by Ryota Hori
That was the golden opportunity Tachibana had been waiting for.
Now!
Tachibana swiftly turned his body and grabbed the knight’s arm with all his might. At the same time, he kicked his left knee, which was propped against the floor, forward and coiled both legs around the knight’s neck.
A forward triangle choke hold. Before the war, the education system in high schools, universities, and technical schools had judo lessons that focused on pinning techniques. This became known as ‘technical school judo,’ and this technique was one variant of the triangle hold used in the consummate art of judo.
If this technique was performed perfectly, the victim couldn’t escape it. Regardless of any attempts to escape, they would soon faint due to the blood to their brain being cut off. For Tachibana, this technique was something of his own ultimate attack, which he had developed through years of training and mastered with much sweat and blood.
However, Tachibana made one critical miscalculation. He didn’t account for what his opponent was wearing.
Damnit! His helmet’s in the way!
Normally, Tachibana would have won the moment he forced the opponent into this position. But right now, he was facing a knight clad in full armor, and his coiled legs did nothing to constrict the knight with his helmet on.
Still, his counterattack wasn’t in vain.
“Ugh, you slippery bastard, what are you doing?!”
The knight cussed angrily, sinking his gauntleted fist into Tachibana’s face. It was a fist delivered from a man with his body augmented by martial thaumaturgy and wearing heavy gauntlets. Had it been delivered from a proper stance, the punch would have packed the same force as an iron hammer being swung at full force.
Had he taken such an attack straight on, Tachibana’s head would have been crushed like a pomegranate. But since he extended his hand with his body bent, even with martial thaumaturgy augmenting his fist, the blow wouldn’t be enough to kill Tachibana outright. With the intense sound of the blow ringing out in the room, a red flower of blood bloomed over Tachibana’s face.
Damnit! I don’t care if I have to use an arm lock. I have to lock his joints somehow... I’m not letting go, no matter what!
Blood dripped down freely from Tachibana’s split forehead, seeping into his eyes and dyeing his vision red. With his eyelids adhering to each other and his consciousness gradually fading, Tachibana used every bit of force he could muster to keep his opponent’s elbow joint locked. He knew the moment he let go would also be the one when the candle of his life would be blown out all too easily.
He didn’t know how long it took, but Tachibana eventually felt the knight’s body go limp.
Wait, what? Did he just go limp...?
The next moment, his suspicious thoughts were disturbed by the sensation of a warm fluid spreading out against his stomach.
“You can’t see because of all the blood, can you...?” Kouichirou said calmly, as Tachibana scrambled to get the knight’s body off of him.
“Y-You...! That voice, you’re Mr. Mikoshiba!”
“Mr. Tachibana... Sorry, but would you mind staying down just like that for a bit longer? It’d get troublesome if you started thrashing around in that position. Don’t worry, I’m just going to save your young friend who’s struggling over there. It won’t take long.”
Mere seconds later, Tachibana heard the last remaining knight scream in pain.
“I sprayed some perfume on it, so it might sting. I’m sorry I can’t do any more... Just try to bear with it.”
Asuka took her personal face sheet out of her pocket and applied it to Tachibana’s face. It was the kind one could find in any convenience store, and Asuka carried it with her at all times in case she didn’t have time to shower after morning practice at school.
“Ugh...”
“I’m sorry... Does it sting?”
She tried to wipe around the wound without touching it, but noticing him wince despite that, Asuka lowered her head apologetically. She wanted to ensure she got the same refreshing feeling one has after wiping their sweat away, so she got a skincare sheet that was particularly thick with menthol.
That wouldn’t normally matter much, but that did make it ill-suited for wiping around an open wound. The usually pleasant stimulus of the menthol made the wound burn with pain regardless of whether it made direct contact.
But of course, expecting a more reliable method of treatment given the situation was asking for the moon. There wasn’t a drop of water to be found in the room, and still, they couldn’t leave Tachibana as he was. He’d have to at least be capable of protecting himself.
“It doesn’t look like you took any damage to your bones...” Asuka whispered with concern in her voice as she tied her handkerchief to his head as a makeshift bandage. “Still, we need to stitch it as far as possible... And you should probably get a CT scan of your head...”
For the time being, the only visible problem was that his wound was still open and bleeding. Still, it was a blow to the head, so it would obviously be best for him to go get checked at a hospital.
However...
“Believe me, there’s nothing I’d want more right now...” Tachibana said, regarding Asuka with a wry smirk.
“Yeah...” Kusuda returned after looking around the area and heaved a heavy sigh. “I’d love to take Mr. Tachibana to the hospital too, but... We don’t even know where we are right now.”
“Any luck with your cell phone?”
“Nada. I’ve tried walking around, but I’m still not getting any bars. I don’t think this place has any reception at all.”
“Tch. Figures...”
He’d suspected as much, but Tachibana couldn’t help but click his tongue at Kusuda’s answer. Not getting reception was a fatal blow in a society where mobile phones were indispensable. They were even used for navigation in extreme situations like mountain climbing. Even in a place like Mt. Fuji, which was registered as a world heritage site, cell phone reception was available in all but the remotest of routes.
