Ch.96Chapter 14. Accident (11)

Yuka already knew to some extent how Koko could transform her body.

When fighting opponents, she actively used her hair, but Yuka had seen that even if Koko’s entire body was crushed inside a car, she could return to her original form.

So when Koko grabbed Yuka tightly and entered the building, Yuka was terrified.

She couldn’t catch with her eyes exactly how Koko moved—it was too fast.

And the movement wasn’t comfortable either. The part where Koko had gripped her would probably be bruised by tomorrow.

“Here?”

When Koko asked, Yuka silently handed her a damp handkerchief. She used another one to cover her own mouth. Koko tilted her head curiously but followed suit. She didn’t seem to understand exactly why she was doing it.

Maybe I should teach her how to evacuate from a burning building later.

…Though not right now.

Looking at the situation, the interior seemed much more serious. Even though they were on a lower floor, the heat was already palpable. On top of that, smoke made visibility poor.

Her eyes stung a little.

Was it right to go down to the floor where Kotone might be in this situation? What kind of tragedy would it be if two people died trying to save one?

But—

Koko was staring intently at Yuka.

…Having already brought Koko here, she couldn’t choose that option.

“Let’s go.”

Yuka said that, and confirmed that Koko nodded.

Then she searched for a path. This was familiar. It was something she had trained for since childhood and continued doing after growing up.

“…”

The place she found had heat radiating through the ceiling.

Beyond that would certainly be much hotter.

Kotone had gone to that place to save someone and then come back up.

What on earth made Kotone move like that?

She was clearly a child who had grown up being abused since childhood. Though Yuka didn’t want to say it, she’d heard that many children inherit their parents’ violent tendencies.

But Kotone acted completely differently, as if determined not to learn anything from her mother.

Even more so than Yuka, who had made saving people her profession.

Yuka bit her lip.

“Yuka?”

Koko tilted her head.

“…No, it’s fine. It’s nothing.”

Yuka said that to avoid making Koko anxious, and took up the sword she had been carrying on her shoulder.

When she pulled back the cloth, a plain black scabbard was revealed.

When she drew the sword from its scabbard, there was a sleek sound.

With that sword, Yuka unhesitatingly slashed through the ceiling.

Seeing the air split, Yuka shouted.

“Let’s go, Koko.”

“Yes!”

Koko answered with shining eyes.

Could she somehow sense Kotone’s energy?

In this situation, it would be absurd to let down one’s guard because of that strange energy, but—

For just a brief moment, Yuka found herself smiling.

*

“Ugh…!”

The cat was agile.

Plus, it had fire on its back. If only touching it wouldn’t hurt, it wouldn’t be a big problem, but now they had to avoid contact altogether.

It was no wonder Yuka was having more trouble than expected.

One of its feet was half-severed and bent in a strange direction… but being in a confined space with a giant cat while trying to protect me who had collapsed and avoiding contact with the enemy was incredibly difficult.

“Ugh…!”

Koko was also continuing her attacks against the cat. But she apparently had no immunity to “heat” either.

She was shocked and bled when her hair was cut off by me.

As a result, rather than surrounding the enemy from both sides or front and back, they ended up facing the opponent together from the front.

The fire cat seemed to know this and actively used the fire on its body. The fire that had been on its back had gradually moved forward, and now it was consuming almost its entire body. The wounds that had been inflicted were melted by the fire, erasing the injuries.

It was a grotesque sight.

Although the fire cat used the fire on its body and showed no signs of pain, there was no fur left where the fire had burned. Even from here, one could see painful burn marks.

As if cursed with something inescapable.

Moreover, in this space that initially had no fire, as the cat rampaged, the flames gradually spread.

The curtains hanging by the window, the carpet on the floor, and even the sofa that was already burning.

The longer they stayed here, the less space those children would have to stand.

Well, the space where I was lying would disappear too.

“Ugh.”

I moved my body as much as possible and crawled to the corner of the room.

Then slowly raised my hand to look at my wrist.

