Akari let his passive-aggressive little speech roll off her like water off a duck’s back. She’d been expecting it, you see.
If all the house’s books were kept in this one room, then that meant Akari and her crew had almost the entirety of the workload. Somehow that piece of logic hadn’t registered in Amagai’s man-brain.
Akari knew his type. He thought that just because she was a woman, that automatically made her work inferior to his and gave him the right to look down his nose at her.
Casually, she reached out and put a warning hand on Tomohito’s arm. She’d been expecting this.
“Back to work, Tomohito. We’ll have time for talking later.”
“…All right.”
Akari jumped right back in. At times like this, it was better to keep your head down and just think of the pay. Sighing theatrically, Amagai sat on the floor and watched.
“I can’t believe you haven’t made more progress when you have not one, but two Kotogami helping you. Are you here to be a Narrator or just to goof off?”
“My apologies.”
Silence would be taken as insubordination, so Akari bit out an insincere apology instead. Let him berate her if that was what he wanted. He’d get bored all the sooner, then hopefully get lost.
“What’s with the pretty boy? Only a young unmarried woman would want to manifest a Kotogami just for his looks. Pathetic. And where did you find that dirty-looking old samurai? Look at him—he’s just slobbing around on the floor. Kotogami are meant to serve humans. If he can’t even do that, he should be tossed out with the trash.”
“I chose my Kotogami well, thank you very much.”
Whoops. Akari had gotten sassy. She felt a pang of instant regret, but it was too late to take it back. Amagai stared at her, eyes bulging. He hadn’t been expecting any backtalk from her, that much was clear. Akari lowered her head politely and attempted some damage control.
“Tomohito is here to assist me with practical matters. And Kansuke Mishima is here in case of any violent resistance from unruly Kotogami. Both have been doing a fine job.”
Akari saw Kansuke’s eyes widen with surprise from his position slouched against the wall.
But hadn’t he been watching over the books with the negative spirits for her, until Amagai came along and exorcised them? He’d done his job of protecting them both, just as Akari had said. He’d been on the alert, ready to leap in without delay.
Even Tomohito looked surprised.
“You noticed?”
“Mm-hmm. Actually, I noticed that Kansuke hasn’t touched a drop of alcohol this morning. And when that dark aura rose from the books before, he prevented it from floating my way.”
Akari wasn’t sure how book exorcism worked, but that was how it had seemed to her.
The handbook also said that when a layperson takes part in a Kotogatari retrieval mission, they should be guarded at all times by a Narrator or capable Kotogami. Which means Kansuke did exactly what the handbook said to do. Still, he could have filled her in on what he was doing.
“As I’m sure you’re aware, Second Lieutenant Amagai, I am only here in an assistant capacity and I do not have the qualifications needed to handle Kotogami. Without you being here, I felt it imprudent to do anything more than simply look through the books. I apologize for how long the process has been taking.”
Feeling Kansuke’s silent gaze on her, Akari bowed politely to Amagai and then returned to her work.
Amagai was probably about to give her hell for her impertinence. And Munakata would be none too pleased with her later on either. But whatever.
From the corner of her eye, Akari saw Amagai get to his feet, red-faced and trembling with rage.
Bong. Bong. All of a sudden, they could hear a clock’s gong booming away downstairs.
Akari turned to check the clock on the wall. It showed three p.m.
At the same moment, a Western record began to play. A woman’s voice, singing a sweet song.
The tune was so familiar. Forgetting her surroundings, Akari allowed herself to close her eyes for just a moment.
The books that Amagai had sealed with the sacred paper slips began to jitter violently.
“What the?!”
Before their eyes, the paper strips blackened and crumbled to dust, and a midnight-black shadow billowed from the books.
Before Tomohito could even leap in front of a shocked Akari…
Before Amagai could even reach for his book bag…
Before anyone could even move a muscle, Kansuke had sprung into action.
He leaped to his feet, black hair flying, eyes darting.
As Tomohito pulled Akari against him, the column of roiling black smoke was suddenly bisected neatly at the midpoint.
Kansuke had drawn his sword, quick as lightning, and dealt a killing blow without a fraction of hesitation.
Akari was still trying to process what had happened when Tomohito helpfully spelled it out, still holding her close.
“Kansuke has just cut down the vengeful energy! It appears it managed to take on a kind of physical form…”
“I… I see.”
“How did it do that, though? It shouldn’t have been strong enough to take shape.” Amagai was rubbing his chin, muttering to himself. Just then the house was filled with the sounds of screaming and a commotion.
Amagai’s head snapped up, and he clucked his tongue in irritation before snapping at Akari, “I suppose now I have to go and check that out. You, come with me.”
“Y-Yes, of course. Kansuke, Tomohito…”
Akari trotted obediently behind Amagai down the hallway. From another connecting hallway, the residence’s owner came skidding into view and dashed toward them.
In the background, they could see several of the stronger male servants desperately holding shut a thick iron door, while another one fumbled for the lock.
Something was throwing itself violently against the door, making it shake on its hinges…
“What’s going on?!”
Amagai shouted imperiously at the homeowner, who wrung his hands in desperation.