Chapter 6 - Kishuu: Ambush
1
Hiroshi ran as fast as his legs could carry him, with Takeshi following closely behind. They could hear Kazuya screaming from the next floor.
“Kazuya!”
Bounding up the stairs two at a time, they quickly reached the next level, where they could see Kazuya standing just down the hall in front of the science lab.
“Kazuya, are you okay?”
Hiroshi hurriedly ran over to his classmate, but Kazuya was as white as a sheet and shivering all over. He could barely respond.
“Ahhh... Ahhhhh...”
Hiroshi peered inside the door Kazuya was staring through. The science lab was in total disorder. Cabinets were toppled, and the floor was littered with broken glass. And in the center of it all lay their homeroom teacher face-up. His eyes were wide open and empty. He wasn’t moving. It was quite clear to Hiroshi he was dead. His tongue, hanging from his mouth, was turning purple.
“Heh heh heh...” Chuckling, Naoki stepped out from the shadow of a desk. “Humans are so, so fragile. They die too easily.”
Unlike when Hiroshi had seen him last at the entrance, Naoki was back in his human form. He reared his head back, a joking expression on his face.
“Now, which one of you will it be next?”
He looked at the three boys in turn, licking his lips. It was completely uncharacteristic, right down to the glint in his eye.
“Naoki... Please, open your eyes. This isn’t like you,” Takeshi said, his voice quivering as he stared at the horror before him.
“Not like me? Of course it’s not. I’ve been through hell and back. Wouldn’t it be crazier if that hadn’t changed me?”
“But murdering Panzee...?”
“Naoki, there’s something I’d like to ask you,” Hiroshi asked, cutting Takeshi off. “Did you really kill him?”
He’d instantly sensed something odd about Mr. Inoue’s corpse. His face was terribly burned, as if bathed in acid, and his whole body was a bluish-purple. He also had claw-like scratch marks on his neck, but no other external wounds. Out of all their encounters with the blue monsters so far, they’d never seen them attack like this. It just didn’t add up.
“Of course. What did you think? Do you see anyone else here?” Naoki quickly replied.
But Hiroshi didn’t miss the slight shift in his eyes. It appeared he was lying.
“Well? How did it feel to kill someone?” Hiroshi asked, attempting to poke and prod Naoki in order to ascertain the truth. “Do you feel better now that you’ve avenged yourself?”
“Yes, it’s exhilarating.”
Even Hiroshi, obtuse as he was when it came to matters of the heart, could tell those words rang false.
“Surely you’ve realized by now that killing all of our classmates won’t truly give you any satisfaction.”
“Shut up! Shut up!” Naoki suddenly shouted and slammed his fist against the wall.
The whole room shook, and cracks radiated outward in the concrete from the point of impact.
“I suggest you not make me angry. If I felt like it, I could kill every last person in this town.”
With those fists, he probably could. A normal person like Hiroshi or Kazuya would never stand a chance against him.
“Or do you really think I’m some weakling that would never hurt a fly? If that’s the case, why don’t I kill him right now to show you what I’m really capable of?”
Naoki pointed to Kazuya, who was still standing in the hall, frozen stiff. A manic hate filled his eyes. He may have been lying before, but this was no bluff. Kazuya was genuinely in danger.
“Hiroshi, leave this to me and run!”
Takeshi suddenly stepped between Hiroshi and Naoki. He put a finger to his brow and grunted heartily before he began rapidly growing.
“I got this. Naoki can’t control his body yet like I can. And if I’m the only one in my monster form, this is as good as won.”
For the moment, Hiroshi’s most pressing task was getting Kazuya to safety.
“Thank you, Takeshi. I’ll be right back.”
And so he grabbed Kazuya by the hand and forcefully dragged him away.
2
Naoki seemed entirely unperturbed by Takeshi’s monstrous transformation. An impenetrable smile still on his face, he stared down Takeshi.
“So, Takeshi, what are you going to do with me?” Cocking his head to the side, he crossed his arms behind his back. “Are you going to hit me? Bully me like you used to?”
The contempt in his eyes felt like a knife in Takeshi’s heart. After what he’d done, he knew that Naoki hated him. But he didn’t want things to end like this.
