Chapter 8: Minohara Part 1: The Butcher Shop

            Hisakawa stared down at Yuzuru sleeping on the couch. She walked back into her room, grabbed a slipper, and tossed it at him, hitting the tired young man in the shoulder. “Hey!” He sat up and turned to see who threw the slipper. “What was that for?” He screeched.

“What are you doing down there?” Hisakawa called back. “Were the others snoring too loud?”

“Nah, I wish that was all, they were coughing all night, I swear they were faking it just to tick me off!” Yuzuru shouted before turning around. Hisakawa lifted her legs over the railing and floated down next to Yuzuru. “Do we have any face masks?” Yuzuru asked Hisakawa.

Hisakawa put her hand on her head. “Ah, shoot! I forgot to stock up! I feel so stupid.”

The girls walked out of their room, their hair done up perfectly, fully dressed and ready for another day. Then came the boys, their hair somehow messier then usual, both had blankets wrapped around their bodies. The girls backed away when Kosuke let out a pathetic cough. His head slowly turned to gaze in their direction. “Hey, h-how, did you, you sleep?” He weakly uttered.

Asahi hid behind Kotone as Kanako leaned over the railing to seek aid from those down below. “Hisakawa-sensei, get some masks quick, they are sick!”

“We don’t have any!” Hisakawa yelled back.

Shingo brushed past Kosuke, shuffling towards the girls, almost tipping over his blanket. “Can you two create a nice breeze, it’s so, stuffy in here.” He asked, his voice as weak as Kosuke’s.

Kotone covered her mouth with her sleeve as she looked to Kanako for her to make a decision. In no time, Kosuke and Shingo were shoved outside. Yuzuru and Hisakawa laid down a blanket for the two boys to rest on while Kotone and Kanako got pillows ready for them. “Just relax, we will leave the door open. Call us if you need anything.” Hisakawa instructed. “I’ll come check on you in half an hour.”

Kosuke laid down and closed his eyes. “Thank, thank you so much. I like the air out, out here.”

“Feel better soon.” Kotone uttered while worry engulfed her.

“I’ll make you two some nice, warm soup.” Asahi kindly told them.

As soon as everyone else had went inside, Kosuke and Shingo sat up and exchanged serious looks. “You got the swords?” Shingo asked, his voice completely clear.

Kosuke dramatically threw off his blanket, revealing that he was wearing his school uniform, he also had running shoes as well as Shingo’s and his katanas tied to his body with a rope. “You got the map?” He grinned.

Shingo let his blanket fall off, revealing he too was wearing his school uniform and had running shoes ready. He pulled the map out if it’s pocket. “Yep!” Kosuke got closer as Shingo unfolded it, pointing to where they were on the map. “Okay, so here is the plan. We head down here,” He traced his finger along some roads, “then we go here.” He stopped when he reached a red line that he had drawn on the map. “I was thinking we could sneak into the Minohara neighborhood here, where those old shops were before they closed down last year.”

“Sounds good. Those buildings were pretty run down so I doubt the demons would really be using them.” Kosuke agreed, he then quickly put his shoes on.

“Now this next part might take a while, but it’s best that we stay hidden, we take those little alleys we used to use when we were little and go around the back of the school.” Shingo said as he folded up the map.

“What are we expecting to find, like what exactly are we looking for?” Kosuke asked as he stood up.

“Anything that might tell us what happened to my family.” Shingo replied dejectedly, while he stared at his shoes that he had just put on. “Even if we don’t find anything, we can still scout out what the area is like.” He tried to raise his tone to seem like he was hopeful.

Kosuke gave him a hug, “We are going to find them, I’m sure they are alive. Your family is tough, they probably just escaped to another part of the city.” Kosuke pat his friends back. “Let’s get going, we are losing daylight, and we don’t want to be out after dark. Not after last time.”

“Yeah, I’m just glad we were all together. There were so many of them, it was like the first attack all over again.” Shingo then pulled himself together as Kosuke handed him his sword. “Let’s do this!” The two teens ran up the stairs and through the city, without the others to watch their backs.

Within an hour, Kosuke and Shingo had made it to the wall that the demons had set up around the Minohara neighborhood, it was about one hundred twenty five centimetres high, not really used to keep people from coming in or out, but simply to mark off where the hunting grounds were. Shingo checked to see if it was clear. “The street is dead, it’s almost scarier then if there were demons.” He and Kosuke climbed over the wall.

As they began to walk past the old shops, Kosuke continued their conversation. “They are probably all aslee-“

“Oh my goodness!” Shingo interrupted him, covering his own mouth, soon tears soaked his hands. Shingo fell to his knees balling.

