My first target to bring to the afterlife was an extremely cute girl. Her face was brand new to me, but also I recognized her somewhat. The name given was Yagi Izumi. That name felt kinda familiar too, is if I had seen or heard it before. I recalled that I heard that name somewhere before at school. That day at school I went information gathering. The first person I asked gave me an uncomfortable look, the second one refused to speak. Overall, people just shrugged me away, didn't want to talk, or outright told me to screw off. Something was definitely not right. I found one girl that was willing to talk though. Long pitch black hair, red eyes, smoking body, forget that last part. She's Tokisaki Kazumi, and she gave me the lowdown.
"You want to know about Yagi Izumi, huh?"
"Yeah."
"Who's asking?"
"Me."
"What's your name, dumbass?"
"Yuji."
"That name sucks."
Maybe I should have taken up Miwa's original offer on creating an alias while on the job.
"Whatever. Can you tell me what you know about Izumi?"
"Why are you asking?"
The mood was already tense, but I could feel her gaze assessing me, and that made it worse. Does she see me as that much of a threat?
"I'm asking because I need to know."
"Why?"
"Confidential."
"I won't talk unless you give me your reason."
"Because I heard the name and it sounded familiar, so I was curious."
"Liar."
Then she tried to stab me. As her blade was thrusted toward me, I felt as if time around me was moving at one tenth speed. Her knife was no longer plunging toward me, it was gently drifting in the breeze ever so slowly. Was she too slow? No. I was too fast. I dodged her initial knife attack. She took a few other swings too, but I disarmed her in style. I used a neat little trick I picked up on her where I put a trigger activated minor destruction spell on her blade while she was busy trying to stab me. As I leaped back, I said "Break" and the knife shattered into pieces. Some nerve that girl had to attack me with so many students around. But a second glance shut down my reassurance; The hallway was empty.
"That speed is impossible. And you shattered my knife without touching it. I don't understand you."
"Are you one of those I'll see it when I believe it types? Well, you saw it. Also, I did touch your knife. I had to for my little trick to work. See?"
I showed her my pointer finger, which had the smallest drop of blood on it.
"What are you?"
"I'm a demon lord from another world who's here to claim your soul."
She was actually taken aback by that. Kazumi was confident and chill before, it was interesting to see her composure break with such a cheesy line, not to mention a lie.
"Just kidding. I'm a student at this school just like you. That's what I am. Now will you cooperate and tell me about Yagi Izumi?"
"...For starters, She used to be a student here. She was close with some students here I know."
"What was the reason she stopped going to school here?"
"She died."
Well, no shit. She's a rogue spirit. Though Shin wasn't aware that I'm after a spirit that's already assumed dead, so whatever.
"What was the cause of death?"
"Suicide. She was found on the ground in front of the main school doors last year by a teacher who transferred districts shortly after that. It's assumed that she jumped off the roof, because a pair of shoes was found on the roof above where she was laying, with a 'note'. But we have no idea why she committed suicide, because the note was a blank piece of paper."
"If this happened last year, then why didn't I hear about it?"
"It's not a bad thing that you didn't know. The school tried to cover it up to save face, and the students that do know don't like to talk about it."
"I see. These next questions are going to be a bit odd, but answer them truthfully."
"Why should I?"
"Awfully cocky of the girl who just came at an unarmed man, got all her attacks dodged, and her weapon destroyed before she could say 'banana'. Besides, you've answered my questions thus far."
"Fair enough."
"Alright Kazumi, if-"
"I didn't say we were on a first name basis."
"Alright Tokisaki, where could I find Izumi if she were still alive? What were some places she frequented when she was still with us?"
"I wasn't close enough to her to know these things. You'll have to get some people who knew her better to talk somehow. Pointing a knife at them should work."
"I shouldn't be taking an example from you. Besides, I think you should give up that strategy. You tried it on me and look where that got you, stuck in a conversation you don't want to be in."
"Am I that easy to read?"
"Completely transparent."
"Whatever."
"Well, I must be going. I'll talk to you later. I think you'll be of further use to me. Besides, I owe you some answers about what I am, though that can wait for another time. See you later."
I don't remember being this cocky.
Kazumi yelled out "Remember, I could kill you if I wanted to."
I replied "You sure about that?" After manifesting Sanguine, the pair of ethereal Berettas, and flashing them as they appeared almost magically in my hands. I get it, nobody likes a show-off, but I was really surprised she didn't get it even after being utterly defeated in combat. I didn't turn around to see the look on her face, but it was definitely priceless. That I know for sure. I set off looking for the nearest non-empty hallway.
I found someone who was friends with Izumi, and he told me that she was often found at the school courtyard. As a "let's see what happens" thing, I headed there during lunch break. When I sat down on the bench to eat, I heard a rustling from the bushes to my left. When I looked, I saw what looked to be a girl's forehead and eyes peeking from behind the bush, before it quickly vanished. Then, the same figure walked out from behind the bushes, slowly marching away as if she was the sneakiest person in the school, although she was completely open. When I got a full look at her, her face was a one hundred percent match with that data Miwa had given me. This girl was Yagi Izumi.
