Chapter 35: Public Panic
By the next morning, the supernatural incident at Houjou University Attached High School had spread across Shibuya Ward like wildfire, then surged outward through all of Tokyo with unstoppable speed.
Almost overnight, the entire metropolis knew.
What followed was exactly the kind of chain reaction the authorities feared most. Panic spread through the public, and social unease rose sharply. The residents living near Houjou University Attached High School were the first to react. Many packed up and left before noon. Some moved in with relatives in other districts, while others hurriedly rented temporary places far from the academy.
It was the clearest kind of fear imaginable.
They had homes, yet none of them dared go back.
The administration of Houjou University Attached High School was in even worse shape. Their phones rang without pause as calls poured in from parents, reporters, and multiple government departments demanding a full explanation. The school had no room left to maneuver. With no other choice, it announced a temporary closure.
As for when classes would resume, the school only posted a vague notice on its website.
Further updates pending.
Everyone understood what that meant. Until the school could calm the students and their families, reopening was nothing more than wishful thinking. And even if classes resumed, few believed attendance would recover anytime soon.
It was not a matter of cowardice.
This was the age of supernatural recovery. People everywhere were living like birds startled by the mere rustle of grass. The string in everyone's heart was drawn tight, terrified that one careless step might bring some filthy thing to their door and end their life in the dark.
The authorities kept repeating the same reassuring message.
Under the joint efforts of the government, the Onmyo Agency, the Onmyo Alliance, the Onmyo Academy, and the major Supernatural Affairs Offices, the number of supernatural incidents across Japan was steadily decreasing. Public order would soon stabilize. Society would recover.
At first, that propaganda had worked.
But only at first.
As supernatural incidents continued to erupt, spread, and worsen, especially in an age where information could travel through the internet faster than any official statement, the public had gradually developed a numb distrust toward these carefully polished reassurances. At this point, each new slogan only sounded more hollow than the last.
The supernatural incident at Houjou University Attached High School was also stirring up heavy discussion inside the [Supernatural Exchange Group].
[Loves Cats The Most: I really did not think something this big could still happen in Shibuya Ward. Is there even any truly safe place left in Tokyo anymore?]
The anxiety in that message was obvious.
[Bad Girl: Tokyo still has the Onmyo Agency and the Onmyo Academy standing guard, so there is no need to sink into pure pessimism.]
[Bad Girl: That said, an incident like this breaking out in Shibuya Ward really does make one wonder whether the large scale surge of supernatural recovery has already begun.]
[Water Lily: It is worrying.]
[Manga Master: There have been incidents with a similar level of danger before, but why did this one cause such a huge shockwave? Even the butlers and servants in my house are panicking.]
Manga Master's confusion was understandable.
The scale of this incident was indeed severe, but it was not unprecedented. Compared to the bloody mass killings that had happened in remote towns before, this should not have created such an explosive reaction on its own.
[Four Leaf Clover: Because in the minds of many people, cities like Tokyo and Kyoto are supposed to be absolutely safe. The authorities have pushed that narrative for a long time, using those cities as proof that the situation is under control.]
[Four Leaf Clover: This incident shattered that illusion. More importantly, Houjou University Attached High School tried to suppress the truth before the matter exploded. That has made many people suspect the authorities are doing the same thing and hiding supernatural incidents behind the scenes.]
[Four Leaf Clover: To be fair, the authorities have indeed done exactly that. Once that suspicion takes root, the panic naturally spreads on its own.]
[Manga Master: I see.]
After Shinomiya Kaguya's explanation, the group immediately understood the real source of the fear.
The issue was not just the incident itself.
It was the collapse of confidence.
[Wind Leaf: ...A supernatural incident happened in Shibuya Ward? Since when?]
Kurazaki Fuko had finally come online. Judging from her response, she was clearly only just hearing about it.
[Loves Cats The Most: It already spread through Tokyo overnight. Your news sense is terrible.]
[Wind Leaf: Please. This young lady is in Kyoto, not Tokyo. Something blowing up across Tokyo overnight does not mean it instantly reaches Kyoto too.]
Kurazaki Fuko's reply came with visible exasperation.
For the past several days, she had been buried in family matters. The deaths in her aunt's household had hit her family hard, and dealing with the aftermath had taken nearly all her attention. On top of that, she had visited the Keikain Clan several times, hoping that through her family's connection with them, she might be allowed to formally study Onmyodo.
Unfortunately, the answer she received had been vague.
The clan elders and Keikain Hidemoto were currently away. Until they returned, no one below them was willing to make that decision.
[Bad Girl: Since we are on the topic, can anyone here explain the details of the incident?]
The group instantly fell quiet.
Many had heard about it. Few knew anything concrete. Most only had fragments and rumor.
After a long silence, a new message finally appeared.
[Group Leader: No one here should know more about this incident than I do. I will explain it.]
At once, the attention of the entire [Supernatural Exchange Group] shifted.
[Group Leader: It started with a Wedding Dress Tree from a thousand years ago, a place called Mingao Village, and an onmyoji who is not exactly a stranger to us…]
.....
[If you don't want to wait for the next update, read 50 chapters ahead on P@treon.]
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