Chapter 4
Chapter 4 - Calamity
1
His “older brother” was Yasutaksan, the second son .
He was the person who was originally very cheerful, however, recently he’s been depressed for some reason .
When we rushed into Yasutaksan’s room, it was stained with patches of thick, viscous blood . A futon was laid to one side of one of the two six tatami mat divisions and Yasutaksan was sprawled there . The family had crowded around him . Both of his hands were thrown out atop the futon and his wrists were marred with deep, horrific wounds . The futon was soaked in blood . A utility knife laid abandoned on his chest .
I felt dizzy . The smell of the blood made me nauseous .
Bou-san leapt into the room . He pushed aside a sobbing Hiroe-obasan and leaned over Yasutaksan’s bedside, then he immediately stood up and opened the dresser .
“Young master, did you call an ambulance?”
“I called . ”
Bou-san pulled neck ties out from the inside of the dresser and with them, tightly bound the upper part of Yasutaksan’s arms .
He’s still okay . He’s still… breathing . We’ve mostly stopped the bleeding, so surely he won’t die .
Before I was aware of what I was doing, I had tightly clasped my fingers together . Left in a daze and unable to move, someone poked me .
“Is Yasu-ojichan dead?”
Wakako-chan asked with an innocent face .
“Hey, is he dead?”
Their expressions were like they were seeking pleasant news . I didn’t know how to reply to that . Wakako-chan looked at me as if surprised and then met eyes with Katsuki-kun .
“He’s still alive . ”
“Whaat!”
The pair were truly frightening with their innocently bored-looking expressions . Would they prefer it if their uncle died? I tried to ask, but I was afraid to hear the answer . The pair left me, who could not speak, and ran down the corridor while whispering secretly . The sound of ambulance sirens blared .
Yasutaksan was taken to a nearby hospital . ‘I’m going crazy,’ he had said after he regained consciousness . Akifumi-san, who stayed by Yasutaksan’s side and went to the hospital, told us this after he came back .
“It seems he was hearing voices when he was alone . He said they ordered him to kill the family . ”
Akifumi-san’s facial expression held a deep look of grief .
“It seems he saw dreams when he was sleeping . Dreams where he would kill the family . He said he remembered the feel of stabbing people because the dreams continued excessively . The content being such, my brother couldn’t tell anyone . Then he said . . . at this rate he thought he might actually kill us someday . ”
Bou-san, who had listened to the story with a grave expression, bowed his head .
“If he had been discovered too late, then he would have become the first victim . I’m sincerely sorry for our lack of assistance . ”
“ . . . No . The disaster with Shibuysan was because of us as well . ”
After lightly shaking his head, Bou-san stood up and opened the adjacent sliding door .
There was no change in the appearance of the room . The solitary futon was spread out and Naru was sleeping . After overlooking the room, Bou-san looked back at Lin-san .
“You left your shiki around Naru-bou, right?”
“Yes . ”
“Would you know if a spirit approached Naru’s vicinity?”
“I would know . ”
“Well, what about the opposite? Would you know if a spirit left Naru?”
Lin-san widened his eyes slightly .
“Of course I would know . For one thing, it’s impossible for the spirit to leave because of the spell effect placed on him . ”
“That means . . . ”
Bou-san looked around at us .
“There isn’t just one spirit haunting this house . That’s what it means . ”
“Wait a minute!”
Ayako exclaimed .
“Then, are you saying Yasutaksan is possessed?”
“Another is probably unthinkable, but . . . ”
Surely…
“Caution is necessary with the rest of the family as well . Because there’s also the possibility that there isn’t just one spirit, but three or more . —John . ”
“Yes . ”
“How was Hazuki-chan’s condition?”
“It wasn’t clear to me, however, Harsan said there is a possibility this is a malicious evil spirit . For the time being, we’ve performed a simple exorcism and sealed the room . ”
“Was there a response?”
“I don’t know . ”
“Masako . —Do you know what kind of spirit this thing is?”
Masako shook her head .
“I do not know . However, it had the same feeling as that spirit that is possessing Naru . If I had to say, it is perhaps hollow . ”
“Hollow?”
