Chapter 5 (m)

<-prev

Maaya: "Ha ha! Nice one, but ultimately pointless. I know what you're thinking, there's no way the spirit wouldn't have the answer to this question. After all he must have been here when the crime happened. But at the same time it would be troublesome if he named a person that will be proven to be innocent later. So you think that with this move you're going to put me into a difficult position.

Well, I'm very sorry, but I was already prepared for this. As I said, I'm way ahead of you! You must have forgot a particular: I already have an answer to this question! Who killed Hitomi Gotsuji? It was Pazuzu of course! From the perspective of a spirit it doesn't matter which was the material vessel that executed the crime! In the end it's Pazuzu the one who guided the murderous hand!"

The sixth energy stream explodes inside me. There is nothing anymore, only fire, and a faint silhouette of what remains of my essence.

Maaya: "Why do you need to make it this painful?"

Erika: "Pain..."

Maaya: "That's right: pain. You must be completely overwhelmed by the most indescribable pain."

Erika: "I don't feel..."

Maaya: "Uh?"

Erika: "Any... of it..."

Maaya: "… Huh?!"

Erika: "This is... nothing! I've been through... much worse!"

And I'm not even lying.

Maaya: "G-give up... Give up already!!!"

Erika: "Never!"

Maaya: "Shut up!!! Just vanish already! I'm getting sickened just by watching you! Remove your infectious presence from this world at once! Aah! Let's end this! Let the spirit spell the final word that will banish you from existence! Observe! The planchette is already moving! Only three syllables separate you from oblivion! Each one of them will be like a knife carving the life out of you! Observe and writhe in pain! Die in knowing how pathetic and foolish you are! Die and... Ugh!!"

Maaya's hysterical ramble is abruptly interrupted.

In its place a loud thump can be heard.

I am sure, if there were spectators watching this, they would be all applauding now. Who wouldn't want to see the annoying character finally receiving the well deserved smack on the head? I can't think of many other situations that would instill a greater sense of justice being delivered.

Finally! About time! Shut up, bitch!

Maaya has been hit so hard that she has even lost consciousness for a second, and she is still absolutely confused. It wasn't anything particularly magical or grandiose, no, it was just the old hard object being smashed against one's body. In this case it was her face. Her nose is red and it is bleeding a little. But what I enjoy the most is her expression of absolute bewilderment.

Maaya: "W-what... what the..."

Her confusion becomes horror as soon as her eyes come in contact with mine. I am still under the effect of her tremendous power, and of my body very little remains, very little is still discernible. And yet nothing of what she sees is how she expected it to be, in its place there is just the most devilish and malevolent grin that she ever confronted.

I can imagine how she must feel now. An enemy isn't that scary once you reduce him to a pulp. But let's imagine that that enemy is still illogically alive after receiving absolutely devastating wounds, and let's imagine that he is still moving and laughing maniacally.

That would be terrifying.

Maaya finally recovers from her stupor and the picture of what has just happened becomes clearer in her mind. The object that hit her was the very shield that was supposed to protect her. One second before it was floating in front of her like usual, but then it suddenly sprung toward her.

Maaya: "Why..."

She still hasn't figured it out, she still cannot comprehend how such a thing could have happened.

Maaya: "How? Why? What's the meaning of this?! What did you just do?!"

Erika: "Me? Well... how should I put it? Oh, wait... I guess I'll let the facts speak for themselves: observe!"

This time I am the one who is inviting Maaya to look at what is happening in the world below.

Her human counterpart is frozen still in front of the Ouija board. She looks extremely pale even in the dim lit room. Her eyes do not blink. Widely open they keep staring at the character where the planchette stopped on.

Maaya: "What's wrong? That's the character 'pa' of 'Pazuzu', right? Why am I staring at it in shock?"

Erika: "No, that's not quite it. Take a better look."

Maaya: "Uh...?"

The shield once again strikes her, this time even more violently than before.

She was hit so hard that she falls for several meters before regaining control. It is as if I just saw a bee being swatted midair.

