When he woke up again, he found that he was still standing inside the train, he couldn't control anything on his body, not even his eyeballs.
His consciousness was still clear, but the current situation was not looking good, Matsuda Jinpei, who had originally been by his side, had somehow disappeared at some unknown point.
Kisaragi Chiyo gazed at the glass window of the train door, by the dim light inside the carriage, he saw that the passengers who had once filled the train had been replaced one by one by humanoid black shadows, some with their heads bowed low, others staring straight ahead.
Some were whispering, making chaotic sounds that humans could not understand, while others sat in their seats, heads bowed and drowsy.
If one ignored their appearance, the behavior of the dark shadows seemed no different from that of ordinary human passengers.
Next station ■■, ■■, exit on the left side.. please transfer here.
The familiar announcement rang out, as the train slowly came to a halt, Kisaragi Chiyo felt his body gradually warm up, until he regained full control.
"Should I get off here?" Kisaragi Chiyo stretched his wrists. He lowered his eyes, cautiously observing the shadowy passengers around him, watching their movements while avoiding direct eye contact with them.
'But can those shadow passengers without even facial features actually make eye contact?' The thought flashed through his mind, at that moment, Kisaragi Chiyo noticed an ominous sign.
That was, almost all the passengers were preparing to get off at this station. Those who were already seated also stood up, their bodies facing the same direction as they began to gradually move toward their own direction.
"Aren't you getting off?" A shadow closest to him emitted a dull hum, a sound that didn't belong to a human, but when it reached Kisaragi Chiyo's ears, she understood what the other meant.
"Aren't you getting off the car?" the black shadow asked again, its head turning toward Kisaragi Chiyo. The skin on its featureless face began to writhe, as if something were about to crawl out from within.
At this moment, the other black shadows in the surroundings also noticed the commotion ahead. Because Kisaragi Chiyo happened to be standing right by the door, he was inevitably unable to even find an opportunity to hide.
"Aren't you getting off?" More and more shadows asked in doubt. As they drew closer, black scorch marks began to spread across the ceiling of the train.
Get off.
It wasn't until she felt the air inside the car begin to grow murky, accompanied by the smell of something burning, that Kisaragi Chiyo finally spoke.
After he said that he had replied, the dark shadows gradually subsided.
They were watching him, Kisaragi Chiyo suddenly had this thought.
He stepped off the train, only after Kisaragi Chiyo turned her head did he see the dark shadows that had been crowding toward the exit; they stopped just one step away from the station. They crowded the train doors, hands slamming against the windows, struggling to break free.
But finally, with a loud clang, the train doors closed.
Kisaragi Chiyo stood before the yellow line at the station, watching the train depart. The long train traveled along the tracks, carrying those dark shadows, finally disappeared into the darkness.
As the train disappeared, the station, which had been deathly silent, instantly became noisy again.
Kisaragi Chiyo had already confirmed that Matsuda Jinpei was not on that train; one could see from one end to the other, he was so conspicuous that he couldn't possibly be overlooked.
Just as Kisaragi Chiyo was contemplating how to rendezvous with him, he suddenly noticed that something was wrong with this station—to be more precise, it was the passengers at this station that were wrong.
At the very least, humans do not grow three heads, six eyes, or four hands. They don't have necks a meter long, nor do they have upper bodies that are fish, or cases where they simply lack a lower body.
So, just what kind of place had he wandered into?
Kisaragi Chiyo unconsciously lowered his breathing. What was worse than being surrounded by dark shadows just now was that he hadn't brought any talisman slips to mask his presence.
If something were to actually happen, Kisaragi Chiyo didn't think he could take on a hundred men by himself; his self-confidence hadn't inflated to that extent.
Just as Kisaragi Chiyo was contemplating how to find a way to leave under the watchful eyes of a group of non-humans, a man dressed as an office worker with a one-meter-long neck suddenly stopped in his tracks. He slowly turned around and looked in Kisaragi Chiyo's direction.
"I think I smell something.." The long-necked man grinned, revealing two rows of neat, sharp fangs.
So fragrant.. such a fragrant scent.. So hungry, it's food..
