While Akuto was still thinking, Miko's group had already stepped into the tunnel.
Marin began to have second thoughts.
"Come on, we could take pictures anywhere… why insist on a creepy place like this?"
As she spoke, the four of them reached the one-third mark of the tunnel.
Miko could see numerous harmful-grade spirits emerging from the walls.
"At this level… I can still handle it."
Just as Miko was about to press forward, Akuto's voice suddenly rang in her ear.
"Oi, Miko, don't go deeper—get out of there first."
"Lord Akuto, did you find something?" Miko's footsteps froze.
"Yeah. A seal."
The moment Miko heard those two words, her hair literally bristled before her eyes!
"Hana! Marin! Move!" Miko spun to leave, but Yuria spread her arms, blocking their retreat.
"Miko! Is this really okay!"
"You have this rare gift—are you going to waste it because of fear?"
Hearing that, Miko's fury flared up again.
Before she could react, the clank of a chain hitting the floor echoed.
Miko jerked her head up in horror. Behind Yuria, a colossal spirit was stepping out of the wall.
The creature had dozens of legs; it landed like a spider. Its torso was a mass of tormented faces, its six arms gripping a single iron chain.
The chain shot out, snaring dozens of spirits and dragging them in, stuffing them one by one into its mouth.
"This is bad…"
"It's the same kind of thing we saw at the Sanko Valley Shrine—way beyond me. I have to get them out…"
Memories of that terror flooded back; inside a seal, spirits could even harm ordinary people.
Just then, Hana strode up to yank Yuria aside. "Stop being selfish! We said we're not going—move!"
"Hana!"
Miko's pupils shrank; the spirit's claw was already slashing toward Hana.
Without thinking, Miko dove and shoved Hana hard.
Rip!
With a sickening tear, hot blood spurted as Miko's arm separated from her body.
The scalding blood splashed across Yuria's face, freezing her smug expression.
"Miko!!"
Tears sprang to Hana's eyes; she knew a deadly spirit had to be here.
Marin's pupils shrank.
"Her… hand… gone… how…?"
"Hana! Get them out! Trust me!"
"You'll help me, right?"
Meeting Miko's resolute gaze, Hana nodded fiercely, grabbed Marin, then—after a second's thought—seized Yuria and sprinted for the tunnel mouth.
But two silhouettes now blocked the exit!
In the gloom, Hana couldn't tell who they were.
She ran, shouting. "Don't come in! Please, stay back!"
Outside, two girls who'd come for sneaky photos heard her cries—not fleeing, but excited.
"So worked up—they must be doing something scandalous!"
"Haha, this'll be fun! Hurry, let's film it and ruin them!"
Instead of retreating, they advanced.
Hana had no strength left to warn them; she needed every ounce to drag the stunned Yuria.
Marin recovered and ran ahead, too breathless to speak.
Boom! Boom-boom!
Thunderous rumbles echoed inside.
Hana, dragging Yuria, and Marin brushed past the two sneering girls.
"Tch, think running will help?"
"Once we've got proof, escaping is pointless."
Seeing her friends nearly at the exit, Miko began fighting her way back.
Boom-boom-boom!
The spider spirit's six arms hammered down. Miko flipped backward again and again, ran up its limb, and snapped a roundhouse into its head.
Smack!
The head merely tilted.
Damage: basically zero.
Using the recoil, Miko sprang away.
By now, Hana's trio had burst outside. Kitagawa whipped out her phone. "Should… should we call the police? What happened there?"
Hana's face was dark as thunder; she yanked Yuria over and slapped her hard.
"It's all you! Last time you lured a spirit to school and almost killed people!"
"Today you tricked us into coming here!"
"If Miko dies, I'll never forgive you!"
"Sp… spirits?" Marin stepped back. "Is this a shoot? Or a prank on me…?"
Yuria trembled, head down.
"Impossible… I didn't see anything…"
"You two—run!"
Miko's shout snapped everyone back.
She had reached the tunnel mouth; the two girls were still walking in.
She couldn't control this Special Grade spirit at all.
After Miko dodged another chain, the spirit switched targets.
Clank…
"Watch out!"
Too late to save them—chains wrapped the two girls and yanked them toward the spirit.
"Aaaah!"
"What is this! Help!!"
Only then did they seem to see something, screaming in terror.
With a crunch, the spirit bit one girl in half, silencing her shriek.
"No…"
Miko raised a hand, powerless, as the spirit devoured the second girl's torso and hurled the remaining leg at her.
Thud…
A bloody thigh landed at the entrance.
Gritting her teeth, Miko fled, darting out of the tunnel, clutching her left stump while watching the mouth warily.
"If it's a seal…"
Boom!
A pale-yellow barrier slowly rose, separating them from the spirit.
"Roar!!"
It howled in rage, glaring at them with venomous eyes.
Thump.
Miko collapsed, only now realizing she was drenched and utterly bloodless.
"Miko!"
Hana rushed over, tears streaming, wanting to bandage her but not knowing where to start.
"Ambulance—I'll call an ambulance!"
Marin grabbed her phone, but Miko stopped her.
"No use."
She meant the two girls inside were dead, but to the others it sounded as if she'd given up on herself.
Hana and Marin both turned on Yuria.
"What were you thinking!"
"Say something! You brought us—people are dead!"
Marin pointed a shaking finger at the severed limb.
Yuria sat frozen, scrabbling backward terrified. "I just wanted Miko to admit her gift… I didn't know it would be like this…"
"Sorry…"
"Sorry, fix nothing!" Hana's eyes were bloodshot. "Sorry won't regrow Miko's arm or bring those girls back!"
"Last time Miko warned you—what do you even want!"
Head bowed, Yuria shuddered and sobbed.