Chapter Text
The Kujou Mansion was usually a dark and silent place, especially in the nights and early mornings.
The estate was built with a considerable amount of family members in mind. Its floors were filled with numerous rooms whose purposes still allude most to this day. It was designed during the height of the Kujou’s population, thus the designers never could’ve predicted it would fall to such a state. Now, there was only one man left of the celebrated bloodline, living in a place much too big for a single person.
A solitary life that has been interrupted with the arrival of a blue-haired kid, and therein lies the crux of the matter.
At 3 pm, the last Kujou heir was currently rummaging around his closet like a frantic madman
Stacks of clothes were picked apart and sorted based on style and size. A bunch of formal wear had been tossed rather haphazardly to the side. Casual shirts that seemingly would’ve fit Yashiki’s figure perfectly met the same fate as well.
The man sighed as he sat on the floor, sweat beading on his forehead. He stared at the mess around him in defeat.
“Where did all my old wardrobe go?” He wondered to himself. He had been absent for a while before the whole memory wipe debacle, his things could’ve been discarded then.
He was about to conduct another search on the shirt pile in a last-ditch effort to find something passable when he saw a box stored away in a dusty corner of the storage space.
Despite the grime and dirt that surrounded it, the medium-sized shirt box was relatively new and well-kept. A logo was printed in silver on the center against its black velvet exterior.
Yashiki carefully opened the box to reveal a cute, if slightly tacky, limited edition Love and Hero shirt.
It was a gift from Ai Kashiwagi, an idol friend of his, as a thank-you for saving her life. Yashiki never really cared much for presents, but he couldn’t deny the earnest expression on Ai’s face. As such he accepted the free merchandise. Sadly, it was a few sizes too small for him and thus he never really used it.
However, it should be suitable enough for the admittedly scrawny teenager who’s been living under Yashiki’s roof.
Yashiki smiled brightly at his find. “Well, that’s one thing done…”
That smile immediately dropped once he realized his work was far from over. “…. Guess it’s time to search for the pants next.”
The man moved from the cupboard to a drawer located next to it.
Yashiki stared despairingly at the bursting stacks of lower garments that were housed within. He could’ve sworn he saw a skirt there…
Did Saya’s clothing get mixed up with his as well?
Sighing, Yashiki consigned himself to a few more hours of digging before dejectedly going back to work.
Minato woke up to the loud chiming of a grandfather clock.
Sunlight peeked through his room’s thick curtain, indicating that he had woken up late once more. He wasn’t sure what time it was exactly though, as the only clock in the room was broken and no longer ticking.
Should Minato ask Mister Yashiki to fix it?
He thought about it for a second before quickly dismissing it. It was only a minor inconvenience, he didn’t want to bother his host with something so small. He really didn’t care much about punctuality anyway.
Minato groggily got up from his bed. Slowly, he walked up to his window and drew the curtain open.
There wasn’t much to see outside. The Kujou Mansion was relatively isolated from the rest of H-City and was enclosed on all sides by thick growth. As such, the only view he had was of trees and other greenery, alongside the bugs that would come and go from time to time.
Minato gave a small smile when a familiar blue butterfly came fluttering down towards him. Carefully, he swung the panes open to let it perch on his windowsill.
The butterfly had visited him yesterday as well. It had flown in front of him as if it was greeting an old friend. The creature brought a level of nostalgia that made Minato’s heart ache painfully. And yet, instead of brushing the bug off as he planned, he ended up hanging around silently with it.
“You know, I feel like I’ve met you before,” Minato murmured. “Like you were something important to me… but that’s kinda stupid isn’t it?”
The butterfly offered no answer in return.
Truly idiotic, did Minato think a butterfly of all things could be connected to his past? Maybe he was just overthinking matters.
Once it left, Minato slowly closed the window and exited his room to get ready for the day.
However, before he could do so, he was stopped by a pile of garments located on the floor.
Minato glanced around to see who could’ve possibly dropped their attire in an oddly tidy manner. The hallway was completely devoid of people. Either someone misplaced it a while ago, or….
“…..Oh, did Mister Yashiki end up getting new clothes for me?” He wondered.
The boy caught sight of a small piece of paper slipped into the shirt. He picked the sheet up to see a neat yet slightly rushed handwriting written on it.
“Fresh clothes. You can put your old ones inside the blue basket in the bathroom. I’ll wash it later.”
Minato pocketed the slip and checked the items Mister Yashiki had prepared for him. It wasn’t anything too special, just some casual wear that seemed to be about his size.
Shrugging, Minato scoped the bundle up and made his way to his original destination.
In the mansion’s kitchen, Yashiki closed his flip phone with a snap. It was a weekend, so it was easy enough to contact Eita and ask him to come to the mansion. The internet and the forums within were plenty helpful during The Departed Case. Hopefully, more leads could be uncovered through this method.
Waiting around for cases and rumors to be dropped on their laps was taking too much time, and yesterday proved that their target moved quickly.
