“Older brother, older brother… oh, please.”
As Sota opened his eyes, those were the first words he heard.
Light seeped through his slightly opened eyelids, and a heavy cough erupted from deep within his chest. Holding back the cough was painful, like his throat was being ripped apart.
His mouth tasted like iron, as if he had been sucking on a mouthful of blood. It must have been the scent and taste of Sota’s own blood.
“Older brother!”
As Sota tried to sit up, Shii was about to hug him but hesitated.
In this situation, it seemed she thought that hugging Sota too tightly might hurt him severely.
“You’re awake.”
“And Kurosawa?”
Sota threw the first question at Yuka’s grandfather, who had spoken to him.
Then he realized. Yuka’s grandfather didn’t look healthy either. His face was wrapped in bandages, and one of his arms was in a splint.
Yuka’s grandfather shook his head.
“… He left us behind.”
“…”
“I don’t know why he did that. I really don’t.”
Sota recalled Kurosawa’s last words.
Because it would be more interesting that way.
What could that possibly mean? Could it be taken literally? If so, why did that woman, who resembled Kurosawa’s mother, call for such a being…?
“I’m sorry. It seems we couldn’t be of much help.”
I know that.
Though he saw it through blurry eyes, that last moment played back in his mind—Kurosawa tearing down all the talismans stuck to the door, opening it, and confronting the people inside.
And—
Looking around, he realized he was in the living room. There were traces of blood everywhere, and not a single piece of furniture was intact in the house. It was evidence of yesterday’s fight.
“Yuka, what about Yuka…?”
“Older brother.”
As Sota tried to get up from his spot, Shii gently pressed him back down with a serious face.
“No, you need to rest…”
“Shii.”
Sota looked straight at her.
“Yuka is fine. At least, I think she’ll be better off than you.”
“But, we have to go right away, right?”
Sota asked back.
Yuka’s grandfather hesitated briefly before nodding.
“Yes. Otherwise, a lot of people might die.”
“… What’s happening?”
Shii looked up at Sota with trembling eyes, but Sota was determined to know the story.
“No matter what happens, it’s not your fault. If we must assign blame, it’s ours.”
“Does that mean it’s partly Yuka’s fault?”
“… No.”
Yuka’s grandfather shook his head.
“It should be my fault. We were… complacent. Even knowing that Kurosawa was a dangerous being, we merely kept our distance. We thought the things they were researching were just silly stories.”
“…”
“Right now, it seems that something is happening nearby related to that Kurosawa. The person we failed to protect must have been someone they really needed.”
“What do you mean?”
Yuka’s grandfather sighed lightly.
Sota felt Shii’s grip tighten around his arm. Sota’s wounds throbbed slightly, but he held on.
Yuka’s grandfather glanced at Sota and Shii for a moment, then took a breath and began to explain the situation.
*
Yuka bowed her head as she looked at Sota.
“… I’m sorry.”
She spoke as if she might fall to the ground, and Sota quickly grabbed her.
“Yuka.”
“I… I couldn’t protect you. Not even one bit. I called you here promising to protect your brother, yet it has ended up like this…”
“No.”
Sota shook his head.
He had gone through something similar himself.
When Shii was in danger, all Sota could do was to shield her with his body, trying not to let her get hurt.
In the end, both of them had been swallowed whole anyway. Had Yuka not been nearby at that moment, Sota surely wouldn’t be here.
“It was just a situation gone bad.”
“Still.”
“… Yuka.”
Sota called out to her.
“Are you trying to hide it?”
“…”
“Take me with you.”
“Older brother!”
Shii shouted.
“Sota.”
Nanami was the same. She seemed to be organizing Sota’s clothes, as she quickly set the blood-stained garments down and rushed over to him.
“Sota, this isn’t your place to be.”
In response to Nanami’s words, Sota bowed his head for a moment in silence, then collected his thoughts and looked straight at Yuka.
“No.”
Sota spoke firmly.
“I have to do this. I… I have something I can only do there.”
