CHAPTER 5 (9)

"I'm afraid I've never saw any bags in my time here... alive... or dead..." the pale blue spirit said in a dull, emotionless voice. Her long, matted black hair hung either side of her face, and her white school uniform was covered in blood, centred around the abdomen, which vaguely reminded Kai of Ryo.

"Tch... that fucking sucks..." the redhead muttered, running his fingers through his hair as he leant against the teachers desk. Looking through the spirit, he watched silently as Tohko shifted through the various cupboards on the other side of the room, occasionally letting out a squeal at their contents. "Alright, that's cool. I just wanna ask you one last thing," he said, turning his attention back to the spirit, who slowly nodded. Kai hesitated slightly, before asking his question. "You ghosts can see everyone in this place, and tell if they're supernatural or shit, right?"

"That is correct..."

"Am I... the only spiritual guy still kicking?"

The spirit closed her eyes for a few seconds, and then opened them, her deadpan expression never changing once. "You are indeed... No one currently alive in this building... is spiritually sensitive to a noticeable degree... excluding you..." Kai cursed under his breath, before asking another question.

"What about a midget with a mullet? Might be wearing a uniform like mine?" He asked hopefully. The spirit shook her head, and Kai kissed his teeth in frustration. "Alright. Thanks," he said. The spirit stayed where she was for a few seconds, before nodding and fading from view, leaving behind a thoroughly disappointed model.

"Well, there's definitely nothing over there," Tohko said, as she walked over to Kai, shuddering as she recalled the objects she just discovered. "Hey. What about you?" She asked. Kai huffed, before standing up straight.

"I didn't find jack..." he grumbled as he walked over to the door. "Come on, Kirisaki. Let's see if we can find some shit some place else." Tohko again found herself surprised by Kai new aloof attitude, but followed him out the door anyways. After several minutes of walking down the halls in silence, the two eventually came to what looked like an entrance hall, judging by the rows and rows of shelves, many of which had rotten, decayed shoes. A large door was positioned on the other end of the room.

"Huh? Looks like an entrance ha-" Tohko began, before she was roughly shouldered out of the way. "Move it! I wanna see this for myself," Kai said, swiftly crossing the room. Tohko rolled her eyes in annoyance.

Hmph... Looks like part of the old jackass is still there...

In a way, that fact relieved Tohko.

Kai grabbed the door handle, and, to his surprise, slid it open rather easily. Immediately, the sound of heavy rain and thunder ripped through the air. The door now led out into a large field, with a massive line of trees bordering the edge. Just standing in the doorway left Kai's front soaked.

"Tch... Looks like we found another way outside..." Kai grumbled, wiping his already wet face. "Huh... it looks like we're in a forest," Tohko mused, standing behind Kai, avoiding the onslaught of rain. Turning around, Tohko turned her attention to the rows and rows of shelves. Most held shoes which at one point may have been multiple different colours, but now were all the same rotting brown. However, a flash of colour caught her eyes from one of the shelves. Frowning, she walked towards the shelf in question, and gasped when she saw what it was.

"Hey! Shimada! Check this out!" She yelled over her shoulder. "What?" Kai said as he walked over, shaking his wet hair. Tohko turned and held out the object to him. It was a small, painfully pink notebook, something typical of an eleven year old girl. So it caught him off guard even more when he saw the name on the front.

"Naho... Saenoki?! This her diary or something?" Kai asked. "It looks like it, though I didn't think Nano would have something so... colourful..." Tohko said, looking at the bright pink notebook with her eyebrows raised. "Lemme see that," Kai said, catching it as Tohko tossed it to him. Looking at the book in his hands, Kai couldn't help but feel an odd presence coming from it. He glanced behind him slightly, almost expecting to see Naho herself standing there, only to, as expected, find nothing.

"Hmph. Well, might as well check it out," the redhead said, opening the book and flipping through it. "H-Hey! Don't just go through someone's private property like that!" Tohko yelled. Kai looked up and raised his eyebrows. "You serious? We're meant to be looking for clues here!" Then, Kai smirked and closed the book. "I guess we COULD just let this possible game-changer just slip outta our hands... not like we NEED to get out..."

"Okay okay! Open the damn book!" Tohko huffed, looking away. Grinning slightly, Kai continued flipping through the pages until he noticed one that caught his eye. "Huh... Kirisaki. Check this shit," he said. Almost hesitantly, Tohko stood next to him and looked at the page he was currently on.

Examination of Sacred Spaces - File 01 'Ghost Therapy - Heart Surgery Ward' (Investigation pending.)

Examination of Sacred Spaces - File 02 'K Prefecture - Heavenly Host Elementary School' (Investigation in progress.)

