Eriri hesitated, not sure if she should say it out loud.
“She is currently a very famous doujin artist~” Utaha Kasumigaoka smiled and finished the sentence for her.
“DOUJIN ARTIST?”
Even if she had never read one, Yukino Yukinoshita knew exactly what the word meant.
She gave Eriri a strange look.
Eriri turned bright red with embarrassment and shouted at Utaha.
“I am not!”
She wouldn’t admit to being called that…
“What does it matter?” Utaha shrugged.
“Whether we even live to see tomorrow is still up in the air.”
“You…”
Eriri wanted to argue back.
But reality was harsh.
If they didn’t deal with Sadako, she was going to die tonight.
Even if her secret identity as an artist got exposed, it didn’t really matter anymore.
“Fine.” Eriri gave up and slumped onto the sofa.
“As for me, I am Yukino Yukinoshita.
I…
don’t think I have anything special to share.”
Yukino thought about Utaha being a light novel author and Eriri’s secret life as an artist.
Compared to them, she felt ordinary.
Other than her top grades, nothing about her seemed special.
Then, all three girls turned their attention to Ren.
He paused mid-sip before putting his water down.
“Ren, second-year student.
I know a bit of exorcism.”
“Are you an onmyoji, Kouhai?” Utaha asked.
“Something like that.”
Time passed.
Utaha and Eriri were clearly getting more anxious.
The tense mood made Yukino uncomfortable.
She couldn’t sit in silence any longer.
“No matter how you look at it, urban legends are impossible.”
“Wait, you still don’t believe it?” Utaha asked, genuinely surprised.
She assumed Yukino had tagged along because she knew something.
“Maybe you should go home.”
“Yeah, if things get dangerous…” Eriri nodded in agreement.
If something went wrong, Yukino would be caught in the crossfire.
“No.” Yukino frowned and shook her head.
I am going to help.”
She was as stubbornly just as ever.
“Technically speaking, they hired me,” Ren pointed out.
“Are you finally revealing your true intentions, Ren?
Do you feel my presence here is stopping you from hitting on two beautiful girls?”
Right.
Still the same sharp-tongued girl.
Time kept passing, and the living room got quieter and quieter.
“Is it…
almost midnight?” Eriri’s anxious voice broke the silence.
The second hand struck twelve.
Click!
The living room lights went out at once.
The blank television screen flickered on, filling the room with harsh static.
A moment later, a solitary stone well appeared on the screen.
“She…
SHE’S HERE!” Eriri curled into a ball, shaking with fear.
Even Utaha felt her blood run cold, too terrified to move.
Yukino went pale.
This couldn’t be real.
How could an urban legend like Sadako exist?
But as she stared at the screen, she couldn’t deny what she saw.
The image shifted.
Sadako slowly crawled out of the well, inching closer and closer to the glass.
Suddenly, a pale hand reached out from the television itself.
“AHHHHHHHHHHHH!!” Eriri screamed.
But some invisible force sealed the room, keeping the sound inside so the neighbors wouldn’t hear anything.
First came the hand.
Then the head, hidden under stringy black hair.
Then half her body.
When Sadako finally stepped into the apartment, the three girls lost all their strength and collapsed to the floor.
Yukino felt her whole worldview fall apart.
Urban legends were real.
Hiss!
Sadako moved slowly and raised her pale arms, getting ready to attack.
But before she could take another step, the ghost froze.
Whoosh!
At the same time, a soft golden light lit up the darkness.
What was happening?
The three frightened girls felt a gentle warmth spread through their cold limbs, giving them back some strength.
They all turned to look behind them.
Ren stood there, his hands locked in a hand seal as a blinding golden aura radiated from his body.
“Mystic origin of Heaven, root of all vital force!
Forged through countless ages, I manifest this power!
Across the three realms, the Way reigns supreme!
Golden light, shroud my form!”
The golden light grew brighter, pushing back the darkness in the room.
“Golden Light Spell!
Eradicate!”
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMM!!
All the lingering Yin Energy vanished in an instant, like a bubble popping.
This time, Sadako was the one in shock.
Fear shot through her.
She was in danger and couldn’t stay.
She turned and tried desperately to crawl back into the television.
Trying to run?
Was this really Sadako?
No…
This was two million yen sitting right in front of him.
Did she think he would let her escape?
“Palm Thunder!”
He thrust his hand forward.
Blinding lightning roared out, striking Sadako with the force of a thunderbolt.
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMM!!
Lightning held the strongest positive energy—making it the best way to fight any evil spirit.
Hit by the Palm Thunder, Sadako turned to ash.
[Demon successfully exorcised: Sadako!]
[Reward: Yin Energy +2000!]
Perfect…
Hearing the system prompt chime in his mind, Ren smiled and let the lightning fade from his hand.
With Sadako eradicated, the apartment returned to normal.
The lights flickered back on.
It helps new readers find it.
And of course, your Power Stones help push the story forward.
Thanks for reading.