We returned right back to yumiko with the doll in our hand, Just as we did yumiko had finished her conversation with hinata, with a smile we three left the house with the doll in our hand.
We were casually strolling down the street, i held onto the doll but i turned to face yumiko to ask.
"Is this all right?, bringing something this dangerous outside?" If it's ability is to bring bad luck then bringing this out in public won't be a safe bet and besides, the more i stared at that creepy doll the more i wished i hadn't join their supernatural hunt.
"Does taking it far away from hinata reduce the risk of her getting attacked?" kou questioned with genuine curiosity.
"Not really, she's still in danger that's why i wish to stop this thing once and for all. Apparently hinata got the doll from one of her closest friends after school, hinata had always been popular and well known along this friend of hers she called amy"
"Then This amy girl used this supernatural as a medium to try and make hinata suffer?, that's cruel..."
Such a scenario makes me wonder, if supernaturals are perceived to be the evil ones why do humans indirectly rely on them?, why do we imitate them?. No, humans can just be evil but it's easy to pin the main concept behind it on forces that don't exist, kind of hypocritical.
"So how exactly are we getting rid of this?" Kou asked.
"To find where this exact doll came from, for all i know this doll isn't the supernatural itself, most likely a link"
"A link?"
"There are cases whereby, humans can work together with a supernatural, one of them being the contracted method. Both the supernatural and human come to an agreement for the sake of power, the human would be the host"
Yumiko had mentioned something like that before hasn't she.
"But there's a lot of risk, in some instances human hosts aren't enough, some present sacrifices, kill their loved ones and so on"
"S-So you're telling me this Amy person could have actually sacrificed something in order to work with this supernatural?" Kou's face turned pale.
Someone who'd go so far to ruin the life of one's friend, when you put things that way you wouldn't help but feel considerate to supernaturals, humans are just as evil as they are it doesn't matter, It's all a matter of which you decide to fight for and protect.
Then... In this world what would be my choice?.
"Anyways i know someone who'd help us with our case" Yumiko said.
"Y-You mean that crazy granny?!" Kou shrieked.
"Granny?" I asked.
"yes... don't worry when we get there you will see"
I simply let yumiko lead the way, as we traversed through the town the more distant i felt from it, ghosts were roaming the area although their numbers little it felt as if they've been here longer than any human. You'd start to wonder if majority of this ghosts are here simply out of spite?, or some of them are nice people in the end.
The town was bigger than i anticipated, despite being a town, new locations pop right out of nowhere. I asked yumiko about this and her response.
"There is a rumor that the mayor of this town made a deal with supernaturals, so for the immersive growth of the town supernaturals are free to do whatever they want here"
Before we knew it, after endless chatting we arrived at our destination, A depressing looking store that hadn't been taken care of since it existence and not to mention it was right on such a well developed part of town, Sure there were lots of abandoned properties in this town but you'd expect this place to have been gotten rid off.
Unless.
"Yumiko, this store doesn't exist right?" I turned to face yumiko.
"Yep only those with negative energy can see this particular shop"
Yumiko's reply gave me a quick idea. i turned to face kou and asked.
"then what can you see kou?"
"To me it looks like a normal house"
"Then how will kou get in?!"
Just right after i asked a warm grin grew right on kou's face, he reached his right hand towards yumiko but.
"Kou and Yuu will hold hands"
Both of us froze but no matter what we'd say yumiko was probably not going to accept either way. Just as yumiko opened the door to the store we followed right behind her embarrassed as we held hands.
It seems through the help of a user with negative energy it could be a good medium to even do basic stuff like this. Then in most cases yumiko and kou were always in weird situations like this?!.
"D-don't let go" Kou blushed.
"Are you alright bro-"
The moment we entered, a foul stench filled the air. The only room visible to us? messed up and dirty It was clear whoever this granny was gave no interest in hygiene whatsoever but that wasn't the strangest part. Each cabinets and shelf had varieties of materials you probably wouldn't get your hands on, Bottles with various kinds of labels that reeked death, Books, lots and tons of book to the point i was forced to grab one and read out loud.
"The mysteries of the world part 1: Celestials?" I tilted my head to the side in confusion, but before i could poke any further an ominous form shaped right In front of us.
An old dwarf lady formed from the mist of negative energy, Her back hunched half of her body covered with a white scarf despite how dirty this placed look, that single scarf stood out to me as it was clean.
In her hand was a broom, and her fingers golden rings that held different design patterns to them.
A dragon, boar, thunder, crown, and a throne. this rings were on her right arm but nothing noteworthy on her left you'd find it strange and wondered if someone like her were actually materialistic.
"Granny, we need your help" Yumiko who was unfazed by the sight simply went straight to buisness.
"Oh?, yumiko huh... ke...ke...ke...ke" She chuckled slowly.
That was probably the slowest laugh i've heard in my life?!. But this feeling, her whole store, her attire and even her laugh don't tell me this is a real life witch?!.
"Yuu meet granny merchant"
"So she wasn't even a witch-"
"If i may ask yumiko why do you seek my assistance?, didn't i tell you to not return" The granny's voice was rough but you could feel the power seeping through it, This granny was no joke.
Did something ever happen between both of them?, Out of curiosity i turned to face kou and instantly our eyes met but instead of an answer he gave me a shrug, he most likely had no idea what the granny was talking about.
