Editing Ghost Hunt:Volume 6 Chapter 6 (section)

===<center>4</center>===

We waited for low tide, then went to the cave. The cave where the ‘Ebisu’ had come. The sacred ground where there was a cursing god.

Seeing us, who said we would accompany them, Naru looked unhappy to the fullest. Truly bad personality!

The cave was deathly quiet. There was the scent of the tide and the sound of waves echoing throughout the cavity.

“Hey, Ayako.”

I unconsciously whispered since the sound resonated well.

“...hmm?”

“All of the enslaved spirits were cleansed, right?”

“They should be...”

I felt slightly deflated by her uneasy tone. 

“No way, don’t tell me you failed with that.”

“I don’t mean that I failed. But if it can truly calm things like storms and high waves, it might be easy for it to bring back the purified spirits.”

“Wa—wait...”

“We can’t be careless. It is more or less a ‘god’.”

Masako murmured.

“It is safe. At least, they are not here right now. As before, it feels like sacred ground, but… very empty sacred ground...”

As we lapsed into silence, there was only the sound of the waves. It was a truly empty place.

Naru’s merciless voice resounded.

“Let’s get started.”

Bou-san exhaled once, then stood in front of the shrine and opened the doors. The figure of the strangely shaped driftwood appeared. There was a simple altar in front of the shrine. Bou-san formed a seal, chanted a mantra and built an invisible temple herein. A barrier descended and the temple was built, then he summoned a Buddha there. I gathered that this was the prayer that Bou-san always did. The invisible temple was made from his energy. Therefore, if Bou-san were to lose consciousness, it would disappear immediately…

“On bazara gini harachi hataya sowaka.”

Something gave off a sound from somewhere. The quiet, short sound disappeared soon after I strained my ears to listen. I heard it again before I could ask Ayako if she didn’t hear something just now. I could hear it a little more clearly now. The low sound came briefly, then disappeared again. When it sounded for the third time, Ayako and Masako also looked around.

“...what’s that sound?”

“How should I know?”

I could hear it again as we whispered together. It gradually became clear. That unmistakable, low, low evenly spaced sound.

“This is...”

“The sound of a heart…?”

It was certainly beating. It was the sound of an internal organ expanding and contracting.

“Over there…!”

Called out by Masako, I looked in the direction she was pointing. Then I saw the cave wall moving slightly. The rock surface was very slightly pulsing in accordance with the beating. It had a smooth gloss that did not seem like rock… It was considerably dark inside here. I cautiously tried approaching the wall. I gently reached out my hand.

“Stop it, Mai!”

But, if I touched it, I would know. Is this an illusion or something different...? My fingertips touched it. The point where I touched had a rough and hard feel. Although I was sure beyond a doubt that it was rock, it was very warm.

“This...”

The beating sound became even louder. Every time it sounded, the surrounding walls trembled. Mixed with the beating, I could hear the sound of low breathing. It felt like we had entered the belly of a huge creature.

“Takigawa-san!”

It was Yasuhara-san who suddenly cried out. Bou-san looked back.

“The entrance is starting to close!”

I hurriedly looked between the entrances of the coast side and the cove side. They were undoubtedly more narrow than when we came in. Already, the width that remained at the entrance of the cove side was only enough for a single person to pass through.

“Kyataya hanjasa hadaya sowaka!”

A red light quickly flowed into my field of vision. It rushed through the inside of the cave, however, the state of the closed entrance did not change. Nevertheless, the movement, which was in the process of closing at a visible rate, came to a dead stop.

“It’ll open naturally if we stop the source. Don’t worry about that.”

Naru’s voice spoke calmly.

The openings that remained at both the coast side and the cove side were only enough for a person to turn sideways and barely pass through. I stared at it for a while. I couldn’t help but confirm that it wasn’t moving or closing any further and we wouldn’t be trapped in here.

The beating sound continued. The sound of breathing also continued. Then, at that juncture, a loud sound joined the others. It was a sound resembling someone shouting something in the distance somewhere. It was the voices of many people shouting at the top of their voice’s with a scream. Though I looked around, there weren’t any figures. The voices were echoing in a place that was somewhere separated by something thick. Probably on the opposite side of the cave wall.... and now they drew nearer.

