Chapter 139: Slender Ghost in the Underground Passage, Gorgeous Debut of "Quantum"
At this moment, Kyoto's eternal scapegoat, Yagami Soichiro, the Chief of Criminal Investigation Bureau who always led from the front and walked on the front line of the scene, was having a heated exchange with the person in charge of the Kyoto train station.
"What exactly is going on!? Passengers on the train are trapped in a pitch-black tunnel; do you know how much trouble this will cause!? If handled poorly, it will cost lives!"
Facing Yagami Soichiro's stern questioning, the person in charge of the train station wiped the sweat from his forehead with his cuff and replied cautiously.
"Chief Yagami, we have already dispatched professional rescue personnel; it won't take much time to..."
"Won't take much time!?"
Hearing this, Yagami Soichiro became even angrier, tapping his watch with his left hand, shouting angrily.
"Fifteen minutes have passed; where are your people? Where are the rescue personnel you sent!? Not even a message sent back!"
"Th... This..."
The person in charge of the train station was sweating profusely, speechless.
He didn't know why either.
The professional rescue personnel he sent out could maintain contact at first, but once they went deep into the passage, they would lose contact inexplicably.
Several groups sent out one after another were all like this.
"No need to say more."
Yagami Soichiro waved his big hand, obviously having no intention of continuing to argue with the person in charge, just speaking in a deep voice.
"From now on, our Police Department will carry out the rescue operation and rescue all trapped passengers immediately."
"Chief Yagami, this..."
"Say no more."
Yagami Soichiro looked at the person in charge with a serious face.
"If any accident or even death happens to the passengers trapped in the underground train passage, can you take this responsibility?"
"Th... This..."
The person in charge stammered, replying with a troubled face.
"But... the environment inside the underground passage is pitch black, and the terrain is very complicated. If not personnel with professional training, there is a high probability of danger."
Yagami Soichiro glanced at the person in charge.
"The track has been powered off, right?"
"Mmhmm, the moment the failure occurred, the power was cut off immediately."
"That's good."
Yagami Soichiro had no mood to continue arguing with the person in charge.
He represented the Kyoto Police Department, the law enforcement agency.
Continuing to delay time would only increase the possibility of accidents for passengers trapped in the passage.
Yagami Soichiro was an excellent Chief of Criminal Investigation Bureau. Although his character was somewhat pedantic, he always put the personal safety of the people first.
"You guys, follow me."
Yagami Soichiro brought two squads, totaling no more than twenty members, without wearing bulletproof vests or carrying heavy weapons, just basic pistols.
After all, the purpose was to rescue passengers trapped in the train, not to deal with some violent gang.
Yagami Soichiro jumped off the platform, leading the members of the two squads, walking quickly towards the deep and pitch-black passage.
After entering the passage for nearly a hundred meters, everyone felt a cold breeze blowing past them.
Including Yagami Soichiro, the members of the Police Department didn't feel anything unusual.
After all, this was an underground tunnel; it was normal to have some cold wind.
....
Meanwhile, on the other side of the train passage.
"A bit cold."
Rio wrapped her clothes tighter, rubbing her hands and blowing into her palms.
Looking at her shivering slightly from the cold, Yoru smiled.
"How about I carry you?"
"What are you saying?"
Rio frowned.
"We are preparing for exorcism now; be serious."
After finishing this sentence, she pushed her glasses frame, blushing slightly, and added in a voice as tiny as a mosquito's.
"However... after eliminating the evil spirit, letting you hug is not impossible."
Yoru replied sincerely without any concealment as always.
"So reluctant? Then I'll go find Miko tonight."
"Forbidden!"
Rio snorted lightly, reaching out to grab his sleeve.
"Besides, Miko said she's not free tonight."
"Then I'll find Mai."
"Mai-senpai is also not free; she is guarding Makinohara Shoko."
"Then I'll find Hachishaku."
Rio looked displeased.
"You rank me last?"
Yoru replied with a chuckle.
"Look at what you're saying; how is that possible?"
"Consider you sensible..."
