It didn’t take long for her to start panting. I always wake up early, since I have tons of things to do in the morning. And I run out of energy real quick, since there are tons of things I never did. Besides gym class, my only workouts were airsoft matches my brother dragged me into, so I’m as weak as I look. I have good reflexes, but I’d be awful in a marathon.
The forest’s terrain was unfriendly to a human sprinter, too, so the beast easily caught up to her. It didn’t appear to be trying very hard, either; Mitsuha figured it was just toying with her in preparation for the kill. Only the big one’s chasing me. Good thing, too, since the little ones definitely can’t climb up Colette’s tree. It wasn’t as though the larger one could, either, but Mitsuha wished she could’ve made sure by taking out one of its legs.
Gah, I’m already done for! I just need to make sure Colette gets away! she thought, but a moment later she took a wrong step, tripped, and crashed into a nearby tree. If the snarling wolf was out of the picture, it would have been right out of a slapstick comedy. Ahh, I don’t wanna die! Colette! Dad! Mom! Bro! She panicked, shrinking back against the trunk. As the wolf’s deadly fangs approached, various moments of her life flashed before her eyes.
Colette’s smile, Mitsuha’s parents, her big brother… He’d doted on her and taught her all sorts of things. She had loved him dearly and could always rely on him no matter how much of an…eccentric he was. It had always annoyed her how much he loved using one-liners he got from novels, and how smug he looked whenever he said the perfect line at the perfect time. But right now, in the face of death, she wondered what he’d say.
In the end, all that emerged from her lips was a loud, shrill “BRO-O-O-O-O-O!”
At that moment, Mitsuha vanished. The wolf, with its jaws still open, rammed its head into the tree. After writhing in pain for a bit, it stood up and whipped its head from side to side in utter confusion.
With a thud, Mitsuha fell onto a bed. She’d materialized out of nowhere about one foot above it, and the place she was in now left her dumbfounded. Not because it was unknown to her─far from it. She instantly recognized that she was in her own house. Specifically, she was sitting in her brother Tsuyoshi’s bedroom.
Before she could even think about why she’d ended up in his room and not her own, her body sprung off the bed. She knew her brother’s room inside and out. Her legs walked her to the desk, and her hand made its way into the second drawer.
Huh? Umm, this is Tsuyoshi’s room, right? Where’s the wolf? Was it all a dream? What about Colette? she wondered, left far behind as her supreme reflexes took over. It was now “Spex,” not Mitsuha, who was in control.
Whenever she couldn’t spare time to think and every single second was critical, her body sprang into action. It ran along like a well-oiled machine as her thoughts inched their way to the present.
Um… I’m still wearing shoes, there’s leaves on my clothes, and I’m a mess in general, so…it wasn’t a dream? That means Colette is still… Mitsuha tried to steady her reeling mind; meanwhile, her fingers located a small nylon bag full of tiny pellets, tore it open, and poured the contents into her right pocket. The pellets were heavier than they looked, especially in these quantities.
Her arms wrested an object from one of the bookshelves, then thrust it into her belt. It was a Falcon II slingshot. Though it looked like a toy at first glance, it could deal as much damage as a .22 caliber pistol. Tsuyoshi had trained her to wield it, and she was a decent shot.
Next, she opened a glass case, took out a gorgeous piece of metal, and shoved it into her pocket. It was a knife─the Gerber Folding Sportsman II. As her eyes fell upon it, Mitsuha remembered her brother’s words: “I heard there’s some country where every boy gets a folding knife from his dad on his tenth birthday. The elegant form! The glimmering metal! The threatening aura only real weapons have!” He’d made it sound like the best thing since sliced bread, but really, it was a pretty standard folding knife.
Mitsuha’s legs carried her down the stairs and into the kitchen. Her hands took over once more, pulling a carving knife out of a drawer near the sink. Sashimi knives were sharper and longer, but they probably wouldn’t have made it through wolf hide without breaking, so carving knives were the more reliable choice. After the blade was wrapped in a cloth for safety, it too went into her belt. Her trusty hands then grabbed a three-foot-long kitchen towel, folded it in half, and set it on the floor. After she had filled it with spices such as pepper, shichimi, and chili, she rolled it up and tucked it in her left pocket.
