Tokyo bombing incident Nth time

"Um, you're wearing a wrinkled suit, just like that guy who just ran away. You're also wearing black-rimmed glasses, just like that guy who just ran away. You have a square face, and your beard is neatly trimmed, just like—upon closer inspection, you look almost exactly like that guy from before. Could that be your brother?"

Who's his brother? I don't even know him!

"Hey bro, your face seems blurry again."

"Shut up! I know you're a fool. Behave yourself from now on and don't do anything murderous!"

Although it was reasonable to assume that the other party was determined to admit defeat no matter what, there was nothing more to do. The spirit left with resentment, having thought it would gain a great understanding but ultimately reaping very little.

After walking for a while, the spirit stopped (floating).

Wait a minute, I don't feel hungry anymore? Can fighting relieve hunger?

It must have been starving; I've never heard of fighting having this function.

The next crucial point was how they ended up in their current predicament, the spirit recalled carefully.

After wandering aimlessly through the streets for a while (and encountering various vengeful spirits multiple times), the spirit forced a particularly weak vengeful spirit to reveal the area in the vicinity where there were fewer ghosts.

It turns out that the ghost that was defeated in the fight was indeed a particularly weak type; most of the ghosts that emerge as vengeful spirits are about the same strength as the spirits themselves. The vengeful spirits have already divided up their territories into large and small circular areas. —Of course, this is also the main reason why the spirits were beaten up the whole way (that is, they fled in disarray the whole way); both they and the spirits felt that the spirits had come to take over their territory.

If I can't beat them, can't I at least run away? I'm not a bound spirit; as long as I run, they can't catch me!

Weak, hungry, and in pain, the spirit wandered into an old residential area and felt a powerful pull near a dilapidated apartment building with peeling exterior and shabby interior.

I floated up the stairwell and then passed through a door into a small room where the attraction was located. There was a lot of junk here, with white paper with unidentified drawings on the floor. There was a stone lantern with a lit candle, and the attraction came from this stone lantern.

If there were a statue of a deity next to it, it would be a shrine, but there isn't one. So borrowing it shouldn't be considered blasphemy—and there's nothing else particularly special nearby.

Avoiding the small knife placed on the stone lantern, the spirit reached out and touched the stone lantern.

A considerable amount of energy emanated from the stone lantern, replenishing my energy in the order that my hunger disappeared, my weakness disappeared, and then my hunger disappeared again, leaving me feeling almost stuffed.

Okay, that's enough for now. Looking at the extinguished candle, the spirit, whose thinking ability had somewhat returned, felt a pang of guilt. It hadn't thought much about it before, but now that it did, it seemed like theft. However, it couldn't bear to return it (and didn't know how)... Anyway, it would slip away first and then see if it could make amends. The spirit conjured up thoughts of a thief who would be punished by heaven, intending to flee the scene.

Divine retribution came swiftly—my hand was stuck.

The spirit struggled with all its might, but aside from discovering that this stickiness could be slidable, it could only make progress if a point of contact with the stone lantern was always present.

Why don't we just try to steal the stone lantern too! First, we need to make ourselves visible, make ourselves visible...

Footsteps were heard as the spirit tried to move the stone lantern.

The stone lantern, which had been lifted with great difficulty, slipped down his leg and fell to the ground.

You can't see me, you can't see me—the last hope was shattered by the black-haired woman's cry of "Thief!"

Don't reveal yourself at such a crucial moment! Who's the idiot to reveal themselves?! Yes, get out of the visible state immediately! Although it's a bit too much to hide in front of someone, at least it'll look like you're not there! -- That was quite successful; my hand can pass right through the wall in an instant.

"Even if you run into the twilight, it won't help! I can see you!" — Hey, let alone stop, the spirit can't even run away now — there's a stone lantern stuck to its foot that's inexplicably heavy.

Now that things have come to this, I have no choice but to admit defeat – I'm the thief, so what are you going to do about it? The spirit raised its hands to indicate that it meant no harm. "Don't be nervous, calm down, calm down, let's talk this out! Is there anything else I can help with?"

"Hey, you can negotiate?" That's a good idea!

"Of course, I can definitely negotiate. I'm the easiest person to talk to... and I'm very conscientious; I'm not warlike at all!"

"Let me see the damage you've caused..." The black-haired woman walked past, picking up the small knife that had fallen to the ground and examining it closely. "This is no good anymore; most of it has been consumed. You must be very capable to eat so much."

