This line of work

Narukami then walked to where the boy was coming from by tracing his scent and Aya followed him with her legs getting heavier as fear slowly took control. Her expression was still flat nonetheless.

As he walked with his hands in the pocket, he slowly closed his body to the side, away from the road and very close to the shops.

There were many shops on the other side, for instance. A clothes store, cafes, restaurants, snacks stores like karaage, crepe, and last but not least a bakery shop. 

Shortly thereafter, they stopped in front of an alleyway. A narrow path squeezed by two buildings.

Aya reflexively took a step back as she felt an incredibly terrifying existence hiding deep in the dark.

Her mouth was slightly opened.

While her attention was focused on the presence, Narukami noticed few creatures like rats, cats, and birds quicken their pace as if running away.

"Aya, stay here."

Aya nodded as she walked in his way, stopping right before entering the alleyway. As the shade from the lights around her brightened the street, a thin and dark line was formed.

Aya got a feeling she shouldn't pass this line or else, something terrifying would happen.

The line made of shadow gave off a mysterious air. Despite there being nothing in the vicinity that should form that shadow, it was strangely drawn on the ground.

It was like a barrier, as if a sign of separating dangerous territory from safe.

Narukami took a step into the alleyway and the terrifying presence intensified. It was like he something pressed from both side of his body.

Simultaneously, Narukami could feel his stomach being twisted.

At once, Narukami released a considerable rate of spiritual energy to protect him from the presence. The feeling on his stomach soon disappeared.

Layers of skin were protected by a sheet of spiritual energy, its appearance was that of a white sheet. So thin yet unbreakable.

As he set his spiritual energy to that of a human, his body was as vulnerable as it could be. Protecting his body with layers of spiritual energy was the right thing to do.

Just as his mind wandered, he felt a light jolt coming from behind.

"Ugh, get lost!" A man groaned as he bumped Narukami's shoulder and kept running into the alleyway.

Before the man bumped Narukami, Aya got the same treatment too. It led her body to take a few steps forward and she quickly endured the force, preventing her body from moving any more steps.

Futile, however, as the man's strength when bumping the both of them quite strong.

Fortunately, Narukami prevented her falling motion by extending his hand to her chest. He lightly pushed her and she was back to her feet.

Simultaneously.

After taking two steps, the man stopped as he dropped some kind of purse, it fell with a heavy thud.

He approached the wall and placing both of his palms there. Then, tilting his head to the back.

He exerted his full strength as he crashed his head onto the wall. Thick blood splashed on it, some dripped to the ground after it pass through his cheek and his chin.

Bam! Bam! 

The guy shoved his head to the wall as the latter gradually formed a weblike crack with maroon liquid as its color.

His head was soaked in blood yet he kept going. His legs seemed to can't handle his upper body's weight but it kept going as if an otherworldly force was forcing him.

Aya covered her mouth in fear as she was stunned. So many thoughts appeared in her mind all at once, causing her mind to whirled as she couldn't think straight.

Because of this, her body instinctively moved forward to help the man from committing suicide.

"Stop." his words echoed into the dark alleyway. It was grim yet nonchalant. It was cold yet full of worry. Her chaotic mind gradually came to its senses, slowly calming down.

Narukami released a surge of pure spiritual energy to the entire alleyway.

Things like foul and cursed energies lurking there all disappeared as they came into contact, turned to while particles before finally vanished.

The man fell to the ground with blood flowing out of his head. Narukami approached him and sensed his life energy.

Knowing this man was fine, he shifted his line of sight to Aya.

"Call the ambulance, make stories up why he ended up like this."

Not only the alleyway earlier contained his presence, but it was also filled with thick and dangerous foul and curse energies. 

Had he didn't put on his spiritual energy, he might have been killed. 

The presence of a strong Anomaly alone could put pressure on your mind. Multiplied that with foul and curse energies. In most scenarios, one died before knowing the cause!

Aya nodded reflexively, "okay!" She called an ambulance and as her phone was ringing.

A woman approached her as she rested herself on her knees, Aya examined the woman.

"Huff… Huff… excuse me, have you seen a man running with a purse?"

Narukami left the scene as he depended on her to take care of the scene. The ambulance and police would be here too, it was best to leave someone here to explain what just happened.

.

.

The cold getting sharper as each breath he exuded caused a white fog coming out of his nose.

His school uniform wasn't enough to warm his body and he had to use other means.

Which circulating his spiritual energy to keep him warm.

After a short while, he halted his pace.

He slightly lifted his head as his eyes slowly examined an invisible barrier in front of him.

He sensed that the air in front of him was unstable. It fluctuated with different forms of energy, what caught his attention the most was an aura of death.

It was faint.

"An illusion realm, eh?"

Before he walked into it, he shape shifted his body into an eight years old boy. 

Thereafter, he casually walked into it. After that, the invisible, strange wall, rippled like water.

.

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. End of chapter .

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