Chapter 2 | Sunlight Rights Dispute

February 12th—3:00 PM. Nadeshiko quickly sat up.

It was a bright but cramped room. A table was set up in front of her. On it sat a large computer monitor, a small potted cactus, and an empty tequila bottle.

The floor was covered with a black mattress, and when she turned around, there was an orange door.

No sign of enemies. Nadeshiko relaxed her guard somewhat and checked her physical condition, noticing something strange.

“Everything’s… healed…?”

Her skin was smooth everywhere, with no trace of the wounds she should have sustained from the battle with the pseudo-Tengu.

While exploring her lips with the tip of her tongue, Nadeshiko tried to recall the sequence of events. She remembered almost everything, yet yesterday’s memories were cleanly erased.

“It won’t be that easy…”

Just as she gritted her teeth, the sound of a lock clicking open echoed through the room.

Nadeshiko instinctively braced herself. However, catching a familiar scent, she relaxed her guard.

“Amana… you’re safe.”

“Mm… you’re awake, Nadeshiko.”

Amana’s eyes widened for a moment, but she quickly wore her usual smirking smile.

“I was wondering what I’d do if you never woke up.”

“Unfortunately, I’m full of energy. So? Where exactly is this place?”

“Corpo Sakaki Norihara Building G3—or more precisely, the general café inside it.”

While taking off her shoes, Amana handed Nadeshiko a flyer.

“Danchi Café Pyramid♪”—colorful pop letters immediately caught the eye.

The flyer, which looked like it was made by a computer novice, featured the words “All-You-Can-Eat Pickles,” “Kurama Fire Festival,” “Cactus Sales,” “Why and How Pension Classroom,” and “Let’s Treasure Flowers.”

“…Isn’t the information combination too bad?”

“Mm… it’s peculiar, but the facilities are quite something. Manga, karaoke, billiards, and even a bar. Unfortunately, they only had tequila.”

“…Wait. You’re not planning to eat and drink in such a dubious place, are you?”

Nadeshiko gave Amana a withering look as she shook several bottles.

“If you’re afraid of the principle of Yomotsu-hegui, I can tell you the danger is low. These appear to be items from the present world. How they ended up here is unclear, though.”

As she spoke, Amana handed over a bottle of cola.

Nadeshiko cautiously accepted it, staring at it with wary eyes. The label with cold condensation on it was from a brand widely distributed in the present world.

“Either way, this ‘in-between’ still has a strong color of the present world. In other words, it’s a hidden world—it doesn’t have the influence of domains called Yomi or Tokoyo. This much is perfectly manageable.”

“…So eating and drinking here won’t prevent us from returning to the present world?”

“Exactly. Well, the poor selection of alcohol is a drawback…”

Sitting gracefully, Amana produced a fan from somewhere.

“For now, this place is supposedly safe. The guide said so.”

“…Guide?”

“Hisui—you know, that hat woman. She claims to be the apartment complex guide.”

Instantly, the face of that woman wearing the ten-gallon hat revived in her mind. The woman who had been devouring chocolate in that abnormal environment was apparently named Hisui.

“…Can we trust that dubious person?”

“I don’t trust her at all.”

At Amana’s refreshingly honest response, Nadeshiko furrowed her brow even deeper.

“However, it’s clear we need rest. …So I set up a barrier. It’s a simple one using alcohol, salt, and talismans, but it should provide some peace of mind.”

Amana indicated the door with her fan. As she said, white lines were drawn in front of it.

Seeing what would serve as a defensive wall for this space, Nadeshiko relaxed slightly.

She opened the cola with a utility knife borrowed from Amana and took a sip. The well-chilled cola provided spicy stimulation to her dry throat.

“…I was worried you might have forgotten me again.”

Amana propped her chin on the table and stared intently at Nadeshiko. Though her lips were smiling, her twilight-sky-like eyes held an almost pleading light.

“…Unnecessary worry. I won’t forget you so many times, so rest assured.”

“Mm… I hope so. Next time won’t be free. I’ll charge about 500,000.”

“You’re really jacking up the price…”

“—Don’t… forget me.”

Amana suddenly averted her eyes, fidgeting with her fan. There was no smile on her lips, and her movements opening and closing the fan were rougher than usual. Nadeshiko thought she looked like a sulking child.

Eventually, Amana closed her fan with a sharp sound.

“You seek the flesh of monsters… and I desire their souls.”

Pointing the closed fan alternately at Nadeshiko and herself, Amana whispered somewhat awkwardly.

“I provide information, you hunt… you understand, right? We have mutual coexistence and prosperity.”

“What are you saying now… I understand without you having to spell it out.”

Amana stared at Nadeshiko with searching eyes as she languidly shook her head.

Eventually, the fan opened with a deep sigh.

“…Mm. If you understand, that’s fine.”

“You’re more worried than usual.”

“Of course I’m worried. Your existence affects my safety too…”

“Yes, yes. …So, to confirm again.”

To Amana, who seemed restless and let her gaze wander, Nadeshiko offered a different topic.

“You and I were originally looking for stickers, according to the story.”

“Mm, mm… ah, yes. Let’s share information once more.”

Amana nodded several times while taking out her smartphone.

“According to nearby residents, it started around last autumn. Those stickers began appearing everywhere. At first, they thought it was mischief…”

“…The same stickers were plastered all over the apartment complex too.”

“Yes. I confirmed several before meeting you. In other words, these stickers exist spanning both the present world and the ‘in-between’… this completely eliminates the mischief theory.”

While swiping through images one after another, Amana sighed.

“Even when peeled off, they somehow get reapplied, and rumors have started spreading that misfortune visits those who get these stickers… so the matter came to me.”

“…I think this every time, but where on earth do you collect such absurd stories from?”

“Mmph… do you dislike women with many secrets?”

“I think there’s a limit… well, whatever.”

Averting her eyes from the images lined with eye-like patterns, Nadeshiko sipped her cola.

“So… in the course of searching for stickers, I wandered into this place.”

“Correct. Yesterday—past noon on February 11th. We discovered several stickers near Kurama Station. You used the chain of the hungry ghost realm, and guided by it, we entered the mountains.”

According to Amana’s account, the two walked as the chain of the hungry ghost realm guided them.

They traveled far from Mount Kurama, proceeding along pathless paths. While Amana complained about this and that, and Nadeshiko responded curtly, they eventually emerged in a strange place.

“We found ruins. Not just one or two.”

Amana whispered, moving her closed fan up and down. She seemed to be indicating the outline of buildings.

“It was like a small town. I was surprised—to think such a thing existed in a place near a natural environment conservation area… and those stickers were plastered everywhere.”

“…It must have been quite a bizarre sight.”

Nadeshiko tried to imagine the scene from memories stolen by someone.

Dark mountain forests with some remaining snow. A cluster of ruins standing as if buried there. Stickers covering the cracked walls, staring intently at them—.

“So we thought that was the base for making stickers.”

Ignoring Nadeshiko, who was restlessly rubbing her neck, Amana continued.

There was no particular presence of monsters. Neither Nadeshiko’s sense of smell nor the compass Amana brought showed any reaction.

However, the chain of the hungry ghost realm continued to show an abnormal reaction.

“It was pointing to the sky.”

In Nadeshiko’s palm, the skull weight had been pointing upward the entire time.

They searched the trees within their visible range, but found nothing. The two looked for the spot where the weight pointed straight up.

And so, they set foot in the abandoned shrine. Though the decaying shrine was large in scale, it was no longer clear what it enshrined.

Amana was carefully observing the shrine. Meanwhile, for some reason, Nadeshiko went outside alone.

“You were lured and guided by something—and vanished from before my eyes.”

Amana desperately searched around the abandoned shrine.

However, Nadeshiko was nowhere to be found. It had been less than five minutes.

Kidnapped—immediately understanding this, Amana left the scene for the time being.

After making preparations, she investigated the area again. As a result, she noticed that the boundary between the present world and the “in-between” was strangely fluctuating around the cluster of ruins.

