To be honest, Asakura really could resolve the battle in an instant.
Using [Candle] to burn the opponent to ashes wouldn't even take a second.
However, doing that would give onlookers a subtle, underwhelming feeling, as if he were a fraud.
It would be like the opponent putting on a massive show of power, asking expectantly, "Is it starting now?"
And then Asakura, looking at the opponent who was already nothing but ash, would reply, "It's already over."
That kind of awkward, "incomplete combustion" vibe.
Furthermore, Asakura didn't really want people to associate him with those two major fire incidents at Mount Kumotori and the Ginza Hotel.
So, he planned to resolve this issue in a more "priest-like" fashion.
Through the circle formed by his thumb, middle, and ring fingers, he confirmed the presence that had dropped from the ceiling.
"Katsu."
Accompanied by Asakura's clear voice.
Whether it was the innkeeper couple, Kitahara Iori, or even Hitori, they all felt a strange sensation.
It was as if space itself was being stretched.
The original corridor seemed to suddenly transform into the Thousand Torii Gates of Fushimi Inari Taisha.
No, rather than saying something went wrong with space, it felt more like the entire corridor had been placed inside some kind of foreign object.
Thunder rumbled and lightning flashed outside the window.
The monster, which normally could not be observed by the mortal eye, suddenly manifested before everyone amidst the flickering light and shadows.
It was some sort of indescribable, pitch-black thing, as if a nightmare from the deep sea itself had been unearthed and dragged into the sunlight.
It squirmed slowly, its form like a solidified night of drowning, its surface churning with countless human faces that seemed to be both laughing and crying; every distortion was accompanied by low sobs and broken breaths from the depths of the ocean abyss.
Many pale arms struggled out from within, like drowning victims in the sea reaching toward the shore in a futile search for salvation, only to dissipate into bubbles the moment they touched the air, leaving behind nothing but terrifying scratch marks on the ground.
What was even more terrifying was that the surface of that black mass was covered with dense clusters of eyes—they had no pupils, but were dripping with salty tears, staring at the world with a hatred and longing that transcended understanding.
Clearly, what the innkeeper couple had summoned from the sea was indeed not their child, but a maritime curse that had solidified from the resentment of countless drowning victims, becoming an eldritch thing.
"Ah... ah..."
The old woman, huddled in her husband's arms, looked at the entity that seemed to have crawled out of a nightmare; her whole body trembled so much she couldn't speak, only letting out meaningless groans as if pleading for salvation.
Kitahara Iori's entire body went stiff, his heart thumping so violently that the magnitude of it actually caused a dull pain in his chest, yet his body felt as if it were submerged in a glacier, gripped tight by a fear that defied common sense, unable to move a muscle.
That's right, that's the one... that gaze full of malice that was watching me in the attic was definitely this guy!
At this moment, Kitahara Iori began to worry; although that young guy named Asakura seemed quite confident, no matter how he looked at it, the boy was a high schooler younger than himself, wearing baggy casual clothes instead of the Kariginu of a shrine priest, and he wasn't holding any ritual implements.
—He didn't even look as prepared as the girl behind him with the cup noodle bowl on her head.
Faced with such a terrifying monster under these circumstances, was this Asakura kid really going to be okay?
The monster roared, a sound as piercing as the final cries of countless people before drowning, and then it lunged toward them at an incredible speed, like a freight train.
In the next instant.
Asakura's shadow spread out.
A massive, fluffy paw easily blocked the monster's thrust and pushed it back.
The monster howled in rage, countless pale hands gripping desperately onto the floor, walls, and ceiling.
But it was useless; it was swatted away casually by that paw, and the sturdy wooden corridor was easily trampled like a crisp cracker, half the hallway shattering under the impact.
The wind and rain from outside suddenly poured into the hallway, washing away the filth on the floor completely.
At the same time, the owner of that paw finally crawled slowly out of Asakura's shadow.
It was a giant, fox-like monstrous form.
The vengeful spirits of the deep sea roared, wantonly expressing their malice toward the living amidst the typhoon.
But it was meaningless.
The moment Asakura pulled the "Shrine"—which had been isolated from reality by the spell [Scale]—into this place, they no longer had any chance of winning.
Possessing the home-field advantage, the fox monstrosity surpassed the monster in every aspect; it was a total, steamroller-level advantage.
That bizarre mass of black vengeful spirits was still churning, but it seemed to have finally realized how massive the gap in status was between the two; hundreds of faces were roaring, crying out, and pleading, while countless arms clawed outward as if trying to escape a predestined destruction.