“I’m sorry,” Takeshi said, bowing his head and letting out the feelings he’d been bottling up ever since Naoki’s death. “I’m really, really sorry...”
“Huh?” Naoki snorted. “Don’t you think it’s a little late for that?”
“I’ve always wanted to apologize.”
Nothing about this was calculated or planned. Takeshi was simply speaking from the heart.
His thoughts drifted back to the days they actually got along. They’d first gotten to know each other in the early summer of their first year in middle school. It all started during a cooking lesson in home ec. Seeing Naoki stuffing his face with some of the best-looking curry he’d ever seen, Takeshi couldn’t resist the urge to ask him about the recipe. The rest was history.
They hit it off surprisingly well. They both loved ramen and fried rice. And when it came to rice balls, it was dried tuna flakes or bust for both of them. They had all kinds of things in common. They even had the same tastes in TV shows and girls.
So... how did we end up this way?
“I’m sorry. I’m so, so sorry. If I’d had the courage to stand up to Takuro, none of this ever would have happened. I know just apologizing won’t be enough to make it up to you, but... I’m stupid, so this was all I could think of...”
“Indeed, your stupidity has exceeded my expectations. You’re so stupid, in fact, that it’s pissing me off even more.”
“Can’t we start over?”
“Start over? We’re both dead. What, exactly, are we going to do like this?” Naoki asked, his brow twitching.
“We were friends, weren’t we? Maybe we could have some fun together like we used to—”
“ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!” Naoki roared so loudly that it rattled the glass panes in the hallway windows. “Do you have any idea how much it killed me the first time you betrayed me?”
Naoki was angry, and it was starting to show quite literally. His skin was deepening in color as it turned a dark blue.
“That’s right... I thought of you as a friend. And yet... And yet you...”
In the blink of an eye, his body morphed and grew.
Shoot...
Takeshi cursed his own foolishness. His goal was to pin Naoki down before he transformed in case talking to him didn’t work out, but that plan had quickly gone off the rails.
Naoki now dwarfed Takeshi, but he was still growing without any sign of slowing down. The muscles in his arms pulsed like the very blood within them was boiling.
“Raaahhhhh!”
There’d be nothing he could do if Naoki got any bigger, so, with a shout, Takeshi charged headlong at Naoki, intent on ramming him in the stomach. But he’d never get the chance.
Takeshi suddenly felt himself floating in the air as his feet left the ground. Looking up, he saw the sneering face of a monster. Holding him by the scruff of his neck, it laughed as he swayed from side to side. Try as he might to fight back, his fists only caught air. It was useless.
An inhuman howl bellowed forth from Naoki’s monstrous mouth as he slammed Takeshi into the wall. He heard his own backbone make a sickening cracking sound. He coughed and intense pain shot through his whole body. Instantly, he no longer felt like fighting.
But Naoki’s attack continued mercilessly. Approaching from the left, he kicked him straight in the gut. Unable to offer any form of resistance, Takeshi flew into the opposite wall like a rag doll.
It’s no use. Naoki’s power knows no bounds. I don’t stand a chance in a straight-up fight with him. I hate to admit it, but I need to retreat for now...
Enduring the pain, he stood up. Naoki charged, fangs bared. Dodging at the last second, Takeshi fled the science prep room. His giant body stood out too much and weighed him down in terms of agility, so the instant he took to the hall, he put a finger to his brow, concentrated, and returned to his human form.
Then he heard what sounded like an explosion behind him. He glanced back over his shoulder as he ran to see the monster walking through the gaping hole it had just busted in the wall. A bestial, ear-splitting roar reverberated up and down the hall. There was no longer any trace of Naoki left. His consciousness had probably been taken over by the monster too. Talking would be a waste of time now.
The monster hunched over in a cramped fashion as it strode forward, like the ceiling was too low for it. Its eyes fixated on Takeshi, it tottered from side to side like a drunkard. It almost looked intentional. Was it enjoying watching him freak out?
Whatever. I just need to focus on running.
Every step he took sent pain shooting through his entire body. A normal human would have passed out by now. But Takeshi grit his teeth and ran all the way to the eastern wing of the building. Nearly falling, he made his way down the stairs there.
