Although Yuria had been terrified by the malevolent spirit, if there was a chance for her to become a true spirit medium, she would seize it without hesitation.
After all, this had been her dream for over a decade. Letting go of it entirely was no simple task.
And now, she saw an opportunity right before her eyes.
Eriri's method of exorcising the spirit had completely surpassed Yuria's imagination. Compared to it, talismans, prayer beads, and barrier spells seemed utterly insignificant.
If Eriri were willing to teach her, Yuria was certain she could become a powerful spirit medium.
So, after hastily wiping away her tears, she sniffled and pleaded, "Master! Please teach me how to exorcise spirits!"
She no longer cared about whether or not Miko Yotsuya was a spirit medium. Based on what Eriri had said to Hana Yurikawa earlier, Yuria had already deduced that the spirits disappearing in strange ways must have been Eriri's doing all along while she remained hidden beside Miko.
No wonder she hadn't seen Miko take any action that day.
"You're calling me 'Master' already? I don't recall agreeing to anything," Eriri said, watching the still-sniffling Yuria with amusement.
"Besides, haven't you noticed something strange about your body?"
"Something strange?"
Until now, Yuria had been so paralyzed by fear that she hadn't paid any attention to herself.
But now, hearing Eriri's words and noticing the peculiar look in her eyes, Yuria finally realized the uncomfortable dampness below.
That wet sensation… there was only one explanation.
She had wet herself.
For a moment, Yuria wished she could disappear into thin air. Thankfully, only Eriri had noticed.
Had this happened in the classroom with other students present, she would have been socially ruined forever.
Due to the dim lighting in the abandoned classroom, Miko Yotsuya and Hana Yurikawa had not yet noticed what had happened.
As ordinary people, it would have been difficult for them to spot the wet patch on the floor in the dark corner where Yuria sat.
But even so, the sheer embarrassment of being discovered by Eriri alone was almost too much to bear. She was seriously considering bolting from the room immediately.
However, now that she had witnessed a truly powerful malevolent spirit, Yuria no longer had the courage to walk the streets alone, where countless unseen spirits lurked.
So, suppressing her shame, she looked up at Eriri with pleading eyes.
"Master, please accept me! I promise I'll be a good student!"
At that moment, Hana Yurikawa's concerned voice rang out. "Yuria-chan, are you okay? Has the spirit been exorcised by Eriri?"
Although she couldn't see spirits, she had seen the energy Eriri used to eliminate them, which made her assume the danger had passed.
She took hold of Miko's arm and was about to walk over.
But before they could get close, Yuria suddenly shouted, "D-Don't come over!"
The corner of the room was dark, and even standing right next to her, it would be difficult for someone to notice the telltale puddle.
But she couldn't take that risk. If Miko or Hana found out what had happened, Yuria might truly lose the courage to remain in the classroom any longer.
Her sudden outburst had the intended effect. Both Miko and Hana froze in place, looking at her in bewilderment.
"What's wrong, Yuria-chan?"
Faced with their questioning gazes, Yuria remained silent. There was no way she could reveal the true reason for stopping them.
She didn't even want to come up with an excuse, so saying nothing at all seemed like the best option.
However, Eriri, with a playful smile, waved at Miko Yotsuya and Hana Yurikawa. "It's nothing. Miko-chan, Hana, you two can come over now."
"Master…!" Yuria exclaimed in panic.
But before she could finish, Eriri cut her off with a gentle head pat.
The affectionate gesture lasted only a few seconds, but Yuria relished it deeply. When Eriri finally withdrew her hand, Yuria found herself feeling oddly reluctant to let go of the moment.
And then, she realized something astonishing—her previous dampness had completely vanished. The uncomfortable wet sensation was gone, and she felt perfectly dry.
Quickly, she glanced down at the floor, squinting through the dim light. Thanks to the shadows, she couldn't see clearly, but one thing was certain—there was no longer any trace of the embarrassing puddle.
A wave of relief washed over her. To confirm, she hesitantly reached out and touched the ground beneath her.
Dry.
Yuria let out a deep sigh and cast a grateful look at Eriri. There was no doubt that this was her doing.
With her fears alleviated, Yuria no longer felt the need to resist Miko and Hana approaching.
As they moved closer, neither of them noticed anything unusual. Miko simply offered a few words of concern before letting the topic drop.
Hana, however, was still fixated on something else.
"Hey, Eriri, that evil spirit in the classroom—it's gone now, right? You exorcised it? There aren't any left in here?"
"Don't worry. At least, not in this classroom," Eriri said with a teasing smile.
"Oh, that's a relief… wait a second! What do you mean 'at least in this classroom'?!" Hana's expression twisted in horror. "So that means there are still tons of spirits outside, right?!"
"That's right. I see you understood my meaning perfectly. Good job, Hana. You deserve a reward," Eriri praised her with a grin.
"…That's not a compliment I want at all! Is there any way I can just forget that ghosts exist? If this keeps up, I'll never be able to sleep alone or go to school by myself again!"
Hearing Hana's distressed words, Yuria, who had finally managed to stand up, suddenly chimed in.
"Hana, your life energy is incredibly strong. You're like a 100-watt lightbulb shining in the middle of a crowd of spirits—of course, you'll attract them."
