Editing Ghost Hunt:Volume 6 Chapter 6 (section)

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“Incredible… why did you hide that you have such tremendous power?”

When I asked on the way back, Ayako replied, 

“I wasn’t particularly hiding it. You see, until now, there were no trees that were living. I always said the conditions were bad.”

“Well, I just thought you were being a sore loser.”

“Even if I explained the situation, you would think I was being a sore loser, right?”

Actually, that’s true…

“It has to be a purified location with living trees. Although, it doesn’t particularly have to be a shrine. All the same, the city shrines are full of leaves and other trash and when it comes to the trees, even the old ones are like mummies. I think the world is beyond saving when I see that.”

Bou-san and John looked mystified. ...I certainly understood the feeling.

“It was good that the mounds happened to be in the compound this time, but what if they weren’t?”

“If it’s in the vicinity, I can call that far. The five who died during the time of the riots were also there, right?”

“They were there?”

“Yes, they were there. There were five spirits without heads. —Should I take you there now?”

“That time when you exorcised Eijirou-san, we should have brought him to the shrine.”

“It’s pointless to even do that to a human being. If it’s just a spirit, there are no spirits that can’t be purified. Besides, if I rely on a tree once, then I have to let it rest for half a year. If I had asked a tree for help at that point, then it would have been useless at the critical moment, wouldn’t it? I knew it would be expelled if John came.”

...hmm. I don’t know why, but it’s cool. My view of her has already completely changed. From now on, I will call her Ayako-sama. Uh-huh.

“Well, the matter is settled now.”

“Not yet.”

At Ayako’s frank words, Bou-san, John, and I all involuntarily stopped short.

“What…?”

I take back what I just said. She’s Ayako.

“I said if it’s a spirit. There’s something here that isn’t a spirit.”

“What did you say?”

Bou-san frowned.

“When I was performing the purification, there was a force that absolutely wouldn’t come near. If it was a spirit, it should have come seeking purification; therefore, that wasn’t a spirit. I don’t know what it is, but it’s a much greater force. I think that force is what was enslaving all those spirits as shiki.”

“It wasn’t the spirits of the Rokubu?”

“That wasn’t the case. I think the three Rokubu were just shiki, too. Even Masako had said it was ‘sacred ground’, hadn’t she? For the spirits to gather in swarms like they did, it would have to be because there’s a special power there, right? Even Nao-san’s spirit called it a ‘monster.’”

...that’s true.

“Then… there’s only one force such as that.”

When Bou-san spoke, John nodded.

“I agree.”

Eh? What is it?

“It’s ‘Okobu-sama’. There’s nothing else.”

“Did you say, ‘Okobu-sama’...?”

“The driftwood that washed ashore from the sea. Because its shape resembled a Buddha statue, a shrine was built and it was enshrined. —It’s an ‘Ebisu’. A magnificent ‘Marebito’.”

Bou-san said, then made a bitter expression.

“I should have slept like Ayako advised. It appears we have to deal with a god.”

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On the way back, just in case, we went to examine the state of the mounds of the five people. Somewhat similar to the Sanroku mounds, the five mounds were also cleanly broken as if they had been sliced. The sacred shrine rope on Okobu and Mekobu had also been cut, and was drifting on the waves.

After that, we returned to base in succession, and then it was Bou-san who raised his voice first.

“...Yo. Long time no see.”

Inside was Akifumi-san and his family, who were soundly asleep, and Yasuhara-san, who was struggling with a bunch of copies. Lin-san was replaying the video, and furthermore, supervising that was— Naru.

I was strangely moved when I saw his jet-black eyes, which stared back at Bou-san.

The spirit possessing Naru should have been one of the enslaved spirits, and the enslaved spirits were completely purified, so if you think about it, it’s no mystery that Naru woke up.

“Ah, Shibuya-san, I’m glad you’re safe.”

John smiled.

Naru looked coldly at Bou-san and John waving their hands, then turned his face back to the screen. 

...a touching reunion— fail. What’s the deal?

Maybe he doesn’t remember anything? It could be a possibility, but I can’t imagine that Lin-san didn’t explain anything. Besides, there’s video evidence of him strangling Ayako.

“I want you to thank me. I forgot my past grudge and helped you, you know.”

Naru didn’t even turn his gaze at Ayako’s absolutely disagreeable tone.

“Thank you.”

It was a completely indifferent reply. Yasuhara-san uncomfortably exchanged a look with us. When we stealthily approached his side, he spoke with a quiet voice,

“He’s in a horrible mood.”

He grumbled such.

..what a selfish guy. That’s the whole problem with narcissists.

Bou-san cleared his throat with a cough,

“Well, it looks like the source of the curse isn’t the Rokubu.”

When Bou-san said this, Naru replied in a brusque voice, 

“It’s ‘Okobu-sama’.”

