Chapter 02: Immortal Boy and the cutting Girl

………..

For a normal human this would have been the end. The end titles of my life with the ultimate bad ending. If I were a spectator, I would throw popcorn at the director, who came up to the stage to make a greeting.

But unfortunately I’m not a normal human. I played dead, waited for the killing Devil to leave and then went home. I was lucky that my sister was already asleep. Who knows what she would have said when seeing me like this. I changed my clothes and secretly disposed of my perforated clothes. I don’t really care for fashion, so I have a couple of sets of the same clothes. I’m sure my sister won’t notice it.

Then I slept soundly and welcomed the morning as nothing had happened. As a proper working student, I’m attending the Public Meitou Academy, which I solely chose on the fact that’s it a fifteen minutes walk from my house. The morning sun was enlightening the world with it’s glowing light and I was walking to school with a lot of other students. If I may say so myself, I’m quite tough. After all I’m going to school normally after I got killed just yesterday (I was killed for certain).

While oppressing a yawn, I dwelled on my surprise. To think the killing Devil was girl close to my age. Guess as a law-abiding citizen and brother of a policewoman, I obviously ought to report her. Reminds me, yesterday I abandon the guy she killed by prioritizing my own escape, but I wondered what happened to him. I felt a bit guilty. Well, even if I don’t do anything, someone will report the found of the corpse to the police at some point. I brushed it away irresponsible. That damn organization didn’t really do anything in the case of my father even though my sister urged them to. That’s why I didn’t really like the police and didn’t want to have to do with them. It seems my sister made some enemies when she tried to bring change from within, so that no one would have to suffer like me. I respect her for such a honest approach.

But knowing the culprit, I ought to tell at least my sister about it. While leaving out the part about me getting killed. It would just bring trouble. I shook my head in annoyance.

“A donation please!”

I could suddenly hear a colourful voice attacking my ear-drums, when I was already in a bad mood early in the morning. A few students were standing in front of the school gate with a box made of paper and calling out to the passing through people. Those who put money into the box got a blue wing pinned to their chest. It was a blue wing donation. [Blue Wing: Raising funds for the coast guard] They’re so diligent so early in the morning.

Normally the student council is responsible for such activities, but at our school it’s a complete volunteer work, done by interested people. But coming to school early on a already sleepy morning and having to call out to others, only to be awarded with the invisible medal called good deed, sounds all tempting, so obviously I also participate…. As if. But interesting enough, year after year, a whim brings people to step up for the task, so I guess humanity isn’t beyond help yet. Thinking that I at least have to help out a bit too, I took out my wallet from my pocket and hesitantly picked a 50 yen coin from my already small allowance (which was reduced even further due to the happenings last night), when I suddenly heard a cheerful voice.

“Ah, it’s Kugi-chan!”

I put the 50 yen coin back into my wallet and quickly started to leave. I was careless. I totally forgot about the person, who would 100% b present at such an event.

“Hey wait, Kugi-chan. Aren’t you going to donate?”

Trying to escape the criticism-glares of the other students, I wanted to enter through the school gate, but my path was blocked by a girl. With her height shorter than mine by 1-2 head length and carrying a box with her small stature, she looked more like a grade schooler that got a present from Santa instead of someone asking for donations.

The name of the girl, whose hair design that combined three braids at her back was her trademark, was Kuon Rin. She was your average high school girl with normal grades and clumsy at sports, which you can find at every school, but she had two strange parts about her.

First, she was extremely passionate about volunteer work. She passionately participates in all kinds of volunteering, which people usually find annoying, from city cleaning to talking with the old folks at the nursing home, not just collecting donations. What’s more, she’s not doing with a hidden goal of gaining credits or the favour of the teachers, no, she simply does it out of goodwill and that’s what makes her strange. In short, she’s a credulous girl from birth on.

And the second part is that she’s became attached to me for some reason.

