About twenty minutes after Miyamoto duels Celeste once more, wandering the library.

  Sleet and lightning were booming outside, and while that occurred, I was looking around for anything about this Yūgen, anything to get out of here.

  Violet and Bear are doing fine. They staying in V’s little living quarters that he never used. That man has not slept or eaten since we gotten here. I don’t care; he can do whatever he wants, but it’s unnerving to see… I don’t know… I've seen him maybe once or twice without his coat on, and he looked like a six-foot-three skeleton with those fucking scarred arms.

  I spend more time with Miyamoto. When V fucking died (or something) for around six months. Leaving Miyamoto, Violet, Bear, and, of course, me. Miyamoto was and still is a quiet guy who just trains, hunts a good amount, and bounty hunts for coin. He never brought up what happened to V; still hasn’t. Probably never brought it up the two of them.

  I was pretty far back in the library and found this book not about Yūgen, but it looked interesting. I think I couldn’t read any of it due to the whole book being in some ancient dialect. There wasn’t even a cover, just some cardboard and cloth.

  V would likely find a way to read the thing.

  Taking the five other books that had brought up something about Yūgen back with me to the front.

  While I was walking past some of the tables, I overheard students talking about these two teachers called Nobunaga and Nishida. The two disappeared one night, and the headmaster hasn’t said a word about it.

  Odd.

  As I was walking forward, I heard a familiar voice, a voice I had grown accustomed to. Infecting another poor soul with his madness.

  “Socrates… I drink that, that damn hemlock… I, uh, shot this girl one, woman I guess. Name um,... Joan. Shot her in the head, left a small round hole in her skull. Brain matter and gore was spilled all… Was the death of her necessary? Maybe if I had let her go she would of started the same shit again or would have come for my skull. Why… Why, why should I care… Why should I fucking care?”

  “Mr. V, I just said it’s your turn.”

  “Bishop to a5.”

  “V, shouldn’t you be studying that pool of water?”

  Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

  “One hundred books.

  Over a hundred books I’ve read.

  Anything that dared held a word that brought water to mind I’ve read, taken notes from.

  My chest, as if these tomes of man were dense meals, has tightened.

  Through this game with Yuto, I’m consuming the knowledge I now hold and creating new links.”

  “Why are you talking like that?” I asked.

  “He said he hasn’t slept in 64 hours, and said in his own words that “if you don’t get enough sleep, then your brain starts “pickling” or becomes “soap”.”

  “You're that somewhat awkward and nice guy from the first time I came here. Uhh, Yuto, right?”

  “That’s me.

  Pawn to D5.”

  “Hmmm.”

  “So, what’s a type of guy like yourself doing with this crime-agisted existence?”

  “As I brought the first time we met my good friend Takeshi, and this girl named Yuki was helping me study. Well, Takeshi lost to me in this duel we had in Sensei Musashi's class, so he is training back in his room…”

  “Pawn to D4.”

  “Right, Mr. V.”

  Yuto moved his other pawn next to the other one, which was out.

  “And Yuki’s girlfriend, Mitsuki, wanted to do something with Yuki. So I’m playing a game of chess with my teacher.”

  “Teacher, I’m no teacher. A teacher teaches were a madman… A madman just raves, and I merely rave, so what you need, Celeste?

  Pawn to E3”

  “I found another five books about Yūgen. Only got to skim these, though. Most of them are old travel logs and similar things… I also found this weird-ass book.” I toss the book over to V. “Though you may find it interesting.”

  Checking the book, V started to flip through the pages, taking a sip from his flask while doing it.

  “...Someone had pen notes within here, possibly someone’s.

  The language is a bit peculiar, but it seems to hold a candle for the cult's tongue.

  I’ll look into it.”

  “Well, I’m heading to the study room now and take a look at what I got.”

  “I’ll be up soon, kid.”

  “Sure.”

  “...Miyamoto should be heading there as well soon.”

  “Okay, bye.”

  “Yeah, see you.”

  “Bishop to a5”

  “...damn.”

  I walked away from two. V's breath reeked of evil, really; not much of a description, but whatever sits in that flask of his just can't be good. Reaching the second floor and opened the door, finding Miyamoto sitting on a wooden stool. He was studying an old, beat-up book that once lay within the pile on the wooden table in the middle of the room. A few book stacks upon each were perched next to him.

  “Hey, Miyamoto.”

  “Hello, Celeste.”

  “V is playing chess with Yuto.”

  “Yes, I saw.”

  “Okay… I found more books; when I passed by, I threw an old, somewhat destroyed book to him that had some odd language in it.”

  “Hmm, it seems that V will be getting even less sleep than he already is.”

  “I thought he hadn’t slept at all.”

  “You are correct, Celeste, but he always finds a way to screw himself over.”

  “Oh, yeah, maybe he be to busy to even drink from his flask.”

  “Nothing would stop him from doing that.”

  With that I sat across from Miyamoto, laying my books down, and started to study my pile.