Chapter 2: The Knight of Scars part 3
Yesterday, the man with glasses explained this to Aoi, who now finds himself surrounded by seemingly useless items in the store of the man named Kagari, known as the "God Hunter." Aoi and this man were sitting around a modest tea table.
"I'm sorry, I can't offer something better; I'm going through a rough patch."
"No, it's not a problem."
Kagari, the God Hunter, smiled nonchalantly as he prepared instant coffee in a cup. This man, Kagari, didn't seem to pay much attention to his surroundings, and his seemingly fine shirt was wrinkled. Despite his youth, his hair, a mix of white and black, had not settled, even though it was already evening.
Apart from Aoi and Kagari at the five-person round table, there was also a girl with a constantly dissatisfied expression and another girl with a hairpin. The second girl helped Kagari and diligently placed coffee cups on the table.
As Aoi contemplated the arrangement of the tea being prepared, he wondered how he had ended up in this place. Yukino, who brought Aoi here, seemed to have no intention of engaging in conversation; she simply rested her cheek on her hand, looking in the opposite direction with an expression suggesting resentment or something of the sort.
"Well, then..."
Once everything was ready, Kagari spoke formally.
"Allow me to introduce myself again. I am Masataka Kagari, the GodHunter. Everyone calls me that, so you can too."
With a serene smile, Kagari said this while looking directly at Aoi. His posture, with hands crossed on the table, surprisingly showed a good figure. Combined with his unconventional attire, he gave off the impression of a character from an old Showa-era film, creating a unique and otherworldly atmosphere.
"And this here is Yukino, and this is Satsuki."
Kagari introduced the other two with a friendly smile, although Aoi, still bewildered and overwhelmed by the situation, barely responded.
"Yes..."
Yukino stopped looking in the opposite direction, but her dissatisfied expression persisted, while Satsuki simply smiled and greeted.
"Pleasure to meet you."
"Y-yes, likewise. Nice to meet you."
With feelings of shyness and confusion, Aoi replied simply. Although Yukino stopped looking in the opposite direction, she continued to drink her coffee in silence.
"Well, Shirano-kun. I apologize for bringing you here so suddenly, but I actually gave you a little test when you entered the store."
Kagari said with a serene smile directed at Aoi.
"Oh, no... What do you mean by a 'test'?"
"Ah, that. Well, when you entered this store, I conducted a little test with you."
"Ah, really... huh?"
Although Aoi was about to let Kagari's words flow without paying much attention, the word "test" reached his ears, and Aoi involuntarily raised his voice.
"W-wait, a test? When did that happen?"
"Oh, it's not something you would have noticed. No wonder you're surprised."
With a smile, Kagari explained:
"The test was to confirm whether you have really experienced the past 'Bubble Disaster' or not. I'll explain what I did later, but the conclusion is that you have definitely experienced the 'Bubble Disaster' in the past."
"!"
Aoi was dumbfounded. The sensation of being confronted with something as abnormal as the "Bubble Disaster" and then hearing that he had gone through it in the past left him breathless for a moment.
"Well, and another thing. We were actually wondering if you could be a 'Bearer,' the cause behind that 'woman' who attacked you in that building."
"!"
Aoi was completely shocked.
"Meaning, that in your consciousness float the 'bubbles' of bad dreams, and the result of that 'apparition' could be that 'woman.'"
"Ah, yes..."
"But to sum it up, it seems that's not the case either."
Kagari crossed his arms.
"In reality, there have been several 'Bubble Disasters' in this city already. As we were investigating that, we came across Yukino and you, Shirano-kun, in the same place."
"!"
"Because it turns out this Miss Satsuki's <Fragment> was working both in that building and in this store."
"!"
Aoi instinctively looked at Satsuki.
Satsuki had a slightly uncomfortable expression, simply looking at Aoi without saying anything.
