Happy New Year!
Unfortunately, I caught a cold over the New Year’s holiday and had a bit of a fever. During that time, I had a vivid nightmare, which inspired this story.
(If this work receives positive feedback, I might consider adding illustrations.)
＜Background Knowledge＞
To help readers better understand the context of this story, here are a few key terms inspired by historical Japanese culture. Please note, however, that these practices and concepts are fictionalized and exaggerated for the purposes of this story and do not reflect the true nature of historical Japanese culture.
■Jochuu (女中, 15–30 years old)
A maidservant responsible for attending to the personal needs of their lord, lady, or princess.
Jochuu were expected to be well-versed in etiquette, household tasks, and sometimes even martial arts.
■Komusume (小娘, 7–14 years old)
Young apprentice maidservants who worked while learning etiquette and household duties.
Due to their age, they were usually assigned lighter tasks or chores.
■Jiketsu (自決)
A ritual act of self-determination regarded as deeply honorable, symbolizing ultimate loyalty and devotion to one’s lord, family, or principles in the face of inevitable defeat or shame. This act demands exceptional resolve and strength of character. Methods vary based on age, gender, and rank: men may perform seppuku (切腹), or ritual disembowelment, while women or elderly individuals may stab their throats. Despite its grim nature, jiketsu embodies loyalty and integrity within the cultural framework.
■ Komenori (米糊)
A thick, adhesive substance made by boiling rice and water until it reaches a glue-like consistency. Known for its strong adhesive properties, it was historically used for crafting and repairs.
【Chapter 1: The Cost of Defeat】
A sudden ambush.
The town beneath the castle was swiftly engulfed in flames, and the castle fell in mere moments.
Those of us who survived the battlefield and were captured faced only one demand: an honorable death through jiketsu.
Men were handed tanto daggers for seppuku, while elderly women were instructed to stab their throats.
Yet, for us—the chambermaids and the young apprentice girls—what was handed to us was not a blade, but a Western enema device.
“Guh… what a pity…”
Thud
The last man collapsed to the ground, leaving only us, the Jochuu, behind.
Among us were Komusume, their youthful faces still marked with traces of innocence.
“Next!!”
The sharp voice of the enemy general’s retainer pierced the air.
I placed my trembling hands on my knees, my gaze fixed on the Western enema device, adorned with cold, metallic embellishments.
Rumors claimed it was a tool designed to forcibly introduce air or liquid into the body.
Squeezing the leather bulb would expel air or liquid through a thin, attached tube.
At that moment, one of the jochuu slowly stepped forward.
“What… what do you intend to make us do with this?” she asked, her voice trembling.
The enemy general’s retainer gave a faint smile before replying coldly.
“You shouldn’t need me to explain. There’s only one path left for you.”
“Y-you mean… to put air… into our own abdomens ourselves?” someone murmured, their voice shaking.
The retainer’s icy gaze did not acknowledge the speaker. After a moment of oppressive silence, he coldly said, “Yes.” There was no compassion in those eyes—only a cruel smile that sent chills through the room.
In the suffocating silence, the jochuu who had stepped forward quietly retreated.
Then, as if resigning to her fate, she reached for her sash, her trembling fingers fumbling to untie the knot that secured her garments. The faint rustling of fabric filled the oppressive air.
That single motion seemed to set off a chain reaction as the other jochuu and komusume began to loosen their own sashes, their hesitant movements mirroring her resignation.
I, too, followed suit, my hands shaking as they moved to undo my own sash.
Quiet sobs echoed from all around.
With trembling hands, I reached for the enema device placed before me.
The cold metal embellishments met my fingertips, and the chilling touch sent a suffocating fear coursing through my body.
“Ugh…”
A faint sound escaped from one of the jochuu.
I turned to see her back trembling uncontrollably.
It seemed she had already inserted the tube of the enema device into herself.
“Eek!”
“Guh—!?”
“No… please, no… why must I…?”
Among the scattered sobs, faint cries of fear echoed from the jochuu and komusume.
Pulled by the gripping terror, I hesitantly aligned the enema tube against myself.
Squelch
A faint, moist sound accompanied the insertion.
“Ugh!”
A startled noise escaped me.
A strange, tingling sensation began at the point of insertion, crawling up my spine and sending shivers across my entire body.
My vision blurred, and tears threatened to spill as I clenched my teeth, struggling to maintain composure.
Tap
A ceramic bowl was suddenly placed before us, capturing everyone’s attention.
It was filled to the brim with a white, murky liquid.
It took me a moment to realize it was komenori—paste made by boiling rice into a glue-like consistency.
“Use it to seal your rear, then drink the rest,” the retainer ordered coldly.
The command froze us in place.
Trembling, I reached out for the paste.
Its cold, slimy texture clung to my fingertips.
“M-must I…? There’s no other way…”
I whispered to myself before smearing the paste onto my rear.
Its chilly stickiness spread across my skin like an icy layer. Once it hardened, there would be no removing the enema tube.
Next, I lifted the bowl to my lips and took a hesitant sip.
“Ugh… blergh…”
The sharp, sour smell unique to komenori hit my nose, making me gag.