“Yes . It neither feels resentment nor bears a grudge . If that is the possessing spirit, then it is a very empty spirit . ”
“What about you, Mai?”
He suddenly spoke to me and I got flustered .
“Ah, me?”
“Don’t you feel anything? Anything is fine . Was there anything that caught your attention from out of yesterday’s dream?”
I was slightly hesitant, then I cautiously spoke .
“It seems to conflict with Masako’s opinion, but I think there were people who died bearing a grudge . ”
. . . always be cursed until the end of days…
“I think they were people who were cruelly betrayed . They were surrounded by their adversaries and killed . ”
There was the pair who committed suicide by throwing themselves into the sea from the cape . If that’s case…
“I think those were probably the people who died in this area . I suspect there’s at least a connection to the land . ”
Masako scowled .
“Certainly not! If it was that kind of spirit, I would have recognized it . ”
“Well, perhaps it was simply a dream . ”
“It was a dream!”
Jeez, you’re fussy .
Bou-san turned his head towards Akifumi-san .
“What do you think? Do you know anything about it?”
“ . . . I’m sorry, but… I’ve never heard that kind of story . Although, it may be that I just don’t know . ”
“I see . Did you find out around when the Yoshimi family moved here?”
“I’m sorry . It seems even my grandmother doesn’t know anything beyond what I told you . ”
Bou-san contemplated for a moment . Then,
“John . Go to the hospital and attempt an exorcism on Yasutaksan . While you’re at it, mind your own business and speak minimally . So you don’t make a fool of yourself again . ”
“Okay . I’ll try . ”
“Ayako, make charms . Enough for each of us and the family . ”
“Yeah, yeah . ”
“I’m going out for a little bit . Akifumi-san, I’m sorry, but could you please guide me to the family temple?”
2
Ayako drew charms and, with Masako’s and my help, walked around distributing them to the people of Yoshimi house . We requested that they please not remove them from their persons by any means . Youko-san accepted one and immediately threw it away with an indifferent attitude . She was the mother of Katsuki-kun and Hazuki-chan, and the wife of the eldest son, Kazuyasu-san .
“Excuse me, please do not remove the charm from your person . You can store it in a charm bag or something similar, or by any means . . . ”
When I said this, Youko-san smiled calmly .
“If I wear this, will there be any effect?”
“Yes, it’s a charm that repels evil spirits . There’s no effect if you remove it from your person . ”
“But, what about when I take a bath?”
Eh?
“I cannot take it into the bath, it’s paper . If an evil spirit approaches while I’m bathing, isn’t there nothing that can be done?”
“That’s true, but… it’s dangerous . Please keep it with you so it’s less dangerous, even if by a little . ”
When I said this, Youko-san smiled .
“All right . I will do so . ”
While saying so, she didn’t even look at the charm . I left Youko-san’s room feeling somewhat dissatisfied .
When I tried to give charms to Katsuki-kun and Wakako-chan, they ran away .
“I don’t need something like that . ”
“Wait a minute . This is important . Please . ”
“No . ”
“I don’t need it . ”
While chasing the pair, who were running away, I got a strange feeling . Why were they running away? Why did they hate the charms? We exited the main building and came forth into the shop . The pair jumped outside through the entranceway .
“Hey, Wakako-chan!”
I called out to the two who ran off to the front yard .
“Did you know your uncle died?”
When I told that big lie, the pair abruptly stopped . They looked back at me with blank looks on their faces . They immediately beamed in delight .
“Really?”
“He went to the hospital? Riding in the ambulance?”
“Yes . But they didn’t make it in time . Your uncle died at the hospital . ”
Katsuki-kun murmured quietly .
“Hooray!”
. . . these children…no way…
I deliberately spoke in a whisper .
“And Akifumi-san also . . . ”
“Aki-niisan, too? What happened?”
The pair raised their voices in unison . They came back two, three steps in this direction .
“What should I do? Should I tell you?”
“Tell us, tell us . ”
“Hmm…but I thought I might keep it secret . ”
When I mumbled indecisively, the pair drew nearer .
“Hey, oneesan, tell us . ”
“Tell us! Did Aki-niisan die, too?”
“Well… ”
“Is he dead? Did he ride in the car?”
