It turns out that malevolent spirits were nowhere near as numerous as they are now.
It is all the fault of the Reincarnator who arrived in this world, and the energy of the Outer God.
Apparently, the Outer God's energy shattered the portal through which souls pass to reincarnate. This occurred because the Outer God's Apostle—reluctant to die, yet confident that he would simply reincarnate if he did—caused a malfunction at the Reincarnation Station. Consequently, the souls awaiting reincarnation—along with the souls of those dying at that very instant—transformed into malevolent spirits.
My current mission hasn't changed much: I simply must kill the Outer God's Apostle and either repair the existing Reincarnation Station or create a new one for the souls.
Otherwise, at this rate, in just ten years, malevolent spirits will become visible to all human beings—and that will mark the end of humanity.
And, apparently, I have a new boss; in fact, I now have two: the consciousness of the planet and the collective consciousness of humanity.
It seems they have no proper names; they identify themselves solely by their existence.
If, by some chance, they were to identify themselves as Gaia and Alaya, I would think that, somehow, I had ended up in the Nasuverse.
It also appears they intend to teleport me close to the Outer God's Apostle and provide me with his personal data so that I can identify him more easily.
There is also a small, interesting detail: apparently, the Outer God's energy was completely depleted the moment he attempted to kill me—or, to be more precise, my two bosses drained it to the very last drop before it could cause any further trouble, once they discovered that their sole employee had nearly died.
As a result, I was the only one affected; the various protagonists of this world remain alive and safe. I'd better locate them as soon as possible and ensure they don't die; otherwise, the world's destruction could accelerate. The protagonists and the plot act as stabilizers for the world: "If even just one of them were to die, the world's balance could shatter, potentially triggering something akin to an apocalypse... or causing the planet to suffer a steady loss of vitality."
"I have too many responsibilities," I say aloud.
"But what does it matter? Worrying about these things right now won't solve anything. If I keep dwelling on it, I'll just end up stressed. I'd be better off just letting it go and relaxing."
"In my previous life, I never attached much importance to things... precisely to avoid stress. But in this life, I'll have to take things a little more seriously; otherwise, the world might just blow up."
"The things the fear of death can drive a person to do."
I push those tedious thoughts aside and press the call button to summon the nurses.
Calmly, I sit on the edge of the bed and hug my chest.
"A small chest is perfect for close-quarters combat; it doesn't get in the way, and you avoid losing your balance due to unnecessary physical disproportion."
Barely forty-five seconds later, the nurses enter the room cautiously, wary due to Miko's behavior just a short while ago.
"It's alright; I've calmed down now," I say in a soft voice.
"Having to use female pronouns and verb conjugations when, mentally, I'm a man is going to feel a bit strange."
"I plan to pretend that I suffer from a split personality."
"It will serve as a rather convenient excuse for the personality shifts whenever the two of us swap places."
"The doctor will be here in a moment, Miss Yotsuya Miko," one of the nurses tells me cautiously.
"HAAAA!" I exclaim. "Who are you calling Miko? My name is Yotsuya Rin—not Yotsuya Miko, woman!" My voice, brimming with irritation, echoes throughout the room.
The nurses startle, frightened by my outburst.
One of the older nurses simply sighs.
"What a poor girl; the shock of losing her brother was so severe that she ended up mimicking his personality and identity."
*This is the third person I've encountered suffering from this mental disorder in my thirty years of service,* thinks the nurse—a woman in her fifties.
Shortly thereafter, the nurses left the room.
*Oh, wow... how embarrassing. I sounded so arrogant that I almost broke character.*
*But I had to do it so they would believe me sooner.*
*My natural personality is quite quiet, and I don't usually show much emotion. But now that I possess Cursed Energy—and can actually kill evil spirits—I feel a bit more confident and have a little more freedom to express myself.*
*Even so, sounding like Sukuna feels a bit strange. I won't speak like that again.*
Five hours later.
"I have good news and bad news for you, Mr. and Mrs. Yotsuya," says Dr. Garaki.
"What is it, Doctor?" asks Mamoru, an expression of unease on his face.
"It appears—according to various studies and analyses conducted by our psychologists—that Miss Miko could not bear the trauma of losing her brother. This caused her mind to split in two."
"She now possesses her original personality alongside a simulated personality—created from her memories of her brother, Rin Yotsuya—as a form of self-protection."
"However, do not worry. Based on our research and analysis, these two personalities cannot coexist simultaneously."
"After several hours of investigation, we discovered that her original personality takes command whenever she wears glasses. It doesn't matter what *type* of glasses she wears; they all produce the same effect."
"Conversely, the simulated personality takes control whenever Miss Miko is *not* wearing her glasses." Author's Note:
To be honest, I'm not entirely sure how parents would realistically react to a situation like this. So, I'm going to skip that part to avoid making the read uncomfortable—and to spare everyone the secondhand embarrassment.
End of Author's Note.
Five days later. At the Yotsuya Residence in Tokyo. Miko's room.
"Brother, are you sure everything is going to be okay?" Miko asks as she looks at herself in the full-length mirror.
She is wearing a uniform consisting of a white collared shirt, a dark blue and white tie, and a dark blue skirt.
She is also wearing a yellow hoodie, dark stockings, and brown shoes, giving her a casual, youthful look.
A mouth opens on Miko's left cheek.
"Everything is fine; it's just high school. It's really no big deal," says Rin's voice, coming from the mouth on Miko's cheek.
"But we skipped two whole years, and I'm afraid I won't be able to understand such complicated subjects," Miko says, her voice tinged with worry.
"I've already finished reading through all the high school textbooks. I'll tutor you so you don't fall behind," Rin says calmly.
"Okay... but starting school right in the middle of the term feels really embarrassing," Miko says, her cheeks flushing with shame.
Explanation of Japanese School Terms:
1st Term: April to July
2nd Term: September to December
3rd Term: January to March
"Don't worry; you won't get ostracized at school. Just let me take control, and I'll help you make friends."
"Besides, it's actually quite rare for transfer students to be shunned by their classmates," Rin adds.
"If you say so, Brother... I trust you," Miko replies. —Miko! It's time to go to school! Your father is waiting for you.
—I'm coming, Mom! —Miko shouts back.