Chapter 128: Future Revealed by Tarot, Potential Awakening of the Hanged Man
Twenty minutes later.
A girl's voice filled with energy rang out.
"Yahallo, Yoru-kun~"
Oda Noto and Godmother, the moment this orange short-haired girl stepped into the shop, changed their expressions.
The light of life on her body...
Was glaringly bright!
Simply like a bright lamp in the dark night that demons and monsters feared and avoided!
Even the two experienced old exorcists saw such a powerful life aura for the first time.
And Mai's thought was exactly the same as when she first saw Yurikawa Hana.
So big.
Really so big.
How can it be so big?
Mai looked down at herself, then looked up at Yurikawa Hana, who was holding a Daifuku with both hands, nibbling it in small bites, with white cream on her mouth and a dazed smile on her face.
This is about to burst, right?
Truly exaggerated...
"Yurikawa-san."
"Just call me Hana~"
Yurikawa Hana hopped to Yoru. Not only the person was hopping, but also two places... were shaking.
Mai bit her silver teeth lightly, feeling a bit uncomfortable in her heart.
This exaggerated body scale, coupled with Hana's harmless, innocent, and cute face.
The lethality was really too strong.
Fortunately, the opponent didn't seem too familiar with Yoru.
Otherwise, another strong competitor would be added.
"Do me a favor."
Facing Yoru's request, Hana nodded without hesitation and smiled.
"Just say it; we are friends."
Yoru pointed to the three Tarot cards placed face down on the counter.
"Help me uncover them one by one."
"No problem~"
Before Godmother could stop her, Hana uncovered the first Tarot card directly.
"No, you..."
Seeing Godmother's complex expression, Hana tilted her head slightly, looking puzzled.
"Did I do something wrong, Granny?"
"Not really..."
Godmother smacked her lips, looking complicated.
"It's just that I usually uncover them slowly; never as fast as you."
"Eh? Does that make the flipped card different?"
"Uh... that makes no difference."
Godmother sighed helplessly, lamenting in her heart.
I am really old.
Why do young spirit mediums nowadays have no sense of ritual at all?
She shook her head, turned her gaze to the table, saw the pattern of that Tarot card, and her face changed.
"Death!?"
Last time in Wakayama City, although this Tarot card also appeared.
But the meaning was completely different.
Last time Yoru's question was the identity of the next possible collaborator.
The three Tarot cards divined were all clues symbolizing identity.
But regarding this question, which was what the club would encounter in the future, the Tarot card Death might refer to the simplest and most original symbolic meaning.
Death.
A member of the club will die.
Godmother squeezed out a smile and waved her hand to explain.
"This... the Death card doesn't necessarily mean death. It can also be interpreted as you will face a choice between life and death in the future, or someone around you will... this, that..."
Godmother couldn't round it off.
No matter how interpreted, on this issue, the result revealed by the Tarot card Death couldn't be explained as good.
Either the members of the Super-Quant Club would encounter dangers that could lead to death.
Or someone dying would appear around them.
Very hard to smooth over...
"Death..."
Facing the flipped Death card, Yoru's expression remained as calm as ever.
For members of the Super-Quant Club, death wasn't something new.
Forced explanation:
Exorcism itself was dealing with "Death."
What was there to be surprised about?
However...
To confirm the conjecture in his heart, Yoru looked at Oda Noto.
"Are there any rumors of supernatural events in Kyoto recently?"
Although Oda Noto had no commissions for the time being, as a veteran exorcist in the industry, he had many sources of information.
"Supernatural events..."
Oda Noto lit a cigarette and took a deep drag.
"Setting aside those overly outrageous rumors that sound fake... hmm... there is really one worth noting."
Oda Noto seemed to suddenly remember something. His frowned brows relaxed, a smile on his old face, flicking the ash, speaking unhurriedly.
"It is said that in the Kyoto City Hospital recently, hospitalized patients always see figures wandering in the corridors late at night."
"They say the wandering person's face looks exactly like the patient who died that day."
"However, those so-called ghosts didn't cause trouble to anyone, so no one commissioned exorcism; just rumors."
Listening to Oda Noto's words, Yoru nodded noncommittally.
Ghosts that normal people can also observe?
No, hospitalized patients shouldn't be considered normal either.
Why have supernatural events in hospitals been particularly frequent since ancient times?
On one hand, because people often die in hospitals.
On the other hand, people going to hospitals are those suffering from diseases and physically weak.
From the perspective of spirit mediums, they are people whose life aura has weakened.
Under certain specific conditions, it is indeed possible for them to observe ghosts transformed from humans after death.
The problem was.
Is the frequency of this supernatural event a bit too high?
Not just one hospitalized patient, many people can see, and not just one ghost wandering?
There is something fishy here.
Yoru kept this matter in mind first.
