Tormented by the Cursed Spirits that haunted her daily life, Yotsuya Miko was desperate for a solution.
During summer break, she'd been perfectly content to stay home twenty-four hours a day—because she'd realized something important: her home seemed to repel ghosts. She'd never once seen one cross the threshold.
But with school reopening soon, she knew she couldn't hide forever. So she visited every nearby temple she could find.
Prayer beads, talismans, purification charms… nothing worked. Unwilling to give up, she decided to try a church instead.
"If the local Buddhist methods don't work," she thought, "then maybe the foreign ones will."
When she heard about a recently restored abandoned church, she packed up and headed out.
But when she finally arrived… she froze.
No matter how closely she followed the map, she just couldn't find the place.
Even worse, while she was wandering lost, a monster had started following her.
After a long, fruitless search, Miko scratched her head, forcing a helpless smile. "Guess I'm lost… better turn back and find my way home."
She used that as an excuse to pick up her pace.
And then—suddenly—a figure appeared before her: a man dressed in a priest's cassock, smiling gently.
"Do you need help?" he asked kindly.
At that voice, Miko's eyes welled up. That simple question meant he could see the "thing" chasing her!
"Yes! I need help!" she cried.
But the moment the words left her mouth, the priest's smile twisted into a grotesque grin.
"So… you can see me~~~"
Black miasma burst from his body as his form warped hideously into a mass of limbs and flesh.
"Why can they still disguise themselves?!" Miko screamed internally, tears welling up again as she turned and bolted—only to find the decaying corpse-like Cursed Spirit blocking her path.
Trapped between the two, she had nowhere to run.
"The souls of those dead exorcists became a Cursed Spirit this fast, huh?" Takumi mused as he stepped out from the repelling barrier. "Its strength isn't bad—at least a Grade Two."
Normally, Grade Two spirits weren't capable of disguising themselves. But this one was special—it had absorbed too many human souls, gaining an abnormal degree of intelligence.
From Miko's point of view, a handsome young man suddenly appeared beside her.
Oh no! Another monster! She didn't feel a single trace of joy—only terror. Her whole body froze stiff.
"Pretty calm for a girl in this situation," Takumi chuckled, patting her shoulder.
His aura alone forced both the corpse spirit and the false priest spirit to retreat.
Drip… drip…
Then came the faint sound of water. He looked back—and saw tears streaming down Miko's cheeks like raindrops. She was crying above… and below.
Right now, she wanted nothing more than to pretend she hadn't seen anything, just like before. But the sight before her eyes was far too much. She broke completely.
"…Guess I praised her too soon."
Takumi sighed, pinching her cheek gently before lifting a finger. "Light Spear!"
A swarm of radiant spears materialized in the air.
In the next instant, hundreds of them rained down like a torrential storm, piercing and obliterating both spirits.
[Ding! Random Trait Plundered: Spirit Eater (Blue)]
[Spirit Eater (Blue): Devour spirits to strengthen one's own soul.]
"Interesting. So that was from the priest Cursed Spirit, huh?"
He'd slain plenty of spirits before, but none had ever dropped a trait. Maybe because most were weak—just minor ones, below Grade Two.
From his studies, he knew Cursed Spirits devoured each other to grow stronger, feeding not only on life force but also human souls.
Shaking off the thought, he turned toward Miko, who still hadn't moved. As his gaze met hers, her knees began trembling uncontrollably.
After being deceived by one spirit already, she couldn't tell if this man was real—or another illusion meant to trick her.
"Quit shaking. If I were a spirit, I'd have eaten you already."
With a casual wave, Takumi dispelled the barrier around the church.
To Miko's astonishment, the church suddenly appeared where there'd been nothing before. The sight convinced her—this man must be a real exorcist.
But right after came the awkward realization of the dampness between her thighs.
"Mmph…"
Her cheeks flushed as she pressed her legs together and, after two seconds of hesitation, hurried to follow him.
By now, she had no other choice.
Yet the moment she stepped inside the church, Miko felt as though she'd walked straight into a wolf's den. The air was thick with the smell of blood and something… else.
A black-haired beauty immediately greeted Takumi with a reverent, "Good morning, Master." And in the corner lay two barely conscious women under thin blankets.
Miko froze in place. This scene looked… way too wrong.
Wait… could these be… perverted ghosts?!
No! She hadn't even had a boyfriend yet!
Her face crumpled as she stared at the floor, too scared to speak.
Seeing where her gaze went, Takumi said casually, "Relax. Those two are fallen angels. They did bad things, so I punished them."
"F–Fallen angels?" Miko blinked, dumbfounded.
In her mind, fallen angels were ancient beings who rebelled against God—nothing like the two beautiful women trembling in the corner.
"This is just one of my little exorcism tricks~"
He smiled and added, "Anyway, let's get to know each other. I'm Takumi. This is my newly opened Exorcism Agency—we also handle demon and spirit removal."
"This is my sister, Mio, and her companion, Maria. And this is my subordinate, Raynare."
Miko accepted the business card he offered, still dazed. "I'm Yotsuya Miko… just an ordinary high school student."
"Nice to meet you, Miko. Normally, I'd charge five million yen for an exorcism like that, but since fate brought us together, I'll give you a discount—three million."
Takumi tapped the table as he named his price.
At that, Miko's face turned ghostly pale. She lowered her head in horror.
In that moment, she finally understood—having no money… was even scarier than seeing ghosts.
...
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