"She is the <Bearer> of the <Fragment> called 'Devourer,' which has the <Devouring Effect> that generates insects that ravage memory. When an ordinary person enters the effect zone of these insects, they lose specific memories. In this case, it's the memory of the building and this store. As a result, memories of the destination or even the buildings in front of their eyes disappear completely, and people no longer know where they were heading or can reach their destination."
"Only three types of people do not experience this effect: the <Fragment Bearers>, the <Latency Incubators>, and the <Deformed Designers>. Because human consciousness is limited, they cannot accept too large multiple <God's Nightmares>. Therefore, each person can only possess one <Fragment>, and for the same reason, the <Fragment> acts as a resistance against other nightmares. This is particularly notable in terms of psychological impact, and Satsuki's <Effect> doesn't work at all on the <Fragment Guardians>."
"And similarly,
<Deformed>... that is, people who have been transformed by nightmares and have become something like that woman.
<Latents>... people in whom the <Nightmare Foam> has emerged in their minds.
Really, that's all. The people who can enter without being affected by Satsuki's <Devouring Effect> are..."
"............!"
Said the God Hunter. Aoi, feeling panic-stricken, placed his hands on the table and leaned forward, approaching the God Hunter.
"You can't believe something like that!"
"Unfortunately, it's a fact. Didn't you notice? Neither in the building nor around this store was there absolutely anyone."
"Those things..."
"Aren't they proof enough? Then, what did you see yesterday?"
"W-Well, even if..."
"Our organization has a considerable history. We have accumulated experience and knowledge. Although it may be difficult to believe, it's the conclusion we've reached."
The God Hunter squinted slightly behind his glasses.
"Satsuki, show them."
"Yes."
After responding, Satsuki put her fingers in her hair that hid her right ear, and just after removing the earphone...
Small red spider-like insects began to emerge from her ear. Countless of them crawled over her neck, shoulders, arms, and the table of Satsuki, covering her with a dark red and repugnant color.
....................................................................................................
Placing a chair next to the counter, Aoi lay down with a pale face.
'............'
Since then, a considerable amount of time had passed. The conversation had paused for a moment, and in the dim lighting of the store, there was no talk, just an uncomfortable and awkward atmosphere filling the space.
Yukino, with her legs crossed on a chair she had brought to a corner, frowned silently, looking in the direction of tomorrow.
The table in the center had been pushed aside, and on the side, the GodHunter was scrubbing the floor like a waiter.
Satsuki, after picking up the remnants of the coffee cups from the floor, had gone to the back of the store and wasn't here.
Aoi, who had instinctively tried to move away from the swarm of 'insects,' knocked over the chair along with the table, causing a great mess, leading to noise and cleaning that continued for a while.
And now, Aoi was lying on the counter.
The sudden appearance of countless horrible insects sprouting from his ear, covering the table in an instant with an appearance resembling a red mass of ants, was enough to crush Aoi's will. Watching the spectacle of the red ants moving in large numbers, Aoi felt like he was about to faint.
Aoi groaned slightly as the damp towel they had given him touched his eyes.
"Are you okay, Mr. Shirano?"
Satsuki, who returned after cleaning up, approached Aoi with a concerned voice.
"Uh... sorry. I'm fine..."
Aoi replied, lifting his head.
This experience of feeling dizzy was new to him. After the intense excitement up to that moment, his blood suddenly cooled, and as a result, he felt slightly dizzy and nauseous.
"'That' is not visible to normal people, Mr. Shirano."
Said the GodHunter holding a mop.
"It's a product of the <Fragment>. It's an 'insect' that 'devours memory' and is not visible to normal people."
"........"
Aoi didn't have the energy to respond.
"With this, you can erase other people's memories if used correctly, but Satsuki also has her memory constantly devoured by these insects in her head. Therefore, she quickly forgets memories that don't repeat. In fact, Satsuki didn't remember meeting you yesterday."
