Back home the first thing I have to deal with is Kuri.
She's completely out of it, probably because I didn't take her with me on that trip.
So I have to spend some time consoling her.
Aside from that nothing seems out of order.
Especially I pay attention if I have any murderous urges, but gladly nothing comes up.
It might truly be that whatever I encountered was just an insignificant splinter, which would raise its very own concerns.
Or it works more subtly.

For the sake of my troubled mind, I hope for the first.
Because it's not quite morning yet I have to find a way to kill time.

 

• Kill
   
• Kill

 

Stop!

No, no, no, no!
What exactly did you intend to do there?

 

Alright, I'll just grab myself some mangas and hope this won't lead to me summoning my favorite characters.
Which would be kinda cool but probably end with them fighting me, as I may look like the end boss.

Eventually, morning dawns, and I can stop trying to find ways to occupy myself.
I put a uniform from my wardrobe on, which to an ever-increasing degree consists of flesh coats, as they don't disappear and I have no idea what to do with them.
I don't think we can afford to always buy something new whenever I have another mishap.
So eventually I will have to get comfortable with the thought of wearing my old skin.

After this, I again clean my teeth and dump the contents of my mouth inside the conditioner bottle.
Which disturbingly was at another place than I last placed it.
However, the interior looked "normal".
The only weird thing might be that it doesn't seem to get any fuller even if I already used it for quite some time.
But that just serves the purpose and is ignorable, I think.

After breakfast with mum, where I assured her that nothing extraordinary happened tonight, I go to school.
There's one worrisome thing.
It might just be my imagination, probably not as my senses should be pretty immune to getting confused, but I believe that the building in general looks... ahem, corrupted.
It's hard to make out, but it looks like a starting case of growing mold.
Or rather, mold vines.
Barely to perceive but everywhere along the walls grow inconspicuous little black lines.

Since no one else seems to see them I'd say they can't.
Maybe I should ask someone who has a sense for things like that.
The first one I get on the floor is Chiaki, who should be more open for a talk than Zika.
Yet how should I start to speak about such a delicate topic about growing corruption?

 

"Hey Iori, have you seen all the black vines?! Kinda creepy I'd say!" (C)

 

Okay, never underestimate an extroverted idiot.

"Uh, yes. Maybe you should tone it down? I believe that's something paranormal, and like this might freak uninvolved people out." (I)

"Oh, you're right. Already asked myself why no one's talks about it. I already wanted to inform a teacher." (C)

 

How can someone so dumb maintain such good grades?

 

"Okay, the only reliable source of information on that matter which comes to my mind would be Zika." (I)

 

Chiaki nods at this and we head to the classroom.
All the time I ponder how to address her without causing a too abrasive reaction, as she's kinda annoyed whenever I ask her stuff.
But different from my expectations she directly approaches me.
Somehow things are today much simpler.

 

"And? How'd it go?" (Z)

 

While talking she makes her respective "ignore-us"-gesture towards our classmates.

 

"What do you mean?" (I)

"Oh, I don't know. How about the impending world end because you've stirred something up from the other side of the goddamn void?!" (Z)

 

She repeats her gesture when people perk up at the noise, who then again lose their interest in us.

 

"Maybe not so loud?" (I)

"Sorry, but you weren't the one who was the whole night anxiously awaiting reality to dissipate at any moment. So please, could you tell me what happened?" (Z)

"Ehm, about that... It's possible that I started a less-than-serious war with another deity of a kind I can't really determine. And some other stuff happened." (I)

"Iori? I think I'm as well growing worried here." (C)

 

Zika at least doesn't look too well.

 

"Could you please explain everything in detail. Especially the part you don't want to speak about which apparently outweighs a dimension-shattering war!" (Z)

 

One more forget-me gesture.

 

"Yes. You see, I kinda... merged with my dark side." (I)

 

Shock, worry, and... the disdained look one gets when they lived up to very low expectations.

 

"Elaborate! Now!" (Z)

"It was confusing. This being, that apparently was me or a fragment of mine that grew on its own after I left it behind, just vanished inside me after saying we would merge now. That was in this nightmare dimension, do you remember? Anyway, I couldn't really understand everything. I don't feel much different from before or have the impression that I turned into a homicidal maniac like this one was in my opinion but I'm kinda worried. Oh, and while my twin was on its own it tried to consume the whole dimension and through this got into conflict with another power. But my dark self thought that one wasn't very serious about winning in the first place. So it should be fine?" (I)

 

After that, I pause, waiting for a response, but nothing comes.