“Car… ”
The two of them pulled on my skirt . I quickly caught the pair’s hands .
“What do you mean by car?”
“Let me go!”
“Let me go!”
“I won’t let go! Hey, what did you mean by car!?”
The pair struggled . I clutched their hands desperately .
“Mai? What are you doing?”
Ayako and Masako, and then Teruksan, came running . Katsuki-kun escaped from my hand . I adjusted my grip on Wakako-chan, who tried to escape along with him .
Katsuki-kun looked back from a slight distance away .
“Let go of Wakako-chan!”
“No . Tell me why you said car . ”
“I said let go of her!”
I looked to Ayako who was in a fluster off to the side .
“Ayako, make Wakako-chan hold this charm . ”
“Don’t do that!”
I glared at Katsuki-kun .
“Then tell me about the car . Or else we’ll stick this charm to Wakako-chan so that it won’t come off . ”
“If you do that, I’ll jump into the sea!”
“ . . . . Katsuki-kun, do you know what you’re saying?”
It wasn’t even five meters from the front yard until the stairs that went down to coast .
“I know! If I die, everyone will suffer because of it . ”
“I think it will be painful if you die . ”
“I know that! If it’s painful, then it serves them right!”
“Who does it serve right?”
“Everyone . ”
I pressed against Wakako-chan who was struggling with Ayako .
“Ayako, hold onto her . —Katsuki-kun, who are you really?”
I came out from the front door . Katsuki-kun withdrew one step while glaring at me .
“You’re not Katsuki-kun, are you? The real Katsuki-kun wouldn’t say something like that . And he wouldn’t be afraid of charms . ”
“I’m not afraid!”
“You’re lying! You’re scared, aren’t you? That’s why you hate even holding a charm, isn’t it?”
Katsuki-kun smiled . By no means did it seem like a child’s smile .
“I’ll kill . ”
“Kill who?”
“You, as well as everyone with you . Everyone in this family, too . ”
I gently lifted my hand . (—It shouldn’t be used on a person . )
“This child, too . ”
Katsuki-kun— the being inside of him said this and laughed .
“Why?”
My hand was trembling . (But there was the time I did it to Taka . That was a joke, though . )
“Jumping into the sea would be merciful . When compared to having your head cut off, it’ll be pleasant . ”
“Head . . . cut off?”
Am I sure this time is okay? (—Don’t do it again . Because it was Mai-grade, nothing happened . )
“Compared to the betrayal by one’s comrades . ”
“What did the people of this house do to you?”
“It doesn’t matter . ”
“ . . . leave that child . ”
“The child will be of no use if he dies . I’ll leave if that happens . ”
Katsuki turned laughing . He started running from that spot . A distance no more than five meters .
“Naumaku sanmanda bazaradan kan!”
Please stop Katsuki-kun!
“Rin Pyou Tou Sha Kai Jin Retsu Zai Zen!”
I swung down the sword seal and Katsuki-kun fell down . There was slightly less than one meter until the stairs . And at the same time, something shrouded in wind rushed past the side of my face and off behind me at a furious speed .
“ . . . what?”
Even though I looked around, there was nothing . Suddenly, Wakako-chan began to cry as if on fire . I hurriedly rushed over to where Katsuki-kun was . When I took Katsuki-kun into my arms from where he had fallen, he began to cry in a tone similar to a scream .
“I’m sorry . I’m sorry . . . ”
3
Since the pair would not stop crying, we decided to examine them and found that severe burns had developed on Katsuki-kun’s back— and strangely, Wakako-chan’s as well . A cross striped blister had developed there exactly like I had cut the nine syllables . It was by no means large, but it was probably unbearably painful .
The pair, who had finally calmed and were being treated in the living room, wore blank looks as if nothing had happened . They were merely fiddling with the charms they were made to hold in curiosity . Masako had folded the charms and put them inside of charm bags, which were sewn from handkerchiefs, and when she had put them around their necks, they had been somewhat delighted .
I apologized profusely for injuring the pair . When Hiroe-obasan brought back the medicine box, I begged on my knees for her forgiveness .
“I’m so sorry!”
Teruksan, who was watching this scene, interceded .