I closed my eyes tightly. There was a dark hole on the opposite side of the wall, and from within that, a large number of dead people were shouting as they drew nearer— I drove away that illusion. They came even closer. They would be here soon…

“In the beginning was the Word.”

John spoke. He connected his fingers and closed his eyes.

“The Word was with God. The Word was God. The Word was in the beginning with God. All things were made by the Word. Without the Word was not any thing made that was made...”

The voices that came across the wall halted.

Just as I sighed in relief, Naru spoke sternly.

“Bou-san, the prayer.”

“...Right.”

Bou-san said and continued his mantra. At the same time, a pale light began to illuminate the surface of the wall. Faint light, which shined dimly, seeped out onto the surface of the wall and formed pale human faces. One after another they rose to the surface here and there, and it seemed as though a countless number of masks were lined up. The faces appeared clearly, opened their mouths, and began to shout. Furthermore, two arms leisurely came out from beneath each face and went forward. The inside of the cave was filled with voices similar to screams.

“Naumaku sanmanda bazara dankan!”

The faces that had risen to the surface near Bou-san disappeared. Following this, Lin-san whistled with his fingers. Ayako and I cut the nine syllables and…

The inside of my mind was filled with the thought, “You should run away.” I remembered what happened when the base was attacked. If we cut the nine syllables, the faces would disappear for the time being, however, they would resurface shortly in that case and it would repeat. Even if we were to do that, it would be endless. We would inevitably become worn out…

A red light flowed through the inside of  the cave once again. My eyes opened wide in astonishment as a transparent red color extended over my entire field of view. When it disappeared, I couldn’t see any of the faces that had emerged on a great deal of the wall’s surface.

That was Bou-san just now. When I thought this and looked back, Bou-san was just preparing his Tokkosho. He threw it into the shrine. It struck into the driftwood.

“Tari tsuta boritsu hara boritsu takimei takimei kara santan uenbi sowaka!”

At the same time as he finished speaking, Bou-san was blown back by some kind of force.

“Bou-san!”

“Takigawa-san!”

We rushed over and helped up Bou-san, who had fallen to the bottom of the wall.

“Are...are you okay!?”

“Oww…”

Yeah, I should think so.

“John. I’m sorry, but that Tokkosho...”

After this was said by Bou-san, John looked at the shrine.

“Break the driftwood with that.”

“Right!”

With a shout, John ran up to the shrine. He pulled out the Tokkosho and raised it overhead. Before he had time to pierce the driftwood, John was flung back this time and crashed beside Bou-san.

“John! —Yasuhara-san!”

Yasuhara-san broke into a run instead. He picked up the Tokkosho dropped by John and rushed toward the shrine. Now Yasuhara-san slammed into the wall.

...it’s completely useless. There’s nothing we can do about it.

“Yasuhara-san, are you okay?”

“...owowow. Well, somehow… I’m alive.”

At that time, a sickening calm voice resounded.

“Is that all?”

Naru turned his gaze toward Bou-san. His eyes were cold.

...I’m...I’m angry!!

“Knock it off!!!”

Naru turned his gaze toward me.

“What are you so worked up about!? Bou-san and everyone else already reached their limit saving you!! Why does everyone have to go so far just for the sake of your pride!?”

Naru only frowned.

“Even your pride is worthless! Don’t you think it’s ridiculous!? If your own pride is so important, why don’t you do it yourself without relying on others!? You have others protect you, so how much can that pride be worth!!?”

Ahhh, I’m furious! This guy!!

Naru looked at me expressionlessly.

“...That’s a just argument.”

Hmph. I won.

The beating sound and sound of breathing was still resounding in the cave. And the shouts of people could be heard from far away. I looked at the cave entrance. Somehow it was not a width where we would be trapped inside.

“Bou-san, are you okay?”

“I don’t seem very okay.”

“Let’s go. It’s enough… already.”