Kosuke knelt down and touched Shingo’s back. He then tilted his head up to check what made his best friend cry. “Oh no.” He uttered as he saw Shingo’s mother’s head on display in a window. The store they were in front of was a human meat store, apparently, she was the daily special. “Shingo…” Kosuke hugged him. “I’m so sorry.” He grabbed his head, making Shingo look at him. “This doesn’t mean your dad and sister aren’t alive. There is still hope.”

Shingo wiped his tears as he heaved. “You-you’re right. Let’s get going before we end up like, like mom.” He stood up.

Kosuke walked towards the shop. “There is something I need to do first.” He created a fireball in his hand as he continued to walk forward.

Shingo jumped in front of him as he had a realization. “Wait! What if there are still living humans in there, we need to check first.”

“How do you suppose we do that?” Kosuke questioned while raising an eyebrow.

Shingo stepped back as he began to fidget with his fingers. “Do you remember my older cousin, the bad one, Yasu-kun?”

“Yeah…” Kosuke then realised. “Oh crap! How long have you known how to pick locks?”

“F-four years. He taught me that fall he came to live with us so mama could smarten him up.” Shingo answered while avoiding eye contact. He walked over to the door and slid some water into the keyhole. He turned the nob, and it opened. “Just a quick in and out.”

The boys went inside, relocking the door behind them. The dim light didn’t help how creepy the shop was. There were posters showing what part of a human made different cuts of meat. Bodyless limbs sat inside coolers with prices in front. The boys made their way to the back of the shop, into the butchering room. Blood sat on the floor, various knives dangled from the ceiling. Kosuke lit his hair on fire to create enough light to see. “I don’t think anyone is here.” He turned to Shingo. “Help me find an outlet, that way, they’ll think it was an electrical fire.”

A glint caught Shingo’s eye. “Hold up, pyromaniac.” He stepped around a pool of blood. He picked up an object that was on the table in front of him. “It’s mom’s bracelet.” He heard a sound come from his right. “Huh, is someone there?” Shingo asked as he pushed the handle of his katana out slightly, grabbing the hilt, ready to unsheathe his weapon at any moment.

Shingo and Kosuke carefully checked the back refrigerator that was in the direction of the noise. Corpses dangled from the ceiling; empty cages lined the walls. “Come here to kill me finally?” A man’s hoarse voice called out, his words were empty and defeated. When the boys made it to his cage, the man’s appearance matched how he sounded. With tired, red eyes, the man saw them. “You’re… humans?”

“Yes. We are here to save you.” Kosuke nodded as Shingo unlocked the cage.

The man crawled out of the cage and stood next to them. “Thank you. Thank you for saving me.” He bowed deeply to the teens. “I am grateful, although, a greedy part of me wishes that you arrived two days ago, maybe then, my son would still be alive.” The three of them left the refrigerator. The man grabbed one of the knifes from the ceiling and turned to the young teens. “I know how this goes, you will ask me to join you on your conquest of slaying demons, I can tell by your blades and noble auras. Unfortunately, I must decline, respectfully. I need to avenge my son, I know where the demon that ordered his meat lives from overhearing the butcher talking with her. If you are looking to save more people, go to Minohara Elementary School, the demons have turned it into a massive store that sells humans. That’s where my son and I were taken when we were captured. Do you know where that is?”

“Yes, we do.” Shingo told him. “Do you think there is anyone there from the initial attack, any humans I mean.” He asked.

The man shook his head. “I unfortunately don’t know the answer. Are you looking for someone in particular?”

“My fam-“ Shingo stopped himself. “My dad and little sister, my mom, her head is out front.”

“Oh, you’re the Muto boy.” The man covered his mouth with his hand. “I’m so sorry, but both your parents were bought by the butcher at the same time as my son and I, your father was slaughtered a week ago, I’m so sorry. They never made it to the school before they were captured, and they usually kept us separated by age, so I don’t know what happened to your sister. I hope you find her.”

Shingo bowed his head in defeat. “Well, thank you for telling me about my father.” His tears fell to the floor. “Good luck avenging your son.” The three men bowed to each other. Then they left the building, Kosuke lit it on fire and they watched it go up in smoke. “Goodbye, mom, goodbye, dad.” Shingo clasped his hands together, bowing to his mother’s severed head as he prayed silently for her soul to find peace.

Kosuke turned to the man they had just saved. “May we meet again.” The man nodded and left. Kosuke then took Shingo’s hand. “Let’s get going, they will be here soon, and we still need to find Emiko-chan.”