Episode 86: Ghost Capture
The ghost trouble refers to the strange incident occurring at Jilnias Academy.
Various speculations and rumors are flying around, but the main content is two-fold.
One is that the ghost turns other students into ghosts.
The other is that the ghost devours the students.
“――So, does it mean it eats them and turns them into ghosts?”
“It’s not like the ghost practices cannibalism. The two rumors exist simultaneously in contradiction.”
At night, while walking through the school building of Jilnias Academy, Kanon said this in response to my question.
The time had already passed midnight, reaching the hour rumored for ghost appearances.
The usually bright white corridors and large windows felt slightly eerie in the darkness.
…If we were to have a Mysterious Beautiful Girl here, it would kind of feel like infiltrating an experimental facility, wouldn’t it?
Alright, let’s go for a walk later!
“Things are getting exciting, aren’t they? In moments like these, shouldn’t we have brought a gaming gas mask?”
That’s really true.
If we were at Jilnias Academy, a cybernetic Mysterious Beautiful Girl would have been fine too.
Something stylishly ninja-like with a tight suit.
“I prefer Solciera in a Gothic and somewhat clumsy outfit.”
We’re in great shape as always.
Even if a ghost shows up, we’ll beat it up!
If I lose, I’ll just call Mizuki Senpai!
“Would that make me bait A?”
I’ve got prior experience as stepping bait.
Please let me handle being bait!
“A-ah, so how far do we plan to go?”
Toa asked anxiously.
Seemingly afraid of ghosts, she was already firmly holding a heavy cannon in her hands.
I’ve thought this before, but isn’t Toa surprisingly strong to be moving around with that huge cannon?
“Toa carrying Solciera in a princess hold concept!?”
You’re picking up weird signals again.
“Ah, this time it’s the third building of Jilnias Academy. That’s where most of the ghost sightings have been reported,” Kanon replied cheerfully, her eyes sparkling.
…Hmm, am I imagining things again?
Kanon clearly looks like a beautiful girl.
“Could it be that thing about the disappearance of the beauty aura of the empty one, Kanon?”
We remembered how Kanon seemed off during the day.
On the surface, nothing seemed unusual, but indeed, the beauty aura momentarily disappeared.
“As for me, I’d like to finally learn what exactly this ‘beauty aura’ is. Somehow, the way you describe it makes it seem like you’re genuinely observing some sort of ‘beauty aura.'”
I am.
Even now, I can see the beauty aura of Toa and Kanon.
Deep within my chest, something shines like stars, clearly visible to me.
“Hmm, could it be that you’re visually capturing a certain amount of magical power…? No, the precision is abnormal. Something more fundamental―”
Hey, don’t examine my body without permission.
If I can see the beauty aura, that’s good enough.
“That’s not okay, right.”
Star Reader’s Staff can be strict sometimes.
“Well, we’re approaching the location in the third building where there have been ghost sightings…”
Kanon looked around excitedly.
Toa was closely following behind me.
Please, avoid accidental discharge in that state. Even if it’s a Mysterious Beautiful Girl, pain is still pain.
“Is-is it there? Should we start containment already?”
“No way, Toa. …Seriously.”
Where did the dependable Toa from earlier go? She’s acting completely different, trembling like someone else entirely.
Damn, if we had a Mysterious Beautiful Girl here, she could coolly bloom lilies in situations like this.
I’m just a regular high school boy. There’s nothing I can do.
As the three of us walked, Toa suddenly screamed.
“Kyaa, it-it appeared!? I said it shouldn’t appear!”
Nobody said that.
Anyway, where?
“…Is that it?”
Looking in the direction Toa pointed, sure enough, there were several students staggering around.
All of them moved like ghosts, making only the sound of their shuffling feet without uttering a single word.
“Are those ghosts!? …Eh, but they look like normal students to me.”
“But even so, there’s no denying that their behavior is strange. We should be cautious. “Hey, ghosts over there!” ― Ah, wait a minute!?”
Kanon ran off happily.
I hurried after her, nearly tripping forward.
