Fukigen na Mononokean

Let's have lunch.

Okay.

He slept all the way through fourth period...

He's awake.

Oh, time for lunch.

Don't give me that!

You knew I was your classmate, didn't you?

Huh? Yeah.

You should've told me sooner.

Is that a yokai?

I can totally see them now.

You're not going to exorcise it?

I only exorcise yokai I'm hired to exorcise.

If I exorcised every yokai I saw, I wouldn't last long.

But you said yokai belong in the Underworld.

Won't he be stuck wandering here forever if we just ignore him?

Ignore any yokai you see.

I hired you,

so you only need to do the jobs I give you.

On that note, go buy me some tea and cod roe rice balls.

What am I, your errand boy?

Why do I have to do this?

Mystery 2: The Ant

But I'm doing this to pay off my debt.

No way...

It might be faster to run to the convenience store.

What's wrong? Do you feel sick?

My leg suddenly went numb.

I can't move it.

Did you twist it or anything?

No. It hurts...

Ignore any yokai you see.

Hey, what's wrong?

She can't move her leg.

Seriously? We should call an ambulance!

Damn it. I can't ignore this!

Huh? I can move it.

Is it better?

You should be okay now,

but stop by the nurse's office just in case.

Huh? Uh, thanks...

What happened?

Her foot healed when he held his hand over it.

Seriously? He must have ESP!

He's got ESP! He's an ESPer!

I'm not an ESPer!

I want nothing to do with yokai,

but it's hard to ignore them...

What is this chill I feel?

I felt something similar

when the fuzzball possessed me...

But that was nothing compared to this.

It's terrifying.

What is this sound?

Am I the only one who can hear it?

Huh?

He's late.

What's going on?

Is it him?

That's loud. What's going on?

Abeno-kun.

Abeno-san!

Did I not warn you ten minutes ago

to ignore them?!

I hired you to make my job easier, not harder!

I'm sorry!

Unbelievable!

How could you let these pesky things possess you?

Move.

Uh, okay.

Mononokean, come.

Abeno-san! Ow!

You're choking me!

Damn it!

My neck!

Suck it up!

Ashiya, get the tips of your fingers inside the door!

Inside the door?

They backed off!

Get inside while you can.

Huh? This place...

It's the tea room from yesterday.

Wait, huh?

I'm closing the door. Get inside.

That was close.

"That was close," my ass!

If you leave, they'll chase you again.

What? But I'm finally enjoying a normal high school life!

Take off your shoes.

Huh?

I know! Summon that sliding door again!

If you send the yokai through there...

I can't.

Why not?

I'm only strong enough to open the door to the Underworld twice a day.

So there's nothing we can do?

It'd take days to exorcise all those things.

I wouldn't last.

Are those things going to chase me my whole life?

It's not as though there's nothing we can do.

What? You mean there's a way?

They're too strong, considering how small they are.

They're probably young ones, sort of like worker ants.

So there's a "queen ant" controlling them?

They were probably trying to take you to their boss's nest...

as prey.

Prey?!

This is just a guess.

We won't know what the yokai actually wants until we meet it.

You stay here.

I'm the one who loses

if you're eaten before you pay off your debt.

Hey, wait!

What? If you want lunch, you'll have to wait.

No, that's not it.

Are you going to find and exorcise the boss yokai?

You'll never be able to leave this room if I don't.

You don't need to exorcise it.

What? If I don't, you can't go to school.

But if the yokai ate you

because I asked you to help me,

I definitely wouldn't be able to come to school!

He's terrified...

No, I guess being afraid like this is the normal reaction.

He's not like me.

Abeno-san?

I've been doing this for years.

You don't need to worry about me.

I'm not like you.

I'll come get you once I've exorcised it.

Just so you know, this'll add to your debt.

Wait! I'll go with you.

You'd only be yokai bait if you came.

I want to be bait.

What?

If I act as bait and go to the yokai's nest,

I may be able to find their boss.

How can you say that when you've been shaking this whole time?

I'm freaking terrified!

Well, then...

But it's not as if you're not scared, right?

Me?

Of course you're scared.

Aside from the fact that you're a professional exorcist, you're just like me.

We're in the same grade,

and your build's not that different from mine.

We can both see yokai.

We have more similarities than differences.

Besides, this happened because I was careless,

so I should fix it myself.

I've been relying on you too much.

I'll do my best!

You're hardly convincing.

Well, fine. This is your first job.

Be good bait.

Y-Yes, sir!

You can let them nibble on you a little.

What?!

Authorized Personnel Only

The Morose Mononokean

There're even more than this afternoon.

They're looking at me!

Go on, Ashiya.

Don't push me!

What? You said you'd be bait.

I'll go when I'm good and ready!

And you'd better save me before they actually attack!

Yeah, sure, whatever.

Show me some motivation!

If I get eaten,

I'm going to turn into a yokai and curse you!

I'd exorcise you immediately.

Hey.

I'm going right now!

Take this.

Hang it around your neck.

What is this?

So the yokai won't attack me if I'm wearing this?

It doesn't do that at all.

Huh?!

I won't care much if you're eaten.

Harsh!