If there is one really annoying point about Chiaki, then that she's relentless.
As long you don't show absolute refusal to join she will pull you along with her.
And sadly, in this discussion, I was not frank enough.
I mean, I have quite some stuff going on and am a little bit worried regarding mum.
Yet if I know one thing about Zika then that she prioritizes her own safety.
In our talk, she was totally calm, which tells me that she doesn't think this is going to be a problem that would make me freak out.
If it's about those matters I am more prone to trust her expertise.
As long she isn't secretly going to look for tickets to another dimension.

By the way!

 

"Zika, do you want to come..." (I)

 

Huh, wasn't she there a moment ago?
Nevermind.

Aside from that, I am not too eager to go home and talk with mum about my little faux-pas.
Maybe I should text her?
It would be like "Sorry mum, but I had the demon I spawned jumping into your shadow which might have a bad effect on you!"
Would that be alright?

Something tells me that this is the kind of message one should better relay in person.
But if Chiaki now insists so much on dragging me with her I have no choice, right?

Yet I should text mum that I am on a venture with Chiaki and it might get later.
I don't think it's going to become too late.
The club should be still on the campus and easy to find.
I follow Chiaki, who appears to be unusually eager to go somewhere, where she might encounter demons.
Either the training really helped her to feel better, along with the sleep, or she trusts me absolutely that I can protect her from everything.
And she's probably right!

As long they don't summon gods, what might have ended the world as we know it already if it happens frequently, I should be able to handle everything that jumps out of those nightmare realms.
It might be a good thing that she is better!
Not sharing her enthusiasm, I trudge behind her.
Apparently, the club is on the second floor.
Nothing impressive, just a note on the door that reads "occultism club".
Still, it's for sure not the kind of door I would like to open.
Chiaki on her side never knew restraint and is instead basically bursts inside.

 

"Hi! Is this the occultism club?" (C)

 

No, the note on the door is just a clever ruse, Chiaki!

I can see four persons.
As the required number of members is five they are either in dire need of someone to join or attendance isn't compulsory.
Honestly, they are not exactly what I expected.

Well, this one gloomy goth-girl maybe.
But there is also this girl with a friendly smile, a frail boy with glasses, and someone who looks like he thinks that he's the leader.
That might be, but he has this aura around him that unnecessarily states it.
Aside from the bright brown-yellow smoke he has going for him, there's also this demeanor of excessive confidence.
I'd say it's camel brown, but am quite sure he would say it's gold.
Also, his hair is dyed blond with streaks of his original black hair, since I shouldn't judge people entirely based on their aura.
Or should I?

Interestingly, while the goth kid looks like she looks, her purple aura seems fine.

On the other side, the smiling girl makes me worried with this shade of green.
I worry I might get poisoned.
It's just a chance, but I would give it like 50%.

And the glasses boy is normal, nothing special about his aura.
Blue. That's it.

 

"New members?! Welcome!" (smiler)

 

The smiler directly comes running at us, with an act as if she's going to give us cookies.
Yet if I wouldn't be very likely immune against every single poison in this and any other world (yes, I am this far to accept my reality) I would first send them into the lab to secure evidence.
That aside, we never said we would join!!!

 

"I am Chiaki and this is Iori. Ehm, my friend is shy. Is it possible to have something like a trial period before we sign up?" (C)

"Sure, sure! But you absolutely will! You have no idea how much at the moment is happening on the other side!" (smiler)

"Please Nanako, you are overwhelming those two!" ("leader")

"Oh Sora, we need to give our all to pull new members in!" (N)

"No problem! We are absolutely interested! What is this cool? And what is the other side?" (C)

"The other side is the world of the dead! Where they dwell for all eternity!" (goth girl)

 

I've learned something different, but if I point this out they might ask me where I've heard that.

 

"We're only speculating about this. But Yoko likes the idea." (S)

"And what happened that you are so excited?" (C)

"Three days ago our wave scanner was broken when we came here! This can just have been an extraordinary event of the other kind!" (S)

 

Or someone broke it and didn't tell the others, whatever that thing is.
For my sake, Chiaki asks in my stead.

 

"What is a wave scanner?" (C)

 

On the other hand, we don't know what that brought upon us.
The smiler instantly rushes to the other side of the room and grabs something like a mix of a dreamcatcher with a handle and a pendulum.
Yet the whole stuff has to do something with dreams.
They might be right.
What do I know about this stuff?
Apart from that what I was forcefully confronted with.
She first goes with that thing to Chiaki and waves it in front of her as if she would check her for hidden weapons.

 

"This is great! You're totally emitting paranormal waves! Those results are top-notch!" (N)

 

The fact that Chiaki isn't normal is nothing new, but sadly she is weak to flattery.