Method of ingress: Obtained. (Requires two or more participants.) Method of egress: Obtained. (Will need to gather more information and plan very carefully, but it can be done.) Encountered fierce spiritual resistance while simply researching the Shinozaki estate. Right side of body paralyzed. Left eardrum ringing. Orbs visible in photographs. Influence confirmed. Severe dizziness, nausea and bloody BM experienced. Symptoms persist for weeks. Significant danger is clearly present. Next investigation will place others at risk. May be best to leave Mr. Kibiki behind. Seems he returned empty-handed again today. How many times has that happened with this publisher? He writes such interesting pieces, but never receives due credit. They're too daft. They don't appreciate him. Poor guy can't catch a break... But all that will change once his next serial is published. I'll do everything in my power to help him get the recognition he deserves.

"What is this..." Kai wondered. "It looks like Naho did some investigating on Sachiko's family... even before she came here..." Tohko said. Kai nodded, as he picked out a name. "Kibiki? Isn't that the guy Fukuroi and Yamamoto mentioned? Maybe they came here together..." he suggested. "Maybe... though I've never heard of him before," Tohko admitted.

"Huh... This says that there was gonna be another investigation. Maybe she wrote about it in her notes after she did that too..." Kai said. "Oh yeah! Check the book!" Tohko urged. Kai quickly flipped through the rest of the book, but failed to find anything to do with the investigation. Most of the pages were either torn out or just scribbled over.

"Tch... no dice..." he said, tossing the useless book over his shoulder. Tohko winced slightly as Naho's property crashed onto the floor. "Well, the pages are torn out. Maybe they're scattered around the school," she suggested. "Huh. Maybe..." Kai said, pushing his bangs out of his eyes as he thought. "Hmph. Let's go Kirisaki," he said, a slight smirk on his lips. "We got ourselves a lead, and I'm ready to chase it down!"

"Yeah! Right by you!" Tohko replied, as the two quickly left the room, eyes on the prowl for any notes.

(Elsewhere)

Fukuroi rattled the infirmary door handle, but, to his disappointment, it refused to budge an inch. "Tch..." he muttered, admitting defeat to his inanimate foe and continuing down the hall. "Why were you so bent on opening that door?" Mitsuki asked, a few steps ahead of the council president. "Who knows what might lie in any of this schools rooms? It's important we check them all," Fukuroi replied.

"Well, all we need is another tape. It's not like something as out of place as that is going to be hidden to well!" Mitsuki insisted, walking with her head high, her confidence back full force. Fukuroi shook his head, smiling slightly, as he continued following her. After a short period of time, Mitsuki, still leading the way, noticed something small and silver lying on the floor several meters in front of her. "Hey Fukuroi! There's something over there!" She said, jogging over and picking it up. "M-Mitsuki! Wait! You don't know- ahhh!" Fukuroi groaned as he picked up the speed and ran over to her.

In Mitsuki's hand was a typical, silver flip phone, one any random person would have. It was covered in bloody finger prints, but other than that was in good condition. "Hmm? What's this?" Fukuroi asked. "Looks like someone left their phone lying around," Mitsuki said as she jammed her thumb on the big, obvious select button. To the duo's surprise, the phone started up without a hitch. The screen saver showed a young girl around their age wearing a uniform that was different to theirs, yet oddly familiar, consisting of a tan sailed top and a blue skirt. She had bright green eyes that complemented the smile she gave to the photographer.

"Huh. Maybe this is her pho-" Fukuroi began, before the rest of his sentence died in his throat as Mitsuki pressed a button and moved past the screen saver to what could only be described as a photo of the damned. The screen displayed the body of what looked like a young man, who's head had been beaten to the point where the flesh had turned to mush. The thick, soupy-looking liquid spread across the floor, dying his uniform a dark crimson.

"AHHH!" Mitsuki gasped as she dropped the phone and stumbled back into Fukuroi's chest. The phone fell to the floor and bounced into the air a few inches, before falling back down, it's screen now blank, presumably due to the impact. Fukuroi and Mitsuki stared in horrified anticipation at the now deactivated phone, almost as if they expected it to jump at them. When it became obvious that it wasn't, the two looked at each other, silently agreed never to mention the picture again, and hesitantly and cautiously walked past the device.

"W-Well... Maybe the tape is hidden pretty well huh?" Mitsuki said, a forced smile on her face. Fukuroi nodded, his face slightly pale. "Yes, though hopefully, this place will show us some unlikely mercy and permit us to find it..." he muttered. "Though, that may as well be an unreasonable, unobtainable wish in this-"

Hee hee...

Quickly, the two spun backwards, eyes wide in surprise. For a fraction of a second, they saw what looked like a glowing, pale blue outline that seemed to resemble a small child. It was only for an instant though, so quick it almost seemed like an illusion. What definitely wasn't an illusion was the object lying in the place the outline had stood.

