The Failed Exile

In the deserted school corridor, an empty silence reigned, filled with a gloomy, creeping chill. Even the sunlight streaming through the windows failed to dispel the biting frost. Such an environment would have struck terror into the heart of any mortal, while a ghost might have found it refreshing—yet the current reality seemed quite different.

Hone Onna, dressed in a teacher’s outfit, stood frozen in the hallway. She stared blankly at her reflection in the makeup compact in her hand. Unlike the skeletal face she expected, she saw the alluring, beautiful features of a woman. 'Why is this happening? Shouldn't I be showing my true skeletal form? How can I look like this...' Instead of her monstrous visage, a faint, pure aura emanated from her. Faced with this transformation within the ghostly domain, Hone Onna’s eyes widened in shock.

'This...' Hone Onna recognized the face in the mirror; it was her own, but as she had looked in her youth. Before her eyes, her reflection grew even younger. Watching her innocent, tender self, a whirlwind of memories flooded her mind. She gazed at the mirror, her fingers gently tracing the glass. Hone Onna had once been a woman of the pleasure district who died a tragic death after being deceived and toyed with. Her lingering resentment, anchored to her bones, had transformed her into a yokai dedicated to taking revenge on the heartless men of the world.

When she was human, Hone Onna had been an oiran, a plaything for the powerful and a tool for the brothels to accrue wealth. She had sought true love within her gilded cage, only to die in the wake of lies and betrayal. Yet now, the self she saw in the mirror was so youthful and radiant. Those days as a young girl before being sold into the pleasure district were a time she had long yearned for. For a long moment, Hone Onna stood rooted to the spot, her eyes fixed on the image of the girl she had almost forgotten. Seeing the woman standing there like a statue, Miketsu, who stood before her, gave a slight smile.

"See? You really are quite beautiful, Teacher. Why don't you stay here and admire yourself for a while? I'll be going now..."

With those words, Miketsu picked up her bento and continued down the hall, disappearing around the corner.

"Hone Onna!" At that moment, Wanyudo came running from the other direction, having noticed her lack of movement. He was startled to find her standing dazed in the corridor. "Onna, what’s wrong with you? Hone Onna!" Wanyudo shouted, but she didn't react. She remained staring blankly at her compact. Seeing this, Wanyudo’s brow furrowed. He immediately realized there might be something wrong with the target of their contract.

'That Fushimi Inaba is definitely not simple.' With that thought, Wanyudo sprinted forward. He reached the end of the hall and rounded the corner to pursue the target, but the sight that met him made him freeze in his tracks. "This... what is this?"

Before Wanyudo’s eyes was a sun-drenched school corridor. Countless students were walking to and fro in small groups, laughing and chatting. It looked like a perfectly normal day at school, completely unlike the ghostly domain they had constructed. As Wanyudo processed this, his gaze suddenly landed on a figure among the crowd. When he saw her, his eyes went wide and his jaw dropped in sheer astonishment.

"My Lady..." Wanyudo’s gaze was fixed on a girl who then turned to look at him, a tranquil smile gracing her lips. Wanyudo was a tsukumogami whose true form was a carriage wheel. During the Sengoku period, he had been the personal carriage for a daimyo’s daughter, created specifically for her service. Amidst the chaos of war, when the daimyo was defeated and the castle fell, the princess had fled in Wanyudo’s carriage. However, while navigating a mountain path, they had plummeted off a cliff. The carriage was destroyed and the princess perished. As a tsukumogami, Wanyudo was consumed by the guilt of failing to protect her, eventually transforming into a giant, flaming wheel that ran eternally. Now, hundreds of years later, he was looking at the princess’s face once again. Faced with her smile, he, like Hone Onna before him, stood paralyzed in shock.

Enma Ai, dressed in a black kimono adorned with flowing floral patterns, stood in the silent corridor. On either side of her were her two subordinates, Hone Onna and Wanyudo. They should have been using every means at their disposal to punish the one who was hated, yet for some reason, they stood motionless. Their expressions were filled with joy and bewilderment, immersed in illusions only they could see, utterly unable to pull themselves away.

"Is this... an illusion?"

Watching her subordinates, Enma Ai spoke softly. Even in her indifferent, cold voice, there was a slight ripple of surprise. This was clearly the first time she had seen her subordinates incapacitated during the punishment phase.

"What kind of illusion could affect them like this?"

Enma Ai murmured to herself in bewilderment. At that moment, a gentle voice sounded right behind her ear.

"The causality hidden in the past can be forged into chains that bind the present, don't you think? Hell Girl..." The soft whisper echoed abruptly in Enma Ai’s ear, the warm breath brushing against her skin. Even as a being of the demon realm, Enma Ai felt a sudden chill run down her spine. She quickly stepped forward and spun around. Standing before her was a girl of similar petite stature, with short black hair, red eyes, and a school uniform, holding a bento.

"Fushimi... you... is this all because of you? You really aren't an ordinary person." Enma Ai spoke with her usual detachment, looking at the smiling girl. However, despite her calm tone, a clear look of gravity had appeared in her eyes. Usually, she was the one who appeared silently behind others; this was the first time she had experienced someone sneaking up on her. Her normally placid heart couldn't help but stir.

"Mmh~ you could say that. It's just a few small tricks, nothing special." Miketsu opened her bento, preparing to eat, and smiled at Enma Ai. The Hell Girl continued her questioning.

"So, you knew we were coming... you knew you were hated..."

"More or less... I also wanted to see what the legendary Hell Girl looked like, haha... I didn't expect you to be so cute," Miketsu said to Enma Ai. Hearing this, Enma Ai paused for a moment before speaking.

"Regardless of who the target is, once a contract is signed, they must be sent to Hell. A Hell Exile cannot be stopped by simple illusions."

As she spoke, Enma Ai’s crimson eyes locked onto Miketsu. Her power began to surge, the surrounding environment darkening instantly as the air grew even colder. Facing the target of the grudge, Enma Ai parted her lips.

"O pitiful shadow wandering in the darkness... O soul that scorns and harms others, drowning in sin..." Amidst the whispered chant, Enma Ai raised one arm, displaying the patterns on her black kimono. Her final declaration was murmured: "...Would you like to try dying once?"

Then, Enma Ai stopped, maintaining her pose with her arm raised. She waited.

Nearly half a minute passed. Nothing happened. Miketsu and Enma Ai stared at each other. Enma Ai remained frozen in her pose, her expression blank, seemingly waiting for something that refused to occur.

"Um... isn't your arm getting tired?" Miketsu asked while eating her bento. Hearing this, Enma Ai slowly lowered her hand. Beneath her emotionless mask, she struggled to organize her thoughts before speaking.

"You... why weren't you sent to Hell?" Miketsu blinked, then tapped her head with her chopstick as if realizing something.

"Oh! Were those words you just said the ritual incantation to send me to Hell? Has your Hell Exile already started? I had no idea... Sorry, sorry. Your lines were so poetic I thought you were just being expressive. I didn't realize that was the actual exile," Miketsu said, enlightened. Enma Ai stood completely stunned, her expression frozen, unable to utter a single word. Miketsu cleared her throat and continued.

"Ahem... I'm very sorry. I didn't notice you had started the Hell Exile, so I didn't cooperate. That's on me... Don't worry, if we work together this time, I'm sure you can send me to Hell. Good luck!" Enma Ai stood like a statue for a long while. Finally, she slowly raised her hand once again.