02x06 - Electroshock Pinocchio

[bunniefuu]

Tae-san, you seem well again today.

You know, every once in a while, you could just lay out in the sunlight.

It's hard to believe you're over eighty.

I can't go without being active.

And you could definitely use some exercise every once in a while.

Well, I'm a cat.

Cats don't speak so eloquently, nor do they drink alcohol.

I found this cat on my doorstep, weakened, about six months ago after a lot of rain.

I let him into my house because it would've been a pain if he d*ed on me, but...

He just hasn't left since.

What do you want? I can't give you sake.

Just a sip. Just one sip!

I had no idea I was dealing with a bakeneko.

Oh? Going out for a jog?

Yup.

Well, have a good time.

No good again today?

Oh, Tae-san!

It happened again!

So many dead fish yet again. This clearly isn't normal!

And you still don't know how all the fish d*ed?

We've had the prefectural college look into it,

but they couldn't find anything particularly wrong with the fish.

They couldn't detect any poison, nor signs of suffocation.

There's no red tide right now, either.

If anything, it seems like the fish are dying from shock.

Seaweed, jellyfish, and mollusks are being hit, too.

We're getting far fewer customers here to fish because of it.

We'll probably have even more cancellations over the weekend.

I hear fewer customers are visiting the cafeteria and the shop, too.

Who knows what'll happen if we can't figure out the cause?

Come on, you're all grown men here.

A month of bad luck doesn't mean you need to panic.

Honestly, things were going too well for you right before last summer.

All because of that TV drama.

Yellowtail Head Detective

Authentic seafood suspense starts fresh every Tuesday at PM!

Notice

This is what you saw in the drama! Come stop by the Cafeteria Yellowtail

And because of that, you all made about three times more than the summer before.

Last year was great.

So many people came by wanting to eat the food from the drama.

We almost ran out of fish.

Most things in this world are made to be balanced.

In the end, good luck and bad luck are about equal.

The god of the sea is keeping you all in check for getting cocky.

You'll just have to continue to keep an eye on things.

And if the fish keep dying weird deaths like this,

you may want to consider having a purification ritual conducted.

Tae-san, wait!

A purification ritual, huh?

You know, this just might be Zenta-san's curse.

Zenta...

Tohira Zenta was born here and grew up in this town,

and wasn't the type who'd ever leave this place.

Zenta's son left the town and started a family.

Last summer, his son came home,

bringing his wife and Zenta's grandson, a ten-year-old boy named Tsubasa.

But Tsubasa was run over by a tourist and d*ed.

The four college students who were in the car

were talking and fooling around, not paying attention to the road.

Apparently, Zenta's grandson was still breathing when he was first run over.

But because it was summer vacation,

the town was filled with cars belonging to tourists,

and there were many who were illegally parked,

delaying the ambulance,

and he ended up dying on the way to the hospital.

After his grandson's death,

Zenta always looked so upset with how unfair this all was.

Then, last month, he d*ed of heart failure,

as though he no longer had the will to live.

After that happened is when the fish started dying.

T-Tae-san!

For crying out loud, Mayor. Lose some weight.

Tae-san, so what's actually going on?

What's that supposed to mean?

Don't tell me you also think it's some unscientific thing like a curse.

But... Zenta-san didn't seem very happy

with all the extra tourists or those who came to fish.

They kept throwing away garbage wherever and taking photos without permission.

No Trespassing

Police incidents increased,

and in the end, his grandson d*ed in that accident...

So you're trying to say that someone's cursing the fish to die unknown deaths

so that no one will come here anymore?

I'm sure Zenta resented the tourists,

but chasing them away only would've hurt this town even more.

Welcome to Port Totomizu!!

If the fish keep dying mysterious deaths, people will stop coming here,

jobs will be lost, and the people here will leave the area.

That would mean it's the town being cursed, not the tourists.

But perhaps Zenta-san resented the whole town regarding Tsubasa-kun.

When Tsubasa-kun's accident occurred,

the first thing most people were worried about was

the news of the accident getting out and tarnishing this town's image,

Welcome to Port Totomizu!!

Keep the ocean beautiful

leading to fewer tourists coming in.

That's why it was said that

people tried to tell Zenta-san and his family not to talk about the accident.

Even though those college students were at fault for that accident,

some secretly insisted that Tsubasa-kun wasn't being careful.

I'm sure Zenta-san heard about that, as well.

Don't you think Zenta-san might have wanted something to happen to this town then?

You know just as well as anyone else that Zenta was a kind man.

To put a negative spin on that, you could say he was timid.

But he was human.

Of course he might've resented or hated someone,

or even thought about k*lling someone.

