Tokyo Exorcism Diary

The sound of the door being pushed open immediately caught the attention of Hoshino Rin, who happened to be in the living room.

Because Liz was taking a shower, Hoshino Rin was sitting alone on the sofa playing games. The moment she heard the door open, she knew it was Hoshino Gen returning home.

Just as she turned her gaze, ready to welcome her brother home as usual, her expression instantly froze.

The Hoshino Gen who pushed open the door was covered in glaring bloodstains, with a terrifying dark red long blade in his hand. Though he still looked like her brother, the feeling he gave off at this moment was like that of a complete stranger—cold and distant, making it hard to even meet his gaze.

Her lips trembled slightly, and she stammered: “B… Brother?”

Hearing her voice, Hoshino Gen slightly lifted his head. His left eye was blood-red, while his right eye remained tightly shut. He seemed like he wanted to step toward Hoshino Rin, but his legs gave out, and he stumbled, collapsing to the floor. The demonic blade instantly shattered into streams of light, flowing into his right arm.

Hoshino Rin’s heart jolted. She quickly put down her game controller and ran toward him.

“Brother!”

She knelt down, trying to help him up, only to find that Hoshino Gen had already passed out.

“Brother! Brother!”

…

Tonight was destined to be a sleepless night.

In the Itouu household, the light in the parents’ bedroom on the second floor had long been extinguished, while the living room on the first floor remained dimly illuminated.

The faint glow didn’t come from a lamp but from the television mounted on the wall. The show playing was a childish yet amusing cartoon, with a soothing art style.

Itouu Saki, fresh out of the shower and wearing a thin shirt, curled up on the sofa hugging her knees, her vacant eyes fixed on the TV screen.

Tap… tap… tap…

Footsteps approached, but Itou Saki didn’t notice until Itou Tomoya called her name.

“Saki.”

“Ah… huh?” She blinked in confusion, snapping out of her daze to look at her brother.

Itou Tomoya sat down on the single sofa beside her. After a moment of silence, he asked, “Saki, be honest with me… do you like that male classmate of yours?”

“Eh?” Itou Saki blinked blankly, not understanding why her brother was asking such a strange question. Her face filled with confusion. “Of course not. Until today, I hadn’t even spoken to Hoshino-kun alone…”

“This isn’t about whether you’ve talked or not. With that kid’s face, background, skills, and that ruthless streak… not to mention ordinary high school girls—even… Never mind. As long as you don’t like him, that’s good.” Itou Tomoya sighed in relief, as if a heavy burden had finally been lifted from his heart. “Don’t tell anyone about what happened today. Not your friends, not anyone—even if they ask, just don’t respond. Understand?”

Itou Saki saw the seriousness in her brother’s eyes and nodded. “Got it.”

“And…” Tomoya paused, then continued, “That male classmate of yours is extremely dangerous. If he can return to school unscathed after what happened today, then unless absolutely necessary… don’t interact with him again.”

“But… if it weren’t for me, Hoshino-kun wouldn’t have gone there today… and none of this would have happened…” Saki’s small hands twisted together, her head lowered as she spoke softly.

Hearing that, Tomoya clicked his tongue in frustration. Watching his sister’s pale fingers clasped so tightly they were turning white, he let out another long sigh. He ran his fingers through his hair, his face full of worry.

“That’s exactly why I’m worried…”

…

A spray of blood—

In her sleep, Shimizu Yuu jolted awake. She sat up, gasping for breath, her wide eyes scanning the room in panic. Realizing she was in her own bedroom, she gradually calmed down, her breathing evening out.

She picked up her phone from beside her pillow—still no reply.

Pouting slightly, she tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. Her gaze drifted toward the chair at her desk, where a boy’s blazer from Segawa Private Academy hung over the backrest.

It was the jacket Hoshino Gen had thrown to her earlier that day at the underground parking garage, asking her to hold onto it.

Bathed in moonlight streaming through the window, the uniform jacket seemed almost surreal.

Resting her cheek on her knees, Shimizu Yuu whispered to herself, “Tomorrow… I should be able to return it to him… right?”

…

“Is the result out?”

“Yes. Master Nishida personally conducted the examination. The reason for the vengeful spirit transformation is… there really is a ghost residing inside him. His contamination level has reached the critical point.”

“So, we can confirm that the massacre wasn’t his own will?”

“That’s what Master Nishida says.”

“Then we’ll consider it that way. Also… was the ghost inside him dealt with?”

“No… I was just about to report this. Master Nishida says the ghost’s level is unprecedented. If it leaves that young master’s body and starts indiscriminate killing, it could truly become a world-shattering threat.”

“…So the real danger is the ghost itself? And that young master is merely a vessel… or perhaps… a seal?”

“Exactly what Master Nishida suspects.”

“What if… the vessel dies?”

“If that happens… not only would the ghost inside him be unleashed, but birth another powerful ghost as well.”

“……”

In the dimly lit room, silence lingered for a long time.

Finally, a weary voice broke the stillness.

“In that case… maintain the status quo as much as possible.”

…

When Hoshino Gen woke up, the first thing he saw was a soft incandescent light on the ceiling. The surface beneath him was cool, like some kind of plastic sheeting. It felt as though he was lying on a hospital bed.

He lifted the white blanket and sat up, pressing a hand to his throbbing head. Looking around, he found himself in a small room with one transparent glass wall and a sealed metal door—more like a quarantine chamber than a hospital room.

He glanced down and noticed cold metallic rings locked around his wrists and ankles. The power he once wielded as naturally as breathing—like an extension of his own body—was now completely absent.

It only took him a moment to realize what the restraints were for. He was surprised that the Special Affairs Unit even had this kind of technology… but considering Master Nishida, who had reforged his demonic blade, it wasn’t entirely unexpected.

Speaking of the blade—

He looked at his right arm. As expected, the tattoo had vanished. The blade had been confiscated.

Hoshino Gen walked to the door and tried to open it—no response. He knocked on the glass wall—nothing. He soon realized that the glass was at least bulletproof.

Alright…

Forget a quarantine room—this was more like a high-end prison cell.