Volume 6 - CH 2.3

Yet, for some inexplicable reason, it seemed perfectly normal. Unable to bear the twisted sight any longer, I spoke up.

“Who is she? You said that if you die, she will die as well. Does she have a say in that?”

I realized how ridiculous my question was.

Mukai remained silent for several seconds, and then breathed out a stream of smoke. It was pungent.

“You are one strange man,” Mukai said.

“Don’t mind him,” Mayuzumi said. “He’s a bit special. He might seem crazy to you, but just let it slide.”

She was probably referring to what happened with Shizuka. After bearing her child, I had no choice but to avoid building relationships with others. But now that the child was stable and the fetters were gone, I couldn’t help but get involved with others more than necessary. It was a bad habit of mine, as rightfully pointed out by the fox.

The woman raised her head, a twisted smile on her lips. The expression on her face petrified me. My earlier thoughts returned.

It didn’t matter if she had a will or not.

I swallowed.

Moments later, Mukai broke the silence. “So, about my request. After my death, I want you to give my body to her.”

Crack.

Chocolate snapped.

Mayuzumi had produced a golden package from somewhere. A sweet aroma mingled with the pungent smell.

Mayuzumi swallowed the confection. “I refuse,” she said dispassionately.

“You can’t refuse. In terms of value, it’s even. You may be a kid, but I won’t tolerate any spoiled behavior.”

I was shocked. I had never seen anyone talk to her like this before.

Mayuzumi shook her head. “I know. I just wanted to say it. If the scales are balanced, I have no complaints. Although, this is rather absurd, considering it’s not even my own debt.”

“It may as well be. Mayuzumi Azaka. We both desire to be nothing but dots, but ultimately we are bound in a line that is our lineage. Whether we are treated as gods above the line or reviled below it, we are trapped all the same. Ah, how troublesome. Your clan owes me, and I expect you to return the favor in full.”

Mukai cackled. His laughter belied the gravity of his words. He seemed to just be making light of the current situation. Mayuzumi silently bit into a piece of chocolate.

Suddenly, Mukai coughed, and with it came the sound of phlegm. For the first time, he seemed like an old person. Hacking repeatedly, he spat out something thick on the tatami.

Something red and yellow.

“I want you to stay here until I die,” Mukai said. “It won’t be long. Make yourselves at home.”

“If I stay too long, I will be paying extra for my debt. When are you dying exactly?”

The pair continued their conversation like nothing.

Mukai blew out smoke. White slowly vanished.

“Soon,” he replied.

The woman rose from Mukai’s lap. Crawling on all fours, she passed us by and slithered into the hallway. Mayuzumi turned around to follow her, her pale hand taking hold of mine. I squeezed her soft palm tight.

Mukai and Mayuzumi’s conversation had ended, it seemed. I trailed after Mayuzumi as she followed the woman ahead of us. The woman’s round buttocks bounced rhythmically. She stopped halfway down the hallway and looked at us.

“Thank you,” Mayuzumi said. “You may go now.”

The woman nodded. Mayuzumi touched what appeared to be a white wall, and a door creaked open. She took a few steps forward and sat down. I followed suit, kneeling down beside her. The damp wood creaked beneath us. The man’s house seemed to be dilapidated overall. I couldn’t tell what it was made of exactly.

Snap.

Mayuzumi sat down on a cushion and started nibbling on chocolate. I surveyed the room. It was hard to see through the darkness, but there seemed to be no furniture inside. It was a space constructed with no consideration for human comfort. Like a storage room, or a cell.

“There’s absolutely nothing to do,” Mayuzumi said. “I hope he dies soon. Judging by the size of the debt, it would only take a few days. For now, we just have to wait.” She heaved a sigh.

I frowned. You don’t just wish death on someone like it was no big deal. But for these people, it seemed like a natural thing.

For the man and Mayuzumi, the former’s demise was all but certain, and whether it came sooner or later was of little consequence. His fate was sealed.

“What sort of debt do you owe this man?” I asked with a touch of curiosity.

It was rare for Mayuzumi to be indebted to anyone. With a twist of her red lips, she casually raised her delicate wrist, bringing a sweet delicacy to her mouth.

Crack.

“He’s a cleaner, hailing from a clan of espers,” Mayuzumi went on matter-of-factly. “He’s handled several body disposals for the Mayuzumi clan that couldn’t be brought to light. That is the nature of the debt. His clan has been contracted for corpse disposal in various areas for generations, but it will probably end with him.”

She let out a heavy sigh and leaned her red parasol against the wall. I could see the vivid color slanting in the dimness.

“What do you mean by ‘it will end with him’?”

“There is no heir. Unlike the Minase clan, their clan’s supernatural ability only manifests in those who have the aptitude. Those who express the desire to become heirs are adopted and become the successor. His clan despises espers, though. Despite doing the dirty work, they’re not allowed to use the family name. Nevertheless, there were those who expressed their interest in the job. Until now, that is.”

“So no one wants to take over?”

It was hard to fathom in this modern age that there were people who willingly engaged in corpse disposal. No one would take the job, knowing the unfair treatment that they would receive. At least that’s what I thought.

“Not exactly.” Mayuzumi shook her head. “There was someone who wanted to take over. But Mukai’s adopted child ran away, not because they detested the job. They couldn’t stomach the fact that they would never surpass him.

Crunch.

A black fragment shattered between her teeth. The broken piece fell and dissolved into the darkness, vanishing from sight.

“Mukai is an extraordinary esper, a hedonist, and a madman. The moment the child thought about surpassing him, they already lost. Mukai doesn’t care about any of that. He just lives and dies for his own pleasure. In that sense, he’s similar to me. Not that it matters. I don’t want to become friends with myself.”

Mayuzumi stretched her limbs. She placed a cushion on her head and laid down. Her hands were clasped in the darkness. Her body, wrapped in a black dress, must be underneath.

“I’ll rest for a bit, Odagiri-kun. Why don’t you go to sleep? I think your eyes are exhausted.”

The world shook. Mayuzumi’s arms and legs scattered in the darkness. White melted away, swallowed by the shadows. My vision returned to complete darkness again. It felt like I was under a curse. I pressed my throbbing head. On my forehead was a scar from the recent incident.

“Mayu-san, my eyes…”

“Ah, I knew it. You said you saw a woman. Your eyes must have been under a lot of strain. Don’t overwork them or your vision might remain like that. Your eyesight is abnormal, don’t forget that.”

I closed my eyes and collapsed on the spot. I heard the rustling of clothes. Soft fingers brushed my cheek. Mayuzumi stroked my face as if petting a cat, then pulled her hand. Hard nails grazed my eyelids.

Mayuzumi pushed on my eyeballs a little. “A woman, huh? That’s why his own child hated him. To espers, Mukai is an object of envy and hatred. Others will find it hard to understand.” She pulled her fingers away.

Extreme drowsiness came. The headache seemed to come from eyestrain. I gradually drifted into sleep, but my vision remained unchanged, still dark.

“Does it look beautiful to you?”

Mayuzumi’s voice rang like a bell in the distance.

Her rhetorical question dissolved into the darkness.