“A ghost town, so to speak—I thought it was a place that once existed spanning both the present world and the ‘in-between,’ but was severed into the ‘in-between’ for some reason. So I searched for places where the boundary was particularly frayed… and managed to slip in like this.”

While Amana spread both hands gently, Nadeshiko looked down.

“…I don’t remember anything.”

“Mmm, don’t be so depressed. Even without memories, you have your life.”

Nadeshiko shook her head weakly and roughly tousled her milk tea-colored hair.

No memories. And she didn’t even know the way back from the apartment complex.

Having Amana there was reassuring. However—

“…Amana. How many Yō do you have left?”

“Mm, I used one to come to the apartment complex… so two remain.”

As she spoke, Amana conjured two Yō in her left hand. Nadeshiko stared intently as her white fingertips toyed with the orbs that seemed to contain the universe.

Due to her constitution, Amana couldn’t use large-scale techniques very much.

To compensate for this, she used these Yō—crystals of spiritual energy—but…

“With just these, it would be difficult for both of us to return to the present world with my current skill level. So for now, let’s explore the apartment complex. Then we’ll find places where the boundary is frayed—”

“I see… then we can’t just sit around.”

Nadeshiko made up her mind and started to move. However, her sailor uniform collar was lightly pinched.

“Hey, where are you going?”

“Where? …I’m going outside. We need to investigate the area first.”

“No, you should rest properly first.”

“Kyaa—wait!”

Pulled by her collar, Nadeshiko was rolled onto the mat.

While Nadeshiko raised a voice of protest, she tried to get up. Faster than that, the cool-faced Amana placed both feet on her torso.

“Oh, this makes a perfect stool.”

“…You…”

“Mmm… properly assess your own condition, young lady.”

While restraining the growling Nadeshiko with both feet, Amana gracefully waved her fan.

“You were not only affected by a reverse Baku, but someone also scrambled your mind. On top of that, you’re exhausted from the battle with the two-faced Tengu. You should rest properly now.”

“Such… leisurely… we don’t have time to rest—”

“…This will probably be a long battle.”

While brazenly crossing her legs, Amana took out her smartphone.

She was probably looking at those stickers again. Just remembering those creepy three circles made her spine crawl. Nadeshiko’s limbs lost some strength.

“This suspicious apartment complex, and now another sun. I can’t predict what will happen. It’s better to rest when you can—Muyashi requires mental focus, right? Have you forgotten?”

“…You’re so noisy.”

Tapped on the head with the closed fan, Nadeshiko gritted her back teeth.

In normal times, she could easily shake off this level of restraint. But for Nadeshiko now, Amana’s slender legs were like iron bars.

She had no strength at all—Nadeshiko was dejected and sank heavily into the black mattress.

“…It’s annoying… your legs are long…”

“Mmph, sorry about that. I have a model’s figure.”

Amana smiled broadly while reaching for the tequila on the table.

“I’d like to get some information from the owner here, but… unfortunately, she’s away now. She should be back in a few hours, so you should rest until then.”

“…How frustrating.”

“Calm down. There are three important things. Really simple.”

Amana removed her feet and held up three fingers.

Nadeshiko rolled over and glared intently at the fingertips neatly outlined with manicure.

“First, rest. Second, investigate the apartment complex. Then, search for an escape method. It would be great if we could find places where the boundary is frayed, but… things probably won’t proceed that smoothly.”

“…Fine. I’ll rest properly to prepare for activities in the apartment complex.”

“That’s good. Let’s hear from Hisui first. When she returns, I’ll wake you—”

“…Amana.”

Propping her chin on the mat, Nadeshiko looked up at Amana sitting beside her. She, who was about to start drinking, tilted her head with a puzzled expression.

“What?”

“I’m sorry. I worried you.”

“…Absolutely.”

Turning down the corners of her lips, Amana stroked the belly of the bottle with her fingertips in a sulky manner.

“Don’t disappear on your own. If you sense anything strange, call out to me. Thanks to you, despite being a civilian, I’m in such a…”

“…Hehe… civilian, you say.”

“What? That creepy smile…”

To Amana’s sharp stare, Nadeshiko grinned mischievously.

“You’re a specialist in spells, aren’t you, big sister?”

“──Wha!” A blush quickly spread across her pearl-like skin.

In front of Nadeshiko, who was watching this rare expression with amusement, Amana immediately put on her usual ambiguous smile. However, her well-shaped eyebrows twitched slightly.

“W-well… sometimes, yes. But I am nothing more than exceptionally beautiful──”

“‘Is there anyone who knows more about curses and sorcery than I do?’──wasn’t that what you said? It was very reassuring. Why don’t you just call yourself a master sorcerer already?”

“Shut up! I have my own circumstances! Now, you should hurry up and go to sleep!”

“What a complicated person…”

“I don’t want to hear that from you! Come on! Go to bed right now!”

With an angry shout, Amana’s long coat was thrust at her.

Since she was always being played with, seeing Amana flustered was somewhat refreshing. Nadeshiko used her own coat as a pillow while pulling Amana’s coat over herself.

Just that alone made her eyelids heavy. It seemed she was more exhausted than she had thought.

As she felt her consciousness fading, Nadeshiko stared intently at Amana’s profile.

“Hey, Amana… Am I doing something wrong to you?”

“Hmm… if I had to say, it would be leaving me behind.”

Amana showed a sulking expression. She played with her black hair and pouted her lips.

The mysterious sense of guilt still cast a faint shadow in her heart. But seeing her beautiful and charming expression, Nadeshiko felt a little warmth in her heart.

“Amana… I’m sorry…”

Leaving behind those vague words of apology, Nadeshiko’s consciousness melted away into dreams.

◇　◆　◇

At the faint voice, Amana’s eyes flickered slightly.

By then, Nadeshiko had already fallen asleep. Her red eyes were hidden behind her eyelids, and her disheveled milk tea-colored hair softly framed her doll-like face.

Watching over her, Amana brought a pewter cup to her coral-colored lips.

She poured the heat of alcohol down in one gulp. Then she closed her eyes and took several deep breaths.

The lighting dimmed──Amana furrowed her brow tightly.

A bewitching scent stung her nostrils. The sweet, stimulating fragrance was not what Amana usually used to conceal her presence. This was a scent used in arts meant to corrupt and ensnare people──.

“…Again. This is getting annoying.”

She whispered and opened her eyelids. The room had become hazy and indistinct, like a distant landscape.

────Colors fluttered in her vision.

Curtains resembling mist or smoke disturbed the space. Those overlapping layers had strangely vivid outlines even in this unreal room.

The curtains swayed violently and constantly. Each time, countless whispers of women echoed.

Suddenly──a golden shadow appeared in the curtain directly ahead.

White fingers peeked through. Those with sharp, shattered crystal-like nails gently parted the thin silk.

Darkness, darkness, darkness──there, like a crack in hell, golden iridescence gleamed.

〝…What a detestable place〟

Mixed with the countless whispers, a clear voice rang out.

〝Should we not leave here immediately, little fox〟

What that low, lustrous voice spoke was a language no longer spoken by anyone. Though lost in the distant past, Amana could understand it against her will.

“I was planning to do that without being told. Disappear already.”

〝──You could return alone, couldn’t you〟

The surrounding whispers intensified. Amana furrowed her brow tightly and glared at the golden shadow.

〝Seducing the jailer’s daughter was well done…she is certainly useful. But it’s not worth risking your life. You should leave here immediately〟

“…Ghosts should stay silent.”

With her amber eyes fixed straight on the curtain, Amana curved her coral-colored lips upward.

〝────It seems you don’t understand your position, little fox〟

The curtains surrounding them moved as if exposed to a storm. The whispers of countless women echoed like rainfall. Amana groaned softly and held her head.

Beyond the curtain in front, the golden shadow flickered──nine tails writhed provocatively.

〝We are always concerned about you. It would be terrible if there were a Taotie here〟

Gently──pale colors swayed at the edge of her vision.

Before she knew it, a curtain had appeared right behind Amana. She irritably brushed away the thin silk trying to enclose her within the curtain.

〝Cross over the curtain and come to us. Your peace lies in our bedchamber. Come, come…〟

“…The capital burned, the king died.”

