Pathway to Japanese Literature

This is the greatest terror the world has ever known!

South of Chichijima

“Hey there, Boy. Has this steamship gone and lost its gasoline ration coupons or something?”

“Gasoline ration coupons? I beg your pardon?” The steward, still holding an aluminum tray carrying a liquor bottle, looked at me—slouching limply against the railing—with an exasperated expression, “I do apologize for the inconvenience.” “After all, this steamship isn’t some jitney taxi—we don’t use gasoline or anything like that, so…” As if I’d been waiting for that opening, I retorted.

“But you said this steamship was supposed to depart at nine o’clock this morning—look, it’s nearly eleven now and there’s still no sign of leaving! So could it be those gasoline coupons after all…” “Now, now—please don’t say any more,” said the steward, making as if to cover my mouth with his free hand. “No—you’re absolutely right. The departure was suddenly delayed due to… certain circumstances.”

“What’s the reason?” “I haven’t heard a thing!” I snapped. “Well, you see…” “That’s inexcusable.” “You see, the reason is—” The steward suddenly cut himself off mid-sentence, pointed past the railing toward the pier, and exclaimed, “Ah! That very reason has now appeared over there.” “Look! They’re coming up the bridge right now.” With that, the steward snickered and made a lewd grin.

“What? The bridge—!” I twisted my body to look toward the bridge. A muffled “Oh!” escaped my lips. Could they be father and daughter? That was my first thought. A portly elderly gentleman—likely in his sixties—was being supported by a young woman in a beautifully tailored pink Western-style dress as they ascended the bridge.

That elderly gentleman’s face looked familiar somehow. However, instead of recalling that, my attention was stolen by the young woman standing beside him.

(She’s stunning.) Having departed Tokyo Bay and traveled across this desolate sea—devoid of Ginza’s bustling avenues—all the way to Chichijima near the southern tip of the Ogasawara Islands, any young woman might have seemed beautiful under such circumstances. Yet even without such allowances, she was undeniably stunning. “Who are those latecomers?” I asked the steward without taking my eyes off her.

“That is the renowned Dr. Todoroki known for his Mars research. Are you not acquainted with him, Mr. Ōsumi?” When told this, I immediately understood. That’s right—it was Dr. Todoroki, who indeed maintained an observatory in Hino on Tokyo’s outskirts. “The rest of the doctor’s party besides those two are already properly aboard this steamship. However, when the doctor was suddenly taken ill this morning while departing the inn, that’s why the boarding was delayed.”

“Is that lady Dr. Todoroki’s daughter?” “Well now, who can say? I’m afraid I couldn’t say, but if I may be so bold—she’s quite a looker, isn’t she? Heh heh heh...” The steward made another lewd grin and walked away toward the deck. From inside the ship, four or five young men appeared to welcome Dr. Todoroki and, taking over from the young woman, carried him inside. I felt a twinge of envy toward those men.

However, when Dr. Todoroki and that beautiful woman passed by my cabin and entered the adjacent room immediately afterward, I must confess my heart began pounding with unexpected joy. Though I should note—when that woman passed before me, she walked by with an annoyingly haughty air. The ship had already begun moving through the waves without my noticing. At last, we were leaving Futami Port on Chichijima behind and hastening toward our destination—Karyo Island.

Karyo Island! That was indeed my place of assignment. I—Ōsumi Keizō, B.S.—was now en route to my new post at the earthquake observatory on Karyo Island. At that observatory, my senior colleague Iijima had been engaged in observing submarine earthquakes, but he had recently met with an unfortunate sudden death. Since the observations couldn’t be neglected even for a single day, I was hastily dispatched.

Karyo Island was said to be a truly desolate little place, quite contrary to its name. I had volunteered for the assignment out of sympathy for my mentor’s predicament—as none of my colleagues would go—and the reckless impulsiveness of youth. However, even before the steamship reached Chichijima, I had already been seized by a longing to return to Tokyo and stroll through Ginza; from that point onward, I remained thoroughly dispirited—yet here on this very Chichijima, I never anticipated I would regain my vigor unexpectedly thanks to that woman.