At the same time, in the world of humans, the planchette slides over the next character. Everyone is looking astounded, no one dares to breath. Soon the name of the culprit will be revealed.

Maaya: "Stop! Stop, stop, stooop! Stop it! What the hell are you doing?! How?! How can you..."

Erika: "What are you talking about? I'm not doing anything. It's the spirit, it's the spirit that you summoned! *giggle* *giggle*"

Maaya: "Stop messing with me! What spirit?! There's no such thing!"

Instantly several cracks appear on Maaya's shield, a loud sound similar to that of a glass being broken can be heard. She, however, doesn't seem to notice.

Erika: "It's true, it appears that you indeed summoned a spirit. That's why amateurs shouldn't play with Ouija boards. Perhaps so far you've been just messing around, but this time... it's actually happening!"

Maaya: "Shut the hell uuuup!"

Erika: "Look, the planchette is starting moving again. It'll soon tell us the last syllable of the culprit's name!"

Maaya: "This is a fraud! You're just using one of your dirty tricks! Spirit my ass! Who do you think you can fool with that?!"

As if it took offense by those words, Maaya's shield charges against its own mistress for the third time.

Maaya: "Buzz off, treacherous tool!"

Enraged, the witch of power intercepts the incoming threat. Without regards, without any restraints, nor any hesitation, she sends to the already damaged shield one of her magic beams of light.

There isn't even the slightest resistance. The shield explodes into a million of fragments. Beautifully they spread and slowly fall, glimmering like a shower of many little broken crystals. Maaya, paralyzed, is in the middle, surrounded. With a blank stare she witnesses the shattered remains of her stalwart defense as they disperse and disappear. Only now she realizes what she has just done.

Erika: "Good job."

In the world below there is a great commotion. The spell has been broken. The suggestive and intimidating setup can no longer prevent the younger girls from murmuring and whispering. Teramoto is no longer in control. Her lackeys don't know what to do or think. They hilariously remain speechless while everyone else around them keep talking and discussing animatedly.

Erika: "Teramoto, it appears that you're the culprit. *giggle* *giggle*"

Her eyes finally move away from the planchette. She looks at me, confused and angered.

Teromoto: "Wrong..."

Erika: "Wrong? Are you saying that the spirit is lying?"

Teramoto: "I'm saying that you're doing this! You defiled this sacred ritual by tampering with the planchette! You have absolutely no respect for the spirits! You shall be punished for this insolence!"

Erika: "What are you talking about, Teramoto? I'm not doing..."

Teramoto: "Lies! Who do you think you can fool?!"

Erika: "But it's true, I didn't move the planchette, it was the spirit!"

Teramoto: "Shut up! We all know that you don't believe in the supernatural!"

Erika: "That was before, you convinced me, spirits exist!"

Teramoto: "Lies!"

Erika: "But how can that be denied? The planchette moved by itself! We all saw that!"

Teramoto: "Lies! You moved it! You did that!"

Erika: "How?! It's impossible!"

Teramoto: "Impossible my ass! You just used double-sided tape!!!"

Nice, everything fell silent again. Although this is certainly not the outcome that Teramoto intended her words to have. This is a very awkward silence. For her at least...

It's amazing how a simple revelation can turn the world upside down. One moment you think that something is impossible, and a second later you realize that it wasn't impossible at all. And not only that, the truth strikes you mercilessly with its absolute simplicity. Just how in the world couldn't you see something so obvious? It didn't really take a genius. I am sure that many of the girls in this room right now are putting their few little gray cells in motion. I can tell that just by looking at their lower jaws awkwardly hanging. They now look almost as dumb as they actually are, and it's not that they looked smart to begin with.

But Teramoto realizing that she fell right into my trap is by far a better sight. Her lackeys looking at her in shock, disbelieving what they just heard, is a close second.

I bask in this delightful moment for a while. There is no rush, pleasure is more rewarding for those who can wait. The strawberry should always be eaten last, the anticipation will make it even more sweater.

But at the same time, it's important to catch the moment. Once you have gained momentum, you can't let it go to waste. That's why I shouldn't give them the time to recover from their bewilderment. It's time to let them witness my magic.

