Vol 1 Chapter 4 (2/2)

“Well...” Kirika slowly opens her mouth:

“If it’s just the two of us, we can’t win in this situation. If that’s the case, we have no choice but to call for reinforcement.”

“Who? One of your subordinates?”

“Wrong. We know someone much more reliable, am I right?”

“Ah, that one?”

Because Ayano and Kirika don’t have many common acquaintances, she quickly understood who it was.

Certainly, ability wise he was the most reliable man. Ability wise

“........Fine, will you call him?”

To Ayano who reluctantly agreed, Kirika sends a meaningful smile.

“.......What?”

“Err, nothing in particular. Then, please get in touch with him.”

“Why me!?” Ayano unintentionally shouted. “It’s better if you call him, right? Because you two have a much more friendlier relations.h.i.+p!” The first time Ayano met Kirika, she and Kazuma were leaving the red-light district, arms linked. That’s why Ayano firmly believes these two have “that kind of relations.h.i.+p.”

“That’s not true. If it’s Ayano-chan, he’ll answer the phone. So, please?”

“............................”

Even if this doesn’t mean she believes Kirika’s words, Ayano gave up on resisting, taking out the mobile phone. As a matter of course, she has his number.

It’s just for work! It’s really just that!

She dialed it, they talked a few times before –

“What?”

Maybe because he knows it was Ayano, or maybe he does it for everyone – anyway, the voice reaching Ayano’s ears is excessively self-important.

“Ah, Kazuma? I have a favor –”

“I refuse.”

The answer comes back lightning fast. For a short while Ayano is silenced but she corrects herself in a low voice:

“I have a job request.”

“Say it.”

“................”

Still on the phone, Ayano throws a sidelong glance at Kirika, glaring at her.

Hey, is this what you call a good answer?

Although she didn’t say it loud, her twisted expression said it all. Not caring about it, Kirika encouraged her in a small voice: “Keep going!”

Giving up the investigation, Ayano concentrates her attention on the conversation with Kazuma.

“You see...” she explains, summarizing the situation.

Surprisingly, Kazuma quickly understood.

“Even though I think we can end it by killing them all, but since there is money in this, I don’t mind playing around with them. So, where are we meeting?”

“Ah, well.....”

Ayano considered her current surroundings. But without deliberating too much, she answered:

“Tee hee hee, I don’t know. Somewhere in s.h.i.+njuku. Will you search ♡?”

She tried to be as lovely as possible. But – it was useless.

“Haaaaaaaaaaaaa,” an endless, deep sigh reached her ears. And then.....

“Did your brains go bad or something!!”

“Kyauu!?”

Because the angry roar explodes close to her ear Ayano involuntarily throws out the phone. Kirika skillfully caught it just before falling on the ground.

“Hey, it’s wrong to bully girls, you know?”

“.....Kirika, why are you there?”

From the mobile phone now in Kirika’s hands, Kazuma’s questioning tone can be heard. Throwing a sidelong glance at Ayano, listening attentively, Kirika moves the conversation forward.

“This was my work from the start. So it’s fine to bill me for the job. So, where are you? Your home? The one in Yokohama? Really – please hurry. Yeah, please. Well then... ”

Kirika settled the conversation at once, hang up and returned the telephone to Ayano. She received it with a blank facial expression.

“As I thought it turned out well because you did the talking, right?”

“I wonder...” Kirika responds to Ayano, who looks displeased, with a mature smile full of composure.

For some reason or another, feeling she is losing the mental battle, Ayano changes the subject.

“So, are we hiding until Kazuma gets here? If he’s in Yokohama, no matter how fast it still takes time.”

“That’s right, it would be ideal if circ.u.mstances allow, but.....”

In the middle of her words, Kirika s.h.i.+fts her attention inside the hallway. Almost simultaneously, so does Ayano. Looking at the ceiling, deploring, she corrects herself with a delicate expression:

“It would have been ideal...”

“Your everyday behavior must be very sinful, am I right?”

Standing up Ayano is brus.h.i.+ng off the dust from her skirt.

Without having to wait for them, they appeared in the front. With a rotten, fishy smell and fixed eyes, the man – a company worker – is of course possessed by the spirits of the dead.

“Good grief – it can’t be helped...”

Lightly kicking the floor, Ayano’s silhouette vanished in a blur. Swiftly rus.h.i.+ng in, her high speed movement is like she can leap over time restrains. Instantly plunging into the man’s chest she thrusts her elbow, using the force of the rush. Through the blow, purification power is pumped into his face. The golden radiance doesn’t allow any escape and the spirit dwelling on the man is burned to nothing.

“Oh, that did the trick.”

“That so? He’s kind of burning.”

Overlooking the man emitting fumes from here and there, Kirika says a touching, silent prayer.

“Don’t concern yourself with minor details!”

“Minor, huh?”

She has lots of things to say to this girl, but now it’s not the time to fuss over it. Chasing the already running Ayano, Kirika breaks into a forceful run.

