I’m Really Unnerved In Tokyo

48 hours before the appearance of "The Gates of Hell".

Shinjuku, Takashimaya Department Store, Witch Love Divination Cafe.

"Ah, Ayano-chan, long time no see, what a touching reunion..."

The noble lady Natasha, who hadn't seen her for a long time, embraced Mochizuki Ayano enthusiastically with a rich fragrance.

"I haven't seen you for two months, and the dark circles under my eyes have become like this again. It's really distressing..."

"It's not that heavy... I do come here for coffee occasionally, but a wayward boss who left the shop and 'just walked away' naturally couldn't see me."

Mochizuki Ayano, who finally struggled out of the opponent's arms, picked up the coffee on the table and took a sip, showing a look of enjoyment.

"Hmm... It's indeed Tanzanian PEABERRY... This is just the right fruity aroma, velvety and delicate taste, like the aftertaste of blackcurrant suddenly turning into chocolate..."

Regardless of her taste and dependence on coffee, no one can match her for staying up late to handle cases and relying on coffee to "continue her life".

"By the way, you have been traveling to Europe for a long time. Are you afraid that the store will be sold when you come back?"

"Oh hehehe... There is no way, the rainy season in Tokyo always makes people's joints ache, and they are easy to catch a cold. If you are not careful, you may not even save your life..."

Natasha took the coffee in front of her and elegantly added brown sugar.

"Then, why don't you wait until August is over before coming back? In Tokyo these two days, it's the time when the torrential rain falls the most."

Looking at the hazy sky and the never-ending raindrops outside the floor-to-ceiling windows, Mochizuki Ayano curiously looked at the graceful and luxurious Natasha with her pair of golden-blue eyes.

"that is because……"

When asked this question, Natasha blushed with happiness.

"The long-awaited performance is about to open in Tokyo..."

"Huh? It must be an opera or a symphony. I really envy your casual and exaggerated life."

Mochizuki Ayano took out a photo from the bag behind her.

"I came here this time to ask you to help me with divination, the whereabouts of this thing..."

In the photo, there is a white mask.

"This thing..."

Natasha picked up the photo and looked at it carefully.

It was a featureless pair of white masks piled high on Don Quixote's shelves.

"As you can see, this is a complaint."

Mochizuki Ayano thoughtfully stirred the coffee with a spoon.

According to the analysis of her experience on the pier, one of the functions of the white mask is to prevent people from focusing on the wearer.

Even if the eyes see it, the brain's cognition will actively ignore it, achieving the effect of flashing and forgetting.

Mochizuki Ayano, who happens to have a photographic memory and can objectively replay what she sees like a camera, was able to discover the existence of the other party by "reviewing memories".

Although the appearance is very ordinary, Mochizuki Ayano used his photographic memory to compare details such as its appearance and size with an item in his memory one by one.

The result of 100% matching makes the identity of the object of the appearance of this mask ready to be revealed.

It was the grievance "Gap Girl's Mask" that she personally led the team to contain.

After containment, this thing was handed over to the Supernatural Research Institute for identification according to the procedure.

The results of the application feedback from the research institute last night showed that the "permanent containment measures" were implemented on the grudge because of its excessive side effects and its inability to be used stably.

"... Finding objects is not the strong point of Tarot cards... I can only try to guide you in the general direction."

Having said that, Natasha picked up a large stack of tarot cards on the side and shuffled them seriously.

"This time, even Little Arcana is included?"

Looking at the large stack of tarot cards shuffled and handed over by the other party, Mochizuki Ayano's expression became serious.

"Of course, this is an extra service for Ayano-chan, whom I haven't seen in two months."

A standard tarot deck consists of 78 cards, divided into 22 major arcana cards and 56 minor arcana cards.

The more cards used in divination, the more accurate the result, but the greater the consumption of Natasha's spiritual power.

Thinking about the mask silently in her heart, Mochizuki Ayano hesitantly reached out and took out a card, and placed it on the table with the back side up.

Natasha closed her eyes tightly and reached out to press the back of the card.

The disturbing "spirits" kept coming from the level of the position, lingering around the two of them, making obscure whispers.

"The invisible web of fate has already given the answer..."

After a while, Natasha opened her eyes, with blue spiritual power flowing in her eyes, and quickly flipped through the cards.

On the card is a bright red heart.

Above the heart, there are three long swords, piercing through the center precisely.

Sword III, reversed.

Natasha slowly turned the face of the card to the upright position.

This is her unique, "Reversal Tablet" divination.

"I feel...sadness...disappointment...pain...injury from the outside world...betrayal from around me...the answer I've been looking for..."

Rubbing the face of the card, following the interpretation murmured, two lines of tears slid down her face.

"And... the end of eternity!"

As if getting an electric shock, Natasha pulled her hand away from the card, as if sensing something terrible.

"Yyano-chan, promise me, don't go after the whereabouts of this thing..."

She excitedly held Mochizuki Ayano's hand: "I haven't seen such a dangerous and direct sense of warning in divination for many years."

"The answer you've been looking for?"

Looking down at the heart pierced by the sword, Mochizuki Ayano smiled for some reason.

...

44 hours before "The Gates of Hell" appeared.

Tokyo, Chiyoda-ku, Paranormal Research Institute.

"It's not the day for the routine physical examination today, you came here early, do you feel uncomfortable?"

As usual, Koji Mochizuki, who was wearing a white coat and had gray hair, carefully checked the data on the instrument.

"I just feel that the fluctuation of pupil power is not very stable recently."

Mochizuki Ayano, who walked out of the instrument, inadvertently looked at a row of giant test tubes that were one person tall.

These giant test tubes are filled with liquid spiritual power, which is used to isolate the grievances from the outside world, and has a certain sealing effect.

"Patriarch, have all the grievances here before been sent for permanent containment?"

The last time I came here, these test tubes were still soaked with fragments of Yunwaijing, the helmet of the headless horseman, the collar of the dog with the face, and... the mask of the woman with the gap.

This time, except for the [Necklace of the Human-faced Dog] borrowed from Lesson 9, the other objects of grievances have disappeared.

"Those things have been tested, and the side effects are too great, so they were sent for permanent containment according to the guidelines..."

Mochizuki Koji answered casually, his eyes focused on confirming the dense data printed out on the instrument.

Immediately, his expression became serious.