"That's not necessarily true—but I'll do my best, to the best of my ability!" He who takes a bribe is bound to be obligated to pay his share; he was in the wrong and had nothing to say.

"So, I plan to exorcise ghosts at school tomorrow, but I'm out of weapons. You can use them instead, and then you won't owe me anything. Is that acceptable?"

"If it's not suicide, then absolutely!"

"Don't worry about that. I'll go too. You have to believe me that even if I don't care about your life, I won't give up my own."

"That's no problem."

"What's your name? If you don't feel comfortable giving your real name, at least give me a way of addressing you?"

"........."

"You don't remember your own name, do you? ...How dare you, so confused, become a thief?"

“I…you’re right, but I’ve only been here for half a day and night.”

"...You've only been awake for half a day and you can already eat so much?"

"..." You're really bringing up a sore spot!

"Then let's call him Yuri, it's a perfectly legitimate name." "Yuri?" "I mean Ghost!"

“Okay, okay, then I’ll be called Yuri—what’s your name?” Yuri carefully scanned the other person.

"Akemi, Akemi Kakizaki." A tall, suspiciously dressed, grimy-faced, black-haired woman responded cheerfully.

"Then why are you wearing a trench coat, sunglasses, and a hat, looking particularly suspicious? What's going on?"

“Of course it’s because I was carrying a lot of suspicious items,” Akemi Kakizaki said, slightly opening her trench coat so Yuri could see some metallic glints. “While it’s certainly legal, carrying so much stuff would actually make you look like a weirdo.”

"Your attire is strange enough." Rather, it's strange that the police didn't come up and question you.

“Dressed like this and wearing a mask, no one will remember who I am. As for some restricted areas, we can just go around them.” Akemi Kakizaki said bluntly in a tone that stated the truth of the universe. “In addition, when people see me like this, they will usually look for male suspects, making it even less likely that they will find me.”

"Did you plan this all along?" "I don't want to be condemned like that by some nameless ghost who broke into my home."

Fine, fine, you're in charge now, you're right.

Yuri made way for Akemi, who was walking towards the worn-out sofa. Although theoretically she shouldn't have needed to move aside, it still felt a little strange. Akemi nodded, sat down on the sofa, and pulled out a book from a pile of clutter, starting to write on it.

"You said you were going to the school to exorcise ghosts. Are you a school teacher? Are all school teachers this capable these days?" Although the distance wasn't very far, the angle was poor, and Yuri could only see that the book seemed to have various mathematical formulas written on it.

"No, I am a student."

“…………” Yuri once again carefully scanned the other person from head to toe, repeatedly.

"That's very rude, I can see it."

"Are you really a student? Are students this tall these days?"

"There's not much difference in height between high school girls and adult women, right? And isn't it better to be taller?"

"But you're already over 1.7 meters tall, aren't you?"

"So what if you're 1.7 meters tall? Aren't you... wait a minute?"

Mingmei looked up from her book, staring intently at Yuri. She then pulled two strings of prayer beads from her coat, wrapped them around her wrists, and stood up to walk over. Yuri sensed a murderous aura and tried to back away—failed. It's you again, you stone lantern in my way!

"Why did you transform into my appearance? What are you planning? When you first came in, you seemed like an ordinary male office worker. What do you want to do by transforming into my appearance?"

"Take your hands off my face!" Yuri tried to pry the other person's hands off his face, but he couldn't budge them. "I don't know, but several people think I've become like them! I didn't intentionally change!"

"Am I mistaken? You're not a ghost, but a shapeshifting spirit?"

"What's the difference between a ghost and a spirit? I told you to let go of my hand, and even if you squeeze it again, it won't change!—right?"

"Urban legends say that someone like you is a mirror monster—" "I'm not a mirror monster, I just haven't found a mirror to look into yet!"

After struggling, Akemi Kakizaki stopped. "Fine, it's not a big deal anyway, just promise me you won't go out and swindle people with my face."

"Who would—" "A burglar might." The tone was firm and resolute.

It seems like this hurdle can't be overcome anytime soon.

And who can help me take the stone lantern shrine down? It's still stuck to my foot!

Chapter Three: Heading to School

Yuri, struggling to shake off the stone lantern, made some progress—although his strength hadn't increased, the lantern's pull on him was weakening. He expected to be able to separate himself from it in about half a day.