"Is that..." Mitsuki said, stepping forward slightly, before grinning and breaking into a jog. "M-Mitsuki! Don't just run-!" Fukuroi began, before he caught sight of the object. "Well I'll be damned..." he said in shock as Mitsuki turned and smiled at him, a cassette tape in hand. "Looks like this place does show the odd bit of mercy every now and then!" Mitsuki grinned, pocketing the tape. "Come on, let's go!" She said. "On it!" Fukuroi replied as the two speed off to the custodians closet.

(Later)

"I shouldn't be alone..." Kou Kibiki muttered under his breath as the camera auto-focused in the dim lighting. "I shouldn't be alone... I can't just die... I can't lose hope..." It seemed that the school had finally gotten to the poor man, his voice low and shaky, like he was on the verge of spontaneously screaming and crying.

"If anyone is watching this tape... know that there is a way out... and I'm going to tell you now..." Kibiki began. "You need to perform the Sachiko ritual correctly. One time for each person, and once more for Sachiko, before putting your doll scraps together."

STAMP!STAMP!STAMP!

At the sound of the sudden stomping, Kibiki let out a quiet whimper, as the camera began shaking. "I never should have come here..." he said, his voice trembling with raw fear. "I never should have done it... I shouldn't be alone..."

K... I... B... K... I...

BANG!

A horse, demonic voice ripped though the air. Kibiki moaned in terror, and the camera shifted as he shuffled away. Something was banging the door.

BANG!

KIBIKI!

"No... No!"

K̖̦͚̙̻̙̇ͨ̒͐͌͛͠ ̢̯͇̗̜̥̏I͚̗̹̤ͥͤ ̡̥͕̥̰̞̜͍ͨB̬̲ ̴͖̩͍̈ͤI̧̮̰̤͉̜͚̯͑ͬ ̺̩̹̩̥̮̜́͝K̬̫̥ͦͧͤ̔ ̞͓̹̣͕͔̠ͤ̒ͧ͆ͮI͚͠ ̪̺̳̺̖̰̣̋̓ͨ̃̋ͮ!͎̺͚̺͑ͅ!̶͉̙̰̎ͤ!̸̩̫̄̌!͛̿̊͑ͫ!̺ͪ̃̄ͪ̏

Suddenly, there was a deafening crashing sound, followed by the same stomps from earlier and several wheezes. "AAHHHH!" Kibiki screamed as he presumably threw the camera at his attacker. The camera fell to the floor and reminded pointed at the wall.

K I... B I K... I...

"No... No! Naho, stop! STOP! AHHHHHHH! AAAAAAGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHH!"

CRUNCH!

"That was..." Fukuroi whispered, his face pale as he lent one hand against the closet door, silently thankful the tape ended where it did. "Yeah... pretty bad..." Mitsuki said, sweating profoundly as Kibiki's dying screams, before a small smile grew on her lips. "More importantly... At least we finally know a way out!" Fukuroi's eyes lit up. "Ahhh yes! Looks like this place does have mercy after all!" He said. As he said those words though, a thought popped into his head, and he frowned.

"Huh, what's up?" Mitsuki asked, noticing his change in expression. "When we performed the charm, Emi told us to only say the chant for all nine of us..." Fukuroi began. "But, according to this, we need to say the chant once for Sachiko herself. Emi didn't say anything about that." Hearing this, Mitsuki thought back, and a worried look came upon her face. "Do you think... that's how we got here?" Fukuroi nodded. "I do believe-"

CRACK!

"Ghh!" Fukuroi cried as the doors of the cupboard he was leaning against suddenly fell inwards. "Fukuroi!" Mitsuki said, instinctively rushing forward to help her friend. "I'm... fine..." Fukuroi muttered, now head first in the closet as he took Mitsuki's open hand with one of his, and rubbing his sore head with the other. "Well, that was out of the blue," Mitsuki noted as she helped Fukuroi to his feet.

That's when the smell hit them.

Having been in Heavenly Host for some time now, the two instantly knew what it was. Turning around slowly, Fukuroi pulled back the reminding door, and leapt back in horror as his suspicions were confirmed.

"W-What the hell!?" He yelled as the body of a withered man wearing a blue yukata stared back at him with eyeless sockets. Mitsuki gave a short shriek and tripped over her own feet stepping back. "I... I..." She sputtered. "I... assume we have found Mr. Kibiki..." Fukuroi muttered. Steeling himself, he stepped forward for a better look, and noticed there was a significantly smaller corpse laying next to Kibiki. He let out a gasp, immediately recognizing it.