Then, he looked at Hana and said faintly.
"Uncover the second card."
"Mmhmm, okay."
Although Hana didn't know the meaning of Tarot cards, she could hear from Godmother's words that the first card she uncovered didn't seem to predict anything good.
This made her feel self-blame.
Must work hard on the second one!
Hana took a deep breath and slowly uncovered the second Tarot card placed on the table.
Seeing the pattern of the second Tarot card, Godmother froze for a moment, then breathed a sigh of relief as if a heavy burden was lifted.
Good, good.
Finally flipped out a better one than the previous...
This wasn't right either.
In this divination, there was no worse card than "Death."
Bad news: The worst has been flipped out.
Good news: The following ones are better than this one.
Bottomed out and rebounded.
Godmother spoke slowly, analyzing.
"The Moon. The meaning of this card is many, but mainly, it's confusion and uncertainty."
"The revelation of this card means that on the future path, people in your club may face some kind of choice."
Yoru looked thoughtful and asked back.
"Then is it possible that this Moon represents a certain person our club will encounter in the future?"
Godmother froze, then smiled.
"This interpretation is also possible, but it must be someone who will have contact opportunities with all members of your club, not just a single member."
"I see."
Yoru thought if it was his guess, he could only think of one person representing the "Moon" card.
Not only the confused and uncertain life experience but also the name matched "Moon" perfectly. (Note: Likely referring to Tsukuyomi or a character with Moon in name/theme - possibly referring to Amano Hina (Sun/Weather) or someone else. Wait, Hina is sun. Maybe Tsukiko? Or referring to Yue? Actually, Yui's name contains Yui (Binding) not Moon. Maybe referring to Kaguya? Or simply the uncertainty aspect).
"Third card, uncover it."
"Mmhmm."
Hana took a deep breath and slowly uncovered the third Tarot card.
Entering the eyes was the card Yoru wanted to see most.
The Hanged Man, also known as the Suspended One.
"This card, this card means...."
Before Godmother finished, Yoru waved his hand to interrupt.
"I know, self-sacrifice and dedication, right?"
"Eh, you know quite a lot."
"Know a little."
Yoru looked at Mai standing aside.
Both could guess that if this revealed Tarot card referred to a certain person, it must be...
Yui Yuigahama.
Strictly speaking, Kawasaki Saki working hard to lighten the family burden, or Yukino choosing to help others to do what she thought was right, both fit the definition of the Hanged Man card.
However.
Not as fitting as Yui.
"Thanks."
Yoru nodded to Godmother first, then looked at Hana and smiled.
"Hard work, Yurikawa-san."
"Didn't I say, just call me Hana."
"Okay then, hard work, Hana."
Mai pinched Yoru's waist calmly and whispered with a smile.
"You really call her that?"
Yoru replied with a smile too.
"It's okay. I call her now; later it will be your turn to call." (Screaming/Moaning imply).
Mai's face flushed red, spitting lightly.
"Yurikawa-san is still here; no nonsense."
"Her?"
Yoru glanced at Hana, whose eyes revealed innocence and dazedness.
"She doesn't understand; doesn't matter."
....
An hour later, Yoru's home.
Mai said her business would start at 9 o'clock, having two hours of free time.
She actively proposed to tell the Tarot divination results to the internal members of the Super-Quant Club first.
Mai didn't want to delay the transmission of intelligence because of her own affairs.
After all...
There was a "Death" card in the Tarot divination result.
Yui sat on the sofa, swinging her legs.
"Recently, your home has become our second clubroom."
Rio was responsible for making coffee.
Mai was responsible for making snacks.
Amano Hina was responsible for helping Mai.
Kazusa was responsible for sitting next to Yoru.
Yui...
Better not be responsible for anything.
"The reason for calling everyone here today is simple."
After the members sat down, Yoru leaned on the sofa and told everyone about the Tarot divination just now.
He looked at the thoughtful Rio.
"Beloved Concubine (Ai Fei), analyze for Me (Zhen)."
"Really, you always leave troublesome things to me."
Rio complained softly, then pushed her glasses frame and spoke slowly to everyone.
"Then, start with the first Tarot card."
"Death. This card represents death."
"Combined with what Mr. Oda said about the frequent supernatural events in Kyoto City Hospital, a high-probability conclusion can be drawn."
"That is, Kyoto City Hospital might be the future action of ours indicated by the Death Tarot card."
Speaking of this, Rio paused, pursing her lips slightly as if thinking about something.
About half a minute later, she took a sip of coffee and continued.
"However, I don't think the meaning revealed by the Death Tarot card is to tell us there is a 'Door' there."
"Otherwise, other areas we know should also appear in the divination results."
The Super-Quant Club didn't remove all "Doors" in Kyoto city.
