Zaregoto - Volume 1 Chapter 1

1. Savant Blue

 

2. Assembly and Arithmetic

 

1. The First Decapitation

 

2. The Tragedy of 0.14

 

1. The Second Decapitation

 

2. Lies

 

3. A Crow’s Wet Feathers

 

ONE WEEK LATER: Split

 

EPILOGUE: Crimson Fairy Tale

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 3

 

Don’t be so edgy.

 

Relax, okay?

 

The third morning of our life on Wet Crow’s Feather Island

 

was just greeting us. I awoke in a daze, trying to distinguish

 

between the dreams I had just had and the reality yet to come.

 

The high, rectangular window admitted just a bit of light,

 

so the room still remained dim. Since the room had no lights,

 

I would just have to wait for it to get brighter: the sun had

 

only just risen, and it was maybe around six a.m., judging by

 

my internal clock. I suspect this way of determining the time

 

has no more than a fifteen-minute margin of error. But even

 

supposing I was an hour off, it’s not like it would be a

 

problem.

 

“Getting up,” I mumbled, and slowly rose from bed.

 

The room was mostly empty, its only furnishings a chair

 

and a futon. Aside from that, it was completely bare. Its high

 

ceilings gave it an even more spacious feel—and that hollow,

 

dead atmosphere that evokes so vividly images of solitary

 

confinement or something. I couldn’t help but feel a little bit

 

like an inmate on Death Row.

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 4

 

It was the second time in my life I’d woken up with that

 

feeling.

 

But while this was in fact not solitary confinement, neither

 

was it originally a bedroom. It was formerly a storage space.

 

When I asked Akari to show me the smallest room in the

 

mansion, this was where she brought me. The smallest room.

 

Even so, it was infinitely bigger than my room at the lodging

 

house. Boy, was that ever depressing.

 

“Nah… it’s way beyond depressing,” I said to myself.

 

Now then. I switched my cognitive channel from Death

 

Row Inmate Mode to Routine Mode.

 

Wondering what time it really was, I glanced at my

 

wristwatch, but the LCD screen displayed nothing. Maybe the

 

batteries had died while I was sleeping. But wait, I’d changed

 

them just a little while ago. There had to be some other

 

problem. Well, I could always ask Kunagisa to fix it.

 

Clearing my sleep-fogged mind, I did a couple of simple

 

stretches and then left the room. I walked around for a while.

 

The carpet was thick, bright red, and looked like (and most

 

probably was) super-high quality. It eventually led to the

 

spiral case, which is where I bumped into Rei-san and

 

Akari-san.

 

“Oh, good morning. You two are up early.” It was only

 

common courtesy to greet them, but they simply passed by

 

with no more acknowledgment than a silent head-bow.

 

“Guess they’re the quiet type,” I muttered to myself.

 

But to be fair, they were probably working, and I wasn’t

 

exactly a “guest,” per se, so I just had to live with their

 

lukewarm response. If I expected anything more out of them,

 

I’d have to throw my arms out wide and cry out, “How you

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 5

 

feelin’, my freaky people?!” And, frankly, I just didn’t have the

 

energy.

 

Handa Rei-san and Chiga Akari-san were maids employed

 

at the mansion. Rei-san was the “head maid,” Akari her

 

subordinate. And there were two other maids at the mansion,

 

of the same rank as Akari-san. A total of four maids.

 

Considering who owned the mansion, and the size of the

 

mansion, it seemed as if a staff of four maids would be too

 

small. But these women carried out their duties with the

 

swiftness and skill of true specialists.

 

The mistress of the mansion, and the person these maids

 

served, was Akagami Iria. She was the proprietress of the

 

island, as well as the mansion. And furthermore, she was the

 

one who had invited me and Kunagisa here.

 

“But wait, was I actually invited?” I asked myself.

 

Now just how old was Akari-san? You could tell just by

 

looking at Rei-san that she was probably in her late twenties.

 

It’s not easy for kids like me to tell exactly how old a woman

 

that age is, but that’s definitely the impression I got from her.

 

Akari-san was the real challenge. I didn’t think she was

 

younger than me, but still, she looked ridiculously young. She

 

was one of those women you see downtown who can get away

 

with paying half-price for everything when they’re actually

 

adults. As I went up the spiral staircase and headed down the

 

second-floor hall, my mind tilled with nonsense. Maybe she has

 

a thing for young guys. Yeah, just babbling.

 

I was headed for Kunagisa’s room. Two days ago, when we

 

arrived at the island, a room had of course been prepared for

 

Kunagisa, but not for me. This was to be expected: even I had

 

had no idea I would be visiting this weird little island until

 

that very morning, when Kunagisa called me.

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 6

 

Akari-san prepared a room for me at the last minute. But

 

I’d politely refused it. Why? The reason hit me as soon as I

 

opened the door.

 

I knocked once, then went ahead and opened it.

 

The interior was vast. Pure white carpet and pure white

 

wallpaper complemented pure white furniture. Even I knew

 

that white reflects light. Kunagisa was crazy about the color

 

white, so somebody had decorated this room this way

 

deliberately. In the center of the room was a luxurious sofa

 

and a wooden table. A chandelier hung from the strangely

 

high ceiling. The bed was like something straight out of a

 

movie set in medieval times; it even had a canopy.

 

“Yeah, I’d never get any sleep here.”

 

And so I had Akari-san show me to the storage room on

 

the first floor. Meanwhile Kunagisa, lacking my more delicate

 

sensibilities, lay there drowsily on her pure white sheets.

 

Looking at the enormous, antique, mechanical clock on her

 

wall (also ever-so-thoughtfully selected in white), I saw that it

 

was, in fact, six o’clock, just as I’d guessed. Pondering what to

 

do now, I sat on the side of her bed, enjoying the feeling of

 

the thick, fluffy carpet beneath my feet.

 

Kunagisa rolled over. Her eyes opened, just slightly.

 

“Hmm? Oh, Ii-chan?”

 

Somehow she had sensed it was me, but at any rate she

 

seemed to be awake. She pushed her mussed, I Hawaiian-blue

 

hair away from her face and regarded me with sleepy eyes.

 

“Oh, ahhh, Ii-chan… ummm… You came to wake me up,

 

didn’t you? Thank you.”

 

“Actually I came here to tuck you in, but what’s this?

 

Tomo sleeping at nighttime? That’s pretty rare. Or did you

 

just get to bed?” If that was the case I’d have to apologize.

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 7

 

“Uh-uh.” She shook her head.

 

“I think I slept for three hours. Cuz y’know, yesterday,

 

well, some stuff happened, Ii-chan. Give me five more

 

seconds…

 

“Good morning! Ah, it’s a bright, brisk morning, isn’t it?!”

 

She sat up, her petite little body popping up. Flashing me an

 

ear-to-ear grin, she struck a dynamic pose. “Huh? Hey, it’s not

 

bright out at all. I don’t like this. I like for the sun to be way

 

high up in the sky when I wake up in the morning.”

 

“You’re talking about the afternoon.”

 

“Eh, either way. That was some good sleep.” Ignoring me,

 

she kept on talking. “I’m pretty sure I got to bed at three a.m.

 

Some really bad stuff happened yesterday and I just huffed off

 

to bed. Y’know, cuz sleep is the best thing when you’re

 

feeling really terrible. It’s like sleep is the one and only gift of

 

salvation God gave mankind. Now, Ii-chan?”

 

“Yeah, Tomo?”

 

“Stay still for a sec.”

 

Without even giving me time to be confused, she hugged

 

me. Or to put it more accurately, she draped herself on me,

 

burdening me with the entirety of her bodyweight. She rested

 

her tiny head on my right shoulder, with our bodies stuck

 

together, her slender arms wrapped around my neck.

 

Squeeze.

 

Not that she was heavy.

 

“Uh, Kunagisa?”

 

“Recharging.”

 

Evidently she was recharging. Thus, no moving allowed. I

 

gave up on the idea of resistance and supported her weight.

 

But hey, what was I, an electrical outlet or something?

 

Looking at Kunagisa, I noticed she had slept with her coat

 

on. As far as I knew, she wore it all the time, indoors and

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 8

 

outdoors, summer and winter. A jet-black men’s coat. On a

 

girl of Kunagisa’s tiny stature, the large-sized coat easily

 

touched the floor. But she seemed to be madly in love with it

 

anyway. I had told her millions of times to at least take it off

 

when she’s sleeping, but to no avail.

 

One thing was for sure: Kunagisa Tomo did things her own

 

way. In that sense, she was kind of like me.

 

“Okay, thanks!” she said, and finally let go of me. “Battery

 

full! Now, let’s go face another day.”

 

With a grunt she rose from bed, blue hair bouncing. She

 

walked over to the computers by the window opposite her

 

bed. They were the three computers she had brought from

 

her home in Shirosaki. All three were tower models. The two

 

on the left and right were of typical size, the one in the middle

 

was exceptionally large. They were all white, of course. I just

 

didn’t get why she was so into a color that was so easy to get

 

dirty.

 

The three computers were on a U-shaped rack, with a

 

cushiony rolling chair in the center. Kunagisa plopped down

 

in the chair and leaned back. That way she could

 

simultaneously control all three computers. But no matter

 

how you counted it up, she still had only two hands. Why she

 

would ever think to use three keyboards at the same time was

 

beyond me.

 

I looked over her shoulder. The three keyboards were

 

neither ASCII nor JIS nor Oasis, but instead some weird,

 

mysterious key alignment. But to question the unnaturalness

 

of it would be futile. For an engineering whiz like Kunagisa

 

Tomo, designing a keyboard from scratch was probably like a

 

walk in the park.

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 9

 

Incidentally, Kunagisa didn’t use a mouse. Because “they’re

 

a total waste of time,” she would say. But to a novice like me,

 

the sight of a mouseless computer was unnerving, just totally

 

impossible to get used to. Not that that’s the worst feeling in

 

the world.

 

“Ii-chan.”

 

“Yeah?”

 

“Tie my hair up.”

 

Got it. I went up to her chair. I slipped some hair bands off

 

her arm and tied her hair into two braids.

 

“Man, wash your hair already. My fingers are getting oily

 

here.”

 

“I hate taking baths. Cuz y’know, your hair gets all wet and

 

stuff.”

 

“Well, of course. Look at this, the blue is getting dark.”

 

“I can’t see my own head. Hehehe, if I leave it like it is, it’ll

 

turn ultramarine. Thank you, Ii-chan,” she said, biting her

 

lower lip with a giggle. I just looked back at her with an

 

innocent, confused smile.

 

“Uh, no problem, really.”

 

Even as we talked, her fingers never stopped moving. They

 

moved with the accuracy of a machine at a constant rhythm

 

with every keystroke. Her movements flowed so smoothly it

 

was as if she were unconsciously tarrying out some preplanned

 

assignment in some preprogrammed way. Incomprehensible

 

English characters and numbers streamed along on all three

 

monitor displays at an unbelievable pace.

 

“Tomo, what are you up to, anyway? You just got up.”

 

“Mmm, well, I don’t think you’d get it even if I told you.”

 

“Hmm. You really need all three PCs to do it?” I said.

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 1 0

 

She gave me a perplexed look. “Ii-chan, this one in the

 

middle isn’t a PC, it’s a workstation,” she said.

 

“What’s a workstation? It’s not a PC?”

 

“Nope, it’s different. Well, I guess PCs and workstations

 

are similar in that they’re both intended for individual use,

 

but, it’s like, workstations are way more top-of-the-line.”

 

“Ah, so a workstation is like a super-good PC?” I said,

 

openly displaying my ignorance.

 

She groaned. “Ii-chan, a PC is a PC and a workstation is a

 

workstation. They’re both GPCs, but think of them as two

 

completely different things.”

 

“What’s a GPC?”

 

She looked at me as if I were some kind of a caveman. “Iichan,

 

you don’t know anything, do you?” she said with a

 

touch of disbelief. “What exactly were you doing in Houston

 

those five years?”

 

“Other things.”

 

She sighed. “Okay, okay,” she said, tilting her head. Then

 

she resumed her work as if a switch had been toggled in her

 

brain. Letters and numbers that looked like hocus-pocus to

 

me continued to stream by on the displays.

 

I wanted her to tell me a little more about the different

 

classifications or what have you, but I’m not really that

 

intellectually curious. Besides, it would be rude to interrupt

 

whatever she was working on. That, and, for an “outsider” like

 

me to try to follow this nerdy cupcake’s explanations seemed

 

as if it would just lead to a headache, so with that I ended the

 

discussion. I massaged her shoulders for a bit, then decided to

 

borrow her sink, where I washed my face and changed my

 

clothes.

 

“Hey, Tomo, I’m gonna go for a walk.”

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 1 1

 

Without looking up from her work, she gave me a

 

halfhearted wave. The other hand kept on tapping keys. I

 

shrugged and left the room.

 

I’d be lying if I said I knew all that much about the Akagami

 

Foundation. They’re not exactly the most well-publicized

 

organization in the world. Plus, since they mostly operated out

 

of the Kanto region, someone like me who was born in Kobe,

 

grew up in Houston, Texas, and lived in Kyoto wouldn’t know

 

that much about them.

 

Putting it simply, the Akagami mansion was the home to a

 

storied legacy of business barons. That business might have

 

been some kind of trade, or a system in which money just

 

poured in on its own. I’m not sure what exactly it is that they

 

did, but whatever it was, one thing was for sure: the Akagami

 

Foundation was loaded.

 

Holding property not just in Japan but all over the world,

 

the Akagami Foundation was the owner of Wet Crow’s

 

Feather Island as well. And the owner of the Western-style

 

mansion found in the center of the island was none other than

 

Akagami Iria.

 

As you might guess from her name, Iria was related to the

 

head of the Akagami Foundation—his granddaughter, in fact.

 

She was a born-and-bred pedigreed princess, for whom no

 

obsequious praise was too obsequious. Over time, she had

 

inherited vast amounts of enormous wealth and unbelievable

 

power and ruled over a great many underlings. But then, the

 

head of the Foundation himself had completely cut her off. So

 

maybe this is all really better expressed in the past tense.

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 1 2

 

Cut off.

 

I don’t know what she did to deserve it, but it must have

 

been something big.

 

Supposedly she was permanently removed from the family

 

five years ago, at the age of sixteen. At that time, the head of

 

the family left her with a small severance package (which was

 

probably still an unimaginable sum to a regular Joe like me)

 

and this island, floating around in the Sea of Japan.

 

In other words, she had been exiled.

 

Maybe these days that seems old-fashioned. But far be it

 

for me to butt into other people’s ways of doing things.

 

Especially if those people belong to a powerful institution

 

that’s practically its own world in and of itself.

 

Anyway, Iria had spent the last five years here with her

 

four maids, not once setting foot off the island. Five years on

 

this godforsaken island in the middle of nowhere, with no

 

amusements, no nothing. In a sense, it was life in Hell, though

 

I would speculate that, in a different sense, it was also a little

 

like life in Heaven.

 

But was Iria-san lonely or bored? Indeed, you could say

 

Kunagisa had been invited to the island to stave off Iria’s

 

boredom. But it wasn’t just Kunagisa. In the same way, it

 

would be no exaggeration to say that Akane-san, Maki-san,

 

Yayoi-san, and Kanami-san had all been brought here for the

 

same purpose.

 

Well, okay, maybe it’s a little bit of an exaggeration.

 

So, anyway, forbidden to leave the island, Iria-san said,

 

“Well, if that’s how it is,” and proceeded to invite, as her

 

guests, the world’s most prominent figures.

 

Now, it “prominent figures” sounds a little weird, let me

 

try putting it another way. Iria had decided to invite so-called

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 1 3

 

geniuses to her mansion. It was a simple plan: “If I can’t go to

 

them, they can come to me.”

 

Famous and unknown alike, all those who possessed

 

genuine talent and amazing skill were summoned by Iria-san,

 

one after another after another. And, of course, all expenses,

 

including accommodations, were covered by Iria-san. In fact,

 

visitors to the island were often given money, so it was pretty

 

much always a win-win situation for them.

 

To me, it seemed like Iria-san was going for that whole

 

ancient Greek salon image, collecting and cavorting with all

 

these artists and geniuses—and thereby living a fruitful life. To

 

be sure, it wasn’t the most typical idea around, but yes, there

 

was something amazing about it. Aside from the mansion and

 

the forest, the island was essentially empty—almost a desert

 

island—and for those world-weary men and women of talent

 

who needed to rest both the body and the mind, it was the

 

perfect place. And thus had Iria-san’s plan been a tremendous

 

success.

 

Now then.

 

Walking around aimlessly on this empty island, basking in

 

the forest, it was by an extremely distant cherry blossom tree

 

that I suddenly ran into Shinya-san.

 

“Oh, er, that is, I mean,” Shinya-san said, waving a hand to

 

greet me. “You’re quite the early bird there, eh? Mister… er,

 

what was your name again? Sorry, my memory’s a little weak,

 

y’see.”

 

He had a good four inches on me, and his designer clothes

 

were much better than mine. His expression was mildmannered,

 

his way of speaking was mild-mannered, and so

 

was, somehow, his clothing and stature, but whether or not

 

Shinya-san really was mild-mannered, I couldn’t say. I don’t

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 1 4

 

have the skill to judge someone just based on their

 

appearance, and I’m the last person to jump to conclusions

 

after knowing someone for just a couple of days.

 

“I don’t believe I ever told you,” I answered with a shrug.

 

“I’m just Kunagisa Tomo’s sidekick. No need for a sidekick to

 

have a name, am I right?”

 

“That’s awfully modest of you. Not that it’s any wonder,

 

being on this island, but speaking of sidekicks, I suppose I’m in

 

the same boat as you,” Shinya-san said and smirked.

 

Yes, Shinya-san and I were no more than tagalongs. It

 

probably goes without saying at this point, but I wasn’t here

 

walking around on this island because I was any kind of

 

genius. Kunagisa Tomo was the “genius” here, and I was

 

nothing more than her attendant. If she hadn’t said to me, “Iichan,

 

it turns out I’ll be going to some island, so come with

 

me, ‘kay?” right about now I would’ve been in my Kyoto fourtatami-sized

 

room getting ready for school.

 

No question about it: the main character here is Kunagisa

 

Tomo. Let’s just make that clear.

 

Now then, as for who Shinya-san was accompanying, well,

 

she was right under the cherry blossom tree. With those

 

thoughtful, thoughtless eyes, she gazed at the fluttering cherry

 

blossom petals.

 

She had blue eyes and hair of gold. Her dress, pale in color,

 

was out of some French movie, and was accented with

 

dazzling jewelry. Just one of her necklaces or bracelets was

 

likely worth more than my liver. Even if I sold off every part

 

of my body I still couldn’t pay for it.

 

Ibuki Kanami. One of the geniuses.

 

Having, supposedly, suffered problems with her legs from

 

birth, she was confined to a wheelchair. And thus Shinya-san,

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 1 5

 

as her caretaker, had tagged along on the trip. As I’d heard it,

 

until a few years ago, she had also been totally blind. Her blue

 

eyes were not a sign of foreign blood.

 

Kanami-san was a painter.

 

Even I, without the slightest knowledge of that field

 

whatsoever, had heard of her. She had earned a reputation as

 

a painter who possessed no single style. I had never actually

 

seen any of Kanami-san’s paintings, but I thought that maybe

 

she was gazing at the cherry blossoms in that way so as to later

 

portray them on canvas.

 

“What’s she doing?”

 

“As you can see, she’s watching the cherry blossoms. It

 

won’t be long before the petals start falling. She has a

 

fondness for that ‘moment just before death,’ if you will, the

 

ephemeral things in life.”

 

Most of the trees on the island were just your standard

 

fare, but for some reason, there was one cherry blossom tree.

 

It looked quite old, and the fact that there was only one on

 

the whole island was nothing short of bizarre. Most likely,

 

Iria-san had transplanted it here.

 

“So they say dead bodies are buried under cherry blossom

 

trees, eh?”

 

“How dreadful.”

 

Ouch.

 

I was just trying to make conversation, but instead ended it

 

in one fell swoop. of course, it was pretty dreadful.

 

“Just joking,” Shinya-san laughed.

 

“Personally, I think it would make more sense if that

 

legend was about a plum tree. But then I guess it wouldn’t be

 

a legend, but a myth? Hahaha!”

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 1 6

 

“By the way, boy, have you gotten accustomed to the

 

island yet? This is your third day here, right? Um, how long

 

were you planning to stay again?”

 

“A week. So we have another few days.”

 

“Mmm, that’s too bad,” he said, with a tinge of mystery.

 

“What’s too bad?”

 

“Oh, it’s just that I hear Iria-san’s favorite will be coming

 

here in a week. But if you’re leaving in four days, you’ll just

 

miss each other, won’t you? That’s just too bad.”

 

“Oh, I see.” I nodded and thought about it for a moment.

 

Iria-san’s “favorite.”

 

In other words, the genius of geniuses.

 

“A chef, a fortune-teller, a scholar, an artist, and an

 

engineer. What could be next?”

 

“Well, I haven’t heard any specifics myself, but apparently

 

this person is capable of just about anything. Not a ‘specialist,’

 

but a ‘generalist.’ Hikari-san tells me this person is as sharp as

 

a tack and full of knowledge, and has lightning reflexes.”

 

Hmm. Yet another totally amazing person. Let’s assume it

 

was just some ridiculously over-the-top rumor. The fact that

 

such a rumor even existed suggested that this particular genius

 

wasn’t just anyone. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t intrigued.

 

“Couldn’t hurt to meet this person, I guess. What do you

 

say to asking for an extension on your visit? I’m sure Iria-san

 

would more than welcome you.”

 

“Sounds nice and all, but…” I probably looked less than

 

excited. “To be honest, this island is a little stifling. For a

 

regular kid like me, I mean,” I said.

 

Shinya-san guffawed boisterously. “Now, now. Now, now,

 

now, now, now there, lad. Is that how it is? Kanami-san and

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 1 7

 

Akane-san and all of them haven’t given you a complex, have

 

they?”

 

A complex. Even supposing it wasn’t something you could

 

put so bluntly, what I felt was certainly something similar.

 

Shinya-san gave me a firm pat on the shoulder.

 

“There’s no reason to feel inferior to that lot, right? Let’s

 

keep it together, brother! Whether it be Kanami-san…”

 

Kanami-san glanced up from under the cherry blossom tree.

 

“Whether it be Akane-san, Yayoi-san, or even Kunagisa-chan,

 

if they were to play the two of us in rock-paper-scissors, they

 

would only win one out of three times. I suppose Maki-san

 

would be an exception there, but nevertheless.”

 

“That’s a pretty blunt way to put it.”

 

Not to mention Shinya-san had just referred to his own

 

employer as part of “that lot.” I’m not saying they were at each

 

other’s throats or anything, but maybe Shinya-san and

 

Kanami-san weren’t quite the best of friends.

 

“Talent isn’t such a big deal. In fact, I, for one, am glad I

 

don’t have any. Talent isn’t worth spit.”

 

“Why’s that?”

 

“If you’ve got a talent, you’ve got to exert effort. Being

 

ordinary is a breeze. Having nothing to master is an advantage,

 

if you ask me,” Shinya-san said with a cynical shrug. “I think

 

we got a little off-topic. Anyway, I don’t think it would be a

 

terrible thing if you were able to extend your stay, if you ask

 

me. And hey, just maybe this ‘generalist’ will beat us in rockpaper-scissors

 

all three times.”

 

“Well, I’ll talk it over with Kunagisa… It would hardly be

 

right for the tagalong to decide something like this on his

 

own.”

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 1 8

 

“I thought so,” he said. “You’re a lot like me,” he said,

 

looking me in the eye.

 

His gaze was deeply disconcerting. It gave me that

 

uncomfortable feeling you get when you’re being watched.

 

“Me and you? Alike? How do you mean? In what way?”

 

“Don’t sound so happy about it. In particular, you’re

 

practically identical in holding the idea that you yourself are a

 

part of the world.”

 

Seemingly with no intention of explaining himself any

 

further, he broke his gaze and looked back at Kanami-san.

 

Predictably, Kanami-san was still staring at the cherry

 

blossoms with complete concentration. She was surrounded

 

by a sort of transcendence, as if just that one spot was isolated

 

from the rest of the world. She had the air of being

 

unapproachable, even sacred.

 

“So Kanami-san’s been painting even since coming here?”

 

“Well, it’s more like she came to this island to paint. That’s

 

really all she does, after all. I suppose you could say she lives

 

to paint. Can you believe it?” He spoke with a tinge of

 

frustration, but if you took his words at face value, it sounded

 

like an incredibly enviable existence; a life where what you

 

want to do and what you have to do are directly connected. It

 

was a way of life I could never even hope for. I, who had

 

discovered neither what I wanted nor what I had to do.

 

I noticed that Shinya-san was watching me with a wicked

 

smile, like he had just remembered a bad prank. I recoiled a

 

little. I was getting a bad feeling, like a premonition. And then

 

Shinya-san, with a look on his face as if to say, “I’ve just had a

 

revelation from God,” clapped his hands deliberately.

 

“That’s right! It’s such a prime opportunity, so why don’t

 

you try modeling?” He set me aside as I stood at a loss for

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 1 9

 

words and unable to comprehend his, and faced Kanami-san.

 

“Hey!” he called. “Kanami! This fella here says he wants to be

 

your model!”

 

“Wait, Shinya-san!” Finally grasping the situation, I spun in

 

front of him. “I can’t just, I mean, give me a break!”

 

“Now, now, why are you so embarrassed? That hardly suits

 

your character.”

 

I don’t think so. Asking Kanami-san to paint me? That was

 

an incredibly intimidating idea. But Shinya-san blew off my

 

protest with a simple “Now, now, don’t be shy,” and waited

 

for an answer from Kanami-san.

 

Kanami-san adjusted the direction of her wheelchair and

 

took a look at me. She scanned me up and down, from the tip

 

of my head to the tips of my feet, observing me, assessing me,

 

and said, “So you want me to paint you?” She sounded truly

 

irritated.

 

This was a difficult question to answer. With someone as

 

talented as Kanami-san, the simple act of hesitating would

 

have been rude. I was weak in these situations. A real

 

pushover. A nineteen-year-old boy who’s spent his life going

 

with the flow has not the power to alter the flow of a tale.

 

“Yes, absolutely, if you don’t mind,” I said.

 

Kanami-san simply looked disinterested. “Fine then. Come

 

by the atelier this afternoon.” she said, and swiveled her

 

wheelchair back toward the cherry blossoms. She spoke with

 

heartfelt apathy, but at least she had taken pity on me.

 

“Well, that’s settled then. Are you free this afternoon?”

 

Shinya-san said, strangely joyful.

 

I told him I was free and decided to get going before I got

 

into any more trouble.

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 2 0

 

I returned to the mansion and visited Kunagisa’s room once

 

again. Kunagisa was just as I had left her, sitting in her

 

revolving chair, her three PCs (I mean, two PCs and one

 

workstation) in front of her. Right now she was focused on the

 

workstation, and the two PCs had their power switched off.

 

“What were you up to, Tomo?”

 

No reply.

 

I went up to her from behind and tugged both her braids.

 

“Oww,” she uttered in a strange voice, seeming to at last

 

notice my presence. Without changing her position, she gaped

 

at me in bewilderment. Surely I appeared upside down in her

 

eyes.

 

“Yooo, Ii-chan. You’re back from your walk.”

 

“Yeah, well… Say, is that a Mac?”

 

The monitor on the workstation opposite Kunagisa was

 

displaying some kind of Mac OS screen. As far as I had heard,

 

Mac OS only worked on Macs.

 

“Yeah, it’s Mac OS. Y’see, there are some applications that

 

only run on Mac OS, so I’m running it on a virtual machine.”

 

“Virtual machine?”

 

“Basically I’m making the workstation think there’s a Mac

 

inside it. In other words, I’m tricking the software. Of course

 

Windows is in here, too. Most OS’s are installed on this

 

workstation, so it can do anything.”

 

“Ah…”

 

I didn’t really get it.

 

“This is a dumb question, but how are Mac and Windows

 

different, anyway?”

 

She gave my truly amateurish question a moment’s

 

thought. “They’re different because different people use

 

them,” she answered, with an air of precision.

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 2 1

 

“Well, yeah, that’s true, but… Well, forget about that. So

 

an OS is like the core software, right? I think that’s right. So

 

then it’s like this computer has multiple personalities?”

 

“It’s a strange metaphor, but you could say that.”

 

“So then that PC, er, workstation, what’s its core core OS?

 

Like with multiple personalities you have a ‘main’ personality,

 

right?”

 

“Geocide.”

 

“Never heard of that. Is it like Unix?”

 

“That’s Unix, with a ‘yoo’ sound. Come on, you studied

 

abroad; you should know not to pronounce the alphabet like

 

Romanized Japanese, Ii-chan. It makes you sound so stupid.

 

Uh, well, it is compatible with Unix. But it’s an original OS

 

developed by a friend of yours truly.

 

“A friend…”

 

Kunagisa’s friend. The only friend of Kunagisa’s who

 

could’ve developed an original operating system was someone

 

from that “team.” From that notorious “team.”

 

Several years back, in the last century, during the time

 

when the Japanese network was still underdeveloped, that

 

group appeared. Or, no, “appeared” isn’t the correct

 

expression.

 

They never for an instant let their visage, nor their shadow,

 

nor even their smell grace the public eye. They never

 

announced their name; whatever name they had ever been

 

known by had been applied by others. Whether you called

 

them a virtual club, cyberterrorists, a crack unit, or a gang that

 

made mountains out of molehills, it didn’t matter to them,

 

and they probably wouldn’t respond.

 

They were completely peerless, species unknown. How

 

many people were there, and just what types of people

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 2 2

 

comprised this “team”? These things were all shrouded in

 

mystery.

 

And what did they do?

 

Everything.

 

They did everything, that was all you could say about it.

 

They did so much of everything, there was nothing they didn’t

 

do. They wreaked havoc, havoc, and more havoc. I wasn’t in

 

Japan at the time, so I didn’t get to see it firsthand, but they

 

say it was such full-on, ludicrous havoc that it was practically

 

refreshing, lending no hint as to their motives or aims.

 

Beginning with pure hacking and cracking, they also had their

 

hands in corporate advising and fixer fraud. It’s also quietly

 

speculated that, back then, they controlled a number of large

 

corporations.

 

But you couldn’t say they existed solely as a nuisance. For

 

better or worse, it was thanks to them that the overall level of

 

network technology improved drastically. You could even say

 

they forced it. If you looked at it through a fine-toothed

 

comb, sure there were losses, but in the big picture, the gains

 

outweighed them tenfold.

 

But, of course, the fat cats upstairs saw them as little more

 

than pesky, law-breaking criminals, a hacking, cracking

 

eyesore. Thus the “team” went on, despised and pursued. But

 

they were never caught, and exactly what they were doing

 

was never brought to light. Then, sometime last year,

 

suddenly and without anything in particular having happened,

 

they were never heard from again. It was as though they had

 

just burned out and vanished.

 

“Yo, what’s wrong, Ii-chan? You’re quiet all of a sudden.”

 

“Nah… nothing.”

 

She flipped her hair with a giggle.

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 2 3

 

“Yeah, I guess it’s nothing…”

 

It was in that way that the “team” met what was, in a

 

sense, an anticlimactic end. Who would believe the leader of

 

that now-defunct team was this happy-go-lucky girl still in her

 

teens? Exactly who in their right mind would believe

 

something so nonsensical that it couldn’t even be mistaken for

 

a sick joke?

 

But if that wasn’t the case, Kunagisa wouldn’t have been

 

invited to this genius-ridden island. Not as a communication

 

and systems engineering specialist.

 

“How could I not have a complex, Shinya-san?”

 

“Huh? Did you say something?” Kunagisa glanced up at me

 

for a moment.

 

“Just babbling,” I said. “So ‘Geocide,’ doesn’t that mean

 

‘Earth murder’?”

 

“Yup. Of all the existing OS’s, it’s probably the most

 

awesome. Geocide is number one. Even the RASIS is perfect.”

 

“Sometimes I think you use those big words just to tick me

 

off. What’s a RASIS?”

 

“It’s an acronym for reliability, availability, serviceability,

 

integrity, security. But of course, that’s in English,” she said a

 

bit irritably.

 

“Basically it means stability. Of course it requires a highperformance

 

system, but it won’t cause errors or anything like

 

that. Man, that Atchan really is a genius. Hehehe.”

 

“Atchan, huh? Sounds like you two are pretty close.”

 

“Hmm? Jealous? Hmm? Hmm?” she said with a strangely

 

pleased tone and naughty smirk. “It’s okay. I like you best of

 

all.”

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 2 4

 

“Ah, right. ‘Preciate that.” I shrugged and tried to change

 

the subject. “But if it’s such an amazing OS, why not market

 

it? If it sold like Windows, you’d make a fortune.”

 

“No can do. You know about increasing returns, right?

 

With an OS this different, we’d never catch up. Business goes

 

beyond skill or talent.”

 

Increasing returns. The law of economics that states “the

 

more you have, the more you get,” which does nothing for

 

what you don’t have. It had been awhile since I’d studied it, so

 

I didn’t remember it very clearly, but to put it simply, “once a

 

significantly problematic difference has appeared, it is

 

impossible to bury that difference.” Whether it be in regards

 

to skill or money, it seemed to make no difference.

 

“Besides, Atchan was satisfied just by creating Geocide.

 

Atchan’s a very self-satisfied person.”

 

“Hey, yeah, must be very happy.”

 

“Even if that wasn’t the case, I don’t think it would be

 

possible to market it. Even though it’s just core software, it

 

requires some pretty outrageous specs. Seriously astronomical

 

figures. Even my machine just barely cuts it.”

 

“Hmm. How many gigs is your hard disk? About a

 

hundred?”

 

“One hundred tera.”

 

Different unit.

 

“Tera… that’s the opposite of pico, so… a thousand times a

 

gig?”

 

“Nope, 1,024 times.”

 

Nitpicky chick.

 

“Man, I’ve never seen a hard disk like that.”

 

“To be specific, it’s not a hard disk; it’s holographic

 

memory. Unlike hard disks, which record data with magnets,

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 2 5

 

this records data onto a surface. It’s capable of one tera per

 

second rapid transfer. What you’d find on the market is, well,

 

quite a bit slower. This is the kind of media they’re using in

 

the development of space technology.”

 

She had those kinds of connections, too?

 

She belonged to an altogether dubious community.

 

“Of course, this goes for the machine’s capacity as well,

 

but if the motherboard specs aren’t customized home brew as

 

well, you’re probably out of luck. Atchan just makes things

 

without considering any of the surrounding circumstances,

 

y’see. So they just end up like this. He doesn’t try to suit

 

things to other people.”

 

“Motherboard home brew? There are people who do that?”

 

“Like yours truly, for one.” She indicated herself with her

 

thumb.

 

That’s right. She was an engineer, after all. She must’ve

 

been the culprit providing her “teammates” with the hardware

 

and software that were to be their main “weapons.” If you

 

thought about it, it was fairly disturbing. It was one thing to

 

develop a seemingly unmarketable OS like that, but to take it

 

and build your own motherboard for it was just plain freakish.

 

“Mr. Earth Murder aside, haven’t you ever considered

 

selling this stuff? Like that motherboard you’re so proud of?”

 

“I’m the self-satisfied type, too How ‘bout you, Ii-chan?”

 

“Hmm, I wonder.”

 

Regardless of talent or lack thereof, in the end all people

 

are classified into two groups: those who pursue and those

 

who create. My own case notwithstanding, Kunagisa was

 

overwhelmingly the latter.

 

“Besides, as far as money is concerned, I’ve got plenty and

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 2 6

 

then some. I’m not thinking about making any more right

 

now.”

 

“Ah, no wonder.”

 

That was true. Kunagisa wasn’t in a position that

 

demanded she immediately go into business. It wouldn’t be

 

much of an exaggeration to say she spent money like it was

 

water. A nineteen-year-old occupying a high-class, two-floor

 

condo in Shirosaki and spending money as fast as she could. I

 

didn’t know how many people out there had more money

 

than Kunagisa, but surely no one individual spent as much.

 

Between the Akagami Foundation and the Kunagisa

 

household, who held the greater power was beyond my realm

 

of knowledge, but either way, they both possessed enough of a

 

fortune to enjoy the best things in life and still get change

 

back, that much was certain.

 

Speaking of which, Kunagisa resembled the master of this

 

island, Iria, in that she, too, was semi-exiled from her family.

 

Perhaps they were similar people. In the three days I had

 

spent on the island, signs indeed pointed to the contrary, but,

 

well, they were both eccentric, that was for sure. So much so

 

that it would have been impossible for them to blend into any

 

group or be members of any organization.

 

Surely that’s how it was.

 

In which case, this island…

 

The meaning of this so-called island of wet crow’s

 

feathers…

 

Kunagisa returned to her typing.

 

“I’m gonna go have breakfast. What about you?”

 

“No, thanks. Not hungry. It’s mating season. Ii-chan, go

 

ahead on your own. Eat for me, too.”

 

Gotcha, I said, and headed for the dining room.

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 2 7

 

Akane-san was in the dining room.

 

I tensed up.

 

She sat alone at the round dining table with her legs

 

crossed in an elegant, somehow un-Japanese pose, having her

 

breakfast. Or no, she had already finished breakfast and was

 

enjoying an after-meal coffee.

 

“Oh! Good morning!” It was the bright and lively voice of

 

Akari-san in the midst of cleaning the dining room. No, wait,

 

it wasn’t her. Akari-san never greeted me bright and lively.

 

That wasn’t the Akari-san I knew. Which meant…

 

“Hi, Hikari-san,” I said, determining that it was Hikari-san.

 

Evidently I was correct, as she then grinned at me and bowed.

 

Chiga Akari-san and Chiga Hikari-san.

 

They were sisters. Twins. To be sure, there was a third

 

sister as well, their silent younger sister Teruko. Teruko

 

apparently had poor eyesight and was recognizable by her

 

glasses with their black lenses. Akari-san and Hikari-san,

 

however, were perfectly identical, from the length of their

 

hair to their clothes, to the point that they weren’t just

 

“similar,” they were the same.

 

But unlike Akari-san, Hikari-san was an incredibly kind

 

person. Even though I wasn’t a true “guest,” she treated me

 

the same as everyone else.

 

“Breakfast? Wait one moment, please,” she said, then spun

 

around and hustled off to the kitchen. She must be so good at

 

spinning because she’s small, I thought.

 

With Hikari-san gone, I was suddenly left alone with

 

Akane-san.

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 2 8

 

After a split-second’s hesitation, I went ahead and took a

 

seat near her. I thought to greet her, but she seemed

 

completely immersed in thought, mumbling to herself in a

 

semi-audible voice, not even looking in my direction. It was as

 

though she hadn’t noticed me. What in the world was she

 

thinking about? I pricked my ears to listen in.

 

“Sente 9-6, pawn… Kote 8-4, pawn… Sente, same pawn…

 

Kote 8-7, pawn… Sente 8-4, rook… Kote 2-6, pawn… Sente

 

3-2, silver general… Kote 9-5, pawn… Sente 4-4, bishop…

 

Kote 5-9, gold general, take… Sente 2-7, knight…”

 

Meaning unknown.

 

That’s what you get from one of the Seven Fools; even the

 

things they mutter to themselves are different, I thought,

 

thoroughly impressed. But listening closely, it sounded like

 

she was reciting a shogi game record. Wow, blind shogi.

 

And by herself, no less.

 

Is this what she always did in the morning?

 

“Kote 2-3, pawn, checkmate, Sente forfeits,” she said, and

 

glanced over at me. “Ah, I was wondering who that was, and

 

here it turned out to be you. Good morning.”

 

“Good morning.”

 

“Heh heh. Isn’t shogi tough? The pieces move around a lot

 

more than in chess. I was playing Kote just now. It was a close

 

victory.”

 

“Huh.”

 

There’s a Sente and Kote in single-player shogi? Maybe

 

Akane-san was able to divide her mind like a dolphin. Yeah, it

 

seemed likely for someone like her.

 

“Are you good at shogi, or chess, whichever?”

 

“I wouldn’t say so, no.”

 

“Hmm, is that so?”

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 2 9

 

“Reading other people’s minds isn’t my forte.”

 

“Oh no? Hmm, I suppose not. You’ve got that kind of

 

face,” she nodded. “I saw you from the window a little earlier.

 

Out for a morning walk, were you?”

 

“Yeah, a walk in the woods.”

 

“Ah, a walk in the woods, how nice. Very nice. The

 

phytoncide released by the trees creates a bactericidal effect

 

and such.”

 

What the hell?

 

In Houston, Texas, in America, there’s a research facility

 

called the ER3 System. There, brilliant minds from around

 

America, nay, around the world, gather, and it is referred to as

 

the ultimate bastion of learning, from economics to history,

 

political science to cultural science, physics and advanced

 

mathematics to biology, electronic and systems engineering,

 

metapsychology, indeed, anything that could be called a field

 

of study or research.

 

It’s also known as the Comprehensive Research Center. It

 

was a gathering place for those who loved learning and

 

research above all else. A nest for those inhuman humans

 

whose desire for knowledge exceeded even their natural,

 

biological desires. An entirely nonprofit organization, they

 

dared not sell their knowledge or research findings, and they

 

were in a sense a closed and introverted sort of secretive

 

organization.

 

There were only four basic rules:

 

Have no pride.

 

Have no principles.

 

Have no attachments.

 

No whining.

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 3 0

 

They were to unbegrudgingly cooperate with one another

 

to the fullest of their ability, to never be unproductive, even if

 

the world should perish, and to never quit halfway, come Hell

 

or high water.

 

The ultimate destination for those who wanted to do

 

research, who wanted to know, who had to know, with means

 

and end in complete harmony, it was the ER3 System. The

 

people gathered there ranged from highly esteemed college

 

professors to “frontline” researchers and amateur academics, a

 

truly pride-free assembly of all manner of individuals. Their

 

reputation was seemingly so bizarre that the media ridiculed

 

them as a “cultish pack of overeducated loonies.”

 

But their research had yielded great rewards: the

 

demystification of Dalevio nonlinear optics, the overwhelming

 

advancement of volume hologram technology, and the

 

establishment of the near-magical DOP as a sensory

 

technology were all thanks to the ER3. Not the work of

 

individuals, but rather team efforts, and nonprofit work at

 

that, they declined all awards and other various honors, and

 

thus had not come to draw much attention, but their

 

reputation within the academic world was certainly high. It

 

was a research center with a relatively brief history—not even

 

a century old— but it was already globally networked.

 

And within this research center existed the transcendental

 

group known as the Seven Fools. Seven individuals selected in

 

turn by the selected “seven on the verge of the answers to the

 

universe.” They were the true “geniuses among geniuses.”

 

One of these seven individuals was Sonoyama Akane-san.

 

She had beautiful black hair, cut ruler-precise to lend her

 

an air of intellectualism. She was tall for a woman, with a

 

stylishly slender build. There was no part of her that wasn’t

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 3 1

 

overflowing with elegant femininity. She was a Japanese

 

woman scholar of the highest order.

 

The ER3 System is relatively unknown in Japan. The fact

 

that the ER3 itself is so exclusive is no doubt part of the

 

reason for this, but the main reason is likely that the

 

uncategorizable nature of the center doesn’t fit with the

 

Japanese way of doing things. But nevertheless, Akane-san

 

had, as a pure and innocent Japanese woman (and in her

 

twenties, no less) risen to the ranks of the ER3’s Seven Fools.

 

It would come as no surprise if one day she was a household

 

name in Japan.

 

Now, this may all beg the question: if I’m just a “pure and

 

innocent” Japanese person, too, how come I know so much?

 

But there’s no special reason, really. It’s not that I’m

 

particularly well informed, it’s just that the ER3 and I have

 

crossed paths a bit.

 

You see, in preparation for the long-term, ER3 System

 

implements a study-abroad program to educate the youth of

 

the next generation. For five years, beginning with my second

 

year of junior high school, I participated in that program, so

 

naturally I knew of Sonoyama Akane’s reputation as one of

 

the Seven Fools, as well as her “above the clouds” existence.

 

And that’s why I was so surprised to discover Akane-san here

 

on this island. I’m not at all the type who surrenders

 

unconditionally at the first sniff of authority or talent, but I

 

can’t help but be nervous. What exactly do you say to one of

 

the Seven Fools?

 

I was sitting there, all clammed up, when Akane spoke to

 

me. “By the way, that blue-haired girl—Kunagisa-chan, I

 

mean.”

 

“Ah. Yes?”

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 3 2

 

“She’s just lovely. Last night I had her do some

 

maintenance on my PC. She’s incredibly skilled, isn’t she? We

 

have techies at ER3 as well, but I’ve never seen one with

 

such… mechanical precision. She made it look like routine

 

work. This may sound rude, but for a moment I wondered if

 

she was really human. I was sure Iria-san would absolutely

 

adore her.”

 

“Ah, really? I hope she wasn’t a bother or anything.”

 

She let out a chuckle. “You sound like a baby stroller.”

 

A baby stroller. Once again I had suffered an unfounded

 

assessment. “You mean a babysitter?”

 

“Well, they both mean the same thing, yes?”

 

“A stroller is a kind of carriage.”

 

“Ah, right,” she nodded.

 

For all her evident ability in math and science, it seemed

 

Japanese was not Akane-san’s forte.

 

“Well, either way. She was no bother at all.”

 

Well, duh.

 

“Then again, she seemed a bit of the socially awkward

 

type. I don’t think she listens when people are talking. And as

 

a result, my PC evolved about two generations.”

 

“But that’s actually the improved Kunagisa. She used to be

 

terrible to talk to. Just starting and stopping whenever she felt

 

like it. It was pretty rough for me.”

 

“Hmm. If you want my opinion, I think there’s a certain

 

charm to her unapologeticness.”

 

“Eh, I’m not sure I agree on that.”

 

“Have it your way.” Akane-san shrugged. “By the way, I

 

also heard from her that you were in the ER program.”

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 3 3

 

“Huh.” That blabbermouth had let the cat out of the bag! I

 

thought I told her to keep that quiet. Not that I wasn’t fully

 

aware there’s no point trying to keep that girl quiet.

 

“You should’ve told me. We could’ve had quite a chat. I

 

feel as if we’ve wasted two days. I don’t suppose you were

 

holding back by any chance? Please don’t get me wrong, I’m

 

not such a big deal.”

 

“No, it’s not that… I guess it was just hard to bring up.

 

And also, even though I was in the program, I quit midway

 

through.”

 

The program is a ten-year study. I dropped out after my

 

fifth year. From there I returned to Japan and reunited with

 

Kunagisa. Luckily I was already qualified as a high school

 

graduate from my second year in the program, so I was able to

 

transfer directly to Kyoto Rokumeikan University.

 

“It’s still a big deal. Regardless of what a sprain it became

 

for you…”

 

“That’s a ‘strain.’ ”

 

“Regardless of what a strain it became for you, the ER

 

program’s entrance exam is a great obstacle to have overcome.

 

You should have a little more pride about your

 

accomplishments.”

 

The ER program’s entrance exam was unusually difficult.

 

Even in the application guidebook it said, “There are no perks.

 

This does not guarantee your future. No one will come to

 

rescue you. We offer only an environment in which you may

 

sate your intellectual curiosity,” yet still elite candidates from

 

around the world gathered to take the test. So it was true,

 

merely passing the test was something to boast about.

 

But.

 

I hadn’t completed the program.

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 3 4

 

“There’s no point if you drop out halfway. End results are

 

everything in this world.”

 

Actually, I happen to think everything in this world is a

 

result… Or are you one of those ‘a genius is a genius is a

 

genius’ people?” She had the slightest bit of sarcasm in her

 

tone. “A genius is not a rose. In Japan, you often see people

 

who take pride simply in the effort they give, don’t you? ‘I’ve

 

endured great hardships, regardless of the end results,’ they

 

say. They say there’s merit in effort alone. I think that’s a valid

 

outlook. Saying ‘I worked hard’ is a fine conclusion in and of

 

itself. What I have a problem with is lowlifes who spout

 

absurdities like ‘I could have done that if I wanted’ or ‘I

 

couldn’t do it because I just wasn’t trying’ or ‘I said I can do it,

 

but that doesn’t mean I will.’ That’s all ridiculous. There

 

really are all sorts of people in this world, huh?”

 

“I didn’t try because I couldn’t do it.”

 

“Hmm, hehehe, you know, you’ve sort of got this worldweary

 

quality about you.”

 

“It’s probably just modesty.”

 

“Bingo.”

 

The right part of her lip curled up in a half-smile and she

 

produced a pack of cigarettes from her pocket. In graceful,

 

fluid motions, she put one in her mouth and lit it.

 

“Wow, you smoke? I’m surprised.”

 

“Are you the type who doesn’t like women who smoke?”

 

“Well, no, not women particularly. Smoking is bad for your

 

health, you know.”

 

“Health is bad for your smoking, you know,” she retorted,

 

slowly exhaling smoke. There’s that Seven Fools wit, I

 

thought, but she smirked with embarrassment. “It’s a stupid

 

argument, huh? Don’t mind me. It’d be awful if you ended up

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 3 5

 

thinking I was that kind of person,” she said. “Shall we change

 

the subject? You know, I was actually in Japan all the way

 

through high school.”

 

“Really?” I was a little surprised. But if you thought about

 

it, it was really no mystery. “Which high school?”

 

“Just your average prefectural school. It wasn’t particularly

 

well-known. I was in the girls’ karate club back then. I didn’t

 

like it at all at the time, but in retrospect it was really fun.

 

Gee, that takes me back. It’s already been more than ten

 

years… The skirts back then were this long. I didn’t have the

 

best grades, but I was good in math and English. That’s why I

 

ended up at an overseas university. My family was very against

 

it, but I defied them. After all, don’t they say ‘if you love

 

someone, set them ablaze’?”

 

“No.”

 

“Anyway, it was like that, so in the end I cut myself off

 

from my family and crossed over to America on my own. It

 

was a hell of a big move for someone like me back then.”

 

And thus she ended up in the Seven Fools. Maybe

 

Cinderella was in this story, too.

 

“So you do like math. I had a feeling.”

 

“Well, you know, I don’t dislike it. In high school I liked

 

how there was always one concrete answer, no vague

 

components, so math was all I did. I liked clear-cut things. But

 

in college, at the ER3 System, I came to realize that wasn’t

 

necessarily the case. It’s just like shogi or chess. You just have

 

to get a checkmate, but there are an infinite number of ways

 

to get there. I felt as if I had been swindled or something.”

 

“Like when a lover shows an unfamiliar side of themselves

 

to you?”

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 3 6

 

She laughed as if to say, “A romantic idea, but not exactly.”

 

“But I was also a little touched, you know. In my high

 

school days, I always figured math wouldn’t be of any use

 

once I got into the real world, but in fact there really are cases

 

where you have to use calculus and cubic equations and such.

 

You use factorials in everyday life. I was definitely touched by

 

that fact.”

 

“I understand.” I nodded.

 

I really did.

 

She smiled in a satisfied way. “Are you a math person, too?

 

On average, men are much more likely to be mathematically

 

inclined than women. Because of the way their brains work.”

 

“Is that so?”

 

“Well, based on statistical data.”

 

“Sounds like sexist data to me.”

 

Besides, statistical evidence is pretty unreliable. If you roll

 

a die one hundred times and it lands on six every single time,

 

that doesn’t necessarily mean it’ll be a six the next time, too. I

 

told her this, but she protested.

 

“If it lands on six one hundred times in a row, it’s a die that

 

only lands on six. It’s too significant a difference to be written

 

off as a coincidence or leaning odds. Male-female statistics are

 

kind of like that, too, though. Hehehe, so you’re a feminist.

 

Or are you just being polite around me? Well, unfortunately

 

I’m not a feminist. Listening to talk about expanding women’s

 

rights and women’s liberation makes me sick to my stomach. I

 

mean, right? They’re obviously spouting nonsense. Sure, it’s a

 

man’s world, but it’s not gender equality we need, it’s equal

 

opportunity to apply our abilities. Men and women are so

 

different that you can practically call them genetically separate

 

creatures. So I believe they have separate roles. Of course,

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 3 7

 

that rests on the major assumption that your role and what

 

you want to do are separate, and the minor assumption that if

 

you have to choose between the two, what you want to do

 

should come first. Ah, and maybe the medium-sized

 

assumption that you can do what you want to do first. But

 

saying you can’t do anything sounds like a convenient excuse

 

to me.”

 

“There’s also the factor of environment.”

 

“Environment, huh? But was there ever an age when

 

women were forbidden from writing, or from sculpting?

 

Regarding recent trends, I’ve become more inclined to

 

sympathize with men. I feel as if they’re closer to my own

 

point of view, but also, until the modern day, the workplace

 

was always exclusively man’s domain, right? So it’s no wonder

 

they got angry when women wanted to butt in.”

 

“They were just righting a wrong. That’s just tough luck for

 

the men.” I wondered why I had to take the feminist stance.

 

“Hmm,” she nodded. “Maybe you’re right. I don’t really

 

know. But I can understand why women get angry at men,

 

too. Even though they’re just carrying out their roles and

 

we’re just carrying out ours, they still act all big about it and

 

put on airs. It’s no wonder women get angry. Just so long as

 

they don’t try to mix me up into anything. I guess what I truly

 

want is for feminists to just do it away from me. Whatever the

 

case may be, women are inherently a boring breed. Just like

 

you men. Hmm, come to think of it, there were more men

 

than women at ER3, too. Within the Seven Fools, five were

 

men.”

 

“Increasing returns, huh?”

 

“Eh?” She seemed taken aback. I’m afraid I don’t know that

 

word. What is it, some kind of dieting thing or something?”

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 3 8

 

“It means Beta lost to VHS.”

 

“Ah, you mean the bias that occurs in economics. That’s

 

right, to return a once male-biased world to equilibrium,

 

you’d have to go through quite a bit of hardship. Really, there

 

wouldn’t be any problems if men and women weren’t always

 

acting jealous of each other. But nobody gets it, do they? And

 

yet they claim there’s no difference between separation and

 

discrimination.”

 

“You know, Akane-san, coming from you this all sounds

 

convincing. I guess you must be going through ‘quite a bit of

 

hardship’ yourself.”

 

“Never,” she said flatly. “I just make a little effort.”

 

It was a loaded statement.

 

Suddenly I recalled something I had wanted to ask

 

someone ever since I first learned of the Seven Fools’ existence

 

at ER3.

 

“Say, who’s the number one smartest person in the entire

 

ER3 system?”

 

In other words, who was the smartest person in the world?

 

Akane-san answered with little deliberation.

 

“Number two is Froilein Love.”

 

“And number one?”

 

“Come on, kid, you expect me to list everyone?”

 

Huh.

 

“Kidding, kidding. Hmm, to answer your question

 

seriously, the person I respect the most, or in other words the

 

person I place above myself and all others, is probably

 

Assistant Professor Hewlett. He is number one for sure.”

 

Almost unspeakably accomplished, he was the single

 

greatest mind of the last century, and probably this one as

 

well. The first and probably last man to master every subject

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 3 9

 

when he was still in his single digits. Granted special criminal

 

immunity by the president, he used his superior intellect to

 

serve the good of the nation.

 

If Akane-san was like a god to me, Assistant Professor

 

Hewlett was the very fabric of the universe.

 

“If he had been a woman, he probably would’ve changed

 

history,” she said, looking off into the distance. It was a

 

curious look of admiration.

 

“Sorry for the wait!” With expert timing, Hikari-san

 

appeared, pushing a cart. On top of it sat my breakfast. With

 

experienced hands, she placed it in front of me, followed by a

 

knife and fork on either side. “Please take your time,” she said

 

with a bow and radiant smile, and then went off somewhere

 

once more. It seemed she still had lots of work to do.

 

Nine pieces of deep-fried risotto balls on lettuce. Fish soup,

 

salad, and a sandwich made with Italian bread. Plus coffee.

 

“That Sashirono-san is hot stuff, huh?” Akane-san

 

muttered, eyeing my meal.

 

Sashirono Yayoi.

 

She ran the mansion’s kitchen, but she wasn’t an

 

employee. Indeed, she was one of the geniuses who had been

 

invited to the island. Having already been here for over a year,

 

at this point she was the longest-running guest. There was no

 

doubt that many of the elite visitors to the island had come in

 

hopes of trying her cuisine.

 

Officially, her specialty was Western cuisine, but she could

 

just as skillfully do any other type, whether it be Chinese,

 

Japanese, or what have you. She was a cooking master with

 

whom no one in the culinary world wasn’t familiar—or so

 

went the tales about her. Personally, I was just as ignorant

 

about cooking as I was about art and academics, so I had sadly

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 4 0

 

not even heard of Yayoi-san until visiting the island, but

 

having the privilege to try her dishes three times a day plus

 

between-meal snacks, even I came to know of her

 

extraordinary culinary prowess.

 

The typical image that accompanied a first name like

 

“Yayoi” is either that of a stuck-up know-it-all or a short,

 

spunky girl, but this Yayoi-san fit neither description, instead

 

turning out to be a boisterous and lively woman with short

 

hair. With a polite manner about her, she was the unarrogant

 

type, despite being called a genius. She was also probably the

 

only down-to-earth person on the whole island besides me.

 

Likewise, she was the second-most pleasant person to talk to.

 

Incidentally, Hikari-san was first. Nah, I’m just babbling.

 

Word had it that Yayoi-san possessed some power that

 

allowed her to make any food better than any other cook, but

 

just what was it? I was curious to know, but had yet to

 

inquire. She spent most of the day in the kitchen (I think

 

that’s what you call a shut-in) so opportunities to speak with

 

her were rare.

 

I noticed that Akane-san was hungrily eyeing my risotto

 

balls. After a moment of my refusing to speak up, she

 

transferred her gaze to me. Something about her eyes was

 

slightly different from before. Like those of a carnivore

 

hunting wild game.

 

“Have you ever heard that people originally didn’t

 

acknowledge any numbers past seven?”

 

“Well, I…”

 

Apparently, all numbers past seven were simply thought of

 

as “a lot.” I had also heard in my program training that this

 

was the fundamental reason why the “Fools” were limited to

 

seven people.