Before Rio could finish, Yoru said very sincerely.
"There are a few more I haven't mentioned yet."
Rio's expression froze. After a long while, she sighed helplessly holding her forehead.
"You guy... truly a scumbag."
"No, I am a Pure Love Warrior."
"Hmph, I believe you my ghost."
After complaining, Rio looked at the deep and pitch-black underground passage in front of her and spoke slowly.
"Back to business, this time it was indeed my mistake."
"I didn't consider that evil spirits would exist in the underground passage of the train."
"Thinking carefully, the environment here is indeed very suitable for evil spirits to hide and develop secretly. Moreover, it is inherently dark. Even if there is a 'Door' with a high degree of opening affecting reality, passengers won't notice anomalies."
"Not considering this point... is my mistake."
Looking at Rio's self-blaming expression and eyes, Yoru just said plainly.
"No need to blame yourself. You and Miko wouldn't run to such a place for usual scouting either."
"Just save everyone before the situation gets worse."
Rio nodded, then looked at Yoru meaningfully, the corner of her mouth raising a smile uncontrollably.
"The old you definitely wouldn't say such things."
"Don't talk nonsense."
Yoru waved his hand casually.
"I am the Chosen One selected by heaven to save this world, possessing uninhibited aptitude."
Rio couldn't help laughing, replying noncommittally in the tone Yoru usually used to drag out the ending sound.
"Sure~"
.....
Five minutes later, the police squad led by Yagami Soichiro.
"What is... this smell?"
Yagami Soichiro's face changed. He raised his right hand, stopping the team members behind him.
As a detective with many years of criminal investigation experience, he was very sensitive to this smell floating in the air now.
Since entering the profession, Yagami Soichiro often smelled this scent almost unsmellable in life.
The smell of blood.
Not animal blood, but human blood.
"Act cautiously."
Yagami Soichiro took out his pistol from his waist, holding the gun with both hands, walking forward step by step.
The passage was pitch black without any light. Only the light of flashlights held by several police members could illuminate the scene ahead.
With approaching step by step, the bloody smell in the air also became stronger.
"This is!?"
When the flashlight beam suddenly shone on the ground, accompanied by the sticky feeling underfoot, Yagami Soichiro finally saw the source of the bloody smell in the air clearly.
The scene appearing before his eyes, even with his years of criminal investigation experience, made his pupils dilate in shock.
The ground was full of viscous blood.
And on that dark red river lay fragmented human bodies.
"This..."
If it were an ordinary person, they would have been scared out of their wits by now.
But as the Chief of Criminal Investigation Bureau, Yagami Soichiro tightened his grip on the gun, squatted down, moved closer, and began observing the breaks of those fragmented corpses.
"This is... laceration? Like caused by some animal biting..."
Through the clothing on the fragmented corpses, Yagami Soichiro had judged the identities of these deceased. They were exactly the batches of rescue personnel sent by the person in charge to rescue the trapped members.
But why?
Why die in such a strange way?
"Could it be that some wild beast is lurking in the underground passage?"
Yagami Soichiro frowned tightly, thinking impossible.
Leaving aside whether there are corners for wild beasts to hide in the underground passage.
The train tracks are usually powered by high voltage electricity; touching means certain death.
How could wild beasts survive in such a place?
"Contact headquarters, request..."
Yagami Soichiro turned his head. Halfway through speaking, he froze.
Unknown when, the police members had disappeared, leaving only a few lonely flashlights lying on the ground flickering.
At the end of the field of vision, in that deep darkness, a figure about three or four meters tall, very thin, even could be called slender, was slowly approaching here.
In the darkness, Yagami Soichiro couldn't see the opponent's face clearly. What he could hear in his ears was only a slight whimper like the wind.
"Can... you see me?"
Yagami Soichiro's face changed completely.
What is this thing!?
At this moment, Yagami Soichiro recalled the fear and oppression of seeing Hachishaku-sama in the teaching building of Kyoto Municipal Kindergarten back then.
This thing...
Absolutely not human.
