Chapter 6

Rui Natsukawa is out with Kirara Ito.

Kirara Ito is twenty-one years old. Rui met her at a vocational training school. Even after graduating, they still meet up a couple of times a year like this.

"Rui, you're a 'double,' right?"

"What's a 'double'?"

"Someone born from an international marriage."

"Um, I don't remember, so I don't know."

"Oh, right, you said that before."

Kirara Ito forgets this kind of information quickly. Rui must have told her about the memory loss five or six times already. Still, Rui likes her for that.

Kirara not only dyes her hair blonde but also her eyebrows, making her look more foreign than Rui, even though her facial features are Japanese. In contrast, Rui's foreign appearance is more due to her pale skin and facial features.

Rui's world is different from the concept of nationality, but she can't explain it, so she just says, "I don't remember." It's a very convenient excuse.

"Rui, your hair color is natural, right? That's great, it saves you money on colored contacts and hair salon visits."

"Right."

Rui smiles wryly at the comment about her chestnut hair and light brown eyes being "cheap."

The two are currently on a sightseeing bus. They usually take the bus when they go out together.

"Why do you hate trains, Rui? You're fine with buses, right?"

"Well, you can't escape on a train, can you? That's scary."

"Can't escape? Oh, there have been some dangerous incidents lately."

"Right."

Actually, it's a bit different.

Rui only knows Tokyo, but when she rides the trains in this big city, she sometimes gets hit by negative energy. In crowded trains, there's often a black, mist-like substance that fills the air, different from the miasma in the world she grew up in.

The first time she encountered it, she was unfortunately on a packed train and couldn't turn her face away. After being hit by the dark energy, she immediately recited "Purify" in her head, but the source seemed to be nearby, and she had to keep casting the purification spell to avoid feeling suffocated and ill.

This energy comes from strong human emotions like anger, resentment, despair, and hatred. Once, someone was even spreading intense murderous intent.

Rui can use healing magic, which works on physical injuries and illnesses, but it has little effect on mental suffering. It's difficult for magic to influence the brain or the mind.

Her magic teacher said,

"That's probably because it's God's domain. I believe that using magic to change a person's mental state is something we shouldn't touch."

Indeed, she thinks that's true. If there were a magician who could manipulate the minds of thousands, anyone could imagine what they might do. The impact of such magic would be far different from Rui's vague memory of herself.

"Trains are scary because you can't escape, and with subways, there's no place to run. With a bus, you can always jump out the window in the worst case."

"No, no, Rui, that would be a public nuisance."

"Well, not while it's moving, of course."

While they were talking, the bus arrived at a famous shrine in Ibaraki Prefecture. The guide led them into the shrine grounds with a triangular flag.

"Everyone, thank you for your hard work. This is today's highlight, the Kutsuseven Shrine. It's famous for housing a fierce deity and was founded in 580 BC, making it a very old shrine."

Indeed, it is old. The approach to the main hall is lined with cedar forests, and the cedars are all enormous. The shrine grounds are dark and dense, but the air is clearly fresh.

The dirt path is neatly swept, and Rui is impressed that someone sweeps such a large area with a broom. Soon, the beautiful roof with its cypress bark shingles comes into view.

The guide continues her explanation, but Rui is captivated by the main hall, as golden light radiates from it in all directions.

"Here, the main hall houses a white bronze mirror..."

Hearing the guide, Rui understands. Mirrors store power, and a mirror that has existed for nearly three thousand years would certainly have absorbed a lot of energy, reflecting and absorbing people's thoughts and emotions.

The golden light had a very good aura.

"Rui, let's put some money in the offering box."

"Sure."

Rui nods with a smile, approaches the main hall, and reaches for her wallet to take out some coins, but suddenly feels dizzy.

(Oh no, this power is too strong?)

She quickly moves away from the offering box, or rather, from the main hall.