Pressing her dully aching temple, Amana still maintained a cold smile.

The whispers surrounding her were now like a flood of sound. As if resisting what might wash away even her consciousness if she let her guard down, Amana swept her fan.

“Yin has fallen, you too have vanished. Disappear already, Daji──!”

The sound of wind echoed. The colors of the curtains wavered and dissolved into space, disappearing.

However, only the curtain directly ahead remained until the end. From behind the thin silk, golden twin pupils──golden iridescence carved with nine circles──reflected Amana’s twitching smile with what seemed like genuine amusement.

〝We are always by your side──because you are us〟

“…I won’t give myself to you.”

With faint laughter, the fingers on the curtain disappeared. Nine shadows fluttered gently.

The last curtain became transparent, and the bewitching scent faded away.

The curtain vanished. The lighting regained its brightness.

Beside her, Nadeshiko was breathing quietly in her sleep.

As if nothing had happened, Nadeshiko continued sleeping──indeed, for her, nothing had happened. The curtain scene was all hallucination.

However──when Amana tried to touch her hair, she noticed that scent had permeated her body.

“Damn it…!”

Breathing out heavily, Amana looked at Nadeshiko’s face sleeping beside her.

Her peaceful sleeping face was buried in the coat. Like a cat, she had curled up her graceful body.

Amana reached out toward the milk tea-colored hair. She thought to brush away the hair hanging over her face, but with just a slight movement, that bewitching fragrance drifted to her nostrils.

────It was as if her own hands had become that woman’s.

Amana looked down. She pulled back her outstretched hand and embraced her trembling shoulders.

“…Jiayou (Good Luck)”

Her coral-colored lips murmured softly. Embracing herself as if restraining her own body, with her amber eyes wide open, Amana kept repeating ‘jiayou.’

“Jiayou, jiayou, jiayou…it’s okay…I can do this…for Nadeshiko’s sake, I can do this properly…”

◇　◆　◇

Four hours later──Nadeshiko had the coat she was using as a pillow pulled out from under her.

“Mmm… hey, come on…”

“Come on, wake up. Hisui has returned.”

Groaning at Amana’s light voice, Nadeshiko slowly raised her face. Checking the time on her smartphone, it seemed to be exactly seven o’clock at night.

“My, what a terrible face. There’s a powder room, so why don’t you go wash your face?”

Nadeshiko, who had been holding her head, unsteadily stood up.

Since she was about to meet someone she barely knew, she thought she should at least wash her face. When Nadeshiko looked at Amana to ask about the location of this powder room, she froze for a moment.

“…Amana?”

“Hmm? What is it?”

“…Did you sleep properly?”

“What a strange thing to say. Of course I rested.”

Amana’s face, fluttering her fan, wore the same smirking expression as always. However, for some reason Nadeshiko thought Amana looked much more tired than before.

“…I see. Well, that’s good then.”

She probably hadn’t slept much. Yet she alone had slept soundly.

Feeling guilty, Nadeshiko put on her coat.

When they went outside, colorful lights and cheap Latin music greeted them. “Pira pira piramiddo~♪”──a mechanical female voice kept repeating endlessly.

“What kind of place is this…”

“…Well, it certainly is a shop that looks like a drug addict’s hallucination.”

Walking down the colorful corridor, she felt gazes. Nadeshiko maintained a cool expression while observing with just her eyes. Several of the doors lining both walls were slightly open.

“…Amana.”

“Leave them be. They’re probably Hisui’s customers.”

Eventually the two arrived in front of double doors.

When Amana opened the doors painted with dancing cacti, the sparkle of a mirror ball spilled out.

It was a karaoke booth. On the L-shaped sofa, a woman was drinking cola with apparent relish.

“…Hey. You woke up.”

The woman──Hisui──lifted her ten-gallon hat slightly.

She had dark orange hair grown out to a medium length. She had well-formed features but a somewhat childish face, making her age unclear. Her gaze was somehow sleepy.

She was a flashy woman. A vivid blue-green stole with a black turtleneck and jeans. Every time she moved, ethnic-looking rings and necklaces sparkled in the mirror ball light.

“That was rough. Getting caught up in something like that right after arriving. Let me introduce myself again──I’m Shikimido Hisui… a student from Tokyo. Feel free to call me Hisui. Nice to meet you.”

“…Gokumon Nadeshiko.”

“Nadeshiko-chan… Okay, okay. Don’t worry, I remembered properly. Well… I’m really terrible at remembering faces and names, so forgive me if I forget.”

“That’s… fine, but…”

Nadeshiko stared at Hisui, who was clapping casually.

She didn’t react to the Gokumon name──the same type as Amana when they first met.

“Now then, Nadeshiko-chan must be hungry.”

Fiddling with her ten-gallon hat constantly, Hisui walked toward the bar.

Amana was already sitting at the end, reading a thick songbook with apparent boredom. Nadeshiko decided to settle in snugly next to her.

“Sorry, I don’t have much available.”

Hisui quickly returned carrying a plastic tray.

On the tray she placed on the table with a somewhat apologetic manner were two bottles of cola and──

“I could only prepare nachos and chili con carne.”

“…Isn’t this quite a party?”

Though flustered, Nadeshiko accepted the oddly Mexican tray.

“Since you’re here, you’re not just an ordinary college student either, are you? A sorcerer?”

When Amana asked, Hisui laughed and shook her head.

“Not at all. I’m a college student and curse consultant… I specialize in consultation and mediation. I’m support staff who deals with curses and hauntings. Well, I do various part-time jobs too.”

“Hmm… so there are such jobs in this industry.”

It was a profession unrelated to the Gokumon family──at least, unrelated to Nadeshiko. She wondered if her uncle had ever been involved with such work as she sipped the cold cola.

“──So what exactly is this place?”

With her ebony fan, Amana gestured around the surroundings.

Then pointing the tip toward the ceiling, she curved her lips sarcastically. Her eyes weren’t smiling.

“That red sun isn’t some giant LED or something, is it?”

“This is Kamisari Housing Complex. Its former name was Old Sakaki Norihara New Town.”

Casually fiddling with her ten-gallon hat, Hisui closed her eyelids as if dreaming.

“It’s the stronghold of the Roubaiha clan of sorcerers… and currently it’s a wonderland where sorcerers engage in deadly battles day and night over the second sun ‘Taimatsumaru.’”

“Kamisari Housing Complex…”

Nadeshiko quietly repeated the name. It had a somewhat melancholy ring to it.

Taking out a tablet, Hisui urged the two to go outside.

“Come on. …I’ll show you the Kamisari Housing Complex.”

When they opened the door, they first felt pressure.

Less than ten meters away, there was a soot-covered wall.

Unable to bear it, they looked up to see the narrowest sky they had ever seen. A red glow reminiscent of the setting sun filtered down thinly from overhead.

They could no longer smell the sweet fragrance. However, the wall in front of them made it hard to breathe.

While eagerly devouring the Mexican tray, Nadeshiko sighed.

“…How cramped.”

“Please bear with it for a bit. This area is terribly crowded.”

Climbing the dark stairs, Hisui gestured broadly at their surroundings. It was bizarre that only walls could be seen from every floor. It seemed the neighboring buildings were constructed almost touching each other.

“Hmm… This completely ignores not only landscape protection ordinances but building codes as well.”

“It can’t be helped. After all, this place had a chaotic formation process──here we are, we’ve arrived.”

Hisui opened the door marked ‘No Entry.’ A vacant rooftop spread out before them.

And there was Kamisari Housing Complex.

Buildings, buildings, buildings… residences were packed in, threading through every gap. There were not only concrete housing but also old temple-like wooden roofs and tiled roofs.

There was no law, not even regularity there. Old and new building materials were mixed together, scattered across the ground.

The ultramarine night sky was dominated by Taimatsumaru, casting a red glow over the earth.

“…It’s just like Kowloon Walled City.”

Amana too stared in amazement at the chaos of Kamisari Housing Complex spreading below. She even forgot to cover her mouth with her fan, her amber eyes sparkling in the red light.

