Ch.90Chapter 14. Accident (5)

When I dropped the knife earlier.

I saw it slice through the air.

To be precise, what it cut through probably wasn’t just “air.”

It was likely an arm or tentacle of someone hiding there with an invisible body… presumably that Waitley character. Something like that.

The green liquid must have been blood.

I don’t believe an ordinary kitchen knife could cut through a yokai’s flesh. If that were possible, someone like Yuka wouldn’t have to live such a difficult life.

That kitchen knife was the one that cut my wrist today. Its surface was smooth, so blood wouldn’t have soaked in, but my blood would certainly have been on it. I hadn’t wiped it off or anything.

So, what I needed to do was—

Crack.

A strange sound came from near my wrist.

“Ugh!?”

I let out a groan.

When I had transformed my blood into tentacle-like forms before, it hadn’t hurt this much.

Thunk.

Something sprouted from my wrist and stabbed into whatever was in front of me. Only then was I released.

The creature that had been holding my hand didn’t make any other sound despite bleeding green blood.

Well, maybe it was making sounds. As often happens in Lovecraft novels, perhaps the sounds were too high or low frequency for me to hear. Some monsters can’t be seen because their wavelengths don’t match ours, so ultrasonic frequencies would be nothing unusual.

Having fallen to the floor, I swung without even checking my painful wrist.

Slash.

I felt something being cut.

It’s working.

When I looked forward to see why my wrist hurt, I held my breath.

A spike-like object had emerged from my wound. It looked like an icicle of blood growing from my wrist. And it was still slowly growing. It seemed to be expanding at the rate of my bleeding.

The flesh around it was split open by the thick icicle, but strangely, not a single drop of blood flowed anywhere else. The skin of my palm near my wrist looked distorted because of it… it looked extremely painful just to look at.

And it was painful in reality, too. Exactly as much as the cut. As much as the wound was open.

To clear my mind from the pain, I decided to focus my hatred on the creature that had been holding me. Let’s kill this thing in front of me first, then deal with Kosuzu.

Thud! Thud! As I crawled on the floor, supporting myself with my broken right arm and striking the floor with my left arm, marks appeared on the stains in my field of vision. I could see where the creature was moving because my blood was falling in droplets.

The footprints looked like human bare feet. I stabbed my spike wherever the footprints stopped.

Each time, I felt pain like having a metal fragment hammered into my wrist, but that was also proof I was alive. As long as I could feel this, I wouldn’t die.

“Argh!?”

But my opponent wasn’t just taking the hits passively. Naturally, having fallen to the floor, I had more surface area exposed to attacks. I writhed in pain as something dug into my calf. It felt like something sharp had stabbed down.

I flipped over and swung my hand randomly at the air. Fragments of the blood spike from my wrist, which had cracked slightly from hitting the floor hard, scattered in all directions.

While it couldn’t completely block yokai, it was blood that most yokai found repulsive. I wasn’t sure if it would work on this creature, but—

Slash.

Good. I cut at least one tentacle.

In retaliation, my whole body was hit as if being whipped.

Humans couldn’t develop claws or sharp teeth like beasts, but instead evolved dexterous hands. And the joints in the arms below them.

That means you can twist your wrist to strike upward with your palm.

In this case, it was more like stabbing the opponent with a weapon protruding from my wrist.

Green substance splashed onto my face.

“Ugh.”

The smell was incredibly disgusting.

Fortunately, I had tightly closed my eyes and mouth in preparation, but I couldn’t prevent some from getting into my nose and ears.

“Hah…!”

Exhaling sharply, I applied force to the spike that had caught on something solid.

“Nnngh…!”

Letting out a rough groan, I got up as if pulling myself up by grabbing onto something.

Squelch, squelch.

The creature stabbed at various parts of my body in resistance, but strangely, none of the hits were effective.

Yes, it must be because of this blood. This unidentified blood was flowing abundantly beneath my skin.

Moreover.

