by M. C Queen
I spent most of my classes day dreaming about fighting Obake. I wasn't certain how they were exorcised, so I made up most of the details on my own. Like with giant swords, or magical weapons that sent out laser beams. In my imagination I became a fantastic Obake hunter who saved young maidens from terrifying monsters. Unless the maiden was an Obake herself. In that case I would have to destroy her, despite being almost overwhelmed by her beautiful looks.
Being the idiot that I used to be, I decided I couldn't take it anymore. I had to see an Obake, I had to know if they were real.
I decided the best case of action would be to ask the exorcists if I could follow along one day and take a quick look. One quick glance, then I would be out of there straight away. I approached Taisei with this idea in break time, but he wasn't very enthusiastic.
“Absolutely not,” he said.
“Why not, I promise I'll stay out of danger.”
“There's no way I could guarantee your safety.”
“Come on, I really want to see an Obake, I'll do anything.”
He looked like he was considering it, but he then shook his head. “They would probably ground me, I have a date with Yui Murase on Friday and it would suck if I couldn't go.”
I tried begging for another five minutes, but he wouldn't budge. I later found out that Yui Murase was the prettiest girl in third year, which explained his decision, but I was certain I'd see her making out with a student near my house.
I considered approaching Mana or Itsuki, but I knew it would be a waste of time. Some days they didn't arrive at school until lunch time. Unlike the rest of us (who were lectured for arriving a few minutes late) the teacher just nodded as they entered the room.
“This is so unfair,” I muttered to Keira, the guy on my right who was my new lunch buddy. “The teachers don't do anything when they're late. I wouldn't mind not showing up until one.”
“It's because they do community service,” said Keira as he took a bite of his rice ball. “Like go to retirement homes and read stories to old people. I asked Yoshida-sensei if I could join, but he said all the places were full.”
“Hmph,” I fumed. Only I knew the truth. I'd decided I wouldn't mind chasing Obake all night if I didn't have to study anymore. High school was far duller than I expected, and the teachers already started piling on the homework. It was only the second week, and I had two assignments due.
I ignored Taisei's advice and attempted to follow them after school. Unfortunately they all seemed to possess some sort of exorcist skill that allowed them to vanish when the final bell rang. All my stalking attempts had failed.
I felt deflated, but little did I know that I was about to meet my first Obake within the next few hours.
* * *
I took a walk through the shopping district on my way home. It was a closed off street with shops on either side and a roof so you didn't get wet when it rained.
I stopped to look in the second-hand games store at things I couldn't afford. It was unlikely that my sister would give me money for games, but if I could convince Shuro, he may have brought it for me. He was a really awesome guy when it came to things like that.
There were a few girls hanging around the mall as well. Some were in groups, and some were casually shopping on their own. There was a cute girl gazing into the display window of the clothing store. Probably imagining how she would look in the fashionable, but over priced outfit the mannequin was wearing. I was tempted to stop and talk to her, before I remembered the gruesome end to the first Daisuke Matsumoto.
I decided I would no longer attempt to pick up strange girls before confirming they were human. I didn't want to meet the same end as my older brother. I was paranoid that the fox monster really liked the taste of his heart, and might come back looking for seconds. Looking back on it now, I probably wouldn't have gotten into such a mess if I'd just stuck to this rule.
I sighed and turned to go home. So much had changed since I began high school. I had to make new friends, found out my adopted family were exorcists, and discovered that any pretty girl could be a heart eating monster. If I'd known my death was also soon to come, I would have returned home and locked myself in my room forever.
I heard the jingle of phone charms, and a flash of blonde raced past me. I stared blankly at the girl running off into the distance. She was wearing our school uniform, but her hair was bleached blonde which was against school policy. The only person I knew who could get away with that was Kurumi! I took a second glance. It was definitely Kurumi. She must have been racing off to fight an Obake. I couldn't figure out any other reason why she would be in such a hurry.
I clutched my bag strap with one hand to prevent it from falling off my shoulder, and followed suit. Following her was like taking another step closer to my demise, but I was just too excited about the chance to see a real live Obake.
Chapter 6
I followed Kurumi to the edge of town where there was nothing but trees. We ran until the cement path became dirt and pebbles.
I thought she would have heard my footsteps pounding behind her, but she was too engrossed in her destination. Every now and again she would pull out her cell phone and quickly glance at the screen before dashing off again.
We kept running until I could hear the voices of the other exorcists from somewhere beyond the trees.
“I don't know what you're waiting for, let's just attack now,” came the obnoxious voice of Itsuki.
“No, we should wait for it to make the first move, we don't know what we're dealing with,” said Taisei.
“You're just scared because the last one took a chunk out of your arm,” Itsuki replied.
Kurumi picked up speed and I wasn't far behind, within a matter of seconds she burst through the trees and was out in an open field. I decided things would be best if I didn't draw attention, so I hung back and hid myself behind a bush. I pushed the branches apart and peeked through the leaves to get a better view. The rest of the exorcists were already there. Taisei, Nina, Mana, Itsuki, Kiyori, and Souta were gathered around in a circle staring at something I couldn't see.
