The Difference Between the Grotesque and the Uninvited

Rise Saigo's father, Kenji Saigo, is not a priest. He graduated from the archaeology department and has lived as the caretaker of local ruins. He also served as the supervisor responsible for an abandoned shrine that had already become a historical relic, and he was the one who proposed turning that abandoned shrine into a tourist attraction. Thanks to him, the local economy was revitalized, earning him a great deal of trust from the residents.

"Ah, no. Wait a second…."

"Miss Saigo grew up under such a father. Then, last summer, one of her father's close friends said she could use his private beach. Rise took the car with her best friend and headed there. Do you remember? Among Miss Saigo's close friends, there was only one person who had obtained a driver's license."

"Re… Rena?"

The doctor nodded.

"Yes. It was Miss Rena. Having just gotten her license, she insisted on driving herself. The car was an ordinary sedan, so it was a bit cramped for five people with all their luggage, but it was still manageable if everyone endured it. However, on the way there, a truck crossed the center line on a bridge, and the car plunged off the bridge. Fortunately, only Miss Saigo survived."

"Wait…."

"Luckily, Miss Saigo sustained no serious injuries. At most, she had swallowed some water. But her other friends, unfortunately, died at the scene. One from cardiac arrest, two from drowning, and one from a cervical fracture."

"Just a moment…!"

"Perhaps due to the shock of the incident, Miss Saigo began to show signs of mental distress. At first it was just forgetfulness, but eventually her memories reset every single day. She started displaying delusional distortions of the past and increasingly violent behavior. Unable to bear it any longer, Kenji Saigo decided to have her admitted to our hospital."

"Wait, wait! Waaaaait!"

Rise ground her teeth and screamed at the doctor.

"That's a lie!"

"It is the truth."

"It's a lie!"

"It is real."

"I don't want to hear it!"

"Please believe me. I am only speaking the truth."

"No! Nooooo!"

"Miss Saigo. Please trust me. Face reality."

The doctor spoke calmly while watching Rise shriek in rage.

"Your current symptoms are quite serious. You are now experiencing hallucinations and auditory hallucinations as well. Your trauma is ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠replaying itself in the form of nightmares while you sleep. If this continues, it may deteriorate to the point where nothing can be done. Sigh… Miss Saigo, the human mind has homeostasis. It always tries to maintain a normal state, but if a worsened condition persists for a long time, the mind begins to accept that worsened state as normal. At that point, treatment becomes truly difficult."

"I'm not crazy! I'm not crazy!"

"Haa…."

The doctor looked at Rise's rampage with an expression of headache.

"I'm not crazy! Homeostasis?! What even is homeostasis! I only know about continuity! Dreams have conti…nuity?"

At that moment, Rise's body froze solid.

"Continuity?"

Continuity. The continuity of dreams. Dreams try to continue seamlessly. That is why the distinction between dream and reality lies in continuity.

Reality Check. At that instant, Rise's head snapped around. The doctor was staring directly at her face.

"Reality check. I need to do a reality check."

She had learned three methods of performing a reality check.

"I need… to do a reality check…?"

The first was to pinch her nose and try to breathe. In a dream, you could still breathe even with your nose pinched. But her arm, which should have been able to pinch her nose, was tightly bound.

The second was to look at a clock. In dreams, letters and numbers constantly changed, so seeing that would immediately reveal it was a dream. But there was no clock in the room. There were notes with writing and the chart the doctor held, but the doctor was gripping the chart so the paper couldn't be seen, and the note she had seen earlier was in the nurse's hands. Strangely, from Rise's position, the angle perfectly obscured the text on the cover in such a way that it could never be read.

The third was to bend her fingers back as hard as possible. In a dream, there would be no pain, and the fingers would bend at an unnatural angle. But right now her arms were bound. She couldn't even twitch a single finger, let alone bend them.

"I… I can't do it…. I can't… perform the reality check…."

Rise's face turned deathly pale. The doctor, seeing this, spoke.

"Why? Is something not working?"

The treatment continued. With her body thoroughly restrained, Rise could do nothing but receive treatment.

"Miss Saigo. I will say it again: your father is not a priest. Think carefully. If your father were a priest, he would be serving a god. Can you properly state that god's name and its history? You cannot. That is because your delusions do not stem from logic or calculation, but from simple belief. That is the contradiction within your memories and the evidence that your past is false."

The doctor repeated himself several times.

"The same goes for your friends' deaths. Death is something no human can escape; it is inevitable. That such an accident occurred while traveling with you is a tragedy. Yes, it would be an enormous tragedy rarely found even if one looked through an entire lifetime. But think carefully. If you believe in a god, and that god grants you power, why could it not prevent that tragedy?"

The doctor repeatedly denied her past as if to shatter it.

"You seem unable to believe in the accident, so here is evidence. You see this newspaper article? 'Fall from the ㅁㅁ Bridge… Four women in their twenties dead, one injured.' The date matches last year exactly. That's right. You are not twenty-one years old. You are twenty-two. After the accident, you were unable to retain proper memories, and you were admitted to our hospital a few months ago."