The sensation of it sliding down my throat felt like mud clinging to my esophagus as it descended.
“Ugh… urgh… gah…”
By the time I finished the entire bowl, my stomach spasmed violently, bringing waves of nausea.
But nothing came back up.
It was as though the strong adhesive properties of the komenori had formed a lid over my stomach, sealing any chance of escape.
The weight of despair pressed hard against my chest.
A suffocating despair gripped my chest, squeezing it tight.
There was no resisting.
There was no escape.
Every path had already been cut off.
【Chapter 2: Chiyo】
We remained seated in seiza, enveloped by the oppressive silence of the room, waiting for the inevitable moment to arrive.
The flickering candlelight cast eerie reflections on the floor, and with every shift of the dancing shadows, my heartbeat quickened. Even the sound of my own breathing felt unbearably heavy.
My palms grew clammy with sweat, and the fists I clenched in my lap trembled ever so slightly.
“Begin!”
The sharp command of the retainer echoed through the room.
Shukok, Shukok,Shukok, Shukok…
The sound of pumps being squeezed echoed throughout the room.
“No… I won’t do it!”
Once again, I couldn’t hold back a gasp.
Each time the chilled air was forced into my body, my abdomen grew tighter and tighter. The pain was unbearable—skin stretching taut, internal organs being pushed aside. My body trembled involuntarily.
“Ugh… this is cruel… why are they doing this!?”
“I-I can’t… I can’t take any more…!”
“It hurts! My stomach hurts so much!”
The room was filled with cries of anguish.
The jochuu and komusume wore expressions twisted in agony, their labored breaths punctuated by streaks of tears.
For the smaller-framed komusume, their swollen abdomens resembled those of expectant mothers, creating a grotesque and surreal spectacle.
“Keep moving your hands!”
Crack!
The sharp sound of a whip echoed through the air.
“Ahh! Please, forgive me!”
Shukok, Shukok, Shukok, Shukok…
The sound of a pump being squeezed followed the tearful cries of the jochuu.
Even the slightest pause in movement would earn the retainer’s merciless whip.
No matter how much our stomachs swelled with air, we were not allowed to stop.
Most likely, we would only be permitted to stop when our bloated abdomens surpassed their limits, and our bodies could endure no more.
“Elder Sister… I can’t… it won’t fit anymore…”
Chiyo, my younger sister, pleaded with tears streaming down her face.
Clutching her abdomen, swollen like that of a heavily pregnant woman, her trembling hands gripped the pump desperately.
“Chiyo… just a bit more… you can do it!”
All I could do was try to encourage her.
“I’m… sorry… I can’t anymore…”
Her face was pale, and sweat beaded on her forehead.
The unbearable waves of pain crashing over her were etched deeply into her distorted expression.
For such a young body, this was far too cruel a torment.
Shukok… Shukok…
Chiyo’s hand on the pump slowed.
“Chiyo, you have to move faster.”
“N-no… I can’t… my tummy… nooo!”
Chiyo, who had always been so diligent and reserved as a komusume, began sobbing uncontrollably in front of everyone for the first time.
“Keep moving your hands!”
The retainer’s command echoed as he approached us.
I grabbed Chiyo’s shoulders and raised my voice.
“Move your hands! Chiyo!!”
“Nooo! I don’t want to!”
But Chiyo simply cried and screamed, as if my words could not reach her.
Crack!
“Ahh!”
Chiyo let out a piercing scream.
The retainer’s whip tore into her delicate skin, leaving a red welt that began to bleed.
“Move your hands, now!”
His shout rang out, unyielding.
Shukok… Shukok…
Chiyo’s trembling hands began to move again, albeit weakly and without strength.
“Faster, Chiyo.”
“…I… hate you, Nee-sama… I hate you so much!”
Her words pierced my heart deeply.
Since the loss of our parents, it had been just the two of us, supporting each other to survive.
I had chosen the path of a jochuu so Chiyo would not have to endure poverty.
But during my apprenticeship, we were forbidden from meeting, and I could only imagine how lonely she must have been.
Despite the hardships she had endured, this was the first time Chiyo had ever told me she hated me.
Shukok… Shukok…
“Ugh… ugh… it hurts…”
Chiyo’s pained cries tightened around my heart.
Her tear-streaked face, still bearing traces of childhood innocence, was contorted in agony and humiliation.
Her abdomen, grotesquely swollen like that of a pregnant woman nearing labor, was stretched to its limit, red and inflamed, ready to burst at any moment.
“If only… I hadn’t chosen to become a jochuu…”
Regret and guilt surged within me.
Chiyo’s agonized figure burned itself into my memory, and the inescapable reality of the situation gnawed at my very soul.
“The pain… it’s too much… it won’t fit…!”
“It hurts… it hurts so much… please, someone… help…”
“Please… no more… spare me…”
The desperate cries of the komusume pleading for help echoed throughout the room.
Their smaller bodies meant they reached their limits far earlier than the adult jochuu.