They were probably going to land on Karyo Island as well, given how things looked. When I thought that, I couldn’t help feeling as though I had boarded a treasure ship bound for paradise. Yet this proved a grievous miscalculation—for only much later did I finally realize I had in fact boarded a hell-bound ship of fate destined to meet with horrors beyond imagining.

A deck swept by a cool breeze.

“Ah! You’re Professor Kaseya’s disciple, then?”

It was the following morning. Seated side by side on rattan chairs on the cool deck, Dr. Todoroki made his remark in a loud voice befitting an energetic man. They had already finished exchanging self-introductions. “Kaseya attended the same middle school as I did—though I was four years his senior—and I know him well.” “I’d been studying Mars since back then, but he—even though he was just a kid—would always badmouth me.” “‘If you keep staring at Mars like that, you’ll get yourself kidnapped by Martians one of these days!’—he’d say things like that—spiteful remarks.” “Ha ha ha!”

As I was rocked by the waves in mid-Pacific, I had never dreamed I would hear tales of my mentor’s boyhood. “Doctor, is this another research trip about Mars?” “What’s this? You ask strange questions!” “No—if I’m wrong, please forgive me.”

“Ha ha ha! Different? Far from it! I absolutely never travel or spend money on anything unrelated to Mars. Don’t you know? On this May 18th, Mars makes its closest approach to Earth. Therefore, taking that opportunity, I must conduct various intriguing observations. If that weren’t the case, I wouldn’t waste money and time going to some backwater like Karyo Island, I tell you!”

“Ah! So your party is heading to Karyo Island after all, just like me, Doctor?” In my excessive joy, I inadvertently exclaimed in a loud voice, causing Dr. Todoroki to goggle his eyes behind his glasses.

“I’m sorry to interrupt your conversation, but—”

It was her voice. I was startled. What a wonderful perfume—the scent emanating from her body stirred my innards. “Hmm, what is it, Shimizu?” “Would this be the briefcase you instructed me to bring earlier?”

“Ah, that’s the one.” “Put it there.” “On that chair—” “Yes, then I’ll place it there.” She nodded politely to me and returned to the cabin. I was seized by the impulse to chase after her from behind and bring her back. “Might that lady be your daughter, Doctor?” I mustered my courage and fired off a crucial question. “Who?” “Ah, that woman?” “That is Shimizu, the Bachelor of Science, who works as my assistant.”

An assistant? Shimizu, Bachelor of Science—Ah, now that I thought about it, I did recall seeing her name appearing alongside the Doctor’s in newspapers from time to time.

Dr. Todoroki, utterly unconcerned with the turmoil in my heart, “Hey, you. “Even if you study earthquakes, you’ll never become a great scholar if you keep swallowing Kaseya’s theories whole like that. “Even Kaseya himself is no exception. “Despite me taking the trouble to offer advice all along, because he doesn’t make use of that advice, he remains a mediocre scholar to this day.” Dr. Todoroki bluntly stated what he wanted to say and maintained a composed expression. Being told bad things about my mentor, I was not calm inside.

“What exactly was this advice you mentioned earlier for Professor Kaseya?” “That matter?” “That is—” began the Doctor, cutting himself short. “Since you’re one of Kaseya’s disciples, even if I told you, you likely wouldn’t grasp it.” “Lately I’ve altered my methods—unlike before, I no longer waste breath on futile explanations.” “Instead, I now seize tangible evidence and declare, ‘Here—look at this! See for yourself!’”

“Then, is this trip also for you to take photographs of things like the Martian canals and actually show them to us?” “Martian canals? “Ha ha ha! The idea of Martian ‘canals’ is preposterous! “The notion that there are canals on Mars likely stems from people mistaking the black streaks visible on its surface for canals, but that is a grave error. “Mars is not some uncivilized planet where they need ships or similar vessels for transportation. “Those who smugly expound the canal theory based on earthly common sense are nothing but utter fools who don’t know their place.”