“It’s thanks to you that both Katsuki and Wakako are safe . Please do not worry about it . ”
No, is it okay to call this safe…? As I was breaking into a cold sweat, a small hand touched my arm .
“Oneesan, are you getting scolded?”
It was Wakako-chan .
“Yeah . That’s right . ”
“It’s no good unless you apologize gently . ”
“Uh… I’m sorry . ”
When I bowed my head, Wakako-chan pulled the amulet bag from under her blouse .
“Good job . Does oneesan want me to lend this as a reward, too?”
*tears* Cute!
“Thank you . But that’s for Wakako-chan . You must never remove it . ”
“Even when I change clothes?”
Sponsored Content
“Even when you change clothes . ”
I nodded yes in all seriousness and Wakako-chan skillfully tucked away the charm bag in her clothes as if hiding a treasure . Just as she was smiling with evident satisfaction, Taizou-ojisan returned .
“The car… it’s brake oil had leaked out . ”
Worried about the word ‘car’, I asked them to examine all of the cars .
“It was the car I was personally using… If I had driven it without noticing, it would have resulted in an accident . ”
I sighed deeply… that was a relief .
—However, the situation wasn’t entirely okay . Bou-san, who returned after dark, scolded me .
“I warned you not to use it on a person like that!”
“It couldn’t be helped!”
“Don’t bother arguing!!”
*sob* Bou-san’s being cruel .
After sighing, Bou-san spoke in a quiet voice .
“Repulsion magic isn’t something that’s effective for anyone using it . ”
. . . huh?
“You have the aptitude for an exorcist… so, don’t ever do it again . Never again create a situation where you’re required to cut the nine syllables towards a person . ”
“Okay… sorry . ”
He patted my head then looked towards Ayako and Masako .
“Anyone else? Was there anyone who refused to receive a charm?”
“Nao-san . ”
Nao-san… she was the older sister just above Akifumi-san .
“Although I should say, that was only because Nao-san wasn’t here . And the young master . For the same reason . —Speaking of which, young master, please take this charm . ”
With a smile, Akifumi-san accepted the charm proffered by Ayako . Good, he accepted it properly .
“Where did Nao-neesan go?”
“Um… everyone was searching for her since we didn’t hear a destination . ”
. . . oh?
“Mai, how was it? Was it only the little kids who wouldn’t accept charms?”
Hearing him, I was about to say Youko-san gave me a strange feeling . I was unable to finish saying so because, at that moment, the Youko-san in question came into the room .
“—?”
Youko-san barged into the base without announcing herself and looked around at us .
“Who hurt the children?”
Oh… a grievance… . ? Uh-oh .
“Who did that to Katsuki? And on top of that, you made him hold that strange thing . ”
Strange thing?
“That worthless charm . Take it off right now . ”
“Uhh, but . . . ”
“You taught him something strange . Even if I tell that child to take it off, he won’t take it off . Take it off!”
Youko-san shouted .
“You also did something to Hazuki . And Wakako, and Yasutaka and Eijirou . ”
We stared intently at Youko-san, who was ranting . . . . this person is…
“All of this is unnecessary!”
Bou-san stood and picked up a charm .
“This is something necessary to protect yourself . Youko-san, do you have one?”
Youko-san laughed .
“Something like that isn’t useful . ”
Bou-san held out the charm .
“That’s not true . . . . please take this . ”
Youko-san silently accepted it— then it suddenly flared up . The charm burned above Youko-san’s hand as if it had spontaneously burst into flames .
“ . . . it’s useless . ”
Youko-san laughed . It was a wicked type of laugh .
“These things are completely useless . ”
We slowly approached and put ourselves on guard in order to surround Youko-san .
“Ayako, Shichi Baku”
“All right . ”
Youko-san frowned .
“What?”
“It’s nothing . We just need your presence for a moment . ”
Ayako moved her fingers . She cut the nine syllables . Five horizontal and four vertical . She quietly chanted something with her mouth .
“What is it…?”
“Not bad… . John . ”
When he was called, John sprinkled holy water . Youko-san, who took two, three steps backwards with a frown, was caught from behind by Lin-san .
“Let go!”
John lightly cut a cross .
