Tokyo bombing incident Nth time

Tokyo bombing incident Nth time

Author: Pear Tree and Salty Fish

Project Description:

[Magic + Fantasy City + Lazy Person Setting]

Tokyo, this once auspicious place, is becoming more chaotic every day than the day before.

But no one doubted that this place would be completely destroyed.

After all, this bustling metropolis is a whirlpool that no one can fully understand.

Some claim that the end times have come.

However, there's no need to panic; panicking won't help.

How could something like the end of the world really happen?

Besides, nobody cares if Tokyo gets bombed.

[The author is a novice and highly unreliable. If you find any obvious signs of imitation of other people's work, please point them out. Although the author subjectively believes that they have not plagiarized, they may have unintentionally copied something due to a lack of talent and mistakenly thought it was their own.]

[The world setting is clearly heavily referenced, I'll admit that for now; the plot, however, is my own creation.]

初醒

Chapter 1 Baker Central Hospital – Where is this?

Yuri crouched on the shrine, recalling what had happened recently—the spirit didn't want to do anything else until it could heal the multiple traumas it had suffered during that time.

About a day and a half ago, the spirit awoke in an unfamiliar place. Its mind was a complete blank, filled with questions like, "Who am I? Where am I? How did I get here? Where am I going?"

He couldn't remember how he managed to stand up. More important things caught his attention: his field of vision was different from "normal." He seemed to be able to see things he shouldn't be able to see—for example, even without turning around, he could still see the bed with the white sheet on it to his side and behind him.

Following a more familiar approach, the spirit spun around once and saw some simple furnishings in front of it. Judging from a currently empty shelf covered with strange writing—the spirit felt the writing was odd, but it knew it was the name of a medicine—this seemed to be an empty hospital ward, deserted, with two undecorated beds.

A strange feeling came from outside the door, carrying an attraction.

Before the spirit could even consciously do what it was supposed to do, it had already moved closer to the door.

The spirit then reached out and touched the doorknob, and saw its own hand pass through the door.

...The world already felt very strange before the door was even opened.

The spirit told itself that it should figure out its own state before taking any action, but its mind couldn't smoothly comprehend everything before it. Unconsciously, it drifted past the door... Hmm, since it doesn't need to open the door, that's even more convenient... probably.

While trying to convince myself, I was also engaging in futile thinking. My spirit moved along the corridor toward the direction of the attraction, as if separated from reality by a thin membrane, unable to clearly understand my situation. However, firstly, it seemed that I wasn't moving very fast, but rather floating forward—after trying to "speed up," the speed of movement, or rather, the speed at which the scenery on both sides receded, did not change.

It seems there's a corner ahead—a corner? —Why not just go straight?

The spirit was bounced back from the wall, proving that not everything can pass through, but the specific method of judgment still needs further research.

Helpless, I continued down the corridor, past two strange-looking nurses who were whispering to each other. Their language sounded odd, but I could understand what they were saying; they seemed to be talking about the strange phenomenon of a patient's rapidly fluctuating condition.

They exuded a subtle allure, seemingly distant and unreal, as if they had stepped out of a faded photograph, unaware of their own abnormality, and without—and unable to—notic the presence of spirits.

"You..." the spirit tried to speak, but the other party did not respond to its voice. It could only pass through the other party's body when it reached out. This world is really strange.

As it continued forward, the spirit felt itself getting closer. The attraction was coming from a hospital room, and at the door of the room, there was an elderly woman with a faint white light, a semi-transparent body, and a stern face, sitting cross-legged in mid-air.

The spirit stared directly at the other person, who also clearly saw the spirit and spoke in the same strange tone as the nurse, but the meaning was clear—get lost.

Respecting the elderly and caring for the young, and not courting death are both traditional virtues. Who said that again? The spirit decided to avoid conflict. After all, unlike the two nurses who looked like they'd been taken from faded photographs, this woman not only saw herself, but was also radiating white light and was very alive. —Perhaps it's best to observe other places first. Furthermore, upon actually approaching the source of attraction, the sensations changed somewhat. To use an inappropriate analogy, the spirit felt as if it had arrived at a restaurant and discovered it wasn't hungry, or that the food wasn't what it wanted.

After waiting a while at a distance, I saw several middle-aged men and women, their clothes yellowed with age, walk past the woman, quietly entering and exiting the ward. I couldn't quite make out what they were saying, but I could make out the words "father" and "illness," so they were probably the patient's family. The spirit became suspicious. If these people were living normal lives, then what was its own state—being able to pass through other people? Was it a dream?

The spirit continued to drift aimlessly within the hospital. If one were to perceive it carefully, the attraction could be felt emanating from many places, such as below and deeper. However, it seemed that even without a guardian, these attractions were essentially the same; once one got close enough, they would become utterly uninteresting.

