So this chapter is going to get a little risqué towards the end, but I'm not going to go into too much detail to still keep the story PG-13. Hope that's okay for you guys.

115th Spell: Māreroji

The next morning, Meru Wataka along with her children and Haru gathered in the living room wearing casual clothes. Although for the Watakas, they were more business casual in their attire with blazers in different shades of blue, knee-length black skirts and pants, and matching stockings. In Meru's hand was a woven basket full of smoothly polished stones which each of the girls and Gyoku took one of including Meru.

"What are those?" Haru asked before picking up a stone himself.

"Zen Stones," Meru answered. "They're used to transport witches and wizards through the Zen Network from one place to another."

"The Zen Network?" Haru was still confused. "I've never heard of such a thing."

Meru rolled her eyes. "Surely you and Higa must have used the Zen Network to transport to Tateroji, as that's the only way to get there."

Haru then remembered the Zen garden he and Higa stepped into that was behind the Tamaneko teahouse and Higa tapped his Kurami Sword against a set of stones in the garden that brought them to Tateroji.

"Right," Haru said, feeling embarrassed. "But I didn't know the Zen garden at the Tamaneko teahouse was part of the Zen Network, and Higa didn't need a Zen Stone to use it."

"Some set locations in the Zen Network don't require Zen Stones to get there," Meru explained. "But since we're using our Zen garden to get to Tateroji, we do need to establish a connection and that's where the stones come in."

After taking a Zen Stone from the basket, Haru followed the Watakas out to the courtyard inside the Wataka Mansion gate. They formed in a line leading up to the small Zen garden, while Meru stood next to them.

"Who wants to demonstrate how to use the Zen Network to Ryuji-kun?" Meru asked her kids.

"I'll do it," Rui said, raising her hand nervously.

"Very well," Meru nodded. "After Rui leaves, the rest of you will follow."

Rui looked back at Haru for a moment before stepping onto the center stone in the Zen garden. She raised the Zen Stone above her shoulder like she was about to throw it.

"Tateroji!" Rui called.

From Rui's hand, the Zen Stone flew through the air and landed a little ways from the stone she was standing on. Then just like the Zen garden at Tamaneko, waves of sand surrounded Rui blocking her from everyone's view. When the sand fell back down, Rui was gone completely.

"Now would you like to try, Ryuji-kun?" Meru asked Haru.

Haru saw this as yet another challenge to prove himself. "Yes, Lady Meru!"

"Just remember to speak the name of the location very clearly, or you'll end up somewhere else," Meru stated. "And don't throw the Zen Stone too hard because it might fly out of the garden and not transport you at all."

"Or throw the stone too lightly as it might hit the stone you're standing on and cause you to only briefly transport before ending up back here," added Peri.

Ganne and Fuyou smirked maliciously, eyeing Haru in the hopes of seeing him fail. Haru ignored their looks and stood on the center stone of the Zen garden. Raising the small Zen Stone in his left hand, he cleared his throat before speaking.

"Tatiroji!" Haru said.

As he tossed the stone, he realized he said the name of the place he wanted to go wrong. But he was too late as the stone hit the floor of the Zen garden and the sands enveloped him. Closing his eyes, he waited for the sand to die down.

Moments later, the trickling of sand subsided meaning he could look now. Instead of standing in the Zen garden that was directly across from the main street of Tateroji, he found himself standing in the backyard of a two-story building adorned by red lanterns. Though what surprised him more was seeing a deep pond before him where a bunch of half-naked women were bathing on the other side. Upon seeing him, the women immediately covered themselves by either submerging below the water line or hurriedly putting clothes on.

"What are you doing here?" One of the women demanded, who was pale-skinned with eyebrows that had been plucked short. "Did someone send you?"

"N-No one sent me," Haru said as he avoided looking at the women. "It was a mistake."

"Mistake?" Another woman laughed, who was taller than the first woman. "That's what all men say!"

"But he could be telling the truth," said a third woman, who was much younger than the other two with silken black hair. "We've never seen him before, even with a client."

"Client?" Haru didn't understand. "What exactly do you guys do here?"

"We work for Madam Hōsaku's Escort Service, the finest brothel in Māreroji!" The tall woman declared.

"Brothel? Māreroji?" Haru vaguely knew what a brothel was from what his Manai dad told him, but he had never heard of a place called Māreroji before.

All of a sudden, a very plump woman came into the backyard causing the women to look up in surprise.

"What's all the commotion about?" Shouted the plump woman. But upon seeing Haru, she pointed her stumpy finger at him. "Are you bothering my girls?"

"He claims he arrived here by mistake, but I don't believe him," said the tall woman as she folded her arms over her bare chest.

"But I think he's telling the truth," said the younger third woman with the silken black hair. "I've never seen him before. Have you, Madam Hōsaku?"

"No, I have not," the plump woman confirmed. "But I know who he is."

"You do?" the three women said in unison.

"He's Haru Ryuji, the Boy Who Vanished," Madam Hōsaku declared. "Is that right?"

Realizing Hōsaku was talking to him, Haru reluctantly nodded. "Yeah, that's who I am."

"Seimei's Cap!" exclaimed the taller woman as she looked back at Haru. "Why didn't you say so?"

"Come on over!" the pale-skinned woman waved.

"We promise we won't bite," offered the younger third woman with the silken black hair shyly.

To be continued…