ʕ•ﻌ•ʔ AKEMI ʕ•ﻌ•ʔ
Just as soon as their classes finished, Akemi pulled Hiroko and Moe straight back to the dormitory with Akemi back from her blouse and skirt.
Hiroko and Moe remained quiet, not particularly excited to going back to their dorms but the thought of having Akemi and the SPR there reassured them in some way that it would be okay.
Considering that the spirit actually haunting their dorm room was a Cannibal student.
Hiroko and Moe still couldn't process Akemi's story as the heiress claims her vision came to her while they were in class.
"Can~~ you see me~~?" Hagiwara's haunting figure drawled, his mouth letting out an awful stench as Akemi avoided staring or even letting herself peek a glance that would insinuate that she can see him.
Knowing that the moment he does realized she can see him then he would seize this moment like a wild animal running on primal survival.
Especially when the very thing he was drawn to was Akemi's overflowing spiritual energy.
"Can't~~ stop it~~ believe me, I cannot~~ control~~" Akemi ignored the bile that tickled her throat, biting the insides of her cheek to stop herself from exorcising the spirit right here right now,
Because how Akemi exorcises spirits disintegrates them into nothing but dust. Killing them again unlike the normal way of setting them free by either willingly giving in or inflicting slight discomfort.
Naru hypothesized that it might do with the fact of her using pure spiritual energy that is naturally flowing to her being. Giving it to something that feeds off of spiritual energy engulfs and fills the spirit to a brim that it has no choice but to explode. At least that was what Akemi got from his explanations,
At the thought of having a human in her control to kill, made Akemi frown.
Even what he did wasn't humane, Hagiwara Seiichi still used to be human too. Even now the sound of his disgust wasn't for eating human flesh but for actually doing it to his best friend.
A woman he confessed to actually love.
He was still human, abnormal but still human.
Because in the end, some would still fall to temptation, even her and Akemi would think herself foolish if she curses someone to die in the pits of hell because of that.
She doesn't want to disintegrate his soul but that doesn't mean Akemi actually pardons the man from what he has done.
Even a barking dog gets a reprimanding.
~~~
Akemi stood by what seemed to be a backyard, the sound of an elder man counting down numbers starting from ten echoed around the house.
Laughter and giggles was all Akemi could hear along with thumps of footsteps running around trying to hide.
It wasn't until a small frail kid, pale but smiling widely passed by that Akemi knew where she was.
She continued to watch, curious enough to try and get the vision through.
Even a small smile pressed itself on her lips as an elder man made goofy monster noises, dressing up as a scary boy-eating giant and caught each one of the children along with the frail kid. "I'm gonna put y'all on my big pot and cook you for dinner!"
The elder uncle and the children laughed as he started carrying them inside the house, the traditional doors for the backyard closed as soon as they passed. 'It seemed that he had a healthy childhood... considering that he got into Law School, his finance must be high above average...'
The environment around Akemi flowed a fast forward in time as hundreds of suns and moons rose and set.
It wasn't until Hagiwara Seiichi made it in grade school did his condition started revealing himself.
Akemi felt herself standing in the middle of a pavement, her eyes gazing on a high schooler, that almost was the same age as Mai. Her eyes focused on the girl's thigh, Hagiwara's lingering thoughts passing by her head.
"I have to try it..." Hagiwara's awful stench came through Akemi's nostrils and the place surrounding Akemi once again started to fade and found herself at a familiar place.
Reddohiru Gakuin University, of course, before it was the school Akemi knows today. 'From the looks of it, this is the time where the school promotes Law Programs...'
Akemi walked to the halls of the building, her vision still placing her right on Hagiwara's shoes. With books in his hand, Hagiwara remained to himself, 'Shy, insecure of his stature and appearance— highly introverted...'
Akemi hugged her books closer to her until she heard a name call him.
"Seiichi-kun!"
"Kiyomi?" Akemi turned, seeing a girl stand over him/her with quite a tall height. Akemi didn't notice that Hagiwara was that short compared to the woman in front of him— them.
Akemi felt her heart rapidly jump in her chest, more of Hagiwara's desires passing by her thoughts.