“Kyu,”

I heard the sound of several Chi dropping to the floor at my feet. Had the blood coming from various parts of my body finally started to mutate? Or was this the result of fragments of the wrist spike breaking off and dissolving?

Well, it didn’t matter.

I just needed to know that Chi was here now.

I forcibly raised my body and lowered my right hand to the floor. It was still broken, but I could move a few fingers.

“Kyu! Kyu!”

The Chi caught between my index and middle fingers struggled, but I didn’t care.

I thrust my right hand into what seemed to be the creature’s abdominal cavity, where my left wrist was embedded. Intense pain surged from the broken part, but I endured it.

Then, I opened my eyes and looked at the empty space.

Both the creature and I were covered in blood.

“Ha.”

I let out a laugh.

“I can see your insides too.”

I looked at my right arm embedded in the creature’s abdomen, from which green blood was streaming.

And I packed in my hatred. Though it was amateur and probably not very powerful, I had one attack method that I had verified previously.

I pressed my fingers tightly and burst the Chi.

“———!!!!”

Finally, the creature screamed.

A voice that was difficult to express in human language, yet strangely seemed like human language at the same time.

Crack!

Right after that sound, blood flowed from my mouth.

I looked down.

I couldn’t see the wound clearly from here, but I could feel blood flowing down toward my legs. Ah, the raincoat was useless now. My uniform and underwear were probably all soaked red.

…If I go to Yuka like this, she’ll worry again.

Ha, just when one thing seems to be going well, something like this happens. Damn it.

“It’s strange.”

Despite watching such a fight, Kosuzu maintained a flat tone.

Splash, splash. I heard footsteps approaching me.

I turned my head to look at Kosuzu, but my vision was a bit blurry, so I couldn’t see her expression clearly.

“How you have such a beautiful ability. How you can be so perfect.”

“In your… eyes, this… looks perfect?”

“Yes, it’s beautiful. So very much. Your body, inheriting the blood of god. …Surely, all of us should, but why.”

“…I told you.”

At least, I think I’ve figured out how to get under Kosuzu’s skin.

A human with a strong sense of pride and an inflated ego. When capable people who live for their own self-importance are involved, there are only a few ways to irritate them.

I just need to possess an ability they would envy.

Ha.

I know it sounds ridiculous.

“…Just be… loved by god… like me.”

“…”

Kosuzu didn’t say anything.

The invisible monster in front of me didn’t move either.

How long did that silence last? It probably wasn’t that long, but it felt extremely long to me.

I couldn’t lose consciousness. If I did, the abilities I was using would end, and they could take me away somewhere.

Crash—!

What broke that silence was the sound of glass breaking.

“…Kotone?”

Ah.

She finally came.

Well, yes.

She seemed to know how to find where I was.

Besides, right after that sound, I heard sirens too. It made sense, considering how many suspicious noises had come from inside the bathroom.

“…It seems we can’t do this with just the two of us, Mr. Waitley.”

Kosuzu said.

I heard the things supporting my body suddenly pull back.

“Kotone!?”

Koko called my name.

I heard something flying and hitting. Clang, clang, sounds of things colliding in mid-air.

Lying face down on the dirty bathroom floor in an unsightly manner, I looked toward Kosuzu.

Kosuzu looked at me for a moment, then casually turned around, opened the public bathroom door she had locked until now, and went outside.

Koko’s hair followed after her, but—

Kosuzu disappeared.

“…”

We both looked in that direction for a moment.

“Kotone!”

“Koko.”

I was worried Koko might follow after her, but fortunately, Koko looked at me.

Koko quickly knelt down on the floor beside me, and I thought, ah, it’s dirty there.

“Kotone! Kotone!”

Despite having learned so much vocabulary, Koko just kept calling my name while holding me.

“It’s okay.”

I’ll heal soon.

I wanted to continue, but a lump of blood rising from inside blocked my words.

Ah.

I ended up showing Koko this kind of sight again.