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 4 1

 

“Yeah, so just looking at things objectively, if your nine

 

risotto balls turned into eight, I don’t think it would be such a

 

great loss.”

 

“And?”

 

“You’re a sharp guy, huh? A good match for a girl like

 

Kunagisa.”

 

It’s not like that between us.”

 

“Don’t change the subject. Are you trying to get me to

 

kowtow to you? Fine. Sashirono-san’s risotto balls are

 

delicious, so gimme one. You happy?”

 

I slid my plate to her without saying anything.

 

Akane-san began to gleefully pop down the risotto balls,

 

one after another. Before you knew it, they were all gone.

 

Apparently by “one” she meant “one plate.”

 

Well, I was never one to eat a whole lot in the morning

 

anyway. I was supposed to eat for Kunagisa, too, but it was

 

awfully cruel of her to leave that to me.

 

Switching channels, I made my way to the sandwich and

 

salad. Not to be too generic, it was really good. If you said this

 

was the only kind of food that was served at the island (and all

 

of it free, no less), no genius would decline. Surprisingly, even

 

Akane-san was evidently in that boat.

 

“Now then, to get back to the subject you’re so slyly

 

avoiding,” she said, wiping her mouth with a napkin, “if it’s

 

‘not like that’ between you two, just what is your

 

relationship? If you were just friends, you wouldn’t have come

 

to this island together. You have school to worry about.”

 

Indeed, by coming to the island I had missed every day of

 

class since the school entrance ceremony. Incidentally, I also

 

missed the entrance ceremony. In other words, well, yeah.

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 4 2

 

“I met her before I was in the program. So there’s a blank

 

of five years.”

 

“Mmm, and when you got back she turned out to be a

 

cyberterrorist, huh? That’s a sordid little tale.”

 

Indeed.

 

I saw it coming even when we were thirteen years old.

 

Nevertheless, reuniting with her after my five years of study

 

abroad, I was honestly surprised at how little had changed

 

from the old days. Anyone would be surprised to suddenly

 

return to their early teens. Of course, that was just how things

 

seemed. In reality, she had become much more human in

 

terms of personality.

 

Our relationship.

 

Asked flat out, it was a tough question to answer.

 

Kunagisa needed me—that much I knew. However, it

 

didn’t really have to be me. It would be extremely difficult to

 

explain the circumstances that surrounded us. To do so, I’d

 

have to explain a lot about Kunagisa herself, and I didn’t

 

especially want to do that.

 

“Mmm,” Akane-san nodded.

 

“I haven’t talked with Kunagisa-chan all that much, but it

 

seems to me she has too many shortcomings to go through

 

everyday life… Hmm, I guess I shouldn’t say shortcomings.

 

It’s not like she’s defective. But her focus is just so skewed. It

 

reminds me of my friend whose kid is a savant.”

 

Savant—in French, it means a person with wisdom. I was

 

aware that Kunagisa, too, used to be called a savant. I

 

probably knew too much about her.

 

“So she probably really does need someone like you looking

 

after her. There’s no doubt about that. But I mean, how does

 

that make you feel?”

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 4 3

 

I didn’t have an answer.

 

“It seems like you two have something of a codependent

 

existence,” Akane-san continued.

 

“Codependent existence?”

 

She tilted her head as if to say, “Haven’t you heard the

 

word?”

 

“It’s a symptom of addiction that affects human

 

relationships. Like, for example, let’s say there’s a recovering

 

alcoholic who has a caretaker by his side. He needs that

 

caretaker, and the caretaker devotedly looks after him. But

 

when that devotion goes to extremes, it’s a sign of

 

codependency. They get drunk on serving. You even see mild

 

cases of it in romantic couples. Needless to say, it’s not a good

 

thing. You end up putting each other to waste. I’m not going

 

to say you two are like that, but you might want to take care.”

 

“Sure.”

 

“Few things are as meaningless as prolonging a failed

 

relationship. But still, I’m full of nothing but awe for

 

Kunagisa-chan’s talents. Even at ER3 they’re using software

 

that she created. Er, ‘they’ created, rather. But certainly I

 

never imagined I would meet her in a place like this.”

 

“Why are you on this island anyway?”

 

It wasn’t like the Seven Fools had the emptiest schedules in

 

the world.

 

“No real reason,” she said after a few moments’ silence. It

 

was a strangely blunt response, and it bothered me a little.

 

“But more important, even if you’re not the best player, you

 

at least know the rules to shogi and chess, right? Why don’t

 

we have a game while we reminisce a little more about ER3?”

 

“Sure.”

 

A shogi challenge with one of the Seven Fools.

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 4 4

 

Sounded interesting.

 

“But not without looking. My memory is famously bad.”

 

Not the greatest reputation to have, if I do say so myself. “If

 

we can change locations, I’m in.”

 

“I’ve got a board in my room. It was the first thing I bought

 

when I got back to Japan. Hmm, I’ve actually got some work

 

to do this morning. How’s this afternoon?”

 

“Sounds good… Ah wait, I can’t. I’ve already got

 

something.”

 

“Oh? Meeting up with Kunagisa-chan or something, huh?

 

Well, if that’s the case, what can you do.”

 

“No, with Kanami-san.”

 

Boom.

 

Akane-san’s expression grew unusually stern.

 

Damn it, I’d forgotten. When I had first arrived on the

 

island, Hikari-san had been kind enough to let me know that

 

Akane-san and Kanami-san were on catastrophically bad

 

terms, but because of my famously bad memory I had

 

forgotten.

 

“Hmph. We’re pals, so I’ll give you a bit of advice. You

 

shouldn’t hang around with someone with such a vulgar

 

occupation. Lowering oneself like that is stupid, you know?”

 

“Akane-san, you really hate Kanami-san, don’t you?”

 

“No. There’s no reason for me to embrace any feelings of

 

like or dislike toward that woman. But artists truly are a

 

despicable race. Hmph, seriously!” She banged her hand on the

 

table. “There’s nothing I hate more than painters. They’re the

 

most inferior race in existence. Compared to them, thieves

 

anti rapists look like Jesus. All they do is dab a little bit of

 

paint on something with a little brush and they think they’re

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 4 5

 

so damn great. A little red, a little blue, and poof, it’s a

 

‘masterpiece’! Hah! Anybody can do it!”

 

It was as if she had turned into another person. It was such

 

an abrupt transformation, it almost made you wonder if a

 

painter had once stolen her research materials or something.

 

“Ah, sorry,” she said, returning to her normal self upon

 

noticing my stunned expression. “I guess I got carried away.

 

Not that I’m going to take any of that back, but I know it’s no

 

fun listening to someone gripe about someone else. I think I’m

 

going to go cool off,” she said, her words racing, then helped

 

herself to the rest of my coffee and made for the door. It

 

seemed she was regretting losing her head like that. Even if

 

she wasn’t going to take it back.

 

Once I was alone, I let out a sigh.

 

Man, I had been nervous. I’m not that used to holding

 

conversations with people in the first place, much less

 

Sonoyama Akane of the ER3 Seven Fools. No sweat, right?

 

Well, aside from that blunder at the very end, we were

 

actually able to hold a much more natural conversation than I

 

would’ve imagined, so I guess I should’ve been happy. And

 

maybe, sometime in the next four days, I would get to have

 

that game of shogi with her.

 

I let out another sigh, but there was no time to snooze.

 

Having finished breakfast, I decided to pay yet another visit to

 

Kunagisa’s room, but not a second later, Maki-san appeared in

 

mid-yawn. Fully dressed in outdoor gear, which she

 

complemented with a high ponytail, she looked very much

 

like she had come to this island on vacation.

 

“Ba baya baya baya baya bahhh,” she hummed cheerfully as

 

she strolled over and took a seat by me.

 

“Good morning.”

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 4 6

 

“Hello.”

 

“No no no, you gotta say ‘good morning’ when you greet

 

someone in the morning. Ah, wait, is it not still morning?

 

You’ve been up since six, so it probably feels pretty late to

 

you, wow. As for me, I have extraordinarily low blood

 

pressure, so I can’t be like you,” she said with another big

 

yawn. I gave the usual nod and “yup” combo. There was no

 

point in asking how she knew when I woke up.

 

I was once again nervous, this time in an entirely different

 

way than when I was with Akane-san.

 

Himena Maki-san.

 

Of course she wasn’t just here for the surfing. There was a

 

solid reason for her being on this island.

 

Maki-san’s occupation was fortune-telling. Just as Kanamisan

 

was a painting genius and Akane-san was an academic

 

genius, Maki-san was known as a genius in the world of

 

fortune-telling.

 

Now that’s a real talent, huh? I thought to myself.

 

That aside, I wasn’t a big fan of Maki-san.

 

We had had a bad first impression of each other.

 

“You’re a fortune-teller? I’ve never met one of those

 

before. So how does my fortune look?”

 

It’s not like I actually cared all that much about my

 

fortune. I just figured that since she was a fortune-teller, it was

 

the socially appropriate thing to say. Normally any person

 

would be thrilled to have the conversation turn to their field

 

of expertise. As Churchill once said, “I want to talk about

 

what I know, but people only ask me about what I don’t.” I

 

just didn’t want to be one of those “people.”

 

That’s just an excuse though.

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 4 7

 

But after hearing my question, Maki-san sneered, and said,

 

“Well, give me your year, month, and date of birth; your

 

blood type; and the name of your favorite movie actor.” I

 

answered, but all the while wondering what possible

 

connection my favorite actor could have to my fortune,

 

birthday and blood type aside. In any case, I had forgotten my

 

blood type, and I didn’t really know a lot of movie actors, for

 

that matter, so I just made some answers up.

 

“Okay, I see. Then, take this,” Maki-san said, producing a

 

slip of paper from her pocket and handing it to me. And with

 

that, she left.

 

I opened the paper fortune and took a look. My date of

 

birth along with the blood type and actor I had just given were

 

inscribed on it in Mincho font.

 

“You were tricking me, weren’t you?”

 

After that, I went to check with Kunagisa about it. “I figure

 

it’s some worn-out magic trick where the pocket has hidden

 

slips of paper with random numbers written on them or

 

something,” I said.

 

“Mmm-mmm.” Kunagisa shook her head. “No way. That

 

might work for playing cards, but for something like this there

 

would have to be too many. Plus, she would’ve had to look

 

you up beforehand. It’s not like she could’ve guessed you

 

would lie about your blood type and favorite actor.”

 

And then Kunagisa gave me the Himena Maki lecture. It

 

seemed that although uneducated folks like myself hadn’t

 

heard of her, Maki-san had actually made quite a name for

 

herself in the fortune-telling world. She didn’t do those

 

supposedly therapeutic horoscope-style “cold readings” like

 

you see in magazines, but rather used her skills to advise

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 4 8

 

bigwig politicians and corporate clients, never making much of

 

a spectacle of herself.

 

Himena Maki, master fortune-teller.

 

“Also known as a good self-promoter,” I commented.

 

Kunagisa seemed to think of her that way, too.

 

Her catchphrase for her: “The telepath who knows the

 

past, the future, human beings, the world, and all inside it.”

 

“What’s a telepath?”

 

“She’s super-powered,” she said aloofly. “She’s got

 

extrasensory perception.”

 

“Huh?”

 

“ESP. Super abilities are divided into the two categories of

 

ESP and PK. What Maki-chan’s got is ESP. Retrocognition,

 

precognition, and telepathy. In translation, retrocognition

 

means she can see the past. Precognition means she knows the

 

future. Telepathy means she can read your psyche.”

 

“Wait a sec, I don’t follow. Slow down. Tomo, Maki-san is

 

a fortune-teller, right?”

 

“Occupationally, yes. Using her special abilities. That’s all.

 

Being able to run fast isn’t an occupation, right? But being an

 

athlete is. Being good with your hands isn’t an occupation,

 

right? But being a craftsman is. Special abilities are just

 

abilities, but fortune-telling is an occupation.”

 

“Ah…” I nodded. “So Maki-san…”

 

“Yep. She read your thoughts in advance, even before she

 

asked you those questions.” She flashed a bright smile.

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 4 9

 

“Superpowers, huh?” I muttered softly so as not to be heard

 

by Maki-san, now sitting next to me in the dining room. I

 

recalled my conversation with Kunagisa. Her previous

 

explanation had sounded somewhat convincing, to be sure,

 

but…

 

Now, sitting next to this sleepy-eyed, spacey woman, it

 

was really hard to imagine she was a fortune-teller. She just

 

seemed like some drowsy chick with low blood pressure.

 

“I told you I’m a fortune-teller, but you seem to be

 

dissatisfied,” she said, suddenly shifting her glance toward me.

 

For some reason, she seemed to be picking on me a little ever

 

since our first encounter. “Perhaps you’d like me to go walking

 

around with a black hood and crystal ball. Should I speak to

 

you in vague, cryptic terms about your impending doom? You

 

just take everything at face value, don’t you?”

 

“I don’t think that’s the case.”

 

“Yeah, I’ll bet. I know all about it,” she replied, shaking her

 

head. “Well, whatever. You don’t matter anyway.”

 

“I don’t matter?”

 

“Yup. You’re the Japanese representative of things that

 

don’t matter.”

 

In other words, the most unimportant guy in Japan. It was

 

a terrible thing to hear.

 

“But I’ll give you one piece of advice out of the kindness of

 

my heart. Your impression of me is quite out of line. And

 

that’s not all. The ideas you hold about the residents of this

 

island are all out of line. And that includes Kunagisa-chan.

 

More important, it looks like you intentionally adjust all your

 

beliefs when you’re talking to other people. That’s surely a

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 5 0

 

very comfortable way to live, but I wouldn’t call it a wise

 

one,” she rattled off at me as she let out another catlike yawn.

 

For the last two days, I had gotten the same earful of gripes

 

every time we met. And I couldn’t say she was all that far off

 

the mark, either. Her remarks were so accurate, I wondered if

 

she really was using telepathy.

 

I’ll be honest: I found her really creepy.

 

“Oh, I’m sorry for being creepy.”

 

With that said, she stormed off in the direction of the

 

kitchen, presumably to get her breakfast.

 

So as not to let this opportunity slip through my fingers, I

 

immediately made my way out of the dining room and back to

 

Kunagisa’s room. As I expected, she was still face-to-face with

 

her workstation. It didn’t seem right to be such a shut-in while

 

also being a guest in another person’s home, but I guess we

 

just had different values.

 

Kunagisa looked back at me.

 

“Oooh, Ii-chan. Welcome back. How was it? Did you run

 

into anyone?”

 

“Almost everyone. Today I’ve seen everyone except

 

Teruko-san and Iria-san. Oh yeah, Yayoi-san, too.”

 

But having eaten her food, I felt as if I had met her.

 

“Hmm, well, that’s almost perfect.”

 

“What is?”

 

“Your score in the Meeting Everyone on Wet Crow’s

 

Feather Island by Mid-Morning Contest.”

 

What a crappy-sounding contest.

 

But anyway.

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 5 1

 

There were currently twelve people on the island. Artist

 

Ibuki Kanami-san, chef Sashirono Yayoi-san, Sonoyama Akane

 

of the Seven Fools, fortune-teller Himena Maki-san, and

 

engineer Kunagisa Tomo. Then there was Sakaki Shinya and

 

myself, the tagalongs. Then there were the original residents

 

of the island, starting with Akagami Iria, who owned the

 

island and the mansion, plus head maid Handa Rei-san and

 

the three all-purpose maids, Chiga Akari-san, Chiga Hikarisan,

 

and Chiga Teruko-san. A total of twelve people.

 

In an ordinary-sized house, things would’ve already gotten

 

quite cramped, but in this oversized palace, there was still an

 

excess of space.

 

That’s when I remembered.

 

“Hey, Kunagisa. How long were you planning to be here

 

again?”

 

“Another four days. So for a week, yeah?”

 

“Shinya-san was asking me about something.” I explained

 

to her what Shinya-san had talked to me about. The rumor

 

about Iria-san’s favorite jack-of-all-trades coming to town.

 

Kunagisa, however, seemed uninterested, tuning out the

 

majority of my story.

 

“Is that really important? It’s all really vague information,

 

so it’s hard to say. but I don’t think we really need to meet

 

this person. I didn’t really come here to meet any geniuses,

 

and I’m not really interested.”

 

“Well, yeah, but, hey, speaking of that, I’ve been meaning

 

to ask for a while, why exactly did you come here? If you’re

 

not interested in that kind of thing, what were you so

 

interested in?”

 

I couldn’t figure why someone who hated leaving the

 

house as much as Kunagisa did would accept an invitation like

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 5 2

 

this. She tilted her head a bit, and after a moment’s pause

 

said, “Eh, just ‘cuz.” A nonanswer. “There’s no particular

 

reason, really. Or are you the type of guy who always needs

 

there to be one for everything?”

 

I shrugged.

 

No way.

 

“As long as there’s a network, it doesn’t really matter

 

where I am. Home is the best in the end, though,” she said in

 

spite of still being on vacation.

 

Well, whatever. She was just being her usual whimsical

 

self. I didn’t particularly mind, and it wasn’t like I was

 

supposed to, either. I sprawled myself out on the pure white

 

carpet and stared up at the chandelier on the ceiling. Man,

 

what an unrealistic scene. Then again, if you asked me what

 

would be a realistic scene, I wouldn’t know what to say.

 

Kunagisa looked at me sprawled on the floor. “Ii-chan, I

 

don’t suppose you’re bored?”

 

“I’m bored with life.”

 

“Y’know, that’s really unattractive.”

 

Huh.

 

She laid it right out for me.

 

“If you’re free, why not read a book? I brought a few.”

 

“A book, huh? Whatcha got?”

 

“Um, a Japanese-English dictionary, the Statute Books, and

 

a modern Japanese dictionary.”

 

“Man, bring that stuff in digital form.”

 

Who has fun reading that kind of stuff?

 

Oh, right. She does.

 

Half giving up and half fed up, I rolled over.

 

“Huh? Ii-chan, your watch is broken, isn’t it?”

 

“Eh?”

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 5 3

 

I took a look at my watch. That’s right. Come to think of

 

it, I had meant to ask her to fix it. After running into so many

 

people this morning, I’d forgotten all about it.

 

“Lemme see. I’ll fix it for you.”

 

“Here. Maybe the battery’s dead.”

 

“Hmm…” She held the watch up to the light. “Nope,

 

something else is wrong. Did you bump it into something

 

hard? Anyway, I think it’ll be a quick fix. But you know,

 

wristwatches have become sort of an anachronism these days.

 

Most people just get by with their cell phone. Huh? Speaking

 

of which, where’s yours?”

 

“I left it at home.”

 

“You should bring it. That’s what makes it a mobile phone.”

 

“But what if I dropped it?”

 

“Well, I guess, but—”

 

“And it would be out of service here anyway. It would take

 

a phone like yours to get any signal here.”

 

Kunagisa uses a phone that receives signals from relay

 

satellites anywhere in the world. Even on a deserted island in

 

the middle of nowhere, her phone didn’t know the meaning of

 

the phrase “out of service.”

 

Of course, it didn’t come cheap. It was a terrible waste of

 

money for an antisocialite like Kunagisa, but she wasn’t the

 

type to give much thought to such matters.

 

“Hmm, maybe so. Well, it’s not like being an anachronism

 

is a bad thing.”

 

She narrowed her big eyes and placed my watch next to

 

the computer rack.

 

Just then there was a knock at the door. Kunagisa showed

 

no response whatsoever, so I had no choice but to open it

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 5 4

 

myself. The visitor was none other than Hikari-san, cleaning

 

supplies in tow.

 

“Hello. Thanks so much.” I invited her in.

 

“Yo, Hikari-chan, ciaooo!” Kunagisa welcomed her with a

 

full-faced grin. Hikari-san responded in likewise fashion. For

 

some reason these two girls were strangely friendly with each

 

other. They just plain got along. It’s a rare thing for someone

 

to be able to become so friendly with Kunagisa in such a short

 

period of time, so I couldn’t help but be a little surprised.

 

“What are you up to, Tomo-san?”

 

“I’m making some game software right now. I’m creating

 

an application that converts text to music. I figured I’d give it

 

to Iria-san as a memento of my visit.”

 

“What kind of game is that?” I said.

 

“Well, shall I explain? Okay, um, okay, so, Ii-chan, what’s

 

the longest book you’ve ever read?”

 

“I quit halfway through The Tale of Genji and Don Quixote,

 

so… Tolstoy’s War and Peace. Man, that was long.”

 

“Okay. So let’s say you converted that whole book into a

 

text document, whether by using a scanner or by typing it all

 

by hand. Then you do a digital-to-analog conversion, like

 

where ‘i’ is ‘do,’ ‘ro’ is ‘re,’ ‘ha’ is ‘me,’ and so on. If you do

 

that, you end up with the ‘War and Peace Song.’ For that much

 

text, it would probably come out to around… an hour,

 

maybe? Of course, in reality it’s more complicated than that.

 

The code conversions and sessions and everything have to be

 

wholly consistent. But still, it turns books into music. Sounds

 

fun, right?”

 

“Well, definitely sounds interesting, anyway. What

 

programming language are you using? VB? C?”

 

“Machine language.”

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 5 5

 

An extremely basic-level coding language. I didn’t think

 

anybody used that kind of language these days.

 

“Man, it’s like you can communicate with the machine like

 

it’s just some close buddy of yours.”

 

“Heh heh heh.” she laughed, just a little boastfully.

 

Seemingly even more ignorant than I about computers,

 

Hikari-san wore an inscrutable expression, not revealing

 

whether she was following the conversation, and said nothing

 

more than “Wow.”

 

“Seriously,” I said. “But what’s actually fun about this

 

game? I guess I don’t really get it.”

 

“Making it is fun.”

 

It was a solid reason. I couldn’t object.

 

Hikari-san listened with apparent interest, but then seemed

 

to remember something. “Oh, right.” She turned to me.

 

“Would it be all right if I cleaned your room later on? I

 

stopped by the storeroom a little earlier, but you were out.”

 

“Sure, no problem.”

 

I sure didn’t know what cleaning there was to be done in

 

that room, though. Hikari-san politely thanked me and

 

resumed cleaning Kunagisa’s room.

 

After a single sweep of the room, she stopped and

 

crouched to the floor with a sigh.

 

“I apologize. I’m just… a little exhausted.”

 

“Why not take a break?”

 

“No, I’ll be fine. Rei-san would get mad anyway. I’ve said it

 

before, but she’s so strict. I’ll be fine. I’m peppy. That’s my

 

one positive trait. I’m fine. Please forgive me for causing you

 

concern,” she said firmly, then exited the room.

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 5 6

 

I let out a sigh. “Sure seems to have it tough. Maybe it’s

 

just my assumption, but seeing her like that, it seems as if

 

she’s bearing an awfully big load on her own.”

 

“Do you feel a little like you’re watching yourself?”

 

“It’s not like that, but y’know, I do feel a bit of sympathy

 

for her.” She did seem to be miserable, after all. Rei-san and

 

Akari-san seemed to have a distinct division in their heads that

 

this was just “work,” but Hikari-san didn’t seem to be able to

 

mentally process it that way. It was like the concept of work

 

hadn’t been figured into her internal “circuit.” Perhaps there

 

were circumstances surrounding that.

 

As for the other maid, Teruko-san, I wasn’t sure what she

 

was thinking, so I couldn’t comment.

 

“Everybody’s suffering through something, Ii-chan,”

 

Kunagisa said knowingly. “Everybody knows hardship, or even

 

if they don’t, they’re at least exerting effort somewhere.

 

Hikari-san, your pal Nao-kun, Akane-chan—everyone. If

 

there’s anyone who lives without suffering or exerting effort,

 

it’s probably me.”

 

After having lunch, I headed for the atelier as promised.

 

Kunagisa claimed, as usual, not to be hungry and headed to

 

bed shortly after noon. She was a chronically sleep-deprived

 

little techie.

 

“Wake me for din-din, please. I hafta see Iria-chan and

 

stuff,” she said.

 

I knocked on the atelier door, waited for a response, then

 

turned the knob.

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 5 7

 

The floors were uncarpeted hardwood. In some ways it

 

reminded me of the art room in my elementary school, except

 

of course that this room wasn’t lined with scarred-up desks

 

and there weren’t any fake-looking plaster sculptures. It

 

wasn’t as big either. The total area of the atelier was probably

 

around half the size of the room Kunagisa was staying in.

 

“Welcome. Take a seat over there,” Kanami-san said, after

 

briefly staring at me in cold silence. Shinya-san must have

 

been in his room or someplace, as Kanami-san was the only

 

person there. I walked past a shelf containing paint and paint

 

supplies and took a seat as told.

 

I faced Kanami-san. “Thanks for doing this.”

 

I couldn’t deny that she was a pretty woman. With blond

 

hair and blue eyes, she was like one of those “well-bred young

 

ladies” you see in old films. An intellectual, at that. And even

 

more, she had artistic talent. It was like she had God’s favor.

 

No, maybe I can’t say that.

 

She had bad legs, and until a few years ago, she couldn’t

 

even see. I guess it would be pretty damn low of me in all my

 

able-bodied good fortune to gripe. But on the other hand,

 

Kanami-san herself didn’t seem to view her condition as a

 

handicap or disability.

 

“God is fair. If I had been able-bodied, it would’ve

 

conversely been unfair to ordinary people.” “Legs are just a

 

decoration.” “Even when I gained my eyesight, my world

 

didn’t really change. The world looked just as I’d thought.

 

Natural selection and fate have unusually bad taste.”

 

All of these are quotes from Kanami-san’s art books.

 

Kanami-san sat in a round, wooden chair just like the one I

 

was sitting in. She was in a dress, so it looked mildly

 

uncomfortable, I noticed.

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 5 8

 

“Kanami-san, is that what you wear when you’re painting?”

 

“Are you doubting my fashion sense?”

 

Her face grew subtly more stern. It seemed that this was

 

no joke. She was actually miffed. I scrambled to weasel my

 

way out.

 

“No no, I didn’t mean that. I was just thinking your clothes

 

might get dirty.”

 

“I don’t go and change my clothes every time I paint

 

something. Up to now, I’ve never dirtied my clothes even once

 

while painting. I’m not an idiot.”

 

“Oh, I see.”

 

I guess it was like being an expert calligrapher. In

 

retrospect, getting paint on your clothes is probably a pretty

 

amateur blunder. To Kanami-san, one of the top artists in the

 

entire world, the mere suggestion was probably rude.

 

I shrugged.

 

“But is it really okay painting someone like me?”

 

“What’s that supposed to mean?” she snapped with the

 

same stern expression. She seemed to be in a pretty awful

 

mood. Or no, maybe this was her default setting.

 

“Er, no, it’s just that, won’t it decrease your worth as an

 

artist?”

 

Like, for example, it was probably safe to say that Kunagisa

 

had technological skill like no one else in the world. However,

 

she only ever used that technology for fun, so the number of

 

people who actually acknowledged her as amazing and

 

brilliant was extremely small.

 

“Authority comes from results. Not doing and not being

 

able to do are the same thing.”

 

Apparently that was Kunagisa’s case.

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 5 9

 

I figured it was the same with painters. If you just choose

 

your subjects randomly and mess around all the time, it’s hard

 

to get other people to acknowledge your worth as an artist.

 

But Kanami-san renounced my ideas.

 

“Didn’t I just tell you I’m not an idiot? Do you have a brain

 

at all? I don’t go around choosing subjects. You know, if you

 

keep your mouth shut, people won’t see how stupid you are,

 

so why don’t you do just that?”

 

My heart sank.

 

“I just… I hate that kind of thinking. It makes me want to

 

puke. ‘Oh, there were no good subjects to paint.’ ‘My model

 

was no good.’ ‘The environment was all wrong.’ ‘That’s not

 

the kind of subject I should be painting.’ And it’s not just with

 

painters either. Even you know people who say obnoxiously

 

egotistical things like ‘Oh, this isn’t what I want to do’ or ‘Oh,

 

I don’t know what I want to do,’ right?”

 

“Yeah, I do.”

 

Yeah, myself.

 

“For god’s sakes,” she sighed. “I hate people who bitch

 

about what they want and don’t want to do, putting their own

 

ineptitude on a pedestal. I want to tell them to stop living like

 

pricks. I don’t mean they should all die, but they should be

 

more humble. Just paint anything and stop whining all the

 

time. I don’t care if it’s some boring jerk or a pile of bug guts.

 

I’d turn it into gorgeous art.”

 

Regardless of how sweet and pretty she looked, she sure

 

was full of herself. She was so uncompromising that she didn’t

 

even forgive others who compromised.

 

Being compared to a pile of bug guts wasn’t my favorite

 

thing in the world, but if she could paint that, surely she could

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 6 0

 

paint me. It seemed that making any further thoughtful

 

comments would just end badly, so I decided to stay quiet.

 

I noticed that behind Kanami-san was a canvas. An

 

underangle view of the cherry blossom tree was drawn on it in

 

pencil. The one she had been looking at this morning with

 

Shinya-san.

 

It was so precisely drawn, it was like a monochrome

 

photograph. With about ten million pixels. No, that’s dumb.

 

There was no need to cheapen such an intricate drawing with

 

that kind of metaphor.

 

I pointed to the picture. “When did you draw that?”

 

“This morning. Got a problem?”

 

It was early morning when she was observing the tree. That

 

was about five hours earlier. In other words, she had drawn

 

this amazingly detailed picture in a mere five hours. A

 

drawing like this should’ve taken at least a week to complete.

 

Without thinking, I shot her a skeptical expression. She

 

grimaced back at me audaciously.

 

“Only idiots spend three or four months doing something

 

you can finish in a week. Idiots or lazy people. And since I’m

 

neither, I did this picture in three hours. It doesn’t take me

 

any longer than that.”

 

Huh.

 

Being the pure embodiment of laziness myself, this was

 

painful to hear. It stung. I wished Kunagisa could’ve heard it,

 

too.

 

“Right? Even you have to agree a little, too, right?” she said

 

in a cruel tone, demanding my concurrence. I couldn’t help

 

but feel as if she were attacking me with a direct insult. And I

 

doubt that was just a false impression.

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 6 1

 

“Uh, no, well, I mean… yeah. Er, but anyway, you’re really

 

good.”

 

“Yeah, sure,” she answered, completely uninterested in my

 

generic praise. It really was an exceedingly bland comment for

 

me to make, in retrospect. You’re really good. It sounds like

 

something a five-year-old would say.

 

“Uh, so, Kanami-san, you do detail pictures?”

 

“I do all kinds of pictures. Didn’t you know?”

 

Oh yeah, I’d put my toot in my mouth again. The woman

 

before my eyes was Ibuki Kanami-san, the woman artist who

 

denied having any style and took no stance. Whether it be

 

detailed or abstract, there was no picture she couldn’t or

 

wouldn’t paint.

 

She squinted just one eye at me. “I don’t get hung up on

 

one style. It’s not a rule set in stone, but getting too hung up is

 

just plain crazy. It’s nuts. If there’s one thing in life I want to

 

do as I please, it’s painting.”

 

“You may be right, huh?” Unable to argue or concur, I

 

settled with a simple nod. Perhaps able to see through me, she

 

returned my nod with a contemptuous sneer.

 

“Hey, have you ever seen my art?”

 

“Well, a few times in some of your art books. But owing to

 

my ignorance, this is the first time I’ve seen it directly.”

 

“Hmm, and what did you think of it? Not the art book

 

stuff, but that cherry blossom one.”

 

To me, Kanami-san’s question was a bit of a surprise. I

 

never figured that so-called geniuses cared much about other

 

people’s opinions of them. Starting with Sonoyama Akanesan,

 

none of the people at ER3, including that deplorable

 

group of study-abroad participants, had any vanity or desire

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 6 2

 

for glory, and nobody cared about how they looked in other

 

people’s eyes.

 

“I know my worth better than anyone else does. I don’t

 

need to sit here and be evaluated by a bunch of brainless

 

slackers.” This was their unanimous way of thinking. Probably

 

why I wasn’t a big fan of theirs.

 

“Um,” I said, groping for an answer, “well, it’s a very pretty

 

picture.”

 

“A pretty picture, huh?” she repeated my line. “You know,

 

there’s no need to try and flatter me. I won’t get mad.”

 

“Well, it’s just that I don’t really have much judgment or a

 

critical eye for this kind of thing. But yeah, I think it’s a pretty

 

picture.”

 

“Hmm… pretty?”

 

She wore an utterly disappointed expression as she stared

 

at her canvas. She muttered something to herself.

 

“Pretty… prettyprettypretty. That’s not the kind of

 

compliment you give to art.”

 

“Eh?”

 

“Hmm, you don’t get it, huh? Damn, I really don’t want to

 

do this. What a waste.”

 

She let out a heavy sigh, hunched over a bit, and picked up

 

the canvas.

 

She lifted it up over her head…

 

…and smashed it into the hardwood floor.

 

The sound of splintering wood.

 

Of course, it wasn’t the floor that had broken.

 

“Hey, wh-what are you doing?”

 

“As you can see, I’m disposing of my screwup. Ah, why did

 

it have to come to this?”

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 6 3

 

That decidedly should’ve been my line. She stared down at

 

the shattered remains of her canvas, a sorrowful expression on

 

her face, and let out another sigh.

 

“Geez, it looked like it would’ve been worth about twenty

 

million one day.”

 

“Twenty million yen?”

 

“Twenty million dollars.”

 

Different unit.

 

“Of course, we’re talking about several decades later.”

 

“Artists can be pretty reckless sometimes, huh?”

 

I couldn’t help but feel guilty that my crappy comments

 

had invited this disaster.

 

“You shouldn’t feel like you did something wrong. This is

 

my responsibility. I’m not the kind of imbecile who pushes

 

her own responsibilities onto other people.”

 

“But I’m just an amateur. You didn’t have to do something

 

like that based on the opinion of an amateur.”

 

“It’s not art if you get to pick who looks at it,” she insisted.

 

So that’s how it was.

 

I could understand that.

 

Her words and her manner were filled to the brim with

 

spitefulness, but to be sure, this woman was an artist to the

 

bone.

 

“But it was so realistic, it was just like a photograph.”

 

“That’s not a compliment either, you know. Listen, if you

 

have a habit of complimenting people by saying ‘it’s just like

 

blah blah blah,’ I think you’d better quit it. It’s really an insult

 

of the highest order. If you absolutely have to box everything

 

into a style, though, I guess there’s no hope.” She turned back

 

toward me. “I suppose I can understand why you say it was

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 6 4

 

like a photograph, though. After all, photographs originally

 

spawned from drawings.”

 

“Is that right?”

 

“Yeah. You didn’t know?” She raised an eyebrow at me.

 

It seemed saying, “You didn’t know?” was her habit.

 

“The person who invented daguerreotype photography was

 

a ‘factual artist.’ Apparently the study of perspective is related

 

to the invention of the camera. You’ve heard of the camera

 

obscura, right?”

 

Heard of it, yes. The so-called dark chamber. The

 

phenomenon where if you make a hole in one spot on the wall

 

of a pitch-black room, the outside scenery will project onto

 

the opposite wall. It was quite an old technology, dating back

 

to the days of the Roman Empire, and even having been

 

mentioned by Aristotle. Supposedly it was the origin of the

 

camera.

 

“It was just one invention used to create accurate images.

 

The main idea behind perspective is to ‘show things the way

 

they really look.’ That’s how the French artist Courbet put it.

 

He also made such realist remarks as ‘I’ve never seen an angel,

 

so why would I paint one?’ It goes against my philosophy,

 

though. If you get a kid to draw something, it never has any

 

perspective or depth, right? Everything’s just displayed in the

 

foreground. The size of objects is also chosen at whim, so for

 

example a house and a person are the same size, or the most

 

important thing is drawn the biggest. In other words, what

 

they’re putting on the canvas isn’t what the objects look like,

 

it’s how the objects feel. If you believe that drawing pictures is

 

a form of personal expression, then I think that’s the correct

 

way to do it. If you think about it like that, a drawing that

 

looks just like a photograph isn’t a good drawing at all, is it?”

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 6 5

 

“Wow”

 

As soon as she had broken out the professional lingo, I lost

 

my grip on what she was talking about. And with all her

 

chitchat she hadn’t even started setting up to paint. When was

 

she planning to get started already?

 

“Though truth be told, photographs aren’t such an accurate

 

representation of reality either. If you edit a photograph well,

 

it’s not hard to fool people. Maybe they’re not so different

 

from paintings, in the sense that they’re both selective.”

 

“Uh, Kanami-san, were you going to draw me?”

 

“Right now I’m memorizing.”

 

Just as I thought I was about to be called incompetent

 

again, she spoke to me with unexpected gentleness.

 

“Maybe you didn’t know? I’m the type who has to do her

 

work alone. When I’m with other people my focus goes

 

wacko.”

 

She sounded like Leonardo da Vinci. Artists who don’t

 

look and paint at the same time weren’t the kind of thing you

 

heard about every day, but they weren’t the most uncommon

 

thing in the world either, so I wasn’t particularly surprised.

 

“So when I do portraits, I just have to rely on my memory.”

 

“You can do that?”

 

“To me, memory and perception are synonymous.”

 

Now she sounded like Hannibal the Cannibal.

 

“Let’s just stay and talk like this for the next two hours.

 

Then I’ll start painting after you leave. Ah, after I redo this

 

cherry blossom picture, that is. I want to turn it into

 

something at least you can comprehend. For your painting, I’ll

 

need to put down two layers of color, so it’ll take a little while

 

to draw. I should be able to give it to you tomorrow morning.”

 

“You’ll give it to me?”

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 6 6

 

“Sure. I don’t need that kind of painting. I have no interest

 

in paintings that are finished. I’ll sign it, so if you sell it you

 

should be able to make something decent. Of course you

 

could always destroy it if you don’t like it, but that seems like

 

a bit of a waste. It should be worth about fifty million.”

 

What a materialistic conversation.

 

Sigh.

 

“Hey, by the way, I hear you’re on bad terms with Akanesan,

 

is that right?”

 

“That’s right. Or really, it’s sort of a one-sided hatred on

 

her part. As an individual, as a scholar, as a researcher, as a

 

member of the ER3 Seven Fools, I personally have nothing

 

but goodwill and respect for Sonoyama Akane, but…”

 

“But? What’s that supposed to mean?”

 

She gave a little smirk. “As for ‘just plain’ Sonoyama

 

Akane, I despise her.”

 

Two hours later.

 

After leaving Kanami-san’s atelier, I headed for Kunagisa’s

 

room. She was in bed, but evidently she had awoken at some

 

point and fixed my watch. In a world-class prank, she had

 

changed the digital face so that the numbers were displayed

 

backward, but at least it seemed to be working, so I stuck it on

 

my left arm, patted the sleeping Kunagisa on the head, said

 

thanks, and headed to Akane-san’s room.

 

“Play me,” she challenged, and then said with a delighted

 

smile, “I’ll give myself a bigger handicap.”

 

With that, she lined her side of the shogi board with chess

 

pieces.

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 6 7

 

“It’s a Japanese-Western compromise.”

 

“Kinda like two different martial arts styles, huh?”

 

Handicap notwithstanding, I was thoroughly trounced.

 

Seven times in a row.

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 6 9

 

If you blind yourself to the fact that your opinion is

 

entirely wrong, you’re essentially right.

 

I bludgeoned the slumbering Kunagisa awake, forced her to

 

wash her face, and tied her hair up in pigtails for her. Then

 

with her still half-asleep, and me half carrying her, we headed

 

to the dining hall, where everyone else from the mansion was

 

already gathered.

 

Round table, two empty seats.

 

I helped Kunagisa to her seat and then sat down next to

 

her. As I settled in my chair, I took a quick look around the

 

table at each person.

 

Out of the twelve people present, the most eye-catching

 

person—and I’m not sure whether or not this goes without

 

saying—was none other than the mistress of the house,

 

Akagami Iria-san. The concept of beauty is wholly subjective,

 

varying from one person to the next, so to say Iria-san was

 

beautiful would probably be pointless. If I say she was

 

beautiful, that was simply something I personally felt and

 

nothing more. Besides, Akari-san the maid was way more up

 

my alley, as long as we’re talking about personal preferences.

 

Uh, but none of that matters.

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 7 0

 

Seriously.

 

To give something more objective, Akagami Iria was a

 

classy woman. She wore her pretty black hair in a roll,

 

coupled with an expensive-looking dress. She was actually

 

somewhat mismatched, but her excessive classiness more than

 

made up for it. She seemed to be around the same age as me,

 

still in her twenties, but man, upbringing and lineage really do

 

have their effects on people. Of course, there’s always other

 

factors as well, but those things are important for sure. That’s

 

always been the case.

 

Akagami Iria.

 

The black sheep granddaughter of the Akagami

 

Foundation.

 

“Well then, now that Kunagisa-san is here, shall we

 

commence with the best part of the day?” She put her hands

 

together like a little kid. “Chow down.” It seemed she was

 

fairly immature emotionally. It was probably safe to say she

 

wasn’t the most worldly person out there, but it was probably

 

just as well to her.

 

Incidentally, this island, where people were largely free to

 

do as they wished, had a single rule: “We all eat dinner

 

together.” It was a simple rule that shouldn’t have been hard

 

for anyone to follow, but indeed, quite a few so-called

 

geniuses had failed to do so and ended up leaving the island.

 

There are a lot of similarities between a genius and a person

 

with no common sense or decency.

 

Iria-san sat with two maids on either side of her. On her

 

left were Teruko-san and Rei-san. On her right, Akari-san and

 

Hikari-san. There was no way to distinguish between Akarisan

 

and Hikari-san, so I couldn’t tell which one was which.

 

Theoretically one would’ve been able to tell them apart by

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 7 1

 

their facial expressions and gestures and such, but for the

 

nonobservant type like myself, it was a challenge. Kunagisa

 

seemed to be able to distinguish between the two (which was

 

no mystery, since it was Kunagisa, after all), but depending on

 

the conversation, she seemed to have trouble distinguishing

 

who was Iria-san. Nobody seemed to mind.

 

“Now then, everybody raise your glasses… cheers!” she said

 

almost as if singing, her glass raised high in the air. Everyone

 

else, including myself, did likewise. But it bore mentioning

 

that my glass and Kunagisa’s glass were filled not with wine,

 

but with juice.

 

After all, we were underage.

 

A number of dishes were set beautifully around the table.

 

They were the proud masterpieces of chef extraordinaire

 

Sashirono Yayoi. I’ll start with the dish closest to me and go in

 

that order:

 

Crowned lamb roast, cappuccino-based sweet potato soup,

 

foie gras terrine with truffle gnocchi, steamed blue mussels,

 

Belgian eel simmered in green sauce, pickled herring, whale

 

meat sashimi, sauce-covered ravioli, ostrich meat carpaccio,

 

fruit salad, potato salad with egg, and, finally, oil-sautéed

 

mushrooms.

 

Yup, I was clueless.

 

Probably because Yayoi-san had created each dish

 

specifically to cater to the respective tastes of each guest, even

 

after hearing the names, I had no idea what I was eating. But

 

that was neither here nor there. It’s not like a name has that

 

profound of an influence on the thing itself.

 

I think.

 

After all this, there was said to be dessert as well. If you

 

thought about it, it was really a copious quantity of food. And

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 7 2

 

with Yayoi being the culinary maestro she was, the food was

 

so delicious that I all but entirely neglected to watch my

 

weight. Granted, Yayoi-san had apparently factored that into

 

her cooking.

 

“After factoring in the nutritional value, it’s still this

 

amazing. She really is a genius,” I muttered to myself more

 

than a couple of times.

 

Speaking of which, I had spoken to Yayoi-san a bit during

 

lunch. When I had gone to the dining hall, she happened to be

 

the only other person around, so I used the opportunity to

 

inquire about the popular rumors about her.

 

In other words, what was this secret power that allowed

 

her to make any dish better than any other chef?

 

That was the question.

 

Upon hearing it, Yayoi-san gave a curious smirk.

 

“I’m afraid reality doesn’t quite live up to the legends.

 

Unlike Himena-san, I don’t have any sort of wild superpowers.

 

Basically, it’s just effort and discipline.”

 

“Really?”

 

“Well, I suppose I can imagine what might have started

 

such a rumor. My senses of taste and smell are a little, well, a

 

lot stronger than the average person’s.”

 

She flicked out her tongue. “To give an anecdotal example,

 

ah, okay, like Helen Keller. She was blind, but they say she

 

could distinguish between people just by their smell. I’m a

 

little bit like that. My sense of smell isn’t quite that amazing,

 

but, for example…”

 

She took my arm and, without warning, licked the palm of

 

my hand. I never would have dreamed things would have

 

ended up like this, and I nearly let out a yelp, though

 

somehow I managed to suppress it.

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 7 3

 

With her tongue still out, she gave an Einsteinish grin.

 

“You’ve got type AB blood, don’t you?” she said. “Negative,

 

right?”

 

Being so told, it occurred to me that she was right. A

 

public health doctor once told me, “You have an extremely

 

rare blood type.” So Yayoi-san was right for sure, but…

 

“You can really tell all that just by licking my skin?”

 

“Well, by licking your sweat, to be specific. My tongue can

 

distinguish between approximately twenty thousand flavors,

 

dividing them into twenty levels of intensity. My sense of

 

smell is probably around half that good, I suppose.” She tilted

 

her head thoughtfully. It was a cute mannerism. “I’m not

 

smart like Sonoyama-san; I’m terrible at art, unlike Ibuki-san;

 

I’m not particularly skilled with machines like Kunagisa-san; I

 

certainly don’t have special powers like Himena-san; and

 

there’s not much else I’m any good at, but I’ve had just this

 

one strong gift since I was a kid. I figured becoming a chef was

 

the only way to take advantage of it.”

 

Perfect taste, they call it.

 

It’s like the taste version of perfect pitch, except perfect

 

taste isn’t something you can acquire with training. In other

 

words, Sashirono Yayoi-san was, to just come out and say it,

 

one of the lucky few chosen by God. Among the highly

 

skilled, there are two types of people: those who are chosen,

 

and those who choose themselves—those who were born with

 

it, and those who work for it. Of course, Yayoi-san had

 

“discipline and effort,” but she was evidently the former type.

 

So the path of a chef was not really something she had

 

chosen. She had been born with this gift, and for that reason

 

had gone on to study gastronomy, travel to the West, and

 

polish her inborn talents even further.

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 7 4

 

The idea of flavor ultimately stems from each individual’s

 

ability to judge taste. How well a person can utilize and take

 

advantage of flavor as if it was their own possession—that was

 

largely connected to one’s skill as a cook, and well reflected in

 

Yayoi-san’s own cooking.

 

Well, that’s the chopped logic of it, but it doesn’t mean

 

much practically. To put it a better way, Yayoi-san’s cooking

 

was damn good.

 

If you thought of the round table as a clock with Iria-san

 

sitting at twelve o’clock, then Sashirono Yayoi-san was at

 

three o’clock next to Teruko-san and Rei-san.

 

At four o’clock was Sakaki Shinya-san. As you would

 

expect from the man who had long been employed as

 

Kanami-san’s caretaker, he looked not the least bit

 

intimidated, and was actually rather stately-looking.

 

Then next to him sat Ibuki Kanami-san at the five o’clock

 

position. Behind her was her wheelchair, which she had likely

 

used to come to the dining room. She didn’t seem to be in a

 

particularly bad mood, but she didn’t look very cheerful

 

either.

 

At six o’clock was Kunagisa. This meant she was sitting

 

directly across from the mistress of the house, Akagami Iriasan.

 

That was more than enough to make me nervous, but

 

really that didn’t matter; to Kunagisa, the word nervous didn’t

 

even exist in the Japanese language.

 

Then in lucky seat number seven sat myself.

 

Next to me at eight o’clock sat Sonoyama Akane-san of the

 

Seven Fools. She was completely immersed in the devouring

 

of Yayoi-san’s cuisine. She had much more of an appetite than

 

you might expect. Of course, she was a human being before

 

she was a scholar—whether or not she would admit it

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 7 5

 

herself—and you can’t live if you don’t eat, but even if you

 

disregarded that, she was a serious eater. Even I felt satisfied

 

just watching her eat. It seemed to me that Yayoi-san must’ve

 

been really proud to see her devouring her food so delightedly.

 

Next to Akane-san at nine o’clock sat the fortune-telling

 

master, the one with ESP superpowers, Himena Maki-san. At

 

some point she had apparently changed clothes, and was now

 

adorned in an entirely different fashion than this morning. She

 

wore a halter-neck striped shirt with a pale, pink cardigan and

 

sheep-printed cropped pants. Her hair was up in twin

 

ponytails. Possibly because she noticed me looking at her, she

 

looked back at me with a strangely unpleasant sneer and sank

 

her teeth into some roast lamb. It was an expression that said,

 

“I know everything, but I’m not saying anything,” and it made

 

me wholly uncomfortable.

 

It never ends.

 

At ten and eleven o’clock sat Akari-san and Hikari-san.

 

Teruko-san was completely silent and mostly expressionless.

 

She just placed food in her mouth like it was a mechanical

 

process. For someone to be able to eat this food without any

 

sort of reaction, it made you wonder if she had any sense of

 

taste. In the face of the three sisters’ air of youthfulness, Reisan,

 

in contrast, had the look of a mature, uptight career

 

woman. I hadn’t heard her talk much, but judging from her

 

appearance, she seemed to be the strict type, and I had heard

 

the corroborating sob stories of Hikari-san several times by

 

now.

 

So there you have it.

 

That’s all twelve people.

 

Lucky number?

 

With a face like this?

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 7 6

 

Just babbling again. What kind of meaning lay in things

 

like that? I was very obviously standing out here. You could

 

even call me the black sheep. Then again, there had never

 

been a place where I didn’t stand out. Not Kobe, not

 

Houston, not Kyoto, and not even on this island.

 

In this wide world, there’s only one me.

 

Eh, whatever.

 

I like loneliness.

 

No bluff.

 

Even if I was bluffing.

 

“Oh by the way, if I can change the subject…” Iria-san said,

 

bringing the individual conversations that had been developing

 

up to now to an immediate halt. The power to direct the table

 

conversation lay in Iria-san’s hands alone. It was the selfish

 

privilege befitting an upper-class girl.

 

She continued, raising her voice.

 

“It seems there are already rumors floating around, so I’ll

 

go ahead and make the announcement. This is about the next

 

guest. The latest genius to grace this house.”

 

All eyes were on Iria-san. Well, all except for Kunagisa,

 

who continued to chow down on whale meat. To deliberately

 

try and capture that girl’s attention was quite a difficult task.

 

“I’d like to emphasize that our new guest is the possessor

 

of such extraordinary, glorious talent that it even bears

 

comparison to you all. I’d like very much to welcome this

 

person, so please cooperate, okay?”

 

Each person gave a personalized reaction. The part about

 

bearing comparison to everyone seemed to really shake things

 

up. With everyone seemingly restraining themselves, only the

 

very ordinary Shinya-san dared speak up.

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 7 7

 

“Question. Just who is this person? I don’t really know a

 

whole lot just from the rumors I’ve heard, but they say it’s a

 

real jack-of-all-trades. Is that right?”

 

“You could say that. We’ve only met once before, but,

 

yeah, once was enough. This person is my hero.” She gazed

 

up, evidently deep in thought. “A truly heroic existence, to

 

me. Like a detective in a mystery novel or a monster in a

 

monster movie.”

 

A monster?

 

I could feel my eyebrows raise of their own accord. Iria-san

 

had just dropped a reference to monster movies, but was that

 

really an accurate description of this person? That wasn’t the

 

kind of vocabulary you typically used to describe a person, and

 

even if you did, it definitely wasn’t a compliment.

 

“That’s quite the hard sell. Sounds like we can expect quite

 

a bit from this individual,” Shinya-san said with a boisterous

 

chuckle. “I hear this person can do all sorts of things… such as

 

paint wonderfully and so on?”

 

“I’ve never seen it, but I wouldn’t be surprised. I imagine

 

something as simple as painting a picture shouldn’t be a

 

challenge.”

 

As you’d expect, this seemed to have wounded Kanamisan’s

 

pride. She looked a little bit—by which I mean

 

ridiculously—miffed.

 

“Might we possibly be graced with knowing the name of

 

this superior specimen, Iria-san?” Kanami-san said. Her tone

 

had a bite to it.

 

I had thought of this that morning as well, but Kanami-san

 

really did have a lot of pride. That’s not necessarily a bad

 

thing, but it’s not strictly a good thing either. Far be it for me

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 7 8

 

to cast aspersions about the way Kanami-san chose to live, but

 

to say the least, I knew I could never live like that.

 

Iria’s expression suggested that she didn’t understand why

 

Kanami-san was so mad (and in reality that probably was the

 

case), and she answered plainly, “Aikawa-san.”

 

Pure dumbfoundedness.

 

At this point, Kanami-san seemed like the stupid one.

 

“Owing to an extremely busy schedule, Aikawa-san will

 

only be staying here for three days, but everyone, please be

 

friendly. Aikawa-san is a big deal to me. You could even call it

 

love.”

 

Iria-san’s cheeks turned bright red. Seeing that childish

 

mannerism, her audience was thrown even further into

 

bewilderment. It felt like she could’ve made any demand,

 

however bossy, and everyone would’ve forgiven it. She

 

innately had that sort of air about her.

 

Probably her lineage to blame again.

 

“Even still, Aikawa…”

 

I’d never heard the name, ignorant as I was. I looked over

 

at Kunagisa to see her reaction, but she was still eating. When

 

that girl was focused on something, she was always like that.

 

More incorrigible than a child and harder to handle than an

 

animal. Well, then again, at least she knew how to sit in a

 

chair.

 

“Oh, I’m so looking forward to it. To think Aikawa-san is

 

coming again. I’ve asked so many times. It’s like a dream. Oh,

 

what if it really was a dream?” she said as if in a daze. Judging

 

from her current state, Iria-san must have been pretty headover-heels

 

for this Aikawa guy. It was like she was talking

 

about the man she had been in love with for years and years.

 

She spoke his name with great reverence.

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 7 9

 

“Ah, speaking of which, Kunagisa-san,” she said, turning

 

the conversation toward Kunagisa. “You were going to leave

 

before then, isn’t that right?”

 

“Hmm? Oh, yup yup,” she responded. She never stopped

 

moving the chopsticks she held in her hands. The fact that she

 

was holding a chopstick in each hand was enough of a

 

testament to her bad table manners. “Yup, four more days.”

 

“That’s really too bad. It’s going to be such a great

 

opportunity. I’d really like you to meet Aikawa-san. There’s

 

really no way?”

 

“Afraid not. I’m from a world where once you’ve planned

 

something you can’t change it. They even call me the Living

 

Time Table. Ii-chan, too, of course.”

 

Don’t drag me into this, I thought. Coming to this island in

 

the first place was never part of my “time table.”

 

Iria nodded with a truly disappointed look on her face. “Is

 

that so? Say, could it be that you’re not having a good time

 

here? It doesn’t seem like you’ve left your room much.”

 

“I’m from a world where people don’t leave their rooms

 

much. But no, I’m having fun. Lots of fun. I can have fun

 

anywhere, anytime, all the way.”

 

Her words made me stiffen a bit. There was no

 

exaggeration in what she said. For someone who’s so

 

completely immersed in their own world, there’s never a time

 

that isn’t fun. And what of all other emotions? How tragic

 

must it be to always be having fun, no matter where you are?

 

That was something I already knew the answer to.

 

“Ah, is that so?” Iria shrugged. “But Kunagisa-san, surely

 

even you would find some value in meeting Aikawa-san.

 

Meeting a person like that, you’re bound to find some

 

inspiration.”

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 8 0

 

As if she had been waiting for the perfect timing, Kanamisan

 

broke into the conversation. “Being influenced by another

 

person is proof of one’s mediocrity. Of one’s impotence. How

 

ridiculous. I don’t know what kind of person this Aikawa is,

 

but I sincerely doubt there’s any need to meet him.”

 

“Now now, is that a fact?” Playing devil’s advocate with

 

Kanami-san was the obvious choice, Sonoyama Akane. “I

 

spent several years surrounded by the finest minds in the

 

world, and I know for a fact that if I hadn’t had that

 

experience, I wouldn’t be where I am today. You can better

 

yourself just by spending time with brilliant people.”

 

“The ER3? What a joke. You must be stupid. Why would

 

anyone ever want to bind themselves to such an organization?”

 

Kanami sneered.

 

“I don’t consider that I’m binding myself. Everyone is free

 

to move about as they please and help hone one another’s

 

skills.”

 

“ ‘Free?’ Don’t just throw that word around. An

 

organization with no restrictions isn’t an organization at all. In

 

the end, even you were just a member of the hierarchy, isn’t

 

that right? What a crock. I’ve been here on this island with

 

you for a while now, but I certainly don’t feel as if I’ve

 

become any more refined. If anything, my worth is

 

decreasing.”

 

They glared at each other. To act this way in front of a

 

whole group of people, they really were childish. I was a little

 

bit appalled.

 

The maids tried their best to mediate, but Iria-san had a

 

look of pure delight on her face as she watched the dueling

 

pair, so they retrained from stepping in. This kind of situation

 

wasn’t really my cup of tea. Meanwhile, Yayoi-san looked

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 8 1

 

fairly indifferent as well, while Maki-san looked entirely

 

unimpressed, and Shinya-san seemed to have written the

 

whole dispute off as an everyday occurrence. It was amazing

 

that not a single person there could stop them.

 

Ah, wait, there was someone.

 

Just one person.

 

“After all, Ibuki-san, humans are a colonial species. People

 

such as yourself who act like bums and expect special

 

treatment all ought to rethink their lifestyle, if you ask me,” I

 

said.

 

“I suppose that means you can’t function without being

 

surrounded by other people. People aren’t migratory fish, you

 

know. And I don’t expect special treatment. I just don’t put

 

myself down. I live honestly, and assess things as they really

 

are,” Kanami snapped.

 

“Hmm, I wonder.”

 

“ ‘Hmm, I wonder’? Ah, more vague questions. You think

 

you look clever by taking an ambiguous stance without ever

 

clearly stating your opinion. Yeah, real clever. ‘I wonder,’ ”

 

Kanami said.

