CHAPTER I.IV. WHITE ARC

"Sorry about my sister, Hisakata-Kun."

I almost didn't hear Kotoji's apology. Everything became a muffled blob as I tried to figure out what was going to happen to Ukacho. I didn't want her to get hurt after all she's done for me. But it wasn't my place to get in the way of Aogokoro. I would become a Banished Spirit Warrior if I were to attempt to stop Kotoji.

I looked out the limousine window just to see dark gray clouds. It was pretty hot in the car, most likely because of the heater. I was actually wearing something to protect me from the harsh winds through — a blue duffle coat. Kotoji was wearing the same one except he had on a scarf. As a result of his powers, his body is incredibly weak and subject to illnesses. Wintertime was the worst for him — healers from the Spiritual World were always at his home. He sometimes had to even travel to the Spiritual World, so that Apparitions wouldn't take advantage of his weakened body. I see why the heater in the car was so high, even if it felt like I was getting cooked alive.

"Hm," I responded back, uninterested. My face then felt extremely hot after I realized who I was talking to. I turned towards him to bow my head. "I-I-I mean, it's okay! Kyomu-San's right — I am pathetic! I'm sorry about my incompetence to exorcise Kakureta Neko!" 

"Pfft."

Kotoji . . . was laughing? He covered his mouth as he continued to chuckle. He immediately stopped when the driver let out a fake cough. 

"Ahem," Kotoji still had the corners of his lip turned up. He was trying hard not to let out even a chuckle. "I didn't mean to laugh at you. You just looked cute — turning all red like that."

"I-I'm red!?" I asked him, suddenly leaning close to him. My pale pink glasses fell off a bit from my nose with the abrupt action. I looked inside my brown school bag for my cellphone to check, but Kotoji stopped me.

"I'm teasing . . . don't worry," His purple eyes glanced down, noticing the other brown school bag beside my leg. "Why do you have two school bags with you? And why is your stocking ripped?" He questioned with a small frown.

I couldn't tell him the truth — but I couldn't lie to the next leader of the Spiritual World! Could I . . . ? I didn't have enough money to buy extra uniforms — I could barely afford to get different shirts and sweaters. Before I could even open my mouth he glanced up at the rearview mirror.

"Kaneshiro! Stop the car!"

The limousine came to an unexpected stop, causing a few items to fall. Thank goodness for seat belts or I would have been launched into the other wall of the car. Kotoji had a serious expression on his face as he touched his neck.

"Look." He pointed out the window. There was an old man with a dark spacey cloud emitting from his head. An Apparition Possession was occurring at that very moment. The man looked around to be in his seventies — there was no way he could survive a Possession.

The Apparition could either be a B or A-Rank — those were the only types able to possess humans. 

"You didn't say that there'd be a Possession happening when you were with my sister."

"Be-Because my power doesn't work like that, Senpai. I can only make predictions of when Apparition ATTACKS occur — at specific locations. This is a Possession . . . and it's near the school, not at. . ."

"In any case, if we don't stop it, that old man will die. The Apparition might turn into an S-Rank if we let it get away."

"Sir, you may get sick if you go out in this cold." Kaneshiro reasoned from the driver's seat. "Not only that but you probably will arrive at school after lunch break. Not even the Kyomu Clan can erase the memories of a whole school building."

"Not if we hurry now! You can mask the area so no one sees us! What do you say, Hisakata-Kun?"

"I . . . I guess . . ."

~~~

To be frank, I wished I never agreed to stop this Apparition Possession. 

After Kaneshiro parked the limousine, he had to set up a small masking barrier so bystanders wouldn't see me and Kotoji. Masking an area didn't require much effort to set up — you drew a small white circle with chalk, either on the floor or wall. Depending on the size it masked a certain amount of the area from the regular human eye. If you weren't skilled in making these circles you would have to check back occasionally on it so that it didn't disappear. If you put these white circles just anywhere though, a human or even an animal could accidentally rub it away.

I took a deep breath, feeling the cold winter air in my lungs. Kotoji said he would begin to cast the Ai no Inori Prayer — a prayer that drew out Apparitions or interrupted their possessions of humans. As I closed my eyes, I could feel the wind circle around my feet as I got ready to summon my weapon. I put my hand under my duffle coat and my uniform, barely able to touch my Tsukiyomi-no-Mikoto Marking located on my lower back. I could hear Kotoji finishing up the prayer — the Apparition would be forcibly drawn out any minute.

"— Do not suffer in silence!"

Kotoji finished, now it was my turn. The spacey cloud over the elderly man quickly disappeared. He was about to fall onto the cold hard ground that was covered in white snow, but Kaneshiro caught him just in time. An undead mummy-like Apparition appeared staring straight at me and Kotoji. He let out a frightening screech while several bandages shot straight at us.

"—Summon Tsukiyomi!"

Within a second of calling out my weapons' name, it appeared in my right hand. It was made of the darkest metal with a pure white moon in the middle. I flipped it open as I moved in front of Kotoji.

"Moonlight Protection!"

A glowy translucent barrier appeared before me stopping the attack from reaching. The Mummy Apparition let out another frightening screech sending out more dirtied bandages towards me. Every time a bandage came in contact with my shield, it pushed me back. I let out a muffled groan as my shield grew small cracks.

"K-K-Kyomu-Senpai!" I suddenly yelled in response.

"Don't worry, you gave me enough time to activate my own powers! Hisakata-Kun, drop your barrier!"

I turned to him with complete shock. Even if he was stronger than me, if I dropped the barrier, I'd be impaled. I could see him loosen his scarf around his neck, revealing a light blue diamond marking around his neck. His Deity Marking kind of resembled a choker in a way. "Wh-what!? Sen-Senpai are you sure!?"

"Positive! Drop your barrier when I summon my power!" Kotoji directed with a stern look. I nodded in response trying to keep up the barrier.

The Mummy Apparition continued to summon more bandages creating more cracks in my defense. Thankfully, not too many of his bandages were damaging the buildings we stood outside of. My knees were going to give out if I continued to get pushed back.

"Summon — Powers of Omoikane!"

I fell to the ground right after those words left Kotoji's mouth. My fan disappeared right after — I barely had the strength to look up at the battle. Kotoji raised his hand, creating a beautiful blue and black vortex that swallowed all the bandages coming towards us. He then swiped it downwards causing the vortex to appear above the Apparition. It caused a white smoke to appear around it, after it cleared a small little soul appeared in its place.

I managed to clasp my hand together to pray while sitting up. Kotoji just looked away while his head was down. Kaneshiro, who walked up to us with the elderly man in his arms, even showed his respect.

"Your suffering has been seen." 

We all said in unison as a cold wind blew against our skin.