EDITED
After leaving Noriko and Ayami's room, Mai and Oliver headed back to base to watch the video from Takigawa's attempted exorcism. That's when everyone started to discuss the case.
"What's up with all that wailing?" Takigawa asked. "There were so many voices; it's not just one or two. It's not just Minnie."
Ayako agreed, "There are other ghosts here besides Minnie. But no one can see them except Ayami-chan."
"Those are the kids that Minnie brought over..." Mai answered.
"Well, isn't that the case?" Ayako asked Oliver. "We can't just guess like crazy. Why don't we call Masako?"
Oliver's face was frozen.
Takigawa urged him as well. "I say, Naru— Why do you hate Masako so much? She's pretty, and didn't you say that she was really capable?"
"There's no need," Oliver replied, his voice steel hard.
"Ha ha," Ayako laughed happily. "I know, I know. It's because she has a terrible personality."
John said, "...Well, let's put that to the side for now. I believe Minnie is a jibakurei, right? There must've been a strong reason for Minnie to become a jibakurei. She's one of the kids who died here, right?"
"Most likely." Takigawa nodded. "Minnie is a jibakurei. She died here as a child, and since she's lonely, she wants friends. That's why she brought all those other kids here. The kids that die here become her playmates. Then they turn into jibakurei too..."
Mai rolled her eyes. 'They don't listen. At. All!'
Oliver considered the idea. "Yes...that would make sense, but..."
"But what?"
"The problem is why is it just kids? If a child wants to find a playmate, then it wouldn't be limited to just kids. A motherly figure, a sister figure, or anyone who can be comforting... These should suffice as well."
"You do have a point."
"But those spirits only care about Ayami-chan. If Noriko-san and Mai were also targets, then it would make more sense. But Ayami-chan is the only one they want. Well, they want Mai too but not for a motherly figure or playmate. It's more along the lines of punishing her than wanting her."
"...Ah..." Takigawa contemplated. "It's strange... What can be the motive of those spirits..."
"Yeah, Shibuya-san. The kids who die here become jibakurei. Minnie is the boss of those kids. What about the first kid who died here?" asked John.
"It's possible... Lin."
Lin-san silently took out a notebook. Oliver took it and flipped through it.
"Try an exorcism again."
"How do we do that?" Ayako asked mockingly.
"It's Bou-san's turn."
"Mine?"
Oliver handed the notebook to Takigawa. "The first child who died here was Tachibana. The birth and death dates are below the name. The child was in the Buddhist sect. Below that is her post-'Buddhist name'."
Takigawa stared at the notebook, his eyes open wide. "...You sure did thorough research... All this is from seventy years ago..."
"This is a simple task for me. I'm not the same as you."
Mai turned her back on them and sat next to Lin at the monitors. He could tell from her body language that the girl was angry.
'Tachibana was not the first child to die here. Tomiko was and Oliver knows that! What's the point of trying to exorcise the child spirits when the problem is the mother spirit!' Well, if they weren't going to listen, then Mai wasn't going to help them.
Takigawa went to Ayami's room to start the exorcism.
John and Ayako stayed in Noriko's room to protect Ayami.
Oliver stood behind Lin and Mai, watching the screen. He didn't notice Mai's anger until he placed a hand on her shoulder and a wave of it hit him in his heart. Looking down at her confused, he opted to wait until after Takagawa's exorcism was finished to sort it out.
On the screen Takigawa put his hands together.
"Naumaku sanmanda bazaradan sendamakaroshada sowataya untarata kan man."
"Mai, pay attention," warned Oliver.
Mai ignored him. She had never stopped watching the screen.
Unnerved and anxious, Oliver stared intently at the screen.
"Naumaku sanmanda danan on boron."
"Naru, the temperature is decreasing," informed Lin.
"What about the sounds?"
"Right now there's nothing different... In fact, it's eerily quiet."
"On sunba nisunba un bazara un hakku."
"The temperature decreased by... Two degrees. Especially the temperature near the bed. There are no abnormal sounds."
"Naumaku shittiriyazibikyanan sarabatataagyatanan an birazibirazi."
"...The rapping sounds have started. Should I transfer them?"
"Not right now."
