Editing Internet Shrine Maiden Tsugumi-chan:Volume1 Chapter5 (section)

===Part 2===

Yahirodono Tsumugi tilted her head.

It was lunchtime and she had her lunch of a sweet bread and milk laid out on her desk while using her trifold phone to test and debug the online shrine’s latest feature – yes, she was finally implementing a digital Hundred Times Prayer! While she did this, the gyaru sister spoke to her.

“The TV station?”

“Right. Waterfront TV. My sister goes there a lot and they’ve asked for some help.”

…Come to think of it, hadn’t the gyaru sister brought up the TV station a fair amount in conversation? Tsumugi had never asked further about it, though.

“I-is Yuhi-san actually an entertainer? Like a child actor or an idol?”

“That straitlaced sister? As if! She’s only interested in the backstage stuff, like props and lighting.”

Rainy laughed bitterly.

“Yuhi’s a bookworm who works in her school library. Her friends in the pop music and drama clubs will ask her to write for them, so she often meets with someone at the TV station. Oh, you know how there’s a TV camera at school cultural festivals around here, right?”

“Hm? I’m not sure I follow.”

“Just listen. It’ll make sense. If the eager band or drama group actually met with the TV station, they’d refuse to compromise on anything and the talks would get nowhere. So the TV station prefers someone who’s involved in it, but is still a bit of an outsider to the group. That makes a good go-between. In other words, it’s to make the grownups happy.”

“Huh, so that’s how it works.”

“Anyway, TV stations are full of high-tech equipment, but for some reason there’s no end to ghost stories there.”

But these weren’t horror-based rumors like a ghost appearing appearing in the studio at the same time every night, or people dying shortly after using a green room with an unlucky number like 4 or 9. Instead…

“Yes… A single camera can cost tens of millions in that industry, so they must have equipment worth more than a hundred million. It would be a big deal if a Malign Spirit appeared and smashed up all their delicate equipment. And it would be even worse if it happened during a live broadcast.”

And if something did happen, no one would believe them if they wrote in their report that the live broadcast went down because of a haunting. So if a Malign Spirit caused trouble, it would be staff members who were blamed and punished for it. The grownups would want to be cautious.

“Ugh. Well anyway, some producer or director or something Yuhi knows wanted some help. Doesn’t this sound like the kind of thing you’d like, Mugikko?”

“It’s not that I ''like'' Malign Spirits.”

Quite the opposite.

Hibashi-sama.

She strongly believed she existed so she could exorcise and eliminate that woman.

(I’m more curious why this producer or whoever thought going to Yuhi-san would get them in touch with a pro like me. The mass media really is terrifying.)

“Interested?”

“I suppose.”

That detective was usually her contact for jobs like these…but she was curious how her information had reached the TV station. Accepting the job wasn’t a bad way of doing some poking around in that regard.

(And the detective seems busy with that Nagatacho Leaders Case, or whatever.)

Once school was out, the two of them left their high school and met up with middle schooler Betsuzaki Yuhi. The straitlaced sister led them to a “station” they didn’t normally use. It was an open space resembling a small (and of course artificial) viewing platform.

Sitting on it was a flying vehicle resembling a two or three meter multirotor drone with the seats and safety bars of a thrill ride forcibly attached. Two seats each were attached to the left and right sides of the boxy body facing outwards, so it must have been meant for four passengers.

“A-a shuttle drone?” The online shrine maiden looked a bit nervous. “Wow. Aren’t these so popular they’re nearly impossible to hire even with the apps?”

“The TV station is on good terms with the transportation company for busses and taxis. When it’s related to a job, they get priority for toys like this.”

Yuhi made it all sound normal for her. Apparently she really did frequently visit the TV station.

The seats seemed even less reliable than a cafe stool. There were areas to rest your butt and back, but your legs dangled down just like on a roller coaster.

The nervous online shrine maiden sat in one of the artificial leather seats and a U-shape safety bar lowered in front of her. It fastened itself at her shoulders and belly to hold her in place.

“Phew. …N-no warning. They must not have a height requirement like at an amusement park.”

“(Hey, Onee-chan. Yahirodono-san is so relieved she’s completely let her guard down.)”

“(Leave her be, sister. But wow. Look at those huge and glorious boobs resting on top of the safety bar.)”