“Hang in there… O-Yuki… keep trying…”
“You’re a good girl… you can endure this…”
“Brace yourself… bite down harder and push through…”
The jochuu, their voices steady yet strained, encouraged the komusume as they forcibly guided their trembling hands to continue squeezing the pumps.
Tears streamed down the komusume’s faces, but they clung to the jochuu’s words, finding the will to keep going.
Their swollen abdomens, grotesquely disproportionate to their small frames, were a grim testament to the relentless strain their fragile bodies had endured.
“Hey! Keep moving your hands!”
Crack!
“Aaahhh!!”
Struck by the retainer’s whip, Chiyo let out another scream.
“Chiyo! Chiyo! Are you okay?!”
I called out to her as she collapsed forward onto the floor, clutching her swollen abdomen.
“N-no more… I can’t…”
Chiyo whispered through sobs, her voice barely audible.
“Move your hands!”
The retainer raised his whip once again, aiming for Chiyo.
“W-wait!”
Without thinking, I grabbed Chiyo’s pump and began working it alongside my own.
Shukok, Shukok, Shukok, Shukok…
“Look! I’m doing it! Isn’t this enough? Please, stop hitting her!”
The retainer’s cold, piercing gaze turned to me. Without saying a word, he lowered his whip and walked away, his presence lingering like a shadow in the room.
The rhythmic sound of the pump echoed endlessly.
Shukok, Shukok, Shukok, Shukok…
“N-no… Sister… my tummy… it’s going to burst…”
Chiyo’s abdomen strained and bulged forward, her skin taut and reddened.
I held her trembling body tightly, forcing myself to continue operating the pump. Tears slid down my cheeks.
Even if I stopped, it would only prolong Chiyo’s suffering. The fate awaiting all of us here was the same.
At the very least, I wanted Chiyo to find release from this agony as quickly as possible.
“Guh… I can’t… anymore…”
“Ah… it’s going to… break… no… no…”
“Ugh… ahhh…!”
The anguished moans of other komusume filled the room.
Other jochuu, following my example, took hold of the pumps for the komusume beside them.
Just yesterday, those same komusume had been smiling brightly as they worked. Now, their faces twisted in unbearable pain, creating a sight I could hardly endure.
“Why… how did it come to this…?”
The thought pierced through my heart.
I would never see those innocent, beaming smiles again.
Helpless rage and sorrow surged within me, overwhelming my heart. I despised my own powerlessness.
Pop!!!
“Eeeek!!!”
A faint popping sound echoed through the room, followed by a short, piercing scream from one of the komusume.
My head whipped instinctively toward the sound.
What I saw froze me in place—a small girl collapsed forward onto the floor, her swollen abdomen clutched tightly with both hands.
Her body trembled violently, spasms racking her small frame. Blood seeped through her fingers, pooling beneath her and staining the floor crimson.
“No… how cruel…!”
The words caught in my throat.
I had understood this was inevitable, but seeing it unfold before my eyes was paralyzing.
Cold sweat trickled down my back as my breath caught.
Chiyo will be next if this continues—
“Hey! Move your hands!”
Crack!
“Ow!”
The sting of the whip lashed across my back, burning into my skin and spreading pain like wildfire.
“Move!” The retainer’s shout reverberated in my ears.
With trembling hands, I picked up the pump again.
Shukok, Shukok, Shukok, Shukok…
“N-no… stop… please…”
Chiyo’s icy hand gripped my arm tightly.
“Chiyo… it’s okay… you’re a good girl… everything will be fine…”
Her weak, fragmented words reached me as her shaking body signaled her breaking point.
“Just a little more, Chiyo. Just hold on a little longer,” I whispered, stroking her head and pulling her into a tight embrace.
Shukok, Shukok, Shukok, Shukok…
Her small body trembled violently in my arms.
Shukok…
“Chiyo…?”
Pop!!!
”Gah…!”
Chiyo let out a brief scream.
“Chiyo! Chiyo!”
Her body convulsed violently.
Chiyo’s trembling hands clutched her swollen abdomen, now grotesquely distended.
From between her fingers, dark red blood began to seep out, staining her pale skin.
“I’m sorry! I’m so sorry, Chiyo!”
I shouted, tears streaming down my face.
As her sister, I should have protected her, but all I could do was watch helplessly as the fragile body I was meant to shield slowly gave way to destruction.
“N… Elder… Sister…”
Her trembling voice barely reached me, each word filled with agony.
“Chiyo?”
Her lips trembled as she whispered faintly, “Thank…you…”
Before she could finish, her lips stilled, and her body collapsed in my arms, lifeless.
“No, no, this can’t be… Chiyo! CHIYOOO!”
Clutching her still-warm body tightly, I cried out again, my voice echoing in the emptiness.
Crack!
“Aaaah!!”
A burning pain seared across my back, forcing a cry from my lips.
I turned to see the retainer raising his whip once more.
Crack!
“Stop! It hurts! Please, no more!”
“Move your hands! Now!”
His furious shout echoed in my ears.
I gently laid Chiyo down on the floor, her small, lifeless body resting quietly. There was no time to wipe away my tears.
The lingering warmth of her still form was etched into my arms.
“Don’t worry, Chiyo. I’ll join you soon.”