"Makasyakyara baziri satasata saratei tairatarai bidamani sanbanzyani taramati siddariya taran sowaka."
"The temperature is decreasing dramatically... Especially the bed's surroundings. It's about ten degrees now."
Mai looked at the thermography screen. She noticed a deep blue color surrounding the bed.
"How are the rapping sounds?"
"They're still continuing... Nothing else is unusual."
"Oh..." Oliver said absently.
Mai, still angry, pointed at the living room screen, drawing Oliver's attention to it.
A white wispy fog clouded the room; it was eerily quiet.
Oliver stiffened. "Lin, what's the temperature of the living room?"
Lin shifted the computer slightly. "As of now, the temperature is negative two degrees."
"Negative...?!" Oliver looked at Lin in disbelief.
"Why the living room..." Lin asked.
"How would I know!"
"Idiots." Mai muttered. The two men looked at her in question. "That's where the well is."
"Then... What's the smoke?"
"Geez, think about it... well... water... trapped child spirits..." Mai rolled her eyes.
"Naru, I've directed the sound here." Lin-san had connected the microphone.
The room was completely silent.
The white mist... The fog... Was swirling around.
A circle... It looked like a child's face...
"Isn't that a child...?" Oliver asked.
"Obviously." Mai responded sarcastically.
At that point, the living door room opened.
"...What?"
A small figure came through the door.
"Ayami-chan...! Goddammit John and Ayako!" Mai took off running before Oliver could stop her.
Ayami looked at the wispy smoke, then walked to the middle of the room.
The speakers transmitted Ayami's laughter.
"What? They brought me here?" Ayami said as she looked at the smoke.
"No one wants to go to sleep? It's late, but they still want to play? They'll be reprimanded."
Mai rushed toward the living room. Before touching the door she chanted the 9 cuts at it. Then she pulled it open, running towards Ayami.
Oliver grabbed the microphone. "Bou-san, go to the living room! On your way there, look into Noriko-san's room and find out what those two idiots are doing!"
Oliver then raced after Mai.
"Ayami-chan!" Mai called as she reached her.
The room was filled with smoke. In the middle was Ayami, standing there in a daze.
"Mai-chan...?"
Mai began pulling the small girl back out of the room "Ayami-chan, come, it's dangerous here. Let's get out of here."
"But they want me to play with them."
"You can't. You can't play with them."
"But..."
They were almost to the door when the smoke entwined around Ayami. The thickening smoke had Ayami trapped in a daze.
"Ayami-chan!"
"They won't let me go!"
When she shouted, a black figure came from behind Ayami.
The black figure reached her hand out toward Ayami. Mai pushed Ayami behind her and formed her hands into position, beginning to chant, focusing on the black figure.
Oliver grabbed Ayami and pulled her from the room. Takigawa joined Mai taking over the chanting as Oliver grabbed the back of her shirt and pulled her backwards to the door.
"Naumari saba tatakiyateibiyari sarabamokkeibiyari sarabata taraku...
Senda unkikikiki sarabahisananun tarata kanmun!"
The fog started to disperse, and in a moment the black figure disappeared.
Ayami ran toward Mai. "Mai-chan!"
"Thank goodness..."
Mai embraced Ayami. Her body was freezing, her teeth chattering.
"Is it gone?" Oliver asked Takigawa.
"No, it only released its grip..."
...
"You idiots! We told you to watch Ayami-chan!" Takigawa shouted angrily.
"Sorry, that was so embarrassing..." John admitted, bowing his head.
When Takigawa had reached Noriko's room, he had found John and Ayako fast asleep on the bed like a pair of pigs.
Ayako's voice was sharp. "It couldn't be helped. I just suddenly felt sleepy. When I realized what was happening, I was already asleep. It must be those ghosts' fault. There's no other explanation. I just suddenly felt sleepy... It couldn't be helped."
Meanwhile Oliver was examining the tape, his earphones already in place.
"Bou-san, did you see that black figure?"
"I did. It was a woman, not a child."
"Maybe that living room has..."
"A woman."
"Let's not jump to conclusions. Now we know that something is there, and it's not the same kind of spirit as the one in Ayami-chan's room. The lowest temperature recorded was negative twenty degrees— If this were someone else's results, I would not believe them."
