At the end of the long and gloomy corridor, a white door sits silently under a single lightbulb.
Ai flew past Akira, Mako and Reira and landed in front of the door.
"Welcome to Drifting Clinic, the doctor will see you now."
Ai bowed and spoke like a well-manners receptionist.
The door slid to the left and bright light shone through, followed by a jazzy melody.
Behind the door was a bright reception room with a white reception desk on the left.
Akira stepped in and started to size up the room like a curious child.
There was a door opposite the one that they came in from and on the right was a very long bench lined up against the wall.
There wasn't any decoration in the room as the whole space was white, there were no lights on the ceiling either, the light that brightened the room seemed to have emanated directly from the walls and the ceiling. There wasn't any music player in sight either, the soft jazz music just simply sounded in the air.
"Welcome, please have a seat first. The doctor will see you soon."
A mellow voice came behind the reception desk on the left, followed by a nurse standing up, and guided the three of them to the bench.
Akira squinted his eyes at the nurse and stared at her for a moment before Mako dragged him over to the bench.
While the three of them were waiting, Akira still couldn't take his eyes off the nurse even after she had gone behind the reception desk.
"What are you looking at? Stop embarrassing yourself." Mako pushed Akira with her elbow.
It was rude to stare at people so obviously and Mako was worried that Akira might get himself in trouble.
"She looked very familiar, where did I see her before…"
Mako rolled a white eye at Akira as he sank in his thoughts.
Beep!
The beep from behind the reception desk was like a lightbulb switched on above Akira's head.
"The doctor will see you now. Please come with…"
"I got it! I remember Kurata-san and Kamakura-san showed us a picture of you before, you are Nanase Nishino right? And you are… dead?"
Akira's words shocked everyone and silenced the atmosphere.
Mako finally took Akira's words seriously and sized up the nurse, which really was the girl who died.
Reira was all confused as she never met the girl before and Ai was turning its head left and right, trying to understand what was happening.
"I'm sorry, I am indeed Nanase Nishino but I don't think I've met you before." Embarrassed, Nanase put her hands together and bowed apologetically, which spread the embarrassment to Akira.
Akira scratched his head awkwardly, he looked at Mako.
Mako nodded, "It seems like we have to get the answer from the doctor."
Nanase gestured and invited all three of them into the doctor's room.
After the door slid shut, Ai jumped up on Nanase's shoulder and asked, "Do you know them when you are alive?"
Tilting her head in confusion, Nanase carefully searched her memories and thought about it, "I never seen them before."
The bat and the girl returned to their respective positions, one flew out the entrance and one returned to the desk.
Nanase was left alone in the spacious reception room with the jazz music playing in the air.
******
The room was as white as the reception room, there wasn't any fancy decorations or medical posters, everything was kept to a minimal level.
There was a big white desk in the center of the room and a giant screen behind it.
On top of the white desk was a computer, a piece of paper and nothing else.
There was still no light source in sight but the whole room was well lit.
Behind the desk was a man in glasses and doctor's robe. His rather long black hair complimented his youthful look, making him a very handsome person, especially with the pronounced facial features.
His lips curled into a sharp grin as he talked to the lady in maid attire beside him.
"Yotsuba, can you be so kind to get us some tea?" said the doctor.
The lady known as Yotsuba nodded and walked out after sitting Akira and the girls in front of the desk.
"I'm Yoshitomi Tennouji, but you can call me Tennouji-sensei. So what is the problem?" Tennouji crossed his fingers on top of the desk and looked at the three of them with a sharp smile.
"Uh… We are from Tenjou Shrine and are here for spiritualization." said Akira.
"I know where you are from, Akira, and both of you ladies two, Mako and Reira, am I right?"
The girls nodded at the doctor and weren't surprised that he knew them.
"Spiritualization I see? Not a problem, especially for Shinzo's grandson and friends. But first, I must do a body check to measure your spiritual energy level."
Tennouji pulled the drawer on his left and took out the stethoscope.
"You know my grandfather?" asked Akira.
"Of course, who in this region doesn't know him? He is the overseer after all, and I'm no normal doctor. Besides, we are friends from way back. Ladies first, please come over here."
