[High School Year 3, Part 3] Kayama Esumi: Knife

There is a word for it: murder.

As you know, it refers to the act of killing a person, of deliberately extinguishing a fragile life.

It is not a natural death.

It is not death by illness.

It is not an accidental death.

It is a unique way to meet one's end, brought about by human hands. It is considered the gravest of sins in this world. That is murder.

Naturally, for Kayama Esumi, whose previous life ended in a tragic accident, it was a concept completely foreign to her. In fact, having been reincarnated into a world where such a thing was practically impossible, she had never had cause to take the word seriously, nor had she ever encountered it in her daily life.

But fate is sometimes cruel.

She never dreamed that the day would come when she would be forced to witness murder firsthand. However, for a creator who longs to experience things beyond the ordinary, perhaps it could be called a kind of rare experience.

Although, it was she who was about to be murdered.

<<1 - 2>>

“Haaah… Haaah...!”

She runs. She runs for her life.

She kicks off the ground, she presses her hands against the walls, moving with everything she has, despite not being able to breathe properly.

“.....!”

Immediately after, a sharp pain shoots through her back.

A bullet.

Someone has fired a bullet directly into her back. Even among the Kivotos residents, known for their sturdiness, this is merely a physical property; her pain receptors are functioning perfectly. Thanks to that toughness, the bullet did not penetrate her body, but the searing pain that seemed to vibrate through her nerves and straight into her bones was enough to contort Esumi's face.

"Damn it... you idiot.....!"

For Esumi, it is rare to curse out loud, but she immediately twists her body and fires her beloved gun, Niki, which she holds in her hand.

Considering her remaining ammunition, she wants to avoid wasting shots, but she fires two, then three in quick succession as suppression fire. Whether one of them actually hit, or if the enemy simply dove for cover, the attack from the other side pauses.

She would love it if that burst of fire had luckily incapacitated her attacker, but Esumi, already beaten and bloodied from the fight, quickly discards that hope as mere wishful thinking.

".....huff..... huff..... that..... hurts....."

She hides behind a nearby wall, slamming her back against it and forcing herself to take deep, rapid breaths.

Esumi is widely known as a beautiful girl, but there is no trace of that now. Her long, beautiful, pale blue hair is disheveled, her clothes are burnt through in places, and her face is drenched in bright red blood streaming from her head, as if someone had spilled paint on her.

The pain is not limited to her back where she was shot. Her entire body is screaming.

(While I have the chance..... I have to reload.....)

Once she finally stabilizes her breathing and gets her body under control, Esumi confirms she has exhausted her magazine during that counter-attack and begins to reload her beloved gun.

However, her right hand—her dominant hand, which has had its issues—suddenly erupts in intense pain.

".....ghh..... h-here, of all places.....!"

A pain equal to, or perhaps greater than, the bullet wound in her back relentlessly assaults Esumi.

She had been doing her best to avoid overusing her right hand, but come to think of it, it had started flaring up unexpectedly even without much use lately.

Because of this, she cannot think straight, let alone reload her weapon. Esumi curls up on the spot, breathing heavily, and hurriedly takes out a pill from her pocket.

It was medicine specially prescribed by the hospital to soothe the pain in her dominant hand.

It had eased this agony and restored her peace of mind several times before. She takes it out, puts the pill in her mouth, and forces herself to swallow it dry with her saliva. Within seconds, the pain should subside.

".....You have to be kidding me....."

But for some reason, the medicine has absolutely no effect.

Seconds pass. Not even a minute later, let alone the pain subsiding, it hasn't even dulled. Esumi curses in her heart again.

(For the effect to wear off right here, right now? The timing is abysmal.)

She had been warned by her doctor that the medicine would eventually lose its efficacy, but to happen right now..... it is the worst.

She feels the cruelty of her own luck, but deciding that if the medicine won't work, she just has to endure it, she grits her teeth against the agonizing pain and desperately tries to reload her bullets.

But then, something is tossed into her space.

A stun grenade.

A non-lethal weapon designed to temporarily neutralize an opponent with sound and light.

(This is bad.....!)

Almost entirely on instinct, Esumi kicks it away with force.

However, it seems the pin had been pulled some time ago, because the moment she kicked it, it exploded, emitting a deafening sound and a blinding flash.

She couldn't kick it far enough away to reach a safe distance, and having taken the full effect of the stun grenade, Esumi somehow manages to protect her eyes while enduring the terrible headache.

And now, the person who threw the stun grenade rushes at her without hesitation. To strike the moment she is exposed shows this person is a master. A veteran far too accustomed to combat.