Bound tightly to the bed, Rise had no choice but to listen to the doctor's words.

"Please believe me. I am here to treat you, Miss Rise. A reality ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠check? I can show you. As many times as you wish. But how can you be certain that what you are experiencing is not a hallucination caused by the schizophrenia you suffer from? I know a little about reality checks myself. They are what people who experience lucid dreams do to distinguish between reality and dreams, correct? Nurse! Prepare the spinning top and the clock!"

The doctor thoroughly denied everything Rise said. He broke her thoughts, shattered her beliefs, and crushed her mind.

Whirr.

The top the nurse brought spun on the table. It kept spinning and spinning without falling over. But the doctor looked at Rise as if it were nothing important and said,

"The top is spinning. Its rotation is gradually slowing. Ah, it has stopped now. But Miss Saigo, how does that top appear to your eyes? Has it stopped, or is it still spinning?"

"It's spinning! It's spinning! This is a dream!"

"Haa…. Miss Saigo. I will say it again: you are currently suffering from schizophrenia. The primary symptoms of schizophrenia are hallucinations and auditory hallucinations. You are seeing a hallucination right now."

"That's not true! You said my brain was fine!"

"That is what the recent test results indicated. However, it is clear that you have mental issues, and your symptoms match schizophrenia exactly. Even with a healthy brain, hallucinations are entirely possible, and if we tested you now, there is a high probability of excessive dopamine secretion. Therefore, the spinning top you are seeing is not reality."

"No! It's… it's clearly spinning… huh?"

When Rise looked at the table again, the top had stopped.

"Whew…. This is severe. It may take quite a while…. Nurse! Bring me the clock as well."

8:45. 2:13 9:54 1:11

Every time Rise blinked, the numbers on the digital clock jumped wildly. She widened her eyes, wondering if she was seeing things incorrectly, but each time she shifted her gaze, the changing numbers on the clock seemed to clearly declare that this was a dream.

But as if reading her thoughts, the doctor spoke again.

"How is it? Does the time appear to be changing wildly?"

"Yes! It's changing like that, exactly like that!"

"Miss Saigo. To my eyes, it appears to be turned off."

The doctor flipped the digital clock over.

"Huh?"

The battery compartment on the back of the flipped digital clock was empty.

"You must trust me. Recognizing the problem is the first step of treatment."

The treatment continued.

"Now, please look at this. This is the diary you have been writing. You can see how it grows progressively worse, can't you? Circumstantiality and incoherent thinking are the main issues. If it worsens further from this state, word salad may occur. Once it reaches that point, treatment becomes extremely difficult."

The doctor showed her the notebook.

"This is Mr. Kenji Saigo's certificate of employment. He belongs to the national civil service. You see? This is his civil servant ID. And this is the diploma he received upon graduating from the archaeology department. This is the degree conferral certificate. Nowhere is there any connection to priesthood. Kenji Saigo wore priestly robes to greet tourists; he was not someone who served a god. Where have you ever heard of a priest holding a concurrent civil service position?"

He showed her all sorts of documents to deny that her father was a priest.

"This is a news video. I did not want to show it if possible, but it cannot be helped. You see this sedan? It is the vehicle you and your friends were riding in. A truck from the opposite lane crossed the center line and approached. The sedan swerved sharply to avoid it. Unfortunately, even after swerving, it collided with the truck and fell off the bridge like this."

Again and again, he told her that her friends had died. The process was horrifically long, more than enough to exhaust Rise completely.

"Whew…. Continuing any further seems meaningless. Let's rest for now and resume later. Ah, do not worry. I will remain in this hospital room until you recover. Until you are freed from the brainwashing. Do not forget: I am here to treat you, Miss Saigo. Please trust me. When you open your eyes, I will be here."

And when she was completely exhausted and closed her eyes, the doctor gave her permission to sleep. She covered her complicated thoughts with the drowsiness of sleep and forced herself into slumber.

Rise met her friends.

"Hey, Rise?"

"It's so good to see you again!"

"We haven't finished the hundred stories yet!"

"Let's go on a trip together!"

"The god called us!"

"This isn't a dream! Gods exist!"

"We're alive! Huh? Why is my mouth torn like this? Is that important?"

"Why is ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠water constantly flowing from my face? Ahahaha! Rise, you're so funny!"

"Anyway, Rise!"

The friends she met in the dream all tore their mouths open with both hands at once, stretching their jaws wider than their heads, and shouted.

"It's time to go back in!"

When she opened her eyes, the doctor was there. He wiped the cold sweat from Rise's forehead with a handkerchief and said,

"Are you awake? It seems you had a nightmare."

The doctor's face, already steeped in fatigue, looked even more haggard. His ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠dark circles had grown darker and wider; if one exaggerated slightly, they seemed to reach his feet. Rise felt a strange sense of guilt and gratitude at the sight.

"Th… thank you…."

"Not at all."

It was a short conversation. But at least Rise felt she had exchanged emotions far deeper than words could convey.

"Then shall we continue the treatment?"

And so the treatment resumed.

