Chapter 39.5
As a secular holiday, Halloween has come to be associated with a number of activities. One is the practice of pulling usually harmless pranks. Celebrants wear masks and costumes for parties and for trick-or-treating, thought to have derived from the British practice of allowing the poor to beg for food, called 'soul cakes.' Trick-or-treaters go from house to house with the threat that they will pull a trick if they do not receive a treat, usually candy.
Halloween had its origins in the festival of Samhain among the Celts of ancient Britain and Ireland. On the day corresponding to November 1 on contemporary calendars, the new year was believed to begin.
That date was considered the beginning of the winter period, the date on which the herds were returned from pasture and land tenures were renewed. During the Samhain festival the souls of those who had died were believed to return to visit their homes, and those who had died during the year were believed to journey to the otherworld. People set bonfires on hilltops for relighting their hearth fires for the winter and to frighten away evil spirits, and they sometimes wore masks and other disguises to avoid being recognized by the ghosts thought to be present. It was in those ways that beings such as witches, hobgoblins, fairies, and demons came to be associated with the day. The period was also thought to be favourable for divination on matters such as marriage, health, and death.
But for the supernaturals of this world, it is split into three: Those who celebrate the thinning of the boundaries between the dead and the living, Those who take the chance to cause as much chaos as they can, and finally those that take it upon themselves to herd and monitor the second group making sure that they don't step out of line.
Nowadays, the ability to see and hear those that have passed are an oddity. Even if the spirits have come back from their respective afterlives to see how their kin have been living, they wouldn't be able to make much of an difference. Instead, they would usually revel in the joys of life and flesh for a single night and when sun comes to shine upon the land a new dawn, they would return to whence they came from.
As for the unfortunate and the obstinate, they would either disperse into energy that nourishes the land or, if they show adequate strength of will, be corrupted and pollute their immediate vicinity.
In short, more work.
Which is why I am currently in a special ward of Tokyo, overseeing the infamous busiest street in the world called Shibuya Crossing.
Crowds of people in costumes and cosplay, enough alcohol to flood the streets, music and mini-events thrown together. Halloween is chaotic on its own but if you mix together the spirits that would slip in undetected, you have a headache.
The saving grace of the matter is that when can deal with those troublemakers in public because people are usually thinking that it's part of some play for an event of sorts or are too drunk to care and treat the drama as free entertainment.
That said, the term 'troublemaker' doesn't only apply to supernaturals. Having enough people drunk consume enough alcohol is something to monitor as well.
Added with my novice healer's licence, I am legally obligated to be here. Not a single year goes by without a mishaps of sorts when nearly every person in attendance has a biological weapon called a quirk and the reasoning chambers of their heads befuddled.
At the very least, I can take comfort on the fact that I wouldn't be the only one who has to look out for other supernaturals. Perhaps, I can pop in and greet my friend and acquaintances a proper hello.
But then again, spotting them amidst a sea of people would be hard. My other senses wouldn't be of much help when everyone is so congested like this. Just looking down on them is uncomfortable enough, I can only imagine what it's like to actually be there.
And by 'looking down on them' is literal. I positioned myself on one of the rooftop of the surrounding buildings that isn't hosting a small party.
I could theoretically set myself up on one of those first aid tents but that would mean getting closer to what is essentially a mosh pit and getting squeezed and pushed around. That, or getting their scent on me.
I'd rather not smell like a drunk gym locker, yes. And I'm sure my white capelet with a big red cross at the back is enough for people to know what my job is.
On a side note, is that what I think it is? I ran over to take a closer look and yes! It is! That's Present Mic!
He's hosting some event. Pretty small scale that what I thought he would be doing but it's still bigger compared to the other scattered events happening on other commercial buildings. Not as big as Shibuya Crossing itself but still big enough I suppose.
Just as I was about to listen in on them, a sudden electric outburst took the lights out. The range wasn't big but it incapacitated the power of a fair distance.
For a moment, I had wondered if the railgun was here and someone had pushed her buttons. It is a common occurrence from what Kuroko has told me, but those thoughts when out the proverbial foyer as the sounds of fighting and screams began to escalate.