“That’s the place that used to be in Hong Kong, right?”

“Yes──Kowloon Walled City. It was also called the den of the East. They built many tall buildings like this. It’s a place where my mother and grandparents hid for a while.”

“…Why were they hiding?”

“Hmm… Well, mother’s side practiced feng shui and various arts. They probably knew too much.”

She decided not to ask ‘What?’

“This ‘gap’ was expanded by the Roubaiu clan.”

Hisui spoke while quickly sliding her fingertips across the tablet screen.

“The housing complex itself was built on the foundation of Daidarabocchi’s palm. Um… according to predictions, it should be around that area today. Watch for a moment.”

After checking the tablet in her hands, Hisui pointed to the edge of the night view.

Soon, a ‘BOOM’ sound drowned out the wind. Strange-colored lightning ran from the district Hisui had pointed to, and they could see the building outlines melting away.

“That’s the same as what we got caught up in earlier…”

“It’s a remnant of metabolism. When buildings become somewhat deteriorated or receive stimulation, they dramatically rebuild like that. However, there is a rough map──”

What appeared on the tablet was a map shaped like a distorted hand. Indeed, this housing complex seemed to have five districts corresponding to the five fingers from thumb to pinky.

“The housing complex is still gradually expanding. The exact area and geography are no longer clear──anyway, we’re around here in the index finger district.”

Hisui pointed at the screen. It was a location close to what would be the second joint of the index finger.

Then sliding her finger, she indicated the distance in the view below.

“And over there is the housing complex heart──literally, the center of Kamisari Housing Complex.”

On the map, it was the part corresponding to the palm.

Pressing her face close to the rooftop fence, Nadeshiko strained her eyes. The place corresponding to the heart of Kamisari Housing Complex seemed to have layers of ruins piled up, appearing from here like a pitch-black mountain towering up.

“They say the Roubaiha clan’s stronghold is over there… but no one can enter due to the barrier.”

“…Interesting. What exactly is this Roubaiha clan?”

Snapping her fan, Amana asked.

“To build such a stronghold in the ‘gap’──they can’t be ordinary sorcerers.”

“They say they’re descendants of tengu. I don’t know much about them either, but they were apparently quite famous in the old days. Now they seem to be holed up here constantly.”

“…Don’t tell me those extremely ungainly tengu-like creatures are the Roubaiha clan?”

“It’s surprising, isn’t it? But even so, they apparently claim to be related to the great tengu.”

While Amana raised an eyebrow, Hisui shrugged her shoulders.

Meanwhile, Nadeshiko continued eating quietly while staring at the sparkling night view with a stern expression.

“…Delicious.”

The chili con carne, made with stewed beans and tomatoes, was cleverly seasoned with various spices.

The nachos were a dish combining this with frozen onion rings and tortilla chips made from corn flour, topped with hot cheese sauce.

Though neither could fill her stomach, Nadeshiko thoroughly savored the taste of a distant foreign land.

“I’m glad you like my homemade tortillas.”

Hisui smiled and clapped her hands lightly.

“After touring Mexico before, I became completely absorbed in Latin America. I really wanted to broaden my horizons more, but things got a bit problematic… I’ve been in suspended operation here constantly. At this rate, my patron will get angry.”

“Oh… so curse consultants have patrons?”

“Of course they do. This industry is dangerous… anything more than that is a secret.”

Theatrically placing her index finger to her lips, Hisui leaned her back against the fence. Lifting her hat slightly, she looked up at Taimatsumaru with tired eyes.

“…The Roubaiha clan has been researching Taimatsumaru constantly. To return to the sky, they seem to have been repeating the same thing for decades.”

“…To return to the sky?” Nadeshiko furrowed her brow.

“Yes──the Roubaiha clan can’t forget the sky their founder flew in. So they’ve been working hard for generations. The housing complex and the sun are part of that. They’re annoyingly vigorous, really.”

“…I can’t imagine that would allow them to fly in the sky.”

“Who knows? What they’re seeking isn’t the sky of this world, but the sky of the hidden world.”

“Hmm… a den of good-for-nothings.”

The hidden world. That was beyond the ‘gap’──a completely unknown realm.

It was isolated from the present world by the ‘gap’ and was sometimes called the ‘other world.’ It was said to be a sacred realm where gods dwelt, an abyss where demons lurked, or perhaps both.

All stories about the hidden world were vague, and it wasn’t clear which were lies and which were truth.

“Tengu are said to be monsters that can fly anywhere──as long as their delusions don’t run out.”

Speaking languidly, Hisui broke chocolate wrapped in silver foil.

After staring at the irregularly broken chocolate, she offered the smaller broken piece to Nadeshiko. Nadeshiko politely declined.

“So they can fly to the edge of the hidden world… the Roubaiha clan wants to return to being such tengu. Everything in this housing complex is the product of their death throes.”

“…Can you reach the sky of the hidden world by making suns and housing complexes?”

Nadeshiko quietly asked Amana, who seemed relatively knowledgeable.

“Hmm, well… sky and sea are originally places easily connected to the hidden world. It’s not strange to build high-rise structures seeking that. However, about that sun… hmm…”

Amana began thinking deeply. She decided to leave her alone for now.

“Anyway… that masterpiece of the Roubaiha is that Taimatsumaru.”

While eating chocolate, Hisui shrugged her shoulders as if troubled.

“Everyone’s been killing each other day and night over it… it’s complete chaos.”

Nadeshiko remembered the figure of the black tengu holding a heart. Was that tengu’s victim also some sorcerer who came here seeking Taimatsumaru?

“…I understand the situation.”

Amana, who seemed to have returned from her deep contemplative journey, waved her fan with a smirking face.

“We have absolutely no interest in this Taimatsumaru thing… What’s the escape method from here?”

“There isn’t one.”

Whoosh──the sound of night wind echoed on the rooftop.

The faint ‘pira pira piramiddo~♪’ song leaking from downstairs sounded hollow.

“…We can’t go home?”

“Right. Once you enter here, the system is set up so you can’t return.”

Hisui extended her hand through the gap in the fence and pointed to the road of light lying in the center of the night view.

“For example… even if you keep going toward the mountain along this main street of the index finger, it’s useless. Before you know it, you’ll be back at some joint.”

“Are they manipulating space… is it the Roubaiha clan’s doing?”

“That’s right. They’re preventing anyone who enters here from escaping.”

“…Isn’t that strange? From the Roubaiha clan’s perspective, intruders should be nothing but a nuisance. So why would they bother to trap them?”

“It’s pointless to think about it. They’re not right in the head.”

Hisui shrugged lightly and carelessly tossed away the silver foil that had wrapped the chocolate.

Then she showed a brilliant smile and clapped her hands.

“But you know, you two are lucky. After all, you got to meet me.”

“…Meaning?” Amana narrowed her eyes over her fan.

“To spend time as pleasantly as possible in this crazy marginal housing complex…”

The image displayed on Hisui’s tablet showed ‘Kamisari Housing Complex Neighborhood Association.’ Along with illustrations of smiling elderly people and young people, straw dolls and pentagrams were scattered about.

“Let me introduce you two to our Kamisari Housing Complex Neighborhood Association! If you join us, you can rest easy! We have safe sleeping quarters, and we can provide food and drinks! Come join us~”

While Hisui looked excited, Amana stared at the tablet with a sour expression.

“‘Us’ means… there are other sorcerers too?”

“Of course~. This housing complex currently has two other major sorcerer factions fighting besides the Roubaiha clan. People who aren’t part of either are gathering together.”

“…Sorcerers are inherently uncooperative people. I can’t imagine them coming together without blood relations or master-disciple relationships. I have a bad feeling about this. I’ll pass.”

“What~ You’re such a killjoy, Houraigaki-san!”

“That comment just further reduced my desire to join.” “Ehh! No way!”

While the college students argued noisily, Nadeshiko thought quietly.

In Kamisari Housing Complex, sorcerers were engaged in deadly battles day and night. Moreover, monsters like the reverse baku seemed to have taken up residence. The Taimatsumaru shining overhead was also of unknown nature.

