Ghost Hunt:Volume 7 Chapter 5
Ghost Hunt Volume 7 Chapter 5: 3pm-5:30pm
1
I looked at my surroundings.
“What’s up, Mai?”
Upon hearing Ayako’s question, I was just about to say if there was any sound, the minute sound passed once more into my ears.
(---Ah---)
John lifted his head slightly.
(---Ah---Ah---)
The sound of the rain was mixed into it so it wasn’t very clear, but what I heard was definitely a person’s voice. Simultaneous with the voice I also heard some creaking sounds; I lifted my head – the sound appeared to come from above.
“Have you heard the voice yet?”
Ayako also lifted her head to look towards the ceiling.
“There is indeed; it looks like there is something going on up there.”
Just as I spoke, the creaking muddled with the human voice rose once more. Was it the voice of a child or an adult, a male or a female? I couldn’t tell.
“There seems to be something on the second floor—”
Naru was the first to check on the situation in the corridor, with us following behind. The creaking sound was as though there was someone sneaking around the second floor.
Slowly, everyone walked to the base of the staircase, then up one or two steps, and observed the situation on the second floor. Indeed, the second floor was emitting the sound – a small, faraway sound, calling for something.
“I’m going to take a look.”
Just as Lin was about to go up, he was stopped by Naru.
“It’s better not to get separated.”
“But there is a door over there.”
Saying that, Lin looked at the false wall in front of us – there was a small door across that.
“If everyone were to get trapped on the second floor then the situation would be even more disastrous.”
“But—”
“It’ll be fine, Brown-kun.”
“Alright.”
“I’ll leave this place to you then; Matsuzaki-san too.”
Matsuzaki felt unhappy because she was mentioned just in passing. And she had the time to express her dissatisfaction – she really has enough guts.
“Yes! Yes! I know.”
Everyone nodded, then we moved to the side of the false wall. Lin-san opened the latch. Once the door was opened, we could hear the sounds from inside clearly. Although it wasn’t clear what the voice said, it was indeed that of a human.
“We will wait here.”
“We’ll be counting on you.”
Saying that, Lin-san bent his back and went upstairs. To prevent the door from closing, we propped up the door while looking at Lin-san’s diminishing back, continually following Lin-san’s figure until he disappeared beyond the bend. For some reason we felt unsettled.
“Ne, is it really alright to let him go alone?”
“It’s fine, because he isn’t you.”
– It is indeed true to say so; Lin-san is more powerful than we are – this, I’m well aware of. But for some reason I had an extremely distasteful, unsettled feeling in my heart.
“It is exactly as Matsuzaki-san has said.”
John tactfully soothed.
“Yeah…”
Due to the uneasy atmosphere, I could only nod. Just at this time, I felt some random, very large object hurtle from the school, and an extremely powerful impact.
“What was that?!”
Dong! There was a low vibration, and the building creaked and shook. A moment later the surroundings were hit several more times by the impact. I couldn’t help falling to my seat.
The false wall had crumbled; the dust that descended from the ceiling made it impossible to open my eyes.
“What in the world is this?”
Just as Ayako spoke, the resounding footsteps rushed over once more. Although what we heard was the sound of many people running, it could not have possibly been the sound of Lin-san’s footsteps running back – the sound was that of running from the second floor corridor towards our current location; the sound of running and laughter, combined with a few childish cheers.
“Lin-san!”
It’s alright, Lin-san will answer and then come back. In my fright, the door had shut.
“Lin-san!”
Hurriedly grasping the dirty wooden boards, the door opened surprisingly easily.
– It’s good, it’s still good.
“Lin-san, are you alright?! Come back.”
I stuck my head in and called, but there was no reply.
“Lin-san! Do you hear me?”
“—Lin!”
Even Naru’s voice elicited no reply. All at once the surroundings turned completely silent, only the sound of the rain continued on.
– What happened? It was strange.
“I’m going to take a look.”
Naru bent his body and squeezed through, with John following behind. To prevent the door from closing once more, this time Ayako propped it open. At this time, John turned back.
“The two of you shouldn’t stay behind on your own, come along with us.”
Naru nodded.
Ayako opened her mouth and asked,
“What about the door?”
I ignored the door Ayako pointed at, and stepped straight up the stairs.
“Let’s worry about Lin-san at this time instead.”
“Yeah… that’s right.”
All of us reached the second floor. On one side of the corridor that stretched straight in front of us were seven classrooms in a row, all of which were practically empty. Looking through the windows facing the corridor, we could tell in a glance if there was anyone there. But we still had to enter every classroom to confirm it.
However, we couldn’t find a glimpse of Lin-san anywhere.
“How could this be…?”
This was the only line I could say.
“He couldn’t have exited the building through the windows, could he?”
John said, while testing the second floor windows once more. Although everyone tested the windows, this place was the second floor; it was not possible to jump out through the windows. If he had opened the window and left, then the window should have been opened. Even I knew that it was impossible for Lin-san to run away on his own.
“Naru, look at this.”
Ayako pointed at the floor by her side. We found black colored stains on the dust on the floor.
“This…”
Naru squatted beside the fist-sized stain, and used his finger to gently touch it, then looked unswervingly at his finger.
