I packed two swimsuits for the summer training camp, so that’s all set.
As for clothes, I ended up buying quite a few with KAGAMI and KOKO whenever we went out together. The closet is already filled with seasonal outfits.
If space runs out, we can always use another room. I felt a bit rich thinking about having a whole room just for a dress room, but still, no matter how I think about it, the house looks too old on the outside, which is always a little funny.
“Kurosawa going? Last time, I saw that the cleaning was mostly done.”
I’ve been there once after my funeral. It seems like KAGAMI goes there to work every time, so it should be organized in its own way.
Of course, the original deity we served, NIRLAS, has become just a name at this point. KAGAMI doesn’t seem to care much about it.
“Would you like to live there?”
“No, not really.”
When I mentioned a ‘courage test,’ it just came to mind.
It feels like a dark atmosphere, doesn’t it? But I didn’t plan to say that to KAGAMI.
“It does feel a bit dreary~”
“……”
I had been holding back my words, thinking about the other party, but after saying that, I found myself without anything to say.
“Well, that’s just the way things are. It has been a place with many gloomy matters.”
KAGAMI glanced into the distance.
If you want to name something good about this house, it’s that the window faces south. The area is a complete residential neighborhood, so there aren’t any big buildings, and at least sunlight definitely comes in.
Thanks to that, it gets a bit hot in the summer.
KAGAMI, staring quietly out the window, closed her eyes and nodded.
“Then, how about we go take a look? Living there might be a bit much, but spending a day looking around shouldn’t be bad.”
“Hmm?”
“KOTONE and KOKO are both Kurosawas. The last remaining Kurosawa.”
“……”
Now that I think about it, we are both ‘Kurosawa.’
Just like most countries, in Japan, generally, children take their father’s surname. Although it’s not impossible to take the mother’s surname. It seems there are arrangements like “live-in sons” and such in Japan, and occasionally the clan is inherited by the daughter.
Or perhaps, there’s no father to begin with.
“I’m not hoping to inherit the family name or anything. It just feels like I haven’t really been told anything yet.”
KAGAMI gazed at me with a serious expression.
I thought for a moment and looked at KOKO.
“Uwuu?”
KOKO tilted her head.
It seems she has no thoughts on whether it’s good or bad.
“……I’m just asking in case, but where was KOKO born?”
“Here.”
KAGAMI said.
“Otherwise, how would I have sealed you?”
“Then, let’s go.”
At least KOKO doesn’t seem attached to that kind of place, so I responded that way.
“Sure.”
KAGAMI always got really excited when discussing trips. Even though we always slept together in the same house, she finds it tremendously enjoyable to go out and sleep together somewhere else.
However, when it comes to mentioning going to that house, she doesn’t seem to be that excited.
She doesn’t seem particularly depressed or hesitant, either.
Perhaps she’s hiding her emotions.
“So, shall we go this weekend? Do you have any prior engagements?”
I shook my head. KOKO followed suit.
Seeing us, KAGAMI nodded.
*
I thoughtlessly blurted that out, but I didn’t expect it to turn into this.
KAGAMI acted with much more calmness than usual when going out with us.
She didn’t try to drive out early in the morning, nor did she start humming happily while preparing for the trip.
We are going to school on Saturday as well.
Our apartment isn’t too far from that ‘home’. If you simply consider the distance, it may be a bit closer than the distance to school. The school is located right by the sea in MINATO WARD.
However, going home on the way back from school would mean creating a huge triangle connecting Tokyo and Saitama, so KAGAMI said she would come pick us up at the station when school ends.
Just as she said, after school, when we went to the station, KAGAMI welcomed us.
She had a cage in her hands and a small bag over her shoulder. It seemed she had brought KURO along.
“……Ah.”
YUKA, who ran into KAGAMI, looked a bit surprised and turned towards us.
“……Hello.”
Then she greeted KAGAMI rather awkwardly.
“Hello.”
KAGAMI’s voice addressing YUKA didn’t show any remaining resentment.
There was still a bit of awkwardness in her expression, but since YUKA had come over last time and they shared a room together, I don’t think she dislikes her that much.
It seems there’s some kind of unspeakable history behind that, though.
“Are you going somewhere today?”
YUKA cautiously asked.
“Yeah. Just briefly to the family home.”
I nodded.
