Sunset Ghost

Take My Hand

サンセットゴースト

Sunset Ghost

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第18章

私の手をとって

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"Yacchan!" Hinata stumbled into a standing position and skidded out the door to kneel beside Yachi, who was struggling to sit up. Kageyama tried to follow him, but he couldn't move a muscle. Instead, he flipped weakly onto his side to watch the happenings. As Yachi coughed into her hand, Hinata rested a hand on her elbow and helped her into a sitting position, brows pulled together in worry. "Yacchan, are you okay? What happened?"

She wiped the back of her mouth, struggling to speak and looking a little green in the face. "He... he was winning, but my mom got there just in time. She... kept fighting him while I escaped back here." She placed a hand over her stomach and groaned. "I— Ugh. I cast a protective barrier around the shop. It should... should hold until she gets here. In the meantime, we need to... call the IBPA." She tried to rise but stumbled, Hinata wincing as he manifested to catch her. "Sorry, Hinata... I get nauseous when I use too much Onmyōdō. It will... urgh... pass."

"Onmy... What?" Hinata shook his head. "Um, never mind: let's get you up."

He helped Yachi stand, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and leading her towards the backroom. He grabbed an overturned chair and set it up at the table, which Yachi sank into gratefully, leaning her arms against the table with a groan. "Thanks..."

"Sure, but..." Hinata frowned. "What exactly happened out there?"

Yachi managed to straighten herself up, wincing as she did so. "Tsukishima and Yamaguchi helped me fight until you two got to safety, but after that, they both took off. I held him off as long as I could, but he's... unusually strong." She ran a shaking hand through her disheveled hair with a perplexed look. "I— I never anticipated a spirit could be so powerful. Nothing like this has... has ever happened before. I'm... not even sure my mom can stand up against him."

Hinata bit his lip, staring at the ground with his brows furrowed. "Yacchan... what do we do then?"

"I..." She looked away, eyes unsure for the first time since Kageyama had met her. "I don't know. But... for now, we need to call the IBPA. They can protect us better than I can." She reached into her pocket and retrieved her phone, dialing a number as Hinata shifted from foot to foot anxiously and Kageyama watched irritably. He felt helpless like this. If he couldn't move, he was nothing but a burden.

Still, this was no time to be feeling sorry for himself. They were all in danger until someone more powerful was able to contain the Ikiryō. Hopefully, Madoka would be able to hold him off long enough for the IBPA to arrive, but now that Kageyama knew what he was after...

He glanced at Hinata and bit his lip. He would rather die than let that creep get a hold of him. And he still wasn't sure why Hinata was his target, anyway. What was so special about him? Based on what little Ikiryō lore Kageyama had heard before, they sought out lesser spirits to devour them and add to their own power. There shouldn't have been any motive behind it, let alone the urge to hunt down a single spirit. It made no sense.

Yachi attracted his attention by slamming her phone down with a frustrated exhalation. "They're not answering!" She held a hand to her stomach and closed her eyes, looking like she was about to throw up. "I'm not... sure if I'm strong enough... to hold up this barrier for too much longer..."