 

“This is a little hard to listen to.”

 

A voice.

 

It was Kunagisa.

 

She pouted her lips out like a sulky kid and looked at

 

Kanami-san.

 

“This is hurting my ears, Kanami-chan, Akane-chan.”

 

In an instant, she had drawn everyone’s attention. Nobody

 

had expected Kunagisa, of all people, to say that.

 

I had had quite a few experiences with Kunagisa in the

 

past, so it wasn’t beyond imaginable. Kunagisa Tomo hated

 

watching people fight quite a bit. Considering her usual

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 8 2

 

happy-go-lucky attitude, it might have been a little

 

unexpected, but it did make some sense. She was a fun-loving

 

girl, which meant she didn’t like situations that weren’t fun.

 

The logic was as simple as that.

 

“I’m sorry. I went too far.” Somewhat surprisingly, it was

 

Kanami-san who apologized first. In turn, Akane-san couldn’t

 

help but acknowledge that Kanami-san, too, was a prominent

 

woman of respectable status.

 

“I was wrong, too,” she said, awkwardly avoiding eye

 

contact.

 

They both hung their heads and stared at the floor.

 

Though the atmosphere was still distinctly awkward, at least

 

the fiasco seemed to be over.

 

Until Maki-san ruined it completely.

 

“This is gonna get worse before it gets better,” she

 

muttered with an icy voice and audacious grin. Just what was

 

this fortune-teller chick trying to butt in with, now that things

 

had finally settled down? Meanwhile, Iria-san’s eyes were

 

twinkling with excitement.

 

“Is that a prophecy?” she asked. “What do you mean it’s

 

going to get worse before it gets better? This is so fascinating.

 

Will you tell us?”

 

“I won’t. I’m not saying anything. Nope.” As she spoke, she

 

cast a sideways glance in Kunagisa’s direction. “I’m not quite

 

so arrogant as to get the rest of the world involved.”

 

“What’s that supposed to mean?” I protested without

 

thinking. As for Kunagisa, she had already turned her full

 

attention back to nutritional intake. It was as though this

 

really was nothing more than a simple annoyance to her.

 

“Maki-san, what do you mean by that?”

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 8 3

 

“There’s no meaning. Just like there’s no meaning in your

 

actions. You know, you’re, wow, so you’re the kind of guy

 

who’ll get angry for the sake of a complete stranger, huh?

 

That’s not a very good thing. It’s not bad, per se, but it’s not

 

good.”

 

“Oh my, and why is that?” Iria-san said, stepping into our

 

conversation. Or rather, maybe I was the one on the sideline.

 

“I think it’s wonderful to be able to get angry on behalf of a

 

stranger. That’s not so common in the world nowadays.”

 

“That’s because people who can expose their emotions for

 

the sake of someone else are the same people who blame

 

things on others when something goes wrong. I despise people

 

like you.”

 

It had to be the first time in quite a while that someone

 

had spoken that harshly right to my face. Slowly, she brought

 

her glaring gaze to meet my eyes.

 

“You just let yourself get carried along by other people.

 

You’re the type of person who ignores traffic lights just

 

because everyone else is doing it. You’re an abominable

 

excuse for a human being. They often say ‘harmonize without

 

agreeing,’ but in your case, young man, it’s like you’re

 

agreeing without harmonizing. I won’t say that’s bad. I won’t

 

say anything as to that. One’s identity and one’s worth are not

 

always connected. A train that runs along a track is better than

 

a train that doesn’t. So I won’t say anything as to that. But I

 

hate people like you. I despise them. People like you always

 

blame things on others, never acknowledging their own

 

responsibility.”

 

Just carried along with the flow.

 

To be sure, that is how I lived.

 

However…

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 8 4

 

“I don’t recall…”

 

I hated it.

 

Meeting Kunagisa, I had grown thoroughly repulsed by it.

 

“I don’t recall you telling me that, Himena Maki-san.”

 

“Oh, are you angry? Gee, your boiling point’s a lot lower

 

than I expected. Are you the type who has mood swings all

 

the time?”

 

“Ii…”

 

Eat me.

 

Go screw yourself.

 

Go screw yourself go screw yourself go screw yourself…

 

Go screw yourself, bitch…

 

“Ii-chan.”

 

Tug.

 

Kunagisa yanked on my sleeve.

 

“This isn’t worth getting angry about.”

 

Kunagisa Tomo.

 

“Okay.”

 

I felt a chill go through my body. The power drained from

 

my body. It was beyond weakness, closer to exhaustion. I

 

slumped in my chair.

 

“Sorry. I was just joking, ‘kay?” Maki-san said to Kunagisa

 

with a terribly sweet smile.

 

And so dinner that day was a bit of a disaster. Of course, the

 

two days prior hadn’t exactly gone off without a hitch either,

 

but the intelligence of this jack-of-all-trades seemed to have

 

shattered something. This Aikawa-san’s coming visit to the

 

island was becoming something to dread. Granted, I wouldn’t

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 8 5

 

be there when it happened, so I didn’t really have much to do

 

with it.

 

Nevertheless, I had no idea why Maki-san was digging into

 

me so much. Certainly I hadn’t made a great first impression

 

on her, but that couldn’t have been the only reason at this

 

point. It was obvious that she hated me, but that wasn’t

 

reason enough to be harping on me so aggressively like this.

 

The opposite of affection is not animosity, but apathy. If

 

she just didn’t like me, she wouldn’t go so far out of her way

 

to pick on me like this. Why, out of this entire group of

 

brilliant people, would Himena Maki specifically target a

 

boring, ordinary person like me? We didn’t have anything to

 

do with each other.

 

It was strange.

 

Brooding over the subject in my mind, I didn’t think for a

 

moment about Maki-san’s prophecy of the “worsening of

 

things.” If I had given it some thought, it’s not likely that

 

anything would’ve gone differently anyway, but looking back,

 

I can’t help but regret that a little.

 

I guess there was nothing I could have done about that,

 

though.

 

After all, only Maki-san could have regretted things before

 

they happened.

 

It was already past ten o’clock when I borrowed Kunagisa’s

 

bath to freshen up. Kunagisa sat in front of her PCs in the

 

revolving chair, but all three terminals were turned off. She

 

just wanted to spin. Must’ve had a strong stomach.

 

“You take a bath, too.”

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 8 6

 

“No.”

 

“I don’t care about tonight, but take one tomorrow.”

 

“No.”

 

“Tomorrow I’ll strip you down, tie your hands and feet,

 

and throw you in. If you don’t want that, you’d better do it

 

yourself.”

 

“Awww, what a drag.” She half rose out of her chair to

 

stretch. “I envy fish. They don’t ever have to take baths.

 

Hmm, but I wonder if they get cold in the winter. Oh oh oh,

 

by the way, have you heard this before, Ii-chan? So, like, let’s

 

say you’re keeping a fish in a fish tank. And say you gradually

 

raise the temperature of the tank. Like you raise it so

 

gradually that the fish doesn’t even notice. Eventually the

 

water gets so hot that it’s boiling, but the fish’s body has

 

gotten used to the gradual change, so it can go on swimming

 

without even noticing how hot the water is. It sounds like a

 

lie, but it’s for real. Now, Ii-chan, what lesson can we gather

 

from this?”

 

“That global warming isn’t a problem.”

 

“Ding ding ding!” She looked utterly amused. What a

 

peppy chick, I thought, then without warning, she completely

 

collapsed. Face-first, belly-down, without breaking her fall.

 

I flinched.

 

“Owww. That hurt.”

 

No doubt.

 

“What the hell are you doing?”

 

“I’m hungry…”

 

“You just ate a freaking feast.”

 

“That doesn’t matter. I missed breakfast and lunch, so I

 

probably haven’t eaten enough. I slept all afternoon, so I don’t

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 8 7

 

have to sleep again until tomorrow, but I guess you really have

 

to make sure you sleep and eat properly.”

 

“Human bodies aren’t made for that kind of treatment.”

 

“I guess I’m not human then. Let’s get something to eat, Iichan.

 

Will you tie my hair up first?”

 

“I think Yayoi-san’s probably already back in her room. She

 

gets up early, so don’t you think she’s already sleeping?”

 

We couldn’t just go wake her up so she would make some

 

dinner. We had to remember that she was a guest, too.

 

“Hikari-chan is probably awake though. Hikari-chan’s

 

cooking is delicious, too, in a Hikari-chan kinda way. If Hikarichan’s

 

asleep, too, Ii-chan, you can make me something.”

 

“Why me?”

 

“Well, ‘cuz you look so a-meow-zing from behind when

 

you’re cooking.”

 

“Ehehehe,” she laughed naughtily, still facedown.

 

“Okay okay okay. Fine fine. Understood, Miss Tomo. First

 

I’ll tie that hair up, so get over here.”

 

“Oh me oh my.”

 

I tied her hair in a loose ponytail. Then we left her room,

 

heading for the living room.

 

“Ah, by the way, sorry about earlier.”

 

“About what? Ah, about the thing with Maki-chan. Yeah,

 

it’s okay. I’ll forgive you. But really, compared to the old days,

 

you’ve gotten soft. I didn’t think you’d let her off with just a

 

single comment like that. I wonder if living in Houston

 

repressed you or something.”

 

“Yeah, well, living in a desert like that for five years, your

 

beliefs start to change. I’m not sure if it matters that it was a

 

desert, though.”

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 8 8

 

“You should tell me about it sometime. What happened

 

over there and stuff.”

 

“You’ve changed a lot, too. Not so much on the outside,

 

but on the inside.”

 

“There’s nothing in this world that doesn’t change. It’s

 

panta rhei.”

 

“Handa Rei?”

 

“The cycling of all things… Ii-chan, you’re supposed to be

 

smart, so why don’t you know anything?”

 

“I just have a bad memory. All I want is an average one,

 

really.” Just enough of one so that I wouldn’t forget the fun

 

times.

 

Just enough of one so that I could realize the world is full

 

of good things, too.

 

“Ah, Akari-chan spotted,” Kunagisa said, and charged

 

down the hallway. I looked to see that, indeed, Akari-san was

 

there. Or really, at this distance there was no way I could tell

 

whether it was Akari-san or Hikari-san. It was also possible

 

that it was Teruko-san with her glasses removed. But if

 

Kunagisa said it was Akari-san, it was most likely her.

 

By the time I reached them, Kunagisa and Akari-san had

 

already exchanged a few words. Kunagisa returned to my side

 

and Akari-san continued down the hall in the opposite

 

direction. I wondered about her. She must have had work left

 

to do, even at this hour. If that was the case, she really was

 

going above and beyond.

 

“What did you talk about?”

 

“She says Hikari-chan’s in the living room.”

 

“Oh yeah? That’s convenient.”

 

Of course, not everything in the world goes so smoothly.

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 8 9

 

When we arrived in the living room, not only Hikari-san,

 

but also Shinya-san and my arch-nemesis Himena Maki-san

 

were there. The three of them sat on a horseshoe-shaped sofa,

 

engaged in lighthearted discussion. On the table were some

 

glasses and alcohol, plus some cheese on a big plate prepared

 

as a snack. Hikari-san promptly noticed our presence and

 

called out with a raised hand, “Ah, Tomo-san!” Having been

 

spotted, there was nothing we could do. We walked over and

 

joined them on the sofa.

 

Awkwardly, Kunagisa quickly snapped up the seat next to

 

Hikari-san, forcing me to sit next to Maki-san. All the same, I

 

couldn’t bear the thought of turning tail and running now. It

 

was dishonorable to flee in the face of the enemy. But Makisan,

 

seeming to see right through me, greeted me with a

 

wicked expression. “Welcome to my club,” she said boastfully.

 

“Sorry about before. I guess I hit a touchy subject,” she

 

apologized insincerely. “Really, I’m sorry. Anybody would get

 

mad about such a sensitive subject.”

 

“It wasn’t a particularly sensitive subject.”

 

“Oh, it was. It was so pitiful.” She sneered at me. Might

 

she have been drunk? No, she was like this all the time. In

 

fact, she was probably more pleasant when drunk. She slugged

 

down her wine in one gulp, then thrust her glass at me.

 

“Now you drink, too, boy. Alcohol is good, you know. You

 

forget all the bad things.”

 

“There’s nothing so bad I want to forget.”

 

“And there’s nothing so good you want to remember,” she

 

giggled. “I don’t think your poor memory is to blame for not

 

having any happy memories. There are few happy things in

 

your life, and few sad things. There’s not much of anything at

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 9 0

 

all. It’s all empty. It’s an emptiness scarier than darkness.

 

Ahahaha. Isn’t life fun?”

 

Retrocognition, telepathy.

 

It seemed the advertisements about her weren’t just

 

baloney. She was a damn clairvoyant.

 

“Give me a break, Maki-san. This is just bullying.”

 

“Yup. I’m bullying you. Now drink up.”

 

“I don’t do alcohol. I’m underage.”

 

“How by-the-book of you. Oh dear, you’re being so cold.

 

Oh, Ii-chan, you’re so cool! Is that what you want to hear?

 

That’s weird. I should call you the Boy Who’s Cold Even in

 

the Summer.”

 

She put her glass back in front of her with a bored

 

expression on her face.

 

Apparently quite starving, Kunagisa scarfed down the

 

cheese appetizer. She ate with two hands, displaying terrible

 

manners. Of course, knowing that it would cause no harm in

 

this situation, it was hard to care about stuff like that.

 

“It’s supreme, Valencay, and Maroille cheese,” Hikari-san

 

explained sweetly. Apparently they were all good cheeses to

 

have with wine. Trying a single piece, I found that it was

 

indeed delicious, but probably only Kunagisa would be able to

 

stand a whole lot of it without even so much as some water.

 

“How did it go with Kanami?” Shinya-san asked me after a

 

while, cheese in hand. He seemed fairly interested. “Did the

 

modeling go well?”

 

“Eh, I suppose. There were no problems, anyway.”

 

“She’s got a pretty foul personality, eh?” He spoke without

 

euphemism, about his own boss, no less.

 

“Oh no, she doesn’t—”

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 9 1

 

“Is that so? Well, at least I’ve never met a woman with a

 

worse personality than that.”

 

I had.

 

She was sitting right next to me, drinking up.

 

“No, she was fine, really… Oh, but she did smash one of

 

her pictures all of a sudden, and that was surprising.”

 

He smirked.

 

“Oh, that… yeah, yeah. When I got back to the atelier, she

 

was all, ‘Shinya-san, dispose of this garbage.’ I was like, ‘Who

 

are you, Picasso?’ Sorry about that. That’s just her thing.

 

Don’t pay any attention to it. That woman’s seen quite a bit

 

of success without exerting much effort, so she’s very

 

obstinate. She can’t live without acting like a big shot.”

 

“Her ‘thing’?”

 

“Yeah, you know. If she acts like that, she looks like a

 

world-class artist, don’t you think? Didn’t she say all sorts of

 

artisty things to you? Sort of snooty things? That’s how she is,

 

you see.”

 

“Well, but, that’s her true nature, right? I mean… I

 

thought it was.”

 

“Oh, of course. It’s unquestionably her true nature. But she

 

doesn’t have to say that kind of stuff, now, does she? If she

 

were a real artist, she wouldn’t talk like that. Kanami is a

 

genius, to be sure, but she’s miles away from being an artist.

 

She’s just giving herself an image. At least, that’s what I think.

 

I’d appreciate it if she would peel away the façade, but you

 

know how it is.” He looked a little sad. “Seriously,” he

 

continued, taking a sip of wine. As he wandered slightly off

 

topic, the glass of wine suited him quite well. It was a little

 

enviable.

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 9 2

 

“That’s the reason I asked you to be her model, too. She

 

doesn’t do many portraits, you see.”

 

“Oh yeah? But she was saying she doesn’t choose her

 

subjects.”

 

“Well, she doesn’t, but… It’s a taste issue. She hates

 

people. No matter how she draws them, they complain, you

 

see. Plus, you know, because she used to be blind, and now

 

her legs are bad, and above all else she has that kind of

 

personality, she doesn’t get along well with anyone.”

 

“That’s how geniuses are.”

 

The only genius I’d ever heard of who was at all good with

 

human relationships was Gauss.

 

People like Michelangelo were all supposedly widely

 

disliked. But with Michelangelo, it was because he didn’t like

 

anybody to begin with.

 

“You don’t have to be a genius to be socially awkward,”

 

Maki-san interjected with a phony innocent expression.

 

Ah, indeed.

 

“That woman has a lot of pride about having reached

 

where she is on her own. So it’s no wonder she doesn’t get

 

along with Sonoyama-san.”

 

Indeed, Akane-san, who had honed her talents in a group

 

atmosphere at the ER3 system, and Kanami-san, who was a

 

raging individualist, were practically polar opposites. It was

 

only natural that they never hit it off.

 

“It was I who taught art to Kanami-san,” Shinya-san said.

 

“Her eyes got better, and… you have to understand, back then

 

she had nothing. No family, no special knowledge to speak of.

 

So I gave her a brush. I was only trying to comfort her, but

 

just a month later, she had surpassed me.”

 

“So you’re an artist, too?”

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 9 3

 

I hadn’t heard that.

 

He shrugged his right shoulder, a little embarrassed.

 

“After Kanami-san surpassed me, I quit. When Verrocchio

 

realized da Vinci had surpassed him, he broke his own

 

paintbrush. I, too, grew to understand his feelings in that

 

moment. With this person of unbelievable talent right next to

 

me all the time, there’s no need for me to paint pictures.”

 

That morning, Shinya-san had told me we were alike. I

 

didn’t know what he meant until now.

 

The Sakaki Shinya relative to Ibuki Kanami. It was just like

 

me relative to Kunagisa Tomo. Though he spoke badly of her,

 

it was clear to me now that Shinya-san had unconditional

 

affection for Kanami-san.

 

“So you’re the kind of guy who does everything for other

 

people, too, eh, Shinya-san?” Maki-san said, as if reading my

 

mind (what an analogy). “Of course in Shinya-san’s case,

 

there’s a charm to it, unlike with some people.”

 

“And why’s that?”

 

“He doesn’t go around blaming others.”

 

She was going to bring me down blow by blow.

 

“Um, hey hey…” Hikari-san interjected with a worried

 

look. “Who wants something to drink?”

 

“Some kind of soda would be good.”

 

“Certainly, right away.”

 

She pulled a small bottle of ginger ale out of the living

 

room fridge and quickly returned. With a bright smile, she

 

placed it beside me.

 

“Please enjoy.”

 

She really was quite the hard worker. I thought it would be

 

rude to keep fighting like this in front of her, so I forced my

 

wound-up nerves to relax.

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 9 4

 

Gah, there I go blaming things on others.

 

Damn…

 

Maki-san had me in the palm of her hand.

 

“Hikari-chan, gimme a drink, too,” Kunagisa said.

 

“Certainly!” She went over to Kunagisa with the ginger ale.

 

“Come to think of it, you’re underage as well, isn’t that

 

right, Kunagisa-chan?” Maki-san said. “But it’s okay, isn’t it?

 

How about it? Just one drink.”

 

“Please don’t encourage her.”

 

“My my, playing guardian, are we?” Maki-san sneered. “Ah,

 

how wonderful it must be to be young.”

 

“But you’re still young as well.”

 

“No, I’m already twenty-nine.” She spoke as if it were no

 

big deal, but I was a little surprised. She was always dressed

 

like such a kid, I figured she had to be about the same age as

 

Iria-san.

 

“Wow. So that means you’re the same age as Kanami,”

 

Shinya-san said. “Then Himena-san, you are still young. You

 

know, I’m already thirty-two years old. Once you pass thirty,

 

you really start to feel your age. You get winded easily and

 

such.”

 

“Hikari-san, how old are you?” I took the chance to ask.

 

“I’m twenty-seven.”

 

“So then, Akari-san is twenty-seven, too?”

 

“Yup. We’re triplets, after all.”

 

Twenty-seven… I repeated the number a few times in my

 

head. Twenty-seven years old. Akari-san and Hikari-san, both

 

twenty-seven. Maybe this is rude of me, but they really didn’t

 

look like twenty-seven. I almost wondered if there was some

 

sort of age-stopping mystery air flowing through the island.

 

Nah, not likely.

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 9 5

 

This wasn’t Neverland.

 

“Akane-chan is thirty, right? And I think Yayoi-chan is

 

about thirty as well. Boy, when you sit down and think about

 

it, everyone sure is young. Iria-chan must really like young,

 

female geniuses.”

 

“Pretty lousy hobby, if you ask me.”

 

Kunagisa nodded in agreement as she crammed her face

 

with cheese. Apparently having picked up a spicy piece, she

 

immediately went for the ginger ale and chugged it, but it

 

looked as if it went down the wrong pipe, and she released a

 

barrage of coughs. What the hell was she doing?

 

Shinya-san let out a sigh. “I thought if I brought Kanami

 

here to cohabitate with other people, she might change a

 

little. Kind of like when you send a truant kid off to camp. But

 

this strategy seems to have been off the mark. It was kind of

 

like a last resort. At this point, she’ll probably be living like

 

that for the rest of her life.”

 

Misunderstood by everyone.

 

Not expecting anyone to understand.

 

Not relying on anyone but herself.

 

Eating away at herself all the while.

 

“Well, that’s one way to live.”

 

“Look who’s talking.”

 

I don’t think I even have to mention whose line that was.

 

“Uh, speaking of which, Maki-san, why are you here on the

 

island?” Shinya-san said. “I’ve been wondering for a while. It’s

 

not just a vacation, is it?”

 

“It is. This place is a sweet deal. You get to live for free,

 

and you even get money for it. It’s Xanadu. If I use the Net, I

 

can even still do fortune-telling. It’s a world of convenience.

 

Nonstop good times.”

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 9 6

 

What a crappy excuse for an adult.

 

And pretty damn crappy, at that.

 

“I don’t recall hearing your story,” Maki-san said, breaking

 

my silence. “Why are you on this island then? And please don’t

 

tell me something like you came here just because Kunagisachan

 

said she was going.”

 

Don’t act like you don’t know, bitch.

 

Seriously, why was she picking on me like that? Maybe she

 

was really just making fun of me with no objective or reason

 

whatsoever.

 

It wasn’t unthinkable.

 

“Wrong,” she said, then looked over at Kunagisa.

 

“Fine, assuming guys like you don’t matter anyway, why is

 

Kunagisa-chan here?”

 

“Just a whim, just a whim. I don’t go making reasons for

 

every little thing I do.”

 

“I wonder.” Maki-san gave a suspicious grin. I didn’t know

 

what the deal with her personality was, but she seemed to be

 

getting along with everyone besides me rather well, including

 

Kunagisa.

 

“She’s clever, unlike you.”

 

“Ah, getting sick of this? Getting tense? Hehehe, but I

 

won’t stop. I’m gonna keep playing with you until I’m bored

 

of it.”

 

She wore an absolutely sadistic smile.

 

I felt like captured game.

 

“Telepathy, eh? Amazing as usual, Himena-san, but lay off

 

him,” Shinya-san cut in. “You’ve chased a whole lot of brilliant

 

people off this island doing that. He’ll be leaving soon enough

 

as it is, so there’s no need to send him home any faster, right?”

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 9 7

 

“Everyone I try to have fun with hates me. It’s

 

discrimination against people with superpowers, I tell you.”

 

Superpowers…

 

They talked about it like it was an everyday thing, but did

 

such a thing really exist? Indeed, at the ER3 system, as a

 

“comprehensive” research center, they had even conducted

 

advanced psychological research relating to super abilities.

 

Psychokinesis, ESP, DOP, levitation, and teleportation. I had

 

seen any number of papers on the inexplicable, unobservable

 

subject in my time in the ER3 program, and even met a

 

person who claimed it was for real (though he was a phony).

 

But all I had concluded was that no matter how you

 

thought about it, that stuff was a bunch of bull. None of those

 

papers really explained anything, despite how hard they tried

 

to arbitrarily cram facts into conclusions.

 

It was what they called “dry love.” The dry love-filled

 

thesis papers of these phony scientists were, to be fair,

 

amusing in their own right, but that’s all they were. They

 

certainly didn’t have what it took to convince someone of

 

anything.

 

“That’s just because you have a narrow mind.”

 

“Have you ever heard of the word privacy?”

 

“It’s not my fault. I see what I see and I hear what I hear.

 

And by the way, trying to run away is futile. No matter where

 

you go, I’ll know exactly where you are.”

 

“So, you have remote viewing and supersensitive hearing

 

powers, too!” Kunagisa said. “I know a lot of people with

 

special powers, but this is the first time I’ve ever met someone

 

with so many. Multimulti. Amazing.”

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 9 8

 

Despite knowing that our pasts, futures, and minds were

 

all possibly being read right now, Kunagisa was without a care

 

in the world. Or maybe she didn’t have any secrets to keep.

 

“I really wanted psychokinesis, actually, but I ended up

 

gravitating toward ESP for some reason. Too bad… I mean,

 

doesn’t teleportation seem so convenient?”

 

Psychokinesis—referred to as PK—and ESP were

 

academically defined as two completely different abilities. In

 

mainstream metapsychology, it’s often said that the existence

 

of ESP can now be proven, though the same cannot be said

 

about PK. This is because the idea of PK is something

 

completely inhuman, while ESP is simply an extension of

 

actual human senses.

 

“Fortune-telling is about all I can do with just ESP. It’s not

 

such a useful ability,” Maki-san said with a sigh.

 

Certainly there wasn’t much she could have done apart

 

from fortune-telling, but I still felt skeptical about the whole

 

idea.

 

“Maki-san, can you prove that you have these special

 

powers?”

 

“I don’t think I need to. How would you, for example,

 

prove that you are you? Would you show us your driver’s

 

license? Would you be convinced if I had a Superpowers

 

License? It doesn’t matter anyway. Whether you think it’s

 

true or think it’s a lie or think it’s something else, that doesn’t

 

affect anything anyway. Just like my knowing everything

 

doesn’t change anything.”

 

“Mmm, I wonder.”

 

“You sure have a lot of doubt. Ah, okay, how about I give

 

you your fortune again?” she said out of the blue, grinning at

 

me.

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 9 9

 

Damn, I hadn’t seen this coming.

 

“You deceived me the first time, after all. Yeah, let’s do it.

 

It’s a good opportunity for you. I almost never do fortunetellings

 

for free.”

 

“I’ll pass.”

 

“Quick answer. You really hate me, huh? Hehehe, my

 

mentor always taught me to ‘push people’s hatred onward,’ so

 

that’s what I do.”

 

“I can’t help but wonder if your mentor meant something

 

else.”

 

“You’re quite a liar, aren’t you?” She began her fortunetelling,

 

regardless of what I had said.

 

“You don’t like showing your emotions, but you don’t like

 

controlling them either, so you have many regrets. Even

 

though you let yourself get pushed around by other people’s

 

opinions, you’re quite independent. When faced with a

 

challenge, you run away without deliberating, but you’re not

 

dumb. And, you don’t like competition. Sound about right?

 

“Is that what you people call a ‘cold reading’?” I shot back.

 

“You could’ve just said anything. Those are all things that hold

 

true for any person, to some extent.”

 

“Is that so? Hmm, maybe. Then let’s talk about your

 

relationship with Kunagisa-chan. What we call a compatibility

 

reading. Hmm, both you and Kunagisa-chan are the type who

 

don’t need friends. Yet for some reason you stick together.

 

And the reason for that is? Oh my, this part is fairly skewed.

 

You stay by her side because you’re jealous of her. And while

 

you’re jealous of her ability to express herself freely, she

 

somehow looks unhappy, regardless of whether or not she

 

really is. You see this girl who has everything you want and

 

can do all the things you can’t do, yet she is still, for some

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 1 0 0

 

reason, unhappy, and that makes you feel better. That makes

 

you feel like it doesn’t matter if you can’t get what you want.”

 

“Really?” Kunagisa gave me a confused look. Whether it

 

was true or not, it wasn’t okay to say such a thing right in

 

front of Kunagisa.

 

I shook my head. “No, Maki-san, I think you’ve got me all

 

wrong. I’m not such a complicated guy. I’m simple as could

 

be.”

 

“Yeah, well, maybe, maybe not.”

 

“Say, Maki-chan,” Kunagisa said, moving closer to her. “If

 

that’s really the case, then why do I spend time with Ii-chan?”

 

“Sorry, but I can’t seem to read your mind or past.” Makisan

 

gave a shrug. “Occasionally I meet someone like that. I

 

guess it’s a compatibility issue or something, but the aura

 

surrounding them is very ambiguous and hard to decipher. It’s

 

like they’re in the dark, and it’s a little unsettling. It puts me

 

in a bad mood.”

 

So maybe she was just venting on me.

 

How awful.

 

“Himena-san, in light of the occasion. I’ll go ahead and ask

 

a question, too. How does it feel to be able to see the future

 

and read people’s minds and such?” Shinya-san said. “I’m just

 

curious.”

 

“Hmm. That’s like asking how things look to spiders with

 

their eight eyes. To attempt a simple explanation, it’s like

 

watching TV. It’s like the entire room is covered with TVs,

 

and I don’t have a remote. I can’t turn them off, and I can’t

 

change the channels, so all I can do is watch. It’s like having a

 

few more brains than regular people, if you can imagine that.”

 

I couldn’t.

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 1 0 1

 

“Now, what’s his face over there got us a little off-topic,

 

Kunagisa-chan, but I still haven’t heard why you came to this

 

island.”

 

“It was just on a whim. I tell you.”

 

“No. I may not be able to read you, but I know that’s not

 

why.”

 

Kunagisa wheezed out a strange sigh. She seemed a little

 

troubled. I wasn’t a big fan of Maki-san’s way of posing the

 

question, but to be honest, I had been wondering about it

 

myself. For what reason had Kunagisa, the ultimate shut-in

 

with no equal, been compelled to travel all the way out here

 

to Wet Crow’s Feather Island?

 

“Okay, I’ll tell you,” she finally said with a piece of cheese

 

on her tongue. “I’m interested in an incident that took place

 

here a long time ago.”

 

But I didn’t get the chance to learn any more. Just as I was

 

about to ask, “What do you mean, ‘incident’?” I bit down on

 

my tongue, hard. Thus, I was unable to get the words out. But

 

even if I miraculously had somehow, it never would’ve

 

reached Kunagisa’s ears, nor anyone else’s ears, including my

 

own.

 

It would have been drowned out by the other noise.

 

The shaking.

 

I soon realized it was an earthquake.

 

“Gah!” Shinya-san uttered.

 

“Everyone, please, stay calm!” urged Hikari-san, whose

 

profession demanded that she remain cool no matter what

 

happened.

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 1 0 2

 

Maki-san, who looked as if she had been expecting the

 

earthquake all along, reclined on the couch without a glint of

 

worry.

 

I tried to recall what I had learned about earthquakes back

 

in my first year of junior high school, when I was still in Japan.

 

Supposedly they would start with small tremors, and then get

 

bigger and bigger. I couldn’t quite recall which were S waves

 

and which were P waves, or figure out which were horizontal

 

and which were vertical tremors, but that didn’t matter.

 

At any rate, the strength of the shaking had jumped a few

 

levels. In a panic, I shoved Kunagisa—whose expression said “I

 

have no idea what’s going on”—onto the sofa and threw

 

myself on top of her. There was a chandelier right above her.

 

If that were to fall, she wouldn’t stand a chance of survival

 

with that tiny stature of hers. That was my thinking at the

 

time, anyway.

 

But my efforts seemed to have been in vain, because not a

 

moment later, the shaking died down. Of course, when I say

 

“not a moment later,” I mean in terms of real time. To me, it

 

felt only slightly less dragging and terrible than five minutes

 

with your hand on a stove.

 

In reality, the shaking had probably lasted for less than ten

 

seconds.

 

“Is it over?” I asked, still on top of Kunagisa.

 

“Yeah.” Maki-san answered. It was the word of a prophet,

 

and probably trustworthy. Meanwhile, Kunagisa groaned with

 

her face buried in the sofa, so I got off her for the time being.

 

“An earthquake… It was pretty big, too. I wonder what it

 

rated on the scale,” Shinya-san said, looking around the room.

 

The glasses and bottles on the table had fallen, and Hikari-san

 

had already reflexively begun to clean.

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 1 0 3

 

“Pardon me, Hikari-san. I’m going to borrow the phone.

 

I’m worried about Kanami.” He pointed to the house phone.

 

Hikari-san nodded. He headed to the white phone by the

 

cabinet.

 

“Hikari-san, do you have a radio or something?” I said. “I

 

want to check the earthquake’s level. Oh, Tomo, could you

 

look it up on the Internet?”

 

“Well, there’s probably already been a breaking news

 

bulletin. We’re technically in Kyoto right now, right? Oh,

 

wait, is that wrong?”

 

“It was a level 3 or 4. I can’t quite pinpoint the epicenter,

 

but it’s probably around Maizuru, where the level would be at

 

5,” Maki-san said quite matter-of-factly. “And it seems like

 

there weren’t many injuries, even in urban areas.”

 

“How do you know?” Perhaps it was inelegant of me to

 

pose such a question, but it just felt like the natural thing to

 

say.

 

She let out a big sigh before answering. “It’s like I’ve been

 

telling you, I just know. You may be smart, but you sure are

 

slow. Don’t have much of a memory either, it would seem.

 

Hey wait, doesn’t that make you stupid? Anyway, to use an

 

expression, I can see these things clear as day. Ibuki-san and

 

the others are all fine.”

 

“Ah, remote viewing and superhearing, was it?”

 

Distance wasn’t a factor for her. She could technically

 

watch TV somewhere on the other side of the ocean, and

 

even predict what would appear next. Complex ESP.

 

But even if she had just been making all of this up, there

 

was no way to check. But it was probably true that the

 

mansion hadn’t suffered much damage.

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 1 0 4

 

Shinya-san returned from the phone. “Kanami’s fine,” he

 

said. “She says she’s in the atelier. Some paint cans fell off the

 

shelf. It sounds like a big hassle, but at least she’s not hurt.”

 

“Should you go over there?”

 

He was her caretaker after all, and even if he hadn’t been,

 

he must’ve been worried about her, seeing as she couldn’t

 

walk.

 

“Nah, no need,” he said with a shrug. “She would probably

 

get ticked off if I did.”

 

“Why do you say that?”

 

“Because she told me not to come,” he said with a pained

 

expression of humility. “She says she’s working right now. In

 

fact, she’s working on your portrait. Sounds like she’s going to

 

turn it into a real masterpiece, so I’d better not bother her.”

 

“Even with Ibuki-san’s talent, there’s no hope if she used

 

such a terrible model,” Maki-san said.

 

“You really hate me, don’t you?”

 

“Uh-huh,” she nodded.

 

Geez.

 

Well, whatever. That’s how life had always gone for me

 

anyway.

 

I looked over at Hikari-san.

 

“Does this happen here a lot? Earthquakes, I mean.”

 

“Not a lot, really. Shinya-san, you’ve been through a few,

 

right?”

 

“Yes, but this one was unusually big.”

 

“I wonder if any furniture fell over. I’m a little worried.”

 

“If you’re going to fix things up, I’ll help.”

 

“No, it wouldn’t be right. Tomorrow we’ll deal with it

 

depending on Rei-san’s orders.”

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 1 0 5

 

She flashed a sweet smile. If she were a mother, her kids

 

would grow up proper for sure. If we hadn’t met in this kind

 

of place under these kinds of circumstances, I definitely

 

would’ve fallen for her. Or at least, I thought I would. It was

 

never going to happen, but I thought so.

 

“Teehee. That was my first earthquake in a while,”

 

Kunagisa mumbled, tossing her blue hair around as she finally

 

got up from the sofa. “I wonder if my computers are all right.

 

They should be. If the epicenter was in Maizuru, the mansion

 

should be okay, too. Boy, this takes me back to the Great

 

Hanshin quake. Say, Ii-chan, you were already in Houston in

 

those days, right?”

 

“Yup. For sure.”

 

I vaguely remembered seeing something about it on the

 

news back in my tiny room in America.

 

“That was a really tough time for me. I was still in Kobe

 

back then. Most of my computers crashed permanently. I was

 

so startled.”

 

Was “startled” really the most appropriate word to describe

 

living through that disaster?

 

“So shouldn’t you be worried about your computers? You

 

must be fully crammed with cheese by now. Let’s go back to

 

your room already.”

 

It seemed like the time was right, so I decided to leave the

 

living room. I didn’t trust that I had the self-control to stay

 

cool if I had to talk to Maki-san anymore. It seemed like a

 

good time to split.

 

As if able to read my every thought, Maki-san’s gaze

 

burned a hole through my back, and it took every ounce of

 

willpower in my body to ignore her. I pulled Kunagisa by the

 

arm and took her back to her room.

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 1 0 6

 

The three PC’s (I mean two PCs and one workstation) in

 

her room remained securely situated in the computer rack,

 

and the room had suffered no other damage.

 

Kunagisa let out a big yawn and stretched.

 

“Let’s turn in already. Having a full stomach really makes

 

you sleepy, huh? Ii-chan, undo my hair.”

 

“Do it yourself, will you?”

 

“Come on, it’s hard to undo a ponytail by myself. I’m not

 

flexible. It’s not that I can’t do it, but I’ll start aching. I’ve

 

broken bones that way, y’know.”

 

“I get it, I get it. You’re really adorable, you know that?”

 

I removed the band from her hair and ran a comb through

 

it. She let out a naughty little giggle. Once I was finished, she

 

dove into bed. She sunk herself into the mattress and rolled

 

around joyously.

 

“Take off that coat. How many times do I have to tell you?

 

And aren’t you hot?”

 

“This coat has special memories attached, so no dice.”

 

What memories? Even our dear fortune-teller, Himena

 

Maki, couldn’t read Kunagisa’s past. Maybe it had something

 

to do what that “team.”

 

“Anyway, Ii-chan, Kanami-chan and Akane-chan are pretty

 

terrible, but you and Maki-chan don’t seem to be on the best

 

of terms either.”

 

“Well, it’s more like she harasses me for no reason,” I said,

 

thinking about how similar this was to what Kanami-san had

 

said. “I don’t have any problems with her in particular.”

 

“Yeah, I’ll bet. You’re not aggressive enough to hate or

 

resent people. At the very worst, you get miffed, isn’t that

 

right?”

 

“You think? That’s interesting.”

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 1 0 7

 

“Just joking,” she snickered. “But Ii-chan, you’ve really

 

never fallen in love with someone before, have you?”

 

“Nope.”

 

“I love that about you.”

 

Snicker snicker.

 

Strange. She was being weirdly feisty. I wondered if maybe

 

that ginger ale had really been wine. I’d never seen her drunk

 

before, so I couldn’t imagine what she would be like.

 

“By the way, Tomo.”

 

“Vat eez eet?”

 

“Do you have any special powers?”

 

“Hmm… if I did, I wouldn’t mind at all,” she said with a

 

big grin. “I don’t really want any, but one can always dream.

 

It’s better for Santa Claus to exist than for him not to, right?

 

It’s just like that.”

 

“That’s an odd point of view.”

 

Even if she had special powers, she wouldn’t mind.

 

Hmm, indeed. That was surprisingly insightful. Whether

 

you had such abilities or not, it wouldn’t have much of an

 

effect on your daily life. Of course, now was a bit of an

 

exception.

 

Because we were on this island?

 

Because we were on this island.

 

I’m gonna go back to my room and turn in, too. See ya

 

tomorrow. If you’re planning to sleep now, I’ll come wake you

 

tomorrow, so let’s have breakfast together.”

 

“Hey, Ii-chan,” she called to me, still lying face-up on her

 

bed. “Let’s fool around.” She beckoned to me.

 

I paused, just for a second. “No,” I said.

 

“Weirdo. Good for nothing. Coward! Chicken pot pie!”

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 1 0 8

 

Yeah, yeah. I shut the door, went downstairs, and headed

 

to my room. It would have been truly awful to run into Makisan

 

in the hallway or something, but luckily no such incident

 

occurred. Perhaps she was still busy chatting it up with

 

Shinya-san.

 

I found a key sticking out of the door to my room. Maybe

 

it shouldn’t have been a surprise, seeing as it was supposed to

 

be a storage room, but I couldn’t help wondering about being

 

trapped inside if someone were to turn the key while I was

 

asleep. There was no way I could reach the window even if I

 

stood on the chair, so it really would be like solitary

 

confinement. Then again, there was nothing anyone could

 

gain by locking me up, so it was probably just excessive worry.

 

I entered the room, curled up on my futon, and stared at

 

the ceiling in thought.

 

I was of course thinking about what Maki-san had said

 

earlier.

 

Oh my, this part is fairly skewed. You stay by her side because

 

you’re jealous of her. And while you’re jealous of her ability to

 

express herself freely, she somehow looks unhappy, regardless of

 

whether or not she really is. You see this girl who has everything you

 

want and can do all the things you can’t do, yet she is still, for some

 

reason, unhappy, and that makes you feel better. That makes you feel

 

like it doesn’t matter if you can’t get what you want.

 

“Ha!”

 

Dammit.

 

“She’s exactly right.”

 

Akane-san of the Seven Fools had described Kunagisa and I

 

as a codependent pair, but really, Maki-san’s opinion was

 

closer to the truth.

 

To me, Kunagisa Tomo represented the thing I most

 

wanted to be.

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 1 0 9

 

No, that wasn’t it. That wasn’t it. To me, she was…

 

She was…

 

“She was what?”

 

The reason I chose a university in Kyoto rather than Kobe

 

was because she had moved to Kyoto. I also couldn’t deny

 

that she was one of the reasons I left Houston.

 

Why had I done all that?

 

As Maki-san had said, I wasn’t aggressive enough to have

 

feelings like love or hate. Even if someone were to bother me,

 

it was a feeling no different from being annoyed when it rains.

 

No matter how much disdain Maki-san had for me, no matter

 

how many malicious comments Kanami-san spit at me, no

 

emotion would ever build up inside me.

 

I couldn’t help but wonder.

 

Was I really human?

 

I didn’t understand other people’s feelings at all.

 

If they really existed.

 

If superpowers like the ones Maki-san claimed to use really

 

existed, perhaps I wanted some myself.

 

“Nah, I don’t need that,” I reconsidered.

 

If I could understand people’s feelings, it would just make

 

life all the more annoying. I wasn’t looking for a life with an

 

open Pandora’s box. I didn’t have the nerve for it.

 

“I’m just babbling nonsense here, dammit.”

 

I hate vacation. I just end up thinking too much. Well, I

 

don’t know if it’s really too much, but they’re the kind of

 

thoughts that can only lead to one’s downfall.

 

Four more days.

 

I could be patient.

 

I didn’t hate being patient.

 

Or at least, I was used to it.

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 1 1 0

 

Suffering and pain.

 

I was used to these things.

 

“Still, they don’t feel too good.”

 

Damn, I wanted to return to my peaceful life on the other

 

side of the sea, I thought as I fell into the night.

 

But the following day I would realize that these past three

 

days had been plenty peaceful.

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 113

 

There’s an up higher than up,

 

but at the very top, down is all there is.

 

It was a dreadful sight.

 

If I were to compare it to something, let’s see, yeah, okay.

 

Gruber Norbert’s painting The River. The same sort of creepy,

 

marble-colored river ran through the middle of Kanami’s

 

atelier, dividing it in half.

 

Seemingly due to the previous night’s earthquake, cans of

 

paint lay scattered around the room, and the simple, iron-pole

 

shelf had fallen over as well. The earthquake had caused the

 

shelf to tip, spilling cans everywhere, their contents dumped

 

on the floor, and this “river” was the result. It was a feasible

 

theory, and that’s no doubt how it had happened.

 

But while this “river” was a bizarre enough spectacle on its

 

own, the real issue lay on the opposite “riverbank.” It was

 

beyond imagination or speculation, and couldn’t be written off

 

as the earthquake’s doing. An earthquake capable of this

 

wouldn’t be found on this Earth.

 

The facedown body of a person lay on the floor, with a

 

noticeable vacancy from the neck up.

 

A headless corpse.

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 1 1 4

 

A beheaded corpse.

 

It didn’t matter much what words you chose to describe it;

 

it was what it was.

 

This body with the missing head was wearing the same

 

dress Kanami-san had been wearing the previous day. That

 

exquisite-looking dress that Kanami-san had boasted would

 

never get dirty while she was painting was now stained redblack

 

with blood. It didn’t look wearable anymore.

 

What’s more, there was no longer anyone to wear it.

 

Or let’s be more specific.

 

The wearer was no longer alive.

 

“This is… grotesque,” I uttered reflexively. It went without

 

saying, but the words just came out.

 

The room smelled like paint thinner.

 

Next to Kanami-san’s fallen body sat an overturned

 

wheelchair and a single canvas. It was far away so I wasn’t

 

sure, but the painting appeared to have been my portrait.

 

It was beautiful, a masterwork. Even from this distance,

 

separated by the river, I could tell. I felt the shock with my

 

body, not with my mind. In some ways it was more disturbing

 

than the sight of the headless body.

 

I recalled what Kanami-san had said the previous day. It’s

 

not art if you get to pick who looks at it.

 

Point taken. With this picture, I had no complaints.

 

Without a doubt, Ibuki Kanami was a genius.

 

To the point that it made me tremble.

 

And this made her death all the more devastating. It had

 

been a long time since I had felt devastated by anything, but I

 

was truly devastated by this.

 

By the death of Kanami-san.

 

The death of Ibuki Kanami.

 

“Why?”

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 115

 

Yes, Ibuki Kanami was dead.

 

I mean, who could stay alive after their head’s been

 

chopped off? Even Rasputin couldn’t have survived a

 

decapitation. And Kanami-san was just a physically normal

 

human being.

 

“Well, we shouldn’t just leave her like this,” I said, breaking

 

everyone’s silence. I looked over at Kunagisa. Her lower lip

 

stuck out dubiously, as if she had noticed something strange

 

about Kanami-san’s body. She appeared skeptical about

 

something. But now probably wasn’t the time to be thinking

 

about such things. If I had to give a reason for each and every

 

one of Kunagisa’s actions, I would surely die.

 

As I tried to take a step forward, she tugged at my arm.

 

“Ii-chan, wait a sec.”

 

“Huh? Why?”

 

“The paint isn’t dry yet.”

 

“Hmm? Oh, yeah.”

 

Crouching down and checking with the tip of my finger, I

 

found that she was right. My middle finger turned marblecolored.

 

“But now isn’t really the time to worry about things like

 

that.”

 

There was a cut-up dead body right in front of us. To

 

worry about dirtying your shoes at a time like this was beyond

 

trivial.

 

“Hey, I said wait!” she said. Then, before I knew what she

 

was getting at, she took off that black coat of hers and tossed

 

it right in the middle of the river of paint. It was like a

 

stepping-stone in the river.

 

“Wasn’t that your precious coat?”

 

“Its time had come.”

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 116

 

I tried to say something about her just tossing her

 

memories off like they were nothing, but as she had said,

 

there was a bigger issue at hand right now. Besides, what’s

 

done is done. With little recourse, I jumped to the coat, then

 

to the other side of the river.

 

I groaned.

 

It had been quite awhile since I’d last seen a headless body.

 

I removed my sweatshirt and placed it over Kanami-san’s

 

upper body.

 

I looked back toward the door, where everyone was

 

standing, and slowly shook my head.

 

There was no point using words.

 

“Everyone,” Iria finally said, “could I have us all gather in

 

the dining room? I think we need to discuss what we’ll do

 

from here on out.”

 

With that, she made her way for the hall. The four

 

maids—Rei-san, Akari-san, Hikari-san, and Teruko-san—

 

quickly followed close behind. Finally, the other guests began

 

filing out of the atelier, two by two and three by three.

 

The last ones to remain in the room were Kunagisa, me,

 

and Shinya-san.

 

He was staring at Kanami-san’s body, his face pale and

 

blank.

 

“Shinya-san…” Stepping back on the coat, I returned to the

 

other side. “Let’s go, there’s nothing we can do here.” It killed

 

me to say it.

 

“Oh… yeah. Right.”

 

His mind was off in a very different place. Despite his

 

response, he made no attempt to move. He stood completely

 

rigid, his mind unable to comprehend, refusing to comprehend

 

the sight before his eyes.

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 1 1 7

 

I understood how he felt.

 

If the same thing had happened to Kunagisa, I probably

 

would have been the same way. No, that’s not right. I

 

probably would have broken down and gone on a screaming

 

rampage. I know that’s hard to imagine for a guy like me,

 

who, as Maki-san would say, was “dead to all emotions,” but

 

that’s probably what would have happened.

 

In that respect, Shinya-san was truly admirable.

 

He didn’t look too good, but at least he hadn’t broken

 

down. And he could even speak. His mental faculties

 

remained intact, albeit just barely.

 

This is what separated him from me. I was just a kid.

 

Shinya-san was an adult.

 

I didn’t know what kind of relationship Shinya-san and

 

Kanami-san had, whether he was just her caretaker or

 

something more, or perhaps something less.

 

However…

 

Remembering the sad look in his eyes the previous night…

 

And seeing him now, I somehow understood.

 

“Ii-chan, let’s go ahead,” Kunagisa said, pulling on my arm.

 

“Yeah.”

 

And thus ended our tranquil lives on this island.

 

And thus began the next chapter.

 

The morning of the fourth day on the island had started

 

extremely normal. Really, extremely normal.

 

I awoke the same as always. By the time I got to Kunagisa’s

 

room, she was already awake and sitting at her computers. She

 

said she was checking her e-mail. “Do my hair,” she said,

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 118

 

without so much as a “good morning.” I put the hair on the

 

top of her head in two tails, what we called a “twin tail.” I

 

figured it would be easy enough for her to undo it herself this

 

time.

 

“I feel like breakfast today,” she said, so we headed for the

 

dining room. Peeking into the living room on the way, I found

 

that Maki-san and Shinya-san were still there drinking wine.

 

They must have been up all night drinking. “They sure aren’t

 

paying their age any mind,” I thought, but of course I stayed

 

quiet.

 

Out of courtesy, I invited them to breakfast and they

 

accepted. The four of us entered the dining room. Sitting at

 

the table were Akane-san and, making a rare appearance, Iriasan.

 

“Oh, what an unusual occurrence,” Iria-san also said. “To

 

have everyone gathered like this even in the morning… Well, I

 

suppose it was inevitable. Shall I call in the others? It would

 

be nice to all do breakfast together.”

 

She summoned the nearby Akari-san and asked her to go

 

fetch Yayoi-san, who was no doubt in the kitchen, and the

 

other maids.

 

“Well, I’ll go fetch Kanami-san,” Shinya-san said. “She’s

 

probably all done painting by now anyway. Hmm, I wonder if

 

she’s still sleeping. Ehh, she doesn’t get cranky in the morning.

 

Despite her lousy personality.”

 

He chuckled a bit at his own joke and looked at me. “Hope

 

you’re looking forward to seeing that picture,” he said, and left

 

the dining room.

 

It would have been the first time Kunagisa and I had done

 

breakfast with the entire group, but it never actually

 

happened.

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 119

 

When Shinya-san returned to the dining hall, what he

 

brought was the news of Kanami-san’s death.

 

“Kanami’s been… murdered.”

 

That’s how he phrased it, anyway, but it was quite a bit of

 

an understatement, if you ask me. There was no way she died

 

of sickness or an accident, or even suicide—she had been

 

beheaded.

 

Whatever the case.

 

This was a murder.

 

And not just a murder, but…

 

“Me? I was… right. After dinner, I was with Kunagisa the

 

whole time. I took a bath in her room, then she said she was

 

hungry, so we went to the living room. On the way we ran

 

into Akari-san. Isn’t that right? Right. In the living room we

 

met Hikari-san, Maki-san, and Shinya-san, and then… the

 

earthquake. There was an earthquake, right? We were in the

 

living room until that earthquake occurred. After that, I took

 

Kunagisa back to her room, and then… right, I went to sleep. I

 

woke up today at six, and I’ve been with Kunagisa ever since.”

 

I tried my best to sound calm, even under everyone’s gaze.

 

An alibi check.

 

Why we had to start with me, I don’t know, but Iria-san

 

had requested it, so there was no choice. It seemed she viewed

 

me as the prime suspect.

 

The dining room.

 

Eating my slightly cold breakfast.

 

No one else seemed to be able to continue with breakfast

 

after seeing the headless corpse, and indeed I was feeling

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 1 2 0

 

pretty squeamish myself but Yayoi-san’s cooking was so good,

 

I couldn’t just let it all go to waste.

 

The round table.

 

Iria-san, Teruko-san, Rei-san, Yayoi-san, Shinya-san,

 

Kunagisa Tomo, myself. Akane-san, Maki-san, Hikari-san, and

 

Akari-san. Everyone was sitting in their assigned seats, with

 

only Kanami-san’s seat, at the five o’clock position, empty. It

 

would never be filled.

 

Iria-san tilted her head at me a bit in response to my

 

testimony. Then she glanced over at Hikari-san in the ten

 

o’clock seat. “Hikari, is that true?”

 

“Yes,” she nodded. “Up until the earthquake occurred…

 

um… one o’clock, was it? Yes, one o’clock. The five of us

 

including me were talking the whole time. I can vouch for

 

that.”

 

“Did anyone get up and leave for a while?”

 

“No,” Hikari said with a bit of uncertainty. “I don’t think

 

so… although I couldn’t say for certain.”

 

“No one left,” Kunagisa said, coming to her rescue. “And

 

I’ve got a perfect memory. Nobody left the living room.”

 

“Is that so?” Iria closed her eyes. “In that case, you and

 

Kunagisa-san, Sakaki-san, Himena-san, and Hikari can all

 

account for one another up until the earthquake, is that right?

 

How about after the earthquake?”

 

“I slept alone, so I suppose I don’t have an alibi.”

 

“Thank you. Well then, I suppose I should go ahead and

 

give my alibi next. Last night I was with Rei and Sashirono-san

 

in my room talking. Yesterday’s dinner was even more

 

delicious than usual, so I was asking her about the recipe. Isn’t

 

that right, Sashirono-san?”

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 1 2 1

 

Possibly because her name had suddenly come up, Yayoisan

 

looked a bit startled. “Yes,” she nodded quickly.

 

Rei-san shrugged a bit, but said nothing. If you thought

 

about it, she must’ve been a really cool-headed person. Of

 

course Teruko-san was quiet as ever, but Rei-san was more

 

silent than you would have imagined. Whether she was just

 

being loyal to her employer or this was just her natural

 

personality, I wasn’t sure.

 

“The earthquake happened, and… then I decided to go

 

back to my room,” she said as if struggling to remember.

 

“That’s right,” Iria-san nodded. “After that, Rei and I were

 

up all night talking. Kunagisa-san will be leaving soon, so I

 

thought we should discuss the idea of holding some kind of

 

fun event… you know, like a farewell party. That’s the

 

tradition here. Anyway, we ended up forgoing sleep, so I just

 

came straight here for breakfast.”

 

In other words, Iria-san and Rei-san had perfect alibis.

 

Yayoi-san, like Kunagisa and I, only had an alibi up until the

 

earthquake.

 

“Shinya-san and I have complete alibis as well,” Maki-san

 

said. “Kunagisa-chan and the rest can confirm that up until the

 

earthquake, and Shinya-san and I can vouch for each other

 

after that. My, alcohol is just wonderful.”

 

Just how trustworthy was a drunk person’s testimony?

 

Maki-san must’ve known I was thinking that, because she

 

glared at me. But without a word to me, she turned to Shinyasan.

 

“Isn’t that right?” she asked.

 

“Oh, yeah, right,” he replied vacantly.

 

“Hmm… Hikari, what did you do after the earthquake?”

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 1 2 2

 

“I went back to our room. Akari and Teruko were there,

 

too. After that, I went to bed. I woke up today at five o’clock,

 

and then got back to…”

 

“What about Akari and Teruko then? Akari, answer.”

 

“After dinner, we didn’t have any work left to do, so…” she

 

paused, with a hand to her cheek as she tried to think.

 

“Teruko and I were together in our room the whole time.

 

Then the earthquake happened, and Hikari came back soon

 

after that. That’s when we decided to go to bed.”

 

“The three of you share one room?” I asked. Akari-san’s

 

eyes shot in my direction as if she never would’ve guessed I

 

would speak up.

 

“Yes, the three of us share a room. Is something wrong

 

with that?”

 

“Oh no, nothing.”

 

Just wondering. I bowed to her. I wanted to ask if they

 

shared the same futon as well, but I decided to stay quiet.

 

Hmm…

 

That meant that Akari-san and Teruko-san had solid alibis

 

up until the earthquake as well. After that, they had all gone

 

to bed, so they couldn’t really vouch for one another.

 

Teruko-san nodded a bit after listening to Akari’s

 

testimony, but ultimately said nothing. It was a simple

 

gesture, but somehow hard to understand.

 

“This is becoming quite complicated.” Iria-san looked

 

toward the last possible suspect, Sonoyama Akane-san. “What

 

about you?” she said. “What were you doing last night?”

 

Akane-san, who had been closely observing the situation

 

up until now with arms folded and mouth shut, let out a sigh.

 

“Judging from the fact that nobody’s mentioned my name up

 

until now, it’s probably pretty obvious, but, yep, I wasn’t with

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 1 2 3

 

anyone last night.” She spoke unhesitatingly. “After I finished

 

dinner, I went back to my room and got on the computer. I

 

was working on some modeling, and, well, I’ll spare you the

 

boring details. There should be a log, so you could check that

 

for proof, but I suppose that kind of thing can be forged. I

 

guess you couldn’t call it an alibi.”

 

“I don’t know much about computers. What do you think,

 

Kunagisa-san?”

 

“Hmm?” Kunagisa’s head popped up (hell of a time to be

 

daydreaming). “Oh. With a degree of skill, a person could

 

easily manipulate something as simple as a log. Akane-chan,

 

how much do you know about computers?”

 

Akane-san smirked. “There’s probably no point in

 

answering that.”

 

“Oh, okay,” Kunagisa nodded. “Yeah, I guess you’re right.