Ironically, YUKA had quit working exorcism jobs, yet I was heading to a place related to that.
To be honest, I don’t have any plans to inherit that work. In the distant future, when KAGAMI leaves, and it’s just me and KOKO, um.
Should I continue it after that? Or should I find someone to hand it over to?
Well, I don’t think there’s any need to worry about it right now. It’s too far into the future. However, to make all those decisions, I would at least need some basic knowledge.
YUKA wore a somewhat complicated expression upon hearing my answer.
“I’m not going there to take over the work.”
So, I first said that.
“I just have some things I still want to know.”
YUKA nodded at my response.
“Uwuu?”
KOKO, who had been listening beside us, tilted her head.
Right, she’s probably not interested in this kind of stuff at all.
I will take the lead in figuring this out. KOKO has a pretty good memory, so she might help out beside me.
“I see. Understood.”
YUKA nodded respectfully, as if to say she respects my choice.
“Then, let’s meet again next week.”
As I waved my hand, YUKA waved back.
Usually, YUKA waits for the train to arrive on our side, but today, it seems she left as soon as KAGAMI was there.
“……It’s really a strange coincidence when I think about it again.”
KAGAMI said.
“Strange, how so?”
“The person who saw KOTONE first was someone tied to YUUKI.”
Ah, right.
Well, even though we weren’t at a level of openly opposing each other, our personalities really didn’t match.
“……Don’t think too much about it.”
However, KAGAMI didn’t seem to mean it that way, so I said that.
“For Mom, it probably wasn’t a place filled with good memories.”
“…….”
It’s inevitable that she hasn’t come to the apartment. If you’re a person, you will naturally avoid places that carry bad memories.
Even when I was very young, I was chased by a stray dog that suddenly jumped out at me while walking down an alley.
I only saw that white dog barking loudly and pursuing me once, but for a while, I couldn’t even enter that alley.
Just being chased by a dog was scary enough, but I can’t even imagine how damaged KAGAMI’s mind must be after going through an experience worse than that several times.
It’s almost commendable that she looks fine now.
Perhaps the existence of me and KOKO is, in fact, a pillar of support for KAGAMI.
If that’s the case, then I’m grateful.
“Shall we go?”
KAGAMI replied to my comment without saying anything and simply held my hand.
In her other hand was KOKO’s hand.
“Yes!”
KOKO happily exclaimed in response to KAGAMI’s words.
I wonder if it just feels like a fun trip for KOKO.
That’s a relief. Otherwise, my steps might have been a bit heavy.
For a while, we held hands like that, waiting for the train.
*
It was still a magnificent mansion upon seeing it again.
However, despite its grandeur, it also had a somewhat worn-out atmosphere. The large gate had faded colors, with tiles showing visible damage here and there.
Recently, it seemed to have been managed a bit, as there wasn’t much dust or fallen leaves piled up, but there was still a somewhat grim atmosphere. I wonder what the neighbors say?
Then again, the massive statue in Sendai was reportedly built on private property, so it couldn’t be easily demolished despite complaints from residents.
A mansion of this size must be owned by a noble.
Upon entering, there was no one around.
“Operations are done on a small scale. We don’t really need to gather here for prayers.”
“Really?”
“Yes. Still, we do plan to operate regularly during the New Year.”
Operating only on New Year’s? Well, it is an important day, so that makes sense but it feels like there’s something a bit suspicious about that intent.
When I looked up at KAGAMI, she stuck her tongue out slightly.
“Well then……”
As we entered the mansion, KAGAMI opened the cage and let KURO out.
KURO emerged slowly and meowed at us, looking somewhat curious.
It seems she’s wondering why we brought her all the way here.
KURO is not an ordinary cat. I’m not entirely sure how long an ‘ordinary cat’ can survive a few days without an owner, but it seems like KURO is connected to ‘that world,’ hence I can’t help but look at her differently.
She perhaps even seems a bit smarter than other cats. It gives the impression that she could probably find food on her own if necessary.
However, since we didn’t bring her in, she leisurely strolled further into the mansion just like when she was let out of the cage.
“Will it be alright?”
“It should be fine. If anything, having KURO here is probably reassuring.”
When I looked up at KAGAMI, she also stuck her tongue out slightly.
“Do you know why I brought KOTONE and KOKO all the way here?”
“Because you wanted to tell us about the family?”