Taking hold of the pump connected to my own body, I began to move my hands.
Shukok, Shukok, Shukok…
Each motion tightened the knot of grief in my chest.
【Chapter Three: A Moment’s Respite】
POP!!!
“Ahh!!”
POP!!!
“Ugh!!”
POP!!!
“Ugh!!”
Unable to endure any longer, the komusume began collapsing one by one, clutching their swollen bellies as they fell forward onto the floor. Unlike the dignified act of seppuku, the self-determination forced through the enema devices left their insides exposed. The air soon grew thick with a nauseating stench—far more overwhelming than the metallic tang of blood. Each breath brought with it a wave of nausea.
“What is this stench?!”
One of the retainers grimaced, visibly sickened, and hastily left the room, slamming the door shut behind him.
The sound of the closing door echoed through the space, leaving behind a momentary, heavy silence.
“…hah…hah…”
I released the pump from my trembling hand and gently rubbed my abdomen. It had swollen to an astonishing size, one I never thought possible for my own body. Though I was known to have a hearty appetite, I had never seen my stomach stretch so grotesquely in my life.
“Ugh… it’s unbearable…”
The tautness of my skin felt like it could tear at any moment. The komenori I had consumed earlier acted as a seal, ensuring nothing escaped—not even a belch. The oppressive pressure, as if my organs were being pushed aside, forced my face into a grimace.
I tried to adjust my posture, curling or straightening my back to ease the discomfort, but nothing helped. Moving only made the air within shift unpredictably, like a living creature, spreading new waves of torment through my body.
Looking around, I saw that the others had also collapsed, lying motionless and leaning forward on the floor.
“Ha…kuh…!”
Next to me, a young komusume clutched her swollen belly, letting out weak gasps of pain.
Shukok… Shukok…
The jochuu beside her continued to slowly operate the pump. Despite her apparent agony, the komusume was forced to endure, taking in more air that swelled her body to its limit.
“Excuse me…”
I hesitated for a moment before finally calling out to the jochuu.
“Don’t interfere,” she muttered curtly, her focus never leaving the pump.
Her expression… it was unsettling. A mix of detachment and twisted delight, as though she found perverse satisfaction in prolonging the girl’s suffering.
Shukok… Shukok…
“Gah…ahhh… s-stop…please…”
The komusume gasped in pain, her breaths uneven and strained. Her belly swelled larger with each slow squeeze of the pump, the methodical pace dragging out her suffering even longer.
Shukok… Shukok…
“Hah…hah…huh?!”
My eyes met hers.
“Please… help me!!”
Desperation flooded her tear-streaked face as she stretched her hand out toward me, grasping for anything.
“Stop it!”
Without thinking, I snatched the pump from the jochuu’s hands.
Her sharp eyes glared at me, her gaze icy and piercing.
“Tch…”
The jochuu clicked her tongue loudly and turned away, clearly irritated.
“…No… my tummy… it’s going to burst…!”
The komusume’s body jolted violently as she cried out in pain.
I tried to help her, but there was nothing I could do to ease her suffering.
Her small frame bore an impossibly swollen abdomen, the taut skin stretched to its absolute limit. Desperately, I pressed down firmly on her belly to prevent it from expanding any further.
The sensation beneath my palm was shockingly solid. Though it should have been filled with air, it felt as if a heavy stone was lodged within.
“Stay calm! Take deep breaths!” I pleaded.
But the komusume shook her head frantically, unable to process my words through her agony.
Her twisted posture added to my alarm—if I released the pressure, it felt as though her belly might rupture on the spot.
“…!”
Footsteps echoed ominously from beyond the door.
“They’re coming back!” someone whispered in panic, the tension in the room escalating sharply.
In a rush, I made the komusume grip the pump and pressed her hands firmly against her swollen belly.
“Keep moving it! If they catch you slacking, they’ll whip you!”
The door burst open with a bang.
“Get on with it!”
A retainer, his mouth and nose covered with a hand towel, reentered the room.
Shukok, Shukok, Shukok, Shukok…
Once again, the sound of pumps being squeezed echoed throughout the chamber.
I picked up the pump connected to my own body and began moving my hands desperately.
However, the komusume beside me had dropped her pump, clutching her abdomen with both hands and groaning.
“Guh… urgh… h-help…!”
Her voice was hoarse, her breath coming in ragged, broken gasps.
It was clear she no longer had the strength to move the pump herself.
The retainer’s icy gaze landed on me, piercing through me like a blade.
A silent pressure froze my entire body.
Panicking, I picked up the pump she had dropped and, steeling myself, began to move it for her.
Shukok, Shukok, Shukok, Shukok…
“Guh… guh… urghhh…”
The komusume started to retch, her choked sobs mixing with sickening, guttural sounds.
POP!!!
“Gugyah!!”
Another komusume clutched her swollen abdomen and collapsed forward onto the floor. Her body convulsed violently, and a pool of blood slowly spread beneath her.
POP!!!
“Guaah!!”
POP!!!
“Higii!!”
One by one, the other komusume collapsed forward onto the floor, clutching their swollen abdomens. Soon, only the child beside me remained.
