Editing Ghost Hunt:Volume 6 Chapter 4 (section)

===<center>6</center>===

I asked the endless list of questions as I was instructed to do, and when I returned to the base, the inside of the room was already prepared. Although I say prepared, there was only a candle and an incense, and the rest was the equipment for recording.

“Have you asked?”

“Yeah. Although, I only filled out about half.”

“That’s enough.”

While handing over the note to Bou-san, I asked,

“But why’d you really want me to ask those things?”

“If Nao-san is summoned, it’s necessary to determine that no mistakes were made.”

Oh, I see.

“If that’s the case, should we have Akifumi-san come? Wouldn’t it be easy if it was ascertained by him?”

“That’ll be trouble.”

“Why? I think Akifumi-san will certainly want to see her, too.”

“It won’t do.”

I was slightly annoyed.

“Why? I think Nao-san might surely say, ‘If I knew this would suddenly happen, I would have told you so much.’ Am I right? ...hey, answer me!”

Bou-san looked at me. He had a very serious expression.

“Nao-san didn’t necessarily die in an accident.”

“...what do you mean?”

“I’ll speak plainly. There’s a possibility she was killed by someone in this house.”

“Bou-san!”

“When you guys handed out charms, Nao-san was already gone. At that point, it seems three people were possessed. Youko-san and the two children. It might not have been an accident or suicide. Do you think the young master would want to hear it if Youko-san killed her?”

“...what?”

Bou-san sighed.

“I’d prefer it if that wasn’t the case, too. So, Masako will summon her to make sure of it. The family aren’t allowed to participate. Got it?”

“...Got it.”

<font size="4"><center><b>***</b></center></font>

We all surrounded the low table. The candle and incense were lit and the lights were turned out. Masako, who sat heavily in a [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume6_Translator's_Notes#Zaisu|zaisu chair]], closed her eyes and put her hands together. Then she began to quietly chant what appeared to be a sutra.

[[Ghost_Hunt:Volume6_Translator's_Notes#Heart_Sutra|“Avalokitesh...Bodhisattva, while...Perfection of..., ...five...empty...”]]

Masako’s posture immediately collapsed. Her always precisely straightened spine had become slightly stooped, but soon after, she leaned her back heavily against the back of the [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume6_Translator's_Notes#Zaisu|zaisu chair]]. Her words were becoming increasingly indistinct. Before long, they, too, were cut off, and for a short while, there wasn’t a sound. Only the faint sound of waves and the low motor noise of the equipment moving could be heard. 

“Nao-san,”

Bou-san addressed quietly.

“Nao-san, are you there?”

Masako’s eyes remained closed, but her red lips moved.

“Yes... ”

Someone breathed a deep sigh of relief.

“You are Yoshimi Nao-san, right?”

“Yes… what is this?”

“I would like you to answer a few question.”

Bou-san said and began to ask various questions. Masako answered the questions while being confused. Everything matched well with the responses that I had heard in the main building. The sight of Masako continuing to talk with only her mouth moving felt quite abnormal given that she appeared completely asleep. Masako— Nao-san, who had borrowed Masako’s mouth, had asked several times, “What is this?” It left a strong impression.

“You died. ...do you understand?”

There was a pause following Bou-san’s words.

“...yes.”

“Do you know… how you died?”

There was another pause here.

“I fell… into the sea.”

As soon as she said this, something glistening came from Masako’s closed eyes.

“I was in the garden…watching the sea.”

Tears ran down her cheeks.

“Where in the garden was that?”

“It was on the other side… of the teahouse… I wanted to think about something... ”

“Did you slip?”

There was a long pause this time.

“...I was pushed off.”

As was expected. It was so after all.

“Who pushed you off?”

“I don’t know… someone pushed me from behind.”

She said that and took a long breath.

“I was so...frightened.”

...listening to her was heartbreaking. I lowered my head. How scared she must be. How sad she must be.

“Is there anything more? Don’t you remember something about the person who pushed you off?”

“...I don’t remember… but I’m glad I don’t know.”

“Why?”

“Only the family go there. If it was someone from the family that pushed me… I don’t want to know.”

After she said so, she released another long sigh.

“I guess… I cannot live anymore.”

It was cruel. What did Nao-san supposedly do? Who held this grudge and did this terrible thing? ...who would make someone do this?

“Please rest in peace.”

When Bou-san said this, she cried out slightly.

“What’s wrong?”

“Someone… is pulling me.”

“Pulling?”

“What… is this? Who are you? I’m scared. I don’t want to go. Please stop pulling. That place is scary. I don’t like it… ”

“Nao-san?”

“I don’t like… such a place. I beg you, don’t pull me there. I don’t want to go to that place. Please, stop it…!”

All of us half-rose to our feet at her screaming voice.

“No…! Monster!”

“Nao-san!?”

“Help!”

Screaming along with her, Masako’s joined hands separated and fell atop her knees. Masako’s eyes immediately opened. Masako straightened her back, and then blinked as if dazzled.

“I… appear to have summoned her.”

“She was killed after all… ”

Ayako’s voice trembled.

“The question is, who is the culprit?”

John nodded.

“It’s not Yasutaka-san, at least. Since Nao-san was there, too, when he was taken to the hospital. And the grandmother doesn’t seem to be able to move about.”

“It also probably isn’t the children.”

Bou-san made a sour expression at Ayako’s words.

“That’s not necessarily true.”

“Why? After all, it would be impossible for the children.”

“If given momentum, it wouldn’t be impossible.”

“That’s true… but, if that’s the case for either of them, then certainly you would be suspicious of the others? There’s still someone in the house who’s possessed.”

“Why?”

“Why...”

Bou-san spoke over his shoulder to Ayako, who hesitated to speak.

“It may be someone who’s already been exorcised. The person may have forgotten what was done. If it was Youko-san...”

It was a frightening prospect. Youko-san had no memory of when she was possessed. During which, she may have pushed Nao-san off the cliff. Youko-san might have committed a serious crime while not knowing. If she found out, how shocked would she be…?

Thirteen family members. Akifumi-san and his grandmother, his father, his mother, his four siblings, his two sibling-in-laws, his nephew and two nieces. A total of thirteen people. With the exception of Nao-san, amongst the twelve people, there was the culprit who was supposed to have killed Nao-san. 

The grandmother can’t move. It’s impossible for Yasutaka-san to be the culprit because he was hospitalized. If we were to trust Ayako’s words, the three children and two sibling-in-laws, who had already been exorcised, were not the culprit. If I were to say by impression only, I don’t think the culprit is Akifumi-san, his parents, or Teruka-san, who was previously attacked.

I can understand Nao-san’s feelings when she said, ‘I don’t want to know.’ I wouldn’t want to know either. If we find out the name of the culprit, I wonder what we should do then. After the person is exorcised, what should be told to the person once they return to sanity?

I looked towards the window then.

What on earth happened to Nao-san’s spirit?

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