Chapter 8 - The Sound of the Saw Part Two

That man, Mizokuma, watched the scene unfolding before him as if it were a drama on TV. Several men pushing down a female middle schooler, trying to kill her.

(...What was I even doing...?)

Mizokuma, a student at a third-rate university a bit away from the city center, had been offered a secret part-time job by a professor about a year ago.

Living alone, broke, distracted by part-time work and goofing off, Mizokuma was on the verge of repeating a year when he was summoned to the professor’s office and introduced to two other students.

He didn't know them personally, but like Mizokuma, they were in danger of flunking out and also needed money. The professor told the three that if they completed a certain job, they'd be rewarded not only with cash but also with academic credits.

The job was to find young girls on the street and bring them in. The conditions were that the girls had to be runaways or girls who wouldn't be missed even if they didn't contact home.

"Why girls like that?" He had his doubts, but such girls could be found with some effort in the nightlife districts. He figured the professor intended to have them do shady work. Satisfied with that logic, he took the job.

When they brought a few girls to the apartment the professor had prepared, not only were they paid an unbelievable sum, but they were also told that continuing this work might even help them land jobs at good companies.

The three didn’t become close friends, but out of necessity for the secret work, they often acted together.

About six months later, one of the girls they had brought in appeared on the news as a missing person.

Mizokuma was shaken. But he couldn’t bring himself to ask the professor about it. He was afraid. Something felt off. But more than that, he and the others had become blinded by the money. They could no longer even consider quitting.

They knew it was a crime. But they were accomplices now. If they got caught, it wouldn’t just ruin their job prospects, it would ruin their entire lives. There was no turning back. So they kept luring in runaway girls.

One day, the three headed to a busy shopping district in the daytime.

It was a tourist area, but just a short walk away were many shops catered to youths, and it wasn’t unusual to see middle or high schoolers skipping class.

Hoping to nab someone alone, they came across two girls in school uniforms sitting in a park.

After that... things were fuzzy. Mizokuma suddenly had the urge to hurt the girls. He thought the professor might be pleased if they beat them, tortured them, and even killed them before bringing them back.

No matter where the girls ran, somehow he always knew their location. There were others who thought the same way they did, and naturally, they began to cooperate and corner the girls.

It didn’t feel wrong.

Hurting and killing those girls felt like a good thing. For everyone. It felt unquestionably right.

One of the girls was about to take her last breath. What a wonderful thing, Mizokuma thought. Surely, this would lead to a “gentler world.”

(Yeah… I can’t just watch. I should help kill her too.)

At that moment—suddenly, the world transformed into something completely unknown.

Before he realized it, the girl with the steel-colored hair had stood back up.

Those who had been trying to kill her were still sitting on the ground, their heads bowed deeply. Mizokuma could only see their hunched backs, not their expressions.

At their feet rolled something that looked like a pumpkin. A large volume of liquid was flooding the area. In the dark garage, it looked like a nighttime ocean.

Why...? It was cold. Like a frigid mountain blizzard. He could feel the chill draining from his fingertips and toes as if his blood were freezing.

He noticed the two others standing in front of him were pale and trembling just as much. Relieved that it wasn’t just him losing his mind, he still couldn’t stop shivering.

The girl began to walk toward them slowly, silently. Something like “lines” shimmered around her, and with a soft rustle of fine fabric, something dropped. Plop.

One... two… like pumpkins hitting the floor. When Mizokuma looked, he saw the severed heads of his companions, their faces twisted in terror and despair.

Blood spurted from their now headless bodies, dyeing the girl in deep red.

She quietly approached. Mizokuma’s teeth chattered so loudly the sound echoed.

Again came that sharara sound—as she seemed to flow sideways, then upside-down. Then, as Mizokuma watched blood fountain from a headless figure wearing the same clothes he was, his consciousness was swallowed by eternal darkness.

"...I have to go."

The blood-soaked black silhouette began to move quietly, then bolted forward with the speed of a black wind.

Dashing almost perfectly straight toward some destination, a concrete wall that blocked the way was sliced apart in an instant.

The black shadow raced through the city. Those who glimpsed it for a mere moment trembled, thinking it was a nightmare or hallucination. Animals and insects instinctively lowered their heads and held their breath until it passed.

Crash!

