Tsukiyomi Ruri wasn’t planning to dig too deeply into the Ghost Girl’s story because she was far more concerned about the Reincarnation Space’s situation.
Since a passage had formed between the Reincarnation World and the Real World, it was necessary to investigate it.
“The Demon Spirit Group’s people are at the Two Realms Passage, right?” Tsukiyomi Ruri asked the Ghost Girl.
The Ghost Girl nodded.
“Then take me there,” Tsukiyomi Ruri said.
“You want to go? To the Demon Spirit Group’s place?” The Ghost Girl looked at Tsukiyomi Ruri in surprise before hurriedly shaking her head. “No, that would be like walking right into their hands. I won’t do something so foolish.”
“Foolish?” Tsukiyomi Ruri clenched her small fist. “Are you sure you won’t go?”
“You’re threatening me again?” The Ghost Girl said angrily. “How can you constantly threaten others? That is an extremely rude thing to do!”
“Don’t change the subject. Just tell me whether you’re willing to go or not.” Tsukiyomi Ruri stared at the Ghost Girl.
“I know where the place is. How about I point it out for you on a map, and you go by yourself?” The Ghost Girl proposed a suggestion.
She truly did not want to go back to the Demon Spirit Group. Last time, she escaped because they underestimated her. But if she fell into their hands again, she might not be so lucky.
Tsukiyomi Ruri shook her head and refused outright.
“You can’t be so unreasonable. It’s still broad daylight! Tell me, how am I supposed to come out? I’ll be scorched to death by the sunlight!” The Ghost Girl accused indignantly.
“That’s simple. I know you ghosts can shrink your forms. Though you can’t shrink indefinitely, hiding in my shadow should pose no problem, right?” Tsukiyomi Ruri gestured at her own shadow.
“No, no, no, I don’t want to go back to the Demon Spirit Group. Even if you have a death wish, don’t drag me along with you.” The Ghost Girl resisted strongly.
Although Ruri had shown a display of power earlier, in the Ghost Girl’s eyes, the Demon Spirit Group was undoubtedly far more terrifying.
Seeing the Ghost Girl still unwilling to agree, Tsukiyomi Ruri sighed. “Why must you force my hand?”
The Ability Card [Updraft] hadn’t been stowed back in her shoes yet, and Tsukiyomi Ruri made a move as if to use it.
“Wait.” The Ghost Girl spoke up just in time. “I can take you there, but you have to promise me one thing: just look from afar and don’t make contact with the Demon Spirit Group.”
“Fine,” Tsukiyomi Ruri agreed.
Of course, this was a lie intended for the ghost.
The Ghost Girl didn’t know if Tsukiyomi Ruri was deceiving her, but as a weak ghost, she had no other choice.
With Tsukiyomi Ruri helping to shield her, the Ghost Girl helplessly crawled out of the fountain pool, shrank to the size of a head, and slipped under Tsukiyomi Ruri’s skirt to hide there.
Tsukiyomi Ruri looked down and said, “Move to the back, into my shadow.”
The Ghost Girl said reluctantly, “You’re wearing safety shorts anyway, why worry about such a thing?”
“…Don’t you think that is a breach of etiquette?” Tsukiyomi Ruri said expressionlessly.
Upon hearing this, the Ghost Girl, who prided herself on her refinement, sighed and shifted backward, hiding within Tsukiyomi Ruri’s shadow.
“Stay close. If you can’t keep up and get exposed to sunlight, I’m not taking responsibility.” Tsukiyomi Ruri stated before walking forward.
The Ghost Girl hastily followed.
Soon after, Tsukiyomi Ruri walked out of the school.
Glancing back at the school, Tsukiyomi Ruri asked curiously, “By the way, since you were hiding in the school, why did you make the desks and chairs float to scare people late at night?”
From within the shadow, the Ghost Girl answered, “We ghosts can absorb emotions like fear and terror to strengthen ourselves. I just wanted to increase my power a little.”
Tsukiyomi Ruri was speechless for a moment. (“…”)
In her previous life, she rarely dealt with ghosts and had momentarily forgotten about that.
At this point, the Ghost Girl also grew puzzled. “What you’re wearing seems to be this school’s uniform? If I’m not mistaken, this should be a high school, not an elementary school, right?”
Tsukiyomi Ruri: “???”
What was that supposed to mean? That she looked like an elementary schooler?
Tsukiyomi Ruri simply decided not to answer.
Getting no response from Ruri, the Ghost Girl complained, “Avoiding someone’s question without answering is also a very rude thing to do.”
“It’s time to focus. Point me in the right direction,” Tsukiyomi Ruri said blankly.
“Hmph, go that way.” Having no way to deal with Ruri, the Ghost Girl could only point in a direction.
Tsukiyomi Ruri followed the indicated path but soon encountered a solid wall.
“Hey, ghost, can you show me a normal route? Don’t assume that just because you can phase through walls, everyone else can too.” Tsukiyomi Ruri said with displeasure.
“So you can’t walk through walls. I thought you were so impressive.” The Ghost Girl huffed lightly.
“Cut the chatter and point the way right now. Otherwise, I’ll run off and leave you exposed to the sunlight.” Tsukiyomi Ruri threatened.
Hearing this, the Ghost Girl said angrily, “I never said I wouldn’t point the way. Why must you threaten me again? So rude, you’re really so rude.”
Tsukiyomi Ruri paid this no mind.
The Ghost Girl had no choice but to guide normally, and Tsukiyomi Ruri followed, winding her way along and gradually nearing the suburbs.
The city where Tsukiyomi Ruri lived was called Natsuki City. It wasn’t a very large city, bordered by the sea on one side and mountains on the other. The direction they were heading in now was precisely the mountainous side.
Lifting her head, the undulating green hills were clearly visible. In this season, the mountains appeared especially lush and verdant.
“Is it in the mountains?” Tsukiyomi Ruri asked the Ghost Girl.
“That’s right,” the Ghost Girl replied.
Tsukiyomi Ruri quickened her pace and swiftly entered the mountains.
There were a few tourists in the mountains, but since it wasn’t a holiday, numbers were limited, and they all congregated around the outskirts.
Reaching a hilltop, Tsukiyomi Ruri looked back and could see the entirety of Natsuki City laid out before her eyes. The prosperous city and the natural deep mountains were separated by a thin line.
“It’s right over there,” the Ghost Girl’s voice came.
Hearing this, Tsukiyomi Ruri withdrew her gaze, following the direction the Ghost Girl indicated, her eyes settling on a forested area. Looking from the outside, that patch of woods leaned against a cliff face, with nothing in sight within the trees.
“The mountain beside that forest has been hollowed out. That’s the Demon Spirit Group’s base inside.” The Ghost Girl told Tsukiyomi Ruri.
Tsukiyomi Ruri immediately began walking over.
“Hey, hey, hey, what are you doing? You promised you’d only look and wouldn’t go there.” The Ghost Girl immediately began shouting, but for fear of being hit by sunlight, she could only continue following in Ruri’s shadow, feeling exceptionally wronged.
