𝕂𝕦𝕔𝕙𝕚𝕤𝕒𝕜𝕖-𝕆𝕟𝕟𝕒: 𝕛𝕙𝕤𝕜

三十二

『ᴀ ᴛʀᴀɪᴛᴏʀ: ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ 32』

"I can't believe one of our teachers isn't human. . ." Kou stared at his teacher in shock while Yashiro nodded her head silently.

"It's not really that unusual." Tsuchigomori casually smokes from his pipe while leaning against his multiple arms as support, in his other hand was a book that he was skimming through. With his other hands that weren't supporting his weight, they were placing all the books back on the shelves neatly. "There are in fact, quite a few supernaturals who have chosen to blend in with humans. We supernaturals need the rumors of us to keep circulating, or we can't stay on the near shore. A crucial part of that is spreading our own rumors."

Tsuchigomori took one deep inhale from his kiseru, "and, well, there are other reasons too. . . But the main thing is it's convenient. Who knows? One of your friends might turn out to be something other than human."

Yashiro gulped at the thought of her other friends, all of them reappearing in her head as Tsuchigomori continued to talk. She turned to look at your intense gaze on the teacher, heavily engrossed within the conversation. There could be a chance that there is someone else who might be another supernatural, someone who is similar to you who is working to protect someone precious. She shook her head, her white and green hair flowing with the motions of her head. "But doesn't that mean we're in danger. . . ?" She asked.

"Don't worry, you'll be fine. We're here to make sure no one gets hurt." Hanako spoke in unwavering confidence. He enthusiastically raised his hand, "we're the school's seven mysteries!"

Tsuchigomori spoke hesitantly and raised his left hand while the other is holding the kiseru, ". . . We supervise all the supernaturals that exist in the school. . . "

". . . And maintain proper relations between people and supernaturals." Yako scoffed and turned her head.

Hanako rolled his eyes and pointed over towards the arguing duo that was No. 5 and No. 2, "well, the short version is—we do scare people, buuut. . . We're a team of seven friends fighting on the side of justice to keep peace at this school. And I'm the leader!" He smiled.

Your ears perked up at the sound of justice and silently drifted away from the conversation. So far in your experience, the only troubles you've been facing were the Seven Mysteries and a blond exorcist. Was Hanako implying that there was another dangerous force lying underneath their noses? If so, why didn't he explicitly mention this to her, there might be a chance that Yashiro could be targetted because of her connection with you and Hanako. You narrowed your eyes at Tsuchigomori and Yako, you can't let your guard down around either of them.

"Like I was saying, we're a team of friends who keep the peace at this school. . . But apparently one of us seven. . . is a traitor." Hanako continued, "that traitor's tied their fate to a human somehow. . . and is using that connection to spread rumors altered to suit their own purposes. As a result, the supernaturals at the school are turning savage. No. 2 was one of the victims."

You raised your eyebrows at Hanako's statement, the only person you knew who bounded their fate towards a human. . . Was Hanako. You didn't want to quickly speculate and accuse him of anything, not when he has done so much for your group, but you couldn't help but feel as if Hanako had something to hide.

Tsuchigomori's kiseru surrounded the group with smoke, "the rumors spread by a supernatural who is bound to a human. . . are more effective the stronger that supernatural is. It was one thing to change the rumors of minor supernaturals with no seat number. . . But if they're powerful enough to affect one of us seven mysteries. . ."

"Whoever's doing it. . . Must be a human tied to one of the Seven Mysteries." Yako added.

Yashiro gasped and pointed at herself, "you mean there's someone else out there who's like me. . . ?!" She tightened her fist as she carefully thought about the green-haired student who led her to the 4Pm Bookstacks. She mentioned some hidden connection regarding Hanako but Yashiro completely overlooked this thought until now. . .

"That means. . . !" Kou raised his voice, "what does it mean?" He turned to Hanako for clarification. Yashiro deadpanned at his cluelessness.

"One of the Seven Mysteries and their human helper are causing mischief." Hanako held up two puppets, one labeled as Evil and the other as Helper.

"So we just need to pound them right?!"

"Well, yeah."

"Who would do such a thing?!" Yashiro frowned and nervously gripped her hands.

"We don't know. That's what our meeting was about. And then I had an idea!" Hanako ran to the center of the group with his arms out and twirling happily, "we should just. . . Get rid of all the Seven Mysteries for a while!"

"As I explained to you before. . . Each of the Seven Mysteries has its own personal boundary. And a divine yorishiro that's the source of their power. As for Jiyuu, although she isn't a Mystery herself, she has her own boundary that is quite different from ours in the school because her legend runs deeper within the roots of Japan." Hanako pulled out a pointer stick from his pocket, "when you destroy the yorishiro, its owner is weakened substantially and they cease to function as a school mystery. With Number 2, we had to destroy the yorishiro because she had gone off the rails. . . But now I think we should just destroy them all before we have a chance to go berserk. That way, we won't actually need to identify the traitor, or worry about rogue supernaturals."

Hanako innocently smiled, "once that problem's solved, we just have to reappoint the Mysteries."

". . . That's quite an extreme solution." Tsuchigomori awkwardly stared at the shorter boy.

"There's a scaaaary exorcist at this school. So it's either this or have him wipe us from existence entirely. This sounds better, don't you think?" Hanako shivered at the thought of Teru and wrapped his arms around you for warmth, which was clearly nonexistent seeing that you were both ghosts. "And since Yashiro here has the ability to destroy yorishiros, we can get right to it. And with that. . . Tsuchigomori. . . Yorishiro please?" He smirked.

". . . No." Tsuchigomori looked at him in disgust. "Is what I'd like to say. But I'm not a fan of violence. And I don't want you ransacking my book stacks in the name of searching for my yorishiro." He hung from the ceiling's large spiderwebs and yawned.

"No, you're just no good in a fight." Yako huffed.

"Be quiet echinococcus." He hissed. Yako started to bite the top of the man's head as he turned back to the main group.

He casually looked at them, ignoring the head-splitting pain from Yako, "if you insist on taking my yorishiro, I'll give it to you. But on one condition."

"One condition?" Hanako, Kou, and Yashiro asked while you stood next to Hanako, intertwining your fingers with him.

"I'm a supernatural who craves knowledge. Here in the 4Pm Bookstacks, I've accumulated the entire body of knowledge surrounding this school—past, present, and future. I'm proud of this little shrine of mine. If you mean to take my bookstacks from me, even temporarily. . . You will give me information valuable to warrant it."

"Information. . .?" You spoke up, gripping Hanako's hand tighter in anticipation.

"Yes. In other words. . . You will tell me your personal secrets."

Everyone went pale at the end of his sentence.