Kouta was silent. For the past two years, he'd assumed that the killer of his family was still alive, inside of him, waiting for the day to overtake his body. He knew that he should feel some sort of urgency, but all he could feel right now was relief. He'd actually killed the ghoul that night. He didn't have to feel guilty anymore. Kouta fell back into a sitting position with his arms over his knees and cried in silence.
Saki tilted her head to the side. "Why are you crying Kouta?"
Kouta shook his head slightly. "It's nothing."
Kenzo rushed over to Kouta and knelt down. "Kouta. I need you here. We need you here. You could be the answer I've been looking for. I can help you with whatever you need. All I want, is your cooperation as one of our Reapers."
Kouta wiped the tears off his face. "What's that vector called? Curse of the Yokai? That's a damn good curse. My salvation."
He stood up. "Okay. I'll work with you. Let's do this."
Kenzo placed both of his hands on Kouta's shoulders. "I'm so glad. We're going to get rid of these ghouls. I promise."
Kenzo patted Kouta's shoulders before leaving the room. "Jun. You're in charge of him. I'm trusting you."
Jun sighed. "Not again." He looked at Kouta. "I'm gonna send you my number. It'll be easier to communicate. Also, you should know that we don't have a nurse. So our stand-in doctor is Saki."
Saki looked at Kouta and waved her fingers. Shivers went down his spine. "We gotta find a doctor."
"In time." said Jun. "For now you won't have to worry about much other than answering my texts. Make sure you do."
Ayako put her hand on her hip. "Right now we're just investigating the sudden appearances of these ghouls. There used to be a few here and there, but now you can find them almost anywhere. It's crazy. Just recently we recruited Rin over there."
Rin looked away. "It's been three months. Don't treat me like some rookie."
Ayako smiled. "Oh? But you are a rookie."
"Tch. Whatever." Rin walked away.
Kouta looked around. "How do I get out of here?"
Saki pointed. "Through that door down the hall, turn right, turn left."
Kouta walked out. "Thanks."
He took the train on his way back home. When he got back, he noticed Kasumi outside. She had just returned as well. "Hi Kouta."
Kouta held a hand up. "Hey Kasumi. Where you coming from?"
"I stayed at school a little later than usual this time, no big deal. What about you?"
Kouta scratched the back of his head. "Uh, you know, I was uh, ...at the park."
Kasumi had a skeptical look. "The park? Kouta, you never go to the park remember? You said it was too noisy."
Kouta laughed nervously. "Did I? I mean, it's like you said, there's no such thing as super hearing. It was... peaceful." He hurried to the door to unlock it.
Kasumi frowned. "Kouta... is something wrong? You know you can tell me if something is bothering you right?"
Kouta unlocked the door. He looked at Kasumi. He didn't understand why she was so concerned now of all times. She never really cared when he tried to tell her about his esper abilities. He decided not to poke into it. "Uh, yeah sure. Goodnight Kasumi." Kouta closed the door.
Kasumi stood there for a few more seconds before going back inside herself.
Not too long later, Kouta laid back on his bed staring at his ceiling. He looked at the clock.
9:14 PM.
He sighed. "It's getting late. Might as well go to sleep while I can." He closed his eyes.
vrrt, vrrt.
Kouta's phone vibration woke him up in the middle of the night. He jerked up, looking for it. He snatched it off of the nightstand on his left and looked at the time.
1:45 AM.
"Who the hell is texting me this late at night?"
Jun: Get up. You got a job. Sensoji Temple. Ghoul sightings.
Kouta scratched his head. "Are they serious? One in the morning and I'm ghoul hunting? I've got school later for god's sake."
Kouta hopped out of bed and put his sneakers on. He left out the front door.
--
Kasumi was still awake. She was reading a book quietly from the comfort of her desk. She put down her book and yawned. "I'm getting tired. Think I should check out for the night."
Her eyes wandered to the window. She saw Kouta run out of his house in a hurry. She ran up to the window. "Kouta? What is he doing out so late?" She rushed out of her room and ran downstairs and out the door in her pajamas. She saw Kouta running up the street.
Kasumi reached her hand out to say something, but didn't. Just in case. She started running after him in her slippers.
"Where is he going?" Kasumi thought. She trailed Kouta from a far enough distance without him hearing her. "Is he going to the temple?"
Soon the Sensoji Temple came into view.
Kouta ran ahead towards it.
Kasumi went into hiding behind one of the smaller buildings and observed.
Kouta stopped in front of the temple. He felt the chill on his neck that he got whenever another ghoul was nearby. "I can't tell where it's coming from..."
He started to look inside the temple when the lanterns started glowing blue. He turned around.
Various ghouls came out of each lantern, and a much larger one came out of the biggest lantern.
The ghouls were bright blue, but the big one was black and dreadful with a skull mask. "You must be a phantom." Kouta said.
The phantom let out a horrifying scream, and wind started blowing all through the structures.
Kasumi was shaking from where she hid. "No way... this can't be real... are those... actual, ghosts?" She looked at Kouta. "Did he know they were here? He's in trouble!"
Kouta was surrounded on all sides by the ghouls.
The phantom pointed a long wrinkled finger at him and started moaning.
The lower ghouls all rushed him at the same time. He hit them in their chest, where they're most vulnerable.
While his back was turned, the phantom moved closer to him and raised a long, dark hand.
Kasumi was terrifyingly worried. She noticed the phantom prepare to attack Kouta. She moved from behind her cover and screamed out. "Kouta!! Behind you!!"
Kouta had just finished the last ghoul when he heard Kasumi's voice. "Idiot!!" he yelled.
The phantom swiped at Kouta. Its hand disappeared.
It seemed to be shocked. The phantom then turned around and flew towards Kasumi.
"Hey!! Get back here!!!" Kouta yelled. He took off at full sprint after the phantom.
Kasumi screamed in terror.
The phantom regrew its hand and pierced her with it like skewers. It then flew higher into the air, bringing Kasumi with it as she dangled on its hand.
"No no no no no no!!! Kasumi!!!" Kouta screamed. He chased the phantom into town, climbing on top of buildings and light fixtures trying to reach it. People looked and screamed as the phantom flew straight down the streets.
"Run!! Run!! Run faster!!" Kouta screamed in his head. He was going as fast as his legs would take him, but he couldn't catch up.
The phantom knew that it had no chance going against Kouta. So it was trying to flee with Kasumi to do who knows what.
Kasumi was silent. She simply hung on the hand like a rag-doll.
Kouta was getting tired. He was forcing himself to keep running, but he wasn't getting any faster.
The phantom got further and further away.
"Kasumi!!!" Kouta leapt off of a rooftop. A silver mist escaped from his body as his eyes glowed the same color. He started hovering mid-air, something he couldn't do before. And he took off, flying after the phantom.
The phantom realized that Kouta could fly now and started going higher and higher. But Kouta could fly faster than the phantom could.
"GIVE ME MY FRIEND BACK!!!"
voom!
Kouta shot up in the air, piercing the phantom in its chest. It let out a dying moan as it dissipated into thin air.
Kasumi started falling.
Kouta flew downwards to catch her. He was flying over the city.
Then the silver glow left.
"What?!" Kouta exclaimed. He started falling from the sky at high speed.
In a panic, Kouta turned his back towards the ground and held Kasumi tight above him.
He was scared.
"When will I hit the ground?"
"Is this it? The end?"
Kouta's vision went black.