Volume 6 Chapter 6 – Bloody Sunday 3

| Todou Kyosuke

Since then, I’ve been extracting all sorts of information from the okashira and his cronies.

I may be muscle-brained, but I’m confident in my ability to save people. Still… this situation is something else.

“Um…”

“…Ah, could you stay in that room a little longer? Oh, and please keep your clothes on, okay?”

One of the girls, who must have started recovering from her shock, poked her head out of the room where she’d been held. She looked around nervously before speaking to me. Her long, silky hair framed her pale face. I handed her one of the pure white bath towels I’d found in the bathroom.

“What exactly happened… eek!”

“Oh, I was here on some other business when I found you two. You’ve been through something truly awful, so I helped you. You’re safe now.”

She probably doesn’t understand what’s going on.

The cockroaches, who had inflicted all this suffering, were now neatly lined up against the wall. They sat silently, muttering incoherently. On the glass-top coffee table, the severed right ears from each of them were carefully arranged.

Of course, I made sure none were missing. The ears served as proof of subjugation. If I brought these to the Adventurers’ Guild, they’d exchange them for money.

But that’s not the point.

The okashira’s room was stylish overall. The appliances were likely all the latest models.

And then there were… the ears.

TV remote, air conditioner remote, Blu-ray remote… and ears.

On top of each of their smartphones sat an ear.

I tried different arrangements, but the unease wouldn’t go away.

Finally, I thought scattering them across the hardwood floor might work since it resembled some fantasy settings I’d seen in Alefgard. But no, it didn’t.

Even though this was a familiar sight in Alefgard, it just didn’t sit right when juxtaposed with modern technology. Perhaps fantasy and science really don’t mix…

But that’s not the point either.

“Can… can we go home?” 

“Of course. It’s just… these cockroaches were so despicable, I’ve been thinking about what to do. If I let you two go, the evidence for the police might be weak. That’s been on my mind.”

“Cock… cockroaches?”

“Oh, these guys here.”

“Hey, if you don’t mind, could you tell me about yourselves?”

◆

After talking with them, I learned that the two girls were high school seniors living in a neighboring prefecture. They were friends. On their way home from school, they stopped by a park, where they were suddenly attacked by men and taken here. When I told them today’s date, they realized it was their fifth day in captivity.

“I’m still holding up okay, but…”

“Oh, you’re worried about the other girl…”

The girl who spoke to me had pale-colored, long, silky hair and introduced herself as Mayumi. The other girl, with short black hair, was Mami, the one who had been assaulted.

Both of them had been violated since their captivity began. Mayumi, who had some prior experience, was able to endure it, but Mami, who was inexperienced, had been mercilessly abused despite the pain. Because she resisted, she was beaten until she fell into a semi-delirious state. After being given something, however, she quieted down. Even now, she remained unresponsive.

“Is this it?”

“I… don’t know. But it’s because of me… sniff…”

The “treasure chest” turned out to be drugs.

Not medicinal herbs, apparently. The okashira immediately revealed their location when I ordered him to.

There were two types of garishly colored pills. They were synthetic cannabinoids and synthetic cathinones, supposedly. Cathinones were used on the girls who resisted, he explained. I don’t get fantasy-meets-science. For now, I broke the okashira’s left shin.

“Do you seek salvation? Or do you want to save yourself?”

“If there’s something I can do, please… help us.”

“…Ma-Mayumi?”

“M-Mami! I’m so sorry… I shouldn’t have suggested we go to the park that day. I… I… sniff…”

For Mayumi, I decided to try something and used a healing “soothing touch” spell. She was already spaced out in a different way, so I got her permission before applying it to Mami as well.

Mayumi recovered from her dazed state and regained awareness. What would this status effect even be called? Confusion? No, confusion wouldn’t be cured by healing magic—it’s more like her gaze was drifting aimlessly while somehow managing precise backstabbing.

Direct healing magic seemed to work against the drugs… so maybe the reason the earlier area-healing spell didn’t work was that it wasn’t targeted?

At least I could bring people back to their senses. As for the cockroaches, though, I wasn’t sure if I even wanted to heal them… Or if I should.

“Could you two stay in this room a little longer?”

“Who… who are you?!”

“Mami! No! This is Todou-san! He saved us! Thank you, really… sniff… thank you so much!”

