The House in Which Nightmares Dwell 14.5

[touchturnfly]

5

Takeshi signaled at Kazumi and Masaru.

A faint light was visible in the living room. Perhaps those guys were standing over there. Kazumi and Masaru nodded and headed towards the door of the living room. For a moment Takeshi searched for any indication of presence inside before the door that lead to the dining room.

He wiped the sweat that slipped off his brow. He thought of the spurting of blood and took off his top. Naturally, even if it was cold, it was better to stop the sweat. It definitely wasn't only due to removing the barricade. Takeshi was holding a hatchet in his right hand. He couldn't remember when he got his hands on this hatchet. Although he didn't remember buying it, the three hatchets, which were still wrapped, came up after he searched the whole house for any weapons. They were concealed in the wardrobe, so perhaps it was Kazumi who bought it. Thinking about it carefully, he also seemed to have a memory of wanting to buy it himself for some time, but it wasn’t something that occurred to him this year or last year.

-- However, it didn't matter whoever prepared it and the like. They had decided to remove their obstacles. Weapons were tossed into their determined hands. That was all there was to it.

He readjusted the hatchet and the kitchen knife at his belt touched his hand. He had prepared four kitchen knives from his back to his front. Kazumi was a kitchen knife collecting maniac. She frequently bought kitchen knives for no particular reason. He always thought it was a loathsome, strange habit, but it turned out to be useful.

On the other hand, Masaru was the one who collected tools as a do-it-yourselfer. Even though that couldn't be called a hobby in particular, he only held a set of tools. He had several hammers and saws. Takeshi currently held one of those hammers on his belt.

(The saws will help.)

Takeshi gloated.

(It's necessary to cut up the bodies. It's better if there are multiple. -- Because it quickly won't be of use if it gets stuck in flesh)

Takeshi said to himself and clicked his tongue, recalling as if he really did go through those troubles.

(I will do it skillfully. -- This time.)

Takeshi turned the doorknob with his hand. Masaru similarly put his hand to the door of the living room, nodded and slowly rotated. He pulled quietly.

While taking in the state of the room, he pulled the door. The moment it was half-open, he found a figure standing by the window in front of him.

It was a boy of the same age as Masaru. His eyes were steadily concentrated on Takeshi without trembling.

Takeshi pulled open the door with force and struck it against the wall. There was no furniture inside the room. He raised the hatchet overhead and was about to charge, but he tripped and fell forward. The moment he fell down, the hatchet suddenly left his hand.

He got up in a hurry and looked for the released hatched with his hand. The moment he touched the handle with his fingertip, the boy rushed over and kicked it into the corner of the room. He clicked his tongue. Just as Takeshi seized the kitchen knife at his waist, someone grabbed his shoulder from behind and held him down at that spot.

The boy approached. Takeshi waved the kitchen knife he had pulled out and twisted around. There was a slight resistance and a faint groan was audible from the back. At the same time the glass door leading to living room opened.

"-- Let go of him!"

Kazumi leapt at them.

Kazumi swung the hatchet downward. She made a great cut through the air, but didn't reach the boy. Narrowly biting into the floor, the hatchet was raised overhead and swung downward. It didn't hit the boy, but it helped as he was at least driven into a corner of the room.

"Stop, Kazumi-san!"

The person who held Takeshi down angrily yelled. His attention taken by Kazumi so the strength on his shoulders slacked. Takeshi swung his arms around and succeeded in pushing the man aside. There was a slight resistance at the point of his knife. There was a dim smell of blood and Takeshi unintentionally laughed.

(-- This smell.)

Takeshi turned aside and faced the man. This must be Hirota, the one Kazumi told him about. The man who tempted Midori and her mother to sue them. -- But he won't forgive that.

"Stop, Sasakura-san! Do you know what you're doing!"

'Of course I know', Takeshi muttered. He raised the kitchen knife overhead and swung it down, but his arm got seized at the moment he was about to cut through.

"Stop! Do you think you can kill people and escape!?"

'I can,' Takeshi said indifferently and squirmed out the arm that was taken. He kicked up at Hirota's feet.

'Ugh,' A voice muttered. It wasn't Hirota, but he heard it from beside him. Did Kazumi do him in? He looked and saw Kazumi who had collapsed to the floor.

-- It's the enemy.

Takeshi glared at the boy who stood there with a cool expression and at Hirota who had captured him.

-- These guys are enemies. I'll be finished off unless I kill them.

(This is legitimate self-defense.)

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