Nadeshiko wasn’t afraid. Her body, which inherited jailer’s blood, was tough, and she was confident she could fight even in this harsh housing complex.

However──touching her neck, Nadeshiko observed Amana’s condition. Though she looked energetic now, her face when she woke up was clearly fatigued.

──We have safe sleeping quarters, and we can provide food and drinks!

“…I’ll consider joining.”

“Eh…?” “Oh! As expected of Nadeshiko-chan!”

Amana’s face immediately became dejected, while Hisui’s face lit up.

Nadeshiko clenched her hands tightly and nodded firmly.

“Safe sleeping quarters are necessary. Most of all, I want information, even a little. If we cooperate with each other, we might find a way to escape from this strange place, right?”

“That’s true, but… however…”

“Okay, okay! Wonderful, excelente!”

With a beaming smile, Hisui patted Nadeshiko’s shoulders vigorously. Nadeshiko was slightly offended.

“Well then, let’s gather everyone right away! Don’t worry, they’ll surely welcome you!”

“Ah, hey──!”

Letting her stole flutter smartly, Hisui left the rooftop.

Lowering her outstretched hand, Amana waved her fan with an exhausted expression.

“…Are you serious, Nadeshiko? Are you seriously planning to join that suspicious woman’s neighborhood association?”

“Yes. I’m thinking about it positively.”

With a resolute expression, Nadeshiko brought the homemade tortilla chips to her mouth.

“Certainly, she’s not very trustworthy… but right now, we need to take action.”

Perhaps because she made them regularly, it had become ingrained. From Hisui who had passed by, there was a faint scent like roasted corn.

“It’ll be okay. I’ll work hard to fit in with everyone…”

◇　◆　◇

“──Let me introduce our newcomer! This is Gokumon Nadeshiko-chan!” “Get out! You inhuman monster!”

Corporate Sakaki Norihara G3 Building First Floor Assembly Room──This place lined with folding chairs and tables had been occupied just seconds before by exhausted-looking people spending time in their own ways.

But now they were all directing furious shouts with terrible expressions──mainly at Nadeshiko. “Get out!” “Don’t mess with us!” “What kind of thing did you bring here!” “Oh my… what a wonderful welcome,” Amana said, lifting her lips in a sarcastic smile. However, Kohaku’s eyes weren’t laughing.

Nadeshiko looked around the assembly room with a quiet expression. “This is no joke, Gokumon…!”

An old woman wrapped in white robes with a gotoku (metal stand) on her head waved around a straw doll. “She’s worse than the Roubai-ha! This is no joke! Bring salt, salt…!” “Tome is right!”

An old man in hunting garb carrying a sword stood up, foam flying from his mouth. “We don’t need any Gokumon! I’ll slice up those Roubai-ha bastards with my blade!” “You senile fool! I told you my name is Ume!” “L-let’s calm down… it’s good that our forces are increasing…” “Shut up, little girl!” “Eek…”

A young nun who had timidly interjected trembled as she sat down.

Nearby, a blonde shrine maiden was drinking strong alcohol relentlessly. A white man with a snake tattoo was trying to pry the drink away from her bloodshot eyes. “Please stop, how many bottles is that… that’s enough… let’s at least pray…” “Let her do what she wants… we’re all going to die anyway.”

A boy wearing a cardboard box groaned. Around him, twisted spoons were scattered. “Hey, what is this ‘Gokumon’ thing…? Are more bad things going to happen…?” “Now, now, everyone, calm down~”

Hisui yawned while moving both hands soothingly. “We’re all human, right? Let’s get along. Oh, how about we play Twister?” “──Hey! Hisui!”

A woman approached Hisui with heavy footsteps.

She was young but haggard. Her caramel brown dyed hair showed black roots. Dark circles floated under her black-rimmed glasses, and her suit had completely lost its shape. “Oh, Sto-chan. So you were here.” “Don’t give me that ‘so you were here’! What are you thinking!” “What am I thinking… ah, this is Strong Addiction-chan. Her hobby is drinking by the Kamogawa Delta late at night. She used to work hard at an advertising company, and she’s here because she accidentally──” “Makurabe Ayumi! Don’t mess around! And it wasn’t an accident either!”

Strong Addiction-chan shouted while holding up the employee ID hanging around her neck. It indeed showed a photo of her from when she looked more energetic, along with the name ‘Makurabe Ayumi’.

Throwing it behind her, Ayumi grabbed Hisui’s shoulders. “What the hell is this! What’s Gokumon! You did something extra behind my back again, didn’t you! Who do you think has to clean up after you!” “Eh~? I don’t think I did anything particularly bad…”

Ignoring Hisui’s sigh, the angry voices in the assembly room swelled up.

Touching her neck, Nadeshiko gazed at the faces distorted with anger and fear. Under the bandages, the scar that was proof of the Gokumon family was carved in regrettably deep.

Suddenly, a fan blocked her view. Nadeshiko blinked and looked up at the woman beside her. “We don’t seem to be welcomed. Let’s get out of here quickly.”

Nadeshiko stared intently at the cool Amana, then let her pale pink lips curve slightly. “…Thank you.”

“Hi there, could you be quiet for a moment?”

When Hisui raised both hands high, the angry shouts gradually subsided. Still, Hisui looked around at the people muttering complaints with a dissatisfied expression. “Everyone calm down. There are stories like ‘Gokumon are harbingers of misfortune,’ but there’s nothing we can do about worrying about such things. Here, everyone should get along──” “────Gokumon are no good.”

The moment a hoarse voice echoed, the assembly room fell silent as if water had been poured on it.

Nadeshiko turned her gaze to the corner of the assembly room. There sat an old woman with an eyepatch over her left eye. She was smoking a cigarette relentlessly while fingering a rosary made of bones. “My aunt was also terribly mistreated… I’ve been hearing about it from my mother all along.”

────It was a face she had seen before.

Confused by the sense of déjà vu, Nadeshiko received a piercing glare from the eyepatched old woman. “With scars on the neck, a face so beautiful it’s frightening, and a terrifyingly good voice… that’s a Gokumon, so be careful. Red-eyed Gokumon are especially bad… they’re connected to hell… just being near a Gokumon brings hell closer… Gokumon drag you into hell…!”

Gokumon, Gokumon, Gokumon──!

Whispers spread like ripples through the assembly room that had been wrapped in silence. “P-please leave…” “I can’t bear anything worse than this…” “Y-yes, get out…!” “This is no joke!” “Please leave!”

Get out! Get out! Get out──!

Once again, the assembly room was filled with angry shouts and curses. The exhausted masters were afraid of a single girl.

‘Humans are demons, demons are humans’──her uncle’s gloomy voice revived in her ear.

Even so, Nadeshiko tried to maintain a cool demeanor while desperately racking her brains. How could she calm them down──how could she cooperate with them──at least save Amana──.

“────Everyone.”

Nadeshiko’s eyes widened at Amana’s voice ringing out clearly over the commotion.

Moving both hands as if pressing down the air, Amana began walking with a gentle smile.

It was the voice and movement of someone who understood how to move people’s hearts. “Please calm down──”

While drawing the attention of the entire hall, Amana smoothly wrapped her left hand around Hisui’s shoulder. “────”

She pressed the fan in her right hand gently against Hisui’s neck.

The masters stood frozen with their mouths open or weapons raised. Nadeshiko also stared at Amana, who had unhesitatingly taken Hisui hostage, with bewildered eyes.

“A-Amana…?”

Is it okay to do something like that──? She wanted to say it aloud, but the atmosphere was far too tense.

“Good children, everyone. Please listen just like that.”

Amana’s face wore its usual smirk as she whispered in a coaxing voice.

But her amber eyes──feeling a chill run down her spine, Nadeshiko looked away.

Meanwhile, Hisui, who had easily had her life and death placed in someone else’s hands, blinked repeatedly. She looked at her own neck and the fan pressed against it, not quite understanding the situation.

After several seconds, she finally let out a “Wah!”

“Eh, huh… no way, really? Three seconds.”

“Hisui! You bastard──!”

With an angry shout, Ayumi drew a short sword from her waist.