 

With the right tools, even an amateur could alter a log. It’s not

 

like it’s very hard. You can find that kind of software all over

 

the place.”

 

“Isn’t there a way to see if the log’s been altered?” I asked.

 

“There is, but that can be faked, too. Just about anything’s

 

possible with a computer, you see, so it’s hard to use one to

 

confirm an alibi.”

 

Kunagisa Tomo. Invited to this island as the leader of that

 

“team.” She was peerless in her field, so there was no way she

 

was wrong. In which case, Akane-san had no alibi to speak of.

 

Akane-san let out another sigh. “But I suppose I have to

 

make a defense for myself or else you’ll have me on a cross. So

 

I’ll just go ahead and say it: I didn’t do it. Certainly I hate

 

artists, but I don’t think they’re worth killing. They’re already

 

dead when they’re alive. It wouldn’t be worth the effort. I had

 

nothing to do.”

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 1 2 4

 

She probably meant to say, “I had nothing to do with it,”

 

but at any rate, she didn’t seem to be bluffing or playing

 

tough, and it didn’t seem like an act, either.

 

“Okay, everyone please hold on a minute. I need to work

 

this out in my head.”

 

“Um, before that, please hold on,” I said to Iria-san. The

 

conversation was growing bizarre. Hold on before we hold on?

 

“Um, Iria-san, what exactly are you trying to do?”

 

“I’m sorry?”

 

“It’s just that this all feels really strange to me, and… of

 

course, this is your island and your mansion, so I know it’s

 

probably better not to say anything, plus I’m not even really a

 

guest, but I’m asking anyway. What exactly are you trying to

 

do?”

 

“Well. I’m trying to get to the bottom of this, of course,”

 

she smiled softly. “It seems pretty clear to me,” she continued.

 

“Ibuki-san was murdered by someone. And in this case, that

 

means she was murdered by someone in this room. As you

 

said, this is my island and my mansion. One of the guests I’ve

 

invited here has been killed, and the murderer is right here.

 

Surely you don’t think we can just leave this alone?”

 

She glanced over the crowd with an ironic smile.

 

Indeed, she was right. This was a remote island. A remote,

 

deserted island, completely isolated.

 

Wet Crow’s Feather Island.

 

If there were twelve people on the island and one was

 

killed, the murderer had to be one of the remaining eleven.

 

Even elementary school students can do that sort of basic

 

arithmetic.

 

“Gosh, another death,” Iria-san said with a sigh.

 

Another? Did she just say “another”?

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 1 2 5

 

“And another decapitation, at that. Could it be that this

 

island is cursed? Say, Himena-san, can you see into that?”

 

“You’re the one who’s cursed,” Maki-san answered. “The

 

island is just an island. If anything is cursed, it’s you.”

 

As disheartening a statement as that was, Iria-san replied

 

with a strange smile. “Maybe so.”

 

Ah, it all made sense. It had seemed strange to me that

 

despite her attitude, Maki-san was able to get along so well

 

with everyone other than me, but now I got it. Nobody else

 

on this island cared about what other people said.

 

“Mmm, but this is a fairly simple case. Maybe there’s no

 

need for all this questioning. After all, the time of the incident

 

is fairly laid out for us.”

 

“Is it?”

 

“It is. You saw it, too, right? All that paint got knocked

 

over during the earthquake, and Ibuki-san’s body was lying on

 

the other side. How wide do you suppose that river of paint

 

was?”

 

Nobody ventured an answer, so I went ahead. “At a quick

 

glance, I would’ve said about ten feet.”

 

“Right, not that big but certainly not small enough to jump

 

over. So we can confirm that the murder must have happened

 

before the earthquake.”

 

The shelf had fallen over in the quake, resulting in that

 

marble-colored river. What did that mean? The quake must

 

have been more intense than I had realized, but that’s not all.

 

What did that river really mean?

 

“Hold on a second,” Akane interrupted. She looked a bit

 

concerned. “This conversation doesn’t bode well for me. You

 

know why?”

 

Why?

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 1 2 6

 

Everyone besides Akane-san had an alibi prior to the

 

earthquake.

 

I was with Kunagisa the whole time. Same with Hikari-san,

 

Maki-san, and Shinya-san. Same deal with Akari-san and

 

Teruko-san. And of course, Iria-san, Rei-san, and Yayoi-san.

 

Everyone had an alibi and could vouch for one another.

 

Iria-san was right. There was no way someone could jump

 

that marble river of paint the earthquake had created.

 

Likewise, there was no way to cross the river without stepping

 

in the paint and creating footprints.

 

In which case…

 

The murder had to have happened before the earthquake.

 

The only one with no alibi at that time was Akane-san.

 

Indeed, this didn’t bode well for her at all.

 

“Iria-san,” she clucked. “I’m just going to ask you straight.

 

Do you think I did it?” That certainly was straight.

 

“Yes,” Iria-san admitted just as directly. “I mean, who else

 

could have?”

 

Akane-san broke eye contact with Iria-san and said

 

nothing. She was at a loss for an effective argument despite

 

that Seven Fools brain of hers. Feeling some sliver of a

 

connection with her somehow, I wanted to jump in and save

 

her, but if a member of the Seven Fools couldn’t think of a

 

rebuttal, there was no way a program dropout could.

 

An awkwardness hung in the air for a while, but it was

 

Kunagisa who broke it.

 

“That’s wrong,” she said. “I don’t think that logic

 

completely makes sense, Iria-chan.”

 

“Oh? Why is that?” Iria-san seemed strangely glad to hear

 

it. “Ah, I see. You’re talking about the possibility of an

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 1 2 7

 

accomplice. I suppose there is that possibility. That would

 

make everyone’s alibis a little shaky.”

 

“No, not that. Even if you don’t consider an accomplice,

 

you’re missing something. Right, Ii-chan?”

 

“Huh?” I blurted out, completely surprised that I would be

 

pulled into this.

 

“Come on, Ii-chan, tell her. About what happened last

 

night.”

 

“Last night… something happened?”

 

Looking fairly irritated, Kunagisa clammed up. This was a

 

fairly rare thing for her.

 

“What can I say? Unlike you, I have a bad memory.”

 

“Geez, you really don’t remember? Your memory isn’t bad,

 

it’s nonexistent! Do you always forget things this important?

 

After the earthquake. Shinya-chan made a call to Kanamichan,

 

right?”

 

“Oh. Oh. Oh!”

 

Hikari-san and Shinya-san looked up in surprise.

 

That’s right. Shinya-san had called Kanami-san after the

 

quake and confirmed that she was okay. Confirmed that

 

nothing had happened to her.

 

Wow, that was important, just like Kunagisa said. What

 

did that mean though? What would happen now?

 

“In other words, Kanami-chan must have been killed after

 

the earthquake.”

 

“Hold on a sec,” Iria-san said in a bit of a panic. “But that

 

river of paint…”

 

“Well, Iria-chan, that must mean this…” she paused for a

 

moment. “The atelier was locked.”

 

Everyone exchanged glances for a moment.

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 1 2 8

 

That river of paint was unjumpable for sure. It was ten feet

 

wide. Maybe it was possible if you were a long-jumper, but

 

even then, there was no space to get a running start. If you

 

considered that, the murder must have happened before the

 

earthquake, just like Iria-san said, but then Shinya-san’s story

 

wouldn’t have made sense. Immediately after the earthquake,

 

Kanami-san had neither been killed nor harmed.

 

“Sakaki-san,” Iria-san said, “that was Ibuki-san’s voice for

 

sure, right?”

 

He went even paler, with a confused expression written on

 

his face. At last, he nodded. “Yeah, it was definitely Kanami.

 

No mistake. She said she was busy, and that the paint had

 

fallen over so everything was a mess. She had to have been

 

alive after the earthquake.”

 

“I heard Sakaki-san talking on the phone as well,” Hikarisan

 

told her mistress. “He asked me if he could use the house

 

phone and… I think Ibuki-san must have been alive still.”

 

“Yeah, she was still… he clutched his head in anguish. “If I

 

had only gone to the atelier instead of neglecting my duties.

 

Dammit! I’m scum! I’m nothing but scum!”

 

There wasn’t much to say to that. Only that in the end, it

 

wasn’t earthquakes or blizzards or fire that was frightening.

 

It seems there is some kind of solace to be found in regret.

 

It serves as an escape from what’s right before your eyes.

 

You end up pinning all your bad deeds on the “former you.”

 

It’s hardly what you would call self-condemnation.

 

When you are regretting something, you’re technically

 

being good.

 

I’m not saying Shinya-san was a monster. People are just

 

wired that way. If anyone was a monster, it was me, for only

 

being able to nitpick at people’s flaws like this.

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 1 2 9

 

“This is starting to get strange,” Akane-san said, stroking

 

her chin. “According to Shinya-san, Hikari-san, and Kunagisasan’s

 

testimony, the murder must have happened after the

 

earthquake. But after the earthquake, the river of paint had

 

already been formed, in which case there is nobody who could

 

have killed her. In which case…”

 

“That’s right, Akane-chan.” Kunagisa interrupted. She had

 

that look she gets when she’s starting to find something

 

interesting. “This is an incredibly strange situation.”

 

“When you say the atelier was locked, you mean…” Iriasan

 

nodded, seemingly convinced. “Hmm. Indeed, even now,

 

that paint isn’t dry, huh? Could there have been a way to

 

climb over it and enter the room? Say, Akari, where’s the

 

house phone in Ibuki-san’s atelier?”

 

“It’s beside the window, on a phone stand,” Akari-san

 

answered with great certainty.

 

Iria-san crossed her arms and considered this. “Kunagisasan,

 

you’ve posed this question, but I don’t suppose you know

 

the answer already? Do you know who did it?”

 

“Nope,” Kunagisa answered, strangely confident.

 

Of course, I didn’t know, either.

 

Nobody knew.

 

“What about the window? Is it possible that the person

 

entered through the window?” Shinya-san asked.

 

Hikari-san answered. “But it’s the second floor. I don’t

 

think it’s possible. And I’m pretty sure that window is locked

 

from the inside, so—”

 

“So it can’t be opened from the outside at all?”

 

“Probably,” Hikari-san answered.

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 1 3 0

 

Check. So the window was impossible, and so was the

 

door. It couldn’t have happened before the earthquake or after

 

the earthquake, so…

 

Okay.

 

We were at a complete dead end.

 

Everyone fell into silence once more. And then, eyes

 

started shifting back toward Akane-san.

 

“Huh?” she seemed a little surprised. “Hey, I thought I had

 

cleared myself.”

 

“Maybe not,” Iria-san said. “Clearing that paint river is

 

impossible, right? So, ultimately, it must have been before the

 

earthquake.”

 

“What about what Shinya-san said?”

 

“He could’ve been tricked. Maybe it was an auditory

 

hallucination or something.”

 

Auditory hallucination? Nonsense. It was beyond nonsense.

 

I had to say something.

 

“I think that’s just what you want to believe,” I said.

 

“I don’t think so,” Iria-san said, unfazed by my opinion.

 

“Even supposing it wasn’t auditory hallucination, it could have

 

easily been some other sort of misunderstanding. There’s no

 

crossing that river of paint, that much is for sure. Thus, it’s

 

only logical to presume the murder happened before the

 

earthquake, in which case it couldn’t be anyone but Akanesan.”

 

“This isn’t good,” Akane-san said, seeming truly worried. “I

 

know this probably won’t help my case any, but I can’t help

 

but feel like Akari-san and Teruko-san’s alibi is a little sketchy.

 

I mean, family members vouching for each other? It wouldn’t

 

hold up in a court of law.”

 

“We’re not talking about a court of law,” Iria-san said flatly.

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 1 3 1

 

“I didn’t think so,” Akane-san said as if she expected such a

 

response. “Still, determining the criminal by process of

 

elimination doesn’t make much sense. It’s silly. And simply

 

ignoring Sakaki-san’s testimony isn’t exactly what I would call

 

logical thinking. It’s selective thinking.”

 

“Selective thinking?”

 

Akane-san shot me a look, as if to say, “Will you please

 

explain?”

 

“A confirmation bias,” I blurted, suddenly remembering

 

from my program training that one is never to reveal his own

 

stupidity to a “senior.” “In other words, it means when you

 

only consider testimonies and evidence that suit your opinion

 

and write off all evidence to the contrary as some kind of

 

fluke. Actually, they say that in supernatural ability

 

experiments, they”—my eyes wandered over to Maki-san—

 

“they use it a lot. ‘Dry Love,’ wasn’t it? They obsess over any

 

evidence that suggests these abilities exist while ignoring any

 

evidence that suggests they don’t. It’s their way of getting

 

desirable results, I guess.”

 

“I don’t really follow you.”

 

I had gone to all that effort to remember these things, and

 

here Iria-san wasn’t even listening. What a waste of breath.

 

Akane-san sighed deep.

 

“I suppose Ibuki-san and I were on pretty awful terms, but

 

still…”

 

I recalled their nasty bickering from the previous night’s

 

dinner. It didn’t exactly do wonders for her case. Certainly it

 

wasn’t only Akane-san’s lack of an alibi that made Iria-san

 

doubt her so much, but this as well.

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 1 3 2

 

Of course, it wasn’t that I didn’t understand Iria-san’s

 

feelings. But if you took Shinya-san’s testimony into account,

 

even Akane-san couldn’t be a suspect.

 

It was an uncommitable crime. There were no suspects.

 

There was one victim and zero suspects. The situation didn’t

 

make any sense. And thus to fix it…

 

“Sakaki-san’s testimony seems a little shady after all,” Iriasan

 

said, staring right at him. “Even if it’s not a lie, it’s got to

 

be some kind of misperception or dream or some such.”

 

“But I heard him talking on the phone,” Hikari-san said.

 

Iria-san shook her head. “It’s not like you heard Ibuki-san’s

 

voice, right? Sakaki-san is the only one who heard her voice

 

directly, which means…”

 

“Come on, that’s—” Shinya-san started to protest, but as if

 

realizing he had no basis for an argument, he went silent.

 

“Hmm. Well, if that’s the way it is, I guess there’s no

 

choice but to suspect me. That’s one way to look at things,

 

anyway,” Akane-san said, almost as if she was talking about

 

someone else. Even now, she didn’t seem to be lying or acting.

 

Sonoyama Akane, ER3 system, Seven Fools. She seemed all

 

too used to this kind of pandemonium. “But still, you don’t

 

have any proof. Iria-san, even if you are the mistress of this

 

island and this mansion, you wouldn’t treat me like a criminal

 

without any proof, would you? This may not be a court of law

 

here, as you say, but it’s not some dusty old detective novel,

 

either, right? You can’t just assume I’m the criminal based on

 

this unformulaic process of elimination and selective thinking.

 

Nobody can do that.”

 

“But Sonoyama-san, you also can’t prove that you’re not

 

the criminal.”

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 1 3 3

 

“You can’t ask the innocent to prove their innocence. You

 

can’t prove the unprovable. I’m innocent until proven guilty.”

 

“You’re talking law again.”

 

Akane-san’s shoulders slumped. “Well, what’s your point,

 

Iria-san? So I’m the prime suspect. Fine. That’s absolutely

 

right. I’m the only one with no alibi before the earthquake.

 

Nobody could have entered the atelier after the earthquake.

 

Sure, I’m with you on that, too. Therefore, Sakaki-san’s

 

testimony becomes suspicious. Makes sense. So what now?”

 

So…

 

What now?

 

“What should we do?” Iria-san looked around the table

 

with a troubled expression. It seemed she hadn’t thought any

 

further than this. How anticlimactic.

 

“Throw me to the police or whatever you want,” Akanesan

 

said, brushing the bangs from her face.

 

Akane-san of the Seven Fools being sent off to the police?

 

“I hate the police,” Iria-san said, still perplexed as she

 

stared up at the ceiling. “Oh, what to do?”

 

A heaviness filled the air once again.

 

I whispered to Kunagisa. “Hey, Tomo.”

 

“What’s up, Ii-chan?”

 

“Isn’t there some way to stop this witch hunt?”

 

“There is.”

 

“Yeah?”

 

“Yeah, but”—she looked up at me—“you ought to do it,

 

not me.”

 

“Yeah, okay,” I nodded, then raised my hand.

 

Iria-san called on me with a confused look. “Yes, you.” Ah,

 

good. It was so nice not to be ignored.

 

“I have a suggestion.”

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 1 3 4

 

“Yes?”

 

“How about using the room I’ve been staying in? It looks

 

like you can only lock and unlock it from the outside. What if

 

we kept Akane-san there for a while?”

 

“Kept her there?” She eyed me dubiously. “You mean like

 

imprisonment?”

 

“Not imprisonment, exactly. Not imprisonment, just… a

 

brief period of seclusion. Iria-san, I think the biggest thing we

 

have to fear right now is that this turns into a string of

 

murders. Kanami-san was killed. Okay, that’s already said and

 

done. I hate to be so frank about it, but what’s done is done.

 

But more important, we can’t let anyone else die. The

 

quickest way to deal with a situation like this is to isolate the

 

prime suspect. If Akane-san really is the murderer, naturally

 

she won’t be able to commit any more murders. If, on the

 

other hand, someone else used some kind of trick and

 

managed to sneak in and kill Kanami-san after the earthquake,

 

then that person would be brought to a standstill. After all, if

 

they tried anything again, it would prove Akane-san’s

 

innocence.”

 

I looked around to see people’s responses.

 

“In other words, create an antagonistic environment, so

 

that the killer can’t move around. This includes Akane-san, as

 

well as everyone else. The atelier may have been locked, but

 

locked doors are made to be unlocked. There might have been

 

some trick. There might not have been. That doesn’t matter.

 

What matters is that we don’t know either way. Akane-san

 

might have done it. Someone else might have. Even I might

 

have. I might not. So I think the best thing to do is create a

 

situation where the killer can’t do anything.”

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 1 3 5

 

“Ah, I get it,” Yayoi-san said, a bit to my surprise. “That

 

makes a lot of sense. I’d have to say I agree. I don’t think

 

there’s a very solid basis for suspecting Sonoyama-san alone.

 

Iria-san’s reasoning seems rather arbitrary.”

 

Iria-san gave her a quizzical look. Nonetheless. Yayoi-san

 

continued.

 

“I don’t think it’s a bad idea. But you don’t intend to just

 

lock her up forever, right? In that awful room?”

 

Hey, I’ve been sleeping in that awful room, dammit.

 

Lousy bourgeoisie.

 

“Well, just until the police arrive. This is a private island, it

 

shouldn’t take more than a day or two to get an investigator

 

out here.”

 

“I’m not calling the police,” Iria-san said, completely

 

surprising me.

 

Eh? Pardon me, madame, what was the horrible thing you

 

uttered?

 

“I mean, what’s the point, right? Even if we call the police,

 

they’ll just figure Sonoyama-san was the criminal and it’ll end

 

there. The police won’t do anything.”

 

It wasn’t Iria-san’s words that I found suspicious, but her

 

facial expression. The police won’t do anything? Why did she

 

say that with such a stern face?

 

“But we can’t just not call the police. If we did that, there

 

wouldn’t be any point in confining her.”

 

“Not necessarily. We just have to piece things together

 

while she’s in there. We’ll track down the real culprit with

 

evidence and reason. Doesn’t that make sense to you?”

 

“Will you be the one investigating then, Iria-san?”

 

Something about Iria-san’s idea of using “reason” didn’t sit

 

well with me at all. But to my surprise, she shook her head.

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 1 3 6

 

“No, not me, of course. Don’t you remember? I told you

 

yesterday, didn’t I? In a week—no, six days—that wonderful,

 

marvelous human being is coming to this island.”

 

The detective of this proverbial mystery novel. Iria-san’s

 

favorite.

 

Iria-san’s hero.

 

“Surely Aikawa-san will crush this problem to

 

smithereens.”

 

To smithereens. What an expression. And she didn’t look

 

like she was exaggerating, either.

 

“Six more days, huh?” Akane-san said cynically, letting her

 

crossed arms drop down beside her. “Well, whatever. Fine fine

 

fine. I know I’m not guilty, but if this is what it takes to

 

convince you, what can I say? I presume we can trust this

 

Aikawa-san?”

 

“Yes. Of course.” Iria-san gave a confident nod. You could

 

feel her utmost faith in this hero of hers just from looking at

 

her.

 

Akane-san let out one more big sigh. “Fine. Let’s do it

 

then.”

 

“I wonder if that was really the right thing to do,” I said as I

 

played with Kunagisa’s hair. She said it was too heavy all tied

 

up high like that and wanted me to redo it. Here I had

 

thought it was adorable, but if she didn’t like it, I had no

 

choice.

 

Everybody had since split up, and the two of us had gone

 

back to Kunagisa’s room.

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 1 3 7

 

“I think it’s okay. It’s pretty much what I expected to

 

happen. Akane-chan must be kinda grateful, too, eh? It’s a

 

way better idea than continuing that unproductive bickering,

 

anyway.”

 

“Hmm, I wonder…”

 

As the one who had suggested the idea in the first place, I

 

couldn’t imagine Akane-san was too happy about it. I felt a

 

little guilty. It might well have been the only solution, but I

 

couldn’t help but wonder if there was some other way.

 

“All done.”

 

“‘Sankyuu.” She crawled over to her computer rack and sat

 

down with her back to me. Then she switched on the power

 

and started typing away.

 

“I just… I feel like we’ve wronged Akane-san.”

 

“Maybe so. But some things can’t be avoided, y’know, Iichan?”

 

After breakfast, Akane-san had gone off to my room on her

 

own two feet. It had been decided that Akari-san and the

 

others would deliver meals to her directly, and that she would

 

have to call them from the room phone every time she wanted

 

to use the bathroom.

 

Akane-san had requested a reading lamp so she could pass

 

the following six days reading books she had brought.

 

Six days… Objectively speaking, the room wasn’t a

 

particularly bad environment. But the door couldn’t be

 

unlocked from the inside and the window was way high up—

 

there was virtually no means of escape. In that sense, it really

 

was imprisonment.

 

Six days.

 

It really was too long to be locked up.

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 1 3 8

 

“If only Iria-san would call the police, we wouldn’t have to

 

do all this. It’s like she’s trying to cover up the incident

 

altogether.”

 

“But Iria-chan is right, y’know? If she had called the police,

 

they would’ve blamed Akane-chan and closed the case right

 

there. Or even if they didn’t convict her, she would’ve been a

 

suspect. I mean, wouldn’t you want to avoid something like

 

that? Seriously, one of the Seven Fools becoming a murder

 

suspect?”

 

“Do you know a lot about the ER3, Tomo?”

 

“I’ve got a few acquaintances from over there. But I’m sure

 

you know more than I do.”

 

“Speaking of Seven Fools, Akane-san didn’t have criminal

 

immunity or anything, did she?”

 

“But it would be even worse of a situation for me, not to

 

mention Yayoi-chan and Maki-chan, who are both well

 

respected. Nobody needs a scandal like this to deal with. Of

 

course the same goes for Iria-chan. So it’s only natural that she

 

isn’t calling the police.”

 

“Natural, huh?”

 

It was probably this island itself that was unnatural. But

 

judging from Iria-san’s manner, I got the feeling there was

 

more to the story. Like she had some more fundamental

 

reason for not wanting to call the cops.

 

“Do you suppose Iria-san has some specific reason for

 

disliking the police?”

 

“Well, what if we asked her?”

 

“I doubt she’d tell us.”

 

“Yeah, maybe. Anyway, why worry about it? Once this

 

Aikawa character Iria-chan’s so crazy about gets here,

 

everything will be solved. It’s just another six days.”

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 1 3 9

 

“Yeah, but…”

 

Iria-san was the mistress of the island, and if she said no

 

police, there was no going against her. For what it was worth,

 

there would probably be no more murders with Akane-san

 

locked in seclusion. But still…

 

“Say, Tomo.”

 

“What, Ii-chan?”

 

“I want to ask a favor.”

 

“I accept. What is it?”

 

“Can you do something about that locked door?

 

“I don’t know, but for you, I’ll try.”

 

There was no need to spend the next six days just sitting

 

around. I was the one who had proposed this course of action

 

in the first place, so I had a duty to give the case some serious

 

thought.

 

“If we can figure this case out quick, we won’t have to

 

keep Akane-chan locked up in there, whether she did it or

 

not.”

 

She swiveled her chair around to face me. She beckoned

 

me closer. “Here, here.” I walked over to the computers as

 

told.

 

“For the time being, I’ve typed up everyone’s alibis.”

 

Ibuki Kanami (murdered)

 

Sonoyama Akane

 

Before earthquake: X

 

After earthquake: X

 

Kunagisa Tomo

 

Before earthquake: O (Ii-chan, Hikari, Maki, Shinya)

 

After earthquake: X

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 1 4 0

 

Sashirono Yayoi

 

Before earthquake: O (Iria, Rei)

 

After earthquake: X

 

Chiga Akari

 

Before earthquake: Δ (Teruko)

 

After earthquake: X

 

Chiga Hikari

 

Before earthquake: O (Ii-chan, Tomo, Maki, Shinya)

 

After earthquake: X

 

Chiga Teruko

 

Before earthquake: Δ (Akari)

 

After earthquake: X

 

Sakaki Shinya

 

Before earthquake: O (Ii-chan, Tomo, Maki, Hikari)

 

After earthquake: O (Maki)

 

Handa Rei

 

Before earthquake: O (Iria, Yayoi)

 

After earthquake: Δ (Iria)

 

Himena Maki

 

Before earthquake: O (Ii-chan, Tomo, Hikari, Shinya)

 

After earthquake: O (Shinya)

 

Akagami Iria

 

Before earthquake: O (Rei, Yayoi)

 

After earthquake: Δ (Rei)

 

“Look about right?”

 

“I understand the O’s and X’s, but what are those

 

triangles?”

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 1 4 1

 

“Akane-chan was right about family testimonies. Iria-chan,

 

Rei-chan, Akari-chan, Hikari-chan, and Teruko-chan seem like

 

a pretty upstanding bunch, so for now, they get a check. It’s

 

just that, well, their alibis seem kind of shaky.”

 

She scrolled down the screen and checked the alibi chart

 

one more time.

 

“For now, let’s ignore the possibility of an accomplice,” I

 

said. “And that includes family ties. If we assume that much,

 

we can remove Shinya-san and Maki-san from the suspect list.

 

Oh, and also Rei-san and Iria-san.”

 

Four people down.

 

Seven people left.

 

“If Shinya-san’s testimony was accurate, then the locked

 

room with the paint becomes a problem. But if it was a lie,

 

that means only Akane-san could have done it.”

 

“I can’t imagine why Shinya-chan would lie, though.”

 

“Well, it could’ve been a misunderstanding or something

 

rather than a lie.”

 

Well, how about that.

 

I was starting to sound like Iria-san.

 

“But you know, Akane-san really is the prime suspect here,

 

objectively speaking.”

 

“Yeah, you can’t help but think that, looking at this chart.

 

No matter how fair or sympathetic you are, it doesn’t change

 

the fact that she’s the only one without any smidgen of an

 

alibi. If that weren’t the case, she probably wouldn’t have

 

accepted this whole seclusion idea.”

 

“Yeah, for sure. So, Tomo, do you think Akane-san did it?”

 

“I wouldn’t say that. Like she said herself, there’s no

 

evidence. You can’t decide who the criminal is by process of

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 142

 

elimination alone. We haven’t even examined Kanami-chan’s

 

body yet, either.”

 

“Ah, and I suppose there is still the fact that the room was

 

locked.”

 

“But if you take that into account, nobody could’ve done

 

the crime. Ii-chan, you have any ideas about that?”

 

“I’ve got a few,” I said as I pondered. “Maybe I’ll figure

 

something out after a little while. How about you, Tomo?”

 

“I’ve got tons of ideas,” she said. “Just need to give it a little

 

more thought and it should all fall into place. Oh, and Iichan?

 

Whether or not Shinya-san’s testimony is true, I think

 

the murder happened after the earthquake.”

 

“Huh? Why?”

 

“That picture of you. Do you really think she could’ve

 

finished a picture like that before the earthquake? I don’t

 

think so.”

 

“Well…”

 

It was tough to say. Kanami-san was pretty damn fast when

 

it came to painting. But if what Kunagisa said was true, then it

 

was all the more certain that the door had been locked. That

 

wouldn’t be the most helpful development in the case.

 

“And then there’s the headless body itself.”

 

I nodded.

 

Regardless of who killed her, why would they cut her head

 

off?

 

“They say to beware of swapped identities when the bodies

 

show up with no head, but I don’t suppose there’s any need

 

for doubt in this particular case. There were twelve people,

 

one had her head cut off, and now there are eleven. And we

 

know exactly who and where those eleven people are.”

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 1 4 3

 

“If it was one of those three maid sisters who got killed, it

 

would’ve been a real problem, huh?” Kunagisa said. “But with

 

Kanami-chan, there’s probably no need to worry about it. If

 

there were other people on this island it would be different,

 

but y’know.”

 

“We don’t need to consider that notion, either. If we

 

assume there are X number of other people on this island, all

 

this narrowing down of suspects and alibi searching becomes

 

pointless. I don’t know what this ‘detective’ coming in six days

 

will have to say about it, but for now let’s just worry about

 

the eleven people we know about.”

 

“You said it,” she said, gaping at the ceiling. “Now, if you

 

consider the possibility of an accomplice or some kind of

 

remote trickery, only you and I can be taken off the suspect

 

list.”

 

“Why me, too?” I said.

 

“ ‘Cuz I trust you,” she answered coolly. “Still, why did it

 

have to be a beheading? Body-switching is the only feasible

 

reason I can think of. But I wonder… maybe that’s not even

 

how she died.”

 

“Yeah. If it was, there wouldn’t have been so little blood. It

 

would’ve been more like a river of blood. But at a glance,

 

there didn’t appear to be any stabbing wounds or anything, so

 

maybe she was poisoned or strangled. I mean, just to

 

speculate.”

 

“I wonder if she went down easy.”

 

“Probably. Her legs didn’t work, and even though her

 

eyesight had come back, it definitely wasn’t perfect. Once you

 

approached her, the act of killing her probably wouldn’t be

 

very difficult. And cutting off the head wouldn’t be much of a

 

challenge, either.”

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 1 4 4

 

As long as you didn’t hesitate, it would only take a few

 

minutes.

 

“There’s no clear motive, either. Why did Kanami-san have

 

to be murdered?”

 

“Nobody has to be murdered. But yeah, I wonder why.

 

Aside from Shinya-chan, everyone here only just met Kanamichan,

 

right? Hmm, but maybe that’s not the case. Maybe

 

somebody actually had some connection with her before

 

coming here. It wouldn’t be so strange.”

 

“I guess you could presume just about anything on that

 

subject.”

 

In which case, there was no point in presuming anything.

 

Kunagisa let out a groan.

 

“Well, let’s just worry about these other details first, and

 

figure out who knows who later on.”

 

“How are we gonna do that?”

 

“Who do you think you’re talking to?” She grinned at me.

 

Of course.

 

This blue-haired girl had a “background,” so to speak.

 

“Now then, shall we do a crime scene investigation?” She

 

picked up her nearby digital camera.

 

On the way to Kanami-san’s room, we passed by Yayoi-san. I

 

meant to greet her, but there was something unapproachable

 

about her, and I missed my chance. She continued walking in

 

the opposite direction. We had passed right by each other, but

 

it was like she hadn’t even noticed our existence.

 

“I wonder what she’s up to,” Kunagisa said. “Something

 

seems a little strange about her.”

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 1 4 5

 

“She looked kind of worried about something. Or maybe

 

just in deep thought.”

 

“Hmph. Maybe she was looking around Kanami-chan’s

 

room, y’know? Maybe she had the same idea as us. Solve the

 

case quick so we can all go home.”

 

“Hmm, I wonder. She’s been here the longest, right? I

 

doubt she’d suddenly want to just pack up and leave.”

 

“Eh, maybe. But personally I hate islands where murders

 

take place.”

 

“I really wonder about that.”

 

Just before we all scattered from the dining room, Iria-san

 

had laid down a rule. “Until Aikawa-san gets here in six days,

 

nobody leaves the island. We’re all suspects here, myself

 

included.”

 

In other words, Akane-san wasn’t the only one being

 

imprisoned. And it wasn’t just curiosity motivating Kunagisa

 

to dig deeper. She wanted to go home as planned. As lazy as

 

she was, she was strangely anal about plans.

 

“Well, either way is good. I certainly wouldn’t mind if

 

Yayoi-chan solved this case for us.”

 

“I don’t think that’s what she’s up to. She had a sort of

 

melancholy, somber vibe about her. I can’t help but wonder if

 

she was disposing of evidence or something.”

 

“That would certainly suck a lot for us,” Kunagisa said,

 

eyeing me through the digital camera. “Let’s hurry up and

 

check it out.”

 

Kanami-san’s door had been left open. You could see the

 

inside of the outward-opening door. Nobody seemed to be

 

around. I wondered what everyone else was doing, except

 

Akane-san, who was presumably in the storage room. But I

 

decided to set that thought aside for the time being. People

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 146

 

will do as they please, insofar as they’re allowed. That was

 

true on this island, and it was true anywhere else.

 

The room smelled like paint thinner as usual, but the paint

 

seemed to mostly be dry by now. Kanami-san’s body remained

 

in the same place it had been this morning, and looked

 

otherwise exactly the same.

 

“So let’s check it out…”

 

There’s something terribly… comical about a headless

 

body. What makes dead bodies so creepy and terrifying is that

 

emotionless expression on the face, but with no head to

 

display that face, the creepiness and terror is replaced with

 

hilarity. It’s like looking at a screwed-up attempt at a plastic

 

model or something.

 

The marble river. Kunagisa’s tossed coat remained right in

 

the middle.

 

“By the way, about that coat. How much was it?”

 

“It was part of a two-piece set for about twenty thousand, I

 

think.”

 

“Dollars?”

 

“Nah, yen.”

 

Wow, an average price. I was a little surprised.

 

“Well, might as well go inside.” I tried to take a step

 

forward, but she tugged on my sleeve just like she had that

 

morning. “What now?”

 

“Try jumping.”

 

“Huh?”

 

“C’mon. It’s an experiment. Get a little running start here

 

and see if you can jump that paint river. Your athletic skills

 

aren’t so bad, right?”

 

“They’re not so good, either.”

 

“Give it a shot.”

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 1 4 7

 

“You got it.”

 

I revved myself up a bit and gave my best leap, but as

 

expected, I couldn’t clear the river. I landed on both feet, only

 

slightly past the center point.

 

“That’s all you’re gonna get.”

 

“Hmm.” Kunagisa stepped across, using her coat as a

 

stepping-stone. “If you can’t even do it, Shinya-san’s the only

 

person here who might even have a chance. He’s the only

 

other guy and all.”

 

“Yeah, but those maids seem pretty able-bodied, to be

 

honest. I mean, they carried all your luggage, including those

 

PCs and the workstation. Those things ain’t light.”

 

“Yeah, but they’re all petite. It’s just a matter of width.

 

Hmm, but then again, people always say ability matches

 

necessity. I guess that detail is a little fuzzy. Now, let’s see

 

what’s going on with Kanami-chan.” She approached Kanamisan’s

 

body, camera in hand.

 

She seemed to be particularly interested in examining the

 

body, while I was more concerned with Kanami-san’s

 

canvases. There were several lying around, including the

 

cherry blossom picture she had smashed up, as well as the

 

redo. I had to tremble at the sight of it. Even I, who had not

 

so much as a passing interest in art or aesthetics, couldn’t deny

 

that I was looking at sheer, untainted beauty.

 

And then there was the picture I had modeled for.

 

Kanami-san had promised to give it to me, but I couldn’t

 

accept something like this. I didn’t have nerves of steel, after

 

all.

 

“I’m probably just babbling here, but…”

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 148

 

I went to pick up the painting, but then stopped myself. It

 

might have been bad to leave any fingerprints behind. Then

 

again, it might not have mattered.

 

Huh?

 

“Hey, Tomo.”

 

“Yeah?”

 

“Isn’t there something weird about this painting?”

 

“You mean that picture of you? Hmm? What’s weird? It’s

 

a normal painting.”

 

Certainly Kunagisa’s taste wasn’t the most ordinary thing

 

in the world, either, but that was beside the point. Something

 

about the painting was off, in a maddeningly subtle way. It

 

wasn’t anything about the image itself, but just the strange

 

feeling of absurdity it somehow conveyed.

 

“Well anyway, go ahead and snap a picture of it, will ya?

 

Something about it bothers me.”

 

“Got it. Hmm, I’m still not finding anything unusual over

 

here.”

 

She appeared to be inspecting Kanami-san’s body.

 

“Really?” I said, walking over to her.

 

“Yep. I’m no professional though. The cause of death is

 

still a mystery, and I can’t narrow down the time of death,

 

either. Without a coroner, it’s probably impossible. If only

 

Iria-chan had invited a medical genius here, too. Y’know, like

 

Blackjack or something. Then again, even with a coroner, it

 

would probably be pretty hard without the body’s head.”

 

“I guess we’re not going to figure anything out here after

 

all.”

 

“Yep.” She lifted the corpse up under her arm. Even years

 

she had no qualms about touching a dead body. “Kinda takes

 

me back, y’know? It’s just like the old days.”

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 149

 

“Yeah, you’re right, but… It doesn’t feel like that to me.

 

It’s like I’m seeing a dead body for the first time all over again.

 

It’s been bothering me for a while.”

 

There was this sort of an unspeakable, disconcerting

 

feeling. Like when you find a scar on your own body you

 

don’t remember having.

 

“It’s jamais vu.”

 

“It’s what?”

 

“The opposite of déjà vu. It means you feel like you’re

 

doing something for the first time, even though you’ve really

 

done it many times before. Supposedly it happens when your

 

senses have been numbed.”

 

Then my senses must have been numbed some time long

 

ago.

 

A lot of things had happened abroad, after all.

 

“Anyway,” Kunagisa said. “There aren’t any stab wounds.

 

So maybe she was strangled after all. And then to hide the

 

bruises, the killer cut her head off.”

 

“It sounds crazy, but… here’s what I don’t get. Whatever

 

the killer used to cut the head off—knife, ax, hatchet,

 

whatever it was—why didn’t they just use that to kill her?”

 

“Maybe they did. There are no stab wounds, but that’s just

 

on the body. Maybe they stabbed her in the head.”

 

“Hey yeah, maybe,” I said. “Speaking of that, where do you

 

suppose the head went? I wonder where the killer took it. I

 

mean, if the killer took it.”

 

“Half the island is forest. Maybe they buried if somewhere

 

out there. Or they could’ve tossed it out to sea. Disposal

 

probably wasn’t much of a problem.”

 

“Which brings us back to the question, why did the killer

 

cut her head off?”

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 1 5 0

 

But that question was a dead end.

 

“I’ve got one more question, Ii-chan. Take a look at this.

 

The head is cut off from the very base of the neck, right? Why

 

is it cut like that? Don’t you think that if you were going to

 

decapitate someone, the normal place to make the cut would

 

be around the center of the neck?”

 

The position of the cut was indeed unnaturally low, but I

 

wouldn’t have thought it was something significant.

 

I crossed my arms and said nothing. This crime scene

 

investigation didn’t seem like it would yield any clues after all.

 

At best, we had confirmed that the river of paint couldn’t be

 

jumped. But that seemed more like a step backward than

 

progress.

 

Kunagisa went over to the phone stand by the window and

 

picked up the phone receiver.

 

“Hmm, nothing unusual here, either.”

 

“You thought there would be?”

 

“I thought maybe the circuit had been rigged so that calls

 

to this phone would connect to a different phone. But there

 

doesn’t seem to be anything wrong on this end. Doesn’t look

 

like it’s been tinkered with, either.”

 

“The phone, huh? Say, how’d it go again? What did

 

Kanami-san say to Shinya-san?”

 

“The paint spilled, I’m busy working so don’t bother me,

 

stuff like that. But Shinya-san should’ve gone to check on her

 

even if she told him not to. It may seem strict, but it’s his duty

 

as a caretaker.”

 

“You’re right about that. But there’s no use talking about

 

what’s already done.”

 

And anyway, Shinya-san already has to bear that burden

 

himself. It wasn’t particularly our place to lay the blame on

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 151

 

him, and there was no need to do so. It’s a crazy world, but

 

it’s also a world where we have to take responsibility for our

 

own actions. And sometimes we also have to take

 

responsibility for our own lack of action.

 

“Is it possible that they restored the phone back to normal

 

afterward?”

 

“Well, I wouldn’t say it’s totally impossible, but it

 

practically is. It’s not like plugging and unplugging a cord or

 

something.”

 

“Yeah, good point. I guess we’ll have to look at other

 

possibilities. Like the locked door.”

 

“You think I was lying?”

 

Suddenly I heard Shinya-san’s voice from behind me, so I

 

spun around. He stood in the doorway with some kind of

 

orange bag in his hands.

 

“But I could hear Kanami’s voice for sure. That’s no lie.”

 

From the sound of his voice, he seemed pretty worn out.

 

Which probably goes without saying.

 

“I’m not saying you lied, Shinya-san. We don’t have

 

anything that certain. But is it possible that the voice you

 

heard wasn’t hers?”

 

“No,” he answered. “I’d known Kanami for a long time.

 

There’s no way I would mistake her voice. Are you doubting

 

me?”

 

“It’s not like that. There’s no reason you would have killed

 

her, after all.”

 

“I dunno, maybe we weren’t on the best of terms.” He gave

 

a weak smile. Then he stepped through the dried paint and

 

approached us. Upon closer inspection, it became clear what

 

the orange bag was. It was a sleeping bag. He looked up at me.

 

“We can’t just leave her here, right?” he said. “I got permission

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 152

 

from Iria-san and everything. I’ve decided to bury her on the

 

mountain out back. It’s not like Iria-san’s going to call the

 

police, and this is all her property anyway. Burying Kanami is

 

all I can do now.”

 

“We’ll help you,” I said. He tried to think of an appropriate

 

response, but realizing the benefit of having two extra people

 

helping him, he said nothing.

 

Together we lifted up Kanami-san’s body and silently put

 

it inside the sleeping bag. I know it goes without saying, but

 

her flesh was completely devoid of warmth.

 

“Shinya-san, do you have something to dig with?”

 

“There should be a big shovel back by the entrance.

 

Kunagisa-chan, shall we have you carry it for us? Hmm, say, is

 

that a digital camera?”

 

“Yup.” Kunagisa nodded. “We have to keep a record of the

 

crime scene for when Mister Detective shows up. I don’t think

 

the corpse will demand publicity rights, after all, right?”

 

That was probably the worst way she could’ve phrased it,

 

but Shinya-san responded with a nod and a smirk. “I see. Shall

 

we go, then?”

 

“Um, Shinya-san? About this painting…”

 

“Hmm? Ah. Kanami’s painting. It’s nice, isn’t it? It’s the

 

last painting she ever did, but she was intending to give it to

 

you, so please take it.”

 

“Is it okay?”

 

“I want to honor her last wishes.”

 

Her last wishes.

 

Yes, she was dead. Nothing left to fulfill.

 

“Get her feet, will you? I’ll carry the head, and—” He cut

 

himself off, most likely realizing there was no head to carry.

 

Without saying anything, I picked up the legs.

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 153

 

He no doubt wished he could bury the head with the

 

body, but its whereabouts remained unknown. Either the

 

killer was hiding it somewhere, or it had already been tossed

 

into the woods or thrown into the sea, like Kunagisa said.

 

Holding on to the legs, it occurred to me how heavy the

 

body was. Heavier than you’d expect. It probably wasn’t

 

impossible for a single person to carry, but two people was

 

definitely better.

 

From that point on, none of us spoke. In silence we lifted

 

her body and left the mansion; in silence we headed for the

 

mountain in the back; and in silence we dug a hole.

 

The sleeping bag that held her body was such a cheaplooking

 

orange excuse for a coffin, I couldn’t help but find it

 

comical. In that moment, I felt like human death is nothing

 

but a big joke.

 

People die. That was something I knew all too well, to the

 

point that it was stifling, to the point that I wanted to vomit,

 

and Kunagisa knew it, too. And Shinya-san, being a fullfledged

 

adult, had no doubt been touched by death in the past

 

as well.

 

That’s probably why we were all so quiet.

 

Finally, Shinya-san spoke. “You two can go back now,” he

 

said. “I’m going to stay here a little longer.”

 

I wanted to say something, but I didn’t. Kunagisa pulled on

 

my hand, and we left without a word. Maybe Shinya-san was

 

going to cry. Maybe not. Either way, we no longer had a

 

reason to linger.

 

After all, we were just bystanders.

 

“I wonder if it was okay to just go ahead and bury her,”

 

Kunagisa said.

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 1 5 4

 

“I think so. Shinya-san seems to be the only thing she had

 

resembling a loved one, and that’s what he wanted to do. And

 

we couldn’t just leave her lying in the atelier all week.”

 

“True. True, but…”

 

“Say, Tomo. How big a crime do you suppose it is to

 

abandon a corpse?”

 

“You’d probably get less than a three-year sentence. But

 

you’d probably get off with parole, too. But you and I are both

 

underage anyway, so no worries. No matter what happens, we

 

can get off with a little money.”

 

What a tasteless conversation.

 

Not that I was looking for a tasteful one.

 

“I’m just babbling here…”

 

Kunagisa gave me a funny look.

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 1 5 6

 

What exactly were you trying to do?

 

Lunch was prepared by Hikari-san. Yayoi-san had complained

 

of being under the weather and was now resting in her room.

 

Indeed, she did seem pretty pale when we passed her in the

 

hall.

 

“It’s nothing like what Yayoi-san makes us, but please

 

enjoy,” Hikari-san said with a shy smile, and then left the

 

dining room. That left only me and Kunagisa… and Maki-san,

 

who seemed to be in the middle of lunch. I did my best to

 

ignore her as I crammed Hikari-san’s cooking down my throat.

 

Kunagisa didn’t seem to be hungry, so she was just tagging

 

along, staring off into space.

 

“Hey, boy-o.” As expected, Maki-san was going to harass

 

me. “Looks like you’ve been having some fun, eh? Eh?”

 

“Isn’t this what you said would happen?”

 

“Hmm? What do you mean?”

 

“That things will get worse before they get better. Isn’t that

 

what you said at dinner yesterday? What a lovely precognition

 

that was.”

 

“I sense a bit of sarcasm there, but I’ll go ahead and take

 

that as a compliment.”

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 1 5 7

 

“If you knew this was going to happen, couldn’t you have

 

prevented it?”

 

“No. All I can do is watch and listen. I think you’re

 

misunderstanding my abilities. Psychic abilities aren’t such a

 

great convenience. I told you before, didn’t I? It’s like

 

watching TV. Can you alter the contents of a TV show?”

 

She gave a mocking smile as she shoveled down her meal.

 

Something about her resembled Kunagisa, I thought. She

 

was so emotionally immature, yet at the same time she

 

seemed somehow enlightened. In the aftermath of Kanamisan’s

 

murder, she seemed completely unfazed. In fact, it

 

didn’t seem like anything could faze her.

 

“Then please inform us, what’s going to happen next?”

 

“Sure. If you pay me.”

 

Suddenly she looked furious, and without another word,

 

she got up and stormed out of the dining room. Why was she

 

so mad?

 

“That was cold of you, Ii-chan.”

 

“What was?”

 

“Forget it. If you’re done eating, let’s go back to my room.

 

We’ve got things to do.”

 

“Yeah, okay.”

 

Maki-san must just have been a moody person. I decided to

 

assume that was the case and give it no further thought. I

 

didn’t know what darkness lurked in the heart of someone

 

who knew everything.

 

We returned to Kunagisa’s room. First we unloaded the

 

digital photos onto her PC with a USB cord. Then she

 

switched on the workstation and inserted a floppy disk.

 

“What’s on the disk?” I asked.

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 1 5 8

 

“Tools. My original creations, of course. It’s set up so that

 

they only run on this workstation, so even if I drop the CD it’s

 

okay. Now let’s get to the bottom of this.”

 

To put it plainly, what Kunagisa was about to do was

 

illegal.

 

But I guess you could also call it “research.”

 

Including Kanami-san, there were twelve people.

 

Excluding Kunagisa and me, there were ten. As planned,

 

Kunagisa was going to run a background check on these ten

 

people and find out who knew whom.

 

Kanami-san had been murdered. There must have been a

 

reason for that. Of course, there are those murders that occur

 

for no apparent reason, but the other type is overwhelmingly,

 

absolutely, and depressingly more common. Supposedly

 

everyone here had met for the first time on the island, but

 

what if that wasn’t the case? The possibility was there, and

 

just thinking about it wouldn’t do much good.

 

And thus it was time for Kunagisa Tomo, leader of the

 

“team” that had thrown the cyberworld of the previous

 

century into total chaos, to act.

 

“So what now?”

 

“First I’m gonna access the hi-spec machine I’ve got back

 

home. This workstation doesn’t have the power we need.”

 

“Even though it’s got so many terabytes?”

 

“This has nothing to do with that. Ii-chan, you really don’t

 

know anything, do you?”

 

“Quit saying that. I might not know as much as you, but I

 

know a little. I took an electronic engineering class back in

 

Houston, at least.”

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 1 5 9

 

“Really? Sounds like a lie to me. Weren’t you the one who

 

always used to have to go to the convenience store and be like

 

‘Will you copy this disk for me? Here’s ten yen’?”

 

“That was before I went to Houston.”

 

Curse that memory of hers.

 

“Well, whatever. That’s Ii-chan for ya,” she said. “Anyway,

 

then I’m gonna set up ten UG servers at platforms and contact

 

Chii-kun.”

 

“Chii-kun? Never heard that name before.”

 

But I could’ve guessed it was a member of the “team.” I

 

asked if it was, and she nodded.

 

“Chii-kun was mainly in charge of ‘seeking.’ There’s

 

nothing in the universe he can’t track down.”

 

In the universe?

 

This was a freakish pack of talented people indeed.

 

“He’s got a terrible personality, but he’s a good guy.”

 

“He’s not the guy who made that operating system, is he?

 

That was Atchan, right? So what’s this Chii-kun doing

 

nowadays?”

 

“He’s in prison. He got a 150-year sentence. Oh, plus eight

 

years—158 years. He kept hacking on his own even after the

 

team disbanded, and tried to crack the G-eight database, but

 

he was caught. He made it pretty far, but he got stuck at the

 

eighty-eighth line of defense. Hehe, if you get too good at

 

something, it’s always the easy stuff that gets you in the end.”

 

“You sure know a lot about it.”

 

“Yup. I was the one who designed that line of defense.”

 

I made no reply.

 

“I had heard a rumor that Chii-kun was after top-secret

 

UN information. I couldn’t just let the situation be, so I

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 1 6 0

 

contacted a few friends and we set up a defense. Even then it

 

was a close call, which is a testament to his skill.”

 

“So that’s how he got thrown in prison? You really think

 

he’ll help us? In fact, how can he help us from prison? They

 

don’t have the Internet in there, do they?

 

“There’s always an exception to the rule, y’know. And

 

Chii-kun happens to be pretty exceptional. And he’ll

 

definitely help out. Chii-kun’s not the type to sweat the small

 

stuff.”

 

She continued typing away even while she talked. I already

 

had no idea what she was doing.

 

“Why do you call him Chii-kun?”

 

“His Net handle is Cheetah.”

 

“Kind of a smarmy handle, huh?”

 

“Yeah, well, he’s a fast guy. He says he’s hit cars before.”

 

“What, you mean while driving?”

 

“No, while running. I’m pretty sure he was the first person

 

in Japan to be fined for hitting a car while on foot.”

 

How’s that for eccentric?

 

Did Tomo attract these kinds of people like a magnet?

 

Nah, maybe talent just attracted like talent.

 

“Don’t ever introduce us.”

 

He sounded like the kind of person I’d rather quietly

 

observe from a distance.

 

Kunagisa nodded. “You got it. We all have rules, after all.

 

We never introduce friends to each other no matter what.

 

‘Cuz friends aren’t information. I don’t want you introducing

 

me to any of your friends, either, Ii-chan.”

 

“Sure… So I guess I’ll just leave all this up to you then? If

 

you’re going to be talking to that guy, I probably shouldn’t be

 

hanging around, huh? And I’ve got a few places to go, too.”

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 1 6 1

 

“Peace out,” Kunagisa saluted.

 

With that, I left her room and made my way down the

 

spiral staircase. There I paused for a deep breath, and began

 

down the hallway. I was on my way to Iria-san’s room. Hikarisan

 

had given me directions earlier, so I didn’t think there was

 

any danger of getting lost.

 

Even in a mansion like this, where everything was of the

 

finest quality, the door to her room was of exceptional

 

craftsmanship. I doubted whether the sound of my knocking

 

would even reach the other side of such a chunky door.

 

Nonetheless, after giving it a try, the wave of sound did

 

somehow appear to reach the inside, and my knock was

 

answered with a “Come in!”

 

I opened the door and went inside. The room was probably

 

twice the size of Kunagisa’s. It wasn’t straight out of a movie,

 

it was an entire movie in and of itself. It was like the legendary

 

Urashima Taro.

 

The words receive an audience came to mind.

 

Head maid Rei-san sat on the sofa with Iria-san standing

 

beside her. They must’ve been in the middle of a

 

conversation.

 

Iria-san tilted her head at me. “Is something the matter?

 

Um…” Her expression was clueless. It seemed she had

 

forgotten my name. Or rather, couldn’t remember ever having

 

said or heard my name.

 

“I wanted to talk to you about something.”

 

“Certainly. Please take a seat there.”

 

I was thrown off by her cooperativeness. As ordered, I sat

 

myself on her sofa, which was even swankier than the sofa in

 

Kunagisa’s room. It was like sitting on air.

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 1 6 2

 

“I didn’t get much sleep last night. I was about to go to

 

bed, so please keep it short.” She slowly began removing her

 

dress as she spoke, presumably to change into her sleepwear.

 

Rei-san immediately rose to her feet, but hesitated to raise

 

complaint with Iria-san’s actions and ultimately said nothing.

 

Seriously, this was about what you’d expect from a

 

“woman of pedigree.” The gaze of a mere plebeian meant

 

nothing to her. What a crock.

 

“Iria-san, why won’t you call the police?”

 

My question brought her to a halt. “I believe I’ve already

 

explained that. If we call the police now, they’ll treat

 

Sonoyama-san like the criminal.”

 

“But isn’t that what we’re doing already? We’ve already

 

locked her up. And aren’t we committing crimes here?”

 

“Sheltering a criminal, imprisonment, and… abandonment

 

of a corpse, right?” She continued changing. “So what’s wrong

 

with that? Murder, theft—those are crimes. And Sonoyamasan

 

isn’t being imprisoned, really. She gave consent. And

 

besides, aren’t you the one who suggested it in the first place?”

 

Indeed, that was the case.

 

There was nothing I could say to that.

 

Iria-san continued.

 

“The people gathered here are the VIPs of the world. I

 

refuse to allow them to become victims of the boorish

 

government. And why call for excess meddling? Nobody

 

wants that. Plus”—she grinned—“no matter who did it, I don’t

 

intend on subjecting anyone here to the law. Even if it means

 

exercising the full wealth of my family’s foundation, I’ll be

 

protecting them.”

 

“Why?”

 

“Because geniuses are above the law.”

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 1 6 3

 

Of that, she sounded totally sure of herself. But her words

 

didn’t sit well with me. It meant that if Shinya-san or I were

 

the criminal, she wouldn’t protect us.

 

God, what a feeling.

 

What a crappy, crappy feeling.

 

“How do you define the word genius?” Iria-san suddenly

 

asked.

 

“Well, doesn’t Kretchmar describe it as ‘an individual

 

capable of having a strong and extraordinary impact on the

 

assertive values of a vast variety of people’?” I answered after a

 

moment’s thought.

 

“I asked for your opinion.”

 

Seriously, what a crappy feeling.

 

But really, she was right. After another moment’s thought,

 

I answered once again.

 

“Someone who’s ‘far away.’ ”

 

“That’s right,” Iria-san said. “That answer is spot-on.”

 

“I get the feeling there’s some other reason you won’t call

 

the police, but…”

 

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

 

“I’m just saying. It doesn’t mean anything.”

 

“Well then, are we done here? I want to go to bed.”

 

What a waste of time. It was like we were having a

 

prescripted debate.

 

“Sorry I bothered you,” I said and rose from the sofa.

 

Rei-san stood up with me. “I’ll see you out.”

 

“You don’t have to do that, Rei,” Iria-san said.

 

“It’s okay, it’s my job, right? Please excuse me, madam.”

 

Rei-san and I left the room together. It felt rather like I had

 

been given the brush-off, but, well, I had expected as much

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 1 6 4

 

for now. It would take more than a modest effort to convince

 

someone like Iria-san, I thought.

 

“Please don’t feel bad about what she said,” Rei-san said

 

softly on the way out. “She’s not the most sensitive person.”

 

“Sure.”

 

Come to think of it, this was the first time I had spoken

 

with Rei-san like this.

 

“I don’t really mind anyway.”

 

“She’s really so fond of Aikawa-san, you see. That’s why

 

she doesn’t want to call the police.”

 

“Aikawa? Oh yeah, this person coming in six days.”

 

“For her, this is sort of a welcoming present. You see,

 

Aikawa-san’s got a knack for these kinds of incidents, and,

 

well, it’s no coincidence that my mistress uses the term

 

detective.”

 

Interesting. So this whole murder fiasco was sort of a

 

present for this Aikawa guy. If that was the truth, he must’ve

 

been a hell of a guy.

 

No.

 

To say it plainly, maybe this whole incident was just Iriasan’s

 

way of killing time. Island-exiled heiress to the Akagami

 

Foundation. She certainly had no lack of money or time. And

 

she had already gathered all these geniuses here for her

 

amusement. Could it be that this murder was just some sort

 

of… special event?

 

I shook my head. I was thinking too much. There aren’t

 

people like that out there. People like that can’t exist in this

 

world.

 

“Well, please excuse me now.”

 

Rei-san bowed to me in front of the door and I went back

 

the way I had come. After talking, she had turned out to be an

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 1 6 5

 

unexpectedly nice girl, so I was a bit taken aback. Hikari-san

 

had made her out to be so strict.

