Forbidden Contract

Iguchi Tsukiyuki was with everyone else in the village when the sky cracked.

“Everyone grab your weapons! The barrier has been breached!” he shouted.

The villagers all nodded and grabbed whatever they had on hand. It was only natural for them to listen to what he had to say—he was chief now. They’d been throwing a festival in his honor to commemorate it.

“Send some scouts to the gate! We need to find out what we’re dealing with!”

He grabbed his Psycho Hunter uniform—which was different from Takada’s—and slung it over his shoulder. Iguchi stepped outside of the restaurant and stepped into the alley behind it. Carefully, he removed his yukata, making sure it wouldn’t get soiled. Afterwards, he put on the pants to his uniform followed by his trenchcoat that bore their symbol.

When he stepped out, he handed his folded yukata to one of the villagers and cracked his neck.

“This is ridiculous…” he muttered to himself. “Are the scouts back yet?”

One of the Psycho Hunters pointed towards the direction of the village’s main gate.

“Over there! Takahashi is coming!”

Iguchi nodded.

The Psycho Hunter scout was running towards them at full speed.

This can’t be good…

The scout tripped a few times yet continued on until he reached Iguchi, falling at his feet. Iguchi knelt down and grabbed his shoulders. There wasn’t time to be gentle.

“What’s wrong? What did you see?!”

“I-I-I-I s-saw horde! The-they’re coming now!”

A horde?

“A horde of what? I need you to tell me!” Iguchi said, shaking him.

“Please! P-please save me! They got me!” he pleaded.

The scout’s right eye quickly became bloodshot and his face began to swell.

“Ish… Ish too late…”

His head slumped and that’s when Iguchi saw it.

On his neck!

A black creature resembling a tick was embedded on the back of his neck. Its legs were under his skin. The torso was melding with his flesh.

“It’s a control type specter!” Iguchi shouted. “Everyone be on guard! It sounds like we have a horde of specters coming this way!”

He rested the scout’s body to the side gently and stood up. Putting his hand to his mask, he adjusted it saying, “Manifest Pathos” as his eyes started to glow.

Here we go…

He started walking towards the village’s entrance with a sizable number of Psycho Hunters behind him. There were probably around thirty in total, excluding himself.

I’m concerned about Takada. The fool is probably still asleep in the mansion—

His eyes widened.

“—or he’s out on patrol! Damn it!” he spat. “Maki? Zashi? Go check on your brother.”

The girls acknowledged his order and parted ways for the mansion.

With that out of the way…

“It’s time to live up to my responsibilities… Solar Saber,” he chanted flatly. “Have someone dispose of Takahashi. We can’t save him anyway.”

The group continued marching towards the gate—but suddenly a sea of creatures of all shapes and sizes began to rush them before they could get close.

“This is it everyone! Exorcise every last one.”

First came a fish with four arms, six legs, and mouths where its eyes should have been. Of course, one eye was where its mouth should’ve been. It wasn’t much bigger than a dog.

There were bee-like specters with numerous eyes all over their bodies, black dogs with varying numbers of heads and more eyes than natural, and the types continued to vary.

Some had a humanoid shape and appearance with white hair, red eyes, grey flesh—exactly like a psycho.

The Psycho Hunters charged, beginning their assault against the horde of spectral apparitions. Many screamed as they fell, being torn to shreds, impaled, having their limbs torn off, or worse.

It was truly a nightmarish hellscape painted with red and blue blood.

“Aaah!!”

“Damn it! I need help!!”

“We’ve got this one!! Hey, watch your back!!”

“Don’t worry! I’ve—Gaaah!!”

We won’t last like this, Iguchi thought to himself as he took a stance.

A group of specters grouped up and cornered him.

“Manifest Pathos,” he said calmly, gripping his sword tight.

One of the monsters started to blink. Before it could finish, its head slid off its shoulders, falling to the ground. The others with it met the same fate.

“Lightspeed Slash.”

He was still in the same position as before, then suddenly broke out into a fit of coughing.

I won’t last like this… Lightspeed is too fast for a human body to handle!