Suddenly, a huge tank truck broke through the concrete railing of a bridge above the dark shadow, and fell straight down, obstructing the way.

The dark shadow didn’t stop because of that either, the melody sounded again, and the tank truck was split in half, and the dark shadow ran through it.

CRAAAASH!

Suddenly, breaking through the concrete railing of an overpass above, a massive tanker truck came crashing down in its path.

The black shadow did not stop. With a shimmering sharara sound, the tanker was cleaved cleanly in two, and the black shadow passed through the gap—

BOOOOOOOOOOOM!

An explosive blaze erupted behind it, rising with thick black smoke.

***

"Midou, get us there—now!"

"Yes, sir."

Jin’ei’s mood had significantly improved compared to earlier. That was because he had just easily acquired another “offering.”

"Hehehe."

“...”

Midou, the driver, thought Jin’ei had gone slightly unhinged from the urgency, but he hadn’t expected him to forcefully drag the girl into the car like that.

Even that might have been tolerable. If the girl turned out to be someone troublesome, they could simply pretend to be good people and release her at a proper location.

But Jin’ei, foolishly, had given the girl water from the car’s fridge—water laced with sleeping pills—and made her pass out.

There was no way this wouldn't become a problem. And Jin’ei would absolutely want to use this girl as a sacrifice.

Midou did pity her. But he also understood Jin’ei’s feelings.

They didn’t know what country the girl was from, but the one now sleeping on the back seat had long, beautiful black hair and an incredibly well-defined face.

Even asleep, she gave off a sacred aura. As a sacrifice, she was ideal.

"What’s the holdup? We’re not moving!"

“Something is strange, sir.”

Annoyed by the sudden traffic jam, Jin’ei barked. Midou fiddled with the console and pulled up traffic data.

"It seems there was a tanker accident. The expressway has been temporarily closed, causing traffic congestion throughout the city."

"Tch!"

Wanting to bring the offering in alive, Jin’ei was heading once again to the western-style mansion connected to the underground chamber. Though he doubted Muramasa would agree to meet him again after previously being sent away, Jin’ei somehow believed he would be granted access this time.

"Midou, is there a building with a heliport nearby?"

"Yes. The 17th Building is the closest... Are you planning to use a helicopter?"

"The sooner the better. Ready one at the 17th Building!"

"But..."

"Just do it! Useless man!"

"...Yes, sir."

Knowing any further objection was pointless, Midou contacted the 17th Building. Though the heliport needed preparation, the building was owned by a dummy corporation tied to Jin’ei. The company handled shady real estate operations. To keep the boss in good spirits, Midou ordered remaining employees to gather in the underground parking lot for a proper welcome.

Using a helicopter to approach that location was a terrible idea. The site was secret, known only to a select few in the country. Flying in with a visible chopper was asking for trouble.

Midou thought to himself, "What has driven Jin’ei to this level of madness? Is the 'blessing' from that underground being so tempting?"

He glanced in the rearview mirror at the sleeping girl, so beautiful she seemed almost unreal, and felt a chill deep in his bones.

"I’ll take a back road. It’s narrow, so please excuse the bumps."

"Fine."

Avoiding the blocked main road, the black luxury car slipped into a narrow alley used only by locals. The streets were cluttered with potted plants and bicycles, barely wide enough for large vehicles.

Despite the tight space, Midou drove without hesitation. It wasn’t fast, but it would be quicker than using the main road.

He remained vigilant. If someone suddenly stepped out of a house and got hit, it would delay them again and worsen Jin’ei’s temper.

He paid attention to their surroundings as he drove at a reasonable speed. If a resident would jump out all of a sudden and be hit by the car, it would take time to resolve the matter, and Jinbei would be annoyed.

While driving with such thoughts, Midou glanced at the rearview mirror—

"...?"

His face gradually turned pale, and without warning, he slammed the gas pedal down.

"Wh-What’s wrong, Midou?!"

Jin’ei shouted at the sudden acceleration. But Midou, sweating profusely, gave only a quiet reply.

"Please… look behind us."

“What…?”

Jin’ei scowled at Midou’s response and tone.

Though just a secretary, Midou’s impressive build and unshakable demeanor had earned Jin’ei’s trust with sensitive matters.

Seeing that very Midou now sweating in fear, Jin’ei twisted his heavy body to look behind them—

"Hmm? What is…"

He saw something. In the road they’d just come down, a black shadow was rapidly approaching—

"Wh-What is that…?!"