People talked in forums and chat rooms about weird happenings all the time, and hopefully, someone had mentioned something about the Shadow. There’s a chance that the stories could be fabricated, but he can’t afford to disregard the web as an alternative avenue for answers.
Yashiki pocketed his phone and continued to tend to an omelet he was currently cooking. Once done, he carefully placed it on a plate and served it at the dining room table with a variety of other breakfast items.
He wasn’t sure how much food a growing teenager needed to eat in the morning. But considering his guest barely ate yesterday, it was only fair of him to prepare something to make up for it.
Yashiki was about to walk and call Minato down when he heard the sound of soft footsteps approaching. The door swung open gently as his ward peeked his head inside.
"… Smells good," said Minato in lieu of any proper greeting.
Yashiki grinned fondly at the expected demeanor. “It’s for you. Please don’t worry about me, I’ve already eaten. Anything left can be stored as leftovers.”
Minato stared at what Yashiki had prepared for him. He looked apprehensive, maybe preparing around 10 plates of food was a bit too much?
After some time, Minato finally dropped into a chair and pulled some sausages closer to him. “Thanks for the meal,” he said before swiftly eating.
Yashiki beamed at the boy’s enthusiasm before joining him across the table.
“Alright then..” The man pulled out his notes. “Now, for some updates on the case, I’m inviting a few more people here to help out.”
Minato continued to inhale some bacon as he looked up at Yashiki with a completely focused expression.
“I think I know how the Shadow operates. It’s probably going after spirits with powerful grudges or spiritually aware people such as myself,” Yashiki continued. “If that’s the case, then we can use that pattern to estimate where it’ll strike next.”
His smile turned downward slightly as he tapped his pen on his notebook. “Unfortunately this is all speculation, so our plan of action today is to test this hypothesis out.
“How are we going to do that?” Minato asked whilst munching on his cereal.
“I’m thinking of splitting our team in half in order to check out two separate locations,” Yashiki mused. “Though I’m not certain if it could pan out that way, or where we should even investigate. We’ll have to wait for assistance first before consolidating a plan.”
“So who's lending us a hand this time?” Minato asked. “Is it that Yasuoka lady again? Or someone new?”
The older man was about to open his mouth when a familiar voice appeared near the entrance.
“Yashiki, what the hell? What are you doing to the kid?”
The two paused their conversation and turned their heads towards Mashita, who had popped into the dining hall out of nowhere. The ex-detective gave an affronted expression as he analyzed the empty plates in front of Minato. The boy sure ate fast, there was only a serving of macaroni left to consume. Everything else had been licked clean.
“Mashita, I know I gave you a spare key and all… but couldn’t you at least knock?” Yashiki chastised his partner. “Just so I won’t mistake you as an intruder or something.”
“That is completely beside to point- Hey brat, stop it!” Mashita dashed to grab the last batch of food Minato was about to devour. “You’re going to hurt your stomach if you eat that much in one go.”
“But I feel fine right now.” Minato deadpanned
“But he didn’t have dinner last night.. So thought I’d double the breakfast.” Yashiki tried to defend himself.
Mashita sighed in exasperation. “You’re both completely hopeless,” he said in an air of defeat.
The man fiddled with his tie as he approached Yashiki. “In any case, I came here to tell you that Moe can’t come with us. She’s been pulled to do overtime by her boss. Shou’s agreed to replace her.”
The Spirit Doctor pinched his nose at Mashita’s words. “Honestly, for a kid who’s terrified of the supernatural, he sure loves to throw himself into all sorts of situations.”
“Uh…” Minato began with uncertainty. “Whose Shou, again?”
“Shou Nagashima, a punk who likes to act tough even when he shouldn’t,” said Mashita as he pulled a cigarette out of his pocket. “His heart is in the right place though, most of the time.”
“Yeah, he’s a good kid.” Yashiki smiled, before immediately frowning when Mashita started to fish out a lighter. The Kujou heir lightly swatted his partner’s hand away. “How many times do I have to tell you? No smoking indoors.”
Mashita huffed despite complying with his companion’s request. “You know you can just air out the room later, right.?”
“The smell doesn’t go away as easily,” Yashiki argued. “Besides, we’re in a dining area. No one wants the scent of old cigarettes with their food.”
Their bickering was cut short by a loud sip courtesy of their young guest. Minato was drinking a glass of water, all the while staring blankly at them with a vaguely judgmental expression.
“Oi! What’re you looking at, brat?” Mashita growled.
Minato stood up from his seat and walked to the chamber’s exit. “I really don’t want to third wheel you guys all day,” he said bluntly. “I’m going to go explore the mansion. Call me when everybody else arrives.”
The teen closed the door in the duo’s blushing face, leaving Yashiki to splutter incoherently once Minato left.
“Hah! Hiroo was right. Your kid’s got a pretty smart mouth!” Eita laughed at Yashiki’s retelling of earlier events.
“He’s not my kid,” Yashiki denied dejectedly. “Still, did he have to say that in front of Mashita? It’s embarrassing….”
