《Lovecraftian Pachinko!》


 Prologue: The beginning of all the things that will end.

    I was woken up by murmurs, groans, and what sounded like someone screaming in terror. The first thing I saw when I opened my eyes was a worn-out white curtain around the bed I was lying in, the lights flickering on the ceiling, a needle in my bandaged arm, and a bag of blood.


    A hospital room¡ªand not a very good one¡ªwas my first thought as the smell of diluted disinfectant and loneliness flooded my mind.


    No matter how much I thought about it, I couldn¡¯t remember the last time I felt any attachment to life. I always felt like I was on the opposite side of the street, like when you watch a romantic movie and at the end, you wonder why those things don¡¯t happen in real life.


    That¡¯s how I decided to end my life. I thought of several alternatives, I think I even wrote them down. I left the most popular ones, but hanging myself could take too long, a train could mutilate me but not kill me, and jumping off a building would leave a horrible spectacle.


    If my existence went unnoticed, I wanted my death to be the same. I decided to slit my wrists, a classic but effective clich¨¦, though seeing where I ended up, I doubted that last part. Just another thing to add to my list of failures. I should have died in my room, peacefully. Let them find my body months later, if anyone bothered to look. Unfortunately, I got dizzy from losing so much blood so quickly that I fell onto the living room table.


    The noise probably woke up the neighbors, and they decided to call the police, because of course, the dead neighbor next door is easier to handle than the suicidal neighbor next door. Whatever the reason, here I was, staring at the ceiling with its peeling paint, receiving fresh blood, and wondering how much more I had to fail in this life.


    ¡°Hello, hello!¡± said a woman, poking her face between the curtains. I wouldn¡¯t have minded even if she were a hallucination from the painkillers and blood loss. She didn¡¯t compare to anyone I had ever seen¡ªher hair was black as raven feathers, and her eyes had a blue hue that seemed to shine like two crystals in the dark.


    ¡°¡­Hello¡­¡± I responded, quickly shifting my gaze back to the ceiling.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see what we have here,¡± she said, checking my medical chart. I could see her silhouette moving back and forth behind the curtain. ¡°Oh! A suicide! The first one I¡¯ve seen today¡ªI mean, the first one still alive,¡± she said with a mocking laugh, bouncing lightly as if excited before throwing the curtains wide open.


    I was definitely hallucinating. Yes, she was slender and more attractive than anyone I¡¯d ever seen, but there were no hands holding the curtains¡ªthere were huge metallic claws. I was too weak to move and too confused to say anything. ¡°Calm down, breathe deeply, you¡¯re hallucinating, you¡¯re hallucinating, you¡¯re hallucinating,¡± I repeated in my head like a mantra as I watched her walk to the side of my bed and sit at the edge, letting herself fall. She wasn¡¯t dressed like a nurse, and clearly, a human wouldn¡¯t have claws instead of hands, though her jovial tone annoyed me more.


    ¡°You cut your veins, not your tongue. Are you going to scream? No, wait, I know! I can see it in your eyes¡­¡± she said, closing hers and scratching her forehead in an exaggeratedly thoughtful way, as if she were a mentalist. ¡°No, you¡¯re not hallucinating, so let¡¯s drop that. Now then¡­ you can scream,¡± she laughed.


    ¡°As long as I focus on your face and not those claws, I think I can keep it together. The guy in the next room probably didn¡¯t choose the right place to look, did he?¡±


    ¡°Where¡­ to look¡­?¡± Her eyes widened as if she¡¯d just seen a horror movie scene. ¡°Disgusting, pig, you¡¯re sick!¡± She hugged herself as if protecting herself from something, the sound of her claws echoing softly in the room. She clearly didn¡¯t get it.


    ¡°Ha¡­ look, that¡¯s not what I meant¡­¡±


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    ¡°Shut up! First, you don¡¯t even flinch at seeing me, then you say weird things. How awful must your life be for this not to freak you out? Anyway¡­¡± she announced, raising her voice in a dramatic tone, ¡°A suicidal guy with a shattered reality is just-what-I-need.¡±


    I let out a laugh. ¡°Need? Great¡­ all it took was trying to kill myself for someone to need me.¡± With the curtains open, I could catch a glimpse of the nurses walking past the room, but somehow, they didn¡¯t seem to see what was happening inside, as if the room had become a confined space. ¡°What do you need me for? You don¡¯t look like someone who needs ordinary favors, and as you¡¯ve probably noticed¡­ I don¡¯t seem like someone eager to stay in this world, so maybe you should try your luck with someone else and let me think this was a fever dream.¡±


