Mysterious Urban Legend

Mysterious Urban Legend is the first part of .
==Steps==
# Take a stroll around Hanamizaka
# Investigate a kaidan that has been making the rounds recently
# Go to the Grand Narukami Shrine and look for Yae Miko
# Search for Youhei's brother
# Ask the villagers about Youhei and his brother
# Ask the villagers for more information
# "Exorcise" Katou Shingo
# Defeat the spirit that has possessed Shingo
#* 
# Investigate the truth behind the spirit
==Dialogue==
;(Take a stroll around Hanamizaka)
: Paimon: We haven't been to the Yae Publishing House in a while. Paimon wonders if they have any new books in? The one we read with Ei that time was pretty cool...
: Takatoshi: Come on, this is a no-brainer, man! There's only one thing worth wishing for — and that is a ton of Mora!
: Kiyoto: But the exam's next week... If I fail again, I'm seriously done for. I'm better off wishing that my exam goes smoothly.
: Takatoshi: Ahh, it's just an exam! Trust me, there's no problem you can't solve by throwing Mora at it. If it doesn't work, then just keep throwing till it does!
: Paimon: What are they arguing about? It's quite a spirited debate.
: Takatoshi: Huh...? Really? You guys don't know?
: Takatoshi: "You need but stand on this land at midnight, lower your head and recite a special incantation, then your wish will come true!"
: What does that mean?
: Is it from a novel?
: Takatoshi: Looks like you guys really aren't in the loop. This, my friends, is the next big thing. A highly effective wish ritual, guaranteed to make your wishes come true!
: Paimon: A wish ritual? ...That actually works?
: This does not sound credible...
: Paimon: Right? Even Paimon knows that's just not how the world works.
: Takatoshi: Heh, I didn't believe it at first, either. But that changed when it worked for someone I know.
: Takatoshi: It's this guy called Kunihiko. He's practically always been unemployed, wastes his days away, and he owes a lot of money... like, a lot! But get this — I don't see him for a few days, and suddenly I find him dressed to the nines and feasting at a high-class restaurant!
: Takatoshi: I heard it directly from him. He used this wishing ritual, and the next day he woke up to find his whole bed filled high with Mora!
: Paimon: His whole bed was filled with M—M—M...!? Woooow!!!
: Paimon, calm down.
: You're so excited you can barely get the words out.
: Kiyoto: Of course, I'm sure the part about waking up lying on a bed of Mora is a bit of an exaggeration.
: Kiyoto: But whether you believe it or not, it's not exactly a difficult ritual. It can't hurt to give it a try, right?
: Takatoshi: If you're still feeling skeptical, just ask around. There are a lot of very compelling stories about this going around these days.
: Paimon: Really? Well c'mon, , let's go ask around right now, shall we?
: Why the sudden urgency?
: Paimon: Well, if it really is true, then just think of all the Mora Paimon could... Oh and you'd finally be reunited with your twin, too! Let's go, let's go!
;(Talk to Takatoshi or Kiyoto again, optional)
: Takatoshi: Come on, bring me Mora... Mora, Mora, and more Mora...
: Kiyoto: I'm not as greedy as he is... I just wanna get through my exam...
----
;(Investigate a kaidan that has been making the rounds recently)
: Paimon: On closer inspection, it seems like there really are a lot of people talking about this kind of stuff. Hey, see those two? Paimon remembers them from the Yae Publishing House. One's an editor and the other's an author.
: Junkichi: ...Grasp the thought in mind, clear like... ah, clear like the light of the moon. As close as kin with you... no, "thou"... wait, "thee." Uh, hear my... summons, right?
: Shigeru: No, no, it's not "hear my summons," it's "heed my summons," "heed." *sigh* You're never going to get it down at this rate.
: Paimon: Hey, what are you guys up to?
: Junkichi: Whoa! Sheesh, you scared me. Okay, okay... Where did I leave off with the incantation, again...
: Paimon: Incantation? Are you guys trying out this new wishing ritual stuff, too?
: Shigeru: Junkichi is trying it out, to be specific. He's hit a bit of a creativity block recently, so I'm helping him make a wish so that he can move past it.
: I didn't think you guys would believe in this kind of thing.
: Shigeru: I mean, I obviously don't. But Junkichi never listens to an outside opinion. So all I can do is go along with it.
: Junkichi: Mr. Shigeru, can you please be a little more accommodating? This is extremely important to me!
: Junkichi: People have had all kinds of wishes come true: become more attractive, get rich quick, ace their studies... I'm just a poor, struggling writer looking to get over a creative hurdle. Is that so much to ask?
: Junkichi: Anyway, I just know this is going to work. I have a gut feeling about it.
: Shigeru: Didn't you say the same thing when you went to make your wish at the Grand Narukami Shrine? "Oh, I just know this is gonna work, I have a gut feeling about it."
: Junkichi: The omamori from the shrine take too long to have any effect on your luck. Ugh, alright, enough of that, help me get this incantation down. My new book depends on it!
: Shigeru: *sigh* Look, to be completely honest, I think you need to sit down and have a good think about what kind of story you wanna write. Where's all that self-confidence you had when you first started out?
: Shigeru: Look at you now! Trying dubious methods from any old light novel.
: Paimon: Wait, wait, wait... What? This wishing ritual comes from a light novel?
