The red mist in his mind seemed to have lost control. It curled up in a corner of his consciousness, motionless.
Aikawa Yumi had traded her life for his chance to survive.
"You crazy woman..."
Naoki's voice squeezed out of his throat, choked with barely restrained sobs.
"Who told you to do that..."
"I haven't forgiven you yet... I haven't even... had a proper conversation with you..."
"What gave you the right to just die like that..."
He held her, repeating the words again and again, as if talking to himself, or perhaps pouring his heart out to the person in his arms.
After a long while, Naoki began to tire. An overwhelming exhaustion swept over him.
He gently laid Aikawa Yumi's body down and staggered to his feet.
Only then did he take in his surroundings.
The deepest part of the cave was stark and simple. There was only a three-tiered red wooden altar. On the bottom tier were several statues of children. Above them sat the Buddha statue he had dreamed of, its hands forming a lotus mudra. And on the top tier...
Naoki's mind was in a daze. The Great Black Buddha Mother's true form, the thing being transmitted to him, was actually this!
On the altar's top tier sat a fleshy hole, with a discarded red bridal veil beside it.
Forcing himself not to look at that nightmare-red veil, Naoki turned his gaze to the fleshy hole.
According to Aikawa Yumi, the Great Black Buddha Mother's true form lay deep within this cave. And now, it seemed that the thing on the highest tier of the altar was it.
Perhaps Aikawa Yumi had injured the Buddha Mother's true form with her weapon. A gash had split open in the fleshy hole, which writhed incessantly as blood