“Kurumi, thank god you're here!” Yelled Taisei
“Someone was late. Was there a sale at the mall?”
“Shut your face Itsuki!”
I was so excited, I could finally see a real life Obake and witness my first exorcism. I expected them to be dressed in special clothes and carrying mystical weapons, but compared to my day dreams they looked more like they were going home from club activities.
Taisei and Mana were holding wooden poles which were similar to those used in the Kendo club. Nina was holding a bow and arrow (which probably came from the archery club) and Kiyori looked like he was prepared to cut down a tree with a single ax in his hand. Itsuki and Souta weren't holding anything, so maybe they intended to beat the Obake to death.
I caught a glance of a small raccoon in the center of the circle. It didn't look anything like the monster Taisei showed me on his phone, and it looked more like a tiny raccoon trembling in fear.
I stared in confusion and began to wonder if what Taisei told me was the truth, or a funny lie made up to mess with me. What if Obake didn't really exist after all? What if the teenagers who I had mistaken for having mystic powers, were actually just a bunch of weird kids? Maybe they were all in a make-believe club which ran around the forest pretending to be exorcists and killing animals. I was embarrassed by how easily I had believed their strange fantasies.
I felt pity for the raccoon. I thought it was going to be beaten to death, so I decided to intervene.
I walked out of the trees with both hands up to show that I meant no harm.
“Hey guys,” I said while trying to appear casual and relaxed. I thought it was the best way to convey my voice of reason.
They all spun around and stared at me.
“Why is he here?!” Screeched Kurumi.
“What do you mean why is he here? Didn't you bring him?” Asked Taisei.
&
nbsp; “No, why the hell would I do that?!”
“He must have followed you,” said Itsuki. “Great job Kurumi, I can see those exorcist skills hard at work.”
Taisei frantically waved his arms like he was trying to shoo me back behind the trees.
“Hey you! Just find a safe place to hide and get out of the way!”
I planned to give a small speech about how all animals are our friends, but I could finally see what lay behind them. The raccoon began to gnaw on something pink beside it. At first my naive brain thought it must have been a peach, but I soon realized the raccoon was chewing on a human arm.
“WHY IS THAT RACCOON EATING SOMEONE!” I screamed.
“Oh crap,” Taisei turned his attention back to the raccoon, but it was already too late. The raccoon began to shake like it was going to throw up, but instead it began to grow larger.
“Nina now!” He yelled.
“Roger!” Nina grabbed an arrow from the pack on her back and loaded it into the bow. She aimed downward and shot, but her arm wavered and the arrow missed and implanted itself into the ground beside the monster.
“Shit!” Swore Taisei. “Everyone back now! Itsuki prepare a charm! Kiyori cover Itsuki! Mana take care of this guy!” He said while pointing at me.
Mana on the other hand wasn't too happy about becoming my personal bodyguard. “What! Why me? You never let me fight the Obake!” She yelled.
“Mana, get back there now!” He snapped.
With a huff Mana dashed to my aid and held her pole out before us as a shield. Her brow was narrowed in anger, but when she turned back to glance at me her mouth broke out into a smile. “Don't worry you'll be safe,” she said gently.
Happiness swelled within my chest. The girl I liked was prepared to protect me from a terrifying man-eating monster. I wanted to say that I was dying of happiness, until I realized I was currently facing death on four furry legs.
“I almost forgot,” Taisei quickly dashed over to Mana and I. “I have something to give you.”
He reached into his pocket and I assumed he was going to pull out a weapon I could use to protect myself, but instead it was his cell phone.
“If you don't mind, do you think you could get some shots of me fighting this thing?” He asked.
“I suppose,” I muttered hesitantly. I wasn't sure if it was an appropriate situation for taking pictures.
“Thanks,” he said with a wave before turning his attention back to the monster.
The Obake had grown to the size of a person. It still resembled a raccoon, except its teeth and claws were ten times larger and it was foaming at the mouth. I wanted to appear brave and manly in front of Mana, but I was soon clinging to her shoulder on the verge of tears. I may have also been screaming “Save me, its going to eat us all!”
Unlike everyone else who had jumped back and scattered, Nina reloaded her bow. She looked like she was going to take another shot but her fingers were shaking.
“Nina, get back!” Yelled Taisei.
“It's OK, I can handle it,” she said.
Nina didn't get the chance to shoot because the giant raccoon lunged at her. She screamed and fell back before any of us had the chance to do anything. I could no longer see her behind the monster, so I assumed she must have been a goner. It was the first time I'd ever seen someone die, so I froze in shock and found myself unable to move or do anything.
“Nina!” Yelled a frantic Taisei.
Tasiei ran to her aid, but before he'd even taken a step, there was a large thud, and an ax was suddenly sticking out of the monster's back. I assume it was thrown by Kiyori since he was the only one with any ax skills.
