"Your Father Is An Evil Ghost."

"Hello, hello, can you hear me?"

Before using the Imperial Spirit Technique, Uesugi Tetsu first gathered some Spiritual Power in his palm and then spoke to the stuffed doll.

Naturally, nothing happened.

The stuffed doll continued to stare at Uesugi Tetsu with its black pearl-like eyes, silent.

But it was fine, this was the control group.

The experimental group was next.

Uesugi Tetsu chanted a spell while carefully channeling an equal amount of Spiritual Power. With his fingertip, he drew a simple five-pointed star on the doll's forehead, the "kikyo-in" used in Onmyōdō.

According to the Imperial Spirit Technique, he should now be able to communicate simply with the stuffed doll.

However, it didn't specify how this communication would work.

After reviewing the process in his mind once more, confirming he hadn't made a single mistake, Uesugi Tetsu, ready to transform into a Laughing Brahma at any moment, asked again:

"Can you hear me? Can you hear me?"

The stuffed doll remained motionless, not even bothering to turn its backside towards him.

"That's strange."

Uesugi Tetsu scratched his head, preparing to ask Nanjō Emi.

[Moon Sand]: Nanjō-sis, I accidentally learned some techniques to communicate with spirit-possessed objects before, but it seems to have no effect on the doll you gave me.

After putting down his phone, Uesugi Tetsu began speaking to the doll in various languages and in various ways, but unfortunately, all his efforts were in vain.

"—The latter half of Hasegawa's body was found? Okay, then pack it together."

When a colleague who came to handle the aftermath approached, Nanjō Emi returned to her usual cold and capable demeanor.

There was no sign of the slacking off she had been doing just minutes before, smoking and complaining incessantly.

Beside the gradually dying sea of flames, an intern with short hair, wearing an ID card on her chest, got out of the car and timidly walked up to Nanjō Emi.

"Younger Division Excellency, my name is Shizuma Mafuyu. I will be your [Trainee] from now on, replacing Mr. Hasegawa."

"Oh."

Nanjō Emi nodded indifferently. "Be careful, don't die."

Her unapproachable demeanor left Shizuma Mafuyu unsure of how to respond.

She could only swallow her self-introduction and stand by, watching as Nanjō Emi took out her phone and her expression changed drastically.

Shizuma Mafuyu quickly asked, pulling out her special phone, "What's wrong?"

Nanjō Emi shook her head. "No, it's nothing."

It was definitely not nothing!

She remembered clearly that she had just finished typing a message to Uesugi Tetsu on her alternate account on LINE just two or three minutes ago, and now he was asking about the Imperial Spirit Technique?!

Could it be that within these few minutes, Uesugi Tetsu had learned the written version of the Imperial Spirit Technique and already used it on the stuffed doll?!

Nanjō Emi silently swallowed. "How is that possible…"

No, perhaps it really was possible.

After inquiring about several details, Nanjō Emi had to admit that Uesugi Tetsu had indeed learned the Imperial Spirit Technique.

Even if he had only grasped the most basic and superficial parts of it.

"Little Hiyori Bō wasn't wrong, he's truly a genius."

Nanjō Emi thought to herself.

She let out a breath and looked at the message on her alternate account from four minutes ago: "He's a once-in-a-millennium prodigy, a peerless genius."

[Nanjō-sis]: To communicate with the stuffed doll, you need to say my name twice in a row, and then it will speak. As for the mental influence, it exists, but it's slight and benign, intended to help you avoid some kind of danger.

[Moon Sand]: Understood, thank you for taking the time to reply, Nanjō-sis.

"Younger Division Excellency." Seeing the surrounding vehicles gradually decreasing, Shizuma Mafuyu said softly, "Aren't we leaving yet?"

Her words pulled Nanjō Emi out of her shock. She turned and gave Shizuma Mafuyu a faint smile, patting her head. "Thank you for the reminder, let's go."

"N-no need to thank me!"

Shizuma Mafuyu immediately stood at attention. She lowered her head, her ears red, and walked towards the driver's seat.

Nanjō Emi, however, didn't notice her small actions, only marveling at how many geniuses there were in the world.

And at this moment, that "once-in-a-millennium genius" was waving his arms wildly at the stuffed doll:

"—Nanjō Emi, Nanjō Emi! Can you hear me!"

The stuffed doll seemed to have finally heard the correct command. It slowly turned its head, finally looking at Uesugi Tetsu, and said dryly, "Please ask your question."

Uesugi Tetsu leaned closer to the doll in surprise. After examining it for a while, he heard the doll speak again.

"Please ask your question."

It seemed like that was the only thing it could say.

Perhaps it was because his current Imperial Spirit Technique level was too low and his Spiritual Power too scarce, preventing the doll from speaking freely.

What question should he ask this doll?

Uesugi Tetsu thought of Nanjō Emi's answer just now.

The answer stated that the doll's mental influence was to prevent him from encountering danger.

So Uesugi Tetsu asked, "I want to know, what dangers are around me?"

The doll blinked.

Then, in a very quiet and slow voice, it said, "Father."

Father?

Uesugi Tetsu was a bit confused about how those two words were connected.

He squeezed the doll's hand and asked, "Can you elaborate?"

In the silence, the doll first looked back, and after confirming something, it continued, "Your father..."

My father?

Uesugi Tetsu was even more bewildered. His dad just watched soccer games every day, right? Could watching games at odd hours lead to the destruction of the world?

The doll fell silent again, seemingly contemplating something.

Uesugi Tetsu shook the doll, his face full of curiosity. "Dude, what do you mean by leaving me hanging?"

The doll stared at him silently for a long moment before speaking:

"--Your father is an Evil Ghost."

It was like being reminded by someone else, searching for your phone for a long time only to find it in your hand, or rummaging through the whole house only to find your keys in your pocket.

The veil of "ignorance" in Uesugi Tetsu's mind shattered effortlessly as the doll's words fell.

He suddenly understood, immediately recognizing all the inconsistencies about his "father," and then severely criticized his past foolish self.

These ghosts these days are really something else. Is the family registry down to its last page? Why do they always like to play parent!

After his internal monologue, Uesugi Tetsu silently repeated the doll's words.

Then, he broke out in a cold sweat.

An Evil Ghost?

What level was an Evil Ghost? How many stars!?

A chill ran down Uesugi Tetsu's spine. He realized that if his father-ghost could deceive him in an instant and construct so many false memories, it was far beyond his ability to resist.

He couldn't stay in this house! He definitely couldn't stay here tonight!

Uesugi Tetsu quickly got out of bed, not bothering with anything else, intending to grab the doll and jump out the window.

But at some point, the doll had already jumped off the bed, turned its back to him, and was silently facing the door.

Seeing this, Uesugi Tetsu's scalp tingled, and he also looked towards the door.

Thump.

Thump-thump.

Outside the door, there was a knock.