I did this specifically because I didn’t want to show Koko, of all people.

Bang!

The public bathroom door opened, and I heard people coming in.

“…!”

They seemed shocked for a moment seeing the bathroom covered in blood everywhere, then looked surprised again seeing Koko hugging me.

“Koko, don’t.”

Fearing Koko might attack those people out of surprise, I said that. Koko nodded vigorously. Such a good child.

Yuka… ah, I need to call Yuka.

She must be extremely worried. I’m late, and Koko suddenly disappeared. She’ll be feeling guilt she shouldn’t have to feel.

And I’m the cause of it.

Somehow, whenever I try to do something for the people I care about, things keep getting twisted. Why are my choices always the worst possible ones?

…Maybe my very existence is wrong.

“Kotone! Kotone!”

“Hey! Try to stay conscious! An, an ambulance…!”

The scene was so gruesome that they probably thought it was attempted murder or something like that.

…Ah, I really can’t hold on anymore.

“Koko. I’ll sleep a little…”

Unable to maintain consciousness any longer, I closed my eyes.

Koko shouted as I went limp, but—I’m sorry.

It’s just too difficult right now.

I’ll apologize properly when I wake up again.

*

So, from someone else’s perspective.

I left my younger sister who lives with me at my best friend’s house,

Went into a public bathroom and attempted suicide,

And then nearly got killed by a perverted murderer who broke into that public bathroom.

Moreover, when I was found, I had stab wounds all over my body, so I looked like a high school girl who had been stabbed repeatedly and was dying.

Though most of the wounds healed while I was sleeping.

“…”

But judging by the ache below my chest, it seems not everything has healed completely.

“…”

No, it’s more like my heart area hurts more.

Mainly the conscience part.

“…”

“Yu, Yuka.”

When I called Yuka’s name as she sat with her arms crossed staring at me without saying anything, her eyes blinked.

“…Yes.”

Her voice was low.

I tried to raise my body slightly, but then realized that something was pressing down on the blanket covering me like a paperweight.

Looking down, I saw Koko lying there.

As usual, she had curled up her body and was pressed right against my side.

There were tear stains on the sleeping Koko’s eyes.

My conscience felt not just pricked but bleeding. If it were an actual organ, I would have had to go back to the emergency room for hemorrhaging by now.

“Can you explain what happened?”

She must have many questions. Even if she had bombarded me with them as soon as she opened her mouth, I would have had nothing to say.

I tried to hide everything and keep it to myself, but I was discovered in the worst possible way.

“…I.”

But how should I explain?

I’ve already lied before.

No, not just once—almost everything I’ve said about this kind of thing has been a lie. The biggest reason was that I didn’t want to reveal my true identity.

How should I, who has only told lies, explain this incident?

“…”

After keeping my mouth shut for a moment, I suddenly realized I was feeling relieved.

Yes. I could have been captured on the spot and somehow restrained and taken away. Kosuzu seemed to have come looking for me for that reason.

She must have been waiting for a moment when I was alone. I’ve heard that Otaku is under the influence of the Yamashitakai, but their power must be weaker than around Minato Ward. I don’t even know how many organizations there are in each area.

The same goes for the cult. The Kurosawa family seems to be quite old, but it seems they’ve only recently started expanding their influence in earnest.

They say even the name of the cult hasn’t been decided yet. Maybe their connection with the higher-ups is just because they had ties before they started expanding their influence in earnest.

…Yuka was there, but I didn’t even tell her where I was going. Above all, the organization Yuka belongs to doesn’t seem to be the kind that monitors everything like this.

For various reasons, anyway, I encountered Kosuzu.

It’s creepy to think that she was persistently hiding and watching me, then came to find me the moment I was alone. And if I had made a mistake, that plan might have succeeded.

I might never have seen these two again.

Well, it’s shameless of me to feel relieved while leaving behind two people who were worried about me.

“…Do you know about Huacha?”

“…I do.”

Well, technically, she’s a professional.

