Tokyo Exorcism Diary

“Haha, you bounce back pretty fast, huh? Even if it was just for a moment, Muramasa’s curse isn’t something most people can handle.” Asaba Shinichi greeted Hoshino Gen with his usual hearty laugh as the latter approached.

“You too. That arm healed pretty quick—got some lizardman genes in you?” Hoshino Gen shot back with a faint smile.

“Alchemy, alchemy,” Asaba Shinichi waved his arm carelessly, then suddenly slung it around the neck of the man beside him, grinning. “Lemme introduce you—Takasugi Yusuke. Real pro when it comes to shikigami.”

Takasugi Yusuke’s eyelids twitched uncontrollably. While prying off Shinichi’s arm, he kept his smile intact and nodded politely. “Nice to meet you, I’m Takasugi Yusuke.”

Hoshino Gen raised an eyebrow. He was familiar with Asaba Shinichi’s strength—anyone he called a “pro” likely wasn’t some second-rate amateur.

“Hoshino Gen,” he introduced himself simply.

“Ok! Ok!” Shinichi laughed out loud, clapping his hands. “Now that you two are all acquainted, let’s cut to the chase.”

Both Hoshino Gen and Takasugi Yusuke turned their attention to him.

Shinichi grinned broadly at Hoshino Gen. “You know why I was so desperate to pick a fight with you last night?”

“Wasn’t it because you were itching for a beating?” Hoshino Gen shot back, calm and smiling.

Shinichi waved a finger, unbothered by the jab. “Wrong, wrong, wrong. Sure, part of me wanted to stretch my legs against a good opponent—but I also wanted to get a read on your skills. Because the place I’m heading to? If you’re not strong enough, stepping in there’s basically suicide.”

Hoshino Gen’s eyes flickered with curiosity, prompting Shinichi to continue. He turned toward Takasugi Yusuke. “Yusuke, remember that spirit-keeper we hunted two months ago?”

“Didn’t he die?” Yusuke replied, smiling as always.

“Oh, he died all right.” Shinichi curled his lip. “But that bastard left himself a little insurance policy. After dying, he transformed into a vengeful spirit and fled.”

“I’ve been chasing him ever since—from Tokyo all the way up to Hokkaido.” Shinichi paused here, and even his sunglasses couldn’t fully mask the faint red glint in his eyes. His grin widened, excitement barely contained.

“In Hokkaido, I found out something interesting. That bastard wasn’t working alone. Turns out, there’s an entire organization behind him, specialized in raising ghosts. They wiped out a village without anyone noticing, took over the place, and turned it into their little ghost farm.”

“When I finally tracked down the village—man, the place was thick with yin energy. I’d bet there’s no fewer than twenty vengeful spirits inside, maybe even something big. If I went in solo, I’d be a dead man for sure.”

Despite the grim picture he painted, Shinichi’s excitement only grew stronger. “I came back to drag Yusuke along, but even the two of us might not make it out alive. So when I heard Tokyo’s been graced with a big name like you, I figured—why not? Had to check for myself, and yeah, you didn’t disappoint.”

“I already reported the village to the department. Once they finish sorting the data, the commission’s bound to drop—bounty’s set at a cool hundred million dollars, with at least twenty artifacts up for grabs. How about it? Three-way split.”

Asaba Shinichi leaned forward slightly, grinning as he glanced between Hoshino Gen and Takasugi Yusuke.

Hoshino Gen’s heart gave a small stir. The money wasn’t the main draw—but those artifacts… twenty of them. That was nearly equal to everything he’d painstakingly accumulated over the years. Even split three ways, the yield would far outweigh the usual grind of chasing supernatural traces alone.

After all, wasn’t that why he partnered with the Special Affairs Unit in the first place? Their intel on paranormal incidents was priceless.

But—there was a snag.

The contamination on his body.

Judging by Shinichi’s description, that village was no joke. Bringing three Ability Locks along? Probably a one-way ticket to death. Though he’d managed to purge some contamination back in Zermatt, facing something like this, losing control midway was a very real risk.

And if he did lose control, there was no guarantee he’d be able to claw his way back.

Not that he minded, really. Part of him found the idea of letting go tempting. But even he knew that was the contamination whispering in his ear.

Bottom line—he wasn’t ready to give up on himself just yet.

So, if he wanted in on Hokkaido, he’d need to find a way to shave off more of that contamination first.

Before he could answer, Takasugi Yusuke chimed in, still wearing that harmless smile. “One question, Hoshino-kun. Is the marriage alliance between the Hoshino and Amamiya Corporation set in stone? Or rather—do you actually want to marry Miss Amamiya Sashi? No offense, I just happen to have taken a commission to break off your engagement…”

Hoshino Gen instantly understood what he was getting at. He smiled faintly. “Relax. I’m not the type to steal anyone’s fiancée.”

“……”

“Alright, alright,” Shinichi clapped Yusuke’s shoulder with a grin. “Didn’t I already tell you? This guy’s not interested in your childhood sweetheart. Let’s stick to business. Hokkaido—what’s your answer?”

Yusuke’s playful smile returned. “With a payout that good, can’t think of a reason to say no.”

“Excellent. Team assembled. How about we set off in a week?” Shinichi flexed his arm casually. “Need a bit more time to heal.”

“Fine by me.” Yusuke smiled pleasantly.

Hoshino Gen shrugged and was about to leave when Shinichi suddenly called after him, grinning: “Hoshino—better keep getting stronger. Otherwise, this world’s gonna get way too boring.”

Hoshino Gen didn’t reply. He just kept walking, his steps steady.

…

After the banquet, sitting in the backseat of a Rolls-Royce pulling away from NarushikaTower, Hoshino Gen fished out his phone and dialed a number.

It rang for a long time before the call connected.

Without waiting for the person on the other end to speak, he cut straight to the point. “I don’t have time to entertain your little love-triangle drama. Even if I’ve said I’ll accept the engagement, at least make sure you’re choosing someone seriously. Otherwise, I might lose my patience and change my mind.”

With that, he hung up and stuffed the phone back into his pocket. Leaning on one hand, he gazed out at the neon-drenched city night.

His thoughts drifted back to Asaba Shinichi and Takasugi Yusuke from earlier.

A faint red light flickered in Hoshino Gen’s left eye.

Tokyo… is finally getting interesting.

—

It was past midnight by the time Hoshino Gen got home. But as soon as he opened the door, he noticed the soft glow of light still coming from the living room.

The sound of small, bare feet slapping against the floor rang out.

“Onii-chan!”

Hoshino Rin appeared before him, barefoot, dressed in an oversized shirt and shorts.

“S-So… how did the matchmaking go?” She asked, forcing a smile that looked just a bit stiff.

Hoshino Gen gave her a once-over, then chuckled, stepping inside.

“Failed.”