".....!"

".....gh....!"

The moment she is spotted, a swift, heavy kick flies toward her.

With her eyes still intact, Esumi barely manages to block it with her left arm, but the force of the kick knocks her beloved gun from her hand. As she was in the middle of reloading, the bullets scatter across the ground.

Still, the enemy's attack does not stop.

Esumi relies on her eyes and reflexes, focusing entirely on defense.

Perhaps sensing that this is going nowhere, the enemy draws back slightly from Esumi. A pre-emptive movement for the next attack, perhaps?

(.....Now's my chance.....!)

She cannot miss this moment.

Esumi forces her aching right hand to move and draws her other beloved gun, Fire-Man, from its holster. It is a gun she rarely has a reason to use, but with Niki out of reach, she has no choice but to rely on this one.

That said, using this gun with her right hand, which is still wracked with pain, is practically impossible. But luckily, the distance to her opponent is not that great. In other words, there is a high probability that even a wild shot will hit.

It was more than enough to stake a faint hope on.

".....!"

The enemy seems not to have expected her to pull another gun at this timing, and almost reflexively begins to raise their own weapon.

Esumi deflects it with a shot from her beloved gun. It was a hip-fired shot with extremely low accuracy, but luckily, she manages to disarm her opponent. However, there is no time to breathe a sigh of relief; the moment Esumi tries to fire again, the opponent forcefully kicks her gun away with their foot.

After Niki, now Fire-Man too.

Esumi grimaces in disgust as her beloved guns are kicked away one after another, but the opponent shows no mercy and kicks Esumi's torso with enough force to send her flying. The heavy, momentum-filled kick sends Esumi crashing into the wall behind her, just as the opponent intended.

"Ugh..... gh.....!"

Without being able to catch herself, she hits the wall, and the force sends the back of her head slamming into it as well, nearly knocking her unconscious for a second.

But losing consciousness in this situation would be fatal.

She grits her teeth, suppressing the pain coursing through her body with sheer willpower.

And in her eyes, barely managing to maintain consciousness, she sees the glint of a blade.

"Ah..... so that's how it is."

The moment she realizes it is a "knife," she recognizes that her opponent is truly out to kill her. This won't end with a broken bone or a blackout. Her opponent is truly out to reap Esumi's life.

But even knowing that, Esumi still cannot move her body properly from the impact of hitting the wall. Avoiding that knife is practically impossible.

No gun. No means of defense.

".....!"

The opponent plunges the knife forward, striking downward with force, keeping the blade aimed straight ahead.

(.....Of all things, to be killed by that knife.)

Is that knife aiming for her throat, or perhaps her heart?

Esumi smiles bitterly.

She had always wanted to leave this stage before getting dragged into the main Blue Archive plot, but she never imagined that "death" would come to meet her ahead of schedule in this form.

(.....Ah..... how frustrating.....)

And then, the descending knife pierces Esumi's "life" with absolute precision.

<<1 - 3>>

".....Mi..... n..... Esu..... mi..... Esumi-san..... please wake up, Esumi-san."

".....mm?"

Her shoulder is shaken, and a clear voice calls Esumi's name repeatedly by her ear.

Esumi slowly opens her eyelids and turns her face toward the side with a gentle movement.

".....Kirifuji?"

There was the face of the student she had been with for over five years, Kirifuji Nagisa.

As always, a smile floats on that beautiful, elegant face.

"Fufu, good morning. How was your journey through the dream world? You've been leaning on my shoulder for a while now..... I was a little worried because you wouldn't wake up."

"Is that so..... sorry, Kirifuji. For leaning on you without asking..... I never thought I would fall asleep..... are you alright? Is your shoulder sore?"

"No, please, don't worry about it. If anything, how are you, Esumi-san? Even though I am the one you are with, I feel like this is the first time Esumi-san has dozed off while leaning on someone else's shoulder."

"Well, that might be true..... as far as I can remember, I think this is the first time."

Whether it was a nap or she just drifted off, she didn't know.

Unfortunately, Esumi has no memory of the moments just before falling asleep, so she doesn't know the cause, but regardless, she moves away from Nagisa.

"Were you unable to rest last night? Cheri-san told me that you have been very busy lately with the operations of the Art Club and your own personal projects....."

"No, even so, I've secured enough sleep so it wouldn't interfere with my life..... but somehow, my sleep has been shallow lately....."

"Then, how about trying a new bed? Perhaps your sleeping posture or the cushion is the cause."

"That's a possibility..... if so, maybe I'll take this opportunity to buy a new bed."