“I accost thee, damned and most impure spirit, cause of malice, essence of crimes, origin of sins, thee who revel in deceit, sacrilege, adultery, and murder . ”
John extended his hand towards Youko-san, who widened her eyes . He drew a cross towards Youko-san’s chest .
“I adjure thee in Christ’s name,”
He drew a cross towards her forehead .
“That, in whatsoever part of the body thou art hiding, thou shalt declare thyself, that thou shalt flee the body that thou hast occupied . ”
Towards her right ear .
“Thou shalt depart, wheresoever thou dost lurk, and never more seek out bodies dedicated to God . ”
Towards her left ear .
“Let these holy bodies be forbidden to thee forever, in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit . ”
Towards her mouth . Then he held up his hand to gently touch her eyes .
“In Principio . ”
Youko-san’s legs failed her and she collapsed . She slumped down on the spot supported by Lin-san . When Youko-san opened her eyes, which had been tightly closed, she wore a surprised expression .
“ . . . eh? What?”
John smiled at Youko-san, who was in dismay . He lightly kissed the cross he held in his hand and put it around Youko-san’s neck .
“You’re alright now . Please wear this and do not remove it . ”
4
Since Youko-san remembered nothing from the time we came to this house to now, Akifumi-san had to explain the situation from scratch .
“Hey, hey, Ayako . What’s Shichi Baku?”
When I asked that during diner, which we were taking in shifts, Ayako replied,
“That’s an immobility technique . ”
“Is that what Lin-san cast on Naru?”
Hearing that, Ayako frowned .
“No way . It isn’t powerful enough to put others to sleep . It only works to the extent of making people a little lethargic and making it difficult to move . ”
Ahh . Still, considering it was Ayako, it was amazing that she was useful .
“When you used Shichi Baku, didn’t you cut the nine syllables? You directed it towards Youko-san, but was that okay?”
‘Ah,’ Ayako smiled .
“The nine syllables was originally referred to as the defensive nine syllables and was something used to protect yourself . ”
“Oh, is that so?”
“I taught you the fast nine syllables . It’s the one that’s more easily done actually . It’s done during prayer . Ultimately, you use that when you do things such as prayer and training to prevent the intrusion of evil spirits . So originally, it was a method of self-defense . When you use it, don’t you essentially shout and push away from your center with the sword seal? If it’s done in that way, then it can also be used as a kind of attack . When you shout, you’re firing your willpower . ”
“I see… Then are things like exorcism ultimately manipulating your willpower somehow?”
“That’s so . In the end, chanting spells and using tools are just rituals for efficiently boosting your willpower . ”
“Then isn’t it meaningless?”
Ayako rested her chin in one hand .
“Hmm… perhaps it’s meaningless . It doesn’t necessarily mean you can’t do it if you don’t use them . For example, if someone uses the wrong mantra, there isn’t any issue from making a mistake… . well, that’s what I think . ”
“Ah . ”
“There’s a method from China called Qigong . This is Kung Fu that manipulates your willpower . It can be used to cure illness or move objects, and on top of that, it can be used to defeat people that are far away without even touching them . ”
Sponsored Content
“Isn’t that what PK is?”
Ayako looked back at me .
“Ah, is that so? That’s true . Curing illnesses is PK-LT and defeating far away people is PK-ST . Then that means PK is in fact willpower . ”
“You don’t know for sure?”
“There are few who know that method . I’m not even familiar with Qigong techniques . People who are said to have mastered it are truly amazing, although I’ve never seen it . They can break rocks without even touching them, bend iron, cure cancer, and they even seem to be able to manipulate human beings . It seems some people can do exorcisms with Qigong . ”
“Wow . . . ”
“Surprisingly, Lin can probably do it . ”
“Yeah, you can say that again . ”
After the pair of us laughed, we looked at each other .
“Naru!”
Could there be a possibility that Naru is a master of Qigong techniques?
“It would be useless to even tie him if he knew Qigong . ”
“There would be no point even if he was confined . That is dangerous . ”
“Then certainly there’s no choice but to keep him asleep . ”
“Is that so? Now I understand . ”
I see . One question was solved .
Ayako nodded enthusiastically .