How’d I get here from the woods, anyway? No, forget it─right now I need to save Colette! But how? Wait, I was calling out for my brother and ended up in his room. Does that mean I can, like, wish myself places? In that case, I need to get something that can take out the wolves.
But it was too late─her body had already done the job. Before Mitsuha realized it, she’d finished preparing everything she thought she needed. After she checked to make sure her reflexes hadn’t faltered or missed anything important, her thoughts were finally caught up. Mitsuha called this phase “Acknowledgment.”
Can I really go back? Should I go back? Will this stuff be enough against those wolves? I might die for real this time! I’m back in Japan now, safe and sound! Why should I go?! What reason do I have?! Suddenly, Mitsuha recalled her brother again and wondered what he’d say about all of this.
She realized she’d made a mistake, but it was too late; his way-too-smug words were already resounding in her head. “Hmm? Dear sister, do you really need a reason to rescue a cutie in trouble?” All right, all right, you’ve got a point! Jeez, Bro. Pipe down, you’re such a pain in the ass… But I still love you, damn it!
Mitsuha appeared in the forest again and immediately slammed her forehead into a tree─far from a smooth return. Looking around, she saw no sign of her canine assailant. It must’ve run back to Colette, so time was of the essence. There was also no wind, so she had to be careful not to make too much sound. Colette’s still fine, I’m sure of it. They can’t climb that tree, right?
She dashed back to where she had left Colette, ignoring the sharp brush scraping at her skin, but covering the distance took longer than it had during her initial diversion. Once she arrived, she hid behind a nearby tree. The four wolves were barking up at Colette. She looked terrified but otherwise unscathed. Mitsuha took the folding knife out of her pocket, unfolded the blade, and carefully slipped it into her belt. She then took the slingshot in her left hand and used her right to prepare some pellets.
These pellets were made of steel, which was a bit unusual considering lead was the standard for slingshot ammo. According to Tsuyoshi, “Those are cheap and easy to mass-produce, making them perfect for airsoft. And they’re heavy, but not hard enough to bounce off─meaning they sting like hell. But these babies are made of steel! Fire one of these off up close and you’ll pierce right through your target. It’s the manliest ammo there is!”
Mitsuha did have lead pellets, but since she was up against thick hide, she sided with her brother’s fervent babbling. Loading one steel pellet in the slingshot, she thrust the frame forward and pulled back as far as she could. Mitsuha may have seemed weak on the outside, but that was only due to her size. She was strong enough to pull the tense rubber; her only real limit was reach. Of course, that meant her shots would be weaker than, say, Tsuyoshi’s. She would probably have to hit a weak spot to one-shot the adult wolf, and could only hope its young weren’t nearly as tough. Tsuyoshi also owned a crossbow, but she’d never used it before, and reloading it probably took a lot of time. So, she─or Spex, perhaps─had chosen not to take it.
Mitsuha did her best to aim carefully, but her hands were shaking so much she just chose to let go. She heard the whistle of the pellet flying through the air, then a shrill yelp as one of the smaller wolves collapsed.
D-Did I hit it in the head? There aren’t any muscles there, so I guess it either pierced through the skull or at least gave it a concussion.
Her shot had actually been intended for the adult. After all, it was the greatest threat present, so she wanted to at least weaken it. Then again, taking one out was good enough. Much better than missing, anyway. The big wolf had no idea why its offspring had collapsed, so it just ran around it, thoroughly puzzled. Yes, it’s still my turn!
She carefully prepared and fired a second pellet. This one hit the adult, but only on its right thigh. It didn’t hurt the animal whatsoever, and of course the now-alert beast had its eyes on her. If looks could kill, its glare would’ve made her drop dead instantly. The young wolves noticed where the adult─most likely their mother─was looking, and dashed toward Mitsuha. Their mama looked bewildered for a second, then just stood in place, allowing her young to go in for the kill. She still assumed Mitsuha was a helpless child.
Mitsuha quickly fired a third pellet. This one missed. Can’t expect to hit every time. She clicked her tongue in frustration as she prepared the fourth shot─probably the last before they came too close. She felt herself beginning to panic, but the distance the wolves had closed made her last shot more accurate and powerful. Smack! One of the two remaining juveniles collapsed. She’d hit its throat─a true weak spot.