He probably had a guess as to what was going on. It was either a question about Eiko Hōzuki's curse or a sign that she had run into some trouble.
"What is it?"
"About Eiko-neechan's curse, are you rested, Big Brother?"
"I guess so." Luo Guang had honestly forgotten about Eiko's curse. Compared to Kuoh City, Eiko's problem was easy to deal with.
"Then could Big Brother come over? I have something I want to tell you too," Yayoi Hōzuki said. Her tone was flat, but it was also respectful. After all, Luo Guang was the only person she had confirmed could remove curses.
"Alright. Just use the Sitri family flyer to call me." Luo Guang nodded slightly. Although it was a bit late, he understood given Yayoi's profession. Besides, he had already thought of the payment he would ask for.
Soon, the emblem with the Sitri family's crest grew warm, and a red magic circle appeared before Luo Guang's eyes. He stepped inside, the scenery around him changing rapidly. He then saw a hopeful Yayoi Hōzuki and a nervous Eiko Hōzuki.
"Yo!" The "little adult" of a dark-goth loli raised her hand to greet Luo Guang.
"From the looks of it, you didn't just bring me here to deal with a curse," Luo Guang said with a light chuckle. If it were just to remove a curse, the meeting place would have been at the Hōzuki home. But now, Luo Guang looked around. It was a dark, windy night. The wind howled through the trees, making ghostly, wailing sounds.
"Actually, when I was catching a spirit, I just happened to think of you, Big Brother. Do you believe me?" Yayoi said.
"Then let's go exorcise the spirit first." Luo Guang didn't comment further. The overall combat power in the world of Dark Gathering wasn't very high; it was more about horror and the bizarre.
The three of them walked into the forest. The night was even darker now. An ordinary person would have a hard time moving without a flashlight. But Yayoi, with her precocious personality, wasn't afraid at all. She walked in front, explaining the origin of the spirit they were trying to catch.
The night was silent, and the forest was cold. Eiko, being an ordinary person, was terrified to be pulled into a place haunted by evil spirits at such a late hour. When it was just the two of them, she would stick close to Yayoi, but now she felt safer next to Luo Guang.
Yayoi looked back and then said, "This place has a lot of legends."
"It's said that the spirits of dozens of defeated samurai, women, and children exist here."
"You can hear footsteps other than your own, and they get closer and closer until they follow you all the way home."
"You can feel many pairs of eyes watching you from the waterfall and the surrounding area."
"You can hear the sound of a staff hitting the ground."
"There's a very strong and terrifying aura at the top of the waterfall."
"And you can encounter an old hag in the middle of the night."
As soon as her voice fell, Yayoi suddenly stopped. Right in front of them, a hunched old woman with a staff had appeared. Or rather, an evil spirit.
Seeing this, Luo Guang finally understood what part of the story this was. Yayoi was here to capture a new Pokémon... no, a new evil spirit: the Self-Mutilation Child. In that case, he could confirm something he was curious about.
The old woman slowly turned around, her face ancient and covered in wrinkles. Her cloudy eyes landed on the three of them, filled with a deep longing. It had been a long time since a living person had entered this place. But tonight, three had appeared at once, enough to give her a feast. The old woman reached out toward the closest person, Yayoi. If she touched a living person, they would immediately faint, ready to be devoured.
But just then, an incredibly powerful and overbearing suction force hit her. Her feigned composure was replaced by a terrified scream. "No! What is this?!" She turned and ran, but she was instantly pulled in by the immense suction. At the same time, the evil spirits lurking in the shadows let out a chorus of ghostly wails, and without exception, they were all sucked into the Myriad Souls Banner in Luo Guang's hand. The black aura on the flag became denser than ever before.
But the suction wasn't over. Luo Guang infused magic power into the banner, and the area of effect quickly enveloped the entire mountain. It also caught the Self-Mutilation Child that Yayoi had identified as an S-rank evil spirit, who was perched at the top of the waterfall. Even she was swaying unsteadily against the suction force. A thick black aura and blood seeped from her head, but her resistance was useless. After just a second of stalemate, she was absorbed into the Myriad Souls Banner.
When Luo Guang put the banner away, the entire forest fell silent. Even the moonlight filtering through the gaps between the trees seemed a few shades brighter.
"Whoa!" Yayoi's initial shock turned into curiosity as she stared at the small black flag in Luo Guang's palm.
Eiko, meanwhile, stood up, holding her skirt in place, realizing she had almost been exposed. She still didn't understand what had just happened.
"Is that the banner that the spirit of Kishimojin gave you, Big Brother? What's it called?"
"The Human Emperor Banner," Luo Guang said in a serious tone.