"Enough!"
The voice was powerful and commanding, silencing the commotion instantly. The Harbinger materialized beside me, its shadowy form radiating an aura of authority.
The Genderuwo turned to face the Harbinger, its eyes narrowed with suspicion. "Who are you?" it growled, its voice dripping with venom.
"I am of your kind," the Harbinger replied calmly, "but different."
The Genderuwo hesitated, sensing a power it couldn't quite comprehend. "We were here first! I know you three can kill us! So leave us be!"
The three of us exchanged a glance, then slowly backed away.
As we stood in a tense standoff, a small figure emerged from behind the Genderuwo.
It was a child, their translucent form barely visible in the dim light of the warehouse.
"A ghost kid..." Yolan whispered, her voice filled with surprise.
"P-P-Please, don't kill us..." the child pleaded, their voice trembling with fear. "I don't want to disappear..."
The Genderuwo protectively shielded the child, its voice a low rumble. "Hide..."
The three of us exchanged glances, a wave of confusion washing over us. Perhaps we had misjudged the situation. Were these ghosts not here to attack us?
The Genderuwo's gaze softened as it looked down at the trembling child. "We are not here to attack, We are merely defending our home. In this age, humans have become so numerous, and we can no longer roam freely as we once did. I am here to protect this child from those who would harm it, like you... Are you not one of those ghost hunters?"
I looked at Yolan, unsure how to respond.
Yolan shook her head firmly. "No, we are not ghost hunters," she said, her voice calm and reassuring.
"Liar!" the Genderuwo snarled, its eyes narrowing. "I can smell the stench of magic on you!"
I quickly pressed the button on my watch, the gun vanishing with a soft click. Yolan, sensing the shift in atmosphere, released her grip on the sword, letting it clatter to the ground.
The Harbinger lowered its head, its voice apologetic. "Forgive my rash judgment," it said. "I sensed your presence and assumed you were a threat."
The Genderuwo relaxed slightly, but its eyes remained wary. "We've had to resort to scaring humans away," it explained. "Some are braver than others, and a few have even tried to harm us with their mantras."
"So there are others who can see you?" I asked, surprised.
"No," the Genderuwo replied. "I don't believe they can truly see us. They simply think they can."
I glanced at Yolan, unsure how to respond. The revelation that there were others out there who could interact with the spirit world, even if only through delusion, was both fascinating and unsettling.
"They believe they can see us," the Genderuwo clarified, its voice rumbling through the warehouse. "Because they have been deceived by their own desires and fears. They project their own interpretations onto the shadows, mistaking them for spirits."
A wave of understanding washed over me. It made sense. The human mind was a powerful tool, capable of both great creativity and self-deception.
"So, what do you want?" I asked, my voice cautious but firm. "Why are you here?"
The Genderuwo hesitated for a moment, then said, "We seek refuge. This place was once our home, but humans have encroached upon it, polluting the land with their greed and violence."
"We mean you no harm," the child spirit added, its voice timid and pleading. "We just want to be left alone."
I looked at Yolan and Dove, then back at the Genderuwo and the child. A decision was forming in my mind, a path that could lead to either peace or further conflict.
Yolan, sensing my hesitation, spoke up. "Don't worry," she said, her voice surprisingly gentle. "We're not here to harm you. We just needed a place to hide from the police for a little while."
The Genderuwo looked at Yolan, a flicker of recognition in its eyes. "You're the one who destroyed those things here, aren't you?" it asked, its voice accusatory.
"A-Ah... yeah," Yolan admitted, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment. "That was when I was younger. I didn't know you were living here."
The Genderuwo nodded. "It's just my power to blend into the shadows with my hair," it explained.
Yolan's eyes widened. "Ah, that makes sense! You were the one lurking in the corner that day we came here, weren't you?" she exclaimed, remembering the encounter.
"Indeed," the Genderuwo replied. "But you thought I was just a pile of trash, didn't you?"
"Yeah, yeah," Yolan laughed sheepishly. "That makes a lot more sense now."
I blinked, my curiosity piqued by this new information. "But doesn't the folklore say that Genderuwo are... known for sexually harassing children and women?"
A tense silence fell over the room. The Genderuwo shifted uncomfortably, its eyes darting between me and Yolan.
"Listen," it finally said, its voice low and rumbling, "not all of us are the same. Humans are known for killing each other, but are you a murderer? Humans are often considered intelligent, but are you?" The Genderuwo was clearly trying to defend itself, its words laced with a mix of defiance and hurt.
"It's the other members of my race who give us a bad name," the Genderuwo admitted, its voice tinged with sadness. "We are invisible to most humans, and some of us... have a stronger... attraction to women."
Jin have a taste for women too, huh?
I thought to myself, trying to suppress a smile.
"Sorry for assuming you were a... sexual predator," I apologized, feeling a bit awkward.
"Don't worry," the Genderuwo replied. "It's a stereotype I've grown accustomed to. One time, I was just sitting here, minding my own business, when someone claimed to have seen a Genderuwo which is me. They even called in a 'holy person' to exorcise me! They accused me of impregnating a virgin woman, when I hadn't even left the warehouse!"
Yolan and I exchanged a glance, barely able to contain our laughter. It was a ridiculous situation, but the Genderuwo's frustration was palpable.
"Just remember, kid," the Genderuwo said, its voice surprisingly gentle, "not everyone is like those other Genderuwo, and we are not like every human. You are unique, and you should embrace that."
< Chapter 070 > Fin.