Even as she approached with tremendous killing intent, Amana maintained her smile.

“────Monkey. Understand it in one go.”

Amana narrowed her amber eyes and put slight pressure into her right hand.

Immediately, blood seeped from Hisui’s neck. “Wawawah,” Hisui let out a deflated scream.

“Lower your weapon. …Did you hear me? Lower your weapon.”

“Damn it…!”

Ayumi bit her lips tightly and sheathed her short sword.

“Very good,” Amana nodded. However, the fan remained pressed against Hisui’s neck.

“It seems you all don’t want to share a seat with someone from the Gokumon family. It’s sad, but we shall respect everyone’s will. Therefore, though it pains us to part…”

Amana smiled while lightly indicating the assembly room’s entrance with her chin.

“Please, take your leave.”

“Amana…?” “Wh-what are you saying!”

Nadeshiko’s eyes widened. Meanwhile, Ume raised her shrill voice from among the group of masters.

“This is our neighborhood association’s place! You people are the ones who should…!”

Amana again pressed the fan strongly against Hisui’s neck.

A drop of red blood trickled down. The moment she saw it, Ume’s eyes went wide and she fell silent.

“No problem. If everyone behaves rationally, we will also respect Hisui-san’s life.”

Amana looked around at the silent masters with a mask-like smile.

“This hall will no longer be available to you all from today… But no matter, this housing complex has mountains of buildings. I’m sure you’ll find a good place soon.”

“…Amana. You can’t do that.”

Suddenly, she felt everyone’s gaze upon her.

With the sudden feeling of being at the center of the world, Nadeshiko slowly shook her head.

“Why?” Amana tilted her head while maintaining her smile.

“I don’t want things to go this far. Let’s leave here.”

“I refuse. Even if we leave, we’ll be attacked at every opportunity.”

“I’m fine with it. It’s nothing. Besides, I’m from the Gokumon family, so I’m used to this kind of──”

“────One should not become accustomed to unreasonableness.”

When Amana snapped her fan, Hisui jumped with an “Uwah!” More red blood dripped from her neck, wetting the fan pressed against her throat.

“You haven’t done anything wrong.”

While gently digging her left hand’s nails into Hisui’s throat, Amana narrowed her amber eyes.

“Fear against fear. Peace is achieved through terror… This is such a mad place. It’s difficult to protect oneself with righteous methods──so then…”

Amana looked down. She exhaled softly and raised her face.

Golden iris, black pupils, nine overlapping circular patterns──the nine-tailed fox’s eyes reflected Nadeshiko.

“────Wouldn’t it be better if everyone disappeared?”

“Amana… what’s wrong with you?”

Something’s not right──Nadeshiko bit her lips and stared directly at Amana.

Amana was a being with a monster’s soul dwelling in a human body. Nadeshiko knew that she herself suffered from the coexistence of human and monster mentalities.

And probably, the current Amana lacked mental stability.

Whether it was due to the earlier commotion or the abnormal environment of the housing complex──the cause was unclear. But it was certain that she couldn’t be left in this state.

“Calm down. You shouldn’t do rash things.”

For Nadeshiko, separating Hisui from Amana would be an easy feat.

However, she didn’t want to use violence against Amana.

So Nadeshiko slowly, earnestly──carefully strung words together.

“You don’t need to worry about anything. I have no intention of staying here──”

…i…wa…nao…nai… From somewhere, a strange voice could be heard.

“Hey, what is this…”

Ume gripped her metal hammer and looked toward the window.

Beyond the curtain-covered window──red lights were flickering. It wasn’t the light of the bright torch burning at the zenith. It was electric light reminiscent of the red rotating lights of ambulances and police cars.

They increased one by one, then two. Eventually, that voice could be heard clearly.

“………..We cannot be healed.”

“Oh no, it’s Gekgetsuin…!”

At the rough voice coming through what sounded like a loudspeaker, the young nun who had approached the window screamed.

“There are dozens of people outside! They’re prying open the entrance──!”

The sound of breaking glass echoed.

Immediately after, the nun fell backward. A syringe filled with dark red liquid was stuck between her eyebrows. Her body convulsed irregularly, and blood began gushing from the wound.

Then──a black snake burst through the blood-soaked nun’s forehead from the inside.

“It’s Kenja’s poison!” “We’ll be made into breeding grounds!” “Run, run──!”

The assembly room erupted into chaos as the snake bared its venomous fangs and attacked. Drowning out the masters’ commotion, a monotone voice repeatedly flowed in from outside.

“We cannot be healed” “Chase the children of the moon” “We cannot be healed” “Only keep the demon children elsewhere” “We cannot be healed” “Chase the children of the moon”

“Gekgetsuin Clinic, huh… what troublesome folks have come.”

Hisui casually brushed away Amana’s fan and looked toward the window.

Meanwhile──Amana collapsed. Nadeshiko hurriedly rushed over and rubbed her trembling shoulders.

“Amana, get it together. We need to escape quickly…”

“Nadeshiko… I…”

When she tried to help her stand up, Amana clung to her shoulder.

The face that peered up was pale, black hair stuck to cold sweat. Seeing that her wide-open irises had returned to amber color, Nadeshiko felt relieved despite forgetting the situation.

“My consciousness has been hazy since around the time I took Hisui hostage… tell me… what did I say?”

“You didn’t say anything serious, so it’s okay. Come on, pull yourself together──!”

With an ear-splitting sound, the entire building shook. The sound of shattering glass echoed intermittently, mixed with the terrifying roar of engines.

Nadeshiko staggered, and Amana, who had been trying to stand up, put her hands on the floor.

“…They rammed in with a truck or something.”

Though gasping, Amana glared fiercely at the floor. Her gaze was somewhat steady.

“Hisui! We’re getting out of here!”

“Ehh~. But…” “Just come on! We’ll get caught up in this too!”

Leaving behind Hisui and Ayumi who had started arguing about something, Nadeshiko took Amana’s hand and left the assembly room. There were no people in the fluorescent-lit corridor, but the area was filled with an eerie presence.

“What on earth is happening…!”

While running, Nadeshiko searched the air for scents.

She immediately understood that a large number of people were moving throughout the building.

The smell she detected from the air was more than the number of neighborhood association members. Mixed in were probably the smell of snakes produced by Kenja’s poison, and for some reason, even animal-like odors.

──And the smell of fresh blood.

Nadeshiko clicked her tongue and avoided the passage ahead. Without knowing where it led, she turned a corner in the corridor and proceeded through the first floor of the maze-like Corporate Sakaki Norihara G3 Building.

“Where can we get outside…!”

She felt the night breeze on her nose──Nadeshiko’s eyes widened as she pulled Amana’s hand and ran.

Kicking through the shutter in front of them, they found themselves in a dimly lit shopping street. The maze-like structure remained unchanged, but the area was filled with outside air.

“…Is no one here?”

“Probably not. No one seems to have come to this side yet.”

Perhaps because the flow of people had ceased long ago, the area only smelled dusty.

Behind them, angry shouts and screams could be faintly heard. Somewhat relieved that the noise-mixed voice was distant, Nadeshiko began walking while leading Amana.

“…So there really are killings happening in this housing complex.”

“Yeah… I recognize the name ‘Gekgetsuin Clinic’ they mentioned.”

Though Amana looked haggard, her voice was much steadier than before.

“It’s a fairly large-scale cult. Originally, I heard it was a noble group aimed at healing and improving the status of Rihyoudo… but now, that name is synonymous with destruction and slaughter.”

“Rihyoudo?”

“Humans who have been possessed by animal spirits or evil spirits and have mutated both physically and mentally.”

Nadeshiko recalled the strange smell she had detected earlier. The animal odor that had drifted along with human scents──that was probably the smell of Rihyoudo.

They passed through the shuttered shopping street and entered strangely intricate alleys.

Though they should have been outdoors, it was a suffocating landscape. They were surrounded on all sides by balconies and outdoor units. Though she could sense the sounds and smells of cooking dinner, there were still no human figures anywhere.

Looking up, she could see an unprecedentedly cramped sky.

