"Miss Shizuku, what did you just do?"
As they stepped through the gates of Himuro Mansion, Mayu Hinase asked in a low voice. Shizuku merely smiled faintly.
"Lure the snake out of its hole... or perhaps beat the grass to startle the snake."
"Huh?"
"Think of it like a forest."
Shizuku raised a hand and drew a circle around the enormous Himuro Mansion before them.
"You know how forests contain all kinds of animals: harmless little white rabbits, cunning venomous snakes, eagles soaring through the sky, herds of deer wandering through the woods, and tigers, kings of all beasts... Haunted houses are much the same. Some contain harmless Jibakurei, while others harbor extremely dangerous evil spirits. But just like animals in a forest, ghosts have a very strong sense of territory."
At that, Shizuku turned to Mayu Hinase.
"You've probably seen it on television. In wildlife documentaries, if another predator enters its territory, the tiger or lion that lives there will fight to drive it away. That's what I'm doing now. The evil spirits of Himuro Mansion have occupied this place for a long time; it has already become their nest. By sending in a group of foreign undead, I've invaded their territory. They definitely won't just stand by and watch."
"I see."
After hearing Shizuku's explanation, Mayu Hinase nodded and asked another question.
"Then the evil spirits inside...?"
"The reckless ones are basically all dead. The rest are either harmless little white rabbits, venomous snakes hiding motionlessly in the grass, or..."
Shizuku paused, then looked at Mayu Hinase.
"I just received a report from the banshees. It seems they didn't detect the presence of any living people in this mansion."
"...I see..."
Mayu Hinase's face turned much paler at Shizuku's answer. Of course, she understood the implication behind those