The raccoon in return wasn't pleased at being stabbed in the back, but at least it wasn't done by his trusted teacher. The monster spun around, glared at us, stood on its hind legs and howled at the sky in rage. I trembled in fear and began wishing that the others would get their act together and defeat the monster before it ate us all.
I couldn't help noticing that its eyes were red, and crimson blood (most probably Nina's) dripped from the monster's mouth.
"What is that thing?" I said in terror and awe. It was probably a bad idea to make any noise, and to my horror it jerked its head and locked eyes with mine. I took a step backwards in shock, and the monster took the momentary lapse in my guard as an invitation to come hurling towards Mana and I!
All I could see was the giant monster encroaching closer and closer towards us. Instead of helping Mana, I screamed, hit the ground, and placed my hands over my head in an attempt to shield myself.
I'm sorry Mana, I thought. Maybe we can be together in the afterlife.
I expected to be munched up in a matter of moments, but as scared as I was, I could hear nothing but yelling and the thud of wood against flesh. I hesitantly looked up to fine Taisei fending off our approaching death with his wooden stick.
“Itsuki can you hurry up already,” he groaned.
“He's still working on it!” Yelled Kiyori.
I scanned the area for Itsuki. He was standing off to the side with a piece of paper between his fingers, and his eyes were closed in concentration. Itsuki's mouth was moving at rapid speed, so he was either chanting or talking to himself.
Souta on the other hand hadn't participated much in the epic battle of high schoolers vs raccoon. He mostly hung back and looked as though he was unsure of what to do. Every now and again he'd rush forward as though to attack, only to quickly catch himself and go back to doing nothing. I later found out that everyone thought Souta was pretty useless when it came to fighting Obake.
To my relief I finally caught sight of Nina as well. I expected her to be mauled to pieces and scattered across the field, but she appeared unhurt except for the blood gashing profusely from her leg.
Kurumi dashed towards her and I assumed she was running to help her friend, but instead Kurumi ripped the bow and arrow straight from Nina's hands and took aim at the giant monster. Her aim was dead on, and she managed to land a hit directly through the head. I thought this would be enough to kill it (It looked like enough to kill anything), but the raccoon continued to thrash at Taisei despite having an ax in its back and an arrow sticking out of its skull.
“I don't get it, why isn't it dead yet?” I asked Mana.
“Obake are a lot stronger than regular animals and can heal faster,” she said without taking her eyes off the battle. “If they were easy to kill there would be no need for us exorcists.”
“Oh,” I said. That seemed to make sense.
Despite my amazement and fear I angled the cell phone and took some shots of Taisei battling the monster. As hard as I tried I could never understand the guy's obsession with taking photos, and I pray he didn't meet his end by trying to get a snapshot with the fox monster.
Itsuki began to chant louder to the point where he was almost yelling. The strip of paper in his hand began to glow, then flash, and all of a sudden a giant ball of lightning began to emerge from the paper. It crackled, flashed, and I was certain he was going to electrocute himself.
“Move it Taisei!” Yelled Kurumi. “It's coming!”
Taisei dropped back and left a direct path between Itsuki and the monster.
The giant electric ball finally separated itself from the paper and shot straight towards the Obake like a magnet. It hit the monster dead on and engulfed it in a ball of light. The whole field around us lit up and began the flash.
“Wow!” I muttered as I stared at the raccoon withering in pain amongst the blinding light. Black, white, black, white. A small glance was enough to hurt my eyes and I had to use my sleeve as a shield. But even when I wasn't looking I could hear the monster's screams over the crackles of lightning.
Finally the screaming ended and I looked up once more and blinked as red spots clouded my vision. After a few moments my eyesight cleared and I could see that the rabid raccoon monster had been reduced to nothing more than a smoldering pile of ashes. This terrifying experience should have bee
n enough for me to realize the dangers associated with exorcism, but all I could say back then was- “Amazing! Mana did you see that?”
“As expected of Itsuki,” she sighed and collapsed to the ground. “Thank goodness it's over, that was so stressful.”
“Itsuki!” I exclaimed. It wasn't like he was the only guy doing anything. Taisei, Kurumi and Kiyori had done most of the work. I was about to tell Mana all my personal observations of Itsuki doing nothing, until I noticed her staring at him in admiration as he poked the smoking raccoon carcass.
“Tsk,” I hissed before looking away. I didn't think he was that special.
The bloody scene was enough to make me nauseous, but that didn't effect Kiyori who had already pulled out a bag of potato chips and was happily munching away. Souta on the other-hand had finally put himself to good use by patching Nina up. She was covered in scratches, but she looked mostly fine except for the blood gashing from her leg and upper arm.
“Hey Nina do you think you'll be OK?” Asked Souta while wrapping her leg in a bandage.
“I'm sure it's just a scratch?” She said despite her face being screwed up in pain.