 

Thinking about that made me feel a little funny as I

 

returned to Kunagisa’s room and opened the door. Inside the

 

room Kunagisa was face-to-face with her computer rack, and

 

one more person—that ultimate, unrivaled fortune-teller.

 

Why?

 

Maki-san was smoking, but once I entered, she put out the

 

cigarette with her own index finger. She rose from the sofa

 

and approached to pass me without a word. But as if changing

 

her mind midway, she butted her head into my chest and

 

pushed me out the door with her. With a hand behind her

 

back, she shut the door.

 

I eyed her suspiciously.

 

“Heh, heh, heh,” she laughed childishly. But that’s all she

 

did, without even attempting to speak.

 

“In a better mood now?”

 

“It’s not just my mood that’s improved. Hehehe. You’re so

 

careless. Or maybe just rash?”

 

“What brought this on?”

 

“Do you have a favorite author?”

 

This conversation was all over the place.

 

“No.”

 

“How about celebrity?”

 

“No.”

 

“You’re so boring. Fine. Well, you know how some people

 

have someone they admire, right? But those people fall into

 

three different categories. There are those who think ‘I love

 

this person, I admire him, I respect him, I want to be just like

 

him.’ Innocent, right? Then the second type is similar to the

 

first, but they separate themselves completely from the object

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 1 6 6

 

of their admiration, and even hold that person’s life above

 

their own. And finally, the third type of person is the one who

 

thinks that by taking an interest in this wonderful person, they

 

can absorb some of that wonderfulness and increase their own

 

worth in turn. It’s a despicable, rotten-minded breed of people

 

who only live for others. Now which one of those three types

 

do you belong to?”

 

“The second one, I suppose.”

 

“Correct. And twisted as it may be, even I can’t help but

 

be moved by your loyalty to Kunagisa-chan,” she sneered. “But

 

with that said, aren’t you being awfully careless? Leaving her

 

all alone in her room like that? What if I was the killer?

 

“If you really, truly want to take care of something, you

 

shouldn’t let it leave your sight even for a second. Keep that in

 

mind, boy.”

 

Pat pat.

 

She smacked me twice on the shoulder and disappeared,

 

singing some tune.

 

I was left alone in the hallway.

 

“Huh?”

 

Dammit.

 

I cursed to myself and then opened the door to Kunagisa’s

 

room and entered once again.

 

With the usual rules apparently still in effect, come

 

dinnertime almost everyone was gathered around the table.

 

Almost.

 

Naturally Kanami-san wasn’t around, and Akane-san was

 

absent as well. Additionally missing were Akari-san and

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 1 6 7

 

Teruko-san. Apparently they had crossed to the mainland.

 

The reason for this was that they needed to contact our dear

 

detective, “Aikawa-san.”

 

“Couldn’t you just call or e-mail him?” I asked.

 

“We can’t,” Hikari-san said. “Aikawa-san is famously

 

difficult to reach. It’s a busy life, I guess, and I believe there’s

 

something going on in Aichi Prefecture right now. So Akari

 

and Teruko won’t be back until tomorrow.”

 

“Busy life, huh? What’s this person do?”

 

“Independent contracting.”

 

What’s that?

 

I wasn’t entirely familiar with that kind of lingo.

 

This night’s dinner was Chinese food. According to

 

Sashirono Yayoi, master of flavors, Chinese was the quickest

 

and easiest food to make. Of course, that was from her

 

perspective, so it probably wouldn’t serve as reference for me

 

in my own cooking anytime soon.

 

“By the way, Kunagisa-san,” Iria-san said just as dinner was

 

ending. “I hear you were conducting some covert ops this

 

afternoon. Did you figure anything out? I thought you were a

 

mechanical specialist, but you can conduct these types of

 

investigations as well, huh?”

 

“I do all sorts of stuff,” Kunagisa said with sweet-and-sour

 

pork crammed into her mouth. “No need to tie myself down

 

with specialties and such.”

 

That sounded familiar.

 

Ah… right. They were Kanami-san’s words.

 

The words of a style-free painter.

 

Regardless of your strengths and weaknesses, likes and

 

dislikes, there’s no need to specialize. This was a fundamental

 

teaching at the ER program as well. Yet in a world that

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 1 6 8

 

categorizes everything, that was no easy teaching to adhere to.

 

It began and ended with the likes of Kunagisa Tomo, Ibuki

 

Kanami, and Sonoyama Akane.

 

For me, it was an impossibility.

 

“So, did you figure anything out? About how they broke

 

into the room or who the killer was or anything?”

 

It sounded more like she didn’t want Kunagisa to figure

 

anything out. I recalled what Rei-san had said earlier. Granted,

 

if the case was solved before Aikawa-san got here, it would be

 

something of a killjoy for Iria-san.

 

“I know it all. I know so much, I don’t know.”

 

Nobody seemed to understand what Kunagisa was talking

 

about, instead eyeing her skeptically and saying nothing.

 

“Himena-san,” Iria-san switched the conversation from the

 

engineer to the fortune-teller. “Since coming here you’ve put

 

all your effort into harassing the other guests, and have yet to

 

do any fortune-telling. So how about it? Don’t you think it’s

 

time to tell us what’s going to happen next?”

 

“It’ll cost you.”

 

She was living here for free, and receiving a regular salary,

 

and she still had the nerve to demand a fee? What a moneygrubbing

 

atrocity of a human being. I had never met a person

 

like this before. She was like the devil.

 

“You’re one to talk.”

 

She was glaring at me.

 

I wasn’t talking, dammit.

 

“Well, it sounds the same to me. I use my abilities to make

 

a profit. I’m not so young that I can stay motivated by

 

morality and humanity alone. Especially in terms of emotional

 

age.”

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 1 6 9

 

I understood what she was saying. But she must have

 

already had enough ten-thousand-yen bills to fill ten Tokyo

 

Domes, so what more did she want? It wouldn’t hurt for her

 

to tell fortunes for free every once in a while.

 

“Who gave you the right to think that?”

 

She snapped her attention back to Iria-san.

 

“Of course I’ll pay for it.” Iria-san put her hands together.

 

“Please, I’m asking you.”

 

“It ends soon.”

 

Maki-san spoke without even changing her tone of voice.

 

Everybody waited for her to continue, but she was already

 

fully invested in her twice-cooked pork. It looked like that was

 

all she had to say.

 

“Is that all?” Iria-san asked, evidently somewhat surprised.

 

“I have to say, that was a little, um…”

 

“That was charity. Since somebody over there has so many

 

complaints about me, I thought I’d be a little generous. Don’t

 

worry about it. It has nothing to do with the fortune.”

 

Himena Maki.

 

Just what is it like to know everything and stay silent about

 

it? For someone like me who knows nothing, it was impossible

 

to even imagine. In that sense, Maki-san was, for me, the

 

biggest mystery on this whole island. So much so that the

 

mystery of the headless body and the locked door and river of

 

paint were all blotted out.

 

After that, Maki-san said nothing more, and so the fourth

 

night’s dinner ended without any significant developments.

 

Maki-san and Kunagisa made a few bizarre comments as

 

usual, and that was it.

 

Yet there was one thing that bothered me. Shinya-san and

 

Yayoi-san hadn’t said a single word the entire time, and they

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 1 7 0

 

didn’t even appear to be listening to anyone else’s

 

conversation. They just sat there putting food in their mouths,

 

just because it was there. It wasn’t so remarkable, but there

 

was definitely something unnatural about the two of them. It

 

was one thing for Shinya-san, who had lost Kanami-san, to be

 

like that, but what was Yayoi-san’s issue? Granted, she had

 

complained of feeling “under the weather” earlier, but…

 

Just past nine o’clock p.m.

 

I was alone in Kunagisa’s room, viewing the digital camera

 

data on the one PC that looked like even I could (just barely)

 

operate it. It had no mouse, making it difficult to control, but

 

it wasn’t completely over my head.

 

Kanami-san’s corpse. A shot from the chest up as well as a

 

full-body shot. A shot of the severed neck and a shot of the

 

river of paint. In the middle of the river floated a coat. The

 

paint having dried and hardened, we couldn’t remove it. I

 

suppose we could have forced the coat out, but it was already

 

ruined with paint, so there was no point.

 

And finally…

 

The picture I had modeled for, Kanami-san’s final work.

 

That unnatural feeling I had felt when first seeing the

 

canvas during our crime scene investigation had returned.

 

Disharmony.

 

It was alien.

 

It was all just a gut feeling, but…

 

“Ah, I get it,” I muttered to myself.

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 1 7 1

 

Of course. Now that I saw it, it was so simple. The bigger

 

mystery was why it had taken me so long to spot it. It was

 

such an obvious picture flaw.

 

“Hmm…”

 

But this just raised further questions.

 

How could something like this happen? There was no reason

 

something like this should happen. How could an artist of

 

Kanami-san’s caliber make such a simple error?

 

As I thought about it, somebody knocked on the door.

 

“Aw, come on.”

 

It had to be Maki-san, here to harass me again. I rose from

 

my seat, more delighted than ever. But when I opened the

 

door, it was actually Hikari-san. Thrown into confusion by

 

how far off my guess had been, I stared at her for two or three

 

seconds with no brain functionality.

 

“Ah, hey, Hikari-san.” Somehow I managed to string the

 

words together. “Uh, please, come in.”

 

“Sorry to bother you,” she said politely, and entered the

 

room. She glanced around the room for a moment and then

 

asked me, “Um, where might I find Kunagisa-san?”

 

“Oh, Kunagisa? I tied her up and tossed her in the tub just

 

a minute ago.”

 

“Huh?”

 

“She’s like a cat. She hates taking baths. Her hair is actually

 

supposed to be a much lighter blue, but she never washes it so

 

it gets all dark like that. She’s no good at escaping, and once

 

she gets wet she just kind of gives up, so she could be in there

 

for a while.”

 

“Oh… ohhh, so she’s kind of like a Russian Blue, huh?”

 

Though Hikari-san wore an expression of dawned

 

enlightenment, what she said didn’t make any sense.

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 1 7 2

 

Seriously, I didn’t know what she was talking about. Better to

 

just ignore it.

 

“Um, so anyway, if you need to talk to her, I’m sorry but

 

you’re probably going to have to wait awhile.” Then a thought

 

occurred to me. Maybe this was a good opportunity. “Say,

 

Hikari-san, are you free right now?”

 

“Hmm? Sure. I’ve finished all my work for the day,

 

anyway.”

 

“Then would you mind staying here for a while? It might

 

be dangerous for me to leave Kunagisa alone,” I said, recalling

 

Maki-san’s lecture this afternoon. “It should be fine now that

 

we’ve made it hard for the killer to do anything, but, just in

 

case. Do you mind?”

 

“No, it’s okay. I guess.” she said, though she wore a

 

troubled expression. “Of course I don’t mind, but is it really

 

okay? I mean… to trust me?”

 

“No one would attack both of you at the same time.”

 

“No, I mean, you don’t think you’re leaving her

 

vulnerable?”

 

Oh, that.

 

“It’s okay,” I nodded. “Unlike Maki-san, I trust you.”

 

With that, I shut the door and headed down the hall, then

 

descended the stairs to the first floor.

 

“ ‘I trust you’?” I muttered, mocking myself.

 

Since when was I the type to make such grandiose claims?

 

Didn’t sound like me.

 

Question.

 

What is trust?

 

Answer.

 

Not minding if you’re betrayed.

 

Not regretting if you’re betrayed.

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 1 7 3

 

“Either way, it doesn’t mean much of anything, does it?”

 

I arrived at my destination, once my own room, now

 

Sonoyama Akane’s prison.

 

“It’s me,” I said, knocking lightly.

 

“Oh, you” came her reply after a moment. She sounded

 

surprisingly calm. “What’s up? Should you be away from

 

Kunagisa-chan? It doesn’t seem like you.”

 

“Well, I had my own hesitations, but… I wanted to

 

apologize to you.”

 

“Why should you apologize?” came her reply from the

 

other side of the door, slightly laced with crankiness. “Weren’t

 

you the one who stood up for me? Coming here and

 

apologizing is like saying I’m too much of a thickheaded

 

imbecile to even understand that. If anything, I should be

 

thanking you.

 

“I should’ve suggested this in the first place, but that

 

probably wouldn’t have gone over so well, so I was thankful

 

when you brought it up. I should express my gratitude right

 

now.” She paused for a moment. “Thank you.”

 

“You’re welcome.”

 

She hadn’t risen to the ranks of the Seven Fools for

 

nothin’. That wasn’t the kind of forgiving place where you

 

could get by with just a little studying and a sharp wit.

 

“By the way, when Hikari-san brought my dinner, she

 

mentioned you guys have been snooping around a bit. You

 

and Kunagisa-chan. Mind if I ask about your findings?”

 

“Well, I still don’t know who the killer is.”

 

“You still don’t know, huh? Heh, should I be reading into

 

that? Heh heh, I like your style. Okay, sure. Let me ask a

 

different question. Got any theories on that river of paint?”

 

“Hm, how about you?”

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 1 7 4

 

“I think it’s a case of the post hoc fallacy.”

 

“Is that English?”

 

“Latin. I think it’s sort of like ‘you reap what you sow.’ ”

 

Ah.

 

I sighed.

 

In that case, she must have already figured out the secret of

 

the river of paint. She had already figured out the mystery,

 

and now she was just staying here to preserve this

 

“antagonistic atmosphere” we had created for the killer. She

 

was really an amazing woman, I thought.

 

Hehehe, she laughed.

 

“It’s probably best that I stay in here until Iria-san’s lover

 

boy ‘Aikawa-san’ gets here, huh? It’s no real problem for me,

 

anyway. I used to lock myself in my room and read all the

 

time when I was a kid. And that room was way smaller than

 

this.”

 

“Do you know who the killer is?”

 

“No, I don’t. That’s no lie, seriously. That kind of thing

 

isn’t my specialty, and although I do read the occasional

 

mystery novel, it’s only for recreation. Say, do you ever read

 

Mushanokoji?”

 

The subject had changed without so much as a segue. Was

 

Mushanokoji even a mystery novel author? “I’ve read the

 

anthology, at least,” I answered with a slightly confused look

 

on my face.

 

“Then you must know the story ‘Sensei of Truth.’ ”

 

I did know that much.

 

“When I first read it, I thought the title was ‘Mari-sensei’

 

and that it was about a horribly brash woman. Not that I can

 

talk. But do you remember in the opening of the story, when

 

Shinri-sensei refers to the ‘reason killing isn’t okay’?”

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 1 7 5

 

“Yeah, he’s like, ‘Is there ever a time when you wouldn’t

 

mind being killed? If you can think of a condition under which

 

you wouldn’t mind being killed, please let me know. If you

 

don’t like the thought of being killed under any circumstance,

 

then you have no right to kill another,’ right?”

 

Even with a memory as bad as mine, this much had stuck

 

with me.

 

“Correct,” Akane-san said. “Now let me ask you the same

 

question. Under what condition would you feel it’s okay to be

 

killed?”

 

“There isn’t one.”

 

“But what if, for example, you had to choose between your

 

life or Kunagisa-chan’s?”

 

“I don’t want to think about it.”

 

“Right?” She laughed lightheartedly. “After all, you’re the

 

type who hates making decisions, right? You dislike the act of

 

deciding in and of itself. Yesterday, Himena-san was saying

 

the same thing about you, and I think she nailed it. You just

 

go with the flow. You hate competition, and you hate making

 

things clear-cut. You have to keep things ambiguous.”

 

“I won’t argue with that.”

 

“You won’t argue but you won’t agree. You accepted my

 

shogi challenge because you knew you would definitely lose,

 

isn’t that right? You wouldn’t accept a challenge or compete

 

otherwise.”

 

I didn’t hate losing, I hated competition. I was thoroughly

 

put off by the idea of vying with others over something. I

 

hated fighting as well and thus never made friends.

 

“Do you dislike other people?”

 

“Not particularly.”

 

“But do you like them?”

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 1 7 6

 

“Not necessarily.”

 

“That’s right. The foundation of your values rests on the

 

idea that people are meant to live solitary lives. That’s your

 

opinion, yes? Or no, rather that’s your will. That’s the absolute

 

principle around which you’re constructed. You try your best

 

not to get involved and not to cause trouble or pain for

 

anyone. Of course you can share happiness and good times

 

with others, but you don’t get close to the point that you

 

might cause pain or sadness, isn’t that right?”

 

I always thought couples who spend all their time fighting

 

and stay together all the same were just idiotic. Why don’t

 

they get along? Couldn’t they just do that much?

 

Why couldn’t they?

 

“Since when were you such a psychologist, Akane-san?”

 

“Sorry, but I’m a scholar of any and all subjects. Such

 

categorization is meaningless to me. Hehehe. You really, truly

 

enjoy being alone, don’t you?”

 

“Well, after all. I’m my oldest friend.”

 

“True enough. That’s the case for everyone. So how about

 

Kunagisa-chan? Altogether, you’ve spent less than a year with

 

her, right?”

 

“Do you like her?”

 

It was a straight question.

 

I had been asked the same one several years ago. That time

 

it was her older brother who asked.

 

However the answer remained the same.

 

“Not especially, no.” My voice came out so despairingly

 

cold that I almost wondered if it was really mine.

 

Why?

 

Why was I being like this?

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 1 7 7

 

“Hmm, is that so?” She sounded a little surprised. “Because

 

she likes you, you know. That much is certain.”

 

“Yeah, I know. She’s told me more than a few times.”

 

“I don’t particularly like this kind of discussion, but, have

 

you ever wondered why even though the world is full of

 

couples like this, somehow so many people are still getting

 

together?”

 

“I mean isn’t it strange? It would be too convenient for the

 

person you like to ever like you back. Life isn’t a shojo manga.

 

But sure enough, in reality, you take a group of a hundred

 

people, a whole lot of them are going to find love. Why do

 

you think that is?”

 

“I have no idea. I’ve never thought about it. Isn’t it just

 

coincidence? Like the Law of Great Numbers of something?”

 

“I don’t think so. A coincidence like that is unfeasible. This

 

is the conclusion I’ve reached: it’s because it feels good to be

 

loved. Being loved by another person is enough to make you

 

happy and make you love that person in return,” she said

 

assertively. I could see her clever little smile even through the

 

door. This was becoming more than I could bear much longer.

 

I felt like I was about to be crushed to death.

 

“So what are you getting at?”

 

“Oh, no, no… I was just wondering why you hadn’t fallen

 

for Kunagisa-chan, and you know how it is for us scholars. If

 

we can’t figure something out, it’ll bother us to no end.”

 

“She likes everyone. Seriously, everyone. It’s not like she

 

wants me in particular,” I blurted out.

 

“So that’s it,” Akane-san said. “You don’t want to be loved

 

by her. You want to be chosen by her. As her one and only.”

 

I…

 

Couldn’t argue with that.

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 1 7 8

 

“Hmm, but why her? That’s what I can’t figure out. It

 

seems like there must be some obvious reason, but I don’t get

 

it. If you two were a couple, there would certainly be some

 

clashing factors, right? In fact, one would think you would be

 

unattracted to someone so easy.”

 

Easy?

 

Who?

 

“You mean easygoing?” I said.

 

“Right. Anyway, theoretically someone with a personality

 

like yours wouldn’t be able to endure a relationship with a girl

 

like that, emotionally immature despite being in a superior

 

position. Plus, you’re a man.”

 

“It’s fun being with her. Or well…” I chose my words

 

carefully. “Rather, it’s fun being by her side.”

 

My favorite place in the world was by her side. I had

 

returned to Japan for that very reason.

 

“Mmm-hmm,” Akane-san said. “You’re a little masochistic,

 

aren’t you?”

 

“Yeah, to the bone. I got bullied in elementary school, see.”

 

“You were bullied? No, I think this is different. I think you

 

were neglected. There’s a difference between abuse and

 

neglect. It’s the weak kids and the liars who get abused. The

 

outcasts just get neglected. But I know how you feel. When I

 

was in high school, I felt like I was surrounded by aliens.

 

When we took tests, nobody shot for a perfect grade, they

 

shot for the average. If we ran a marathon, they would say

 

‘Hey, let’s all run together!’ They were a bunch of egalitarians,

 

for better or worse. They would tell you pi equals three.

 

Indeed, each of the other Seven Fools claims to have

 

experienced similar feelings. It’s the tragedy of 0.14. In a

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 1 7 9

 

world of egalitarians, the outliers get to taste true isolation.

 

Genius is born of it. But not all outcasts are geniuses.”

 

“You mean it’s a condition of being a genius, not a

 

guarantor, huh? Well I’m sure no genius.”

 

“Maybe not, but I think you at least know the difference

 

between advice and an order, so let me give you some friendly

 

advice: if you want Kunagisa-chan to choose you, I

 

recommend you just take her. If you do that, you’ll be the

 

only one for her. She won’t resist, that much is for sure.

 

Regardless of how introverted, dark, disturbed, and deprived

 

of an adolescent you may be, I’m sure you at least have the

 

balls to do that.”

 

“I don’t.”

 

“You’re a real mallard, huh?”

 

A what?

 

“I may lack confidence, but you think I’m a coward?”

 

At least I wasn’t a Chii-kun.

 

“Oh, I’m sorry. Hehehehe, I like you, y’know? It’s too bad

 

you aren’t a woman.”

 

Why was that?

 

I didn’t know what she was trying to say anymore. No,

 

that’s wrong. It was simply becoming too painful to keep

 

myself together any longer.

 

If this went on any longer, any longer at all…

 

“Well, it’s okay. I’m sure everything will become clear soon

 

enough. Time always gives things some clarity. Say, by the

 

way, have you ever heard the theory that in zero-sum games

 

like shogi and chess there’s always one perfect move to make?”

 

“Is this like the Prisoners’ Dilemma?”

 

“Yeah, that. The movement of the shogi pieces is

 

mathematically limited, so there is always one perfect move to

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 1 8 0

 

make. Thus, it’s technically possible to decide the match in

 

the very first move. Of course, this assumes that both

 

opponents are perfect players. So how about the killer in our

 

case? How will this Aikawa-san respond, I wonder? Isn’t it a

 

fascinating notion? Still, this mystery feels more like a

 

labyrinth than a shogi board.”

 

“A labyrinth? But labyrinths are simple. If you just stick

 

your hand on one wall, you’ll eventually find the way out. It

 

just takes time.”

 

“You’re talking about a simple maze. I think this case is

 

more like a multiconnected labyrinth. Still, there’s a surefire

 

strategy for this kind of labyrinth as well, but it’s kind of hard

 

to explain. If you have a chance, try looking it up. But don’t

 

you ever want to play a game with no surefire strategy?”

 

A game with no sure strategy.

 

No sure win…

 

Huh.

 

What if this case was like that?

 

Anxiety.

 

Like standing on shaky legs.

 

I felt sick.

 

“If you think about it,” she continued. This sickening

 

conversation. Even though it was sickening.

 

“Um, Akane-san?” I said, at last unable to contain myself.

 

“I’d like to keep talking like this, but I’ve left someone waiting

 

in my room.” I forced the words together into a sentence. I

 

fought the urge to throw up. “I think I’d better get back.”

 

“Oh, okay. Sorry about that,” she replied.

 

It must have been a bit of a letdown.

 

“Anyway, please come again. You sure help pass the time.”

 

“Thanks. Well, see you later.”

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 1 8 1

 

With that, I began to leave, but there was something that

 

still bothered me. I knocked once again.

 

“Um, about your original question…”

 

“Hmm? What’s up?”

 

“Do you have one? An instance where you wouldn’t mind

 

being killed?”

 

“An instance? Not an instance—always.” It was a clear

 

answer. “I’ll die when my time is up. Regardless of where or

 

how I die, or who kills me for what reasons, you won’t hear a

 

complaint out of me.”

 

And with that I returned to Kunagisa’s room, never

 

thinking for a second that this would be my final interaction

 

with Sonoyama Akane, that genius of geniuses of the highest

 

order, of the Seven Fools, of the comprehensive research

 

center ER3…

 

“Ii-chan, you’re back.” Kunagisa sat on her bed, her body

 

wrapped in a pure white bathrobe. Hikari-san was on the sofa.

 

Seeing that I had returned, she breathed a sigh of relief. Trying

 

to handle a conversation with a bath-fresh, spunky Kunagisa

 

was no task for an amateur, so I knew how Hikari-san felt.

 

“Ii-chan, look, I washed my hair. Compliment me,

 

compliment me.”

 

“It’s cute.”

 

Her hair had turned a pretty, cobalt blue. “It’s not easy

 

bearing recessive genes,” she herself would often say.

 

“Are you gonna take a bath, too, Ii-chan? You might come

 

up with a good idea in there, y’know, like Archimedes. And

 

then run around the mansion naked, also like him.”

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 1 8 2

 

“That would be… a problem,” Hikari-san said in all

 

seriousness. It was like she thought I would really do it. I had

 

no intention of making myself the mansion weirdo. “But

 

Archimedes really was a strange guy, wasn’t he? All geniuses

 

are, huh?” Hikari-san said thoughtfully. I wondered which

 

person in the mansion she was imagining. It looked as if it

 

could have been anyone or no one.

 

“Nudity wasn’t so uncommon in those days, Hikari-san. I

 

don’t think he was being particularly strange.”

 

“You’re so wise, Ii-chan.”

 

“Yes, I am. So Hikari-san, what was it you needed?”

 

“Oh, right. My mistress sent me to come investigate what’s

 

going on with Kunagisa-san.”

 

She was sure an honest girl. I told her there was no point if

 

she went and told us that’s what she was doing. She laughed

 

embarrassedly.

 

“I know. Akari’s really better at this kind of thing, but

 

she’ll be staying on the mainland tonight. She won’t be back

 

until tomorrow morning.”

 

“She went to call on that detective, right?” I was a little bit

 

interested, so I went ahead and asked. “So, what’s this person

 

like, anyway? Judging from the way you talk, it sounds like

 

you’ve met before. Are you well acquainted?”

 

“Yes, I suppose so. Aikawa-san came to our rescue once

 

before. There was an incident, and, well…” she vaguely trailed

 

off. It didn’t seem like it was supposed to be a secret, but

 

maybe just an unpleasant conversation.

 

“Hmm, an incident, huh? On this island?”

 

“Yes. This was right after my mistress had been sent here,

 

and before it had become this sort of ‘salon.’ So we called

 

Aikawa-san here, and, well, the case was solved almost

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 1 8 3

 

immediately,” Hikari-san said with great emotion. “Aikawasan

 

has kind of a violent temper, you see. Cynical and

 

emotional, like the entire world is an enemy. I think Aikawasan’s

 

success in solving cases is fueled by rage alone.”

 

“Huh…”

 

She seemed to be carefully choosing her words as she

 

spoke, but not very effectively. I couldn’t put together a

 

concrete picture of this guy at all.

 

“So, pretty short-tempered?”

 

“Well, it’s more like Aikawa-san is in a perpetual state of

 

rage. Even if you catch a glimpse of a smile, there’s always this

 

sort of hostility hanging in the air, and… I’m sorry, it’s kind of

 

hard to describe. Anyway, it’s like Aikawa-san has a grudge

 

against the whole world.”

 

“I see,” I said, even though I didn’t. “But all the detectives

 

I’ve ever read about in mystery novels are all so cool and

 

reserved. They’re always saying stuff like ‘Didn’t you realize

 

that?’ You could replace eighty percent of their dialogue with

 

‘What are you, stupid?’ and it would still make sense.

 

“But based on what you’re saying, this Aikawa-san sounds

 

like some sort of hotheaded defender of justice with zero

 

tolerance for criminals.”

 

“Oh, well, it’s not like that. It’s not just zero tolerance for

 

criminals, it’s zero tolerance for the entire world. You know,

 

always saying things like ‘This world could be so much better!

 

Why are you bastards all slacking?’ ”

 

He really was hotheaded. A rare type of person these days.

 

It was such a contrast to me and my vague, passive babbling, it

 

was almost beautiful.

 

“But despite all the anger and grouchiness, it just doesn’t

 

do any good to get frustrated with the laziness of others, so

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 1 8 4

 

Aikawa-san would just give this cynical smile. Maybe you

 

know the type. To say the least, it serves as quite a contrast

 

from you and Kunagisa-san.”

 

In describing this detective, Hikari-san seemed sort of

 

gleeful. Like she was boasting about a close friend or

 

something. Or more like a hero. It was just like when Iria-san

 

had described him.

 

“Is that right? Well, that’s probably the better way to be,” I

 

said, just trying to keep the conversation going. “Do you think

 

Aikawa-san is reliable?”

 

“Yes, for sure.”

 

“That’s a relief. Even if we can’t figure out the mystery in

 

the next six days, we have a backup savior.”

 

“Well, let’s not count our chickens before they hatch.”

 

“I’m cautious. Or maybe I’m a coward. Either way is good,

 

I guess.”

 

“Either way is good?” She gave me a confused look. “You

 

know, this may be strange coming from me, but why is

 

everyone able to stay so calm in a situation like this?”

 

“Well, that’s a complicated question.”

 

“Sorry. But you know, it’s like, even though someone was

 

killed, everyone is so… what can I say…?”

 

“Maybe they’re just used to it.”

 

At least, that was my case.

 

I didn’t really know the difference between “used to” and

 

“numb to,” though.

 

“Yeah, but Shinya-chan and Yayoi-chan seemed to react

 

pretty naturally,” Kunagisa said.

 

“That’s right, but hey, Hikari-san, you and your sisters

 

seem pretty calm, too. What about that?”

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 1 8 5

 

“Well, we’ve been trained to maintain composure.” She

 

sounded a little sad about it.

 

Her twenty-seven years of living probably hadn’t been

 

much of a cakewalk.

 

“Oh, right,” she said, breaking the awkward silence with

 

the snap of her fingers. “My mistress told me to make sure I

 

ask you this. Earlier you said something about understanding

 

so much that you don’t understand, right? But really you must

 

know something, right?”

 

About that space enclosed by a river of paint.

 

Hmm…

 

That “mistress” of hers must’ve been sharper than she was

 

worldly.

 

“Nothing to brag about, really. Any mystery novel fan

 

would’ve been able to solve it easily. But you know, when

 

you’re approached with a mystery like this in real life, it

 

proves to be pretty perplexing. I guess the answers get a little

 

drowned out by the smell of blood, the taste of death.”

 

“Hahaha, weird, Ii-chan,” Kunagisa laughed.

 

It was an innocent, vulnerable laugh.

 

It made my head spin a little.

 

Did I want to be chosen?

 

By her?

 

My sudden silence drew the quizzical gaze of Hikari-san,

 

but a moment later she turned to Kunagisa. “Um, Tomo-san?

 

If you do know, I hope that you’ll tell me.”

 

“Sure, why not? It took awhile to pin it down, but I finally

 

figured it out,” Kunagisa nodded. “Erm, where should I start?”

 

“Um, well first, if you wouldn’t mind… could you tell me

 

what you meant earlier? About knowing so much you don’t

 

know?”

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 1 8 6

 

“It’s like the difference between bottom-up and top-down,”

 

I cut in, lacking faith in Kunagisa’s ability to explain it. “Like,

 

say, for example, that that table is a sandbox and you want to

 

make a mound of sand as high as possible. What would you

 

do?”

 

“Start from the sides and push all the sand together into a

 

mountain.”

 

“Right. So would I. But Kunagisa wouldn’t do that. She

 

would take a whole bunch of sand and just dump it on the

 

table. The resulting mountain of sand would be just like the

 

one you and I built. You and I would gradually build up to the

 

final product, little by little. Kunagisa dumps everything out

 

altogether. That’s how her mind processes things. Right,

 

Tomo?”

 

“I don’t really get your analogy.”

 

Big surprise there.

 

At any rate, Hikari-san seemed to get me, and she nodded

 

along.

 

“Okay, so will you tell me the secret behind that paint

 

room?”

 

“Sure, if you’ll answer my question, Hikari-chan.”

 

Hikari-san stared blankly back at her, as if she didn’t

 

understand the question. Kunagisa, paying no mind to that,

 

turned back to her computer. She pointed to the screen on

 

the computer I had been using.

 

“Okay, first let’s review the scene of the crime. Ta-daaa.

 

The atelier.”

 

She used an image viewer program to display all of the

 

pictures. That stream of marble like the Sanzu River. The

 

headless body on the other side. Images that actualized our

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 1 8 7

 

memories of the morning. Oblivious to such notions, Kunagisa

 

began her explanation.

 

“The primary puzzle is this river of paint. The earthquake

 

happened at one a.m., causing the shelf to fall over, which

 

resulted in what you now see. That much is clear. The river is

 

too wide to jump. If we suppose the murder happened after

 

the earthquake, the killer’s means of entry are a mystery. Or

 

at least, the means of exit are. You with me so far?”

 

“Yes. So far.”

 

“At this point, it’s easy to pin the crime on the monster

 

Ashinaga Tenaga, but the answer isn’t that simple.”

 

Hikari-san gave a strange laugh. Either she didn’t know

 

who Ashinaga Tenaga was or she was just giving a strange

 

laugh.

 

“So you’re forced to think that the murder happened

 

before the earthquake. If that were the case, it would’ve been

 

easy for the murderer to get in and out. No footprints, no

 

blocked passages. In which case, it seems like Akane-san must

 

be the killer, since she was the only one who didn’t have an

 

alibi. But that’s where Shinya-san’s testimony comes in. He

 

confirmed that he heard Kanami-san’s voice when he called

 

her after the earthquake. This means that Kanami-san must

 

have been alive at least for a few minutes after the earthquake.

 

So, Hikari-san, what do you think?”

 

“Well, I, uh…” She tilted her head to the side. It was pretty

 

adorable. “I guess the killer must’ve come through the

 

window. It’s the only other way. But the window is locked,

 

so…”

 

“From the window, huh? There is that possibility. Glass is

 

fundamentally closer to a liquid than a solid, after all, so a lock

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 1 8 8

 

might not necessarily do much good. Or they could have dug

 

a tunnel as well.”

 

Yeah, right.

 

“Well, you must’ve figured it out by this point, right,

 

Kunagisa?”

 

“Not even a little.”

 

“It’s the post hoc fallacy, Hikari-san,” I said, coming to her

 

rescue. I had been holding out so long because she was so cute

 

when she was confused, but in the end I couldn’t help but feel

 

bad for her.

 

Kunagisa nodded.

 

“Yup. Post hoc ergo propter hoc. In Japanese, that’s ‘mistaken

 

cause and effect.’ It refers to a misinterpretation of the Law of

 

Syllogism. You know, like false assumptions. The world isn’t

 

so neatly organized.”

 

“I don’t understand Latin.”

 

“Hey, but you knew it was Latin.”

 

“That’s because you said ergo”

 

Cogito ergo sum, huh?

 

Hikari-san was sharper than she looked.

 

“For example, imagine I’ve got a hundred-yen coin and I

 

say ‘It’s going to come up heads.’ I said it, okay? And then I

 

toss the coin. Okay, it’s heads! What do you think? You think

 

it was a coincidence, right? That’s normal. But some people

 

don’t get it. They figure I said I would throw a heads and it

 

was heads, therefore I must have some kind of special power

 

to control the coin.”

 

For the record, it was a trick coin.

 

“I drank some alcohol and my cold went away, therefore

 

alcohol cures colds. I turned on my computer and a visitor

 

showed up, therefore computers summon visitors. A man

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 1 8 9

 

looked at a woman, and she happened to be looking in his

 

direction, therefore she must have been interested in him. A

 

catfish was dancing, and then an earthquake happened, so the

 

earthquake must have been the catfish’s fault. None of that

 

makes much sense, right, Hikari-chan? In other words, just

 

because B happens after A doesn’t mean A and B have a

 

cause-effect relationship. The sequence and timing of two

 

events is no reflection of cause and effect. So let’s think about

 

this case now. There was an earthquake, then a river of paint was

 

formed, therefore the earthquake created the river of paint. Is that

 

right?”

 

“Oh.”

 

Oh. That.

 

It finally dawned on her.

 

“So that river wasn’t caused by the earthquake?”

 

“Well, the shelf itself probably really did fall over because

 

of it. And it probably did cause a little bit of paint to spill out.

 

Kanami-chan even said so on the phone. But I doubt it

 

would’ve caused such an incredible amount of paint to spill

 

everywhere. The paint cans probably rolled around and let a

 

few drops out. If you think about it, those paint can lids are

 

relatively strong, so it’s not likely that just falling over

 

would’ve caused them to spill all over the place like that. But

 

even if was just a little bit, Kanami-chan was confined to a

 

wheelchair, so for her it was impossible to leave the atelier.”

 

“Oh, I see where this is going,” Hikari-san said. “That

 

makes sense. So then the killer snuck into the room and

 

murdered her. Then, on the way out, purposely spilled paint

 

around the room, little by little. If you did it slowly, little by

 

little, you could make a river like that without leaving any

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 1 9 0

 

footprints.” She appeared to be imagining the killer walking

 

around with a can of paint as she talked.

 

Yup. We had all assumed that the earthquake had caused

 

the river of paint. But in reality, it didn’t take a major disaster

 

or even a major artist to make something like that. It could’ve

 

been the work of any amateur.

 

No artistic talent required.

 

It wasn’t a very demanding task, to say the least.

 

“But why would the killer do that?”

 

“Probably to make us think it happened because of the

 

quake,” I said. “They must not have known Kanami-san talked

 

to Shinya-san on the phone. So they figured by making the

 

river, people would naturally assume it was caused by the

 

quake.”

 

“So this means…”

 

“Yup. It means,” I said, clapping my hands together once

 

and then spreading them out wide, “the suspect list just got

 

way longer.”

 

There were only four people with post-earthquake alibis:

 

Iria-san and Rei-san, and then Maki-san and Shinya-san. The

 

remaining people were no longer cleared of suspicion.

 

“So then there’s no point in keeping Sonoyama-san locked

 

up, right?” Hikari-san said cheerfully. “I mean, right? She’s not

 

the only one under suspicion anymore.”

 

She must have been feeling pretty guilty about how we

 

had treated Akane-san. It seemed she wasn’t much of a

 

mathematical thinker. It was quite a contrast from the rational

 

Sonoyama Akane herself. I decided to tell her.

 

“Akane-san already knew about the paint trick, too. She’s

 

just pretending she doesn’t know.”

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 1 9 1

 

“Why?” Hikari-san said, looking honestly baffled. “Isn’t that

 

strange? Why would she do something like that?”

 

“Probably to preserve this safety situation we’ve got here.

 

That brain of hers sure keeps busy.”

 

To create the best possible circumstances for everyone else,

 

she didn’t even have any reservation about putting herself in

 

the worst possible circumstances. It was almost an inhuman

 

way of thinking, but extremely admirable nonetheless.

 

“So we should keep this a secret then, huh?”

 

“Yeah. The killer is still at large, so I don’t think it would

 

be good to upset the situation any. I suppose Iria-san has a

 

right to know, though. As far as that goes, do whatever you

 

like.”

 

I wasn’t going to be that much of a roadblock.

 

Hikari-san let out a moan. “But it’s so… I mean, that thing

 

about the river not really being caused by the earthquake…

 

it’s so simple. Like I should’ve seen it a long time ago.”

 

“Yeah, I couldn’t believe it, either. But you know, any trick

 

seems simple once you figure it out. By now I’ve seen tons of

 

tricks that were even stupider.”

 

“But who could’ve possibly thought up such a trick right

 

after the earthquake?” She was still unconvinced. “I mean,

 

what were the odds there was even going to be an earthquake?

 

It’s all too much of a coincidence.”

 

“Well, that brings us to the Law of Great Numbers, Hikarichan.”

 

“What is that?” Hikari-san gave Kunagisa a sideways glance.

 

“The Law of Great Numbers?”

 

“It means that something looks like an amazing

 

coincidence, but when you sit down and think about it, it’s

 

not really so amazing after all. Like, for example, if you saw

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 1 9 2

 

someone win the lottery, wouldn’t you think it was amazing?

 

You’re less likely to hit the jackpot than to spot a tear in the

 

ocean. But if you think about it, that’s only true if the guy

 

only bought one lottery ticket. Practically nobody who plays

 

the lottery only buys one ticket, one time. If you have a group

 

of twenty-three people, there’s a fifty percent chance two of

 

them will have the same birthday. Even still, it seems

 

incredible, right? That’s the Law of Great Numbers. The

 

earthquake just happened to come today, but it wouldn’t have

 

changed anything if it had happened tomorrow instead. Plus,

 

it’s not likely that the killer was counting on this earthquake

 

trick alone. They probably considered a whole variety of ideas.

 

It’s the same concept.”

 

“So you mean like multiple means to one end?”

 

“Yup yup, you got it. And it all relates back to that

 

misunderstanding of cause and effect,” Kunagisa said, poking

 

Hikari-san with her index finger. “Now, Hikari-chan. It’s time

 

for my question.”

 

“Oh, that’s right. We made a deal,” she righted her posture

 

and nodded. “Go ahead, ask me anything.”

 

“Why is Iria-chan here?”

 

It was a question that immediately changed the entire

 

atmosphere.

 

Here.

 

This island.

 

Wet Crow’s Feather Island.

 

Why was Akagami Iria here?

 

In a single instant, Hikari-san’s usual cheerful demeanor

 

went completely stiff. She was clearly trembling. It wasn’t

 

confusion, but utter fear, pure and simple.

 

Was it really that bad?

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 1 9 3

 

“Um, uh, well…” her voice wavered, unable to put the

 

words together. “Well, um, that’s…”

 

“You can’t answer?”

 

“Just that one question—please don’t make me, Tomosan.”

 

She hung her head, as if she might even collapse. Her

 

posture went limp, as if she were ready to pass out. “I’ll

 

answer anything else, just not this.”

 

Hikari-san looked truly pitiable. It was like we were the

 

devil trying to get her to do something wicked. Give us your

 

soul. Your most precious thing belongs to us now. What an awful

 

bunch of nonsense.

 

“No, it’s okay, we don’t mind,” I said, breaking into the

 

conversation. “Right, Tomo?”

 

“Yup. No use trying to force it out of ya.” For all her

 

selfishness, Kunagisa was being uncharacteristically sensitive.

 

“Sorry, Hikari-chan.”

 

“No, I’m sorry. You were just asking a question.”

 

Hikari-san stood up. “Sorry I bothered you.” She started to

 

leave, but then paused and looked back. “Oh, by the way.”

 

She sounded like Detective Columbo or something, except

 

much cuter so it wasn’t creepy. She was even smiling. “This

 

has nothing to do with my mistress. I’m asking you

 

personally… do you really believe Himena-san has special

 

powers?”

 

Did we believe?

 

Maki-san’s ESP?

 

The ability to know all.

 

After thinking for a moment, I answered. “Right now,

 

there’s no particular reason not to.”

 

“I don’t really care if she has ‘em or not,” Kunagisa chimed

 

in.

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 1 9 4

 

“Oh, yeah, you’re probably right.” Hikari-san gave a

 

convinced nod, then left the room. My eyes stayed on the

 

door for a while as I thought about her bizarre reaction to our

 

question about Iria-san.

 

“Well, whatever.”

 

It probably didn’t have anything to do with this incident. It

 

seemed highly unlikely that Iria-san’s exile here had any

 

influence on Kanami-san’s death. Just then Kunagisa’s

 

workstation emitted a strange boyoyon boyoyonnn noise. I

 

looked over at it to see Kunagisa had once again started doing

 

something on it.

 

“What’s up?”

 

“Mail, I got some mail. From Chii-kun. He’s a fast one.

 

People used to always say he ignores the theory of relativity

 

like it was a traffic light.”

 

She had just asked him to run a check this afternoon, so he

 

sure wasn’t slow—not to mention the fact that he was

 

incarcerated.

 

“Wow, Himena-san’s real name is Himena Shinari. Wow.

 

That’s a much better name. I wonder why she uses a fake

 

one.”

 

“Her real name? Hey, this guy even tracked down trivial

 

stuff like that?”

 

“Yep. He was supposed to see how everyone was

 

connected, but, man, he sure has a lousy personality.

 

Seriously, he doesn’t understand how to communicate with

 

people at all. Oh, wait. Here it is. Hey, Ii-chan, we’ve got a

 

connection.”

 

I went over to her, but everything on the screen was in

 

English, so I didn’t understand it.

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 1 9 5

 

“Why don’t you understand English, Ii-chan? Where were

 

you studying all that time? The South Pole? Mars?”

 

“I forgot it, that’s all. If you don’t use something, it only

 

stays with you for three or four months, y’know? Besides, my

 

reading and writing were always worse than my conversation.”

 

“Didn’t the ER program entrance exam require English,

 

Russian, and Chinese? How’d you get in? Backdoor?”

 

“It’s like I’m tellin’ you, I used to know it.”

 

“Sounds like a lie to me. Anyway, I’ll translate. It says

 

‘Ibuki Kanami and Sonoyama Akane were spotted having

 

lunch in a Chicago café.’ About half a year ago. It’s an

 

eyewitness account. Hmm… ‘lunch together.’ I wonder why.

 

Don’t those two hate each other?”

 

“They had lunch together?”

 

As suspected, they had a connection. But why were they

 

doing something like that? Akane-san had lived in the States,

 

and Kanami-san was a world-traveling artist, so it wasn’t that

 

implausible that they could’ve met over there, but they sure

 

weren’t the sort of pair to be having lunch dates together.

 

“Yup, and it wasn’t just a lunch date, either. It was at a

 

super-secret club.”

 

“Secret club?”

 

Speaking of sounding like a lie.

 

“Yup,” Kunagisa nodded. “That’s right. Those places really

 

do exist. Even in Japan there are some, though not many. All

 

sorts of politicians and celebrities and their families go there.

 

Maybe ‘high-class clubs’ would be a more accurate

 

description. The security at those places is out of this world.”

 

Which raised the question of how this guy got the

 

information, but I sure wasn’t about to ask. Sometimes it’s

 

better not to touch the other end of the tunnel.

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 1 9 6

 

“Is that definite?”

 

“Chii-kun doesn’t lie. But sometimes he doesn’t tell the

 

truth, either. I guess that makes him like you.”

 

“Eh… I lie plenty.”

 

I’ll just let that say what it says.

 

So Sonoyama Akane and Ibuki Kanami had a connection.

 

Whether or not it was important information, it was certainly

 

something to be concerned about. I decided it was probably

 

best to confirm it with Akane-san tomorrow. It never occurred

 

to me that this would turn out to be impossible.

 

“There’s some other stuff here about how everyone’s doing

 

recently. Natchan’s doing about the same, huh? Ah, Satchan

 

seems to be having some rough times. Hii-chan’s gone

 

missing. That is so him. The Admiral found a job… wow, a

 

nice job. Atchan, too. Everyone else is doing well. Chii-kun,

 

too. That’s a relief. Have to admit, I was feeling a little guilty.”

 

Feeling a little left out as she immersed herself in memories

 

of the good ol’ days, I rolled over on the sofa. “Let’s get to

 

sleep already,” I said. Since Akane-san was in the storeroom

 

now, I was stuck sleeping here.

 

“Okeydokey.” She finished checking her mail, switched off

 

the workstation, and dove off the revolving chair into bed.

 

Then she rose to her knees. “Ii-chan, let’s sleep together

 

tonight for sure.”

 

“Pass.”

 

“It’s so cold at night. If you sleep over there you’ll catch a

 

cold. This bed is a king-size. Lotsa room.”

 

“Pass.”

 

“Come on, I won’t do anything! We’d just be sleeping

 

together, that’s all. I won’t even touch you. You can even

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 1 9 7

 

sleep with your back to me. Come on, that’s not so bad,

 

right?”

 

“Pass.”

 

“Please? I’m lonely over here.”

 

Damn this girl.

 

She was really digging in this time.

 

I got up from the couch and looked her right in the eye.

 

“You swear you won’t do anything?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“You swore. I’m gonna believe you.”

 

“No sweat,” she nodded. “I won’t let you down.”

 

And so that night I slept on a real bed for the first time in a

 

long time. A very long time. Not that I was expecting

 

anything, but she really did keep her promise, and I could hear

 

her sleep-breathing behind me. But since I had my back to

 

her, I didn’t know if she was really sleeping.

 

I remembered.

 

The old days.

 

Way back then.

 

Years ago.

 

Wow, was it really so long ago?

 

“Ii-chan.”

 

She always used to call my name like that, with that sense

 

of familiarity in her voice.

 

Her heart was just as open to me now, like we had never

 

been apart.

 

Wide open, no façades.

 

I really don’t like meeting up with people from the past.

 

Whether they’ve changed or not, it’s a lonely experience

 

for me.

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 1 9 8

 

Nevertheless, Kunagisa’s house was the first place I went

 

when I came back to Japan, before even going to my own

 

home, and I did so without hesitation.

 

The blue-haired femme.

 

She still looked exactly the same.

 

Like those years had never happened.

 

I closed my eyes.

 

Surely this was the first time we’d slept side by side in a

 

long while.

 

Just take her, Akane-san said.

 

If you want to be her one-and-only.

 

If you want not to be loved, but chosen.

 

“Nonsense…”

 

What if…

 

If I told Akane-san I had already tried that before, would

 

she have held it against me?

 

It hadn’t been out of love, but out of desire for destruction.

 

But Akane-san.

 

It didn’t mean anything.

 

Really.

 

Really, it meant nothing.

 

So then what?

 

Then what should I do?

 

Please tell me.

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 2 0 1

 

Death to wolves, and death to pigs, too.

 

I awoke to a loud knocking. My head still swirling with sleep, I

 

got up and opened the door only to have Hikari-san charge

 

into the room and grab me by the collar.

 

“You bastard!” she suddenly screamed.

 

No, this wasn’t Hikari-san, I realized. The day Hikari-san

 

says something like “You bastard!” is the day I change my

 

name to Samantha. To say something like that and grab me by

 

the collar was, for Hikari-san, literally impossible. She lacked

 

that ability. This was most likely not Teruko-san either… so it

 

must be… Akari-san?

 

“Because of you, this—goddammit! You shithead!”

 

Even for Akari-san, this was pretty uncharacteristic

 

behavior. In a complete frenzy, she looked as if she was going

 

to start pummeling me any second. Or actually, she had

 

already beaten on my chest several times at this point. I was

 

just too surprised by her behavior to notice the pain.

 

“I’m so tired of this happening.” She was panting and

 

trembling. “No more of this… It’s just too awful…. It’s too

 

awful. Why? Why?!”

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 2 0 2

 

“Take it easy, Akari-san.” I grabbed her shoulders and gave

 

her a firm shaking.

 

“Did something… happen?”

 

She shot me a glare. It was a look of true resentment.

 

Vengeful indignation from the core of her being.

 

She glared with all her might.

 

Hadn’t Hikari-san said something yesterday along the lines

 

of “We’ve been trained to maintain our composure”? It wasn’t

 

likely that Hikari-san had undergone training that Akari-san

 

hadn’t. Yet here she was, out of her mind. What the hell had

 

happened?

 

At last, she shook her head gently. “I’m so sorry. Please

 

excuse me, my behavior was very inappropriate.” She hung

 

her head in shame. “It’s not even your fault. This terrible thing

 

isn’t your fault…”

 

“Hey, don’t worry about it… But what exactly happened?”

 

I repeated my question. “Whatever it was, please tell me.”

 

Instead of answering directly, she spun around with her

 

back to me. “Please come with me to the first-floor storage

 

room,” she said, and began walking.

 

I stood frozen. “W-what? But that’s…”

 

Akari-san and Teruko-san had supposedly spent the night

 

on the mainland; when had they gotten back? According to

 

the watch Kunagisa had fixed for me, it was already ten

 

o’clock in the morning (although it was hard to read, since the

 

numbers were backward). It was unlike me to have overslept.

 

How embarrassing.

 

But now was no time for such thoughts. When Akari-san

 

had returned and how long I overslept were far too trivial

 

matters at this point.

 

More important…

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 2 0 3

 

More important…

 

“Akari-san, what did you just say?”

 

The first-floor storage room?

 

I had a bad feeling about this. Who was down there?

 

A real bad feeling.

 

What was happening on this island?

 

A really bad feeling.

 

And the feeling was probably right. There was a pattern

 

developing here.

 

“Hey, wake up. Tomo.”

 

“Hnnh? Gmorning… Put my hair up?”

 

Kunagisa sleepily raised her head. She wore a strangely

 

content expression, like she had been having a nice dream.

 

“It seems like now’s not the time for that.”

 

She rubbed her eyes. “That means I don’t have to wash my

 

face, either.”

 

An inward-opening door.

 

On the other side, Akane-san laid facedown, her body

 

pointing toward us. As a result, the cross section of the cut—

 

as well as all the flesh and bone and veins it revealed—was in

 

plain sight. It was a grotesque reminder that in the end,

 

human beings are nothing more than giant wads of organic

 

matter.

 

Yes.

 

It was yet another decapitated body.

 

Just like Kanami-san’s body, the head had been completely

 

severed from the very base of the neck.

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 2 0 4

 

It was dressed in a suit. An expensive-looking, gray one.

 

Ruined by bloodstains. But even supposing it hadn’t been, just

 

as was the case with Kanami-san’s dress the day before, there

 

was no one left to wear it.

 

The room was stark and barren. I had spent three days in

 

here. Akane-san hadn’t lasted one night.

 

It was an empty room. The only things inside it were a

 

wooden chair by the wall, a house telephone hanging on the

 

wall, a futon, a few books Akane-san had presumably brought

 

with her, and the lamp stand.

 

“The door was locked, right?” Iria-san asked. “Right,

 

Hikari?”

 

“Yes.” Hikari-san’s voice trembled. I looked over to see that

 

her body was also trembling. “It was definitely locked. No

 

mistake.”

 

“Well, what about the window then?”

 

I looked up at the sound of Iria’s voice. At the very top of

 

the wall opposite the door, where we all stood, there was a

 

rectangular window. But it was strictly for letting in sunlight

 

and ventilation. As far as allowing someone to sneak in or get

 

out, it was way too…

 

It was open.

 

It had an open/close lever that could be operated from

 

within the room. If you thought about it, it was just big

 

enough to let a single person pass through, if the person put in

 

a little effort.

 

But still…

 

“It’s too high,” I said to no one in particular.

 

Breaking in through that window would be like taking a

 

two-story dive, and breaking out would’ve been even worse.

 

The impossibility of getting in or out through that window

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 2 0 5

 

was the reason we chose this room as Akane-san’s cell in the

 

first place.

 

In other words, the window was impenetrable.

 

However.

 

The only other port of entry or exit had been locked.

 

This was a dead end. Another sealed room. A second

 

decapitation. Two decapitations, two sealed rooms.

 

Kunagisa, who was standing next to me, let out a whine. I

 

tried to say something, but ultimately stayed silent.

 

Lying on the floor before us was the headless body of the

 

woman we had all suspected was the killer. In a situation like

 

this, what words were suitable?

 

The head was nowhere to be found.

 

This meant that just like Kanami-san, accidental death and

 

suicide were out of the question.

 

“Anyway, it looks like we’ve got some things to

 

reconsider,” Iria-san finally said. “Can we all gather in the

 

dining room? Hikari, lock this room.”

 

Once again, Iria-san was the first to leave. Rei-san silently

 

followed close behind.

 

“Some things to reconsider?” I repeated painfully. Indeed,

 

that was right. All of our thinking and every speculation we

 

had made up to this point would have to he wiped clean. It

 

also seemed as if we had a lot of new details to consider.

 

“I guess this makes it a serial killing, huh?”

 

It was really painful to say that.

 

A serial killing.

 

I had locked Akane-san in here to prevent that very thing.

 

And she had become the second victim as a result.

 

Yeah, real safe situation we had created. What the hell did

 

I think would happen? What did I expect from a person who

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 2 0 6

 

kills others and cuts their heads off? Probably the good sense

 

and strategic thinking of, you know, a human being.

 

I had felt so relaxed. Totally at ease. Completely proud of

 

myself. I had stopped the killer from moving around. I was so

 

confident. Carried away. Big-headed.

 

Akane-san’s words from the previous night all came

 

rushing back. The words she had left me with.

 

Could this be forgiven?

 

“It’s all nonsense, really.”

 

I turned on my heels and left the crime scene.

 

At that moment, I spotted Yayoi-san out of the corner of

 

my eye. She looked terribly pale. Even more so than

 

yesterday. I guess you’d expect as much from anyone who’d

 

seen two headless corpses in two days. It wasn’t like looking at

 

pork or chicken.

 

Still, there was something—just then Yayoi-san seemed to

 

notice my gaze and sped off to the dining room, as if to get

 

away from me.

 

I wondered what that was about while Kunagisa tugged on

 

my arm.

 

“Ii-chan, let’s go already. Iria-chan’ll get tired of waiting

 

around. Everyone’s already gone; there’s no point sticking

 

around.”

 

I nodded.

 

Things to rethink, and new things to think about.

 

As such, the morning of the fifth day was total crap.

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 2 0 7

 

“It was around two in the morning,” Hikari-san said.

 

Dining room.

 

Round table.

 

But we were two fewer people than just two days ago.

 

The artist extraordinaire Ibuki Kanami and member of the

 

Seven Fools Sonoyama Akane.

 

The bickering duo was no more. They were no longer alive.

 

“I received a phone call in my room… from Sonoyama-san.

 

She said she had forgotten a book in her room that she wanted

 

me to bring her.”

 

“And then?” Iria -san said. “I presume you did as you were

 

told?”

 

“Yes,” Hikari-san nodded. “It was a kind of old-looking

 

paperback of Bakaichi by Mushanokoji.”

 

“That’s not really important. So at that time, Akane-san

 

was still alive, yes? And she had a head?”

 

“Yes, at that time she was alive,” Hikari-san said distinctly.

 

This meant that Akane-san had been killed after two a.m. I

 

had assumed I was the last person to see Akane-san alive, so I

 

was a little surprised. But really, I don’t suppose I had “seen”

 

her, per se, since we had only spoken through the door.

 

Her body had apparently been discovered around nine

 

o’clock that morning. She usually woke up and went for

 

breakfast at a set time every day, so Hikari-san was concerned

 

when no call came from Akane-san’s room, and thus became

 

the one to discover the body.

