Chapter 12.1: Evil Spirit Exterminator I


    No<em>i</em>way<em>Trantor: MadHatter</em>


    Hey


    The<em>i</em>white-faced guy showed no indication of waking up. After all, he had been in this state for a whole day. No way he would wake up normally.


    It was<em>i</em>only natural that he was dead Unless he was a monster. If he were human, he would be dead.


    Perspiration<em>i</em>ran down the top of my nose. Did he seriously die No, Yakumo said something like that, but he was not yet


    At<em>i</em>this time, far from being calm, I was trapped in panic. Therefore, at the sight of Yakumo, who did not budge at all even though I pulled and shook him, it was hopeless for me to simply cease my train of thought. In<em>i</em>a fit of desperation, I tried to do everything in my power to keep him alive.


    Cardiac<em>i</em>massage and resuscitation.


    I vaguely recollected the procedure, but it was the only thing I could undertake at this point. There was no other choice.


    With all my might, I<em>i</em>slid myself into the charred tree and attempted to pull Yakumo out.


    Gugh!<em>i</em>Ughhhhhh!!


    An<em>i</em>extraordinary weight enveloped my overall body.


    No, I<em>i</em>couldnt drag Yakumo out from under me in this position. Furthermore, even a single fallen tree was considerably heavy. By myself, I could not even lift it up, let alone throw it over.


    That<em>i</em>being said, giving up easily was not an option. The survival of this man was the key to me leaving this ce alive. There was no way to go back. As long as even the slightest bit of hope existed, I would do anything, even reckless attempts.


    From the bottom of my stomach, I exerted all the strength I could muster, and lifted therge tree on my back. The gap was somewhat wide, but not enough. Nheless, perhaps because the tree had been removed, the unconscious Yakumo spewed out a stream of filthy water mixed with blood.


    Yakumo, can<em>i</em>you hear me! Wake up!


    Damn, as expected, it was heavy, and my back was wobbling.


    You dragged me all the way to this ce, so dont just dump me here! Take responsibility!


    I nevertheless maintained a steady tone as I let out a persistent screech.


    With every scream, my voice wavered with impatience.


    Wake up, wake up, wake up.


    I beg you.


    Dont die.<em>Not shared on aggregator sites</em>


    Dont<em>i</em>die.


    Dont<em>i</em>you dare die!


    The face<em>i</em>of Hyuga shed in my mind briefly before disappearing.


    I hurt her, and Hyugas<em>i</em>dead face


    Yakumo!!


    Regardless of how much screaming was issued, Yakumo still wouldnt wake up. My arms were numb from the lifting, and my legs were reaching their limits.


    I strained my arms, which were riddled with blood vessels, even harder, determined not to be outdone, and stepped back on my legs.


    Right then


    Without warning, the weight of therge tree solidified, and one of my knees yielded to the ground.


    It was different from before, what was this weight


    Huh


    When I thought so, I felt something damp against my forehead area. Apanied by a bad premonition, I stretched my neck and faced upward. What stuck to my forehead was long ck hair. My eyes were unable to tear themselves away from the bloodshot eyes that had sprung into my field of vision.


    Uuh haha, ha, ahaha.


    Woman it was a woman.


    A woman was on top of the tree I was lifting. She was leaning over to peer into it, and her face was directly above me. It was like a gigantic balloonan unbelievably inted, hideous face.


    Hieeeee


    With a thin smile on her features, the woman gripped my screaming head with her piercing fingernails.


    Thergetree dropped significantly as my strength waspletely sapped away. I jerked my head around to attempt to free myself from the womans hands, but the grasp was too firm and I was unable to do so. Instead, the nails sunk even deeper into me, inflicting pain on me.


    Ii, hyonyi, hihe e.


    When she grabbed my head, I waspelled to turn my head and stare directly into the womans face.


    With a mouth that was missing some of her teeth, she made me hear horrific sounds. The next thing I noticed was a dull ache in both of my legs as well, and there was no way I was going to check it out under the circumstances. Both of my ankles were seized with such force that I thought bruises might develop on them.


    Something was undeniably doing that to me. I didnt want to imagine any further. The weight on my body heightened again.


    Why?


    Since I had the talisman, I shouldnt be affected by this, so why


    It was then that I was reminded that I had just taken a major tumble. It couldnt be


    Did I tear it at that time?


    That was the only thing I could conceive of it, otherwise, I wouldnt have suddenly gotten into such a bind.


    The womans force was so intense that the bones in my neck screeched across my entire body.


    This woman, no way, she was trying to break it


    Gah, a-ah, stop, stop, damn!!


    Even though I resisted, it was the same as before, not even flinching. Perhaps it was because they died in the sea of trees and stayed there for a long time that they were so different from the specters I saw around. Either that or this sea of trees made their power more potent.


    Whatever the case may be, at this rate, my neck would be broken before I could save Yakumo.


    Somehow, by some means, I must do something.


    Even if I thought so, my arms were obstructed, my ankles were seized, and my head was immobile, making it impractical for me to take any action.


    Despite this situation, my hearing was disgustingly clear, and I kept picking up sounds I didnt want to hear. Sounds of something approaching, something crawling on the ground, grunts, screams, muffled and unfamiliar voices.


    Shifting my eyeballs as much as I could, I peered out of the corner of my eye and spotted a great number of ck shadows advancing toward me in a straight line from the darkness. Bound to the sea of trees, these departed souls sucked the life out of the living and sought to subject the living to the same fate as themselves.


    In this way, many victims would be created which in turn would lead to the next victim


    I learned the meaning of this with firsthand experience. I, who had prated this deep inside, was an ideal prey. I was not an existence they could disregard.


    Like a pack of predators, the departed were slowly approaching, and soon they would be right around the corner.


