“What are you all…?”
Nakahara Nanami, dragged into a large van with Koko, said this in fear.
She tried her best not to appear that way, but it just wasn’t working. After all, this was the first time something like this had ever happened to her.
It shouldn’t have happened at all, to begin with.
“Wha…?”
Koko, who didn’t understand the situation, tilted her head in confusion.
Seeing Koko’s reaction snapped Nanami’s mind back to reality. She had to stay alert here, or else.
Nanami quickly embraced Koko and tried to hide their appearance as much as possible.
Near them stood men dressed in black clothes. They all had large, muscular builds. With their strength, they could probably break both of their necks purely with their bare hands.
“…”
Moreover, they all wore black masks over their faces.
Where are they taking them now? What’s going to happen?
A million thoughts raced through Nanami’s head.
The kidnapping of two small girls by such huge men—she couldn’t envision any positive outcome, no matter how hard she tried.
“Kotoné…?”
At that, Nanami turned her head.
In her arms, Koko looked up at her and spoke softly.
“Where’s Kotoné?”
“Kurosawa….”
No.
“Kotoné is… not here. Did they go to find Kotoné?”
“Uu?”
Koko tilted her head once more.
Seeing her look so clueless made Nanami’s heart ache.
What should she do?
The people in the van hadn’t done anything yet. They were all just sitting still, watching them.
But even so—
“…Kurosawa Kotoné.”
One of the men opened the door.
Nanami flinched at the mention of Kurosawa’s name. How did they know?
But without paying any attention to Nanami’s glance, the man in the black mask spoke.
“The leader wishes to speak with you. If you agree, the girl next to you will be safe and return home without harm.”
Leader? Speak?
What on earth are these people talking about?
Her heart grew even more uneasy.
Of course, she didn’t want them to be criminals or murderers.
But what if they were involved in something religious? Something worse could certainly happen.
As in becoming a sacrificial offering or being used in various horrible ways—
“…”
Koko peered over Nanami’s shoulder.
Looking directly at the men, Koko announced, “Kotoné said not to follow strangers.”
Nanami felt as if her heart dropped.
“…”
The men offered no response.
Yet, just their silence felt like a response in itself.
Shink.
A suspicious sound came from behind.
It was reminiscent of pulling something out of something else.
“Gah, heeeek…”
Nanami wanted to shout for them to stop, but only a whimpering sound escaped her lips.
Still, she couldn’t allow herself to block Koko—
“…Huh?”
—She couldn’t.
To be precise,
For some reason, when she opened her eyes that she had shut tight, it was Koko embracing Nanami, not the other way around.
As if she was trying to protect Nanami from the men.
Then, what should’ve stabbed Nanami’s body pierced Koko instead.
It didn’t spray blood everywhere. Koko’s expression didn’t change.
That sight felt rather strange.
Something had definitely hit Koko. Judging by the sound, that was…
As she felt something flowing near her legs, she directed her gaze down to see a red liquid trickling.
“Ah, aa…”
Nanami hurriedly felt Koko’s back.
There was a long wound across her back. From it, something was flowing out.
“…What.”
A man murmured.
“Kotoné said that.”
Koko said.
“That’s not okay.”
Koko’s soggy hair fluttered slightly.
Just as Nanami was thinking this was a rather odd sight—
Bang!
A loud sound suddenly came from above the van.
It sounded like something heavy had dropped on top.
“What!?”
The two men, who seemed frozen in confusion, shouted.
Everything inside the van, including Koko and Nanami, turned their gazes upwards.
Crack!
A dreadful metallic scraping sound echoed from the van’s ceiling,
then bang, bang, bang!
They heard a series of more banging noises
before something burst through the roof.
Its end resembled a knife.
Clunk!
As it forcefully twisted sideways, the knife slipped back.
Rain poured in through the widened gap and dampened the inside of the van.
And through that gap, the glint of someone’s eyes flashed.
“SKREEEAAAAAWK!?”
Only after seeing that did Nanami’s mind drift back from the other world, returning to reality as she screamed loudly.
*
The silver lining of a low-rise residential area is its narrow roads.
Of course, it might seem like a nightmare for someone who enjoys driving or needs to commute every morning.
But it’s the perfect chase for certain cars. Especially when you have to reach on foot while chasing them without a car.
“Hah.”
Hagiwara muttered while perched on top of a car.
She found a snapped telephone pole and simultaneously had doubts, yet attacking the two alone was impossible.
Regardless, she did her best.
She scouted around, searching for anything suspicious. And eventually, the vehicle that had been hovering around for some reason came into view— a black van.
Suspicious?
Of course, it was suspicious.
Mainly because it was the same way the church sent out personnel.