A black shadow, crawling along the ground, raced toward them at terrifying speed.

The moment Jin’ei recognized it, his entire body broke out in goosebumps, nausea surged from the horror, and he screamed at Midou.

"FASTER! DRIVEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!"

"Yes, sir!!!"

Midou floored the accelerator, sending the car flying forward. He had no intention of stopping for bicycles, flowerpots, or even pedestrians.

A phone inside the car began ringing, but neither man had the mental capacity to answer.

Jin’ei glanced back once more—

"Gah!"

The world――became unclear.

Only 100 meters away now, the black shadow skimming the ground cut through the roofs of nearby houses like a knife through paper. It looked to Jin’ei like the end of the world, a nightmare with no end.

Lines of light shimmered from the shadow—

"Aah!"

At a T-intersection, they turned left sharply, scraping the car’s rear against the wall. As Jin’ei was about to slip from his seat, he raised his head and saw the back corner of the vehicle had been cleanly sliced off as if by a blade.

Had they not turned, what would’ve happened?

"We’re on the main road! Hang on!"

Midou swerved onto the main road, sending a small car flying, jumped the median strip, and finally shifted the gear to top speed.

The ringing phone was getting on their nerves.

In the side mirror, they saw the small car they had hit torn clean in half by the pursuing shadow.

Still coming. That crawling black shadow was still chasing them.

With the engine and tires screaming beyond their limits, the car—with two terrified men and one sleeping girl—plunged into the underground parking lot of the 17th Building.

***

“Line up over there, all of you! The President and Midou-san will be arriving shortly! Anyone who can’t even manage a proper greeting is getting decked!”

“““Yes, sir!”””

In the underground parking lot of Building No.17, a group of rough-looking men had been gathered to welcome the President. The President was known for being moody, but if you caught him in a good one, he could be generous.

With this many people showing up, they figured he’d at least cover the drinks afterward.

The lattice-like shutter rose slowly with a strained, creaking groan.

“…Huh?”

Suddenly, the light from outside was blocked out. Before the shutter could even open all the way, a badly damaged car burst through it like it was forcing its way inside.

“Woah!”

“Get out of the way!”

The employees scattered in a panic. The black vehicle skidded sideways and slammed into the far wall. Bursting out from it, President Jin'ei ran over to the elevator, his face pale, and started mashing the call button like a madman.

Following him, Midou climbed out of the back seat, carrying an unconscious girl like a doll in his arms. He barked orders at the stunned employees.

“You lot! Stop whoever’s coming after us right here!!”

Leaving the confused men behind, Jin'ei and Midou leapt into the elevator as soon as it opened, jamming both the close-door button and the one for the rooftop.

Just before the doors shut completely, they saw that black shadow come leaping into the parking garage.

Inside the ascending elevator, they had no time to relax. From the floors below, they heard faint screams from their employees—and their faces turned pale with dread.

“…W-what the hell is that thing…?”

“…I don’t know.”

Ding. The elevator arrived at the rooftop. As per instructions, a helicopter was waiting. They rushed over to it.

“Jin'ei-sama, please board first. Take this girl with you.”

“O-okay.”

“Pilot! Take off immediately!”

“Huh? Um…”

“Forget it, get out!”

Midou yanked the pilot out of the cockpit and climbed in himself to take the controls.

“Midou, get us out of here!!”

“Roger!!”

Leaving the dazed pilot sitting on his rear in shock, the helicopter slowly lifted off.

Clang! At that moment, the elevator doors were sliced open by something.

“Go, go, goooooooo!!”

Jin'ei’s shout spurred Midō into action, and without waiting for a stable ascent, he shoved the helicopter forward, distancing it from the building.

A split-second later, the helipad floor was shredded apart. Jin'ei, looking out the window, felt a chill as if the black shadow gazed directly at him. He instinctively pulled away from the window and gripped his seatbelt with trembling hands.

***

The black shadow stared after the retreating helicopter. It instantly hurled itself off the rooftop, sprinted down the building’s wall, and mid-run, threw a rope-like object toward a neighboring building.

***

Safe in the sky at last, Jin'ei and Midou finally exhaled in relief.