 

"Ehm, Zika?" (I)

"We're doomed! We're all doomed!" (Z)

"Okay, but I think I've got most of it covered." (I)

"That you truly believe this might be the worst point there is to this whole disaster!" (Z)

"Sorry. It became a bit chaotic and I was overwhelmed." (I)

"Sigh. As things are we can just hope that none of the many apocalyptic flags you've raised here are going to show results. Something that becomes more and more unlikely the longer you're roaming this plane. That's not meant personally, but your very existence alone endangers your environment." (Z)

"Speaking of which. What about those dark vines? They're certainly not natural, right?" (I)

 

Once more her favorite "seriously"-look.

 

"Is this a joke?" (Z)

"N-no? I was seriously worried." (I)

"That's just you. You're continuously emitting miasma, remember? While you don't perceive it and even conceal now that it comes from you this doesn't mean it just vanishes." (Z)

"Wait, I created those vines? But how? I never permitted that to happen." (I)

"Those vines might be many things but for sure no conscious action. You came for a long time regularly to this place, so it's not surprising that your presence lingers here. You marked the school as your territory. Your realm. Your home should look the same." (Z)

 

Uh, really?
It's not like I paid too much attention and Kuri is always smoking around which limits visibility a bit.

 

"But isn't this bad? Doesn't this mean any moment the miasma could run rampant?" (I)

"It's not in the air, so the mortals should be fine for the time being. However, it's subtly changing the whole area into something similar to your personal dream. Eventually, you will be able to enact the same kind of control in the whole area. That doesn't mean anything is going to spawn here. But one wrong thought of yours and the building gets ripped into another dimension. So yes, it's pretty bad." (Z)

"And, and what are we supposed to do against this?" (I)

"I wouldn't know about anything we could do. Any attempts to draw your influence away might make it worse. Don't take this personally, but your fine control sucks. You might accidentally add more or devour this whole building. It's like pulling hard at countless threads which are entwining the whole campus. So I'd rather opt for waiting it out and hope for the best. That's the safest way to go about this. However, the others could react a little hostile at this foreign occupation." (Z)

"Great. Great! Absolutely fantastic! What happened to my quiet school life?!" (I)

"That never existed to begin with. I mean, you could at any time have been attacked. You were just a lousy target at your shallow energy levels." (Z)

"And what about me? Why did I never get attacked when I was ignorant?" (C)

"You, my sweet summer child, were just so ridiculously positive that there was no real way to get you. No negativity to amplify and extract. Also, most lesser creatures are intangible and cannot harm without being perceived. Regarding the other, more powerful beings, acting this open would directly put one on the exorcising list which would be a death warrant." (Z)

 

Speaking of exorcising.
I wonder where Makoto is.
It's not like him to skip classes.
I hope nothing bad happened to his family because I've destroyed their barrier.

But they looked halfway capable.
So as long nothing of Kuri's level attacks they should be able to defend themselves.
And I think I would've noticed if something like this had shown up and rampaged.

I just want to end the talk and get ready for class to start when suddenly a young girl shows up in front of the classroom.
I wouldn't have noticed her, especially as she's around a head smaller than I am.
And I'm tiny.

However, for some reason a dozen eyes plop up in the hallway, all of them focusing on that little girl, which sends my vision all over the place.
I'm almost grateful for this body because otherwise, I would right now puke all my stomach's contents out as nauseating this visual input is.

The moment I gather myself and look at the girl she freezes.
Paralyzed by fear she's completely unable to move.
At least, I have enough comparatives now so I can judge what a terrified face looks like.
I'm a bit worried that she will just keep standing there and nothing happens anytime soon.
As soon Zika follows my gaze she looks instead rather annoyed.
Eventually, the girl manages to move and comes close.
In front of me, she looks as if she's close to a collapse.
But then she pulls out a letter from behind her and holds it in my direction.

 

"H-h-h-here." (little girl)

 

As soon I have the paper safe in my hand she quickly bows down in front of me and abruptly dashes out of the room.
I didn't expect it, but others seemed to perceive her as well.

I take a look at the letter and Zika leans over.
On the sheet, the word "invitation" is plastered in perfect calligraphy.
I'm opening the envelope and start looking through the contents:

 

We're asking the esteemed unknown with all due respect to attend an assembly after the last bell's ring in the cellar.
We hope for positive relations so we can bring order to the newest developments.
Your presence is desperately wished for.

-6W-                        

 

Then Zika talks.

 

"Oh, seems like you've been invited. That's promising some fun." (Z)

 

Ah, yes, sure.

That's certainly not going to bite me later on.