But he didn't have the guts to k*ll someone with his own hands

or bring misfortune upon them himself.

He definitely didn't have the strength to deal with the evil in this town.

If he did, he would've been able

to butt heads with those around him when he was alive.

He wouldn't have just shut himself up in his home.

Yes, I know that.

But if he couldn't do this himself,

what if he had something else do it for him?

What do you mean by that?

You know how after Tsubasa-kun d*ed, Zenta-san was carving a doll out of wood?

Do you know where it went?

You're the one who found Zenta-san dead, right?

Was the doll at his house then?

Zenta!

Zenta! Zenta, are you home?

Are you still working on that thing?

You should go out every once in a while.

You finally finished that doll?

Zenta, this is enough, isn't it?

Doing all this isn't going to...

Zenta?

We'll come by to ask you some questions later.

Please head outside.

Sure.

Even if he did just die alone, we will be investigating the scene,

so please make sure not to move anything.

Who knows?

If it was in a closet, no one would've noticed.

That doll looked like it was about the size of the late Tsubasa-kun.

There were rumors that he was making it to take his grandson's place.

And...

there are people saying they've seen something resembling that doll

heading down to the ocean at night.

That makes it sound like...

that doll either embodied Tsubasa-kun's soul

or is moving around through Zenta-san's will.

You know...

Doesn't it remind you of Pinocchio?

In that story, a puppet named Pinocchio, made by an old man,

was given a soul by a fairy or something,

and in the end, turns into a real human boy.

Pinocchio, eh?

Maybe that's what Zenta-san was going for,

since he gave that doll a really long nose.

All the more reason it seems like it might just start moving around like Pinocchio.

So you're saying the doll is carrying out Zenta's will

and k*lling a bunch of fish in the middle of the night.

Pinocchio never had powers like that.

Maybe not, but...

Also, the Pinocchio you're talking about is the movie Pinocchio.

In the original novel, The Adventures of Pinocchio...

Anyway, the original isn't such a heartwarming story.

A doll that was left behind moving on its own,

k*lling people and causing disasters,

is something that happens in plenty of ghost stories and horror movies.

The rumors you heard about the doll walking around probably resulted from the fact

that you knew Zenta was making a doll

and linking that with all of the fish dying.

Don't you go saying this in front of other people.

Of course I won't! That's why I'm talking to you, Tae-san.

But...

If we don't do anything about that doll,

I have a bad feeling that something awful might happen.

Zenta's curse, eh?

So Zenta couldn't sully his own hands,

but you think he'd let his doll do his dirty work.

We can at least get him pardoned, saying that the doll acted on its own accord.

What an awful thought.

Start preparing a purification ritual.

I'm sure it'd be hard to get the town's budget to cover that,

so I'll go ahead and cover it for you.

Make sure you prepare all the bells and whistles.

Electroshock Pinocchio

Hello. Welcome home.

Who was that? One of your friends?

Yes, we were enjoying a little chat.

Don't go inviting weird things over to my house.

I don't want to deal with any more ghosts or monsters.

Oh, we won't be causing you too much trouble.

I don't know if I'm happy I let you in that day or not.

Well, I was quite weakened that day,

so I am truly grateful!

Then you should've just acted like a normal cat.

Honestly, talking to me because you couldn't hold back your desire for alcohol...

Ooh! Let me have some! Please! Please!

If you're an actual bakeneko, why don't you rip me apart and take over my life?

Then I'll be able to head into the next life

and brag to my husband and kids that I d*ed in the most unusual way.

In the present day, taking over a human's life would just lead

to dealing with neighbors and paying taxes.

Quite disheartening, to say the least.

Cats are happiest when they get to laze around.

And I'm quite done with this disheartening world myself.

The only good thing about meeting you is we agreed that

if I d*ed alone, you'd immediately go let someone know.

Though, I must say that you might just outlive me, Tae-san.

So...

Do you happen to know anything about all those fish dying

and the doll Zenta made?

Doll? I haven't the slightest clue.

Just spill the beans already.

If the doll is involved, this is going to affect me, as well.

If you continue playing dumb, I won't give you any more alcohol.

B-But that's so cruel! Tae-san!

I must insist that you keep this a secret,

but I believe that doll will appear yet again tonight.

The doll by itself?

It will happen right after AM.

It will head down from the mountain to the ocean

at the same time using the same path.

Then it will appear on the beach right below your house.

What in the world?!

There are monsters everywhere!

They're inhabitants of this town.

They're all troubled by that doll, you see.

Can't you monsters talk this out on your own?

If it was reasonable at all, we wouldn't be so troubled about this.

