Chapter 72: Super useful Mrs. Shimizu

"…Your thighs are covered in 'pervert' characters," Amamiya pointed out, his voice calm but commanding.

At his words, everyone turned to look at the female ghost. Even the other ghost passengers, who had been silently keeping their heads down, raised their gazes—except for two at the far end, who remained motionless.

"Impossible! You're lying!" The female ghost quickly released Umi, and took a nervous step back. "There are no such characters on my thighs!"

"You seem shaken," Amamiya said slowly. "If there really weren't any, why are you so panicked?"

"There's a limit to how much slander I'll tolerate," the ghost snarled, her expression twisting into something even more monstrous. She gripped her skirt and began lifting it, inch by inch. "I'll prove you wrong!"

Chika immediately covered her face with her hands, peeking through her fingers with a mix of curiosity and embarrassment.

"Why are you covering your eyes?" Amamiya sighed. "She's not a man."

"Oh, that's right," Chika replied, nodding before suddenly stretching up on tiptoe and placing her hands over Amamiya's eyes. "But Amamiya-kun, you shouldn't look at something inappropriate!"

"It's just her thighs…" Amamiya muttered under his breath.

The next moment, Kitagawa gasped.

"Hey, hey, there 'are' characters!"

"So many of them!" Kitagawa exclaimed, her voice tinged with shock.

Hearing this, Chika's curiosity overcame her shyness. She quickly turned her head, eyes widening in surprise. "One, two, three, four, five, six, seven… Wow! So many perverted words!"

Amamiya, now free from Chika's hands, looked over at the ghost. Her skirt was lifted just enough to reveal her pale thighs between the hem and her stockings, and there they were—clear as day. The characters (正) were printed neatly, each one identical, as if stamped.

"Who would write 'pervert' on their thighs?" Amamiya stood up, pointing accusingly. "You really are a subway nympho!"

"Impossible!" The female ghost's voice trembled. Tears of blood welled in her eyes as she backed away in confusion. "Why are these characters on my legs? What did you do to me, human?!"

"Don't pin this on me," Amamiya raised his hands innocently. "Everyone saw—I didn't even touch you."

The ghost, clearly shaken and in disbelief, let go of Umi entirely. Panic settled in as she seemed to realize something even more terrifying.

Umi, finally free, took a deep breath and turned to Amamiya, whispering, "What's going on with those characters?"

The short-haired girl also looked up, her face filled with curiosity. It was clear to everyone that the strange appearance of the 'pervert' characters had something to do with Amamiya.

Not only was he unafraid of the vengeful spirits, but he seemed capable of manipulating the situation, leaving even the spirits themselves questioning their existence. It was as if he had faced something far worse before.

Amamiya shrugged casually. "I didn't write them, that's for sure."

Chika, the only one who seemed to understand the full picture, had a spark of realization in her eyes. But she wisely held back her thoughts, deciding now wasn't the time to speak.

Amamiya, feeling a bit worn after the ordeal, was about to sit down when his expression suddenly tightened.

He paused, scanning the subway car.

[After careful observation, you notice no one is sitting. You decide to remain standing with the others.]

'Bang.'

Umi, already seated, bent down slightly to rub her aching feet. "Walking in high heels is the worst… My heels are killing me."

"Stand up, now," Amamiya ordered sharply.

"Huh?" Kitagawa blinked, confused.

"Umi-chan, you should listen to Amamiya-kun," Chika urged, helping her up quickly. "Stand up!"

Chika trusted Amamiya implicitly. Ever since they'd entered this strange world, his words had been spot-on. As she helped Kitagawa to her feet, she whispered, "Amamiya-kun, what's going on?"

"This is the midnight subway…" Amamiya said quietly. "But none of the passengers are sitting."

The three girls exchanged startled looks before turning toward the ghostly passengers. Soon enough, they noticed it too.

There were only seven or eight ghostly figures in the cabin, along with several lifeless bodies lying near the subway doors. Every single passenger looked weary and anxious, yet none of them had taken a seat. All of them remained standing, huddled in the corners.