"Then what is it?"
"I'm not sure." Oliver suddenly stopped the videotape. Mai sat with her arms folded ignoring them all. She was still angry with them.
"What's wrong?" Takigawa ask.
Oliver rewinded the tape.
"Did you notice something?"
"Quiet. Listen."
They turned toward the screen. Sounds of the cries of children came out of the speakers.
Takigawa stood up.
In the midst of the white fog, a sudden wail sounded. The voices overlapped so that they were unclear. But one thing was true: the children were in pain.
In the video, Ayami went into the center of the living room. The cries grew louder.
The children were calling for Ayami. They're lonely, sad, and in pain, so they want Ayami to play with them.
Mai entered the screen, her voice talking to Ayami as she pulled her back to the door, .
"No one told me!" came a woman's voice.
Then there was Mai chanting.
"...My daughter..."
When Takigawa began the chant, the children's omnipotent cries faded away. The chant had stopped their painful wailing.
"That sound just now...!" Ayako cried out, crossing her arms. "The one in the living room is their boss! That woman, right?!"
"Seems like it," Oiver agreed.
Ayako stood up, "Since things have gone this far, call Masako. We must find out that woman's identity."
This time Oliver didn't object. "So it has come down to this."
Mai snorted and ignored them all. Unfortunately, Oliver didn't have time to sort out her issues.
...
Masako received Ayako's phone call and arrived by sunset.
John opened the door and welcomed her.
Once he opened the door, the doll-like Masako just gaped at him.
"...Hara-san, what's wrong?" John asked.
Like the last case, she wore a kimono. Her shoulders shuddered.
"Hara-san, do you feel uncomfortable..."
Masako interrupted John's question. "What's wrong here?"
"Huh?"
"It's so strong... It's the first time I've seen a house this bad..."
John led the chalk-white girl into base.
The moment they entered, Masako looked at Oliver.
"Hara-san?" Okiver looked at her, his face stoic as usual even though it wasn't with the intention of making her leave.
"It's so... Strong... I feel uncomfortable."
Not particularly caring about the girl's discomfort, Ayako helped her get into a chair to sit down.
"What do you see?"
"I can feel the spirits of many children gathered here. They're all children. On my way here, I saw three children headed toward this house. This is like a congregation of ghost children."
Oliver asked Masako, "Can you call them out?"
"There's no need to call them out. All of them are wailing so loudly that I want to plug my ears. What do you want to ask? No matter how much you ask, I'm sure I can help you."
"Minnie... The first child who died here is Tachibana. Call her out."
"If I try to call her down over here, I'll be possessed by a different spirit instead. So please wait a moment. She's called Tachibana, right?" Masako asked as she reached her hand out toward Oliver. "Can you lead me to the hall?"
Oliver raised his eyebrow. "John help Hara-san to the hall."
They left base and arrived at the hall.
Masako held onto John's hand, resentful that it wasn't Oliver's, as she looked up at the ceiling.
"Tachibana, are you there?"
She said to the ceiling.
"...Excuse me, but please quiet down."
She spoke again, to the ceiling.
Suddenly a gust of wind blew Masako's hair.
"Please, listen to me. Will you please answer my questions? ...What did you say? Please speak louder..."
Suddenly Masako's eyes became unfocused, her face expressionless. Her small mouth opened and closed.
"...Really...so that's how it is? ...Yes, I know now... So that's what happened."
The others watched silently. Mai stood with her arms folded beside Oliver, who wrapped an arm around her waist and ignored the feeling of her anger flowing through him.
"...Who... Is it? ...That can't be... It's not like that. You can't believe... Right... You can't."
Suddenly a sound came from the floor.
"...!"
They all waited for the moment to come.
The room began to sway while the rapping sounds started up again. The chandelier rocked along. Bang! Knocking sounds rapped through. Everything was noisy.
"What, what is this!" Ayako shouted.
John, dropped Masako's hand and ran to the stairs.
"John?!"
John kept going up the stairs, then turned around. "I'm going to check on Ayami-chan!"
The rapping sounds almost completely covered up John's reply. Knocking sounds on the walls and stomping sounds of the floor filled the air.