"You did mention that but i need your help once again. I will repay you" Yumiko stood firm despite the pressure the granny had given her.
Slowly the granny faced me and asked.
"Who's the new kid?"
"This is yuu, you sense it too right?, he's a psychic"
"W-what?!. The last psychic died during the holy theory how did such a kid get exposed to such power?"
Seeing the granny's shocked reaction, a thought pondered to my head. What made psychic power such a big deal to supernaturals?. Now's not the time for that, i will ask yumiko about it later.
"This doll" Yumiko reached to my direction and i handed her the doll.
Calmly yumiko approached the granny and dropped the doll right on her frail old palm.
After yumiko explained the situation, right from hinata's testament to our near death experience while we were still in her place.
"I see, so you wish to find a way to sever the link between this supernatural and this lady known as hinata?. How stressful" The granny sighed.
"Have you ever even heard of a supernatural that uses bad luck as an ability?" Kou asked.
"Not really, there are plenty kinds of supernaturals out there. Just like myself it would be hard to pinpoint to one phenomenal, If this supernatural manipulates reality to a degree of inflicting bad luck on whoever it targets are it shouldn't have attacked kou and yuu in the first place but only hinata"
The granny's words did make sense, The deal was the supernatural would only affect hinata, but.
"It did the same for her parents..." I added.
"Yes, in most cases this would be a contract but the supernatural isn't simply bounded by the laws of it contract. It simply does whatever it wants and sees fit, that's exactly why this supernatural is a threat"
I could sense it, negative energy leaking out of that doll. Pure hatred. revenge. Negativity.
"The only way to free her from this despair are. Firstly the one who casted this contract could abolish it but that would be too much of a waste of time"
She was right, Amy could be any where and hinata's life is at stake-.
What was i doing?, Getting worried about another person other than myself. Get yourself together yuu!, the more you drag yourself into the unknown you're given two chance.
Run away with your dignity intact or jump right into the unknown willing to lose everything. Which one would you choose yuu?.
"That's why we will remove the supernatural right out of the doll and into another host most specifically a human"
"Kou can handle it" Yumiko replied instantly.
"Are you crazy?!. My body won't be the host of a demon-"
"Please kou-kun"
"fine"
He folded pretty quick?!.
The room had taken a little makeover. Rune symbols drawn on the ground with chalk and salt the basic stuff you would see in witchcraft. But when i asked why we would need all this drawings the granny made sure to explain.
According to her making contracts take time and use up a lot of negative energy, and implementing this supernatural in general into a doll would take even more negative energy. Normal supernaturals like her can't Just pull out a supernatural out of it host that easily hence why preparations are being made.
Which further adds to the question. How did someone like amy do such a thing on her own?.
Kou sat right on the drawings and closed his eyes.
"I will start, the both of you should simply stand back. If this becomes successful many things might happen, especially a battle breaking out"
The granny commanded. Beneath her scarf i caught a glimpse of what's underneath. A portion of eyes, red, bloody red.
"Now lets begin" She claps her hands together and chanted the following.
OH GREAT ORDER.
OH GREAT ORDER.
FROM THE DEPTHS OF BOTH WORLDS I CALL OUT ONTO YOU.
DIVINE REVERANCE!.
After a huge chunk of wind blew out of nowhere, The entire room was filled with negative energy, just like how i sensed from the doll. It was no different to what i was sensing now.
DEATH.
HATRED.
MISCHIEF.
BAD LUCK.
The only bulb that lit up the room shattered, The whole room was pitch black.
"You two stand back!"
Just as the granny ordered both i and yumiko jumped backwards enough to maintain a wide distance.
Smoke covered the exact circle kou sat on the once kou who lacked negative energy could be sensed.
The ritual was successful, but what next?!. Do we engage in combat against him?.
"Yo kou you alright?" Yumiko nonchalantly called out to him.
"...." Of course no response.
"Yuu, this sucks"
Yumiko's response made me gasp but right after my eyebrows twitched out of frustration.
Everything happened way to fast. I couldn't sense it and neither did yumiko.
Right in front of her was kou, face down but emitting nothing but negative energy.
Without wasting time, yumiko swiftly threw a punch right at kou but to our surprise he held her hand as and snapped it in half as if it were a twig. The sound of bones breaking made my face turn white instantly. Before yumiko could even recover. Kou threw his right leg right at her belly. Bones cracked even more as she spat blood.
The force of the kick shot yumiko through the roof and i didn't get a chance to recover. Kou had made his next move a blow heading straight to my skull but luckily i activated a barrier just in time or so i thought. Upon kou's fist landing on my barrier it shattered almost instantly upon contact.
i watched in horror but instinctively raised my right arm to block the punch.
The force of the punch shot me straight through the shop right outside, across the road and to a nearby pond which my body glided over and next to a small slope which i aggressively landed on. The grass might have reduced the damage but nothing changed.
It hurts. If not for the barrier i would be dead!.
Was yumiko alright?, no there are more things to focus on.
Kou walked right out of the shop. The moment i laid eyes on him i knew that wasn't kou.
A nasty grin grew on kou's face. His eyes completely black.
"You're not kou... are you?" I managed to speak through the pain.
It seems i ended up in the wrong field.