The long-necked creature extended its neck, while its body remained stationary, its neck wound past the other passengers nearby, peering toward the direction where Kisaragi Chiyo was hiding.
"Where is it.. where is the food?" Long-Neck kept spinning around; thanks to his excellent cervical vertebrae, his head could even rotate three hundred and sixty degrees.
"I could clearly smell it just now.." The long-necked creature was very confused, but he was still unwilling to give up. After all, his stomach was so hungry it was eating itself; he had gone far too long without eating anything.
"So hungry, so hungry, so hungry.." Long-neck's eyes began to flicker as he noticed a small cubby hole used for storing cleaning supplies at the corner.
He grinned, letting out a giggle like a hyena that had just spotted its prey.
"Is it in here?" The long-necked man approached the stall with greed in his eyes. Just as he was about to press his head against the door crack to take a look, the stall door was pushed open from the inside.
Tap, tap, tap, the sound of footsteps rang out, a pair of shoes stopped just a few inches in front of his head, which was pressed against the floor.
"What are you doing?" a cold voice came from above.
The long-necked man subconsciously looked up, his gaze colliding directly with a pair of dark, icy blue eyes; the storm suppressed within those eyes was enough to tear him to shreds.
The man wearing a blue hoodie that obscured most of his face looked down at him from above; his originally expressionless face suddenly broke into a smile upon seeing his outstretched neck.
"If you can't take care of your neck," the man with the upturned blue eyes said, lifting his foot and stepping on that long neck; with a slight application of force, the sound of cracking bones could be heard.
"I wouldn't mind breaking it completely for you," the blue-eyed demon smiled, his tone remaining just as calm and leisurely, as if he were merely crushing an empty can by the roadside.
I'm sorry.. my lord," the long-necked man pleaded humbly. "I meant no offense, please forgive my actions.
The man said nothing; he merely stared at the other's face, which was breaking out in a cold sweat, with a half-smiling look in his eyes, before finally speaking slowly after a long silence.
After all, we are all members of the supernatural; we should get along well.
The man mercifully lifted his foot. He rubbed his chin, which was smooth; he still wasn't quite used to the sensation of having no beard.
“I forgive you.” Only after he had finished enjoying the other man's terrified expression did he finally speak those words.
Having received forgiveness, the long-necked man didn't dare linger for even a second; with a whoosh, he pulled his head back and fled rapidly from the man's sight, clutching his head.
*
"Alright." After a moment of intimidation, once he had confirmed that no more sightless things would be looking this way, the man.. who should now be called Scotland.
Scotland shouted toward the stall, "That guy has already left, you can come out now."
Kisaragi Chiyo squeezed her way out from the narrow corner, looking with a complex gaze at the man who had suddenly covered her mouth from behind and forcefully shoved her into the cubicle while she was still wondering where to hide.
Although, compared to the other entities in the station, the man's appearance was almost indistinguishable from that of a normal human, save for the hole in his chest that continued to bleed incessantly.
If it weren't for this, Kisaragi Chiyo might really have mistaken the other for a human who had wandered into this place by mistake, just like herself.
"You should realize something obvious by now." The demon calling itself Scotland flashed him a smile; compared to the smile used to intimidate the long-necked one just now, this one appeared somewhat softer.
This is no place for humans.
Although Kisaragi Chiyo did not understand why the other person had just helped him, since he felt no malice from the stranger, he decided to treat him as a kind-hearted demon for the time being.
"I know." Kisaragi Chiyo used the other person's silhouette to hide in the shadows of the corner, observing the station.
For some reasons.. I accidentally wandered into this place.
After he said those words, the demon before his eyes, who called himself Scotland, let out a sigh and wore a slightly helpless expression, as if saying, "I knew it."
This is indeed an unfortunate matter.
“In the past, there have been humans who wandered into this place for their own reasons.. You are not the first, but I hope you will be the lucky one.”
As Scotland spoke, his expression turned serious. He pointed outside and explained to Kisaragi Chiyo, "As you can see, this station is a nest for ghosts and vengeful spirits; it is a gathering place for those who died unnaturally for their own various reasons."
They are born from resentment, from all negative emotions and unwillingness.. They suffer from hunger at every moment, the flesh and souls of humans are the food that fills their inner emptiness.
