The Zashiki Warashi of Intellectual Village:Volume9 Chapter 3

Status: Incomplete

1/6 parts completed

   

Chapter 3: Colorful Prequel@Hishigami Mai

Part 1

As all of Japan celebrated with mass consumption, Pretty Mai-chan casually drank some coffee while secretly carrying a handgun inside a regional airport lounge. Since it was winter, I wore a jacket over my tank top and pants, but the heat was on too high and I actually felt too warm. I was killing time until my usual client, Hyakki Yakou, arrived in their mobile fortress, but then my satellite phone received a call.

I grimaced as soon as I saw the number.

For a few seconds, I wondered if I should answer it or ignore it, but then, to my chagrin, I realized the caller would notice the hesitation behind those few seconds.

I answered it and someone I truly wanted to curse began speaking.

“Hi, Mai. It’s your Onii-chan. Do you know which Onii-chan this is?”

“Kyoooooooooooooooooooooooooooou Oniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii-taaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan!”

“Zei or Akane can take a curse for me, but please stop calling me Onii-tan at your age! It’s unreasonable! Ah, I’m really getting goose bumps!!”

“So what do you want?”

“How cold. That isn’t how reasonable siblings should speak to each other. Didn’t I just give you that Yozakura Ver. 3? Have you already forgotten what you owe me for that?”

“Family shouldn’t be talking about what they owe each other either.”

“My apologies. I was being unreasonable. I feel a bit like dying, but I suppose that isn’t reasonable either. Hee hee.”

…Huh? What is with that kimono-wearing reasonable-obsessed man? Despite what he says, it sounds like he’s started enjoying being a half step removed from being reasonable. Did something happen? …No, it couldn’t be. This is one of the Hishigami Men I’m talking about.

“Now, I’d like to get down to business, Mai. Could you do your Onii-chan a favor?”

“That depends on what it is. If it’s to kill you, I’ll even do it for free.”

I casually gave my usual sort of response, but the response I received was extremely unreasonable and nothing like his usual self.

“Yes. I give up, Mai. To be honest, I’m sick of it all. Could the Hishigami Women turn the Hishigami Group into a pile of rubble before it goes through any more disturbing transformations?”

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

The Hishigami Men referred to a passive gathering.

The Hishigami Women referred to an active parting.

Neither of them was good or evil. In times of chaos, the Hishigami Men would rise up and build a massive organization. In times of decadence, the Hishigami Women would rise up and destroy the rotten organization.

They were like the Eros and Thanatos for the entire human race.

The Hishigami Women brought disaster.

“I see…” I muttered into the satellite phone.

I leaned back in the lounge sofa, looked up at the tall, tall ceiling, and continued.

“So it’s already reached that point, has it?”

“Everything must fall eventually. Although we’re past decadence. You could say we’re over-ripe or even rotting. I’ve given this a lot of thought. There are a few ways of rebuilding a failing corporation, but it’s much harder to restrain a corporation that has grown without end.”

“Ohh, I see. Old Shikimi sure forced some annoying stuff onto us. What was that about being the founder of the Hishigami line? Is that anything to be proud of?”

“She didn’t do anything wrong. An influential person said the moon was the only unattainable thing in a time of peace, but they actually wanted the obvious ‘power’ of a satellite. We are the artificial bloodline that was created as a result. That was the sin of someone who wanted to control the age and control reasonableness, so blaming Shikimi-san alone would be cruel, no matter how reasonable it looks.”

“Maybe I should summon that noble bastard and place their soul in some Shikigami or another so I can kick their ass.”

“You don’t need to bother with anything so unreasonable. They must be cursing in heaven after the Apollo program beat them to it.”

Kyou then changed the subject.

“Now, let’s get back on topic. We intend to obey reasonableness to the end and there’s nothing we can do if that reasonableness itself is unpleasant. I had hoped that Detective Uchimaku could do something, but it seems the flow of time was too fast for him. So Mai, could you please carry out your primary job? I want you to end my life before the reasonableness I know has left my understanding. Euthanasia is such a reasonable word, isn’t it?”

“By the way, why me?”

“I thought you were the best fit.”

Hishigami Kyou nonchalantly answered me.

“There are quite a few Hishigami Women out there.

“Arawa who destroys birth.

“Shitsu who destroys education.

“Yuu who destroys systems.

“Yume who destroys ethics.

“Raku who destroys health.

“Kuji who destroys trust.

“Rou who destroys finances.

“Arata who destroys tradition.

“Taka who destroys faith.

“Ama who destroys hope.

“And many more.

“But this case is best suited for you, Mai. You might be even better than Shikimi-san or Enbi here.”

“And you know what my Hishigami role is?”

“You are Mai who destroys truth. That’s perfect for this. …And scarily enough, you can seem even more bizarre than Shikimi, depending on how one looks at you.”

I see.

Is the ability to look at me like that a sign of being “productive”? Well, I guess he’s still a Hishigami Man no matter what might happen.

“How about it, Mai? Will you take on this job to help your Onii-chan save face? The Hishigami Group is starting to leave our control. It’s disturbing, it keeps growing and won’t die, and I don’t even want to imagine being a part of that. Just talking about it here feels like it’s going to give me nightmares. Ending it at the height of glory is the ultimate luxury. Stepping down from the stage is a choice only the victor can do. So please, Mai. Will you save my reasonable dignity?”

“Well…”

I laughed and adjusted my grip on the satellite phone.

“The great and fearsome Mai-chan will give the most perfect ending to her beloved Onii-tan. You will feel despair, fill with darkness, and lose all trust in the world, but if that’s okay with you.”

I heard a sigh from the phone.

It was a sigh of death filled with a hint of expectation.

But what was he thinking? Ending it at the height of glory? I’m a Hishigami Woman, you know? I’m not Old Shikimi, so did he really think I would choose to make someone happy in the way they expected me to?

“The best method of destroying the Hishigami Group is to do nothing. Watch as it rots and crumbles from within and suffer from necrosis while a means of painless death sits right before your eyes, Hishigami Man.”

Kyou started to say something, but I ignored him and hung up. I tapped the floor with my boot that had a gun hidden in the heel.

Then I took a sip of coffee.

Stop relying on others, rich boy.

Or if you must, pray for a miracle and hope Youkai S@ik1 KAzU will be drawn to this age of arrogance.

Shared Memory 3

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