QTE48

It was obvious that the Judges had taken pity on him. Even chanting normally put a strain on Naoya’s body that was barely manageable. If he’d continued to use the curse, he would’ve most likely perished.

Yet he wondered why they had exorcised Hinako at that exact moment. Was it really only because they cared for his life? What a curious group of altruistic people. Ghosts. Gods. Whatever.

Naoya fell into himself as the rift above Kenrokuen Park in Kanazawa City was closed. It was the third one he’d helped close without Hinako’s help. It was slow going, but his body was thanking him.

While Aki talked to HQ, Naoya closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths. A little over a week ago, he had been a solitary wanderer, studying alone, travelling alone, living alone. Now he was part of something bigger. Something more important than anything he could imagine.

“We’re making progress, but new rifts are opening all over.”

“Why now? Why so many at once?”

“Ruri says it’s because the barrier between the realms is one large, interconnected weave. If some places are unstable, they pull on others. Normally we can fix them fast enough, but this push and pull to remove energy here, patch tears there… it’s not good.”

“Could the whole barrier collapse?”

“That’s always possible. Has always been possible. But it would take more than that… I hope.”

“Can rifts also be closed from the other side? From the living world?” Naoya asked.

“Yes. But it would be too conspicuous, and we don’t have an eye on the ghosts that way. Why?”

“If I can chant to close them, couldn’t every human do it?”

Aki shook her head. “I’m not sure.”

“I thought maybe I could only do it because I was possessed, but I can still do it. So if humans could… But how?”

“Karaoke?”

Aki burst out laughing. “Now that’s an interesting image.”

“But possible?”

“I mean, theoretically. But they would have to sing with intent. And for that they would need to know of the existence of the rifts. The Deadrealm.”

“And would that be so bad?”

“Yes?”

Aki sat down next to Naoya, on the well-kept lawn of the park, admiring the lake and the large trees of Kenrokuen Park. On a bright autumn day such as this, the park was full of visitors, but the Deadrealm was deserted and quiet. Even in the purple light, the scenery was beautiful.

“How are you feeling, curse-less?” Aki asked.

“Lighter, weirdly. I don’t imagine ghosts have much weight to them.”

“That’s what the person I possessed said too. Mental pressure is also a weight.”

“Mhm. I think I still love you, though I’m not entirely sure,” Naoya said.

“How do you know?”

“I’d still like to kiss you.”

Aki laughed and did it for him.

——

“Naoya’s idea isn’t bad.”

Ruri pointed at a screen in her office, in which a large group of people had taken a seat around a big table. There were many people Naoya had never seen before, some with masks bound to their upper arms, and even some without. Were those also living people? Bai Rong also didn’t carry a mask…

“You can’t be serious,” a man from the other side of the table said.

“Dead serious. There is no sign of this slowing down soon. If the rifts continue to open at this rate, we might have a cascade of failure. Attacking all at once is what we need to do, and for that we need the public. The living.”

“And you have approval for that?” another asked.

“They haven’t stopped me yet.”

Murmurs all around. Apparently inaction was a sign of approval. Naoya looked at Aki, who sat next to him, holding his hands. Kazu was still out there, producing new talismans like a machine. They owed it to everyone putting their life on the line to try everything.

“I suppose you all know QTE48?” Ruri asked.

A picture of a group of young women appeared on the large screen beside her. It looked like a class photo at first glance. They were dressed in dark uniforms with white and pink accents. QTE48—or ‘Cutie 48’ as they were pronounced—was a band with members from all around Japan.

“We’ll be planning a country-wide concert event with venues at the most popular tourist spots, which will be overlapping with existing rifts. The concerts will be under the theme of appreciation for these places and their cultural heritage. By attending, the fans will be there in the name of the venue. Their singing will automatically double as chants.”

The room was silent, taking in the information. It seemed ridiculous. So ridiculous, it might just work.

“We don’t have enough stored energy to make it work,” someone said. “Even if we work overtime, right now we’re depleting the stores as fast as we build them. And this effort will need much more.”

Karin stood up from the table and pointed at a picture of a stage with a large screen.

“That’s where the uploads come in,” she said. “People will be able to submit older pictures of the venue, which will be shown on screen. Every picture is figuratively given back to the location, making the stolen energy available.”

“This… this…” the first man to speak up stammered. “This is so flimsy, it won’t hold up.”

“Do you have a better idea?” Ruri asked. “Didn’t think so. Give the okay to the organising committee. We have enough influential people in the know to secure the venues. Dip into the emergency funds—they’re there for a reason. And get QTE on board.”

Most people in the room filed out. They might not have been completely on board, but they listened to Ruri. Aki explained that they were regional heads with some autonomous authority, but in the end, Ruri was the one the Judges approved of most. She had been here the longest, before even this physical HQ existed.

“So you’re in the business of idol concerts now?” Naoya asked. “I like QTE48.”

“You do? I don’t care much for the pop music of the recent decade.”

“That’s because you’re old.”

“Ah. Yes. Come on, your room is still available. You need sleep.”

“Will you stay with me?”

“I don’t need to sleep, but I will for you.”