Everything looked calm.
The morning light made the destruction around us look painfully ordinary. The air was clean, stripped entirely of the suffocating pressure that had choked our lungs just minutes ago. The shadows were gone. Even the heavy silence of the school grounds felt peaceful.
But I didn't trust it. Not for a fraction of a second.
I stood completely still in the center of the ruined courtyard, my eyes scanning the debris. My instincts refused to power down. Something about this felt entirely wrong. It wasn't a lingering danger; it was a sense of incompletion.
Like a complex equation that had simply been wiped off the board rather than actually solved.
"Where the hell did he go...?" I muttered, my hands curling into fists.
Then, louder, my voice cutting sharply through the quiet morning.
"Where are you, Jason?!"
I stepped forward, my boots crunching over the broken concrete.
"Come out and finish this!"
The demand echoed off the cracked pillars, ringing across the empty space before fading into absolute nothingness.
No response. No shifting shadows. No portal.
For a few agonizing seconds, nothing moved.
Then, Haroku's voice broke the silence.
"Bro... look at this."
I turned. He was standing a few yards away near the base of a shattered archway, pointing at something resting on the ground.
I walked over quickly.
It was a piece of paper. It looked incredibly old, the edges singed and curled as if it had been pulled directly from a fire. Even from a few feet away, I could feel a faint, sickening residue of dark energy clinging to the parchment.
Haroku picked it up carefully by the corner and handed it to me.
I unfolded it.
The moment my eyes tracked across the handwritten words, the air around me seemed to instantly drop in temperature.
Note — by Jason:
The entity you just fought was not Jason. He was merely a subordinate—a squad member of the JASON 11 Hinomees Spirits.
If you faced so many problems trying to defeat him... then you have absolutely no hope of beating me.
If you truly want to throw your lives away and try, come to the Hinamoruka Hills. There, my spirit will guide you to where I wait.
And always remember... Jason is not just a name.
It is a spirit.
I finished reading.
For a long moment, I didn't say a single word. The silence returned to the courtyard, but this time, it was infinitely heavier.
Haroku looked at me, reading the shift in my expression. "So... that means—"
I didn't let him finish.
My grip tightened. The ancient parchment crumpled in my fist. I gripped it with both hands and tore it straight down the middle, ripping it into shreds before letting the pieces fall to the dirt.
"Jason thinks we can't beat him?" I said quietly.
My voice didn't rise. It didn't need to.
I took a slow step forward.
"Never."
Another step, my boots crushing the torn paper into the dust.
"Ever."
Haroku smirked slightly. He recognized that tone. I could feel the shift inside my own chest, too. The final piece of the professional boundary had just snapped. This wasn't a contracted exorcism anymore.
This was entirely personal.
"Let him hide behind his squads," I continued, my voice cold. "Let him send whoever the hell he wants."
I turned to Haroku.
"Tomorrow... we meet him on his own ground."
Haroku nodded without a single ounce of hesitation.
"And tomorrow," I said, "we'll see who dies."
For a moment, neither of us moved. The peaceful morning calm surrounding the school didn't matter anymore. We both knew the truth.
This was just the beginning.
After doing a final sweep of the perimeter to ensure the entity's remaining energy was completely neutralized, we finally walked out of the old building.
Step by step, the adrenaline began to bleed out of my system. The tension eased. Not completely, but enough to let me breathe properly again.
Outside the main gates, the air felt different. It felt real.
The principal was already waiting for us by my car. The moment he saw us emerge from the shadows of the archway, pure, unadulterated relief washed over his face.
"Sir... you both did it. You've done a great job," he said, rushing forward to meet us.
He paused, then lowered his head slightly in a gesture of deep respect.
"To be completely honest with you... we had almost lost hope. I thought this situation was entirely beyond control. I even believed you might not be capable of handling it."
He hesitated, looking incredibly guilty.
"I was wrong. I am so deeply sorry for underestimating you."
Haroku waved his hand dismissively, his usual relaxed posture returning.
"It's fine, sir," Haroku said. "We get it. It's the nature of the job."
He glanced back over his shoulder at the looming structure.
"It took some time, and it definitely wasn't easy. But the threat is neutralized. It's over now."
He turned back to the principal. "Your school is entirely free from the entities. You can reopen the wing and restart classes. Just... make sure this place feels alive again. Don't let it sit empty."
The principal's expression brightened instantly, a genuine smile breaking through his exhaustion.
"Yes, sir. Of course. We will. Thank you—both of you, from the bottom of my heart."
Then, his professional demeanor returned, and he reached for his pocket.
"Please tell me... how much payment should I arrange for the contract?"
Before Haroku could open his mouth to negotiate, I stepped forward.
"No," I said firmly.
The principal looked confused, his hand freezing on his wallet.
"We don't need your money," I told him.
"Why?" he asked, clearly taken aback. "You risked your lives."
I met his eyes, my expression dead serious.
"Because this case... is personal."
For a moment, he didn't respond. He looked between Haroku and me, clearly not understanding the depth of what that meant. But he was smart enough to realize he didn't need to.
After a second, he slowly nodded.
"I understand," he said quietly, putting his hand down.
Then, as if suddenly remembering something, his warm smile returned.
"But please, you have to at least allow me to offer you something for your trouble."
Haroku raised an eyebrow, his interest piqued. "What is it?"
The principal's smile widened. "Our specific region of the countryside is famous for its sweets. Please, accept a box for the road... as a token of our immense gratitude."
I glanced sideways at Haroku.
He gave a small, approving nod. After the night we just had, why not.
I looked back at the principal.
"What are they called?"
He answered proudly.
"Anomi."