“Eh, it’s kind of your fault for always arguing with Mister Mashita, old man.” Shou shrugged, observing Eita as he continued to boot up the office computer. “You two fight like an old married couple sometimes.”
“Still, you can’t deny they're pretty cute, aren’t they?” Ai giggled before Yashiki could interject. “I wanna have someone that close to me someday.”
“..Please stop teasing me.” Yashiki pointedly did not look at the group in an attempt to hide his face. “Besides, I’m impressed you ended up joining us today Ai. Don’t you usually still have idol work on Saturdays?”
“Well.. the team’s been taking it slow after our last performance.” Ai smiled sheepishly. “So, when I told them I had an emergency, they let me off pretty easily.”
“Basically, you lied and ran away from your responsibilities?” Shou asked with a raised eyebrow.
“I wasn’t lying!” The idol exclaimed. “I just.. exaggerated a bit to get permission! That’s all.”
“Where is the man of the hour anyway?” Shou asked Yashiki. “Mister Mashita has been searching for a while now. He didn’t run away or anything, right?”
“No, Arisato said that he merely wanted to walk around the house,” mused Yashiki.
Suddenly, Mashita slammed open the door with a loud bang. His breath was frantic and lined with a tinge of panic.
“Yashiki, give me the storage room key. Now!” Mashita ordered with an outstretched hand.
“What do you need it for?” Yashiki asked in bewilderment.
“I found the brat. He’s still in the mansion’s grounds,” Mashita hissed. “The problem is, he somehow managed to enter that room, and I can’t get in.”
“Wait.” Eita’s face paled. “You mean the storage room where-“
The room where a cursed doll has been sealed away. The chamber where Mary resided.
Yashiki hastily ran out of the workspace, Mashita and the rest tailing closely behind him. How did Arisato manage to get inside there in the first place? Yashiki always made sure to lock the door after inspecting Mary.
Once they arrived, Yashiki slotted the key in place and entered the old shed in a frenzy. Inside, Minato was sitting in front of an ominous wooden coffin, humming an unfamiliar aria.
Yashiki placed a hand on Arisato’s shoulder. “Kid, are you alright?”
When he didn’t answer, Mashita scoffed and snapped his finger in front of Arisato’s face. “Hey brat, stop worrying us and wake up.”
Slowly, the boy’s eyes came back into focus. He turned his head to face the entourage behind him. “…Oops, sorry about that.” Arisato stood and brushed the dust off his pants. “Guess I got carried away.”
“Dude, how did you even end up here?” Shou asked the blue-haired teen.
Arisato didn’t acknowledge the stranger. Instead, he looked at Yashiki in confusion.
“That’s Shou,” answered Yashiki. “And the girl’s name is Ai, she’s an idol. Moe probably talked about her yesterday.”
The amnesiac nodded in understanding and addressed the previous question. “I felt someone here…. A lot of people, actually. They were furious, yet also sad.
Minato shot another glance at the box. “So I thought I’d sing something to calm them down.”
“Well, you probably shouldn’t get involved with it again kid,” said Mashita. “Trust me, what’s inside there is cursed. You’ll only hurt yourself if you get involved in her mess.”
Arisato simply hummed and left the storage space, hands casually tucked into his pockets. The group didn’t say much as they returned to the investigation office.
However, some peculiarities were too odd not to question.
“Um, Minato… You said you lost your memories right?” Ai asked. “In that case, where did you learn that song? It’s really pretty.”
Minato scratched his head. “Oh, that…”
“Honestly, I got it from my dreams,” he answered. “It’s nothing really special.”
They stayed silent even once they returned and started scouring through internet. The only sound made was the persistent taps and clacks from Eita’s typing.
“Come to think of it.. Eita, it’s rare to see you without Suzuki.” Shou noted, finally breaking through the rather tense atmosphere. “Is she busy with something?”
“Yeah, Suzu told me that her mom’s been acting strange lately,” said Eita. “She’s been muttering weird sentences and has awful nightmares every day. So Suzu reached out to her dad to ask for help.”
Ai whistled. “That’s rough, is everything okay now?”
Eita shook his head. “I’m not entirely sure, last I heard they’re trying send her mom to therapy. I’m not sure how that’ll work out since even before this her mother is… kind of a religious nut job. Doubt she’d agree that easily.”
The otaku opened up a few tabs before finally calling everyone in. “Alright, I’ve narrowed down a few of the most recent places the spirit has been sighted at.”
“What’s the date range on them?” Mashita asked.
Eita did a double-check on a few message boards. “Around two till a day ago.”
“Show us the rumors that only popped up yesterday,” commanded Mashita. “Anything older than that is most likely obsolete.
“Sure.” Eita paused and closed a few sites. “There’s a thread here discussing a weird man wearing a yellow scarf wandering around an abandoned park,” he summarized. “None of them could get a clear face, but a few people saw it. The park may not be maintained, but some folks still hang around there, and they all caught a glimpse of the thing.”