Okita Kiyomi, the girl who disappeared stood in front of Hagiwara with a bright smile on her lips. Her cheeks tinted with white power that covered the mole on the side of her left cheek, her hazel eyes glinting with trust and happiness at seeing Hagiwara while her long black hair was tied in a small neat bun.
She looked beautiful wearing a green and brown yukata. 'She looks wonderful,'
But all Akemi could think about was Hagiwara's desire, staring at the innocent girl with fascination. The desire to eat her burned her chest....
Akemi never thought a time would come where she feels that kind of temptation and left her head feeling petrified.
That was then Akemi saw it.
She saw Hagiwara's love confession that led to Okita Kiyomi's polite rejection, knowing that he was just a friend.
The heartbreak Akemi felt— felt too real. "I understand..." Akemi cleared her throat as she stood with shaky legs. " -I'll go get us some refreshments, why don't you try reading this poem next?" Akemi leaned in close to Okita, pointing to the page she was referring to.
"Sure!" Okita brightly smiled, turning to focus on reading as Akemi left the room.
And that's when she saw it once more.
Hagiwara's failed attempts in trying to fulfill his fantasies of eating human meat. Just once, that was all he wanted.
One try.
He tried it on sexual workers but he bailed every single time,
Every single time.
Now...
Now he was gonna try it on her.
Akemi's eyesight swirled around her which soon focused on a woman sitting by a desk facing the window. His desk,
Okita Kiyomi held a book in her hand.
Akemi held a rifle in hers, slightly shaking from nerves. Knowing that this was Hagiwara's own experience.
"Hm? Seiichi-ku—?!" Okita Kiyomi wasn't able to finish her words as Hagiwara Seiichi shot her right on the nape.
BANG—!
Akemi's sight turned dark, feeling her body fall to the ground. Hagiwara Seiichi fainted.
He fainted.
But Akemi knew this vision was far from over. Opening her eyes she saw herself kneeling in front of Okita Kiyomi's dead body, a curved meat knife on his hand as his teeth weren't sharp enough.
Warning! Read with Caution!
With the knife in hand, Akemi sliced Okita Kiyomi's cheek, face and chest; feeling fascinated at the sight of the corn-colored nature of human fat.
The meat was soft and odorless but the constant greasy consistence of it was quite annoying.
'Stop!' Akemi started hyperventilating, feeling her skin turned cold as she watched Hagiwara experiment different seasonings and sauce.
It would take a while before Akemi could eat once again.
~~~
"After that Hagiwara Seiichi chopped her up using an electric carver and placed her parts on his spare luggage, throwing her body on a pond." Akemi finished retelling her vision, sitting on the sofa with honey tea on her hand.
She didn't took a sip, she just felt.
Mai, Masako and Ayako looked highly disturbed from Akemi's detailed story, well as detailed as she can give that wouldn't traumatize the audience.
Hiroko and Moe stayed on a different room to rest their heads from their weeks of sleep deprivation. Akemi made sure to hand them some talismans with the help of Ayako to make sure they were safe,
Another reason was to keep Hagiwara Seiichi's spirit far from the girls and be directed somewhere else.
So far, he wasn't showing up at the base and Akemi preferred it that way.
"What happened then?" Bou-san asked, wanting Akemi to continue. Mai leaning in as she too was curious despite the disturbing information.
Ayako frowned, not really liking that Akemi has to speak more about her vision. The Miko crossed her arms and was about to tell off the two but Naru launched his words first before Ayako could.
"Hahiwara Seiichi took his life 2 weeks later using a rifle to the mouth because of guilt and shame," Naru took a step towards the sofa where Akemi sat and sat on the vacant space beside her with his neutral attitude. "-his suicide note was later revealed. The words 'I can't stop it. So I stopped it, I'm so sorry.' written by his own sign pen that Okita Kiyomi gave him on his birthday..."
Hoping to give light, Akemi turned to glance at her old wizard, "You must be fun to talk to in parties," Akemi teases to which Mai and Bou-san flinched at.
Masako and Ayako took a step back, as only minutes before Akemi came in to tell her vision Naru wasn't having any of the situations on a welcoming embrace.