Dr. Todoroki’s tone carried such forcefulness that it belied his elderly appearance. “Then what exactly are those black streaks resembling canals?” I couldn’t refrain from asking.

“Well. Even if I were to explain what those black streaks are, you still wouldn’t believe me. As I said earlier, I’ve decided to stop talking for now and instead bring something tangible before Earth’s people—look, this is Martian culture. Well? Even after seeing this, you still don’t believe me? That’s what I want to say!”

Martian culture! Mars wasn’t some uncivilized planet where they needed ship-like vessels for transportation! Within Dr. Todoroki’s words lay a secret reality he sensed boded ill for humankind on Earth.

What exactly did the Doctor know?

The Secret of Mars When the eccentric Dr. Todoroki showed an attitude of deliberately avoiding speaking about Mars' secrets, I conversely could not bear not to extract that information by any means necessary. Moreover, I even felt there was no opportunity to hear about it outside this very moment.

“Dr. Todoroki.” “Earlier when you spoke—if I may—I sensed an implication that we seismologists must factor Mars into our considerations to avoid errors... Is there no mistake in that?” I had particular thoughts weighing on my mind and deliberately adopted an indirect manner of speaking.

“There is absolutely no error in my words. Kaseya did not believe it. That man is a greater fool than he appears.” “But Dr., I can’t believe it either. Why would Earth’s submarine earthquakes have any connection to Mars? If they’re connected to Mars, shouldn’t they be more likely connected to the Moon instead—it’s much closer to Earth!” “Don’t talk nonsense—are there living creatures on the Moon? That isn’t even a question.”

“Then does that mean there are living creatures on Mars?” I seized the moment and pressed in decisively.

Dr.Todoroki groaned，"Hmm…" He had struck a nerve. My heart pounded like a rapid bell.

“Indeed, living creatures inhabit Mars.” “Where there are living creatures, there’s culture as well.” “Well then, I’ll tell you one thing.” “Regarding those black streaks called ‘Martian canals’ you mentioned earlier—my research shows they’re power transmission lines.” “If we on Earth sought something comparable, it would be like our power cables or gas pipelines.” “But Mars doesn’t use electricity or gas as power sources.” “They employ a certain force hundreds of millions of times greater than those.” “Well? Do you grasp this?”

Dr. Todoroki said something outlandish. Could a power source hundreds of millions of times more powerful than electricity or gas truly exist in this universe? I was so taken aback that I struggled to respond, and then the Doctor spoke again. “Why do you think those power transmission lines form a network?” “That’s to gather power to one place whenever necessary.” “At the intersections where those transmission lines converge from all directions, an enormous power—beyond what our human species could ever conceive—gathers.”

“What do Martian organisms use such an enormous power source for?”

“That’s the issue.” “The problem lies in its usage.” “According to my observations, they do not yet appear to have completed construction of the transmission lines.” “When they complete the transmission lines, even I cannot fathom what purpose they will serve.” After saying, “However, I can say this,” Dr. Todoroki then made a grave face and continued, “The concentration of such enormous power is far too vast by orders of magnitude to be used solely for sustaining life on Mars.” “According to my calculations, the system is designed to concentrate an immense power source at those intersections instantaneously—one so vast that Martian organisms couldn’t deplete it even over a thousand years.” “Even though I don’t fully grasp the reason when I think about that, it sends shivers down my spine, I tell you.”

Dr. Todoroki’s complexion turned ashen in the warm air, like someone who had just emerged from an icehouse.

The inscrutable mystery of Mars’ “canals”! I, too, found myself somehow drawn in by the Doctor, and a chill ran down my back. “So, Dr., does that mean Martian organisms are far more intelligent than we humans on Earth?” “Of course they are. Therefore, our Earthly academia advancing research while ignoring the existence of Martian organisms is futile. Unless you account for Martian power in your seismology studies as well, it will lead to utterly wrong conclusions.” As he said this, Dr. Todoroki wiped the sweat beading on his forehead with a handkerchief and continued, “Ah—I’ve let myself talk too much. I shall stop speaking here. Perhaps through Karyo Island’s observational results, this time I may finally show humanity something truly astonishing. When that time comes, I’ll share another fascinating story with you.”

