Tokyo bombing incident Nth time

"Besides, we're talking about mice after all. You see, aren't all the mice in stories cunning and sly?"

...It's a good thing you didn't say that reason on the spot. If you had, Yuri suspected that Akemi's intelligence would have been questioned by her elders.

“Another problem is that I think they’re very likely to fall back into their old ways.” While Yuri was grumbling to himself, Minmei naturally picked up the thread.

"Old ailment? What old ailment?"

“The wolf father is the greatest, the moon mother is second, and the werewolves are third—they look down on humans. Unless you really give them a taste of their own medicine, they completely despise spirits—and everyone else.” Mingmei said sarcastically. “Humans are weaklings who can be defeated at will, or objects that need protection and can be defeated at will. Spirits are unnecessary partners who can be defeated at will, or hostile targets that can be defeated at will. —It’s not that being confident is bad; if you believe you can’t do something, then you probably really can’t. But the werewolves’ confidence… is somewhat unfounded.”

It seems that Mingmei believes the nodes these spirit hunters—weren'i—are guarding may not actually need their protection. She thinks the werewolves might underestimate the power of the nodes' original guardians, thus choosing the wrong way to allocate power.

In other words, the Train Spirit once beat up the Spirit Hunters... most likely, he beat up the Spirit Hunters "them" to gain their respect and fear.

"I recently heard about the Sun Father and the Moon Mother, but what does the Wolf Father refer to?" is another question.

"In werewolf legends, the ancestors of werewolves were the great wolf fathers who mated with the Moon Mother to give birth to wolf cubs, who then descended to become werewolves—I strongly suspect that this legend skips a step, and I might have missed some part, but that's how they told me it. At least they definitely believe this part from the bottom of their hearts."

"..."

"Why don't you speak?"

"Isn't the Moon Mother the great spirit of the moon?"

"Yes."

I get it. This is definitely just self-aggrandizement, or it's misrepresenting some process of creating humans from clay as procreation—Yuri has never heard of spirits having reproductive abilities. Of course, some spirits do indeed regard other spirits as their children, but that's far from the usual concept of union.

"Whatever you're imagining in your mind, please never tell any werewolf—and don't tell me either, I don't want to know." Mingmei's voice was indifferent.

Yuri had some questions, such as "Mingmei, are you a half-werewolf?" or "Mingmei, how did you hide your ears?"... but his intuition told him that the answers wouldn't be good.

We're not far from the station; perhaps we should go find a reporter first and ask if there are any updates.

Chapter 88 Side Information

As they approached the station area, Yuri sensed a different atmosphere.

It's clear that a group of strange-looking spirits are running around everywhere.

Akemi seemed somewhat surprised by this scene.

According to her, she had seen spirits in the station area before.

When I first arrived in Tokyo, my aunt took me to see it from afar. At that time, most of the spirits stayed obediently inside the station, with only a very few peeking out from the outside.

"Was it your aunt who warned you to be careful of the train spirit? Saying it wasn't very friendly?" Although there shouldn't be anyone watching nearby, Yuri still kept his voice as low as possible.

“Of course, I’d rather believe it’s true. Even though I’m human, what if it’s not true?” Akemi replied softly as well.

Yuri suppressed the urge to use magic to observe his surroundings; after all, what would be the point even if he succeeded?

When will spell observation be free?

Meanwhile, Yuri discovered another group of spirits.

It was actually quite conspicuous, but it didn't match the impression Yuri had previously established, so he overlooked it.

Actually, it's quite clear if you look closely.

Some large rats stood upright.

Some astral, human-sized, upright rats, unarmed but with sharp claws and teeth, showed they were not incapable of fighting... by animal standards.

If judged by the standards of spirits, they can fight even without claws and teeth... They can even fight without limbs, see Fire Spirit.

Their positions on the outside, facing the inside, already reveal their difference.

Moreover, after a focused stare, Yuri could see the swarm of rats lurking around them. They weren't many, but they were still far more numerous than the rats that had stood up.

Remove the "guardian of the soul" label from your mind and replace it with "invader of the rat swarm."

This makes sense: the two spirits are facing off, but they are not taking it seriously and may not actually intend to fight, but they are still in a standoff.

Given that the station area is roughly elliptical, their opposing positions are clearly not enough to completely enclose the entire station.

Is it really just a few demonstrations at a few points? Does that mean neither side wants to start a conflict rashly, so they're just going to do a token show?

In any case, the two sides in the standoff frequently made threatening gestures towards each other, and Yuri felt that if he could provoke one of them, they would start fighting.

"Stop looking, let's move on. At least they didn't collude with us, that's good enough." Mingmei nudged Yuri.