What that ability actually was, he couldn’t say for sure. Probably, neither Yuka nor anyone in her family knew.
Whether it was truly because of Sota’s unique ‘ability’ or because of the intimacy that Kurosawa Koto Ne felt towards him, he couldn’t tell.
But at that moment, Sota could see that child.
Not in front of his eyes. He just felt it.
Inside that raging fire, in its deepest depths, Kurosawa Koto Ne was curling up, terrified.
“I’ve never had any specific training in exorcism. Of course, I’m not from a family that does that. However, at that moment, I felt I could save Kurosawa… the child Kurosawa Koto Ne.”
Sota turned to Nanami.
“Can we really give up on that child?”
“…”
Nanami’s lips quivered, as if she might respond immediately, but ultimately, she couldn’t form the words.
They hadn’t known each other for long.
But still, Sota thought, she wasn’t a child who could just be left behind in a desperate situation.
In Sota’s memories, that child was someone who was suffering.
But despite that suffering, she never gave up. At first glance, it seemed she had given up everything, living without any reactions around her, but in reality, she was a child who desperately wanted to go on living.
She knew how to enjoy happy times and tasted delicious food. She had learned about her favorite flavors and was slowly grasping what made life fun with friends.
If only she hadn’t known.
If it was someone he was seeing for the first time today.
Sota might have considered staying behind after hearing Shii and Nanami’s words. But—
“… Yes.”
Shii spoke.
Her voice was trembling.
“Giving up… we have to give up on that.”
“Shii?”
Sota turned, surprised that Shii had said something like that.
Shii was glaring at him.
It wasn’t a scary face. On the contrary, tears filled her eyes, and she looked so fragile that even a light touch might knock her over.
“If you die, what happens to me?”
“…”
“I could endure going back to that house. Even if those kinds of people torment me, I can endure it. I’ve done it before. I think I’m really lucky to have lived a happy life because you saved me, older brother, but I’m not foolish enough to give up my life over those kinds of people.”
Shii said with a shaking voice.
“But losing you… you’re the only family I have left, Sota.”
Tears finally streamed down Shii’s face.
“Yes, just as you’ve said a number of times, I’ve made friends. Precious friends. I know that everyone here is a good person. But so what? Those people can’t be brothers. Only you, older brother, are left in this world who truly thinks of me as family…”
Shii raised her arms to wipe her eyes roughly.
“But, but… older brother, why… why do you do this? Every time, putting your life on the line and destroying your body…”
Sniffle.
Shii took a moment to catch her breath before finally speaking.
“I’m sorry for saying something rude. But… but I can’t agree to it…”
Sota was momentarily at a loss for words in response to that.
“It’s okay, Shii.”
Yuka, who had been listening to the conversation, spoke.
“I’ll do whatever it takes.”
From Sota’s perspective, Yuka looked like a wreck, too. Surely, Yuka’s whole family would want to join in. They had to resolve this situation somehow.
“… Yuka.”
“Shii is right.”
Yuka said.
“You shouldn’t have to be in a position like this. I… I forced you too deeply into it.”
“…”
A suffocating silence filled the air for a while.
Sota continued to ponder before finally opening his mouth.
“… Shii.”
“… older brother, in the end.”
Sota hugged Shii as she spoke.
“I’m sorry, Shii. To me, you are the only family I have in this world. The most precious. But…”
“Yes, I know. I’ve known from the beginning. You’ll probably say that a person’s life is the most important thing in the world. And that if we can’t resolve this situation, I will also be in danger.”
Sota had been hit right in the gut and was speechless for a moment.
“Even so, I know that just because I try to stop you, you wouldn’t have gone anyway. Still…”
Shii gripped Sota’s clothes tightly.
“What I mean isn’t to just hold you back, I’m being sincere.”
“… I’ll definitely come back.”
“…”
Shii’s breathing trembled again.
After catching her breath for a moment, Shii finally opened her mouth.
“It’s a promise. If you don’t come back, I’ll come looking for you. No matter where that may be.”
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