They were dirt that she could wash down the drain whenever she wanted. They meant nothing. Almost everything in this world was, after all, disposable—like she had been in elementary school. The people and things she liked were always changing.
There was only one thing that Ayaka could never replace—Kyousuke. Her brother was the one thing Ayaka could never cast aside, no matter what. She would never betray him.
Because he was always on Ayaka’s side. He always protected her, and was able to rescue her. He was unerringly kind to her, and forever loved her. Kyousuke was not ordinary garbage. He was a precious treasure.
—In spite of all that…
“Uuu…uuuuuu…uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!”
In a deserted corner of the school, Ayaka continued sobbing, hugging her knees.
Kyousuke’s words and the way he had looked at her before she had escaped the classroom were still stuck in her mind. She couldn’t escape them. Her tears fell like blood flowing from a wound.
She felt a deep despair, as if a hole had suddenly opened below her and she was falling into a bottomless darkness. Everything she had cared about, and the world as a whole, was rapidly receding. Ayaka was alone in the depths of an inescapable hell.
“Uuu…why? What did I do, big brother…?”
She thought of Kyousuke now, the Kyousuke she’d met at the academy.
The Kyousuke who, when he looked at Ayaka, was not happy, but started shouting.
The Kyousuke who was surrounded by lots of girls, leading a cheerful school life.
The Kyousuke who brought those other girls along to everything, instead of doing things alone together with Ayaka.
The Kyousuke who never thought about Ayaka’s feelings, and only cared about how others felt.
The Kyousuke who snuck around and hid from Ayaka, but flirted with other girls.
The Kyousuke who ate other girls’ home cooking, and thought it was okay to call it “tasty.”
The Kyousuke who was always scowling and mercilessly shouting at Ayaka.
Each and every one of these was a Kyousuke who Ayaka did not recognize.
Could their time apart have changed her big brother…?
“…No. That’s not it. Time didn’t change my big brother—”
—It was them.
Those murderous girls who hung around Kyousuke. There was no doubt that they had seduced him, deceived him, and driven him mad. There was no doubt that they had damaged Ayaka’s precious treasure, tarnished him, polluted him.
That’s it. That’sitthat’sitthat’sitthat’sitthat’sit, that’s it!
Ayaka realized that every time Kyousuke got weird, those girls had been involved.
Because of Kyousuke’s bad reputation, most people kept their distance, and he had no immunity against the charms of the opposite sex. But at this academy people flocked to him, and he was especially popular with the female students. Kyousuke’s pure heart had surely been bewildered by the change. Poisoned by those filthy sows, he had lost sight of himself.
He wasn’t aware of it, of course, and that was why he had spoken so cruelly to her, and looked at her with such scary eyes. He had been seduced by those girls and only cared about making them happy. That was why he didn’t take Ayaka’s side.
Of course that’s it. I can’t imagine anything else.
“……I have to help.”
The fear and hopelessness controlling Ayaka melted away, and a sense of purpose welled up in their place. Ayaka had always relied on Kyousuke for help, which was why this time she would help him. It was her turn to rescue her big brother.
But how?
That’s obvious, isn’t it?
“Tee-hee…tee-hee-hee…tee-hee-hee-hee…”
Her snickering did not stop. She had been feeling the worst, and now she felt the best. When she thought of the things she was going to do—when she thought of Kyousuke, who she was going to save—Ayaka was filled with euphoria so deep she could have drowned in it.
Until now Ayaka had been an ordinary, weak princess, protected by her savior. But from now on it would be different. It wouldn’t be like before. If she could save Kyousuke, she too could stand shoulder to shoulder with him. She would become her brother’s heroine.
That’s why…
“…Wait for me! I’m coming to rescue you. Those disgusting sows won’t pollute you any longer, big brother. I promise, I won’t let you be defiled!” Ayaka clenched her fists hard in determination. Wiping her tears, she looked boldly ahead.
“Now there’s a nice face.”
A figure stepped into Ayaka’s field of vision. She had no idea how long the person had been standing there. A pair of eyes smiled down on Ayaka, filled with a terribly ferocious, yet somehow gentle, light.
