Editing Ghost Hunt:Volume4 Chapter2 (section)

=== 5 ===

John and the monk returned immediately after Naru left the Meeting Room.

“How is it?”

“Who knows? It wouldn’t be this tough if I knew.”

Really…

John also tilted his head. As he marked the school’s floor plan on the white board, he said, “For now, although I have said prayers as per Hara-san’s instructions, there does not seem to be any effect…”

Suddenly an image crossed my mind. John was scattering holy water. The pale white spirits left that place, and escaped to another location.

“Can’t say for certain, but maybe they escaped…”

“Ha?”

“Nothing. Ah, right. Hey, am I able to reverse spells?”

John and the monk looked at each other.

“Do you both think it’s impossible?”

“… a simpler one.”

After I finished, John said, “you should be able to do the very basic things, and there is the method of scattering salt and saying ‘In the name of the Lord, I order you, evil spirits, be gone.’ But is Mai-san a Christian?”

“No.”

“If that’s the case, maybe doing this will not work.”

“Is it…”

If it’s me it’s impossible… As expected.

“Why would you suddenly be like this?” The monk asked, disbelieving. 

“Is it possible for me to be of a little use… something of that type…”

John and the monk exchanged a look once more.

“If we let Mai conduct exorcisms, don’t you feel we’ll all be doomed?”

F**k.

Just as I was about to loudly admonish the monk, he suddenly said to me, straightforwardly, “With the fingers on the inside, stack them together.”

… …?

“Like this.”

The monk showed me how he interlaced his fingers with the palms facing away and bent the fingers inwards to form a stack.

“Like this?”

“Then, place your index fingers and thumbs together vertically.”

It was like a position used by ninjas or something. And the fingers hurt quite a bit.

“This is the Seal of Acalanatha. Maintaining the proper position of the seal, say, ‘naumaku, sanmanda, bazaradan, kan’.”

“Ha?”

“Naumaku, sanmanda, bazaradan, kan.”

The monk wrote the words quickly on the whiteboard.

“Try practicing it. Say it three times continuously.”

“En… naumaku, sanmanda, bazaradan, kan…?”

“If, after chanting the incantation, the spirit does not disappear, do this.”

The monk released the seal, raised the index and middle finger of his right hand and held them in his other hand.

“Form the Sword Seal<!-- (剑印)-->, concentrate.”

“Okay. Like this?”

I tried copying the monk’s actions.

“Not bad. This is the simplest one. Don’t accidentally bite your tongue in impatience.”

“Yes~”

“Unlike Christianity, it works even with non-believers. Anyway, try your best.”

Was that a dig at John? You really say a lot of redundant words…

“Ok. John, let’s head to the next place. ‘No Rain but Water Drips’…”

The monk retrieved and looked at a card I had compiled.

“The first floor’s Printing Room.”

The monk’s finger searched for the location of the Printing Room on the floor plan on the whiteboard.

“There it is.”

That place is…

I accidentally recalled the dream I just had.

Naru’s voice in the dream. “That is evil.” The ominously colored will-o’-the-wisp. The room it was in.

“You can’t go there.”

I could not help blurting out.

“Eh?”

The monk and John turned back to look at me. Flustered, I said, “Leave that place alone for now. Could you go to the Music Preparation Room first?”

Although the monk and looked flabbergasted, he silently accepted the card I handed out. 

“‘The Music Preparation Room Where Noises are Heard’? John, let’s go.”

“Yes.”