Shukok, Shukok, Shukok, Shukok.
“Gah… it hurts… I don’t want this…!”
Her small body trembled violently, and her distended stomach quivered with each shudder. The sight of her, enduring pain far beyond her limits yet clinging desperately to life, was almost too much to bear. I wanted to look away.
“Why… why is it so cruel?!”
I screamed silently in my mind, over and over.
Just like Chiyo, there was nothing I could do to save her.
POP!!!
“Gah!!”
The last komusume collapsed forward, ending in a posture with her hips raised high.
“Wheeze… wheeze… wheeze…”
Her short, labored breaths echoed intermittently in the room.
With each exhale, blood seeped steadily from her swollen abdomen, spreading out in slow, ominous pools.
By the time the copious blood reached my knees, the room had grown eerily silent, and she was still.
Only we, the adult jochuu, remained.
A glance around revealed that every one of us bore grotesquely swollen abdomens, resembling those of heavily pregnant women.
I was no exception.
“Keep moving your hands!”
Crack!
The sharp sound of the whip echoed through the room.
“Mercy! I beg you, I can’t anymore!”
Crack!
“Please, forgive me!”
Crack!
“Have pity, I beg you!”
One of the jochuu, overwhelmed by the unbearable pain in her swollen abdomen, could no longer hold onto the pump and was whipped repeatedly.
For this, she was struck repeatedly, her agonized cries reverberating throughout the room.
Shukok… Shukok…
My own movements slowed as the unbearable pain seized me.
I wasn’t alone.
All around me, the other jochuu struggled, their hands trembling, their motions growing sluggish with each passing moment.
My gaze fell upon Chiyo.
Her body, still faintly warm, lay amidst a pool of her own blood, her rigid hands frozen in place, clutching her abdomen.
“What am I even doing?”
The question echoed in my mind, as it had been for some time, but no answer would come.
Chiyo and the komusume had been forced to depart this world before us, yet none of us jochuu had followed.
I had sworn to Chiyo that I would join her soon, yet here I was, still among the living.
My eyes drifted to my pump.
My trembling hands had lost the strength to grip it.
I was powerless to do anything anymore.
That thought sank in, and with it, the realization that my very existence had become utterly meaningless.
“Ex… excuse me…”
A voice came from behind me. One of the jochuu had spoken.
“If you don’t mind,” she said hesitantly, “could you hold my pump? In exchange, I’ll take yours.”
For a moment, I couldn’t believe what I’d just heard.
“That’s… but… that means…”
The words caught in my throat.
The thought of handling someone else’s pump flashed through my mind, and my chest tightened sharply.
But her gaze carried unmistakable resolve. This was no jest.
“I think,” she continued, her voice trembling, “if we help each other, it might distract us… even just a little. Besides, as things are, how could we ever face the komusume in the afterlife?”
Tears welled in her eyes as she looked at the unmoving bodies of the komusume who had gone before us.
It seemed she carried a burden in her heart much like my own.
“Alright,” I whispered with a nod.
“Thank you.”
She bowed her head slightly, then met my eyes.
She was young—likely in her early twenties and relatively new as a jochuu.
With trembling hands, I grasped her pump, and she did the same with mine.
Shukok, Shukok, Shukok, Shukok…
Strangely, operating someone else’s pump made the motion feel lighter, almost mechanical. But a creeping guilt began to gnaw at me.
Across from me, she worked the pump connected to my body at a relentless pace, showing no hesitation.
With each sharp influx of air, the pressure inside me grew, forcing my organs to shift painfully. Waves of pain coursed through me, leaving me no choice but to grit my teeth and endure.
But the initial momentum didn’t last long.
“No… no more… stop…”
Her tearful voice broke the rhythm.
Her abdomen was now grotesquely swollen, like that of a heavily pregnant woman. It was obvious that she was nearing her limit.
Meanwhile, I still had some capacity left; my body hadn’t reached that critical threshold.
Shukok, Shukok, Shukok, Shukok…
Ignoring her pleas, I continued to pump with the same vigor as before.
“Hah… hah… how could it… come to this…”
Her ragged breathing filled the room as the pain overtook her.
Suddenly, she dropped my pump onto the floor. Clutching her grotesquely distended belly with both hands, she collapsed forward onto the floor.
“Gah… gahh… it’s… bursting…!”
Her entire body shook violently as she struggled to endure her breaking point.
Her swollen abdomen quivered visibly with each spasm, her face contorted in agony and terror. Her eyes, filled with sorrow, seemed to plead with me—begging not to die.
“Just… let go… it’s okay to stop fighting now,” I whispered, gently stroking her trembling back in an attempt to soothe her pain.
Yet she shook her head faintly, refusing to surrender until the very end.
BLAM!!!
“Giiih!!”
The loud sound echoed as the jochuu’s body jerked violently upward.
Her body convulsed, and an overwhelming amount of blood gushed from her abdomen.
“…ah… ugh…”
Faint groans could still be heard, lingering even as time passed, her suffering refusing to end.
There was no reason to prolong her suffering any further.
“Ka-kaishaku! Quickly!”
