"I've heard many rumors about the Old School Building. Everyone says there are ghosts or monsters here—various supernatural phenomena," Sakurazawa Tomomi said as she watched Kazuma return through the Anywhere Door, carrying a still-steaming dinner.
After nightfall, heavy rain still poured outside, and the gloomy atmosphere made her uneasy. Being alone here earlier had frightened her, but seeing Kazuma return made her feel safe again.
"It shouldn't be true… right?"
Sakurazawa Tomomi had never believed in those unbelievable legends or ridiculous rumors before, treating them as jokes. But now she had seen Kazuma's special abilities—and even a talking cat.
Maybe ghosts really do exist in this world?
She felt both nervous and excited.
"I don't know. I've been here for quite a while and haven't seen any ghosts," Kazuma said, glancing around with a relaxed smile. "If there really are ghosts, I'd actually like to see one. Huh? Where's Luna?"
Sakurazawa Tomomi turned her head as well. "Ah? She was just here. Why is she gone?"
Sakurazawa Tomomi quickly grabbed his arm, pressing her body tightly against him, her softness sinking into his arm. "C-could it be… something happened?"
"It shouldn't have. I don't know whether ghosts exist in the Old School Building, but Luna isn't as fragile as before," he said confidently.
Just as he finished speaking, he saw a black shadow flash past the doorway and leap toward them.
"Meow!"
"Master~~"
It was Luna. She was perfectly fine, letting out a cheerful cry when she saw Kazuma.
"Where did you run off to just now?" he asked.
"Went… inside." She bit Kazuma's trouser leg and tugged him toward the door, as if urging him to follow her. "Saw… something strange. Master, come see."
"Something strange?"
Now it was Kazuma's turn to be surprised. He had been in the Old School Building for quite a while and hadn't noticed anything unusual. What did Luna mean by "something strange"? Could there really be ghosts?
"Tomomi, let's follow Luna and take a look."
"Okay, okay—if there really are ghosts," she pulled out her phone, "I'll definitely take pictures!"
"..."
Weren't you scared just now?
She was still a little scared. Sakurazawa Tomomi clung to Kazuma like a conjoined twin. The two followed Luna down the dark corridor. Combined with the lightning and thunder outside, the atmosphere felt just like a haunted house. Luna only stopped when they reached the door at the very end.
Kazuma and Sakurazawa Tomomi stopped as well.
The girl's cherry-blossom-colored hair rested on Kazuma's shoulder. She didn't dare breathe, pressing herself tightly against him. Her phone was pointed forward. Kazuma also stayed silent, frowning as he stared at the door of the abandoned room.
Then, the door slowly opened by itself.
Creak.
Sakurazawa Tomomi's pupils shrank, and she nearly whimpered. Even through his thick clothes, Kazuma could feel her racing heartbeat. She was trembling. He quickly wrapped an arm around Tomomi's waist to comfort her while staring ahead.
As the door opened fully, a blurry shadow passed through the wall and flew out.
He hadn't expected there to really be a ghost.
Kazuma was stunned.
"Meow!!!"
Luna let out a sharp cry and pounced forward.
Bang!!!
The eerie black shadow suddenly burst apart. It wasn't exactly a shadow, but countless strands of hair moving freely, whipping toward Luna in midair. Yet the black cat twisted her body in midair—
Dodging with incredible agility.
Cat-like reflexes.
Swish—
Seizing the opportunity, she lunged forward, closing the distance instantly. Her sharp claws clashed against the writhing hair, locking into a stalemate. After a few seconds, her glowing claws suddenly exerted force.
Pfft—
The hair was torn to pieces.
The ghost seemed to feel the pressure, clearly shocked that a mere cat could be so fierce. It retreated while fighting, repeatedly colliding with Luna in the darkness. The shredded strands of hair slowly drifted down in front of Kazuma.
He reached out and caught one.
Golden hair, still carrying a faint fragrance. Kazuma raised an eyebrow but said nothing, silently watching Luna's battle with the ghost while lost in thought.
So there really were ghosts in the Old School Building.
Why hadn't he noticed before?
Kazuma glanced at the pale-faced girl beside him. Tomomi couldn't see anything, but with the constant crashing sounds around them, even someone clueless would realize something was happening.
As for himself and Luna—was it because of his evolution that he could now see ghosts? And Luna… her evolution had not only strengthened her body but also given her some mysterious ability.
Animals were more sensitive than humans, which was probably how she found the ghost hiding in the Old School Building.
It had become a literal game of cat and mouse.
"Meow!!!"
Luna landed on the ground, her tail raised high, her limbs firmly planted. Her glowing pupils stared fiercely at the ghost, which had been forced to the edge of the room near the window. She showed no fear at all, letting out a threatening growl.