There are a lot of delinquents like the ones from yesterday, who are after me. That’s because somehow all high schools in the prefecture fell under my control, since I won all the fights due to my power. Everyone here at school thus fears me. I believe that to be only natural, but Kuon Rin was treating me strangely friendly after we became classmates in our second year. At first I was annoyed by it (and I still am), but to a certain degree I had resigned myself to my fate and at least replied to her.

“A donation is giving by the person’s goodwill, isn’t it. It’s not something to be claimed.”

“Yeah, but it’s not going well, so I’m troubled. Just one or ten yen are fine, just donate.”

“My ten yen will hardly make any difference at this point.”

“Because everyone thinks like that the box won’t fill!”

Makes sense. I sighed, pulled out my wallet and took out the 50 yen coin from earlier. Then I stopped for a moment, groaned and put the coin back.

“Aw, what’s with you. Don’t pull back now”

“I’m not that cockish.”

I fished out a 100 yen coin and dropped it into Kuon Rin’s present box, I mean, donation box.

“There”

“OH! Hehe, thanks. Like I thought, you’re a good guy, Kugu-chan!”

Seeing her bright smile, I gave a bit of a bitter smile. I hate being called by my own name. That’s because every time someone calls it, I always get reminded how the name came into being by my father’s malice without having a say in it myself. I mean, just listen to it: Kugito. That’s not a name a loving parent would give you. Only my sister and Rin are an exception. It goes without saying that whatever my sister calls me I don’t feel uncomfortable. I believe that to be a very important talent.

“Reminds me, did you hear about it, Kugi-chan?”

There was still plenty of time until classes start. So I stopped and took her up on her question.

“Heard what?”

Rin drew closer to me. Then she stretched her back and put a finger on her mouth, so I bended down and lent her my ear. Like when sharing a secret, Rin whispered,

“….They say close by a murder happened.”

I automatically let out a strange “Bfft” sound from my mouth.

“Gya! Stupid Kugi-chan! You spat on me! So filthy!”

“A- Aw, sorry. Well, rest assured, it doesn’t look all that different.”

“So mean!?”

I pulled out a tissue, handed it to Rin and she wiped her face with puffed cheeks.

“Sure, it’s surprising, but not so much for such an exaggerated reaction…”

“….Hahaha”

I can’t really tell her that I witnessed that murder. Rin continued.

“I heard that it was a man, who was killed…. Seems to be that. Ehm, what was it again? The killing records of Juumonji Tarou?”

“What kind of funny tale is that?”

“No wait, was it Juumonji’s killing method?”

Just stop with the Juumonji.

“Ah, it’s Juumon Montarou’s travel records!”

She only kept the Juumon.

“….You mean the cross-slashing Devil.”

“Yeah, that! That whatever-Devil was at work, they say. How eerie.”

“Right. You too be careful not to get attacked.”

“Yeah, some to you, Kugi-chan. Be careful not to run into him by chance on your way back from the convenience story late at night.”

“Ugh. I can’t laugh at that joke.”

“Joke?”

“No, nothing. I got it. Okay, I’m off then.”

“Yeah. See you later. Oh, right!”

“There’s more?”

She nodded, her serious expression (for her at least) from earlier changed into a bright smile and she said,

“Today our class is supposed to get a transfer student. The teacher said so. I’m so excited!”

“Transfer student? What a lame time to transfer in. I mean, the year is almost over.”

“It seems to be due to family circumstances. Kugi-chan, be nice to the transfer student.”

“You do that. I’ll pass.”

I gave Rin a light chop on the head, shrugged and headed to the classroom.

A transfer student is always welcomed with great expectations. Will it be a beautiful girl? An honour student? Will she have big breasts? Or great legs? Will it be a handsome guy? Or an model? Such rumours were already going around in the classroom before homeroom.

I can’t really say that I didn’t care at all, but I wasn’t wishing or hoping for anything like the other guys. I was just thinking that the transfer student will be just your every-day student. Exaggerated hopes will just give you a big shock when unmet. Wait, wasn’t I told the same by someone yesterday?