Of course, nature could interfere with things, and depending on the situation, there might not be reception atop mountains. But compared to the time before cell phones became commonplace appliances, it was a night and day difference.
Phones enabled one to relay messages to others regardless of time and place, making it an undoubtedly wonderful invention. Still, it was hard to deny that modern people were constantly bound to their cell phones.
Regardless of the pros and cons, though, a functional cell phone would very much help save them from this particular predicament.
“How’s your wound looking?”
While Tachibana was trying to think of a way out of this situation, Kouichirou spoke up. That made Tachibana jolt up. The man standing before him was a murderer, and Tachibana couldn’t help but fear him.
He understood, of course, that given the situation, Kouichirou had saved his life. But speaking to a man who slew six human beings with a katana before his very eyes still strained his nerves. Even Asuka, who was related to him, seemed to clearly fear him.
It’s like she’s torn between relief at being saved and guilt at seeing him kill six people... I can’t blame her.
What would have happened if Kouichirou hadn’t shown up when he did? There was no way of knowing for certain, but it wasn’t hard to imagine that it wouldn’t be anything good. But at what cost did they avoid that tragic future? They were people of the modern age and members of a developed society, where the value of life was treasured above all else. This situation weighed on them heavily.
“I gave him some first aid, but... Grandpa, what were you doing just now?” Asuka replied faintly, her gaze falling on the objects gripped in his hands.
“Oh, not much... Just gathering some things we’ll need going forward...”
With that said, Kouichirou threw the two swords he was holding over to Tachibana and Kusuda.
“Mr. Mikoshiba, are these...?”
The weight of the weapons felt real in their arms. The reality of it all filled Tachibana with doubt.
“Don’t worry, they probably won’t sell for much, but they’ll do for self-defense. At worst, you can use it as a staff to help you walk around.”
“A staff...?”
Kouichirou shrugged his shoulders in a tired fashion at Tachibana’s confusion.
“Don’t tell me you’re planning on just sitting here and waiting for someone to rescue you, Mr. Tachibana. Your cell phones aren’t working, after all.”
Tachibana fell silent. He couldn’t come up with a response to that.
He’s right... We have to run away from here...
They were long past the stage where they could expect to negotiate. Wherever they were, there were six people lying dead here. True, it was Kouichirou who did the deed, but they had no way of proving it. And even if they did, who was to say the comrades of these six dead people would believe them? No one would easily believe the excuses of someone who potentially killed a friend of theirs. Young Kusuda, however, hadn’t quite realized it, though.
“No, first we need to have Mr. Tachibana treated. This situation is really bad, yes, but there must be someone outside that door. We can ask them for details and for directions to a hospital.”
“No, Kusuda!” Tachibana forbade Kusuda from acting on his intentions to negotiate with the nearby people, his tone rough.
“But... Mr. Tachibana...”
Kusuda’s idea was valid, if one were to consider the situation rationally. Tachibana’s bleeding was only barely treated, and the wound wasn’t stitched. A blow to the head could cause epidural hematoma. Just because Tachibana was all right now didn’t mean he wasn’t in dire need of treatment.
But all of that was assuming they were in Japan, or in any country they knew, for that matter.
I always thought this kid was only pushing for promotion, but I guess I misjudged him...
Tachibana could tell from the expression in Kusuda’s eyes that the man was seriously worried for him. Tachibana could only smile, half honestly at seeing this unexpected side of his partner, and half bitterly at his own lack of judgment.
A colder, more rational person would leave Tachibana behind, deeming him a burden. But Kusuda’s kindness only made Tachibana more hesitant to have him face danger.
“You understand it now too, don’t you? This isn’t Japan.”
Tachibana’s words made Kusuda hold his breath for a moment, before putting on a fake smile on his lips.
“What are you saying, Mr. Tachibana? If this isn’t Japan, then where are we? I know those people weren’t Japanese, but that doesn’t mean we’re somewhere else. I hear we’ve had a lot of people overstaying their visas, so they’re probably from some dangerous country in Europe.”
“You think someone in the mafia would use swords and spears?” Tachibana shook his head wearily.
“W-Well... I mean, firearms are heavily regulated... Plus, I hear the Chinese mafia uses swords during internal feuds, and...”
“Yes, but do they prance around in medieval armor?” Tachibana bitterly laughed off his explanation. “Wake up and smell the coffee, Kusuda... We have to. I don’t really know what’s going on, either. But...”
“Mr. Tachibana... Don’t...” Realizing what his partner was about to say, Kusuda shook his head in childish denial. His eyes were welling up with bitter tears.
He understands... But his reasoning and common sense are getting in the way... And he’s willfully ignoring the fact that there’s only one person who really knows what’s going on...
This was an answer anyone would come to after giving it enough thought. The answer to all of their questions was in one man’s hands. And so Tachibana steeled his resolve and turned to face Kouichirou.
“Still, I’ll have to just accept it... This isn’t Japan. And you’re the only one who can explain what’s really going on here, Mr. Kouichirou Mikoshiba.”
The moment his words echoed in the room, Asuka’s and Kusuda’s gazes focused on Kouichirou.