    ¡°Yup! I¡¯ve found the one,¡± she said, standing up. Her claws rested on my forehead¡ªthey were cold, metallic, almost covering my entire face. But for some reason, I didn¡¯t try to move. I didn¡¯t know if I had lost my sense of danger or if something about her was ensnaring me. ¡°Since you were so eager to die, I guess I can give you a tiny, tiny taste of what it¡¯s like¡­ oh, by the way, if you scream, I¡¯ll crush your skull, okay? Now just close-your-eyes.¡±


    She could clearly crush my skull, and that was not a way I wanted to die at all. The nurses on the next shift would find me with my head turned into minced meat¡ªposthumous attention, and on top of that, for a death like that, didn¡¯t appeal to me. So, I obeyed her words. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. The sensation was strange, slow, and at first uncomfortable, with an odd melody of flutes resonating in the background. First, I lost my hearing, then touch. One by one, my senses were stripped away. The experience seemed to last for years until finally, in an instant, even my consciousness disappeared. I don¡¯t know how much time passed, but I woke up instantly after that, sitting up quickly in the bed.


    ¡°That was¡­ awesome¡­¡±


    ¡°What!? Awesome!? Sick, pig, disgusting!¡± she yelled as she squeezed the blood bag, cutting off the flow to my veins. ¡°I showed you death itself, and that¡¯s your reaction!?¡± She frowned and began pacing back and forth around my bed. ¡°Look, the whole skull-crushing thing was a joke, so come on, scream, cry, despair¡ªwhatever!¡± she gestured wildly as she spoke.


    ¡°Actually, it felt great¡­ in fact, now I feel worse about myself for not managing to kill myself. I¡¯ll make sure the next attempt works,¡± I sighed long and hard as I lay back down. ¡°An eternity without the feeling of worry, without expectations I can¡¯t meet. I think the whole skull-crushing thing appeals to me now.¡±


    ¡°Eh? No!¡± She waved her arms frantically, looking like a penguin trying to fly. ¡°I¡¯m not going to kill you, and you¡¯re not going to die, got it? I told you, I need you, and I¡¯ve just confirmed that you¡¯ll be useful to me.¡±


    ¡°Good luck with that. I hope you¡¯re used to disappointment because it¡¯s going to happen a lot.¡± For the first time in more years than I could count, I managed to smile, calm and sincere.


    ¡°Yes, yes, I get your self-pitying tendencies¡­¡± she said, waving her claws up and down as if telling me to shut up. ¡°That was just a little, tiny test. I need to know how much your mind can take before those jokes get overshadowed by despair,¡± she looked at me for a few seconds, then smiled in a sweet way that hid something behind it.


    ¡°There¡¯s a game starting right now¡­ or I think it¡¯s better to call it a race. That¡¯s where you come in. You probably want to know what I am and what this is all about, but let¡¯s not spoil the surprise¡­ okay?¡± She climbed onto the bed. I could feel the weight of her body on mine, her claws at the sides of the bed frame, the sound of her voice, and her face inches from mine. ¡°Just say ¡®I accept,¡¯ and soon you¡¯ll know what I need you to do.¡± Her breath felt cold against my skin.


    ¡°Okay, yeah, fine, I accept. I guess I can kill myself some other day.¡± My eyes met hers, but I found myself focusing on her body. ¡°¡­Now you¡¯ve really left me with no place to look.¡±


    ¡°Stop saying things like that! This was a serious moment!¡± she shouted, jumping off the bed like a startled cat. She cleared her throat, trying to regain her composure. ¡°A-ahem¡­ now that you¡¯ve accepted, let me take you to a place¡ªno! A time that you probably don¡¯t remember anymore¡­¡± At that moment, her eyes gleamed with an emotion I could swear had everything but good intentions.

 Chapter 1: Everything Remains…

    ¡°¡­I could swear it was around here somewhere¡­¡± she said, rummaging through her hoodie pockets again and again, the constant sound of her metal claws was starting to wear down my patience.


    ¡°Uh¡­ look, I don¡¯t mean to meddle in other people''s business, but I can¡¯t help wondering how you managed to get dressed in the first place. I mean, there¡¯s no way those huge claws fit through the sleeves of your hoodie,¡± I said, watching as she used the tips of her fingers to pull out a key from one of her pockets.


    ¡°Oh, that¡­ it''s simpl¡ª¡± she froze for a moment. ¡°Wait, are you saying you imagined me getting dressed!? Do you seriously have no filter when you talk or what!?¡± She got so flustered that the key slipped from her claws, falling onto the bed. It looked like an old door key, honestly not strange at all, but when I picked it up, it felt both as light as a feather and as heavy as a mountain at the same time. I could sense the distortion in its weight, but there was no tactile feeling, like when you touch a numb finger.


