The Execution

At noon on the school campus, the bright sunlight spilled over the earth, warm and peaceful. Yet at this moment, Eguchi could not feel a shred of warmth from the rays shining upon her; instead, a lingering chill sent shivers down her spine.

In the tennis court, a student drenched in sweat hit a perfect shot that their opponent couldn't return. A high-pitched shout of victory rang out. However, Eguchi, standing dazed at the edge of the court, could hear nothing else. At this moment, her eyes only saw the straw doll, no longer bound by the red string, floating into the sky and vanishing. Her ears could only hear the mature female voice carried on the wind.

"Your grievance... has been heard..."

Witnessing the disappearance of the straw doll, the expression on Eguchi's face froze. She stared blankly at the young man before her, Senior Matsugami, who wore a smug smile. It took her a long moment of stunned silence before she could stammer out a question.

"Ma... Matsugami, what... what have you done?"

"I'm helping you make up your mind, Eguchi. When facing someone you deeply hate, it's not good to be so hesitant," Matsugami said with a grin, his hands spread wide. His demeanor was filled with twisted malice, devoid of the gentleness he had previously shown her.

"But, didn't I say it? I don't want to go to Hell! And I don't want to send Fushimi Inaba to Hell either! It's not... my resentment isn't that deep!" Eguchi shouted excitedly. Her voice trembled with fear. Watching the panicked Eguchi, Matsugami continued to speak with a malicious smile.

"That's right... no one in this world wants to go to Hell. Not you, not the person you hate, and of course... not me either..." As he spoke, Matsugami pulled open his collar. Revealed beneath his collarbone was a black, flame-shaped tattoo. When Eguchi saw this tattoo, her eyes widened in shock.

"That's..."

"This is the mark left after signing a contract with the Hell Girl. It is also a curse that can never be removed. Carrying this curse... one is destined to fall into Hell after death. This is the price I paid for using the Hell Correspondence, and the fate I can never escape in the future..." As he spoke, Matsugami pressed a hand to his forehead, his expression becoming exaggerated and full of madness.

"I hate this fate, but I am powerless... My life was so excellent and beautiful, with a smooth path ahead. But whenever I think about the endless pain I will face upon death, all joy feels hollow. Knowing the final destination is a bad ending makes the rest of my life feel gray and hopeless...

"Because of this despair, though my original resentment was resolved, a new hatred grows day by day. I hate this world... I envy people like you who have a bright future both in life and after death. Only when people like you end up just like me, falling into Hell, can my heart find peace!"

Matsugami spoke loudly with his arms spread in a grand declaration. Hearing these words, Eguchi couldn't help but speak with anger.

"So... so you're just looking for someone to drag down with you? You intentionally told me about the Hell Correspondence because you wanted me to end up in Hell just like you?!"

Eguchi spoke with fury. Looking at the grief-stricken and enraged Eguchi, Matsugami continued to chuckle with an indifferent air.

"Yes... but it won't be just you... Don't worry, Eguchi. From now on, there will only be more and more companions joining us in Hell. When everyone is in Hell together... it won't be so scary anymore, will it?"

Matsugami spoke lightheartedly. Hearing this, Eguchi finally reached her limit. She clenched her fist and swung directly at him.

"You bastard!"

Seeing the fist flying toward him, Matsugami's smile remained unchanged as he reached out and easily caught her wrist. Eguchi was, after all, just a girl; she couldn't match the strength of Matsugami, a mainstay of the senior tennis club. Seeing her hateful expression, Matsugami clenched his free fist and swung it hard into her stomach.

"Ugh..."

The pain in her abdomen made Eguchi's eyes bulge, and her legs gave way as she collapsed to her knees. Matsugami released her wrist. Kneeling on the ground, Eguchi clutched her stomach tightly with both hands, her head bowed low.

Watching this scene, Matsugami simply turned around and walked away, leaving the suffering Eguchi behind.

"Enjoy the pleasure of your enemy's disappearance, Eguchi. The Hell Girl's execution has already begun. Spend the rest of your life hating this world as much as you can."

Matsugami's figure gradually receded along with his contemptuous words. Tears overflowed from Eguchi's eyes as she knelt there, and then she broke into a sob.

...

In a Secret Realm of eternal, blood-red sunset, vast fields of equinox flowers bloomed like a sea. Amidst this sea of flowers stood a simple, old-fashioned cottage.

Beside the simple Japanese-style cottage, by a clear spring pond, the Hell Girl Enma Ai emerged from bathing in the cold water and slowly put on her clothes inside the house.