The fox monstrosity lunged its head forward, its neck extending in a way that defied biological common sense, and directly bit through the physical manifestation of the drowning victims' curse, sucking all the squirming black pus into its mouth as if it were devouring some exquisite delicacy.
The entire process of the engagement took less than ten seconds.
Even the typhoon seemed to stall for a moment, as if even the sky was holding its breath in awe of the fox monstrosity's power.
The fox monstrosity then tilted its head slightly and exhaled a wisp of faint black mist—it was the final remnant of the malice that had been completely digested, twisting and dissipating in the torrential rain.
"I told you, didn't I?" Asakura said loudly as he resealed the unknown shrine with [Scale], repeating: "To settle it, just an instant is enough."
The old couple and Kitahara Iori were so shocked by the battle between those monsters that for a while, they were completely speechless.
Meanwhile, Hitori was still hiding behind Asakura, her eyes closed and motionless as if she planned to set up home there.
On the other hand, the fox monstrosity, after maintaining its majesty for a few seconds, immediately sprawled out in the part of the hallway that was still intact, showing a submissive appearance to Asakura... it was even submissive to a fault, looking less like an elegant and noble fox and more like a fawning Shiba Inu...
The difference between this and that terrifying, Great Yokai-like appearance just now was way too big, wasn't it?
"Whoa, what happened?"
Nadeshiko, who had been outside the situation the whole time, ran out of the room in a panic; the commotion of half the hallway being destroyed just now was so loud that even her room was affected, and the power had been cut.
"A minor incident happened." Asakura said nonchalantly to the innkeeper couple: "Can we move to the floor below? After all, we need to find a place where the rain can't reach if we're going to talk, right?"
"N-no problem... this guest, you can stay wherever you like!"
The innkeeper said immediately.
And so, the group moved to a room on the lower floor that had not been affected by the battle.
Nadeshiko, who had been eyeing the fox monstrosity with sparkling eyes for a long time on the way, immediately pounced on it after arriving at the room downstairs, stroking its fur as if she were holding a giant plushie: "Big doggy! So cute! Is this Asakura-kun's pet?"
The innkeeper couple and Kitahara Iori all looked cautiously at the fox monstrosity that had just displayed such divine might—whose mouth could open more than one hundred and eighty degrees, revealing a mouthful of fangs clearly not belonging to a normal creature. At this moment, their inner thoughts were perfectly synchronized: No, no, no, this thing can't be considered cute by any stretch; it's just pure horror!
However, Hitori, who also hadn't seen the fox monstrosity's display of power, looked at its fluffy appearance and felt a bit moved. Seeing that the fox monstrosity didn't resist while being rubbed by Nadeshiko, she also quietly crept over and began to pet it.
The texture really is great!
The girl said happily in her heart.
Then, she felt as if she had touched something hard, like a lump.
Could it be a nipple?
Is this big doggy a female? No, wait, it seems male dogs also have several nipples...
Hitori thought to herself, and subconsciously parted the fur to confirm her suspicion.
Then, she saw a human face on the fox monstrosity's skin, staring straight at her.
Hitori's face instantly turned deathly pale.
She silently covered the face with the fox fur again, then tremblingly turned to Asakura, looking at him with eyes that were on the verge of tears.
Asakura, who was originally answering Nadeshiko by saying, "Rather than a pet, it feels more like an existence closer to a familiar or a shikigami"..., turned his head. Seeing the girl's expression of seeking a head pat and comfort—though he was curious why Hitori would suddenly want to act spoiled—he obediently patted the girl's head and let her curl into his arms.
"Um, regarding the fee for the exorcism..." The innkeeper comforted his sickly-looking wife and then spoke to Asakura.
"Just let us stay here until the typhoon ends and provide us with meals... that will be enough."
Asakura replied: "More importantly, is it really okay for the upper floor of your inn to be damaged like this?"
"I told you before, Master, we were originally planning to close this inn anyway; we just hadn't found a good reason. Now we can finally say it was because the typhoon destroyed the inn, so we have no choice but to close." The old man shook his head: "You didn't do anything wrong, please don't worry about it."
"Boss..." Kitahara Iori looked at the dejected old man, not knowing how to comfort him.
"Kitahara too, don't make that kind of expression; your wages will be paid properly." The boss gave a gentle smile.
"I didn't mean it that way!"