“It’s true . Otherwise, Naru wouldn’t even have to practice religious purification and—”
“Oh!”
I clapped my hands .
“What?”
“There’s a question I’ve had for a long time . ”
“Hmmm?”
“A while ago, when we went to investigate at Taka’s school, wasn’t there a situation where Naru and I fell into a hole?”
“There was, there was . ”
“There was a manhole, and it was full of rubble that had fallen into the hole . I thought it was strange that the reason we weren’t injured much was because we just so happened to fall somewhere that didn’t have any chunks of concrete . ”
“Why?”
“After all, we had fallen from the manhole, right? Even the rubble had fallen from the manhole . I thought it was inevitable that we would get injured since both us and the rumble pretty much fell from the same spot . ”
“Is that so? Naturally, rubble should have been strewn about the place you had fallen . ”
“Right? There wasn’t any debris there . ”
“Someone must have either broke it or moved it out of the way . ”
“I know, right?”
“Hehehe . ”
We finally caught his tail . Ayako and I continued to laugh giddily for a little while .
“Eh? But wait a minute . ”
Ayako abruptly tilted her head in puzzlement .
“But, if he’s able to use Qigong techniques, why wasn’t he able to fight off that fox-like thing when it sprang at him?”
“Hmm? You have a point… ”
Come to think of it, Lin-san had said something . Something like, “Don’t do it!”
“I wonder if there’s a reason he shouldn’t use Qigong techniques… ”
In the end, Ayako and I were greatly perplexed .
5
Nao-san hadn’t come back, and it had become a problem since it was approaching midnight .
“It's impossible to not come home until such time without notice . ”
Hiroe-obasan and the others began to make an uproar, but when we inquired, no one had seen Nao-san go out . It turned out that even when we tried searching her room, her purse and such had been left behind and we just could not think of where she had gone . Bou-san and John helped by searching the neighborhood, but the figure of Nao was not found . Bou-san and John returned to the base after one in the morning . The moon couldn’t even be seen through the thick clouds in the night sky .
“How did it go?”
When I asked, Bou-san and John shook their heads .
“If she doesn’t return tomorrow, we’ll submit a search request . ”
The mood became deeply somber .
Just as I nodded, Lin-san, who had been watching the equipment, raised his voice .
“Takigawsan . —Look here . ”
Saying so, he pointed out the monitor . It was the video of the camera that was placed in the cave . The entrance of the cave was visible to the left of the screen… there were no abnormalities in particular . Was there something?
Bou-san fixed his eyes on the screen, then he stood up in hurry .
“Lin, is there a flashlight?”
“I put one in the car . ”
“John, come on . ”
“What’s wrong?”
“Mai, you and the others stay here . Young master, I’m entrusting this place to you . ”
After seeing off the three people, who left in a rush, I exchanged a look with Ayako .
Was there something wrong in the video of the cave? I stared at the screen again, but I didn’t see anything abnormal in the cave . Only the deserted space was projected with that strangely pale tone characteristic of the high sensitivity camera .
“I wonder what it is . ”
I tilted my head in thought at Ayako’s words .
“ . . . . there’s nothing . Even if something strange shows up on video, that doesn’t necessarily mean something strange is going on… ”
I broke off mid-sentence and my eyes fixed on the entrance of the cave . At the rocky stretch outside the entrance, white waves were lapping against the protruding rocks . Something was caught there so that it was being washed by the waves .
“What’s that there?”
I stared further, but I couldn’t tell what it was . It repeatedly retreated and hit the rocks .
As I was desperately straining my eyes, the video showed Bou-san and the others rush in . Bou-san headed straight for the thing that was caught in the rocky area . There was something after all…
Akifumi-san stood up half-way .
I switched over the speaker . Bou-san and the others were keeping silent . No sound could be heard from the speakers except the sound of the waves .
Bou-san pulled the thing up while getting swallowed by the waves . With Lin-san, the thing was carried between the pair .
Ayako screamed . Akifumi-san rushed out of the room .
The video was coarse and I couldn’t see well . Even so, I knew that it was a person . As we watched, the person’s body was washed by the waves without resistance . I don’t think that person is alive .
(—Corpses flow in with relation to the tide)
Nao-san had not come back . We could not think of where she had gone .
