Miko Becomes a Demonic Cultivator

Watching her friend act like this, Yotsuya Miko naturally wore a speechless expression.

Not at all.

She said it to herself, filled with the relief of having narrowly escaped disaster once again.

Yet the thought that had surfaced earlier was difficult to suppress for the moment.

The Nine Nether Profound Soul Treasure Record...?

Sure enough, she could see everything crystal clear.

What kind of aptitude was that?

Zhang Qiudao, the Myriad Transformation Devil Venerable, the Demonic Path—what exactly were those?

Yotsuya Miko felt that perhaps she needed to do something.

The classes that followed could not exactly be called peaceful, but they could certainly be called perilous.

After PE class, they went to the changing room to change clothes, only to find a Head Ghost inside Yurikawa Hana's locker. It scared her badly. Especially when her friend asked her to retrieve the phone beside the Head Ghost—the Head Ghost's sudden scare nearly made her lose control of the terror in her heart.

In that instant, her face turned ashen.

Fortunately, her strong will ultimately allowed her to remain unmoved. But after taking the phone, closing the locker, and handing it to her friend, her legs gave out and she slumped to the floor.

It was only after returning to the classroom that Yotsuya Miko felt a little better.

Especially since that idiot Hana had actually taken off her underwear while changing in the locker room.

She was thankful that Yurikawa Hana had at least helped draw away some attention. Otherwise, today might have been truly unbearable.

After all, these Ghosts were everywhere.

Thinking back to all the different Ghosts she had seen in the hallway, Yotsuya Miko finally realized just how widespread they were.

Though those things seemed to be all over the school too, they hadn't done anything to me.

She closed her eyes and tried to reassure herself.

As long as I'm careful not to react to them, I should be able to...

"Miko."

"Hmm?"

Yotsuya Miko opened her eyes and looked at Yurikawa Hana.

Hana braced both hands on Miko's desk and pleaded.

"Come with me to the changing room one more time."

Recalling the Head Ghost she had encountered earlier, Yotsuya Miko refused without mercy.

"Absolutely not."

Hearing that, Hana looked like a wife abandoned by her husband, disbelief written across her face.

She took a step back, wearing an expression that said, "So this is the kind of person you are."

"You refused right away?"

However, that pose did not last long. She then smacked her own butt with a sharp clap, and her whole demeanor changed again.

"Forget it."

"Anyway, it won't affect my daily life at all."

"It won't?"

Looking at this idiot, Miko wondered if perhaps she should not have refused.

But Yurikawa Hana showed no discomfort whatsoever. She straightened her skirt and sat down at her desk.

"But I'm really hungry right now."

Apparently, compared to such a "minor matter" as not wearing underwear, filling her stomach was the truly important thing in Yurikawa Hana's life.

"By the way, I heard Mrs. Donut has a half-price sale right now."

"Miko, did you know?"

Yotsuya Miko nodded, though she still glanced uneasily at Hana's skirt hem as she gave a perfunctory reply.

"Yeah."

"You should've told me earlier, then."

As her gaze swept over her, she suddenly sensed that something was off.

"Oh, how about we go buy some after school today?"

As Yurikawa Hana spoke, imagining the delicious taste of donuts, she pulled out the textbook she needed for class from her desk drawer.

Halfway through pulling it out, Yotsuya Miko finally realized where her bad feeling was coming from.

There, on the textbook Hana had pulled out, was a Ghost Hand.

The discovery made Yotsuya Miko's pupils contract.

"I really like that one."

"That soft, squishy... huh?"

From Yotsuya Miko's perspective, a Ghost Hand had tightly seized Yurikawa Hana's math textbook.

"What was it called? Let me think..."

The Ghost Hand fumbled over the textbook as if it had sensed something. In an instant, its limbs wrapped themselves around Yurikawa Hana.

"Oh,"

Hana looked at Yotsuya Miko.

"Honey Sweet Potato."

But with the Malevolent Ghost clinging to her, no matter what Hana said, Yotsuya Miko could no longer take it in.

Because from Miko's perspective, what she saw was far too bizarre for an underage girl like her.

Why?

An Encounter in the Health Room—Will the Flag Be Broken?

Why?