The floor swayed, and the temperature dropped.
Suddenly
"Tomiko!"
Shouted a woman's voice in the distance.
The sound came closer.
Masako's face was pale. Her expression was hard to describe, but it was almost like a mask of hatred. Normally her face wouldn't be like that.
And right in front of Mai's eyes, she reached her hand out toward Oliver.
"Masako!" Ayako cried out.
Masako's hands almost clutched Oliver's neck, but then both Mai and Oliver grabbed her wrists and held her off. "Bou-san! Stop her! She's been possessed!"
Takigawa stuck his hands together and chanted, "On asanmo ginei un hatta!"
After his recitation, Masako's body became limp. Takigawa caught her as Mai and Oliver released her wrists.
The rapping sounds stopped.
Takigawa carried the unconscious girl back into the base and lay her on the sofa.
While they were rewinding the tape, Masako woke up.
"How do you feel?" Ayako asked.
Masako shook her head, her face still deathly pale. "I'm fine... I seemed to have been possessed."
"It was due to my negligence. Sorry— Did you find Tachibana?"
"Yes."
Masako nodded, then looked each of us in the eye. "There is a woman's spirit here."
"Well, duh!" Mai muttered from beside Lin. He gave her a brief smile in response. He had realised a while ago why Mai had been so angry for most of the day.
Masako continued slowly. "The evil spirit is that woman. She's hidden deep inside... At least that's what I think. However, I'm not sure what kind of ghost she is. But I'm positive it's a female spirit."
Masako paused for a moment. "The children's spirits have been gathered here. They're tired of this place, and they want to go home, but they can't because they're lost... Does everyone follow?"
"So basically, the children are stuck here?"
"Yes. The woman's spirit had gathered all the children here. She's pretending to be their mother, and she keeps bringing more kids here. Tachibana realized that she isn't her mother.
That woman isn't only tricking those kids, but she's also making them bring more children here. She's making the kids pretend to be friends, so that they can bring in more living children. Tachibana is the leader of the children, but she also can't take it anymore. She says she's tired, in pain, and that she can't stand it anymore."
Oliver asked Masako, "Do you remember calling for Tomiko?"
"Tomiko..." Masako said dazily. "Yes, I remember... That's the woman's child, a daughter in fact... That female spirit is looking for her daughter, Tomiko. That's why she's calling in more children."
"...I see," Oliver said quietly before standing up.
"Naru?"
"In other words, that woman is searching for her own daughter, but in the end, she is simply collecting all these children." He said in a hard tone. "Since she can't find her own child, she tricks all these other innocent children into coming, and not only that, she's also utilizing them as tools."
Mai resisted the urge to clap in a sarcastic manner, though it was an extremely close thing.
"Those children cannot pass on. That woman won't let them go. They're simply wandering in Chuute... They can't go anywhere," Oliver continued.
"...Ah," Takigawa nodded in agreement.
"Ghosts that are lingering around do not know that they have died. It's the same with those children. To those children, they believe they are lost, not dead. That's why they want to go home..."
"That woman knows this and is using it to her advantage by pretending to be their mother. She knows that she's not going to Heaven, and that she will just suffer."
Oliver picked up his jacket.
"Where are you going?"
"I'm going out for a while. I don't know when I'm coming back. Take care of Ayami-chan."
"Naru!"
And like a gust of wind, Oliver left the room without even giving Mai her usual kiss goodbye.
"What is that guy doing?!" Takigawa shouted.
"...What does he want to do anyway. It's almost dark."
"He's looking for information about Tomiko and Hiro-san." Mai answered.
Takigawa said to Ayako in a sarcastic manner, "It doesn't matter what he wants to do. In the end, he always puts all his effort into his work."
Then he looked up. "Well, let's just do this then. Tonight Ayami-chan should sleep in a hotel."
"Wouldn't that create problems?"
"At least it'll be safer than sleeping at home. John can stay at the hotel. Last time, John's prayer gave that guy a hard time finding Ayami-chan. If the distance is greater, it might be more effective. Make a charm, get Ayako to help, and place the charm on the hotel room. That way, those spirits won't be able to enter."
"Okay."