I assumed that others couldn't see her since no one was looking at her while she was behind the bushes or when she was very obviously trying to be covert, so I wanted to play it cool. I pretended not to be able to see her. I know, smooth. I focused on my sandwich because it might have freaked her out if she had eyes on her. After a minute or two of eating, she sat next to me. Still, I feigned ignorance. Eventually she started to shift slowly closer and closer to me. Once she was a little too close for comfort, I was ready for contact. I turned to her, motioned at my sandwich, and said "would you like some?".
She would have fainted if spirits could pass out.
"You can see me?"
"Sure can."
"So could you see me all this time?"
"I don't know how long 'all this time' is, but no, it was only today that I noticed you. Are you Yagi Izumi?"
I had no idea why she was blushing.
"You know me?"
"Yes, I do. In fact, I've come to see you."
I didn't know why what I said made her so happy. She was visibly ecstatic.
"So why have you come to see me?"
"As I'm sure you're aware, you're dead."
"Yes."
"As such, i want to confirm some things with you."
"Okay."
She was still happy for some reason.
"It's reported that you committed suicide by jumping off of the school roof."
"Did I?"
"You don't know?"
"I can't remember how I died."
"That's odd."
"I'm a spirit too and I remember how I died."
"You're dead? But I've been watching you this whole time to make sure that doesn't happen! How could I let this come to be?"
"I don't know what you're rambling about, but yes, I'm dead. That's likely why I can see you. I want to get straight to why I came for you, but I'm getting a weird feeling."
"Me too! It's like my heart is beating out of my chest and-"
"Not that. Something just feels off."
Izumi looked visibly disappointed.
"You can't remember how you died, and apparently the suicide note you left was just blank. Also, apparently the teacher that discovered your corpse transferred school districts shortly after that. It's not unusual to want to move away from the origin of trauma like that, but it still doesn't sit right with me."
"Those things are odd. I might have killed myself, but to leave a blank note isn't something I would do. I am definitely somewhat depressed, but did I commit suicide?"
"You're depressed? Why?"
"Uhh, I'm not ready to talk about it with someone."
"Fair enough."
At that moment, I received several messages from Miwa.
"I know you're with the target."
"What's taking so long?"
I replied back "I have something else I need to take care of first."
"K. But don't forget your mission."
Izumi said "Who were you texting? Was it another girl?"
She looked flustered, worried, and angry all at the same time.
"It's an associate from work. No personal relations at all."
"I'm glad."
"Why would you care about that?"
Izumi once again had the flustered angry look on her face.
"Yuji, you big dummy!"
"How do you know my name?"
"I uhh, I-"
"It doesn't matter. It doesn't surprise me that you know it, you attended this school while you were alive after all. You must have somehow overheard someone mention me when they were making fun of me."
I had no idea why this dead spirit girl was spending her time at school. I had no right to question her though, because my priority when I returned to the living world was to attend school also.
"I've got to go, can I come see you here tomorrow?"
"Of course Yuji, you can come see me anytime."
"Good to know."
She smiled lovingly.
After I finished talking to Izumi, I went and found Kazumi.
"Hey Tokisaki."
She flinched forward, then turned around and put a box cutter to my throat.
"Funny, this is what I saw right before I died."
"What?"
"Nevermind, forget you heard that. The problem is, you put me at knife point in this crowded hallway. Don't you know that makes you look bad?"
"Oops."
She put away the box cutter.
"It's fine. They're under hypnosis so they won't remember a thing when they snap out of it."
"The more I learn about what you can do, the more I'll want to figure you out."
"Good luck with that. I'll be damned if you can figure me out before I can. I might have to marry you if you beat me to it."
"Uhh, I'd consider it if we knew each other better.."
Kazumi was actually blushing. I didn't tell her that her tough girl act was easy to see through.
"I'm kidding, Tokisaki. Though you do seem like a nice girl, and we should go on a date or two sometime after we get better acquainted. Unfortunately, that's not why I've troubled you again."
"Then why have you come to trouble me?"
"Tell me the name of the teacher who saw Izumi's body first."
"What good will come from me telling you?"
"I'll tell you what I really am, and I might even reward you a little."
"Intriguing. The teacher who first discovered Izumi's body is named Shibata Tamae."
"Mrs. Shibata, huh?"
"Ms. Shibata."
"So she's single?"
"That's gross."
"Relax, I don't have any interest in her. Not yet anyway. So, what school is she at now?"
"How creepy can you get?"
"I'm not planning to stalk her. I just need to get some information from her."
"Sorry to say, but I have no idea where she went off to. Nobody does, that information was never disclosed to anybody. Not that this will help, but rumor had it that she was in love with a student at the high school."
"Don't sweat it, I have a feeling I'll find her. By the way, why are you armed at all times, especially at school? That could get you suspended or expelled even. I can't cover for you every time you point a knife at someone."
"Why? Self defense. But mainly to deal with the student council."
"Makes sense. I don't like those guys either. They have beef with the whole school, but when someone has beef with them, that person is a 'threat to student life'."
"So we see eye to eye on something."
"I'm not opposed to going against the student council someday, but not today. I've gotta go."
"Wait. What are you really?"
"I'm a ghost."
After that, for the first time since I returned to the living world, I made myself invisible.