The morning was gray when Rika and Hitomi began their training.
They stood inside an abandoned warehouse on the edge of Tokyo—quiet, hidden, the perfect place for power to awaken without attracting attention. The floor was cracked and dusty, and sunlight filtered through broken windows like slanted gold spears.
Hitomi adjusted the wide hat that still hid her face. "You're sure this is safe?"
Rika smiled faintly. "Safe enough. But control isn't about safety—it's about balance."
She opened the ancient book, and the air shimmered with a soft hum. Ghostly symbols glowed across its pages like veins of light. "I need to understand how your energy reacts to mine. If you lose control, I'll seal part of the spirit—just enough to weaken it. Then you'll take over again."
Hitomi nodded, though she looked uneasy. "And if I can't take over?"
"Then I'll pull you back," Rika said firmly. "You're not alone in this."
---
Rika drew a circle of salt on the ground, then stepped back. "Stand there. Close your eyes and breathe deeply. Try to let the ghost's power rise slowly—not all at once."
Hitomi obeyed. The moment she closed her eyes, her breath hitched. The world fell quiet. She could feel the presence stirring deep inside—the tall woman's sorrow, her rage, her endless hunger.
Her shadow lengthened unnaturally, stretching across the floor.
"Good," Rika said calmly. "Now hold it there. Don't let it overwhelm you."
Hitomi's voice trembled. "It's… strong. It's like standing in a storm."
"Then anchor yourself," Rika replied. "Think of something that belongs to you. Something that reminds you who you are."
Hitomi clenched her fists. She thought of her mother's laugh, the feel of sunlight on her face, the sound of her name being called before everything changed.
The ghost's voice hissed faintly—You cling to what is gone…
"I still have a name!" Hitomi snapped, her eyes flashing open. For a moment, her irises gleamed red, and the tall, shadowy outline of Hachishakusama flickered behind her like a mirage.
Rika's eyes widened. The floor vibrated from the sheer pressure of her spirit energy.
Then, with a sharp gasp, Hitomi forced it down. The shadow dissolved, leaving her trembling but standing.
Rika approached her and smiled slightly. "You did it."
Hitomi panted. "Barely. She's… quieter now, though."
"That's progress," Rika said. "You're not fighting her—you're learning to coexist."
---
Over the next few days, their training grew more complex. Rika taught Hitomi how to channel her ghost energy into objects—candles, stones, even air currents—to redirect attacks instead of destroying them.
When Hitomi concentrated, the temperature around her would drop sharply, and faint whispers would echo from nowhere. Rika remained calm each time, guiding her like a patient teacher.
One evening, as the sun sank beyond the skyline, Rika lit a single candle between them.
"This time," she said softly, "I want you to merge our power. Don't hold back."
Hitomi frowned. "Merge? Isn't that dangerous?"
"Everything we do is dangerous," Rika replied. "But if we can combine our energies, we can amplify each other's strength—and maybe face what's coming."
Hitomi nodded reluctantly. They both closed their eyes.
Rika's spirit energy rose first—calm, steady, like a river flowing through stone. Then Hitomi's surged forward—cold, fierce, chaotic. For a moment, they clashed violently, wind whipping through the warehouse.
"Focus!" Rika shouted. "Find the rhythm!"
Hitomi gritted her teeth. The voice inside whispered again—She trusts you. Do not break her.
Hitomi reached through the chaos, touching Rika's energy with her own. Warmth and cold met, swirling together.
Then—silence.
When they opened their eyes, the candle burned with blue fire. Around them, the air shimmered faintly with symbols neither could read.
Rika smiled in awe. "We did it."
Hitomi looked down at her hands—they glowed faintly, her veins laced with blue light. "I can feel everything," she whispered. "It's like the ghost and I are finally breathing together."
"Good," Rika said. "Then we're ready for the next step."
---
Between training sessions, the two women talked. Rika shared her story—the missing parents, the book, the grandmother who created it. Hitomi listened quietly, her expression thoughtful.
"You're lucky," Hitomi said one night as they sat by the riverbank, watching the reflections of neon lights dance on the water. "You had someone who believed in you. I just woke up cursed."
Rika looked at her. "You're not cursed, Hitomi. You were chosen—like me. Not for punishment, but for purpose."
Hitomi laughed weakly. "Chosen to be tall, terrifying, and followed by a creepy ghost sound?"
Rika smiled. "Maybe chosen to prove that even monsters can protect the living."
Hitomi glanced at her, then smiled softly for the first time. "You really believe that?"
"I have to," Rika said quietly. "Otherwise, none of this means anything."
---
On the seventh day, Rika decided they were ready for a full test.
She placed five talismans around the warehouse and summoned one of the captured spirits from her book—a small, weak one made from pure shadow.
"If you can control your power while this spirit attacks," Rika said, "you'll know you've mastered the balance."
The creature lunged. Hitomi reacted instinctively, her tall silhouette flaring behind her. She caught the spirit midair, her eyes flashing red—then quickly softened them.
Instead of crushing it, she wrapped the shadow in her aura and pressed her palm to it.
The spirit dissolved into mist and was gone.
Rika exhaled, smiling. "You've done it."
Hitomi stood still, trembling. "I… didn't lose control. I could feel her helping me."
"The spirit inside you?"
Hitomi nodded. "She doesn't want destruction anymore. She wants peace."
Rika stepped forward and put a hand on her shoulder. "Then maybe that's what we'll give her."
---
Later that night, Rika and Hitomi walked through the quiet streets toward a small safe house where Keizo and Tamao waited.
"Who are we meeting again?" Hitomi asked.
"Friends," Rika replied. "They've helped me before. They'll need to understand who you are—if we're going to work together."
When they arrived, Keizo was leaning against the table, arms crossed, while Tamao was sorting through exorcism charms. Both looked up when the door slid open.
Keizo frowned. "You're late. Who's—"
He froze mid-sentence as Hitomi stepped into the light. Her tall frame, her ghostly presence, the faint echo of po… po… po that rippled through the air—it all made the temperature drop instantly.
Tamao stumbled back, eyes wide. "Rika, is that—!? That's Hachishakusama!?"
Rika raised her hand calmly. "Not anymore. Her name is Hitomi. She's with us."
Keizo's jaw tightened. "You're telling me the cursed spirit that eats souls is with us?"
"She's not a spirit," Rika said firmly. "She's a person—like us. And she's the reason we might actually have a chance."
For a long moment, no one spoke. The tension was thick enough to cut.
Then Hitomi bowed slightly. "I know what you've heard about me. Most of it's true. But I'm not the monster you think I am. Not anymore."
Keizo studied her face—then slowly nodded. "If Rika trusts you… then I'll trust you. For now."
Tamao swallowed hard but nodded too. "Just… please don't stand too close."
Rika laughed softly, the tension breaking at last. "Good. Then we're finally all on the same side."
The four of them sat together under the dim light of the safe house, unaware that far beyond Tokyo's borders, something ancient had begun to stir.
The entity that had stolen lives for generations was watching—waiting for its chosen ones to awaken.