The sky, which should have welcomed night, was ultramarine blue, and a giant red star was scattering sunlight from the heights of heaven.

“…I wonder if that star will stay like that forever.”

“Who knows. If it’s mimicking the sun, there should be a concept of sunset…”

“How troublesome. With it this bright, it’s difficult to hide. …I wonder if the neighborhood association people are okay.”

“…There’s no particular need to worry about those people.”

“But Hisui-san was kind to us. I can’t help but worry──”

────An ox-head was standing there.

Nadeshiko involuntarily stopped and turned around. Amana stopped walking with a puzzled expression.

“…What’s wrong, Nadeshiko?”

“Just now, over there…”

The entrance of an unknown apartment building──Nadeshiko carefully peered into that cave-like place.

The ox-head wasn’t there. There were only countless forgotten mailboxes lined up.

“A mistake? But…”

“Hey… if there was nothing there, let’s go. If we stay too long, we might get caught up in this too.”

Amana grabbed the shoulder of Nadeshiko, who was unconsciously touching her neck.

Nadeshiko carefully turned on her heel. She couldn’t get those strange ox eyes out of her mind. She felt as if something had been watching her back from somewhere all along.

“Yes… let’s go. Somewhere farther──”

────The air became slimy with the smell of snakes.

Quickly embracing Amana who had started to run, Nadeshiko leaped back.

“Uwah──!”

Right after Amana’s scream echoed, cracks ran across the road surface.

Someone had jumped down from a nearby building. The large opponent pulled back their missed weapon and swung one hand toward Nadeshiko and the others with split-second timing.

The sound of cutting wind──Nadeshiko swung her Human Realm chain. With a sharp sound, the dark red syringe was shattered.

“…You’ve got to be kidding.”

While protecting the cursing Amana behind her, Nadeshiko glared at the enemy.

It was a strange person. They were standing as if leaning on a long-handled weapon.

They wore a hat covered with numerous talismans. They wore a tattered white coat with a black waterproof cloak over it, making their body type unclear. And their skin was completely covered with talismans and bandages.

The opponent must have also caught sight of Nadeshiko. Under the large hat’s shadow, their pupils glowed pale blue.

“…Oh my, a child?”

It was a woman’s voice. A strange breathing sound mixed with hissing was included.

“Poor thing… so young, yet you’ve wandered into such a place. You must have experienced many frightening things… poor dear…”

“…A red flower and a mourning badge with snakeskin. I take it you’re the branch director.”

Amana’s voice cut through the tense air, her fan poised elegantly before her. Though a smirk played on her lips, not a drop of blood colored her face.

“Indeed… I am Janome of the Kyoto branch of Gekgetsuin,” the woman replied, dipping into a refined bow with a loud clatter.

It was only then that Nadeshiko realized: the long-handled object Janome leaned on was no ordinary weapon—it was a grotesquely modified IV stand.

“My specialty is anesthesiology. I pride myself on my nerve block injections. Are either of you experiencing pain, by any chance? I’d be more than happy to relieve you of it.”

“…Why did you attack the neighborhood association?”

Nadeshiko gripped the Chain of the Human Path tighter. Janome raised one gloved hand and gestured around them.

“The divine-forsaken side of this housing complex… has long intrigued me. The sunlight seems to fall so favorably here. I merely came to ask for the location to be… handed over.”

“Just for that…?”

“My, my… You must be new to this district, young lady.”

A coarse chuckle escaped her lips as the IV stand clanged ominously. Nadeshiko instinctively braced herself.

“────Here, sunlight rights are everything.”

As if in response to her feverish whisper, the IV stand pointed toward the light source. Its tip—now nothing short of a deadly spear—reflected a crimson gleam, casting a fiery glow like a ritual bonfire.

“Behold… the brilliance of life itself.”

Beneath the brim of her kasa hat, Janome narrowed her eyes, her voice thick with reverence.

“The life of a single person pales in comparison to the value of one sunlit tatami mat. Even if people die—even if we must kill—it must be seized… to atone for the history of Gekgetsuin…”

“…Why do you seek that sun?” Amana asked.

Nadeshiko glanced at her. Her voice was steady, but Nadeshiko noticed the subtle tremor in her fan-wielding hand.

While keeping her guard up against Janome, Nadeshiko also turned a sliver of her awareness to Amana.

“For the healing of our souls…”

Caressing the IV spear’s shaft with fingers wrapped in grimy bandages, Janome let out a hushed, delighted giggle.

“Eternal peace… Blissful silence… Everything we afflicted souls seek lies hidden within that gleaming blood-red star… and so, though it pains me…”

Her slender fingers coiled around the steel shaft.

The next instant, Nadeshiko moved.

As crimson light danced along the blade, she intercepted the incoming weapon with her Divine Law Blade. Metal clashed with corrupted steel as the IV spear and sword locked in a deadly embrace, sparking blue light in the shadows.

“We would be most honored if you offered yourselves to Gekgetsuin…”

“Like hell I will!”

Nadeshiko roared and launched the IV spear upward. But Janome controlled the weapon with unnerving grace.

Nadeshiko clenched her teeth as a barrage of attacks came like a serpent lunging at her throat.

“The stars truly aren’t in our favor tonight…”

Taking some distance from the duel, Amana clicked her tongue, fan still at the ready.

“Why is it that no one we meet seems remotely sane!?”

“Get out of here first! ──Tch, this weapon’s such a pain…!”

Growling low, Nadeshiko glared at the IV spear.

Its tip was a spear, but embedded along its shaft were various jagged implements. The base was mounted on metal wheels, and a blood-filled IV bag hung ominously beneath.

“It’s custom-made, you see…”

Gya-rya-rya-rya! The IV stand’s wheels screeched against the ground, drowning out her laughter.

She shifted her weight onto the wheels and lunged—a thrust flowing with serpentine grace.

Nadeshiko barely caught the motion and deflected it with her sword. But Janome didn’t stop—she spun the weapon and brought the metal base down toward Nadeshiko’s head.

Nadeshiko retreated instantly, then spat flames in Janome’s direction.

A sudden blast—small, but close enough to make Janome stagger. The fireball exploded point-blank, washing her in searing heat.

“Aaaah! Hot! Too hot…!”

Her kasa hat ignited, sending smoke curling upward. In that moment of blinded vision, Nadeshiko slipped in close.

Weaving through the spear’s deadly reach, she slashed with the Divine Law Blade—

“────I see you, girl…!”

A serpent’s eye locked onto her. A split tongue licked cracked lips.

Something moved—impossibly fast, from an impossible angle—and wrapped around Nadeshiko’s neck.

“Ggh… ah…!”

It was an arm. Janome’s arm, stretching like rubber, constricted around her neck.

There were no bones in it. Like a snake, it coiled tightly, cutting off her air.

Nadeshiko thrashed wildly, flames flickering in her hand as she dug in her nails.

“──【Burst!】”

Blue and gold sparks exploded at the edge of her vision. The pressure vanished.

Coughing violently, Nadeshiko staggered back, putting distance between her and Janome. Amana rushed to her side.

“Hey! You okay?”

“I told you to run first!”

“Like I could leave you! If I left you behind here, I—I…”

“…You’re stronger than you look, young lady.”

A rasping voice halted their bickering.

Janome stood there, leaning on her IV spear, smiling. Her hat was burned away, revealing her true face.

“I almost broke my hand… I’ll need another sunbath to recover…”

Split pupils, pearlescent scales along her face, and a forked tongue—

Her face was that of a hauntingly beautiful white serpent. She lifted her charred hand.

As she said, the bandages had burned off, revealing scorched black skin beneath.

“And as for the lovely one over there… such curious arts you wield.”

She tore off a scorched scale, eyes flickering toward Amana.

Amana quickly raised her fan, shielding her face.

“I’ve lived since the late Meiji era, but never have I seen such magic… It carries not the scent of the blood-red star, but that of another… and unmistakably, the scent of fox…”

Her hand trembled. Janome tilted her head, tracing her fingers along her scales.

“Could it be… Are you fox-possessed? If so, you’d be most welcome at our institution.”

“…Don’t joke with me. I’m not… I’m not… I’m—!”