His answer raised a question in Akira and Mako though, the doctor looked no older than 25, yet he claims that he knew Shinzo from way back?
Tennouji stood up and walked to the empty wall on the left. He then pressed the wall and a simple medical bed came out from the wall.
He invited Reira first to sit on the bed before he put the stethoscope on her chest to check on her.
The moment the stethoscope touched her, white spiritual energy particles came afloat and surrounded Reira.
"Hmm, I see. I see. Astounding spiritual energy level, you must exercise a lot, am I correct?" asked Tennouji.
"Well if you consider wandering around the country most of the time, then yes." Reira answered with a slight awkwardness.
The white spiritual energy particles subsided and so was Reira's body check.
"All done, next will be you, Mako-chan."
Mako walked over to the bed and sat down.
The same process repeated itself as she too was surrounded by white spiritual energy particles.
"Hmmm, hmmmm. Not bad, so much potential. All done."
Akira then stood up excitedly as he thought it was his turn for the body check, but after Mako came back, Tennouji signaled him to sit down.
"Now, now, don't be so impatient. Have some tea. Before I continue, does anyone of you understand what is spiritualization?" asked Tennouji with smile.
In the midst of the question, the door slid open and Yotsuba returned with a tray of tea.
The tray was put on top of the desk and everyone was served with a cup of green tea, including the doctor.
After a quick sip, Tennouji continued, "I want all of you to understand the concept of spiritualization before I tattoo you."
"Tattoo?"
The doctor's words seemed to have surprised all three of them.
"Yes, a soul tattoo to be exact. Spiritualization is the process of turning a materialized object into spiritual energy particles, but you cannot simply infused your spiritual energy to dissolve the material. That is where the soul tattoo comes into play, as its name suggests, it is directly tattooed into a portion of your soul and it grants you the ability to control spiritual energy to dissolve an object. It is then stored into your soul, meaning the stronger your soul, the more things you can store. Understand?"
The two girls nodded straightforwardly, as if the science of the supernatural world interests them, but Akira on the other hand squinted his eyes, "Uh...what?"
Tennouji gestured at him, telling him to wait, "I have a pen."
He took a pen out from the doctor's robe pocket, "And now I don't."
As he gripped the pen, the pen disintegrated into spiritual energy particles and disappeared into the air.
"Ohhhhh!" Akira reacted like a kid seeing a magic trick for the first time.
"And the pen is back." Tennouji opened his other palm and the spiritual energy particles gathered on top and formed a pen. "Understand?"
Akira nodded repeatedly and vehemently, he was very excited. He stood up and walked to the medical bed and sit down.
"One more thing, you cannot store living things or things with a stronger spiritual energy level than yourself." Tennouji then put the stethoscope on Akira's chest, white spiritual energy particles appeared but they swirled around Akira rapidly and energetically, like a little bolts of electric current.
Tennouji widened his eyes in excitement and carefully listened to his stethoscope.
Few more seconds later, the swirling particles stopped and popped into the air.
"My, my, what have we here. You are a special one. So energetic."
Tennouji took his stethoscope off and walked back to his desk.
"Sensei, is that normal?" Akira swirled his hand around him, suggesting that he was curious about the different reaction.
"Don't worry, you are just energetic, it's uncommon but not entirely none."
Akira smiled brightly and went back to his seat in front of the desk, while Yotsuba, the maid, touched the panel on the wall and kept the medical bed away.
"Now after the check up, we are ready to proceed with the tattooing process, but before that… I need you three to do something for me." With his fingers intertwined, Tennouji put his hands on the desk and smiled sharply at the trio, his eyes even squinted up into a crescent moon.
"What? We still need to run errands?" Akira asked.
"Consider it payment for my service. I usually charge a lot higher, but since you are the grandson of my old friend, I'll make an exception."
Akira was silenced by Tennouji's explanation.
A doctor's consultation usually costs money even when no medications were issued after the session, so it was only natural that they had to pay Tennouji for the soul tattoo, especially since he wasn't just any doctor and treatment regarding the soul was involved.