"I know. You're a good kid, Kitahara." The old man shook his head: "Perhaps this is a punishment for my indecisiveness. I clearly thought about stopping Takuya from going out to sea to play, I clearly wanted to force the old woman not to do those things, I clearly already felt that something was wrong... but every time, I just watched the right choice slip through my fingers. I'm sorry, old woman..."
"...It's okay, old man." The landlady covered her face, unable to stop herself from crying out: "I... I should have realized long ago... that Takuya wasn't coming back... but... but I really wanted to spend a little more time with him... even if just for a little while... ugh... I'm such an incompetent mother..."
Drawn by her crying, Hitori raised her head from Asakura's arms and looked at the elderly couple with some sympathy; then, the girl's sapphire-blue eyes suddenly widened.
She gave Asakura's clothes two hard tugs.
Asakura looked at her curiously.
The girl tried to use her eyes to signal to Asakura toward the space behind the elderly couple.
Asakura blinked, and then showed an expression of sudden realization.
Hitori breathed a sigh of relief.
As expected of Asakura, he really does understand me—
Then she saw Asakura puckering his lips and leaning toward her face.
The girl, like a cat refusing a "snuggle," held her hands against Asakura's face and shook her head desperately, her pink side-ahoge fluttering wildly because of the movement.
No, no, no! I didn't say I wanted a kiss!
Asakura showed a confused look in his eyes.
So the girl blinked hard again, then turned her head to signal toward the elderly couple.
Only then did Asakura seem to understand something, giving her a brilliant smile.
Then, nothing happened.
The girl's eyes widened: Asakura, why are you just watching? Do something!
"If you want to do something," as if hearing the girl's inner voice, Asakura muttered in a voice she could hear: "You better be quick, because that will probably disappear very soon."
Hitori looked at Asakura in disbelief, while the latter looked up at the ceiling with an expression of "Wow, that stain on the ceiling looks like a stain~", having no intention of saying anything else.
The girl hesitated for a moment, then made up her mind.
"U-um!"
Because everyone had fallen into silence, her voice was particularly clear in the room, making everyone instantly focus their gaze on her.
This made Hitori instinctively panicky.
She looked to Asakura for help, only to find him giving her a "Go for it~" hand gesture, making her feel a surge of annoyance while also feeling quite embarrassed.
"B-boss, your t-t... ah-ming." The girl, who had finally gathered her courage, bit her tongue just as she started talking, and she felt so ashamed she wanted to crawl into a crack in the floor.
But then, the girl found that no one was laughing at her; even the boss and his wife didn't say anything, just looking at her with kind eyes.
Only Asakura was displaying an enjoyed face of "Ah, this is exactly the expression I wanted to see!", making the girl want to puff out her cheeks in dissatisfaction.
So the girl gathered her courage again.
"Does the boss's child have a small scar here on his forehead?" The girl signaled toward the area above her eyebrow.
"That's right, when Takuya was a kid learning to ride a bike, he fell on a stone and had to get a few stitches, so it left a scar... how did you know?" The old woman opened her clouded eyes and looked at Hitori.
Hitori shrank back slightly, unaccustomed to the gaze, but still tried her best to speak: "I-if that's the case... then that child is currently right here."
"Eh?" "What?"
Both the innkeeper and his wife showed expressions of disbelief.
"Is it true?" "Takuya, Takuya... really..."
Both of them excitedly questioned the girl.
"Yes, he is right behind you... or rather... we were brought to this inn by him..." Hitori nodded.
"Takuya... Takuya..." "My child..."
The couple fumbled through the air for their departed child, old tears streaming down their faces.
"Asakura-kun..."
Looking at the grieving old couple, the girl looked toward Asakura pitifully.
Asakura let out a sigh and gave a kick to the fox monstrosity that was still crouching at his feet, acting sycophantic.
"Make a wish, paid for with magic power, so they can see him before he leaves."
The fox monstrosity let out a burst of eerie laughter, followed immediately by the sound of a bell atop an offering box appearing to ring from afar.
In the next instant.
"Takuya!" "You... you're really here!"
The couple finally saw their long-lost child.
"Mom, Dad... I'm sorry, I was too willful, I didn't listen to you and left you so early."
The boy's phantom looked at his relatives, a look of guilt appearing on his face: "But even so, I don't want to meet you guys down there so soon... even if it's for my sake, you must live on properly. Dad, you need to drink less; your liver function was already trashed before, and lately you've been sneaking drinks alone. Mom too, don't cry all the time; seeing you like that makes me feel bad too. Though it's a bit strange for me to say this, you must think more about happy things. When we reunite one day in the future, tell me those stories then! I still have so many things I want to do; now I can only let you do them in my place, Mom..."