    ¡°Got it, alright, I¡¯ll shut up, relax,¡± I sighed, still marveling at how incredibly detailed the key was. ¡°What am I supposed to do with this? Go around testing doors one by one until I find the right one?¡±


    Her claws closed around my hand tightly, whether from my comment or her lingering frustration from earlier, I wasn¡¯t sure. ¡°Are you always this funny?¡± But it was obvious that crushing my bones to the point of almost breaking them brought her some kind of satisfaction.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t make it, so keep your critiques to yourself. But yeah, it¡¯s small, easy to lose, and kind of a clich¨¦,¡± she said, releasing my hand. ¡°But it¡¯s not mine, I stole it from my brother. So, if you ever run into him, complain to him.¡±


    ¡°Your¡­ brother¡­ sure¡­¡±


    ¡°Yup! I have a ton of siblings, like a thousand or so, but Yog is the only one who makes things like this,¡± she pointed at the key.


    ¡°¡­Yog¡­?¡±


    ¡°Yog-Sothoth,¡± she added, scratching her cheek with her index finger.


    That name was strange, but I could swear I¡¯d heard it somewhere before. I felt like a detective in my own mind, rummaging through old memories, trying to recall where that name sounded familiar from. One of those many books I never finished reading, probably. ¡°Yog-Sothoth¡­ Yog-Sothoth¡­ Ah! I got it! Isn¡¯t he part of the myths written by Lovecr¡ª¡± She lunged at me, covering my mouth before I could finish speaking. It was a frantic impulse, almost as if she was choking me.


    ¡°You idiot! Do you even know what a copyright infringement is!? We¡¯re just getting started, and you almost ruined everything. You¡¯d better learn to shut up before I rip your tongue out and make you watch me devour it.¡±


    I thought about her words for a moment, they felt out of place. Was she talking to me or to someone else? I leaned back, letting myself fall onto the bed completely, still holding the key, though I was no longer analyzing it¡ªjust distracted by it. ¡°Ripping my tongue out and eating it¡­ that''s a strange way of saying you want to kiss me.¡±


    ¡°Enough.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll try to hold back.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not joking!¡± she huffed, scratching the wall with her claws. That screeching sound echoed in my ears like nails on a chalkboard.


    ¡°I know, I¡¯m just trying to understand and lighten things up. You should give me credit for staying so calm, don¡¯t you think?¡± I chuckled a little, again, it was an honest laugh. I almost worried about that, but my attention drifted back to the key. ¡°Alright, what exactly am I supposed to do with this?¡±


    ¡°Ah! Uh¡­¡± She seemed to struggle too much to think, freezing several times as she searched for a response. Honestly, I thought she might be a bit dumb. ¡°Just press it against your chest and turn it, like a normal key,¡± she said, gesturing with her claws.


    ¡°Do I look like a lock to you?¡± Despite my objection, curiosity got the better of me. I placed the tip of the key against my chest, and it sank into my skin like it was gelatin. I felt cold, not the seasonal kind, but like absolute zero. I wanted to say something, ask, comment¡ªanything¡ªbut the sensation consumed me more and more. I was a snowman, and the key was the carrot.


    ¡°Well done! Good boy, good boy¡­ now¡­ turn it!¡± she exclaimed, clapping her hands, entertained by the situation¡ªor more accurately, by my reaction. The sound of her claws echoed louder.


    I turned the key out of reflex. I heard a ¡®click¡¯ as if a rusted mechanism had moved, followed by indescribable pain, like my nerves were being sliced with a scalpel dipped in salt. It felt like my neurons were violently tearing apart. My vision blurred, my breathing grew more erratic, and my face contorted with pain as the world faded around me.


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    ¡°Hehe¡­ looks like there¡¯s no more jokes¡­¡± she whispered, narrowing her eyes with a grin from ear to ear. One of her fingers lightly brushed against my chest. ¡°Just let go¡­ see you in a bit.¡±


    There was no sensation after that. No light, no tunnel, nothing. Movies lie about that stuff, you know? I just opened my eyes, disoriented at first, with a wave of nausea that quickly faded when I saw the building in front of me. It had been a while since I¡¯d left school, and though I didn¡¯t have fond memories of it, I remembered its structure like a photograph. I stood there, staring at the building, students chatting as they walked in, cars honking in the street behind me. But something didn¡¯t feel quite right, like a painting in grayscale. People refer to the past as the golden years, but this looked more like lead than gold.


    ¡°Ha! Alive, in one piece, and even standing, buddy!¡± she slapped me on the back like she hadn¡¯t seen me in centuries. I felt like my lungs nearly shifted out of place.