After that, Dr. Todoroki fell completely silent. Then Dr. Todoroki took out the documents he had been sitting on, faced the sea, and began reading intently. Having lost my conversational partner, I had no choice but to sit beside the Doctor and, while gazing at the glaring sea, began mentally reviewing the uncanny Martian secrets we had discussed. But before long, I began to feel drowsy and drifted into a light sleep.

I don’t know how long I slept, but some noise abruptly woke me. As my mind cleared, I became aware of metallic clinks from a briefcase beside me. I instinctively turned toward the sound. Dr. Todoroki sat with his back to me, rummaging through his briefcase. Most items appeared to be academic papers yellowed with age and handling. My eyes followed his movements as he methodically stacked documents, nearly closing the case—then paused abruptly. He patted his coat pocket, produced a heavy pistol, and clenched it in his fist.

When I saw that, I was astonished to the point where my heart stopped. Somehow, I felt as if the muzzle of that pistol was about to be pointed at me at any moment.

But that anxiety proved groundless. Dr. Todoroki quietly slipped the pistol beneath the documents, closed the briefcase lid, and snapped its clasps shut. I let out a sigh of relief.

Mysterious Incidents on Karyo Island

The steamship dropped us off at Karyo Island and hurriedly headed out to sea.

The desolate landscape of Karyo Island seemed only to intensify the turmoil within me. In contrast, I realized that Shimizu Sachiko—the beautiful scientist with whom I had grown close enough to converse familiarly aboard the steamship since then—had become even more precious. Since I began conducting observations on the island, Sachiko always timed it perfectly—whenever I docked the observation boat at the shore in the evening—and came to greet me at the water’s edge without fail.

It was about a week after I had arrived on Karyo Island.

That evening, as the observation boat approached the coast, Sachiko’s nimble Western-clad figure emerged from behind the hill. “Welcome back, Mr. Ōsumi.” As I disembarked from the boat, Sachiko darted to my side and said, “Today’s observation went smoothly despite the waves.” “It must have been tough.” As Sachiko said this and approached with a smile on sunburned cheeks, I found all the day’s hardships vanishing at once.

“Ms. Sachiko.” “You’ll be pleased to hear.” “Today I managed to record a remarkably significant submarine earthquake.” “It was utterly astonishing.” “The seabed around here experiences constant minor quakes.” “Goodness, how astonishing!” “So have you determined why those submarine earthquakes occur?” “Oh, not at all.” “The main institute is conducting full-scale discussions about that conclusion, but it remains unresolved.” “Solving it through my efforts alone would be impossible.”

“Mr. Ōsumi, you once considered the influence of Mars, haven’t you?” “Huh? The influence of Mars? Ahaha, so you’re part of Dr. Todoroki’s camp too, aren’t you? No, Mars and submarine earthquakes are completely unrelated,” I said, though at that moment, a strange feeling suddenly came over me.

“But… Wait—since investigating various causes of these submarine earthquakes hasn’t yielded answers—maybe I need to research whether Martian influence could be involved.”

“But wait—since investigating various causes of these submarine earthquakes hasn’t clarified anything—maybe I need to research whether Martian influence could be involved.” “Hohohoho. You’ve finally fallen under our teacher’s spell, Mr. Ōsumi—hohohoho!”

Sachiko laughed uproariously, as though greatly amused.

“Ahahaha! It seems I’ve finally become a Martian captive, haven’t I? But when living on a remote island like this with your Martian relatives, it’s bound to happen, isn’t it? No—the fact that I haven’t been devoured by Martian creatures yet might be the only stroke of luck here.”

I had meant it as a jest. To top it off, I had expected Sachiko to burst into soft, lilting laughter, but that hope was dashed—her laughter never came.