The family of three huddled there, speaking of trivial matters that had been piled up in their hearts for a long time, pouring out that emotion called regret bit by bit, as if pouring out their very hearts.
Just like when the child was still alive, the three of them laughed happily together, but as they laughed, the elderly parents couldn't help but shed tears again. No matter how the departed boy reached out, he could not wipe the tears for them; the elderly couple could only look at their child again and again, firmly imprinting his image—which had become slightly blurred in their hearts—into their minds once more, placing it in the deepest part of their hearts.
"Since things have come to this, I might as well play the good person to the end." Asakura sighed and looked at Kitahara Iori, who was slightly older than himself: "Your name is Kitahara, right?"
"Yes, Mr. Priest!" Kitahara Iori immediately sat up straight in a formal posture.
"Ah, no need to be so serious, I'm not that kind of priest."
"Understood!" At that, Kitahara Iori lay sideways on the tatami in a quite lazy posture.
"..."
Isn't this a bit too relaxed?
Asakura took a deep breath and asked: "Kitahara, would you mind letting the boss's family reunite for a bit longer?"
"What do you mean?" Kitahara Iori asked in confusion.
"That child can't manifest for a long time; he'll probably disappear very soon." Asakura looked at the boss's son, who seemed to notice Asakura's gaze and nodded toward him, his eyes full of gratitude.
"I see." Kitahara Iori looked thoughtful.
"If you don't mind..."
"I don't mind."
"I haven't even said anything yet."
"I can probably guess. You want that child... Takuya, to possess me so the boss's family can spend more time together, right?" Kitahara Iori said: "I don't mind."
"...You're quite a bit smarter than you look." Asakura was somewhat surprised: "That being said, it can only be extended for a day at most. And after this, you might catch a cold or get a fever or something."
"Don't look at me like this, I'm part of the college prep track aiming for Izu University." Kitahara Iori said proudly: "It's just a mere cold and fever, leave it to me!"
☆
"...Asakura-kun really is a hero, a savior."
Hitori whispered to herself as she watched the family of three reunited and harmonious.
"Is this something you're only just finding out now, Ms. Gotō?" Nadeshiko, who had come to her side at some unknown point, said suddenly.
"Eeeek?! Ms. Kagamihara... when did you get here?"
"When? Haven't I been right here petting the doggie since just now...?"
"...I let my guard down." Hitori looked away and muttered in a small voice.
"No wonder Asakura-kun always likes to tease Ms. Gotō; it really does feel quite fun." Nadeshiko looked at Hitori with the eyes of a predator.
"S-suddenly a new natural enemy has been added?!" Hitori trembled like a hamster being stared down.
"I, you know, once had my life saved by Asakura-kun." Nadeshiko said suddenly.
"Eh?"
"Since that time, I felt that Asakura-kun really is a super amazing person. I've been waiting for when he would come find me to play together again." Nadeshiko sighed: "In the end, I waited all the way until summer vacation, and when he appeared again, he already had a girlfriend..."
"Al-although I don't know why, I'm sorry..."
"It's not Ms. Gotō's fault, it's just that I was too useless." The girl looked at Asakura, who was talking to Kitahara Iori, with a somewhat lonely gaze, showing a dejected expression rarely seen on her face as she said in a voice as faint as a mosquito's buzz: "If I had been braver at that time, or just transferred to Chiba instead..."
"Ms. Kagamihara..."
"Ahaha, don't take it to heart, it's just a little bit of grumbling."
"N-no, that's not it! Ms. Kagamihara still has a chance!"
"Even if it's just a joke, Ms. Gotō shouldn't say such things. Don't you have any confidence in Asakura-kun?" Nadeshiko said dissatisfactorily: "Or what is it? The mockery of the victor toward the loser? If you don't give me half of your dinner's main course, I won't forgive you, Ms. Gotō!"
"B-because Asakura-kun is a scumbag when it comes to relationships!"
"Eh?"
"He already uprightly gave me a declaration of cheating."
"Eh-eh?"
"So Ms. Kagamihara still has a chance!"
"Eh-eh-eh?"
"I-I'll give you half of my dinner's main course too!"
"That's great... wait, the point isn't that right now! There's something wrong with this no matter how you think about it! Even I'll get angry if you make this kind of joke!"
Though Nadeshiko had a cute, huffy look on her face, in her heart, it seemed as if another tiny, imperceptible seed had been planted.
Asakura... he wants to two-time...