Tokyo bombing incident Nth time

“Some time ago I thought I was a ghost, but it’s clear I’m different from ordinary ghosts. I’m not a spirit, I don’t really look human, but maybe I used to be.” As she spoke, she summarized what she knew. “It seems that everyone’s perception of me is slightly different, and I’m confused myself.”

“At first, I thought you were Mingmei’s spirit friend—many werewolves have spirit friends—it’s not a big deal that Mingmei has one, and besides, she knows how to deal with spirits.” Yuri couldn’t help but speak out, and as a result, he was overheard.

That was true at first, but it probably isn't anymore. Yuri was a little nervous, waiting for what was to come.

“I’ve asked the other werewolves about your abilities, and none of them have ever seen them before… The elders of our tribe died out a few decades ago, so our heritage may have been lost in part. Right now, all we know is that you might be related to strange mortals like the Wish-Walker.”

Murakami Akisa spoke somewhat hesitantly, as if she herself was unsure.

"There might indeed be a connection; I've heard a little about it from other sources."

"I'm not sure if there's anything left in those documents. I'll keep looking through them when I get back, and I'll let you know if I find anything. Just don't get your hopes up too high. Ultimately, the werewolf's collection of books is mainly related to werewolves."

That was enough, Yuri was very grateful.

"Conversely, before you figure out what you really are and how your power works, don't use your abilities to influence Akemi, even if you think the outcome will definitely be good. Do you understand what I mean?"

"How did the topic suddenly veer off here?" Yuri asked, somewhat puzzled. "I understand what you mean, but why? It's like you're treating me like some kind of dangerous object—"

“I do consider you a danger. There isn’t much information about the Vow-Walkers, but the higher-ups say they’re mostly experts at reckless, all-or-nothing actions, and particularly adept at going all-in and self-hypnotizing themselves into believing they’re in a winning situation.” Murakami Akisa’s words sounded like she was gritting her teeth. “Do you really know the consequences of your spell? Can you ensure it produces, and only produces, the effect you expect? Do you fully understand what each of your actions will bring?”

...That was quite a blunt remark, though it was also true.

Seemingly noticing the tense atmosphere, Murakami Akisa began to steer the conversation back on track, "Of course, there are priorities. If there's ever a time when you absolutely have to use magic to help Akemi, then there's absolutely no reason not to—I'm just saying, you have to be careful when dealing with things you don't understand."

What kind of terrible reputation have these volunteers left behind?!

"Oh, by the way, do you have any pressing problems right now? If not, I'll have to send you back. I suspect that Mingmei is about to think I've torn her friend to pieces."

Even I thought I was going to be torn to pieces. Yuri wisely kept those words to himself and brought up the problem he had just encountered, “I was going to ask Akemi, but you dragged me out as soon as I got back—I met someone today who looked very strange.”

Yuri described the situation of the newspaper's editor-in-chief, Ishigami, and then added, "Another friend of mine asked me to investigate, and now it's hard for me to say what I saw."

“A werewolf’s perception is different from yours, so when you describe what you perceive, I can’t easily confirm what it looks like to me—but I think I know what that means.” Murakami Akisa sighed. “If someone looks like an ordinary person, but has an external power hidden inside their body, and it happens to be blood, then of course, ninety-eight out of a hundred are blood servants—servants of vampires.”

"Blood servant?"

“Yes, Blood Servants. Vampires bestow upon them their life essence, allowing them to extend their lifespan and even acquire certain supernatural abilities—while also making them immune to sunlight. Of course, this life essence also controls them internally, making it difficult for them to harbor rebellious thoughts.” After explaining this, Murakami Akisa offered her advice, “—Yuri, I recommend that you stop immediately, and your friends should also stop immediately. The influence of vampires is deeply entrenched, far surpassing that of werewolves. Although they probably wouldn't be a match for werewolves in a direct one-on-one fight, influence is their strongest weapon. They are unlikely to actually fight you one-on-one—and you're not that much stronger, I'm serious.”

How many landmines in this city have not yet been defused?

116 Epilogue: The Actions of Others (in no particular order)

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.

Hojo Reie recently felt that she had found the meaning of life—that might be a bit of an exaggeration, but she was surprised to find that she had actually found a way to realize the ideals she had during her student days.

I was too young back then, and I thought that journalists could really uncover some big things... As it turns out, it wasn't impossible, but the success rate was quite low—and many reports that seemed very important in the past showed signs of manipulation behind the scenes.

To be honest, when she was semi-exiled to write mystery stories, she had the urge to change careers—why not just use her experience as a reporter to open a photo studio or something? Once the location issue was resolved, everything seemed to be settled.

Anyone with a higher education… no, even a primary education, should know that mystery stories are all fake, either coincidences, illusions, or fabrications. If being a journalist is just about writing this kind of stuff, you might as well quit.

Then, before Hojo Reie could officially begin to drift along, she saw a spirit. To be honest, she couldn't see it very clearly, but in the place where the corpse that had been moved had been, there was a pale white figure.

And it moves.

She managed to keep from screaming, and checked with her colleagues, only to be met with a few eye rolls and concerned comments like, "Are you hallucinating from overworking lately?"