(Kaishaku: A traditional Japanese act of mercy during ritual disembowelment or extreme suffering, where another person delivers a swift, fatal blow to end the pain.)
The retainer approached rapidly.
I gripped the jochuu’s hand tightly, praying for her suffering to end soon.
Crack!
“Ahh! That hurts!”
A searing pain suddenly shot through my back.
“Keep moving your hands!”
Driven by the retainer’s commanding presence, I picked up the pump the jochuu had dropped and resumed inflating myself.
Shukok, Shukok, Shukok, Shukok…
Memories of what the samurai once said came flooding back.
“Surrendered foes are not granted kaishaku. That is why one must fight to the death.”
“Aah… h-h… s-stop… please…”
“H-h… hee… it hurts…!”
“Ugh… my stomach… it hurts…!”
The anguished voices of the other jochuu echoed through the room.
Most of the jochuu seemed to be following our example, exchanging pumps with each other and inflating one another’s bellies.
BLAM!!!
“Aghh!!”
With a loud sound, one of the jochuu collapsed forward, clutching her abdomen as she fell to the floor. Her body trembled violently, spreading a pool of red blood across the floor.
BLAM!!!
“Ugh!!”
Another maid let out a pained cry and collapsed forward onto the floor.
Suicide with an enema is different from seppuku, as the contents of the stomach are exposed.
Unlike the young girls, the maids are larger and often suffer from delicate issues like constipation and indigestion.
Even with only a few people, a stench far stronger than that of the young girls quickly filled the room.
She hoped the retainers would leave again, but since they were wrapped in towels, her hopes were slim.
BLAM!!!
“Ugh!!”
I reflexively turned towards the screams coming from the jochuu nearby.
“Haa, haa, haa.”
The maid who had been deliberately tormenting the Komusume earlier was clutching her stomach, her head bowed low.
“How is it? Do you understand, at least a little, what the Komusume feels?”
I couldn’t forgive her, so I called out to her.
“Shut… up…”
The Jochuu’s eyes gleamed sharply, glaring at me as if to resist.
But her glare didn’t last long.
“Ugh… uuh…”
A large amount of blood seeped from between her fingers, blooming into red stains on the floor.
She moaned in pain, but gradually her face softened.
Her sharp gaze faded, and ironically, a certain kindness appeared on her face.
“Help…”
The Jochuu’s faint, weak voice echoed softly.
【Chapter 4: Princess Miyo】
I continued to pump air on my own for a while.
Shukok… shukok…
“Hey, over there!!”
“Please, spare me!”
Shukok shukok… shukok shukok…
But soon my hands began to tremble, and I couldn’t grip the pump any longer.
Even when I tried to put more strength into it, my fingers refused to obey.
BLAM!!!
“Gweh!!”
BLAM!!!
“Ugh!!”
BLAM!!!
“Gag!!”
The room was filled with loud sounds and screams.
The other jochuu continued to pump air into each other, fulfilling their fates one by one. “Hah, hah… why… is this happening…” There was still one jochuu nearby who continued operating the pump alone. Her abdomen, swollen as though pregnant, looked as if she were about to give birth at any moment. “Um… would you mind if we switched pumps?” I spoke hesitantly, and she looked up at me, confusion written on her face. “Eh… ah…”
The jochuu appeared to be in her late teens. Her delicate features and the faint remnants of her youth drew attention. Had her belly not swollen, her well-proportioned figure would have surely caught the gaze of the men. Despite her striking appearance, for some reason, I had never heard any rumors about her until now.
“I… I can do it alone…”
Her voice was weak as she responded, but before I could even finish hearing her reply, I took the pump from her hands.
“This is mine.”
Saying this, I forcibly pressed my pump into her hands.
“Let’s hurry and join the others. I don’t want to keep them waiting any longer.”
Ignoring her confusion, I started gripping her pump with the usual force.
Shukok, Shukok, Shukok, Shukok…
“Ugh!? … Ughh…!”
A beast-like groan escaped from her lips.
It was a sound one could never imagine coming from her youthful and delicate face.
Shuko… Shuko…
Meanwhile, her grip on my pump was barely there.
No, it seemed as though she never intended to hold it properly from the start.
Shuko, shuko… Shuko, shuko…
“Fa… Father… I am… so… unworthy… Please… forgive… Miyo…”
This jochuu—no, Princess Miyo!?
The person before me was none other than Princess Miyo, the only daughter of the lord who once ruled this castle.
Gentle and wise, Princess Miyo was deeply adored by the people and was said to possess talents in both literature and martial arts.
When the enemy invaded, she had reportedly disappeared after stepping forward herself to protect the people, but I never imagined she had been captured.
Yet here she was, a woman of such noble standing, mistaken for a mere jochuu, denied even the honor of seppuku, and now facing a miserable death before my very eyes.
And the one assisting in creating this tragic scene was none other than me.
“I… I’ll be fine… I can… handle it… myself…”
“Guhhh!!”
Princess Miyo suddenly spewed a milky-white liquid mixed with saliva from her mouth.
It must have been the komenori she was forced to drink earlier, now surging back up from her stomach.