I raised my eyes and looked toward Sachiko. At that moment, I thought, Huh? Sachiko had, for some reason, suddenly turned pale, her lips quivering uncontrollably. “Ms. Sachiko, what’s wrong?” “Are you feeling unwell somewhere?” Sachiko shook her head wildly from side to side, dismissing it. “Th-then what’s wrong?”

“Shh—” Sachiko placed her index finger on her lips and gestured for silence. I nodded in understanding, but unease abruptly tightened around my heart.

*Let’s go over there.* Sachiko’s eyes said as much. We walked shoulder to shoulder toward the hill where a towering palm tree stood. The setting sun clung to the western horizon, blazing obstinately as it dyed the sprawling hills blood-red. "What in the world is wrong, Ms. Sachiko?"

I could no longer bear it and called out to Sachiko. “Well, you see, it’s something really strange and terrifying.”

With that, she cautiously looked around her surroundings and stopped speaking.

“Huh? What’s so strange and terrifying?”

“Well, you see—I’m only going to tell you.” “Don’t tell anyone, absolutely.” “And don’t tell the Doctor either.” “Yes, I won’t tell a soul—if you say not to.” “What in the world happened?”

Sachiko walked in silence across the sandy ground for a while but suddenly clung to my waist,

“I saw where the corpses were buried, Mr. Ōsumi.” “What do you mean, corpses?”

I was startled. However, the terror I felt at that moment was still nothing compared to what was to come. “And where are those corpses buried?” “In the sandy area right behind the hut where I’m staying—at the base where three coconut trees are clustered together.” “I wonder what happened here. That place might be a burial mound or something where the locals buried a dead person, don’t you think?” “No, no, that’s not it,” Sachiko said, clinging tighter to my arm, “Mr. Ōsumi—those corpses had their arms and legs torn apart as if dissected.”

“What? Dismembered corpses?” I was so shocked I stopped breathing. “That’s right—they’re dismembered corpses.” “I... I can’t stand this!” “What should we do?” “What do you mean, ‘what should we do’?—” I didn’t know what to do either. Who would bury dismembered corpses in a place like that? “Why haven’t you reported that to the Doctor?” “The Doctor would investigate and take care of it for us.” “Well, you see, Mr. Ōsumi,” she said with a deeply troubled expression, “the Doctor has been acting rather strangely lately.” “That’s why I couldn’t possibly bring myself to mention such things to him.”

“What? Dr. Todoroki is acting strange?” “How exactly is he acting strange?”

I asked in return, but at that moment, something flashed through my mind like lightning—the pistol I had seen Dr. Todoroki carrying on the deck earlier. Could he have killed someone with that weapon? What motive could there be for murder on this remote, isolated island? Or was this simply my own overactive imagination?

Cannibal Demon

According to Sachiko’s account, the usually composed Dr. Todoroki had been acting restlessly for the past two or three days. And he had suddenly started forgetting things. When observed closely, he would slur his speech strangely and at times stare fixedly at Sachiko with a truly inexplicable look.

As I listened to such talk, my suspicion that Dr. Todoroki was involved in murder grew increasingly stronger.

“Hey, Ms. Sachiko.” “Do you know who was killed?” “Well,” she said, shaking her head, “I was so startled when I caught a glimpse of the corpse that I just left the spot right away.” “I don’t know whose corpse it is or anything like that.”

“Hmm,” I groaned, adopting a detective-like tone. With complete seriousness, I recalled every Sherlock Holmes detective novel I’d ever avidly read, tilting my head as I wondered whether any contained clues applicable to this situation.

Eventually, I pulled Sachiko closer and asked.

“Well, has anyone gone missing recently?”

“Someone who went missing?” “Well, as for someone like that—” She had gotten that far when—startled by something—Sachiko suddenly let out a cry and widened her eyes like saucers. “What’s wrong?” “Ms. Sachiko.” “When you figure it out, please tell me.”