"If so, how would you like to go look for furniture with Mika-san and myself, the three of us? I heard a rumor that a furniture store recently opened in the Trinity Autonomous District. Since it's a major manufacturer, I have no concerns regarding their selection."

"Ah, I've heard of that too. My juniors and the Art Club members have brought it up a few times. Apparently, the store's reputation is good, regardless of whether you're a commoner or a lady."

"Then that makes things easy. It's a shop I haven't set foot in yet either, so I'm looking forward to seeing what kind of products they have. Shall we go together next holiday?"

".....You're proceeding as if it's a given that I'm going."

They continue their idle small talk, sitting on a sofa whose bouncy elasticity is its selling point.

However, perhaps due to the lack of sleep or simply feeling unwell, Esumi frowns and sighs heavily from time to time, prompting Nagisa to look at her with a bitter smile and begin to show concern.

"Are you truly alright? You don't look very well....."

"I should be..... fine..... but..... yeah, my concentration isn't holding up. My consciousness feels hazy..... it's my own body, but it's acting strangely."

".....Esumi-san, please lend me your forehead for a moment..... hmmm..... it doesn't seem like you have a fever. Your body temperature feels close to normal when I touch it..... by the way, is your body feeling sluggish at all?"

"No..... I can move my hands and feet just fine."

"Then is it just lack of sleep?"

"Is that what it is?"

Esumi sighs again as she says this.

Nagisa drops her gaze to the floor as if thinking about something, but wanting to solve her discomfort, she suddenly reaches out and draws Esumi toward her.

"Eh, what's so suddenly..... whoa—"

"I apologize for the rough treatment. However, I am very worried about Esumi-san's body....."

".....If you were going to give me a lap pillow, you could have just said so."

Esumi finds her head resting on Nagisa's lap in a casual motion, like a "plop." It lacks a bit of elasticity compared to her usual pillow..... no, as a makeshift pillow, it is more than enough.

When she looks slowly upward, oh surprise. Isn't her face right there?

She wears a complex expression, looking anxious yet feeling the perks of the situation.

In addition, Nagisa moves her own hair aside with one hand to avoid getting in Esumi's way while leaning in to look at her.

".....H-how is it.....?"

"Is that asking if my condition has settled down?..... Or are you asking for my impressions of the lap pillow you gave me?"

".....B-both."

".....My condition..... yeah, it might have stabilized a little. Besides, I think I might like this."

Esumi lets out a small, soft smile, closes her eyes, sinks her head into Nagisa's lap, and gradually lets the tension leave her body.

She is like an animal that has found a sanctuary.

Nagisa, who had been secretly anxious that she might be told, "I can't sleep like this, my condition got worse," feels relieved from the bottom of her heart upon hearing Esumi's satisfied words.

Then, wondering what she was thinking, Nagisa reaches out and gently, quietly strokes Esumi's head, and Esumi's body reacts with a ticklish shiver.

Nagisa doesn't miss this, and moves her hand from her head to her hair, from her hair to her ear, and from her ear to her cheek. Every time the spot she touches changes, and every time her beautiful, slender fingertips touch her skin, a faint sigh leaks from Esumi's lips, and her body, which has completely lost its strength, reacts in an interesting way.

It feels like it could become addictive.

However, even though she is being toyed with by Nagisa like this, Esumi does not try to resist.

Not only could she easily grab Nagisa's arm to stop her, or spit out words of rejection, but Esumi is acting as if she feels comfortable with this act, keeping her eyes closed and letting Nagisa do as she pleases.

(.....Is she inviting me? How much will my patience last? I can only think she is testing me, thinking I would never do anything strange to her.....)

She strokes her clean skin with the caution of handling a precious jewel. If their innocent childhood friend were nearby, she wouldn't have been satisfied with just stroking with her fingertips; she would have started poking her cheek persistently or grabbing her cheek with her fingertips to play.

But Nagisa is doing her best just by stroking with her fingertips, fearing in her heart that she might accidentally scratch her skin.

"....."

Nevertheless, Esumi keeps her eyes closed and faces her defensively, as if to say, "Go ahead, do as you like."

If Nagisa were so inclined, reaching out to touch Esumi's body would be easy.

Touching her chest, which is larger than her own, is of course possible, and even putting her hands around her neck and strangling her with murderous intent is well within her reach.

In other words, Nagisa currently holds the power of life and death over her.

".....Esumi-san."

The fingertips that were stroking her cheek have moved to her neck before she realized it.