“What, you’ve been watching all along? You could have said something.”

“I was thinking about your words. There’s one thing I must ask before moving on, or I won’t sleep well tonight.”

As if a being like you needs sleep.

“Isn’t there a way for you to open my head and look inside?”

“I want to solve the puzzle, so I can say I have no intention of doing that. However.”

Nirlas whispered.

“If the puzzle pieces were wrong from the beginning, there’s no reason not to force them to fit.”

What can I do about that?

“The puzzle pieces I can give you are all I have.”

Clang!

“Kyaow!”

“Huh!”

Koko sacrificed her hair to attack the fire cat. A deep wound was inflicted, and the fire cat was in pain, but Koko seemed to be in even more pain.

There was the smell of burning flesh. I couldn’t tell if it was coming from the corpse sitting on the sofa whose form was barely recognizable, from the fire cat whose entire body was engulfed in flames, or from the burn Koko had just received.

The cat’s belly was slashed by Yuka’s sword. But the cat, ignoring the wound, tried to collapse right on top of Yuka. Yuka hurriedly rolled away.

Would it be advantageous for us if we dragged this out?

It seemed possible. The two would probably be able to capture the fire cat eventually.

But.

…What about us returning to reality?

Would the fire department have arrived by now? No, even if they arrived, the fire wouldn’t be extinguished immediately. The fire was already spreading throughout the entire floor. It might take hours in the worst case.

And considering the possibility that they haven’t arrived yet.

…If the real building collapses in flames, what will happen to us when we return? Yuka and Koko might be injured. If we’re lucky, we might safely get back to our places, but if not.

“If you truly are such an ordinary human, there’s one more thing I’d like to ask.”

“…”

I thought for a moment.

“I can’t give that for free.”

At my words, I heard Nirlas’s soft laughter.

“I don’t like lies, so that’s good. Tell me what you want, and I’ll listen.”

“…I want to help those children.”

“You think that way until the end.”

Nirlas spoke with an even more excited voice.

“Then, I’ll ask my question.”

“…Ugh.”

Blood drained from my body.

My left hand raised with the palm up as if offering something, and blood slowly rose from the open wound.

That blood gathered in one place and began to form a shape.

However, it was a bit larger than I remembered.

“If you truly are an ordinary human, I wonder why you haven’t lost your mind in a situation like this.”

Because I’ve seen it. Already, many times.

In a country that seems peaceful at first glance and prides itself on having the best public safety in the world, people die every day. In all sorts of ways.

Seeing people hit by cars happens several times a year. Many of them die. If you’re unlucky enough to be assigned to an accident-prone area, you’ll quite often see people who are even more unlucky than your bad luck of being stationed there.

People who die simply because they were unluckily standing there at that time.

Once, I entered a burning house and found a child dying from a stab wound. The person who called it in was the one who had wielded the knife. They had already escaped outside, waited for the fire department, been rescued, and been taken to the emergency room.

When someone gets electrocuted while repairing high-voltage wires, their bones don’t show through like an X-ray as in comics. Instead, a large spark flies. That spark is hot enough to set clothes and hair on fire.

That person had to hang there without even being able to scream until the power was cut off and we brought them down. The family couldn’t recognize them right away.

People die so easily.

I’ve seen such things many times.

I don’t know if my senses have become dull, or if I’m just pretending they have. I just… was like that.

“Then, I wonder why you do such work.”

Hmm.

You said one question.

Well, it doesn’t matter. It’s not like my mouth will wear out from talking. I’ll give one bonus answer.

At first, I regretted it.

The childhood dream I had just solidified and I went into it. The red fire truck was cool, but that coolness only lasts a day or two.

As I continued, I just thought.

Since this is the kind of job—

“Who else would do it if not me?”

That’s how I answered when my sister asked.

Even after losing everything, it was all I knew how to do anyway. I wanted to live as I had answered.

“Hmm.”

After hearing my answer, Nirlas was silent for a while.

“It’s not the answer I expected, but an answer is an answer.”

That’s what he said.