"Ayako, go to the hotel and help John. I still haven't seen you be useful yet. Can you really exorcise ghosts?"
Ayako replied gruffly, "...Perhaps I have something up my sleeve."
"Then you can be John's partner. Masako, go with them." Takigawa turned around and looked at Masako.
"Me?"
"These two idiots are too susceptible to the ghosts. If things end up like before, we'll really be in trouble. Go with them. If a ghost shows up, wake the two up."
"I got it." Ayako stood up. "Then, what about you?"
"Since the prayer seemed to be effective, I'm going to try an exorcism." He said before shooting a glance at Mai. "Jou-chan, help me prepare."
It was already dusk, and the night was imminent.
Noriko packed up and took Ayami with her to the hotel escorted by Ayako, John and Masako.
Before they left, Ayako had made a protective charm and put it on Ayumi.
"This way, those spirits won't be able to see Ayami-chan."
"Is it working?" Mai asked Masako.
"Those charms seem to be effective. —Don't worry. Those ghosts didn't even notice."
Mai and Takigawa saw the five people off, then started to prepare for the exorcism. They spent a good amount of time moving all the furniture out and setting up the altar. Mai was silent the whole time, ignoring Takigawa's chatter.
After helping Takigawa, Mai moved the equipment in Ayami's room to the living room. When she finished moving the equipment, she went to base to help Lin make preparations. When they finished making all the wire connections, Takigawa started his exorcism.
A few moments after Takigawa started his exorcism, sounds filled the room. At the same time the temperature dropped.
The cold air accumulated along the floor. In the thermography graph, the floor was blue.
The video camera moved too, and combined with the thermography chart, we could see the places where the temperature was the lowest.
The video cameras faced the middle of the room and the floor right in front of the window.
...The temperature is lowest at...
Suddenly a sound came from the living room, a rapping sound. It was almost like a shock wave. The floor rocked, as did Takigawa.
And then a sound vibrated through the entire room.
Stomp, stomp, stomp... The sound of somebody running. A smoky substance started to fill the room. The thermography chart showed a dark blue color.
The altar swayed, then fell to the ground.
The smoke thickened, and Takigawa's body became hard to see. The mournful cries of the children filled the room.
A black shadow appeared in the middle of the room, behind Takigawa. It slowly started to form into a shape.
"Bou-san, I know you can't see her but the woman is standing behind you. Turn around!" Mai instructed.
Takigawa turned around and looked straight through the black figure. He continued chanting.
Mai stood up and ran from the room.
"Mai, don't go!" Lin shouted as he tried to stop her.
She ran to the living room and opened the door. Smoke covered the room. She stayed in the doorway.
"Bou-san, are you okay?"
"Idiot! Why did you come!!"
"Bou-san you need to get out of here. It's not working."
She started chanting from the doorway trying to clear a path for Takigawa to exit with.
The air swirling around her felt cold and sticky then she heard some words in her mind.
'Do not hinder me.'
'How dare you.'
'This is inexcusable'
'Bad girls must be punished.'
Mai began chanting faster. A pair of ice cold hands encircled her neck...
Mai continued to chant focusing on the woman's hands around her neck. She was too strong and resisted.
Takigawa turned around and pulled out some golden beads.
"Na u ma ku sa man da baza ra dan kan!"
The hands clutching Mai's neck disappeared with the combined effort of Mai and Takigawa. All that was left was a cold feeling.
"Are you alright?"
Mai nodded. "Let's go! Forget it! It's too dangerous!"
This time he stood up and ran toward the door. Because now, the floor was swaying so much it was almost impossible to stand up.
The floor was rocking, distorting.
After Takigawa left the room, the noise in the living room stopped.
He was speechless as he sat almost paralyzed in the hallway.
The smoke in the room faded away too.
After the smoke faded away, they noticed there was a hole on the floor in the middle of the room, right in front of the windows. The floor cracked open, revealing a huge hole. Mai had been expecting it. She dreaded her up coming trip down it.
Takigawa abruptly ran out.
"Bou-san?"
"I'm going to call Ayako. Those ghosts might've gone to find Ayami-chan again."
Mai nodded.
"That woman just came in all of a sudden. Maybe she knows where Ayami-chan is." Takigawa continued.
