Murder Maiden and the Fatal Final

by Mizuki Mizushiro

  Before long, the two figures had disappeared.

  “Haaaaaaahhh…” As if she was wringing all the air out of her lungs, Ayaka heaved a long sigh. Then she marched around Kyousuke, whirling to glare at him with upturned eyes.

  “Big brother, tell me…why do you have only female friends?”

  Her piercing eyes seemed to peer right through him.

  Kyousuke was overwhelmed by the sudden intensity of his little sister’s stare. “Eh? Only girls, that’s…”

  “They’re all girls! Don’t you have any guy friends?”

  “Of course I do!!”

  “For example?”

  “F-for example—”

  Mohawk, Shinji, Usami, Oonogi… Kyousuke systematically called to mind every male student he knew, and ended up with—

  “…Michirou.”

  “The person who you just said—just a moment ago—is definitely not your friend?”

  “Huh?! Th-that’s right…” Kyousuke groaned, amazed by her powers of observation.

  The look in Ayaka’s eyes was growing increasingly hostile, and deep wrinkles were scored into her brow. “Hey, big brother…why is it that you only have female friends?”

  Ayaka pressed her face close to his. Her dark eyes seemed like they would devour his shuddering reflection.

  “That’s just how it happened! I mean, you could say that they all came to me…”

  “They all came to you? Why, you really are popular, big brother!” Ayaka grinned as she repeated Kyousuke’s words. Unchanging, her eyes did not smile in the slightest.

  “H-hey…come on, I’m pretending like I killed twelve people, right? That makes me the top murderer in our class. If this was a normal school, I would be an outcast, but…”

  Kyousuke, who had earned nicknames like “Anthrax” and “Metallica,” had always scared his female classmates whenever he made eye contact with them, always made them cry whenever he tried to talk to them, was always handed money when he asked for an e-mail address, and had always received terrified apologies following his romantic confessions. However, at this strange school, everything was different. It was the opposite.

  “Every last student is more fascinated than afraid of the ‘Warehouse Butcher.’ And since the girls all try to get close to me, the boys are all jealous…”

  “So you’ve made them all your enemies, is that what you’re saying?”

  “Yeah, that’s about right.”

  “Hmmm…” Ayaka looked away from Kyousuke, eyes downcast. After a moment, she slowly lifted her face and gave her brother a hard look.

  “—Are you happy?”

  “……Eh?” He looked confused by a question that he did not understand.

  Grasping Kyousuke’s chest tightly, Ayaka asked him pleadingly, “Does being so popular make you happy? Girls have always avoided you, but now that you’re surrounded by them…are you happy? Somehow they’re all ridiculously beautiful, too, so of course—”

  “Well, maybe.”

  “……Eh?”

  “I mean, it doesn’t exactly feel bad to be popular, but…they’re all murderers! Most of them are attracted to a crime I didn’t even commit! To be honest, it’s kind of annoying…”

  “Annoying?! It’s annoying, big brother?”

  Kyousuke smiled wryly at his sister, whose eyes were round and wide, as he recalled the many strange attempts to win his affection. “Of course it is! I’m a normal guy… Naturally I’m not into all that hard-core stuff.

  “And no matter how popular I am,” he grumbled wearily, “if I died it wouldn’t matter anyway.” The numerous attempts on his life were nothing to scoff at. Given the chance, he would have changed places with someone else in an instant.

  Moved by Kyousuke’s suffering, Ayaka winced. “I see…” However, her smile immediately returned. “Of course! You really don’t want attention from girls like that… It’s annoying, isn’t it? Of course! You had me worried, big brother! I was certain you’d become a womanizing playboy. Tee-hee!”

  She let go of Kyousuke and started to walk ahead with a nimble gait. The gloomy atmosphere that had surrounded them had vanished and was replaced by a decidedly cheerful air.

  Though surprised by the sudden change, Kyousuke readily followed after. “I wish I could become a womanizing playboy,” he complained as they walked together. “Then I’d have nothing to worry about.”

  “Tee-hee! But you’ve never had a girlfriend, not in your whole life!”

  “Shush! The same goes for you…”

  “Right, but I’ve got you, big brother, so I don’t need a boyfriend!”

