Chapter 2: Gate of Hell
Running her hand over the cheek of the boy, whose head was hanging helplessly, Houzuki found that his body was extremely cold.
It was probably no longer alive.
It was separated from Yuiru, who was now only a soul. His body was practically dead, and it would not be strange if it had stopped functioning.
“It’s safe…” (TN: the body)
Looking at Irune Yuen’s body embedded in the pillar of flesh, Houzuki sighed in relief.
Yuiru had given up, thinking “It won’t be safe anyway.”
But if his body was safe, he could surely return to being human. It might take time, but there was a chance he could live in this world as a human.
Placing the plastic container at her feet, Houzuki tried to pull Irune Yuen’s body away from the pillar of flesh. She grabbed the shoulder that had just come out of the pillar of flesh and pulled with all her might, but his body wouldn’t budge.
“You sure do something pointless.”
“!?”
A voice came from behind her, and Houzuki turned around with a jump.
Nichi, nichi.
Guni, nichi.
Something resembling Irune Yuen approached, stepping on the flesh spread across the floor.
Yuiru had said that it was a demon that made its nest in the old school building.
If that’s the case, then perhaps the person resembling Irune Yuen is a demon that has made the old school building its base. A demon that is said to eat humans?
With a smile of genuine enjoyment on his face, the demon said,
“That is a sacrifice to block the gate of hell. It was a sacrifice that was once sent to this land, so I thought I might as well use it.”
“Why would you do that…”
“Of course it’s to eat humans.”
The demon laughed, splitting its mouth open.
The mask of the young boy named Irune Yuen was being peeled off.
Although a horn-like protrusion was visible on the top of its head, it was not the familiar appearance of a demon that is defeated in fairy tales. It had a muscular human body with flat, white skin, and not even a single hair on its round head.All that existed was an awfully large human mouth that was split open on both sides up to the ears.
The hideous demon, with several human arms growing from its back, opened its mouth wide and laughed in a low voice.
“Since ancient times, ghosts have caused more damage to humans in this town than human-to-human conflict. That’s because of people like you.”
“People like me…”
“You have a constitution that attracts ghosts. It seems that you are the one attracting ghosts these days, but it seems that in the past, this man was the one attracting ghosts to Tsukinashi Town.”
Houzuki looks at Irune Yuen’s body, embedded in the pillar of flesh that towers behind him.
She never thought he was the same as Houzuki. It seems he didn’t have the talent to see ghosts, but he had a similar talent to Houzuki, that of attracting ghosts.
In the end, his inability to see ghosts backfired, causing him to break into the old school building and get captured by this pure white demon.
The demon stroked its chin with a hand that had grown out of its back, whose ownership was unknown, and said,
“However, it’s about time for this sacrifice. Once it decays, the gate of hell will open again, and my ghost minions that have gathered in Tsukinashi Town will be dragged into it. I’ve been using the ghosts to eat humans, but lately my ghost minions have been getting eaten by that clever boy.”
The white arm was stretched out towards Houzuki.
Ah, so she’s going to be the next sacrifice.
As the white arm drew closer, Houzuki felt a sense of resignation. Even if she resisted, it would be pointless since Houzuki had no power over it.
You should live a long life before you die.
In her mind, she remembered something Yuiru had once told her.
When Yuiru had become a ghost, he had told Houzuki, “Live a long life before you die.”
Yuiru did not recommend giving up on life so easily. He had said to live long, live long enough to die, live long enough to get bored of it, and then die.
I don’t want to die in a place like this.
“No!!”
Houzuki swung the plastic container at his feet and flicked the outstretched white arm.
“I can’t die here, I don’t want to die…!!”
I can’t become a sacrifice.
I can’t let the demon get what it wants.
I can’t die here.
“You filthy little girl.”
The pure white demon growled in a low voice,
“――――I won’t allow you to eat her.”
Thud.
A silver knife grew out of the demon’s chest.
The tip of the knife protruded, and a black mist leaked from the gap.
The demon groaned from its wide open mouth, then slowly turned around.
“I’ve long known where you are, demon.”
The silver-haired, red-eyed high school boy – Yuiru Enen – was there, licking his lips as he plunged the silver knife deep into the demon’s back.
“I ta da ki masu.”