Mai's heart felt heavy. She knew what bad news was coming.
As Takigawa ran to the telephone, the telephone rang.
Hesitating, Takigawa slowly picked up the phone.
—The ghosts had found Ayami-chan.
What they were doing was very clear and simple.
They suddenly appeared out of nowhere and tried to push Ayami out of the window from the fifteenth floor.
John had quickly held onto Ayami, and the two were violently tugged toward the window.
What saved them was neither Ayako nor Masako, but that the window in the hotel was thick and strong. That is what kept the two safe from the ghosts' attacks.
At dawn, they all stared at the pit in the floor.
In order to confirm the disaster from last night, they went to the living room again, with the exception of Oliver. He still hadn't contacted them.
There was a well beneath the hole just like Mai had told Oliver repeatedly there would be.
The diameter was about 1.5 meters, and the opening was made of stone. The depth was about three meters.
"This is a well that had been buried underneath the house," Takigawa told Ayako.
"Seems like it. It's also rather old."
There was nothing in the well. Of course there was no water either. The only thing there was some dry dirt and some tools that dropped.
Mai had nothing to say to them. It's not like she hadn't already told them it was there.
Masako looked at the well with a dazed look. She appeared to be seeing something from the other world. Suddenly her face paled, and she moved away from the well.
"What's wrong?" asked Takigawa.
"I don't think... I can see the bottom of this well. Deep inside the well... The ghost children are at the bottom... It's almost as if countless corpses have been piled on top of each other..."
"Do those ghosts look like they'll come out?" Takigawa questioned.
"I don't know... But they won't be coming out as of now..."
Shivering slightly, Ayako let out an exasperated sigh. "Where did that Naru run off to! When will he be back!" Ayako demanded again.
"Oh, Ayako, do you feel uneasy when Naru's not around?" Takigawa chuckled while Ayako threw him a hard look.
"Do. Not. Joke. Around. You make it sound like I'm a little child who needs protection."
"You mean you're not?"
"Of course not! How would that happen!"
"Eh... No matter how I think of it, you're just like a ten year old." Takigawa smiled wryly.
"It's only a 6 year difference!"
"Whatever the case, your ages do not match," Masako interrupted.
Ayako glared at Masako, "Don't you know that guys his age tend to go for older girls?"
"Does that line of reasoning even make sense?" Masako shot back.
"Oh, so now you're showing your true self? Masako-chan, what can you be to Naru anyway?"
"I hoped you wouldn't talk about me like that.. In any case, Matsuzaki-san, you're already so old, yet..."
"Stop playing around with me. I know that with your personality, there's no way Naru would fall for you."
"My personality is better than a certain old woman's."
"Why are the two of you fighting over an already attached man like he's a piece of meat available for eating?" Mai asked in a frozen tone with her arms crossed and tapping her left foot angrily.
Ayako looked guilty. "Oops, I forgot..."
"It's not like he's serious about you." Masako commented snidely with a sleeve covering her mouth.
"Hara-san..." John tried to stop her.
"He went on a date before," Masako asserted. "We went out together numerous times." The doll-like girl smiled.
"...You're kidding." Ayako's eyes were open wide.
"How rude. Well, you can go ask Kazuya-san yourself."
Everyone stared at Masako.
"Well, aren't you a delusional miss. Pretending that Naru gave into your attempt at blackmail, doesn't make it true, Masako." Mai said calmly.
"How can you be sure?" Masako asked with a brow raised.
"Simple. I spend every day and every evening with him at his request. When would he even have the time to go out with you? He doesn't even answer your phone calls. Either Lin or I do it. We have no secrets from each other. Stop trying to interfere in my relationship."
Masako turned away, temporarily defeated.
"So basically," Takigawa resumed solemnly, "when Naru comes back, doesn't concern us."
He looked around at everybody. "It doesn't matter if he's not here. He's not a psychic; he's just a paranormal researcher. Even if he is here, he can't exorcise ghosts or protect Ayami-chan.
Things are going to be the same, whether or not he's here. Right now, we must decide if we're going to exorcise the ghosts or run away."
"..."
Everyone was thinking. Mai didn't bother. She knew they wouldn't listen to her anyway.
