Enmi and Innocence.
It took a while for everyone to gather and wait for the explanation the narcissist had in the cogs of his brain. Naru had a theory, and Kurobara had a feeling that she knew what it was, and it wasn't good by any means. "A Zuso?!" Monk exclaimed in astonishment.
Kurobara's face scrunched upwards while Mai looked on in confusion. A Zuso? What was that? When she turned to her friend with a questioning glance, she merely shook her head and heard a voice inside her head.
'Naru will explain, don't be impatient.'Kurobara felt a wave of tiredness go through her, honestly, she wanted to go home but knew how important this was. "Correct," Naru said, his voice as sharp as ever. "Someone has been using spells to put curses on other people here."
"Which explains what's been causing the psychic phenomena," Kurobara added with a sigh, her hand brushing through her silky hair with a frown on her lips. "That would explain why I am seeing three sets of auras as well."
Naru nodded his head, and Mai stood there startled. Spells? "Is that even possible?" Mai questioned with furrowed brows "People can put spells on other people." Her best friend shook her head and chuckled with mirth. "Really, that's what you're shocked about, Mai-chan," she said with a slight smile.
"You've seen me manipulate Aura before." Kurobara raised an eyebrow and tilted her head at her friend, who blushed in embarrassment. "Well yeah but–" Mai pouted when she sniggered at her "You're an idiot."
Monk cut in with his lips twitching. "Are you saying?" he started with his eyebrows curled and his forehead scrunched up. "That someone's been hammering nails into Wara Ningyo?"
"Close, but not quite," Naru responded.
"What does a Zuso have to do with spirits?" Ayako asked while Kurobara released a puff of breath and cocked an eyebrow at her. Really? Wasn't it obvious? A person was asking spirits or gods to curse them in their steed. Which is horrible and disgusting. Cursing people for no apparent reason other than to cause great fear and pain.
"Spells caused by hammering nails into a doll originally came from the ways of Onmyou." Naru started, and his gaze shifted to Mai, with annoyance on his face when seeing the lost expression. "To put it simply, so Mai understands... Kurobara coughed and snickered when she saw her best friend's furious expression. She could see a vein popping in her temple.
"That would be for the best," Kurobara added, making Mai pout and hunch her shoulders childishly. How mean. It's not her fault everyone speaks in riddles. "In the way of Onmyou, there's a method of cursing people called 'Enmi'" Kuro's nose wrinkled and he held a sigh as the narcissist continued to speak. "One must use a doll or a belonging from the individual you want to cast a spell on."
"In fact," Kurobara said, ignoring the looks of her fellow members as she pressed her lips together. "It is a component of Enmi spells to hammer nails into a Wara Ningyo." They continued. They felt Kazuya's eyes on her, and she was filled with an intense mixture of nerves and excitement, making her stomach churn uneasily.
"Predominantly," she grimaced as she resumed, "when you think of a Wara Ningyo, it's considered that the one driving the nails transfers their resentment to the other person, and that is how they get afflicted."
Kazuya's lips twitched, impressed by her knowledge, and "Then there is a jusha," Everyone's gaze landed back on him. "A joshua, the person who is casting the spell, will hammer nails into a hitogata and call upon gods or spirits to deliver their curse." Mai's face dramatically paled at that. Gods and spirits?!
"The gods or spirits then accept the request and will begin to torment, or even kill the subject. Basically, by using Enmi, a Jusha calls for spirits or psychic energy, and eventually, they end up manipulating the evil spirits." Everyone except Kurobara looked stunned; she should've known this was being used.
How revolting. To subject human beings to the wrath of evil spirits or gods. Torture is an inhumane practice. Her brows knit together and her lips clenched as she tried to figure out who was behind this. Such a feat is beyond Kasai's capabilities. Obviously, she couldn't do it.
"Then the ghost in the art prep room and the hand that appeared at Yoshino-sensei's house were all caused by evil spirits by this curse?" Mai's face was white, and sweat clung to her brown hair.
"Yes." Kazuya said confidently, "I'm confident that the psychic phenomena happening at this school are happening as a result of the Enmi." Kurobara let a hum pull out of her as her eyes flickered. "Someone is putting curses on the school's faculty and students by using Hitogata."
The egoist paused, and his eyes flickered to Kuro, who shifted on her feet. "And as Kuro had said before, it's probably why she was seeing three different auras." Kuro nodded at him and opened her mouth. "Additionally, evil spirits do not have the ability to kill their subjects overnight," she said, her face scrunching. "So they tormented their targets. Little by little until they gradually drive them to their deaths. "
"As a result of these psychic events and after hearing the 'ghost rumours,' many people at this school would have become paranoid," John added, agreeing with them. "Rumors like these can easily influence emotionally sensitive people, making them concerned that something may happen to them next."
Mai's eyes gleamed with a thought as she pointed out her finger. "Like the girl who was supposedly possessed by a fox spirit!" Kurobara smiled at her and placed her hand on her brown hair, ruffling it. "Exactly," Kuro said warmly to Mai.
"And," Naru interrupted, giving them a small glare for interrupting, but Kuro rolled her eyes and returned a glare. "That's why the whole school has been thrown into panic." Now, who could it be? The culprit? Naru's hand was on his chin as Monk opened his mouth.
"Then... who would do such a?" Monk came to a halt, his gaze darting around the room.