 

"Ehehehe, is that so?" (C)

"Yes! The other side must love you!" (N)

 

Bad topic!
Absolutely a bad topic!

 

"I-if you say so!" (C)

 

Surprisingly, Chiaki takes it rather well.
Our efforts were apparently not for naught.

 

"And now you!" (N)

 

I have no idea if that thing is not a giant lie, but if it's not I'm worried.
It won't burst in flames, right?
She repeats the scanning with me.

 

"Oh, no reaction! But don't worry! Not everyone can have a connection to the paranormal! And that doesn't keep you from partaking in the rituals! It is sometimes even good to have a neutral factor. It's no shame to be nothing special!" (N)

"Nanako, you're rude!" (S)

 

So there's nothing paranormal about me, huh?
Either that thing is fake or it only works on humans and anything else is simply not registered.
Or, and this is a rather unsettling thought, I'm breaking the scale so much that I can't be measured, as like Zika and Chiaki said I'm an all-encompassing darkness that turned everything darker.

 

"Ehm, you mentioned rituals." (I)

"Yes! Isn't that cool? We have them from ancient books!" (N)

"The Liber Nocturnum is not just an old book! It's the bible for those who seek contact to the beyond!" (nerd)

"In the end, it's a book and old. How special it is doesn't change the definition. Or am I wrong with that Jonichi?" (N)

 

Won't argue with that, but I will certainly not read loudly from it.
I've seen that film!

 

"Can we see one of your rituals!" (C)

 

Oh yes, I'm yearning to see what's coming from the other side.
Not!

 

"Oh, we didn't plan anything for today." (N)

 

Great! Then we can just turn around and leave.

 

"But when we already have extra participants, we should use this chance!" (N)

 

That was asking too much!

 

"We have a custom-made summon circle to roll out! Then we need just the special candles!" (N)

 

I want to go home.

 

"Do you want to try the "Ex Sonora"?" (J)

"Why can't we summon the dark lords?" (Y)

"Sorry, dark lords?" (C)

"The ruling entities of dread and terror!" (Y)

 

You're far too enthusiastic for your gloomy image.

 

"Don't tell me you're going to try and summon outer gods!" (I)

"Outer... gods? Pffft! No. No, no, no" (S)

"Uhh, sorry. You sure think you know some stuff, throwing around these terms, but not even the most lunatic follower of the dark arts would try to get into contact with an outer god." (J)

 

Should Chiaki be from now on be more careful with my phone number, when she "contacts" me?

 

"Okay... but dark lords didn't sound that nice either." (I)

"That was just Yoko. Towards those greater demons, we aren't of any interest. But this can't even compare to an outer god. Those wouldn't even see us. So while negotiations with the former are difficult, the latter wouldn't even bother to answer. And in the impossible case that they do, you would wish they didn't. Or in the best case, you'd just end up dead." (J)

 

Why do people always think that I'm going to torture them?
I can actually be nice.
I went yesterday through quite some shit, just to be considerate to my friends.
I am a good person!

 

"And what do you want to do then?" (I)

"Just a simple calling. We send a signal and maybe something shows up." (N)

 

Whatever they want to call, it can't be nice.

 

"Ehm sorry, but I think I can't do that." (I)

"Don't worry, they won't even register someone like you! You might end up seeing a real ghost." (N)

 

She is a little too pushy for me.
I've already seen enough ghosts.
And Chiaki too!

 

"If it's just a small one I think I can handle it." (C)

 

What happened to the terrified Chiaki from yesterday?

 

"Great! With your waves we are sure to draw something here! You just have to stay there at the circle with your candle. And your friend there." (N)

 

Oh no, I won't.

 

"Sorry, I think I pass here!" (I)

"Why don't you give it a try, Iori?" (C)

"Chiaki, do I have to remind you what might happen if I do anything at all?" (I)

 

We might actually catch an outer god!

 

"Fine, then just us! Is there any safety measure?" (C)

"The pentagram is our safety measure, It keeps the summoned inside, so we have to make sure the borders stay undisrupted." (J)

 

You're referring to the pentagram you're rolling out?
We are doomed!
Well, they are!

And I on my side will make sure that Chiaki gets away should something happen.
After all, I think it's in her own interest when I devour her instead of something else.
For some reason, they still put some kind of paste on the summon circle and everyone gets a candle and takes position at one of the pentagram's corners.
Fortunately, they are together with Chiaki already five, so that no one is pushing me to partake.

Instead, I take a chair far away from the center of this room.
They are seriously doing demon summoning here!
I only need to call one name and have mine appearing.
And because of that, I know what kind of stupid idea that is!
They don't like it!

But it's not like I could do much about this.
I might scare them, but this might make things worse.
For now, I should see if there is any point to their activities.
So each one of them holds a candle that gives off an unusual scent when they light them up.
Then the club members start a chant.

