"Huh?"
The blonde girl glanced over quietly. She noticed the Death Ghost didn't stop after its first swing. It silently moved to a passenger behind the driver and raised its black scythe again.
The passenger, a man absorbed in his phone, was obviously just a regular person. He couldn't see the deadly spirit in front of him.
The scythe swung down, slicing into his head again.
Nothing happened.
The ghost glided to a third passenger, lifting its scythe once more.
"No way," Umi gasped, her eyes wide. "Is it gonna chop everyone on this train?"
Miko tensed up. "Looks like it," she muttered.
The blonde girl fidgeted nervously. "If we can see it... does that put us in danger?"
Natsuki's voice was grim. "We don't have any past examples. There's no way to know for sure."
No one knew what would happen if an evil spirit's scythe hit your head. Better safe than sorry - Natsuki immediately activated his "Evil Spirit Repel" ability.
Meanwhile, the Death Ghost kept moving forward, slashing at passengers with its scythe. Most didn't react, but suddenly it pulled a spirit right out of a woman's body. She screamed and struggled, but couldn't resist as the ghost sucked her into its dark robe, becoming another distorted face in the fabric.
"What the hell was that?" Umi blurted out.
Natsuki shook his head. "I don't know." But it was clear this spirit was something special.
A moment later, the Death Ghost neared their group.
"Natsuki!" Umi grabbed his sleeve, panicked. "The barrier thing - use it!"
"It's already on," he whispered back.
As the spirit stepped into range, transparent flames erupted over its body.
"This is where your evil ends," Natsuki muttered.
Umi sighed in relief, flashing a victory sign. But the Death Ghost stepped back, quickly leaving the barrier's range. It sliced off the burning corner of its robe, tossed it aside, then stared directly at their group.
Umi's smug grin froze. "I... think it saw me."
She glanced over. Natsuki was calmly staring out the window like nothing happened. Miko had her nose buried in her phone, equally nonchalant.
Umi puffed out her cheeks in frustration. How did they switch to acting normal so fast?
The scrap of robe burned away. The Death Ghost stood motionless, its empty hood fixed on their group.
Natsuki couldn't see its face, but he felt its gaze. He stayed on high alert, knowing that in the real world, evil spirits were ranked by how long they could withstand purifying auras before retreating.
"The longer it holds out, the stronger it proves to be," Natsuki muttered.
No doubt about it - this Death Ghost was seriously powerful.
Luckily, the tram started slowing down as it approached the next stop.
"Should we bail?" Miko whispered, sounding a bit freaked out.
"No need," Natsuki replied, keeping a close eye on the spirit. "It's about to get off."
Miko watched carefully as the Death Ghost silently turned and exited with the other passengers.
"Phew..." Both girls let out sighs of relief.
"It's way too sketchy out there," Umi grumbled. "I wanna go home."
"Home's not safe either," Natsuki said grimly. "That whole 'invincible in bed' thing doesn't work anymore."
"Geez, Natsuki! Even if that's true, you don't have to say it out loud!"
The rest of the trip was uneventful after the ghost encounter. They made it to the zoo without any more scares.
"Zoo time!" Miko cheered, throwing her hands up excitedly.
"We gotta take pics to remember this," Umi said, whipping out her phone and snapping away. The spooky tram ride was already forgotten. "Group photo time!"
Kyousuke weakly agreed. "Sure..."
After the impromptu photoshoot, they queued up for tickets.
At the entrance, Natsuki spotted a ghostly staff member in uniform. Its empty eyes scanned the tourists, occasionally making ticket-checking gestures.
"Japan really is a country of dedicated workers," Natsuki thought. "Even as ghosts, they keep doing their old jobs. Talk about company loyalty."
He didn't bother with his spirit-repelling ability, just ignored the ghost and walked through the gate.
It was a sunny May day, and the zoo was packed with visitors.
"Kyousuke, want to follow the zoo map in order?" Natsuki asked.
Kyousuke nodded. "Sounds good. Let's save the pandas for last."
Miko frowned slightly. "Is it just me, or does this place feel... off?"
Natsuki was about to reply when a game notification popped up.
"Natsuki," Umi whispered, sidling up close. "Did you get a game notification just now?"
Natsuki nodded slightly. "Zoo Tales?"
"Yeah, that's it!" Umi looked relieved. "I thought I was the only one... A big mission like that sounds super risky. But if I'm with you, we should be fine."
Natsuki thought to himself, "A blacksmith needs to be strong on their own. Don't rely on others - focus on getting stronger yourself!"
"Hey," Umi asked eagerly, "When you get these notifications, does Chika get them too?"
"Give it a minute," Natsuki replied. "We'll find out."
A minute ticked by.
"No message," Natsuki said, checking his phone. "Looks like she didn't get the notification."
It was clear that "Zoo Tales" was like "Midnight Subway" - a trigger-type quest. You only become eligible once you enter the specific area.
Of course, it's best to avoid these sudden game scenarios altogether. The unknown always means danger.
But there was something else bothering Natsuki even more...
Natsuki stepped closer to Miko. "Hey, come here a sec."
"Huh?" Miko tilted her head, confused, but followed Natsuki to a quieter spot.
Natsuki got straight to the point. "Why'd you say the zoo felt off earlier?"
"Natsuki and I just got a game alert about a big 'Zoo Tales' mission," Umi chimed in.
Miko frowned. "I... I'm not sure. When we came in, I felt weird. Like being alone in a room. Got goosebumps for no reason."
Umi blinked. "But Miko's just a regular person, not a player. How come she's seeing spirits?"
"Trust me, I don't want to see this stuff!" Miko snapped, glaring at a nearby ghost.
Natsuki thought for a moment. "Let's use some basic logic here. Normal people can't see spirits. Miko can. So the conclusion is..."
He looked at Miko. "You're not exactly normal."
Miko scoffed. "Sorry to burst your bubble, but I'm pretty darn ordinary."
Umi raised her hand. "Except for the whole 'seeing invisible ghosts' thing!"
Miko stayed silent.
"Miko, what's the holdup?" Kyousuke called out. "Let's go see the giraffes!"
Miko turned. "Coming!"
"Let's keep checking out the zoo," Natsuki said calmly. No point freaking out before anything actually happened.
Umi, ever the optimist, had already moved on. As she liked to say, "You never know if tomorrow or an accident will come first. Might as well enjoy life now!"
They continued their zoo adventure.
"Why are those giraffes bumping necks?" a little boy asked.
"Oh, I know this one!" Kyousuke leaned on the fence, carefree as ever. "They're scratching each other, like those monkeys we saw earlier picking bugs off their friends."
"I don't think that's quite right..." Natsuki muttered.