“I don’t think the train spirit meant to lie. It really isn’t friends with the mastermind behind this, the one we call the Rat King.” Yuri felt he had to defend the spirit’s credibility.

“Even if you’re not friends, you can still cooperate. Haven’t you heard of a switch? What if the train spirit thinks this direction is better?” Akemi paused. “In any case, it’s not happening yet. Let’s go in.”

The road from the edge of the station to the station entrance is unobstructed. Anyone who can see the spirits can easily avoid the most dangerous confrontations, while those who cannot see the spirits will naturally not be hindered.

Is it really the atmosphere-setting group?

Yuri floated behind Akemi with doubt in his eyes.

The pedestrians around him were hurrying by, and frankly, to Yuri, it seemed just like always.

He could only sense a tense atmosphere in the crowd, but Yuri couldn't quite put his finger on what it was.

Perhaps this series of events will eventually have some impact.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

"Hey, the spirit I've seen before, strange... Oh? What are you doing here?" At the entrance, the two were stopped by a large canine spirit.

Black and white, looks quite intelligent...

Akemi's sudden stop in the crowd caused a minor commotion, but most of the people around her decided to avoid the strange woman in the trench coat after giving her strange looks.

But standing here and chatting with spirits doesn't seem particularly smart.

Mingmei gestured to move to the side, leaning towards one side of the corridor wall.

Although there were still people around, the number had decreased by at least half after the walls were erected.

The dog spirit seemed to fully understand this, and moved slightly closer to the two of them.

Still outside Yuri's attack range.

It's unlikely that the other party knows Yuri's capabilities; this only suggests that it remains vigilant and doesn't intend to arouse suspicion in the two.

"I wasn't stopped when I came here before, what happened?" Yuri, who had been recognized, took the initiative to speak.

This is also quite convenient, because if Yuri speaks, the other people walking around won't hear him.

"Of course, it's because our leader has encountered a challenger. Our leader has been challenged, and although he will definitely win in the end, the opponent must have some skill to be confident in issuing the challenge. We still need to be careful until our leader wins."

"Has the other side really issued a challenge?" Yuri paused for a moment. "I mean, a direct, intense, and swift challenge for combat."

If the opponent issues such a challenge, then regardless of the outcome, the matter will end quickly. This will have a huge impact on the situation and cannot be ignored.

However, Yuri didn't think this would happen easily. After all, the Train Spirit had said that it didn't intend to confront the other party head-on. Also, it was unlikely that two spirits of such high level would fight without any movement. Even if they were the type that could move nimbly (given the size of the Train, could they move nimbly?), their subordinates were unlikely to continue the standoff and would have probably already shifted their attention.

"No, that's not it. Right now, they've taken control of an area we didn't pay much attention to before through a sneak attack, and at the same time, they're constantly expanding their territory without any intention of holding talks—it's almost like they're saying, 'I'm an incredibly powerful being, I can do whatever I want, and you can't do anything about it,' right?"

It's also possible that he's particularly greedy, so he plans to seize every opportunity to steal chickens.

Yuri thought for a moment and decided not to interrupt the other person's conversation with his own conjecture.

"And our leader will certainly respond and show that newcomer what he's made of. — Until then, we must avoid any trouble that can be avoided, such as any suspicious spirits that might infiltrate and cause damage."

"Like me?"

"To be honest, I don't think you can cause any trouble, but it's our duty." The dog spirit sighed in a very human way. "Why don't you just stand here at the door for a while? —And what exactly are you here for?"

Yuri and Akemi exchanged a glance.

If you say "We are here seeking asylum" in a situation like this, you'll probably be asked to stand at the door.

“We’re here to find a friend. This friend came here earlier and should be waiting for us somewhere in the station,” Akemi said.

"Hmm... what does he look like?" the dog spirit asked curiously.

Akemi gave Yuri a push, and Yuri stepped forward to explain the situation.

"You mean that troublesome guy who goes around taking pictures with a camera?" Dog Spirit actually remembered.

“Yes, yes, that’s right, the one with the camera…” Yuri’s nodding slowed down.

Has Hojo Reie gotten into trouble again?

“She is indeed inside, but I still can’t let you in—she can, but you can’t,” the dog spirit said to Yuri.

"Then what do we do? You go in and look for someone? Ah—" Yuri stopped mid-sentence, stunned. "The cell phone."

Yuri is making a fool of himself.

He attributed his distorted thinking to the dog spirit's manipulation of the situation.

In fact, there's no need to go in at all; just calling the person out would have been just as effective.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

After making the call, the reporter quickly agreed to meet at the door.

