Chapter 128: Wraith

"Fang You, wake up…!"

Half-conscious, hearing someone call his name, Fang You slowly opened his eyes. The surroundings were plunged in gloom, and a stifling, murky atmosphere hung in the air, making him feel dizzy and disoriented.

Fang You sat up from the floor and shook his head, trying to clear his mind. A figure was standing before him, shaking him by the shoulders.

"Foreign Onmyoji Fang You, wake up! My sister is missing; you must help me find her!"

Fang You opened his eyes fully to see Abe Hareya looking at him with a tense expression.

"Where is this?" Fang You asked.

"You’re finally awake!" Abe Hareya stood up. "Based on my observations, this must be a barrier formed by deep-seated resentment."

"A barrier of resentment?" Fang You stood up and brushed the dust off his clothes.

A barrier of resentment was similar to a Yin-gathering pool; both were birthed from the immense, lingering malice left behind after death. The difference was that a Yin-gathering pool acted like a magnet, drawing nearby ghosts into a trap from which they could not escape, held fast by the crushing density of Yin energy. A barrier of resentment, however, was a natural containment field born from an overwhelming concentration of spite. Anything that stumbled inside would be trapped, unable to leave, and slowly eroded by the surrounding malice until both man and beast perished.

Fang You suddenly understood. The classmate named Hanayoko had gathered everyone to perform a ritual called the "Sachiko Ever After" charm, claiming it would bind their friendship forever. It now seemed they had inadvertently triggered this barrier.

"It seems you’ve figured it out as well," Abe Hareya said. "That ritual opened this pathway. It appears all eight of us who participated have been pulled into this space."

Fang You began to examine his surroundings. The area resembled an elementary school classroom, with children's toys scattered on the floor, though they looked as if they had been there for ages.

"My sister must be here somewhere!" Abe Hareya said as he began to pace. Fang You followed close behind.

Through the broken windows, the sky outside appeared perpetually overcast. The shattered glass and debris on the floor added to the chilling atmosphere, but the entire school was enveloped in an invisible barrier that made escape impossible.

Fang You attempted to pull out a talisman for driving away evil, but as soon as it left his satchel, it burst into flames and vanished into ash. The resentment within this space was so potent that it seemed impossible to use such charms.

"You’ve noticed, haven't you? It’s impossible to use standard charms here," Abe Hareya remarked. "The resentment is too thick. Any talisman imbued with righteousness is instantly corroded upon exposure. There is no time to chant or harness any external power."

Hearing this, Fang You drew the crimson peach-wood sword and the copper coin sword from his back. He noticed that both were already being corroded by the black miasma. If this continued, his ritual implements might be destroyed.

Suddenly, a display board on the wall caught Abe Hareya's attention.

It was a designated area for showcasing children's artwork. It featured various illustrations that looked like the work of elementary school students, but the plaque on the display clearly read: "1973, Fifth Year of Heavenly Host Elementary School, 6th Annual Award-Winning Student Art Exhibition."

"Heavenly Host Elementary School?" Abe Hareya nodded, lost in thought.

"Did you discover something?" Fang You asked.

"Heavenly Host Elementary was once a very famous school in Tokyo. In its heyday, many students vied for spots, but at some point, cases of missing children began to surface."

"Missing cases?" Fang You asked, looking at Abe Hareya.

"Yes. At first, it was just one or two, but soon the numbers grew. The police investigated and even sought the help of Onmyoji, but they found nothing."

"Eventually, under immense pressure, the school was closed. I heard even the principal vanished in the end. I never expected to encounter a barrier of resentment formed by Heavenly Host Elementary here."

As Abe Hareya spoke, a cold, mocking giggle from a little girl echoed behind them.

Fang You felt a surge of immense, malevolent power. He turned to see a little girl in a red dress, holding a pair of rusted scissors, staring at them with a grotesque grin.

Fang You gripped his peach-wood sword and copper coin sword tightly.

"The resentment coming from that thing is immense. It’s likely the master of this barrier. Find a way to capture it!" Abe Hareya urged.

Suddenly, the girl lunged toward them, scissors in hand.

Fang You braced himself, and the moment the girl reached him, he struck with both swords in a coordinated attack. However, the girl vanished, only to reappear behind Abe Hareya a split second later.

"Watch out!" Fang You shouted, hurling the peach-wood sword directly at the girl.

The girl, radiating malice with her rusted scissors, merely let out a sinister laugh and dodged with ease.

Abe Hareya seized the opportunity to grab the fallen peach-wood sword. "By the command of Yin and Yang, through the heart of the charm, drive out the specter!"

He lunged forward. The peach-wood sword, infused with the power of his incantation, unleashed a tremendous force of banishment against the vengeful spirit.

The girl vanished again, but just as she did, Abe Hareya’s strike landed true.

Several drops of black blood fell to the floor, and the girl did not reappear.

"This implement is truly remarkable. I usually rely on talismans and don't carry weapons, but as a secondary conduit for Yin-Yang arts, this peach-wood sword is invaluable. Let me borrow it for now," Abe Hareya said, looking at Fang You. "We must find my sister. This is the spirit's domain, and dealing with it is quite troublesome."

Fang You sighed, though he felt a bit of resentment. "You work so hard to earn money in the East, yet you’re too stingy to carry a proper weapon. Fine, you may borrow it, but you must return it to me in one piece once we get out. This implement and I share a deep karmic bond."

"Of course, of course!" Abe Hareya looked at the sword in his hand. Despite the black spots appearing on the wood from the surrounding miasma, he could still feel the intense Yang energy within. It was a potent weapon, perfect for slaying spirits.

But for now, the most urgent task was to find the others trapped within the vengeful spirit's domain.