(Yuuta POV)
"Elena! Where are you?!" I screamed, my voice cutting through the noise of Tokyo City.
The streets were packed—people moving in every direction, a blur of faces, colors, and sounds. And in that sea of strangers, she was just a tiny girl. My chest tightened, panic clawing at me. How can she be so fearless? I muttered under my breath, disbelief mixing with worry.
I pushed through the crowd, arms brushing past strangers, my eyes scanning desperately for any sign of her. "Elena!" I called again, my voice cracking. "Allen! Now!"
Within moments, Allen appeared, his wings unfurling with a powerful beat that made the air around us shift. He hovered expectantly, ready.
"Go," I said, trying to keep my tone firm despite the fear twisting in my chest. "Search for Elena. Every corner, every alley. Don't stop until you find her."
"Yes, Master!" Allen replied and shot into the sky, disappearing among the taller buildings with a streak of movement.
I paused for a moment, straining my ears, and then I heard it—a soft, high-pitched giggle that made my stomach lurch. Elena. My heart leapt. I scanned the streets, eyes darting from shadow to shadow.
Finally, near a narrow gap between two old buildings, I saw a small figure. My legs moved before I even fully registered it. "Elena!" I shouted.
She turned, her tiny arms stretching toward me. "Papa!" she cried.
Relief and fear collided as I scooped her up into my arms, holding her close. "Why do you always make your papa worry like this?" I asked, my voice a mix of scolding and tenderness.
She pointed toward a dark corner near a cluster of dusty bins. "This lady grabbed Elena hand and brought me here," she said softly.
I squinted into the shadows, tension rising. Slowly, my eyes adjusted, and I could just make out a figure standing there—a woman, her presence quiet but unmistakably deliberate, watching us from the gloom.
Something about her didn't feel right.
I froze, holding Elena tightly against my chest, my heart hammering so hard I thought she might hear it.
The woman… she wore a mask. And in her hand was a pair of scissors—enormous, far bigger than any ordinary pair. The kind of scissors that could slice through wood… or a person. My stomach twisted into knots, and a cold sweat ran down my spine.
Her black hair tumbled over her face, hiding her eyes, but even in the dim alley light I could tell she was tall. Much taller than me… easily over six foot five. For the first time in my life, I felt small—vulnerable—in a way I'd never imagined.
And then my gaze fell on the scissors again. Blood. Dark, glistening, fresh. My throat tightened as panic clawed at me.
I swallowed hard, gripping Elena tighter. "Who… who are you?" I stammered, my voice trembling despite my effort to stay firm. "Why… why did you bring Elena here?!"
I braced myself, expecting some twisted explanation… but instead, she laughed.
A low, chilling laugh that echoed against the walls of the alley. Not just amusement—there was menace in it, and something darker that made my blood run cold.
I instinctively stepped back, pulling Elena closer to shield her. Every nerve in my body screamed danger.
Her laughter grew louder, curling around us like smoke. Then, in a voice smooth and deliberate, she spoke a sentence in Japanese.
「私って綺麗だと思う?」
I froze. The words hit me, but they made no sense—I didn't understand a single one.
"What… did she just say?" I muttered, panic mixing with confusion. The combination of the question, the mask, and the enormous bloody scissors made my stomach drop.
Elena whimpered slightly, pressing closer against me. I tightened my grip, my mind racing. I have to protect her… I can't let her get near…
The alley seemed to shrink around us. Shadows stretched unnaturally long, and the air was thick with the metallic scent of blood. Every instinct screamed at me—move, defend, survive.
Her head tilted slightly, hair falling over her mask, and she took a step forward, the scissors glinting in the faint light. The sound of her movement was sharp against the quiet hum of the city.
I could feel my pulse in my ears. Allen… I need Allen now…
She tilted her head again, hair falling over her mask, and repeated in Japanese, her voice eerily soft but deliberate:
「私って綺麗だと思う?」
"One more time… Do you think I'm beautiful?" she said, her words clear to her—but not to me.
