Chapter Four: Main Island, Abnormal Situation
Wednesday, October 16, 2019, 4:20 P.M.
The black cat had its eyes closed as though it were napping.
Koga was the first to react to the bizarre deduction. He let loose a high-pitched laugh.
“Were you just making fun of us all this time? There's no way a cat could be the culprit!”
That reaction was completely within Yuki's expectations, but it was still discouraging.
“I suppose we have to keep calling it 'the black cat' for the sake of convenience, since that's what it looks like... But that is not a cat.”
When Yuki said that with a straight face, the muscles in Koga's cheeks gradually began to twitch.
“Will you learn to let a joke go, man? If it isn't a cat, then what is it?”
“I don't know. It is, plain and simply, an unknown creature. Maybe 'the creature' is the most appropriate thing to call it for now.”
He heard Mikumo gasp. But it was quickly drowned out by the outcry raised by the rest of their group.
In the midst of the storm of criticism, Yuki could only force himself to smile.
“I told you, the problem is whether I'd be able to convince you... I know you probably want to start hitting me, but please listen to what I have to say for a little while longer.”
After waiting for everyone to reluctantly settle down, Yuki opened his mouth again.
“To be honest, I should have noticed it sooner. I was the first person here to encounter that black cat, so I've seen plenty of hints.”
“From the moment I first saw the creature, I had the impression that it was unusual for a cat... for instance, when it jumped down from its hiding place, its landing made an audible thump.”
“Huh, I don't recall that.”
“And when it walked across the gravel path to the sea, the pebbles it stepped on made a crunching sound, just like a human's footsteps.”
Saijou didn't remember that, either. Mikumo, who had also witnessed that moment, didn't support or deny Yuki, keeping her lips firmly shut.
Even though neither of his witnesses agreed, Yuki didn't panic.
“Our first meeting with the black cat was recorded on camera; if we're lucky, it might have caught the sounds it made.”
Saijou ran his hands through his hair and spoke softly.
“I do vaguely recall something. I think I did hear some sounds while we were on the path. But even if it did make sounds when it landed and walked, what does that have to do with it not being a cat?”
“The point to keep in mind is weight.”
“Weight?”
“I know this because I owned a cat as a child. Cats are fundamentally agile creatures that don't weigh very much. So when they jump onto dirt or grass, they don't make heavy impact sounds, and they don't make much noise when they walk on gravel, either.”
The same was true of Mei, Naoko's cat. She was a dainty little lady who never made a sound she didn't want to.
At that point, Professor Motegi began to speak, giving Yuki his first supporter.
“What Mr. Ryuuzen says is correct. The average weight of a specimen of Felis catus ranges from three to five kilograms. The size and body shape of this black cat is no different from an ordinary house pet, so its weight should also fall within that average range.”
“That's right. There's no way a cat weighing less than five kilograms could make so much noise just by walking and jumping.”
Yuki explained, and this time Saijou seemed unable to say anything of consequence.
“I guess that is kind of weird...”
Motegi turned to Yuki and crossed his arms.
“So, is this your conclusion, Mr. Ryuuzen? A cat cannot be of that size and that weight. Ergo, what we see before us cannot be a cat...”
Motegi, who had offered many deductions of his own thus far, seemed to be flexible enough to accept even this outlandish story. In fact, his eyes were shining to hear it.
However, he was the only one reacting that way... As expected, the rest of the group was less accepting.
Kikyo was the first to put their objections into words. He spoke mockingly to Motegi.
“Don't be taken in so easily, Professor. How did someone like you manage to get a doctorate?”
“How detestably rude!”
“Wake up. Ryuuzen has no intention of solving this case. He's just trying to convince us that the so-called Beast of Kakuriyo Island actually exists.”
After saying all that in a single breath, Kikyo spun around and turned to Yuki.
“I don't know what you're trying to accomplish, but no one here is foolish enough to be swayed by your Scooby-Doo story... To begin with, your evidence of the cat's weight is nothing but vague statements about what you 'heard'. There's not a shred of credible evidence.”
Yuki smiled. He'd already accounted for that.
“Well, I understand why someone would think that. However, there is evidence of the cat's abnormal weight here at the scene.”
All eyes, including Kikyo's, turned to the bush.