    ¡°What is this? Isn¡¯t time travel the go-to plot device for authors who¡¯ve run out of ideas? No, forget that. There¡¯s something more important¡­ why are you¡­ dressed like a student?¡± I looked at her as she spun around, showing off her uniform. Everything looked normal, except for those claws. It seemed like something she couldn¡¯t change. ¡°Oh, by the way, my name¡¯s Eiji. Did you really not plan on asking for my name?¡±


    ¡°I thought it would be better to stylize myself a bit. I like the retro look. Doesn¡¯t it suit me?¡± She paused for a moment, maybe expecting me to say something, but when I didn¡¯t, she continued, twirling a strand of her hair between her claws. ¡°I read your name on your medical chart, stupid,¡± she said, turning her gaze to the building in front of us. ¡°Here¡¯s a hint: something was here and disappeared, something¡¯s here now that must disappear¡­¡± she chuckled quietly, covering her mouth with her claws as she pointed to the school.


    I stared at the building with her. The hint wasn¡¯t very helpful. Students? Objects? A plot hole? I couldn¡¯t help but think she was being cryptic on purpose. I glanced at her briefly, trying to decipher what she was telling me between the lines, but quickly refocused on the building.


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to look at you. I don¡¯t know where my eyes will land, but I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll be below your waist.¡±


    She glanced at her legs, at the thigh-high socks covering them, and at her skirt, which for some reason was way too short. She stammered something as her face turned red, and she poked one of her fingers against my abdomen.


    ¡°That¡¯s on me! I-I knew you were going to say something like that, you stupid pig!¡± She pressed her finger against my stomach slightly. ¡°I really feel like ripping your skin open and strangling you with your own intestines. Buuut! I guess I¡¯ll let it slide this time. After all¡­ once we¡¯re done here, you probably won¡¯t feel like joking for a long time.¡± She gave me a shove and headed toward the school without waiting for me to follow.


    The stairs led us to the hallway on the second floor. The students seemed to ignore me, but they definitely couldn¡¯t take their eyes off her. She didn¡¯t even bother trying to hide her claws. They probably thought she was cosplaying or something like that.


    ¡°Idiots,¡± I muttered as I watched them pass by, staring at her.


    ¡°Hehe¡­ Are you jealous of some teenagers, E-i-j-i?¡± she teased, nudging me lightly with her elbow.


    ¡°No, not at all. Why do you think I let you go up the stairs first?¡±


    ¡°What!?¡±


    ¡°Nothing, nothing¡­ see? I can be cryptic too, if I want to.¡± I started to feel a bit more at ease in the situation. This back-and-forth with her was fun, even though there was a chance she might skin me alive.


    Class 2B. The sign on the classroom door felt like a punch in the chest, as if something inside me short-circuited. I couldn¡¯t breathe; my head was spinning. Things my mind had buried deep were now clawing their way out from the grave.


    "Hey... W-what is this...? What are we doing here?" I asked, my voice shaking, hoping for one of her usual absurd responses. I wanted her to speak in that familiar, sarcastic tone of hers, but for the first time, she looked at me with cold, dead eyes, as if I were invisible.


    "April 24th, 2010. What comes to mind now?" she asked, barely paying attention to me, her gaze fixed on the window of the classroom, her voice calm yet sharp enough to cut through the air.


    "Death," I muttered. My hand moved on its own toward the door, and I had to grab my wrist to stop it from trembling. Was I scared or anxious? She stopped me before I could open it, tapping her claws lightly on the window in a rhythm that was almost... musical.


    "Anna¡¯s not here, and you know it," she repeated, her eyes now back on me. "Maybe you should try your luck on the school rooftop... don¡¯t you think? Or maybe she¡¯s already at the point where you¡¯ll need a shovel to peel her off the ground. Either way, go find her... ¡®hero¡¯." She tilted her head, flashing a smile that froze me to my core.


    Have you ever solved a Rubik''s Cube? That sense of satisfaction when all the colors align perfectly on each side? Well, this was the opposite of that feeling.


    It didn¡¯t take much to decode her strange message. Memories of that time, which was now, came rushing back. Anna had jumped from the school rooftop one spring morning. The teachers never spoke about it. We were given three days to mourn because we were her classmates. My parents forced me to go to her funeral; they practically had to drag me away from the RPG I¡¯d just bought at the time. Looking back, I guess I never felt any real attachment to anything alive.


    "¡­Hero, yeah, right." I muttered to myself as I climbed the spiral stairs to the roof, my mind a spiral of its own¡ªdescending into my own pathetic existence.


    I stood in front of the metal door that led to the rooftop for a moment, part of me wondering what I¡¯d do if I saw Anna, another part wondering what I¡¯d do if I just saw her shadow falling, or worse¡ªif I was already too late.


    I turned the handle, opening the door slowly. The sunlight outside was blinding, and my eyes hadn¡¯t adjusted yet. The sound of the rusty hinges squeaking filled my ears, and I wondered if I should just turn around, head back down the stairs, walk straight out of school, and check myself into a psych ward.