"Why aren't they sitting?" Chika whispered. "There's nothing on the seats…"

"Maybe… sitting is dangerous?" the short-haired girl suggested nervously.

Umi, now standing, paled as she glanced nervously back at the seat she had just vacated. Had she made a mistake by sitting down?

"You've sat where you shouldn't have," the female ghost, still reeling from the earlier accusation, sneered with malicious delight. "Soon, we'll be the same."

Umi's face was drained of color. She clutched her wrist tightly and bit her lip, too shaken to speak.

At that moment, the subway began to hum with a strange buzzing sound, like electricity coursing through the car. The train slowed, and the lights dimmed ominously.

"Amamiya-kun," Chika spoke up suddenly, her expression serious. "What would happen if we used our fusion technique on Umi-chan?"

"I don't know," Amamiya replied quickly. "But we could try."

They had only ever used the fusion technique on spirits, never on humans. But this was a desperate situation.

Chika's expression turned resolute as she pointed toward Kitagawa, her voice firm. "Don, if I call for you, will you answer?"

Umi looked confused, a question mark practically visible over her head, but before she could respond, her mouth moved involuntarily.

"…Don is here!"

It worked!

Amamiya placed a firm hand on Umi's shoulder and immediately felt a surge of confidence. "Outlaw Don, you're under arrest," he declared with authority.

"Wait, what are you talking about? Who is Don?" Umi's eyes widened in confusion. She tried to struggle, but soon realized that her body refused to move. Only her eyes and mouth remained functional. "My name's not D... I... I'm Don!" she exclaimed, the words slipping out uncontrollably.

"Don't worry, Umi-chan," Chika quickly interjected, her voice calm but reassuring. "This is a skill Amamiya-kun and I developed together. It should help."

Just as she finished explaining, the subway was plunged into pitch-black darkness once again.

"There's something grabbing my feet!" Umi's panicked voice rang out, her fear evident.

Amamiya tightened his grip on Umi's shoulders. He could feel something pulling at her, but it was futile.

As long as you're Don, even divine intervention can't save them from his hold.

The evil spirit lurking in the darkness, attempting to drag Umi away, seemed to be considered an external force. But it had no power to break Amamiya's grasp over Don.

Moments later, the oppressive darkness faded, and the lights flickered back on.

"You should be fine now," Amamiya said softly, releasing his hold on Umi's shoulders.

"My feet hurt," Umi whimpered, tears brimming in her eyes as she clung to Amamiya's arm. He glanced down to see two distinct purple handprints wrapped around her ankles.

It was clear that if he hadn't held onto her, Umi would have been pulled into the abyss by whatever force had attacked her in the dark.

"Still here, huh?" the female ghost sneered, her face twisted with malice. "There are only two stops left before the terminal. You'll all be dead by then."

Amamiya shot her a look of disdain. "Subway slut, be quiet."

"Damn human!" she spat, fury in her eyes.

Amamiya ignored her outburst, pressing his fingers to his brow as if deep in thought. "Mrs. Shimizu, you can come over now."

"On my way," came a cheerful reply from behind the female ghost.

Startled, the ghost turned around to find another passenger, who had been quietly sitting nearby, lifting her bangs to reveal an elegant face with sharp, beautiful features. Smiling at the ghost, she said softly:

"Sorry, but I've been undercover this whole time."

"Three long years undercover, and I've finally found the chance to defect."

The female ghost stared at her in disbelief. "Who are you? I've never seen you before."

Chika's grin widened as she chimed in, "Good evening, Big Sis."

The rebellious spirit standing before them was none other than Shimizu.

Amamiya had discovered that Shimizu was unexpectedly helpful. Unlike the aura that dispelled evil, which only worked in the real world, Shimizu could be summoned into their current reality, almost like a familiar. 

She could even share equipment with Amamiya, such as the 'Magical' pen, which could only write the character "正." They also communicated via telepathy, a highly effective method that ensured privacy. However, there was a drawback—Shimizu's stamina drained quickly each time they linked minds. Though she hadn't been at full strength to begin with, now her form was even more transparent, her energy fading.