Poor magical girls, work for me!

The aftershocks of the bubble economy are still gnawing at the city, and everyone carries an unseen burden on their shoulders.

Every month, several similar reports appear in the news—overburdened commuters jump from crowded platforms, ending their lives under oncoming trams.

Such tragedies have become so commonplace that they have numbed people.

Shoved and jostled by the crowds towards the station in the early morning, people laid off, cut pay, and abandoned by the times simply walk towards the platform out of inertia. Only when they come to their senses do they realize with horror that they have already lost their jobs and their direction. The frustration accumulates day after day, eventually turning into a desperate leap.

Most of the tragic train derailments occur at train stations during rush hour.

Many more who couldn't bear it any longer chose to jump off the bridge.

The most famous of these, and the one most frequently mentioned in urban legends, is Andoji Bridge in Osaka.

The bus drove smoothly, and Nanatsuji Kirine sat next to Miyagi Ryosuke, excitedly talking about the monster rumors related to the bridge.

Ryosuke Miyagi, having been temporarily switched to a bus due to a train accident, gazed out the window at the receding street scene.

Pale sunlight filtered through the gaps between buildings, and power lines stretched across the scene like black lines severing its outline. Everything receded at a steady pace, so quiet it seemed almost unreal.

Nanatsuji Kirion's sweet voice gently rang in my ears.

"Because Rakugo (traditional performing arts) and some artistic works portray Andoji Bridge as too tragic, it has become the place where the resentment of those who commit suicide is most concentrated. I heard that recently, a high-level demon general was born by the bridge - wearing armor and wielding a mad sword, only wandering around at night. Because it does not actively harm people, no one has taken the initiative to purify it so far."

She paused, lowering her voice slightly.

"But the truth is, that demon general is too strong, so strong that even the Onmyoji of Tsushima Shrine are not confident of victory. Moreover... I can vaguely sense that the eerie atmosphere throughout Tokyo has been getting stronger recently. Many small shrines have quietly closed their doors, and even the gods they worship have begun to show signs of instability or even demonization."

Onmyoji.

Ryosuke Miyagi recalled this name in his mind.

This seems to be the mainstream exorcism profession in Tokyo.

Nanatsuji Kirion glanced at the empty carriage and continued.

"Our Nanatsuji Shrine enshrines Inari, the fox spirit. The fox spirit told me that many weak gods are dissipating, or even falling into demonic ways. That's why she told me to go out more and find a way to break the curse on me. With my talent, given enough time, I will definitely become a high-ranking priestess—and at that time, Inari, the one I worship, will also receive great rewards in return."

She wanted to continue speaking, but Miyagi Ryosuke suddenly paused slightly.

An indescribable sense of unease suddenly pierced my consciousness.

Why are buses completely empty during the morning rush hour?

Why did it take him so long to realize this?

He subconsciously raised his hand to touch the back of his neck; there was no stinging pain, no warning.

The spiritual alertness remained unresponsive.

This means that the malfunctioning bus does not pose a direct threat to him.

"We should get off the bus."

As soon as he said it, Ryosuke Miyagi was stunned for a moment.

"Get off? But we haven't reached our stop yet, have we?" Nanatsuji Kirion tilted her head in confusion.

Yes, why would he get off the train before reaching his stop?

Confused, he silently sat back down in his seat.

……

The moment you open your mouth, you're overwhelmed by an instinctive sense of comfort. This bus isolates you from noise, bumps, and all disturbances—it's the perfect space for solitude, even arguably the perfect crime scene. Anyone who's watched over 500 episodes of Detective Conan will instantly realize! There's never a perfect crime scene! Unless!!

[Reward: Spirit Encyclopedia (A spirit is a collection of special wills. They are not inherently aggressive, but uncontracted spirits are easily corrupted by resentment. Encountering a wild spirit is incredibly lucky!)]

The voice in his mind brought Ryosuke Miyagi back to his senses.

Ling Encyclopedia appears automatically.

Bus route: Ling-Dancho Line, Mamoru (unnamed)

Location: Tokyo Kyuko Bus "Sendagaya Station - Asakusa Kaminarimon" line (actually crosses Shibuya Sendagaya to Shitamachi, Taito Ward).