That thing doesn't understand what we're saying and—

Tae-san! This way!

Please hurry!

The rock embedded in that thing's right hand...

It's definitely Zenta's doll.

Just how many unknowns are in this world?

Please try not to move.

We should be at a safe enough distance.

That's a gorilla!

No, that is one of our greatest allies...

Master Shojo!

And now, Okani-dono has moved in from behind!

He's fast!

Master! Dodge that!

Not even masterful teamwork between Okani-dono and Master Shojo was enough!

That doll released something from its hands.

Electricity.

That thing releases electricity without warning

at anything that comes within seven to eight meters.

If we just stay still, it won't do anything, even if we're nearby,

but the moment you move to talk to it, it'll immediately sh**t out electricity.

It's so fast that we can't even get that close to it.

We've tried to stop its destruction more than once,

but we keep getting bested by its electricity.

It appears as though it can only sh**t electricity from its right hand,

but its aim is incredibly accurate, even from far away.

Even if we can dodge and get closer to it,

if it sticks out its hand, we won't be able to get away.

If the right hand is the only problem,

couldn't you stop it if you all att*cked it at once?

Just imagining how many victims we'd lose in subduing it.

You saw what happened with that masterful teamwork earlier.

That thing is incredibly fast.

It would just dodge us and douse us with electricity, and it'd be all over.

But it is a frightening creature.

We cannot just let it be.

When it goes deep into the ocean like that,

it emits that electricity as it moves about,

and takes away countless lives with it.

Unbelievable.

Did Zenta hate this town so much

that he willed this doll to do all this?

That thing seems to dry itself off in the mountains during the day.

We don't know where it goes.

Some found the doll in the mountains and tried to get near it,

but it sh*t out electricity at them and managed to get away.

Goodness. Just how ridiculous are you supernatural creatures?

Don't lump that thing in with us!

Humans that can create such a thing are far more terrifying.

Zenta's curse...

If you monsters can't even handle it, there's nothing—

Have no fear.

We have already taken this matter to a certain someone.

Our renowned goddess of wisdom!

Our Lady of One Eye and One Leg!

Another yokai, eh?

You shall address me as "Lady."

Hey, what's that look for?

Our lady resolves any arguments or quarrels we have among ourselves,

as well as anything else.

She is the goddess of wisdom!

What's that supposed to mean? Talk about shady.

And our lady will be here tomorrow evening.

Therefore, this matter should be taken care of very soon.

On that note, Tae-san,

would it be all right if our lady stayed at your place?

You trying to turn my place into a haunted house?

Oh, no, no. Our lady has a human form.

She is quite elegant, yet quite fierce.

Elegant and fierce?

Obey me!

You're the one who knows the most about this supernatural incident, Tae-san.

We would be eternally grateful

if you could fill our lady in on all the details.

In for a penny, in for a pound, I guess.

Considering the monsters I've seen tonight,

I'm sure I won't be surprised by whatever this "our lady" looks like.

All right. I have plenty of rooms anyway.

But make sure you tell that lady of yours to bring me a gift that I'll enjoy.

My lady!

It's a pleasure to meet you.

My name is Iwanaga Kotoko. Thank you for inviting me to your home.

You're "our lady"? Not exactly what I was told to expect.

Are you a yokai in disguise?

I hate to disappoint you, but I am a human who has parents and a family register.

But if we want to get detailed,

my right eye is fake, and my left leg is a prosthetic.

And this is Sakuragawa Kuro. He will be assisting me.

It's nice to meet you.

He seems normal.

Normal?

My lady, we have been anxiously awaiting your arrival.

And since Kuro-dono is with you,

you'll be unstoppable, like the mighty Benkei.

It should be smooth sailing from here!

But before we get into that...

Don't just go exposing yourself to a human without a good reason!

You're just lucky she's kind enough not to go blabbing about you to others.

I'm sorry! Terribly sorry!

I felt as though it was safe to tell her,

and even if Tae-san were to tell others that her cat talked,

they would've just thought she'd gone senile,

and it wouldn't have been a big deal.

Well, I guess that is rather convenient.

Don't you dare. I'm not going senile.

I do beg your pardon.

Now then, let's go take care of the matter at hand.

Let's end things tonight if the doll shows up.

She sure makes it sound easy.

University will be starting up soon.

Senpai, spring break will be over soon.

That girl's in college?

Why, yes. That is what I've been told.

You should've told me that earlier!

Asking a girl like that to get me a gift...

I sound like a heartless old hag!

I did mention that she was human.

Excuse me.

Thank you for letting us stay here.

This isn't much, but please accept it.

Well, thank you...

Come on in.

This is going to take a while to explain.

To be continued