“So that’s it then, are we going there?” Shou questioned.
Yashiki paused in contemplation. Making up his mind, he talked to Eita.
“Could you try and find any normal spirit rumors?” Yashiki inquired. “Preferably, new ones that center around an area where the Shadow was never sighted before.”
“But why would we do that? Isn’t that kinda useless?” Ai asked in confusion.
“When we were investigating that apartment, there was a presence presiding over the fifth floor.” Mashita reflected. “At first I assumed that was the Shadow’s doing, but it’s likely the initial chill we felt was from the original spirit that haunted the place.”
“And when we went there again, there was nothing. No weird feeling or anything, and definitely no shadow,” Yashiki recalled.
“So there’s a possibility that our target is hunting down spirits,” Mashita mused. “And it’s likely we’ll encounter them in places with high spiritual influence.
Minato blinked in realization. “Is that what you meant by making two teams to check different locations? One to look into the park, the other to inspect wherever the next ghost rumor is?
“Exactly,” Yashiki confirmed. “I was thinking of sending you, Ai, and Shou to the park because I have a feeling it’ll be safer there. But in case you see the Shadow, don’t engage. Retreat and rendezvous back at the mansion.
“How are we gonna get there though?” Shou exclaimed. “None of us have a license.”
“The area is near a bus stop.” Eita perked up from behind the monitor. “You should be able to catch a ride home from there. If you end up staying for too long and the busses are no longer running, call me and I’ll order a cab for you.”
Ai clapped her hands. “Well, that’s the end of that. I’m assuming Mister Yashiki and Mister Mashita will head off together?”
“Yeah, of course.” Mashita smirked. “Someone needs to keep the idiot in check.”
Yashiki pouted. “And someone needs to make sure you won’t run off to gun down the Shadow all by yourself.”
“Ehem.” Eita coughed to bring everyone’s attention to him. “Ok, so there’s a story that’s been spreading about an avant-garde building that’s said to be cursed” The tech whiz scrolled through the post. “Allegedly, there was a dispute between the two architects that made the place. One of them wanted to turn it into a hangout cafe while the other wanted to sell it off. The person who suggested the cafe idea was found dead in the attic.”
He continued with his explanation, “Those that enter the building at night would hear calls coming from above. The few people who went up to check it out never returned, so no one’s sure what happened there.”
Mashita smiled wryly, “That’s our stop. The perils never seem the cease, huh?”
Yashiki nodded grimly before speaking to everyone else in the room. “Are you guys ready to head out?”
A chorus of affirmations greeted his question.
“Wow, Mister Eita was correct. There’s a lot more people around here than I expected.” Ai observed.
The trio were standing near the park’s entrance, having been dropped off moments before, and were facing a moderately crowded place. Trash was everywhere, and the plants were overgrown and slowly swallowing the dirt paths, but it wasn’t as desolate as they imagined.
Shou spun the baseball bat he had brought with him. “No wonder there were enough witnesses to fill a forum.” He turned around to see the road they’d taken to the gateway. “Then again, there aren’t any barriers keeping anyone out. I bet a bunch of ‘em don’t even know this place is technically closed down.”
“Guess whoever owns the land now doesn’t care enough to handle that.” Minato yawned. “Let’s go in already, people are starting to stare.”
The group of teens walked deeper into the enclosure. As they kept going, the masses grew thinner until at one point, they ceased to meet anyone else at all.
“I suppose the visitors mostly hang around near the front.” Ai mused.
Shou looked contemplative. “Makes sense, it’s kind of eerie here.”
He then rested the bat on his shoulder. “Still, compared to the forest with Shimi-O, this is nothing.”
Ai nodded. “Yeah, considering all the other spots we’ve been to, this one isn’t too scary.” She giggled at their current predicament. “Honestly if anything, this place is boring as heck.”
She smiled slyly before grabbing Minato’s shoulder from behind. “So, Mystery boy!” Ai lunged to ruffle at his hair “Nice dye job you got going on! The blue looks very natural. Also, fantastic choice of clothing!”
Minato swatted both her hands before moving away from her. “Mister Yashiki was the one who gave me the shirt.”
“Eh? The old man prepared it for you?” Shou snickered. “Nice to know he’s still a huge softie.”
The other male teen touched his bangs with an insecure expression. “And my hair’s not dyed, I think.”
“Oh yeah, memory problems. Moe told me about it.” Ai hummed. “That’s a bummer. Hopefully, you’ll get them back once we deal with the Shadow. They were the ones who cursed you right?”
Minato shook his head. “I’m not sure, but Mister Yashiki and Mashita both think I’m at least involved in it.”
Ai accepted the answer as she bounced along ahead of him. But before she did so, she could’ve sworn she heard Minato murmur something along the lines of, “He’s my… couldn’t be…. not him”
Ai wanted to ask what the other boy was talking about when another voice butted into their conversation.
“What are you kids doing out here?”