I closed my eyes . Please be someone else . Let it be someone completely unrelated .
—Still, I also knew there could not be such a chance .
It was undoubtedly Nao-san . She was carried by the tide until it had reached that cave . The police were called and Nao-san was carried away . We heard that she underwent an autopsy .
“I would hate to be dissected by someone… even if it was a woman… ”
I was in the base holding my knees . Ayako patted my back consolingly .
The sound of the waves flowing could still be heard from the speaker . I realized for the first time that the sound of waves was actually a lonesome sound .
Bou-san and the others, who had finished changing their clothes, returned after a while wearing sullen expressions .
“Thanks for your hard work… I made coffee . ”
“Thanks . ”
No one had anything more to say than that .
I finished distributing the coffee and just as everyone had started to drink, Bou-san spoke at long last .
“Masako-chan . ”
“Yes?”
“Can you summon Nao-san?”
Masako looked back at Bou-san with a start .
“I think I can, but… ”
“Lin said it’s a bad day for him . I’m sorry, but will you do it?”
“I will try to do what I can . ”
“Mai, go to the main building and ask only for these things . ”
After he said this, Bou-san began to write a note . Nao-san’s birthdate, blood type, hobbies, favorite artist, money in her purse, where she went on a trip recently, etc .
“ . . . how should I ask for these things?”
“Go now . Don’t say anything about a seance . They don’t need to know about something they won’t understand . —Masako, is there anything you need to prepare?”
6
Sponsored Content
I asked the endless list of questions as I was instructed to do, and when I returned to the base, the inside of the room was already prepared . Although I say prepared, there was only a candle and an incense, and the rest was the equipment for recording .
“Have you asked?”
“Yeah . Although, I only filled out about half . ”
“That’s enough . ”
While handing over the note to Bou-san, I asked,
“But why’d you really want me to ask those things?”
“If Nao-san is summoned, it’s necessary to determine that no mistakes were made . ”
Oh, I see .
“If that’s the case, should we have Akifumi-san come? Wouldn’t it be easy if it was ascertained by him?”
“That’ll be trouble . ”
“Why? I think Akifumi-san will certainly want to see her, too . ”
“It won’t do . ”
I was slightly annoyed .
“Why? I think Nao-san might surely say, ‘If I knew this would suddenly happen, I would have told you so much . ’ Am I right? . . . hey, answer me!”
Bou-san looked at me . He had a very serious expression .
“Nao-san didn’t necessarily die in an accident . ”
“ . . . what do you mean?”
“I’ll speak plainly . There’s a possibility she was killed by someone in this house . ”
“Bou-san!”
“When you guys handed out charms, Nao-san was already gone . At that point, it seems three people were possessed . Youko-san and the two children . It might not have been an accident or suicide . Do you think the young master would want to hear it if Youko-san killed her?”
“ . . . what?”
Bou-san sighed .
“I’d prefer it if that wasn’t the case, too . So, Masako will summon her to make sure of it . The family aren’t allowed to participate . Got it?”
“ . . . Got it . ”
We all surrounded the low table . The candle and incense were lit and the lights were turned out . Masako, who sat heavily in a zaisu chair, closed her eyes and put her hands together . Then she began to quietly chant what appeared to be a sutra .
“Avalokitesh . . . Bodhisattva, while . . . Perfection of . . . , . . . five . . . empty . . . ”
Masako’s posture immediately collapsed . Her always precisely straightened spine had become slightly stooped, but soon after, she leaned her back heavily against the back of the zaisu chair . Her words were becoming increasingly indistinct . Before long, they, too, were cut off, and for a short while, there wasn’t a sound . Only the faint sound of waves and the low motor noise of the equipment moving could be heard .
“Nao-san,”
Bou-san addressed quietly .
“Nao-san, are you there?”
Masako’s eyes remained closed, but her red lips moved .
“Yes . . . ”
Someone breathed a deep sigh of relief .
“You are Yoshimi Nao-san, right?”
“Yes… what is this?”