Why not go back and talk to that lady? As long as I show no hostility and don't get too close, it should be fine, right? The spirit tried to convince itself and floated back to its previous position.

Approaching, approaching, the spirit saw the woman rise from her cross-legged position, her hair flying wildly; it was clearly time to stop. The spirit raised its hands, attempting to convey its harmlessness verbally; the woman seemed to understand, but refused to believe it.

"You evil spirits, don't try to deceive me!" The spirit clearly heard the other's words, but it couldn't even fully understand what the other was saying, let alone prove its innocence. Ghosts... ghosts might be describing its current state, but the spirit had no idea how to distinguish between evil and good ghosts. So the spirit decided to stand at this relatively safe distance, try to get information out of the other, and then quickly turn away when the other lunged at it.

First, the spirit asked the other party, "Why do you say I'm an evil spirit?" expecting a well-reasoned explanation... Unfortunately, it clearly failed. The other party's answer was very straightforward: they could tell at a glance that the spirit was an evil spirit! The next question was, "What do evil spirits do?"... which was essentially a different way of asking the same question—draining life force? Asking about how life force is drained seemed inappropriate at this point, so the spirit wisely avoided that and instead inquired about the other party's confidence in dealing with evil spirits. Although no specific details were given, the other party claimed to have driven away three... It seems there are quite a few "evil spirits" here.

Although they might ask a few more questions, since they've already said things like, "If you don't leave now, you'll end up like your three brethren!" it's probably safer to back off.

A demon, a demon… Is it because my appearance is so distorted that it gives this impression at first glance? The spirit drifted into a room with a mirror and a pool, examining its appearance in the mirror. It failed without any setbacks; the mirror couldn't see its own presence. The reflected light passed through where the spirit should have been, revealing something behind it.

At this point, it would be too much to deceive yourself into thinking there's a problem with the environment; the only thing that seems to be wrong is the spirit itself.

After wandering aimlessly for a while, the light streaming in from the window dimmed, and the lights in the corridor began to glow. At this point, the spirit decided to descend the stairs, not because of any attraction, but simply because it was utterly bored. It had been everywhere except the room guarded by a certain lady, which it couldn't approach without taking action. Some patients didn't have their own guardians, but the spirit found itself not wanting to do anything to them, and even if it did, it didn't know how.

Going down the stairs, down, past the caregiver, down... Hmm? What's that? The spirit stopped.

In the spirit's vision, two other particularly vivid beings appeared... They seemed to be a duo... One looked to be a middle school student... possibly a high school or junior high school student, and the other was a huge... thing, hunched over and wearing a black cloth, still about 1.8 meters tall despite its hunched back. The exact appearance inside could not be seen through the black cloth, but considering that its shape resembled a number 7, it would probably be around 2.5 meters tall if it were standing upright.

Then the little girl spoke up. "Are you also one of the evil spirits entrenched in the hospital? Drifting around disguised as a hospital caregiver, how leisurely!"

Who are the evil spirit's companions? Who are the evil spirit's companions—who is the evil spirit? Also, who is impersonating the caregiver? In short, the spirit shook its head violently, trying to deny what the other party was saying.

"Hmm, you claim you're not a companion of the demons." — Just claiming? You're a rather cute little girl, how come your words are so frightening? "Then do you remember your name?"

The spirit fell silent, for it truly did not remember.

"You don't even remember your name, and you've forgotten your own face, so you must have no attachment to this world, right?" — That seems even more creepy, and this point hasn't been mentioned before. How do you know I've forgotten my own face?

"No, no, no, I just arrived here, and I'm still very attached to the human world." The spirit slowly retreated, using its still-unskilled perspective from the back of its head to find a target to escape to.

"But a ghost can't stay in the human world for too long, can it? You've even forgotten your own name. After so much time, you must have had enough, right? —Or perhaps you have some last wish that you haven't fulfilled?"

The spirit realized two things: it couldn't recall any last wishes, and the large figure seemed to be making some kind of movement, its body shrouded in black robes becoming even denser.

"I just arrived, can't you understand human language?!" The spirit made a symbolic last-ditch effort to negotiate, or rather, a death throes, while slowly retreating.

"—Have you even forgotten your own long-cherished wish... There's no other way but to help you pass on before you go completely mad, to free you from this world." The girl also noticed the spirit's movements and decisively made her final judgment.

The spirit turned and floated away—regardless of whether it wanted to be sent to the afterlife or leave this world, the face that had just spoken showed absolutely no compassion—there should be an open window in the corridor I glimpsed as I passed by; all I had to do was run there and jump out! —As for the chanting behind me, who knows what that is? It seemed like the other party had even thrown out a small note? Could a small note stop me from escaping? Even if I drew a talisman to immobilize a demon, it wouldn't work!