The group turned to see a battered old man catching up from behind. His short blond hair was matted, and the rest of his outfit wasn’t in a better state. A tattered jacket layered on top of an old white shirt. In Ai’s opinion, even Banshee looked better than him.
“You’re here nosing around about that weird boogeyman as well?” The old man said in exasperation. “I’ll say it again, no creepy shit ever happened here. The only interesting event was that small fire a few days ago. No one’s dead and there’s no ghost.”
“So no one has ever died on these grounds?” Minato asked in morbid curiosity.
“Trust me, the only reason this park is abandoned was because of a land dispute,” the man drawled. “Nobody’s ever gotten themselves killed here. This space is far from haunted.”
The enigmatic fellow pulled a lollipop from his pocket and shoved it in his mouth. He carelessly threw the wrapper aside. “You’re better off wasting your time somewhere else. But I ain’t gonna stop you. I’m not a paid gardener anymore, so I got no obligations.”
He left them just as abruptly as he came, leaving the group slightly confused at what had been revealed.
“If no one’s died here… then that means there shouldn’t be any spirit right?” Ai asked uncertainly.
Shou piped back, “They can move around as long as that place is important to them. Maybe it’s the same story for this place’s spirit.”
“Can’t you ask that Eita guy to look it up?” Minato suggested. “There’s a lot of office buildings near here, shouldn’t the reception be decent?”
Shou flipped his phone open to dial a number before putting it against his ear. After some time, he cursed in frustration.
“Fuck,” the delinquent swore. “The call went through, but he ain’t picking up.”
“That’s troublesome,” said Ai. “I wonder what’s holding him up at his end.”
Minato, completely undisturbed by the outcome, pulled out the flashlight Yashiki had lent to him in the van.
“Guess we’ll have to do this ourselves,” he said as he flicked the light on. “Look for any scorch marks or burnt wood that can clue us in. Let’s try and investigate where the fire started, but don’t get separated,” ordered the usually reserved teen.
The other two nodded before spreading out to explore the nearby area. There weren’t a lot of branching paths, so it was easy enough to probe the site without getting lost. Ai was inspecting a cut-down tree when she noticed something about the loose branches.
“Hey guys!” She called out. “These sticks are burnt to a crisp, and I think there’s some black marks on the grass. Minato give me your flashlight!”
The boy tossed the item in Ai’s direction. She caught it with a small “whoop” before pointing it to the ground near the tree stump.
“Well, won’t you look at that?” Shou whistled as he saw a trail of dead and scorched plants leading further in.
Minato nodded at the discovery. “Good job, Ai. C’mon.” He grabbed the flashlight back and took a step forward along the track. “The source of the flame was probably at the end of this line.” The rest of the team followed suit.
They continued to traverse the lead until they reached an opening where the foliage let up, revealing a small man-made lake ridden with algae. On one side of the pond, there was a smoking black center. There weren’t even any plants left that could be identified. They’ve been completely reduced to ashes.
“What the fuck?” Shou swore. “This is way more than just some random fire. Why is smoke still coming out of it?”
Ai and Minato went up closer to ground zero to take a better look at it. Inside the cracks left in the ground, large flecks of ember can still be seen.
“There’s still some fire burning in here!” Ai exclaimed. Shou’s eyes widened as he saw what the idol was pointing at.
“Holy shit.. but the entire city was raining yesterday,” Shou stated. “It should’ve been put out by now.”
Minato shone the flashlight inside the small crevice. As he did so, a flash of light was reflected towards them.
“There’s something inside of it,” he noted.
“Yeah, I saw it too,” said Shou. He turned towards the other girl. “Ai, could you get a bit of water from the lake?”
“Ok, sure!” The idol agreed. She cupped up a fair amount of water with her hands and gently poured it into the crack.
The fire still kept blazing.
“Great, it didn’t douse the flames. Should we poke it with your bat?” Ai asked Shou.
“This is a wooden bat, lady,” Shou hissed. “It’s going to turn into a pile of dust if we use it like that.
While the two argued on what to do, the last of the trio simply stared at the seemingly eternal pyre, examining it intently.
Shou paused from his verbal fight to look at their newest companion. “… Dude, are you alright there?”
Minato plunged his bare hands into the scorching soil.
Shou and Ai both shrieked in alarm. “Minato? What are you doing?” The idol panicked. “Stop it, you’ll hurt yourself!”
The aforementioned teen narrowed his eyes at where his hand currently was. “The fire…” he started, “It’s not hot.”
“What do you mean it’s not hot?” Shou growled. “That shit killed all the greenery in the vicinity!”
“But it’s not affecting me, see?” Minato pulled out his palm and showed it to them. “It’s completely fine.”
“That’s-“ Ai was about to chastise him when Minato shoved his hand yet again to search for the buried object.
After a few seconds, Minato pulled out something silver from the hole. It’s covered in dirt and cinders, but from its shape, it sort of looks like…
“Wait a minute…” Shou’s face paled. “Is that a GUN?”