The footprints that had once been there had been trampled and were hard to recognize, but there were still a few left intact. Soon, Shigaraki, who had brought his face close to the ground, let out a scream. He was the first to recognize the meaning of Yuki's words.
Before Shigaraki's eyes lay the paw prints of a cat.
While all of the footprints left by humans were thin, shallow marks in the ground, the paw prints were firm and deep.
“As you can see, only the cat's prints are unusually deep. Even when Mr. Saijou and I were carrying Director Unno's body, our footprints were only pressed slightly deeper. That means the pressure exerted by the cat's paw was many times greater than that coming from our shoes.”
Kikyo stared at Yuki.
“This is sophistry. A cat's sole is much smaller than a human's. Couldn't that explain why they left such deep marks in the ground despite weighing less?”
“I don't think that's possible.”
“Why not?”
“Because even if the cat's paw is one tenth the size of a human foot, their weight is also one tenth of a human's.”
Motegi nodded at that.
“But cats walk on all fours. When they walk, their weight is more distributed than a bipedal human's. ...It seems unlikely their prints would be this much deeper than a human's.”
Kikyo seemed momentarily rattled, but he quickly retorted.
“Then the cat tracks must have been left after the rain, before the mud had time to harden. If these prints were made in wet mud, it wouldn't be strange for them to be deeper.”
Yuki shook his head.
“That isn't true either. Some of these paw prints were left after the cat stepped in blood. See? They're right beneath you, Producer Kikyo, President Koga.”
Koga made a... unique noise as he jumped backwards, and Kikyo took a few steps back without saying a word. They both glued their eyes to the dirt.
The air around them shifted as the two who had been most opposed to Yuki fell silent. It seemed the rest of the group were prepared to follow their lead.
The black cat was still asleep. Looking at it strangely, Yanagawa ran a hand through her short hair.
“Ryuuzen. Even if that black cat is our culprit, that still don't explain the case, y'know?”
“I agree.”
Those were Yuki's truest feelings. Yanagawa laughed the way only a nervous person could.
“Aw no, none of that now. Don'cha go sayin' that after all that fancy deducting you already showed us.”
“To be honest, the moment I realized there was an unknown creature in the shape of a cat present, I completely shut down... We're dealing with a creature unknown to science here. Trying to solve the case when we don't know anything about it is unheard of. It's completely absurd.”
“I mean, I guess that makes sense, but...”
“It's unfair is what it is. There's so little information and so many unknowns that it's impossible to say anything.”
After taking a moment to compose himself after his vent, Yuki took a deep breath and continued.
“I say that, but... Based on what we've managed to learn so far, it might be possible to use deduction to make hypotheses about the biology and behavior of the black cat.”
Suddenly, Motegi released a cry of joy, startling Yuki.
“What is it?”
Motegi turned insufferably smug.
“There is a subgenre of mystery fiction known as 'special setting mystery'.”
“Huh?”
“Within this genre, supernatural phenomena that do not exist outside the world of the story appear, and special rules dictating their limits become the basis for solving the mystery.”
Yuki had read books like that before, so he knew of the genre's existence. Apparently the intertwining of mystery with science fiction, horror, or fantasy was beginning to become popular.
But even knowing that, Yuki still didn't see where Motegi was going with it all. And not knowing where the professor was going made Yuki anxious.
“Um, what does that have to do with the case?”
“Everything, my boy! I think this case is similar to a special setting mystery.”
“...A person is dead, how can you sit here talking about books?”
Yuki had intended it as a harsh remark, but the professor kept going as though he hadn't noticed.
“Because this is something occurring within reality, there is no one who can articulate to us the special rules that apply only on this island... Thus, we must discover the rules on our own, based on the minuscule morsels of evidence left behind by the creature's attack. That is what you intended, am I right, Mr. Ryuuzen?”
The remaining six people, including Kikyo and Koga, seemed to have lost the energy to be upset with Motegi's inappropriate remarks. Or maybe they'd just realized that talking to him was pointless.
Although Yuki was increasingly confused, he had no choice but to respond.
“The first thing we need to do is learn more about the creature, so we'll need more clues to make deductions with. But...”
“That's exactly it! The most important feature of this case is that it requires two levels of reasoning to solve. Shall we tentatively dub this 'The Mystery of the Ambush'?”