The ghost floated near the window, confronting Luna. It looked like a stalemate—but being evenly matched by a cat was humiliating. And more importantly, the most dangerous presence here wasn't the cat…
It was that human boy.
The ghost understood her situation.
"Stop…"
It was the voice of a girl.
The black shadow surrounding her slowly faded, and the mysterious ghost of the Old School Building finally revealed her true form—a golden-haired girl with a captivating figure.
Her body looked almost solid, her golden hair drifting gently.
Sakurazawa Tomomi froze in shock. She could now clearly see the ghost's true form.
"A girl? Kazuma, she—"
Kazuma shook his head and stepped forward.
"I didn't expect there to really be a ghost here, Luna."
The aggressive black cat immediately became docile, withdrawing her hostility. She rubbed against Kazuma's leg but continued watching the ghost cautiously. Even though she didn't fully understand what a ghost was, its presence made her extremely uncomfortable.
"There's no point in continuing this fight," the ghost girl said expressionlessly. Kazuma looked at her curiously. She seemed oddly stubborn.
"Meow~"
"Miss Ghost," Kazuma said with a gentle smile, not exposing anything, "this was just a misunderstanding. I can tell you don't mean us any harm. Otherwise, I wouldn't have been safe all this time."
Kazuma observed the delicate mixed-race beauty. Her blonde hair clearly wasn't dyed.
The real reason for his calmness was the exclamation mark floating above her head.
That's right—the wish list had appeared.
"..."
"I didn't expect you to actually find me," the girl said softly, floating by the window. Her expression was complicated. Then she suddenly glared at Kazuma.
"And you—pervert!!"
"Pervert?"
Kazuma blinked in confusion.
"Doing such shameless things in school—what else would you be?" the ghost girl said angrily. That scene she had witnessed earlier had shocked her deeply.
But beneath her anger, there was also jealousy… and curiosity.
She had died young. She had never experienced youth, never fallen in love, never experienced intimacy. Regret lingered in her heart.
She sighed quietly.
"Ah… so you saw everything?" Kazuma said awkwardly.
"I saw everything," she pointed at Sakurazawa Tomomi with a mocking smile. "You two were very loud."
Sakurazawa Tomomi stuck out her tongue without embarrassment and muttered under her breath, as if saying that anyone in her position would've made noise too.
Kazuma narrowed his eyes.
"So you were hiding and spying on us? Doesn't that make you improper as well?"
"Pfft!" the ghost girl snapped, her face turning red. "That wasn't my fault!"
"Um, Miss Ghost," Sakurazawa Tomomi said, raising her hand, "were you a student here before? Did you die in the Old School Building? Was it murder? Or an accident? Is that why you stayed here all this time?"
There had always been rumors about the Old School Building—stories of students dying here and becoming ghosts. Coach Togo's recent death had only strengthened those rumors.
"Of course not," she said, placing her hands on her hips. Then her expression dimmed. "I'm not from this school, and I wasn't a student here. I did die—but not here."
"As for why I ended up here… I don't know."
Kazuma blinked.
"What's your name?"
The golden-haired girl looked at him and spoke softly.
"My name is Nanakamado Nanaka."
Then she suddenly smiled mischievously.
"I'm already over eighty years old, you know."
"Eh?!" Sakurazawa Tomomi gasped.
"Though I've been a ghost for the past seventy years," Nanakamado Nanaka explained calmly, her expression somewhat bitter.
Kazuma listened to the two girls talking, his mind working. Nanakamado Nanaka? He had no impression of her. After his evolution, his mental power had greatly increased, and even distant memories from Earth were clear, yet he still didn't recognize this ghost girl.
A heroine he didn't know, just like Tosaka-senpai.
Nanakamado Nanaka appeared to be conversing with Sakurazawa Tomomi, but she was actually secretly observing Kazuma. She had been watching him for a while and knew about the boy's miraculous abilities. Those items of his were even more terrifying and exaggerated than Tsukumogami.
If it was him, maybe he could help her.
"Speaking of which, since you've been observing me all these days, that means you know my secret," Kazuma narrowed his eyes, revealing a strange smile.
"Yes, I know," Nanakamado Nanaka nodded in admission. "I also know your name, Kazuma. Please rest assured, I won't reveal it."
The ghost girl spoke calmly.
"Just saying that isn't very convincing."
Kazuma's tone carried a meaningful hint.
"I can stay by your side, and you can even do whatever you want with me," she said, as if she had made up her mind, her words astonishing. "But in exchange, I hope you can help me."
She had actually offered herself. The ghost girl looked at him with burning eyes, as if she had finally found hope.
"Help me return to my hometown and save my sisters."
Ding~
[Wish List (Nanakamado Nanaka): Return to hometown, rescue sisters]
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[image] Nanakamado Nanaka
*****
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