Pink parasols blossomed, forming a circle on the white sand. Rows of crimson harking back to a flower path. The colour, purple as blood, stood out vividly beneath the overcast skies. Greater than 100 parasols had been organized in a spiral. Within the heart of all of it stood a black determine.

Mayuzumi Azaka was trying on the sky, wearing all black.

Her hat was adorned with purple flowers, the one factor that distinguished her outfit from mourning garments.

She didn’t grieve over the useless. I knew that every one too nicely.

For Mayuzumi Azaka, an individual’s demise, together with her personal, was not value mourning.

However I used to be completely different. Loss of life, to me, was terribly heavy. Heavier than anything.

I wasn’t positive if I may preserve that perception after right this moment.

I used to be going to kill an individual.

It didn’t really feel actual. It was like my physique was floating within the air. I couldn’t even take into consideration what on earth I used to be attempting to do.

I’d been sitting on the porch of the Mayuzumi clan’s home for some time now, watching the backyard. A gaggle of attendants in black had been silently arranging the parasols, maybe following some type of customized. I used to be killing time, watching them wriggling like ants.

I believed again to what occurred the opposite day. Kotori and Shizuki had been despatched again to their respective houses. My want to discuss to them once more was not granted. Would the damaged Shizuki ever get better? Would Kotori, possessed by rage, ever wallow in remorse? I pressed my aching head. I felt sick at my very own powerlessness.

I studied my stitched palm once more. Shaking my head, I shifted my gaze.

I didn’t really feel like touching my tea. The sweets on the plate regarded ridiculous to my eyes. Whereas ready for the ritual to be prepared, I labored my dumb mind onerous.

I remembered that second once more. Reminiscences I had locked away in a nook of my thoughts got here crashing again.

Standing within the purple sea, I pointed a gun on the fox. The anger, rigidity, and worry that I felt the second I put my finger on the set off crammed my thoughts. I attempted to kill him, however I couldn’t. After which I left him within the purple sea… virtually killing him.

I ran away.

I ran and ran and ran—till he caught as much as me.

The conclusion was easy.

I ought to have killed him with my very own arms.

I mustn’t have turned my again on him.

“Odagiri-kun.” Mayuzumi beckoned me over.

I received up and went to her facet. Mayuzumi regarded up at me from beneath her parasol. She took out a bundle from a leather-based bag in her hand and gave it to me.

“Use it,” she mentioned.

Inside was a gun and a holster. There was additionally spare ammunition. I grasped the gun tight. It introduced again reminiscences. It regarded like the identical kind of gun that Higasa had.

“You already know how you can use it. With this, you possibly can simply kill even an esper. He’s most likely aware, however I doubt he can transfer. You shouldn’t miss.”

If the fox couldn’t transfer, a blade would do the job higher. However she most likely thought I’d be much less reluctant with this. It’s not day-after-day you maintain a gun.

I silently put the holster on my belt. I inserted the pistol and grasped the grip. Slowly, I let go and turned to Mayuzumi.

She regarded me with crystalline eyes. “Modified your thoughts? I do know. The spirit world is an ocean that swallows every part. I can manipulate it as I want, but it surely’s not the most effective place to kill somebody instantly. Nonetheless, I ought to be the one doing this.”

I shook my head. Mayuzumi Azaka and the fox had a historical past. The fox was a monster born from the twisted customs of the Mayuzumi clan.

But when it weren’t for me, Mayuzumi wouldn’t try to kill the fox. She would let the monster in Yuri’s stomach be born. Even when it resulted in her being eaten alive by it, she wouldn’t have complained. She selected this technique exactly as a result of she had me to make use of.

And I didn’t blame her both.

I used to be the one who despised the fox.

I used to be additionally the one who tried to kill him.

And I used to be additionally the one who failed.

“It’s fantastic, Mayu-san. I’ll go.”

It didn’t really feel actual. All of it appeared like a nightmare. However I needed to do it.

I may solely say this now. I left every part within the air again then.

I relied on Mayuzumi, allowed myself to only drift within the waves.

I left the fox behind with out checking out my feelings.

I needed to go once more.

“Please watch for me,” I muttered weakly.

Mayuzumi wouldn’t watch for me. What was I even saying? I used to be going to kill somebody. Watch for what?

I shook my head. I didn’t need to interrupt the ritual, so I turned again.

“Very nicely,” she mentioned dispassionately.

I regarded over my shoulder.

Underneath her parasol, Mayuzumi was smiling.

Sporting a mild look, she mentioned, “I’ll wait in your return.”

I nodded, then turned again round.

I sat again down on the porch and waited for preparations to be executed. Watching the black figures stir, I caught my breath.

The purple hue stung my eyes. The parasols lined up in a row jogged my memory of the ocean of flowers.

It wasn’t lengthy earlier than the spirit world opened up as soon as extra.

Pop.

The parasol in Mayuzumi’s hand snapped open.

On the white, sandy floor stood parasols organized in a protracted spiral, and within the heart of all of them stood Mayuzumi. From above, it could’ve appeared as if purple paint had been utilized over white cloth. It’d’ve even regarded like a vibrant serpent.