Before that, Yuri had to squat on the stone lantern of the shrine.

Thankfully, there were no additional charges for falling to the ground or being stomped on. The other person seemed like a rather easygoing... carefree, good-natured person.

The other person had gone to class, and it was said that the ghost wouldn't appear in crowded places during the day. With nothing to do, Yuri stared into the room, looking for something interesting.

The room itself wasn't large; even from the shrine's location, only some corners were out of sight. Within this cramped space, a long, narrow entrance hallway had been deliberately created. The light bulbs above the hallway were covered in a layer of dust, indicating severe aging, and it was unclear whether they would even turn on. On the floor leading into the hallway were strips of paper with writing on them, resembling talismans, but since they were being used as stepping stones, they were probably just for show. Inside the room, some pieces of furniture appeared fine at first glance but were actually severely aged: a broken television with a constantly flickering screen, a radio with a broken antenna that required a piece to be attached, a sofa that had lost its elasticity and barely bounced back when sat on, a coffee table with numerous scratches and dents… In short, everything looked like cheap goods bought from a flea market. The bathroom was next to the hallway, and the bedroom was next to the bathroom—a very ordinary small house in terms of layout, just incredibly old.

Akemi Kakizaki made some improvements to the messy environment. For example, the sofa that used to seat three people can now only seat one person in the middle, with neatly folded clothes on one side and boxes full of odds and ends on the other. The coffee table has some books and newspapers on it; the area that used to be a junk pile is now essentially a collection of the most convenient items. The television isn't working properly, so it's not watched; the radio is placed next to the television… The newest-looking thing in the room is the living room ceiling light, which seems to be working fine. Further in, there's a small bedroom and a bathroom (not visible with the door closed), and then there's no other space.

While it can't be said that he didn't put in any effort at all, the sense of poverty was very strong, probably because he was renting a place.

………………

………………

………………

How boring! After becoming visible, Yuri reached out to try and reach the book on the coffee table, but it was too far away.

As a ghost, there should be a way to move objects without touching them, right? But what exactly is that way?

Staring intently at the books, trying to move them with my eyes—move, move, move…

It had absolutely no effect; there was no change whatsoever.

I've never learned this before, and I don't know how to learn it. ...Oh no, I really don't know how to do this.

So, how about stretching your hand even further? As a ghost, it's normal to be able to stretch, right? Lengthen your hand, lengthen your hand, lengthen your hand—

That's so stupid, you can't even touch it.

The fool sighed, feeling a pang of hunger, and ate a little more from the remaining bottom of the stone lantern.

Wait a minute? If hunger comes from exertion, then what did you do to expend energy before? You ran several blocks and didn't feel any hungrier, but then you felt hungry just by stretching your arms out? Could this actually be a usable action, just not very successful?

Yuri reached out again, looked at his arm, and focused his mind... imagining the material that made up his arm beginning to flow, becoming longer and thinner...

The slender tendrils crossed the previous space, rolled up a book, and retracted in three seconds.

Yay?

The tentacle monster (temporarily) looked at the tentacles, hoping they would revert to their hand shape—to no avail. It then hoped the hand would stop transforming into tentacles, and succeeded. Does personal vision also have directionality? Why are two needs that lead to the same result, one feasible and the other not? Where is the innate strategy manual for spirits?

Although I was eager to begin various experiments immediately, hunger posed a threat—if I discovered more functions but ended up starving myself, or if continuing to extract energy from the stone lanterns strengthened the absorption effect, it would be a net loss. Anyway, there was no rush; there would be plenty of time for research after I escaped.

Yuri convinced himself and decided to use the book he had rolled up to pass the time.

The cover reads, "Mathematics A".

Stop kidding me. Who would use textbooks to kill time? It's okay if you're a humanities major, at least you have stories to read. But who can concentrate on math? Won't you get angrier and angrier and eventually explode?

...Let's give it a try anyway.

When Akemi Kakizaki returned home that evening, the house was completely silent.

"How's your preparation going—why are you looking at my textbook?" — "Wait a little longer, I'm almost done with this problem." — "How long have you been working on this problem?" — "Half an hour." — "Then obviously you can't finish it. Let's wait until the ghost comes back." — "You're right."

Yuri tucked the candle he'd taken apart yesterday into the book, set it aside, and got up to wait for Akemi to go to her bedroom to change. While there was nothing wrong with her appearance, Yuri felt that Akemi looked a little out of place in her school uniform, as if she wasn't used to wearing such clothes.

