As a spiritualist enthusiast, Yuria Niguredo was far more concerned with proving herself to Haruki than she was with the dark. To those with the "Sight," this tunnel was a neon sign of supernatural activity. If she wanted to be Haruki's disciple, she couldn't back down now. She had to show him she was more than just a hobbyist.
"..."
Miko, meanwhile, could see exactly what was happening in the depths of the tunnel. Her vision was far sharper than Yuria's, which was exactly why she was currently paralyzed. She instinctively took a half-step closer to Haruki, but then, realizing just how close she was getting, she stiffened and pulled back with a blush.
"Let's head in," Haruki said, his voice a calm anchor in the gloom.
He could feel it. The thick, cloying "vibration" of an evil spirit was pulsing from the darkness like a heartbeat. To a man who hungered for high-level prey, this tunnel was the perfect training ground. He wasn't about to let it pass.
The group began to shuffle forward.
"It's... it's so cold..."
Hana Yurikawa was the first to buckle. Blind to the ghosts but sensitive to the atmosphere, she was trembling with primal fear. Without thinking, she leaned heavily into Haruki's side, seeking the warmth and solidity of his presence.
Just then, a heavy drop of condensation fell from the ceiling, splashing onto her shoulder.
"Eeeek!!"
Hana let out a high-pitched shriek and threw herself into Haruki's arms, clinging to him like a life raft.
"Hana-san... you're a bit too close," Haruki muttered, a rare look of discomfort crossing his face.
The primary reason for his distress was biological. Hana was far more physically developed than most girls her age—her figure was, quite frankly, lush. As she pressed herself against him in her panic, the "overwhelming softness" was impossible to ignore. Even a man with Haruki's iron-clad mental discipline found himself struggling to maintain a purely professional focus.
"I-I'm sorry!" Hana stammered, her voice muffled against his chest, but she didn't let go. If anything, she squeezed tighter. "The tunnel is just too scary! Isn't there a mountain path we can take instead?"
"I don't think there's a detour, Hana," Haruki replied with a sigh.
He looked toward Miko for help, hoping she would pull her friend away and restore some level of decorum. To his surprise, Miko was staring in the opposite direction, her face twisted in a look of sheer, silent irritation.
What's her problem? Haruki wondered. Does she think I'm stealing her best friend?
It took several moments of effort, but Haruki eventually managed to peel Hana off his chest, though she remained firmly attached to his right arm. Her constant contact was a sensory minefield, and Haruki felt a vein throb in his temple as he tried to suppress his physiological reactions.
On the other side of the group, Miko's eyes narrowed as she watched the friction between Hana and Haruki. Her heart felt uncomfortably tight. She didn't understand why the sight of them together made her feel like she'd swallowed a bag of lead. It was a localized, burning resentment she hadn't known she was capable of.
The only person acting "normal" was Yuria. The little girl was oblivious to the romantic tension, her eyes darting around the shadows as she looked for a ghost to "purify" and impress her future master.
However, Yuria's "Sight" was low-level. She and Haruki were currently on par—able to see the small, flickering spirits, but blind to the true apex predators of the dark.
"Let's go deeper!" Yuria urged, pointing into the void. "I bet the best 'paranormal shots' are right in the center!"
"No... wait..." Miko whispered, her dread spiking.
Unlike the others, her eyes could see into the deep infrared of the spiritual world. She saw something hiding in the rafters—something with long, spindly limbs and a distorted, infant-like face. She was terrified that if they kept moving, even Haruki wouldn't be able to protect them.
But Hana, fueled by her own brand of oblivious courage and a desire to stay close to Haruki, insisted on moving forward. "Yuria's right! I can handle it if we're all together!"
I'm the one who can't handle it! Miko thought, her "Beware of Best Friend" alarm ringing at maximum volume.
Suddenly, the atmosphere in the tunnel shifted.
A massive entity emerged from the shadows. It carried a rusted red bucket on its back, its multiple limbs clicking against the concrete like a giant insect. It didn't notice the humans at first. Instead, it reached out, snatched a smaller ghost that was hovering near the ceiling, and crushed it into spiritual dust.
CRACK.
The reactions were instantaneous and wildly different.
Hana didn't see anything, but she suddenly clutched her stomach. "Ugh... I'm so hungry all of a sudden."