So you must be careful," Scotland said, looking into his eyes, emphasizing every word. "Don't let them discover that you are human.
And what about you?" Kisaragi Chiyo asked softly, gazing into those blue eyes that were as dark as a stormy ocean. "Do you think I should believe you?
Scotland laughed again, a lighthearted laugh that was completely inconsistent with his identity as a demon.
“You can keep doubting me,” Scotland said, looking at him and pointing out Kisaragi Chiyo's next move without hesitation, “or you can choose to threaten me.”
Just like how I know you plan to use the gun hidden under your Haori to aim at my head next.
Even so, I will still help you.
In the end, Kisaragi Chiyo still did not choose to aim his revolver at Scotland. On one hand, he did not want to cause too much of a commotion. On the other hand, he truly knew nothing about this station; with the help of a local, it would be better than braving the danger and fumbling around on his own.
"Take me to the station's broadcasting room." Kisaragi Chiyo did not chamber a round in his revolver; in fact, even after the other man pointed it out directly, he simply held it openly in his hand, making no attempt to hide his wariness of the man.
“Oh?” Scotland raised an eyebrow, his eyes widening slightly in surprise, he looked at Kisaragi Chiyo with curiosity.
He had imagined that the first step for a young human might be to ask him to find a safe passage or something, or at the very least, a station map. He had never imagined that the request the other party would make would be to go to the broadcasting room.
"Where are you going and what for?" Scotland was curious, or rather, his mood could almost be described as somewhat elated.
Please forgive him; he really wasn't gloating over the young man's misfortune. He had simply gone too long without seeing humans, which made him feel somewhat nostalgic for his own past when he was still human.
“I need to find my companion.” Kisaragi Chiyo could be certain that Matsuda Jinpei was not on that train filled with shadows, but he could not be sure if the other had also arrived at the station after they had been separated when he lost consciousness.
According to the connection of the contract between him and Matsuda Jinpei, he should have been able to feel him just by calling his name.
But ever since arriving at the station, the connection between them felt as if it had been shrouded in mist; they could feel nothing, so they could only use primitive methods to find each other.
Other humans?" Scotland frowned, his expression turning solemn. "If that's the case, we must find him quickly.. if the other guys find out..
Not human." Kisaragi Chiyo shook her head, looking at Scotland's stunned expression, repeated, "Not human.
"Not human?" Scotland seemed unable to understand.
"Have you ever heard of an Exorcist?" As soon as Kisaragi Chiyo said this, Scotland instantly understood what she meant.
“Is it something like a Paper Shikigami.. I see, I will take you to the broadcasting room.”
"But if I may ask, what is your companion's name?" Scotland had never seen a yokai, but he had seen many things here: sin-ridden demons, vengeful spirits of those who died unjustly, earthbound spirits of those who committed suicide, the innocent ghosts of those who had died in accidents..
But Scotland had never seen a Yokai. The legends recorded in the Hyakumonogatari surfaced in his mind—beings evolved from folklore, animals, or objects. It was truly miraculous.
"Matsuda Jinpei." Kisaragi Chiyo was not worried about what the other could do once he knew Matsuda's name.
The shortest curse of a name does not mean that simply knowing someone's name allows you to do something. Rather, it is only when a name is given willingly and voluntarily that it holds the power of a contract.
The demon ahead stopped in its tracks, slowly turning around with a slightly hypocritical smile on its face.
“Um..” Scotland spoke, "Could you please say that again?"
I think I might have just hallucinated.
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Author's Note: Thanks to all the little angels for your support, mwah 030
Chapter 97
Scotland actually could not remember very clearly how long he had been here. Regarding the fact that he had become a vengeful spirit after his death, he quickly chose to accept it after a moment of slight surprise.
In this station, where all manner of ghosts and vengeful spirits gathered, there was no accurate distinction between day and night or time, naturally, there were no seasonal changes.
Scotland had also tried to leave this place, but there was always an invisible barrier blocking the exits leading outside the station. Beyond it was a blinding expanse of white light, but the closer he got, the more he felt a sharp, burning pain across his body.