  “O-oh…”

  “What are you embarrassed about, big brother? Don’t tell me you want to make me your girlfriend—”

  “No way! You’re my sister, not my sweetheart! That relationship will never change.”

  “Ah-ha-ha, that’s right! It definitely, definitely won’t ever change, will it?”

  “Yeah. No matter what. That’s what ‘family’ means, right?”

  “Yep! Until death do us part.”

  Talking together, they walked down the hallway hand in hand.

  “…Yeah. I won’t let anything happen to you, even if it costs me my life,” he whispered.

  Kyousuke squeezed her warm hand softly, which seemed delicate enough to shatter under the slightest pressure. Surrounded by deviants and murders on all sides, Kyousuke wanted desperately to protect that small hand.

  You Call That a Knife?

  HATE BREED

  QUESTION THREE

  “Can anyone solve this problem?”

  The five of them had continued their study party into the night on Saturday, and on Sunday, Kyousuke and Ayaka had studied together alone. Now it was Monday, and their first-period class was mathematics.

  Striking the blackboard with an iron pipe stained bright red, Kurumiya looked around at the students. Beneath her feet, a male student with smashed glasses twitched and bled. Kurumiya had forced him to paint a large red X over every mistake on the chalkboard—with his own blood. This gruesome fate befell anyone who gave a wrong answer.

  Kurumiya, veins pulsing at her temples, tapped the blackboard again with the pipe. “C’mon! Nobody? —Hah!” She swung downward, crushing the lectern and sending white printouts fluttering through the air.

  Kurumiya was in an extremely bad mood thanks to a certain student’s shenanigans. On Saturday, that student had stolen Kurumiya’s custom motorcycle, driven it around campus, caused an accident, and totaled the bike.

  Then on Sunday, just as that student had been about to set off a fireworks festival via grenade launcher, Kurumiya had stuffed him into a cannon and launched him instead. He had become a star in the night sky—or so they thought, until he reappeared Monday morning in the main hall, enthusiastically breakdancing with Kurumiya’s underwear on his head.

  Kurumiya’s anger had reached new heights that morning. The last outburst had seen a third student fall victim to the iron pipe. The rest of the class huddled quietly, afraid to raise a hand. Nobody wanted to volunteer an answer, no matter how confident they might be.

  “Yes! I know!”

  Ayaka, sitting to Kyousuke’s right, spoke up in a cheerful voice. She stretched her hand straight up in the air, wearing an expression full of confidence.

  “Good. Little Miss Kamiya, get your butt to the front.”

  “Yes, ma’am!”

  Ayaka stood before the blackboard, writing gracefully, as the medical team carried the discarded male student out on a stretcher. Watching his little sister’s gallant figure, Kyousuke thought he could feel his life grow shorter by the moment.

  “—That’s correct.” Drawing a circle around the answer in red, Kurumiya tousled Ayaka’s hair. Her furious facial expression had disintegrated in an instant and was replaced by a bright smile. The cheerful grin perfectly suited her cherubic, childlike face.

  “……?!”

  The class erupted into noise. They had never seen Kurumiya we
ar such a kind expression. Beside her, Ayaka seemed embarrassed. The two of them together looked like they could be sisters, or close friends.

  “Volunteering under pressure, showing no fear, and writing the correct answer—splendid!” Kurumiya sounded like an altogether different person as she showered Ayaka with praise. “Your courage is remarkable! Even though you just transferred, your answer is perfect. Bravo!”

  “Thank you very much, Miss Kurumiya!”

  “Hmm… Little Miss Kamiya is an excellent student. Her brother must be so proud.”

  “……”

  To see Kurumiya openly praise a student was truly unprecedented, and the class stared, dumbfounded as their demonic instructor showed kindness for the first time. Her sweet expression and frank words did not seem to belong to the Kurumiya they knew.

  On the other hand, Ayaka, who had just transferred in at the end of the past week, simply looked delighted. With no misgivings at all about Kurumiya’s behavior, she returned triumphantly to her seat.

  “You piggies should all follow your classmate’s example! The end-of-term exams are next week, after all. Failure to solve problems of this level is inexcusable! I want to see you get the next one right—understand?!”