Minato unceremoniously scanned the weapon he acquired. “Seems like it.”
Ai carefully inspected the details on the pistol. “Look,” she pointed out. “There’s some engraving on the side.”
Minato laid the piece flat and dusted the debris of the main body. The initials S.E.E.S were etched on its surface.
“Wonder what that means,” Shou mused. “It seems like an acronym for something.”
The sky was a deep and ugly green
There was a monster there, on the rooftop. It swatted a girl dressed in pink as if she were a fly on the wall. Her gun skittered to a halt right in front of his feet.
The full moon shined like an ominous limelight on the encroaching shadow. If he didn’t do anything, that girl will die.
He stared at the gun, the woman had put it against her head before she was knocked out.
His hands trembled as he grabbed the firearm.
“Go on,” a voice echoed.
He held the muzzle against the side of his skull. The boy’s rapid heartbeat slowly calmed into acceptance.
He’s danced with death before, on that cursed day in that wrecked bridge. What does he have to fear?
Minato smiled.
“Per… so… na…”
The sound of shattering glass enveloped him, From the depths of his soul, a part of him answered the call, and another ripped that half to shreds
“..oi …Oi… HEY!” Shou broke Minato out of his dazed state. “You need to stop zoning out like that dude, it's getting real concerning,” Shou scolded.
“But Shou, isn’t this kind of like when Mister Yashiki gets a vision? Did you have them too, Minato?” said Ai.
Minato shook his head. “Nothing like that, I just remembered something.” He caressed the keepsake in his hands. “…I think this used to be mine.”
“What?” Ai asked. “What would you ever need a gun for?”
“Dunno,” Minato answered plainly. “In my memory, I was trying to shoot myself with it.”
“HUH? Why would you do that?” The idol asked aghast.
“Hold it,” Shou shouted. He had taken the item from Minato earlier and was checking its grip. “There’s nowhere to slot in a magazine, it’s probably a fake.”
Shou weighed the object experimentally. “Gotta say, if this is a replica, it’s a damn good one,” he said. “It has decent heft, and the details are spot on.”
“Oh right, you saw Mashita with his handgun before. No wonder you can tell” Ai replied. She then faced Minato. “Why did you even own a fake gun in the first place?”
Minato couldn’t answer. His mind was riddled with unknown voices and melodies played from a harp.
The boy shook his head in defeat. “I have no clue… I think I was trying-“
Minato’s words were cut off by a sharp ring coming from Shou’s pocket. The teen whipped out his phone and frowned.
“It’s Eita, finally! Where’s that bastard been?”
“Put it on loudspeaker, I want to hear him too!” Ai pleaded.
Shou did as she requested, angrily pushing the button that would allow the caller’s voice to be heard loud and clear by everyone.
“Hey, Eita!” Shou began. “I’ve been trying to reach you for ages, what’s going on-“
“There’s no time for a full explanation,” Eita cut off. “Get out of the park right now, there’s already a ride waiting for you by the entrance. I’m sending you to K Hospital.”
“But why?” Ai panted as the three of them started running to the gates. “What happened?”
“I’ll tell you once you get in the car,” Eita said gravely. “Just go!”
A few hours earlier
The van slowed down in front of a deceptively well-kept building. It was a large, two-story house that had a huge window leading to a balcony made completely out of glass.
Mashita whistled at the sight. “Swanky place.” He lit up his cigarette and took a slow breath. “Too bad it never got used for anything more than a glorified display.”
Yashiki hummed mindlessly. “It’s impressive, but it’s rather excessive for my tastes. Surely they didn’t need to use that much glass during the construction?”
“Says the guy who lives in an honest-to-god haunted mansion,” Mashita scoffed.
Yashiki rolled his eyes as he walked up to the front door. When he touched the handle, it fell apart into pieces, and the door swung open slightly.
“Great, not even a minute in, and weird shit has started to happen.” Mashita sighed. “You ready to go, Yashiki?”
“Nowhere to move but forward,” the Spirit Doctor replied, pushing open the entrance.
Unlike the apartment complex, the inside was well-maintained. A layer of cloth was wrapped around each piece of furniture to protect them from dust and weathering. It was deeper than it looked outside. Pass the living room, the pair came across a sliding door that led to a lifeless garden.
“Who puts something like this in the middle of a house?” Yashiki wondered. “Why didn’t they position it outside? It’s easier for the plants to get sunlight that way, no?”
“I have a feeling the constructors were more focused on style than function,” Mashita guessed. “Though you have to admit, if any of these flowers were still alive, this could've been a great place to get some fresh air without leaving the comfort of your home.”
“The girls would’ve loved to hang out here,” Yashiki thought aloud. “It’s a shame the cafe idea fell through.”
“There’s a ladder leading to the next floor,” Mashita called. “C’mom, follow me.”
The two climbed up to the second floor. It was a much less impressive landing than the previous one. All it had were a few empty rooms and a window that allowed access to the balcony.