“Ah, what should we do?” she cried out, clinging to my chest. “It’s Maria. Maria hasn’t shown up anywhere today.” “Oh Maria.” “It was that girl’s corpse.”

“Who is Maria?” “She’s the native maid who takes care of the Doctor and me.” “Oh, what should we do?” “That such a gentle, kind girl was killed—who could have done such a thing?” “Even if the murderer were sentenced to death, I could never forgive them.”

Sachiko seemed utterly convinced that Maria had been murdered. While desperately suppressing my shock, I hurriedly tried to construct a formula in my mind. Dr. Todoroki shot the maid Maria with a pistol, dismembered her corpse, and buried it in the back. Could such a thing really be possible? What could possibly be the motive for this murder? I simply couldn’t accept that the gentle Doctor would commit murder. Or perhaps there lay an unimaginably unexpected motive hidden there—one that defied all reason—but at present, I still had no idea what it could be.

Looking back later, I think it would have been best had I gone straight to the burial site then to investigate how many victims there were. Yet unaware of this course, I resolved to search the Doctor’s room instead. This was driven by my desire to find the pistol Dr. Todoroki had stored in his briefcase. If he had committed murder, I reasoned there might be evidence—fewer bullets remaining or gunpowder residue staining the barrel.

When I asked Sachiko whether Dr. Todoroki was in his cabin, she informed me he had finished preparing earlier and left for town. I now knew with certainty the Doctor was away. Seeing my chance, I resolved to sneak into the cabin. Sachiko proposed that until my investigation concluded and we reached some judgment about Dr. Todoroki’s conduct, she should avoid returning to the cabin and stay with colleagues instead. Naturally agreeing to this plan, I promised we’d meet again before parting ways with her.

Unintentionally, I found myself emulating a detective and embarking on an adventure. As I approached the cabin—though evening gloom had already darkened the surroundings—not a single light burned within. It became conclusively clear that the Doctor was absent. I successfully climbed through the window and infiltrated the building. Stepping heavily across the sepulchrally silent interior, I advanced step by step toward the Doctor’s room, though my mental state remained far from ideal. Even with Dr. Todoroki gone, I couldn’t dispel the notion that some murderous monstrosity beyond my imagining lurked within those walls, poised to come roaring at me any instant.

Indeed, I couldn't help but feel that an eerie, ominous aura hung heavy within the building. However, I was able to enter the Doctor's room with unexpected ease. The room spanned about thirty-three square meters, with boxes containing various instruments haphazardly lining every corner. Moreover, reference books and notebooks were piled high on the table. On the wall hung the Doctor's helmet-shaped hat.

The briefcase I was targeting proved difficult to find. For a moment I despaired—had Dr. Todoroki taken it with him when he went out?—but as I kept searching every corner, I discovered the briefcase hidden behind a large empty crate that had been unpacked.

With my heart pounding, I hurriedly pulled out the briefcase, placed it on the desk, and opened it. The lock wasn’t engaged. Inside the briefcase were documents crammed in overlapping layers as always. From beneath them, I finally pulled out the pistol I recognized. Without delay, I broke open the pistol and inspected the bullets.

"Huh—not a single bullet was missing," I thought. My expectations had been betrayed. I shone the flashlight’s beam into the pistol’s muzzle only to find its interior spotless.

"This is strange..." "The pistol hasn't been fired even once recently!" While feeling disappointed, I couldn't help but feel relieved that Dr. Todoroki had been cleared of murder suspicion. But the case had reached a dead end. Realizing this wouldn't do, I began meticulously examining the contents of the Doctor's briefcase once more. Then, from the very bottom of the briefcase, a notebook emerged. The notebook had a torn cover. And scrawled across it were the words "Posthumous Notes."

Posthumous Notes Posthumous Notes?

What on earth did 'posthumous' mean here? Had Dr. Todoroki already resolved to die, with some sort of will recorded within? My curiosity reached its peak. I hurriedly flipped through the pages. The characters were scrawled in such a chaotic manner that they were barely legible. Pressing the flashlight against the page's surface, I began reading voraciously. There, the following was written.