  “Yes, ma’am!”

  “Good answer. Now keep it up!”

  “Yes, ma’am!”

  “All right. Now, if I see even one of you with your hand down, it’ll be a genocide!” Kurumiya’s canines glittered as she began to explain the math problem. Her terrible mood seemed to have softened, at least a little, and the rest of the class unfolded under a peaceful air of brutal oppression, during which she had thankfully few occasions to wield absurd violence.

  I thought Kurumiya would be the biggest threat to Ayaka, but…

  “Next is question four, part two. Miss Kamiya, your answer!”

  “Yes, ma’am! x = 7.”

  “Correct. You really are good. I expect you to do this well on the exams, too!”

  “Eee-hee-hee…I’ll do my best, Miss Kurumiya!”

  Rather than picking on Ayaka, Kurumiya praised her, and instead of lashing out at her, she patted her gently on the head. Kyousuke was completely baffled.

  After flattering Ayaka, Kurumiya looked pointedly at him. “On the other hand, the regular Kamiya…good grief! Who would imagine that two siblings could be this different? Aren’t you embarrassed? You should try to learn from your sister’s example, you dumb bunny.”

  “…S-sorry.” Kyousuke was used to being compared to his little sister, and it was true that she was an excellent student. He took pride in her as her older brother, but—

  “Tee-hee!” Ayaka laughed. “Don’t worry about it, big brother!”

  She did not seem at all upset by Kyousuke’s abuse. From the way she looked, it was almost like she had taken to idolizing Kurumiya…

  Kyousuke’s heart was heavy indeed.

  “Yes, I know you think that Kurumiya is a good teacher, but…”

  First period had ended, and they were on a break. Ayaka was scowling as Kyousuke tried to warn her not to trust their instructor.

  Kyousuke shook his head. “Kurumiya is the kind of person who turns violent at the drop of a hat. It doesn’t even matter if you’re a girl! She might be smiling now, but deep down you have no idea what she’s thinking. And don’t forget, I’ve suffered quite a lot, too, you know. Seriously, be careful around the teachers here.”

  Ayaka listened to her brother’s serious advice, her expression unchanging. Looking around the graffiti-covered, crumbling classroom, her eyebrows knit suspiciously.

  “Watch out for the teachers, you say…? Shouldn’t it be just the opposite? This is a school for reforming murderers, right? So shouldn’t I be worried about the students, rather than the teachers? It’s not like the students are innocent victims, are they…?

  “And besides, you’re supposed to have killed twelve people, big brother. Are you surprised they’re keeping a close eye on you?”

  “…Um.” Kyousuke couldn’t argue with Ayaka’s words. He’d actually thought the same things himself, before he’d learned of the academy’s true nature. This school wasn’t interested in reforming murderers. It was a training ground for professional killers. Kurumiya and the other teachers were killers themselves, far more dangerous than the murderers they oversaw. Kyousuke wavered, wondering if he ought to tell Ayaka the truth, but—

  He didn’t want any other students overhearing them. He would have to find another opportunity. Murder training didn’t start until the second year, and the truth was kept hidden from the underclassmen. “Anyway, I’ll tell you why Kurumiya is dangerous later. First, let’s go somewhere else.”

  “Uh, okay… I don’t really understand, but okay.” Ayaka followed reluctantly as Kyousuke rose from his seat. Second and third periods included hands-on instruction, so they had to change classrooms.

  “Okay. Well, let’s get going.”

  Home economics class was held on the first floor, on the west side of the building, quite far from Kyousuke’s first-year Class A classroom, which was in the middle of the second floor.

  “…Yawn…”

  “Oh dear…”

  Eiri and Maina joined them as they left the classroom. Together, they descended the east stairs and headed down the first-floor hallway toward the home economics classroom.

  Their route was somewhat indirect, and none of their classmates were around. It was practically deserted.

  “This school has cooking classes just like a regular school, huh?!” Ayaka’s voice was lively in the silence. As she walked down the long hallway, she swung the cloth bag containing her apron and bandanna. Her gait was even lighter than usual. “I’m so happy…hee-hee-hee! After sooo long, you can finally eat my home cooking again! I’m going to make something really special, big brother!”

