"I'll drop you two at your homes," I said as the three of us left the hospital. Yuta was wrapped in bandages, leaning heavily on me and Rin as we guided him toward my car, waiting at the gate with a new driver.
I had a total of four drivers. Now there were three. The fourth, Matsuda—you know who—should be dead by now, though no one else realizes it. I told everyone he'd asked for a week off for his honeymoon, and that I'd even given him the car he was assigned to.
The rest you can imagine—he's most likely lying at the bottom of a valley, along with his wife and their unborn child, just as the original plan dictated.
Sooner or later someone will notice. A missing report will be filed. And when the police come looking, their questions will lead straight to me.
But money should solve that. I love corruption.
"It was good the doctor believed the excuse about violent fighting, not rape. Otherwise, things would've gotten difficult for Reistu to kidnap and capture those freaks and their families, with police interference and media coverage in the way," I said to Yuta as I opened the door, carefully helping him inside. Rin followed, and I took the front seat.
"First who?" I asked both of them, though I already knew the answer.
"Yuta," Rin said.
"Well then, Yuta, give me your address," I said. Unlike Rin's, I didn't know his—there was nothing about it in the series, just a vague hint that he lived somewhere in Ikebukuro's residential area.
Unknown to him, he was in for a nasty surprise when he discovered his little sister missing. Dead, actually. No one would even remember she had ever existed. Her memory had been erased from the minds of everyone—except the magical girls, me, and Yuta himself. I remembered because I was a monster. He remembered because he was almost the same, though of a different kind. His memory would remain intact, even without his monster powers fully awakened.
Rin, though—she wouldn't recall a thing. Latent magical girls, those who hadn't awakened yet, lacked the protection against memory erasure and the distortions of reality perception.
"Here we go," the driver said as he started the engine, the car rolling toward Yuta's home.
....
"Here we are, finally at your home," I said as the car stopped in front of Rin's house.
"Thank you," Rin replied, stepping out. Just as she did, I asked, "Do you mind if I come inside as well?"
"Huh? You want to come inside?"
"Yes. I'd like to meet your sister. I actually arranged an appointment with a specialist for her, to check if her health is stable despite the irregular medicine. I'd prefer to tell her the news myself," I said evenly.
"I see…" Rin hesitated, then nodded.
"May I?" I pressed gently.
"You don't have to ask permission. You've already done so much for us. My sister's actually eager to meet you—especially after I told her about you," Rin admitted.
"What can I say," I murmured, stepping out of the car.
I stepped inside her house. The air was heavy with dust, the hallway walls lined with cracks that no one had the money to fix. The floor creaked under my feet, and the broken shoe rack by the entrance held only a few worn-out pairs, barely holding together. Everything carried the quiet weight of poverty.
"Sorry…" Rin said, her voice small.
"Why though?" I asked.
"My house condition…"
"Geez, it's fine. The main job of a house is to provide shelter. Everything else is secondary," I said, slipping off my shoes and setting them carefully on the broken rack.
"Sis, I'm home!" Rin called out.
From deeper inside the house, her sister Sayuri appeared, moving slowly, her hand brushing along the cracked wall for support. Her face was pale, her steps unsteady, every motion showing how fragile she really was.
Her eyes settled on me, scanning me up and down with a weary sharpness before she spoke. "Who are you?"
"Sis, he's the one I told you about—Ezakiel Graciôr!" Rin said quickly. She slipped off her shoes at the broken rack and hurried forward to steady Sayuri, wrapping an arm around her to keep her from stumbling.
"Oh… you're the one," Sayuri said, her gaze softening, though a sadness flickered in her eyes. "Sorry for showing myself to you in such a state." Her words were cut off by a sudden, violent cough that wracked her thin frame.
Rin rushed to her side, fumbling with her schoolbag before pulling out a worn water bottle. She unscrewed the cap quickly and held it out, guiding it to her sister's lips until the coughing eased.
"Man, you seem in very bad condition. No worries—I've already appointed a specialist for you, and as you know, I'll handle all the expenses," I said, walking toward her.
"May God bless… bless…" she huffed, her voice trembling as if each word cost her strength. "Bless your soul… and grace you with all kinds of bliss, for helping us unfortunate ones."
"Christian?" I asked.
"Yes, we both are followers of the Lord," Sayuri said.
Now that was unexpected. Nowhere in any version of the series had it ever been stated that either of them were Christians.
All the better for me.
I could use this to my advantage—faith made people trusting, easier to sway. A shared belief was the perfect mask to wear.
"What a coincidence—I'm a follower of the Lord as well," I said smoothly, a warm smile touching my lips.
"Really?" Sayuri looked at me with faint surprise.
"Yeah. It pleases me even more that I've been able to help my fellow Christians," I continued gently, hiding the calculation behind my eyes. "Though I think we should talk inside, not here. This isn't the most appropriate place."
"Forgive us," Sayuri said, and then the three of us moved toward what I could only describe as the living room of their ruined home. It was just like the hallway—cracked walls, dirty and worn mats, a grimy ceiling, and a single weak light bulb hanging overhead. In the center stood a large, battered table, scarred by years of use.
I took my seat and set my bag down, and the two of them followed—Rin first helping Sayuri sit, then taking her own seat.
"Oh no, I have to bring some refreshments!" Rin exclaimed, about to get up. I quickly stopped her.
"No, no, no, no, no need for that."
"But—"
"Nooo, please sit!"
"But—"
"Sit!"
"I'm with Rin as always. You are guests in our house; we can at least show some hospitality, even if what we have right now barely counts," Sayuri said softly.
"No, don't. If you do that, I'll be sad. I didn't come here to be a bother, and if you two don't listen to me, I'll still be sad!" I said firmly.
The two of them exchanged glances and sighed in defeat.
Good. I really didn't want to waste time eating or waiting for refreshments. I wanted to get this over with.
"Now then, the other thing I haven't told Rin yet," I continued, "is that after you're a bit healthier, I'm going to give you a high-ranking position in one of the Japanese hotel branches—likely the same one as your sister."
Sayuri stared at me with disbelief in her eyes.
"Huh? You gonna give me a job?"
"Yes, i believe it would help you two improve your financial condition if both you sisters are working," I said. "And please don't thbakn me, and all that other stuff."
Then suddenly my phone rang. I took it out—it was Yuta's number.
I sighed internally. This guy was probably going to rant about his sister. I didn't want to pick up, but according to the plot, I should, so I wouldn't end up on his "hit list."
"Who's calling?" Rin asked.
"Well—" Suddenly, the phone slipped from my hand and fell. In trying to catch it, it accidentally moved a bit toward Rin.
"Yuta?" Rin guessed, noticing the caller.
"Is he a friend?" Sayuri asked.
"Yes, he's a friend—my only other friend besides Ezakiel," Rin said.
I picked up my phone, about to answer, but the call was cut off.
"Well, the call got cut. I'll call him back," I said, standing up. "Gotta go now."
"Safe travels," Rin said.
"Yeah," I replied, quickly grabbing my bag and leaving their house.