Black hair.
Red eyes.
A serene and composed demeanor.
And a face that bore a striking 70% resemblance to Kaguya herself—a matured version of Kaguya, unmistakably.
Amamiya glanced at the woman standing by the window and then turned, startled, to the girl beside him.
Could she be… Kaguya's mother?
It seemed highly plausible.
They resembled each other so closely that if not her mother, she had to be a direct relative.
No wonder Kaguya asked for help this morning. Even the cold and distant Kaguya had things she cherished deeply!
"It's my mother," Kaguya confirmed, folding her arms and speaking calmly.
So, he was right—this was indeed Mrs. Shinomiya.
Amamiya's eyes flickered briefly toward Kaguya's chest.
A pity… she hadn't inherited her mother's, er, better assets.
"What are you staring at?" Kaguya's eyes narrowed, a dangerous glint flashing as she tilted her head to face him.
"Nothing!" Amamiya quickly redirected the conversation, "It feels like something straight out of a conspiracy thriller. Are you going to lock me in some dark basement after this?"
"Don't worry," Kaguya tilted her head thoughtfully, "the military has already developed an amnesia spray. I'll make sure you try it later."
"Any side effects?" Amamiya asked warily.
"Your intelligence might regress to that of a child's."
"Please use it on me," Amamiya responded without hesitation.
"…"
To revert back to childhood—what a dream for countless people.
Kaguya's red eyes locked onto him, and she lightly bit her lip before continuing, "My mother passed away when I was very young, due to a heart attack… Yesterday, someone mentioned earthbound spirits during the horror game, and it made me think."
That explains it.
No wonder she had looked so uneasy back then.
The exact cause of earthbound spirits is still unknown, but there's a common belief: when someone dies with strong attachments or unfulfilled desires, they might linger as an earthbound spirit.
So… what could Mrs. Shinomiya be holding onto?
Kaguya kept her expression neutral, her gaze resting silently on the apparition of her mother by the window. "I came here yesterday afternoon and saw her standing there."
"Did you speak to her?" Amamiya asked.
"No," Kaguya shook her head slightly. "I wasn't sure what would happen if I did."
There was another reason she hadn't said aloud—after all these years, seeing her mother as a spirit left her unsure of what to even say.
"What a shame," Amamiya muttered.
If only she'd tried, maybe he could've claimed credit with Miko.
Kaguya's gaze darkened, and she continued in a cold voice, "Yesterday, when I was about to leave, I saw something strange—an evil spirit wielding a scythe. It hunts other spirits, and it's extremely dangerous."
Amamiya nodded thoughtfully.
What do you do when faced with danger?
You crush it before it becomes a threat, of course.
Kaguya would never allow an evil spirit to harm her mother, and her first instinct was to destroy it.
"I understand," Amamiya said.
In the real world, evil spirits come in many forms, and they don't always get along. Conflicts often arise among them, especially with weaker spirits being hunted or even used as prey by the more powerful ones.
Kaguya's expression was resolute as she said, "I'm not sure if the scythe spirit is here today, but if not, we'll come back tomorrow."
Before she could finish, Amamiya's voice dropped. "Are you referring to 'that' spirit?"
In the shadowy corner of the room, an ominous figure materialized—an evil spirit cloaked in black, holding a massive scythe. Its tattered cloak seemed to melt into the air, dissipating like smoke. It resembled the grim reaper from Western mythology.
As the scythe spirit appeared, the temperature in the room plummeted.
Mrs. Shinomiya, still bound to the window, reacted with sudden fear. Panic clouded her delicate features as she instinctively stepped back.
Kaguya's face hardened, and she quickly called out his name, "Amamiya-kun!"
"I'm on it."
Amamiya stepped forward, activating his anti-spirit aura. A translucent flame flared up around the scythe spirit, but the burning was slow—this one was tougher than the fridge spirit he had encountered before.
A hoarse, eerie roar echoed through the air, sending a chill down their spines. The scythe spirit recoiled, its body passing through the wall before vanishing.
Just then, Mrs. Shinomiya seemed to notice them for the first time. Her eyes widened in surprise and curiosity as she focused on the two intruders.
"Let's go," Kaguya quickly averted her gaze and started walking downstairs.
Amamiya nodded but stopped when he saw Mrs. Shinomiya move toward them.
Pretending not to notice, they continued down the stairs.
But Mrs. Shinomiya approached them quickly, and before Amamiya could react, she poked him lightly on the face with her cold finger.
Amamiya froze. 'What…?'
Madam, your eyesight must be terrible! Your daughter is right next to me, why are you poking me?
Wait.
Why can I feel her touch? Why does it feel like I've been hit by a static shock?
Unlike evil spirits in the game, real-world spirits are usually intangible. You can walk through them if you ignore their presence.
But Mrs. Shinomiya was different.
Suddenly, a complex magic circle appeared beneath both Amamiya and Mrs. Shinomiya's feet, glowing faintly. And in that moment, Amamiya realized what had just happened.
Simultaneously, Mrs. Shinomiya's confused expression cleared as she also sensed the bond between them. She spoke for the first time, her voice melodious and clear like the notes of a string instrument:
"…Master."
"Master?!" Kaguya froze, her eyes widening in disbelief. She didn't even care that her mother was right next to her—she turned sharply to Amamiya.
She had heard it correctly. Her mother had just called 'him' master!
"Shinomiya-san, let me explain," Amamiya stammered, cold sweat dripping down his forehead. "Your mother… she just initiated a guardian spirit contract with me."
It wasn't his intention to make her mother his guardian spirit—it was her mother's decision!
"Wait… Shinomiya-san?" Mrs. Shinomiya looked at her daughter with wide, curious eyes. "What a coincidence! You have the same last name as my daughter."
Amamiya sighed. "Madam, she 'is' your daughter."
"Ehhh?"
Mrs. Shinomiya gasped, covering her mouth in shock. "Little Kaguya was only three years old! How is she all grown up now?"
Amamiya turned to Kaguya and whispered, "Well, on the bright side, you can now act spoiled in front of your 'mom' as much as you want."