“…………Eh?” Ayaka looked confused.
The figure, still smiling, extended a hand toward her. “Why don’t I help you make those thoughts of yours a reality?”
Three months ago, that same hand had pulled Ayaka up out of despair and given her hope…
“Yes.”
Ayaka took the hand without hesitation.
Farewell, Jane Doe?
SICK-COLOR SERENADE
QUESTION FIVE
“…Nope. Dammit, she’s not anywhere.”
“I couldn’t find her, either. I went as far as Purgatory Park, but…”
“Ohh, Ayaka…where did you go?”
“It’s because the campus is so big. If she’s hidden well, it’ll be almost impossible to find her.”
Classes had ended for the day, and Kyousuke and the others were searching every nook and cranny on the academy grounds. It had been about three hours since Ayaka had run away. She had not returned after lunch break, and was absent during fourth and fifth periods. The punishment for truancy was one concern, but they were most worried about Ayaka’s mental state.
Burning impatience and remorse consumed Kyousuke’s heart. “It’s my fault… Ayaka was shocked because I yelled at her… Shit! If anything happens to her, I’ll—”
He struck the door of a nearby janitorial closet in frustration. The steel crumpled loudly, the cacophony echoing through the halls.
A chilly hand covered Kyousuke’s trembling fist. “…Calm down. I understand your feelings are running hot, but we’ve got a job to do, right? Don’t lose sight of yourself.”
Eiri cast her eyes down, clearly conflicted. Despite her words, she likely felt guilty at giving Ayaka a reason to scold Kyousuke. Her well-chewed lip made that obvious.
“…Oh, you’re right. That’s right…getting too emotional won’t help. Let’s calm down. Yeah, just calm down, and focus on finding Ayaka.” Unclenching his fists, Kyousuke regained his focus. “Okay. We’ve finished searching all the usual spots, so that leaves—”
“The new school buildings, maybe? Kksshh. But I’m not sure we wanna go there, with how well they treated us last time. I guess if she snuck in while everyone else was in class, she could still be hiding in a toilet stall or something. One place is as good as another, so should we go all together?”
“Let’s do that. If push comes to shove, we can ask Miss Shamaya for her help or something…”
Shamaya was supposed to have been disciplined over the lunch break, so it was probably out of the question. Asking her for help right after she had an argument with Ayaka also seemed rather selfish.
“Sweet Shamaya, huh…? Kksshh. If it comes to that, just leave it to me! Even if she refuses, I’ll force her into submission. I’ll show her no mercy!”
“…You really don’t go easy on Miss Shamaya, do you?” It was too cruel. Kyousuke couldn’t help but feel sorry for her.
Maina spoke up. “Um, um, the other second-year students are taking classes for professional killers, just like Miss Shamaya, right? What if they pick a fight with us…?”
“What, that’s no problem! We’ve got two capable killers right here, don’t we?
Me and Eiri…a real odd couple. Have no fear! Giganto Boobs and Tiny
Tits are here!”
“That’s right. If things get dangerous, Renko can distract them while we escape.”
“Eeehhh?! You’re cruel, Eiri! Using me as a sacrifice… Who knows what will happen if they catch me? What if the next thing after the Prison School Camping Trip is the School Gang XXXing? It’s impossible, my body won’t allow it! Though if they try, I’ll do my best to buy you some time…oh yeah.”
“……Hey, let’s get moving…without all the stupid chatter.” Fed up with their casual banter, Kyousuke started walking. However, he could feel some of the tension in his frayed nerves ease. Renko had probably said that ridiculous stuff on purpose to get them all to relax.
Eiri lined up with Kyousuke, and Renko and Maina followed behind. Before long, they were in sight of the shoe racks, when—
“……Ah.”
A lone student entered the school building behind them. Kyousuke and the others stopped. The skinny girl wore her black hair in pigtails, tied up with purple checkered ribbons. She carried something wrapped in a cloth with both arms.
“……Ah.”