A few minutes of observation revealed people inside the still van.
Finding Koko barely a little while later had turned out to be lucky in some way.
“No, wait.”
If only she had found them a little earlier, she could’ve defused the situation before it escalated.
Hagiwara thought as she tucked her hair back, pulling the ‘device’ close to her.
It was a gadget attached to her right arm that could launch a blade using a strong spring mechanism. In the church, they referred to it as a “stake.”
While it was technically a blade inside, using it resembled a stake. If it could stab a vampire’s heart, it might disappear with the thought, “Well, this counts as a stake.”
Originally, this would be concealed inside a wide sleeve.
“Hah.”
What a hassle for a holiday.
Just when she finally got to hang out with Sota, all kinds of interruptions piled on top of each other, and she couldn’t properly enjoy it.
“What’s more, it’s only the second day!”
Hagiwara said this, activating the device.
Clang!
After stabbing something a few times, she forcibly twisted it to make a gap and peeked inside.
…Koko, drenched in blood, and Nanami, holding onto her, came into view.
Koko’s wet hair fluttered.
“…I see.”
Hearing Nanami scream from inside, Hagiwara strengthened her arms, raised her upper body slightly, and aimed the device close to the opening.
“No matter what, this is unacceptable!”
It’d be one thing if Nanami suddenly needed to go home due to a family emergency.
But “not like this,” that’s for sure.
No one ought to be put in a situation like this.
Crack!
Widening the hole in the van’s ceiling, Hagiwara thought.
*
Huff, huff, huff…
Ah, this is too hard.
Despite feeling like she was about to faint, she did her best to hold on.
To be honest, she wanted nothing more than to collapse and pass out. Wake up, and let everyone else take care of things…
But that wasn’t an option.
Koko was her responsibility. So she couldn’t pass out until confirming Koko was safe.
“Kurosawa, you should just rest—”
Sasaki supporting her said.
“Yes, senpai! Your face has turned pale!”
On the other side, Shii also chimed in.
Meanwhile, Yuuki had already dashed off in the direction the kids had pointed out. The kendo weapon had disappeared.
Sasaki and Shii were forcibly urging Nanami to return to the hotel despite her insistence to keep chasing.
At least those two were wearing raincoats. It would be a hassle if they got soaked because of her.
“I’m fine, just go back to the hotel for now…”
“Who’s ignoring what you say—”
Sasaki replied incredulously when—
Bang!
A loud crashing sound rang out.
Even though they were in the car, they couldn’t go fast in such narrow alleyways. Besides, there was a typhoon, but cars were still running through those alleys. They would’ve had to slow down to turn the corners, hence why they hadn’t gotten further than that before the noise happened.
Shii, Sasaki, and I exchanged looks.
Shii and Sasaki’s faces turned pale.
…
No.
I thought, but Nanami and Koko should be safe.
Koko could move incredibly fast and was robust. Even if she shrank down a bit, she could endure far more shocks than an average person.
Also, it should be the same for Nanami, who was with Koko. They should’ve helped each other.
We promptly made our way in that direction.
*
“Gah!”
Shii screamed upon seeing the scene of the accident.
It seemed the van had lost control while attempting to escape onto a somewhat wider road.
It had completely spun sideways and crashed straight into a wall on the roadside. Whether the driver was dead or not was unclear.
But at least the back seemed relatively intact.
And—
“Yuuki! Hagiwara-senpai!”
A loud voice erupted from Sasaki.
Though Hagiwara seemed to have some abrasions on her arms, she looked relatively alright.
Seeing the three of us coming, Hagiwara shouted,
“The door’s jammed! Please help me open it!”
Hagiwara was equipped with a peculiar gadget on her arm. She had used it in a novel I read once.
The van’s windows were cracked, but they hadn’t shattered. They were likely reinforced glass, not easily breakable.
The door seemed slightly dented, with the locking mechanism somewhat exposed, but it appeared stuck from the rear.
Beneath the vehicle, either engine oil or some sort of grease was leaking profusely.
“Stay here and wait.”
Sasaki said this and set me against a nearby wall before rushing to the van.
“Gyaaa!?”
Screams rang out from within the van. It sounded like Nanami’s scream.
…Blood splattered on the window.
It was clear that Koko could have escaped if it was just her. She’d have enough space to slip out.
But she couldn’t do that with Nanami inside as well.
“…Koko!”
I shouted.
My voice didn’t really reach. It probably got drowned out by the rain.
“Koko, the door…!”
Only after I yelled that did Koko seem to realize the situation.
“…Ah!”
Did she hear me?
A voice rose from among the children who were trying to pry open the door.
Then I saw it too.
Hair peeked through the gap in the door.