“No, it hurts when you give it such a lazy name.”
Yuki muttered that to himself, feeling ridiculous. But he was too quiet and Motegi didn't hear him.
“The first stage of reasoning necessary to solve The Mystery of the Ambush is 'accumulate deductions and identify the unique rules'. And the second stage is... 'deduce the truth based on the special rules which have been proven real and correct'.”
Motegi appeared to be intoxicated by his own words. He kept going.
“Yes, while it isn't completely unheard of in the world of mystery fiction, it is quite interesting.”
What was he talking about? Motegi was getting out of control, and Yuki finally went quiet.
Perhaps Saijou feared that Motegi would completely take over the discussion if things continued the way they were, because he intervened. When Motegi tried to speak again, he cut him off with an “I need you to stop.”
“I want to ask Ryuuzen... What should we do to protect ourselves from the black cat? Do you have any idea what kind of creature that thing is?”
Somehow having been given back control of the discussion, Yuki resumed explaining.
“To begin, I'm certain that creature is composed of a substance that lies outside what we know. Considering the depth of its footprints, it weighs much more than a normal cat, as we've established. I think whatever material makes up its body might weigh as much as a heavy metal.”
At that, Saijou gave a weak laugh.
“Oh, come on, that would make it a living metal creature!”
“That's entirely possible.”
Yuki's blunt declaration made Saijou's face freeze as he stared at the black cat, still curled at the base of the tree.
“Is that even possible?”
“Also, this creature is perfectly mimicking at least the appearance of a cat. It would seem it also has the ability to change its physical form.”
A shapeshifting metal life form... a certain science fiction blockbuster must have popped into the minds of everyone present simultaneously. However, the thing in that movie was an android, not a living thing.
Kikyo began to tauntingly hum the main theme of the movie. Yuki ignored him.
“This is also like that movie... If it can change the shape of its body, it might also be able to transform its own body parts into knives and stabbing weapons.”
Motegi made another noise, as though he'd been waiting for a chance to interrupt them again.
“Ah, I see!”
Yuki braced himself for what was coming, but this time his statement was relatively normal.
“...So, the culprit retrieved the murder weapon, not because they feared the possibility it would be traced back to them and reveal their true identity, but because it was a part of their own self and leaving it behind would have, quite literally, been impossible.”
Yuki hurriedly continued before Motegi could say any more.
“Director Unno was probably out near the bush on a smoke break. Meanwhile, the black cat was searching for a human who was alone. Of course, its goal was to make the human its prey.”
In actuality, Unno was probably doing drugs, but there was no need to explain all that now.
“Not many people would be wary of a black cat, especially if it acts friendly. So, catching Director Unno completely off guard, the black cat pounced and stabbed him in the heart.”
The combined weight of Unno and the creature must have been what pressed the corpse through the branches and into the bush.
“And it accidentally stabbed too deep and penetrated his chest?”
Yuki gave a small nod to answer Saijou.
“I think so... Before committing the crime, the black cat followed us to the former community center, right? That's when it found the ice pick and picked it up with the intention of making it look like the murder weapon.”
“Isn't that strange? I don't understand why a non-human culprit would need to leave false evidence. If the culprit is a strange creature, it's not like it'd care if we knew it did it.”
“Maybe it wanted us to mistakenly believe Director Unno's killer was human. If the murder weapon was the ice pick, we would think the culprit was one of us. At the very least, we would never suspect a cat.”
Saijou raised an eyebrow at that explanation.
“Was its goal to turn us against each other?”
“No, I think it wanted to attack us again. I think it wanted to catch us off guard using its cat form and then pick us off one by one.”
Shigaraki spoke in a high-pitched voice.
“Huh? ...Wouldn't that mean the black cat is intelligent?”
Although the black cat's tail moved now and again, its eyes remained closed. It showed no sign of leaving.
“Unfortunately, I'm pretty sure the black cat has intelligence similar to humanity's. Though it seems to be bad with fine details.”
Shigaraki's body shrank in horror. He sounded on the verge of tears.
“Does that mean the culprit of the incident on this island 45 years ago was also...?”
“Now that it's been confirmed that there is an unknown creature, all previous assumptions about the case have been overturned. I think it's highly plausible that the incident back then was also caused by the same creature.”