When she caught sight of Kyousuke and the others, the girl’s eyes grew wide. Looking surprised, she smiled.
“I finally found you!”
Kyousuke and the girl—Ayaka—spoke at the same time. But Ayaka’s eyes did not seize upon Kyousuke.
“Tee-hee! I found you…filthy sows!”
Instead, Ayaka was staring at Renko and the others. The light was gone from her dark eyes, and her lips were twisted into an expression of wild joy.
Ayaka tore away the cloth wrapping. Faster than anyone could react, she readied the object. About three feet in length, it was—
“Everyone, look out!”
Renko’s bloodcurdling scream was immediately followed by an earsplitting boom.
“……Eh?” A small voice broke the silence. Opening her big eyes even wider than ever before, Maina, whose voice was trembling, had fallen over on her backside. “…What…is this?”
A hole had been gouged in the wall behind Maina at almost the exact height that her head had been just a moment before—and Eiri’s chest.
Eiri, who had been in front of Maina, stood with her back pressed to the wall. Kyousuke, who had been next to Eiri, was stock-still. Renko, who had been behind Kyousuke, stayed frozen, her hands still pressed against him.
“…………”
They all turned slowly to face Ayaka, and were met with an almost unbelievable sight.
A shotgun.
A metallic mass of black and brown.
White smoke rose from its upturned barrel.
“Oopsie! Too bad, did I miss? I think my aim’s gotten worse.” Clutching the gun with both hands, Ayaka stuck out her lip. The cloth she had used to conceal the deadly weapon lay at her feet among spent red shell cases.
“…………Huh?”
She’d tried to shoot them.
It was hard to believe this was really happening.
Ayaka wore a beaming smile. “Just endure it a little longer, big brother! Ayaka is going to help you now… She’s going to exterminate every one of these filthy sows! Ayaka’s going to rescue you. Surely that’ll turn you back to normal, right? And you’ll love Ayaka again?”
“A-Ayaka…what are you saying—?”
“No, it’s okay! You’re not yourself right now, big brother, so…of course you don’t get it. That’s why they have to be eliminated first! You can talk with Ayaka after that. She’s just going to take them out real quick with the remaining eight rounds, so just hold on! First up is Crafty Cat—”
Ayaka’s eyes narrowed as she stared down at Maina, no longer smiling. She carefully balanced the stock of the shotgun atop one shoulder and tried to aim. The way she held the weapon seemed stiff and unnatural.
Yet Maina shrieked and trembled, too afraid to move. “Eek!”
“Tee-hee! How awkward you are, Crafty Cat… You’re such a coward. That’s a terrible look! But it’s okay. Ayaka is going to blow you away in an instant! I’ll free you from your fear—along with your heeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaad!! You’ll be a hole-riddled pulp! Nobody will even be able to recognize you…ah-ha, ah-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ah…ah-ha-ha-ha! Ah-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!” Ayaka burst into laughter, unable to contain her mad joy as she looked up at the heavens. She had obviously lost her mind.
Maina mumbled, “Ayaka, why…?”
“—Why?” Ayaka’s crazy laughter stopped. In a flash, her face grew serious. But her blank eyes reflected no emotion. “You filthy sows—”
Ayaka lowered the shotgun and inhaled deeply.
“Defiled. Big. Brother! That’s whyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!!”
“……?!”
Her hysterical shout caused the air to vibrate. Kyousuke and the others could feel it in their chests.
Ayaka hung her head in sorrow. “You seduced him with your filthy words, and deceived him…you turned him strange. Ayaka’s big brother was her treasure…the only one in the world. Her precious, precious treasure. Even so, you all touched him with your filthy hands, and tarnished him…you damaged him. That’s why. That’s why, see—”
Ayaka lifted her face and smiled again. She giggled, stroking the shotgun.
“—Ayaka has decided to exterminate you all! To keep her brother from being defiled any further, you must be eliminated from this world…from our world.”
Ayaka readied the shotgun once more. Her dark, emotionless eyes seized on their target just as the gun barrel did.
“Eee…,” Maina gasped.
