Just as she was basking in the fleeting warmth of Nozomi's presence, Yurikawa Hana—caught in a daze and secretly entertaining thoughts of inching closer—suddenly froze.
A dark, gnarled shadow slithered forward in the distance, its form more felt than seen.
Her breath caught. Eyes wide. Hands clamped over her mouth. Both knees threatened to give in.
"N-Nozomi... Miko... d-did you see that?!"
Nozomi calmly wrapped an arm around her trembling waist and leaned close to her ear, his voice calm yet oddly reassuring.
"Don't panic. That thing ahead? It's the target of tonight's exorcise drill."
Yurikawa's cheeks flushed. Some strength returned to her limbs, but when her eyes met the grotesque silhouette again, fear took over. She squeaked and ducked behind Nozomi, clutching the back of his coat.
"I-I don't care what it is!" "It... it said it wants to eat me!"
"Hehehe... So fragrant... You smell delicious..."
"Hehehe... You can see me, can't you?"
The creature's form was a writhing patch of distorted darkness. Fangs gnashed and saliva dripped as it fixated on Yurikawa's vibrant life force, pulsing like a lantern in a sea of malice.
But she wasn't the only one.
It turned to Miko, whose long, flowing black hair gleamed faintly in the gloom.
"You... you can see me too, can't you? Hehehe..."
Miko's eyes sharpened.
"You bet I can. And your stink is just as clear."
Nozomi, silent until now, heard the chime of his system in his ear.
[Spirit Eye Attack fully charged.]
He narrowed his eyes, tone calm and detached. "You're the one who slaughtered those 7 people recently, right? The one preying on housewives, Why?"
The spirit grinned.
"Why? Because they're annoying! Nagging, fake, always pretending! I hated them!"
"Now that you can see me... you'll be joining them! Become one with me, hehehe—"
With a guttural growl, it erupted in a cloud of rancid black mist that enveloped the street.
Its domain.
As the smog licked across the ground, soaking into skin and spirit alike, fear slithered into their hearts.
"Ahhh! It's like a nightmare!"
"Kyaaa! This is way scarier than I thought!" Yotsuya Miko screamed, clinging to Nozomi's sleeve.
Yotsuya Miko and Yurikawa Hana screamed and ducked behind Nozomi, pressing into his back like terrified cubs.
Even Kousaka Daisuke, the hard-nosed detective, stepped back unconsciously. Cold sweat dotted his brow.
This wasn't something a badge or a gun could stop.
Nozomi stood firm, unbothered by the demonic pressure or the whispers gnawing at his sanity.
"Seriously? Pulling that old domain trick? What are you, some dollar-store mid-boss?"
A crooked smile tugged at his lips.
"Monster, I can tell at a glance... from the beginning you weren't human!"
He snapped his fingers.
[Ding! Spirit Eye activated!]
A holy white light ripped down from the heavens, piercing the veil of shadows. The darkness recoiled and hissed.
[Ding! Yin-Yang double damage effect triggered!] [Ding! Effect stacked! Target's HP dropping rapidly!]
The twisted creature writhed on the ground, smoke rising from its flesh as it twitched and screeched.
"Gaaaahhh! No! This is impossible! Who... what ARE you?!"
Nozomi walked forward slowly, every step echoing like thunder.
"Me? I'm just a passing high schooler. But next time... try not to bump into me. You might not be so lucky."
He raised his hand.
A pitch-black flame, like a jet of inked lightning, erupted from his palm and pierced through the creature.It didn't just burn—it judged. The sinister spirit, once so full of malevolent laughter and twisted confidence, screamed in agony as its very essence was consumed.
In mere seconds, the entity's presence flickered out. All that remained was a scattering of ash that caught the breeze, spiraling up into the night sky like a forgotten curse finally lifted.
With a casual flick, Nozomi snapped his fingers.
The black fire vanished in a puff.
"All done."
He turned to the two girls, offering a relaxed grin.