 

"Oh, other beings heed my call,
follow my voice behind the wall.
Come close before you diminish
and fulfill now my darkest wish!" (members)

 

Creepy!
Absolutely nothing for me!
And what kind of demon would respond, if asked like that?
On the other hand, I guess something happens.
A neglectable part of their aura drifts inside the circle and gathers in the center.
I say neglectable, but we all know what that means regarding Chiaki, so I'm directly on edge.
Then it kind of explodes in a wave that spreads in the room.

From my perspective, the only one who really noticed that something happened was Chiaki.
After all, she had this whole training with this energy.
For the rest, I start to understand the principle.
The participants use their life force and emit a signal that creatures will follow.
The intensity of the wave should hereby alternate what gets attracted, in regards to what is close by.
Fairly simple.
And fairly stupid!

How can they even be sure that nothing appears outside the circle when it gets here?
It doesn't even have to come from another dimension.
It might just be already here inside the school.
I at least know about seven.
And while big monsters might laugh at the shallow amount of energy they sense, that doesn't mean that they might not come here to look.
And to make it worse, they try it with Chiaki!

While I have no idea what might happen now, I raise my caution to stay alert of all the possible threats that may come now.
I don't have to wait long.
In the middle of the pentagram opens something like a rift and I think there is something like a rat.
If rats had five eyes, teeth circling round like a shredder and two tails, ending with razors.
It might reach just up to my knee but certainly shouldn't get out there.

 

"Hey, do we have lured something?" (S)

"The circle is still active! There might be a presence." (J)

"I can go in there. If I die, tell everyone I hated them." (Y)

 

They can't see it!
That might be this awareness thing.
Otherwise, people would be more freaked out about all the ghosts in town.
But there's someone who can!

 

"DON'T YOU SEE IT!!!" (C)

 

And this one has to be phobic.
Seriously Chiaki!
Don't help to summon demons if you can't handle them!

 

"What do you mean?" (S)

"There! That thing!!! Make it vanish! It shall go! Do something!!!" (C)

 

Now her fear of demons gets totally through with her.
However, I'll give her that this critter is targeting her with its gaze, having identified her as the ultimate source of energy.
But fortunately, it seems to be contained inside that circle.
But rather than with the half-confirmed demon the others are now more occupied with Chiaki.

 

"It shall disappear! Now!!!" (C)

 

At this, she raises her hand, which starts to glow and...

Shit, I have to do something!
With all the speed I can muster I rush to Chiaki and grab her arm before she shoots laser beams through the wall and announces that ability to all those weirdos here.

 

"Chiaki, calm down! It can't get out and I am here!" (I)

"Iori! Waahhh!" (C)

 

This panicked crying of hers is not as bad as the state I have seen her before.
She is more like a small child after a scare, nothing too serious.

 

"If you have this much of a problem, why did you even come here?" (I)

"I-I thought it might be therapeutic." (C)

"Chiaki, there is a fine margin between shock-therapy and delving into a trauma! And there are reasons why you go to a professional!" (I)

"And who is a professional for demon-caused trauma?" (C)

 

Okay, I've got no idea.
Maybe one of the others...
Why do they stare this much?

 

"Sorry, but Chiaki is easily scared and can tend to overreactions at times." (I)

 

Hopefully, that was enough to reassure them.

 

"How, how did you do this?" (N)

"What do you mean?" (I)

"You suddenly appeared next to her! Instantly! I even thought there was an afterimage on your chair." (N)

 

Huh?
But I didn't teleport!
I just ran over.

Maybe I was fast, but I didn't notice anything unusual with my movement.
If not for the fact that I am a crazy unusual entity that probably won't feel weird, even while running faster than light.

 

"You probably saw wrong. Anyways, what is now about the demon there?" (I)

"You can see something?" (J)

"An extremely aggressive rat, that looks as if she's ready to eat the face of the next person who comes close. Could I please ask what the actual merit of summoning this kind of stuff is? For me, it looks simply like an unnecessary risk." (I)

"So we really did catch something!" (S)

"Hey Jonichi, wasn't there a spell to make the unseen visible?" (N)

"Sure, but it's quite an effort. We need some ingredients that are rather difficult to obtain." (J)

"We should have bought them long ago! Why didn't we ever consider that we just can't see our summons?" (N)

 

This comment makes me actually worry how many critters they already released on this poor world without noticing.

 

"I don't know what you usually do, but regarding that violent pest in that circle, how do we deal with it? Or do you intend to leave it like this?" (I)

"How about a send-back ritual?" (N)

"But we just got it! Shouldn't we study everything we can learn about it?" (J)

"It's a rat! Do you really think it's going to teach you the secrets of the universe?" (I)

 

While discussing like this, suddenly an eye of mine plops up behind me.
And reveals a shadowy figure at the door.