"That guy was telling the truth!" President Oiwa stared at the Law Ruler in disbelief. "This thing really can ward off ghosts!"
Ever since his car accident, he'd spent thirty years cooped up at home. Whenever he went out, his constitution seemed to attract all manner of unclean things. He'd already come close to death in the accident, and the experience had left him mentally unstable and prone to fright. If those things latched onto him, the consequences ranged from nightmares to serious illness. Little by little, he'd grown afraid to leave the house.
Over the years, he and his parents had tried to find a way to treat the problem. But the people they hired were either frauds or could only treat the symptoms. After a brief spell of peace, the trouble always came back. The protective charms they'd obtained were completely useless, too. Even now, he only dared to go to the izakaya near his home and the places where the group met. He wouldn't go anywhere else. He chose that izakaya because it was relatively "clean," not because of the food. And he drank every day so he could pass out quickly. Each night, not long after he fell asleep, he'd hear children screaming in resentment right beside his ear—the voices of the children he'd beaten with a willow switch. Lately, the voices had grown clearer, and small black handprints had started appearing on his body. Every morning, he woke with aches all over, as if someone had beaten him during the night...
But now he had this... The flame in his heart, once suppressed, had been rekindled. It was called "ambition." Like a spark setting a field ablaze, it flared up in an instant and raged out of control!
"I'm the president of the Lucky Mutual Aid Society! That money belongs to me!"
Within the Lucky Mutual Aid Society, he was the one who appeared to be in charge. All the members worshipped and revered him. But in reality, just as Qian Xiaoyi had said in that story, another partner had sidelined him. He'd tried to fight back, but so far it hadn't worked very well. And because of his constitution, he could only show up at certain places.
"No, calm down, Harada Taro." His excitement quickly sobered him up. "Don't get carried away just yet! Maybe what just happened was a fluke?"
He looked toward another alley. The streetlight flickered on and off because it was faulty. He swallowed, trembling as he stepped forward and walked down the alley...
That night, Harada Taro slept soundly. There were no nightmares, no icy sensations that jolted him awake, no unfamiliar eyes watching him, and no children's screams. When he got up, sunlight poured through the window, bright and warm. The whole world seemed brand new.
"What a wonderful thing... I don't have to be afraid anymore!" He stroked the Law Ruler, his expression like Gollum's as he gazed at the One Ring. He glanced at the bare willow switch by the bed and laughed, then tossed it into the trash. From now on, he wouldn't have to feel bad about beating the little ghosts. The cold, eerie feeling had been growing stronger lately, and he'd started to lose the will to help others "purge their bad luck."
"Maybe... this is my chance to fight back against that Matsui bastard! I'll show him who really calls the shots in the Lucky Mutual Aid Society!" Harada Taro excitedly picked up his phone and called one of the senior members. Tomorrow was the society's weekly gathering. Just like people who went to church, they needed to meet regularly to strengthen the group's bonds. It wasn't too late to start convincing people to take his side.
"Kuroda, it's me, Oiwa. How've you been lately?... Hahaha, you're too kind. It's only what I should do. How about it? You haven't had a purification ceremony in quite a while. Have you been having another run of bad luck? I happen to have some free time today. Call the others over, and I'll perform a purification ceremony for you."
Harada Taro was burning with excitement. With the Law Ruler, he could ignore the little ghosts' attacks and court the senior members without fear. These people were important members of the Lucky Mutual Aid Society, practically small shareholders in a company. With their support and his own prestige, wouldn't it be easy to suppress that hypocrite Matsui and take over? Then he'd truly become "President Oiwa"!
But the other man's words over the phone plunged him into an icy abyss.
"What did you say?! You've already had the purification ceremony? Yesterday?" Harada Taro shrieked. "Who did it for you? That ceremony is dangerous! Only a professional can do it... You're saying it really worked? Tell me, who was it?"
After talking for a while, Harada Taro hung up. His expression darkened as he realized who the other man was describing: the boy Matsui had invited to the last gathering. Like Harada Taro, that boy could see those things!
Harada Taro's eyes instantly filled with blood. He clenched his teeth and muttered under his breath, "He actually wants someone to replace me? He really does want someone to replace me! Matsui Ryoji, you've gone too far! Don't blame me for what I do next."
He quickly called the senior members he was on good terms with and spoke to them indignantly about something. By the time he'd finished, it was already noon. Harada Taro's face was gloomy as he said viciously, "War is coming!"
On a street in a residential neighborhood, Matsui emerged from an old house dressed in a suit. He put a thick envelope into his briefcase, then took the phone from between his head and shoulder and replied breezily, "Oh~~~ The president actually told you about this? What? Hahaha, of course it's not true. Don't worry, I won't say you told me. As for what's really going on... you'll find out tomorrow. You absolutely have to come to the gathering tomorrow. Something exciting is going to happen..."
Matsui shook his head and hung up, then gave a mocking laugh. "That old shut-in actually realized I was going to make a move against him? How strange. But what difference does it make? He actually thinks he can overthrow me, the one in charge and the true founder of the Lucky Mutual Aid Society? What an idiot. Wouldn't it be better to stay on as the president everyone looks up to? He could enjoy that lofty feeling a little longer... Still, it would've been boring if he'd gone down without a fight. Then let's start this war, President Oiwa... no, Harada Taro."
That evening, at the Lingkong Exorcism Office, Qian Xiaoyi said solemnly to Inuyama Heita, "Are you ready, Inuyama Heita-kun?"
Inuyama Heita nodded firmly.
Qian Xiaoyi asked with a straight face, "So, Private Inuyama Heita, are you certain Matsui will have someone buy high-end snacks for tomorrow's gathering?"
Inuyama Heita replied, "Yes, sir! I'm absolutely certain! Ms. Maria is in charge of setting up the venue. She told me all about it! I heard they spent 200,000 yen just buying the snacks."
"Yoo~shi~ That cheapskate Matsui, the guy who uses vegetable-cream cakes, has finally splurged for once." Qian Xiaoyi sat in the middle of the sofa and looked toward the hiking pack beside him. With a solemn air, he declared, "This is a war!"
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