And the determine in black standing on the heart was the attention.

Holding a parasol in a single hand, Mayuzumi spun as if dancing. The parasol drew a chic arc, swaying silently amidst the tense ambiance.

Its contours momentarily blurred.

The parasol doubled, tripled. Mayuzumi’s actions had been sluggish, however the parasol regarded as if it had been spinning quickly, producing purple afterimages. One, two, three purple trails hung within the air. A purple band surrounded Mayuzumi’s physique. Twirling her parasol spherical and spherical, she surrounded herself with afterimages.

Pop.

Abruptly, the parasols on the bottom moved. The tip of the vortex, the parasol farthest from Mayuzumi, closed. It didn’t fall over, however as an alternative stood on its leg. Mayuzumi continued to bounce. One other sound disturbed the fleeting silence.

Pop.

The subsequent parasol closed. After which the subsequent one, all closing in succession. Quicker and quicker they snapped shut, standing on their legs. They appeared like flowers turning again into buds.

Pop, pop, pop.

The parasol at Mayuzumi’s ft closed. They regarded like purple needles drilled into the bottom. In the midst of the needles, Mayuzumi twirled the parasol in her hand quickly. A purple path hung mid-air, and the air was torn asunder. All of a sudden, Mayuzumi froze, pointing on the sky. A purple shadow fell over Mayuzumi’s darkish silhouette.

Pop.

Her personal parasol closed, its tip pointed straight on the sky. Then, the air grew to become tense. Ranging from Mayuzumi, it thickened and thickened.

I regarded on the sky with vast eyes. Grey and barely overcast, it emitted an odd strain. It was as if one thing was approaching Mayuzumi’s head. One thing onerous and invisible simply barely inside attain.

It felt as if the air had frozen and turned to glass.

A parasol had pierced by way of the sheet.

The subsequent on the spot, Mayuzumi opened it.

Pop.

Crash.

It seemed like a scream. I lined my ears; I believed my eardrums would burst. However the sound was not coming from the actual world. Because the ghostly wail rang out, the parasols opened one after one other.

Pop, pop, pop, pop, pop, pop, pop, pop, pop, pop, pop.

This time, the alternative occurred, and the purple spiral was reformed at fast velocity. Standing within the center, Mayuzumi rested her parasol on her shoulder. I studied the sight past fearfully.

The sky had break up open. There was no different technique to describe it.

The boundary with the spirit world, hidden behind the corporeal, had been destroyed. The middle of the cracked sky was shattered. I glimpsed a fleshy purple shade between the torn clouds, like a gap in a abdomen. It dropped at thoughts inner organs. As soon as inside, there could be no technique to get out.

One thing purple appeared earlier than it, leaping from the purple floor. Sleek fins flapped within the air. Like a loyal canine, a goldfish leapt up in entrance of Mayuzumi.

It was the goldfish created utilizing Mayuzumi’s blood. It had been within the spirit world ever because the incident with the fox.

“Comply with this little fellow,” she mentioned. “For those who do, you gained’t get misplaced. You’ll make it straight to the fox.”

In response to Mayuzumi’s voice, the goldfish turned its again to me. Its tail fin flipped softly as if it had been swimming underwater. Rising to my ft, I fell in beside Mayuzumi and regarded up on the sky.

The opening appeared so far-off, however after I stretched out a hand, I felt a moist sensation. My hand was midway buried within the purple wall. It was like an optical phantasm. My depth notion was off. I pulled my hand out and turned to face Mayuzumi. She wasn’t me. Her eyes had been fastened on the rift to the spirit world.

“When you’re in, the outlet will shut,” she mentioned. “I’ll open it once more upon your return.”

I regarded into the pulsating inside. The goldfish regarded again at me silently.

I sensed no worry. Simply an odd feeling in my chest, nearly like disappointment. I felt as if I had been throwing away one thing valuable. After checking my holstered gun, I began strolling.

“I’m off,” I mentioned.

I leapt and fell into the spirit world. My shoulder slammed on the purple floor. It was onerous as glass, regardless of pulsating simply moments in the past.

Clack.

I rotated. The rift was closing, a wall of purple flesh crawling to cowl it. Internet-like cracks ran throughout the wall.

Clack.

The cracks on the wall had been repaired. Turning my again to the undamaged wall, I regarded round. The goldfish stopped in entrance of me, then swam gracefully.

Its tail flipped. The purple form superior by way of the flesh-colored area.

To my left was an enormous wall. Paying homage to human intestines, it wriggled and vanished as quickly because the goldfish neared it. The purple area modified its form always. It warped, swelled, by no means remaining the identical. Following the goldfish, I studied the bottom. My each step created glassy ripples that froze.

Uka squealed in delight at being right here. However she didn’t depart my stomach. Stroking my abdomen gently, I continued on.

I proceeded deeper and deeper into the spirit world.

Go all the way down to the place the fox was.

Descending to the underside of the spirit world was like falling into the depths of the underworld.

I got here right here to kill him.

But it felt like I used to be going to fetch the useless.