Chapter 4: Two of Them? That's Not How I Remember It!
In the original outcome,
he remembered the senpai and the senpai girl were both injured. Especially Iguchi-senpai—he fell unconscious and was hospitalized.
This time, the ending had to change.
After all,
no one wanted to get hurt.
No one wanted an extra medical bill out of nowhere.
No one wanted it to affect their studies, or leave a lifelong shadow.
…
Night fell.
Inside the Occult Research Club room.
Sasaki and Iguchi huddled together, turned off all the lights, and took out the finger wrapped in talisman paper.
They set the mood perfectly.
In front of them, there was only a single candle burning.
"It won't peel off, hey."
"Do we really have to bring it to school to do this? I'll turn on the lights…"
"No. Atmosphere is everything." Sasaki was stubborn, using both hands to pry at it hard.
"Enjoying this scary atmosphere is the essence of the Occult Club."
"It's fine, it's fine. Nothing's going to happen anyway."
If Yuji hadn't always had something to do after five every day and been away, they would've dragged him along too.
Because nothing would happen.
That's right—though they called themselves the Occult Research Club,
deep down, they were unsure whether the supernatural even existed.
Or rather, they didn't really believe.
They had tried countless methods to summon spirits or vengeful entities—online, in old books—and not once had it worked.
"Eh, it came off. Why is it a human finger?"
"Thud—!"
"What's that!?"
The candle suddenly went out, and they felt a jolt.
Right now,
under a surge of intense negative emotion,
if they looked up, they would see a swarm of maggot-like monsters rushing down.
As if…
they were drawn by a special scent.
Something that was, to them, an incredible feast!!
At the same time,
young Yuji and Megumi Fushiguro were running in the distance.
Young Yuji had already said goodbye to his deceased grandpa. He still remembered the look on his grandpa's face at the very end—strange.
As if a certain wish had been fulfilled.
He passed peacefully.
Without any pain.
And then, right after that, he ran into this guy in front of him.
Cursed spirits, cursed objects…
But the moment he heard that his senpai and senpai girl were in danger—danger of dying—young Yuji couldn't ignore it.
"Is the talisman really that easy to peel off?"
"No. People without cursed energy can't peel it off. But because it's been so long, that layer of talisman paper is probably useless."
"A curse… I still don't really feel it."
"About what floor are they on?"
"The research club room is on the fourth floor…"
Very soon, young Yuji and Fushiguro reached the school grounds.
At this moment, even young Yuji felt a heavy pressure.
"You stay here."
Fushiguro intended to go alone.
"It's bad, right? Even if I've only known them for two months, I can't just stand by."
"Abandoning friends like that—" Young Yuji was righteous.
"You stay here." Fushiguro repeated.
For someone without cursed energy, it was suicide.
Even a guy built like him was the same.
…
"What time is it now~"
"Where's the short hand pointing?"
"Eleven~"
In the pitch-black hallway,
a cursed spirit with its eyes on the back of its head, bark-like skin, groped forward with both hands, wandering aimlessly.
It looked like a frog and a horse at the same time.
[Time-Questioning Cursed Spirit]
It might have formed from the resentment of students late to class, or from the resentment of teachers working overtime.
Its voice was shrill.
Sasaki crouched on the floor, hands covering her mouth, terrified.
She had always chased ghosts and vengeful spirits—yet now that one was right beside her, she didn't have the slightest courage to face it!!
"What are these monsters…?"
Fear.
Nothing but fear.
"Sasaki… save me…"
Iguchi's plea rang out!
A cursed spirit shaped like a hard hat, like a devouring mushroom, was stuck on his head, controlling his movements and forcing him forward!
Sasaki's eyes went wide.
At the same time, the Time-Questioning Cursed Spirit reached a hand out from behind the wall and clamped it over her mouth!
Right after that,
it was like something triggered.
Or rather, their struggle drew more and more cursed spirits—one after another—until they all pounced on them!!
"Heh heh~"
All of them were Grade 3 to Grade 4 cursed spirits.
If you translated that into what human weapons could defeat, Grade 4 would need a wooden baseball bat, and Grade 3 would need a handgun.
Of course.
In real life,
cursed spirits completely ignored human firearms.
Because they were spirits. You needed corresponding power to exorcise them.
"Coming up was still too slow."
A hooded Yuji appeared from the other side.
He extended his hand.
Palm open and flat.
A dense surge of cursed energy swelled.
The man gave a light blow, and the cursed energy scattered like snowflakes—splitting off a tenth.
"Bzzzt!"
That cursed energy swept across the cursed spirits.
Like an electric shock.
It zapped those Grade 3 and Grade 4 cursed spirits all at once.
One, two, three… ten!
In less than a second, all of them dispersed.
The hallway returned to emptiness.
Sasaki and Iguchi, frightened into fainting, fell from midair, and the man hooked both of them with two fingers.
…
"The curse has been released…"
"And the aura is still this terrifying."
"And there are annoying cursed spirits in the way."
Fushiguro rushed upstairs, but as he went, he found the floors strangely empty.
The disturbance on the fourth floor also suddenly went quiet.
"What's going on!?"
"And there's an unfamiliar cursed energy fluctuation—just as frightening as the curse…"
Fushiguro had already reached the fourth floor.
At that moment, outside, young Yuji also seemed to make up his mind…
He kicked a window to pieces!
And leapt inside!
"Back then, I cried not because I was scared, but because I felt a little lonely."
"If Grandpa's death is natural, if it's right…"
"Then…"
"Death here is wrong! Huh, what is this!?"
Young Yuji landed and stared straight at Fushiguro.
Then…
they saw Sasaki and Iguchi laid on the floor, and a stranger who had appeared out of nowhere.
"You are…?"
"Eat it, or keep it. You choose." The hooded Yuji threw it over.
Young Yuji caught it.
Before he could figure out what was happening, a huge Grade 2 cursed spirit burst in!
The wall crumpled like paper!
Fushiguro sensed it and immediately shoved young Yuji aside, but it was too late.
He was slammed away.
[Tick Cursed Spirit]
It was enormous, with a head like a tick, compound eyes, six limbs, and a tail.
That single hit ambushed Fushiguro so hard he couldn't maintain his shadow technique. Blood ran from his forehead.
And.
It wasn't just one!
Another twin tick cursed spirit charged in right after it, rushing straight at young Yuji!
"BOOM!!!"
He was also smashed away, crashing onto the rooftop.
"Hm?"
Yuji raised an eyebrow.
In his memory, there had clearly been only one Grade 2 cursed spirit.
What was this?
Why were there two?