Chapter 5: The Playground Grudge

Two days later, things get a little more serious.

It is late afternoon. The sun is setting, painting the Tokyo skyline in burnt orange and violet. We are in our human forms again because Hajime and Naomi are visiting the family grave for the anniversary of Mrs. Hoshi’s death. They won’t be back for hours.

We are patrolling a park near the elementary school. Kenuji has been sensing a "disturbance" here for days, but it keeps vanishing.

"It’s quiet," Muji says, kicking a pebble. He is wearing a hoodie with the hood up. "Too quiet."

"Don't say that line," I groan. "It’s a cliché."

"But it is," he insists.

We stop by the swing set. The chains are rusting. The sandbox looks neglected.

"There," Yoshi points. "By the jungle gym."

A group of three kids—middle school bullies, by the look of their uniforms—are cornering a smaller kid. They are laughing, shoving him into the dirt.

"Give me the money, loser," one of the bullies snarls.

But it’s not just bullying.

Hanging onto the bully’s back is a creature. It looks like a monkey, but its skin is peeling off, red and raw. It has long, spindly fingers that are dug into the bully’s neck.

"A Grudge Spirit," Inoe whispers. "Small, but nasty. It amplifies aggression."

"If we don't stop it, that kid is going to get seriously hurt," Kenuji analyzes quickly. "The spirit is feeding on the bully’s desire for dominance."

"I hate bullies," Muji growls. The air around him heats up.

"Wait," Yoshi holds up a hand. "We can't transform here. Too many windows overlooking the park."

"So we do it the old-fashioned way," Inoe smirks. She adjusts her collar. "Haruka, you and I will play the distraction. Boys, you do the heavy lifting."

We walk out from behind the trees.

"Hey!" I shout, putting on my 'righteous class representative' voice. "Leave him alone!"

The bullies turn. The spirit on the leader’s back hisses at us, invisible to everyone else.

"Get lost, little girl," the leader sneers. The spirit tightens its grip, and the bully’s eyes twitch. He raises a fist.

Bad move.

Muji moves so fast it’s a blur. He doesn't use his claws. He just uses raw, physical speed. He grabs the bully’s wrist mid-air.

"He said leave him alone," Muji says, his voice low and dangerous.

The bully tries to pull away, but Muji’s grip is iron. "Let go!"

Yoshi steps up behind the bully. He taps the kid on the shoulder. When the bully turns, Yoshi flashes his eyes green for a millisecond. Just enough to let the Geomancer aura leak out. He whispers, "Boo."

The fear that hits the bully is primal. It’s the fear of a prey animal spotting a predator.

The bully screams, wrenching his arm free. "Ghosts! There's ghosts!"

He runs. His friends look at Yoshi, then at Muji’s furious face, and they scramble after him.

The spirit tries to hang on, but as the bully runs away from the source of his 'power' (the victim), the connection weakens.

"Now, Kenuji!" Yoshi yells.

Kenuji extends a hand. "Sever."

A pulse of psychic energy shoots out, invisible and silent. It hits the fleeing bully’s back. The red monkey spirit is knocked loose. It tumbles onto the pavement, screeching.

"You’re mine," Muji lunges. He doesn't need to transform fully. Just his hand turns into that spectral claw for a split second inside his hoodie pocket. He swipes at the air.

The air pressure cuts the spirit in half. It dissolves into grey ash.

The victim—the small boy on the ground—is staring at us with wide eyes. He wipes his nose. "Who... who are you guys?"

We look at each other. The wind blows through our hair.

"Just some passing cat lovers," Yoshi grins, giving the kid a thumbs up. "Go home, kid. It’s getting dark."

We turn and walk away, looking effortlessly cool.

"Did you see that?" Yoshi whispers to me as we exit the park. "I scared him with just one word. I’m amazing."

"You’re a dork," Inoe corrects him.

"A cool dork," he insists.

As we head back to the Hoshi house, I look up at the moon. Another spirit down. Another day protected. Being a human is tiring, but honestly? It’s kind of fun.

"I hope Naomi bought tuna," Muji says, breaking the silence.

"Amen to that," Yoshi says.

And together, the five of us walk home, our shadows stretching long under the streetlights—shadows that, if you look closely, have pointed ears and tails.