Her voice sounded a little tired.

Have you not had a break for a while?

The Yuri duo were sitting on a bench near the station entrance.

To avoid trouble, he deliberately found an empty toilet stall to reveal himself, but it seemed to have startled the person in the next stall... Anyway, he left as soon as possible and blended into the crowd.

Soon, about two minutes after Yuri returned to the bench, the reporter emerged from the station entrance, looked around, and quickly spotted the two suspicious men in trench coats.

Upon closer inspection, it was clear that Hojo Reie walked with a listless gait and looked rather pale. Although she didn't have dark circles under her eyes, she appeared somewhat dazed.

"Are you alright?" Yuri couldn't help but ask about the other person's condition.

"It's nothing, I just didn't get any rest last night, and then this happened when I was about to rest." The reporter shook his head, trying to perk himself up. "Is this your sister? Is she also a superpowered person? Did you order these outfits together?"

Hmm, it seems like there's nothing seriously wrong.

"Why is she the younger sister? Can't she be the older sister?" Mingmei asked curiously.

"...Eh? Are you the older sister? Sorry, sorry, I just thought you looked younger." The reporter immediately returned the apology, which wasn't very sincere. "Are you really the older sister?"

“No, you guessed right, I’m younger.” Mingmei shook her head.

To Yuri's surprise, he couldn't see any sign of lying in her words. When did Akemi develop such a talent?

"I guess what you want to know is if there's any new information," the reporter steered the conversation back on track.

Indeed, the two sides did not discuss any details during the previous call, but simply agreed to meet near the station entrance.

“That’s right,” Akemi nodded in confirmation, “The situation is a bit ambiguous right now, but I feel it’s very dangerous, so in order to prevent anything from going wrong—”

The reporter raised his hand, interrupting Mingmei.

"?" Mingmei stopped speaking, not understanding the reporter's specific meaning.

“It’s already happened.” A weak voice came from the reporter’s throat. “If you want to end this before there is any permanent damage… it’s too late.”

"—" Akemi was stunned. Yuri continued, "You mean...death has already occurred?"

"Yes, it wasn't long after I told you that news. The death toll is still very low, only two people, but the symptoms of the others are also deteriorating," the reporter said, crossing his arms as if the temperature had suddenly dropped sharply. "The two people who have now been confirmed dead already had pre-existing conditions. Their bodies deteriorated rapidly in a short period of time, leading to other illnesses and ultimately death."

Akemi's expression was very complicated. Yuri then glanced at the reporter's expression; she didn't seem heartbroken, but she was clearly not happy.

"Meanwhile, doctors don't know how to treat this new 'disease.' They're helpless, at a loss, basically watching the condition worsen—a doctor I know told me he believes there will be another wave of deaths in the next day or two, and only the most resilient will survive in five days. He doesn't even know what mysterious disease could deteriorate so rapidly and be so elusive." The reporter remained motionless, maintaining the same posture. "I know more than they do. This should be a great opportunity to advance my profession, but I don't think I've stooped that low—could you help me change the headline from 'Mysterious Deaths Unstoppable' to 'Mysterious Plague Disappears Overnight'?"

“We will do our best,” Mingmei responded.

The reporter's reaction suggests that she didn't expect her to do her best, but she also seemed unable to ask for more.

"So, after this sad news, is there anything you want to know?" She seemed to be trying to lighten the mood, but failed.

“I want to know if there’s any information about those believers who might be involved in this matter, or at least know something about it in some way.” Mingmei chose her target.

"...What a coincidence. When you first called me, I told you I was being chased by unseen spirits, do you remember?" The reporter turned to Yuri.

"remember."

"Before that, I saw some people dressed like those religious people near that house. I was hesitating whether to get out of the car and follow them when suddenly a wave of dizziness hit me. For a few minutes, I could barely think. When I regained consciousness, they had disappeared. Before I could decide whether to go looking for them, something I couldn't see rushed towards me. You see, of course, I followed my instincts without hesitation and stepped on the gas and drove off."

Afterwards, the reporter ran to several locations before finally shaking off the feeling of being followed by something unseen—meaning she ran several streets, nearly ten kilometers. Still shaken, she stayed in her car to document her experience, trying to figure out what had happened. She then spent some time contacting acquaintances before finally receiving a call from Yuri.

“Your intuition is right… I suppose you also realized that you were under tremendous threat at the time, and it’s a miracle you even managed to escape.” Yuri took ten seconds to find this angle to comfort him.

"Yes, otherwise I would have been sent to the hospital by now."

No, probably not. You were alone in the car at the time, so it's very likely you were unconscious until the very last moment.