Masako with her hand on her mouth with sharp eyes "The answer is obvious," she said a little too cockily. "It must be Kasai-san." Wrong, Kuro's mind supplied while having the urge to roll her eyes at the confidence in her tone. It most definitely couldn't be Kasai. It's too obvious, frankly, and Kurobara could tell by her aura that she doesn't have it in her to do such a horrific act.
"What!?" Mai exclaimed loudly, furious that they would think that. 'It can't be Kasai-san,' Kurobara agreed, patting their heads. 'Agreed, it most definitely isn't her' she telepathically sent back. Mai shudders as a psychic wave erupts from Kurobara. She jumps at the sound of their melodic voice, still not used to it.
"Let me see…" Ayako shifted on her feet as a thoughtful look came onto her face. "Not only would the people here not believe she had psychic abilities, but they also punished her for it." It sounded too obvious; Kuro knew that something was amiss. Like she was missing something big.
"The teacher who attempted to support her is still being reprimanded. And she mentioned that she would cast a spell to kill someone?" Ayako cocked her head, her lips pulling down into a frown. "She must be performing Zuso to put a curse on them."
Mai's mouth opened, and she exclaimed, "Kasai-san is innocent!" As she said this, her head shook furiously, and her eyes were wide with anxiety but confident as she felt her words coil. It felt right. Kurobara's lips quivered, and she smirked at her words. That's her best friend, she thought, watching everyone turn toward Mai.
Kazuya turned to Mai, his cold, icy blue eyes shifting. "Who else could have done it?" he asked her. His tone was harsh, and Kurobara sighed with annoyance. "Can you prove it to us?" his brow furrowed, "that it's definitely not her?" Mai's confidence melted away like snow on the first day of spring.
She couldn't prove it. As much as Mai wanted to, there was no proof she didn't. Kurobara watched her friend's expression tighten and shift with various emotions. They inhaled and exhaled a breath as Mai began to speak, stumbling out words. "I.." she mumbled, "I don't know." have more confidence, Kuro thought as she glanced at her in concern.
"If we don't do anything to stop her, there may be someone who could possibly die from this," Kazuya's biting tone at Mai was really starting to piss her off, and she glanced at him with a scowl. "Do you not understand the situation that's at stake?" Mai flinched back and then she had enough of it.
She believed in Mai and herself. Their backs straightened out, and she moved in front of Mai as an act of protection. "That's enough," she said scathingly, irritation swirling in her irises. His peering eyes shifted to her and her tone, which resembled the end of an echo. "Mai-chan understands perfectly what could happen,"
With a shaky smile on her lips and a worrying stance behind her, Mai was grateful to Kuro for speaking openly for her. Kazuya's eyes crinkled and his mouth thinned as he spoke, betraying his growing irritation. "Really, I can't help but think otherwise," With the exception of Masako, everyone shifted uneasily in response to the strained atmosphere between the two.
Kurobara's brows twitched and her nose wrinkled. "I am going to ignore that," she said with a sigh as she breathed in and rubbed her face before letting it fall. "I believe in Mai, and I agree that it couldn't possibly be Kasai-san for reasons other than instinct." No hesitance was shown in her expression.
"I am in disbelief that Kasai-san could have done something like that, not because of her as a person but because it would have taken a lot of work, time, and energy. I also think it's too obvious and feel like Kasai-san is being set up." The silence in the room stretched, and Mai's lips parted as she gazed at them.
"This, together with the fact that both Mai and I believe she is innocent, is our suggestion." Kurobara then whirled around to face Mai and gave her a stern look before tenderly putting her hands on each of their shoulders. "Mai, do you have complete faith in Kasai-san's innocence?" the brunette felt everyone stare at her and swallowed as she nodded.
"She's innocent," Mai said. Kurobara turned, her head back to everyone else and locking eyes with Kazuya. An electrical current went through them and tingled delightfully. "There you go," they added with a sigh, "I do believe that both of us have spent more time with Kasai-san than all of you combined, so our opinion is worth much more, do you not think?"
'Oliver, trust me.' Naru's body stiffened at the sound of his name, and he frowned as they all waited for him to speak. 'Are you sure about this? You could be wrong, and with the risk of someone dying,' he echoed back, and she merely smiled back as the silent conversation came to an end.
"Fine," he said, pressing his hand against his nose and pinching it, releasing some of the tension within. "I'll give you both the benefit of the doubt this time," Mai's eyes sparkled and lit up and she practically buzzed underneath Kuro's hands, which caused vibrations to run through her.
"Really?!" Mai exclaimed, making Kurobara's ears twitch at how loud she spoke, which made her wince and shake her head at her behaviour. They honestly acted like children, but Kuro would be lying if she didn't think Mai was cute when she acted like she won the lottery. "I'd appreciate it if you kept your voice down when you spoke next to me," she scolded amusingly.
"Ah, sorry," the brunette said sheepishly, rubbing the back of her neck, feeling sorry for her friend.
Author Note:
Well, well, what have we here, an actual chapter? Hey guys, it's been quite a lot of time since I've actually updated the story, and here it is, the next chapter. I have really struggled trying to write this, and I am sorry about how rusty my writing is, I tried my best.
This story is still on hold, but I hope to be able to update it at some point. Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed the new chapter, and I thank you all for reading, commenting, favouriting and following me but also waiting patiently for a new chapter.
Also, something to add: I really need to go through this story and my writing and change a lot. Seriously this is a mess.
Oh and happy holidays since Christmas is coming and I am most certianly not going to update during that time.
TheLittleSunflower.
bold and Italic- Telepathy