“It’s fine. Don’t worry about it. For now, get dressed… Oh, by the way, do you two want revenge?”

I looked for their uniforms and underwear but couldn’t find them. When I asked the okashira, he said they’d been sold off and disposed of, along with their smartphones. So, I broke his other shin.

With no choice, I rummaged through the closet.

Revenge might be hard to pull off in just bath towels.

Am I… acting like a hero right now?

The okashira’s closet was overflowing with clothes.

But all it contained were cosplay outfits and erotic lingerie.

Why?

This is about revenge, not playtime.

“Um… uh, Todou-san! This is compensation!”

“That’s right! Compensation! Those bastards deserve this!”

After some time, the two girls emerged from the holding room, fidgeting as they pressed down on the front of their skirts.

“…I didn’t say anything yet, but you two look good. Cute, even.”

What they chose was a tight, pink mini-skirt nurse costume.

I know “cute” is inappropriate for this situation. After all, I just saved them. But the fact that they even equipped stethoscopes and nurse caps made the comment slip out. Was this a game?

They weren’t wearing underwear. Apparently, putting on anything from here felt disgusting to them, so they’d rather consider it “compensation.” Well… they looked cute, so I guess it’s fine.

“So, what do you want to do?”

“What do you think we should do?”

“Hmm, for now, punch them! We can figure out the rest after!”

Mami was surprisingly resilient. She went at the cockroaches with such energy that her earlier state seemed like a lie.

Mayumi, on the other hand, wasn’t suited for such things. Her punches were feeble, but that was fine. She threw them for revenge.

That fact alone was important for moving forward.

I sat on the sofa, observing the okashira and the cockroaches. I watched their eye colors for changes, taking careful notes.

Eventually, Mayumi, exhausted, sat next to me. We chatted as we watched Mami continue her rampage.

The two had been friends since junior high. Mami had been on the volleyball team in both middle and high school, while Mayumi had been in the drama club in middle school and the art club in high school. Their favorite food was omurice. They had stopped by the park after practice to catch up since they didn’t get to talk much these days, as they were in different types of clubs. Their least favorite food was pickled mustard greens. They’d chatted longer than they realized and were about to head home when they were abducted. Both had pet dogs back home.

During their captivity, they had been violated relentlessly. Everything from adult toys to vibrating machines, plastic syringes, and morning-after pills had been prepared. Mayumi, confident in her acting, pretended to enjoy herself to make it end quicker.

And then I showed up to save them. Neither had boyfriends at the moment.

“………”

Wait… did my healing “soothing touch” work too well?

Mami had entered her third round of punching. With each vigorous strike, things that shouldn’t have been visible started flashing into view. Well, I suppose it’s “compensation,” so it’s fine… I averted my gaze, and my eyes met Mayumi’s. She blushed.

It’s definitely a yes…

But that’s not the point.

I pieced everything together.

The man here, Satoshi Kuzukawa, is apparently the older half-brother of Kuzukawa (the one I already knew), seven years his senior.

If this Kuzukawa sibling was working with the okashira, then Kuzukawa’s know-how probably came from these guys.

The name on the doorplate was different, but the property was under Kuzukawa’s name. Their family, it seemed, was a line of politicians and influential figures in the area. Basically, aristocrats, I guess.

The younger Kuzukawa had never been here, but he supposedly owned a similar property. I got the address.

Now, it’s a matter of the data and victims here. Should I ask Kinuko for help? I’m no good with dissemination and such—magic light spells won’t cut it. I should contact her.

“Hey, Todou-san, you have a strange power, don’t you? You brought Mami back to her senses, and these people… they’re awake, but they haven’t made a sound. They’re not even blinking…”

“Yeah! What is this? Why are they just lying there? Ugh!”

Mami delivered a sharp middle kick. The way her hips moved was impressive, probably emphasized by the tight nurse outfit. Occasionally, it would ride up. Oh, she switched to toe kicks.

They’re twitching, so their reflexes are still working. They just can’t scream or move on their own.

“Yeah, that’s right. I’ve just silenced them for now. You might not believe it, but if they fought back, you two could get hurt, so this is for your safety. Don’t worry—the damage is real.”

When all is said and done, I’ll heal them. It balances out.

Go ahead, have at it.