    ¡°Three days of fake mourning and ten years of being forgotten,¡± were Anna¡¯s words, laughing, as she sat on the edge of a rooftop beam, eating her lunch.


    It wasn¡¯t her words that made me lose my balance, though they should have. No, I think it was the fact that she was hanging upside down from the beam. You know, gravity¡ªthe force that pulls objects with mass toward others with greater mass? I guess no one ever explained it to her.

 Chapter 2: … Like It Never Was.

    She looked up, which was actually down. ¡°You know, I should be ¡®mnjj,¡¯¡± she said, shoving a rice ball into her mouth, ¡°right?¡±


    ¡°Chew before you talk, would you?¡± I said, brushing off the crumbs falling on me. ¡°Could you get down from there? I¡¯m starting to feel dizzy.¡±


    ¡°I asked if you know that I should be dead.¡± She set her lunchbox aside and stood up lightly. ¡°And by the way, I¡¯m genuinely worried about how you¡¯re taking this situation so casually,¡± she said, almost as if singing a melody, walking along the beam, step by step, headfirst, until she descended right beside me.


    ¡°You¡¯d be surprised at how many things have made me question what¡¯s normal.¡±


    ¡°Interesting... Like what?¡±


    I took a breath. ¡°For starters, for some reason, my neighbors, who I¡¯ve never spoken to, decided to call the police right when I should have died. I ended up in a hospital I don¡¯t remember existing in this city, then a girl with huge claws forced me to shove a key into my chest, and somehow, I ended up here, ten years in the past.¡± I finished, almost without pausing between words.


    ¡°Eiji... you realize that nothing you¡¯re saying sounds like something that could actually happen, right?¡±


    ¡°You were eating lunch upside down on that beam.¡± I pointed. ¡°On the list of things that couldn¡¯t happen in real life, THAT would be near the top.¡±


    ¡°Not entirely, it¡¯s not something unreal, more like a matter of pers-pec-tive,¡± she said, swaying her head side to side with each syllable.


    ¡°Uh-huh. What perspective?¡±


    ¡°Well, yours and mine.¡± She replied, leaning slightly forward. She looked at me like I was stupid, the way a teacher looks at the slowest student in class.


    Have you ever seen the walls of detective offices in noir films, full of photos and pins connecting all the loose ends? Exactly that was happening in my head. I could safely assume that I hadn¡¯t traveled back in time, just as I could assume that the person in front of me wasn¡¯t Anna. A twisted version? A jump to an alternate reality? The advantage of consuming so much fiction gave me the dumb ability to have multiple options for this situation.


    ¡°Can I ask you a few questions?¡±


    ¡°How many are ¡®a few?¡¯¡± She asked, resuming her walk. Once again, her steps led her to the beam, slow and vertical steps, with a graceful spin when she reached the skeleton of the ceiling.


    Once more, she was upside down. I knew she was looking at me, but I couldn¡¯t return the gaze. Something about her made me feel oppressed. Sure, she spoke warmly, but that was a fa?ade, imitating how she thought Anna would be. To be honest, her presence was what threw me off, not her attempt to impersonate Anna¡ªI barely remembered what Anna was like beyond her appearance.


    ¡°Three questions.¡± I stepped closer to the edge of the beam and tried to take a step. As I had thought, there was no irregularity in the space around us, or else I would¡¯ve been able to have a little fun defying gravity, too.


    ¡°Uhm... I¡¯ll only accept two.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a real headache, you know...¡± I said, scratching my head, a small nervous tic I didn¡¯t even remember I had. ¡°The clawed weirdo brought me here, I assume to stop Anna¡¯s suicide. Now, you¡¯re not Anna, so the ¡®hero game¡¯ falls apart.¡±


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    ¡°Haaa... what gave me away?¡± She almost asked it sarcastically, exaggerating her thoughtful tone.


    I didn¡¯t answer. The question was dumb, and the answer was obvious, so I just stayed quiet. Sometimes the narrative needs a little push.


    She dropped down in front of me, the distance almost nonexistent, close enough that I could feel her body heat. It was subtle, like a dancer¡¯s move, but the cracks in the tiles under her feet let me know there was more to her than just the ability to ignore gravity at will.


    ¡°I guess explaining things a little won¡¯t hurt, right?¡± she said as she unbuttoned the first two buttons of her shirt.


    ¡°What exactly are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious? What¡¯s the point of keeping an image that¡¯s not mine?... No matter how good it looks on me.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I get that,¡± I said, grabbing her hand as she toyed with unbuttoning more, ¡°but I don¡¯t think it¡¯s necessary to take your clothes off.¡±


    ¡°Good observation, I see you¡¯re the type who doesn¡¯t like wasting time.¡±


    Though she gently pulled my hand from hers, she still felt threatening, much more so than the clawed girl. There was so much calm in her voice, but it transmitted the opposite, and my brain fired off warning signals one after another, as if a missile was about to strike me.