And so the planchette begins to levitate. That's right, it detaches from the board and moves upward in a fluid motion. At the same time it rotates by 90 degrees and it finally stops sideways just in front of my face.

Naturally during this whole process it never left my finger, though the same cannot be said about everyone else's. That couldn't be helped, the planchette is outside their reaches now. It stands on my fingertip in a perfect balance, apparently defying the laws of physics.

Those who aren't completely idiot realize that a simple double-sided tape cannot explain this bizarre phenomenon. This is my miracle, and everyone, including Teramoto, are looking at me in awe, speechless, astonished, breathless.

Erika: "So that's your trick, Teramoto. No wonder your magic was defeated by mine."

I grab the planchette with my other hand. With a snap I separate it from my fingertip. Part of my skin is ripped off in the process.

Erika: "I used superglue."

next->

Chapter 5 (l)

<-prev

Maaya: "Just as I thought! A cockroach won't die so easily! But in the end that just means you'll have a slow, painful death! Truly pitiful!"

Erika: "Pain? Pain?! What are you talking about? I feel nothing, this is barely tickling me!"

Maaya: "Haaa?! Not only you deny the existence of magic, now you even deny your own pain? Truly, what a foolish creature you are! I'm getting sickened by your stubborn, irrational denials! But it doesn't matter. You no longer have the luxury of stalling this battle indefinitely. Escaping won't do you any good. You've only little time left before you get obliterated! So, well... I suppose you won't simply give up now, right?"

Erika: "Give up?! Give up?! Ha ha ha ha! Ah ha ha ha ha! Why should I give up?!"

Maaya: "Well then, indulge me! Let me see how you pathetically struggle until your inevitable demise. Come on, great detective!"

Erika: "Gh... gh..."

She has a point, I don't have much time and I must fight back.

I quickly teleport behind her. This temporarily disconnects me from the stream of energy, consequently giving me a small reprieve from its devastating effects. I must use this extremely short window of opportunity to launch an assault.

Erika: "Did you really think that I would accept your magic just because you have a fancy transparent planchette?! Don't make me laugh! If there really was some kind of supernatural force involved, it would move by itself! So why do people need to touch it? The conclusion is obvious! You're moving it with your own hand!"

Reacting to my declaration, several dozens of anti-magic blue darts appear, and with a lightning speed they spring toward my enemy. An explosion ensues as they hit Maaya's shield, and their energy disperses all around like a meteor shower.

The attack was unsuccessful. It didn't cause not even the smallest injury or damage. The merciless stream of energy reconnects to my cursed cage, and its power overwhelms me again.

Maaya slowly turns around to face me, showing her most cruel and victorious smile.

Maaya: "Simpleton! Any idiot could come up with such a simple and stupid trick! Who would even be fooled by something like that? But before, let me enlighten you on why it's necessary for several humans to touch the planchette. It's a matter of channeling spiritual energies. You don't expect an electrical device to work if the various parts aren't connected by circuits, right? Energy must be able to flow. The same principle works with Ouija boards. The spirits need to steal a bit of the energies of living humans in order to interact with the material world."

Erika: "Spare me the bogus explanation!"

Maaya: "Right... what was I even thinking? Someone like you can't possibly understand. It's just a waste of time. Very well, then observe."

She points to the world below. There her human self is starting the séance, or rather the farce where she pretends to summon a spirit through a Ouija board.

Teramoto: "Spirits of the restless souls that dwell in this school, answer my call. My name is Maaya Teramoto and I wish to communicate with you. Please come through and talk with me for a while."

Her voice echoes in the room. All eyes are focused on the planchette, and a feeling of apprehension envelops the eleven young girls as they prepare for the shock of seeing the tool moving on its own.

Teramoto: "A connection has been established!"

The declaration steals a few muffled shrieks from the most impressionable witnesses.

Teramoto: "Spirit! Give us a sign of your presence! If you're here, say yes!"

This time not a sound can be heard, everyone awaits with bated breaths.

The planchette moves, slowly, painfully slowly.

