"See you later, Mom," says Miko as she climbs into the back seat of her father's black car.
"Drive safely!" calls out Touko, a warm smile on her face as she waves goodbye.
"Kyosuke, put on your seatbelt," Mamoru tells his young son.
"Okay, Dad; I'm putting it on right now," he replies.
"Dad, what's the name of the school we're going to?" asks Miko as she buckles up.
"Oh? It's actually quite interesting, Miko," her father says cheerfully.
"What's up, Dad? You seem pretty excited," Miko remarks.
"Well, it turns out to be quite a curious situation. For this school year, it seems someone bought up several schools all across Tokyo and merged them all into a single one."
"The school's name is [Unified High School]—straightforward and simple."
"Your brother is even going to attend the elementary section of that very same school," her father adds happily.
"That's pretty convenient," Miko remarks, sounding less than enthusiastic.
"What's wrong, Rin? You seem a bit serious now that you've heard about the school," Miko asks Rin telepathically.
"Do you remember me telling you about those Reincarnators?" Rin replies.
"Yes, what about them?" asks Miko.
"This is yet another consequence—one brought about by the unconscious desires of a Reincarnator."
"It's likely that our target is located within that school... and there's probably more than one."
"There are likely two or three Reincarnators... or perhaps just one. I'll have to wait for the Collective Consciousness of Humanity to teleport me directly to the Reincarnator," Rin concludes.
Miko feels a sudden pang of nervousness. After all, Rin had told her everything about the Apostles of the Outer Gods—and about the catastrophic consequences that their mere presence in this world could unleash.
"So... what do we do?" she asks nervously.
"Don't worry. Just relax; I'll take care of everything," Rin assures her. Ten minutes later... "Goodbye, Dad," says the miko. After all, evil spirits are everywhere.
There are so many of them that the path is completely obstructed; one can barely make out the trail stretching out ahead.
For some reason, the school is one of the few places where evil spirits do not abound.
Here, they are almost nonexistent.
"It's probably due to the Apostle of the Outer God," Rin thinks with a sense of relief.
"These evil spirits are just too annoying."
"Before—when I still couldn't kill them—I managed to tolerate them; but now, they seem like nothing more than a nuisance."
"However, if I kill them, their corrupt souls won't reincarnate; they will simply vanish."
"I'll have to find a way to purify their souls and allow them to reincarnate."
"But, first things first, I need to repair the Reincarnation Station," Rin concludes, noting that the miko has arrived at the elementary school.
"Remember, Kyosuke: I'll come pick you up after class," Miko tells her younger brother.
"Okay, sis," Kyosuke replies, waving his hand.
Miko waves back with a faint smile.
After all, there aren't many evil spirits at the school.
Although, if Miko tries to ignore them, they turn translucent—yet remain clearly visible—which scares her quite a bit.
For almost the entire walk there, she kept her eyes tightly shut.
"Rin, you look a little worried. What's wrong?" Miko asks curiously.
"It's nothing. I'm just thinking about how to deal with so many evil spirits without having to confront them all in person," Rin replies.
"I can hand over control of the body to you so you can figure it out; to be honest, those evil spirits unnerve me quite a bit, too." "I've told you before, Miko: it's better to be cautious. After all, the Apostles of the Outer Gods could possess 'simulation systems'—diaries that let them view the various key female figures in the world, session-logging systems, advice-following systems, '100x multiplier' systems, and even relationship systems where—regardless of the nature of the bond, be it friendship or enmity—rewards are granted. They could have absolutely anything."
"So, really, it's best to be cautious; otherwise, we could end up dead without even knowing how," Rin finishes explaining.
"Sigh... Alright. I'll take your advice, brother," says Miko.
"We'll just have to put up with those evil spirits a little longer. It'd be best if I handed control of the body over to you once we're outside the school," Miko adds.
"Sounds good to me. I could use a chance to stretch my legs a bit anyway," Rin replies.
Five minutes later...
"Are you the transfer student, Yotsuya Miko?" —asks the pink-haired teacher, Mafuyu Kirisu.
—That's right —replies Miko.
—According to your records, you were involved in an accident two years ago and remained in a coma for those entire two years.
—Following an evaluation, your results were strong enough to allow you to enter the ninth grade—the final year of middle school.
—In accordance with our confidentiality protocols, we will treat you just like any other transfer student.
—We will not mention your medical history or your condition, so as to spare you any discomfort —concludes Mafuyu Kirisu.
—Thank you very much, Ms. Kirisu —says Miko politely.
—Very well. Classes are about to begin; please, follow me to your classroom.
The two leave the teachers' office; not a single student is to be seen outside their respective classrooms.
The hallway is surprisingly silent and calm.
"As you can see, I will be your interim homeroom teacher; I am currently completing my teaching practicum," explains Mafuyu Kirisu upon reaching the classroom door.
"Please wait for me out here. I will call you in as soon as I've introduced you—our new students—to your new classmates," says Mafuyu Kirisu.
"Understood, Ms. Kirisu."
Inside the classroom...
"Good morning, everyone," says Mafuyu Kirisu.
"Good morning, Ms. Kirisu," the students reply in unison.
"I have some news to share with you today."
"Today, we have a new student joining our class."
All the students in the classroom fall silent, waiting in anticipation.
"Please, come in," says Mafuyu Kirisu, looking toward the door.
With a sliding sound, the door opens.
The student walks over to the podium and takes a seat beside Ms. Kirisu.
"It's a pleasure to meet you all. My name is Miko Yotsuya. I enjoy watching horror movies, my favorite dessert is custard pudding, and my dream is to become someone who makes a positive contribution to society," concludes Miko. *Applause.*
All the students applaud.
"Yotsuya, please take a seat in the row by the window—the second seat from the back," says Mafuyu Kirisu.
With calm composure, Miko walks toward her seat.
After she sits down, a girl extends her hand to her.
"Hi! Nice to meet you. My name is Hana Yurikawa."
"Huh? Oh, hi. My name is Miko Yotsuya."
"That's great! Would you like to be my friend?" asks Hana Yurikawa.
"Oh... sure. Let's be friends."