Thud.

That object made from my blood fell into my hand.

“Then, I’ll see you next time. Your answer is insufficient, but as I am the one solving the riddle, I must endure, mustn’t I?”

I guess so.

I wish you’d let me know too if you figure it out.

With those final words from Nirlas, the wound on my left wrist closed.

I was still covered in blood. Honestly, considering that all the blood covering me was my own, I wonder how I’m still alive. Even with some yokai abilities, I don’t think all the blood in this body’s vessels would amount to this much.

I staggered to my feet. I could see the two people fighting with their backs to me, cornering me against the wall.

I stumbled forward.

“Kotone!?”

The first to notice was, of course, Koko.

“Kotone, wait, it’s danger—”

Yuka, who was about to urgently call out to me right after, momentarily hesitated when she saw what was in my hand and my expression.

In my hand was a cylindrical object that was a bit thick. Perhaps because it was made from my blood, it was red while being glossy like glass.

Inside that translucent container, some liquid was filled to the brim.

There are fire extinguishers that are used by removing the safety pin and pressing, but when people are in a hurry, they can forget or confuse the order.

And a moment of confusion in the face of flames can be life-threatening.

So, a type of fire extinguisher was created that eliminates all those cumbersome processes, is easily stored in homes, and can be taken out and used without thinking when needed.

A throwable fire extinguisher filled with extinguishing solution.

What I was holding was a special fire extinguisher with my blood as its contents.

“Grrrr?”

Before the fire cat could move after seeing me, my hand was already in motion.

The cylindrical fire extinguisher that left my hand hit the fire cat’s head directly and broke.

As it spilled my blood inside,

“Khaaat!?”

The fire cat began to thrash wildly.

My blood is quite nasty.

Moreover, for some reason, the fire enveloping the fire cat’s body was extinguished. Its hideous face, with flesh blistered and melted by fire, was revealed.

The fire was only extinguished in part. It was still burning vigorously except around the head and neck.

But that was enough.

Crack!

“Gruhk!?”

Something long and black, like a skewer, pierced through the fire cat from its lower jaw to above its nose. It extended far upward, preventing the fire cat from properly opening or closing its mouth.

And that skewer transformed its upper part into a T-shape.

“Huak!?”

With strong force, it pulled the fire cat’s mouth downward. The fire cat’s body, which had been standing like a bear, was pulled down, down.

The fire cat tried to raise its arms to cut it off, but—

“No, you can’t do that.”

Yuka was already moving.

Yuka instantly ran up to the fire cat and swung Muname from top to bottom.

“…”

After the sword passed through cleanly, the fire cat momentarily stopped moving and did nothing.

But soon.

Slump.

Its body collapsed downward. The fire cat’s head was still impaled on Koko’s extended hair.

“Let’s go!”

Yuka, without even a moment to rejoice or catch her breath, rushed to Koko and me.

Grabbing my arm tightly and dragging me, Yuka shouted to Koko.

“Koko! We need to go back out the way we came in! The nest will collapse soon!”

“Yes!”

Ah, that’s right.

That’s how it was. The nest begins to collapse right after the yokai dies. I saw it last time.

And if we stay still in this situation—

We’ll all jump into the fire. Because even if we can’t see it here, in reality, the fire is blazing.

Koko held me and Yuka tightly.

And.

Wait, hold on.

I think I’m going to get motion sick at this ra—

*

“Ugh.”

At least I didn’t throw up what was inside.

“Cough, cough.”

Though I did cough.

Despite having the most experience entering buildings in situations like this, I was the one coughing most severely from the acrid smoke.

A small siren sound was heard from beyond the window.

It seems the fire department has finally arrived.

What on earth were they doing to arrive only now? Well, there’s no point in blaming them now.

We caught the fire cat. Now Sasaki and Shii won’t be involved. We also found and saved the child who almost died in here.

“Why do you look like you’ve accomplished something?”

Yuka said incredulously, grabbing one of my arms and putting it around her shoulder.