It stops where the Japanese word 'hai' is written in elegant hiragana characters.

Maaya: "Did you see, human?!"

Erika: "Yes... I saw..."

Of course what Maaya wanted me to notice is not the fact that the planchette moved, she knows that something like that cannot impress me. What really is relevant is how the four selected participants are touching the plastic tool. The fingers are not resting upon its surface as it is usually done.

Teramoto devised a system to reduce at minimum the inevitable disbelief. With the classic method there is just no way to convince the most skeptical individuals, and even those who are prone to believe in the supernatural will be left with some doubts. What if someone moved the planchette? This doubt cannot be dispelled as long as the system used makes it possible.

But Teramoto cannot tolerate that. People must believe, they shouldn't be given any means to deny her magic. And that is why she made the participants touch only the sides of the planchette, using just the tips of their index fingers.

Maaya: "Surely you realize. Each person at best can only push the planchette forward, but no more than that. The combined efforts of all the four participants would be required to effectively move it in every directions."

A second stream of energy sprouts from another pillar and immediately connects to my cursed cage. The already unbearable electrical tension has doubled.

Maaya: "Are you all right? You seem to be in quite some distress."

Erika: "This? This is... nothing..."

Maaya: "So you say, but your flesh is literally burning, your blood is boiling! You aren't a pretty sight, trust me."

Erika: "You know, Maaya... I don't quite agree... with what you said earlier..."

Maaya: "Huh?"

Erika: "All the four... participants? You just need... two..."

Maaya: "What's that? Has your brain melted already?"

Erika: "With some skill... two persons at the opposite sides... They can exercise enough pressure... to gain full control... over the planchette..."

Maaya: "Ha! Clever! But the one in front of me is you! Certainly you aren't cooperating with me, right?"

Erika: "What about... the other two?"

Maaya: "Tch! What a stubborn woman! Those are first year students, they haven't been in this school for long. Are you really insinuating that I would entrust my reputation to them?"

She has a point. Not even I can believe that.

Maaya: "There's actually another practical reason that made me devise this system. You see, I've dealt with the skepticism and the ignorance of people like you for years. That's why I already know how you think and what to expect from you. If I let you place your finger over the planchette, you'd probably try to mess with the ritual. You could even try to push it on the board so to prevent it from moving."

Erika: "Ha ha ha... That's right! I would... actually do that!"

Maaya: "I have no doubts that you would, but I'm at least two steps ahead of you. So? Are you prepared to accept your demise?"

Erika: "Never..."

I must endure. I will be the one laughing in the end. So, this is nothing, this is just a transient phase of the path to victory.

I use my powers to teleport away from the hateful scourge that is afflicting me, again and again, several times in rapid succession. I must try to gain enough time to elaborate in my mind the next attack.

In the world below the séance continues. Teramoto asks the name of the spirit that she allegedly summoned. The planchette smoothly slides on the board and with precision stops above specific characters, one after another. The name is irrelevant, but the pointless interrogation continues, more trivial questions and more trivial answers.

Erika: "There are probably a few thin threads attached to the planchette! Your accomplices are pulling the strings from afar!"

This isn't exactly a very good argument, and it isn't surprising that my attack is deflected again, but for now I just need to buy some time.

Maaya: "What exactly do you think this is? Some kind of manga? Completely Invisible threads do not exist, and someone like you would definitely notice them. But if you really don't trust me, you can check that with your material vessel or whatever will be left of it once I'll be done with you. I'll let you examine the planchette as long as you want as soon as the session will end."

I hear the sound of my spine being smashed and shattered by a sudden, tremendous whiplash. My muscles are tensing so hard against my will that my very bones are starting to crack and crumble. The number of energy streams has increased further. Three pillars are now actively targeting me.

Maaya: "I doubt you'll last for much longer. You're already in that pitiful state, I think I won't even need half of my full power to kill you. I'll give you a last chance, just out of pure compassion. Stop resisting, accept your defeat, and I'll make it swift."

Erika: "T-this... is..."

Maaya: "Yes?"

