Yes, without a doubt, this had to be the autumn festival taking place that weekend.
Hoshimori Shion felt her body utterly paralyzed, as if she were merely suspended in mid-air, observing the bustling street below.
Not far off, a vibrant crimson torii gate stood majestically at the main entrance of the shrine. Beneath its arch, a bustling street stretched out, normally the sole path to the sacred grounds.
However, tonight, it was transformed into the primary venue for the autumn festival.
At the location nearest the shrine, Kazama Nanami appeared to be shouting with fervent energy, her table laden with salmon and various shrine merchandise. From Shion’s current vantage point, however, the scene was incredibly indistinct.
It was nothing more than a hazy silhouette, making even Nanami’s face barely discernible.
‘What… exactly is happening?’ Shion wondered suddenly from her aerial perch.
Then, her perspective forcibly shifted, compelling her to look behind her.
Behind her, a black, mist-like substance appeared to billow upwards from within the town. A profound chill intensified on Shion’s skin, growing more palpable and piercingly cold with each passing moment.
‘Is that… an evil spirit?’
Like moths drawn to a flame, these malevolent spirits slowly, inexorably, began to converge upon the shrine.
Wasn’t that the primary venue for the autumn festival?
What in the world was happening? Evil spirits appearing at the main autumn festival venue? No, this simply wouldn’t do.
If that were the case…
She dared not imagine the catastrophic consequences if evil spirits were to run rampant during the autumn festival. The festival was teeming with ordinary townsfolk, including the elderly and children.
A large-scale appearance of malevolent spirits would be devastating.
‘Must I find a way to cancel the autumn festival?’
Just as this unsettling thought surfaced in Shion’s mind, everything before her abruptly resembled a television set whose power had been severed. The once vivid scene instantly dissolved into a swirling gray mist.
“Shion-san?”
It seemed someone was calling her name.
A wisp of crimson suddenly appeared before her eyes, drawing Shion’s perception back to the present moment.
Igarashi Rie playfully brushed a strand of her long, flowing red hair that had fallen forward, sweeping it lightly across Shion’s face.
“Shion-san? Are you spacing out?”
“Ah!” Shion sprang up abruptly, like a startled kitten, her sudden movement even making Rie jump.
“Shion-san, wh-what’s wrong?”
Shion clutched her head, seemingly struggling to recall the events she had just witnessed.
“Wait, Igarashi-senpai, the autumn festival…”
“Yes, the autumn festival. What about it?”
“The autumn festival… it will, it will…” Shion desperately fought to grasp the memory of the scene she had just witnessed.
Noticing her distress, Rie closed the door, retrieved a handkerchief, and gently dabbed Shion’s face. “Shion-san, there’s no need to rush. I understand you’ve likely come about the evil spirits, but please, calm down first.
Would you like some water?”
“Senpai, this is… this is an incredibly important matter! But, but why can’t I recall any of it?” Shion was so frustrated she wanted to bang her head.
Just then, Shion suddenly felt a wave of warmth spread across her face.
Rie’s fiery red hair gently swayed within Shion’s vision, resembling a wisp of crimson twilight adorning the sky.
She realized she was being embraced, a profound warmth radiating from every corner of her being.
It seemed like a somewhat prolonged kiss.
It wasn’t… quite as romantic as she might have imagined. Yet, it was undeniably sudden, even startling. The unexpectedness was enough to completely overload Shion’s brain, which had already been working overtime to no avail. In that moment, the young woman’s mind went utterly blank.
Approximately fifteen seconds later, Shion’s mind finally caught up, allowing her to process what had just occurred.
“Se-Se-Se-Senpai! What are you doing?!”
“To clear your head, of course,” Rie replied, her expression utterly matter-of-fact as she blinked her large, red eyes.
“What kind of method is that?! And why are you even wearing lipstick in the middle of the night, Senpai?!” Shion exclaimed, her face flushed.
Her small feet, clad in leather shoes, tapped irritably against the tatami floor, making her seem like an angry kitten.
“Well… I heard you were coming, so I made a special effort to get ready. Do I look nice?”
“Senpai, you’re already beautiful without going to any special effort, so there’s absolutely no need to specially dress up at all!” Shion rattled off, her words a rapid-fire torrent.
“Oh?” Rie’s eyes widened in surprise. “When did my kouhai become so sweet-tongued? Perhaps I should taste Shion-san’s lips once more.”
“Senpai, please control yourself!”
****
After a considerable amount of playful bickering, Shion finally settled back onto the sofa.
“So, Shion-san, when I opened the door just now, you ‘saw’ what was going to happen at the autumn festival, didn’t you?” Rie asked, picking up a cup of tea and taking a delicate sip.
Shion remained seated on the sofa, her mind an utter blank. In truth, she could barely recall anything of what she had just witnessed. She could only gaze at Rie with a bewildered expression, for only Rie had heard her repeat the crucial words: ‘autumn festival.’
“I… I must have seen something,” Shion admitted, clutching her head. “But… I just can’t remember it.”
“You saw something, but then you forgot it… Is this also one of your abilities, Shion-san? It doesn’t seem… particularly stable, does it?”
“Sometimes I do see things,” Shion confirmed. “I always thought they were some kind of guidance or hints from the Divine Being. But every time I fully awaken, the vision shatters, much like a fragile dream bubble.”
Rie’s gaze upon Shion held a hint of complexity. “This is the first time I’ve heard Shion-san use such a fitting analogy. It would be even better if your English were this good.”
“Hey!” Shion retorted, stomping her foot once more.
“So then, Shion-san, do you still wish to see the seal?”
Shion nodded.
As she pushed open the door once more, Shion still felt the familiar surge of cold, but this time, she was mentally prepared for it.
The descending staircase plunged into near-total darkness, devoid of any discernible light. Rie took Shion’s hand, guiding her step by careful step through the inky blackness.
Rie moved with remarkable familiarity, her pace swift even without being able to see the path beneath her feet. Shion, conversely, feared she might misstep and tumble into the abyss.
The stairwell itself appeared incredibly ancient. By the faint glow of her phone, Shion could discern that the stone steps seemed to be a relic from centuries past, yet they were surprisingly well-maintained, as if regularly cleaned.
“We’ve arrived,” Rie announced suddenly, bringing Shion to a halt. “This is the true form of the seal.”
The next moment, a flicker of firelight ignited in Rie’s hand, and simultaneously, several lamps suspended in the air flickered to life. These were not modern electric fixtures, but rather ancient kerosene lamps, casting a warm glow throughout the entire space.
Before them stood a colossal, ink-black stone wall, upon which graceful yet ancient Chinese characters were intricately carved. There were no sacred magic formations as Shion might have imagined, no talismans scattered everywhere; only this austere, dark stone slab stood sentinel.
“This is the evil spirit seal,” Rie stated calmly.