The mention of "life energy" piqued Miko's curiosity.
Turning to Eriri, she softly asked, "Eriri, what exactly is this 'life energy' that Yuria mentioned?"
Miko chose to ask Eriri instead of Yuria, not wanting to interrupt the ongoing conversation between Hana and Yuria. Besides, she instinctively felt that Eriri's understanding of the subject would be far greater.
"Hana's life energy is a unique force within her that allows her to passively resist spirit attacks to a certain extent," Eriri explained just as quietly.
Their hushed conversation made them appear especially close. But given how near they all stood to each other, their words were still audible to both Hana and Yuria.
"Life energy is that powerful?" Hana's fear quickly gave way to excitement. "Does that mean I can just ignore evil spirits? That's amazing!"
However, Hana's excitement was quickly interrupted by Yuria.
"Don't celebrate just yet. Your life energy is incredibly attractive to malevolent spirits. Any spirit that sees you will be drawn to you like a moth to a flame. Honestly, I have no idea how you've managed to survive this long."
"Wait… what?!" Hana's smile stiffened as she swallowed hard. "I-I can't see anything! You're not just trying to scare me, are you? I'm really bad with scary stuff!"
Desperately seeking reassurance, she turned to Eriri, as if hoping she would refute Yuria's words.
Miko, too, looked at Eriri with concern. She didn't want anything bad to happen to her best friend.
"Yuria-chan isn't wrong. Even if the spirits don't attack Hana directly, just being near her rapidly drains her life energy. The more spirits around her, the faster the depletion. If she loses too much without replenishing it… well, let's just say she wouldn't have much time left."
Eriri's words sent a chill down both Hana and Miko's spines.
Especially Hana—just imagining what would happen if her life energy ran out made her shudder uncontrollably.
"I don't wanna die like that! Eriri, is there any way to restore my life energy?!" Hana pleaded, eyes filled with desperation.
"Actually, there are two ways. One is becoming a supernatural being yourself. Once you have extraordinary powers, replenishing life energy becomes much easier."
At the mention of supernatural abilities, Yuria's interest piqued instantly.
She tilted her head up to look at Eriri, eyes shining with excitement. "Supernatural being? You mean like those people with special abilities in fantasy novels? Is that how you exorcise spirits, Master?!"
Since Yuria was barely 140 centimeters tall, she had to tilt her head significantly to meet Eriri's gaze, making her look even more like an eager child.
Both Miko and Hana were also intrigued by the mention of supernatural powers. Having grown up in a modern world filled with stories of extraordinary abilities, they naturally felt a sense of fascination.
However, while the idea of superpowers was thrilling, Hana was far more concerned about her immediate survival.
The first method was completely out of the question. If becoming a supernatural being were that easy, the world would already be filled with them. So far, the only true supernatural individual she had encountered was Eriri.
That left only one option.
"Yuria-chan, can we talk about supernatural powers later? My life is on the line here!" Hana interjected, turning toward Eriri with a pleading look. "What's the second way to restore my life energy?"
Hearing Hana's desperation, Yuria wisely chose to remain silent, setting aside her curiosity for now.
"The second method is simple—just eat food. That's why you're always so hungry," Eriri explained casually.
"Ohhh, so that's why Hana eats so much! She goes through a week's worth of my food in a single day. I finally understand!" Miko exclaimed in realization.
"Whew! That's a relief. As long as I can restore my energy, that's all that matters. Besides, I've already gotten used to eating tons of food every day. And let's be honest, enjoying delicious meals is one of life's greatest joys!" Hana grinned, her fear momentarily replaced by enthusiasm for food.
Hana patted her ample chest and let out a long sigh of relief.
However, just as she began to relax, Eriri's next words sent her heart racing once more.
"Hana, I have something to tell you. Your house—your bedroom, in particular—is absolutely packed with evil spirits."
Eriri wasn't making baseless claims; she had personally witnessed it. With her abilities, observing every corner of the Earth was a trivial task, let alone a house just a few kilometers from the school.
Realizing the imminent danger she was in, Hana wasted no time. She stepped directly in front of Eriri, clasped her hands together in front of her chest, and put on the most pitiful expression she could muster.
"Eriri, please… save me."
"Hmm… well, I suppose I could," Eriri said nonchalantly, nodding slightly. "In fact, instead of staying here, why don't we just go to your house and take care of it directly?"
"Of course! My home is always open to you guys!" Hana quickly agreed, her face lighting up with relief. At least now, she wouldn't have to spend another terrifying night surrounded by spirits.
"Then let's hurry to the train station. I want to get home as soon as possible and deal with those spirits."
"No need for that," Eriri said, shaking her head gently.
Before the three girls could question her further, Eriri simply raised her hand. With a flick of her wrist, the door to the abandoned classroom locked itself from the outside, trapping them all inside.
Before Miko, Hana, or Yuria could react, Eriri waved her hand once more.
In the blink of an eye, the scene around them shifted.
"No way…!"
Miko and Hana gasped simultaneously as they looked around in utter disbelief.
Everything around them was incredibly familiar. Before Miko had gained her ability to see spirits, she had visited this place many times.
They were now standing inside Hana's bedroom.
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