Kikyo, who had been silent for a while, spoke quietly.
“This incomprehensible creature seems to have a habit of stabbing its prey once through the heart. Just like in that case...”
The police investigation at the time didn't find any murder weapon on the island. If the murder weapon was a part of the creature's body even then, that wasn't a mystery at all.
Yuki took a deep breath.
“It would appear the Beast of Kakuriyo Island was real.”
As he finished, the black cat opened its gold eyes. Then it raised up its body and gave a graceful stretch. Its movements were leisurely and unhurried.
Kikyo's face contorted as he spoke.
“Don't tell me it understands what we've been saying?”
The black cat left the base of the tree and began casually strolling towards them.
The corners of its mouth were pulled up and its eyes were narrowed into twin crescent moons. It wasn't an expression that could be made by a cat; it looked like it was mocking the people before it.
“I don't want to believe it... but it does appear to understand what we've been saying.”
The cat responded to Yuki.
“Meow.”
Even its cute voice just sounded eerie now.
As the distance between the black cat and the group shortened, one by one and two by two they began to back away, seized by fear. Soon, Yuki and Mikumo were the only ones left as the cat drew three meters away from them.
Suddenly, the cat stopped. It was no longer smiling, looking up at them with shining eyes.
Yuki somehow managed to smile fearlessly and spoke to the black cat.
“...Why don't you run off now?”
The black cat stared at Yuki. He interpreted that as a request for more and spoke again.
“It's simple: I know you aren't a threat to me.”
The black cat, which had been relaxed up to that point, tensed up until its fur bristled.
Yuki had just been taunting the cat, but he'd clearly hit the nail on the head. Recognizing that, he continued.
“You don't attack people when they're in groups, but target those who act alone... You have a chance of beating a human in a one-on-one fight, but anything beyond that and you start thinking twice, do I have that right?”
The black cat's ears flattened and its tail curled between its legs. Signs of fear.
“So that means your strength and skill in a fight aren't much better than ours.”
As he continued, the black cat began to slowly back away.
“It's trying to escape!”
Koga suddenly cried out. Tara also began barking like mad, a deafening racket. It seemed seeing the black cat afraid had made him brave.
Even Yuki, who had been desperately thinking about how to capture the cat... jumped in surprise. Predictably, the cat also shot high into the air, turned its back to them, and ran as fast as it could.
It was heading in the direction of the Divine Land. Although the cat must have weighed many times more than a normal cat, it still ran fast, and in an instant it had disappeared into the trees.
If things had gone well, they might have been able to capture the black cat, but that possibility had gone out the window. Yuki glared at Koga, but it was too late. Koga showed no awareness of his blunder and kept on talking.
“What are you all spacing out for? This is our chance to chase after it and finish it off!”
Yuki couldn't stop himself from screaming. He hadn't dreamed that anyone could be stupid enough to recommend splitting up at a time like this.
Before he could utter any words, though, a conversation that couldn't end well reached his ears.
“You can't kill it... it's a valuable new species.”
“New species? It looks like it needs a beating.”
With that, the research rabid Motegi and the serial animal abuser Kikyo... ran off.
“What are you doing!? Get back here!”
Yuki shouted in a panic, but neither of them listened.
Motegi, who was as fleet-footed as he looked, quickly disappeared from their sight. Kikyo grabbed a thick branch, probably to use as a weapon, and also disappeared into the trees.
Yuki was stunned, but soon realized that he needed to stop the other five from running off as well and turned around.
“Everyone, please return to the former community center. If you all stick together, you won't be attacked.”
“What about you, Mr. Ryuuzen?”
The person to ask about him was Mikumo. She looked anxious.
“I'm going to bring them back. Oh, there's a spare transceiver by the monitor. I'll call it later.”
Without waiting for her reply, Yuki also started running in the same direction as Motegi and the others.
He was worried about Motegi, but what he needed was to ensure that his revenge target was safe. He couldn't suffer for what he'd done to Naoko and Ryuzo if the black cat got to him first.
However, as soon as he started running, he sighed. There were footsteps right behind him.
“You really don't listen to anyone, do you?”
Yuki looked back at Saijou, who sulkily retorted.
