Not a detective

Page 169

To ensure the fairness of the refereeing, Asakawa Riku watched the entire process without blinking for a moment.

However, Xingyu was disappointed. She did not find any paper or pen on the young lady. In fact, all her pockets were empty, with nothing but the medicine bottle.

After the body search was completed, Suetsuki took two pills and said:

"I don't carry any notebooks with me. I don't forget anything, so I don't need to write things down on paper."

Asakawa Riku knew about this situation. Her school uniform was borrowed, and of course, she didn't have anything with her. She even forgot to bring her life-saving medicine, let alone paper and pen.

He and Moyue had been together the whole way, so she probably didn't have a chance to get paper and pen. Therefore, even though Xingyu's performance was very genuine, he didn't dare to accuse Moyue of cheating.

“My notebook and pen are still with me. Both of you were present when you wrote down the card combinations to confirm them, so it wasn’t like you stole them from me.”

Asakawa Riku took out his paper and pen and said.

"However, that doesn't necessarily mean she didn't cheat!"

Xingyu persisted, firmly believing in her opinion: "She didn't have any murder weapon on her, so it's very likely that she disposed of it long ago. It's impossible for her to still be carrying it around waiting to be searched! She probably borrowed the paper and pen from someone else. This is a school; there are paper and pens in any classroom. It wouldn't be difficult to borrow them from any classmate!"

“That’s not right.” Mo Yue shook her head: “The rules state that we can’t enter the classroom or any room, and we are not allowed to talk to other people or ask for help. I remember that.”

"Since they've already cheated... how could they possibly follow the rules? I don't believe it!"

Seeing the two arguing fiercely, Asakawa Riku couldn't stand by and watch any longer, so he stepped in to smooth things over:

"Wait, don't rush. The hand in the last round was like this. Although both sides used two '7's, Xingyu, you used the 7 of spades and the 7 of hearts, while Moyue used the 7 of spades and the 7 of hearts. You just avoided clashing, so the penalty mechanism was not triggered. Although Moyue won, she only gained one point. You were actually tied 3-3."

He kept mixing the mud until it was too thick, otherwise Xingyu felt like she was about to pounce on him and start a fight.

"So, the outcome isn't decided yet... Regardless of whether there was cheating or not, how about we just call it a day, or have a tiebreaker? Let's not dwell on this round..."

"I don't want a tiebreaker! I've already won! Why should this be the end of it!"

"Calm down first, then we can talk."

Asakawa Riku finally managed to calm the agitated Hoshino, but to his surprise, Suezuki behind him was also causing trouble. She reached out and slowly extended her hand—

"Xingyu, you've already confirmed that I don't have paper or pen on me, right? But why do you have these things on you?"

Suezuki reached past Asakawa Riku and took out a notebook and a ballpoint pen from Hoshino's school uniform pocket.

Xingyu's struggling movements suddenly froze and stopped, staring in disbelief at the thing her young lady had taken out...

"……what?"

Asakawa Riku was dumbfounded; he hadn't expected things to take such a turn.

"Why do you have this on you? If I had to tell you, you would have had the opportunity to cheat. Xingyu, why did you so confidently say that the last piece of paper was [7]? Did you deliberately write down that useless number just to lure me in? Based on this reasoning, aren't you the one who cheated?"

Dongyun Suezuki hopped away lightly like a cat, examining the notebook in her hands, turning the pages one by one:

"Miss's special recipe is completely without milk and sugar, and it has to be the strongest black coffee."

"Remember to buy the limited-edition strawberry tarts for the young lady, two of them."

"This year's Christmas party might be dangerous, so we must protect her and Asakawa-kun."

"The summer school trip... I've planned it all out, I can deliberately switch to the B class's bus!"

Mo Yue paused for a moment and said:

"Of course you won't cheat, I know. This notebook is specifically for you to record my instructions and arrangements, but some of his contents have been added recently."

—Asakawa-kun, do you like me more or the young lady more?

She didn't read the sentence aloud, but instead decisively closed the notebook.

"But how come you didn't even bring such an important notebook with you, Hoshino?"

Mo Yue, holding the notebook, walked step by step toward Xing Yu, who was bowing his head in silence.

As I passed Riku Asakawa, I handed him the notebook:

"It's not time to mediate yet, assistant. The situation seems to be more than just a fight over a girl."

"...Don't tell me you don't mean..."