Looking down, Toa had firmly grabbed the hem of my clothes, hugging the heavy cannon like a pillow and shaking her head side to side.
“Y-y-y-you gh-ghosts! N-no way…!”
“Why are you so scared when you were so confident during the day???”
Toa, tears welling up in her eyes, said, “Because I heard there wouldn’t be any ghosts…”
Who told you that? You must have picked up some convenient words somewhere.
“Toa, I understand you’re scared, but we can’t let Kanon go ahead alone!”
Kanon left us behind and kept heading deeper inside.
She was now within ten meters of the ghosts.
“Are you alright, Kanon-san?”
“Hm? Oh yeah, I’m fine!”
Kanon turned back and made a peace sign.
Then she faced the students who looked like ghosts.
I observed the students, bracing myself.
The students all had dead expressions, but each firmly held weapons summoned using Dive Gear in their hands.
A fight seems unavoidable.
“I’ll help.”
“Eh, it’s fine.”
Kanon tilted her head as if I had said something strange.
“I can handle something like this on my own. Besides, you guys need to be witnesses to my work – here, film it with this video camera.”
Saying that, Kanon tossed the video camera to me.
I caught it hastily and turned it on.
“Okay, start filming!?”
“Yeah. Normally, I’d ask Miuye to handle filming and resolving incidents, but then the Student Council put pressure on me: ‘So, what exactly are you doing with the budget besides just playing around?’ Apparently, just exciting inventions aren’t enough to graduate. It’s tough out there.”
Kanon said “ne” to the ghosts. And despite no one agreeing, she smiled brightly.
“Still, you initially tried to send just us to the scene…?”
“It’s called assigning the right people to the right tasks. Though, I came reluctantly because Luka sent a message like driving in a nail.”
Kanon shrugged.
And just then, one of the students charged towards her.
The weapon in hand was a sword glowing with light, likely enhanced by magical power for sharpness.
“Kanon-san!”
“I’m fine.”
The sword rushed towards Kanon with great force.
But it suddenly stopped. Numerous purple butterflies were fluttering around the blade and tip.
What stopped the sword was something we knew very well.
“Butterflies…?”
Was it my voice or Toa’s?
Countless purple butterflies danced joyfully in the midnight school hallways, gathering as if guided by the flower of Kanon’s emptiness.
“―Divided Death. That’s what these kids are called. Now, keep filming properly, okay? I won’t forgive you if it’s not filmed well. …No kidding. It’s a matter of my research budget.”
It seems like she might be born without a sense of tension.
Even in a situation facing explorers who have lost their minds, she selfishly smiled.
“Alright, swallow them up.”
The command was brief.
But the master’s intent was clearly understood.
Without disrupting their movements, the butterflies gathered, forming a massive wave heading towards the students.
The butterflies spread throughout the hallway, leaving no room for evasion, and enveloped the students.
Joyfully, without any tension, just for a second.
Kanon didn’t move an inch from her spot and effortlessly defeated the students with a single strike.
“Alright, we beat the ghosts! Did you get it on film? Hey, did you get it?”
“Yes, it was perfectly captured.”
“Yay! Luka, are you watching? By the time you see this, I will probably have already received a mountain of funding and will be eating my way around with Miuye thanks to that funding.”
“So that’s why your funding gets restricted?”
“I can’t hear you!”
If you can’t hear, there’s nothing we can do!
“Well then, let’s reveal the true identity of the ghost!”
With that, Kanon approached the students buried under the butterflies.
At this point, it doesn’t really matter whether it’s a ghost or not anymore.
Besides, it was rather anticlimactic.
Is this truly a ghost?
“Come on, you two. Ah, Kei, keep the camera rolling.”
“Ah, yes. Let’s go, Toa…—eh?”
I turned to Toa and couldn’t help but exclaim.
Toa, who had stopped screaming halfway, was quietly standing there.
She had already fainted, using the heavy cannon as support.
“Toa…”
“Let’s take her to a haunted house next time ^^”
Now I finally understand why this girl rarely walks around at night at Factom General Academy.
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ni hyōi tensei shita ore wa TS o akiramenai, かませ役