“What's the harm? I thought you said we'd be safe as long as we didn't act alone.”
On the ground were scattered traces where the black cat kicked up dirt and fallen leaves.
Because it was so heavy, when the cat ran at full tilt, it left gouges large and small in the ground. Tracking it was surprisingly easy. It appeared the cat was trying to cross the island.
“Just how much does this thing weigh...? It's creepy.”
Yuki heard Saijou mutter to himself and responded, partly to reassure himself.
“Whatever it weighs, I'm just glad it's the size of a cat.”
“Yeah, if it had been the size of a tiger, I don't think we'd have survived.”
As he chased them further into the forest, Yuki's mind raced.
With Unno dead, filming would have to be halted. They'd have to stick together until the boat came to the island. That would be the best way for them to survive.
The unpredictability of their new situation would make taking revenge much more difficult. That was before he factored in the added bonus of also having to defend himself from an unknown creature.
But... should he have even been thinking of revenge at a time like this? Or should he be focusing on protecting the five people who weren't involved in his revenge? Yuki couldn't decide.
He craved revenge more than anything, but at the same time, it went against his principles to risk the lives of the people who had nothing to do with his targets. He also felt guilty, since he'd been the one to destroy the satellite phone and leave them all stranded.
Worrying while running just drained his energy faster.
By the time they reached the point where Yuki could see the gravel path to the other island, even though they'd only been running ten minutes, he was out of breath and his legs felt heavy as lead.
It looked like the black cat had slid down the slope leading from the forest to the gravel path, leaving a clear path where the dirt had been scraped up. However, it was difficult to say anything from there, as the gravel path didn't hold footprints.
Saijou, breathing into his shoulder, pointed ahead.
“Hey, isn't that Producer Kikyo?”
Kikyo had already reached the Divine Land and was climbing the steps.
“I wonder if Professor Motegi is also already in the Divine Land...”
Yuki hesitated as he watched Kikyo disappear into the virgin forest.
If they crossed over to the Divine Land now, the tide would rise behind them. Already, the gravel path was mostly submerged. ...If the path fully sank, Yuki and the others would be trapped in the Divine Land for at least nine hours.
Losing that time would hurt his own plan, but at the same time, there didn't seem to be any other way to protect Kikyo and Motegi from the black cat.
“Let's head over, too.”
Perhaps Saijou had already made up his mind, for he said nothing and only gave a small nod.
The two of them forced their tired bodies to sprint across the gravel path. Yuki clearly hadn't been getting enough exercise, as clearing the 150 meters was tough. By the time they set foot on the Divine Land's rocky shore, Yuki was completely exhausted.
Saijou was in a similar state, but compared to Yuki, he looked much better.
“...You have a lot of stamina, Mr. Saijou.”
“Well, being a cameraman is physical work.”
As they stood there gasping for air, the way back grew thinner and thinner. Soon, swept beneath a large wave, the thin central strip of the path across the sea was completely submerged.
“That was close. I hear the tides in this area are so strong that even knee-deep water can be dangerous.”
Saijou looked back at Yuki in shock.
“That's the sort of thing you should say beforehand.”
“It's your fault for not reading the location materials.”
As they stood there arguing, Kikyo emerged from the virgin forest of the Divine Land. He was still holding his branch.
He went pale at the sight of the submerged path, but his expression changed to relief when he saw the two of them.
“Oh, you came too.”
“We had to. You and the professor abandoned the group.”
Kikyo did a strangely un-Kikyo-like thing and didn't argue. Instead, he spoke tensely, face stiff and eyes far away.
“I lost sight of the black cat and Professor Motegi not long after I left. I followed the cat's tracks and came here. But there are so many prints around that I can't make sense of anything.”
“Well, this is where we first saw the black cat. There must be tons of prints, old and new.”
After a pause of a few seconds, Kikyo mumbled something.
“...You were right. We shouldn't have gone so far off.”
Saijou cocked an eyebrow, probably because Kikyo had never acknowledged wrongdoing in his life.
“Are you okay?”
Kikyo didn't reply and began to walk back into the forest, clutching his makeshift club tightly. Yuki and Saijou looked at each other before following him.
When they'd gone roughly 70 meters into the forest, Kikyo suddenly stopped. He pointed ahead with his left hand. His finger trembled slightly.