The gyaru sister took the seat next to her and the straitlaced sister took one on the opposite side of the drone. Tsumugi tried to look to the sisters as they said something on a video call with their phones, but the safety bar was in the way.

Yes, it was holding her in place, so she couldn’t move. What was going to happen now!?

“H-h-h-how do we input our destination?”

“It syncs with the map app on your phone after you stick it in the holder. So you don’t have to do anything else.”

Her feet left the ground.

As she broke free of gravity, she felt the same strange floating feeling as when using an elevator in a skyscraper.

No one was facing forward. All the seats were pointing to one side or the other.

“Oh, oh, ohhhhh, ohhh…”

She wasn’t used to facing a different direction from the direction of movement. She gripped the U-shaped safety bar’s side cars in her hands to try and stay balanced. She knew it didn’t actually accomplish anything, but the instinct was hard to shake.

The gyaru sister said something in the neighboring seat.

However, the spinning rotors were so loud Tsumugi could only hear her through the wireless earphones linked to her phone.

“Mugikko, Mugikko? I know how you feel, but you should really place your hands in your lap.”

“Wh-why?”

“Your skirt.”

“!?”

The online shrine maiden’s face went red and she quickly adjusted the position of her hands.

They should have told her sooner the classic mistake at an amusement park’s free fall ride was an issue here!!

The drone weaved rapidly between skyscrapers, but the flight itself was stable. Just like a delivery drone, the program control carried them to the designated destination.

“I’m glad, Yahirodono-san,” said the straitlaced sister as they flew through the sky.

“?”

“That you didn’t let ''what happened before'' keep you down.”

“…Yes.”

Rainy appeared to be frantically sending a comment to Yuhi’s phone, but Tsumugi chose not to read it.

She had been utterly defeated.

Worse, her friends had seen it happen.

She was overcome by burning fury and humiliation…she thought. She normally would be. But her usual shyness kept her from showing it.

Hibashi-sama was the only known Quintuple Dread Star.

She was literally on another level.

''What would Tsumugi do'' next time they met?

Instead of the unnecessary elements of shame or ferocity, she only felt a sweat born from a place much closer to the level of instinct.

Fear.

An emotion so pure it could overcome even the drive for vengeance. An uncontrollable factor.

''She'' was here in New Sea City.

If Tsumugi encountered her and screwed it up, she wouldn’t be the only one to die.

She couldn’t go into this without a plan.

(I need to find something – some kind of trump card. I can’t let these people die.)

“…”

They arrived at their destination.

The Waterfront TV office building. Tsumugi had expected something high-tech, but she actually recognized it. It was the same building as the shopping mall the gyaru sister had taken her to for apron shopping.

However, the entrance and exit were located in an entirely different place from the commercial area.

For the offices, you entered through two layers of large automatic doors with guards posted to reach a spacious lobby containing a reception counter and a long row of machines much like train station ticket gates. There were more then ten of them lined up. However, there didn’t seem to be any x-ray bag scanners or metal detectors. Beyond, Tsumugi could see an elevator hall and a meeting space that resembled a fashionable cafe.

Rainy was delighted.

“Huh, so this is Waterfront TV. I’ve never been in this entrance.”

“I’m surprised. I expected you to be checking under the sofas for celebrities.”

“What? Mugikko, is TV really that great when streaming video exists?” Rainy looked puzzled. “I mean, TV and online videos both have their issues. Come to think of it, Rie was mad about being approached on the street for a TV interview and the camera’s red recording LED was already on before they got her permission.”

Apparently the gyaru sister didn’t distinguish much between TV and online video.

So maybe she would chase after an amateur if they had enough views or followers.

(Wait, is that what she’s doing with me?)

“But if you really want me to, internet shrine maiden, I guess I can scan for wireless LANs and note down the names of the mobile routers. I can look into it more carefully later, but just knowing the name of a celebrity’s mobile router could help tail them since it only shows up if you’re near them.”

“Stop that. It sounds super criminal. And definitely don’t make it sound like it was my idea.”

The gyaru sister wasn’t listening.

She stretched her arm out away from her with her folding smartphone in hand.

She was starting something. Looking troubled, Tsumugi asked her about it.

“Wh-what’s this? A new kind of oracle???”