Asakawa Riku felt as if his blood had turned cold. From Suezuki's icy gaze, he gleaned some horribly bad information and an indescribable sense of pain.

Mo Yue didn't answer the question she didn't want to believe. She continued looking at the silent Xing Yu and pressed on:

"Why? You've been carrying my most important medicine bottle all this time, but I had to remind you just now. You couldn't possibly forget something so important."

"You're not Xingyu, so who are you?"

Zashiki-warashi no Aki: Chapter 47 Prajna

"Haha...hahahahahaha."

Xingyu finally broke her silence, but what followed was an even more unsettling burst of laughter.

The laughter gradually rose from a low, hoarse tone to a high-pitched one, and she tossed aside her golden hair, revealing a remarkably ferocious face:

"As expected, as expected. Only you could see it, only you noticed. Yes, you're right, I am no longer Xingyu."

The once clear and bright azure pupils seemed to have been tainted by something else, becoming cloudy and unclear.

"I am now Hoshimi Kohana. Don't call me by that name anymore. I am—[Hannya]."

"Prajna..."

Asakawa Riku's heart sank. Looking at the girl's abnormal and frantic state, he already knew what was going on.

The word Prajna has many interpretations, the most famous of which is probably the religious term, a transliteration of the Sanskrit word Prajna, one of the two major branches of Buddhism, namely "Zen".

It means "ultimate wisdom" or "discerning wisdom," specifically referring to the wisdom of truly recognizing the origin of all things and all things.

But the current situation is clearly not that explanation.

It should be 【妖怪般若】.

Even Riku Asakawa had heard of that famous monster, which was not a Buddhist concept of wisdom, but a kind of monster from Japanese legend, or more precisely, a vengeful spirit.

The earliest source should be "The Tale of Genji". Genji's wife, Aoi no Ue (Aoi-hime), was pregnant. One day, she went to the Kagamo Festival by oxcart and had a quarrel with Genji's lover, Rokujō no Miyasudoko (Rokujō-hime). Afterwards, the latter's spirit left her body and haunted Aoi no Ue. In order to exorcise the vengeful spirit, Aoi no Ue recited the Hannya Sutra and performed a ritual. However, after Aoi no Ue gave birth to a son, she was attacked and killed by the spirit of Rokujō no Miyasudoko. Rokujō no Miyasudoko then separated from Genji and went to Ise.

Once history and legends exist, they are passed down orally and accepted as truth—this is the rule of this world. The origin of Prajna (wisdom) lies in human jealousy.

When hatred consumes the mind and rationality cannot be restored, the person will transform into a ghost, also known as "Prajna".

"Xingyu is probably possessed by a demon."

Although unwilling to admit it, the facts before him left Asakawa Riku with no way to avoid them.

At this moment, Xingyu still looked like a beautiful girl, but she occasionally let out a creepy laugh like "hehe...hahaha". If you look closely, the corner of her mouth was split to the ear, almost splitting her face in two, making her look extremely strange and scary. Her body movements were also very unnatural. Even in a horror movie, she could scare many people to death.

Just like the baby who was possessed by the cat demon before, it has completely lost its self and mind, and has become a bloodthirsty and violent madman.

This is truly the worst possible situation.

Hoshino's feelings of love for Asakawa Riku, especially catalyzed by their experience on the island, continued to ferment and reached their peak after returning in the summer.

However, the relationship that Asakawa Riku and Shinonome Suetsuki maintained made Hoshino particularly conflicted. On one side was the object of her affections, and on the other was the important young lady. She could not give up either side. She could not confide her secret to anyone and could only keep it in her heart. The gap slowly widened, eventually creating an opportunity for the youkai to take advantage of the situation.

Her jealousy became the best medium for Prajna.

In legends, Prajna is a demon skilled at possession, and Hoshino's identity as a "half-demon" means that she has a close connection with the demon world and strong inspiration.

Therefore, her possession was a result of many coincidences, but also an inevitable outcome, which ultimately led to her unfortunate possession.

That's why Xingyu is behaving so strangely today, being aggressive, turning her back on people, and even going to such lengths for a game—it's all due to the influence of the possession.

"I see... So this is the possessed monster you were talking about?"

Moyue appeared calm, but observing her micro-expressions and movements revealed that she was far less composed than she seemed.

Suppressing her emotions, she quickly asked, "How can we cure her? Should we ask your senior, the Onmyoji, to come back?"

Asakawa Riku remained silent.