Erika: "Nothing! This is... nothing!!! I'm not done yet! You hear me! I'm not done yet! I... will... crush... you!!!"

Maaya: "W-what... what... the... Aargh! What a truly stupid, pathetic, incredibly idiotic maggot you are! I was merely trying to be merciful, you know?! Ah, that's it! That's it! Just die after experiencing the most excruciating tortures from hell, stupid woman!"

Erika: "You know... nothing of hell! I've already been there! That's why... this is nothing!!!"

Maaya: "How do you even find the strength to talk back... But it doesn't matter!"

Teramoto: "Furudo-san, you're my special guest tonight and the spirits wish to communicate with you. Is there something that you want to ask?"

Maaya: "Ah, it looks like we have already reached this part."

Erika: "You must be... really... confident..."

Maaya: "Of course I am! Silly! Since the very beginning it was already obvious who would win. This is to crush you even further, this is to show to you and to everyone else that Maaya Teramoto fears no one!"

Teramoto: "Well, Furudo-san? You've been awfully silent for all of this time. Is there really nothing that you want to ask to the spirit that I've summoned? You can speak freely, there's nothing to be afraid."

I will crush you. I will crush you for sure!

Erika: "Can you predict the future?"

Maaya: "Haaa?! Ah ha ha ha! Of all the stupid questions that you could have asked!"

The planchette slides over the spot where the Japanese word 'iie" is written.

Teramoto: "I'm sorry, Furudo-san, I don't know what kind of stories you've heard, but spirits do not possess the gift of clairvoyance, unless they already did when still alive."

Someone is laughing. A fourth pillar activates and its energy stream violently strikes me.

My body is convulsing, my skin is melting, my flesh is burning, my blood is boiling, my bones are shattering, my eyes are exploding, my brain is pulsing, my fingers are twitching, my ears are bleeding, my heart is splitting, my lungs are imploding, my muscles are tearing apart!

Dlanor: "Miss Erika!"

No, Dlanor, don't let your guard down! My body is convulsing.

See? That demon will take advantage of your slightest mistake. My skin is melting.

He is strong, you should worry about yourself. My flesh is burning.

See? You just let him hit you! My blood is boiling.

I won't forgive you if you let him kill you! My bones are shattering.

I won't... I won't... My eyes are exploding! My brain is pulsing! My damn heart is splitting in two! My damn muscles are tearing apart!

Teramoto: "Please, feel free to ask another question."

Erika: "There's a person that I once knew who passed away a long time ago. Can I ask the spirit if he has met him in the afterlife?"

Maaya: "Oh please! Your tactics are so painfully obvious! Now you're going to name someone that is still alive or that never existed!"

Teramoto: "You can ask, what was this person's name?"

Erika: "Battler Ushiromiya."

Maaya: "Yeah, like hell I'll fall for this trap! Just what kind of name is 'Battler' anyway?! By the way, are you still alive? Come on, this is getting ridiculous! Die already!"

Teramoto: "I'm sorry it looks like the spirit has no knowledge of this person."

Erika: "I see... this is truly... a pity..."

Another pillar, five already. Charred meat, on fire, nerves ripped and torn, gray cells flowing down, tissue damaged, teeth splintered, black substance oozing, boiling, a crevasse in my chest, enlarging, hot blood sprinkling, evaporating, rupture of left lung, crumbled hands, shattered fragments of bones, pulsating pulp, ablaze, curled up, what remains, sizzling to the last bit, breaking apart, consuming myself, to dust...

Maaya: "I just can't believe this, you still persist... But your essence is already dispersing, you're losing pieces of your self as I speak. This is what it means to die in the metaworld, you just turn into nothingness. Why do you need to make it this painful?"

Teramoto: "One last question?"

Maaya: "This is your last chance, the ritual will conclude after this, you'd better ask something sensible this time. Either way, this is too late for you. The great detective will be erased from existence."

Erika: "Yes there's just one last question that I want to ask."

Teramoto: "Go on, the spirit is listening."

Erika: "Who killed... Hitomi Gotsuji?"

next->