"Don't worry, it's an easy task." Tennouji pull the drawer on his right and took a delicate black box out. "I need you three to deliver this box for me. As for where, Ai will lead you there."
Tennouji pushed the box to Akira with his finger, "After you are done with the delivery, you can come back and we can start with the tattooing."
Akira looked at Mako and Reira for approval and what he got were shrugs. He took the box and nodded.
"Sensei, before we go, I have a question about the nurse outside, Nanase-san? She's… dead right?" Mako voiced her concern that has been lingering in her mind since she saw Nanase.
"Sharp observation I see. Well I have nothing to hide, she is indeed a soul we found recently. She was lost before, but she works for me now. Similar to her." Tennouji gestured at Yotsuba beside him and the maid bowed slightly.
The surprise on the three of their face was explanatory.
"Don't be that surprised, I'm a doctor and I need a lot of help around here. I have many souls working for me, I'm not just any doctor after all." The smile on Tennouji's face widened, to the point that it almost reached both sides of his earlobes.
There were no rules regarding keeping a soul, or even a Yoma around from the society. As long as they didn't disrupt the balance, the society wouldn't actively hunt them down, at least not in Japan. Besides, it would be helpful to have a soul around.
Akira nodded on behalf of the girls and before they walked out the door.
"Come back when you are done ya, Ai will guide you through the delivery. Good luck."
Tennouji sent the three of them away and after the door slid shut, he was left alone in the office with Yotsuba.
"Sensei."
"Yes?"
"Why did you ask the young ones to cover your mess?"
"It's a perk of being an elder, hehe. Besides, I'm curious about that boy, let's see what will happen."
Tennouji pushed his glasses upward, the glasses reflected the white light, making him look like a sinister mastermind with a maid beside him.
******
"We are here!" Ai said cheerfully while it flapped its wings before landing at the entrance.
The three of them walked out and found themselves in a different place, it was still a residential house that they came out from but it was not the same one, it wasn't even in the same district anymore.
The clinic's exit seemed to have teleported somewhere else, it was actually Ai's doing as it was the watcher and also the gatekeeper.
So in order to save time, Ai moved the exit closest to their destination with a thought.
The door closed after Reira walked through and it swiftly returned to a normal residential house.
Reira blinked at the rather magical way of travelling, her feet somehow started to tingle.
After walking across the street, Akira and the girls were stood in front of a big old Japanese mansion with a huge front yard.
The wooden gate was locked and no lights were lit in side, it sounded a little eerie with the summer breeze whistling.
The wooden plate that usually people used to display their family name in front of the gate had a floral pattern instead of words, but as for what flower, it was too damaged to have a clear look.
"We are supposed to deliver the box inside?" Akira asked with raised brow, something in his heart told him that it was too easy to be true.
"Yes, let me unlock the gate for you." Ai flew over to the keyhole and stuck its wing inside.
After trifling with it, the lock ticked.
The two wooden gate panks opened inwards and a strong chilly wind welcomed them, it felt strange since it was summer, the wind should be warmer but instead it was chilly, to the point that it caused goosebumps.
The spacious front yard was empty, not a single candle or light was switched on, hence the whole building look eerie but it maintained a sense of elegance with its architectural style.
Ai flew to the middle of the front yard and called the three of them over.
"Wait here please."
Ai turned around to the main entrance and called out a name, "Fumino, we are here."
There was no reply except for the wind whistle, neither was there anyone who came out.
Seconds later, Akira felt the presence of someone behind him. He turned around quickly and saw a lady in a maid's outfit.
Other than her white and black maid outfit, her maid headdress on her short-bob hair sets off her elegance when she bowed with a faint smile.
Akira, Mako and Reira knew that she wasn't a living being but they did not feel any malevolence in her, instead the spiritual energy that she emanated felt peaceful and tenacious.
"Ai, isn't it a little bit too late?" said the maid, known as Fumino, with a welcoming smile.
Ai jumped up on Akira's shoulder, "I know, I know, but we are here right?"
Ai poked Akira's cheek with its wing, "Hey kid, pass her the box."
Akira did not ask questions and obliged, he knew it wasn't something that he should be meddling with.
Fumino accepted the box with a grateful gaze.