Origin: Shigeru Taniguchi, a driver from the late Showa era, ran this route between Yamate and Shitamachi for thirty years. He was familiar with the trendy people of Sendagaya, the elderly in Shitamachi, the students who always came home late, and the old ladies who went grocery shopping. On the eve of his retirement, after delivering the last bus, he passed away peacefully in the driver's seat, and his spirit remained on this route.

Abilities: A harmless and gentle spirit that doesn't disturb others. Sendagaya side: Helps commuters catch the early train and facilitates smooth transfers for those crowding the subway; Shitamachi side: Assists elderly people with mobility issues getting on and off the train, prevents shopping cart baskets from slipping off, and automatically parks the train under the eaves in the rain. This line has the lowest complaint rate in all of Tokyo.

(Note: Other drivers on this route have such an easy time every day that they hardly have any passengers, which is really strange.)

…………

灵！

Ryosuke Miyagi extended his right hand, and the jet-black liquid coiled around it as if it were alive, slowly solidifying into the "Witcher's Hunting Manual." At the same time, his left hand reached forward and gently grasped Kirion Nanatsuji's hand.

Her hand was slightly cool, and her fingertips trembled slightly when it was grabbed.

Nanatsuji Kirion looked up and met Miyagi Ryosuke's slightly furrowed brows.

He put his finger to his lips and gently gestured for her to be quiet.

Be quiet.

The shrine maiden's intuition awakened sharply at the same moment. Nanatsuji Kirion turned her head abruptly, looking at the empty carriage.

The empty bus was filled with a sticky, eerie atmosphere.

The bus was moving, but there wasn't a sound of the engine humming, nor could you feel the bumps in the road. Only the scenery outside the window flowed mechanically backward, silent and smooth, the whole bus more like it was "gliding".

The two exchanged a glance.

The bus continued its silent, steady journey, a pace that was almost unsettling.

Nanatsuji Kirine quickly took out a notepad and pen from her crossbody bag, wrote a line of text, and handed it to Miyagi Ryosuke.

"It's just a special warm spirit, it has no ill intentions. I can use a spell to help us escape its influence."

Ryosuke Miyagi took the pen and paper, glanced up at the blurry figure of the driver in the driver's seat, and quickly wrote:

"If we contract it, can it be used as a permanent means of transportation?"

Nanatsuji Kirion saw the handwriting, looked up at him in surprise, shook her head slightly, took the pen and continued writing.

"It's difficult. The origin of this kind of spirit is special. To form a contract with it, you must call its true name. This kind of gentle spirit has no resentment or entanglement. You can only find the driver who died on this route by going through old files at the police station. Only by knowing the true name can a contract be possible."

"But it's very difficult. It didn't die with resentment; it was just obsessed with continuing to drive, leaving almost no strong clues to trace."

Real name.

When Miyagi Ryosuke saw the words "true name," he thought of the detailed biography of this spirit in the Spirit Encyclopedia—"Taniguchi Shigeru," which included his true name.

A bus that can run smoothly is a smart device; if it becomes a tool, it can save a lot of money wherever you go.

Thinking of crowded trams, a smooth, odorless bus that you can enjoy alone is indeed a good choice.

Ryosuke Miyagi picked up his pen and wrote on the paper.

"I know."

Nanatsuji Kirion met his gaze with a puzzled look, and her confusion deepened when she saw Miyagi Ryosuke nod at her again. But despite her confusion, she decided to help anyway.

Regardless of how the other party knows the spirit's true name, being able to subdue a spirit is of great help to oneself!

Nanatsuji Kirion extended her index finger, first pointing to the driver in the front row of the bus, then quickly pointing to her own chest.

Before Miyagi Ryosuke could understand what she meant, her slender fingers had already reached into the small canvas bag slung across her body, and with a few quick flicks of her fingertips, a small silver bell was in her palm.

With a gentle flick of her wrist, the silver bell rang with a clear "ding-ding" sound...

A crisp sound broke the silence of the carriage, and with the swaying arc, shimmering silver light rippled from the bell's mouth, causing the entire carriage to vibrate slightly.

The bus's speed gradually slowed down noticeably.

As the bells gradually fell silent, Nanatsuji Kirion slowly put away her silver bells and looked at Miyagi Ryosuke beside her.

"Ryosuke-kun, you can speak now. This spirit is very weak. By gradually controlling it, we can completely eliminate its influence on us. After you have completely controlled it, you only need to call out its true name and strip away its name to complete the contract. Then it can become your vessel."