The Ones Within: Utaite Version

Chapter 35: Mimikry

"Looks like Neko didn't do a good job investigating. She was probably too excited that her friend came back.", the man sighed as he walked towards Hashiyan.

While walking he lifted his cane a bit as Hashiyan frowned slightly when he saw that there was a sword hidden in there.

Damn it... a sword in the cane? I did learn self defense in the past but using it against an old man and a small girl... I don't think I can do that., Hashiyan concluded as he sighed smiling before lifting his hands into the air.

"Looks like I've been caught~ Hey, I really did my best coming here and I don't really like to lose so what about giving me one chance?", Hashiyan suggested as the old man looked at him curiously. "A chance?", he repeated urging him to go on. "As you can see, I'm just some weird, black-haired guy who hates violence.

So how about playing a game?", Hashiyan asked as the man got more interested, his sword still ready to be pulled out. "A game which you get to choose. It can be any kind of game. If I win then please close your eyes for a minute and forget this incident.", Hashiyan explained.

"And what if you lose?", the man asked as Hashiyan just closed his eyes still smiling.

"Hm~? I don't think that will happen.", Hashiyan said confidently as the man stayed silent for a while before putting his sword completely back into the cane. "Alright, the inspection will take some time anyway. Might as well do something interesting to pass my time.", the man agreed as Hashiyan smiled triumphantly.

"Now, please follow me. I will take your words and choose a game.", the man said as he walked ahead with the girl close after him and Hashiyan looked at them for a second before following them.

They arrived into a room with white walls and wooden furnitures. The man motioned Hashiyan to sit down and walked to a drawer to take some things. He turned away for a second before coming back with a small glass bottle filled with a suspicious, turquoise liquid.

Coccalap noticed how Hashiyan stared at the bottle as he started explaining. "This is a poison that my favorite student created some time ago. If you give some drops of those to a while animal it will kill it instantly.", he said as he opened the bottle.

As soon as he did though the bottle got out of his grip and landed on the table, spilling some of the liquid. When the liquid came on the table it started to dissolve a bit as Hashiyan stared at it in slight discomfort.

"...Please don't tell me you want to poison me with tea.", Hashiyan said as the man just nodded. "Bingo~ we will prepare three cups of tea and you have to choose one of them. The chance you'll have to live is 1/3.", he said as Hashiyan could only stare at him deadpanned.

He can't be serious, can he?, Hashiyan asked himself as Coccalap closed the bottle again.

"By the way, how good do you think is your luck?", he asked as Hashiyan didn't really expect this question. "My luck? It's pretty normal, I guess.", Hashiyan answered as the man nodded satisfied with the response.

"Well, in my case, my luck is rather high. I almost experienced death so many times but whenever that was the case, it was either my student or my subordinates who suffered the consequences. I would like to test how much luck I really have... if it's good luck or actually bad luck.

And even if it ends with the very small chance that I lose with this luck I can at least die happily with the thought that I was killed by my beloved poison.", the man said having nothing much to lose. Hashiyan smiled awkwardly as he listened to Coccalap before speaking up.

"Um... is there a possibility to play another game? Like chess or monopoly or uno?", Hashiyan asked as the man smiled amused under his mask.

"You are good at all of those, aren't you? Unfortunately, that won't be happening because I want this game to be fair so you'll have to bear with it. To make the game fair, this girl here will prepare the tea.", the man said as the girl walked over to Hashiyan reaching out to take the bottle.