I held Elena tighter, swallowing hard, my voice trembling as I tried to assert some control. "Hold up! First of all—I don't understand Japanese at all. Second… don't scare my little girl!"
Her head tilted, and for a moment I thought I saw confusion in the way she stood, somewhere between curiosity and dissatisfaction, as if my words were meaningless.
Then, without warning, a stumbling, drunk man appeared beside me. He leaned against a nearby wall, hiccuping, and slurred in Japanese:
「外人,どけよ.ここはオレの大事なトイレスポットだ」
I blinked, completely thrown off. "Pardon… what? What is he saying?" I asked, my heart still racing.
He looked at me, squinting through bloodshot eyes. "English foreigner, huh?" he hiccuped.
"Yes… please, can you help me? I need to know what that lady was saying!"
His gaze shifted toward the masked woman. His drunken eyes widened in horror, and for a moment he seemed frozen. Then reality struck him. His knees buckled, and he collapsed to the ground, vomiting violently onto the alley floor. Through his trembling voice, he gasped, "Ghost… she's… Kuchisake-onna…"
And just like that, he scrambled to his feet and ran off, pants wet, stumbling into the city like a terrified child.
Elena's giggle broke the tension, a small, innocent sound that made my chest ache even more with fear. "Papa, he's funny!" she said.
But I couldn't laugh. My hands were still shaking as I clutched her close. The masked woman—her enormous scissors glinting faintly in the dim light—was no ordinary threat. She was the slit-mouth woman… Kuchisake-onna.
A shiver ran down my spine. This… this is bad. Very, very bad.
I tried to pull Elena and run, but my body refused to obey. Her gaze—hidden behind that mask, yet somehow piercing—held me in place. My legs felt like they were rooted to the ground, frozen in terror.
This… this is it. I'm done.
She started moving, slowly, deliberately, each step measured, her eyes locked onto mine. My heart pounded like a drum in my chest. She was only a few feet away, and then I saw them—her eyes. Dark, hollow, terrifying… eyes that could swallow me whole.
Elena clung to my leg, her small voice trembling. "Mama…" she whispered, tears streaming down her cheeks.
The woman raised the enormous scissors, their blade catching the dim light, and asked again in that soft, chilling voice:
「私って綺麗だと思う?」
(Do you think , I'm beautiful?)
I couldn't take it anymore. My voice trembled, shaking with fear and frustration. "You stupid woman! Can't you understand? We have… cultural boundaries! How the hell do you expect me to answer when I barely even know your language?!"
Her head tilted, mask hiding her expression, but she repeated the question anyway:
「私って綺麗だと思う?」
(Do you think I'm beautiful?)
And then—a voice behind me, calm but cold, cut through the tension:
"Do you think she's beautiful?"
The slit-mouth woman froze, her steps halting mid-motion. Her gaze darted behind her, and for the first time, I saw fear.
I turned—and my heart stopped. My wife. My Erza. She stood there, arms crossed, eyes blazing with fury, every inch the storm that could command dragons.
Elena's face lit up, and she ran toward her. "Mama!" she screamed, throwing herself into Erza's arms.
I didn't think. I ran too, my legs moving like a child desperate for comfort. "My darling!" I choked out, tears stinging my eyes.
But then—pain. Sharp, sudden. Erza's foot struck my stomach, sending me sprawling onto the ground.
"Ouch!" I gasped, clutching my gut. "What… what are you doing? Are you here to save me… or to kill me?"
Erza grabbed my face abruptly, stretching it slightly with one hand. Her eyes blazed with fury.
"What are you doing here with a tall woman? Do you still have the balls to flirt with random humans, huh?!"
"I—I think you got it wrong, please… wife, I'm sorry!" I stammered, raising my hands in surrender.
Elena giggled, sensing that she wasn't in danger anymore. Relief flooded my chest, but I couldn't let my guard down yet.
"What were you doing here?" Erza demanded, her gaze shifting to the masked woman. I pointed shakily at her.
