Shinrei Tantei Yakumo - Volume 10 Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Translated by Niulili

“Nao…”

Gotou stood at the side of Nao’s bed and stared at her sleeping face.

Discouragement weighted on his shoulders.

He thought that if she felt Yakumo’s presence she would eventually wake up, but it was useless.

He couldn’t saw anything and he couldn’t went further.

However, he could not gave up as it was.

There was no doubt that a ghost was possessing Nao. Gotou would save her using whatever method, he renewed his determination when the door opened.

It was Atsuko.

“Eishin-san came”

Gotou heard his name, and he was totally insane.

The reason about this, if he thought about it, was because Eishin brought a strange request to Gotou.

He thought about turning him down, but soon he changed his mind.

“I’m coming”

Gotou left Nao’s room and headed for the living room.

Eishin was drinking tea with a relaxed face. It was as if he didn’t see his angry face, but now was not the time to give up.

“So, how is the case of the pretty apartment ?”

Eishin, who knew nothing, asked in a slopping tone.

Gotou, who stood up in frustration sat in front of the Eishin, explaining the strange thing that happened with Nao, considering that the cause might be due to the psychic phenomenon of the apartment.

Eishin seemed surprise .

“Did you ask Yakumo to do something?”

“I did it already”

Gotou was half tired, but Yakumo’s left eye vision had not recovered, and that factor was a mental problem. Yakumo had already looked at Nao, but he told him that he did not understand anything.

“That’s a challenge.”

Eishin folded his arms.

However, Gotou thought that Eishin had a way to defeat this situation.

“Are you acquainted with a monk who can do exorcism ?”

When Gotou asked, Eishin had a bitter face.

“Well, there is nothing else to do”

“Then, please introduce me to the monk.”

Gotou bowed his head low.

Eishin was an old man not good enough, but if it was for Nao, he would bow his head.

“I can introduce you, but I think it is useless.”

“Why ?”

“Think. Why do you think that I bother asking you to solve this psychic phenomena?”

“What do you mean ?”

“Those who practice exorcism are, after all, just for show, it is not a solution. This is only a waste of money.”

“Do you mean it’s cheating ?”

“Well, it resolve a side of the problem”

“Huh ?”

“Some people feel relieved with that.”

It was an ambiguous explanation.

“In other words, does it mean that you can’t really exorcise ghosts?”

“Well, that’s right”

Gotou bit his tongue at Eishin’s answer.

To save Nao, he would pay as much gold, but if it was not effective, it made no sense.

He had a little hope, but he lost another solution.

“But you…”

He could hear the scream of Atsuko, interrupting his discussion with Eishin.

ー What ?

Gotou ran before he thought.

Gotou, who opened the door of Nao’s room, lost his words at the sight in front of him.

The window glass was shattered into pieces, and the cold wind outside was blowing in a loud noise.

The futons were scattered, and the bed where Nao was supposed to sleep was empty.

“What happened ?”

He asked to Atsuko, which fell of the bedside.

“Nao… Suddenly…”

There was a cut on the forehead of Atsuko who answered in pain, blood was dripping from there.

ー I have to do first aid immediately

He thought so, but he was worried about Nao’s whereabouts.

“Where did Nao went ?”

“Out of that window …”

Atsuko pointed at the broken window glass.

ー What is this ?

“You can leave Atsuko-san to me.”

After thinking about the situation, Eishin placed his hand on Gotou’s shoulder.

Gotou grinned and jumped out of the window barefoot.

Fortunately, thanks to the moon coming out, he was able to recognize the footsteps, only a few though.

Gotou chased after the footsteps and started running. He had a cold pain in his feet, but he could not afford to worry about it.

“Nao ! Nao !”

He knew that there will be no reply since Nao was deaf. Still, Gotou repeatedly shouted her name.

By continuing to call her, he felt he could be able to brought Nao with himself.

He went through the gate and down the slopes of the ginkgo trees that began to color.

“Nao !”

Gotou screamed and ran again.

At the end of the downhill, he would arrived at a crossroad. Looking in this direction, he could not find Nao.

Gotou carefully looked around.

ーWhere did she go ?

In the midst of his frustration, he heard horns.

When he looked at the sound, he saw the shadow of a child, which was lit by the headlights of a car.

“Nao !”

He screamed, but Nao did not move.

ーShe will be smashed at this rate

He thought so, but the car ran off past Nao.

However, if he stood like that, he did not know when she would run away.

Gotou rushed out toward the shadow of Nao.

ーShe’s just a few steps away…

He thought so, and the headlights of a car illuminated Nao again.

Unlike the previous car, this time there was no horns sounds and it ran straight. Apparently, it did not notice her.

Gotou was feverish. He rushed straight to Nao and held her body. The next moment, an impact struck and teared his body.

Before his eyes everything went black.

When he noticed, he was lying on his back on the pavement.

He was struck with an intense pain and he could not move one finger. The wet feeling was probably his own blood that flowed out.

ー Maybe I will die like this.

Though thinking so, Gotou searched for Nao’s figure.

ー Nao ? Are you safe, Nao ?

To respond to Gotou’s heart voice, someone looked at Gotou’s face.

It was Nao.

“Nao…”

Gotou tried to reach out and touch Nao, but his body was not moving.

Nao gave a small smile to Gotou.

Nao was looking down at Gotou for a while, but eventually she turned her heels and walked away.

Before Nao went into darkness, Gotou’s consciousness had fallen to bottomless hole.