Although he had told Suetsuki about the knowledge of "possessed monsters," there was one thing he didn't mention, which was what Chizuko-senpai had said—

Possession by monsters is an incurable disease.

Once possessed by a demon, one cannot escape its grasp unless the host dies; otherwise, there is no way to be freed.

Just like the possessed baby before, Asakawa Riku had no other choice but to kill him.

Should we free Hoshino now? It's not that time yet. Asakawa Riku would never choose that option unless absolutely necessary.

He gritted his teeth and made up his mind that no matter what, he had to find a way to save her and not let the Prajna demon control her body at will.

"...Anyway, let's keep her under control first, then we'll think of something else."

Asakawa Riku said to Suetsuki.

Fearing that the detective might panic and become agitated, he didn't immediately mention the "hopeless" thing, thinking he would explain it after she calmed down.

If Chizuko-senpai can't find a solution, then go to her father, the even more powerful Onmyoji Kazematsu Akihisa. He might know some ancient rituals or techniques. Or go to the Non-World Inspection Department. They are experts in dealing with this kind of problem and might have the latest methods to suppress or even eliminate possessing yokai.

Even if neither of these paths works, Asakawa Riku will find his own way. Perhaps the [Magara] he and Hoshino form together holds the answer, or perhaps...

No matter what, we have to subdue this ferocious monster first.

"Hahaha... Hahahaha!"

With a strange laugh brewing in her mouth, Prajna Star Feather charged forward with a ruthless, eccentric gait.

It was moving incredibly fast, and its target seemed to be the last moon nearby.

"...!"

Mo Yue stared wide-eyed in surprise, instinctively covering herself with her hands, but unsure how to dodge.

That wouldn't be able to stop it... Asakawa Riku reacted quickly, pulling her away and blocking the attack in front of him.

A powerful attack erupted from Xingyu's fist, resembling an embrace, but in reality, it was a merciless punch.

It wasn't the kind of strength an ordinary girl should have; even Asakawa Riku was struggling a little.

"Why... Asakawa-kun... Hahaha, why are you still protecting her? Can't you even look at me?"

The twisted neck, turned around and staring at him, was particularly horrifying.

"Don't use Xingyu's body to do this kind of thing."

Asakawa Riku frowned, changed his fist into a palm, and seemingly gently patted the other person.

The next second, dust suddenly flew up, followed by a powerful impact that pressed her body firmly onto the rooftop floor.

The Autumn of Zashiki Warashi: Chapter 48 The God of Fortune

Based on the brief encounter, it was assessed that Hannya's power was roughly on the same level as that of a cat, probably the power of a demon itself.

However, Prajna doesn't have the terrifying sharpness and speed of the cat demon, probably because she is the type who is good at bewitching people's minds.

If Xingyu says those words, and you hesitate for a moment, she might seize the opportunity to exploit your weakness.

Fortunately, Riku Asakawa was determined enough.

“I’ve said it before, no matter how lost you are, I will pull you out, and that’s the same now.”

He twisted Xingyu's arms behind her back and used his knee to press against her waist, a combination of grappling and locking techniques, pinning her to the ground.

Asakawa Riku cannot see the yokai's true form, nor can he sense Hannya's presence. In his eyes, there is only the girl whose behavior has become strange.

Prajna's power is no match for him. As long as there is a physical body, he can be defeated. For a martial artist, everything is very simple.

"...Haha, hahaha. Asakawa-kun's hands are so warm."

Xingyu's strange, hoarse voice continued to emanate, and even when she was pressed to the ground, she did not lose her resistance.

Asakawa Riku suddenly realized something was wrong.

He could indeed easily defeat Prajna, but if this continued, it would likely damage Xingyu's physical body.

Prajna's manipulation of the body shows no mercy to the host's flesh; just like now, even if you rub your face on the ground, you still have to lift your head.

The wrist was struggling so hard it was almost breaking the bones, making a cracking sound as it struggled under the strain...

—Should we temporarily dislocate her joints, even if there are potential long-term side effects, to prioritize saving her life?

Asakawa Riku knew he had to make a decision immediately; hesitation in battle was dangerous.

This was the first time he had faced such a predicament. Normally, subduing him without causing harm would be child's play. However, Xingyu, possessed by another being, possessed immense strength and was no weak opponent. This made it difficult for him to control the appropriate force. If he were to fight seriously, he would inevitably injure Xingyu's body, and might even cause permanent disability.