“Who will it be~ Who will it be~”

Besides me, Rin’s unstoppable excitement was transferred over to her desk, making it shake. What a simpleton. Well, finding fun things in your everyday life might be the secret to spend a fulfilling life until the end.

“Let’s see. Average communication skills, average socializing, average grades, average athletic and after a few weeks he/she will have blended into the class like any other. That’s the kind of transfer student we will get.”

“You’re no fun.”

“Call it being realistic”

Actually, the world doesn’t work so conveniently. The transfer student being either a genius, a big-breasted girl, an ability-user, an alien, a time traveller, a magician, a soldier, or a beautiful girl warrior is something only happening in a manga.

A shocking encounter once or twice in your life is more than enough. And there are also plenty of women and men, who don’t even have that and just get past the age for marriage in simple admiration for a fated partner after seeing a horoscope in a magazine or a love movie.

The door opened. The ruckus in the classroom died down.

First our homeroom teacher, who barely left any impression on us since the beginning of the 2nd year, stood at the front.

“Ehem, most of you might already know about it, but our class got a transfer student”

Everyone was closely listening to this set phrase. Our homeroom teacher fixed his glasses, maybe in an attempt to create a short silence. Then he faced the door and said,

“Come in.”

I put my elbow on my desk and was the only uninterested one within all my fired up classmates. Reminds me, I wonder of that killing Devil attends a school normally. She unexpectedly might be some honour student. On TV news you often hear people commenting about the culprit with “He didn’t look like a person to do such a thing at all”, but if that’s true, then the “Madman who realizes his own lunacy” which I spoke of yesterday, might actually exist. Such a person would always consider how to kill the neighbour, who greets friendly with a ‘Good morning’, or a friend, who suggests to go home together. All while wearing a smile that doesn’t give any doubt. That’s quite scary.

“Kugi-chan, look.”

Rin’s voice dragged back my consciousness. While I was deep in thought, the transfer student had entered the classroom. Since I was staring into the void, I focused my gaze toward the front.

“I’m Kirisaki Kyouko.”

…And right that instant, I froze up.

“Due to my father’s job we moved here. Please treat me kindly.”

Technically, I’m a realist. I don’t believe in fate and such. But only now it was different.

Cursing the great flow of the world, I hoped it to be a dream or illusion.

“Kugi-chan, she’s cute! So nice. She seems so elegant. Maybe she’s rich….. Kugi-chan? What’s wrong?”

Rin was saying something, but I couldn’t hear it well. That’s how disturbed I was.

<She> was just surveying the class.

And then she made eye-contact with me.

“….”

<She> also froze up.

“….”

“….”

<She> and me stared at each other for roughly ten seconds.

“…What’s up, Kirisaki? Something the matter?”

Upon the teacher’s question, <she> averted her gaze.

“….No, it’s nothing.”

When she said that with a calm voice, the teacher nodded and pointed her to a seat in the corner of the classroom.

“Okay, this will be your seat.”

<She> nodded and started walking. Everyone was in awe by her elegant moves. Her movements were the personified neatness and by no way ironic but purely natural.

That’s why I was in doubt.

Is it really you?

<She> passed by my desk on her way to her own.

At that time <she> whispered in a voice only audible to me.

“…Come to the back of the gym during lunch break. Don’t run away.”

I felt all my muscles tense up. Her words cut into my body like a sword. I gulped nervously.

I watched the well raised “elegant transfer student”, who got chatted up as soon as she sat down.

There was no doubt.

“What are you doing here….?”

Without anyone there to answer my question, it fades into the air.

The only girl to know the answer—-

The <Midnight killing Devil> just smiled peacefully.

Lunch break.

Usually I spend it eating my lunch and then sleeping the rest of the time, but today I had no choice but to abandon my planned out harmony.

The stale atmosphere behind the dim gym was void of people.

Kirisaki Kyouko wasn’t here yet. Usually I would get angry for that after being called out, but today I was relieved. Seems I avoided a sudden confrontation.