She knew it wasn't a hallucination.

After searching online for dozens of methods, she finally found a method on a website called Lianzhonghui that actually worked. It claimed that by using a special method to process the lens, the spirit could be made to appear in the image. Of course, before she could figure out a way to communicate with the spirit (would hand gestures work?), the police solved the case, and after a while, the spirit disappeared on its own.

To her shame, her first thought was that as long as she could get the victim to talk, she could help solve the case and gain both fame and fortune—unfortunately, this method, which was similar to that of a medium, was not easily believed—more than ten or even decades ago, the police used the power of a medium in a case, and not only were the parts that pointed out the murderer wrong, but the incident was also exposed by reporters and eventually became a scandal.

Talking about "the victim told me" now would probably trigger PTSD in the police.

If this isn't something that can be easily dismissed, then an even bigger problem is... what if it doesn't work? She once accidentally photographed a ghost on the roadside, but no matter how she tried to talk to it, it didn't react at all.

Perhaps it's too early for him to switch careers and become a detective.

Yuri, whom I recently met... seems naive and easily manipulated. It's not that Hojo Rei has any plans to use her; Hojo Rei doesn't intend to harm her friends, or at least those who are kind to her. However, she won't hesitate to benefit herself without harming the other party.

Just now, Yuri called to tell him that the newspaper's editor-in-chief might be connected to vampires, and that probing further might cause bigger problems, advising him to stop.

Hojo Reie will indeed back down before she's ready.

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.

Murakami Akisa drove aimlessly through the night, the speed and the sound of the wind calming her down.

There was something she hadn't told her niece and her friends.

In the previous Rat King incident, a werewolf was seriously injured and on the verge of death. To avoid death, he deliberately entered a berserk state... a state called Death Soul Fury - a last resort that every werewolf can use but is difficult to control.

Transformed into a giant wolf, he destroyed nearby walls in his Death Wrath state, severely injuring the local spirits who had just been fighting alongside him, and then chased after the enemy who had caused him such damage to an unknown place.

That's right, the enemy wasn't a rat, but some unknown thing that sneaked in while the werewolf was beating up the rat and dealt massive damage in one blow.

According to the reluctant account of the local spirit that was shaken awake, the enemy looked very blurry, about the size of a human, but without any details.

Werewolves' shadowy aura, vampires' blurring magic, spirit illusions, dream incarnations of swapped beings... Once you know a considerable amount of occult knowledge, you will find yourself in a huge predicament, because there are so many things that can produce specific visions that it is almost impossible to discern what they are from their appearance alone.

The traces at the scene were almost completely destroyed by the giant wolf in its Death Wrath state.

After trying (and failing) other methods, Murakami Akisa tried using that method to find her target.

This refers to the assassin's ability to "suddenly appear behind the target".

Originally, this move was supposed to be followed by a killer attack like a piercing ear, neck twist, or throat slit—even if the enemy is constantly on guard, the body structure of most enemies means they are difficult to effectively defend against attacks from behind. To put it another way, even if the enemy looked like a ball, being behind them wouldn't be a bad thing.

Through rigorous training, Murakami Akisa finally reduced her combat effectiveness—she no longer attacks immediately when she appears behind a target, her instinct to attack vital points is suppressed by training—but at the same time, she forcibly added functionality to this move, allowing it to be used for travel. Of course, it requires being in good condition and expending considerable energy to use, and the surrounding environment of the target needs to be investigated in other ways before use, which has various disadvantages—after all, this was not the original design purpose when this move was first used.

Before using it, Murakami Akisa and the other werewolves gathered together and prepared them. Once she left through this psychic teleportation, she would immediately send a signal, and the other werewolves would have to rush to her rescue. The missing werewolf was probably trapped, which meant that Murakami Akisa, who was teleported there, would also be trapped.

She had already mentally prepared herself to note down the situation and teleport back if things went wrong—and then she found her kinsman unconscious under the bridge by the river. The enemy was not nearby.

He regained his human form, was naked, and unconscious. His wounds were deep but not fatal—he'd be fine as long as he was taken to the hospital immediately. Although a werewolf in the hospital seemed like a joke… we still contacted others to send him there right away.

The other fools praised her abilities as extremely useful, but Murakami Akisa just wanted to know what had happened. She discovered her friend's location was a full five kilometers away from where her friend had disappeared. And she wasn't blind; those row of needle marks on her arm weren't fake… Had something been injected, or something extracted?

What on earth is happening in this godforsaken place, Tokyo?

Unfortunately, faced with this problem, she could only do the same thing as the fools: wait, wait for the unconscious person to wake up and tell her what happened.

I hope Mingmei doesn't get into any trouble. Can her friends control her?

I'd better give you a few more instructions.

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.

Line 2 stops at the platform.

The Rat King launched an attack that was not its full strength, a minor skirmish. Even if it succeeded, it would only cause temporary chaos in human society, and would be of no real importance.

It's highly unlikely that a high-ranking spirit would open a door just for a short trip.

However, the Rat King came and then left, leaving only a clone behind.