“I would like you to answer a few question . ”
Bou-san said and began to ask various questions . Masako answered the questions while being confused . Everything matched well with the responses that I had heard in the main building . The sight of Masako continuing to talk with only her mouth moving felt quite abnormal given that she appeared completely asleep . Masako— Nao-san, who had borrowed Masako’s mouth, had asked several times, “What is this?” It left a strong impression .
“You died . . . . do you understand?”
There was a pause following Bou-san’s words .
“ . . . yes . ”
“Do you know… how you died?”
There was another pause here .
“I fell… into the sea . ”
As soon as she said this, something glistening came from Masako’s closed eyes .
“I was in the garden…watching the sea . ”
Tears ran down her cheeks .
“Where in the garden was that?”
“It was on the other side… of the teahouse… I wanted to think about something . . . ”
“Did you slip?”
There was a long pause this time .
“ . . . I was pushed off . ”
As was expected . It was so after all .
“Who pushed you off?”
“I don’t know… someone pushed me from behind . ”
She said that and took a long breath .
“I was so . . . frightened . ”
. . . listening to her was heartbreaking . I lowered my head . How scared she must be . How sad she must be .
“Is there anything more? Don’t you remember something about the person who pushed you off?”
“ . . . I don’t remember… but I’m glad I don’t know . ”
“Why?”
“Only the family go there . If it was someone from the family that pushed me… I don’t want to know . ”
After she said so, she released another long sigh .
“I guess… I cannot live anymore . ”
It was cruel . What did Nao-san supposedly do? Who held this grudge and did this terrible thing? . . . who would make someone do this?
“Please rest in peace . ”
When Bou-san said this, she cried out slightly .
“What’s wrong?”
“Someone… is pulling me . ”
“Pulling?”
“What… is this? Who are you? I’m scared . I don’t want to go . Please stop pulling . That place is scary . I don’t like it… ”
“Nao-san?”
“I don’t like… such a place . I beg you, don’t pull me there . I don’t want to go to that place . Please, stop it…!”
All of us half-rose to our feet at her screaming voice .
“No…! Monster!”
“Nao-san!?”
“Help!”
Screaming along with her, Masako’s joined hands separated and fell atop her knees . Masako’s eyes immediately opened . Masako straightened her back, and then blinked as if dazzled .
“I… appear to have summoned her . ”
“She was killed after all… ”
Ayako’s voice trembled .
“The question is, who is the culprit?”
John nodded .
“It’s not Yasutaksan, at least . Since Nao-san was there, too, when he was taken to the hospital . And the grandmother doesn’t seem to be able to move about . ”
“It also probably isn’t the children . ”
Bou-san made a sour expression at Ayako’s words .
“That’s not necessarily true . ”
“Why? After all, it would be impossible for the children . ”
“If given momentum, it wouldn’t be impossible . ”
“That’s true… but, if that’s the case for either of them, then certainly you would be suspicious of the others? There’s still someone in the house who’s possessed . ”
“Why?”
“Why . . . ”
Bou-san spoke over his shoulder to Ayako, who hesitated to speak .
“It may be someone who’s already been exorcised . The person may have forgotten what was done . If it was Youko-san . . . ”
It was a frightening prospect . Youko-san had no memory of when she was possessed . During which, she may have pushed Nao-san off the cliff . Youko-san might have committed a serious crime while not knowing . If she found out, how shocked would she be…?
Thirteen family members . Akifumi-san and his grandmother, his father, his mother, his four siblings, his two sibling-in-laws, his nephew and two nieces . A total of thirteen people . With the exception of Nao-san, amongst the twelve people, there was the culprit who was supposed to have killed Nao-san .
The grandmother can’t move . It’s impossible for Yasutaksan to be the culprit because he was hospitalized . If we were to trust Ayako’s words, the three children and two sibling-in-laws, who had already been exorcised, were not the culprit . If I were to say by impression only, I don’t think the culprit is Akifumi-san, his parents, or Teruksan, who was previously attacked .
I can understand Nao-san’s feelings when she said, ‘I don’t want to know . ’ I wouldn’t want to know either . If we find out the name of the culprit, I wonder what we should do then . After the person is exorcised, what should be told to the person once they return to sanity?
I looked towards the window then .
What on earth happened to Nao-san’s spirit?
Please download our sponsor's game to support us!