Fixing her aim on Maina’s forehead, Ayaka slowly squeezed the trigger—
“Wait! Wait, please!”
Another figure, arms spread wide, stood between Maina and the shotgun.
Ayaka frowned. “…Stay out of the way, big brother.”
“What are you doing?”
“Eh?”
“What the hell are you doing?” Kyousuke demanded.
Ayaka pouted with a huff and lifted her cheek from the gun. “What do you mean, what? Ayaka told you before! These people are corrupting you, big brother. So, Ayaka is going to eliminate them. Then you won’t have to worry about their filth rubbing off on you ever again!”
“I never asked you to do anything like that!”
“……?!” Ayaka visibly withered. “Y-you’re still mad…”
Kyousuke took one step toward his newly tearful little sister. “…You said it yourself, didn’t you? You said you would never act like this again. You said you didn’t want to be a murderer. You said that murder was scary, and you hated it! Are you telling me that was all a lie?!”
“It was not a lie. Ayaka would never lie to you!”
“If that’s true, then why—?”
“…Listen, big brother. Ayaka doesn’t want to be a murderer. It’s scary, and she hates it! But sometimes you have to do something even if you hate it! For Ayaka, this is one of those times. These filthy sows have to die!”
“Filthy sows—you…what kind of grudge do you have against them?!”
“They defiled you, big brother.”
“Huh? You said that earlier, too… I’m not defiled.”
“Yes! Yes you are.”
“…What part of me?”
“That part.”
“What part?!”
Kyousuke tugged at his hair and ground his teeth in frustration. They were separated by a distance of about thirty feet. Ayaka still had the shotgun readied, so he couldn’t move even if he wanted to. He had to try to talk her down, but he just couldn’t understand what his beloved little sister was thinking.
Ayaka sighed deeply. “Haaahhh… It’s no good. You’re not even aware of the symptoms. You’re seriously ill… This is bad. We better hurry up and cut it off at the source. Or else it’ll be too late! So, big brother—move!”
“…………”
“Hey, aren’t you listening?! Move.”
“Ayaka—”
“Listen to Ayaka and m
ove iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit!”
She fired. The bright flash from the gun muzzle was accompanied by an earsplitting explosion, followed by a scream and the sound of breaking glass.
“Kyah?!”
The shot had missed Eiri by a few inches.
A spent casing and white smoke flew out of the ejection port as the next round was loaded. Recoil had thrown the barrel back, and Ayaka slowly lowered the gun again, head tilted. “…Now. Why won’t you listen to what Ayaka says? You are on her side, aren’t you, big brother? If so, why are you getting in the way? Why, big brother?”
Ignoring the cracked window, Ayaka took a long, hard look at Kyousuke. Her eyes were entirely devoid of innocence. She looks just like an insect, Kyousuke thought. Her jet-black eyes reflected everything and accepted nothing. This creature—with whom he had once felt closer than anyone else—was now completely foreign.
“Uuugh…strange. It’s strange! Ayaka is asking you so desperately, so why…why won’t you just listen? Can’t you understand Ayaka’s true feelings? Uuuu…it’s true, you really have been defiled. They poisoned your heart and your body, and now you’re protecting them…uuuu. Ayaka will not forgive this. She absolutely will not forgive…” Groaning, Ayaka ground her teeth in vexation.
Kyousuke’s heart was full of fear, lukewarm and sticky, and he felt a deep sense of loss. He recalled feeling that emotion just for a moment on the day that Ayaka had arrived, and it now gushed rapidly, unstoppable, like blood from a fatal wound.
Overcome by dizziness, Kyousuke shuddered. “What happened to you, Ayaka…?”
Perhaps living in an environment full of murderers had been too stressful for Ayaka to handle. But even without that stress, Ayaka had lost control and tried to commit murder just to see her brother. Even before the academy, Ayaka’s mind had already been pushed to its limits…
“……No.”
An uncomfortable feeling passed over Kyousuke.
Had Ayaka even once mentioned feeling any anxiety toward this strange environment?
Murder Maiden and the Fatal Final Page 15