"Let's try it again. Ayako, John, which one of you will take up the challenge? Speak up clearly. Those ghosts in the living room are tough."
Ayako glanced at Takigawa.
"So you're saying you want to do it?" asked Takigawa.
Ayako responded, "Go to Ayami-chan. I can't protect her. Also, John, you should be there protecting her as well."
"Got it."
Takigawa and Mai pulled the altar out of the hole and helped Ayako prepare for her exorcism.
"Can we still use this?"
"Well, I guess."
After they set up the altar, Takigawa and John went to the hotel. Ayako, Mai and Lin were left behind.
Ayako changed into her priestess kimono in base.
"Hey, Mai-chan? Do you want to stay in the living room to watch me do the prayer?" Ayako asked with her back turned towards her.
Mai sighed knowing what was coming. "Very well."
Ayako looked visibly relieved. She looked at the mountain-pile of equipment. "Lin-san, can you..."
"I left it there to record data," Lin informed her in a cold tone.
"...What a personality. Just like the boss. That "lady-killer"."
"Huh...?" It seemed like Lin didn't understand Ayako. His eyes were open wide in confusion. Mai snorted. Lin was another involved man. Ayako was barking up the wrong tree there.
"Oh, nevermind. I was just saying your boss is a pervert— Mai, let's go!"
Ayako grabbed Mai's hand and pulled the girl out with her.
Under the rosy afterglow of the sunset, Ayako started her prayer. The scarlet light lingered in the room. It gave Mai a bad feeling.
"Here I humbly offer a modest cleansing ritual and enshrine this temporary altar..."
When the exorcism started, faint sounds filled the room.
A chill covered the floor. Sitting near the door, Mai felt a chill on her back. Her feet got colder.
She looked at the video camera, which was facing the old well. The cold air was coming from that well.
As the swaying became more evident, noises arose from the floor.
Ayako's voice was terse. "In the sacred presence of his Majesty... Emperor of... Yamato, who reigns..."
It was freezing. The trees in the courtyard swayed, casting a shadow into the living room. A dark mist conjured in the middle of the room. Ayako paused in fear.
"Ayako! Don't stop!"
"Don't say that so easily!"
Quickly Ayako regained her composure. Rapping noises sounded nearby. It was getting colder. Mai's breath came out as white fog.
"Over the Land of the Eight Grand Islands as the living god..."
The sun was sinking as Ayako proceeded with her prayer. Soon the room was covered in darkness. The only light left was the flickering of the candles.
A wispy gaseous figure came into view. Mai could hardly breathe, feeling afraid.
"Ah!" Ayako screamed, jumping up.
"Ayako!"
"Someone touched my shoulder!"
"Calm down! You're a priestess!"
Mai felt a cold presence tug on her hands.
"Keep going Ayako!" Mai yelled.
Someone's breath. Mai felt completely surrounded.
The room swayed incessantly as thumping sounds restarted.
Ayako got up and slowly tried to step out of the room. She had given up.
"Mai, it's too dangerous here! Let's go!"
"Yeah...Yeah."
Ayako dashed out.
At the same time, the floor swayed intensely. Mai didn't bother getting up. She took a deep breath and yelled for Lin.
The floor rocked back and forth.
"Mai! Hurry up!" Ayako called out from the door.
"Mai!"
A cold pair of hands grabbed Mai's feet.
Looking down, she saw the wispy smoke encircle her ankle.
Mai tried chanting to release her foot but it didn't work. The cold grasp was firm. Her hands were sweaty and her ankle was freezing.
"Ayako!"
"Mai!"
Mai was being pulled backwards towards the well.
Another pair of cold hands grasped her ankle and pulled her fully into the hole. Her hands clutched desperately to the edge of the well trying to stop herself from being pulled further.
"Mai!" Lin rushed in. He ran to the well and stretched out his hand to grab Mai's outstretched one. But he was too late.
The eerie hands grabbing Mai's foot pulled harder. Mai lost her grip and disappeared down the well.
"Mai!"
The floor swayed violently, knocking down Lin and Ayako.
"Mai!!"
Mai reached her hand out toward the opening as she plunged down into the darkness.
She could hear the voices of two people.
But their words were unclear...