I leaned against the wall, crossed my arms and thought about her intention.

If you think about it normally, the most likely possibility would be a threat. Like, ‘If you tell someone about me, I won’t let you off so easily’. But to her I’m already supposed to be dead. Yet here I am alive and kicking, what’s more at the school she transferred to. It must have been quite the shock for her. But maybe she just thinks I’m a look-alike and called me out to confirm it.

But… I shifted my attention to another possibility. Kirisaki Kyouko said that she transferred due to her father’s work. Is that really true? I thought of the <Midnight killing Devil’s> area of operation. Because she killed all over Japan, the police had a hard time making a profile of her. What kind of person is it? What actions were taken and how? But what if… If the killing Devil is a student, transfers all over the place due to “father’s work” and continues the murders at each place? Basically, she didn’t keep on moving from place to place to avoid being caught, but because it’s her original lifestyle. Then these strange patterns would make sense.

“I made you wait.”

I heard that voice after I reached that conclusion. I look around…. There she was.

There stood Kirisaki Kyouko with her arms crossed and an overly keen smile, completely different from in the classroom.

“…I hate women, who made me wait. See ya.”

I started to leave commanding. But, when I passed by her, Kirisaki grabbed my arm firmly.

“Don’t run”

SILENCE. Kirisaki Kyouko stared at me with slightly opened eyes. Then she said.

“…Are you really the boy I killed back then?”

“You got the wrong person, I mean, what are you talking about, hahahahaha. Well, that’s how it is. I gotta go, dragon ball is airing.”

“I told you not to run away.”

Oww Oww! My arm made a cracking sound! Cracking!

“I’ll ask once more, are you the boy from back then?”

“….I’ll say it once more: You.got.the.wrong.person.”

I emphasized every word. Kirisaki Kyouko then gives a surprisingly meek answer with “I see”. She might have really thought I’m just a look-alike. Man, don’t scare me so much. Just when I thought I’m saved, Kirisaki Kyouko said a single phrase as it were the obvious development.

“Then let’s try it out”.

Come again? I didn’t even had the time to ask that.

Without any hesitation, Kirisaki Kyouko flipped her skirt in a beautiful movement. The cloth fluttered lightly in the air. Beneath, in a lovely V-form, was a pure-white shorts with a bear print.

Wait, bear-panties!?

Time merciless went on as I was stunned. On her white and reasonable plump tight was a holster, which held a oversized sheath with a knife. The moment Kirisaki Kyouko pulled it out,

I was stabbed.

“Guh”

Obviously caught off-guard, I let out a silly loud. Even if I’m immortal and even if I feel less pain than the average human, I would obviously let out a voice when I’m suddenly stabbed in the side by a knife that could easily kill a crocodile.

“….Hey, what the fuck are you doing!”

I protested while Kirisaki Kyouko pulled out the knife without a word. I could see blood coming out from the hole in my uniform. After a single “Mmh”, Kirisaki Kyouko grumbled,

“Interesting.”

Then hell broke loose.

While taking a stance with her knife, she slightly pushed me. Staggering, I retreated 2,3 steps. Then she jumped in. With just one step she was already in front of me. The same as yesterday, just what are her legs made of!?

SLASH.

Kirisaki Kyouko cut my sides, pulled back and then stabbed into my stomach without any hesitation. Stabbed. And stabbed. And stabbed again. This isn’t a mental problem anymore. She’s completely nuts. The speed she swung the knife at wasn’t normal. Just when I realized I was stabbed, she was already striking for the next one. If you were to compare it with a scene of a movie, where two swordsmen swiftly attack each others with rapiers, then it would certainly fit this situation. The stabbing continued. Stab after stab. It was totally one-sided. I had no chance to resist. I was gradually pushed backwards while blood gushed out with every single stab. Her expression stayed unchanged. Totally emotionless. Yesterday it was her liking. That’s why she smiled. Then what was it now? What was she trying out? That goes without saying. To see if I really was started heading for his destination.