Tokyo Exorcism Diary

“Tch. You two just sitting there in silence is boring as hell. It’s rare for us to go on a trip together, you know.” Asaba Shinichi grinned from the driver’s seat. “How about we talk about our love lives a bit? Isn’t that kind of thing super popular with you high schoolers?”

No sooner had he finished speaking than the roof and windows of the car were suddenly peppered with the sharp patter of rain. Fat droplets slammed against the glass with a “pitter-patter-patter.”

“Ohoho—it’s raining!” Shinichi grew visibly excited. “Man, this atmosphere’s unbeatable!”

The sleek black McLaren tore down a wide, deserted stretch of wilderness highway. Beyond the windshield, the road extended all the way to the edge of the forest that sat heavy at the horizon. Overhead, thick storm clouds churned, and lightning streaked across the sky as rain began to pour.

The car’s soundproofing was excellent. No matter how fiercely the wind howled or the rain lashed outside, it all became nothing more than ambient white noise inside—mellow, atmospheric. The cabin was dim, lit only by the faint glow of the dashboard instruments, just enough for the three of them to see each other’s faces.

“Hey, Yusuke, you first. How are things going with Amamiya? Did she confess yet? After that whole engagement mess, have you finally figured out how you actually feel?”

Takasugi Yusuke’s eyelid twitched ever so slightly. Behind his usual smile, it was hard to tell what emotions lay hidden.

When he didn’t answer, Shinichi chuckled and turned to nudge the guy sitting on the other side with his elbow. “Hoshino, your turn. Who do you think is the prettiest at your school? Your sister, or Sasaki?”

He didn’t wait for a reply.

“Honestly, if we’re just talking specs, they’re about the same. Idol aura, Hoshino Genius aura—it’s neck and neck.”

“Though Sasaki’s chest does seem a bit bigger… but I still prefer your sister. Sasaki’s too cold, you know? That kind of sweet, soft girl like your sister? That’s totally my type. Plus, those heterochromatic eyes really hit my kink, you know…”

Before he could finish that last line, a fist sliced through the air toward his mouth.

Smack!

Shinichi raised a hand midair and blocked Hoshino Gen’s punch.

Hoshino Gen’s eyes were cold and steady as he glared sideways. “If you don’t need that tongue, I can help you rip it out.”

Still chuckling, Shinichi kept one hand on the steering wheel. “Whoa now, I was giving a compliment.”

“Ohhh—I get it. My bad. Don’t get mad. I won’t make a move on your sister, okay? Judging by how she treats you, I’d bet she’s a nightmare to get close to anyway. Besides, there’s a whole forest of pretty girls out there who’d fall into my arms with a snap of my fingers. Why would I chase after one tree?”

He ended that with a cheeky smile aimed at Hoshino Gen’s way. “Didn’t peg you for the siscon type~”

Hoshino Gen’s side-eye only grew colder, but before he could retaliate, Yusuke suddenly spoke:

“Something up ahead.”

Instantly, both Hoshino Gen and Shinichi looked forward. On the stretch of road skirting the edge of the forest, something large and dark was crouched low, seemingly gnawing at something on the ground.

Hoshino Gen retracted his raised fist and squinted toward it. The car was fast—but not so fast that they couldn’t make out what it was in a few seconds.

It was a massive Hokkaido brown bear. And what it was eating wasn’t just roadkill—it was a human corpse, sprawled out motionless and long since lifeless. The scene was gruesome. Rain mingled with blood and turned the ground a murky red. Not far from the body lay a toppled motorcycle.

From the looks of it, someone had either broken down or run out of gas and ended up pushing the bike along, only to run into the bear. Just another unlucky soul in a wild animal attack.

“Tch, that’s it?” Shinichi didn’t even slow down the McLaren. As they sped past, he called out, “Yusuke.”

A black blur zipped past the rain-slick windshield. The bear’s head flew clean off its body.

The car vanished into the rainy night without pause. After all, just one dead body on the roadside—none of the three seemed inclined to give it more than a second thought.

In the passenger seat, Yusuke now held a sheet of white paper with a black pentagram scrawled across it. He waved it toward the window, and a glimmering streak of light floated inside. The pentagram lit up with an eerie blue glow, and the translucent, miniature spirit of a brown bear floated, weightless, above the paper.

Yusuke twirled the paper in his fingers, examining the soul briefly. Then he shrugged and dismissed the spirit with a wave.

“As feed, maybe it’s decent.”

“Aw, bummer. Thought you might’ve gotten a new shikigami out of that one,” Shinichi said, not looking even remotely disappointed.

Then he glanced to his left, noticing Hoshino Gen still staring at the now-empty sheet in Yusuke’s hand. He grinned. “Hmm? Interested?”

Hoshino Gen was, actually. It had only lasted a moment, but he had clearly seen Yusuke extract the soul from that bear—an animal.

That was significant.

Animals weren’t like humans. Especially ordinary ones that hadn’t awakened to higher consciousness. They had souls, sure—but no spirit. Which meant after death, they left behind nothing but a body.

And yet, Yusuke had pulled something out. That either meant the bear had somehow awakened… or it meant this was Yusuke’s unique ability.

Hoshino Gen’s suspicion didn’t last long. Yusuke, still smiling, turned toward him and offered an answer of his own accord.

“Curious, Hoshino-kun? It’s a unique ability of mine. I see the world a little differently than you guys do.”

As he spoke, he opened his eyes a little wider. At first glance, they looked ordinary—but in the dim light of the car, Hoshino Gen caught a faint ring of pale gold glowing around Yusuke’s pupils.

“In my eyes, this world is one of true animism—everything has a soul.”

Hoshino Gen raised an eyebrow, his expression—just for a second—showing a rare flash of surprise.

…

By 8 PM, the McLaren finally pulled into a small town drenched in rain.

Maybe it was the weather, but the air in the town felt damp and clingy, almost suffocating.

As they drove deeper in, the car’s speed dropped. All three of them were peering out the windows now, taking in their surroundings.

The place was called Kawasui Town, nestled in the southwest corner of a small city called Furano. Remote, underdeveloped. Judging by the old buildings and squat little homes, most of the town’s young people had probably moved away long ago. And tonight, with the rain pouring down, the streets were utterly empty. Lights flickered behind windows, but not a single soul was out.