A tree with yellowish fruit... probably a gardenia. The tree's trunk was split and charred black, as though it had been struck by lightning. Apparently the Divine Land had been taking a lot of lightning strikes lately.
And at the base of the tree was a clump of fur.
No... Coming closer, Yuki realized it was a pile of dead animals.
There were more than a dozen carcasses in a messy stack. Most of them were field mice, but there were some other small animals like bats and squirrels. Flies buzzed around the pile.
Saijou approached the pile with trepidation, then let out a small cry.
“These wounds, they're just like...”
As he'd said, each of the animals had been pierced once through the chest with what looked like a sharp blade. The wounds looked exactly like the one in Unno's body.
What truly shocked Yuki was that, separately from the mice, there was another pile... of cat corpses. There were probably about ten in all. Some of them were just kittens. The black and gray ones he saw were probably the same kittens he'd seen on the location shoot. It was too miserable a sight for words.
The wind changed direction, and the smell of blood reached Yuki's group.
Yuki struggled with the urge to vomit, and Saijou clamped his hands over his mouth. Only Kikyo remained unconcerned by the smell and talked softly to himself.
“That black cat is abnormal... I remember when that scholar was returning from shooting, he said 'No matter how much we search, there are no signs of animals on this island'. It's because that monster ate them all.”
Saijou looked around anxiously before asking Kikyo a question.
“Did Professor Motegi also cross over to this island?”
“I don't know... The scholar left me behind and ran off.”
Kikyo continued, clearly still bitter at being abandoned.
“I lost the cat tracks around the gravel path, but the scholar is good at animal tracking, isn't he? I'm sure he's deeper in the forest as we speak, following traces we can't even see.”
Yuki sighed deeply at the thought.
“That isn't good. It's dangerous to act alone right now.”
For the time being, they decided to loudly call Motegi's name, seeing as how he was probably somewhere on the island. Unfortunately, there was no response.
“...I'll say this now, I'm not going searching for the scholar. He isn't a child, he knew the risks when he left. I don't care if he gets killed by his own stupidity.”
As usual, Kikyo was irresponsible, but with the sun starting to set, he may have been right.
Yuki had a flashlight in his bag, but it wasn't powerful enough to search a virgin forest in the middle of the night. If the black cat caught them by surprise under these circumstances, they wouldn't be able to escape even if they were in a group.
The same thought appeared to have also crossed Saijou's mind, and he couldn't bring himself to propose searching for Motegi.
“Well, let's leave that selfish research freak alone and think of a way to survive until dawn. ...After all, the black cat's already escaped, so there's nothing we can do.”
With that, Kikyo turned his back on the two of them and started walking back to shore.
Suddenly, they heard a small meow.
Yuki's body went rigid, but he soon realized it wasn't the black cat. The purring he heard was much higher pitched.
He approached the pile of dead cats. The mewling was coming from there.
He heard Saijou calling him back. Although he realized he was taking a risk, Yuki kept searching for the voice as though he were being lured by a siren song.
Following the intermittent sound of the voice, he eventually found... a small, trembling kitten.
Yuki's first thought was to question how Mei had gotten there.
It was probably only two months old, judging by the size. It felt exactly like when he and Naoko had picked up Mei. The color of the fur, the eyes – in every way, it was the same. But the eyes were still kitten blue, so there was a good chance they'd change by the time it became an adult.
The little gray kitten was buried beneath a pile of its own dead siblings. Huddled against them, it continued mewling in fright as Yuki approached. The kitten's head and paws were stained in its family's blood.
“...Get back.”
Yuki suddenly heard Kikyo's voice, and his blood ran cold. He looked up and saw Kikyo swinging the branch at the kitten.
“What are you doing!? Stop it!”
Yuki immediately reached out with both hands and picked the kitten up. Warmth and softness instantly spread through his fingertips. Kikyo, on the other hand, was surprised by his actions, but immediately turned his head and clicked his tongue, as though someone had just spoiled a fun game.
“You need to start thinking. That could be the Beast of Kakuriyo Island, right? We should kill it now.”
Yuki looked down at the kitten in his hand.
