Chapter 307 - She sees dead people

"I thought we were watching a movie?"

A young girl asked her friend who had invited her to hang out and watch a movie. However, it was canceled and they ended up taking a different place to spend their time.

Her friend looks at her phone that displayed a map app asking for holy places yet the two of them end up at a scary abandoned shrine that the very cause shivers to her spine.

'I just want a place to have peace of mind but why…'

She turned to her friend that was unaware of a horrifying ghost following her. Until recently, a unique ability manifested and allowed her to see the spirit of the deceased or whatever the creature she is seeing.

The young girl had tried her hardest to live a normal life while ignoring the terrifying encounter with this creature yet her heart and mind were unable to keep up. 

It was eating away her sanity only able to keep herself by her desire to live a normal life as possible or at least not make his friends and family worry. 

If she told them then it would view her as a freak and would never be able to live like a normal girl.  

"Come Miko! Let's explore the place since we're here!"

Her friend pulled her close while passing through the creature that had been following them. She wanted to cry upon getting up close and passing through. 

A normal individual would have gone mad long ago if they experienced the same thing as a young girl. It was a profound change from having normal to see a whole new world.

"Wait, slow down Hana, I might trip."

They arrived at the Torii gate and upon passing through felt her body shiver. She explored her gaze to avert it from the monster only to find someone that perplexes her.

An entirely different vision presented itself before her. It was a young man with shoulder-length red hair that made it seem he was cosplaying wearing a tight sleeveless turtleneck and cargo pants.

She blushes staring intently at his perfect body and delicate features enough to be mistaken as a woman if not for his clothes and body.

Ultimately, the thing that perplexes her was the multicolored light around him different from the miasmic darkness that shrouded the creatures. 

Starting at him made her feel safe and for the first time had peace of mind. She wondered if her prayers came true and this person is a god.

"Oh someone is here? Oh god look, Miko! How can someone be this handsome!?"

Miko felt surprised hearing her friend realize that this person was a real person. It bewildered her wondering how a person could have this mesmerizing aura. 

She heard the young man chuckle hearing her friend's words flattered by it. Miko agreed with her friend but felt more drawn to his strange aura than her features. 

"Excuse me, are you the one who manages this place?"

"Nah, I came here by accident and decided to train here for a moment. My name is Caelum Mercer."

"Wow, are you a foreign yet you speak Japanese quite well!?"

He went closer while taking glances at Miko. This opted her slightly blush turning her head while Hana saw the reaction and opted for a cheeky smile. 

Meanwhile, Caelum scanned her body to find how a person acquired the ability to see soul and spirit. Though the cosmic eye had severely weakened, it still had its ability. 

Inspecting her body found nothing concluded it was part of her bloodline to have unlocked the root of this forgotten ability.

'Poor girl...it would be a shame if I don't help her. I'm surprised she hadn't gone mad after acquiring this ability.'

He can see her body language that kept pushing herself to stand and move while averting her gaze from the creature close to her. 

"I'm Hana Yurikawa and this is my friend, Miko Yotsuya! It's nice to meet you!"

Caelum finds it funny the contrast between her friend who appeared to be gloomy while she is carefree. 

He then saw the creatures turn their way towards him then screech making Miko trip while he remained indifferent.

'Piss off!'

The creature halted shivering in fear when it saw Caelum's gaze devoid of any emotions. It did not move a muscle, only stayed in its position while Caelum went to check at the young girl who was baffled seeing the monster unmoving then looked up at her savior.

"Are you alright?"

"...Y-Yes I my legs might have strain climbing here."

"It's probably after I pulled you! I'm sorry Miko!"

Her friend felt bad and tried her best to apologize while Miko only wearily smiled then felt her body being carried by the young man surprising both her and her friend who giggled. 

She took her phone before snapping a picture of the two while Miko glared at her friend.

"Sorry to carry but it might be bad to leave it unattended here."

Caelum carried her to the shrine where she laid her to sit down while kneeling to see her ankle had strained after her fall earlier.  

He did not have any flirtatious intention towards them, only merely acted out of generosity. However, he was unaware that he was capturing the heart of a young maiden.

"We don't have any medkit. How are you going to fix her ankle?"

Hana asked out of concern since they were quite far from the city to buy the first aid kit. 

"No, it won't be necessary. That hair clip would do."

He pointed to her hair clip reluctantly and gave him it curious what he'll do with them then they saw him turn the hair clip into a with his bare hand even sharpening it with fingers.

They were speechless wondering if their eyes deceive them yet even how much they tried it was real. He molded the metal pin akin to clay that should only be possible to fiction.

"How did you do that!? I swear my hair clip is made out of metal!?"

"Ah, I can't explain it besides this is the result of my training."

"Wow, I need to take a picture of this! People would go crazy!"

"Also, do you have any alcohol?"

Caelum let her be while focusing attention on the needle then poured the alcohol to disinfect it avoiding infection. 

While he's busy with his task, Miko looked at him in an utter daze wanting to stay around him. She misses the feeling of having been free from those creatures. 

Miko glances at the creature who stood like a statue remaining still. She wonders what the person before her did to make them stop and wanted to find the answer. 

She felt happy to be here in meeting Caelum and could finally find the solution she is looking for. 

'I have only met him yet. Why do I feel so close?'

Back to Caelum instantly uses the need to place several vital points around her ankle receiving a slight moan from the young girl.

"Miko!? What was that? How do you feel?"

"Don't worry, it's a normal reaction. You feel like tiny ants are crawling, am I correct?"

She meekly nodded that Caelum find it adorable and seeing her blush was an added plus. He gave a calming smile that struck the young woman's heart. 

He resumed healing her ankle while also adjusting a bit of her mental state by applying small mental or spiritual energy. 

Caelum lost his energy yet the mental energy is connected to his Sea of consciousness and the Jade Pagoda was an artifact shrouded in mental energy.

Similar to his Cosmic eye, it is vastly weakened only being able to draw a small percentage before becoming mentally exhausted.

This will allow her to sleep peacefully and remain calm in the face of this creature. Miko began to be at peace with herself and felt her mind gee drowsy passing out into the wooden platform.

"Miko! Wake up! What happened!?"

"Nothing, it's a side effect of the acupuncture technique. Her strain is already gone and would wake up shortly. Forgive me if it alarmes you." 

Caelum felt pity for her as finally having a peace of mind had overwhelmed her senses showing how mentally tired she had become from the creatures.

Hana sigh in relief before sitting down and helping her friend have a comfortable place to lay her head while Caelum stood up.

"Where did you learn to do that? Are you some kind of hidden martial art master?"

"Perhaps. But I don't consider myself a real master yet. For now I'll stay because it might be bad to leave you two here unattended. Jeez, that sounded creepy."

"Thank you for concerning yourself. Though, I won't deny it's creepy."

"Ouch, well I'll be here in the corner to continue my training."

Caelum approached the creature before it exploded from the spiritual sense. It was small but precise enough to sever their spirit to the living world.