 

At first she had suspected that Akane-san had merely

 

overslept on account of being in a new environment. But

 

reality had something else in store. At any rate, assuming

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 2 0 8

 

Hikari-san’s testimony was true, the time of the murder was

 

limited to a seven-and-a-half-hour window. The body didn’t

 

appear freshly killed at the time it was discovered, so it

 

seemed that the murder probably occurred in the middle of

 

the night.

 

“Well then,” Iria-san said, looking over the people at the

 

table. “Let’s start looking at alibis like we did yesterday.”

 

She sounded like she was playing some kind of game. I

 

won’t claim to be able to judge what was inside Iria-san’s

 

heart, but at the very least, she seemed to have no sense of

 

sadness or grief.

 

No matter who it had all happened to or what happened,

 

it didn’t happen to her. That’s all there was to it.

 

“This time, I don’t have an alibi.” I decided to get the ball

 

rolling since nobody was talking. “Hikari-san came to visit our

 

room around ten or eleven last night. I think. But then

 

Kunagisa and I went to bed and fell asleep.”

 

“You went to bed together?” Iria-san teased.

 

“Yeah, right. ‘Went to bed’ is just a figure of speech. I slept

 

on the sofa.”

 

“But if you both went to sleep, there’s no way of

 

confirming that one of you didn’t slip out in the middle of the

 

night.”

 

“Oh, oh, but you can rule me out. Kunagisa slid her hand

 

horizontally across her neck. “The storage room is on the first

 

floor, right? I can’t go downstairs alone.”

 

“Eh?” Not only Iria-san, but everyone gawked at Kunagisa

 

in surprise. Well, everyone except for Maki-san, who wore an

 

utterly indifferent expression, as if to say, “I already knew

 

that.” But you can always count on her to be the exception.

 

“That’s why I always make Ii-chan come with me.”

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 2 0 9

 

Yup. I hadn’t come to this island just because I was bored

 

or interested. I had a bona fide reason for being here, and

 

Kunagisa needed me.

 

Kunagisa had a wide array of unique quirks and

 

characteristics that made everyday life a serious health risk,

 

but among those were three major ones, and within those

 

three was one of special note: she couldn’t handle extreme

 

vertical locomotion on her own.

 

That was a rule.

 

I suppose it’s more fitting to call it a rigid, compulsive,

 

subconscious rule that lay somewhere within her mind than a

 

“quirk.” If poorly enforced, it would be revealed, and she

 

would scream and shout and you wouldn’t be able to lay a

 

finger on her. It was the same way years ago. I wondered if she

 

might have been cured, but it seemed it wasn’t such a simple

 

condition.

 

“Is that right?” The look of surprise remained on Iria-san’s

 

face. “But this is the first time I’ve heard about this.”

 

“Well, it’s not really something you bring up all the time.

 

But if you’ve been observing me, you’ll note that I haven’t

 

gone up or down any stairs alone the whole time I’ve been on

 

this island.”

 

I was always with her during meals, or else she was locked

 

up in her room.

 

Kunagisa Tomo.

 

“Now that you mention it, you do always get that guy to

 

come to your room and get you. But we don’t have any way to

 

prove this.”

 

“We do have a medical certificate,” I said. “It’s a mental

 

disorder, so to speak. So I think we can confirm Kunagisa’s

 

alibi for now.”

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 2 1 0

 

Not mine, though.

 

Iria-san seemed to be pondering this for a moment, but

 

then she switched her train of thought. “Well, what about

 

Himena-san?”

 

“I was in my room drinking all night.” She looked over at

 

Shinya-san. “Together with that wonderful gentleman over

 

there.”

 

“Is that right, Sakaki-san?”

 

“Well, I don’t know about the gentleman part, but

 

otherwise, yes.” He gave Maki-san a little wink. “I only meant

 

to go bother her for a little bit, but I ended up staying all night

 

drinking.”

 

That makes two nights in a row that they were up

 

drinking. They must have had incredible endurance. Or

 

maybe that wasn’t the case for Shinya-san. Maybe he just

 

couldn’t bear being sober after the loss of Kanami-san.

 

I could imagine how important she was to him. He had

 

taught her painting, and even raised her to surpass him. She

 

was special. Her existence had been important to him.

 

“Neither of us were particularly intoxicated, so I think we

 

can vouch for each other,” Shinya-san said. “Yeah, it was

 

around one in the morning. I couldn’t get to sleep… you

 

know, because of what happened, so I went to the living room

 

and there she was. Then she invited me to her room, and we

 

ended up staying there until morning.”

 

Yup. That’s what he meant. But either way, he was in her

 

room for a fact; so the two of them had solid alibis.

 

“I was sleeping the whole time,” Yayoi-san said before even

 

being asked, as if we were going in some sort of order. “I’ve

 

got no alibi at all. But I think Hikari-san can at least vouch

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 2 1 1

 

that I got up at six a.m. and that she helped me prepare

 

breakfast.”

 

For some reason, she was sort of mumbling her words, and

 

she looked up to see Iria-san’s reaction. There was something

 

off about her, and something about her bizarre disposition was

 

bothering me. It’s hard to explain, but something caught my

 

attention. I just didn’t know what it was.

 

“Hmm,” Iria-san said. “How about you, Hikari?”

 

“Well, I delivered the book to Sonoyama-san at two a.m.,

 

then I went to bed. So I don’t have an alibi until the time I

 

woke up this morning.”

 

“I see… Oh, I suppose I have to give my story as well. I

 

was in my room talking with Rei all night. We were discussing

 

what to do from here on and what to tell Aikawa-san. Isn’t

 

that right, Rei?”

 

Rei silently nodded.

 

“I had already slept that afternoon, so I couldn’t get to

 

sleep at night. By the time we finished talking, it was already

 

morning, so I figured it was too late to try and sleep, so then…

 

the usual things, and then finally breakfast. I think that’s a

 

solid alibi, isn’t it?”

 

For some reason, Iria-san looked at me when she said it. It

 

was a challenging gaze. I shrugged. “Yup, sure is. So when did

 

Teruko-san and Akari-san get back?”

 

“At about nine o’clock.” It was Akari-san, who had only a

 

short while ago jumped me in Kunagisa’s room. She had

 

completely returned to normal by this point, but she didn’t try

 

to make eye contact with me.

 

“Nine o’clock?”

 

Speaking of which, she had said something kind of strange

 

earlier. “I’m so tired of this happening,” or something to that

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 2 1 2

 

effect. But what was she so “tired” of? No matter how you

 

looked at it, there was something strange about her whole

 

manner at that time.

 

Something told me she wasn’t just referring to Kanamisan’s

 

death.

 

“Well, I guess that means Akari and Teruko have an alibi,

 

yes? Which means…” Iria-san said. “The people with alibis are

 

Sakaki-san and Himena-san, followed by me and Rei, and

 

Teruko and Akari. And most likely Kunagisa as well. That’s

 

seven.”

 

On the other side we had myself, Sashirono Yayoi, and

 

Chiga Hikari. The three of us had no alibis. But while the

 

question of who had an alibi was an important one, there was

 

one thing more important in this case.

 

“Um, Hikari-san?”

 

“Yes?” She looked in my direction.

 

“Maybe I’m being too trivial here, but could you tell me

 

whether or not the window was open when you delivered the

 

book to the storage room at two o’clock?”

 

She looked off into space as she thought about it for a

 

moment. “I believe it was closed,” she answered.

 

“I see. Is it something a person could easily open?”

 

“Yes. It’s supposed to be for ventilation, so if you just use

 

the lever—you have to crank it like this—it opens and closes

 

normally. But that’s only from the inside. It’s completely

 

sealed off from the outside.”

 

“I see.”

 

This was a troublesome development. A very troublesome

 

development. A window more than ten feet high. Without a

 

ladder, it was virtually impossible for someone to climb out,

 

and even more implausible that someone had climbed in.

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 2 1 3

 

In other words, we had another “locked room” mystery.

 

“Well, tell me then, how do you go about handling the

 

key? Are there copies of it or anything?”

 

“I have the only key. There are no copies or master keys.”

 

She seemed pretty worried. Which was only natural. The

 

implications of this conversation were that she was the only

 

one who could’ve possibly committed the murder. Just

 

looking at it objectively, that was the most likely case.

 

But I wasn’t about to point that out. I didn’t want to cause

 

another Akane-san-style mishap.

 

“What type of lock is it?”

 

“Just a normal one. You twist the key like this and the bolt

 

latches. I don’t know the official name…”

 

“And you definitely locked the door at two a.m.?”

 

“Yes, I locked it. For sure. I even checked several times,”

 

she answered with a somewhat pained expression. “For sure.”

 

“I see…”

 

She was an honest girl.

 

To the point that it must have made life difficult for her.

 

Seeing her like this, it seemed clear to me that she wasn’t

 

the killer. If she were the killer, she wouldn’t have gone to all

 

the trouble to report that she had been called to Akane-san’s

 

room in the middle of the night. Anyone could have deduced

 

that much.

 

Of course, you couldn’t throw out the possibility that she

 

had strategized all this to fool everyone. That kind of

 

argument could go on forever.

 

I continued my questioning.

 

“And nobody else was in her room when you went there?

 

What about the possibility that someone was hiding in the

 

dark or something like that?”

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 2 1 4

 

“Well, I didn’t sense anybody else in the room, but”—she

 

tilted her head as if she didn’t quite get the point of my

 

question—”I can’t be certain. I didn’t actually go into the

 

room. I gave her the book at the door.”

 

“Weren’t you scared?” Yayoi-san suddenly asked, her voice

 

faint. She wore an upset expression as she continued. “I mean,

 

didn’t we all think Sonoyama-san might be the killer? And

 

you met with her alone, in the middle of the night? Weren’t

 

you scared?”

 

“No, not at all,” Hikari-san answered after a moment’s

 

hesitation. “I didn’t think Sonoyama-san was the killer.”

 

“Why not?” For some reason, Yayoi-san was being strangely

 

pushy with Hikari-san. “What makes you so sure?”

 

“Uh, well…” Hikari-san looked over at me with a worried

 

expression. Ah, it was because of her conversation with

 

Kunagisa yesterday. Indeed, after hearing that conversation

 

there was no reason to suspect Akane-san in particular.

 

I thought about things as I watched this conversation

 

unfold between the two ladies. But I couldn’t pin anything

 

down. It had seemed to me that if something had happened, it

 

probably happened around two a.m., when Hikari-san

 

delivered the book, but then, after listening to her testimony,

 

that didn’t seem to be the case.

 

So what to do now?

 

How to continue?

 

“I don’t suppose the room was completely sealed. The

 

window was open, after all,” Iria-san said to me. “In that sense

 

it’s not exactly what you would define as ‘sealed.’ ”

 

“But it’s impossible to get in or out through that window.”

 

“There’s a chair in the room, right? Couldn’t you reach the

 

window if you stood on the chair?”

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 2 1 5

 

“I don’t think so. Even if you stretched and jumped at the

 

same time, I don’t think you’d reach it. Shinya-san is the

 

tallest person here, and I don’t think even he could reach it.”

 

“Is that so? So Ibuki-san’s room was sealed off by a river of

 

paint, and this time it’s a room sealed off by a height

 

problem…” Iria-san stretched out her arms with an irritated

 

sigh. “And both women were decapitated.”

 

Yeah, there was that issue as well.

 

The killer had cut off Kanami-san, and Akane-san’s heads.

 

That was still a mystery. There was no reason to suspect

 

switched bodies, but what other reason was there to cut off

 

the heads? Could we just write it off as a bizarre fluke?

 

What’s more, the fact that the killer took the severed head

 

didn’t make much sense. Of course, there was also the

 

possibility that the killer severed the head specifically for the

 

sake of taking it somewhere, but what in the world do you do

 

with a severed human head?

 

And that question just led to another question: why were

 

these women killed in the first place? I had no idea. This case

 

was full of things I didn’t understand. It was all hopeless and

 

meaningless.

 

Dammit.

 

Since when had I become so dumb?

 

“Hmm… looking at things objectively, Hikari is the most

 

suspicious one here.” Iria-san said suddenly.

 

Hikari-san flinched for a moment. “Eh? Oh, um, I…”

 

“Hikari was the one with the key, and one of the three

 

people with no alibi. If the window isn’t a possible entrance or

 

exit, the door is the only possibility, right? There are three

 

people without alibis, but only one of those three has a key.”

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 2 1 6

 

“Please hold on a second,” I barged into Iria-san’s

 

monologue. “That’s no good. That’s not a fair assumption.”

 

“Assumption? I believe the correct term is ‘reasoning.’ ”

 

Hikari-san watched our interaction with a worried

 

expression. She didn’t know what to say.

 

“It’s like Akane-san said yesterday. It’s foolish to reach a

 

conclusion based on the process of elimination and selective

 

thinking. I won’t go as far as to call it foolish, but I do think

 

we’re leaving things out.”

 

“I wonder. Is that right? I don’t think so, personally.”

 

“It was that thinking that caused me to have Akane-san

 

locked up as the prime suspect. And this is the result. This is

 

the result of that, Iria-san. There’s nothing I can say about

 

what’s already over and done, but I refuse to make the same

 

mistake again. You understand, right? It’s too dangerous for

 

anyone to be left alone anymore.”

 

“Now you tell me,” she said with a smile. Under different

 

circumstances, it might have even been pretty. “Wasn’t it your

 

idea to have Akane-san locked up—sorry, secluded—in the first

 

place?”

 

“That’s correct. I’m not here to debate that fact. It was I

 

who suggested we lock her up in there, and so now it is my

 

duty to counter that suggestion. If I have to take responsibility

 

for what happened, making sure it doesn’t happen again is

 

how I’ll take that responsibility. At this point, it’s still too

 

early to determine who the killer is. We’re still not even

 

thinking about the things we need to be thinking about.”

 

Maki-san let out a big yawn. Possibly because she hadn’t

 

slept in two days, or possibly because she was bored by the

 

conversation. Most likely it was for both of those things.

 

She was just a bystander.

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 2 1 7

 

“Well, I still think Hikari is the most suspicious.”

 

There was absolutely no sense of compassion in her words

 

for this maid with whom she had coexisted under the same

 

roof for all these years.

 

She was completely devoid of sentimentality. She spoke

 

with the icy-cold tone of someone simply reporting facts as

 

facts, with no emotion inserted whatsoever.

 

I thought I knew.

 

The answer to Kunagisa’s question from yesterday. The

 

reason this woman had been exiled from the Akagami family.

 

Akagami Iria. This world was all the same to her, by and

 

large. It all had the same lack of value. And so she was

 

searching for something of value; unable to find it, she was

 

able to rid her life of anything without any shred of hesitation.

 

I had been wondering what she had done.

 

I had assumed she had done something.

 

But in reality, maybe that was the wrong assumption.

 

Maybe it wasn’t that she had done anything wrong, but that

 

she couldn’t exist as part of the Akagami family. Furthermore,

 

maybe it wasn’t the family that had shunned her, but in fact

 

the other way around. It wasn’t out of the question.

 

And here I thought it was supposed to be her job to stick

 

up for Hikari-san.

 

“Well, let’s do this then,” I suggested without looking up at

 

Iria-san. “We can say for a fact that it’s no longer sate for

 

anyone to be alone. So let’s divide into teams. No complaints

 

about that, right, Iria-san? I don’t think I need to bother

 

explaining the purpose of making teams, right? It’s just safer

 

than moving around alone. And that way we can all watch one

 

another’s backs. Now, since I’ve been sticking up for Hikari-

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 2 1 8

 

san, I’ll be on her team. Her, Kunagisa, and I will be Team A.

 

How’s that sound?”

 

“Hmm, interesting.” Iria-san seemed genuinely impressed.

 

“You’re smarter than you look, huh? Teams, eh? Well,

 

naturally I’ll be teamed up with Rei and Akari and Teruko.

 

Then let’s have Maki-san, Shinya-san, and Yayoi-san on

 

Team C. Shinya-san and Maki-san have been confirmed as

 

innocent twice in a row now, so Yayoi-san can put herself at

 

ease. And even if Yayoi-san is the killer, it would be two

 

against one. Does that sound okay?”

 

“What if we just had everyone stay in the dining room

 

together? Until Aikawa-san gets here?” Hikari-san said,

 

looking over at me with the same worried expression. “That

 

way nobody has to be alone and the killer can’t take any

 

actions, either.”

 

“We can’t do that. You mean just stay put here? Don’t be

 

ridiculous.”

 

I spoke not only to Hikari-san, but to the entire group.

 

“Kunagisa and I have some moving around to do.”

 

For the time being, we decided to bury Akane-san’s body. As

 

was the case with Kanami-san’s body the day before, simply

 

leaving it there on the floor was out of the question. Iria-san

 

didn’t seem to have any plans to call the police anyway, so we

 

went ahead and did as we felt.

 

We decided it would be best to use the digital camera to

 

first take pictures of the scene of the crime as we had done the

 

day before, then go bury the body in the mountain woods

 

behind the mansion, so the three of us headed back to

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 2 1 9

 

Kunagisa’s room. But our plans would end up being slightly

 

modified.

 

“Gah!”

 

The instant Kunagisa entered the room, she let out a

 

scream that reverberated out into the hall.

 

I took a peek in and discovered the reason.

 

“This is… wow…”

 

“Ah, what the hell?” Kunagisa was uncharacteristically

 

vocal. “This is bullshit!”

 

Destroyed.

 

It was destroyed.

 

Inside her room lay destruction. All three of her

 

computers, the two PCs and the workstation. They had been

 

completely smashed to bits.

 

“Wahhh! Why did this happen?!” She frantically scrambled

 

over to the completely exposed, mostly unrecognizable mess

 

of mechanical parts. “Awfulawfulawfulawfulawfulawful! This

 

is bullying! Demonic! There is a demon on this island! It’s

 

Diabolos, Ii-chan! A tragedy! Uwaaa! This is the ruptured

 

organ compound fracture of computers! Even the monitors

 

are busted! Why?! Ah, this keyboard was impossible to build!

 

The holographic memory! Oh my God, the motherboard!!!

 

What happened to—oh my God, it’s been smashed! What the

 

hell is this?!?!”

 

She had lost it. Like flipping a switch. For a happy-golucky

 

girl like her, this was a fairly rare state of being. Or at

 

least it was the first time I’d seen her like this since coming

 

back to Japan.

 

“Why would they do something like this? Oh, it’s too

 

awful… Ii-chan Ii-chan Ii-chan… So whaddaya think?”

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 2 2 0

 

“It’s ghastly.” Even supposing these computers were a

 

nuisance, there was no need to go this far. They were smashed

 

up so bad, it seemed like overkill. “I wonder if they used some

 

kind of iron bar. It’s not a very clean method of destruction.

 

Or maybe it was a hatchet or something.”

 

“Why did this happen? Who did this? You think it was the

 

killer?” Hikari-san said in a whisper.

 

The killer? Maybe the person who murdered Kanami-san

 

and Akane-san was trying to create some chaos. But what was

 

the point? What did the killer have to gain by destroying

 

Kunagisa’s equipment?

 

“Oooh… poor me. I want to cry,” Kunagisa said, as if really

 

about to cry. “Hah… well, whatever. I already sent a backup

 

to my house and all. But still, I went to so much trouble to

 

build these. I didn’t see this coming. I guess next time I’ll have

 

to make the motherboard out of unbreakable parts.”

 

“Wow, backup to the rescue, huh? At least you won’t lose

 

the software you made.”

 

But in reality, it wasn’t much of a “rescue.” Kunagisa’s

 

computers weren’t the normal equipment used by your

 

average professional. They were all completely homemade, so

 

the external parts were actually worth even more than the

 

internal parts.

 

“Now we can’t even view what was on the digital camera.

 

It looks like the camera and the mobile memory are busted as

 

well. Oh, it’s too horrible. Does this person think money

 

grows on trees?”

 

I thought for a moment. “Hey wait, you’re one to talk.”

 

I snapped my fingers. As expected, the camera seemed to

 

have been destroyed very deliberately. Which made the

 

culprit’s motive entirely clear.

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 2 2 1

 

“I see, I see. It makes perfect sense,” I muttered to myself.

 

“Yeah, this is surprisingly easy to understand. They must have

 

been afraid of us snooping around any further.”

 

“What do you mean?” Hikari-san asked. “You know why

 

this happened?”

 

“Yeah, I think so. You saw them yesterday, too, right?

 

Kunagisa’s pictures from the atelier had all been sent to the

 

hard disk through a USB connection. Whether or not the

 

culprit knew all that, they must’ve figured those images were

 

incriminating.”

 

The workstation and mobile memory had probably been

 

destroyed with extra care.

 

Kanami-san’s room.

 

Those images.

 

“I think that’s why this happened.”

 

We hadn’t told anybody about the mail or info from Chiikun,

 

so the killer wouldn’t have known about that, but

 

everybody knew about the pictures. Kunagisa slumped her

 

shoulders in realization of this fact.

 

“Ah. I didn’t even bother applying extra protection. I never

 

imagined anyone would resort to something like this.”

 

“This room doesn’t have a lock, does it?” Hikari-san said. “I

 

guess you were unlucky.”

 

I patted Kunagisa on the head.

 

“Keep your spirits up. I guess this means we can’t just sit

 

around happily waiting for this detective guy to show up.” I

 

put my hands on her shoulders and sort of half hugged her.

 

“No more playing around, huh?”

 

We didn’t know who the culprit was, and we didn’t know

 

the motive, either. But we did know one thing for sure: the

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 2 2 2

 

bastard had destroyed something precious to Kunagisa Tomo

 

for his or her own selfish reasons.

 

This was unforgivable.

 

“Huh? Hey. Wait, wait a second,” Hikari-san said as if

 

having suddenly thought of something. “Who did this?”

 

“Uh, the killer, right? We don’t know who that is right

 

now.”

 

“But we were all in the dining room, and then we came

 

directly here, right? Who could’ve had the time to destroy

 

everything like this?”

 

Whoa.

 

We had been in this room until Akari-san came. Then we

 

went to the storage room where the murder had happened,

 

but we were the last ones there. Everyone else was already

 

gathered. Then everyone went directly to the dining room as a

 

group.

 

If that was the case—or rather, that was the case. Logically,

 

there was nobody here who could have committed this

 

destruction.

 

“This is obviously the work of a human being, but nobody

 

had the time to do it. What the hell?”

 

It didn’t make sense. Yet another mystery to worry about.

 

Just like Kanami-san’s sealed room and Akane-san’s headless

 

body.

 

No.

 

This was different. This was a different sort of mystery. It

 

went beyond simply trying to figure out people’s alibis and

 

motives. It wasn’t a matter of tricks or gimmicks. It was

 

simply an impossibility.

 

Which meant…

 

“Which means maybe this is the key.”

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 2 2 3

 

I looked at Kunagisa. I looked at Hikari-san.

 

And then I thought.

 

If this was the key…

 

Then where the hell was the door?

 

Determining that the equipment was beyond repair, we

 

decided to continue with our planned course of action. And

 

by that I mean Akane-san’s burial.

 

We went to the storage room, placed her body on a big

 

stretcher, and headed for the mountain woods behind the

 

mansion. The stretcher was kept in the mansion in case of an

 

emergency, but I doubt they had had an emergency like this in

 

mind.

 

No…

 

Maybe they had.

 

This time we would bury the body alone, without a

 

sleeping bag. Hikari-san took the front of the stretcher and I

 

took the back. Despite her small frame, Hikari-san’s length of

 

service as a maid was apparent in her surprising upper-body

 

strength.

 

Kunagisa followed behind me carrying the shovel.

 

Carrying the back of the stretcher placed the corpse

 

directly in my field of vision, front and center. Even being

 

used to this sort of thing, it wasn’t the most pleasurable

 

experience in the world.

 

On the way, I remembered something I had meant to ask.

 

“Hikari-san, was Akane-san wearing the same clothes when

 

you brought the book last night?”

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 2 2 4

 

“Yes, they were the same,” she replied. “Of course, she still

 

had a head, too.”

 

It wasn’t the type of joke you laugh at. It was far too true

 

to be funny.

 

The digital camera had been destroyed beyond all repair,

 

so naturally we couldn’t make a record of the storage room

 

where Akane-san was killed. This was probably exactly what

 

the killer had hoped.

 

Surely the killer was mocking us. But he or she was taking

 

Kunagisa’s memory too lightly.

 

“Hmm. Hmmhmmhmm. II we assume the killer broke

 

everything because he didn’t want there to be a record of the

 

scene where Kanami-chan was killed, why exactly was that?

 

Did the pictures show some concrete evidence? I don’t

 

remember anything like that.”

 

Inside her head was an image of not only yesterday’s crime

 

scene, but also of the storage room we had just visited, just as

 

accurate and precise as that digital camera. They didn’t call

 

Kunagisa Tomo a prodigy for nothing.

 

“Anything sticking out in your mind?”

 

“Uh-huh. Tons of things are sticking out. I’m trying to

 

narrow them down. Ermm, ah, right…” She began mumbling

 

to herself. Once she had gone into this kind of state, it was

 

best not to bother her. I looked back over at Hikari-san.

 

“So where should we bury her, Hikari-san?”

 

“I suppose away from Ibuki-san would be best.”

 

I couldn’t have agreed more.

 

Walking through the mountain forest for a while, we

 

eventually found a spot we thought would make a decent

 

burial ground, and decided to begin digging. Yesterday we had

 

had twice as many men, so today promised to be relatively

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 2 2 5

 

exhausting. I had hoped Shinya-san would be able to help us,

 

but alas, he was on a different team. That and, for the average

 

guy, having to bury the corpses of two acquaintances in a

 

period of two days was more than a little nerve-racking.

 

Unless you were a guy like me.

 

In which case it was nothing to write home about.

 

“This should do.”

 

I brushed the hair out of my face. If this were summer, I

 

would’ve been sweating like crazy. I hoisted myself out of the

 

hole and lowered Akane-san’s body into it. Then, a brief,

 

silent prayer. I didn’t know whether or not there was a point

 

to such actions, but I figured it was better to do it than not.

 

Regardless of where or how I die, or who kills me for what

 

reasons, you won’t hear a complaint out of me.

 

The last words I had heard out of Akane-san. But did she

 

really mean it? Even being killed like this, had she crossed

 

over to the other side like a saint, without a single gripe?

 

For me, that was an impossible feat.

 

“I really wish we could bury her with the head, huh?”

 

Hikari-san said. “Ibuki-san, too. Why do you suppose the killer

 

cut the heads off anyway?”

 

“That’s the question of the week, I guess. But we keep

 

coming up with the same answer.”

 

That is, “I don’t know.”

 

I scooped up some dirt with the shovel and began burying

 

Akane-san’s body. My joints would be hurting tomorrow for

 

sure. If I still had the mental faculties to feel pain, that is.

 

There was no saying I wouldn’t be the next murder victim.

 

The chances weren’t very high, but it wasn’t impossible.

 

A serial killing.

 

Maybe it was already over with Kanami-san and Akanesan.

 

According to the information from Kunagisa’s old buddy

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 226

 

Chii-kun, the pair had had some sort of relationship in the

 

past, although I couldn’t say what kind, so there was always

 

the possibility that the whole ordeal was already over. But

 

maybe that was just overly optimistic thinking.

 

At long last, Akane-san’s body was completely buried.

 

“Hikari-san, since we’re already out here, would you mind

 

taking me somewhere where we can see that storage room

 

window from the outside?”

 

“Certainly.”

 

She began walking.

 

Kunagisa followed behind, blue hair waving. Speaking of

 

which, I hadn’t put her hair up at all today. I decided to do so

 

properly once we got back to her room.

 

As we were walking, Hikari-san turned to me with a

 

serious expression. “Thank you so much.” Not knowing what

 

that was in regards to, I was taken aback.

 

“At breakfast, you stood up for me. So I wanted to thank

 

you.”

 

“Oh, well, I didn’t just do it because it was you. I just hate

 

the idea of making the same mistake again. Even putting

 

mistakes aside, I just hate repetitive actions, really.”

 

Maybe that was why my memory was so bad.

 

“Nyahaha, that is so you, Ii-chan,” Kunagisa giggled

 

childishly. “But really you did it for Hikari-chan, right? ‘Cuz

 

she’s right in the center of your strike zone.”

 

“What exactly is my strike zone?”

 

“She’s older than you, she’s a girl, she’s petite, she’s got

 

long hair, she’s slender, she doesn’t wear any rings or anything,

 

and she’s even wearing an apron dress.”

 

“I’ve never said anything about apron dresses.”

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 2 2 7

 

“Also girls who wear jeans on the bottom and nothing on

 

top, librarian-lookin’ girls who dress in white uniforms and

 

wear glasses, gothy girls who are taller than you and have

 

brown hair and wear jerseys…”

 

“Don’t make me sound like such a freak.”

 

Damn. She sure was chatty.

 

But to be sure, Hikari-san was totally up my alley. In terms

 

of speed, I preferred the slight harshness of Akari-san’s

 

personality, but certainly I had no problem with Hikari-san’s

 

gentle “slowball.” I suppose Teruko-san was some sort of

 

disappearing magic pitch…

 

I don’t know what the hell I’m talking about.

 

“Hah…” Hikari-san gave an ambiguous smile tinged with

 

embarrassment. “Anyway, I wanted to thank you. My mistress

 

can be quite… severe in these cases. Plus, unlike yesterday

 

with Sonoyama-san, this time it seems like I must be the killer.

 

Even I couldn’t help but think so. At least with Sonoyama-san

 

there was the pretense that it was a sealed room, so really

 

nobody could have been the killer. But this time—”

 

“Don’t worry about that anymore, Hikari-san.” I was

 

becoming a little irritated, so I cut her off mid-sentence.

 

“You’ve already thanked me, and you’ve already shown your

 

sincerity, so you don’t have to keep thanking me for

 

everything.”

 

“But—”

 

“If the situation had been reversed, you wouldn’t have just

 

left me there on my own, right? I think you would have done

 

the same for me.”

 

“But I think if that happened, you would thank me.”

 

Well I’ll be damned. She was playing hardball.

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 2 2 8

 

“I think he means that you’re a friend,” Kunagisa said.

 

“And we don’t doubt our friends. That’s why I don’t think Iichan

 

or you could be the killer.”

 

“Friends?” she nodded, brimming with emotion. “I’ve never

 

had friends before. I’ve been by my mistress’s side for as long

 

as I can remember.”

 

“I don’t have any friends, either. Neither does Ii-chan. So

 

we’d be happy if you’d be our friend.”

 

Kunagisa took Hikari-san’s hand.

 

Just looking at a sight like this was enough to bring a smile

 

to your face. But realistically speaking, it would’ve been hard

 

for Kunagisa and Hikari-san to continue a friendship, I

 

thought. From here on out, Iria-san would likely need Hikarisan

 

at her side more than ever before, and meanwhile

 

Kunagisa was scheduled to head back home. And once back,

 

Kunagisa was bound to stay holed up in her home all the time.

 

Kunagisa Tomo was a lonesome girl.

 

They often say that geniuses are completely self-sufficient.

 

If that was the case, Kunagisa fit the bill.

 

And most likely, unable to analyze the situation in any

 

other way, it was I who was the loneliest.

 

“Oh. it’s over there. The window.”

 

I looked around in confusion for a minute. There wasn’t a

 

window in sight.

 

“Oh, is it that one? I said, pointing to the only window I

 

could see, which stood at about the height of my chest.

 

“Yeah, that’s it.”

 

“But that height is—”

 

“It looks high up from the inside, but half this place is built

 

on a mountain, so…”

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 229

 

While I listened to her, I looked into the room through the

 

window. You could make out a small puddle of blood, the

 

wooden chair, and the door. It was without a doubt the

 

storage room where I had been sleeping and where Akane-san

 

was killed.

 

Wow. So part of the mansion was buried in the mountain,

 

including this room.

 

“In that case, breaking in wouldn’t be so hard, huh?”

 

“But you can’t open the window from the outside. And it

 

doesn’t lock with just a latch, either, so you couldn’t get it to

 

unlock by rattling it a little.”

 

“Well, what about the possibility that Akane-san opened

 

the window on her own, letting the killer in?” Kunagisa said.

 

“Like maybe the killer knocked to get her to open it. Y’know,

 

like ‘anybody home?’ ”

 

“It’s hard to believe Akane-san would do anything to let

 

the killer inside. I mean, it’s Akane-san. Plus, this really is

 

quite a height. It feels all the more real when you’re looking

 

from the top down. I, for one, sure wouldn’t want to jump

 

down from the window.”

 

The window was the kind that tilted open, and only

 

partially, so it didn’t look like there was much room to make a

 

balanced jump, either. And it looked like if you didn’t make a

 

proper landing, you could easily break a bone, or even die if

 

you happened to hit your head.

 

“But even supposing Akane-san had accidentally let the

 

killer in, she could’ve easily called for help. The house phone

 

was right by her.”

 

“Maybe she was attacked in her sleep… Oh wait, I’m an

 

idiot. If she was sleeping she couldn’t open the window,”

 

Kunagisa said.

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 2 3 0

 

“And even ignoring that fact, how would the killer get back

 

out? Even an expert rock climber couldn’t get up a flat wall

 

like that.”

 

“Teehee! Like a gecko.” Kunagisa poked her head inside

 

the window and looked around. “Oooh, it is a dangerous drop,

 

huh? What if the killer used rope?”

 

“Rope, huh? But there are no trees in this area to tie it

 

around.”

 

I looked around the area. Whether it had been deforested

 

or it had always been this way, the whole place was nothing

 

but a big grass plain, and there was nothing appropriate for

 

tying a rope around.

 

“And y’know, rappelling isn’t the easiest trick in the book,

 

either. I have some experience with it, but it’s pretty damn

 

tough. The skin from your hands peels off and stuff.”

 

“Not if you wear gloves.”

 

“Well, yeah, but I still think it’s pretty unlikely. They

 

might as well have brought out a ladder and stuck it through

 

the window. That’s probably more likely anyway,” I said.

 

“But a ladder wouldn’t fit through a gap this small. It

 

would get caught halfway, and then a person couldn’t fit

 

through.”

 

“Hmm, I wonder. Hikari-san, is there a ladder anywhere on

 

this island?”

 

“Well, no…”

 

“What about the possibility that someone brought one

 

with them?”

 

“I don’t think so. I would’ve noticed if someone brought

 

something that big.”

 

“How about a rope ladder? Then they could easily hide it

 

in their luggage, and it wouldn’t get caught in the window.”

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 2 3 1

 

“Ii-chan, you even forget stuff you said yourself? If it was a

 

rope ladder, there wouldn’t be anything to tie it to. It would

 

be possible if they stuck some kind of metal hook in the wall,

 

but that would’ve left a hole. The wall looks fine as far as I can

 

see.”

 

That was true. This was just common sense, not the kind

 

of thing even worth bringing up. But for the sake of

 

confirmation, we were discussing it anyway. It was just

 

another form of “preestablished harmony.”

 

I faced Hikari-san.

 

“Have any ideas?” I asked. “Or even just any observations?”

 

“Hmm, nothing in particular…” she said as she approached

 

the window. “But assuming the killer didn’t enter through the

 

door, the window was the only other way to break in, huh?”

 

“Break in… but maybe they didn’t even have to break in.” I

 

was just coming up with this on the spot. “The chair is over

 

there, which means that must have been where Akane-san

 

was sitting and reading. Maybe the killer made some sort of

 

lasso out of rope, put it in through the window, caught it

 

around Akane-san’s neck, and then pulled her up. So she was

 

strangled to death. Then she was pulled up as far as the

 

window, where her head was cut off. How about that?”

 

Implausible, huh? At the very least, it didn’t have any

 

holes. The killer wouldn’t have had to sneak in through the

 

window, or even enter the room, and still could have killed

 

her.

 

There were no holes at—“Oh no, wait, that’s no good.”

 

“Why not? I didn’t think it was so implausible,” Hikari-san

 

said, confused. “If that was the case, anyone could have done

 

it.”

 

“Human bodies aren’t so light.”

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 2 3 2

 

For a woman, Akane-san wasn’t small. She was taller than

 

average, and she looked like she must have weighed at least

 

110 pounds. She probably wasn’t as much as 130, but she

 

definitely wasn’t in the 90s, either. To lift her from this height

 

would’ve required not only a really tough rope, but some

 

incredible arm strength to boot. I definitely couldn’t have

 

done it. To pull someone up this high with just two arms was

 

a crazy feat of strength.

 

“Shinya-san’s probably the strongest one here, but he’s got

 

an alibi. And even if he’s the strongest one here, that’s very

 

relative. I don’t think even he could lift a human body by

 

himself. Not to mention that Akane-san would’ve been

 

resisting all the while.”

 

And while she was resisting, the house phone would have

 

been right beside her. If she even just kicked it over,

 

somebody would have discovered what was happening. It

 

wouldn’t have been a very wise method.

 

“Plus, in that case the window would have had to be open.

 

But would she have really opened the window and then

 

turned her back to it? She wasn’t stupid; in fact, quite the

 

opposite. So she was probably being somewhat cautious.”

 

Indeed.

 

Dammit. And here I thought I was getting a little warm,

 

but I was still on the wrong track. I felt an unpleasant

 

sensation, like I was in some twisted dimension. It was like

 

searching for the corner of a circle. Something was decidedly

 

off. Something was depressingly messed up. What the hell was

 

I doing wrong?

 

I felt as if I was being given the run around, big-time.

 

“Anyway, let’s go back to the room. There’s nothing more

 

to see here.”

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 2 3 3

 

Not that there was anything to see back at the room.

 

Seemingly reluctant to leave, Kunagisa stayed gazing in

 

through the window for a while, but finally turned and began

 

to follow me.

 

“Did you spot something?”

 

“Uh-uh, nothing special. More important, I’m hungry.”

 

“Oh yeah?”

 

“Then let’s go have lunch,” Hikari-san said.

 

“Yeah,” I nodded.

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 2 3 5

 

Don’t you have anything better to do?

 

Hikari-san had been completely relieved of her duties by Iriasan.

 

“Instead, go help Kunagisa-san and the other guy,” she

 

had been told. It was a soft way of saying, “No way in hell am

 

I going to entrust any of the housework to the prime suspect,”

 

or at least that was partially what she meant.

 

And thus, the three of us remained together even after

 

finishing lunch.

 

“Would you two go on ahead of me?” I said to the two girls

 

on the way to Kunagisa’s room. “I want to stop by Iria-san’s

 

room for a bit. Kunagisa, hold on to this.”

 

I pulled a small knife out of my pocket and handed it to

 

her.

 

“You’ve been walking around with something that

 

dangerous?” Hikari-san said in surprise.

 

“A young man always carries a knife in his heart.”

 

“And a young woman carries a pistol,” Kunagisa joked as

 

she took the knife. “Well, let’s go, Hikari-chan.”

 

“But…”

 

“It’s okay, it’s okay. Let’s leave it to Ii-chan,” Kunagisa said,

 

half dragging Hikari-san along. As long as they were together,

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 2 3 6

 

Kunagisa wouldn’t have any trouble going upstairs. That was

 

one of the reasons we were on a team of three.

 

“Well, I guess we’re going then.”

 

I did an about-face and began walking toward Iria-san’s

 

room.

 

Time to request another “audience.” I gave myself some

 

mental prep. Then I took in a deep breath.

 

I knocked on the thick door, waited for an answer, and

 

then entered. Inside the room, I found Iria-san and Rei-san, as

 

well as Akari-san and Teruko-san, which I guess I probably

 

should’ve expected since they were a team. All of them were

 

sitting on the sofa, elegantly sipping black tea.

 

Akari-san awkwardly avoided eye contact with me, as if

 

trying to escape. She must have been regretting going bananas

 

on me that morning in Kunagisa’s room. That was only

 

natural, but it was I who was at a loss for what to do with her

 

speaking so openly to me.

 

Iria-san’s mouth slowly curled into a smile.

 

“Is something the matter, Mr.… um… what was it? You’re

 

the one who proposed that we operate in teams, and now

 

you’re here alone? That’s a bit of a problem, now, isn’t it?

 

Hikari is on your team, you know—”

 

“Iria-san,” I interrupted. “Um, you still don’t plan on

 

contacting the police, do you?”

 

“Not a chance.”

 

A snappy answer.

 

An utterly cold, curt response.

 

She was just amazing.

 

You’re really wonderful, Akagami Iria-san.

 

“I don’t think that’s a good thing, to be honest,” I said.

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 2 3 7

 

“Would you also care for some black tea?” It was Rei-san.

 

She stood up without waiting for my reply and walked over to

 

the pot. Iria-san shot her a look that seemed to have some

 

hidden meaning, but then looked back toward me.

 

“If the police came now, you’d be a sticky situation

 

yourself, don’t you think? Akane-san was killed because of

 

your suggestion, after all.”

 

“It doesn’t matter if it would put me in a ‘sticky situation’

 

anymore. I live to be given the run around. More important,

 

what about you, Iria-san? Akagami Iria-san. You might be

 

killed, too, you know. What do you think of that situation?”

 

With Rei-san’s invitation, I took a seat on the empty part

 

of the couch next to Teruko-san. Teruko-san made no attempt

 

to even look at me. Her vacant eyes stared off into space from

 

behind her black glasses. It was like her focus was out of

 

alignment or something. Or no, it wasn’t out of alignment. It

 

just wasn’t in tune with mine.

 

The black tea was good.

 

Iria-san took a long pause before answering me, as if trying

 

to intimidate me.

 

“What do I think of it? Of this situation? It’s terrible. It’s a

 

terrible event. Of course that’s not all I think, but what if I ask

 

you the same question? What do you think?”

 

“It’s a dangerous situation. I have no interest in sticking

 

around with a murderer in our midst.”

 

And I had no interest in sticking Kunagisa in such a

 

situation, either. I didn’t know how she felt about things

 

though. I had no idea. But as for me…

 

“Hmph. Do you think murder is a terrible thing?”

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 2 3 8

 

“Yes I do,” I answered promptly. “I do think that. Without

 

question. No matter what reasons they might have, murderers

 

are the most despicable type of human.”

 

“Hmm. So what would you do if you were going to be

 

killed? I mean, if it was kill or be killed, what would you do?

 

Just sit there and wait to die?”

 

“I’d probably kill. I’m not a saint. But in that moment, I

 

would consider myself the most despicable type of human. No

 

matter what kind… what kind of person he or she was.”

 

“You look like you’re speaking from experience.” Iria-san

 

gave me an unsavory smile. It was a wicked smile, perfectly

 

befitting a woman of such absolute power, with such an

 

overwhelming upper hand.

 

I thought she reminded me of someone.

 

Ah yes, Kanami-san. It was that same sort of “Didn’t you

 

know that?” kind of smile. But why would a nongenius like

 

Iria-san have a similar smile to Ibuki Kanami-san?

 

“You think murder must be punished? But imagine you set

 

some food in front of a mouse, and every time the mouse tries

 

to eat it, it gets an electric shock. What do you think the

 

mouse does?”

 

“Mice are capable of learning, so it would probably stop

 

trying to eat.”

 

“Wrong. Mice are capable of learning, so it would eat the

 

parts of the food that aren’t electrified.”

 

“Humans aren’t mice.”

 

“And mice aren’t humans.” She clapped both her hands

 

together. “Gee, as long as we’re discussing this, maybe you’ll

 

answer this for me. Why is it wrong to kill people?”

 

It was the kind of question you might ask a junior high

 

school student.

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 2 3 9

 

She didn’t seem to be joking.

 

“Because it’s against the law, because it’s easier to function

 

in society if you believe that, because I don’t want to be killed

 

myself.”

 

“All of the above lack persuasive power.”

 

“I agree. So this is my answer: there is no reason. You need

 

a reason to kill someone. Like maybe you were pissed off, or

 

you just wanted to kill the person or whatever, but nobody

 

kills without some reason. But it’s not something you choose,

 

right? To kill or not to kill? That’s not something you choose.

 

That’s just drivel that people with a Hamlet complex spout.

 

The instant you embrace such doubts, you cease to be

 

human.”

 

Am I who suffers noble?

 

What a joke.

 

“Killing is wrong,” I said. “That’s an absolute. You don’t

 

need a reason.”

 

“Hmm, is that right?” She nodded with blatant insincerity.

 

“I suppose I can understand where you’re coming from. But if

 

we knew who the killer was, this case would be closed. Once

 

Aikawa gets here, we’ll find out who that is.”

 

“I don’t know this Aikawa-san.”

 

“But I do. Isn’t that enough? Akari, tell him when Aikawasan’s

 

coming.”

 

“In three days,” Akari-san answered, still without making

 

eye contact with me. “We asked Aikawa-san to come earlier

 

than planned. So…”

 

“There you have it. If we knew who the killer was, of

 

course you could just leave. You’re here on this island because

 

you’re a suspect. That’s the only reason a talentless, mediocre

 

boy such as yourself is here. Speaking of which, you didn’t

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 2 4 0

 

have an alibi when Ibuki-san was killed or when Sonoyamasan

 

was killed, did you?”

 

Thunk. I placed my still-more-than-half-full cup of tea

 

back in its saucer, let out a deliberate sigh, and slowly rose to

 

my feet.

 

“Please excuse me. I think we’re speaking completely

 

different languages here.”

 

“Indeed,” she sneered. “There’s your exit.”

 

“Teruko, see him back to his room,” Rei-san said to

 

Teruko-san sitting next to me. “So that he’s not all alone. You

 

shouldn’t have a problem with that, right?”

 

With a quick nod, Teruko-san got up from the sofa. I

 

didn’t fully understand what Rei-san had meant by that nor

 

how to react to it, but nevertheless Teruko advanced out of

 

the room on her own. I scrambled after her, leaving Iria-san’s

 

room behind as well.

 

By the time I got out to the hallway, Teruko-san was

 

already quite a ways ahead of me. What kind of an escort sped

 

out the door ahead of the guest? As usual, I couldn’t read her

 

mind at all. And it wasn’t just a matter of her doing things at

 

her own pace. I accelerated to catch up with her.

 

But more important…

 

My conversation with Iria-san really hadn’t gone anywhere

 

at all. I had more or less expected that, but still I was surprised

 

at how quickly it had died. It seemed Iria-san really trusted

 

this Aikawa-san. But did such amazing detectives really exist

 

in this world?

 

I hoped so.

 

I sincerely hoped so.

 

No, I was wishing for it.

 

Praying.

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 2 4 1

 

“Maybe that’s all nonsense, too.”

 

I let out another sigh. I would just have to try again. It

 

didn’t seem likely that I would be able to progress very far

 

without the cooperation of the owner of this mansion. It was

 

nothing to brag about, but I could be surprisingly determined.

 

And I was a sore loser. The worst of the worst sore losers.

 

There was no way I would give up that easily.

 

Huh?

 

Did somebody say something just now? I could have sworn

 

I had heard someone’s voice. I looked around the hall, but

 

nobody was around besides Teruko-san and me. It must have

 

been my imagination. My ears were playing tricks on me.

 

Maybe I was losing it.

 

Hmm…

 

No.

 

It was the sound of a voice.

 

Which meant…

 

There was just one other, highly, highly unlikely possibility.

 

I knew that it was nearly impossible, logically speaking, but

 

could it have been? Was it possible?

 

“Teruko-san, did you say something?”

 

By any chance?

 

She stopped upon hearing my question.

 

“I said it would be better for you to just die.”

 

I was speechless.

 

It was the first time she had ever spoken in front of me,

 

and I never would have guessed it would be a line such as “it

 

would be better for you to just die.” That was just too much.

 

Was she for real?

 

And then she turned to me and stared from behind those

 

dark glasses, perfectly still.

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 2 4 2

 

It was an accusing gaze, and I couldn’t help but wince. We

 

stood like that for a while, her staring me down, but realizing I

 

didn’t have the perseverance to beat her, I decided to just

 

ignore her and keep on walking. As I tried to pass, she grabbed

 

me by the arm and tightly clenched it.

 

Squeeze.

 

It felt like an electric shock had run through my elbow.

 

Without releasing my arm, she pulled me into a nearby

 

room and shut the door behind her. She forced me onto the

 

sofa. From there she sat down so that we were face-to-face,

 

and removed her black glasses.

 

“Those are just for show?”

 

“They’re so we can be told apart.”

 

She raised her face.

 

Her voice was exactly the same as Akari-san and Hikarisan’s.

 

That clear, beautiful voice.

 

“Is that right?”

 

“No, I’m lying. I just don’t want to look at your face.”

 

“No, I’m lying. I just wanted to see you make that face.”

 

“Can I help you with something?”

 

Unable to figure out her intentions, I knew that it would

 

be bad to get swallowed up in this bizarre situation, so I tried

 

my best to seize the initiative by asking questions. But she just

 

sat there looking around the room without giving any

 

response.

 

“I’ll give you a word of advice,” she suddenly said,

 

continuing to ignore my question. It was as if she were talking

 

to a ghost behind me. “You’d be best to live on your own.

 

When you’re around other people, you cause trouble for

 

them.”

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 2 4 3

 

The worst part was, without her glasses, she was

 

completely indistinguishable from Akari-san and Hikari-san.

 

Being told this kind of stuff by not only Maki-san but now her,

 

too, was, to be honest, unpleasant.

 

I felt like I’d been betrayed.

 

“A person who does nothing but bother other people

 

should just stop being a person altogether. If you can’t do that,

 

then you’ve got to go on living alone. That’s what I think.”

 

“Why are you saying this?”

 

“But I’m the same way.”

 

A clear answer.

 

Her expression showed no change.

 

Not even a flicker.

 

“But you’re here with other people and—”

 

“We’ve stopped being people.”

 

We.

 

Exactly who did that include?

 

“This morning, Akari was rude to you. I apologize.” She

 

changed the subject without any segue. And her pale

 

expression and her tone of voice remained unchanged.

 

“Why are you apologizing?”

 

“That was me.”

 

“Huh?”

 

She continued, oblivious to my confusion.

 

“It wasn’t really me per se, but it was my body. The three

 

of us all share these three bodies. All three of us have three

 

personalities each, and each of us has the same personalities

 

and memories. So although the one screaming at you this

 

morning was Akari, it was really my body.”

 

“You’re lying.”

 

“Yes.”

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 2 4 4

 

She kept a completely straight face. What was up with this

 

girl? She kept throwing me crazy curveballs. I didn’t know

 

where she was going with this at all.

 

“Now then, enough with the chitchat.”

 

And she thought this was just chitchat.

 

“Let me get to the point. I don’t think it’s very wise to be

 

yakking on and on about the police around my mistress. She

 

can be quite patient, but everyone has a breaking point.”

 

“Why is Iria-san being so stubborn about it anyway? She

 

says it’s to keep the peace here, but I can’t help but think

 

there’s more to it than that.”

 

And hadn’t the peace already been broken? She didn’t

 

seem to be interested in peace in the slightest.

 

“You really want to know?”

 

“I do.”

 

Teruko-san stood up.

 

She came over beside me. She leaned up against me. She

 

was stuck to me. Her body was all the way up on me.

 

“It’s because… no criminal likes the police,” she said, her

 

voice completely devoid of tone or cadence. “That’s why.”

 

I was at a loss for words for a moment, not quite clear what

 

she meant.

 

“Surely you’ve wondered why my mistress is on this island.

 

Why do you think she’s here?”

 

“Well, with that personality of hers—”

 

“She messed up.”

 

She was being a little sparse on the details, so I had no idea

 

where the conversation was headed. How could triplets raised

 

in the exact same environment have such completely different

 

personalities? It really was like multiple personality disorder.

 

“Huh? What do you mean by ‘messed up’?”

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 2 4 5

 

“Kunagisa-san can’t handle extreme vertical motion. That’s

 

why you’re here, yes?”

 

“Yeah, that’s right.” I guess she wasn’t much for flattery. “Is

 

something wrong with that?”

 

“My mistress is the opposite of that,” she said eloquently.

 

It was almost like she was reading it right out of a script.

 

And a fairly dry reading at that.

 

“That’s why she’s on this completely deserted island.”

 

She immediately continued.

 

“Have you ever seen my mistress’s left arm? If you saw the

 

scars all over her wrist you would understand, too.”

 

The scars… on her wrist?

 

As dry and monotone as her voice was, it was deadly

 

serious as well.

 

“They called it the abuse syndrome. I’m sure even you’ve

 

heard of it?”

 

Abuse syndrome. She must have meant DLLR syndrome.

 

Indeed I had heard of it. A form of autism in which the person

 

can’t exist without harming him- or herself as well as others.

 

To be more specific, it was at the high end of the autism

 

spectrum. At any rate, it was an exceptionally bad, impossibly

 

unsavory, extraordinarily atrocious type of mental disorder.

 

In my time at the program I had read some literature about

 

it, but I had never actually witnessed a case of it in real life,

 

though I knew someone who had. As he had put it, “a person

 

capable of killing without bearing any sense of guilt is truly a

 

scary thing.”

 

Truly scary indeed.

 

Was she saying that was Iria-san?

 

But DLLR syndrome was such a rare condition that its very

 

existence was the subject of great suspicion. It was a fairly

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 2 4 6

 

compulsive condition, so it was supposedly extremely rare.

 

There hadn’t been a single case of it in Japan, and even in the

 

States there had only been a small, countable sample. But I

 

guess that’s the Law of Great Numbers at work again.

 

“Teruko-san, that’s—”

 

“Just as we are triplets, my mistress also has a twin,

 

Mistress Odette.”

 

Iliad and Odyssey.

 

That explained that.

 

“Is that right? So what’s her sister doing now?”

 

“She’s dead.”

 

“You mean it, right?”

 

“I mean it,” she said. “And the one who killed Mistress

 

Odette was none other than Mistress Iria. Do you understand?

 

Do you understand what that means? Have you grasped the

 

logic here? It means that you’ve just insulted my mistress with

 

your filthy mouth. ‘Murder is despicable, no matter what the

 

reason,’ huh?”

 

“I didn’t really mean to—”

 

“Your intentions are irrelevant in this case. At any rate, I

 

presume you understand why she won’t call the police now? If

 

you understand, please go back to your room. And please stop

 

making waves.”

 

Without another moment’s hesitation, she got up from the

 

couch. I could tell from her disposition that this conversation

 

was over.

 

But oh, oh Teruko-san…

 

“Don’t make waves”?

 

That was my line.

 

“Teruko-san!” I blurted spontaneously after her.

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 2 4 7

 

Contrary to my every expectation, she stopped in her

 

tracks by the door.

 

“What?”

 

“Like…”

 

Like…

 

Liiiike…

 

“Like… say there was a kid who spent the first ten years of

 

his life locked in the basement without communicating with a

 

single person, including his own kin. Can you imagine what

 

that kid would grow up to be like?”

 

She didn’t answer.

 

Naturally I wasn’t hoping for an actual answer.

 

I just thought I’d try asking.

 

This girl here. This quiet, sallow-faced girl, living her life in

 

silence. To me, she was probably…

 

“You and I are totally different,” she said in a fairly harsh

 

tone.

 

It was like she could read my mind.

 

She spoke without even looking back.

 

“Don’t you dare make me out to be related to you in some

 

way. It’s disgusting and it makes me nauseous and it’s an

 

incredible nuisance.”

 

“Sorry to hear that.”

 

“You have nothing to belong to in this whole world. Not

 

just here, the whole world. If you’d like me to put it simply:

 

you’re a popped cork,” she said.

 

“That’s actually more than I wanted to hear, especially

 

from you.”

 

“It had to be me who said it, because nobody else will.”

 

She didn’t look back. She continued all the same. “It seems

 

you still think you don’t understand why Himena-san picks on

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 2 4 8

 

you so much, but the reason is obvious. It’s because she can

 

see what’s in your mind. Nobody likes filthy things.”

 

“I’m saying you’re filthy.”

 

“No need to repeat that… I’m fully aware of it.”

 

“Oh, you’re aware of it? And yet you manage to go on

 

living. Well, that’s the spirit. That must take a lot of

 

willpower. That’s worthy of respect. Or could it be that you

 

think there’s someone out there who will like you even after

 

you’ve revealed yourself to them? Do you actually believe

 

someone out there will choose you? Then you really are a

 

popped cork.”

 

There was nothing to say. Her words echoed. They were

 

too heavy for me. I was going to collapse. Fall to pieces.

 

“How dare you barge into other people’s lives when you’re

 

harboring such a monster inside yourself? You’re lower than

 

an insect. You’re shameless. The world isn’t that forgiving.

 

How grossly conceited you are. And that’s why—”

 

She opened the door. Then, for a moment, she looked back

 

at me.

 

It was…

 

The expression of a woman staring at the object of her

 

truest heartfelt loathing. It was an ice-cold look.

 

“You should just die.”

 

Ka-thunk.

 

The sound of inorganic matter.

 

The door closed.

 

The power drained from my body. It was like the feeling

 

you have when your shackles are removed, but without the

 

sense of liberation.

 

“Jesus.”

 

What a circus. I felt as if I were going to be crushed.

 

Completely pulverized.

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 2 4 9

 

“This is the nonsense to end all nonsense, seriously.”

 

Left all alone, I sat and thought.

 

Now what was it? I tried to recall everything she had said.

 

Unlike Akane-san’s conversation the previous night, there was

 

no theorizing this time. There was no reasoning, no

 

explaining, just the naked truth thrust in my face.

 

“Oh man, that did me some damage for real.” I shook my

 

head.

 

Don’t think about it. There are other things to be thinking

 

about now. I got up from the sofa and left the room. Looking

 

around the hallway, not even Teruko-san’s shadow remained.

 

She was pretty light on her feet. Maybe that was another way

 

in which she resembled me.

 

Anyway, all that mattered now was the information

 

Teruko-san had left me with. The scars on Iria-san’s wrist. Her

 

“background.” The fact that she had killed her sister… and in

 

so doing had been exiled to this island. Her abuse syndrome.

 

Autism.

 

Thinking of that, surely it was clear why she wouldn’t call

 

the police.

 

“Wait a minute. Hold it.”