But this did nothing to ease her suffering.
Shuko, shuko… Shuko, shuko…
With every pump of air I delivered, Princess Miyo’s stomach gradually swelled larger and larger.
BLAM!!!
“Ugh!!”
BLAM!!!
“Gyaaah!!”
BLAM!!!
“Higggh!!”
The air in the room trembled with the screams of jochuu echoing from all directions.
Looking around, more than 70% of the jochuu had already taken their own lives and lay motionless on the floor.
“Haah… th-this is… the end…”
“I can’t… bear it… anymore… hurry…”
“Why… won’t it… burst…!?”
The surviving jochuu, clutching their stubbornly intact swollen bellies, searched desperately for their next partners, inadvertently prolonging their agony.
All they could do was exchange pumps with one another, inflating their already distended abdomens to the point of seeming ready to give birth at any moment.
“Ahh… p-please… stop…!”
One pitiful jochuu clutched her abdomen, leaning forward as she sobbed and screamed.
She must have been nearing her limit.
Shuko, shuko… Shuko, shuko…
“Just… a little… longer… hold on…!”
The jochuu sitting beside her continued to forcibly grip her pump.
“O… oh heavens… p-please… grant… your merciful… compassion…”
As her trembling body shook and her weak voice vanished, in that very moment—
BLAM!!!
“Gyahhh!!”
A jochuu slowly leaned her upper body forward and collapsed onto the floor.
Her face, now freed from pain, seemed to carry a faint trace of tranquility.
“P-please… just… end this…”
“More… give me more… pump more air…”
The desperate pleas of the surviving jochuu filled the air, impossible to ignore.
Their already swollen bellies, stretched to an extreme, emitted faint, strained sounds as if the taut skin might tear like an overfilled water pouch.
Amidst their fear and agony, the only way to grant them salvation was to burst those overfilled bags.
Shuko, shuko… Shuko, shuko…
“Ah… hahh, my… my stomach… it’s so… big…”
Princess Miyo arched her back like a bow, thrusting her swollen stomach forward.
Her face was a mixture of shock and fear as she stared at her grotesquely distended abdomen.
Princess Miyo was well-known for her hearty appetite.
In fact, during the autumn harvest festival, she once competed against me in an eating contest.
Even now, I wonder—did she deliberately lose to let me take the spotlight?
She was always so kind, so selfless.
And now, I have subjected her to this horrific fate.
Surely, I will not be welcomed into the Pure Land where Chiyo awaits.
This sin will undoubtedly drag me into the depths of hell.
“I-it hurts… my body… is breaking… please… help me… Father…”
Tears streamed down Princess Miyo’s face, her expression filled with despair as her trembling voice cracked.
Her body quivered uncontrollably, as if even the daughter of a warrior could not endure the excruciating pain consuming her.
“Gah… guhhk!”
A milky-white liquid mixed with komenori spilled from her mouth, staining her once beautiful face.
I wiped her face with my sleeve and brushed back her damp, sweat-soaked hair.
Even in such a dire situation, Princess Miyo’s elegance and beauty remained untainted.
Shuko, shuko… Shuko, shuko…
P-please… don’t… harm… the people of Shiro’s castle town…
Her gentle words, spoken in a frail voice, faded into the void, never to be passed on to anyone.
BLAM!!!
“Guughii!!”
Princess Miyo’s body jerked violently.
I desperately held her down, praying for her pain to end as quickly as possible.
“Princess Miyo… please, calm down…!”
After a while, her trembling gradually subsided.
She collapsed forward, clutching her swollen stomach, and quietly lay still on the floor, just like the other jochuu.
[Final Chapter: Oyo]
BLAM!!!
“Ughyah!!”
BLAM!!!
“Guhehh!!”
BLAM!!!
“Igyahh!!”
One after another, the sound of jochuu bursting echoed, as if following in Princess Miyo’s footsteps.
Only three jochuu remained, including myself.
Shuko, shuko… Shuko, shuko…
“Geaahh… s-stop… ahhh…!”
Moreover, the other two were pumping air into each other, and it seemed the end was near for them as well.
BLAM!!!
“Nooo!!”
Only two jochuu remained, including myself.
“Wh-why… why is it you…?”
“O-Oyo!?”
The last one standing was Oyo.
Oyo was my peer, someone who always seemed to surpass me in everything.
Housework, etiquette, martial arts—there was nothing in which I could ever best her.
Still, I had worked tirelessly, driven by a single desire not to lose to her.
Perhaps that determination was what had sustained me until now.
“Ah… Chiyo… even Princess Miyo…! You… you’ve truly sunk to the lowest depths.”
Oyo’s sharp gaze, filled with contempt, pierced me as she looked at the fallen forms of our former comrades around me.
I couldn’t muster a single word in response.
Surely, if Oyo had been in my position, she would have chosen to end her life with dignity.
My life stood upon the sacrifices of Chiyo, Princess Miyo, and those whose lives I had trampled upon.
“Revenge! Hand it over!”
At Oyo’s furious cry, I silently extended my pump to her.
She also offered her pump to me, but I had no right to take it.