“....I’m not letting you escape.... ”

In one of the rooms from a certain hotel in Akasaki, Ronald Wallace murmured so, in a heavy, low voice.

Aquiline nose – white hair – the name Ghost Tamer is appropriate; the old man’s appearance is that of an evil sorcerer come forth from fairy-tales. That figure gazing at the crystal ball is terrifying.

“You can’t get away..........no matter how you struggle.....”

Watching the women, reflected in the crystal ball, running around, trying to escape, Ronald laughs. That was because he knows victory is certain.

The net completely encircling them – there is no target whose technique can exorcize more than a hundred organized departed souls. Of course, not even the Enjutsus.h.i.+ who stumbled in the middle of it.

There is just one flaw. Following Ronald’s will manipulating the spirits and finding his location. The only way is to strike at him. But –

“The Enjutsus.h.i.+ whose only merit are combat abilities and the Onmyoji trying to escape with all her might, can you do it...?”

With absolute confidence, Ronald sneered. Even the Enjutsus.h.i.+’s flames are not scary if the person can avoid them. Departed souls and the like are after all pieces who have no choice but to do his work as a subst.i.tution.

“Perhaps capturing the Enjutsus.h.i.+’s soul could be fun. If it retains even a small portion of the power it has alive, maybe I can use it.”

“Stop it. That one’s is probably really hard to manipulate.”

That answer reached his ears much too naturally. Searching for the reb.u.t.tal words, Ronald turned around in terror.

A hundred and eighty degrees rotation, a body suspended in the air.

Since the head’s rotation doesn’t stop, approximately after another rotation, the balance is destroyed, the dead falls down and crashes.

Ronald – climbing in the revolving world finally recognizes the situation. The revolving universe. But someone tramples down on the head and the spinning stops.

“What’s more...”

Looking up with disgrace and humiliation, in the field of vision is reflected a man’s face, showing a cynical smile.

“I’ve decided I’m the only one allowed to play with her AND that’s the law of this country, you know!”

With these words the sensation of Ronald’s last moment was the smas.h.i.+ng of his cranium and his consciousness faded into darkness.

The headless body, standing erect, spurts out fresh blood as if remembering.

At the same time....

Ayano and Kirika were trapped in a desperate crisis. It is evening in the Imperial Garden of s.h.i.+njuku. The surroundings are flocked with more than a hundred possessed bodies. There is no way to escape.

“.......What are we going to do?” Ayano groans in a worn-out voice but Kirika either has no way out.

At such a troubled time, almost like aiming for it, the cell phone’s ringtone can be heard. Kirika fetched it really fast and stated shouting.

“How long do you plan to take Kazuma!? We’re at our limit!!”

A contrastive, hatefully calm voice can be heard.

“It’s over. Everything.”

“No it’s not! Right now we are in the middle of being attacked by nearly a hundred spirits!”

“.........Oh?” Kazuma’s voice is surprisingly serious. From the other side of the phone, a silence filled with confusion can be sensed.

“Hey....”

“Ah, I got it. Even if the pract.i.tioner dies, the last order pa.s.sed down is still effective. I see.”

The only one impressed is Kazuma because Kirika asks him in a low voice:

“I’m so glad you cleared the puzzle. So, how do you get here?”

“How, you ask...where are you now? s.h.i.+njukugyouen? That’s impossible. It’s totally outside my range. I’ll get there in twenty, thirty minutes so wait there.”

“We can’t wait that long! We’re already under pressure. It’s fine with you if Ayano-chan becomes a ma.s.s murderer?”

“Tell her this. If she dares to die, she can choose her favorite method for when HER PARTNER is going to kill her............Ah, that’s right. She’s there. Get her on the phone.”

“Eh?”

“Put Ayano on the phone,” Kazuma plainly repeated.

Kirika peeked at Ayano’s situation. She has already started the fight. For the time being, even if she is adjusting to the non-fatal amount, in reality it seems she has no choice but to minimally go easy on them, because the sound of blows is pretty severe.

While making appropriate judgment on the enemy, a telephone is pushed before her eyes.

“From Kazuma. He wants to talk to you.”

“I’m busy now!” Ayano shouted without taking it.

“Although I can see that wouldn’t it be better to take it? We’re not getting anywhere this way.”

“...................”

Ayano s.n.a.t.c.hed the telephone totally annoyed. While beating down the enemies with her free hand, her left hand holds the telephone to her ear. That instant, as if intentionally, Kazuma’s voice can be heard.

“Hey, feeling well?”

In addition to being very agitated, Ayano couldn’t endure it and her reason flipped out.

“Huff.....don’t mess around you fool! U – Until now....what have you...done.....”

Because of fatigue and anger, her breath was disturbed and her mouth didn’t work well.

As for Kazuma, he replied in a refres.h.i.+ng and calm voice:

“If you raise your voice like that, it feels like one of those dangerous phone calls <wifey, the=”” color=”” of=”” today’s=”” underwear=”” is...=””>>”

“Y........Youuuuuuuuuu!!”