“I always take a selfie when I visit a new place. C’mere, Mugikko, Yuhi. Scooch in next to me. Hm, it’s hard to fit all three of us in the frame. We’ll have to get our faces in right next to each other!”

“There’s a mall in the building, Onee-chan. Why not buy a selfie stick?”

“Get in the habit of buying phone accessories like that and you end up with a ton of them just like plastic umbrellas. Okay, get ready! Time to smooch the shrine maiden!”

Was this gyaru going straight for her cheek!? The online shrine maiden jumped straight up and somehow managed to avoid it just as Rainy pressed the take picture icon on her camera app.

Rainy grinned down at the small screen.

“Just as planned: I got a great action shot. Hwa ha ha. Check this out, Mugikko. You can almost see these huge boobs jiggling in the photo!”

“H-how humiliating… I thought this was about visiting a new place.”

Also, weren’t they here for a job related to Malign Spirits? With a sigh of exasperation, the online shrine maiden followed the flow of the crowd past the reception desk. One of the device’s resembling a train station ticket gate swiftly reacted.

<span style="font-size:125%">''Ding ding!!''</span>

“Nyuwah!?”

“What are you doing, Yahirodono-san!? You can’t get in without a pass!!”

The straitlaced sister ran over to the girl panicking after the plastic panels closed in front of her. The receptionist must have recognized her because she had been given some guest passes you wore around the neck.

Even past the ticket gate(?), they still weren’t truly “inside”.

The TV station’s actual work all happened after taking an elevator. And there appeared to be checkpoints here and there. The online shrine maiden and Rainy were instead shown to the meeting space that resembled a fashionable cafe. As if to say outside guests were allowed no further.

(W-well, they aren’t going to trust us right away.)

As much as the place resembled a fashionable cafe, it was decorated with posters and life-size cardboard cutouts for the station’s programs. They appeared to be pushing a psychic known as Divine Mother Glitter at the moment. She looked like the stereotypical gaudy spiritualist witch. The 80-inch LCD monitor on the wall showed a woman of indeterminate age in a gaudy dress shouting about how she could manipulate your fortune and that you would be unlucky if you combined this color and that color in your outfit.

“The vending machines use paper cups. Wow, the coffee looks really fancy.”

The gyaru sister turned her rear on the monitor and ignored the shrill voice altogether. Apparently she wasn’t interested. She look all around the meeting space and finally focused on the magazine rack.

“Paper magazines? They still make TV magazines? I thought these had gone extinct ages ago.”

“C’mon, Onee-chan…”

“Ooh, now this is good. Check it out: it’s this week’s Java Sparrow☆”

“Wait, keeping that kind of tabloid in a TV station feels like a bad idea to me!!”

The straitlaced sister bristled as she ignored the fancy baked goods for guests and instead pulled out one of her own fish sausages.

“Is the station sent a copy of every issue that covers one of their shows?” asked Tsumugi just to have something to add to the conversation.

But the gyaru sister said something else with the tabloid in hand.

“Well, I don’t like the idea of having fun at someone else’s expense in the middle of the day like this. Besides, we have three girls at this table. We can find a healthier and more hopeful topic of discussion! So it’s time for a girl’s party!”

“A girl’s party?”

It wasn’t that Tsumugi didn’t know what that meant.

She just didn’t know why Rainy would bring it up now, but that didn’t seem to get through to the gyaru sister and her beaming smile. Not even a little bit.

“What do you do at a girl’s party? Talk about love of course! Okay, Mugikko, what kind of person do you want to target with your love in the distant future? Tell us everything, you secretive shrine maiden!! C’mon!”

The straitlaced sister frowned too.

The online shrine maiden was silently relieved at having the majority on her side. Extremely relieved.

“Onee-chan, do you really need to ask that quivering little creature a question like that?”

“Good point. She is always with Big Brother Detective Kouga-san, so he’s gotta be at the top of her list.”

“W-w-w-wait, why, why would you bring him up here!?”

Tsumugi flailed her hands around as if trying to erase something.

…Yuhi had meant that romance would be forbidden for a shrine’s pure shrine maiden, but that super simple escape route went right over her head. Instead she only tried to shut down the conversation so forcefully it only made Rainy more suspicious.

“That’s enough about me! I’m passing the baton to you!”

“Ehh, you’re dragging me into this?”