Even so, Esumi does not raise a voice to protest, nor does she try to stop the act.

Eventually, Nagisa's thin, beautiful fingertips slide down toward the base of her neck in a line, like drawing a string..... and *tap*, Esumi's clothes block any further progression.

Needless to say, waiting beyond this is Esumi's chest.

At the same time, Nagisa's fingers are now at Esumi's neck.

It feels like she is being presented with two choices: to run toward lust, or to run toward sudden murderous intent.

That said, of course, it is impossible for Nagisa to run toward either of those.

Kayama Esumi is indeed a special existence to her, but that does not mean Nagisa's reason is so fragile as to be driven by lust when they are not even "lovers."

Nagisa gently pulls her fingers away from her neck and begins to stroke Esumi's head again, just as she did at the beginning. On her face is a smile of relief, having overcome temptation.

".....I was a bit shaken, thinking you might make a move."

Esumi opens her eyes as she says words that convey her nervousness. Nagisa returns a bitter smile at that appearance.

"In that case, I would appreciate it if you could stop acting in a way that tests my reason from now on. Honestly, I thought my heart was going to burst from the tension....."

"That's true..... I'll do my best."

Esumi glances at Nagisa's expression and sits up.

It seems her condition has returned to normal. She feels a sense of composure in her expression.

"Thank you for the lap pillow. My mood has improved thanks to it."

"That is a relief. If my lap is acceptable, I can continue to lend it to you for Esumi-san's sake in the future..... what do you think?"

".....Well, I'll thank you for lending it to me again when I'm like I was today."

"Yes, please rely on me without hesitation. Of course, please manage your physical condition properly as well, Esumi-san. Because nothing makes me happier than seeing Esumi-san in perfect health."

"Thank you. Well then..... shall we continue our conversation? Uh, where were we?"

"We were discussing the art lecture that Esumi-san held with Kio-san, the Art Club vice president, for Seia-san, who belongs to the Sanctus Branch."

"Ah, that's right. Actually, there's a continuation to that story..... thanks to the honoree waxing poetic about sculpture, what was supposed to be a one-day lecture ended up lasting two days."

"That is..... quite something."

"I'm quite the art geek myself, as much as she is, but even I couldn't talk that passionately about just sculpture..... by the way, what do you think, Kirifuji? If I were to talk passionately about art for hours? It would be annoying, wouldn't it?"

"No. I have always liked art, and above all, the sight of Esumi-san, who becomes bright as if a different person when she is in front of art, is rather precious. It's not annoying at all; I would even like to see it much more."

"Really? We've known each other for quite a while, so I don't think I'm holding back..... but I'm quite loud when I get passionate, you know."

"Compared to when you used to show an entranced appearance at the art museum in the past, isn't it just that you're talking more? Honestly, compared to Mika-san, Esumi-san is actually too quiet. If you were always boisterous about every topic like Mika-san, that would be a different story....."

"Whoops. You just implied that Misono is noisy indirectly, didn't you? If she heard that, she would puff up her cheeks and protest, are you sure about that?"

"Then let's pretend the previous conversation didn't happen. This is a secret between Esumi-san and me, fufu."

"A wicked look..... it suits you surprisingly well."

"I-is that so? I'm not really self-aware of it....."

"Well, you are a member of the Tea Party, which is full of politics, after all. Maybe you've gotten used to it without realizing it. Besides, you've always been quite mature."

"Then that means I have finally started to exude the atmosphere of a capable politician."

Nagisa proudly puffs out her chest, revealing her joy.

However, Esumi frowns and shrugs her shoulders at that appearance, but she doesn't dare say anything, instead sinking her hips back into the sofa, sitting down next to Nagisa again.

And so, the two, having returned to the same situation as the beginning, begin to let their small talk bloom, just like always.

<<1 - 4>>

"By the way, Esumi-san. Actually, I would like to present you with a gift this time..... would you accept it?"

This was a short while after the lap pillow incident.

Nagisa, sensing that the topics of small talk were running dry and that it was finally time to wrap things up, threw those words at Esumi, who was sitting next to her, looking somewhat nervous for the final time.

"A gift? From you..... to me?"

"Yes. Last year..... no, to be precise, it's been a few months now..... it is a return gift for the roll cake that Esumi-san sent me."

"Ah, for our anniversary....."

Anniversary.

Strictly speaking, it was the day Nagisa and Esumi first met, and with the previous event as a trigger, the two had decided to exchange gifts with each other from then on.

However, the next anniversary is still a long way off.

Therefore, as Nagisa said a moment ago, the gift she is trying to give is merely a "thank you" for the item she received from Esumi last time.