His mask shook lightly. Then the mouth began to move on its own.

“Do you want me to help you?” it asked.

He shook his head.

“I hate all of you specters. It’s my job to exorcise every last one,” Iguchi replied. “I don’t need to rely on a specter to do that.”

“But you’re the one who contracted me! It’ll be your loss if you miss out~!” it sang. “What do you say, Mister Psycho Hunter?”

“...”

“Didn’t you already sacrifice your eyes per our contract?”

The screams of his comrades continued, mixed with the shrieks and howls of the enemy.

I don’t really have much choice…

“Do it.”

The mask grinned widely, narrowing its eyes suspiciously.

“Gladly…”

* * *

Earlier that day, before the sun rose, Iguchi Tsukiyuki stood in the cemetery looking at one of the graves.

I’m sorry.

“I was selfish, I know,” he admitted. “But I regret nothing. I’m sorry for removing your family from this world, but my own family is just as important to me.”

He held his mask under one arm and the scroll he received from Zisel under the other. Iguchi made a fist with his left hand gazed down upon it.

“I regret nothing. Even as a hypocrite, I’ll follow my duties till the end.”

He placed a palm on the headstone, summoning forth his mana. His eyes began to glow a faint yellow, and the name engraved into the stone followed suit.

GROOOOOMM!!

In front of the headstone where the body would be buried was a thick stone slab that began to pull into the dirt, revealing a secret passage. When it fully disappeared, Iguchi put his mask on.

“Time to get this done…”

He started climbing down the ladder, placing the scroll in his coat.

After navigating through the vast labyrinth, he finally reached the dungeon—it was in the opposite direction of the sealed vault. He still looked in that direction, knowing he’d have to come back later with his brother.

As he entered the dungeon, torches lit on the walls around him, illuminating the narrow hallway. On one side was merely the plain wall lined with torches, and the other were doors leading to cells. Each cell had papyrus seals plastered all over them. Some had thickly braided rope tied to them.

I know who I’m here for…

Inside most of the cells were captured specters. As Iguchi walked through, passing by each door, some began banging on the doors to their prisons. Others scratched and clawed their cell doors, while others slammed against it, and some—only a few—were completely silent.

Ignoring them all, Iguchi continued until he reached the one he was looking for. He pulled a small iron key out of his pocket and slid it into the doorknob.

Click!

He returned the key to his pocket before slowly opening the door, peeking inside before entering. A voice called out to him from across the room.

“Come on in…” it said.

He took a step inside and let the door close behind him.

“So… What brings you here? Have you come to kill me?”

Iguchi shook his head. “No. That’s not why I’ve come.”

He looked at the specter; It was shaped liked a human with half of its body a dark gray—close to black—and the other half a light gray close to white; The lighter half was delicately shaped like a woman’s body, while the other was sculpted like a man’s; The color of it’s hair mirrored the opposite side, and it had a mouth under both eyes and another eye on its forehead.

“You apparitions repulse me…” he muttered to himself, making it just loud enough for it to hear.

“Then why are you here?” it asked. “I doubt a Psycho Hunter came merely for a simple visit~.”

Iguchi frowned.

“I’m here because,” he took a deep breath, “I need to form a contract with you.”

A literal deal with the devil…

All of the mouths on the specter curved into a grin. “I see… So you’d like to make a deal with the demon incarnation of duality?”

He nodded.

“Name your price. I’d rather not spend any longer down here than I need to—I may end up getting restless and violent,” he said with his voice dropping low.

The two mouths under its eyes opened and began to speak.

“Hahahaha~! I like this guy!”

“I hate this man!”

This freak was really the best option? How could she think we’re compatible?

Shaking his head discretely, he adjusted his mask and stood tall.

“Well? Will you form a contract with me or not?”

“Watching you suffer would be a treat indeed~!” it chimed. “Tell you what—I’ll cut you a deal.”

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I hope you enjoyed this chapter!

What did you think about the demon bound to his mask?

If you have any thoughts, theories, or feedback, I'd love to hear them in the comments!