Miko and Rio deliberately left a few sparsely populated and temporarily low-danger ones during the sweep.
This was also a backup plan prepared to enter the Otherworld at any time.
As Rio said.
Even if there was a "Door" in Kyoto City Hospital, the danger level couldn't be high.
After all, no large number of deaths occurred.
So, the "Death" Tarot card had no connection with whether there was a "Door."
"Then, what would be the reason for us going there?"
Rio murmured to herself, thoughtfully.
"Could it be... this Tarot card refers not to an event, but to a person we will encounter..."
Hearing this, members other than Mai felt a little weak in their hearts.
A person representing "Death"...
Sounded very scary.
"Put this aside first; we'll know when we go see."
Rio didn't dwell on the revelation of the first Tarot card but continued.
"The second and third cards..."
She looked at Yui and pushed her glasses frame.
"This may refer to two things, or maybe one."
Not just Rio.
Miko and Mai's gazes also turned to Yui.
The latter froze, a bit uncomfortable.
"Wh... why are you all looking at me?"
"Need to ask?"
Rio revealed a rare smile.
"Only you fit the definition of these two cards."
Overly gentle, always thinking for others, Yui not only fit the definition of the Hanged Man.
Moreover, her positioning in the Super-Quant Club also vaguely fit the meaning of the Moon.
Confused, tangled, not a dominant position, but auxiliary.
"Eh?"
Yui looked puzzled.
"But isn't the question about the future path of the Super-Quant Club? What connection does this have with me?"
Miko was speechless about the opponent's dullness.
"Haven't you always wanted to become a spirit medium?"
Miko sighed helplessly holding her forehead, then patted Yui's shoulder and smiled.
"The major event appearing in the Tarot divination result that affects the Super-Quant Club can only be your awakening of Soul Manifestation."
"Oh, so it is..."
Yui muttered noncommittally first.
A few seconds later, she realized it belatedly, her face stiffening first, then grabbing Miko's shoulder in surprise.
"Really really really?"
"Uh uh uh uh uh~"
Miko's head was almost shaken into afterimages by Yui.
"Stop shaking; I can't hold on~~~"
After Yui stopped, Miko showed an expression of surviving a disaster, saying grumpily.
"Just awakening a Soul Manifestation ability; look how excited you are, not calm and steady at all."
Yui tried to pass by acting cute, sticking out her tongue, smiling silily.
"Hehe."
At this time when everyone was crazy, the only member of the Super-Quant Club who always remained calm, Yoru's Chief Brain Substitute Rio, spoke faintly.
"Yui, don't think it's that simple."
"You were present when Miko awakened back then."
"The Tarot card implies that you will awaken soon, which means you are likely to encounter a very dangerous situation like Miko and I did when awakening."
"Better not be happy too early."
"If you die, it won't just match the Moon and the Hanged Man; Death will also match. One person, three Tarot cards, complete set."
Rio's words made the originally excited and happy Yui shrink into a ball.
Makes sense.
Rio wasn't targeting Yui; they were friends.
When discussing strangeness-related matters, she could also notice the opponent's slightly dim and lost look, knowing Tuanzi also wanted to become a spirit medium.
But exorcism was dangerous after all; one could die if not careful.
The members of the Super-Quant Club hadn't lost anyone so far because there was Yoru, an exorcist more evil spirit than evil spirits, covering the bottom.
As the most rational member, Rio must make Yui realize the danger of the matter.
....
Finally, a calm night passed.
Mai received a call and said tonight's matter was canceled.
She seemed relieved but also slightly disappointed.
The members didn't ask; everyone had their own difficulties.
A situation unexpected by Yoru occurred.
All members present, except Amano Hina...
Stayed at his house and refused to leave.
Especially Kazusa.
She didn't even practice the piano, which she never interrupted, insisting on staying.
The key point that made Yoru most speechless was.
Staying is staying.
Comparing staying up late, Mai and others are indeed no match for Kazusa.
But you stayed up until they all went to sleep in the second-floor guest rooms.
You should come in yourself, right!?
After all the fuss.
In the end, gained nothing.
Yoru tasted defeat for the first time in his life.
....
Thursday, morning, Sobu High.
"Finally starting."
Hiratsuka Shizuka wearing a long tracksuit stood beside Yoru and patted his shoulder.
"Don't forget what you promised me; you must use your full strength."
"Full strength?"
Yoru stretched lazily and walked slowly to the starting line of the 100-meter race.
Under the gaze of many students from three grades of Sobu High, he made a ready posture together with other contestants.
"Shizuka-chan..."
Bang!
As the starting gun sounded, Yoru took the lead instantly. Just the start, he had already pulled away several body lengths from other contestants, leaving only one sentence for Hiratsuka Shizuka.
"Dealing with them doesn't require my full strength at all."