What should they do now? Their original plan was to offer the girl as a sacrifice, but the thought of that black figure still chasing them made the idea of returning to land terrifying.

“Midou! Head for the airport, now!”

“The airport… Haneda?”

“Anywhere’s fine! We’re getting out of this country!”

“…Understood.”

Though he doubted they could fly out under these conditions, Midou thought of reaching out to a friendly politician for help. Just as that thought crossed his mind—

“Midou! Speed up!!”

“Huh?”

Midou turned to look out the window Jin'ei was staring through, only to see the black shadow leaping from rooftop to rooftop, gaining on them.

“Hurry! Get us to the airport!”

“There’s a radio tower ahead! We’ll have to go around—”

“Doesn’t matter! Go straight through it! Now!”

It was going to be a pain to deal with later, but the fear of that black shadow left Midou no choice. He agreed to fly directly past the tower’s edge.

***

The black shadow, locking on to the helicopter’s trajectory, sprinted down the building and dashed across the ground. It latched onto the steel framework of the radio tower and began scaling it at a horrifying speed.

Tourists in the observation deck shrieked as they caught a glimpse of the thing climbing past their window.

Reaching the very top, the black shadow tied a rope-like object to the tip of the tower, and with a powerful leap, slingshotted itself into the air, making the entire structure bend from the force.

***

The helicopter’s radio crackled to life. Thinking it might be air traffic control, Midou picked up.

“We apologize for the intrusion, but there’s an emergency… huh? U-understood. Jin'ei-sama!”

“What is it, damn it!?”

“It’s… a divine revelation from the Priestess…”

“What!?”

Panicked, Jin'ei snatched the radio and brought it to his ear, swallowing hard.

The girl who served as the shrine’s Priestess, kept sealed away in the underground temple, they said she was still a child. Jin'ei hadn’t even been allowed to meet her yet. The mention of a divine oracle filled him with dread.

"Jin'ei-dono――from the Priestess――a divine――has"

“S-sorry, the signal’s weak, it’s hard to hear…”

The voice seemed to be from one of the Priestess’ attendants. It wasn’t the Priestess herself, but normally, Jin'ei would’ve been eager to keep talking. Right now, though, he didn’t have the patience to entertain what felt like a "child’s game."

To make matters worse, interference from the nearby radio tower garbled the voice. He couldn’t even tell how much they could hear on the other end, but the woman continued calmly, steadily speaking.

Furthermore, probably because of the radio tower, it was difficult to hear their voice, and he didn’t know to what degree their voices could be heard. The other party was saying incoherent things too.

"――What comes――for you――now――"

“Jin'ei-sama! That thing’s on the tower!!”

“What!?”

Midou’s shout made Jin'ei glue himself to the window, and what he saw made his eyes go wide.

“Get us out of here!!”

Swish…

In the next instant, a wide, ribbon-like strand sliced across the helicopter’s interior in countless overlapping arcs.

At first glance, it looked like a decorative ribbon with frilly edges. But this “ribbon” was not made of cloth. It had the sheen and texture of iron. Each frill was a serrated blade, like a saw, and it brushed right against Jin'ei and Midou’s throats.

Frozen in terror, Jin'ei heard the divine oracle through the radio once more.

"――Princess Tsubakiri… is coming…"

At that moment, a black shadow passed before the helicopter, burning its image into their retinas.

She wore a jet-black sailor uniform drenched in blood. Her iron-colored hair, stained crimson, blew in the wind. The steel ribbons curled around her, and her silver eyes, filled with hatred, glared at them with the fury of a vengeful spirit from hell.

Princess Tsubakiri—the legendary slaughter demon from 1,500 years ago.

The girl's body began to fall gently, pulled down by gravity.

Skkkrrkk… skkkrrkk… the ribbon-like saw, still connected to her, let out a shrill whisper as its blades stirred. And in that moment, Jin'ei remembered something.

— A saw cuts when you pull it.

With a quiet, shredding sound, the saw’s teeth sliced through both Jin'ei’s and Midō’s necks—cleaving the helicopter itself in two. Their bodies were torn apart midair, and the shredded wreckage of the helicopter rained down onto the earth below.

Still unconscious, the black-haired girl was flung into the sky—but before she could fall far, the ribbon gently wound itself around her, and the girl—Princess Tsubakiri—caught her in midair, holding Nanohana tightly against her in the clear blue sky.