"Ladies, allow me to escort you home."
Yurikawa stared at him for a second. Then, like a dam breaking, she hurled herself into his arms.
"Waaahhh! You jerk! You LIAR!"
"You said it was just an exercise! That was terrifying!!"
Kousaka Daisuke and Nozomi exchanged an awkward glance. Even as a hardened investigator, Daisuke looked like he'd rather fight three yakuza thugs than deal with crying teenage girls.
Yotsuya Miko rolled her eyes and muttered, "Here we go again."
Still, despite the tears, Miko couldn't hide her smile. Yurikawa may have been frightened, but at least she now knew the truth. And maybe, just maybe, this was the start of something greater—for both of them.
After a while, and likely due to the subtle calming aura Nozomi unconsciously emitted, Yurikawa finally stopped crying. She hiccuped and looked up, teary-eyed but visibly calmer.
Turning to Miko, she sniffled, "Miko-chan, I don't want to sleep alone tonight. You have to stay with me!"
Miko laughed softly. "Of course. Actually, I have something important to talk to you about anyway."
Meanwhile, Nozomi and Kousaka Daisuke quietly walked off into the night, the tension easing from their shoulders.
Nozomi slipped a slip of paper into his pocket, glancing at it once. Yurikawa's number. Not bad for a night's work.
Yurikawa, after all, was practically a beacon for evil spirits. If they needed bait again, well... Nozomi wasn't cruel—but he was pragmatic.
He feared no evil. His only concern was that these creatures might harm the people he cared about. That, he would never allow.
Beside him, Kousaka Daisuke was still in shock. His mind replayed the earlier scene in a loop—flames, screams, and justice delivered by a high schooler.
He looked at Nozomi with a newfound reverence. "Say, Nozomi-kun... would you be interested in visiting my home sometime?"
Nozomi smiled slyly. "Sure. Just make sure Kirino-san is around to greet me."
"Absolutely! I'll have her make tea!"
Back at the station, Daisuke couldn't wait to close the case. Thanks to the magnetic field surrounding Nozomi, the camera he wore had miraculously recorded the entire exorcism. The footage was crystal clear—proof that could boost his standing among the force.
(Just ignore this bs)
But naturally, the video would need editing. Neither Nozomi nor the girls could afford to have their identities made public.
…
Elsewhere, Yotsuya Miko emerged from her bath, warm and relaxed. She slipped into her pajamas and put on the special bra that Nozomi had returned earlier. It was more than just underwear—it was blessed, infused with angelic charm.
As she slipped into bed, a soft thud startled her. Yurikawa had practically dived in, clinging to her like a terrified kitten.
"Hana-chan, you're still hugging me so tight. It's over now," Miko whispered.
"B-but I'm still scared! And... Miko, you lied to me!" Yuri pouted.
Miko sighed. "I'm sorry. If I told you we were going to fight an evil spirit, you never would've agreed."
"Well... maybe. But if you just said it was something serious, I might've believed you. What freaked me out the most was how that thing just—just appeared!"
"I know. I'm sorry..."
Yuri snorted, still holding on. "Hmph. I'll forgive you... but only because I got Nozomi-senpai's number."
"Wait, what?" Miko's eye twitched.
"But why did you take me with you?" Yuri asked, puzzled.
Miko grew serious. "Because your life force is... different. It's rich, vibrant. It overflows so much that it attracts evil spirits like honey attracts bees."
"My eyes are special. I can see high-level spirits—especially the ones that cling to people. I've seen them around you a lot. That's why you've been getting sick or feeling hungry out of nowhere."
She paused, letting it sink in. "Yulia Nigerudou from class has similar eyes, but she only sees low-level ones. Even she noticed how strong your life force is."
Yurikawa gasped. "No wonder I've been so hungry lately! Those things were eating me!"
With a defiant pout, she raised her fist. "I've decided! I'm gonna become an exorcist!"