This time, she was not wearing her black sailor uniform, but a black kimono with a floral pattern. This was the attire she wore when performing her duties as the Hell Girl.

The contract had been sealed, and the time for execution had arrived. Enma Ai, dressed in her black kimono, stepped out of the cottage. Outside, an ancient carriage without oxen or horses was ready. Large human faces were stretched across the carriage wheels, ablaze with the flames of demonic fire. This was the yokai carriage transformed from Enma Ai's follower, Wanyudo.

Enma Ai boarded the carriage, and Wanyudo rolled forward, soaring into the sky with a burst of fire, flying straight toward the location of the execution.

"Mistress... according to Hone Onna, the completion of this contract was not the client's original intent. An outsider interfered. Are we really going to proceed with the execution?"

Wanyudo asked Enma Ai inside the carriage. Enma Ai replied in a low whisper.

"Regardless, since the red string was untied, the contract is established. According to the rules, the execution must proceed..."

Enma Ai spoke in a cold, indifferent tone. Although she knew there were issues with how this contract was established, she still chose to proceed because of the so-called 'rules'...

"I see... then this request is another tragedy..."

With a sigh, Wanyudo increased his speed and charged out of the Secret Realm.

...

On the sun-drenched campus, the classroom during the lunch break was very peaceful and quiet. Sitting at her desk, Miketsu took a lunch bento out of her bag and placed it on the table, preparing to sit and enjoy it.

Just then, Miketsu looked up at the bright sunlight shining through the window onto her desk, and her expression tightened slightly.

"It's a bit too bright... I'll find another place to eat lunch..."

As she spoke, Miketsu picked up her bento, slowly left her seat, and walked out of the classroom into the long corridor.

At this moment, the corridor was deserted, and the surroundings were dead silent—so silent it was almost eerie.

"It's quite quiet."

After a simple comment, Miketsu walked forward with her bento. At the end of the corridor ahead of her stood a mature, tall female figure dressed in a teacher's outfit.

This figure was one of the Hell Girl's followers, the yokai Hone Onna. She was currently waiting for the target of the execution to arrive, intending to show her the terror of yokai and let her know the resentment that was about to send her to Hell.

The Hell Girl's 'execution' was not merely about sending the target to Hell. The funeral send-off to Hell was the final step. Before that, the Hell Girl's followers would first intimidate and punish the target like a horror movie, making them realize exactly what resentment had led to their doom.

The current corridor had already been transformed into a ghostly domain by the three yokai. According to their plan, Fushimi Inaba, walking along it, would never reach the end. Just as she became exhausted, she would see the back of Hone Onna in her teacher's guise. When she approached the only person she could find to ask for help, Hone Onna would turn around. What Fushimi Inaba would see then was a face completely reduced to a skeletal skull, scaring her out of her wits.

With that as the start, the three yokai's 'punishment' of the target would officially begin.

At this moment, Hone Onna, dressed as a teacher, stood in place and waited silently. Her face had already returned to its original form—a skeletal visage—waiting to turn around and give the target a fright.

'What a shame... to be sent to Hell despite having done nothing. But it can't be helped. Once the contract is signed, nothing can stop it. I can only try to make her suffer a bit less during our punishment...'

Hone Onna thought to herself. Just then, a soft female voice sounded behind her.

"Excuse me, teacher in front, please wait a moment..."

Hearing this voice, Hone Onna was slightly surprised. Logically, it shouldn't be possible to finish walking through the ghostly corridor so quickly. How did she get here so fast? Had Wanyudo or Ichimoku Ren been slacking off?

Though filled with doubt, Hone Onna knew she had no time to hesitate. According to the original plan, she turned her head back, facing the ordinary high school student behind her with her terrifying skeletal head. She was ready to hear the sound of a scream.

"Oh... are you calling me, student?"

"Yes, of course, beautiful teacher..."

Miketsu said with a smile as she looked at the tall woman who had turned around. Hearing Miketsu's words, a look of stunned bewilderment appeared on the face that had just turned.

"Beau... beautiful? You called me... beautiful?" Hone Onna said blankly. She hadn't expected the other person's first reaction to her face to be a compliment instead of a scream.

"Yes... you are very beautiful, teacher. Is there something strange about that?"

Miketsu continued to smile. Hearing her words, Hone Onna hurriedly fumbled through her pockets in a panic, pulling out a makeup box. Opening it, Hone Onna looked into the mirror. What appeared in the reflection was not a horrifying skeletal face, but a beautiful, voluptuous countenance filled with shock.

'Where... where is my skeletal form?'