Although the spirit could only imagine its legs moving rapidly, in reality it could only float to the window at a normal speed. However, the pursuers seemed surprised by the note's failure and didn't dare give chase at full speed. So the spirit successfully jumped out as planned. Now, all it had to do was follow free fall to escape—which floor was it again? The brief fear of falling to its death quickly vanished, replaced by anger at reality. The spirit found its feet pressed against the wall. Damn it, abandoned by the laws of physics when it needed them most! What kind of world is this?

Before struggling to break free from the wall's gravity by leaping sideways, the spirit saw another guy on its left—a furtive fellow hiding under another window.

A creature emitting a grayish-black light, its neck tilted ninety degrees to the right, facing the ground, with wide-open eyes, was right outside the window.

After a moment of silence, the spirit spoke, "Sorry, I have urgent business to attend to, so I won't chat with you any longer. Goodbye." The voice he heard was, "Were you also chased here by that mad dog? Let's join forces to deal with her!"

The spirit stopped its charge toward the ground—so the evil spirit we've been talking about is you?

Although the situation is a bit critical, this evil spirit is so urgent that it may be the best source of information we have found so far... But what if the higher-ups come after us?

The spirit's pause gave the other party an opportunity. "We are both ghosts, so naturally we should help each other. As long as we take down that mad dog together, and since there are fewer competitors in the hospital area now, we can split the competition! You have to believe me, anyway, I don't have the ability to take all of it!"

I'd be a fool to believe you! I can't guarantee you'll keep your promise, and aside from the fact that you're after me, I really have to think about whether you or the other one is better.

"First, why do you think I would stay and take the risk with you? Then, why do you think I have the ability to help you? Why did the one behind attack us? And finally, what do I need half a hospital for?" The spirit actually wanted to ask, "Why don't you run away? What do you think I am? What is the one behind you? What is the attraction in the hospital?" But he decided to beautify his intentions and common sense.

"Are you crazy? My anchor point is here. I don't know yours, but it's definitely not far away. Run? Where can you run to?" The other person looked at him with the same look someone had given him when asking why one plus one equals two—actually, their eyes were just widened even more. But perhaps out of desperation, he continued to answer the remaining questions. "You might be new here and not know, but intelligent ghosts like us are a minority. The weaker ones either only repeat fragments of their past lives or are strictly bound to one place and cannot move freely. You're running around within a certain range, so you're obviously at least on par with me. The one behind you who calls himself a Sin Eater... means he devours the sins of ghosts and helps us pass on, even if you have no sins or don't want to be helped. As for the hospital, damn it, aren't you hungry? Don't you need to draw power from the dying, or from the attention and memories of people in the hospital itself, a place associated with death?"

"Hmm..." The spirit was trying to process the information it had just received, but was quickly interrupted. "You have too many questions. Half a minute has passed since you jumped out. That mad dog is definitely going to pounce on you." As it spoke, the spirit felt a surge of energy flowing from the other party and rushing towards it. The spirit, not feeling threatened, was caught off guard and did not dodge (although even if it had consciously tried to dodge, it might not have been able to), but it did not sense any change.

Whether it was lucky or unlucky, the other half of the conversation was fine. A moment later, the black-robed figure emerged from the same window, wielding a long-handled weapon that swept across the nearest spirit. The spirit couldn't dodge it, and although there was no flying blood or obvious pain, being struck by the weapon made it feel weak.

The evil spirit grew even more anxious. "Quick, you hold him off, I'll cover you!"—Who wants to fight alongside a suspicious stranger in a place like this? While there are other ghosts who can hold him off, let's run for our lives! Besides, you didn't explain anything beforehand and suddenly started using energy. Even if you say you have good intentions, we have to believe you.

The spirit resumed its descent, leaving the evil spirit with the words, "Considering you've wasted so much time, go up two more levels. There's a glowing lady there who might have the power to help you, though I don't know if she'll be willing—"

Leaving the roar behind, the spirit followed the few pedestrians out of the hospital—looking back, the hospital was quite large, at least five stories high… Baker Central Hospital? Never heard of such a place.

Author's message

——————————————————————————————————

"The Clockwork Bride" and "Infinite Loss"

Let me recommend some other people's books.

Also, many people say that the beginning of this book is messy, but it gets a little better later on... I also tried to revise the beginning, but I failed.

Perhaps it would be better to start reading from a little later on? I don't know, I hope you, dear reader, will support me (bows).