It must be a misperception. People would laugh at me if they told them. What does Yuri know about fashion?

Thankfully, we're now able to get off the stone lantern. Thankfully, my subconscious attempt to extract more energy from it didn't result in additional punishment. Well, it's best not to tell anyone about this near-disaster.

Soon, a suspicious-looking man in a trench coat, sunglasses, mask, and a tall hat emerged from the bedroom and noticed Yuri's gaze.

"What's with that look in your eyes? I can't understand it, but I can sense malice in it."

"No, I just want to know, boss, how much money is in the school's vault?" Sensing malice? Is this some kind of primal instinct? "If it's too much, can the two of us carry it?"

"What did you say—damn it? We're here to exorcise ghosts, not to rob people. Besides, the school doesn't have a vault. At most, there's a safe in the finance office, but there's not much cash in it."

"But dressed like this, how could the school security guards possibly think you're here to exorcise ghosts? I can become invisible to ordinary people by transforming into a spirit, but you..."

“Two weeks ago, the doorman who was dutifully on duty was pushed down the stairs by our target. He fractured his pelvis and is still in the hospital,” Mingmei re-examined the lining of her trench coat. “Now there’s only a younger doorman left. He’s afraid of ghosts, so he just stays in the guardhouse. That’s not so bad. It’s dangerous for someone unfamiliar with the situation to encounter an aggressive ghost. It’s better to leave it to someone like us who has some knowledge…” She glanced at Yuri, “…someone with a little knowledge like us is better.”

The two went downstairs and left. There weren't many people living in this area; most stayed home after dark. The moonlight was unremarkable—just a typical half-moon, sometimes obscured by a cloud. Of course, in this age where modern technology has long been proven, there was no need to worry about not seeing one's feet, just by the streetlights on either side.

"You're a ghost too, didn't you know? He did this to create an atmosphere of terror, to attract more fear and rumors. This is a method some overly fearless ghosts use, actively hyping things up... Humans' memories of the dead, and their impressions of ghosts, all nourish ghosts, allowing them to grow stronger—but this is a long-term process. In the short term, they have more spiritual essence available—that is, the energy of their spirits. To maintain human memories of them, ghosts have come up with various methods, among which fear is very popular, after all, it's particularly easy to create."

Taking the main road would require several detours to reach the school, but Akemi knew the nearby alleys well and took a shortcut. Yuri noticed some rather dim-witted ghosts standing motionless in corners. These ghosts didn't seem threatening. In fact, Yuri tried to talk to one of them, but the ghost would only blankly repeat fragmented phrases or mutter a name over and over again; in short, communication was impossible.

“You mean those things? Well, you should be able to see them, but to me they’re just a lingering chill… After all, you’re from the same race as them, so I can make sure that what I sense is at least something with a clear sense of self. This is Tokyo, a city with tens of millions of people, and every dead person could leave behind a ghost, most of whom are just harmless echoes waiting to dissipate.”

"Aren't you going to care about these echoes?"

“Only self-aware ghosts act to maintain their existence; those without self-awareness are like roadside potted plants… they'll dissipate sooner or later. On the other hand, we can't possibly manage all the self-aware ghosts… I don't know how many others like them exist in this city, but I'm certain the number of ghosts far exceeds the number of humans who can detect their existence, and the number of spirits is probably even greater. Just managing to tidy up the ghosts in the places they frequent is already a great effort.” Akemi's tone was somewhat subdued. “The situation would be different back home, but the vast, sparsely populated countryside is incomparable to urban areas.”

“My hometown is in the countryside—I have no memory of the countryside, but from what you’ve said, it seems that the countryside is safer for ordinary people.”

"If it's just a matter of ghosts, then that's true. But if it's a matter of spirits, then it's the other way around. It's normal that you, as a newly awakened ghost, haven't seen many spirits here—it's not that there aren't any spirits that can blend into the city, but there are obviously more spirits in the natural environment, and they are less friendly to humans."

"...It sounds like this world is really dangerous for humanity."

“In the countryside, you only encounter malevolent spirits that are clearly hostile and intentionally harm humans when you're down on your luck,” Akemi said, turning around. “And not all spirits reveal themselves by harming humans. In fact, there are spirits that have established long-term friendly relationships with humans.”

"What about inside the city?"