The straitlaced sister recoiled a bit while seated in her chair, but she eventually began talking. As casually as if she were discussing what was left in the fridge.

“Well, I’d like someone who can make up for what I don’t have. Someone who’s cheerful, keeps up on all the latest trends, sociable, active, and you could talk with them for hours without getting bored.”

“Hm?” The online shrine maiden tilted her head. Weren’t they talking about love? But those traits seemed to perfectly fit the gyaru inconsiderately cackling as she read through the tabloid in the other seat. Was this something subconscious at work?

Tsumugi turned her gaze to the last person at the table.

“Look up from the magazine. You’re not getting out of this when you brought it up to begin with. You finish it off for us.”

“<span style="font-size:75%">Do I really have to?</span>”

“What, you can’t do it yourself!? But this was your idea to begin with, you irresponsible nervous gyaru!!”

“Onee-chan is just like this…” said Yuhi with a hand on her forehead. Her sister was a troublemaker through and through.

Having taken an arbitrary seat at the round table, the online shrine maiden began her usual ''habit'' of scratching the underside of the table, but then she noticed something odd. Something was pasted there. About the size of a yen note.

It was an exorcism sticker connected to that Divine Mother Glitter.

The straitlaced sister also took a look under the table with a complicated expression on her face.

“Is this from the special insert in that magazine?”

“…Looks like they were grasping at straws.”

That suggested this job wasn’t just a joke. They were seriously suffering.

While the girls killed time like that, a pair of men approached them.

The tall one with a sharp look in his eyes gave off the air of someone highly ranked. Was he a producer?

The plump man who appeared to be his subordinate pulled a folded handkerchief from his pocket as he spoke.

“Sorry about the wait. You are the one Betsuzaki Yuhi-san said she was bringing, yes? Who are you exactly?”

“A specialist.”

That was all the online shrine maiden said. The type of shrine, her rank in training, and any other precise terminology would only go over the men’s heads. Besides, the idea of them questioning her more carefully scared her. Terrified her. Tremble, tremble.

The three of them were in their school uniforms.

The men knew the other two had to be Yuhi’s friends, but they couldn’t have known which one was the ghost specialist.

“I am Director Kobayashi. He is Producer Hanryou.”

The producer didn’t say a word and only prompted the director to continue with a look. He seemed accustomed to people doing what he said. The timid director didn’t complain and got started while wiping the sweat from his face using his handkerchief.

“We are from Production Department 3 and…how should I put this? Well, to put it simply, our department makes documentaries in remote areas.”

“Oh? Like here in New Sea City?” asked the gyaru sister, prompting him to continue.

…Apparently she wasn’t much different from the producer. At the very last, she wasn’t too shy to speak with strangers.

“Well, yes. But our department has little to do with Department 1 that does the news, so what we do is more like a variety show than anything.”

The plump man, who was more like Tsumugi, wiped his sweat away as he continued.

“Anyway, there is a single building that has has an unusual number of accidents. It has become known as the Apartment of Many Deaths. Have experts like you heard of it perhaps?”

“…”

''Oh, there.'' The online shrine maiden’s gaze sharpened a bit.

They had to bring TV cameras in there like it was all a big joke, did they?

“After we got enough material there and were beginning to film the reproduction drama, the extras started asking to quit one after another. Dozens of them all at once. That’s not normal. We aren’t going to make our deadline like this. And when we asked them why…”

“They started telling you terrifying ghost stories?”

“Um, well.”

Several sets of rough footsteps thundered by.

“Dammit, where’s the AED!?”

“Mother Glitter’s green room is on the 5th floor!! The stairs will be faster!!”

“Do whatever it takes, just don’t let her die before the ambulance gets here. We’ll be liable if she dies here!!”

Grownups were terrifying. What was that angry shouting really worried about?

Mother Glitter was the name on the exorcism sticker on the bottom of the table, wasn’t it?

If she was in her green room, she may have been scheduled to appear on TV.

“That’s what happens when you provoke them. But she truly is unlucky to get hit by a real Malign Spirit’s counterattack after someone pasted her stickers around. All that talk of being a divine mother of fortune must be a lie.”

The online shrine maiden held a hand to her forehead.

The director spoke as if whispering to the speechless gyaru sister.



“All the extras said they were targeted by Hasshaku-sama.”