"Mitsuki! It's the body of the ghost who took that article from us!" Fukuroi said. "R-Really?" Mitsuki asked, getting to her feet and staggering over. True enough, the body was exactly like the ghost they has seen earlier. As exactly as a rotting corpse could look anyways. Shuddering slightly, Mitsuki averted her gaze, and noticed something odd about the closet.

"Fukuroi? I think the space goes... deeper," she said. "Huh? Let me see..." Fukuroi replied as he looked closer, trying to ignore the bodies as he did so, and realized that the back of the cupboard did go much further back. "Do you think we should inspect it?" Fukuroi asked. "Probably. It could lead to something," Mitsuki said. "Plus, this room is starting to give me the creeps..."

Fukuroi nodded, and the two pushed the reminding door as far as it would go, before stepping inside the mysterious passage, making a point not to step on the bodies as the did so.

(Elsewhere)

"Huh? Hey! Shimada! I found it!" Tohko yelled. "Heh! Nice work!" Kai said as he walked over to her side of the staff room. "I was starting to think we wouldn't find shit..." He muttered as he peered over Tohko's shoulder. In her hands was a old, dusty but legible piece of paper.

I had a final exam today, so I went to school for the first time in quite a while. Seems while I was gone, Kibiki came here to Heavenly Host without me. 'It's too dangerous! We don't have enough data!' he said, trying to justify why he'd skulk into this sacred ground behind my back. His assistant, Taguchi, most likely put him up to it. I did give him all the details on how to return home from here, and it's a fairly simple process...but I can't help worrying about him nonetheless. At any rate, the blog's been updated. And I do feel bad about dragging my friend Sayaka into this... ...but it's time to dive headfirst into these trenches, and really feel out what this place is all about...

"Huh. I guess Naho really did know this Kibiki guy..." Tohko mused. "Looks like she came here to look for 'im," Kai muttered, reading and re-reading the paper. "This doesn't feel complete... so I imagine there are more papers around," Tohko said, folding up the paper and putting it in her pocket. Kai nodded. "Yeah. Let's get a-"

Kai suddenly flinched mid-sentence as if he'd been slapped. His facial muscles were suddenly much tighter, and his eyes wide with surprise. "Huh? What's up?" Tohko asked, noticing his odd expression. Kai's eyes narrowed. "Leave..." He said, his voice dry and emotionless. "Wait? What?" Tohko asked, blinking in shock. "Cool it. I'll only be a minute," Kai said. Tohko was about to question this, but, upon seeing his stern expression, she gulped and hesitantly left the room. With Tohko gone, Kai closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and spoke.

"You gonna come out or what..."

"...Naho..."

"My my! You have changed quite a bit!" Naho chuckled as she stepped out of the shadows and into the dim lighting. Kai turned and snarled at her smug smirk. "Cut the crap! Just tell me what you're up to, bitch!" He yelled. "Me? Up to something? What gave you that idea?" Naho asked, her voice practically dripping with sarcasm. "I'm just a humble observer of your quest..." Kai scoffed. "Don't give me any of that bull..." He warned, his eyes flashing purple, briefly taking note of the pale red aura around Naho. "I'll figure out this shit... and I'm gonna get outta this dump with the others..."

"I'm certain you will..." Naho said, giving a sly grin as she turned around. "Hold it! I got a question for ya," Kai said. "Oh... and what may that be?" Naho asked, her curiosity rising as she turned back to him. "You're all up in that spiritual shit. So I figured you must know something about my powers," Kai said.

Naho pondered this for a few seconds, glazing curiously at Kai's aura, before voicing her thoughts. "Your spiritual aura is extremely odd. I haven't seen any one like it. I sense... you have the potential to become incredibly powerful..." she mused. "I don't care about that shit!" Kai yelled. "Do you know where they came from!?"

Naho analysed Kai's spiritual aura (which to her was a thick, intense purple) for awhile longer, until she stepped back, her eyes slightly wider, and an expression of what looked like legitimate surprise on her face. "Impossible..." she muttered quietly "Well? What?!" Kai demanded. His words seemed to bring Naho back to her senses, and she fixed him with a blank look.

"Sorry... just an insane idea..." she said. "I'm afraid I don't know anything about the origin of your abilities." Kai glared at her suspiciously, before turning on his heel and walking away. "Whatever... I'll figure you out later..." He muttered, sliding the door open and stepping out into the hallway, slamming the door shut.

Naho remained motionless until she felt his presence leave the imminent area. Then, a sly, dark smirk grew on her lips as she slowly began fading from view.

"I didn't think it was possible but... Hehehe... Kai Shimada... You have no idea what you're in for..."

A/N

Another chapter. Another shred of knowledge teased. Teased. But never revealed. As is my goal in this story. TO TEASE!

A/N