The moment this thought appeared in Yagami Soichiro's mind, he had already raised his pistol, aimed at the head position of that slender ghost shadow, and pulled the trigger without any hesitation.
Bang!
The deafening gunshot echoed in the underground passage.
Before Yagami Soichiro could breathe a sigh of relief, he saw the slender ghost shadow's head only tilt back slightly after being hit by the bullet.
Immediately after, the opponent continued to approach him slowly step by step.
That weird whispered words like a breeze blowing sounded again.
"You... can indeed see me."
"Hehe, firearms don't work..."
Yagami Soichiro showed a bitter smile, a desperate expression of "as expected."
Not knowing why.
He didn't even feel surprised at all.
First that tall woman in white, then that "Mask."
Yagami Soichiro even had a wonderful idea.
If bullets really worked on the monster in front of me, I would be surprised instead.
This world...
Has gone crazy, right?
Although thinking so, as the Chief of Criminal Investigation Bureau, his sense of responsibility didn't allow him to give up at such a time.
He gritted his teeth, fired all the bullets in the chamber in one breath, then turned around directly, running quickly towards the darkness ahead of the passage.
Hit by seven or eight bullets consecutively, the slender ghost shadow just paused in place for a moment, then started moving again.
Under the condition of "Observation," humans could harm evil spirits.
But, only causing harm.
Only spirit mediums could eliminate evil spirits.
Weapons weren't the most important; people were the most important.
Even if Yagami Soichiro fired hundreds or even thousands of bullets with the gun in his hand, he couldn't truly kill the evil spirit.
But if changed to a gun in a spirit medium's hand, there was a possibility of eliminating the evil spirit.
Of course.
The best effect was still spiritual items carrying spiritual power themselves.
Consecrated bullets also worked.
Yagami Soichiro ran for nearly a kilometer. Fortunately, he didn't neglect exercise usually; otherwise, his physical strength would have failed long ago.
Finally, he saw the train stopped on the track, motionless ahead.
Yagami Soichiro ran to the rear of the carriage, searched with a flashlight, found the emergency switch, and opened the door at the rear of the carriage.
After entering the dim carriage, he originally planned to continue forward, but stopped, turned around, and locked the door again.
Yagami Soichiro didn't know what that slender ghost shadow exactly was.
He only hoped the train's shell was enough to block the opponent.
Otherwise...
Thinking of the bloody scene on the ground, Yagami Soichiro felt heavy in his heart. He took out a spare magazine from his waist, changed it for his firearm, then continued to walk slowly towards the front of the carriage.
"Everyone, calm down!"
A train was divided into many carriages.
Yagami Soichiro was just glad now that the time of the train failure wasn't during the morning or evening rush hours.
Otherwise, more than just hundreds of passengers would be trapped here.
"I am Yagami Soichiro, Chief of Criminal Investigation Bureau of the Police Department. Please line up and follow me to evacuate in an orderly manner!"
With the help of staff, Yagami Soichiro led the passengers on the train, moving slowly from the rear of the carriage to the front.
Logically speaking, the distance from this direction to the next platform was nearly five kilometers, far inferior to returning directly from the direction of the rear of the carriage.
However....
Taking the initiative to approach that slender ghost shadow, wasn't that seeking death?
Kawasaki Saki, Marin, and Keika inside the carriage also followed in the passenger team, moving forward slowly under the leadership of Yagami Soichiro and staff.
Just then.
Boom!!!
The whole train suddenly shook violently.
"Keika!"
Kawasaki Saki grabbed the handrail, protecting Keika in her arms with the other hand.
"I'm fine, Sister."
Kawasaki Saki breathed a sigh of relief, but saw Marin sitting on the seat aside, clutching her ankle, face full of pain.
"What's wrong, Marin? Hit somewhere?"
"N... no."
Marin endured the pain, squeezed out a smile, and waved her hand.
"Just accidentally twisted my foot."
"Can you still walk?"
"Mmhmm, no problem."
Because Marin twisted her foot and walked with difficulty, the three originally in the middle of the queue waited until other passengers had passed before standing up.