"Thank you very much. You may leave now." Although Fumino was asking them to leave, she did not sound pushy at all.
"That's it? Tennouji-sensei sent us here just to deliver a box? I thought we are going to kill some Yoma or whatnot. I am surprised, he could have just sent it through mail or something."
Akira grumbled as he secretly anticipating for action, but right after he mentioned Tennouji's name, the temperature in the mansion plummet.
"W-W-What did you say?" Fumino asked in a trembling voice, even Ai looked at Akira with a face of shock.
"Uh… Tennouji-sensei sent us here?" Akira scratched his head, he did not know where the disbelief came from.
Bang!
The front gate suddenly slammed shut and the seamed between the two planks were frozen in ice.
A chilly wind started to swirl in the front yard, freezing every inch of grass solid.
"Uh… what's happening?" Akira looked around absent-mindedly, while Mako and Reira were cautious in their battle-ready sense. The chilly wind reeked of malevolence.
"Be careful, something is coming." said Mako as she held her tonfas up, Reira also held the hilt of her katana tightly.
A contour of a woman slowly emerged from the dark interior of the mansion.
As her figure slowly moved under the moonlight, Akira and the others had a better look at her.
The woman was dressed in an exaggerated red kimono which resembled an oiran, meaning courtesan of old Japan, the wide as a door sleeves on both sides of her arm were dragging along the ground as she moved, or more precisely, floated. The headdress and decorations on her hair was as huge as several basketballs, but the flowers and hairpins were either dead or rusted, which sets off her long hair that extended backwards into the mansion like a black carpet on her trail.
Her face was as pale as paper but it was not scary at all, she emanated a chilly elegance even with her bloody red eyes and lips.
She stopped right after she floated out of the entrance of the mansion, "What did you say just now?" she said with a distorted voice.
Ai immediately flew back to Fumino back and popped its head over her shoulder in fear. Even though Fumino was able to stand straight, her hands could not stop shaking when the woman in the exaggerated kimono appeared.
She disappeared and reappeared in front of Akira, blocking the three of them behind her and said, "Ichika-sama, please do-"
Before she could even finish her sentence, the woman in kimono, who was known as Ichika by her, glared with the bloody gaze. A scarlet gleam flashed and Fumino was blasted away to the side before she was frozen by some kind of petrifying speed, including Ai who did not even get to react.
"What did you say just now?" Ichika repeated herself.
"I said Tennouji-sensei sent us here just to deliver the box and I think it's a waste of time." said Akira confidently.
A red bright glare flashed over her eyes, malevolence around the mansion surged to an all time high.
"Let's take her down before she does something horrible." said Mako with vigilant gaze at Ichika.
"Love to." replied Reira.
Akira too grabbed his Bladestaff and entered his battle stance, "I got no idea what's going on."
Akira was so puzzled by the situation, although he did look forward to some action, he did not expect it to be this confusing.
Mako took a step forward before she dashed out like an arrow let loose at Ichika. Reira also followed closely behind her.
However, right when the two girls were halfway from Ichika, their shadows on the ground suddenly shook violently before red cloth flew out from their respective shadows and constricted them in a flash.
It all happened within a second, Akira did not even got to react and when he finally did, he saw Mako and Reira were bound by the red cloth on the ground.
The red cloth around their bodies felt alive, it constricted them like a boa would constrict its prey.
"Mako! Reira-neesan!"
Akira lunged out and tried to get to the girls.
The girls did struggle to free themselves but the red cloth was a lot more tensile than it looks.
Before Akira could even get close to help Mako and Reira, Ichika teleported in front of Akira in a flash, grabbed him with her long fair hand by the neck abruptly.
"Ugh!" The sudden force at his neck almost suffocated Akira, he tried to thrust with his Bladestaff but similar to Mako and Reira, red cloth sprung out of his shadow and bound his hand, disarming him of his Bladestaff before tying all four of his limbs.
"You know, that name is forbidden here." The cold and distorted voice came out from Ichika's pure red lips. Even though the malevolence around her was at an all time high and her words sent chills down Akira's spine, it did not sound dangerous at all, instead it sounded with a trace of grievance.