It would be stranger if she didn’t know. She probably knows far more yokai types than I do.

“A yokai that steals the corpses of sinful people.”

“That’s right.”

One that was described as ‘burning them with fire.’

“Did you really deduce that just from the fact that the con artist couple died?”

Yuka asked.

“…I can tell.”

“Like last time?”

Like when I figured out the cannibalistic murderer.

“…Ah.”

Yuka seemed to realize something on her own and pressed her fingertips against her eyelids.

“So, you went to check? With your god?”

“…That’s right.”

“And you deliberately left Koko with me because you were worried we’d be concerned.”

Unable to answer verbally, I just nodded.

I wanted to hide somewhere. What I thought was a perfect plan now seemed like a situation where the other person was bound to notice.

“…”

Yuka was silent for a while.

I wished she would at least scold me, but Yuka was not that kind of person.

“…Sigh.”

Yuka exhaled deeply and lowered her hands from her face.

And looked at me with bloodshot eyes.

“…We haven’t had dinner yet.”

“…Huh?”

I opened my eyes wide at Yuka’s words.

“Koko suddenly disappeared, and you didn’t come back. My father and I went out looking for you. Grandfather was watching the house.”

“…”

I looked at the clock on the hospital wall.

The room was brightly lit, so at first glance I couldn’t tell what time it was, but the wall clock clearly indicated it was 1 AM.

That means everyone hadn’t eaten anything until this hour.

“…I’m sorry.”

“Do you know you’re sorry?”

I flinched at Yuka’s question.

I had no excuse.

“So…”

Yuka sighed deeply again.

“Have dinner before you go today.”

“…”

“Today” literally refers to today. Since it’s past midnight.

“I’ve already brought your things. I also brought a change of uniform just in case.”

“Ah.”

“I brought them when Koko and I stopped by earlier. Kuro is at our house too.”

I really am… something else.

“The dinner ingredients are still in the refrigerator, so you can cook and eat before you go.”

“…I’m sorry.”

“…”

Yuka stared at me for a while, then sighed deeply again while touching her hair.

We didn’t say anything for a while.

*

This child named Kotone…

Thinking about it now, she was always like this.

She always tried to shoulder everything herself. It was the same when Yuka first met Kotone.

Without asking any adults for help, she tried to get away from the woman who neglected and abused her on her own… eating only cheap bread because she had no money.

It was Kotone who saved Koko too. It was also Kotone who tried to take responsibility for Koko, who lived a life detached from human society.

All of these could have been resolved somehow if she had asked someone for help.

Giving help doesn’t matter at all.

It would be far better than losing the first real friend she ever made.

Kotone just tried to shoulder everything alone.

That must be the life she’s lived. All alone, with no one to lean on, ever.

At first, Yuka wanted to scream.

It was so frustrating. When she saw Kotone in the hospital, covered in blood with holes all over her uniform, she felt that way.

What was with the raincoat? Why was her left arm wrapped with a rubber band? Was it because she didn’t want anyone to know she was bleeding?

Koko couldn’t even speak properly. She just stammered words as if she had lost the ability to connect them. “Kotone. Hurt. Kotone is. Hurt. How? Why?” Yuka had seen Koko like this before, so she could manage, but—

It wasn’t easy to manage her own feelings.

“I’m sorry.”

Kotone said she was sorry.

There was no need for that.

“Do you know you’re sorry?”

And in the end, Yuka said something harsh.

She regretted it immediately. She had thought it was fine if Kotone asked for help with everything, but she couldn’t even accept one word.

She was just a child with nothing, who knew nothing.

When she saw Kotone flinch, she was already regretting it.

In fact, hadn’t Yuka called on Kotone when needed? It was Yuka and her grandfather who had made her cut those thin wrists.

All to save the world.

…But she couldn’t take back her words.

“Have dinner before you go today.”

In the end, Yuka said that as if making an excuse.

“…I’m sorry.”

And in the end, she heard those words again.