“Posthumous Notes: Martian beings are already waging war against Earth’s humanity.” “Could their advance force have already reached Earth?” “Recent frequent small submarine earthquakes near Karyo Island—might these tremors stem from Martian vanguard vehicles colliding with Earth’s crust during arrival?” “Martian organisms differ fundamentally from our animal-evolved humanity—as advanced botanical lifeforms, they demand extreme caution through sheer cruelty.” “Moreover, though diminutive in form, they possess superior intellects, control colossal energy sources, and have completed thorough surveys of Earth’s geography and societies—truly formidable creatures.” “Their weakness lies in Martian atmospheric pressure being drastically lower than Earth’s; their physical frailty likely precludes unassisted survival here.” “This mirrors how humans cannot withstand multi-ton boulders crushing them.” “But should they develop adequate pressure-resistant vessels for planetary entry...that changes everything.”

Due to such overwhelming emotion, I found myself unable to tear my eyes from the pages for some time. What a horrifying account this was. When faced with journal entries suggesting that the Martian beings I had dismissed as impossible might already be here on Earth, it was nothing but pure terror. Truly, Martian beings might already have come to this Earth. Though the notes had warned to heed the abnormal submarine earthquakes near Karyo Island, perhaps the Martian vanguard had ridden rocket-like vehicles and submerged themselves somewhere in those very depths.

The Doctor’s notes were still continuing. I cast my eyes back down to the page to read further.

That’s when it happened. From the hut’s entrance came the disorderly clatter of approaching footsteps. There was a clattering sound of a key being turned. Oh no—Dr. Todoroki seems to have returned.

I was startled and closed the notebook. There came the sound of a door opening. Thinking this was the end, I stuffed the notebook into that briefcase and hurried outside still clutching it under my arm. Then through the still-open window, I leapt out of the hut. In Dr. Todoroki's room, the light suddenly flashed on. I swiftly positioned myself beneath the window and peered inside. There stood Dr. Todoroki and Sachiko. Why had Sachiko come back here?

The light that had just come on at that moment went out again.

“Oh, Doctor.” “Why are you turning off the light?” That was Sachiko’s voice. Her voice was clearly trembling. In response came what sounded like Dr. Todoroki’s voice, but it was an unnaturally shrivelled tone that rendered his words completely unintelligible. Then a scream—like silk being torn—rang out from inside the room.

“Ohh, Doctor... Wh-what are you doing, Doctor?!” Following that came the sound of objects breaking. A violent struggle began. I was already frantic. I jumped in through the hut’s entrance and rushed to Dr. Todoroki’s room.

“Ohh, you murderer! Heeelp! Ohh, Mr. Ōsumi!” Sachiko was letting out a scream that could tear through souls. I kicked the door open and twisted the light switch. The room flashed bright. “Doctor, have you no shame!” I shouted at full strength toward Dr. Todoroki’s back as he pressed Sachiko into the room’s corner. Dr. Todoroki jolted and turned toward me. Then he roared like a beast.

Dr. Todoroki released Sachiko and turned toward me. At the same moment, a flower vase came flying my way. The radio receiver hurtled through the air. A large table whooshed toward me. Then—as if tossing a wooden crate—he sent a motor weighing dozens of kan crashing through with terrifying ease. I cried out and twisted aside. The motor tore through the wall with a sickening crunch of splintering wood. This was no human strength.

Could this be the arm strength of a sixty-year-old man? I felt my courage crumble.

A terrible premonition. Dr. Todoroki, perhaps thinking he had missed his mark, now grabbed the iron telescope mount and came at me, whirling it around menacingly.

“Ah! Look out!”

I thought this was the end. Pressed by this monstrous strength, there was no surviving this. Before I knew it, I found myself gripping Dr. Todoroki’s pistol from the briefcase in my right hand. I finally pulled the trigger. With a roar, a single gunshot! Dr. Todoroki’s body swayed unsteadily to the side and then collapsed with a heavy thud right where he stood. “Mr. Ōsumi, you came for me.”

