like reciting a Buddhist sutra.

“Amen.”

“Amen.”

As Hagiwara finished speaking, the men murmured in response.

I don’t know what it is, but it seems to be some kind of prayer.

“Persecuted, hidden, killed, hidden, apostasized, repented, concealed, transformed. The people of this land continued their faith. Even as time lengthened and stories were distorted, losing their origins, the faith itself continued. They endured by praying to the Virgin Mary statues made to look like Kannon statues.”

Hagiwara opened her eyes and smiled slightly.

“And then they praised it as something uniquely excellent to this country. Something uniquely Japanese. Is that what you want?”

“……”

For me, both Shinto and Christianity were distant matters. I didn’t believe in gods to begin with.

Based on my previous occupation, many people had religious beliefs, but I didn’t.

If there had been a god, would I have lived such a life?

Well, now I’m strangely receiving attention from something god-like.

The main reason I’m thinking this is because I feel like I’m about to collapse right now.

Yes, I think I’m really reaching my limit now.

“Kurosawa? Kurosawa!”

When I suddenly started running, Yuka called out urgently from behind. But she couldn’t immediately come after me.

“Catch her!”

Hagiwara shouted.

Ping, ping, the sound of arrows flying was heard, and more arrows stuck into the ground.

Shing. Someone was drawing a sword.

“Wait!”

I’m not sure who shouted. It was a woman’s voice, so it was either Yuka or Hagiwara.

Well, at least they seemed to treat me as a human.

My legs felt like they were about to give out, but I kept running forward.

“Stop!”

One of the men blocked my path. He was pointing his sword at me as if to threaten me.

It was an unwavering blade. Would he cut me down as a heretic?

No, he wouldn’t do that. At least in this world’s Catholicism, they wouldn’t casually cut someone if they were human.

So—

I grabbed the man’s hand with both of my hands.

Stab.

“What—”

And when I drove the tip of that sword into my collarbone, the man’s eyes widened in shock.

The surroundings fell silent.

I pulled out the sword and started running again. For a while, I didn’t hear anyone chasing from behind.

Was it his first time stabbing a person?

Yes, it was mentioned in the novel too.

‘All of them are just a ragtag bunch. They’ve never been on a hunt, let alone deployed in actual combat.’

It’s not exact. It was probably something similar. I think it was something Hagiwara said while confronting Yuka.

Is she talking about this incident? Since this event would have happened in the original story too.

There was a commotion behind me. It seemed Yuka and Grandfather were buying time.

I continued running, leaving the noise behind.