Internet Shrine Maiden Tsugumi-chan:Volume1 Prologue
Prologue: The Forbidden Hands @ The Apartment of Many Deaths[edit]
It was the kind of evening that foretold a sweltering night.
“Weather on the many megafloats of New Sea City remains clear tonight. The temperature is 30 degrees and the humidity is 49%. We do have an ocean wave advisory, so if you are sensitive to rocking, we recommend taking a sleeping pill tonighglkfayrewrkh…”
In an age when everyone’s eyes were down on their phones, no one was even reading the text scrolling along the full-color LED screen when it suddenly began displaying nonsense and went dark.
No one at all saw it. Which was why the small boy curled up with his back against the metal door to his own apartment failed to notice the slight change.
“It’s true…”
He likely wasn’t talking to anyone in particular.
His voice was hoarse. The scratchiness of his throat was enough to easily imagine the expression on his face as he pressed it into his knees.
“A bunch of see-through hands appeared out of nowhere and dragged my mom behind the water heater.”
“Liar!”
- “You’re stupid.”
- “Even the police have stopped listening to him.”
“There’s no such thing as ghosts.” “Did you hear?”
- “A ghost? lol.” “In this brand-new city?”
The voices pierced through him.
Even though no one was around anymore. Even though they had all had their say, laughed, and left. So many voices still rang deep inside his ears. Not one of those voices spoke up in defense of the boy. None of them took his side and none of them believed him.
“I heard his mommy left him.”
“Can’t blame her when she has to live with a liar.”
“Liar, liar, pants on fire!! Can you believe it!? They’re just burning away!!”
Still curled up, the boy clenched his fists.
Maybe it was his fault.
It really should have been him. He was only here because his mother had noticed the oddity in front of the entranceway and pushed her son out of the way. And so someone else was dragged away.
So this was what he deserved.
All of those hands had emerged from below the thin water heater like a sticky liquid dripping down the wall. If that ghost captured its intended target, maybe it would release his mother without harming her…
“Don’t worry.”
He heard a voice.
He realized someone was standing in front of him.
She was an older girl in a red and white shrine maiden outfit whose very long black hair was tied back.
Maybe she wasn’t human.
Because before the boy could look up and say something, she was already responding.
“What you saw was undoubtedly a real Malign Spirit, but you don’t need to do that. This Malign Spirit starves its victims, so there is plenty of time left. I promise you – I will not let anyone die.”
Even so, his tear ducts relaxed.
Tears spilled out.
“Euh, oh.”
Someone believed him. A voice took his side and defended him. So the boy did not ask who this person was or why she was here. The greatest feeling filling his heart was squeezed out as is.
“Bring my mom back. Ugh, ahh, from those see-through hands!!”
“Yes, of course. Leave it to me.”
A quiet metallic “kashink” followed.
The shrine maiden was toying with a well-worn oil lighter.
She had opened the cover.
The boy didn’t know what that meant or how she would use it, but the black-haired girl replied with conviction. And not a moment’s hesitation.
“I will settle this before it’s too late.”
To make a long story short.
The shrine maiden kept her promise.
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