Bashing in the door with his right fist, he then burst into the library. The busted door would make it obvious where he’d gone, but Takeshi already knew that Naoki had heightened senses of smell and hearing just like he did. Even if he tried to hide, it would only be a matter of time before Naoki found him.
That’s why he’d come to the library. He figured he could navigate the maze of bookcases better considering his size, possibly giving him an advantage. He had no real plan other than that, but dove into the shadow of a bookcase anyway, desperately hoping things would work out somehow. He stumbled a little, bumping his shoulder on the corner of the case and sending a few books tumbling from its shelves.
“Shoot!”
He quickly stooped to gather the scattered tomes, but the very first one he grabbed made him freeze.
“Oh... this book...”
Just as he was about to flip through its pages...
“Oh, Taaakeeeshiii...” Naoki’s innocent singsong voice made his very eardrums shudder.
Sticking the book under his arm, Takeshi cautiously peeked out from the shadow of the bookcase. Naoki had returned to his original form. He was standing at the library entrance, arms casually hanging by his sides. Takeshi held his breath. If he waited for the right moment, he still might be able to grab him and pin him down. But if he moved so much as a muscle before then, Naoki would instantly know where he was.
What do I do?
“Come on out, Takeshi.”
Naoki’s voice was coming from the exact same place; he hadn’t moved yet. He still hadn’t pinpointed Takeshi’s location.
Think. This is my chance to turn this around. How do I get closer to Naoki?
“We’re friends, aren’t we? Come on out and play,” Naoki giggled, as if he found something he’d said hilarious. “Takeshi, where are you? Don’t hide. Please. I’m so lonely.”
Takeshi was in pain. He needed to breathe. But as soon as he did, Naoki would find him.
What do I do? Someone tell me!
He was at his limit. Preparing himself, he was just about to open his mouth and gasp for air, when...
“Huh... Guess he’s not here. I’ll check elsewhere,” Naoki said, disappointed.
Takeshi then heard the sound of a door shutting.
I’m saved...
All the tension drained from his body. He breathed a heavy sigh of relief and slumped over.
“...Just kidding.”
Warm breath tickled his ear. Takeshi’s head jerked to the side to see Naoki standing there right next to him.
3
“Wha?”
His body stiffened from the shock.
“You’re so amazingly stupid. I can’t believe you fell for such a simple trick.”
Crap!
Takeshi tried to run, but Naoki had his hand around his throat before he could even move. His grip was fearsome. Takeshi’s fingers began to tingle, and the book he was holding under his right arm dropped to the floor.
Takeshi grabbed Naoki’s wrist in an attempt to rip his arm off, but he was virtually powerless against him. It was like he was trying to challenge a professional wrestler. In other words, a losing fight. Takeshi’s vision began to narrow. He tried to monsterize, but couldn’t focus enough.
Not good. I’m going to die.
The moment his consciousness started to fade, Naoki let go of him. Coughing, Takeshi fell to his knees on the spot.
Did he spare me?
Rubbing his burning throat, he looked up. But his hopes were misplaced.
“I can’t have you dying on me just yet.” Naoki pursed his lips. “No, this would be too easy. You have to suffer much, much more.”
He then kicked Takeshi in the gut. It was a ruthless blow. Takeshi could hear his internal organs squishing. The contents of his stomach shot up his esophagus. Out of his mouth exploded a burst of fresh blue blood.
“This isn’t anywhere near the pain I experienced.”
The same unflappable smile on his face, Naoki picked up the book at his feet. It was the one Takeshi had been holding.
“What is this?”
His expression suddenly changed upon seeing its cover.
“You remember it, don’t you?” Takeshi asked, suppressing the pain that was pulsating through his body with every beat of his heart. “It’s a book about international cuisine. After that cooking class, we’d always come here during recess and look at it.”
“Do you think I’m going to have some change of heart after reminiscing about the past a little? Please. This is only going to irritate me even more. Would you stop wasting my time already?”
It was true that Takeshi had grabbed the book in hopes that it would melt Naoki’s frozen heart, but after feeling firsthand just how much stronger Naoki was, he realized it didn’t matter.