  “Ayaka’s home cooking, huh…?” Thinking about it, Kyousuke realized he hadn’t eaten his sister’s cooking in over half a year. He had halfway given up on ever tasting it again. Tears welled up in Kyousuke’s eyes as he felt overcome by the surge of emotions. “Ah, I’m seriously insanely looking forward to this. I’m drooling just from imagining it…”

  “The food here is pretty disgusting, isn’t it?”

  “For sure. I’m getting sick just thinking about it—”

  “…Hmm? Can you cook?” Eiri asked, speaking up from her position tailing the rest of the group. She suddenly seemed very interested in the conversation.

  Ayaka turned around and nodded. “Of course! Cooking and cleaning are the measure of a good wife, after all. I’m sure you’re really good at that sort of thing, right, Miss Akabonehead?”

  “Akabonehead?”

  It seemed that Eiri’s nickname had changed from “Miss Washboard.”

  Eiri did not look bothered. “…I can do better than Maina.”

  “Ehh?!” Maina exclaimed, an unsuspecting victim of a careless verbal attack.

  Ayaka laughed. “Tee-hee! Crafty Cat, you must really stink, huh? Mixing up sugar and salt, that kind of stuff.”

  “……”

  “Huh, did I hit the bull’s-eye?” Ayaka looked at Kyousuke and the others, who stayed silent, with an incredulous expression.

  As a matter of fact, the problems with Maina’s cooking went far beyond mixing up sugar and salt. It was impossible to explain what Maina did to make her food turn out the way it did. She was probably the last person on earth who should have been allowed to cook.

  “I mean… Big brother, could it possibly be that you’ve eaten food made by Miss Akabonehead and Crafty Cat?” Ayaka demanded. “Well…have you?!”

  Her voice grew low, and there was a dangerous expression in her upturned eyes.

  Kyousuke shuddered as he recalled the Outdoor Cooking disaster. He didn’t really understand why Ayaka was angry but immediately decided to deny everything. “No, I haven’t. Although…I have seen them cook before.”

  Luckily—if it could be called that—Kyousuke had
missed his chance to eat at the Outdoor Cooking event, and since they had been divided into cooking teams according to seat numbers, would probably never have another chance to eat their cooking. Although, to be honest, he wouldn’t have volunteered to eat anything either of them had prepared anyway.

  “…That’s right.” Eiri averted her gaze.

  “He hasn’t!” Maina agreed without a moment’s delay, waving her hands in distress. “I would never ask him to eat my cooking…it’s…” She hung her head low.

  Ayaka tilted her head at the unexpected response. “Huh? You understand me perfectly well, don’t you, Crafty Cat? That’s riiight. If you made my big brother eat your terrible cooking, and it made him sick…that would be just awful!”

  Maina laughed self-consciously. “Oh my…he’d be lucky if he only got sick!”

  Ayaka seemed to think that Maina was joking, and she adopted an exaggerated tone. “Yes, yes! If it was just a matter of mixing up sugar and salt, that would be fine…but mixing up sugar and arsenic, or salt and strychnine, or pepper and potassium cyanide is no joking matter, is it? Killer cooking—that would be crazy!”

  “Ah, ah-ha-ha…th-that’s right!” Maina’s smile twitched. Ayaka’s joke had missed the mark, but not by much.

  “…Ah!” Ayaka started, as if she had suddenly realized something significant. “You’re also a murderer, Crafty Cat, so something like that wouldn’t be too out of place for someone like you, would it? Like, if you were the ‘Killer Cook’ who pretended to prepare loving, home-cooked meals, only to serve up deadly home-cooked meals! Cunniiing! Tee-hee! You’re totally capable of something like that!”

  “…?! Uh oh—!” Eiri quickly tried to restrain Maina, but—

  “Whooooooaaaaaa?!”

  Maina, shaken by Ayaka’s words, tripped over her own feet. The fall was magnificent.

  “Waaaaaaaaahhhhhh?!” Just as he had begun to turn and look back, Kyousuke, caught in Maina’s path, was thrown off his feet.

  He landed on his back with a heavy grunt.

  “Aieeeee?!”

  Maina was straddling Kyousuke.