We stared at Naru blankly.

“...how do you know?”

“My brain works differently than yours.”

..urgh. What’s with your manner of speaking! When you’ve been sleeping this whole time!

Just as I thought of voicing one of these complaints, Yasuhara-san spoke up.

“Here it is!”

Naru glanced towards Yasuhara-san.

“The contents?”

“Well, according to the contents of ‘The Cursing Patron God’, a certain shrine’s goshintai, ‘Okoboshi-sama’, would curse if it failed to be worshipped. Since ‘Okoboshi-sama’ is an ‘Ebisu’ god, it’s probably about ‘Okobu-sama’. It’s said that ever since ‘Okoboshi-sama’ has been worshipped, storms and high waves have ceased. Because of that, it was worshipped exuberantly, but if the villagers and iwai failed to worship it, then it would immediately cause a disaster. In particular, many people from the iwai household would die as retribution.”

“Matsuzaki-san, what’s an iwai?”

“Iwai…? Oh, it’s talking about a hafuri. It’s like a priest.”

Naru nodded. Bou-san spoke timidly, 

“What does it mean...?”

Naru looked over us with cold-hearted eyes.

“There’s a shrine and there’s a cave behind it. That place is where dead bodies drift to. There is a small shrine and an ‘Ebisu’ called ‘Okobu-sama’ enshrined there. From the cave towards the direction of the shrine there is a path that is carved in the steep cliff, and there is an old stone stairway. —Why was such immense construction done? Naturally, they decided to do it because of a purpose. Why would they carry out such immense construction merely for the sake of a boring cave. Of course it’s because that shrine’s goshintai is there. They were forced to do it for that reason.”

...ah.

“Moreover, if it was an insignificant god, they wouldn’t have done that. The being enshrined in that shrine is a god possessing power great enough to make them do that.”

“I see. Then, that’s the current legend?”

“That’s right. I expected there to be a legend around this area about a god possessing great power. That’s why I had the documents looked over again. That’s what Yasuhara-san just finished reading.”

Naru said, then looked around at us.

“‘Okobu-sama’ is an ‘Ebisu’ god, and furthermore, it frequently calmed the disasters of the sea. However, it’s also a malicious god that curses if it fails to be worshipped. That shrine, which is considered to be dedicated to ‘Okobu-sama’, is now separated from the small shrine. This house is what’s separating them. In all likelihood, this was originally part of the shrine. It would be logical to assume the compound was sold off in pieces.”

...certainly.

“If the shrine had a hafuri, he would have lived near the shrine. Wouldn’t that probably be here?”

“Probably.”

“The place where the hafuri lived was divided when the tomb was built for the five ringleaders of the riot— that would be a reasonable conjecture. Moreover, it was resold as a private house.”

—In other words, this location was where the hafuri lived a long time ago…?

“‘Okobu-sama’ believes that the inhabitant of this house is the priest that should worship it. Because the one who should be worshipping it isn’t worshipping it, that person is cursed. The current folklore is evidence of this. So, although the household wasn’t necessarily excluded while the fury of the curse was wielded, not everyone was killed. It deliberately left behind survivors since a priest is necessary in order for it to be worshipped.”

It’s more anticlimactic than amazing. When it’s taken up by Naru, the situation becomes clear like this…

Naru looked around at us.

“We’re going to perform an exorcism on ‘Okobu-sama’.”

Bou-san interrupted.

“Wait a minute. Do we need to exorcise it?”

“Of course.”

“But, don’t they just have to worship it?”

“It will repeat the same thing again if it isn’t worshiped.”

“Still, isn’t it okay for the time being? Even though we’re dealing with an ‘Ebisu’, it is a type of god. It’s worse than a monster. You’re the one who said there’s no way to hunt a monster.”

Naru smiled. It was a thoroughly disturbing and magnificent smile. 

“Are you saying to overlook that thing? No way.”

“Oi!”

“It gave us so many pleasant experiences. It would be a courtesy to properly return the favor.”

...he’s angry. I would call this furious.

“Or do you want to retire?”

Ayako hurriedly waved her hand in response to Naru’s gaze.

“I...I can’t do it. There’s no tree over there.”

Naru’s cold gaze turned towards John.

“Me, too… I can do it if it's a possessing spirit, but I don’t know about an ‘Ebisu’.”

“Lin?”

Lin-san shook his head.

“I do not think I can compete with it. —Naru, you ought to leave it alone. That being is beyond our powers.”

Naru flatly ignored Lin-san.

“Bou-san?”

Bou-san’s expression was extremely disgruntled.

“I could give it a try, but Naru-chan, in this case, we should do what Lin says...”

“I don’t need anyone who’s incompetent.”

Saying so, there isn’t anyone among us with a personality amiable enough to withdraw (Except John. However, John won’t withdraw due to his kind personality.)

In the end, we all nodded.