Kotoko Iwanaga left the hospital, just as she'd said, she had plenty to do.
At the bus stop in front of the hospital, a tiny ghost floated beside her ear, whispering urgently.
"Okay, okay, I get it already."
The little ghost was one of a pair; its twin had secretly followed Taisuke Sawanaga after their earlier encounter. Now that they'd crossed paths again, intervention was unavoidable.
The bus pulled up slowly. The driver had heavy dark circles under his eyes, and an elderly woman with gray hair sat in the priority seat. Behind her, a middle-aged man in a rain-soaked raincoat kept his head bowed, his expression grim.
The atmosphere on the bus was off it seemed to be filled with supernatural beings.
As the bus moved forward, Kotoko overheard a glamorous woman's loud, repeated laughter: "Hilarious! Hilarious! Hilarious!"
Kotoko paused, her pupils contracting. It was a monster with a human face and snake body eight heads total, each voice sultry and strange.
It stared at a high school girl sitting in the back.
"You're still a virgin? How hilarious!"
Sixteen eyes roamed over the girl, who trembled as her orange-gold eyes shifted uneasily.
Kotoko knew the girl could see everything she'd been pretending not to, but this bus was truly terrifying, and every passenger and the driver alike was acting odd.
Kotoko pursed her lips, then walked forward slowly, her cane tapping the floor with sharp, clear sounds.
The monster turned to look at her.
"You can see me too?"
"Yes."
Kotoko looked up, meeting its gaze without fear.
Layers of demonic energy wrapped around her cane.
"Perfect let's test this out. Come forth, Onimusha!"
A surge of dark power erupted behind her, and the phantom of a necromancer emerged, merging into her staff. Purple flames burst forth, shaping the staff into a katana that Kotoko held high above her head.
The eight grotesque, seductive demon faces fixed their sixteen eyes on her.
"You—you!!!"
"With one eye and one foot as sacrifice, wielding scales of justice and wisdom representative of all demons, will of the people. Become Buddha. Slay!"
The purple-flaming blade slashed down. A single purple line cut across the demon's cheek before it vanished with eight simultaneous screams.
The oppressive atmosphere lifted instantly, and the passengers forgot what had just happened.
After a brief silence, the elderly woman covered her mouth and giggled: "Oh my chuunibyou? How cute~"
"Hahaha! Little girl, do another one!" The middle-aged man laughed heartily, as if he'd been transported back to his youth.
Only the golden-eyed girl in the back row stared at Kotoko in shock.
"Ordinary people can't see supernatural magic, right?" Kotoko gave a graceful bow, then sat down next to the girl in the last row.
"Are you surprised?" she asked calmly.
"You..."
Miko clutched her bag tightly, her eyes sharp and bright.
"If you're asking if I can see those things obviously yes. Also, you're squeezing me."
Kotoko closed her eyes and sat quietly.
"My name's Miko. Um… can you help me? Prayer beads, talismans anything! I'll pay whatever it takes! I can't take being bothered by those things anymore!"
Miko?
Kotoko looked up in surprise. The one from the group chat? That's her?
She recalled trying to talk the group member out of entering Shaka game, but the girl had been determined to go anyway. So that's why she can see these things now.
Observing Miko's expression, Kotoko considered her options. The girl was too naive to tell good spirits from bad throwing her into the supernatural world unprepared would only hurt her.
Better let Shaka handle this.
"You're still too inexperienced," Kotoko said calmly. "Come find me when you truly understand what those things are. Besides, don't you already have a way to deal with them? Just pretend you can't see them."
But it's terrifying!
Miko's eyes were special, though she could clearly see supernatural beings, they all appeared to her as terrifying Cthulhu-like figures. Even kind spirits looked monstrous through her gaze.
"Um…" Miko tried to speak again.
"And my name isn't 'that' it's Iwanaga Kotoko."
"Kotoko Iwanaga? Ah!" Miko covered her mouth, her chest swaying with the movement.
"Hmm." Kotoko looked away awkwardly, sounding annoyed. "Now you recognize me. If you want help, find someone who has time to deal with other people's problems. I'm very busy."
Miko immediately pulled out her phone and opened a mysterious chat group she'd joined after seeing a street promotion offering free desserts, and had stayed because she'd become a fan of Guitar Hero.
"Wow I can't believe this!"
Touched almost to tears, she quickly messaged the group admin for advice.
Shaka was busy writing and hadn't checked his messages yet.
The bus pulled into the station.
Kotoko picked up her cane, got off, and opened her umbrella only to see Miko grab her backpack and follow closely behind.
Raindrops pattered against their umbrellas.
After walking for ten minutes, Kotoko suddenly turned around. "How long do you plan to follow me?"
Miko scratched her cheek nervously. "Uh… I thought it'd be safer to stick with you…"
"That's the problem, following me is the most dangerous thing you could do." Kotoko tapped her cane on the ground as she turned to walk on. "I'm heading to exorcise a spirit."
"Huh?" Miko froze in place.
Kotoko curved her lips into a slight smile and waved her hand as if shooing a stray dog:
"Scared? Then go back now."
Miko clenched her fist. "I… I want to come with you! You said I'm too naive, I want to use these eyes to see what kind of demons you're talking about!"
"Whatever."
Kotoko gave her a long look, then continued forward, tapping her cane as she went.
"Alright, Master! Let me hold your umbrella!" Miko rushed forward eagerly, fawning over her.
"Better stay back you don't want blood splattered on you."
They made their way through the streets, streetlights flickering overhead. Miko followed at a distance, hunching her shoulders uneasily.
Kotoko stopped at a corner and peered carefully around it.
The alley was pitch black, with only rustling sounds coming from within.
A flickering light illuminated a spot where Taisuke Sawanaga leaned against the wall, holding an umbrella in one hand while pinning a woman against the brickwork with the other.
The woman wore a mask, but her beauty was unmistakable a beauty mark at the corner of her eye, and even wrapped in a trench coat, her figure was striking.
"Miss, all alone?" Taisuke lifted her chin with his finger, leering. "Want to go somewhere fun with me? I'll make you feel like you're in heaven – how about it~"
The woman said nothing, but her peach-blossom eyes curved slightly, long eyelashes fluttering in what seemed like an invitation.
"Hehe silence means yes, right?"
Taisuke's hand slid down from her chin to her neck, his fingers circling her carotid artery.
"Let her go!"
"Huh?" His relaxed mood broken, Taisuke turned his head it twisted unnaturally, almost 180 degrees.
Kotoko stepped into the alley, her body wreathed in purple flames. The necromancer's phantom flickered behind her as she charged forward, swinging her staff like a sword.
"Become Buddha! Slay!"
"Ugh… uh… uh… uh… uh… uh…"