"W-W-What, i-is your p-problem LADY! Is there any grudge between you and T-Tennouji-sensei?! W-We are just here to deliver the things on his r-request!"
The more Akira mentioned Tennouji, the redder Ichika's eyes were.
"Saying that wretched soul's name in front of me is punishable by death."
The slender fingers around Akira's neck got tighter.
Akira tried to struggle with all his might, but similar to Mako and Reira, whose mouth were even sealed shut by the red cloth, his struggles were futile.
They tried to ignite their spiritual energy to enhance their strength but the red cloth around them seemed to have absorbed the energy away, rendering them weak.
A strange thought popped up in Akira's mind despite the suffocating pain: why did Tennouji-sensei send them here to deal with an enemy of his and this enemy felt very different from all the Yoma they had fought.
Ichika seemed to be able to seal away their spiritual energy and restricted their movements effectively.
Though Akira could not think any further as he was on the brink of passing out.
The cold wind around the mansion swirled as though there was a mini tornado above it, even his suffocating breath started to turn white.
Other than the cold grunts from Ichika right in front of him, there was the whistle of the wind echoed in his ears and before everything started to turn white, he heard a voice.
"Ichika, that's enough."
The voice of a man sounded and right after it subsided, the cold wind stopped abruptly and the ice that sealed the front entrance started to melt.
Ichika widened her red eyes out of surprise, her hand around Akira's neck started to soften, granting him the window to catch a breath.
The gate opened up and it was none other than Tennouji, who arrived before the mansion with Nanase.
"YOU!" Ichika growled, a ring of cold wind blasted out from her.
Her hand around Akira's neck tightened once more and it was more powerful than before.
Akira's face started to turn purple, but again, right before he could pass out, the hand loosened as another hand stopped it from strangling him to death.
Tennouji instantly teleported beside Akira and put his hand on Ichika's. He did not grip her hand tightly though, it was nothing but a stroke and Ichika let go of Akira completely, including the red cloth around his limbs and around Mako and Reira.
Akira fell on the floor and coughed violently, but he managed to see Tennouji held Ichika's hand affectionately and kissed it.
A kiss on the back of Ichika's palm calmed her down right away, her bloody red eyes reverted back to a pair of beautiful eyes similar to black pearls. The cold wind calmed down and her exaggerated kimono started to shrink to normal size, even the hairpins and dead floral headdress on top of her hair shone and blossomed respectively.
All three of them, Akira, Mako and Reira looked at the scene in astonishment. Even Ai and Fumino joined them as they were freed from their petrified state.
"I am sorry, my love. I should have asked your permission first before neglecting you like that. Can you forgive me?"
"What the hell…" Akira's confusion somehow started to clear up and the dots started to connect.
Ichika instantly reacted with teary eyes and puckered lips, as though she was moved by Tennouji's words.
"You're always like that and I can't seem to find a reason to hate you for that!" said Ichika before she hugged the doctor.
Akira stood up and watched the scene awkwardly, Ai flew over to his shoulder.
"Is this what I think it is?" asked Akira.
"Yes, Ichika-sama is the sensei's wife, just not your usual kind. He sent you three here is because he made her mad a few days ago and wanted to make up for his negligence. Go on, pick up the box and finish the errand."
Akira did as told, he picked up the fallen box and quietly passed it over.
Tennouji took and and opened it in front of Ichika, "I've gotten you a little something."
Inside the box was a sakura flower silver hairpin.
Tennouji took it out and affectionately pinned it on Ichika's hair, "It looks nice on you."
Ichika blushed, "Anything you give me is beautiful."
Akira stood there blankly with his poker face, he could not believe that he was played by the doctor from the start.
"Now that you are calmed and I have the time, I would like to inform you officially."
Tennouji suddenly sounded very solemn. His change of tone attracted everyone's curious gaze, especially Ichika's.
"I would like to marry Nanase as my seventh wife."
He gestured at Nanase at the entrance and all eyes were on her. Some were astonished, some were calm, some were jealous.
Nanase reacted nervously and bowed out of embarrassment.
"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEHHHHHH?!"
Akira, Mako and Reira squealed out of surprise.