And then.
Crack.
The van’s door creaked laboriously.
“…Now! Everyone!”
Crack.
Thanks to Koko’s strength, along with the kids pushing against the door, it was beginning to open slowly.
Koko was visible from inside.
Koko was covered in blood.
And the cause of that blood was the man inside who had stabbed her.
…
My mouth fell open.
Why?
Why did it have to come to this—
“Where do you think you’re going!”
Hagiwara thrust her hand inside the van.
Thump.
Something seemed to be fired off, followed by a man screaming inside.
“Hurry, get out…!”
What emerged first was—
“Koko!?”
From inside came Nanami’s voice.
Then the kids who had stepped back slightly, pushed Nanami forward.
Nanami’s body was splattered with blood; it was unclear whether she was safe. All I could do was hope that Koko had protected her.
Then Koko would be the next—
“…Huh?”
Suddenly, Yuuki muttered.
His face shifted to the side.
Chills ran down my spine.
Like encountering a Yōkai.
A massive truck careened down the alleyway with reckless abandon.
And, without bothering to veer off or hit the brakes.
Bang.
Right in front of my eyes,
it smashed the van head-on.
I froze mid-motion.
“…Huh?”
Drip. Drip.
Blood oozed from beneath the van.
The rain was about to fall, slowly diluting the blood on the ground.
“Koko…?”
Ah.
What?
Something felt vaguely familiar.
This scene, I feel like I’ve seen it before.
In my previous life.
The driver’s side door flung open, and a man tumbled out.
With blood pouring from his head, he staggered up, making his way toward the back of the truck.
“Wait—”
Before Yuuki could stop the man, he quickly moved his hand.
The man lifted his knife and stabbed through the truck’s rear seating area.
And from there—
Thwump.
A sharp “thing” pierced the man’s body.
He was dragged inside the tent without even managing a scream.
“…Sasaki!”
“Huh? Huh!?”
Sasaki rushed over to me, supporting me.
But the chill still didn’t fade.
That’s not… just any Yōkai. Instinctively, I screamed within myself.
Koko… what about Koko, just for a moment—
“Ugh…”
Memories flooded back.
Thinking of Koko, everything flooded back to me, just like before.
The crumpled car behind me.
The sister inside. Unrecognizable.
The charred remains of the driver’s seat and passenger seat.
I was the one who had responded and gone there—
No.
That wasn’t it.
This was completely different from that time.
There was no fire, there had been no seven-car pileup, and I wasn’t wearing firefighting gear.
Moreover, Koko still had hope.
And more importantly, there was something else.
That thing.
Yuuki turned back to look at me uneasily.
Right now, I couldn’t let any more blood flow. If I drew more blood, I might genuinely die. It felt like Yuuki was worried about that as well.
But there was a way.
“Hagiwara-senpai!”
When I called out, Hagiwara hurried over.
“Blood, I need some from Yuuki.”
“Right.”
Hagiwara, her face rigid, handed a knife she took from her gadget to Yuuki.
“But, Kurosawa, now is—”
“Not now.”
“No way. This isn’t the time—”
“Yes. Just my blood, not yours.”
“Wait, what are you…?”
“I need your blood.”
“Kurosawa?”
“No time to explain.”
I looked directly at Sasaki.
“…”
“…”
“…Me? What do you need from me…?”
“Your blood.”
“Ugh, Kurosawa?”
“I don’t have time for this.”
Seeing his look of determination, Sasaki calmly spoke.
“Is it my blood you want? I may not understand the situation precisely, but—”
The thumping sounds coming from the truck were winding down.
After the man finishes up inside, it was bound to shift this way.
Sasaki extended his hand.
“…I’m sorry.”
Yuuki glanced at me and then at Sasaki’s hand before lightly slicing the tip of his finger.
“Ugh…”
Hagiwara let out a pained sound upon seeing the blood, but Yuuki didn’t stop, using Sasaki’s fingertip to draw it all the way down the blade.
“Big brother!?”
Shii screamed, momentarily forgetting to call him by his name as she watched.
Sasaki dragged the blade across his palm. Blood flowed out.
“Senior, I’m fine.”
“…If this doesn’t work, I will not let you off the hook.”
“If this doesn’t work, we will all die.”
“…”
My firm words seemed to convince Hagiwara, who bit her lip and grabbed Sasaki’s other finger.
“Sorry!”
As soon as Hagiwara finished, a loud bang resounded as the back part of the truck tore apart.
What emerged was something resembling a slime.
The existence of a flesh-colored slime was far more horrifying than expected.
As soon as it noticed where we were, it didn’t even have eyes, but how it could see, it shot a weapon of flesh at us, the same way it did with that previous man.