Staff led at the front of the queue, while Yagami Soichiro holding a firearm stayed at the very back of the queue.
He kept staring vigilantly at the rear of the train. Just now when the train shook, he almost made a mistake of accidental discharge due to nervousness only made by rookie police officers.
Yagami Soichiro could feel sweat seeping from his palms.
Not that he was timid.
But facing an existence immeasurable by common sense, as long as one was a normal person, it was inevitable to have such a reaction.
Just when the passengers on the train were almost all evacuated from the train, everyone suddenly heard a sharp roar.
"You... all can see!"
Accompanying this sharp, inhuman, ear-piercing roar, Yagami Soichiro saw that slender ghost shadow suddenly appearing at the end of his field of vision.
At this moment, he finally discovered.
It wasn't that he couldn't see the opponent's face clearly.
But the opponent had no face at all.
The whole body was just composed of pure pitch-black mist.
Yagami Soichiro didn't hesitate at all, pulling the trigger of the firearm directly.
Bang!
Facing the bullet shot, the slender ghost shadow just flashed and dodged it.
Immediately after, it emitted that ear-piercing sharp roar again, pouncing towards Marin, Kawasaki Saki, Keika, and Yagami Soichiro blocking in front of them.
Bang, bang, bang...
Yagami Soichiro didn't hesitate, choosing to empty the magazine again.
The result was the same.
Firearm bullets couldn't even play a slight hindering role for that slender ghost shadow.
Looking at the ghost shadow pouncing to only a few meters away, Marin and Kawasaki Saki's bodies had stiffened.
Their minds went blank, unable to make any reaction at all.
Just then, a petite figure wearing white clothes crashed directly through the roof of the train, landing in front of the slender ghost shadow.
"Hone-Onna."
"Yes."
As these two words were uttered, a woman wearing a kimono appeared instantly.
A bone spur extended from her wide sleeve robe, piercing the head of that slender ghost shadow directly at a speed almost invisible to the naked eye.
"Hmm? This is too weak..."
Until then, Yagami Soichiro saw clearly the outfit worn by this mysterious person.
Coat, long boots, mask, pure white long hair.
Although the figure looked very petite, like "Mask," it was impossible to determine gender from appearance.
Just different from the color of "Mask's" outfit.
The outfit worn by this mysterious person presented an overall pale white color similar to bone.
And the opponent's mask seemed made of bone material, face invisible.
"Are you hurt?"
The mysterious person turned around. The voice couldn't distinguish gender, but those eyes made Kawasaki Saki and Marin feel inexplicably familiar.
Just as Yagami Soichiro wanted to answer, his face suddenly changed.
"Watch your back!"
The moment his voice fell, several identical slender ghost shadows exactly the same in appearance appeared from the ground not illuminated by light, biting towards the mysterious person in front.
"Truly boring~"
With this slightly lazy and charming female voice sounding, a huge furry animal claw appeared suddenly, crushing several slender ghost shadows directly into powder.
After this claw retracted, Yagami Soichiro and others, as well as Rio, saw clearly the true face of the person who acted.
Tamamo-no-Mae, wearing a kimono and dressed like an ancient Sakura Prefecture woman, walked slowly to Rio's side, smiling and speaking.
"Where is that one? Didn't come with you?"
Rio wasn't surprised that Tamamo-no-Mae could recognize her in this outfit.
After all, the opponent was a powerful yokai; if she couldn't even do this, it would be truly shameful.
"He is helping evacuate the innocent."
"Ah?"
Hearing this, Tamamo-no-Mae seemed somewhat surprised.
"He actually evacuates innocent people? This isn't like his style."
"Indeed evacuating."
Rio said faintly.
"Just in his unique way."
...
On the other side, Yoru, standing outside the train, already changed into the "Mask" outfit, holding a black pistol in his hand, looking at hundreds of passengers and train staff in front of him, a white smiley face pattern appearing on the pure black mask.
"I count to ten."
"After I finish counting, I start hunting you down."
"Those who successfully reach the platform before I catch up can survive."
"Now, countdown begins."
"10, 9, 8, 7...."