    She brought her hands to her eyes, pinching at her lower eyelids. No, her skin wasn¡¯t elastic¡ªshe just started peeling off pieces of it, bit by bit. I couldn¡¯t do anything but watch silently, petrified. At that moment, Michelangelo¡¯s David had more mobility than I did. Blood splattered my face, thick, warm, as if it was raining directly in front of me while she tore away her lips, her torso, like someone removing a sweater when it¡¯s too hot.


    I couldn¡¯t deny that it was a scene I hadn¡¯t even seen in the worst horror movies, but as strange as it sounds, I couldn¡¯t take my eyes off her. There was something hypnotic about the way she ¡®shed her skin¡¯ like a snake. The remains of skin and blood scattered across the floor, slipping through the cracks she had left in the tiles. I was witnessing an act of self-mutilation, but there was a faint fruity scent that seemed designed to stop me from running away or vomiting up my breakfast from two weeks ago.


    ¡°I think I¡¯ve gotten rid of everything¡­¡± she repeated, extending her hand toward me, opening and closing it.


    ¡°I¡¯m not shaking your hand, this is a bloodbath.¡±


    ¡°Huh? It wasn¡¯t a greeting. Your jacket, give it to me¡ªor do you want me to get sick? Because blood doesn¡¯t stay warm outside the body, you know?¡± Her tone felt lighter, as if she¡¯d shed more than just her ¡®Anna costume.¡¯ ¡°Oooh... or maybe you like how I look all naked and bloody?¡± she said, leaning even closer to catch my eyes with hers.


    I was so caught up in watching how far she tossed the remnants of skin that I hadn¡¯t paid attention to her figure. She was certainly more, much more eccentric than the girl with the huge claws, in every sense of the word.


    I stared for what felt like longer than I should have. Her skin was pale like a corpse, even more faded than her white hair that didn¡¯t reach her shoulders. Her eyes were as red as the abnormal sky in front of us, and the star-shaped pupils silently told me those eyes had seen more than I could ever comprehend.


    ¡°Give me your jacket, you pervert!¡± she said, clenching her fists and stomping on the tiles. ¡°My sister was right, you¡¯re a disgusting pig.¡± Her hand was still outstretched.


    ¡°Fine, here.¡± I took off my jacket, resigned to the fact that she probably wouldn¡¯t give it back later, and draped it over her shoulders. ¡°And I wouldn¡¯t even notice your body¡ªI like them big.¡±


    ¡°5 foot is average height in some places,¡± she said with a frown, though not a threatening one, as if she¡¯d taken a personal hit.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t talking about height... I meant your chest...¡±


    Her eyes widened like searchlights, and she wrapped herself tighter in my jacket, frowning but saying nothing. I could see her cheeks flush a little. She exhaled slowly, like I was a hopeless case, and after wiping the remaining blood from her hand on my jacket, she extended it again.


    ¡°Anyway... nice to meet you, Eiji. Nyar.¡± She pointed to herself.


    ¡°...Nyar...?¡± I asked, making a cat paw gesture.


    ¡°You¡¯re such an idiot¡­¡± She stepped back and gave a bow, like a magician introducing herself to the audience. ¡°Known for millennia as the face-eater...¡± She raised her gaze. ¡°Nyarlathotep.¡±

 Chapter 3: Some sort of fracture

    The speed required for a blunt object to decapitate a human is about 70 kilometers per hour, or roughly 16 meters per second¡ªthat¡¯s if we¡¯re talking about a guillotine. With a steel door, it¡¯d need to be around 100 kilometers per hour, or 28 meters per second. Knowing that, I was glad the rooftop door went flying off far from where Nyar and I were standing.


    ¡°Doors have handles for a reason,¡± I let out in a sigh.


    ¡°I guess so! But that doesn¡¯t matter when you¡¯re in a hurry! I thought I¡¯d miss your descent into madness, but I got the call I couldn¡¯t ignore. Seriously, he talks too much¡ªI mean, more than my head can handle,¡± she said between gasps. It was clear she¡¯d raced up the stairs like it was a marathon, her claws gripping the twisted doorframe as she slowly caught her breath.


    ¡°Oh¡­ A call?¡±


    ¡°Not just a call, idiot¡ªTHE call,¡± she repeated, adjusting her uniform and walking toward us as if nothing had happened.


    ¡°¡®The¡¯ call?¡± I questioned again.


    ¡°The Call of Cthulhu, Eiji!¡± she shouted, exasperated.