Ugh. I just want to lie down for a bit. Can’t we just wait for the firefighters who will come up soon? Or ask Koko again…

“Uuu!”

Koko was glaring at me with puffed cheeks.

It wasn’t a scary expression at all.

But the fact that Koko was angry with me was more important. Has Koko ever shown this attitude toward me before?

It’s good that her emotions are becoming more diverse, but—

“So why do you look relieved?”

“…”

I stopped thinking at Yuka’s voice.

Come to think of it, my body was covered in blood. All my own blood. It wasn’t some terrible wound, but judging by the amount of blood lost, it was life-threatening.

…If Yuka burst into tears here, it would all be my fault.

And Koko was already sniffling.

While sniffling, she was lifting my arm.

I was sandwiched between the two as we went down.

“Ah!?”

And a firefighter who was just coming up the stairs was startled.

I was naturally carried down on a stretcher.

Yuka and Koko also became “victims” and were put in the same ambulance as me with blankets over their shoulders.

The paramedic who rode with us kept asking where and how it hurt, but unfortunately, I had nothing to say.

No matter how thoroughly they search my body, they won’t find a wound that would cause this much bleeding.

“…Yuka, Koko. I’m a bit sorry.”

“It’s okay.”

Yuka, whose attitude had softened a bit after getting in the car, said.

“You can sleep. We’ll be right beside you.”

That was truly reassuring.

I looked up at Koko one last time. Koko looked at me, sniffled, and wiped her tears with her sleeve.

“…”

The last emotion I felt as I fell asleep was guilt.

*

When I opened my eyes, the situation was similar to last time.

I was lying in a hospital bed, and Yuka was sitting nearby with bloodshot eyes, keeping watch.

And beside me, Koko was curled up and lying down.

…Had her mood improved? Or even if it hadn’t, was she unable to stay away because I’m her only family?

When I placed my hand on Koko’s back, Yuka spoke.

“Even after you disappeared, Koko kept crying out for a while. Not knowing what to do.”

“…”

“Was it simply because you told her not to? I don’t think so.”

When I looked at Yuka, she sighed deeply and massaged the back of her neck.

Then she looked at me and said.

“Koko is also gradually realizing what ‘normal’ means.”

“Ah…”

“So, it’s like this. If she had only followed what you told her not to do, Koko would have immediately gone looking for you then. Like she did when we went on that trip.”

“…”

“But now Koko knows. From staying with us. That her body is different from ours. That she can do things we can’t.”

“I see.”

Yuka had figured out something that I, living with Koko, hadn’t thought of.

“Koko… seems to enjoy school life, right?”

“…Yes.”

She liked getting along with the children, being petted on the head because they found her cute, receiving bread from Kaoru in the literature club room, and Ikeda willingly giving her snacks.

“At first, I thought she was just following your words.”

Yuka shrugged.

“But thinking about it quietly here today, it seems she’s gone beyond that.”

“…”

“It’s okay to do that in front of me. If I see you, I’ll come help no matter what you say.”

“…Yes.”

“But in front of Koko, don’t do that. At least explain properly. Make her understand and tell her to find another way. Koko… you didn’t see how she was after you left.”

“…I’m sorry.”

“No, it’s not for you to be sorry… never mind.”

“…”

I see.

Come to think of it, that’s how it was.

I only thought about myself after my sister died, and I couldn’t imagine how my sister might have felt about me.

“Get some good rest. Tomorrow is the sports festival.”

When I looked at Yuka, she narrowed her brow.

“What? Were you thinking of not going? After all that practice?”

“Uh…”

“I know you’re not the type to miss school for this level of accident.”

Yuka said with a slight smile.

But her eyes were still bloodshot.

“…”

“So, get some rest. You’ll need to run energetically tomorrow. You’re in the cheer squad, right?”

“Yes…”

Somehow, Yuka, who is much younger than me, seems more adult-like.

I stroked Koko’s head once more.

Koko, having such thoughts.

…

It might not be appropriate to say this in this situation, but,

To be honest, I was feeling joy.