Resolving myself, I turned my steady gaze to Oyo.
I had nothing left to lose.
All that remained was to dedicate this life to atoning for the precious comrades I had taken from this world.
“Pr-prepare yourself… this is… the hammer… the hammer of justice!”
Oyo shouted, her voice slightly trembling, before gripping my pump without hesitation.
Shuko, shuko… Shuko, shuko…
My swollen belly, as if ready for childbirth, continued to grow.
I thought it could expand no more, but it swelled even further.
Jab!!!
“Gah… ahhh…!!”
A sharp pain shot through my abdomen, unlike anything I had ever experienced before.
It felt as if a razor-sharp blade was stabbing me repeatedly from the inside—an unbearable agony.
The pain was so overwhelming that I doubled over, clutching my stomach as I collapsed onto the floor.
At that moment, I finally understood why the other jochuu had ended up in this position.
Gravity pulled at my belly, forcing it outward, and it became much easier to breathe.
Jab!!!
“Gehh… gaaahhhh…”
The beast-like scream I had heard from Princess Miyo now erupted uncontrollably from my own throat.
I desperately pressed my hands against my abdomen.
If I let go—even for a moment—
the internal pressure would force my belly outward, and it would surely burst open.
Though I had resolved myself to this, overwhelming terror gripped me now, stronger than ever.
“How does it feel? This is the pain Chiyo and Princess Miyo endured!”
Oyo’s cold voice cut through the air, piercing my ears.
“Hah… hah… ughhh…”
My body began trembling involuntarily.
Did Chiyo and Princess Miyo endure this pain until the very end?
Holding my trembling hands against my abdomen, tears welled up and spilled down my face.
The reality of what I had forced upon them bore down on me, crushing me alongside the pain.
“…I… I’m… so sorry… I’m… so… sorry…”
Through my tears, I choked out my apologies.
Perhaps if I repented, someone here would show me mercy and save me.
That faint, foolish hope still clung stubbornly to life within me.
“Hmph. And who are you apologizing to?”
Oyo’s voice was cold and biting.
“Princess Miyo? Chiyo? Or perhaps me? …In any case, it’s far too late. Be gone already.”
With even the last fragment of hope ripped from me, I sank into deep despair.
“…Ugh… I… I don’t want to… die… help me… gehhh!!”
As the words of my true feelings spilled out, a stream of milky-white liquid burst from my mouth, splattering across my face.
Tears, sweat, and mucus mixed together, leaving my face a filthy, disheveled mess.
Tug!
“…Ugh… uhh…”
Suddenly, my hair was yanked, and my face was forcibly lifted.
It seemed that Oyo wanted to etch the expression on my face at the moment of my passing into her memory.
“You’ll be at peace soon. Just endure a little longer.”
Unlike her cold demeanor from before, Oyo’s words now carried a surprising gentleness.
She softly wiped my filthy face with her sleeve.
At that moment, a strange warmth filled my heart, wrapping me in a sense of calm.
“Chiyo, Princess Miyo, and the other jochuu must have felt the same when you showed them kindness.”
Oyo’s gentle words slowly dispelled the black shadow of despair that had lingered deep within me.
Rippp!!!
“Agh… ahhh!! Gahhhhhh!!!”
Suddenly, a searing pain, as if my stomach was being forcibly torn apart from within, struck me.
“Hold on! Just a little more!”
I could hear Oyo’s voice faintly in the distance.
She held me down desperately as my body convulsed uncontrollably.
“Geahhh… ahhhh!! (Thank you, Oyo.)”
I wanted to express my gratitude to her, but the sobs rising from deep in my throat drowned out my voice.
In the end, I couldn’t surpass Oyo in anything—not even in my final moments.
BLAM!!!
“Guhh!!”
A violent shock shook my entire body.
A small whimper escaped my lips, entirely unbidden, as I slowly let the strength drain from my body.
Huh? It doesn’t hurt as much as I thought.
Looking down at my stomach, I saw there was no blood.
Could it be… did I survive!?
I did it!!
First, I should thank Oyo for everything.
Oh… right, I need to make a grave for Chiyo.
I’ll decorate it with a crown of violets… her favorite flowers… and t-…
So much… still… to d-…
[Sequel: Those Left Behind]
“Ugh… uhh…”
Before me lay my rival jochuu, her stomach split open, trembling and groaning in agony.
The one who reduced her to this state was none other than me—Oyo.
“Truly, even at the very end, you force me to tend to you.”
I sighed deeply.
From the belly of the jochuu I once competed against, crimson blood spilled forth, blooming into a stunning, beautiful flower.
“Even until your final moments, you lived more beautifully than I.”
In housework, etiquette, and martial arts, I had always edged her out by a narrow margin.
But when it came to compassion—for her sister, for others—she had always surpassed me.
“You carried too much suffering on your own. Surely, you’ll find your way to the Pure Land soon.”
The retainers glared at me.
It seemed that even as the last one standing, I could not hope for any mercy.
Sitting before my fallen comrade, I picked up my own pump.
Shuko, shuko… Shuko, shuko…
BLAM!!!
“Ughh!!”