Earthbound Souls of Kanemachi
Kanemachi City had the quintessential Tokyo climate. Though it didn't exist in the original Japan, if I had to pinpoint its location, it sat snugly between Mitaka City, Musashino City, and Suginami Ward. In simple terms, think of it as a suburb just a stone's throw from the urban Tokyo we all imagine. Pedaling your bike east with all your might would get you to Shinjuku—that might be easier to grasp. Anyway, new semester started on April 1st, and three weeks had already flown by to today. Even on this late night with the air still carrying a mild warmth, the game's protagonist Sendo was bizarrely stagnant in his story progress, while I, the actual lead here, was hustling through "training" errands under Hanasaki.
“Aigoo, young man. Thank you.”
“No big deal.”
“Now I can finally close my eyes in peace.”
Today's task was guiding ordinary human souls—those wandering the earthly realm without malevolent grudges—to the afterlife. I'd help them fulfill unfinished business from life, resolve wrongful deaths from accidents, or ease the longings of those who passed suddenly in hospitals, missing their families. The grandpa who just ascended had died in the hospital, but his wife had thrown out her back right when things got critical, so he passed without seeing her one last time. After hearing his story and getting the address, I wrote up his will on a letter, dropped it in their mailbox, and came back to complete the rite.
“Ah, here we are.”
The final spot was midway along the road from a residential area toward the bustling school and shopping district downtown. Nothing special about the location—just a plain old road, which made it all the more ominous. An earthbound spirit tied to a road meant some attachment to that stretch of pavement. The obvious guess? Traffic accident. Resolving a grudge from someone killed in a crash sounded tough even in theory, so I let out a sigh. Still, duty calls.
I channeled spiritual energy into my legs and sprinted toward the destination. Hanasaki probably used her shikigami for these trips, but she'd decided to hold off on my shikigami training until I got better control—messing with it now would just backfire. Anyway, I arrived. Focusing my eyes hard, I scanned around and spotted the soul of a girl wearing a randoseru schoolbag.
...An elementary school ghost. Just seeing her tugged at my heart.
“Hey there.”
“...”
“Hey!”
“Ah, hello.”
I waved at her, and after glancing around to confirm no one else was there, she gave a small greeting back.
“Wandering alone at night is dangerous, you know.”
“I... I want to go home too.”
“Does no matter how far you walk, you always end up back here?”
“Yes.”
She was aware she was a ghost but didn't realize she was dead—an earthbound spirit. Not knowing you're a ghost often means you don't know you're gone, either from a sudden accident or because the memory was too horrific to face.
“On your way home from school?”
“Yeah. I went to school today, and then I was heading home.”
“What happened?”
“Well, at the crosswalk there. While crossing. Ah... ugh... aaah.”
“It's okay. Calm down, take it slow.”
I reached out to her trembling soul core, doing my best to soothe her. Her distorted, quivering form steadied, returning to normal. For a brief moment of peace, tears started streaming from her eyes.
“I was crossing the crosswalk. But a black wolf blocked the road.”
“A wolf?”
“Yes. So I stopped, and then a car came from the side...”
“I see. That must've been terrifying.”
I couldn't touch her as a soul, so I just stayed by her side, letting her cry without pushing for more words. After a long sob, she looked up at me with a slightly brighter expression.
“Is there anything you want to do?”
“I miss Mommy and Daddy.”
“Hold on a sec.”
Could I free an earthbound spirit from its tether? Since I could interact with souls, maybe. But I didn't fully grasp the difference between wandering spirits and earthbounds. After some thought, I decided to test her range first.
“Let's try moving a little. Which way is home?”
“This way... Oppa, what's your name?”
“Tsukino Takuya.”
“I'm Hagane Ruri.”
“Alright, Ruri. Let's go find the Hagane house.”
We headed in the direction she pointed. Keeping an eye on her condition, we moved gradually. About 120 meters from the spot, her soul started to waver. Tracing the source, I saw a faint thread linking the bottom of her pearl-like soul core to the ground.
“Hold still.”
“Yes?”
I focused my mind and gently severed the connection with my hand, careful not to harm her soul. It stung a bit—she flinched—but no major issues. When I beckoned her, she toddled over from her old binding spot.
Thrilled at her new freedom, she beamed. I suggested heading home, and after fifteen minutes following her lead, we found a house with a Hagane nameplate.
“I can't go inside, so I'll wait while you see your mom and dad.”
“Okay. Th-thank you.”
“It's my job, don't worry about it.”
Ruri phased through the wall. I felt a faint ripple of spiritual energy where she went, then she emerged sniffling.
“I said goodbye in their dreams. And they have my picture out.”
“Good. That's fine. You did well.”
“...I'll go now. It's not good for me to stay longer, right?”
“Not bad, but yeah, lingering too long isn't wise.”
“Thank you, Oppa.”
Ruri left with a smile at the end. So mature for a kid. It was all the more heartbreaking that she'd gone so young. Still, one soul helped. I'd aided ghosts before moving here, but freeing an earthbound like this felt fresh.
Time to head back. I turned toward where Ruri had been bound.
A wolf-like something. For a feral beast spirit, it hadn't attacked her directly but caused the accident—what was its intent? I poked around the scene. With Hanasaki's assurance my spirit sight was sharp, maybe I'd spot soul traces.
“...Something feels off.”
I wandered under the moonlight for a while, but no evil auras or traces. Yet it felt like someone had smudged a painting—just a subtle wrongness. Circling the crosswalk, I suddenly sensed presence behind me. As I started to turn, something cold pressed against my waist, freezing me.
“Hands up. Don't turn around.”
The voice was low but unmistakably childish. The killing intent pressing my back was anything but.
It was unmistakably Aodaru's problem heroine: elementary school magical girl Nogawa Canon.
“What are you doing at the spot where Ruri died? Don't play dumb. I know you went to her house too.”
“...Believe me if I say I helped her soul ascend?”
“Don't make me laugh.”
A sharp shing echoed behind me. Called a magical girl, Canon basically wielded civilian-access spiritual energy weapons. With maid robots as heroines, this world's tech was advanced; she hunted its monstrous byproducts. Backed by massive capital and tech, her story tied mostly to vampire heiress Ichinose Aris and her robot maid crew.
“Corporate goon? Was killing Ruri part of the plan?”
“N-no, really not. You know about Shinamori Shrine?”
“Biggest shrine around here.”
Thinking back, Canon rarely crossed paths with regular psychics in the story. Probably the type who trusted tech but scoffed at the occult. I'd only skimmed her wiki, too wary of touching an elementary school heroine. If she dismissed spiritual powers, I had no defense. Even Ruri's story would sound like prior intel. Dead end.
Sighing inwardly as I raised my hands, rescue came from an unexpected quarter.
“Hey there. Tsukino. What are you doing out here at night?”
“Tch.”
The presence behind vanished instantly. Instead, Ichinose Aris appeared, jabbing a finger at me.
Under the bright moonlight, the vampire's slightly protruding fangs caught the eye.
“Even at night, restrain your spiritual energy use! It's a street normal people walk freely!”
“Ah, well. Yep. Sorry.”
“...Sigh. Come on, follow me. I'll hear your explanation—and drive you home.”
Still reeling from near-death and a senior's scolding, I slunk into the black sedan.