Miko turned pale, her instinct to flee becoming a physical ache.
Haruki felt the discharge of energy. His eyes sharpened, and the dark violet veins on his right arm began to throb. The hunter's instinct took over.
But the most bizarre reaction came from Yuria.
In her limited vision, she saw Miko reach out a hand to stop Hana just as the small ghost was crushed. To Yuria, it looked like Miko had performed a "silent exorcism" with a flick of her wrist.
She just erased that spirit without a single word! Yuria thought, her jaw dropping. Miko Yotsuya isn't just a seer... she's a master-class Exorcist!
The realization hit Yuria like a physical weight. Miko wasn't just a classmate; she was the "Final Boss" standing between Yuria and Haruki's tutelage.
"A one-hit purification... she's even stronger than I thought!"
Yuria was drowning in a sea of professional jealousy. Haruki had told her she needed to "surpass Miko" to become his disciple. Looking at Miko's "effortless" power, Yuria felt the mountain she had to climb getting taller by the second.
While Yuria was spiraling into a competitive frenzy, Miko was just trying to survive. She watched the "Bucket Monster" turn its head toward them, its lid vibrating with a low, metallic hum.
"Haruki-san," Miko whispered, her voice trembling. "There's... there's something really bad here. We have to leave. Now."
"Something bad?" Haruki's lips curled into a sharp, predatory smile. "Perfect."
Miko groaned. She had forgotten that to Haruki Aizawa, "danger" was just another word for "opportunity."
However, Haruki didn't lunge into combat immediately. He couldn't. Hana was still "wrapped" around his arm, her lush figure creating a distraction that was actively hindering his combat flow. He needed her off him, but he knew if he pushed her away, she'd just panic more.
He caught Miko's eye and gave her a subtle nod, signaling her to take her friend.
Miko understood the look, but she knew Hana's personality. If she tried to pull Hana away, Hana would assume it was a game and cling tighter.
"Hana! Look out! A spider!" Miko shrieked, pointing at a random spot on the floor.
"A SPIDER?!" Hana screamed, jumping nearly a foot into the air. But instead of running away, she wrapped both arms around Haruki's neck and tried to climb him like a tree.
Haruki's breath hitched. The sensation of the girl's body pressing fully against his back was... intense. He was a master of his own heartbeat, but even he felt his pulse quicken.
Meanwhile, the Bucket Monster let out a roar. It rattled its chains, capturing all the smaller spirits in the vicinity and stuffing them into its gaping maw.
RUMBLE!
As the monster fed, its spiritual pressure expanded, turning the air in the tunnel heavy and sour.
"So that's her technique... 'The Spider' exorcism?" Yuria muttered, her brain working overtime to rationalize what she was seeing. Because she couldn't see the monster, she assumed the disappearing spirits were being "vacuumed" by Miko's hidden power.
Yuria felt a wave of bitter inadequacy. "I can't even purify a low-level imp, and she's clearing the room without breaking a sweat... no wonder Master won't take me."
Desperate to prove she wasn't useless, Yuria reached out toward a small, lingering spirit near her feet, focusing every ounce of her will to "purify" it.
By pure coincidence, the Bucket Monster leaned down and swallowed that exact spirit at the same moment Yuria's hand moved.
"I... I did it!" Yuria cheered, her eyes lighting up. "Haruki-sama! Did you see? I did it!"
"..."
Haruki had no words. He was too busy trying to keep his composure while a teenage girl was basically vibrating against his spine.
But Miko saw the truth. She saw the Bucket Monster looming over the oblivious Yuria, its many eyes focusing on the girl's "Sight." For an evil spirit, someone who could see them was a delicacy—a soul flavored with fear.
The monster opened its mouth, a dark slurry of spiritual energy swirling in its throat. "You... can... see... me...?"
The monster lunged for Yuria.
Miko didn't think. She dove forward, snatching Yuria by the collar and dragging her into a protective huddle. To an observer, it looked like a tackle, but Miko's intervention confirmed the monster's suspicion.
"YOU CAN BOTH SEE ME!!!"
The Bucket Monster roared, and the hunt began.
***********************************************
For advanced chapters up to 20 chapter ahead is on my Patreon
My Patreon name : M7MD_sol
Link :