 

A revelation. I had seen Iria-san changing clothes right

 

before my eyes yesterday. The first time she had granted me

 

an audience. But there was not a scratch on her wrist. Not

 

that I was staring at just her limbs the whole time, but surely I

 

would have noticed such an imposing scar if it had really been

 

there.

 

“Wait wait wait…” I stopped in my tracks, scratching my

 

head. “What the hell is this?”

 

Essentially Teruko-san was a big fat liar.

 

Just like me.

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 2 5 0

 

On the way back to Kunagisa’s room, I ran into Team Makisan,

 

Shinya-san, and Yayoi-san. They were apparently on their

 

way to eat. I was a little jealous; with Yayoi-san on their team,

 

they could eat amazing food whenever they wanted. Not that

 

I had any complaints about Hikari-san’s cooking.

 

“Ahaha… boy. Ahahahahahahaha. Aaaaahahahahaha… ha.”

 

At the very sight of me, Maki-san burst into laughter. I was

 

beyond finding this rude anymore. It was no less expected

 

than the changing of the seasons.

 

“What is it this time, Maki-san? You’re always so bustling

 

with energy.”

 

“Ahaha. Young man, it looks like Teruko-san did a real

 

number on you. Oh, my stars. That’s what you get.”

 

“How do you know?”

 

“You’re still asking me that? Thanks for an amusing show,

 

Mr. Spineless. You must never get bored. I’m jealous.”

 

For sure, Maki-san must have led a boring life. She knew

 

all that had happened, all that was happening, and all that

 

would happen. It was like watching a nonstop stream of

 

movies where you already know the ending. There was no

 

doubt that that sucked the fun out of living.

 

“That’s not exactly true,” she teased. Was she drunk? She

 

seemed oddly high. The inside of her head must’ve looked like

 

mentaiko.

 

Gah, she glared at me.

 

“Say, should you really be alone at a time like this in a

 

place like this?” Shinya-san still looked a little blue, but he

 

seemed to have calmed down quite a bit, and he was no

 

longer pale. Even though it can be cruel sometimes, in the

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 2 5 1

 

end, time really is kind to us all. “Kunagisa-chan and Hikarisan

 

must be a little edgy on their own. They’re just petite little

 

things. And Hikari-san is the prime suspect right now, right?

 

Your beloved Kunagisa-chan could be in danger.”

 

He seemed to be half joking, but it was clear that he really

 

was worried about me. I bowed to him in gratitude.

 

“Eehehehe. You’ll have to excuse us now, Mr. Half-Baked.

 

Don’t think too hard,” Maki-san teased, and then turned her

 

back on me. Shinya-san shot her a look.

 

“If you’re feeling responsible for Sonoyama-san’s death, I

 

don’t think you should worry about it. You did everything

 

that was in your power. You couldn’t have done anything else.

 

You did your best,” he said to me.

 

“Thank you so much.” I bowed and thanked him.

 

“Well, see you later.” With that, he turned around as well.

 

Yayoi-san had given me a few odd looks that seemed to

 

mean something, but with no more than a slight nod of her

 

head, she went off with the other two and headed for the

 

dining room.

 

“What was that about?”

 

There wasn’t anything suspicious per se, but something

 

was strange.

 

“Eh, I guess it’s not really anything to worry about,” I

 

muttered to myself.

 

Upon returning to the room, I found Kunagisa nose-deep

 

in busted-up computer parts while Hikari-san was doing some

 

cleaning. Word had it that Hikari-san was a total neat-freak.

 

Come to think of it, she did always seem to be cleaning. I

 

supposed it was one form of workaholism. Was there not a

 

single normal person on this island?

 

“Hey hey, Ii-chan. You’re just in time.”

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 2 5 2

 

“For what?”

 

“Putting my hair up.”

 

Gotcha. I approached her from behind. I decided to give

 

her a whole bunch of mini-braids, and began braiding together

 

small portions of hair.

 

“Ahhhh,” she sighed with pleasure.

 

“Tomo-san. Is it okay if I clean up that mess?”

 

“Don’t call it a mess. I can still use some of these parts, so

 

I’m retrieving them now. You gotta reuse stuff. Recycle,

 

recycle, for Mother Earth! Recycling’s important, y’know. Mmhmm.

 

But what should I do, huh? Maybe I can make a secret

 

weapon to stop that killer.”

 

She sure knew how to keep her chin up. Not that I wanted

 

to be like her, but you had to admire her positive thinking.

 

Even if it was just because she had never known negative

 

emotions.

 

Sigh.

 

“Oh, right. Hikari-san, do you have a memo pad or

 

something? And something to write with?”

 

“They’re in that cabinet. Do you need them?”

 

“I want to write up an outline of the current situation.”

 

We had made an alibi chart yesterday, but the data had

 

been smashed to smithereens along with the computers.

 

Therefore I wanted to create a new chart that included

 

updated information.

 

“I see,” she said and headed to the cabinet.

 

“Oh, hey. Tomo, I forgot to tell you, remember that

 

painting? I figured out what was strange about it.”

 

“Hmm? Oh, yeah, you were saying something about that,

 

weren’t you? So what was it?”

 

“The watch.”

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 2 5 3

 

“Watch?”

 

“Yes, the watch. When I was modeling for the picture in

 

Kanami-san’s atelier, I hadn’t been wearing a watch. It was

 

broken and I gave it to you to repair. So there wasn’t anything

 

on my wrist.

 

“Nonetheless, on the canvas, there was a watch painted

 

onto it.”

 

Kunagisa looked puzzled for just a moment, then reverted

 

back to her usual expression and delivered a stock question.

 

“Mmm. Don’t you think it’s just an error? I can’t imagine it’s

 

very important.”

 

“Well, yeah, maybe, but…”

 

“Which?”

 

“How about a subject and predicate?”

 

“The watch display. Was it the blank one, or the one after I

 

fixed it that displays backwards?”

 

“Oh, well, actually, I’m sort of faced inward like this, so I

 

couldn’t tell.”

 

“Mmm,” she nodded. After a moment’s thought, she said,

 

“Yeah, I think it’s just an error. More important, I thought of a

 

clue, maybe. Akane-chan’s murder was like… her headless

 

body was all, errr…”

 

“Errr?”

 

“Her hand was kinda…”

 

She tilted her head to the side and folded her arms.

 

“Well, not her hand, but her fingers. There was something

 

unnatural, I mean really unnatural about them, I think… Aw,

 

man, my memory capacity has hit its peak. It feels like there’s

 

a big mosaic in my head. Hey, Hikari-chan, did you notice

 

anything weird about her fingers?”

 

“Hmm…”

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 2 5 4

 

Hikari-san, who had returned at some point, sat down on

 

the carpet next to Kunagisa so that she was facing me.

 

“Sorry for the wait. Here’s some paper and a pen.”

 

“Thanks.”

 

I took the supplies from her and, while recalling the chart

 

we had made yesterday, whipped up a new alibi list for the

 

Ibuki Kanami and Sonoyama Akane murders, including

 

everyone on the island.

 

Ibuki Kanami

 

(murdered)

 

Sonoyama Akane

 

Before earthquake: X

 

After earthquake: X

 

(murdered)

 

Kunagisa Tomo

 

Before earthquake: O (Ii-chan, Hikari, Maki, Shinya)

 

After earthquake: X

 

O (can’t go down stairs alone)

 

Sashirono Yayoi

 

Before earthquake: O (Iria, Rei)

 

After earthquake: X

 

X (sleeping)

 

Chiga Akari

 

Before earthquake: Δ (Teruko)

 

After earthquake: X

 

O (on the mainland)

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 2 5 5

 

Chiga Hikari

 

Before earthquake: O (Ii-chan, Tomo, Maki, Shinya)

 

After earthquake: X

 

X

 

Chiga Teruko

 

Before earthquake: Δ (Akari)

 

After earthquake: X

 

O (on the mainland)

 

Sakaki Shinya

 

Before earthquake: O (Ii-chan, Tomo, Maki, Hikari)

 

After earthquake: O (Maki)

 

O (Maki)

 

Handa Rei

 

Before earthquake: O (Iria, Yayoi)

 

After earthquake: Δ (Iria)

 

Δ (Iria)

 

Himena Maki

 

Before earthquake: O (Ii-chan, Tomo, Hikari, Shinya)

 

After earthquake: O (Shinya)

 

O (Shinya)

 

Akagami Iria

 

Before earthquake: O (Rei, Yayoi)

 

After earthquake: Δ (Rei)

 

Δ (Rei)

 

Phew. Or something like that. Staring at the chart, I let out

 

a sigh.

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 2 5 6

 

“Alibis, huh? But y’know, this doesn’t really mean all that

 

much, does it? We’ve pretty much shelved the idea of it being

 

a cooperative crime up until now, but if you consider that

 

possibility, this chart doesn’t mean squat. Especially looking at

 

these two- and three-person alibi testimonies.”

 

There was also the possibility that people other than the

 

killer had lied just so they wouldn’t be suspected, and if you

 

considered that, this charted information was even harder to

 

swallow.

 

Well aware of the futility of it all, I decided nonetheless to

 

write up a similar summary outline of the murder incidents

 

themselves.

 

Victim:

 

Ibuki Kanami

 

Conditions:

 

Sealed room

 

River of paint (solved)

 

Time of incident:

 

Night, presumably after earthquake

 

Notes:

 

Decapitated body

 

Killer unknown

 

Victim:

 

Sonoyama Akane

 

Conditions:

 

Sealed room

 

Open window in a high location (unsolved)

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 2 5 7

 

Time of incident:

 

Between 2:00 and 9:30 a.m.

 

Notes:

 

Decapitated body

 

“And… killer unknown.”

 

I finished writing and put the pen down.

 

“You’re forgetting about the third incident, Ii-chan,”

 

Kunagisa immediately objected. “The Poor Kunagisa-chan

 

Incident.”

 

“Oh, right. It pales in comparison, but that’s a mystery,

 

too, huh.”

 

“Don’t say that! To me this is a greater tragedy than having

 

my head cut off! As long as they’ve gone this far, I wish they

 

would cut my head off!”

 

“Okay, okay.” I picked up the pen again.

 

Victim:

 

Kunagisa Tomo(‘s computers)

 

Conditions:

 

Unsealed room

 

No lock, enterable by anyone

 

Time of incident:

 

Between 10:00 a.m. and the end of breakfast.

 

However, everybody in the mansion was together

 

at that time. A time-sealed room?

 

Notes:

 

Destructor’s goal presumed to be the destruction of

 

image data taken from the scene of Ibuki Kanami’s death.

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 2 5 8

 

“A time-sealed room, huh?”

 

The first incident involved a room sealed by a river of

 

paint. The second, a room sealed by an unreachable window.

 

A room sealed in terms of height. And the third incident was

 

sealed in terms of time.

 

“The second, third, and fourth dimension, huh?”

 

“That sure makes it sound like a crime of enormous scope.

 

Say, Hikari-san, this question pretty much completely

 

undermines any pretense we’ve had up until now, but… is it

 

possible there are other people on this island?”

 

“It is not,” she stated confidently. “There’s only one spot on

 

the whole island where ships can dock, so I think I can say

 

that for certain.”

 

“I see.”

 

But if that were really true, then it would have been

 

absolutely impossible for this to have happened to Kunagisa’s

 

computers. With enough wit and wisdom, a person could

 

feasibly get through a sealed plane or conquer height, but time

 

was the one dominion impenetrable by man.

 

“So I wonder if there’s some kind of trick to this as well.

 

Like a remote control or something. Mmm, but this is

 

obviously the work of a human being.”

 

“Hikari-san, is it possible that one or two people maybe

 

slipped away in the midst of all the contusion of discovering

 

the body? I mean there was a headless dead body right before

 

our eyes. Maybe someone took advantage of the situation and

 

walked off while we were distracted.”

 

“I… don’t think so…”

 

Hikari-san was still unconvinced. Even I couldn’t help but

 

scratch my head at the idea, and I was the one who had

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 2 5 9

 

brought it up. In reality, we probably would’ve noticed if

 

someone had disappeared from the room.

 

“First incident. Anybody could have done it—that is, if you

 

consider the possibility of a cooperative crime. But we’ve at

 

least figured out how they did it, and we know it wasn’t really

 

a ‘sealed room’ after all. Now, second incident. This time, we

 

have no idea how they did it.”

 

“But I, as an exception, could have done it,” Hikari-san

 

said.

 

I nodded. “And then the third incident. Nobody could have

 

done it. Moreover, there was no possible way it could have

 

happened.”

 

The incident itself was rapidly growing more complicated.

 

This didn’t bode well for the next incident.

 

“Jesus, what the hell kind of a cycle is this?”

 

“Well, I don’t think this was all planned out intentionally.

 

Hmm, but it doesn’t feel right to write it all off as a

 

coincidence, either.”

 

“Anyway, let’s stop thinking about all this disheartening

 

stuff,” I said. “Alibis, sealed rooms. Tricks, gimmicks, setups,

 

fakes. Whatever. Let’s just agree that someone is using some

 

unimaginable method to fool us all.”

 

“Maybe it’s a virtual machine.”

 

“Yeah, that.”

 

I guess.

 

They often say in old mystery novels that it’s harder to

 

make a puzzle than to solve one, but I don’t think that’s true.

 

Creating a puzzle or trick or what have you is far easier. In

 

creating a puzzle, you’re free to display events from whatever

 

angle you please, completely catering to your own

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 2 6 0

 

convenience. Solving the puzzle, on the other hand, can only

 

be done from that one presented angle.

 

So for now we just had to place the issue aside.

 

“But don’t you think we should at least consider alibis?

 

That’s pretty much all the information we have right now,”

 

Hikari-san said. “And if we start making emotionally charged

 

arguments, everyone will become suspicious. I mean, didn’t

 

Sonoyama-san become the prime suspect after Ibuki-san was

 

murdered because they hated each other so much? But look at

 

what happened because of that.”

 

“Yeaaah, but— It really would’ve made sense if Akane-san

 

was the killer.”

 

And now Akane-san was dead, too.

 

“What about the thought that Sonoyama-san killed Ibukisan,

 

and then someone killed her in revenge?”

 

“If that were the case, then I guess Shinya-san would be

 

the most likely to have killed her. He was Kanami-san’s

 

caretaker and closest friend.”

 

“But Shinya-chan had an alibi. Even if you set that aside,

 

how would he have known Akane-chan killed her?”

 

“Maybe he didn’t, maybe he just had a hunch. Mistaken

 

revenge may not happen every day, but it’s not unheard of. If

 

you think about it, what’s the deal with Shinya-san and Makisan?

 

They’ve got alibis two days in a row. In the middle of the

 

night. Don’t you think their having alibis is conversely kind of

 

suspicious?”

 

“It is a little, huh? Maybe they’re synchronizing stories in

 

secret. But you know, Himena-san doesn’t really seem the

 

type.”

 

Himena Maki. The indescribable fortune-teller with

 

superhuman abilities. The absolute absolutist, able to gaze

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 2 6 1

 

upon the inner workings of men’s minds and hear any and all

 

things. Something about her resembled Kunagisa. It was

 

weird.

 

“What’s up with you, Ii-chan? Have you fallen for Makichan

 

or something?”

 

“Geez, don’t say that. But you know, a spaced-out woman

 

like her can’t be expected to have the best common sense.”

 

Man, this really was all futile. I felt like we had already

 

considered every possibility. It was like we were stranded.

 

What else was there left to think about?

 

“It kind of seems like maybe Akane-san knew she was

 

going to be killed.”

 

“Huh?” Hikari-san leaned forward in surprise. “What do

 

you mean?”

 

“It just seemed that way. Last night, I had a conversation

 

with her through the door, and at the time, well, it was like

 

she was at peace. She was quoting Ryokan and stuff. It was

 

really out of character.”

 

“Hmm, I wonder if she knew who the killer was,” Kunagisa

 

said.

 

Indeed, that was a possibility. She was Sonoyama Akane of

 

the ER3 system’s Seven Fools. Even without conducting an

 

investigation, if she had a hunch about who the killer was, it

 

was pretty much sure to be right.

 

“By the way, Hikari-san. I was just talking with Terukosan—”

 

“What?!” She was even more shocked than before, as if I’d

 

just made some ungodly remark. No, not shocked, exactly. It

 

was more like she was thinking, “Why would you tell me such

 

a blatant lie?!”

 

“Y-you mean… Teruko talked?”

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 2 6 2

 

“Yeah. I was pretty surprised, too, but the real problem

 

was what she said.”

 

I explained to Hikari-san and Kunagisa what Teruko-san

 

had told me. Of course I cut out the latter half. I was never

 

one to go around boasting about my own faults.

 

“So what does it mean, Hikari-san? How much of it was

 

true?”

 

Hikari-san wore a completely perplexed expression as she

 

muddled out a vague response. “Um,” she muttered. “Um,

 

well, um…”

 

“Akari-san was ranting about something strange this

 

morning as well. ‘I’m so tired of this’ or something like that.

 

What was she talking about?”

 

She was still stumbling over a response. At last, she looked

 

up at me, seeming to have made up her mind. But still, her

 

eyes darted back and forth as she deliberated for another

 

moment. Finally, she opened her mouth.

 

“It’s all true.”

 

Huh.

 

Admittedly, that was not the answer I expected.

 

This time it was my turn to be speechless. It was all true?

 

Huh? What did she just say?

 

“I’ll talk because it’s come to this, and because I choose to

 

trust you. And because I owe you.” Hikari-san fell silent once

 

again, and then, looking more lost than ever, finally continued.

 

“Yes, my mistress is technically a criminal. We serve her in full

 

awareness of that.”

 

“And that’s why you won’t call the police?”

 

“We just work for her. We don’t do anything else. Ever

 

since coming to this island, various things have happened.

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 2 6 3

 

That’s how we eventually met Aikawa-san, who you’ve been

 

hearing about.”

 

Various things? What various things?

 

The incident on this island.

 

Come to think of it… Come to think of it, the other

 

night…

 

“Hey, Tomo.”

 

“Yeah, Ii-chan?”

 

“I seem to recall you saying something the other night

 

along the lines of ‘I’m interested in the incident that happened

 

on this island,’ but is this just another figment of my awesome

 

memory?”

 

“Nope.”

 

“Then you knew?”

 

“Yup,” she nodded with a giggle. “It’s pretty well-known

 

info. Lots of people know, but nobody ever talks about it. Not

 

a lot of people are looking to make enemies with the Akagami

 

Foundation.”

 

So, Kunagisa’s hobbies hadn’t changed since the good old

 

days. Maybe the passing of five years wasn’t enough to alter

 

her nature.

 

“Actually, it was mixed in with the rest of Chii-kun’s

 

information, but I thought it might be better to keep it a

 

secret from you, so…”

 

“Why?”

 

“ ‘Cuz I knew you’d make that face.”

 

Aha.

 

Come on…

 

I was drained.

 

Pallidly, falteringly, painfully, Hikari-san continued.

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 2 6 4

 

“Once we started planning this ‘salon,’ my mistress was

 

able to calm down a bit, but… I can understand Akari’s

 

feelings of frustration. But you know, this is our job.”

 

A job, huh? If she really meant that, it was quite a

 

statement. I was honestly impressed. I respected any person

 

who lived solely to fulfill their role, regardless of what that

 

role was. It was something I could never do.

 

So Hikari-san, too, was truly immersed in the deepest

 

depths of her abyss.

 

“Huh, so that’s the deal, huh?”

 

But what did that mean? If the killer knew all this and

 

knew Iria-san couldn’t call the police, then…

 

Then the remarkable boldness, audaciousness, and

 

fearlessness of his or her actions all suddenly made sense.

 

“Okay, Hikari-san, well…”

 

Just as I was about to ask for the details of this famous

 

island incident, there came a knock at the door.

 

It was Yayoi-san.

 

“I have to go to the bathroom.” That’s what Yayoi-san had

 

told Maki-san and Shinya-san in the middle of lunch before

 

breaking off from her team and coming here. It was a pretty

 

typical and hackneyed lie, and Maki-san could read minds

 

anyway, and even under-the-weather Shinya-san probably

 

could’ve seen through it, but one look at Yayoi-san’s sickly

 

blue expression, and they probably wouldn’t have called her a

 

liar if she said a pack of devils were on their way to the island

 

on turtleback.

 

She sat down on the sofa and said nothing.

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 2 6 5

 

She seemed strangely wary of Hikari-san’s presence. Maybe

 

she, too, thought Hikari-san was the killer. It wasn’t such an

 

unexpected assumption, to be honest.

 

“Can we assume you came here because you wanted to tell

 

us something, Yayoi-san?” It didn’t look like this was going

 

anywhere on its own, so I went ahead and asked.

 

“Yes,” she nodded weakly.

 

“Um, you two are doing some investigating, right?”

 

“Well, that’s the plan. It’s become a personal matter at this

 

point, after all,” I said, looking at the computer parts in the

 

corner of the room. “What about it?”

 

“Well, if you’re investigating, I suppose the facts need to be

 

accurate, right?”

 

“Yeah, well, naturally.”

 

“If you proceeded from here with inaccurate information,

 

there could be a third incident, right?”

 

“Fourth.”

 

“That’s right, Yayoi-san.” We ignored Kunagisa’s protest.

 

“That’s the situation. Um, Yayoi-san, I don’t really understand

 

what it is you’re trying to say. It looks like you came here to

 

help us, but am I wrong? Did you come here because you

 

don’t like being on a team with Shinya-san and Maki-san?”

 

“No, that’s not it,” she mumbled. “It’s just… I— I told a lie

 

I can’t take back.”

 

“A lie?”

 

“Yes. That night… I really was with Iria-san talking. It was

 

only up until the earthquake, but that much is an honest fact,”

 

she said. “But Handa-san… Handa-san wasn’t there.”

 

Hikari-san’s face went stiff.

 

Rei-san—Handa Rei.

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 2 6 6

 

It was suddenly clear why Yayoi-san seemed so nervous

 

around Hikari-san and why she had seemed so unnaturally

 

detached since the other day, staying holed up in her room all

 

the time.

 

The ice was melting.

 

The other morning during the alibi check, Iria-san had said

 

herself that she, Yayoi-san, and Rei-san were together.

 

Everyone else was questioned one by one, but when Yayoisan’s

 

turn came, Iria-san spoke for her. I had thought this was

 

simply because they had been together, but it seemed that

 

wasn’t why after all.

 

Iria-san…

 

Akagami Iria was covering for Handa Rei.

 

Yayoi-san slumped down with her shoulders drooped. It

 

was like she had been relieved of a terrible burden or freed of

 

a curse.

 

“Why?”

 

Why had she kept silent about such an important detail up

 

until now? It was a question I was in no position to ask. This

 

was Iria-san’s island and Iria-san’s mansion, and it was Iria-san

 

who had invited Yayoi-san here, and she was, after all,

 

Akagami Iria. If Iria-san said, “I was with Yayoi-san and Reisan,”

 

who could argue? Who could just call her a liar?

 

Like anyone could say that.

 

“I didn’t think it was a big deal at the time,” Yayoi-san

 

finally said. “I just figured she was looking out for her own.

 

But thanks to that, Akane-san became the only person

 

without an alibi, and she was locked away and… killed.”

 

She was speaking like a burst dam. I sat and listened in

 

silence. Kunagisa and Hikari-san did likewise.

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 2 6 7

 

“And then regarding last night, Iria-san said she was with

 

Rei-san again. All night long. But who could believe that? She

 

said they were discussing what to do from here on, but why

 

would that take all night?”

 

“Well, it’s possible.”

 

“I don’t think so. Just because someone lied the first time

 

doesn’t mean they lied the second time, but the chances are

 

pretty high, right? And Hikari-san”—Yayoi-san glared over at

 

Hikari-san—“Hikari-san is one of Iria-san’s inner circle, too,

 

but Iria-san didn’t even try to cover for her, did she? Why is

 

that? Why would she cover for Rei-san but not for Hikari-san?

 

Isn’t it because she knew there was no need to cover for

 

Hikari-san? Isn’t it, conversely, because she knew who the killer

 

was?”

 

“Are you saying Rei-san is the killer?”

 

I was surprised by this. I didn’t think the conversation was

 

heading in this direction. But Yayoi-san seemed absolutely

 

serious.

 

“Certainly her alibi is rather dubious now—that is, if we

 

can believe what you’re saying.”

 

“It’s the truth. Whether you believe me or not, it’s the

 

truth,” she said. Hikari-san looked like she had something to

 

say, but as if having realized something, she remained silent.

 

She chewed on her lip with a painful expression.

 

“Let’s just hold on a second here.”

 

If Rei-san didn’t have an alibi that night, how did that

 

change things? Maybe not all that much, but the fact that Iriasan

 

had lied was unarguably huge.

 

Rei-san wasn’t in Iria-san’s room that night. That meant

 

they weren’t together after the earthquake, either.

 

Which meant…

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 2 6 8

 

“Mmm. Hey, Yayoi-chan.”

 

“What is it, Kunagisa-san?”

 

“Why do you think Rei-chan is the killer? She’s the head

 

maid. She’s the confidante. She’s a hotshot. She’s even closer

 

to Iria-chan than Hikari-chan and the others are. So maybe

 

Iria-chan just covered for her out of friendship. And we really

 

don’t know if she was lying the second time, even if she was

 

lying the first time. And if Rei-chan really was the murderer,

 

then that means Iria-chan knew about it, right? Why would

 

she cover for—”

 

“What if Iria-san ordered the murder?”

 

Gulp, someone swallowed audibly. For all I knew, it could

 

have been me.

 

“I don’t think that’s the case. Kanami-chan and Akanechan

 

were both invited here as guests. What’s the point in

 

bringing people over and then killing them?”

 

“What if she invited them here to kill them?” Yayoi-san

 

pressed on. “Iria-san invited people here. And then those

 

people were killed. If you look at it that way, it’s not so

 

unthinkable.”

 

Was Iria-san using Rei-san in a plot to kill those two, as

 

well as possibly a third, fourth, and fifth? It seemed like a

 

highly unrealistic notion, but there was no proof against it.

 

Yeah. And on that note, hadn’t I just heard the proof for it

 

from Teruko-san and Hikari-san?

 

Handa Rei.

 

The head maid.

 

As Hikari-san, Akari-san, and Teruko-san’s boss, she was in

 

the closest position to Iria-san herself. So how about it? Was

 

that the answer? Was that what it all came down to?

 

Akagami Iria.

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 2 6 9

 

Named for that great ancient Greek classic epic, Homer’s

 

Iliad, the work that told of the great war with Troy over

 

Helen. All of the characters in that epic thought they were

 

being manipulated by the gods. Was that it? If that was the

 

answer…

 

As I thought, Yayoi-san continued on.

 

“Do you know why I was called here?”

 

“Because you’re a genius, right?”

 

She grimaced.

 

“Well, Ibuki-san was a painter—a magnificent artist.

 

Sonoyama-san was a scholar—fine. Maki-san is a fortuneteller—whatever.

 

Kunagisa-san’s an engineer, yes? That’s

 

wonderful. But I’m a chef. Unless she’s some kind of gourmet

 

cuisine nut, why would she call such a person here? I don’t

 

think cooking is really that special.”

 

I was silent. Hearing her say that, there was no possible

 

response I could give.

 

“And do you know why Ibuki-san and Sonoyama-san had

 

their heads cut off?”

 

“That’s a sudden change in topic.”

 

“No, it’s not,” Yayoi-san said with a stern expression and

 

tone to match. “You are what you eat. It’s an idea that exists in

 

Chinese cuisine. If your liver is bad, you should eat liver. If

 

your stomach is bad, eat stomachs. In other words, if part of

 

you isn’t working right, you should eat that same thing. I’m

 

sure you’ve heard of this?”

 

“Hang on now, Yayoi-san. This is…”

 

This… This notion…

 

“Who called Ibuki-san and Sonoyama-san to this island?

 

Who?” Yayoi-san screamed. Her voice reverberated throughout

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 2 7 0

 

the room. The sound lingered in my ears. But I was so

 

confused at this point I didn’t even care.

 

Hold on… hold on a minute, here. Did she mean what I

 

thought she meant? Just wait a second. Hold the phone. I’m

 

begging you, just give me a little time.

 

“I’ll say it one more time. No, I’ll say it as many times as it

 

takes. Why would the killer cut off their heads? Why would

 

the killer take the heads with her? Where did she take them?

 

And who was it who invited those two women here? Who

 

brought these renowned geniuses here? What was inside those

 

heads the killer carried off?”

 

If jewels are stolen from a murder scene, it probably means

 

the killer was after the jewels. If cash is missing, he must’ve

 

been after cash. Such thinking was just plain common sense.

 

And in this case, it was the victims’ heads that were

 

missing.

 

Yayoi-san continued. “Why was I invited here? Why was I,

 

not an artist or a scholar or a fortune-teller or an engineer but

 

a mere chef, invited to this island? Why have I been given

 

special treatment and allowed to stay here indefinitely?” Her

 

voice sounded like it was being squeezed out.

 

It was a voice seeking rescue.

 

She had probably been brooding over this. From the

 

moment she had given her false testimony. From before

 

Sonoyama-san was killed, and indeed the half day following

 

her death as well, Yayoi-san had probably been thinking about

 

it nonstop.

 

Yayoi-san turned toward Hikari-san and began her hopeless

 

screaming once again.

 

“What… Just what are they going to make me do?”

 

Gulp—someone swallowed again.

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 2 7 1

 

This time it was definitely me.

 

Was it possible? Such a notion… Wasn’t the acceptance of

 

such a notion itself unforgivable?

 

If that was really what was going on, why now? It wasn’t

 

like this whole “salon” thing had just started. If that was Iriasan’s

 

little game, she would’ve done this in the past.

 

No, the five geniuses on this island right now were all

 

world-class, top specialists in their respective fields. Had Iriasan

 

been waiting for this exact timing?

 

“That’s impossible!” Hikari-san shrieked. It was like she

 

had exploded after holding it in until now. “The idea that my

 

mistress would do such an inhuman thing, such a cruel thing

 

now…”

 

“Now”?

 

I’m so tired of this.

 

The past.

 

Various things. So tired. Now. Why now? I’m so tired of this.

 

Please don’t make waves. I’m so tired. Tired, so tired. Even though

 

I’m so tired.

 

But Yayoi-san didn’t relent.

 

“I’ve been keeping an eye on Handa-san since yesterday

 

morning,” she said. “You know how the longer you watch

 

someone, the more you start to notice their similarities to you,

 

or you start to feel their humanity? Their humanness? Some

 

kind of closeness. You know? It’s like ‘Oh, this person is just

 

like me.’ I felt that way with Iria-san. She’s human, just like

 

me. She lied, but she’s still a human being. But Handa-san…

 

That woman frightens me. How could I not be afraid of a

 

woman like that whose whole life is an act?”

 

“That’s—” Hikari-san interrupted with her head hung.

 

“That’s… that’s… that’s…”

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 2 7 2

 

But it seemed there was no end to that sentence. Even so,

 

Hikari-san tried desperately to defend her mistress. In

 

accordance with her duties. It was too heartbreaking—to the

 

point that it was laughable.

 

“I see. Yayoi-san, I basically understand what you’re trying

 

to say. You’re trying to say this, right?”

 

I tried my best to force my way into their conversation, but

 

it was hopeless. Yayoi-san continued her relentless

 

questioning.

 

“Akari-san and Teruko-san were on the mainland calling on

 

a detective? Who can prove that? Who’s the one who won’t

 

contact the police? Who’s the one who won’t let us leave this

 

island? Maybe you were left out of the plans, Hikari-san, but

 

where’s the proof of that? They called you the prime suspect,

 

didn’t they? Where’s the proof saying you aren’t just a

 

scapegoat here to shake things up? No, maybe you’re in

 

cahoots with Iria-san, here to make trouble for Kunagisa-san

 

and—”

 

“Please stop this. Yayoi-san, that’s enough,” I said quietly.

 

“Please stop insulting our friend. Kunagisa and I both dislike

 

getting angry. But we’re not afraid to do what we must.”

 

My gaze was probably fairly cold, and she shivered for a

 

moment at the sight of it. She had the same look of uneasiness

 

that she had when she entered the room.

 

“I’m scared. I’m scared. I’m scared. I’m just scared.”

 

“Yes, I understand that.”

 

“This is a deserted island. There’s nowhere to run. If this is

 

all what I think it is, maybe I won’t be killed. You weren’t

 

invited here as a genius, so you might not be killed, either. But

 

your dear friend Kunagisa-san is in danger. Not even God can

 

guarantee that she won’t be the next one to have her

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 2 7 3

 

shoulders flattened, if you know what I mean. The time for

 

leisurely investigations has already… I mean, I think we need

 

to do something fast. I didn’t come here to hiss at Hikari-san. I

 

came here because Kunagisa-san is an engineer. Can you

 

operate a boat, by any chance? If so, let’s get out of here on

 

that cruiser and—”

 

“Hold on.” I held up my right hand. She looked up at me

 

with a confused expression. Hikari-san eyed me curiously as

 

well. Only Kunagisa remained staring off into space, a

 

somewhat irritated expression on her face. I was probably

 

making the same face.

 

Um, where was I? Why did I interrupt Yayoi-san?

 

Oh, right.

 

“Please say that again.”

 

“Huh?”

 

“That thing you said. Say it again.”

 

Yayoi-san tilted her head at me a bit.

 

“If so, let’s get out of here on that cruiser—”

 

“Not that.”

 

“Can you operate a boat, by any chance?”

 

“No, not that, either.”

 

“Uh, I didn’t come here to… yada yada yada?”

 

“No. Not that. Something grabbed me, but that wasn’t it.

 

Before that.”

 

“I don’t remember.”

 

“Well remember. What did you say before that?”

 

“We need to do something fast… The time for leisurely

 

investigations has—”

 

“No. We already understand that. We need to do something

 

fast? That’s practically a catchphrase. I don’t care about the

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 2 7 4

 

stuff we already know. I think it was a little before you said

 

that.”

 

“That’s all I got. That’s as far as I can recall.”

 

“Tomo!” I looked over at Kunagisa. “You remember, right?”

 

“Yup,” she nodded.

 

She slashed her hand across the front of her neck.

 

“I’m gonna get my shoulders flattened.”

 

“Bingo.”

 

Yes. That. It had grabbed me. Was that because it suggested

 

something I’d rather not imagine? Nope. It wasn’t nearly

 

something that trite. It was something totally, completely

 

different.

 

Now this, this was the key. The Rosetta Stone.

 

“Um…”

 

“Silence please. I’m thinking. I think I’m on the right track.

 

Definitely. It’s simpler than the geography of Kyoto or

 

Sapporo. We have a hypothesis and conclusion now, so all

 

that’s left to do is prove it.”

 

I thought.

 

Kunagisa thought, too.

 

All the ingredients were probably there. I could sense it.

 

Or we already had all the ingredients a while ago. They were

 

all lined up in front of my face, to the point that it wouldn’t

 

have been strange if I had realized the truth as soon as

 

Kunagisa’s computers were smashed. The smashed computers

 

weren’t the key after all, they were another ingredient.

 

And now I had the key. This time, I had it.

 

And just as any door will open once you’ve obtained the

 

key, so, too, would I soon arrive at a solution. It was like a

 

zero-sum game. Like a simple maze with a watertight winning

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 2 7 5

 

strategy. Kunagisa probably had it, too. The mountain of sand

 

was almost complete.

 

“Now this really is nonsense.”

 

And after a while…

 

“Is this it?” I muttered.

 

But this was…

 

“No way… this can’t be right.”

 

This couldn’t be right. Like this could possibly be it. What

 

logic was this?

 

But there were no contradictions, it was all consistent, it all

 

made sense—it was complete. There was no other possibility

 

left. It didn’t look like there was any more sand to pile up,

 

either.

 

Something felt uneasy. Something was strange. No matter

 

how many mental checks I did, I couldn’t feel satisfied about

 

it, like the final question on an exam. I definitely wasn’t

 

wrong, but something felt off nonetheless. It was that kind of

 

feeling. I couldn’t shake it.

 

What was it… this vague, sickly feeling?

 

“What do you think, Tomo?”

 

“Mmm,” she moaned.

 

“There’s no ‘what do you think’ about it. There’s only one

 

possible train of thought. So that’s why the fingers seemed

 

strange, huh? But this means…”

 

It seemed Kunagisa had the same sense of anxiety. Yayoisan

 

and Hikari-san stared at the two of us like we were from

 

Mars. Venus, maybe. I guess that’s a trivial matter either way.

 

“I guess that’s the only possibility, huh?” Kunagisa was first

 

to fall before the reality of the situation. “I can’t think of

 

anything else. It must be the only possibility.”

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 2 7 6

 

“Yeah. If there’s only one possibility, it’s got to be the right

 

one, no matter how unbelievable it seems.”

 

It looked as if we had to rely on selective thinking in the

 

end. If Akane-san heard about it she surely would have gotten

 

angry, but we no longer had to worry about that. At least

 

insofar as this was in fact a case of serial murder committed by

 

a person, there was only this one possibility. One possibility

 

with one hundred percent odds.

 

Okay.

 

Time to just accept it.

 

I didn’t like it at all, but this was reality, this was the truth.

 

And those were just my nonsense-ridden sentiments anyway.

 

“Looks like we’ve reached an agreement, Ii-chan,” Kunagisa

 

said. “So what now?”

 

“What now, indeed. Hmm, this place is a little too big.” I

 

continued my pondering. I was more cut out for something

 

like this than Kunagisa was. I may not have been any good at

 

actual shogi, but if this, too, was a sort of shogi problem, I had

 

it down.

 

“Now then, Yayoi-san, Hikari-san, could I ask for a little bit

 

of your cooperation?”

 

“Huh?” The lovely duo let out a collective question mark.

 

I rose to my feet. “The top of the inning is finally over.

 

We’re down by a lot of points, but it’s not a called game yet.

 

This is where we get that third out and launch our attack in

 

the bottom of the inning.”

 

“Yayoi-chan on first. Hikari-chan in center field. Yours

 

truly as catcher and Ii-chan as pitcher.”

 

Boing, Kunagisa jumped up off the bed and flashed a smile

 

bright as the blue sky.

 

“Launching counterattack.”

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 2 7 8

 

End it.

 

By the way.

 

In Russian, “the crow’s wet feathers” supposedly means

 

“the peak of despair.” Given that, you could romantically

 

describe this island as the ultimate destination for those in

 

despair. Just as the opposite of affection isn’t hatred, but

 

indifference, the opposite of hope isn’t despair. Surely the

 

opposite of despair is apathetic acceptance of all things. That

 

sheer apathy laced with the absolute conviction that allows

 

you to approve of all things, saying, “Yeah, that’s fine”—that is

 

the opposite of hope.

 

Everything is here, so what more could I possibly need?

 

This apathy I felt was way over the line of normality. The

 

proverbial destination of all of one’s emotions.

 

That noninterfering realm on the other side of the lake that

 

we all view at some point or another with admiring eyes laced

 

with envy. That domain on the other side of taboo, connected

 

to reality by a big equals sign.

 

To reach said domain, you had to make many sacrifices.

 

What’s more, it was a one-way ticket with no guarantees.

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 2 7 9

 

However, even then, there are people who reach it—

 

whether by some mistake, or through knowledge.

 

Ibuki Kanami, Sonoyama Akane, Sashirono Yayoi, Himena

 

Maki, Akagami Iria, Chiga Akari, Chiga Hikari, Chiga Teruko,

 

Handa Rei.

 

And Kunagisa Tomo…

 

This is all probably a big old heap of ridiculous mumbojumbo.

 

Nothing but boring, worthless nonsense. And the

 

continuation of this nonsense is unwholesome at best.

 

Really now, what kind of a clown was I?

 

“Have you figured something out?”

 

The fifth dinner assembly.

 

Teruko-san had her personal chores to attend to, so her

 

seat was empty, but the other nine of us were all gathered

 

together. Nine people. Until the day before yesterday, just

 

two days ago, there were twelve of us surrounding this round

 

table.

 

“Do I have to ask again? Kunagisa-san, you all are still

 

doing some investigating, correct? Well, have you figured

 

anything out?” Iria-san asked.

 

She seemed to be having an awful lot of fun. I’m sure she

 

was. Of course it was fun.

 

Because she had probably created a whole world in her

 

head. Because this island, this Wet Crow’s Feather Island, was,

 

in itself, her whole world.

 

“Shall I ask again?”

 

“We know absolutely, positively nothing at all,” I answered.

 

“So what about it? Is there a problem?”

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 2 8 0

 

“Oh, no. I was just thinking, I guess there’s nothing we can

 

do without a specialist after all,” Iria-san said with apparent

 

interest. “Well, I guess the best thing then is to continue

 

operating in teams like this for the next three days.”

 

“Three days?” Shinya-san said. “I must say, you seem to be

 

expecting quite a bit from this person. Just what kind of

 

person is this Aikawa-san, anyway? How did you meet?”

 

“That’s a private matter,” Iria-san smirked. “But I will tell

 

you what kind of person. Hmm, what should I say? Aikawasan

 

is a very frightening person. Well, that’s what you’d

 

expect from the world’s most powerful contractor. But also

 

incredibly intelligent. I’m sure this case will be solved in no

 

time. Hehehe, I really can’t wait.”

 

The detective, huh?

 

Solving the case before the lead detective even got here

 

probably disqualified me as a supporting character, I thought.

 

But my life was on the line here, too, and there were various

 

complicated circumstances. I couldn’t just sit around and wait

 

for the main character to show up. It was his own fault for

 

being late.

 

“Kekekeke,” Maki-san snickered next to me.

 

She seemed to be having an awful lot of fun as well. I

 

didn’t know whether she was reading my thoughts or

 

watching the whole farce. Surely it was at least one of those,

 

but that probably wasn’t the only reason she was laughing.

 

Really, just who was this woman who was able to continue

 

laughing even after knowing everything in the entire world?

 

She was probably deserving of respect. Still, I avoided eye

 

contact.

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 2 8 1

 

“I’m told Aikawa-san will be here by the afternoon three

 

days from now at the latest. After that, I’m sure everything

 

will soon be—”

 

As Iria-san expounded over this detective of hers, she was

 

interrupted by the sound of overturning flatware and pots

 

banging together, accompanied by a screech.

 

“Enough!”

 

It was Yayoi-san.

 

Rising from her seat, Yayoi-san used her right arm to shove

 

off the table all of the food she herself had made. She then

 

proceeded to take the now dirty tablecloth and yank it,

 

causing all the dishes to come toppling off the table and

 

shatter. A string of ear-shattering noise echoed through the

 

dining room.

 

“Enough of this!”

 

She banged her hands on the table.

 

“Sashirono-san…”

 

In an effort to settle her down, Hikari-san rose from her

 

seat as well and approached her, but Yayoi-san gave her a

 

violent shove.

 

“What is all this? Give me a break! I want out of this farce!

 

Detectives? Sealed rooms? Decapitated corpses? This isn’t

 

some mystery novel. Don’t you realize people are being

 

killed? Why the hell are you eating during this kind of

 

discussion? Their heads were cut off! Don’t eat my food while

 

you’re talking about such a thing! You must all be crazy if

 

you’re able to stay so calm about all this! Why don’t you care

 

that people were killed? You’re all disgusting! Since when was

 

it okay to kill people in this country?”

 

“Sashirono-san…” Hikari-san said from the floor. “Please

 

calm down.”

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 2 8 2

 

“You’re the killer!” Yayoi-san screamed even louder. “It’s

 

obvious! We already know that! You were the only one with a

 

key to that storage room, and you visited Sonoyama-san’s

 

room in the middle of the night, didn’t you? That’s when you

 

killed her! And you must have killed Ibuki-san, too!”

 

“You don’t have any proof. You shouldn’t say such things

 

without any proof, Yayoi-san.” I tried my best to stay cool as I

 

reprimanded her. “There’s no proof that Hikari-san is the

 

murderer.”

 

“Proof? I don’t give a hoot about proof!”

 

“But there’s no reason Hikari-san would have done such a

 

thing.”

 

“It’s not like you can expect to understand how a maniac’s

 

mind works! She’s probably going to use it in some kind of

 

ritual! To call upon God! No more, no more, no more!!! Why

 

are you trying to come near me? You think you’ll take my

 

head next? Never!”

 

“Yayoi-san, please calm down.”

 

“I’m plenty calm! I’m fine! You are all the crazy ones!

 

You’re all nuts! You’re all disgusting! Get yourselves together!

 

I can’t stand you! I can’t even talk to you! What language are

 

you all speaking? Detectives? Sealed rooms? Severed heads?

 

What the hell language is that? Am I the only one from Earth

 

here? If that’s the case then I’ll just leave right now. I don’t

 

want to be on this maniac island anymore. I don’t want to talk

 

to you people!”

 

Bam! She slammed the table once again.

 

“I don’t trust any of you! From now on, I’m staying in my

 

room. I’m barricading myself in. Call me when you’re ready to

 

send me back to the mainland! Otherwise, leave me the hell

 

alone! Don’t come near me!”

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 2 8 3

 

With that said. Yayoi-san stormed off toward the dining

 

room exit.

 

“Sashirono-san,” Hikari-san called once more, but Yayoisan

 

didn’t even look back, and eventually she was gone from

 

sight.

 

A brief, awkward silence.

 

“Oh my,” Iria-san eventually said with slumped shoulders.

 

“And here I thought she was so polite. What a temper.”

 

She continued. “Oh, what now?” She sighed. “Aikawa-san

 

is going to all the trouble to come here, I can’t just send one of

 

the suspects home. Hikari, this is your responsibility; go do

 

something to convince her.”

 

“Yes, ma’am,” Hikari-san said with her head down.

 

“Understood, my mistress.”

 

“Ohhh, dinner is all ruined. Akari, will you hurry and make

 

us something? Now just where has Teruko gone at a time like

 

this?”

 

Indeed, dinner was ruined just as Iria-san said, but it was a

 

necessary sacrifice. It wasn’t my money, and of course you

 

shouldn’t waste food, but I wasn’t the one who had done it

 

anyway. It was Yayoi-san, the one who had made the food in

 

the first place.

 

Kunagisa stared at the fallen, smashed dishes with a look of

 

despair. Not the food, but the dishes. Perhaps she was

 

thinking of her destroyed computers, which were the same

 

shade of white.

 

“Hey, catcher.”

 

“Mmm?” Kunagisa looked at me. “What, Ii-chan?”

 

“I better get going. I’ll leave this to you.”

 

“Gotcha,” she nodded.

 

I rose from my seat and headed for the door.

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 2 8 4

 

I could hear the sound of trouble brewing behind me. I

 

turned to find Kunagisa had climbed over the table and

 

jumped Shinya-san. It was admittedly a slightly enviable sight

 

for me, but for now, I had to let it go.

 

Besides, I couldn’t take Kunagisa with me.

 

Running down the hall with one eye closed, I climbed the

 

stairs and eventually spotted Yayoi-san by her room. She was

 

leaning up against the wall, a vacant look on her face.

 

She looked up at me. “Ah,” she sighed with relief. “How

 

was I?”

 

“You gave a star performance.”

 

“Performance, huh? It was more than half true, really,” she

 

said as she continued walking with me. “But is it really true? Is

 

that person really the killer?”

 

“You checked it yourself right?”

 

“Yeah, the smell was right, but… I don’t have that much

 

faith in my sense of smell. I’m not a dog, after all.”

 

“You’re just like one though.”

 

“That’s not a compliment, you know.”

 

Yeah, I knew. Kanami-san once told me something similar.

 

It’s not a compliment if you say, “You’re like a such and such.”

 

Well, what woman wouldn’t be offended after being

 

compared to a dog? I apologized innocently.

 

We had arrived at the door to Yayoi-san’s room.

 

“So, what do we do from here?”

 

“Yayoi-san, please go back to the dining room. It’s

 

dangerous here.”

 

“Then why are you doing it?” she asked, simply out of

 

suspicion. “I feel like there must be another way. This is just

 

my speculation, but it feels like you deliberately picked the

 

most dangerous possible option.”

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 2 8 5

 

“In this world there are people who die from eating too

 

much and people who die from starvation, and the former is

 

overwhelmingly more common. But it seems you’re the latter

 

type.”

 

“Don’t overestimate me.”

 

“That wasn’t a compliment.”

 

With that she gave me a nod and slowly headed back the

 

way we had come.

 

“Dangerous, man…” I whispered to myself. Of course, I

 

was well aware of this. I had complete understanding of the

 

dangers I faced when I decided to do this, which I suppose

 

really did make me the starving-to-death type.

 

Now that’s nonsense.

 

After a brief mental preparation, I slowly, gently opened

 

the door to Yayoi-san’s room.

 

Dark inside. Unable to see much of anything, I took a step

 

inside.

 

Swoosh.

 

The sound of sliced air.

 

I did a forward roll and slid into the room. Then I rose to

 

one knee and opened the eye that had been closed. This way I

 

could make out the inside of the room at least a little bit.

 

Someone closed the door behind me. I could see the face

 

clearly, and in that moment learned that my hypothesis had

 

been correct. My opponent wore a slight look of surprise, but

 

only held it for a moment before brandishing a hatchet—a

 

hatchet!—at me.

 

Silent.

 

My attacker didn’t say a word.

 

With a deep breath, I rose to my feet. It had been quite

 

some time since I had done any acrobatics. Not that I had

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 286

 

been bad at it, just that my skills had definitely dulled in the

 

few months since coming back to Japan.

 

As if realizing the immediate need to settle this, my

 

attacker moved first, shuffling toward me. With Kunagisa

 

holding Shinya-san down, someone would eventually come

 

and save me as long as I could buy some time. There was no

 

need to go on the offensive. In fact, I wanted to get out of

 

there, but my attacker was standing between me and the door,

 

so that probably would’ve posed quite a challenge.

 

For now, I just had to focus on dodging attacks. This sort of

 

passive thinking had me written all over it, but it was no good.

 

In focusing my gaze entirely on my attacker’s hatchet, I

 

completely neglected to pay any attention to my feet.

 

My attacker faked with the hatchet, then came at me with

 

a leg sweep. It made a glorious connection. Unable to even roll

 

back to my feet, instead my back slammed into the carpet. My

 

attacker proceeded to mount me and pin down my shoulders.

 

It all happened in a single instant.

 

The match was essentially over. Maybe I should have spent

 

those mornings running marathons instead of just going for

 

walks. Or maybe I should have continued going to the dojo

 

even when I got back to Japan.

 

“Ah… ahhh…”

 

Ah well, truth be told, it didn’t really make much

 

difference whether I was killed or not. At this point, Kunagisa

 

had probably already explained everything to the others, and

 

Yayoi-san had already returned to the dining room as well.

 

Either way, there was no chance my attacker would escape. I

 

had lost the match, but the tournament was ours.

 

So this was fine. Now then, the hatchet. Use the hatchet.

 

“Die.”

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 2 8 7

 

My attacker’s cold, familiar voice. I realized I had

 

completely given up. What was this sensation? Why? Why

 

was I even willing to give up my own life?

 

I didn’t want to live?

 

It wasn’t that I wanted to die, but I didn’t want to live,

 

either. Life was a big hassle, but I wasn’t jumping at the idea

 

of death specifically. Was there nothing important to me?

 

Nothing I wanted? Nothing I wanted to protect? Is that why I

 

was so ready to give up?

 

“No.”

 

No.

 

It was because even if I died here, no one would be

 

bothered. Kunagisa wouldn’t be bothered.

 

Maki-san.

 

Did you know this was coming? If so, I suppose I’m

 

grateful that you didn’t let me know about it. I now knew the

 

reason Maki-san, who knew all, had said nothing. You die

 

exactly when you should, though I wasn’t quite in that frame

 

of mind yet.

 

Indeed. Just as Teruko-san said, I really should just die.

 

Seriously.

 

Hey…

 

But the hatchet wasn’t coming down. It was raised way up

 

in the air, and then just stopped. Looking up in confusion, I

 

saw not a taunting expression, but rather a twisted grimace as

 

my attacker struggled and fought to bring the hatchet down.

 

“You don’t close your eyes, do you?”

 

There was another person! It wasn’t the voice of the

 

person on top of me. I couldn’t see from where I was, but this

 

third person must have grabbed the hatchet while it was up in

 

the air and refused to let go.

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 2 8 8

 

Who was it? Had Yayoi-san come to save me? Had

 

Kunagisa followed me here? But neither of these seemed like

 

feasible possibilities.

 

The third person wrenched the hatchet upward and in the

 

same instant delivered a beautiful, truly glorious low kick to

 

my attacker’s now completely open side. Unable to take the

 

blow, my attacker rolled off me and slammed into the nearby

 

sofa. In another instant, though, the assailant was back on two

 

feet and face-to-face with the third person.

 

In one fell swoop, I had become a mere spectator.

 

At this point, for some reason, the third person threw away

 

the hatchet. And here there was such a golden opportunity to

 

use it. Could this have been a gesture of sportsmanship? At a

 

time like this?

 

Unlike when fighting me, this time my attacker attempted

 

no reckless leaping. But there was a time limit here. If this

 

didn’t get settled fast, there was a chance Kunagisa would

 

finish explaining everything and bring the others here.

 

But this third person didn’t repeat my mistake. Bam, came

 

the sound of feet hitting the floor as the third person sprang

 

toward my attacker, covering as much as six feet in a single

 

stride. In a Japanese kenpo-style motion, the third person used

 

the momentum from the leap to deliver a straight punch.

 

Instead of dodging back or to the side, my attacker instead

 

contorted diagonally, both dodging the punch and closing in

 

on the third person at the same time. My attacker then

 

grabbed the third person by the throat, but the third person

 

delivered another straight punch without even trying to avoid

 

my attacker’s clutch. My attacker, still in offensive mode, was

 

unable to dodge. The punch connected straight with the

 

heart.

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 289

 

“Huh…”

 

My attacker let out a groan but refused to release the third

 

person’s throat. Then, almost effortlessly, my attacker slid past

 

the third person’s side and delivered a back kick to the calf.

 

The third person stumbled.

 

It appeared my attacker intended to use this opportunity to

 

slam the third person into the floor. Watching from the

 

sidelines, even I thought this was the end. But it didn’t end.

 

The third person used my attacker’s arm as a pivot axis and

 

swung up while shifting in midair, causing them both to fall to

 

the floor together with my attacker’s arm in a lock. It was a

 

judo offense-through-defense technique.

 

Another instant. The surprisingly dull, almost anticlimactic

 

sound of breaking bone echoed through the dark room. The

 

third person released the arm and stood up. My attacker

 

followed suit and began to stand up, too, but before managing

 

to get up all the way, took a merciless kick to the already

 

seemingly broken arm. My attacker flew through the air and

 

over the sofa. Then came the sound of the shattering glass

 

table. And my attacker fell back on the sofa.

 

“Phewwww.” The third person exhaled a deep breath with

 

complete calm.

 

We had a winner.

 

I was utterly speechless.

 

At last, the third person faced me. And then, without so

 

much as a smirk, said, “When you’re about to die, I think you

 

should close your eyes.”

 

“Didn’t you say guys like me should die?” I mumbled

 

faintly.

 

“Oh, that.” She tilted her head. “That was a lie.”

 

Teruko-san said.

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 2 9 0

 

Slowly shaking my head, I held my hand out to her. I

 

figured the chances were about fifty-fifty, but she grabbed my

 

hand and pulled me to my feet.

 

“What are you doing here?”

 

“No reason. It was just inevitable.”

 

“What are you talking about?”

 

“Don’t worry about it. It’s just nonsense.”

 

Now that…

 

That was my line.

 

Sigh.

 

“Thank you.”

 

After pulling me back to my feet, she let go of my hand

 

and looked at me with those out-of-focus eyes.

 

“No need to thank me. More important…”

 

A brief pause.

 

“There’s something that’s been bothering me.”

 

“What?”

 

This was a fairly heavy statement to make. What was she

 

about to say? I couldn’t even imagine.

 

Dark.

 

My eyes had completely adjusted to the darkness, but even

 

still, I couldn’t read Teruko-san’s expression.

 

Just like my own heart.

 

Just like the hearts of others.

 

“Your question from this afternoon,” she said, with that

 

same old pale tone and cold gaze. “I know you were speaking

 

metaphorically… were you talking about Kunagisa-san or

 

yourself?”

 

The child locked in the basement.

 

Deprived of communication with anyone else for ten years.

 

“Ah…”

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 2 9 1

 

Once again, I reached out to touch Teruko-san’s hand for

 

no reason at all.

 

For an instant, our fingers touched. And then, in that

 

moment of separation…

 

An eardrum-shattering sound. The feeling of a shock wave

 

running through my entire body. Teruko-san’s body slumped

 

onto me. Like deadweight.

 

I held on to her as she rested her entire weight on me. But

 

there was no time to stand there and savor the warm touch of

 

her expectedly light body. My eyes were still glued to the sofa.

 

Or, to be more specific…

 

To the woman sitting there holding a handgun. Sitting

 

there, totally aloof.

 

My eyes were glued to it. It was a black gun, a relatively

 

popular model. I had even seen a few overseas. I sure didn’t

 

expect to see one in this country, though. She had a Glock?

 

Why she hadn’t used the gun until now was obvious. No

 

matter how big this mansion was, it wasn’t big enough to stop

 

the sound of a gunshot from reaching every corner of it. In

 

other words, this was probably the final ace up her sleeve. It

 

was an illegal move, the absolute forbidden method.

 

In which case…

 

In which case the day was mine. I still had my ace, though

 

maybe I had let the time to use it slip away.

 

And so the conclusion continued. The resolution to the

 

final scene.

 

A voice. A faint voice. And then, the gun barrel turned

 

toward me.

 

She said something I couldn’t hear, my ears still ringing

 

from the gun blast. My eardrums were probably okay, just

 

momentarily paralyzed. But in a situation like this, that meant

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 2 9 2

 

the same thing. It didn’t look as if she were going to wait for

 

my hearing to come back.

 

What did she say? It kind of bothered me. This was a

 

checkmate.

 

Farewell. How stupid. What were you trying to do? You want to

 

die in a place like this? What were you living for anyway?

 

She was probably saying something along those lines. Or

 

no, maybe she wasn’t saying anything at all.

 

Either way, there is no meaning in words you can’t hear.