Without a word, Erza grabbed Elena's hand and pulled her close. Then she looked at the slit-mouth woman. "Urban legend ghost," she muttered under her breath, and my heart skipped a beat.
The masked woman tilted her head and asked again, in her chilling voice:
「私って綺麗だと思う?」
(Do you think I'm beautiful?)
she said again, slow and deliberate, her words slicing through the alley like a cold, sharp blade.
I froze. My legs refused to move, my arms tensed, but this time, the panic that had gripped me before was tempered by Erza's presence. She was beside me, steady and unshakable. My anchor. My lifeline.
I could finally understand her words, thanks to Erza, who knew Japanese. I opened my mouth to ask what she was saying, but Erza's gaze met mine, sharp and unyielding, and my question died on my lips.
"You really don't know Japanese… or are you fooling me?" she asked, voice slicing through the alley like ice.
I swallowed hard, my throat dry. "Why… why would you ask that?" I stammered, confusion and panic mingling in my chest.
"I suspect you understand Japanese," Erza said, her voice firm, her eyes narrowing.
"Please… you know I don't!" I said, glancing at the masked woman who had been advancing slowly, deliberately, toward us. "I just… I just met her!"
Erza's eyes softened just a little, though her gaze remained sharp and unreadable. "Fine… for now, I believe you," she said.
I exhaled slowly, relief washing over me like a wave. Phew… I whispered in my mind, thank God… now tell me, my dear wife… what is this woman saying?
A long, heavy silence stretched between us. The alley felt narrower, the shadows stretching unnaturally. Every nerve in my body screamed, urging me to move—but I stayed frozen, waiting. Finally, Erza spoke, calm and precise:
"She asked… 'Do you think she is beautiful?'"
I rubbed my chin, trying to recall what I had read, seen, and remembered. My mind flicked to a Japanese document on urban legends—tips and tricks for surviving encounters with slit-mouth women. Ohhh… I get it.
I remember now. I even saw this on a YouTube guide about urban legends in Tokyo…
The steps… they have to be followed exactly.
1. When she asks, "Do you think I am beautiful?" —Say Yes. Then she will removes her mask.
2. After she removes her mask, when she asks the question again —you cannot answer yes or no. You have to say something like "Pardon me" or "Excuse me, I have to go." If you say yes, she will mutilate your face. If you say no, she will get angry—and kill you.
Thank you, TecMonk… you saved my life, I thought, gripping Elena's hand tighter, feeling a bead of sweat run down my temple.
I turned to Erza, trying to steady my shaking hands. "I know how to deal with this threat," I said, my voice barely above a whisper.
She looked at me, eyes narrowing in confusion—or maybe disbelief. Clearly, she had little understanding of ghosts or urban legends, but her presence was enough to steady me.
The slit-mouth woman tilted her head, hair brushing over her mask, and spoke again, slow and deliberate:
「私って綺麗だと思う?」
(Do you think I'm beautiful?)
This time, I was ready. My mind replayed the steps, word for word, as if my life depended on it—because it did. My heart raced, my breath came shallow, and my fingers tightened around Elena's.
"YES, I think, You are....!!!!!"
Suddenly, I felt it, Killing Intent it's not from the slit-mouth woman, but from my wife.
Erza.
Her eyes bore into me like molten steel. A death stare so intense it could probably melt concrete. And then… the aura hit. Heavy. Suffocating. It pressed down on my chest like a ton of bricks, freezing my thoughts and making my legs feel like overcooked spaghetti.
I was trapped. Stuck between two urban legends.
One—Scissors McSlaughter over there—could turn me into a human salad in an instant. The other—Erza, my terrifyingly perfect wife—could freeze me solid and rip my spine out like it was some cheap Halloween prop.
I swallowed hard. My brain short-circuited.
If I answer "yes" like some dumb YouTube tutorial says… Erza will ice me faster than I can blink and rip of my Skull.
If I answer "no"… the slit-mouth woman will carve me into confetti with her oversized scissors.
What the hell do I do now?!
To be continued…