"My intelligence keeps conversations interesting," That was all Naru said, but each held their breath.
After learning that the spirit of Hagiwara Seiichi wasn't present in the dorm, Mai ands the others thought that he must already be gone but Masako claims that the spirit's presence still lingers. It was still here and yet not at the dorm.
Naru was livid for some reason but none of the SPR crew besides Lin could notice this change.
~~~
ʕ•ﻌ•ʔ MAI ʕ•ﻌ•ʔ
"So now what do we do?" Mai cut off, not really getting what they were gonna do next.
"Now," Bou-san smiled, placing a hand in his chin. " -its my time to shine, right Naru-bou?"
Naru gave out a breath, standing up to his feet, nodding at the Monk's question. "Now we can perform an exorcism, once Hara-san speaks with him."
"I don't think I'm comfortable enough for Masako to speak to a Cannibal..." Mai muttered, worried for Masako.
"Then maybe I can—"
"No." Akemi didn't get to finish her words as the SPR crew stared at the heiress.
Sensing their concerns, Akemi willingly took a step back. "Okay, then... I'll be going somewhere for a bit..." Akemi pointed towards the door, her gaze turned to ask Naru for his permission but the boss took a second's glance and turned to the monitors.
"You are not needed, go do as you please." Hearing his approval, Akemi went to leave.
"Eh? Akemi-sempai, you are not going to stay for the exorcism? Why?"
Akemi sent Mai her usual smile, hands behind her back to hide her shaky hands. 'Because right now disintegrating Hagiwara's spirit seems the rightful option for me in this situation despite trying to convince myself to not take things violently...' Akemi darkly admitted to herself, but all she decided to say was "Seeing Hagiwara Seiichi's spirit all day worn me out, so excuse me..."
~~~
ʕ•ﻌ•ʔ AKEMI ʕ•ﻌ•ʔ
"Help~~me~~" Akemi paused as Hagiwara Seiichi's spirit stood right in front of her, his mouth bloody and eyes gaping wide, his back hunched that Akemi compared him to a fetus' appearance. It was rude of her to compare however, Akemi wasn't in the right mindset at the moment after seeing Hagiwara Seiichi's mind.
Akemi's head lowered, making it hard to see her eyes. Her hands unknowingly clenched and her shoulders stiff. "No amount of anything could help you now." Akemi coldly spat.
Hearing her words and finding out that she was able to see him, Hagiwara's spirit became primitive and fierce but the beads on her wrists secured her safety and so she left to go for the lake pond nearby, making sure to close the door so the spirit couldn't leave.
'Finally some fresh air,' Akemi breathe in the cold breeze, her hands relaxing their hold on the cold bars that separated her and the lake. It was quite high, reaching her chest.
This was one of the consequences Akemi would experience with each dive to visions. The feelings and journey of the spirits would cling unto her, making it possible to relive each and every vision the high world wanted her to see. She thought of it as a gift, a power to help other spirits and be able to connect to them but at times like this case, Akemi couldn't help but wish that she could turn it off.
These kinds of visions challenge her to think. Her principles and morals damaged, but what else can she do but continue living? She knew the time will come where a belief of hers would be strong— strong enough to face any other experiences that made her think.
"He's gone..." Akemi softly said, an unknown glint in her eyes as she felt the reliving visions of Hagiwara's spirit lay dormant once more on her mind. Sitting still on her mind, one that she'll never think of again and yet won't ever forget.
Akemi stayed standing where she stood, watching as the blue lake slowly turned orange from the sunset.
It was silent, she didn't make any sounds nor did the birds. Only the soft whistles of the breeze and hush whispers of the trees accompanied Akemi's lone figure.
Well that was until she felt something warm being placed on her shoulders, her body shivered at the soft texture of cloth as it passed her finger tips.
"It's cold," Naru softly said, taking his place beside her, his elbows on the high barricades.
"hn..." Akemi actually didn't feel cold anymore.
She kept her eyes trained at the orange pond, silence prevailing once more as Akemi and Naru didn't spoke a word.
Their presence was enough to keep them company.