    ¡°Yeah, I figured that. I just wanted you to say it. If we get canceled now, it¡¯s on you.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    I exhaled. ¡°Nothing¡­ Nothing¡­ forget it. Anyway, I solved your stupid riddle¡ªcan we go back now? I¡¯m tired, it¡¯s cold, I¡¯m hungry, and having to come back to this school after ten years bugs me more than you¡¯d think.¡±


    She looked like she was about to reply but froze, mouth open, her eyes darting around¡ªthe cracked floor, the scraps of ¡®Anna¡¯s¡¯ skin scattered across the roof, the countless bloodstains covering me and the ground. She stepped closer and shoved me aside roughly. For a moment, her gaze locked onto Nyar, naked and covered only by my jacket.


    ¡°Eiji¡­ would you mind explaining what this is all about?¡± She turned her face to me, ignoring Nyar, forcing a smile that still betrayed how noticeably pissed she was about something.


    ¡°Uh¡­ Want the long version or the short one?¡±


    ¡°I want you to not be an idiot and answer my question,¡± she snapped, straining her smile so hard I could see her eyelid twitching like a suppressed anger tic.


    ¡°Well¡­ first, she ripped off her skin, which was kinda gross, and then she told me her name¡¯s Nyar,¡± I concluded, throwing in the cat gesture at the end.


    She pointed a claw at me like she was about to accuse me of something, but Nyar cut her off with an exaggeratedly fake throat-clearing.


    ¡°Noddy, could you stop acting like I¡¯m not here?¡± Nyar said, zipping up the jacket and stepping toward her. The blood under her feet made a faint sloshing sound.


    ¡°Don¡¯t call me that in public!¡± she exclaimed, covering her face with her claws. After a pause, she shifted one finger to peek through. ¡°Since when did the plan include you stripping in front of him?¡± she added, scanning Nyar like a machine. ¡°Oh, great! You¡¯re wearing his jacket¡­ You¡¯re both pigs¡ªbet you spent all this time rolling around the roof, huh?¡±


    I tried jumping into the conversation. It was obvious ¡®Noddy¡¯ had cooked up a mental story that was wildly off the mark, but the second she heard my attempt to chime in, she shot me a look like she was firing lasers from her eyes. Should I have been scared? Maybe, but the argument was getting interesting, and watching her throw what looked more like a tantrum than a real complaint couldn¡¯t help but make me laugh inside.


    Nyar, meanwhile, stood firm and unfazed, waiting her turn to respond.


    ¡°Sister, do you really see me as someone who¡¯d carry out such¡­ impure acts?¡± Nyar asked, trying to assert herself, though her height made it look like a lost cause.


    ¡°Of course I do!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right, but not in public, and definitely not on a roof with this chilly breeze¡­ The blood on the ground doesn¡¯t bother me,¡± she said, glancing around before continuing. ¡°You need to stop making up stories, sister. I just decided your plan wasn¡¯t workable. I mean, look at him¡ªI tore his classmate¡¯s skin off strip by strip, and he didn¡¯t even flinch. I still can¡¯t figure out if he¡¯s completely insane or if his brain doesn¡¯t even grasp what madness is. Whatever the reason, it¡¯s clear your theatrical idea wasn¡¯t going to cut it, so I¡¯d say my approach was a win.¡± She finished, brushing past her and walking over to my side.


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    Noddy watched her sister stride up next to me. She didn¡¯t say anything, but I caught a slight twitch in her claws as they tensed. So the plan was to drown me in despair by watching a school acquaintance kill herself in front of me. At least now I had a bit more insight into these two lunatics¡¯ intentions. Nyar seemed more clued in about me, while Noddy¡¯s scheme felt like something she¡¯d cribbed from a cheap soap opera.


    ¡°That still doesn¡¯t explain why you stripped in front of him!¡± Noddy snapped.


    ¡°Sister, how am I supposed to wear a human¡¯s skin if I¡¯m already dressed? You¡¯re taking this way too emotionally. The fact that this fool¡±¡ªshe pointed at me¡ª¡°can keep his cool better than you says more than you think.¡±


    If you¡¯ve ever been on a packed bus with nowhere to hold on, you know the uneasy feeling of bracing for a sudden stop. That¡¯s exactly what I felt right then. Neither of them was willing to back down, and I sure as hell wasn¡¯t picking a side since they¡¯d both orchestrated this mess against me.


    ¡°¡­Nyar¡­ right now, I¡¯d love to rip your ex-tre-mi-ties off¡­¡± Noddy said, trying to keep her voice steady as she brought her claws to her sides.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been saying that for over two thousand years, sister,¡± Nyar shot back with a small laugh.