    Takenakas worried face before my departure and Ayames words drifted through my mind.


    Regardless, everything was already toote.


    No, donte, donte I didnt want to die


    I didnt want to die yet!


    I hated the way this was ending!


    The ending of not being able to do anything was


    Panic surpassed my breaking point. Therge tree that was pressing down on me ultimately crushed me as all of my remaining strength left my body. I was pinned between the falling tree and the ground after my waist gave way.


    I closed my eyes tightly, bracing myself for the end


    Within the next moment, I felt a sensation of receiving an impact. The tree was indeed crushing me heavily, yet the ground wasnt trapping me in between.


    A slight gap separated us.


    Why my whole body was drained of strength, and there should be no strength anywhere to sustain thisrge tree Why


    Sniffling and suppressing my fear, I opened one eye thinly.


    !


    Another arm, the one that was protruding from under therge tree, was strongly supporting the tree and maintaining the space between the two. And the owner of that supporting arm was


    Y-Yakumo!!


    Coughing and spitting out arge amount of filthy water, but still pressing the tree up with remarkable strength, the guy opened his eyes wide.


    He had woken up!


    U-Ughhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!


    Yakumo shifted his posture and twisted his voice from deep within as he endeavored to raise therge tree with both arms. Even though I was struggling so much with that, the tree was rising rapidly with his tremendous strength and creating more space in the gap.


    I joined in and pushed it out of the way.


    I have reviveddddddddddddd!!


    Both of us raised a strange gori-like cry and finally seeded in crawling out from under therge tree. Yakumo was drenched in blood and riddled with wounds but he still wiped his mouth and pulled me up vigorously with a dignified look on his face as Inded on my buttocks on the ground.


    This guy had truly risen from the dead.


    Oh, for heavens sake! Finally, Im back to normal!


    Y-Youuuuuu!!


    I grasped both of Yakumos shoulders as he bent and stretched his bodywhich he had finally regainedwhileining about my feelings with a half-crying voice.


    Damn you! I thought you were dead!!


    No, Im really sorry! That was pretty close!!


    Its not pretty close! I really almost gave up on the whole thing!!


    No problem, but you saved my life! Im so grateful!


    <em>If it werent for Sonny, I would have really been dead</em>, he said unfashionably with a chuckle and picked up the spiked bat that had been lying around.


    Although I should be overjoyed that Yakumo made a full recovery, I mustnt forget about the situation here. Countless evil spirits, including the woman who had been tormenting me up until a moment ago, were everywhere, besieging us.


    What to do, Yakumo?


    <em>How do we escape?</em>


    For some reason, Yakumo responded to me with a cackle as I timidly took a step back.


    Escape? No, thats unnecessary Im going to knock everyst one of them out!


    Yakumo, his lips hanging sharply, took a step in front of me.


    I told you, I am a professional evil spirit exterminator. Its my job to st evil spirits to where they belong. From here on out think youre getting on a big boat, and leave everything to me.


    <em>Since Sonny has put his life on the line for me, there is no reason why I cant do the same.</em>


    How dare you humiliate me so much, you all look so pathetic


    Yakumo used<em>i</em>his feet to draw something on the muddy ground.


    Listen to me with your ears open, you dead folks! Japans number one evil spirit exterminator, Yakumo Akane, is going to send all of you to the Sanzu River with a bang! Brace yourselves!!


    Not intimidated by the swarm of evil spirits, he roared like a beast, not unlike a dying human being. He looked valiantly at the present situation.


    His back brimming with confidence.


    His dignified voice.


    Yakumos aura sent shivers through my entire body.


    I mean Im ashamed of myself for saying such a chuunibyou thing even at my age.


    Dont get embarrassed there!!


    He stumbled forward.


    Wrapping up this type of scenario would be really appreciated. You didnt have to turn it into aedy. Show me the power of the evil spirit exterminator you imed to be!


    Oh, yes, yes, I know, lets redo it, lets redo it!


    I beg you.


    Because I couldnt do anything.


    Dont be so surprised, Sonny.


    Following his words, Yakumo returned to his stern face and reached into his pocket. What was brought out were two bundles of suspicious blood-colored paper, redder than his parka. Yakumo flung them high into the air.


    WhatWhats this?


    A number of red papers scattered and danced in the air. Yakumo stepped on the mark he had drawn on the ground once and shouted.


    When Yakumo shouted, all the papers in the air simultaneously changed their shapes, morphed, and transformed into origami cranes, one after another, in the same way.


    With my mouth gaping open, I was transfixed by the wonders unfolding in the night sky.


    Had I ever seen such a profoundly mysterious phenomenon before? Paper changing its shape in mid-air all on its ord?


    Was this what an evil spirit exterminator performed? This was the power of Yakumo


    With this, he might be able to ovee the predicament.


    Though it was a sight that made me want to doubt my eyes, I was strangely convinced and gazed at it with my own eyes.


    However


    Shortly<em>i</em>after the origami cranes began to dance gracefully in the airthey somehow lost their power and crashed headlong into the air, obeying gravity as if they had no power at all.


    Huh


    Apparently, I was not the only one who thought so.


    Huh?


    Yakumo tilted<em>i</em>his head and raised his voice when he spotted them falling down.


    Something was amiss.


    My shikigami is


    Yakumo


    Ah ah! Aaaahh!!


    What<em>i</em>happened!


    Yakumo<em>i</em>put his hand over his mouth and shouted, Oh no!


    At the subsequent moment, he uttered the most outrageous thing.


    No<em>i</em>way The paper was soaked from the rain the day before and now its unusable.


    He<em>i</em>looked at<em>i</em>me with a look that said, I screwed up, and I couldnt help but raise my fist in the air.


    You<em>i</em>are after all a screw-up, right!?


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