“Well, there’s that, but there’s something I really want to teach you separately.”
KAGAMI began walking, and we slowly followed behind.
We weren’t holding hands anymore now.
“With the advent of modern society, it has become increasingly difficult to commit murders.”
“…….”
Hmm…
It’s hard to find words to respond to that.
I did ask her to tell me about the family, but this seems to be a far more uncomfortable topic to listen to.
“Given that we’re a group serving an external deity, it would be easy to understand. Our clan has a history stained with blood. In ancient times, it was common to sacrifice people.”
I see.
I had some imagination about it even before hearing the story, but actually hearing it… well, honestly, it hasn’t had much impact so far.
“How far back are we talking about?”
“Hmm. Maybe it was around the ‘modern’ era? I’m sorry, but I’m not sure exactly. The stories are passed down orally rather than in books. Also, it was my sister who originally received those stories, not me.”
“Ah.”
“Yeah. Because of that, it’s tough for me to fully replicate the rituals my sister performed all by myself. In a way, it’s a blessing.”
KAGAMI said, looking straight ahead as she walked.
Then she stopped in front of a chamber.
I don’t know the layout of this mansion completely, but when I briefly visited last time, I remembered at least something about the interior structure. This was the place with the ‘altar.’
An altar with nothing placed upon it.
If we were to symbolize NIRLAS, one could say it would be a ‘sheep,’ but actually, that represents the followers rather than NIRLAS himself.
The “thousand young lambs” is meant literally, but it indicates ‘countless followers’ more than anything else. It’s similar to how some religions refer to their followers as ‘lambs.’
The original NIRLAS, which is akin to ‘SHUB-NIGGURATH’, is sometimes represented by a mountain goat, which is more of a symbolic use, as its skull often represents demons.
The idea of depicting an external deity through human senses is a setup… well, at least in the original Lovecraftian context.
It seems similar here.
“Some people thought it was right to kill humans to call upon the gods. And indeed, there was a response from the gods, bestowing blessings. They allowed other beings not to harm our clan, sending down several monsters.”
It took the form of Yōkai, or it meant transformations of humans themselves.
Sometimes, it manifested in the form of a ‘child.’
KOSUZU knew of this knowledge and used it without reservation. Utilizing her younger sister.
“So, the name Kurosawa is also a pool of blood. An abyss of blackness formed from the deep pooling of red blood.”
“……”
What should I say in response to that?
I felt like saying something awkward would only spoil the atmosphere, so I just stayed silent. KOKO continued to tilt her head.
“My sister KOSUZU sacrificed several people, and as a result, she ended up in that state. Even at the last moment, it seemed that plan was about to succeed. Ultimately, she was punished for trying to use the gods.”
So, the name Kurosawa had to remain infamous until relatively recently.
“Did she kill Mom too?”
But then, KOKO’s question flew out.
“Yes?”
KAGAMI blinked.
“Did she kill Mom too?”
KOKO asked, tilting her head.
“I…….”
KAGAMI answered somewhat flustered but sincerely.
“I didn’t kill her, but….”
“Uwuu?”
KOKO tilted her head the other way again.
“Killing people is a bad thing.”
“Yes, it’s a bad thing.”
“Not killing them isn’t bad.”
“Right?”
As KOKO kept stringing her thoughts together, KAGAMI displayed an expression of being exceptionally flustered, as if she had never been in this position since becoming a ‘Mom.’
“Then, KAGAMI isn’t bad.”
“……”
KAGAMI was left speechless by those words.
She said that she hasn’t killed anyone directly.
Perhaps she is sincere. There’s a high possibility she has never ordered someone to be killed. After all, KAGAMI hardly knows how to accomplish anything through killing.
She knows full well how to preserve life, but that’ll have to come out in time.
Though, in that final moment, she certainly had some tricks up her sleeve, but I find it absurd to even think about that. In the end, it just concluded without a hitch. So many traces were left behind, yet the actual events just vanished, disappearing.
The result of twisting reality by absorbing the power of the gods.
I still have no clue about the principles behind it.
So, even with all this, I’m not entirely certain whether KAGAMI is ‘not bad’ but…
At least, she hasn’t become a murderer.
“……”
KAGAMI couldn’t bring herself to argue with KOKO’s words and looked towards me.
I thought I saw her eyes hinting at some moisture.
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