“There aren’t any conveniently placed documents here for us to sift through,” Yashiki sighed. “Whoever was in charge of cleaning up this place after the body discovery certainly wasn’t careless.”
“Besides, we might not even need to understand the dead guy’s tragic backstory,” said Mashita. “We merely need to see proof that the Shadow did come here.”
“Still, it’s better to be prepared against all odds,” Yashiki muttered. “But I suppose it can’t be helped this time.” The Spirit Doctor’s brow furrowed. “Should this be the spirit’s domain though? I don't sense anything supernatural at all.”
“Maybe it's somewhere else?” Mashita speculated. “We should head back down and double-check.”
The duo returned to the barren garden when the ex-detective noticed a passage to the right of the yard that he had missed.
“Hmm?” Mashita walked along the narrow corridor. “There’s another room here.” He carefully opened the door and sucked in a breath. “Oi Yashiki, check this out.”
The man in question followed his partner to the new chamber and gave his surroundings an impressed look.
“Is the floor… made entirely out of glass?”
The room Mashita discovered was a library of sorts. There were some chairs and tables that could’ve accommodated around a dozen people or so. However, what was most interesting was the fact that the whole deck was made out of transparent glass, allowing them a clear view of the basement underneath.
“Probably tempered glass, otherwise it wouldn’t be able to hold any weight, much less withstand a group of people.” Mashita instinctively walked in careful strides. “Nevertheless, it is disconcerting. You can’t help but fear that it’ll shatter if you’re not careful.”
“There’s another section below this one,” Yashiki stated. He walked to the back of the library and spotted a staircase leading downwards.
The two passed the rickety steps and were met with a comfy lounge. Different from the entrance hall and living room, there wasn’t anything covering the couches, leaving their exterior dusty and cracked.
Yashiki went the examine the bookshelves lined on the walls. Most of the books were filled with materials discussing architecture and engineering. He even found a few blank books that were used as filler to make the book count seem more impressive than it actually is.
The man heard loud noises coming from behind. As he turned around, the older man saw his partner pushing against a closed door next to the stairs to no avail.
Yashiki approached a frustrated-looking Mashita. “Is the door locked?”
“Nah, I can crack it open enough to see another room, but I think something is stopping me from accessing the area,” Mashita explained.
Yashiki looked around the basement and noticed a standing light near one of the seats. Gently, he took off the upper part and handed the slim rod to Mashita.
“Do you think you can shimmy it open with this?” asked Yashiki.
“I can try-“
BANG
The ground shook as the terrible sound rang across the entire place. The sound of a blade being dragged through the ceramic flooring brought a chill through the men’s spine.
That feeling was there again, the same one they experienced in the apartment. There was no mistake, the thing creeping closer to them was the Shadow.
“Yashiki,” Mashita whispered urgently, “turn that fucking flashlight off, now.”
Yashiki did so in haste, frantically flicking the device off. Their enemy could see right through the first floor. Any light source they utilized would spell their doom.
Undeterred by the threat, Mashita quietly tried to unlock the only other exit on the lower floor. His face scrunched as he tried to lift a plank of wood that was blocking their escape.
A large crash could be heard coming from above them, followed by the sound of footsteps against glass.
Yashiki peered up to face the transparent ceiling. The Shadow was standing there, searching for anything it could target. Their yellow scarf fluttered about despite the lack of wind.
There wasn’t any place the two of them could hide. No matter where they stood, the creature simply needed to gaze down to spot them. The one thing they can do is to wait in bated breath.
After standing around for a few minutes, the spirit slowly started to back away from the library. Yashiki exhaled in relief.
Only for the Shadow’s bright blue eyes to look into his own.
The tempered glass shattered into a rain of delicate shards. Their pursuer dropped into the newly created gap, growling all the while.
“You, I can sense it… You were close.. YoU weRe CloSe…”
The silhouette let out a desperate roar. “WhERe… WHERE?”
Right at that moment, the wooden blockage fell to the ground with a loud “thump”. Wasting no time at all, Mashita kicked the door open.
“Hurry, RUN!”
The pair bypassed the small sitting room contained within and burst through a window that led to an outdoor section. Sadly, the place was bordered by tall and smooth walls that they couldn’t scale easily.
Yashiki examined the area for anything that they could use to escape when he caught sight of a broken stepladder that had been tossed off to the side. It snapped right at the top, so it was possible to utilize it as a makeshift ladder
He grabbed onto one of the pieces and leaned it against the barrier, allowing them to climb up and get away.
Angry howls filled the night, signaling that the Shadow had caught up with them. In a last-ditch effort, Mashita let loose a few rounds from his gun at the thing.
It worked well enough, the shots caused the monster to freeze in place, giving Mashita and Yashiki a chance to escape the enclosure.
“The van’s parked that way.” Yashiki pointed. “We need to move, hurry!”
“Shit, YASHIKI WATCH OUT!”
Unsuspectedly, the paralyzed Shadow instantly appeared behind Yashiki. It was his partner’s warning that allowed him to barely dodge the being’s choking grasp.
