"This is so fruit, Rei Ao-kun—take as much as you like."
Mrs. Yotsuya brought over a plate of fruit. anwhile, Rei Ao cast his gaze about the room's layout, pausing when he noticed a closed-off chamber.
From what Yotsuya Miko had explained, that was the room where her father's and younger brother's morial tablets were kept. Miko sensed what Rei Ao intended and knew what to do next. She went to her mother and coaxed her cutely:
"Mom, could you go back to your room for a bit? There's sothing private Rei Ao-nii and I need to talk about."
"Huh?"
Mrs. Yotsuya was puzzled by what private matter they might have—until she recalled that both of them were a teenage boy and girl. Realization struck: maybe it was so kind of budding romance issue. Indeed, her daughter was at the age where such feelings start to develop, so it'd be awkward for her to linger. Nodding in understanding, she returned to her room.
Alone in the living room, Rei Ao stood and headed toward the room with the morial tablets. Miko followed, nervous and uneasy, aware it likely held the spirits of her father and brother.
When Rei Ao slid the door open—
"Wah!!!"
Miko gasped in alarm. She saw two faint, human-shaped figures hovering in midair above the pair of morial tablets set on a small table—one large, one small: her father and her younger brother.
"Gotta go back… Gotta go back…"
They both muttered blankly, eyes empty.
"Rei Ao-nii… They don't seem monstrous, but…sothing's off," Miko said, confused about what was happening.
Rei Ao explained, "They haven't turned into evil spirits yet. Right now, they're just restless souls in a chaotic, half-awake state. They have no clear consciousness, but they also haven't been tainted by negative energy."
"But if that goes on, they'll eventually beco evil spirits?"
"What do we do, then?"
Frightened, Miko clung to Rei Ao's sleeve.
"Physical deliverance."
With a glance from Rei Ao—
"!!!"
A crimson fla instantly engulfed the two incomplete souls, burning them away completely. He made sure there was no pain—partly out of kindness, and partly because, while they weren't truly Miko's father and brother anymore, they had almost beco his future father-in-law and brother-in-law, in a sense.
"Is…is it over?"
In the brief mont Miko blinked, her dad and brother were gone, reduced to nothing by fire.
"Haha, that's physical deliverance—quick and direct. But you might need to explain things to your mom now."
"Huh?"
Following Rei Ao's line of sight, Miko turned. Standing there was her mother, looking utterly stunned, her mouth trembling at the scene.
…
The three of them sat in the living room, the atmosphere somber. Miko stood, fidgeting apologetically:
"Mom, I'm sorry I opened that room! I know you told never to do that!"
Mrs. Yotsuya had warned her many tis not to go in there. Now, not only had she opened it, she'd also been caught.
"…"
Mrs. Yotsuya sat with a complex expression on her face, silent for a few monts. At last, she parted her lips:
"Miko, it's not your fault."
"Do you know why I always told you never to open that room?"
"Um… because Dad and my brother's morial tablets are in there."
Miko had always assud her mom simply wanted to keep them undisturbed, as a sign of respect for the dead.
However—
"Sigh…"
Mrs. Yotsuya let out a deep sigh. "Miko, in fact, my eyes can see things that ordinary people can't."
"Huh?"
Miko lifted her head in shock, knowing all too well about seeing what shouldn't be seen.
"Mom, you can see them too?"
There was a glimr in her mother's golden eyes, although her face was laced with worry. "Yes, I can see them—though I never thought you would…"
"Ah, so that's it," said Rei Ao. "Mrs. Yotsuya, you look quite drained. I imagine all the oddities you've been seeing have been wearing you down?"
"Mmh." Mrs. Yotsuya nodded resignedly. "Recently, I realized I could see these strange apparitions."
"Mom's awakened spirit sight too!"
"Spirit…sight?" Mrs. Yotsuya repeated the term, not having heard it before.
Rei Ao explained, "It's a special ability enabling you to see evil spirits and other unseen entities. You can think of it as a kind of superpower."
"Ohhh, a superpower?"
She was astonished, but she was even more astonished by Rei Ao.
"Rei Ao-kun, how do you know all this? And about my husband and child—what was that situation? I'd like you to tell ."
Her eyes pleaded for answers. Even though she and her late husband had the title of 'husband and wife'—albeit for a short ti—she was a traditional woman who yearned to learn the truth of what happened.
"…This world isn't as simple as it looks," Rei Ao said. He didn't mind explaining, especially to such a lovely, cultured, and intriguing lady. It took him so ti, but he filled her in on the true nature of things.
"So that's how it is…"
Mrs. Yotsuya stared blankly. Souls, evil spirits… Who knew the world wasn't quite so normal, that most people simply lacked the 'eyes' to see such things. Yet gaining these special eyes hardly pleased her.
"It's safest when you can't see them," she murmured heavily. "Maybe having these eyes is really just a curse?"
Rei Ao shrugged. "In other worlds, maybe not. But here, it could be considered one."
"I personally don't mind, but… for Miko…" Mrs. Yotsuya hugged her daughter, face clouded with sadness. She knew that with such eyes, Miko might spend her life in constant terror.
"Mom, don't worry. Rei Ao-nii gave a charm that can wipe out evil spirits!" Miko exclaid, taking out the black crystal to show her mother.
"Huh? There's really such a charm?"
Mrs. Yotsuya examined it curiously. Given everything Rei Ao seed to know—plus how he had delivered her husband's restless spirit—she felt inclined to trust him.
"In that case, Mrs. Yotsuya," said Rei Ao, "since you're Miko's mother, you should have one too."
He casually conjured another magic-infused crystal and handed it to her. Then, spreading his five fingers, he laid a barrier around the house.
"I've set a ward on your ho now, so no evil spirits can approach in the future."
~~~
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