CH 5.23

「What do you mean by Yui was taken?」

It was the morning after Yui behaved weirdly that I was woken up by Sugita’s phone call.

It was only past 5 am.

It was about time for my little sister Futaba to leave to help clean the shrine grounds.

Ever since she experienced working at school, she has been helping out in any way she can.

I don’t know if she’s enjoying it but since she wants to do it, I won’t stop her.

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That aside, it’s convenient that Futaba has already left the house.

I put my sneakers on that I always keep under my bed in case of emergency and jumped out of the window into the morning glow.

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—Scene Change—

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I was told on the phone about a medium-sized shrine that receives 100000 worshippers at most during New Year.

Even so, the shrine is reasonably spacious and well-equipped given there was a separate shrine office in addition to the main building and a kagura hall(a dance stage of Shinto shrines).

This must have been the same shrine Futaba was helping out at.

If he had contacted me earlier, I would have been able to stop Futaba but it’s already too late.

「Where’s Yui!」

I landed in front of the kagura hall where Sugita was waiting.

From the air, I found no sign of anyone else around.

This place is about 20 minutes’ biking distance from our house, so Futaba has yet to arrive.

「Eh…..just now, sky…..?」

「Don’t mind that! What happened!」

I instinctively grabbed the surprised Sugita’s collar.

Sugita’s cheek was swollen.

Did he get hit?

「I-it hurts….」

Then, I realized that I’m lifting him up with one hand so I put him down.

「You’re so strong……I guess I shouldn’t be surprised.」

「Stop saying nonsense!? Where’s Yui!?」

「C-calm down. I was knocked out too until now. Otherwise, I wouldn’t contact you just now. You should be grateful.」

「Sorry……tell me what happened.」

I said that but I continued to use search magic around.

Actually, Sugita’s claim that “Yui was taken” is only a possibility. It’s also a possibility that it’s a lie.

「Last night, Yui-chan called to ask for some advice.」

「What does Yui want with you? Don’t you dare lie.」

「Are you really a high school student….? What’s with that power….」

I’m trying to keep my emotions in check but the trees around me begin to rustle from the magic leaking from me.

「Don’t mind it. Just be honest.」

「Alright. I’m the one who called her here. Yui-chan asked me to check the hospital for the drugs you were investigating.」

「You said investigating. How did you know that?」

Of course, Sugita knows that Yui and I have been snooping around about those drugs.

However, he shouldn’t have known that we managed to get some drugs from the drug party and that we were trying to “investigate it”.

「I met her at school the other day so she knows that I’m a doctor. I told her I’ll look into it.」

「Are those drugs supplied by a hospital?」

「I don’t know. That remains to be confirmed. However, I feel like I get it now. This is just my advice, there’s a problem with the way you’re investigating it.」

「You could have said it on the phone.」

「I didn’t want to take the risk of being bugged. Besides, I don’t think we have time to go into all the details.」

This guy seems to have more information I don’t know.

Assuming Sugita is telling the truth…

No, that doesn’t matter now. Yui is what matters.

「So, what happened after you met Yui?」

「After exchanging some information, a man suddenly appeared behind Yui and knocked her out. And before she fell down, I got hit too. I think I passed out instantly…I feel like my face’s swollen.」

Sugita rubbed his cheek.

「What do you mean by “suddenly”?」

「It was really sudden. So sudden that I didn’t even notice until he hit me.」

Instantaneous movement? Or was it super speed?

「I was knocked out by a blow. When I woke up, Yui-chan’s gone. I tried calling her first but of course, she didn’t answer. I thought I’d better call you before calling the police.」

I tried calling Yui too but she didn’t answer……or rather, it wouldn’t even connect.

Yui was taken away without even activating her divine object?

「Do you recognize the face of the man that suddenly appeared?」

「It was just a moment….but, I feel like…..ah!」

「Have you thought of something!?」

「I think there was a teacher at the school who took a physical exam that looked like him but I’m not sure. I must have been wrong.」

「No……there’s a possibility you’re not.」

No way, Susanoo?

I can’t think of any reason why he would make his move now. On the other hand, I also can’t think of a reason why it can’t be him.

He is very capable of taking Yui away without giving her a chance to fight back.

「When I woke up, I found this lying nearby.」

Sugita handed me a PiFFy mascot keychain that we had taken from a crane game.

It contained a little of Yui’s magic power as well as a magic power similar to Susanoo’s.

It’s hard to say for sure since Susanoo has always kept his magic power from fluctuating but it’s probably his magic power.

Is it really him….?

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As I was exploring the magic around me as we talked, I felt something strange at the kagura hall in front of me.

It is a very good magic mimicry.

Normally, if you put up barriers, only that area will be unnaturally well organized which will make it stand out.

However, the one here is blending without the surrounding to such a degree that I wouldn’t be able to detect it unless I tried carefully.

It could be described as a white tent pitched in a snowy mountain.

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I touched the door of the kagura hall.

It was not until I touched it that I understood.

This building aside, the other buildings are imbued with a certain amount of magic power too. However, the one here is special.

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I gently put pressure on my hand and the door opened with a creaking sound.

It seems that this is not the type of barrier that refuses entry.

I have a feeling that this is a trap but this is the only clue I have.

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I stepped into the kagura hall.