“—It looks like blood.”
“Blood? Lin-san’s?”
“I don’t know, but it is indeed fresh blood.”
Why would it fall here?!
“Do you want to take another look? There could be a blind spot somewhere.”
Upon hearing Ayako’s words, everyone nodded.
We thoroughly checked all the windows and classrooms. We had no choice but to admit: the windows could not be opened.
And – Lin-san had vanished.
2
We just stood there like this in the second floor corridor, temporarily stunned.
Nobody spoke, an uneasy heaviness hung in the air; to escape this feeling, I looked towards Naru. He looked as though he was considering something.
“Ne, Lin-san will be fine, won’t he –?”
Naru’s reply made me very depressed.
“I don’t know.”
“How can you not know?!”
“I’m telling the truth, I don’t know what caused this, and I also don’t know how Lin is now. What we know right now is that Lin is no longer in this school compound.”
He wasn’t in the school compound, but looking through the windows as far as I could see, Lin’s shadow was nowhere to be found.
“How can this happen?”
Repeatedly mumbling to himself; these were the only words he spoke.
– If only we didn’t let him go up alone, if only someone had gone together with him. No! It should be: if only we didn’t let him go at all.
“Regardless, from now on, we must never be alone.”
– It’s already too late to say this now.
Ayako shook me, who hung my head.
“Lin is definitely alright, and doesn’t he have shikigami with him?”
“Yeah…”
“Anyway right now we must be multiply cautious, that’s why we must never be alone, and try to stay within the group.”
Naru told everyone firmly, and we nodded.
“Don’t leave beyond everyone else’s line of sight, and when anything happens, hold on to the clothing and hands of the person next to you.”
– Yeah.
Nodding my head I repeated Naru’s words silently to remember them. At this time I heard some sound besides that of the rain coming from outside the window. It was the sound of a lot of water splashed around – the sound of a car splashing water.
“It’s Bou-san and the rest!”
I got nearer to the window, and through the grimy glass I could see the white car parked on the field.
“It’s Bou-san!”
“That’s great!”
Ayako’s tone of voice had relaxed as well.
“Have that irreverent monk open the door for us from outside.”
“But, can it be opened -?”
John spoke a little worriedly.
“Although I think it is very likely the door can be opened from the outside, …”
“If it can’t be opened won’t they go ask people and tradesmen etc? Although we don’t know what power has sealed the school, if a bulldozer or something is used, it should still be possible to make an opening.”
Hn, this is over the top as well.
“–Crap!”
I heard Naru’s exclamation, but before I could comprehend it’s meaning, Naru had already started running in the direction of the stairs.
“What’s up?”
“What would we do after it is open?”
– Ai?
Although I didn’t understand the reason, it was a case of run first talk later; we exchanged a glance.
Won’t the problem be solved once it is opened?
“—Ah!”
It was John who made the sound.
“Ah ha?”
“If after the door is opened, and even Takigawa-san etc are sealed in as well…”
Opening the door wouldn’t be a problem, but if the three persons completely ignorant of the situation enter without thinking, and then get sealed in…
If we didn’t hurry, and did not wait in front of the door before Bou-san and co reached the outside of the door…
Although we started sprinting, we were stopped in our tracks. “Dong!” The school compound rang once more with an intense sound of an impact, as though some giant object hurtled around the school.
Unable to stand, I was forced to sit. Immediately I grabbed Ayako’s hand beside me.
– We definitely could not get separated.
“Dong!” The glass in the windows groaned, the building started tipping, creating an unpleasant sound. It started to continuously hit the classroom’s walls, ceiling, and floor; as though recklessly applying a sledgehammer. I couldn’t help using my hands to cover my ears.
Ayako loudly chanted,
“归命！普遍！诸金刚！暴恶魔障！” (tl/n: I’m leaving this chant as it was in the Chinese raw. Apparently the Japanese/Chinese translator wasn’t too sure about the chant either. Literally, it means: Return to life! All! All Buddha’s warrior attendants! Hinder the cruel demons!)
All of a sudden the sound stopped, but only for a moment before it started again. I covered my ears in an attempt to block the sound of the impacts that came from below.
Naru was the first to stand up; the stairs were right in front of him.
Who was it preventing us from getting to the entrance hall? Leaning closely against the wall I followed the stairs down, and the banging noise was immediately heard. From beneath the ground were tremors that prevented us from descending; the dust that hailed from above made one blink uncontrollably. Regardless, we had to hurry down.
After that Naru stood at the small door and John also stood next to him. I went over there as well.
The door that was already half rotted away – could not be opened.
“—As expected.”
“Please take a step back.”
Hearing John’s words, I hurriedly retreated; droplets of water stuck to my face.
John shook the small bottle and drew a cross in mid air.
“In the name of the lord I order thou sinister force be gone!”
At the same time Naru kicked hard with his foot, and that little door immediately went flying.
“—how exciting.”
Yasuhara smiled, still holding a dripping umbrella. Masako and Bou-san looked blankly at us.
The sound had stopped sometime ago. Only the rain could be heard.
Then we looked at the three of them. The door behind them was closed.
3
“Bou-san! The door!”
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