Chapter Two: An Unintentional Trap

In the shadows of the alley, the spirit, feeling a persistent sense of weakness, tried to escape this unpleasant situation. Then, it sensed something stirring within its body, filling the previous void—and then the weakness transformed into hunger. Was this some kind of robbing Peter to pay Paul? With this in mind, the spirit spent another half hour trying to shake off the hunger through imagination, concluding that the transformation was likely unidirectional; nothing suddenly moved to fill the hunger.

There weren't many people on the streets at night; most were walking briskly, keeping a safe distance from others.

very hungry.

The spirit moved through the street, sensing that about half of the alleyways on either side were being vaguely watched, but upon closer inspection, it couldn't discern anything concrete. It shouldn't be an illusion, but the spirit's senses couldn't perceive anything further until it got closer.

So hungry.

To be fair, most of the people the spirits have seen so far are quite beautiful, and the few who look grotesque are... quite unique.

Hungry……

The plan to distract itself by the surrounding scenery failed; before the spirit even realized it, it was already following a little girl who looked delicious—a delicious little girl? The spirit realized what it was thinking and nervously took a step back.

I can't get any closer. Although I don't know what's going on, the thought of what I just did terrifies even the spirit itself. I don't know what I'll do, but if I do something irreversible, even if I'm not a ghost, I'll still be considered evil.

Hesitantly, the little girl began to cross the road, and then a car turned at the corner without slowing down.

This is bad. Although he didn't know what he could do, the spirit rushed towards the little girl with all his might, but it was too late. By the time he reached her, the little girl had already fallen to the ground in an unseemly arc. The driver slammed on the brakes, seemingly about to get out and check on her, but the spirit felt there was nothing he could do to undo the damage… The child's neck was twisted in a strange direction after the fall; what's done is done, and there's no way to change it.

The premonition failed again. From the alleyway beside the road, a tall, thin, dark figure rushed out and lunged at the little girl. The spirit tried to block it and successfully deflected its path, but ultimately could not stop the figure from circling around and rushing into the body.

Then the spirit stared wide-eyed as it saw the body's neck straighten and it begin to breathe again. Its eyes opened again, seemingly confused by the current situation, and it looked at itself.

Don't look at me, I'm confused too.

Then the shadowy figure reappeared behind the other party.

“I beat you to it—I didn’t let you, this evil spirit, succeed,” the shadowy figure said.

"Damn it, why does everyone say I'm an evil spirit?" The spirit took a step back to show it meant no harm. "How did you come to that conclusion?"

I saw you drooling earlier!

It's well-reasoned and irrefutable; even the spirit itself admits to being an evil spirit when this is mentioned.

The driver, also shocked that the person who had been thrown into the air suddenly stood up, passed through the spirit's body and rushed to the side, offering words of comfort and offering to take them to the hospital for a check-up. As they left, the now much clearer shadow—a tall, thin woman—remained fixedly staring in the direction of the spirit.

It was truly a case of having no way to seek justice, an undeserved disaster, but thankfully no one lost their life in the end.

While comforting himself and trying to suppress the intense hunger, the spirit continued to explore along the street. As the saying goes, if you walk the dark road too much, you will eventually see a ghost. Right now, the spirit was in a state of seeing a ghost.

A male office worker-looking man hurriedly fled from the alleyway—carrying a half-empty bottle—his zipper was undone, and his pants were wet. Clearly, this man had no sense of public decency. And behind him, disheveled and menacing… oh, also male… a spirit, probably thought the same thing.

But the bloodstains on the office worker's neck are too much. Do you really want to kill him?

The spirits and office workers passed each other, blocking the path of the vengeful ghost.

"Calm down, calm down. I don't think it's necessary to kill—" The spirit tilted its head to dodge a psychic ball that was heading straight for its face. "It's not human, let alone—" Then it raised its hand to block a punch from a vengeful ghost. "I still need to talk to you with this."

The fist is so light, much lighter than the previous long-handled blade.

The spirit and the other started fighting. In the end, it was just a brawl. Common sense tells us that no one (or ghost) would die. Judging from the movements, this side was more agile, stronger, and more durable than the other side... Wasn't this a complete victory? You, a weak ghost, dare to come out as a vengeful spirit when I, who am still confused about the current situation, are beating you down?

"Please stop! Don't hit me! Spare me! This is the first time I've done something like this! Let me go!"

The spirit rose with a sense of regret at how easily its opponent had been defeated. This was a victory worth celebrating in its first fight (even though the opponent was weak), and there was no deep-seated hatred involved; winning was enough (especially since the opponent was weak).

“Then I have a question,” the spirit thought of something, “How do you manage to have direct contact with ordinary people?”

"I don't know! But as long as I'm near this alley, I can materialize anything I want—brother, can't you do that?"...Completely useless! How dare a confused wretch like you come out as a vengeful ghost?

"Then, for the second question, since you call me 'Big Brother,' can you describe what I look like to me?"