With rage enveloping her mind, Ayano stroke down the nearby enemies with that violent emotion. There was the smell of something burning, but right now she doesn’t have time to worry about such things.

“Remember this! I’ll kill you! I’ll definitely kill you!! There won’t be any ash left by the time I’m finished with you!!”

“Uh huh”

“Just you wait! When the time comes I’m not letting you off even if you burst into tears!”

“Uh huh”

“....................”

Kazuma doesn’t say anything only some half-hearted replies.

Because there is no feedback Ayano regains her cool very quickly. Remembering the current state of affairs, she sobers up in one breath, informing him:

“Although I believe you know, I’m extremely busy right now. If you have no business with me, I’m hanging up.”

“W – Wait. Let’s talk a bit more.”

Surprisingly, Kazuma wanted to continue the telephone call. Without understanding his intention, Ayano looks into it, perplexed.

“Talk, you say... about what?”

“Anything will do. Just continue on like just now, talking about idiotic things like idiots.”

Speaking of too much, because of that excessive comment, a huge vein shows on Ayano’s temple. Because she was groping the telephone tightly, an ominous, recognizable sound can be heard.

“Y ....You low life rascal....! I hate you the most! You should try and learn something from Ren’s charm, even if it’s just a little.”

“Yeah yeah, is that so......fine, I caught you.”

“What?”

Without minding the bewildered Ayano, Kazuma one-sidedly said:

“GO!”

“What are you – huh?”

The wind gently swirls. In some respects already familiar with it, Ayano suppresses the questioning words.

The light blue radiance fills the surroundings. That is without doubt the color of purification. The supreme power cleansing all evil.

Aoooooooo.......

When those bodies are flooded with purification wind, the departed souls raise cries of pain. From the humans they cling to, they are being torn off, no resistance permitted.

“.......No..... this is......” Resistance and the like, there wasn’t any from the beginning. The thoughts raised by the departed souls were shots of joy, congratulations on their liberation. The spirits, released from the Ghost Tamer’s curse, by their own will dissolved the possession and accepted the power of purification.

The shapes of the dead spirits changed from the gruesomeness in the moment of death to those when they were alive. The healed spirits’ contours morphed, while floating with content smiles, being reduced to b.a.l.l.s of light returning to Heaven.

The countless light b.a.l.l.s, while dancing, ran beyond the sky. That fairytale-like spectacle, Ayano looks up at it, simply amazed.

“Amazing....”

A murmur from the back. When turning around, Kirika speaks with a bitter smile.

“How to say this...a scene ridiculing the efforts of mediocre people. This doesn’t seem like the work of men.”

“True. But that doesn’t mean he didn’t put great effort into it, don’t you think?”

“Well, that may be true. By the way, you didn’t hang up, did you?”

Although asking, Kirika plunders the telephone before hearing the answer.

“h.e.l.lo. Everything is finished. If you can do it, do it faster. What’s all that c.r.a.p about being outside range – huh?”

Unexpectedly Kirika raised her voice in hysterics, and glared at the phone like it was the enemy of her ancestors.

“That so? Well then, thank you very much! Ciao!!”

With a shout that raised the corners of her eyes she roughly hanged up. And then with a gaze, for some reason, packed with a certain something, she is staring at Ayano.

“W – What........?”

In front of such an emotional new Kirika, different from her usual calm self, Ayano involuntarily shrinks away.

But together with a solemn, long breath Kirika releases her anger, promptly recovering her calmness.

“I hanged up but....did you have something to say to him?”

Because for one reason or another she is overpowered in the mental battle, Ayano asks in a sulky tone:

“..........Not particularly. What are you trying to say?”

“Words of grat.i.tude among other things.”

“Don’t joke around!” Ayano shouts, furiously grasping her fists tightly.

“Why would I, to such a guy!? He is dismissing people just when they think of dismissing him, he is mocking them, doing as it pleases him, turning them into toys!”

“That’s all the same thing.”

“Next time I meet him, I’m definitely stabbing him with Enraiha.”

Without hearing Kirika’s retort, Ayano is thoroughly excited.

“You’re not honest with yourself,” mingled with a sigh, Kirika murmurs so.

The girl in front of her eyes and the absent man – she is facing these two.

Kazuma’s words from a while ago are resurrected in her ears.

It was true that he was outside range. But – “Because of Ayano’s voice, even if we’re separated by a hundred kilometers, I can get through,” he continued.

Good grief, he’s speaking so fondly of her.

For a second time she is focusing in Ayano. Without knowing to what extent and how carefully she is being protected, she is shouting abusive words even now.

But surely to notice that warped and twisted love, it seems unreasonable. Nevertheless, she has no intention of helping her.

“I’m not going to tell you. Realize it yourself, dumb bunny.”

Turning her back on the girl, with an ill-natured look, Kirika murmured so.

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