────The sound of an engine roared to life.

A deafening rumble shattered the silence. Nadeshiko’s eyes widened at the sound nearby, while Amana cowered, covering her head.

“…Those damned pests are here.”

Janome’s tongue flicked out as furious voices echoed around them.

“Where are ya, Branch Director Janome!? Come out now!”
“Hey, we’re the Namida-tsubo, dammit! Get outta the way!”
“Give us Janome’s head and our sunshine rights! For our big bro’s vengeance!”

“Th-The Crying Pot family…!?”

The memory surged in Nadeshiko’s mind—last autumn, in the torn-apart Yatsuzaki Mansion, she’d encountered a gang wearing gas masks, calling themselves the “Namida-tsubo.”

The air changed. A faint sting bit at her nose as pink smoke began to drift in.

“This is…!”

“A flash-blind trick from the Namida-tsubo…”

Nadeshiko quickly covered her mouth and nose with her sleeve. Janome raised the collar of her waterproof cloak.

“This smoke won’t kill you… They must’ve run out of the real poisons in the last turf war. Still, how unsightly… The Moon’s children detest noise. I must bring silence once more…”

Lifting her charred hand and her IV spear, Janome fixed them with her pale, glowing eyes.

“I shall dissect you later. ──Until then.”

Sha-sha-sha… With an eerie laugh, Janome turned her back.

The sound of wheels faded into the distance. Nadeshiko released the breath she didn’t know she’d held and shook Amana’s shoulder.

“We’re going, Amana! We have to get away from here!”

“…Yeah.”

Looking at Amana’s haggard profile, Nadeshiko felt as if her heart had been pierced. Even so, she forcibly lifted her up and ran as if shaking off the angry shouts and smoke screen.

“N-Nadeshiko…” ──Ignoring Amana’s voice tinged with bewilderment, she glared straight ahead.

She could barely make out any scents. Whether due to this smoke screen, even detecting spiritual energy was difficult. At times like this she’d want to rely on Amana, but she didn’t want to burden her current state.

────Amana had come to help her.

But she had hurt her. Because yesterday’s Nadeshiko had failed at something.

“Why… why is this happening…!”

Feeling something hot welling up around her eyes, Nadeshiko crushed down her frustration and sadness.

At that moment, the sensation under her feet suddenly disappeared.

“Kyah…!” “Uwah…!”

Apparently, she had unknowingly entered an underground passage.

Having completely missed the step, Nadeshiko tumbled headfirst down the stairs along with Amana. She hit her head. She struck her whole body hard. She also twisted her ankle.

Her vision flickered. The commotion grew distant beyond the ringing in her ears.

Nadeshiko stared blankly up at the ceiling. Blinking fluorescent lights illuminated pink smoke.

Turning her neck, she could see Amana. She was somehow trying to get up.

Nadeshiko tried to put strength into her limbs.

But it was no use. Everything hurt so much she didn’t even know how to move.

The housing complex. Tengu. The Roubai-ha clan. Gekgetsuin Clinic. The Naki Tsubo family. The neighborhood association. Heart. Sun──various things crossed through her mind, just freed from the reverse baku, then dissipated.

Nadeshiko wearily closed her eyes. Behind her eyelids, the flames of cremation continued to burn unchanged.

She thought she wanted to throw herself into these flames.

“…Nothing goes right…”

She felt something hot around her eyes. She couldn’t stand how pathetic she was being.

“Help me…”

────All sounds suddenly grew distant.

Instead, she heard hard sounds from afar. The regular sound of hooves.

Feeling white light very close by, Nadeshiko opened her tear-wet eyes. The silhouette of a somewhat unbalanced girl appeared in her blurred vision. On her large head, golden horns gleamed.

The ox-headed girl──the unreadable eyes of a herbivore stared down at Nadeshiko.

‘I’ll help you’

The inorganic girl’s voice echoed in her skull. Then, the ox-headed girl gently embraced Nadeshiko’s head.

────It smelled like a deep forest.

“Ha-Hakutaku, is it…?”

Amana, who had barely managed to stand up, widened her amber eyes and stared at the girl holding Nadeshiko. She was holding her right shoulder, perhaps having injured it when falling down the stairs.

“Why are you in such a place…?”

The ox head narrowed its eyes. The girl’s hands held Nadeshiko tightly.

‘──You are no good’

White light exploded. A pungent smell──and lastly, she felt Amana’s scent growing distant.

◇　　◆　　◇

The white flash of lightning vanished in an instant.

Nadeshiko, too, disappeared in an instant.

“…You’ve gotta be kidding me.”

Amana stood frozen in utter disbelief.

No matter how many times she scanned her surroundings, the flamboyant girl in luxurious attire was nowhere to be found. All she could see were vague figures struggling in the distance within the poisonous pale pink mist… and limp bodies lying motionless.

Amana had been left all alone.

“No… wait… wait, wait…”

Nadeshiko was gone. Taken away by that white child.

Unable to process the reality, Amana pressed her trembling left hand to her mouth. Her right arm, possibly dislocated at the shoulder, ached so badly it was practically useless.

“Waitwaitwaitwaitwaitwaitwaitwaitwait…”

“Naaaaaooooooooohhhhhh!”

A shrill, crazed scream tore through the air—just as a Muyashi, one of the shamans, came tumbling down the stairs.

They were clad in talismans, a waterproof cloak, and a black nurse’s uniform—gear of the Gekgetsuin Clinic’s exorcists.

Landing like a wild beast, the Muyashi turned their face toward Amana.

The bandages covering their face had torn apart, revealing a mutated visage that resembled a lynx.

“You… you’re so pretty, aren’t you…”

With a sigh, the Muyashi gave a crooked smile. Their mouth was stained deep red.

That expression—Amana knew it all too well. She had seen it many times. The face of unrestrained hunger.

“…Cut it out.”

Shaking her head slowly, Amana stepped back.

Though her lips forced a smile, her amber eyes reflected only fear and dread, like prey caught in a predator’s gaze.

“Let’s not… do this, okay…”

“So pretty! So unfair! I never get better and yet YOU—!”

The Muyashi howled, strength flooding their limbs. They licked their crimson-slicked lips with a small tongue and grinned so wide it looked like their face might split in two.

“SO JUST GIVE ME YOUR LIVER ALREADY!!”

The Muyashi lunged.

Amana pointed her fan at them, her face pale.

“Scatter—【Hajikeyo】!” …Nothing happened.

Staring blankly at her unresponsive left hand, Amana realized—there wasn’t even a spark. The dark sandalwood fan remained still, useless in the misty pink air.

“No way—!”
“THANK YOU FOR THE MEAL!!”

A blood-slicked mouth now loomed inches from her face.

────She felt a breeze.

So faint not even a strand of her hair moved, yet she instinctively sensed it approaching from behind, fast and straight as a bullet.

She twisted her neck. A split second later, a silver flash grazed her cheek.

A white-feathered arrow—
It struck the Muyashi’s head squarely. Their hat was blown off with a metallic clang, and the exorcist toppled backward from the sheer force.

Their brain must’ve been rattled. The Muyashi collapsed, eyes rolled back, unconscious.

Amana exhaled deeply, clutching her injured shoulder tightly as her breathing grew ragged.

“──Oopsie, did I kill ’em~?”

The voice, carefree as ever, heralded the arrival of a girl clad in a shock-pink coat.

Cream-colored hair. Behind her gas mask, sparkling green eyes peered out. Her petite frame wore a sleek suit, chest guard, and gloves.

In her hands: a recurve bow—standard-issue equipment of the Shrine Agency.

“Well, if they’re dead, then… oopsie-daisy! Let’s call it involuntary manslaughter, ‘kay? I didn’t mean to, so forgive me~!”

“Of all people… you, April Fool.”

Amana grimaced as the girl spewed the worst words with the cheeriest voice.

Chuckling behind the unfitting gas mask, the girl plucked a fresh arrow from her quiver.

“Second-Rank Ritual Officer—Shiraha Watanuki, reporting for duty!
Now behave yourselves or I’ll SHOOT ya, understand?!”