Locating the area, I made my way towards the disturbance and found two people fighting.
Scratch that, it doesn't look like a fight. This is a one-sided beat down plain and simple. The guy with long hair in an all black attire and goggles is probably a hero with how he moves, the guy he's fighting is another matter.
The big, muscly, bipedal... Eel? Mutant eel person is too slow and clumsy. The guy isn't even standing up and seemed to struggle just crawling.
Ah, I got lost in my thoughts that I didn't even notice that the fight is already over. The big guy is tangled up in the other guy's weaponized scarf. He doesn't look like he needed some healing so I should probably just leave it be.
Looks like he's already called for a pickup to proper detail eel so I should probably make myself scarce.
Ah, right, almost forgot about the civilians. Hero fights tend to catch attention so my eyes automatically focused on them. Anyways, I dipped down on my heads low enough for them so clearly see the symbol on my clothes and sent out a large fog of heals on the poor mucks that were unfortunate enough to be electrocuted from the initial burst.
Seeing as I job is technically done and that paramedics usually arrive with the police for villain arrest, I began to make myself scarce and float away.
"Pop..."
Hm? Did the big guy say pop? Why does that seem familiar, again? Wait, am I hearing popping sounds? Listening a bit closer, they kinda sound like small explosions.
It doesn't seem like much, might be firecrackers but better safe than sorry.
Extending my senses and ignoring the clustered rabble, I gave my self a pat on the back because my hunch was correct. There is another fight somewhere.
I flew higher with my heads, giving me a vantage point just above the building and began my search.
Honestly, I didn't even need my magic/empathetic senses for this one. All I had to do is follow the sounds of the explosions and... Right! There they are!
A gruff-looking man is chasing after a highschool girl down the streets.
She is pushing and shoving the people out of her way and makes some of them are jostled to the ground when an explosion appears from her open hands. The man that is chasing after her swung up from a grappling hook and is going after her from a height, not sparing a glance to the civilians even after they yelled at them.
The bystanders probably thought it was an act for the most part --not counting the ones that got shoved a small explosion at their face-- and just made way for her.
I followed right behind them all the while leaving a trail of my smoke to give a healing to those that needed it. The three of us kinda played the whole cat and mouse thing before the two of them finally decided to fight when the girl was cornered to a dead end alley.
They made quite a ruckus so I am curious as to why no other hero followed suit after us, or rather, me.
Did they get held up somewhere else? Or was it the crowd impeding their way and they're running late. They didn't just leave this be, Right? I mean, a guy is chasing after a highschooler is plenty suspicious, not to mention the explosions. Ah, maybe some spirits saw the commotion and got inspired or something.
Now that I think about it, why do they look familiar?
Hm? Electric shocks? Wait, I gotta hel- and he beat her up... And now she's out cold. Wonder why I'm not up to speed today... Probably just the Halloween doing it's thing.
Anyways, I flew in closer to them and saw the man blew up the- wait are those bees?!
"You." The man addressed me without so much as a glance. "Saw what you did to the guys that got hurt, you're the real deal right? Mind helping me out?" He immediately went to work before I can respond and removed a large bug from her eye socket.
I didn't gag but it sure was disgusting. He then proceeded to open the girl's top and used his rewired taser knuckle to revive the her heart. He turned his head to finally look at me and I took that as a signal to send out a heal.
Not much I can do about the missing eye since I can't use a high enough spell to restore that but it's enough to stabilise her condition before she's transferred to a proper facility. Speaking of, I should probably call for that ambulance.
When I reached out to my phone, the guy spoke out while carrying the girl in a princess carry. "I'll take my daughter to the hospital. Thanks for the assist."
I looked on at him as he left. A nagging part of my mind wanted to follow protocol but I couldn't find it in me to care much. Didn't seem hostile and he wasn't lying so it should probably be alright.
In any case, I went back to wandering for more injured as I still feel like I've seen them somewhere before but the familiarity is stuck at the tip of my tongue.