"Miss Saigo. Your treatment begins with recognizing reality and accepting the facts. First, acknowledge it. Even just a little is fine. Your father is not a priest. Your friends died last year. And you are twenty-two years old. Please accept this. If you cannot trust your memories, then trust me. I am here for your treatment, and I need your faith in order to treat you. I want to make you better."

..... .... ...

She had another nightmare. This time, Rise's father appeared in the dream, opened his mouth wide, and bit off her head.

The doctor said,

"The root of your brainwashing is 'god.' A nonexistent god. It has sunk deep into your heart like a black box, contaminating your mind. That is the main culprit. No matter how much you recognize reality, if you do not deny it, the illness may relapse at any time. Trauma is not something to overcome or discard; it must be accepted. The mind is so delicate that if even one part breaks, other parts break as well. It collapses in a chain reaction."

"Break…."

"I have seen many such patients. I have seen people take their own lives over simple depression. I have seen people whose brains were destroyed by phantom pain, forcing them to live on medication every day. I do not want you to become like that, Miss Saigo. This is sincere."

Just how long was this treatment going to continue? She had no idea how many days had passed. Rise closed her eyes again.

She dreamed. A passerby on the street bit into her throat.

The doctor said,

"Deny the fiction and face reality. You may think a god is a magnificent being, but it is merely a fictional existence. Like thinking you saw a ghost only to realize it was dry pampas grass, when you examine it, it is all you. Even if you give it another name and turn away, its fundamental nature does not change!"

She dreamed. Rise was happily chatting with her friends inside a cramped car. But then came a deafening honk, and everything went dark.

The doctor said,

"Miss Saigo… No. Rise. You are getting better. You are improving! Just a little more, hold on!"

She dreamed. Rise's father was giving her a piggyback ride when she was little.

"Rise! Do you like shrine maidens?"

"Huh? Yeah! I like shrine maidens!"

"Really? Then from now on you can wear shrine maiden clothes as much as you want! You can brag about it!"

"Why? Am I a shrine maiden now? Is Dad a priest?"

"No! Not a priest… but we've been put in charge of the shrine!"

The doctor said,

"Rise. You have finally acknowledged it…. But one final hurdle remains. Whew…. You know that words carry power, don't you? Words are a form of self-declaration. They serve to embed the declaration more firmly into the heart. Now, repeat after me."

"Yes."

"My father is not a priest."

"My father is not a priest."

"My friends are dead."

"My friends… are dead…."

"There is no god. The god was one with me; it was my other self."

"There is no god. The god was one with me; it was my other… self…."

"Hmm…. A little lacking. Shall we include the name of the god and your own name? That should be more effective."

Rise hesitated for a moment at the doctor's words, then spoke.

"There is no Mukurikokuri-no-Inugami. Mukurikokuri-no-Inugami was one with Saigo Rise; it was Saigo Rise's other self."

The doctor clapped his hands and said,

"Well done! Truly. I am truly delighted. Saigo Rise has been cured! You have broken free from the bonds of the past, accepted your trauma as it is, and can now move toward the future! I am deeply moved. And I am so grateful that you trusted me!"

Overcome with emotion, he suddenly embraced her. Rise was startled by his action and trembled slightly, but soon she smiled with her eyes.

"Thank you for everything. You worked so hard to treat me. And… thank you for not giving up on me."

"Not at all."

The doctor smiled brightly.

"Now then, to commemorate your complete recovery, shall we loudly proclaim the self-declaration you made at the end?"

"Eh? Loudly? That would be embarrassing…."

"Hahaha. Do not worry. This hospital room is well soundproofed. No matter how loudly you shout, it will not be heard outside."

"Th… then… shall I try?"

Rise took a small breath and said,

"There is no Mukurikokuri-no-Inugami. Mukurikokuri-no-Inugami was one with Saigo Rise; it was Saigo Rise's other self!"

"Too quiet! Louder!"

"There is no Mukurikokuri-no-Inugami. Mukurikokuri-no-Inugami was one with Saigo Rise; it was Saigo Rise's other self!"

"One more time!"

"There is no Mukurikokuri-no-Inugami. Mukurikokuri-no-Inugami was one with Saigo Rise; it was Saigo Rise's other self!"

When Rise opened her eyes, the doctor was before her.

"That is correct. The name of the shintai is Mukurikokuri-no-Inugami, and it shall now disappear."

The doctor was wearing a suit. He was draped in the long, horrifying hair of a ghost like a curtain. A ghost knelt on the floor like a loyal dog, twitching. The doctor pressed down on its head with one hand and spoke.

"And Saigo Rise shall serve a new god. How does that sound?"

A suit. A horrifying ghost. Her father tied to a log. The memories returned. All of them came flooding back.

"Ah."

Rise, who had been wandering lost within a dream within a dream, finally recalled the memories she had lost.

"Ah… ah!"

And she realized what she had done.

"Aaaaah! Aaaaaaaaagh! Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!"

"Truly, I thank you. In return, I shall bestow a blessing upon you."

"Aaaaaagh! Aaaaaaa!!!"

The main shrine was filled with Rise's screams and the sorcerer's joyous laughter. Only Kenji Saigo, bound to the log, sank deep into despair.