It was crying threats in a weak voice, but showed no signs of fighting or fleeing. Wondering if it was injured, Yuki checked and found a fresh wound on its hind leg, a large blood clot having formed. It couldn't run away even if it wanted to... The kitten was so light Yuki felt uneasy.
“It's alright. It must be a real kitten, because it weighs the same as a normal kitten. It must have just been lucky enough to survive.”
So saying, Yuki stroked the bottom of the kitten's chin with his fingertip, and the kitten gradually grew calm. Kikyo shook his head, disgusted, but said nothing more.
Saijou, who had been watching them from a safe distance, asked anxiously.
“Ryuuzen, what are you going to do with the kitten?”
Yuki pondered for a moment. If they left it as-is, it was only a matter of time until it fell prey to the black cat. But Yuki couldn't abandon something that looked so much like Mei to die.
“...I'll take responsibility for her until we leave the island.”
He took a towel from his bag and wrapped the kitten in it, quieting it when it began to mewl at Saijou. The wound on its leg looked painful, but he couldn't do anything more at the moment.
Soon, Kikyo began twirling his tree branch like a baton.
“Since Ryuuzen wasted so much time with that fleabag, the sun's already setting. Let's hurry back.”
Suddenly, the kitten looked up at Yuki with moist eyes. Then as if appealing to him, the kitten began to twist in his arms.
Yuki panicked and almost dropped the kitten.
“What's wrong?”
The kitten mewled softly and stared at where its siblings had been.
Yuki followed her gaze and was startled by what he saw. Something obviously unnatural was peeking from the gaps between the bodies.
“Producer Kikyo, may I borrow your branch?”
“Huh?”
He took the branch from Kikyo, who didn't understand what was going on, and with it, he began to disassemble the pile of cat corpses, little by little. Saijou's face twisted.
“Why are you doing that? That's gross.”
Yuki didn't answer him, but silently continued to break down the pile of carcasses.
Most of the cat corpses bore only the single stab wounds to their chests... but there was one that was different.
Only that corpse was in a truly horrible state, as though something had violently torn into and eaten its entire body, destroying the skin and fur. The blood was dry and blackened, as though it had been dead for days.
The moment he saw it, the contents of the article from Unsolved Mysteries ran through his mind. At that moment, a terrifying hypothesis formed in his head.
“...Was this also the work of the black cat?”
Kikyo's voice came from behind. When Yuki turned around, he saw that even he, a serial animal abuser, had had the blood drained from his face. Saijou, too, looked on in horror as he mumbled.
“Why does only that cat look like that?”
Without daring to voice his answer, Yuki crouched down beside the horribly mutilated carcass.
Immediately, the plaintive mewling of the kitten in his hand grew stronger. Yuki immediately realized the identity of the dead cat. It must have been the kitten's mother.
When he'd been on the location scout, he'd seen a black cat with black and gray kittens. The blood sticking to the kitten's head and paws must have come from her rubbing up against her murdered mother.
Yuki bit his lip.
“I'm sorry. Your mother is no longer...”
Although he said that, the kitten didn't understand words, so it just kept looking at him expectantly. She appeared to have no doubts that Yuki could save her mother.
Unable to take it any longer, Yuki got up and walked away from the mother cat. The kitten, startled, began thrashing around in his arms.
“I'm sorry.”
Whispering that, he moved the contents of his bag into a plastic bag and put the kitten, still wrapped in the towel, into the now empty bag. The kitten continued to plead and whimper all the way.
To ensure the kitten didn't fall out of his bag by mistake, Yuki swung the bag in front of him so it would always be in his sight. He opened the zipper slightly so the kitten could freely show her face.
He then pulled the transceiver from the bag's pocket.
“Hey, if you want to make a report, do it when we get back to the beach.”
Perhaps thinking he was joking, Kikyo reached out and tried to snatch the transceiver from Yuki, but Yuki dodged it and pressed the call button.
“...This is Ryuuzen. I'm in the Divine Land. Do you read me?”
After about ten seconds, a woman's voice answered.
“I read ya. All four of us are safe and sound here. Have ya found Doc Motegi and the bossman? Over.”
Yanagawa's use of the word “over” was the correct way to use a transceiver, as simultaneously sending and receiving wasn't possible.
But Yuki completely ignored her as he continued.
“Please tell me... What do you know about all this, Ms. Mikumo?”
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