This clone's power is not strong enough; even with the Rat King's remote mental support, it is not enough to cause significant interference.

The plan started with lightning speed, but then it stalled and became chaotic. I didn't know what I was doing... Is this really my old friend?

Line 2 would rather believe that there is something it doesn't know, some information it hasn't yet obtained, and misjudge the Rat King's motives... and so on.

Forget it, there's no end to guessing like this—if the Rat King intends to make more efforts, then let's see who's the real deal under the wheels.

Compared to that, the little guy named Yuri I met recently is more important... No matter how you look at it, it seems like a sign that the mages (i.e., the Awakened) are about to reappear.

It's really a headache. Back when I was just pushing myself around on two wheels, the mages were already going through a cycle of causing trouble and dying violently... And the mages who have appeared this time are inexperienced, which means they will cause even more trouble and try even harder to die violently.

Perhaps I should contact my cousin in the countryside?

Things are always going up and down, and right now it might be going down.

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.

The spirit of the root carving returned to its abode, where the spiritual energy was much thinner than before it was dragged away.

Something rushed over and almost destroyed his spiritual field. Really, I knew it wouldn't be anything good. Ever since he was dragged out by the anchor point resonance point, he had been having this suspicion, and he had watched his suspicion gradually become a reality.

No, that's not right. Think about it carefully. If I hadn't been dragged out, that vandal would probably have run right into me...

Then I'll most likely die... So, does that mean I should thank them?

This is such a dilemma. Should I think of a way to move?

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.

Hei Shi touched the "stick" he had previously used to fight off the rats and let out a heavy sigh.

After becoming a ghost, he wouldn't normally need to breathe, but it was a habit he had in life that effectively helped him regain his composure... even after becoming a ghost.

Of course, he couldn't have saved his life when a rival gang drove up on him while he was alive, but everyone dies eventually.

Having barely attended school, he couldn't think of any words to say at this moment, but he was quite philosophical about it. He knew he was destined to lose his worthless life sooner or later... At least after a week of madness, he had come to terms with it.

Then he and several other brothers who were in the business and died suddenly for various reasons (they weren't brothers in the past, and they weren't part of the same group, but since they're all dead now, that's how it is) took over the slot machine shop as their base.

This gambling-related environment is a good anchor point for them... and life goes on like this—and then one day, suddenly, with a snap, they can no longer maintain their existence and die again.

Although I don't know what a demon would be like if he died again, I wouldn't be surprised if it actually happened.

If ghosts could never die, wouldn't the world be overflowing with them by now?

But! He never imagined he would suffer so much before he died!

Being blocked by tentacle monsters was bad enough, but now I'm blocked by rats! If the rats hadn't suddenly started disappearing for some unknown reason, I would have been done for today.

The underlings were all injured, but fortunately, although the rat swarm's attack was difficult to stop, its individual force was not strong. Because the door was blocked in advance, the few ghosts who were not attacked from all sides did not truly experience the horror of being surrounded by thousands of rats.

Just thinking about it is terrifying enough.

Perhaps it's time to take a break. You've weathered such a big storm on your own; shouldn't you be able to enjoy some peace and quiet from now on?

Then, what was that saying again? The world wants peace, but the boss won't stop. A day after the rat swarm exploded, Yuri, the guy who helped some ghosts fight the tentacle monster a while ago, reappeared.

The tentacle monster was stronger than several demons combined. Yuri defeated the tentacle monster. Yuri was stronger than several demons combined.

In conclusion, he needs to be treated well, at least in a way that doesn't make him feel offended.

After exchanging a few pleasantries, he immediately asked to borrow the scroll to take a look, and even promised to only look at it in the shop... How polite! Did he have no idea that if he were to forcibly take it, Hei Shi would obediently hand it over to him?

In any case, since the other party was still willing to say "please" to him, he shouldn't be ungrateful—Kuroshi handed over the scroll he had previously rolled up to use to kill rats without hesitation.

In fact, this scroll was the least damaged thing in the incident, even less so than the ghosts that were beaten.

He seemed to have studied it for a long time, but I don't know what he figured out. He quickly returned it to me and then left on his own.

If I become just as eccentric, can I also become stronger?

That commotion—who kicked the door open?!

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.

The dog spirit gazed at the peaceful scene before it.

The rats' offensive collapsed in just half a day. Train Boss is invincible!

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.

"What did she tell you?"

"Actually, they didn't say anything, just told us to be careful lately."

"Really? If she's talking nonsense, don't take it seriously; she's always worrying."

“I sensed that. Indeed, what she was talking about also included some potential risks. Akemi, do you know just how much influence vampires have in this city?”

"I don't know. I did ask, but she didn't answer me. Did she tell you?"

"No, not really. She just said in general terms that vampires are very influential and told us not to act rashly if anything happens."

"I thought they would stop treating me like a child after this incident."

"Mingmei——"

"Ok?"

"No, it's nothing. I think we can have some peace and quiet for a while after this, right?"

"The weather is unpredictable—that's what I was going to say. But actually, I think it is."

Akemi Kakizaki truly couldn't imagine what would happen next.

What could possibly go wrong at this point?

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.