I led Bou-san by the hand. As I pulled, Bou-san raised his body.

“Naru-chan, sorry. I’m at my limit.”

Naru didn’t reply. Lin-san helped me lift Bou-san. John stood and supported Bou-san beneath his arm. Masako and Ayako lifted Yasuhara-san.

“Well, we’re going back.”

Lin-san and John supported Bou-san’s arms and began to leave. Naru had his back turned, oblivious of that. His gaze was fixed— toward the shrine.

“Naru?”

Though I called, he didn’t look back. The others, who had begun to hurry towards the entrance, looked back.

“Naru!?”

Lin-san shouted and quickly tried to turn back. John lost his balance and Bou-san nearly fell over, but he hastily stood firm in place.

“Naru! Don’t do it!!”

Naru didn’t look back. He advanced towards the shrine. His hair lightly drifted up as if he was encircled by a gentle breeze.

—What?

Just as I thought this, there was a ringing in my ears. I heard a low sound as if there were small insects or something flying deep within my ears. I quickly reached out my hand. Just as I touched Naru’s arm in an attempt to hold him back, something repelled my fingertips.

“Ow…!”

It was like strong static electricity. Like what occurs when you touch metal during dry weather midwinter. There was a violent striking sound and something solid caused a splitting pain against my fingertips.

What is this?

Naru stood directly facing the shrine.

What is that?

The air was distorted.

The air surrounding Naru’s body was clearly distorted as if a heat haze was rising from his body. It was rapidly thickening. The distortion immediately began spreading. Naru clenched his lowered right hand into a fist and grasped the wrist with his left hand. His stance looked like he was trying to accumulate something in the tip of his fist. Then, the air began to bend and warp around his fist at a visible speed.

Suddenly, I felt something strange on my skin. Like when the little hairs on your body bristle just as your hair rises up. It was similar to that. That feeling when static electricity happens… like when plastic sheets are brought close and rubbed together. I felt a gentle wind. It was something like an air flow rather than a wind.

Even the air around me was distorted. Everything looked shaken and distorted as if looking through warped glass or the inside of water.

“What is this?”

Naru had raised his hand just before I spoke. The distortion ended and a mass of congealed air dripped from the inside of his fist. That’s what it looked like. Lin-san spoke, but the ringing in my ears was intense and I couldn’t understand what he was saying.

Suddenly, Naru swung down his arm. The air broke from the top of his fist.　—That’s what it looked like. A fissure was made in the air like a crack in warped glass and the scenery there was completely skewed. The fissure extended and began to spread in the direction in which his arm was swung down. In that moment, the glass filled landscape was torn to pieces and broke. The air crumbled, and the distorted image cracked along with the distorted shrine.

There was a strange feeling of air slowly creeping up from my feet. It caressed my spine, then disappeared.

In actuality, I think it only took about ten seconds from when Naru held his arm until then. After a long, long ten seconds passed, the same scene as before remained. The cave smelled of the tide and we all stood frozen as if rigid like the dark rock surface. Naru remained standing. I couldn’t hear the beating. There was neither breathing nor the voices. Instead, the sound of the waves could be heard.

The shrine remained unchanged with the door still open. However, that was excluding the driftwood inside there, which was broken. The fragments were scattered inside and around the shrine.

“What happened?”

Naru silently looked back at Bou-san’s weak voice. He had a sardonic smile on his face.

“The presence...”

Masako looked around the inside of the cave.

“The presence has disappeared. This place is no longer sacred ground.”

...eh?

Masako looked at the cave entrance.

“Even the spirits that had been gathered are gone…”

The entrance was completely back to normal, and from the wide open mouth one could see the waves break onto the rocky stretch. The horizon was visible beyond there and a white sky extended above that.

“This place is just a cave.”

“That thing… disappeared?”

Masako nodded.

“I think so. Definitely...”

Bou-san exhaled.

“Right now, I’m full of the desire that you would have done it from the beginning if you were able to exorcise it.”

Naru said nothing. He turned his gaze toward us and started walking.

“Let’s go.”

We looked at each other, then hastily followed him.