“Do you remember that Brazilian dish... What was it called? The one you always wanted to try at least once...”
Takeshi paused there to wipe the blood from his mouth with the back of his hand. Just talking was enough to make him spasm in pain.
“Stop it!” Naoki shouted. “That was all in the past! No one cares about that now!”
He reached out and took Takeshi by the neck again. He was only holding him lightly with one hand this time, but to Takeshi, it felt like his windpipe was coiled in tightening iron chains.
“That’s enough talking from you,” Naoki said in an oddly strained tone. “I’ve changed my mind. It physically pains me to hear you prattle on, so you’re going to die right now. If I squeeze just a little harder, that’s it. Lights out. Are you ready?”
“You remember, don’t you...? The name of that Brazilian dish...?”
Everything was going black. Barely managing to eke out a raspy reply, Takeshi was all too aware he was dying. Not too long ago the mere thought of his own mortality was enough to make him quake in his boots. But faced with it now, he was shockingly calm.
“Shut up, shut up, shut up!” Naoki screamed hysterically.
But, feeling like he’d yet to relay all of his bottled-up emotions, Takeshi soldiered on.
“What was it called...?”
“I said shut up! Are you deaf?! I really will kill you!”
“I think it was fei...”
“Stop!”
“Feijo...”
“Feijoada,” Naoki replied raggedly.
“Ah, yeah. That’s what it was.” Takeshi smiled. “I tried to make it a bunch of times. I wanted you to try it once I got it right.”
“...”
Naoki said not a word, but his iron grip on Takeshi’s throat loosened ever so slightly.
“The real tricky part was getting the black beans just right. If you don’t do that, it’s really just braised pork...”
His vision turned blurry. Naoki looked like he was saying something, but Takeshi couldn’t make out what. Memories of the past—the two of them talking over the cookbook, oblivious to time—surfaced fresh in his mind.
“It’s only been half a year since then. How did things go so wrong?” Looking up at the ceiling, Takeshi laughed in self-derision. “I wish you could have tried... my special fried rice.”
There, Naoki released Takeshi completely.
“That’s not fair...” he said faintly.
“Naoki... I’m sorry.”
The depths of his nose stung. Tears naturally began to overflow.
“If... If...” Takeshi stammered between sniffles. “If we could start over, do you think this time—”
He sensed something approaching with incredible speed, but all he could see was the abject look of shock on Naoki’s face. The next thing he knew, the left side of his head was hot. The ringing in his ears was terrible.
And then everything was over. The world around Takeshi was plunged into darkness.
The liquid that splashed out of the left side of his head stained the floor of the library bright blue. Naoki could only stare in amazement. It had all happened in the blink of an eye.
A dark blue object shot out from between the bookcases and slashed Takeshi’s left temple. His head split vertically, spilling blood and brains everywhere. Takeshi then fell forward, never to get up again. He likely never even realized what had happened.
The thing that had attacked him did a flip in the air before alighting atop a bookcase. Naoki could hardly believe the strangeness he was beholding. Its tennis ball-sized head moved busily. It acted much like a bird, but it had no beak or feathers. Just blue skin. Giant eyes. Sharp fangs. Although on a much smaller scale, it had the same twisted and disproportionate face Naoki did when monsterized. It had no torso to speak of, either. Only two thorn-like protrusions sticking out from the rear of its head. There were also two long, antennae-like appendages that extended from beneath its jaw, apparently keeping it stabilized.
What is this?
The monster that had attacked Mr. Inoue in the science lab was utterly bizarre, but this flying creature was even weirder.
That one saved you, then?
A female voice rattled the trembling Naoki. He reflexively looked up at the bookshelf. He’d assumed it had come from the flying monster that killed Takeshi, but apparently that wasn’t the case.
Get it together. You mustn’t be led astray by sweet words. Remember just what horrors they inflicted on you.
He covered his ears, but the voice was as loud as ever. It was like, rather than rattling in his eardrums, it was rattling directly inside his brain.
You hate humans. Abhor them. Despise them. Detest them.
“Who are you?” Naoki asked.
But the only reply he received was loud, echoing laughter.