Sachiko clung to me. I was out of breath and couldn’t speak.

“I was almost strangled to death by the Doctor.”

“I-I… I shot Dr. Todoroki!” “It’s fine—it was self-defense!”

I approached Dr. Todoroki’s collapsed form and knelt down. I shook Dr. Todoroki’s body, but he remained stretched out like a doll. There was a single, clean bullet hole in his chest. Dr. Todoroki had died. “I’ve killed the Doctor.” “I wonder if he’s really dead...”

“Since I shot through the Doctor’s chest, he must be beyond saving.” Having said that, I hung my head. “Oh, Mr. Ōsumi. The Doctor’s chest is retracting. Why do you think that is?” “Huh? The Doctor’s chest—!” I was startled and looked at the Doctor’s chest. Indeed，the Doctor’s white vest was gradually sinking downward. While thinking it was strange，I tried pressing down on the Doctor’s chest. Then，unexpectedly，from Dr.Todoroki’s bullet wound，a thick，grassy-green slime suddenly shot out. We let out a cry and leaped back from Dr.Todoroki’s side.

“This is so strange.”

“What’s happening? Why don’t you examine it more closely?”

At Sachiko’s urging, I composed myself and examined Dr. Todoroki’s corpse once more. I removed Dr. Todoroki’s vest. Then came a discovery too bizarre to believe. Beneath the vest lay a body constructed from hard metallic plates layered like an insect’s abdomen, the pistol bullets having reduced the surrounding seams to chaos. Underneath it all, the familiar grassy-green slime seeped forth, bubbling ominously.

“This is shocking. Dr. Todoroki wasn’t human!” “Oh my. What could this mean?” Sachiko turned deathly pale and clung to me. At that moment, I remembered Dr. Todoroki’s notebook.

“Ms. Sachiko.” “This might be a Martian creature.” “What?! A Martian creature, you say?”

“But how could a Martian creature have disguised itself as Dr. Todoroki?” This terrifying question was resolved when I spread out the notebook again and read through the continuation of the earlier notes.

The notes contained the following.

“Martian creatures are evolved from higher plants, dominate the animals of Mars, and prefer their flesh.” “Exactly the opposite of our Earth.”

Also written there were the following.

“When Martian creatures advance toward Earth, they will likely first don pressure-resistant exoskeletons identical to human form.” “This is so that when approaching humans, they will not be suspected.” “This is not mere conjecture.” “Indeed, last night I witnessed a strange creature peering in this direction from outside my chamber window.” “That it bizarrely bore the same face as I did made me shudder.” “If that were a Martian creature, I would sense a danger to my life.” “Because, as a means for that creature to approach our fellow humans without suspicion in order to gather information about the human world, there is no telling when it might replace me.” “But what good would it do for me to raise an alarm now?” “It is impossible to resist the Martian creatures.” “However, I will leave behind these ‘Posthumous Notes’ here to serve as a reference in case of emergency.”

It was the venerated Doctor's notes. Had they not come into our possession, neither Sachiko nor I would have known what would become of us.

Though I couldn’t fathom why the Martian creatures had evolved from higher plants, I believed their botanical nature was proven by the viscous grassy-green slime that had oozed from within the impostor Doctor’s body. Let those who doubt this pluck a blade of grass from that very spot and twist it to see what sap emerges. The Martian creatures had attempted to devour Sachiko. Prior to this, they had first consumed Dr. Todoroki, then proceeded to feast upon Maria the maid. This was further confirmed when we excavated the burial site of dismembered corpses beneath the three coconut palms behind Dr. Todoroki’s hut—there emerged skeletal remains of an elderly man and young woman, two bodies in total, alongside half-eaten limbs.

After this incident was resolved, the relationship between Sachiko and me rapidly grew closer. However, what remained unresolved was Mars gradually approaching Earth. The two of us firmly swore to carry on the Doctor’s will, barricade ourselves on Karyo Island, and resist the Martian creatures to the bitter end.