 

Just like there is no meaning in feelings you don’t express.

 

Out of steam, I looked at her. Over Teruko-san’s shoulder.

 

Fast the muzzle of the gun.

 

“Ah.”

 

Just as I thought. Just as I thought, this was the end.

 

Naturally I didn’t believe anyone was coming to rescue me

 

from this crisis… and this was pretty much what I expected to

 

happen. Of course, I didn’t mean to get Teruko-san involved,

 

but aside from that, everything had gone more or less

 

according to plan.

 

That’s because my one and only plan was to not involve

 

Kunagisa. Nothing else mattered. Really, it didn’t matter. I

 

was apathetic and indifferent. There was no future. There was

 

no past. I had forgotten about being born long ago. Oblivious

 

to the fact that I was alive. Reality was nothing more than a

 

synonym for illusion to me, and that was never an antonym

 

for dream.

 

At this point.

 

Teruko-san’s body resting on me. My throbbing ankle pain.

 

My paralyzed train of thought. My breaking values. My

 

melting ethics. My collapsing morals. Kanami-san’s neck.

 

Akane-san’s neck. The truth behind the incident. The culprit.

 

The killer. The murderer.

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 2 9 3

 

The splitting girl. None of it mattered now. I would forgive

 

it all.

 

So…

 

Pull that trigger. Please end it.

 

K-chink.

 

The sound of the gun cocking.

 

A sound I had heard a million times abroad.

 

And so, finally…

 

Here.

 

“Ii-chan!”

 

The sound of the door slamming open. Light pierced the

 

room with such ferocity that my eyes stopped functioning for

 

a moment. But there was no need for visual confirmation of

 

who was pointing the gun on me. Even with my stunned

 

eardrums, her voice had managed to reach me.

 

But I could barely believe it.

 

Kunagisa Tomo was standing there alone.

 

Ridiculous. That wasn’t possible. I had left her on the first

 

floor so that she couldn’t do this. I had left her on the first floor

 

because she was unable to climb stairs alone. She wasn’t

 

supposed to be able to come here alone.

 

But she was indeed alone. With tears in her eyes. She wore

 

a terribly exhausted expression. She was panting. Clutching

 

her chest. She looked as if she were ready to collapse at any

 

moment, but she forced herself to remain standing.

 

And she was alone.

 

“This is…”

 

Wait a minute here. This can’t be. Someone must be with

 

her. If no one was with her, it would have been impossible for

 

her to climb that spiral staircase. Maybe one or two steps, but

 

not this.

 

It was impossible.

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 2 9 4

 

Had she really come all the way up here alone, despite her

 

affliction?

 

All this way?

 

To be sure, it wasn’t physically impossible. But obsessivecompulsive

 

disorders aren’t something to be taken lightly.

 

They aren’t so minor that you can just conquer them with

 

willpower. I know for a fact that defying one’s own

 

subconscious is no walk in the park.

 

However… however, Kunagisa had heard the gunshot.

 

And despite it being deathly agonizing, despite it being so

 

painful that in a worse-case scenario she really might have

 

died, she had forced herself up the stairs. Forgetting to even

 

bring someone along. Suppressing the urge to vomit.

 

Clutching her own heart. Forcing those reluctant legs to keep

 

moving. Lashing at her own fear-ridden soul. With that heart

 

much too fragile for living. Enduring the anguish of the depths

 

of Hell. All just to reach me. Casting all things aside.

 

Kunagisa. For me.

 

“Why?”

 

The pressure. It was heartbreaking to the point of brutality.

 

I really was a clown… feeling like this.

 

This pathetic feeling—what was the name for this?

 

“Why are you…”

 

Why are you always, always… shaking me up?

 

You.

 

Really. Since the ancient past.

 

Nothing’s changed.

 

Fwip.

 

The woman removed me from her sights and retrained

 

them on Kunagisa.

 

“Hey!”

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 2 9 5

 

What are you doing? You were going to shoot me. Why do

 

you have to aim that gun over there? No such necessity exists,

 

dammit. Or are such things meaningless to you? Are things

 

like necessity and reality nonexistent in that skewed world in

 

which you live?

 

The light.

 

Gradually my eyes were adjusting. Hers were probably

 

doing the same. Kunagisa, however, who unlike us was

 

adapting to the dark, not the light, couldn’t yet make out my

 

attacker’s features. Dark adaptation takes longer than light

 

adaptation. Consequently, if she were to shoot now, there was

 

no way Kunagisa could dodge it.

 

I jumped up.

 

But by the time I was on my feet, it was too late. There

 

was no point. There was no way I could make it to Kunagisa

 

in time. I couldn’t outrun a bullet. Even if I could, there

 

would be no point. I couldn’t just die in front of Kunagisa. I

 

was too late. I was too late, just as I was years ago. Just like all

 

the time.

 

In which case…

 

There was nothing I could d—

 

“Oh.”

 

It seemed Kunagisa was able to spot me. Without even

 

casting a glance at the handgun, without letting my attacker

 

even enter her field of vision, she stuck a finger out at me and

 

grinned.

 

“Ah, thank God. You’re okay, right Ii-chan?”

 

With that smile. With that selfless smile. With that ragged,

 

worn-out smile. With Kunagisa Tomo, who was completely

 

oblivious to the circumstances.

 

I was…

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 2 9 6

 

Truly…

 

“I’m in love with her,” I said to myself.

 

Yup. It was something I had always known. It was so

 

obvious to me there was never a need to put it into words.

 

There was no need for words between us.

 

Of course, it was a completely self-aware matter. From the

 

instant I had met her, I had chosen Kunagisa Tomo. To the

 

point that I didn’t care about anything else. I didn’t need to be

 

loved or even chosen.

 

“Please stop,” I begged my attacker.

 

She remained motionless for a while, but then, “Hehe.

 

Hehehe…” She spun the gun around and pointed it at the

 

ground. She continued laughing for a while.

 

“Hehehehehehe… haaaahahahaha…”

 

Like she was truly having a ball. Laughter like singing.

 

Dragging my feet, I made my way over to Kunagisa and

 

grabbed her by the shoulders. Her body had become

 

thoroughly hot. That was enough to discern just how much

 

she had struggled to make it here. I held Kunagisa to cover

 

her, and trained my eyes back on my attacker.

 

She was looking back at us. Looking at us holding on to

 

each other.

 

“Well, I’ve still got some complaints, but”—she opened her

 

mouth—“eh, from a guy like you, just hearing something that

 

honest is good enough for now, I guess,” she said. “That’s what

 

I was waiting to hear last night, after all,” Sonoyama Akane

 

said cynically, and tossed the handgun aside.

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 2 9 7

 

“Uwaaa, you’ve got a huge bruise here, Ii-chan.”

 

With my pant leg rolled up, Kunagisa patted the bruise on

 

my ankle. This blue-haired goon probably didn’t realize how

 

much that patting hurt. Hikari-san had brought me antiswelling

 

medication, so I stuck it on. It felt as if all the warmth

 

had drained from my body.

 

This was comfort?

 

“Akane-chan was sooo tough. Not that she ever looked like

 

much of a pushover,” Kunagisa said. “Didn’t you know, Iichan?”

 

“Why would I? Who could’ve known one of the Seven

 

Fools would turn out to be so freaking tough? This isn’t a

 

video game or something.”

 

She was a complete force to be reckoned with. I hadn’t

 

expected her to be so overwhelmingly tough, and I certainly

 

hadn’t expected her to have a handgun prepared. I had had a

 

number of brushes with death by now, but this was by far the

 

most dangerous.

 

“If Teruko-san hadn’t come to my rescue, things would’ve

 

gotten really bad.”

 

“You have to be careful. That body doesn’t belong to you

 

alone, you know.”

 

“Says you, woman.”

 

Since the showdown, we had entered a phase of treating

 

the wounded, dictated by common sense as the primary

 

concern. At the time, I hadn’t thought anything of it, but after

 

a while, the damage from that initial leg sweep became much

 

more apparent, so I was now undergoing treatment in

 

Kunagisa’s room.

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 2 9 8

 

“You hit your back as well, didn’t you? Did it hurt?”

 

Hikari-san said. “Please take care. Akane-san was in the karate

 

club in high school, you know?”

 

“I think I’ve heard that before…”

 

“She even participated in the national tournament.”

 

Man, teach me that stuff.

 

“Yeah, but apparently she only won five matches.”

 

“You only need five matches to win the national

 

tournament.”

 

As for Akane-san’s wounds, first there was her broken right

 

arm. Then there was that first kick, which had apparently

 

broken four ribs. Even in that early phase of the showdown

 

she had suffered a major wound, yet she was still able to jump

 

around like that. It was no small feat.

 

Meanwhile, Teruko-san was undergoing treatment with

 

Akari-san. Skin around her throat had been scratched off from

 

when Akane-san was strangling her, and there had been some

 

bleeding, but she had suffered no other notable wounds. At

 

the time of that gunshot, I had thought the bullet had hit her

 

square in the back, but in fact it hadn’t hit her at all. I thought

 

she had fallen into my arms from the force of being shot, but

 

it was actually the result of her dodging the bullet. Perhaps it

 

was her reaction to the sound of the gun being cocked. She

 

was like one of Charlie’s Angels.

 

Not to mention that, afterward, she was playing dead.

 

“Actually, that’s not quite right,” Hikari-san said. “I’m sure

 

she was just shielding you.”

 

“Shielding me?” Indeed, depending on how you looked at

 

it, that wasn’t an impossibility. “So you’re saying she was

 

risking her life for me?”

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 2 9 9

 

“No, her life wasn’t particularly in danger. Teruko’s apron

 

is bulletproof.”

 

“Bulletproof?”

 

She wasn’t an angel, she was a battle maid. What the hell

 

had happened to reality?

 

“Yes. Spectra is sewn into her clothes. Unlike Kevlar,

 

Spectra can withstand any number of shots without

 

weakening. And it’s light so you don’t get sweaty. Teruko is

 

nigh invincible at short range, but she takes caution with longrange

 

defense. See how long the skirt is on this apron dress?

 

That’s because it works like an aikido hakama.”

 

It sounded like a terrible joke, but it was hard to tell based

 

on Hikari-san’s expression. Maybe it was better to just let it

 

go. “But why is Teruko-san so strong? Are you that strong,

 

too?” I asked.

 

“No, Teruko is our mistress’s resident bodyguard, in a

 

sense. Our roles are fundamentally different. Up to now,

 

you’ve never seen all three of us doing the same job, have

 

you?”

 

Come to think of it, it did seem as if Hikari-san and Akarisan

 

were always the ones at work. As a former participant in

 

the ER3 program, maybe it was unforgivable that I hadn’t

 

noticed until now. Yeah, it sounded pretty bad.

 

“But I’m sure glad she rescued you. I’m sure you’ve noticed

 

by now that she can be awfully cold. Saving you is one thing,

 

but staking her own life to shield you… It almost doesn’t

 

make sense.”

 

“Yeah, about that. Why did she do it?”

 

“Well, she’s a whimsical girl.”

 

Just like everyone else here.

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 3 0 0

 

But it wasn’t completely beyond my comprehension. I still

 

didn’t know for sure how Teruko-san felt, but insofar as she

 

was still a mystery to me, I was no doubt just as much a

 

mystery to her.

 

Surely, she just wanted to ask about me.

 

“That’s just a bunch of nonsense, though…”

 

Come to think of it, she had seemed abnormally strong

 

when she grabbed my arm that afternoon, but I never would

 

have imagined that that was some kind of foreshadowing.

 

“It seems like your back and hips are okay. You didn’t hit

 

your head, did you? Well then, that’s a wrap,” Kunagisa said,

 

and, sticking close to me, began to massage my shoulders. This

 

was Heaven.

 

“Now then, shall we head back to the dining room?”

 

This was Hell.

 

Right. The noninjured guests had all been left waiting

 

anxiously for Kunagisa and me in the dining room.

 

Unbelievably. Terrifyingly.

 

“Tomo, you go on alone. These injuries are way worse than

 

I thought. I don’t think I can go.”

 

“Whatever. But y’know, Ii-chan, this is your chance to look

 

good in front of Akari-chan. If you’re smooth, you might get

 

something out of it.”

 

“Oh my, do you have Akari on the mind? She loves smart

 

people, you know.”

 

Kunagisa and Hikari-san were happily double-teaming me

 

with suggestions. What were they, middle school students?

 

“Tomo, you know how much I hate stuff like that. You

 

don’t need me to explain it, right? Just think something up

 

yourself.”

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 3 0 1

 

“Ii-chan, didn’t you do this kind of thing abroad?

 

Performances or presentations or what have you?”

 

“Well, yeah, but they were Hell every time. They would

 

always bitch at me, you know, like ‘Quit talking around the

 

subject’ or ‘You’re being too vague’ or ‘Nobody’s interested in

 

your problems.’ Ah, I know, I know. I should just do it, right?

 

Just do it.”

 

“Don’t weasel out of this,” Kunagisa’s smirk said.

 

“Come on, you’ll get in trouble. You have to be more

 

cheerful about this. I know that’s probably impossible for you,

 

but anyway, let’s get going. Tie my hair up first.”

 

“Huh? You don’t like it that way?”

 

“It feels like my head is being pulled on. One or two tails is

 

better after all.”

 

“Mmm, and here I liked it.”

 

“Tomo-san, would you like me to do it?”

 

“Uh-uh,” Kunagisa shook her head.

 

“Putting my hair up is Ii-chan’s job.”

 

Yes’m. I redid her hair, and…

 

…and our preparations were complete.

 

“Well, let’s go.”

 

Slowly the gates of Hell opened. I was feeling quite heavyfooted,

 

and it wasn’t just because of my injuries.

 

“What a buncha nonsense,” I muttered as I arrived in the

 

dining room. Everyone besides Akane-san, whose wounds

 

were severe, was gathered together.

 

That of course included Shinya-san.

 

As if he had already given up, as if a burden had been

 

taken off his shoulders, he had a calm air about him as he

 

watched us walk through the door. Maki-san sneered at me,

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 3 0 2

 

making me think I was about to be harassed again, but she

 

remained silent.

 

Lined up on the table was the remade food Yayoi-san had

 

prepared while I was being treated. Possibly because Yayoi-san

 

had calmed down, this time the food was remarkably fancier.

 

Akari-san, still feeling awkward, avoided eye contact.

 

Teruko-san had bandages wrapped around her neck.

 

Rei-san watched over the scene in complete silence.

 

And then there was Akagami Iria-san. She was looking at

 

me with challenging eyes.

 

“Well then, shall we have you begin?” Iria-san said to me as

 

I took my seat. “What is all this?”

 

“Allow me to explain. Sonoyama Akane-san of the ER3’s

 

Seven Fools is the killer, and Ibuki Kanami-san’s caretaker,

 

Sakaki Shinya-san over there, is her accomplice.”

 

Silence.

 

“And?”

 

“That’s it.”

 

“Give us thirty minutes,” she insisted. “The first thing I

 

want you to explain is what Sonoyama-san was doing in

 

Yayoi’s room.”

 

“That’s easy. Yayoi-san flew out of the dining room, right?

 

Thus, Yayoi-san was the next person to be somewhere by

 

herself, so Akane-san used it as an opportunity to kill her.

 

“The idea had been to have Akane-san’s plan backfire, but

 

instead things had backfired on me and Teruko-san had saved

 

me. And ultimately I had had to rely on Akane-san’s

 

kindness.”

 

That hatchet she had brandished at me, surely it would’ve

 

lopped my head off.

 

“I’m very grateful to Teruko-san.”

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 3 0 3

 

“No, I don’t mean that. You know what I mean. Wasn’t

 

Sonoyama-san killed? In that sealed storage room?

 

“As you saw, she’s alive.” I shrugged. “Assuming she

 

doesn’t have a twin, I think we can all agree that it was

 

Akane-san.”

 

“So what about that headless body in the storage room?”

 

“Well, Akane-san is alive, so that wasn’t her body. That’s

 

just logical thinking.”

 

“It was someone else’s corpse?”

 

“If you see a headless body, beware of switching. It’s a

 

cardinal rule of detective novels, right? I’m sure your darling

 

detective would say the same thing.”

 

Iria-san tilted her head at me as if to show that this was

 

beyond her comprehension. “Um, just wait a second. I’m

 

thinking.”

 

She wanted a moment to contemplate things alone. I was a

 

bit impressed by her spirit. “Umm…”

 

“Well, in the meantime, might I ask something?” Shinyasan

 

raised his hand. “I’ve got a question for you there.”

 

“I don’t mind,” I nodded. I thought for sure I’d be asked

 

when I realized the truth behind the incidents or how I

 

figured out the killer or something like that, but Shinya-san’s

 

question was totally different from my expectations.

 

“Is that wound on your foot okay?”

 

“Yes. It’s made a bruise, though.”

 

“Really? So it’s not broken. That woman…” he snorted.

 

“Or maybe she couldn’t break it, though that’s not like her…

 

or is it?”

 

I wasn’t sure what all his whispering meant.

 

Finally, “Nah, it’s no good,” Iria-san said capitulatingly. “I

 

don’t get it at all. There was really a switch?”

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 3 0 4

 

“There was. Kunagisa’s computers were destroyed, right?

 

The third incident. Nobody could have done that. Literally,

 

precisely nobody. Everybody served as everybody else’s

 

witness, so alibis and accomplices weren’t even a matter of

 

concern. We were all watching one another the whole time.

 

Nobody could have done it. Nobody who was there, anyway.

 

Therefore, the only person who could’ve done it would have

 

been someone who wasn’t there with us. That’s just logical

 

thinking.”

 

“I gathered that much,” Iria-san said. “You don’t need to

 

keep emphasizing that it’s logical. You’re kind of a smart

 

aleck, aren’t you? So whose headless body was that in the

 

storage room? Everybody was here together. There wasn’t a

 

single person who could have been switched with Sonoyamasan’s

 

body. Isn’t that strange to you?”

 

“Well, it is strange, but…” I decided to give her an easy-tounderstand

 

analogy. “Do you know this quiz? Or actually, it’s

 

more like a trick or a form of fraud, but anyway…”

 

I pulled out the alibi chart and turned it over to the back.

 

There I drew a big rectangle, then drew nine lines through it.

 

In other words, a ten-box chart.

 

“What is that?” Iria-san asked. “Something to do with this?”

 

“Please pretend these are telephone booths. Ten telephone

 

booths. Now let’s put eleven people in them.”

 

“Phone booths?”

 

“Oh, I mean, they’re just boxes. They could be rooms.”

 

“Ten rooms.”

 

“Yup,” I nodded.

 

Incidentally, this was a magic trick I had picked up from a

 

book I read while in elementary school.

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 3 0 5

 

“Okay, so let’s say A-kun tries to enter the first box, but a

 

second person enters it before him.” I wrote an X in the first

 

box. “Now for the third person.” I wrote an X in the next box.

 

“The fourth person.” I wrote yet another X in the next box.

 

“The fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth people. The ninth

 

person, and the tenth person. So now we’ve got ten people in

 

boxes. But there’s still one box left over. So let’s stick that first

 

guy, A-kun, in there.” I drew an X in the final box. “And so

 

we’ve fit eleven people in ten boxes. Do you get it?”

 

“That’s stupid,” Iria-san said. “The first person never

 

entered the box, so it was off by one person.”

 

“Yes, that’s correct. It’s a rudimentary trick that anyone

 

can figure out with a little thought. But if done with the right

 

timing and skill, nobody notices.”

 

“Yes they do.”

 

“They don’t. We didn’t notice.”

 

“I don’t have any idea what you’re talking about. And this

 

is all off-topic. I’m asking whose body that was in the storage

 

room. Everybody was gathered here. No matter how you look

 

at it, that makes us one person short. Or are you saying there

 

was a thirteenth person on this island?

 

“Not possible. There were twelve people on this island.

 

Let’s assume that’s a given.”

 

“Well then, who was it?”

 

“As of now, there are eleven people alive on this island.

 

Akagami Iria-san, Chiga Akari-san, Hikari-san and Teruko-san,

 

Handa Rei-san, Himena Maki-san, Sashirono Yayoi-san,

 

Kunagisa Tomo, Sakaki Shinya-san and Sonoyama Akane-san.

 

Then, finally, there’s me. So the answer should be clear.”

 

I allowed a brief pause.

 

“It was Ibuki Kanami-san.”

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 3 0 6

 

“With the corpse wrapped up in a sleeping bag, it didn’t get

 

dirty even when we buried it. After we left the burial site,

 

Shinya-san dug Kanami-san’s body back up. Then, with body

 

in tow, he headed for the storage room window. From the

 

outside, I mean. He knocked on the window and Akane-san

 

opened it from the inside. In went the body, and they made

 

the switch. That’s basically it.”

 

Taking a look over the crowd to see their reaction,

 

especially Shinya-san’s, I continued.

 

“It was strange. When we went to bury Kanami-san’s body,

 

Shinya-san brought a sleeping bag along. It was a coffin. But

 

hold the phone there a second. Why would he have a sleeping

 

bag? Maybe if this was a camping trip, but nobody would

 

bring a sleeping bag when they’ve been invited to a mansion.

 

So maybe it was already at the mansion to begin with? See,

 

that’s what I had thought. I thought Iria-san had offered it to

 

him for the sake of the burial. Certainly in a mansion like this,

 

a mansion that offers beds with canopies even in the guest

 

rooms, it’s a little unnatural for there to be sleeping bags lying

 

around, but it’s not impossible. So that’s what I thought. But

 

the second time, when Akane-san’s corpse—actually Kanamisan’s

 

corpse again—was discovered, Hikari-san brought us a

 

stretcher. Is there some reason you would offer a sleeping bag

 

for the first person but not for the second? Not likely. Even if

 

there was a reason, Hikari-san would’ve told me. And so one

 

assumption crumbles. There were no sleeping bags here after

 

all. Shinya-san must have brought one himself even though

 

this isn’t camping. It’s as if he knew from the start he would

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 3 0 7

 

need something in which to bury a body. He knew that he

 

couldn’t let the body get dirty.”

 

“So he… recycled the body?”

 

“Bingo, you’ve got it. Shinya-san and Akane-san murdered

 

Kanami-san and from her created a new, ‘phantom’ corpse.

 

That’s basically it.”

 

“But there was blood in the storage room,” Iria-san said. “If

 

that body was a day old, there wouldn’t have been so much

 

blood.”

 

“There was no way for us to determine whether or not that

 

was Akane-san’s blood. Maybe the police could have. Indeed,

 

if the police were here, this crazy incident never would have

 

happened. But you didn’t want to call the police.

 

Understandable. Due to certain circumstances, you couldn’t

 

call them. Knowing that, Akane-san was free to assume that

 

even if there was another incident, the police wouldn’t come.

 

The blood could have been from a blood bank or even from an

 

animal. We’ll have to ask Akane-san or Shinya-san to find

 

out.”

 

But Shinya-san remained silent, refusing to answer. I let it

 

be and continued. “In the same sense, if the police had been

 

here, they could have told us that the body was a day old

 

already. But we’re not professionals. All we know is the

 

difference between dead and alive. Maybe after ten days we’d

 

be able to discern the age of the corpse, and maybe a little

 

faster in the summer, but this isn’t the summer. This is the

 

season of blooming cherry blossoms.”

 

“So they changed the corpse’s clothes?”

 

“Yes. Akane-san called Hikari-san to her room in the

 

middle of the night just to show her what she was wearing.

 

Kanami-san’s body was already in the room at that time. That

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 3 0 8

 

room has an inward-opening door, so all she had to do was

 

hide the body in the shadows behind it. As long as she came

 

out to greet Hikari-san, Hikari-san wouldn’t enter the room.

 

This was likely the riskiest part of the whole ploy. If there was

 

ever a point that proved Akane-san was going out on a limb, it

 

was this scene. But she had to go out on a limb. As I said

 

before, she did it so that she could make us all think Kanamisan’s

 

body was hers. Also, to narrow down the time of the

 

murder and to give her accomplice, Shinya-san, a solid alibi.”

 

That night, Shinya-san was with Maki-san drinking the

 

whole night. Maki-san had invited him, but supposing she

 

hadn’t, he probably would’ve invited her. Or it’s even possible

 

that he would have invited us instead of Maki-san. Of course,

 

now that all was said and done, that was just a trivial detail.

 

“That’s also why they smashed Kunagisa’s PCs. The PCs

 

and digital camera contained images. Images of Kanami-san’s

 

corpse. If we carefully compared those images with Akanesan’s

 

corpse in the storage room, there was a chance that we

 

would realize they were in fact the same body.”

 

“Actually, that’s true,” Kunagisa said. “Something had been

 

bothering me. The hands, or the fingers or something. Yeah,

 

that’s it, huh? It’s not like Kanami-chan and Akane-chan have

 

the same fingerprints.”

 

She let out a sigh. It seemed she was disappointed in

 

herself for not noticing right off the bat. Everyone else

 

probably thought she was joking, but I knew she probably

 

wasn’t.

 

For crying out loud.

 

“But why would they do such a thing?”

 

“There are altogether too many possibilities as far as that’s

 

concerned, but in my opinion she was trying to ‘erase her

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 3 0 9

 

existence.’ Akane-san created a phantom ‘thirteenth person’

 

by using the same body twice, and in so doing succeeded in

 

erasing her own existence. There are plenty of hiding places

 

around here. It’s a huge mansion, and many of the rooms

 

aren’t locked. And there’s always the possibility she was

 

outside the mansion.”

 

“Why would she need to erase her own existence?”

 

“That’s simple. Isn’t it obvious? If she became a victim, if

 

she herself was murdered, she would no longer be under

 

surveillance. She would be free to move about, beyond the

 

confines of thought and reason, like some kind of invisible

 

woman. In which case, breaking Kunagisa’s computers, for

 

example, became a simple task. Even causing a fourth

 

incident, such as another murder, would have been simple.

 

But again, we won’t know for sure what they had planned

 

unless we ask Akane-san or Shinya-san.”

 

“We were going to kill everyone.”

 

This time he was gracious enough to answer. He spoke

 

with a coldness that told of his complete surrender. He spoke

 

with indifference.

 

“Everyone on this island. But to do so, she had to remove

 

herself. It became apparent that her ability to move around

 

would be cut off, either by the forming of teams or by having

 

everyone stay together in one place, so she had to remove

 

herself from everyone.”

 

And once she was on the outside, she would just start

 

picking people off one at a time, starting with the easiest prey.

 

Shinya-san let out a weak chuckle. “And here she did such a

 

good job of removing herself from the party. I never would’ve

 

thought she wouldn’t even be able to kill a single person. I

 

thought she’d at least get through half of you.”

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 3 1 0

 

“Shall we have you explain the rest then, Shinya-san?”

 

“No,” he shook his head weakly. “I’ll leave it all to you.

 

That’s your role here. It’s your job.”

 

I nodded without saying anything. “Well then, I don’t think

 

I need to explain the first sealed room at this point, do I? That

 

was just a trick to distract us. They just needed to buy time

 

until the second incident. It might not have been specifically

 

planned to go down that way, but rather just a coincidental

 

product of the Law of Great Numbers. Maybe the earthquake

 

just happened to occur and she thought of it right then. Of

 

course she was planning the murder all along, but maybe she

 

only decided on a specific plan once the earthquake occurred.

 

Supposing that was the case, it was some incredibly quick

 

thinking. You can’t help but be impressed. Anyway, there was

 

an earthquake. Then Shinya-san called. However, it wasn’t

 

Kanami-san on the other end, but Akane-san. Then Akane-san

 

killed Kanami-san. Shinya-san said Kanami-san had said ‘the

 

paint spilled,’ but that, too, was a trick. He used vague

 

wording so that even if the trick was exposed, he could weasel

 

out of it. Even I was tricked by that.”

 

“Heh heh,” Shinya-san laughed.

 

“That’s simply a coincidence.”

 

“Well, I can’t speak as to that, but anyway, Akane-san

 

killed Kanami-san. Then she put together that ‘sealed room.’

 

By intentionally spilling the paint.”

 

“Well, at least I wasn’t wrong when I originally said she

 

was the killer.”

 

“That’s right, Iria-san. Certainly it was a high possibility.

 

But that’s all it was. Because Akane-san had created that

 

sealed room, we couldn’t say for certain. Of course, that was

 

the whole point of the sealed room. To put herself under the

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 3 1 1

 

‘perfect level of suspicion,’ she placed herself in a position

 

where she was the prime suspect, but where nobody could

 

prove that she did it. Then she was locked in the storage

 

room.

 

“Granted, I was the one who had suggested it, but even if I

 

hadn’t said anything, Shinya-san surely would have. There

 

were only so many rooms with locking doors, so it would have

 

been easy for them to guess where she would be held, and

 

there had already been plenty of time for them to get to know

 

the mansion. Of course, we can only speculate here, and if

 

you don’t feel like talking to Shinya-san about it, we’ll never

 

know the true answer.”

 

On that note, it seemed to me that Akane-san’s big tiff

 

with Kanami-san was also done to intentionally show their

 

sour relationship. Akane-san had wanted to put herself in that

 

risky position.

 

You know, for later on.

 

I didn’t know whether the fact that Akane-san was the

 

only one without an alibi (well, actually Rei-san, too) was

 

pure luck, or whether she had figured out a whole strategy.

 

But it was probably just a coincidence.

 

That’s what I thought.

 

“So then she switched with Ibuki-san’s body?” Iria-san said.

 

“And then showed herself to Hikari-san in the middle of the

 

night, put the clothes she had been wearing on Ibuki-san,

 

escaped, and… then she hid away somewhere in the mansion,

 

right? Then during dinner she was hiding right by the dining

 

hall listening in on Sashirono-san’s hysteria. She overheard her

 

saying she was going to lock herself up in her room. So she

 

turned back and hid herself in Sashirono-san’s room. There’s

 

no lock, after all. Then there was the setup. Hmm, so that

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 3 1 2

 

means Sashirono-san’s breaking down and accusing Hikari was

 

all a ruse you set up, doesn’t it?”

 

“Yes,” I nodded. “We could’ve just found her at that point

 

if we had searched the whole mansion, but it’s so huge. It just

 

seemed like it would be a big hassle, so we set a trap instead.

 

It was risky, though.”

 

“The amazing thing about you is that you were able to just

 

write that off as ‘risky.’ ”

 

I didn’t know who was speaking for a second, but it turned

 

out to be Maki-san. It was the first time she had given me a

 

compliment without a hint of sarcasm. I was just a little bit

 

pleased.

 

“But hang on a second.” Iria-san placed a hand on her own

 

head and remained like that for a moment. “Something still

 

seems off,” she said. “Hmm, what is it? Something seems

 

strange to me.”

 

“Are you wondering how Akane-san got out of the storage

 

room?”

 

“Yeah, that’s it!” Iria-san said with a clap of her hands.

 

“That’s it. You haven’t explained that yet. Did Shinya-san pull

 

her up? Did she literally switch places with the corpse?”

 

“Nope. Shinya-san was only outside the mansion when we

 

buried Kanami-san’s body in the mountains. At that time, he

 

did drop the body into the storage room, but he didn’t pull

 

Akane-san out. Hikari-san saw her the following night at two

 

a.m., right? Plus, Shinya-san had an alibi that night as well. So

 

he couldn’t have pulled Akane-san out. That much is certain.”

 

“Then did he drop a rope ladder down there or

 

something?”

 

“That’s not it, either. A rope ladder would’ve left a hole

 

somewhere. I suppose it would’ve been possible if the rope

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 3 1 3

 

was long enough, but Hikari-san saw that the window was

 

closed at two a.m. Akane-san couldn’t have tied the rope

 

outside from the inside of her room. She would’ve needed an

 

accomplice, but as I said, Shinya-san was busy at the time

 

creating an alibi for himself with Maki-san.”

 

“Then it’s impossible,” Iria-san pouted. “My head is

 

spinning in circles. I feel like I’ve got cyanosis here.”

 

“You must mean vertigo.”

 

“That’s the only kind of thing you ever explain, huh?” she

 

grimaced. “Well? You must know the answer, right?”

 

“Yup,” I nodded.

 

“She was locked in a room with a door that can only be

 

unlocked from the outside, and a window that opens freely,

 

and she wanted to get out. Iria-san, what would you have

 

done in that situation?”

 

“I can’t possibly imagine.”

 

Spoken like a true princess.

 

“Well, what about you, Akari-san?”

 

I had already explained it to Hikari-san and Yayoi-san, so I

 

asked Akari-san. I could’ve asked Teruko-san, Rei-san, or even

 

Maki-san, but Akari-san was my favorite, after all, and I was

 

hoping to break the awkwardness lingering from the morning’s

 

events.

 

“I… I guess I would stretch my arms up and jump.”

 

“Right. But even if you jumped, you wouldn’t reach the

 

window.”

 

“We’re talking about the storage room, right? If I was

 

locked in there, and jumping didn’t work… next I would try

 

standing on a chair, stretching my arms up and jumping.”

 

“Even then you don’t reach.”

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 3 1 4

 

“Then it’s simple,” she said with a forced cheerful

 

expression. “I’d give up.”

 

“That won’t move this conversation anywhere.”

 

“Well, it’s over, right?”

 

Wow, she was blunt. Maybe it wasn’t awkwardness, maybe

 

she just plain hated me. Well, whatever. Time to change the

 

channel.

 

“Akari-san says she would have used a chair. That’s

 

basically what anybody would do, right? Like a monkey trying

 

to reach a high-hanging banana.”

 

“Are you calling me a monkey?” she screamed, her face

 

bright red. “Aren’t you rude! You don’t know the meaning of

 

the word delicacy, do you? Are you trying to infuriate me?”

 

My mistake. It seemed I had changed the channel in the

 

wrong direction.

 

“No, that’s not what I meant. And you don’t have to get so

 

angry. Monkeys are adorable.”

 

“I’ve never been so insulted in my entire life.” She cast her

 

face away from me. “From now on you and I don’t know each

 

other.”

 

Her disdain for me was unquestionably clear. I was a little

 

bit shocked. Dammit, Kunagisa, what about impressing her

 

with my smarts? It was the exact opposite outcome.

 

“Um, that’s not good. Anyway, you stand on a chair. Just

 

like anyone would. You jump, you stretch your arms out. You

 

still don’t reach. So what now? It’s simple. You just get on a

 

taller chair.”

 

“There’s only one chair in that room.”

 

“Well, ‘chair’ is just a metaphor. It could be anything. So

 

what was in that room?”

 

“Nothing. Books? The futon? A lamp and table?”

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 3 1 5

 

“There was something else, wasn’t there? Something we all

 

saw. It was practically all we saw.”

 

A silence fell over the crowd. Maybe they couldn’t think of

 

it, maybe they had thought of it. Either way would’ve

 

warranted such a reaction.

 

It was Iria-san who finally answered.

 

“It was Ibuki-san’s corpse, wasn’t it?”

 

“Bingo,” I nodded.

 

What else needed to be said?

 

“Rigor mortis reaches its peak at around the first twentyfour-hour

 

mark—well, depending on your sources. It was

 

about two a.m., give or take, so almost exactly that much time

 

had passed since Kanami-san was killed. Her body was

 

probably stiff as a pole. I’m sure getting those clothes on her

 

was no cakewalk, but there were merits here as well. I guess it

 

had an upside and a downside.”

 

“No cakewalk? It was a suit, for crying out loud. How do

 

you get that on a stiff corpse? Maybe her joints were still

 

moving, but still…”

 

“Then she could’ve brought two pairs of the same outfit.

 

That way she could get it on the body while it was still

 

relatively loose in the afternoon. Maybe Kanami’s removed

 

dress was hiding behind the door,” I continued without

 

pausing. “I arrived at this train of thought based on her reason

 

for cutting off the head. That was, of course, so that Kanami’s

 

body could play the role of two people. Her face was a

 

hindrance. But I believe there is one more reason she cut off

 

the head. She may be the only person to have ever cut off

 

someone’s head for this reason. Yup. To flatten her shoulders.”

 

“You mean because if she hadn’t done that, if the shoulders

 

weren’t flat, she couldn’t have used them as a step? Because

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 3 1 6

 

Kanami-san wasn’t a sturdy stepping stool?” Akari-san asked

 

weakly, as if stricken with fear, or else hoping for some other

 

answer.

 

“Is that what you’re saying?”

 

“Yes,” I nodded. “Not just a step, but a ‘staircase.’ First she

 

placed the chair, then stood Kanami-san’s body up next to it,

 

letting it lean against the wall a little. Then she used the chair

 

as her first step, the body as her second, and made a final leap.

 

Like a hop, step, and jump maneuver. Then she stretched out

 

her arms and finally reached the window.”

 

Kanami-san was always confined to a wheelchair, so I

 

wasn’t sure of her exact height, but considering Akane-san

 

had thought to recycle the body that way, she was probably

 

about as tall as Akane-san. And that was none too petite. Even

 

without the head, she was at least five feet tall. If you added

 

Akane-san’s own height, it was a little over ten feet. Plus she

 

was extending her arms. Plus she jumped. As long as her hand

 

made it to the window, all she had to do was pull herself up.

 

The impact from the jump probably caused Kanami-san’s

 

body to topple over, but that was all the better. It would be

 

hard for anyone to tell the body had been used as a step.

 

And that’s exactly why the head had been lopped off from

 

the very base of the neck.

 

“It couldn’t have been that easy. I mean, come on…”

 

“She didn’t have to succeed right away. I mean, she could

 

have tried any number of times. It’s not the type of thing you

 

can do in one or two tries, but eventually she succeeded, and

 

knocked Kanami-san’s body down in the process. To be

 

greedy, she probably wanted to close the window, too, but

 

you can only do that from the inside, so she probably just gave

 

up on it. When we went and examined Akane-san’s—by

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 3 1 7

 

which I mean Kanami-san’s—body the next day, the peak of

 

the rigor mortis had already passed, and the body had become

 

somewhat loose again. Of course I’m no specialist, so I can’t

 

really say for certain.”

 

“That’s…” Akari-san was turning blue. It was the same

 

broken down Akari-san I had encountered this morning.

 

Infuriated, or deep in despair. “It’s too terrible. It’s too

 

terrible. I can’t forgive this. To kill a person, and on top of

 

that cut her head off, and then dig up her buried corpse, and

 

on top of that disguise it as the body of someone else… that

 

alone is unspeakably foul. But to then use the body as a chair,

 

as a staircase, as a stepping stool?”

 

“ ‘It’s difficult to sit on a living person. To sit on a living

 

person for nearly thirty minutes is nearly impossible. But I

 

wouldn’t say sitting on a dead person is very hard at all,’ ”

 

Shinya-san recited. “The words of Oe Kenzaburo. Don’t you

 

know it, Akari-san?”

 

Still blue in the face, Akari-san shook her head with a look

 

of disgust. She looked like a small frightened animal. Like she

 

wanted to deny reality.

 

I couldn’t help but sigh.

 

A corpse is something that’s been thoroughly spent, with

 

no sentience or personality or even a spirit remaining inside it,

 

just as it no longer has a will or an essence. It is nothing more

 

than a “thing.” And the owner of that “thing” utters no

 

complaint as to what might become of it, and even supposing

 

it wanted to, he or she was in no place to do so.

 

There was a headless body. She recycled it as her own

 

body.

 

There was a headless body. She used it as a staircase.

 

So what?

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 3 1 8

 

When you die, that’s the end. The fact that you lived is

 

irrelevant. It’s nothing more than a fact. Everybody has a

 

different idea about it, and that’s their right; you can’t

 

complain about what others believe.

 

I let out another sigh.

 

“So that’s it, Iria-san. The minor details are a pain to

 

explain, so please think about them for yourself. I’m sure

 

there’s an easy answer for everything else. Unfortunately, I’m

 

not a nice enough guy to explain it all. Please reason things

 

out on your own.”

 

“The minor details, huh?” Iria-san said. “What about the

 

motive? I don’t think you can write that off as a trivial or

 

minor detail.”

 

“You’ll have to ask the murderers directly.”

 

I repeated the same line I had already said a number of

 

times by this point, and looked over at Shinya-san. So did

 

everyone else. With a look of capitulation, Shinya-san

 

prepared to give an answer, when a voice came from behind

 

my back.

 

“You don’t have to answer that, Shinya.”

 

I looked back. Standing in the entrance to the dining room

 

was Akane-san. She was supposed to be resting in the

 

bedroom. How long had she been there? How much of my

 

nonsense had she heard?

 

Her arm was in a brace, but she still wore a fearless

 

expression as she looked down upon the crowd sitting at the

 

round table.

 

“Akane-san…”

 

ER3 system, Seven Fools, Sonoyama Akane.

 

Akane-san, who had claimed that she would never

 

complain, no matter who, when, why, or how she was killed.

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 3 1 9

 

But did that just mean she would forgive herself no matter

 

who, when, why, or how she killed?

 

“Hah,” she laughed. “Motive? Motive, you say? How silly.

 

What a meaningless thing that is in a world this big. It hurts

 

my brain to think about why you would even care about such

 

trivia. I don’t get it at all.” She gave a sardonic smile as she

 

continued. “I was just trying to eat those brains of yours.”

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 3 2 1

 

Where are you?

 

Who are you?

 

As luck would have it, just as Kunagisa and I had originally

 

planned, we were able to return to the mainland on the

 

afternoon exactly one week after we had arrived. Kunagisa

 

having a tendency (albeit not as compulsive as her vertical

 

motion thing) to hate changing plans once she’s made them,

 

this set me at ease a bit.

 

But if you looked back, Kunagisa’s original purpose in

 

coming to the island was, at least in part, to satisfy her interest

 

in the “various things” that had occurred there in the past. I

 

asked her about it.

 

“My investigation is basically over,” she said.

 

It seemed she had been up to some “various things” herself.

 

Not that I wasn’t wondering what she had been up to, but if

 

that was the case, there was no problem for now. I just

 

wanted to get home anyway.

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 3 2 2

 

I sat on a sofa in a room on the same cruiser that had

 

brought us to the island. Kunagisa lay sleeping on the sofa

 

across from me.

 

Now that we were set to return to the mainland, I had half

 

expected something to happen with Hikari-san or Akari-san,

 

but they gave nothing more than the usual, dutiful formalities.

 

Thank you very much. Please visit again if you have the chance. Take

 

care now. I don’t even have to get into Teruko-san’s farewell.

 

She left me without a single word, as if to say, “I’ve already

 

spoken to you enough to last a lifetime.”

 

But whatever.

 

That’s how my life goes.

 

Sonoyama Akane-san and Sakaki Shinya-san.

 

The two perpetrators of this crime were of course no

 

longer allowed to stay on the island, and were currently laying

 

low in the next room. I didn’t know what they might be

 

talking about.

 

We were heading back to the mainland as planned, and

 

they were heading back because they had been kicked out. It

 

was technically the opposite of being island exiled, but if you

 

thought about it, the word mainland was wholly subjective.

 

Yayoi-san and Maki-san remained on the island.

 

Yayoi-san’s doubts regarding Iria-san and Rei-san seemed

 

to have been swept away, but I wondered if that was enough.

 

Of course, it was up to Yayoi-san to decide how she lived her

 

own life, and not my place to butt in.

 

As for Maki-san… that woman was a sly fox to the very

 

end.

 

“So how much did you really know?” I asked her before

 

leaving the island.

 

Maki-san responded with an ambiguous smile.

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 3 2 3

 

“Well, you know. Maybe I don’t really know anything. Like

 

the whole thing was really just an act.”

 

“You know, I get the impression you knew about Akanesan

 

and Shinya-san’s plans all along, and you were aiding them

 

in creating alibis.“

 

“What if I was?” she said nonchalantly. “What if I was?”

 

“Then you’re an accomplice. That’s all.”

 

“But it’s not like I had heard anything from Shinya-san, and

 

he didn’t try to tell me anything.”

 

“If he had, you would’ve been abetting a murder. You

 

invited him over two nights in a row, helping him create an

 

alibi that was hard for me to trace. So what’s the real story? If

 

you were really cooperating with Shinya-san, then…”

 

“Then what?”

 

“Nothing. I guess nothing would happen,” I shrugged.

 

“Nothing at all.”

 

Maki-san snickered at me.

 

In reality I wanted to tell her something, but there was no

 

point. If she really possessed those powers there was no need

 

to say anything, and even if she didn’t there was no need.

 

It’s just that I had doubts. Shinya-san and Akane-san’s

 

serial murder plot just seemed too perfect, like it relied on one

 

too many coincidences. In presenting my findings to Iria-san, I

 

had made great efforts to step around that. It’s not that their

 

plans had been sloppy. It was like they had been unrehearsed,

 

yet at the same time, everything had been prepared ahead of

 

time. Or rather, it felt like luck was very much on their side…

 

Yeah, it was like they had factored in coincidences and made

 

friends with luck. As if the layout of the entire island and

 

everything on it were on their side.

 

“Nonsense, huh?”

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 3 2 4

 

Of course they probably were all just coincidences, and

 

probably just examples of the Law of Great Numbers, and

 

those two had simply won a bet, so to speak. Anything will

 

look fishy if you think about it selectively.

 

“Occam’s razor?”

 

However.

 

On that island was someone who knew everything, and I

 

do mean everything, even the future.

 

Was even this a coincidence?

 

Sigh.

 

Indeed, it probably was. I could draw no other conclusion.

 

Even if it wasn’t a coincidence, it was all over already, and

 

there would be no way to prove it, plus Shinya-san and

 

Akane-san sure weren’t talking, so there was no point in

 

pursuing it. Even if there was a point, it had nothing to do

 

with me, and even if it had something to do with me, I wasn’t

 

interested.

 

So that was the situation. Instead, I asked a question.

 

“Are you the one who told Teruko-san I was in trouble?”

 

There was no reason anyone should’ve known I was about

 

to be done in by Akane-san in Yayoi-san’s room, and thus

 

there was no reason Teruko-san should have conveniently

 

busted in with all the grace and good timing of an action

 

heroine like that.

 

Unless there was someone who could predict the future,

 

that is.

 

“Do you think I would do something like that?”

 

“No.”

 

“Then I probably didn’t, did I?”

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 3 2 5

 

She gave me a wicked smile. I decided any further inquiry

 

would be meaningless, so I didn’t even thank her. There was

 

no reason to.

 

“I wonder what’s going to happen now. To the island, to

 

Iria-san…”

 

“Mmm.” Maki-san gave an expectedly short response.

 

I shrugged once. “Well, how about telling me what’s going

 

to happen to me and Kunagisa? As a continuation to that

 

‘compatibility reading’ from the other night. Are the two of us

 

going to stay like this forever?”

 

“My readings are expensive.”

 

“In that case I’ll have to decline,” I said.

 

“The two of you will stay that way for a little while

 

longer,” she said, answering me the very second I had given

 

up. What a perverse contrarian.

 

“A little while?”

 

“Yes, a little while.”

 

“How long?”

 

“Two years plus change.”

 

I tilted my head at her.

 

“You mean it’ll turn into something else after two years?

 

Or it’ll completely fade away?”

 

“Well, I don’t know.” She laughed a bit cynically. “I can’t

 

see more than two years into the future.”

 

Hadn’t heard that before. I probably failed to hide my

 

surprised expression.

 

“It’s a secret though,” she continued. “So I don’t know

 

what will become of you and Kunagisa-chan two years from

 

now.”

 

“You mean that’s the limit of your power?”

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 3 2 6

 

“I mean I’m going to die,” she said plainly. “Time is not on

 

my side. As far as I’m concerned, all time stops at that point.

 

Two years from now, on March 21, at 3:23 p.m. That’s the

 

date and time that I will die.”

 

All I could do was be silent.

 

“Spewing guts and brains all over the place, it’ll be a fitting

 

death for a heretic like me.”

 

“Can’t you avoid it?”

 

“When the time comes, be sure to get my killer. Just like

 

you did this time. I’m asking you now as a favor.”

 

“What’s the point in asking a favor if you won’t be able to

 

see whether or not I’ve fulfilled it?”

 

“That’s true,” she seemed to say as she stuck out her right

 

hand, her chest out as if to express pride that she, too, had an

 

unforeseeable future.

 

“Let’s shake hands.”

 

“Sure. Might not be bad to pretend we’re friends now that

 

we’re at the very end.”

 

Even having said that, I couldn’t grab her hand.

 

I still had no idea why she had picked on me so much. It

 

probably didn’t matter, and it was probably actually better

 

that way.

 

However…

 

I still had some doubts.

 

“Excuse me.” The cabin door opened and in walked Reisan.

 

“We’ll be docking soon. Please get ready.”

 

“Sure,” I replied.

 

Time to wake up Kunagisa.

 

She seemed to be sleeping awfully comfortably so I didn’t

 

really want to, but I couldn’t just leave her be. Although that

 

would have been pretty funny.

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 3 2 7

 

“Um, thank you so much for everything.” Rei-san took the

 

time to say. “You, especially. We’re grateful to Kunagisa-san as

 

well, but you…”

 

“Did you have a blast, Akagami Iria-san?”

 

“Sure,” Rei-san nodded without any particular sign of

 

surprise. “You bet. I had tons of fun.”

 

Akagami Iria-san grinned a genuinely happy grin. A smile

 

she hadn’t given once during her performance as Rei-san. This

 

wasn’t acting, it was a real, human smile.

 

“How did you know Rei and I switched? Since when?”

 

“I just thought of it now. It was just a wild guess. I figured

 

if I was wrong you’d just get a little ticked off, it wasn’t like a

 

breach of your human rights or anything,” I said to her. “If you

 

had left this room quicker I probably wouldn’t have even

 

noticed, or at least I wouldn’t have said anything.”

 

“Is that right?” she nodded. “I always get sloppy at the end,

 

huh? My grandfather used to say it all the time. But you must

 

have had some reason to think that. Please, enlighten me.”

 

“What’s it to you?”

 

“I can use it as future reference.”

 

She was going to keep doing this?

 

“Well, yeah. Yayoi-san still hasn’t noticed, plus Maki-san…

 

well, I don’t know about her.”

 

She snickered. Seeing her childish demeanor, she seemed

 

to lack a certain refinement in comparison to the “real” Iriasan,

 

the one on the island—Rei-san, that is. It was like the fake

 

version was more real than the real one.

 

She just seemed to be very free.

 

“Well, let’s see,” I said. “You didn’t talk very much, did

 

you, Iria-san? It was so unnatural. I’m sure you thought that if

 

you spoke you would give yourself away, but on the other

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 3 2 8

 

hand, not talking at all was just as much of a blunder. So you

 

made Teruko-san act silent as well to create a sort of universal

 

‘lack of presence,’ thereby covering yourself.”

 

“No, that’s just her nature,” Iria-san said. “I can tell her

 

apart from the other two even if she’s not wearing her glasses.

 

‘Cause she never talks.”

 

Apparently that was her nature.

 

Well, if you thought about it, it didn’t really seem like

 

Teruko-san had been acting.

 

“Is that right? Well, either way, I figured if that Iria-san

 

was an imposter, there was only one possible person it could

 

have been. After all, Akari-san, Hikari-san, and Teruko-san are

 

triplets. I guess it’s a little counterintuitive that they couldn’t

 

have swapped places because they’re triplets.”

 

“You said it,” she smiled.

 

It was the smile of someone addressing an equal.

 

At least that’s what I thought.

 

“And then there was something about your aura. Like,

 

Teruko-san never seemed to be doing much work. That’s

 

because she was mainly your bodyguard. But I never saw Reisan

 

do much work, either. I was wondering about that.”

 

“I poured your tea, didn’t I?”

 

“Yeah, it was great.” I had forgotten to thank her earlier.

 

“Oh yeah, and also, the first time I visited your room, you

 

were sitting on the sofa and Iria-san was standing. It seemed

 

like it should’ve been the other way around.”

 

“My, my.” She was gleeful. I supposed Rei-san had been

 

copying such mannerisms all along, but there was nothing like

 

the real thing. “Go on.”

 

“Right. Where was I…”

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 3 2 9

 

If you thought about it, Akari-san and Hikari-san obviously

 

knew about the switch, which meant that they, too, were

 

quite the pair of little actresses. Especially Hikari-san. As spry

 

and pitiable as she was, I never would’ve guessed she was lying

 

all along.

 

Somebody owed her an Oscar.

 

“The nail in the coffin was when the fake Iria-san covered

 

for you. That night ‘Iria-san’ and Yayoi-san were together

 

talking all night. Makes sense, right? Rei-san was probably

 

asking her for culinary advice. She’s really a maid, after all, so

 

it wouldn’t be that strange if she had an interest in cooking.”

 

“Yeah, Yayoi-san believes Rei is me, so she doesn’t ever

 

spend much time with the real me. That was my

 

miscalculation.” she sulked. “And hey, come to think of it,

 

where does Rei get off imitating me like that? I don’t change

 

my clothes in front of random people, and my personality isn’t

 

that crappy.”

 

Apparently her personality wasn’t that crappy.

 

Hmm, sounded like another lie to me.

 

“So what were you really doing that night, anyway?”

 

“That’s a secret.”

 

“It’s a secret?”

 

“A lady never discloses her evening’s affairs,” she said

 

mysteriously.

 

I had a feeling if I pressed any further it would just tick her

 

off, so I decided to let it go. I wasn’t looking for any more

 

trouble. I didn’t like “making waves,” after all.

 

“Anyway, even though ‘Iria-san’ did nothing to protect

 

Hikari-san, even treating her like a criminal, she went as far as

 

lying to save your hide. Why? Because Rei-san is closer to Iriasan

 

than Hikari-san is? Maybe. But something about that

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 3 3 0

 

answer doesn’t float my boat. Living on a deserted island like

 

that, I would think you’d all get pretty close and cozy. And I

 

don’t think human beings are such a cold species.”

 

“That’s true,” Iria-san said. “Those girls are like my family.

 

My precious family, who stayed by my side even after I was

 

exiled.”

 

Exiled.

 

And the reason for that exile?

 

“Even so, ‘Iria-san’ protected ‘Rei-san’ but not Hikari-san.

 

Why? Could it be because ‘Rei-san’ was really her superior,

 

someone she had sworn allegiance to?” I clapped my hands

 

together. “Something like that, right?”

 

“You’re marvelous. I want to hug you.”

 

“I don’t mind.”

 

“I will refrain,” she giggled innocently.

 

“This time I have a question. Why exactly did you switch

 

places with Rei-san and pose as a maid? Was it because, as the

 

granddaughter of the Akagami family, you couldn’t show

 

yourself unguarded in front of the guests, even though you

 

were exiled?”

 

There was no guarantee that there wasn’t some unsavory

 

individual mixed in with all those geniuses. As our prior

 

investigation had indicated, sometimes these things happen.

 

Thus, she had prepared an imposter—a body double.

 

Was that it?

 

But Iria-san shook her head daintily. “Nope,” she said. “I

 

just wanted to see who would notice first. Just a little prank.

 

No reason, really.”

 

A prank.

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 3 3 1

 

It was the kind of line that made your knees wobble, and I

 

didn’t think she was lying this time. And until now, not a

 

single one of those so-called geniuses had caught on.

 

In all these years, unnoticed by anyone, geniuses are

 

nothing special.

 

Perhaps that was what Iria-san thought. And she would

 

probably continue to think so.

 

“But you noticed.”

 

“If you hadn’t gone a little too far at the end there, I

 

wouldn’t have. Even if I had noticed, I wouldn’t have said

 

anything. You should have just stayed at the mansion instead

 

of coming on this boat with us.”

 

“Well, I have to go apologize to Aikawa-san for all the

 

unnecessary hoopla. There’s still a visit scheduled. We’re

 

going to meet straight after dropping you off. Oh, Aikawasan’s

 

going to be ticked. Not a person you want to see get

 

angry. Even though it’s inevitable. Plus, well, I wanted to talk

 

to you like this. You showed me such a good time, after all.”

 

“It’s an honor.”

 

“Say,” she said sweetly, “won’t you return to the mansion

 

sometime? Kunagisa-san, Maki-san, Yayoi-san, and you. I

 

think you’d make a terrific family. I hear you’ve taken a liking

 

to Akari and Hikari. I don’t mind letting you have your way

 

with them.”

 

“That’s not the kind of thing you say to a family member.”

 

“True, but I’m serious. I’m always serious. So how about

 

it? Like my proposition?” She stuck her tongue out at me.

 

At this point I was becoming disgusted. You couldn’t just

 

write this off as free-spiritedness or vibrancy or lack of

 

restraint.

 

“I don’t like murderers.”

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 3 3 2

 

“Ehehehehe,” Iria-san laughed.

 

I didn’t know why she was laughing.

 

“Regardless of their reasons?”

 

“Regardless of their reasons.”

 

She nodded. “I’m not sure what you heard from Hikari and

 

Teruko, but you can’t possibly be thinking they told you

 

anything but the truth. Those girls are generally liars. I think

 

the fact that they never told you about me and Rei’s switch is

 

proof enough of that.”

 

“Eh…?”

 

“The reason I didn’t call the police was simply because it

 

wouldn’t have been any fun that way. Absolute authority is so

 

unromantic,” she said as she rolled up her left sleeve. This

 

revealed a lovely, perfectly unscarred arm. “Please excuse me

 

then,” she said with a smile, and left the room.

 

“Hey, hey…”

 

Sigh…

 

Sure didn’t see that coming.

 

What was real and what was fake?

 

Who was real and who was fake?

 

It’s a mixed-up world, and I for one never claimed to know

 

anything, nor do I think all people are honest and all things are

 

as they seem.

 

What was it?

 

The truth.

 

“Man, what a load of tomfoolery.”

 

It wouldn’t be long now. I thought to wake up Kunagisa,

 

but seeing her peaceful face as she mewed like a kitten made

 

me lose the motivation. It wouldn’t be too late to wake her up

 

after we reached the coast. The rule of thumb is, the longer

 

you can stay dreaming, the better.

 

ZAREGOTO: THE KUBIKIRI CYCLE ■■■ 3 3 3

 

Nevertheless.

 

Family?

 

“Man, I’m gonna regret turning down that proposition,” I

 

said to no one in particular, expecting no response. But I knew

 

there was only one response one could give. For me, there was

 

only one person I could ever call family. “What a load of

 

nonsense,” I muttered in the usual way.