“YoU… tRied to ShoOt…? TrAitor… TRAiTor! I rEmemBer… HIS mEmoRies.”
“DoN’t yOu DarE… DON’T YOU DARE TRY AND HURT HIM..”
The Shadow swiftly closed the space between them and raised its blade above its head. The wicked edge gleamed from the moon’s light, poised to end Yashiki right then and there.
Something hard shoved against Yashiki’s side, causing him to tumble away from the sword’s trajectory. And yet, metal met flesh all the same.
Yashiki opened his eyes and saw Mashita gripping his upper right arm in pain, the rest of the limb was gone.
Without second thoughts, Yashiki grabbed the screaming Mashita by the waist and dragged him to the red van. Once they arrived, Mashita tossed himself next to the driver’s seat while Yashiki frantically fired up the vehicle, driving off at record speed.
“Shit, shit…” Mashita sobbed a little. “It fucking hurts.”
“Hang on Mashita, please.” The last Kujou shrugged off his jacket and tossed it to his partner. “Try and stem the bleeding as best you can. K Hospital is close, hold on until then!”
The ride to the emergency room was filled with his closest friend’s muffled cries, trying unsuccessfully to downplay the sheer agony of his situation whilst swimming in and out of consciousness. It was the worst experience in Yashiki’s life.
The trio stumbled into the hospital’s waiting room to find Yashiki already seated in one of the chairs. His leg was thumping anxiously as he stared at the corridor Mashita had been taken to.
“Mister Yashiki!” Ai called out. Yashiki faced the girl and sighed in relief. “Oh good, you’re all okay,” he said.
“We didn’t encounter anything dangerous on our end,” Shou assured. “But never mind us, Eita explained everything on the way here. How’s Mister Mashita?”
“The doctors said they can still save him.” Yashiki’s voice trembled. “They’re doing an emergency operation right now.”
Minato sat down next to the shaking man. “How did he get hurt?” the boy asked. “Mister Eita didn’t tell us about that part.”
Yashiki sucked in a deep breath. “We got chased by the Shadow, and it was about to kill me. And then… Mashita he… pushed me away, got into the line of fire instead.”
Minato said nothing at Yashiki’s guilt-filled reply. He simply stood up, borrowed some money from Ai, bought a can of sweet coffee, and handed it to his temporary guardian. The man accepted the beverage wordlessly.
They were sitting in tense silence when they started hearing shouts coming from further within the building.
“Huh? What gives?” Shou wondered. “Should doctors be acting like that?”
As he said so, a haggard nurse dashed in their direction.
“Are you Mister Mashita’s companion?” she asked urgently.
“We are, what’s the matter?” Yashiki promptly replied.
The nurse was visibly trying to keep on a professional mask. “There’s been a situation with the operation,” said the nurse in an uneven tone. “We’ve managed to sew the skin shut after working on the stump, but….”
“But what? Spit it out, lady!” Shou yelled.
“The wound, it opened again,” she stammered. “It wasn’t due to any careless procedure, but it was like something ripped open the injury again. It shouldn’t be possible, but the surgeons have been trying to fix it to no success.”
“No… no this can’t be real,” Ai whispered to herself.
“I’m sorry,” the nurse said in defeat. “But with this circumstance, the chances of Mister Mashita surviving are extremely low….“
“Death comes to us all eventually,” a woman’s voice sang in Minato’s head.
“There’s no way for a person to prevent that. It is simply the fate of all living beings,” the voice continued to chirp.
“But, you’re not a regular mortal now are you, my beloved guest?”
An image of a smiling woman with yellow eyes flashed before him.
“Your new bond is still in the realm of the living, death has not claimed its due,” she said serenely. “His fate has not been set in stone.”
The woman’s playful demeanor grew serious. “You who hold the power of the Universe, what will your next move be?”
Minato didn’t give the lady a chance to finish her sentence. The boy dashed off in the direction of the commotion.
The rest of his companions called after him, but Minato didn’t heed them. He continued to follow the ever-persistent tug in his heart towards where Mashita was residing.
Minato slammed open the operation room, surprising the people who were working there.
“Unauthorized personnel aren’t permitted here!” someone shouted from beside Minato.
He ignored the warnings from around him. Mashita was lying on the bed, face pale and ghastly. His right arm was a mess of torn skin and flesh, the blood pouring from it dying the bed a stark red.
The Curse of Death had been bestowed upon Mashita, no human instrument could salvage this. By all accounts, he was as good as dead.
Minato was never one to follow the whims of some higher existence. He would save those that he care about, destiny be damned.
This isn’t the first time he performed a miracle, neither would this be the last.
The boy who once defied The Fall pulled out the evoker silver gun and pressed it right against his forehead.
A figure flickered behind him for a split second, the apparition too fast for anyone to identify. The only thing any of the spectators could remember was the kind yet stoic face it had that was mirrored on the boy before them.
Minato Arisato closed his eyes peacefully.
“Salvation”