Squish!
It got sliced in half by Yuuki’s sword and fell to the ground, yet the previously firm slime sprang back up as if it were fish.
Yuuki glanced back at me.
Due to that expression, guilt surged in my chest.
…It must be that Yuuki thinks Koko is dead.
Even in that scenario, I stood here acting as if nothing was wrong. Yuuki had no time to offer me consolation.
It’s okay.
When all this is over, I’ll explain everything one by one.
Right now, resolving this situation comes first.
Yuuki forcibly shifted his gaze away from me. He clenched his jaw so tightly it was visibly trembling.
…I’m sorry.
Truly, I’m sorry.
“Nanami!”
Sasaki made his way toward Nanami.
“…Sasaki, Koko… Koko…!”
“Koko is going to be fine.”
As I said that, Nanami, Shii, and Sasaki all looked up at me simultaneously.
All three of their expressions were incredibly complex.
As though they thought I couldn’t accept reality.
“Koko is fine.”
“…Kurosawa…”
Nanami spoke.
…It felt like she was regaining her senses. Because of me.
“More importantly, let’s get out of here for now.”
At my command, the three of them got up at once.
“Kurosawa, you too—”
I shook my head.
“I’ll only show up when it’s needed.”
“…”
Sasaki looked at me and then said, “Shii, take Nanami far away.”
He insisted.
“Big brother!”
“…Sasaki.”
“My blood is effective, isn’t it?”
Sasaki looked back.
Yuuki and Hagiwara seemed to be struggling but were managing to hold their ground against that blob.
“That thing can’t touch me.”
“…”
I stared silently at Sasaki.
“Oh, big bro…”
“Shii, take Nanami away. I don’t want to see you two get hit.”
“Sota!”
Nanami shouted, but it seemed Sasaki’s resolve was firm.
“Ugh!”
A noise came from the back.
Clash.
A knife rolled away on the ground.
Hagiwara swiftly evaded and freed herself from the tentacle, but she was also far from the knife that had fallen.
Sasaki lunged towards the knife.
“Sasaki!?”
I couldn’t help but shout out.
Sasaki grabbed the knife and dragged it across his palm. Blood leaked out.
“Big brother!?”
Shii shouted once again, losing her previous tone of respect.
Sasaki threw the knife near Hagiwara and swung his hand in the direction of the slime.
The flesh touched by the blood shuddered and leaped to the side.
A jumping slime.
Not a scene I ever wanted to see.
Yuuki ran over to where the slime landed and swung his sword. The slime’s skin ripped, spilling forth even more blood.
“———!”
The slime screamed, howling in a way impossible for a human to imitate,
“Gah!?”
In the next instant, it swiftly wrapped around Yuuki’s legs.
Yuuki attempted to cut the tentacle with his sword, but another tentacle was already swooping toward him.
Just as Hagiwara and Sasaki charged at the blob—
“…Kotoné.”
A voice rang in my ears.
“Huh?”
Both Shii and Nanami, positioned behind me, sounded dazed.
“Hah…”
I sank to the ground as my legs lost strength. My rear started to get wet, but there wasn’t a single dry spot, from my hair down to my shoes, so it didn’t matter.
See, I knew it would be okay.
Even moments ago, when Koko had been drenched in blood, she was now just fine.
…But maybe her clothes weren’t.
No, she wasn’t wearing any clothes at all. Being trapped inside would have guaranteed her clothes wouldn’t be intact.
“…Can I kill it?”
Koko asked.
Even in that question, Koko’s voice bore a feeling distinctly different from usual.
It was reminiscent of when she had gazed at the men earlier today.
“…That’s not a human being.”
I replied.
“It’s fine.”
“Yeah.”
Koko responded to me.
And in the blink of an eye, before I even realized it, she disappeared.
“—————!”
The slime screamed only moments later.
Long, thin, hair-like spikes pierced into the slime from all directions. Blood spilled out.
Honestly, seeing the hair that had penetrated the slime come unstuck was not appealing to say the least. It looked like someone had expanded the follicles of human skin.
“…What is this?”
“…”
Hagiwara murmured, and Yuuki glanced in my direction.
I couldn’t make out his expression.
Ah, it seems I had relaxed too much after hearing Koko speak just now.
My eyelids felt extremely heavy.
…How much can Koko endure?
…And why was she so docile when she had such powers?
…How did she manage to regain that aggression?
Those questions that had come to mind earlier sank one by one deep into my consciousness.
Like weights, grasping my ankles and pulling me down with them.
“Kurosawa! Kurosawa!”
“Kotoné…?”
Names called out echoed as if in a dream.
I couldn’t manage a reply and fell asleep.
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