    ¡°Okay, enough¡ªboth of you calm down, alright?¡± I said, stepping forward, which, objectively, was a bad move that put me right in the potential crossfire. ¡°Noddy, Nyar said she was cold, so I gave her my jacket. That¡¯s it¡ªnothing happened between us.¡±


    ¡°Nodens,¡± she said flatly.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°My name¡¯s Nodens, not Noddy, so stop calling me that.¡±


    ¡°¡­Got it¡­¡± I said, leaving a beat of silence to think. ¡°You¡¯re still mad, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°A lot,¡± she replied, still holding that flat tone but with less energy to keep the conversation going.


    ¡°Why? Your plan worked anyway. You wanted to test my mental resilience¡ªwell, look, I¡¯m mediating between two cosmic entities.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not about the plan, idiot! I just can¡¯t wrap my head around how I leave for a few hours and you¡¯re already letting my sister seduce you¡­¡±


    I looked at her, then at Nyar, who seemed more lost in her thoughts than engaged in what was happening, and turned back to Nodens. ¡°She didn¡¯t seduce me. Her breasts are too small for my taste¡­ though I guess they¡¯re fine, proportionally speaking.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Her cheeks puffed up before she let out a laugh that bent her forward, wrapping her claws around her waist.


    ¡°Humans have physical preferences that elude me and that I have no reason or desire to meet¡­ unlike you, sister,¡± Nyar cut in. She didn¡¯t lose her calm demeanor, but there was a faint irritation in her voice that maybe even she didn¡¯t notice.


    I could¡¯ve stepped in again, but something told me these clashes had been going on for ages. Guess that¡¯s how siblings are.


    ¡°How are we supposed to get back? I mean, the test you set up was a success for you, even if it didn¡¯t follow your script,¡± I asked Nodens, stepping toward the edge of the roof. Looking down, the building seemed much, much taller than normal.


    ¡°There was something here that disappeared, there¡¯s something here¡­¡± she said, intoning her voice.


    ¡°That must disappear, yeah, I remember what you said,¡± I added, cutting off Nodens¡¯ line.


    ¡°If you remember, why are you asking?¡± she shot back, fixing her bangs.


    Nyar, who¡¯d been quiet all this time, stepped up beside me, also looking down. For a while, she said nothing. I felt her tug lightly on my shirtsleeve. ¡°What my inept sister meant with that phrase is that you¡¯re part of what needs to disappear. In short, this fake timeline is only holding together because of our influence and an irregularity¡ªand that irregularity is you.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ so basically, I have to die, right?¡± I said, bringing my hand to my chin¡ªyou know, the classic thinker pose.


    ¡°Y-Yes¡­ that¡¯s right¡­¡± Nyar replied, lifting her gaze to meet mine. She seemed off-balance; that stutter in her voice wasn¡¯t typical given how she¡¯d acted so far.


    ¡°Got it. Let¡¯s see what happens next. So which one of you is going to kill me?¡± I asked, looking at Nodens first.


    ¡°Don¡¯t look at me. You and I have an implicit pact¡ªyou¡¯ve got my key in your chest, after all.¡±


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t it stolen?¡±


    ¡°Tech-ni-cal-i-ties,¡± she answered, slipping back into her usual jovial tone. ¡°Finders keepers, they say.¡±


    I turned my eyes to Nyar, who didn¡¯t even give me a chance to ask. ¡°No. I¡¯d rather keep being part of what¡¯s to come, so I can¡¯t do it,¡± she said, turning away and shoving her hands into my jacket¡¯s pockets. ¡°And honestly, I don¡¯t want to either.¡± I could see her fists clenching the fabric inside the pockets.


    I looked down again. Generally speaking, the human body reaches terminal velocity¡ªthe maximum speed it can hit while falling¡ªat about 190 to 200 kilometers per hour in a spread-out position, or 240 to 290 kilometers per hour in a tighter one, like falling feet- or head-first. That speed kicks in after dropping 150 to 180 meters. Given the distortion this building had undergone, there were about 30 floors between me and the ground¡ªor, in simpler terms, between me and turning into a red mess of blood and guts.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have proof, but I¡¯m guessing this is gonna hurt¡­¡± I said, taking another step toward the edge. ¡°I hope at least one of you picks me up on the other side, you know? I like black tea and prefer salty snacks over sweet ones¡ªwrite that down.¡± I finished with a wave¡ªa casual ¡®see you later¡¯¡ªbefore letting myself fall into the void stretching below me.


    You know, if this were an isekai, right before my body splattered on the ground, I¡¯d be whisked off to a medieval fantasy world with an excessive, unnecessary pile of magical powers and maybe even a harem. But ¡®someone¡¯ decided that¡¯s not my story. So I guess I¡¯ll have to settle for whatever comes next.