“Oooh, am I?” Kouichirou said, shrugging his soldiers in an exaggeratedly surprised manner.
But Tachibana didn’t say that without any basis.
“Yes, you are.”
The two locked gazes. It felt like a defendant awaiting the judge to sentence them to death. But still, the eyes of the three were full of suspicion and doubt. Kouichirou knew that as long as the issue wasn’t addressed, Asuka wouldn’t trust him. Their doubts were natural, after all.
“Well, of course...” Kouichirou sighed after a long silence. “But we haven’t much time at the moment. Sit down, you three.”
He then sat down on the floor, prompting the others to sit in a circle with him.
“So, what do you want to know first?”
“There’s a lot I’d like to ask, but... First, where are we?” Tachibana gathered his courage to mouth that question. “I can tell that this isn’t Japan, but...”
Seeing that Tachibana was struggling to finish the question, Kouichirou did so for him.
“There’s also the question of why we’ve found ourselves here, right?”
“Y-Yes... That’s right.”
This was the question on everyone else’s minds. But his initial response went on to betray everyone’s expectations.
“If you’ll let me deny something, I’d like to say I didn’t know where we were at first.”
That left everyone slightly confused.
At first? So does that mean that now he knows where we are?
From a context standpoint Tachibana’s interpretation was correct, but the problem was the meaning behind those words.
“Just... What do you mean by that?”
“I can indeed tell you where we are, but that doesn’t mean I was the one who brought you here.”
“Stop screwing around...” Tachibana’s expression changed, feeling his initial suspicion being popped like a balloon.
He did indeed suspect that possibility. If Kouichirou took them here, it could explain things. If anything, this was the easiest explanation to swallow. But its biggest problem was that it was extremely unlikely that this was the case. Still, he couldn’t help but feel guilty at having the person he suspected point out the fact he doubted them. That was simple human nature.
“To answer your first question, this is a country called the Kingdom of Beldzevia, located in a world called Earth,” Kouichirou said, eyeing Tachibana with a sidelong glance as the man tried to come up with an excuse.
The words rang vividly in their ears.
“Beldzevia...” Tachibana repeated the name blankly, to which Kouichirou nodded.
“Assuming my memory isn’t betraying me. It’s on the south end of the western continent... A kingdom belonging to a cluster of small nations collectively called the Southern Countries.”
Honestly, everything he said sounded like rambling to them. Neither of the detectives had ever heard of a country by that name. Plus, “a world called Earth” and “Southern Countries” all rang oddly in their ears. While Tachibana now knew he wasn’t in Japan, that didn’t mean he could swallow this story so easily.
“But... Why are we in this Kingdom of Beldzevia? We were in Japan at least until we visited your estate, right?” Tachibana asked.
“Of course.” Kouichirou affirmed his claim.
“Then why? How?”
Kouichirou dropped his gaze to Misha Fontaine’s severed head, which was lying on the floor.
“This woman who called herself Misha called us here.”
“Called us?” Tachibana tilted his head at that word.
“Perhaps that was a bit hard to understand... Right, then perhaps saying that we were summoned into another world be more clear?”
It was hard to believe that sentence had left the lips of an adult man. It would feel apt to tease him for what he’d just said, but Tachibana didn’t feel inclined to laugh him off. He instinctively knew that this was the undeniable truth.
A long silence fell over them. The words they wanted to hear, and the truth they demanded be shared with them. Those were about to wash away the notions of common sense Tachibana cultivated throughout the entirety of his life.
“Wait a second! Assuming... Assuming this really is where you say we are, why did it have to be us? Why are we here?”
“Why they summoned you, eh...? In a word, they wanted slaves. And as for why it was you they summoned... Well, to put it bluntly, you were unlucky.”
That was a precise way of putting it. Putting aside Kouichirou, who was supposedly the cause of this incident, and Asuka who shouldered his fate, Tachibana and Kusuda were simply unlucky. After all, the chance of being summoned to this Earth from their world was effectively six billion to one or two. It was astronomically slimmer than the thousand to one chance of winning the lottery. Put more poetically, the goddess of fate must have truly hated these men.
But as precise a description as it was, it didn’t mean it was any easier for them to accept. When faced with misfortune, people reacted badly to being told they were simply unlucky. As the three of them couldn’t digest what Kouichirou said, Kusuda’s face turned visibly red.
“Bullshit! You really expect me to believe that?!”
His suppressed emotions burst out. Red flames of anger burned in Kusuda’s eyes. It was his rage at the inexplicable situation that befell him, and his anger at Kouichirou who explained it all too calmly. In truth, he was just venting his anger, but it was hard to fault him for it. No one could simply accept that they were in this situation out of bad luck and nothing else.
“Sit down. Mr. Mikoshiba isn’t finished yet.” Tachibana stopped Kusuda, who looked to be on the verge of lunging at Kouichirou.
“But!” Kusuda tried to argue.
“Sit down!” Tachibana cut him off, repeating himself.
Tachibana wasn’t going to take Kouichirou’s claims at face value either, but there was something he had to ask the man at all costs. And that took priority over everything else.
“I apologize.”
“I don’t mind.”