Watching the Malevolent Ghost coil its hands around Yurikawa Hana, Yotsuya Miko felt a sense of foreboding.

She had thought that as long as she did not provoke those Ghosts, she would be safe. Yet what was happening before her shattered that hopeful assumption.

Miko had no idea what would happen if Hana was possessed by a Ghost. Would she fall ill? Would she suffer a mental breakdown? She did not even dare imagine it.

She took a deep breath, rose unsteadily to her feet, and pushed Hana's desk aside, interrupting her friend's rambling about all kinds of delicious food.

"I suddenly feel so dizzy when I stand up."

"Are you anemic again?"

Yurikawa Hana asked with concern at her drastic reaction.

Whether it was her sudden collapse in the changing room or her pushing Hana's desk aside just now, Yotsuya Miko had seemed strange all day.

Was she anemic?

"Yes, anemia. Anemia."

At that moment, Yotsuya Miko only wanted the Malevolent Ghost tangled around Yurikawa Hana to go away as soon as possible. She had no time to explain any further.

When she pushed the desk aside, the Malevolent Ghost finally loosened the limbs wrapped around Hana.

In any case, they had to leave this place first.

Looking at the hands and feet flailing wildly in the desk drawer like Super Gluten Man, Miko felt a cold sweat bead on her forehead.

Especially when the Malevolent Ghost suddenly planted its feet on the floor and tried to crawl out of the drawer.

That would be disastrous.

Without hesitation, Yotsuya Miko grabbed Yurikawa Hana's hand.

"Hana, let's go to the Health Room together."

With that, she pulled Yurikawa Hana out of the classroom at a light run.

Having no idea what had happened to her, Yurikawa Hana looked at the suddenly anxious Yotsuya Miko, her confusion growing even deeper.

"Are you really okay...?"

Miko did not answer her question. She simply kept running, trying to shake off the Ghost.

However, when she turned to look at Yurikawa Hana, she discovered that the Ghost had long since wrapped itself around Hana again.

Separation failed...

Yotsuya Miko gave up struggling.

At this point, there was no longer any point in going to the Health Room under the excuse of anemia.

She looked at Yurikawa Hana, who was entangled by the Ghost, and for a moment, she had no idea what to do.

Yet Hana entered the Health Room and eagerly began fiddling with a stethoscope.

For some reason, Teacher Kido, who was on duty, was not in the Health Room. At the moment, there were only two people and one Ghost inside.

"I can't really hear my heartbeat."

Yurikawa Hana placed the stethoscope against her chest, but her figure, more developed than that of girls her age, made it difficult for the stethoscope to do its job.

"Is fat blocking it?"

Hana looked at her ample chest in confusion. But after only a brief moment of puzzlement, she turned her gaze to Yotsuya Miko.

"Let me listen to your heartbeat."

As she spoke, her gaze fell on Yotsuya Miko's chest. Perhaps because of her beige school uniform jacket, it was difficult to see even the slightest curve. (Note 1)

"You should be able to hear it very clearly."

Yotsuya Miko replied irritably, "Are you looking for a fight?"

She did not dwell on the difference between the two of them, "Earth" and "Sun." Compared to the Ghosts currently clinging to Hana, it was nothing at all.

This was no time to fool around.

What should she do?

Instinctively, she turned her thoughts to the Nine Nether Profound Soul Treasure Record. Maybe there would be something in it...

No, no, that...

A glance from the corner of her eye landed on the disinfecting alcohol set aside nearby.

Yotsuya Miko pursed her lips. Maybe alcohol could kill Ghosts?

There was absolutely no basis for that idea, but right now, she could only try anything that might work.

"Did you know that stethoscopes actually carry a lot of bacteria?"

Like a child, Yurikawa Hana had pressed the stethoscope against her face and was playing with it to her heart's content. At Miko's words, she hurriedly pulled it away.

"Huh? Really?"

"After all, students with colds come in all the time."

"You should've told me sooner."

"Want to disinfect it?"

Miko quickly picked up the disinfecting alcohol. This was exactly why she had led Hana into that conversation.

"Then hold out your hand."

Yurikawa Hana set down the stethoscope and did as she was told.

As Yotsuya Miko looked at the disinfecting alcohol before her, though, she had no confidence in it either.