33 Chapter 32

I finished checking in on my patients. Fortunately, they were in good condition despite some of them temporarily losing their maintenance. It would have been disastrous if there was a surgery ongoing but we were lucky that there weren't any during the whole ordeal.

In any case, I am glad that particular case is done but now I had to deal with another that I've been trying to avoid.

Resigned, I made my way to the hospital's lobby to see Kuroko patiently waiting. Her eyes flicked over to me as I got closer.

"I won't run, don't think I can, really." I sighed as I glanced to my sides. "This isn't really the place to discuss this topic so we're gonna have to move elsewhere."

"I would have thought that your shift would last longer."

"That's cause I don't have one today." I lightly shrug. "Just a quick look on the ones under my and Hevun-sensei's care and I'm free to go."

She gave a me curt nod and stood up from her seat. "Alright. I know just the place for private talks so follow me."

The walk was filled with silent apprehension of what is to come. The thought of simply running away again came across my mind and enticing me with as much temptation as it can.

Suffice to say that I had an argument against myself in the faculties of my own mind that I only noticed that we arrived at the location when we entered it's premises.

"A..." I gave a glance towards the interior. "Teahouse?"

Kuroko led me further inside as I take in the design.

It was a quiet place with little to no customers. The only other visible people here are the servers and the few customers who were more than complacent in enjoying their refreshments. The place had green plants that go well with the polished wood of the interior, not to mention that there was plenty of sunlight that would make this a perfect place for a peaceful afternoon.

When we sat down at our table --That was thankfully farther from the other guest--, the employee immediately served us a pot of tea and handed out a menu for further orders before leaving.

"Er, nice place?..."

She took a sip before setting down her cup of tea with grace. "This establishment is primarily catered for Tokiwadai students, and it's basic amenities are paid for by the academy itself. And, as such, no one will bother us here."

"Right." That was one load off my shoulders, at least. "So, where do I start?"

"Something simple, then. Who were those individuals and why do they hate you?" She inquisitively stared directly into my eyes.

I took a brief moment to consider lying but a quick consideration of my circumstances have dismissed such notions. 'Its a gamble, but...'

"Priest from one of the church."

"Priest?" She blinked. "Why even- actually, what church?"

"Don't know. To many to speculate on." I wince lightly. "And they hate me simply for the sake of hate."

"That's ridiculous." She replied blanky.

"It's the truth. As irrational as it sounds, it's undeniably the truth."

She pondered for a bit on my statement, before lightly biting the edge of her lip and hesitantly asked. "Is it-"

"Human supremacy." I all but growled out in hatred. "People from the church are more than likely to ha- to despise non-humans." Which is something I find funny, considering that my kind gets along decently with the wix.

"You as a youkai? Do you expect me to believe such farce? That fairytales being as real as they come?"

"I honestly don't expect you to believe me, period."

She grumbled something under her breath and took a deep breath. "Alright. Assuming I believe you, answer me this: what were they doing there?"

"To check on a friend of theirs, most likely."

"Oh? Don't they have some magic to deal with that?"

"Magic also has aplitudes that the caster needs in order to cast. Like say, a water mage not being able to cast fire spells but has access to ice spells."

"...That awfully sounds a lot like a game to me." She pointed out with a roll of her eyes.

"It is what it is. The point was that neither of them can use healing spells and the church has no hold on academy city so they had to bear with a regular hospital to save their friend who was in pretty bad shape."

"And what have they done to the hospital?"

"Ah, They didn't really do any damage. And no one else was actually hurt."

"Although that is fortunate news, what I meant was thing they did that manipulated space."

"Ah, you mean the wards." I nod in realisation. "That was something to minimise damage and casualties in urban areas, it's kinda like an enforced warning to not make others... Interfere..." I blinked. "Wait, how did you get inside the wards?"

"I merely used my quirk." She had a smug look on her face as she saw me dumbfounded. "I am, after all, one of the best teleporter this city has to offer. Those wards, as you called it, did make the calculations more complex but I enjoyed the challenge." She smiled. "Moving on, about this friend of theirs?"

"That's right." I nodded with my arms crossed as I recalled his previous state. "Most of his brain's frontal lobe was gone. No damage to the skull or skin so it might be a magic spell that disintegrated his neurons. He would've died if Hevun-sensei and I didn't heal him."

"Let me guess, you used healing magic?"

"Ugh, yeah. Although sensei could've managed by himself if he had the right equipment at that time, the clock was ticking so I called for me instead."

"Does he know about magic?"

"No. Well, at least I don't think so?" I waved the question away from my mind. "Even if he did, his skilled enough to not need it. He's just that good. Anything else to ask?"

"Just a few that I find questionable. Earlier this morning, you and tsuyuki-san were dealing with a mammalian creature that expelled... Bats? Is that correct?"

"You were watching us? No wonder I felt a gaze."

"You felt my gaze?" It was her turn to be surprised. "I kept watch from fair distance. If you did felt it, why did you let it be? From what I gathered before, you are quite adept at espionage so I assumed you also know how to evade or removing your surveillance from the picture."

