Michizugawa really regretted asking what happened at that place. He didn't anticipate how brutal and insane that serial killer is
He listened about her recount, from stabbing herself to save her friend, and to the killer stabbing the person she wanted to save when she had disabled herself, giving the woman in front of him a maximum despair
Michizugawa felt his blood boil from rage when he hears that. He suddenly wished that the serial killer was still alive. So that he can tear him to shreds himself. At that thought, the guilt about digging up her fresh wound started gnawing on him
Beside him, he noticed that his friend's hand was tightly gripped under the table. He sighed in his mind as he heard Ilaya finally said about how the killer's mangled body came about
…
Ilaya pondered for a bit as she chooses her words carefully
"When I saw the man stabbed my friend, my vision just turned red. I… don't really remember what had happened at that time. I only remember fragmented memories when I killed him. Maybe I killed him in a fit of rage"
Ilaya removed the details of her power from her explanation, but she still truthfully said what really had happened
"I vaguely remember that I was stabbing him all over the body while laughing crazily. I don't know what happened to me at that time. Then, after killing him, I… fought someone"
Ilaya hesitated whether to tell them about Ivana, the boss of Yakuza. So she just said
"Someone arrived at the scene and who I fought. I think that person I fought when I was out of control was a friend of the man that tried to save me. No he really saved me"
Ilaya smiled sadly
"Yes. That's about it. She knocked me out unconscious and when I woke up, I was in their medical facility, receiving treatment"
The owner and Michizugawa looked at each other before Michizugawa asked her
"By chance. Did you remember the eyes of the woman that you've fought"
Michizugawa latched onto that detail. He felt that there's something strange about the woman who rescued her
Ilaya answered absentmindedly
"Yes. It was red"
The owner's expression turned grave as he said
"It's the Oni"
Michizugawa nodded seriously
"No doubt about that"
Ilaya snapped back to her senses about their words and she asked
"Oni? What are you talking about?"
The owner looked at her and said
"Kyora Ivana. Moniker; Oni. One of the most brutal boss of Yakuza. It's always a chore to clean the scenes where she fought. Chopped bodies all around, and blood littered the streets"
As the owner said that, Michizugawa added
"She's a unique one that always fought with blades. That may sounds odd in this age, where guns are the reigning king. But people who saw her fight, or survived the fight, all said that she's as fast as a cheetah. She's so agile and fast that they even thought that she had powers. That preposterous of course"
'No. What you said is right'
Ilaya countered in her mind as she listened. Michizugawa laughed before continuing
"That said, the fact that there's many chopped bodies where she fought says about her caliber. If even guns cannot stopped her, then, enemies will certainly will not mess with her"
Then, Michizugawa suddenly asked
"But, why did the Oni launched a search and rescue operation to save you? The Yakuza would not do something that will not benefit them"
Ilaya's eyes widened as she shouted at him
"Hey!"
Then, she send signal to him through her eyes. Michizugawa noticed this as he grinned
"Don't worry. He already knew. I bet that he knew it a long time ago"
Michizugawa looked at the owner as asked while smiling
"Right? Partner"
The owner nodded and said to Ilaya, who's eyes was trembling
"Yes. I already know it a long time ago. The moment I received the information that the Yakuza moved just under an hour after you we're kidnapped, I kind of suspected it already. And you're subsequent messages to Mars and your recent visit here, I completed the puzzle and know that you're a member now of the Yakuza"
Ilaya was lost for words and couldn't say anything. She did not expect that the owner of a small restaurant is a former police officer. And that cause her blunder of underestimating him. Assuming that he wouldn't know anything about the words that she had said
Ilaya remembered the time when she tell him and Mars white lies, and that causes her already red face from being drunk, to reddened more from embarrassment. She couldn't look at the owner, so she turned the conversation around by answering Michizugawa's question
"About what you've asked. Kyora needs something from me. And she's my key to remembering my memories. She had a clue about my past, so we're using each other to get what we each wanted"
Michizugawa had an incredulous expression and he hurriedly asked Ilaya
"Wait? What do you mean to remember your past? Memories? What's going on?"
The owner sighed and said
"She had amnesia. She doesn't remember anything about herself"
The owner thought for a bit before saying to his friend
"Michizugawa. Since the police forces are staying low for now, can I trouble you to help Ilaya look for her past. Anything that can you find will be of tremendous help to her"
Michizugawa stared at Ilaya couldn't help but think
'Not only she had experienced that hell, she didn't even have her memories. She's truly unlucky. No family, no home, and no one to get help. Thankfully, she found her home now. But… she's now involved in the Yakuza'
Michizugawa couldn't help but pity her. He's sure that her life is going to be tough since being involved in a criminal organization means that she can't leave it as she wished. She's definitely going to pay a heavy price to leave them
Ilaya noticed his look and her expression turned complicated. She's hopeful that he's going to find a clue about her. But…
'Is… recovering my memories important at this point? My life was about to be snuffed. I think I need to spend the remaining time of my life with them. Sigh… my life is short and so messed up. I need to enter that old house at least before I die'
As Ilaya was thinking, she heard Michizugawa said
"Alright. We're pretty much unoccupied, so doing some searching will be not a problem"
Ilaya thanked him and said worriedly
"So, since i finished telling my story, I want to know if you have the method to remove the feeling of blood splattered all over my body? I can still feel them and the fishy stench of blood is so strong right now. I can barely smell the food in the table"
The owner then said to her
"That's PTSD. Maybe you need to see a psychiatrist"
Michizugawa nodded and said to her
"Do you have time to set up a meeting? I know an expert psychiatrist. He helped many people who's going through like you"
Ilaya didn't speak for a bit before saying
"I need to think…"
She suddenly stops as she realized that they now knew her connection to the Yakuza, so, she said
"I need to inform them. Especially the boss. I believe that she'll agree"
The owner became curious as he said
"By the way Ilaya, are you going to be alright there? You know how dangerous it is to be with them at this time"
Michizugawa also spoke as he added
"That's right. You've said that they will attack this time. You may not know, but they're enemies are all scum of society. They're the type that will kill anyone if it will benefit them. Heck, they even kill just for fun"
Ilaya had her mind stopped at the first sentence of his words. She didn't even bothered to listened to his continuation. She suddenly exclaimed internally
'What have I done!? Why did I say that to him!? It's confidential information right!? The attack is supposed to be discreet!'
Ilaya really regretted drinking too much