The words of the GodHunter made Satsuki exclaim in surprise. Then, she hastily pulled out a cute notebook hanging around her neck with a string and opened it, checking.
Aoi remembered the first greeting they had exchanged.
She didn't remember anything about him, neither the greeting nor Aoi's expression.
"Ah..."
"You better realize it. You also have something like that. You didn't notice because the 'bomb' was 'sleeping,' but now you know of its existence."
Said the God Hunter. In the distance, Satsuki, who was checking her notebook, apologized with a embarrassed expression and bowed to Aoi.
"I'm sorry... I completely forgot. I didn't note it down. I saw you yesterday..."
"Ah... no, it's okay..."
Aoi responded to Satsuki's sincere apology.
But honestly, it felt strange. After seeing those 'insects,' he felt a physiological repulsion intense enough to hesitate to touch her, and feeling that way, he felt like an incredibly unpleasant person. It was so unpleasant that Aoi couldn't help but look away from Satsuki.
And similarly,
"Yukino-kun is also a <Fragment Bearer> as you saw yesterday."
Said the God Hunter, observing Yukino's reaction. She, who was looking at Aoi with crossed legs and holding her chin, immediately averted her gaze.
"Of course, I am too. Everyone in our group is someone who got involved in the 'Foam Disaster' and ended up carrying a 'Fragment.' We've been helping each other for over a hundred years."
"A hundred years..."
Aoi muttered.
"Our group was formed by three Britons who casually discovered 'Malicious Tale' in the late 1800s and were dragged into the 'Foam Disaster.' There are about two hundred active groups called 'Lodges' in Japan, and this is one of those 'Lodges.'
The group's name is 'Order of the Knights of the Fragments,' referring to the original title of 'Malicious Tale.'
In English, it's called 'Order of the Fragments.' Although it sounds quite ceremonious, this is because the first 'Order of Knights' was established using 'Malicious Tale' as the 'Holy Scripture' and fought against nightmares. At that time, it was kind of like a cult, but as the members grew, and experience accumulated, it gradually turned into a volunteer organization to help victims of strange phenomena.
That's the story of our group. I understand you feel anxious and question us. But I want you to be our companion. I believe we can help you when the 'Fragment' you carry manifests. We can teach you how to reduce the risk and how to control it effectively. After all, for over a hundred years, our group has accumulated knowledge about the 'Bubble Disaster' and the 'Fragments.' To be honest, both the 'Bubble Disaster' and the 'Fragments' are extremely dangerous, and we still don't fully control them in the true sense of the word. But I can guarantee it's much better than doing nothing. Although it sounds like a very pessimistic guarantee."
The God Hunter spoke in a low voice.
"But, well, let's leave it at that for today."
And then, the God Hunter, saying that, exhaled softly to calm himself and cut off the conversation.
"I must have confused you quite a bit. Indeed, it's rare to find a 'Bearer' unaware of themselves. Usually, we realize after the dormant 'Fragment' manifests and wreaks havoc. So I thought that if we found you before, we could help you in the best possible way. That's why I was also a bit excited."
The God Hunter smiled.
"So, for now, let's leave it at that. There's no need for urgency on your part. I'd like you to think about it a bit more."
"…………Yes."
Aoi nodded for now.
He felt relieved for a moment. The anxious conversation had ended. And although he didn't completely believe in what they had told him so far, they told him there was no urgency for him.
Anyway, the existence of the 'phenomenon' he had seen with his own eyes was something he couldn't help but believe in.
Still, listening to that story made his head spin. It ended, and Aoi sighed in relief, releasing the burden from his shoulders.
"Oh, but there's one more thing I want to ask you."
"……"
Although he thought the conversation had ended, it resumed, and Aoi tensed up again.
"There's just one thing I really want you to do. Will you listen?"
"W-what is it?"
Aoi asked cautiously. The GodHunter, on the other hand, showed a mischievous smile.
"Could you become friends with Yukino?"
Said the GodHunter.ç
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