"Evade, sure. But my sister taught me that fighting is usually a last resort."

She blinked owlishly "...Your sister taught you espionage?"

"Hm." I slightly nodded.

"..." She was silent for a few moments, seemingly contemplating something as her expressions rapidly shift before finally giving a resigned sigh. "Getting back to the topic on hand, the creature?"

"If I recall correctly, it was a Nodeppō."

"The animal Youkai that resemble flying squirrels, but are actually born from an animal called a mami, which resembles a badger. When a mami reaches a very old age, it transforms into a nodeppō. Is that right?"

"Not a lot of people know about that sort of thing nowadays. You're well-versed in the occult?"

"It was my father." She giggled. "He was a superstitious man and often reads to me about those sorts of things when I was younger. Although, if what you claim is taken into account, they might all be true."

"Not necessarily." I couldn't help but let the sadness leak through my voice. "Plenty of those long gone, extinct, because of a mysterious event known as the Downfall." I cut her off before she can say anything. "Don't ask me, I don't know much about it either, other than the fact that it was a terrible event."

"...Alright." She gave an uncomfortable pause about the fact that something so big remained a mystery before she decided to shift the topic. "The nodeppō are Normally found in northern Japan, aren't they?"

"That probably because of the miasma catalyst. They're just balls of spiritual energy clump together by chance. It'd be fine if you left it alone for a few days and there aren't many people that can perceived them to begin with. The problem only starts if it was contaminated by negative emotions for too long. If that happened then the only choice would be to get rid of it one way or another or else it would become a random creature on its own."

"That's... Troublesome. How do you get rid of it?"

"A few ways." I counted them on my fingers. "You can absorb them and strengthen yourself. Store them inside you and filter it out back to the environment. Purify it with a spell, ritual or something. Eat it, although that isn't really recommended depending on what you are."

"Elaborate on that last one, please."

"Oh, ugh, right, you see, this goes back to the attributes. If the miasma catalyst is already contaminated and is in the midst of transforming into a certain creature, then it would also have an attribute of its own so if you eat one with an attribute opposite of yours then it would harm you from the inside out."

"I see..."

"But there also the fact that the catalyst that's in the midst of transforming would also gain some instinct or lesser sentience depending on certain factors like how long it's been transforming for, what negative emotions it's been contaminated with, the location where its in, etc. If it did reach that point, then it would lash out and harm it's surroundings if someone even tried to get rid of it." I then drank some of the tea to wet my drying throat. I don't really talk this much so it was easy for me to get parched.

Kuroko was tapping her fingers on the table, her eyes closed in thought. When she finally opened her eyes, she asked her next question.

"I assume that you look for those things too?"

"That's right."

"Then, I have to ask. That night in the Tokiwadai Bathhouse."

"Oh... Ugh, sorry again for that, but yeah. There was one there."

"Was?"

"Someone got to it first and ate it." I winced a bit and avoid her gaze. "Whoever it was that got there first was too weak and got contaminated instead. In any case, they became some variant of an Akaname-"

"The filth-eater?!" She shivered in disgust before clicking her tongue in irritation. "No wonder that there had been multiple cases of clothes going missing for months. That little-"

Kuroko went on a rant about how the Tokiwadai branch of Judgment --That she's also a part of-- would spend nights patrolling the school along side security to find the pervert that has been harassing the students. There had been complaints from students, their parents, and even the staff but everyone had no clue as to what was happening. The even dedicated part of the school budget for increasing security from sensors, fingerprint and retina locks, more surveillance --That explains the cameras-- but there was still no concrete evidence other than the scene of the crime itself and it has been driving everyone mad.

If my guess was correct, then that particular ghost had been active shortly after the entrance ceremony. Which means that he has been an annoyance for months on end, in plain sight.

'No wonder Kuroko was kinda angry the first time I saw her. Not only did she have to deal with that guy but she also had so much backlog of paperwork, who wouldn't be angry?'

"Shuzenji-san."

I hadn't been paying attention but the sudden mention of my name caught me off guard.

"Y-yes?"

"I assume that you have dealt with that pest, correct?"

"Y-yeah, he been purified so he isn't coming back, like ever."

"Good." She slumped her face to her hands. "That's one problem gone, at least."

"...So, do you have any more questions?"

"No..." She waved a hand before picking up her cup to drink her tea. "Let's continue this next time. I-... I'll just take a well-deserved break for today."

"Alright. Sure."

And that was what she did. She ordered another pot of tea and appropriate sweets to go along with it. I saw how Kuroko was visibly cheerful as she ate and how she occasionally added small talk that had nothing to do with work or school.

Even as parted ways, I observed how she was almost skipping in joy as left.

It was only until that someone bumped into me that broke me from my stupor but when I turned around there was no one near me.

When I checked my pockets just to make sure, I noticed a crumpled piece of paper that wasn't mine. Although skeptical, I unfurled it only for my brows to furrow at the first words at the very top.

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