Esumi wanted to reply, "I didn't ask for a return gift....." but even so, she felt a genuine joy at being able to receive a gift from her.

Whatever it was, it was an item Nagisa had chosen, thinking it would suit her. Her curiosity about the contents wins out.

"Where is the gift? Since it's a special occasion, I'd like you to show me directly with your own hands."

"I-I should show you?..... If that's what Esumi-san wishes..... uh, the size is a little large, but I have the paper bag right here..... ah, here it is."

Nagisa leaves the sofa slightly, retrieves a paper bag from her personal belongings placed in the corner of the room, and returns. As she said, the paper bag was indeed large, but what was taken out from inside was unexpectedly a wooden box that could be held in one hand.

".....?"

"I chose a gift that I thought would suit Esumi-san, thinking it through in my own way..... I-I hope you like it....."

Saying that, Nagisa opens the wooden box with a nervous look.

The gift inside the box, which she was curious about, was honestly something unexpected even for Esumi.

"This is..... a knife?"

A surprise.

For Nagisa of all people to choose such a dangerous item as a gift. She had expected her to choose art supplies or something similar, so it betrayed her expectations in a good way.

However, thinking there must be a reason, Esumi stares intently at the knife in front of her, blinking several times.

"Yes. This is a knife primarily marketed for camping, but I thought it would also be very useful for sharpening pencils. You usually use a utility knife for sharpening pencils, Esumi-san..... so I thought, how about a proper knife?"

"Well, most artists use a utility knife to sharpen pencils. But..... I see. Using a knife to sharpen pencils is also an option. It was a complete blind spot."

Even so, it's not a particularly rare story.

In Esumi's previous life, there is an example of the famous artist Pablo Picasso who also loved using a small, folding pocket knife for carving and pencil sharpening.

Rather, compared to Japan, pocket knives are very commonly used abroad, and artists are no exception.

And when she looks closely at this knife Nagisa prepared for her, although she says it's for camping, the manufacturer is quite a major one. On top of that, it was a somewhat high-end brand, famous for its durability and convenience.

She wonders if it's possible, but is this custom-made?

"That is correct. It is a bespoke item that I had the manufacturer make after passing on various requests for Esumi-san's sake."

"Y-you went that far?"

"Others might think, 'It's just for sharpening pencils, there's no need to go that far.' But even when sharpening a pencil, the slight difference in pressure or ease of sharpening greatly changes the usability of the pencil itself. Especially since Esumi-san is a professional artist. Rather, you should be particular about your tools..... though I do think that even I went too far by preparing such an item without Esumi-san's knowledge..... I apologize."

"There's no need to apologize. You just thought of me and considered various things to prepare this knife, right? Then I'll gratefully make use of it."

Esumi lets out a soft smile and carefully picks up the knife from the wooden box.

Now, as for her impression after actually holding the knife, it can be summed up in one word: "light."

Of course, since it falls into the category of a pocket knife, it would be out of the question if it were heavy, but for Esumi, who has an issue with her right hand, a light tool that poses no problem even if used in her dominant hand for a long time is very helpful.

Especially since knives have many uses beyond just sharpening pencils, the lightness that doesn't put a burden on her dominant hand was quite important.

".....I'm surprised. Even though the blade is reasonably large, it's so light."

"After all, ease of handling and lightness are most important when using it. Of course, durability is not an issue either. It requires regular blade maintenance, but the blade shouldn't snap easily."

"The more I hear about it, the more it feels like an item too good for me..... but thank you. I will use it with care."

Accepting it along with the wooden box it originally came in, Esumi expresses her gratitude to Nagisa with a happy voice.

"Since it's a special occasion, I think I'll draw a picture to test out this knife as well. Kirifuji, wouldn't you like to do some sketching with me after this?"

"If I can draw with Esumi-san, I would be delighted. Where and what motif shall we choose?"

"There's still plenty of time, so shall we search for one together now? It wouldn't be right for me to decide on my own, so let's decide on the subject while discussing it together for a change."

"Understood. Then, 'there is no time like the present.' Let's head out to find one now. Please wait a moment, I will be ready in an instant."

As soon as she says this, Nagisa hurriedly leaves the sofa to prepare her art supplies, looking very excited.

Since they don't usually see each other alone very often, she must be happy that their time together is increasing.

After watching her back, Esumi drops her gaze to the knife in her hand, lets out a faint smile, stands up from the sofa herself, and follows after her.

While clutching the knife received from Nagisa to her chest with care.