Editing Ghost Hunt:Volume 5 Chapter 5 (section)

===9===

As dawn approached, we stood up one by one, and walked towards the house. Maintaining silence, we circumvented the veranda. Because the door was locked, we knocked on the door to have the people inside open the door for us.

After opening the door, Ohashi-san stared at us, wide-eyed.

“Everyone… what happened?”

Ohashi-san mumbled to himself, then sighed a heavy breathe.

“… that’s great, sometime in the night everyone disappeared, for a moment I thought all of you had vanished…”

Saying that, Ohashi-san’s gaze locked on Yasuhara and Mori-san’s body, and was shocked.

“Shibuya-san, when did you… that… this is…”

Ah, right, does Ohasahi-san still believe in that big lie?

Naru slapped Yasuhara’s shoulder and whispered to him. Then Yasuhara nodded and stood up straight.

“We have already found the rest of the missing people.”

“Really? Where…?”

“In the depths of the mansion. Unfortunately, they are all already dead.”

Hearing Yasuhara’s words, Ohashi-san looked towards the ceiling.

“I request to contact the police.”

“… Yes.”

Ohashi-san nodded, then said to Yasuhara.

“How is it going on the side of the exorcisms?”

Yasuhara spoke heavily.

“Exorcism is impossible.”

“… Then.”

“Subsequently I will submit a report to you. Either you seal the house tightly, and follow the last will and let it rot away slowly, or we suggest using fire to cleanse it.”

“… Undestood.”

Ohashi-san bowed deeply.

At dawn, we started packing the equipment.

“… Right, Lin-san.”

I tried asking while I packed the tapes etc.

“When you performed the summoning, didn’t you make that indescribable sound? What was that?”

Lin-san shot me a glance, and spoke emotionlessly.

“That is called whistling.”

Although his tone held no warmth, he did answer my question – this was a huge improvement already.

“He~ It was a very touching sound.”

Lin-san did not reply; a small smile appeared on his face.

“Right, Lin-san.”

Bou-san asked while moving equipment from the stand. That, because each and every time he was forced to help pack, Bou-san has become quite well versed with packing things up, is something that is laughable.

“What was that at the end?”

Bou-san asked; Lin-san inclined his head expressionlessly.

“At the end…?”

“When we were rescuing Mai and Masako, didn’t you throw something out or what?”

Mumbling, Ah, Lin-san rreplied.

“That was my shikigami.”

Shikigami?

“What is this ‘shikigami’?”

Lin-san did not answer. I pulled Bou-san’s clothing.

“Amongst the Chinese Taoist Priests, there are some who can dictate the actions of captured monsters or spirits. They are also called servant ghosts or employed ghosts. Spirits that are used are called shikigami. – Is it accurate to put it like this?”

Bou-san looked at Lin-san. A small smile appeared on Lin-san’s lips.

“… That should be correct.”

He~~

“Lin-san is really incredible.”

I couldn’t help saying that to myself; Lin-san gently lowered his head.

Really? Can one control spirits? I feel that is very cool.

Just as I was thinking about such things and feeling touched all by myself, someone gently patted my back.

Turning back, Mori-san was grinning.

“Thank you for your work. You’re very incredible.”

Me… Incredible. That really gave me a shock.

“Howe can it be, I’m not the least –”

“You are, you are.”

Bou-san stuck his head in.

“Ma’am, you cannot praise this fellow. If she gets proud she’ll stampede out of control.”

“Can you don’t use the term ‘stampede’?”

“That’s the fact. You almost gave me a bit of conscience.”

Staring at me once, Bou-san and Mori-san laughed.

“This fellow, if she had superpowers like Atlas, if she were to see an old lady struggling to tear some pancakes, she’d help the old lady out of compassion; if she were to exert herself, the world would be torn into two sides – she’s this type of person.”

… What type of comparison is that, hey.

Yasuhara and Ayako also laughed simultaneously.

… Yeah.

Just as I was thinking of grumbling, ‘crack’ came a sharp sound from somewhere. That was the sound of something falling out of Naru’s shirt pocket to the ground.

“… This.”

Masako hurriedly picked up that item. It was a comb made from poplar.

Naru appeared clearly awkward. Aiyah, for this fellow to be like this is really rare.

“This is my comb.”

Ho~w!?

“I clearly put it in my handbag, inside the room.”

Naru desperately plotted to leave this topic.

I couldn’t help saying it out.

“Why would you carry this type of thing?”

Despite calling Naru, whose back was towards me while he started arranging the equipment, he did not make a sound.

“The relationship is really close~”

Said the eternally happy Bou-san.

“So you were this worried~”

Was what Mori-san, with a regretful expression, said.

“It’s a really touching story~”

Why was Yasuhara nodding?

I also wanted to say a few words to Naru, who was determinedly pretending not to know, but…

… Somehow I felt a little hurt. Is~ it, is~ it? That’s really great, Masako.

Aah, this is the emptiness of life.

After that we toured Suwa.

10 days after we had returned to Tokyo, the newspapers reported news of a small fire on a mountain in the region of Suwa district. Apparently it was caused by fire starters left by vagrants. The nearby forest and a holiday home were completely destroyed. Coincidentally there was a shower which extinguished the fire.


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