Timeless

Chapter 17

~ Approximately two hours earlier ~

"So, it has two hunting grounds. Both happen to be shrine areas", Kento looked up from the map, "Is there anything you both would like to add?"

Yu raised his hand first, "Can I say how strange it is that villagers here don't bother to report this case?"

"Yeah, it's like they already know but don't find it dangerous. They even cleaned up after the mess", you nodded with agreement.

"All of the villagers seem to hold a certain religion", Kento opened his phone to show you both photos of red markings on each house.

"Oh! The same logo as the shrine!", Yu snapped his fingers.

"If they are as religious as they seem, they are definitely hiding something. And that something is more than just a mischievous curse", Kento circled the two areas with a marker on the map, "We are going to need bait for it. Yu, can you find a suitable bait around here?"

"On it!", he saluted in response.

"Usa, I am going to need you to place traps here, here, and here", he marked the spots.

"Should I prepare for the veil as well?"

"Yes, that will stop villagers from checking on it."

A text notification pinged from his phone and his eyes swiftly scanned the context.

"I had the assistant manager check info about the well earlier and it seems we are right. The well has been used to hold a powerful curse object for decades. He was not able to find out what it was but we can say for sure that the curse we are hunting for has it."

"Usa-chan, do you think the curse and the shrine maiden somehow met?", Yu frowned.

"If she lives here, she might have seen it at least once. She was able to detect my flame birds after all."

"Hmmm, I don't think she is a normal human", he continued while patting his chest, "I think I have good judgement with people and I didn't get any human-like feelings from her."

"Wait, you too? Her eyes look too out of place for me too. Like I am talking with a scared crow."

"Then, we can all agree that she could be a suspect. I don't see any footprints or shoe soles where she stood."

You and Yu looked at each other in agreement.

"So, what is the plan, Kento?"

"The plan is to draw out the curse by nightfall. Lure it into the traps as we slowly reduce its health. If that powerful curse object is with it, we will have to separate them. If it is left in the shrine, Yu, you will find it and take it back to the assistant manager. It is the one that is altering the curse to be more powerful."

"Should we back down for revaluation of this mission?", you bit on your bottom lip nervously.

"We should but we can't afford to. Whatever this curse is, it has seen us and it doesn't want to let us go. I tried to meet up with our assistant manager earlier but something was preventing me from doing so. I was not able to leave this village. Each footstep I tried to take outside, it only dragged me backward."

"It set up its own veil on us?", Yu's eyebrows raised in alarm.

"Yes, and it was wide enough to cover the village. It marked the whole area as its own territory."

"This isn't in the report. Does this get stronger?"

"That is a possibility."

The team momentarily quietened down to think over the facts that had been shared between them.