: Junkichi: Yup. It's from the one called "A Firsthand Guide to Summoning Spirits."
: Is it published by Yae Publishing House?
: Junkichi: No, it's most likely a self-published title. It just appeared out of nowhere and took Inazuma by storm.
: Junkichi: As a fellow writer, I'll refrain from passing comment on how well the story is written. But everyone is saying the wishing incantations it contains are the real deal.
: Shigeru: Look, Junkichi... yes, everyone's saying it's real, it works, but that's only half the story. I've also heard lots of people saying that everyone who's had their wish granted using this method starts behaving strangely!
: Junkichi: What's so surprising about that? They're probably just giddy with joy at having their wish come true!
: Paimon: Hmm, this is starting to sound a little suspicious...
: Paimon: Why don't we go to the Grand Narukami Shrine and ask Yae Miko about it, ?
: Paimon: She's the expert when it comes to both light novels and the supernatural!
:;(Obtain )
;(Talk to Junkichi or Shigeru again, optional)
: Junkichi: Grasp the thought in mind, clear like the light of the moon... how does it go after that?
: Shigeru: Junkichi, just give it up. Do you really think someone's going to just descend from the heavens and write your novel for you? I can't believe I'm saying this to a writer, but you need to learn to separate fact from fiction.
: Junkichi: Mr. Shigeru, please! I'd appreciate it if you stopped trying to tear my dreams to smithereens. I am in great distress and desperately need to make a breakthrough!
----
;(Go to the Grand Narukami Shrine and look for Yae Miko)
: Paimon: Miko! Great, you're here.
: Yae Miko: Well hello there, young ones. What brings you to the shrine? It just so happens that I have a wonderful novel here. I highly recommend it.
: We'd like your expert input on something.
: Yae Miko: Oh? Well what did you want to ask?
: Paimon: Well, we were just... Uh, actually, you look kinda busy, is this a bad time?
: Yae Miko: Hehe, no, not at all. It's nothing major.
: Katou Youhei: L—Lady Guuji... what do you mean, "nothing major"? I'm begging you, you've gotta help me save my brother!
: What's up with him?
: What's happened?
: Yae Miko: It really is nothing major, I stand by that. Oh, but since you're so curious, let's have him relate the story one more time, just for you.
: Katou Youhei: You two seem to have a good relationship with Guuji Yae. Please, put in a good word for me, you have to convince her to help my brother!
: Katou Youhei: Here's what happened. My name is Katou Youhei, and my brother is Katou Shingo. All he's ever wanted is to become a swordmaster, so he once asked Sensei Domon of the Meikyou Shisui Art to take him on as a disciple.
: Katou Youhei: Domon turned him away. Took one look at him and said he didn't have what it takes to train in the art of the sword. But my brother wasn't about to resign himself to defeat — he trained every day as hard as he could, and finally proved himself by defeating one of Domon's best disciples in a duel recently.
: Katou Youhei: But since his victory, he's been acting extremely strange. It's like he's become a completely different person... The doctors can't find anything wrong with him, so I'm betting it must be the work of an evil spirit. That's why I'm here begging for Guuji Yae's help...
: Yae Miko: Hahaha... You know, there really aren't as many evil spirits lurking around as you seem to think. Your brother achieved the goal he'd been striving toward for as long as he can remember, and now it's gone. It's only natural that he feels a little empty and lost while he's trying to find a new direction.
: Yae Miko: If it were me, I'd just leave him be for a couple of days. He'll recover on his own soon enough.
: Katou Youhei: No, Lady Guuji! If you saw him for yourself, you'd know. I guarantee you, he is not acting like someone who feels empty and lost!
: Yae Miko: Oh, alright, alright. Then tell me, when did your brother spar with Domon's disciple?
: Katou Youhei: About... five days ago.
: Yae Miko: Hmm... five days ago, you say...
: Katou Youhei: Yes, Lady Guuji. That's a long time for him to be acting up like this. I'm really worried about him!
: Katou Youhei: Our greatest wish is to one day found our own school, just like Domon. We can't jeopardize that dream now!
: Yae Miko: Wait a minute, now I'm a little confused. Are you here to save your brother, or are you here to make your dreams of founding a martial arts school come true?
: Katou Youhei: Uh... Well they're kinda two sides of the same coin, aren't they?
: Yae Miko: Hmm? Whatever. Let me ask you this, have you heard of any interesting new rumors lately? If so, I'd love to hear about them.
: Katou Youhei: Wh—What? Rumors? I... I haven't heard anything!
: Yae Miko: Oh dear. Well, that's too bad.
: Katou Youhei: Lady Guuji, please, stop changing the subject. This is someone's life we're talking about here! Please, you've gotta help me!
: Paimon: Miko, he seems really desperate. This thing with his brother sounds really bad... Come on, you should help him.
: He looks very anxious.
: He looks very pitiful.
: Yae Miko: Okay, fine. Then it's decided!
: Paimon: Yay, Miko! So you're gonna help him?
: Yae Miko: Katou whatever-your-name-was, these two guests are trusted acquaintances of mine, and in fact they are experts in resolving all manner of strange and supernatural phenomena. Exorcisms and that sort of thing are all in a day's work for them.
: Paimon: Yeah! Uh, wait a sec...
: Katou Youhei: Um.. r—really!?
: Yae Miko: Is that hesitation that I detect in your voice? So let me get this straight, you come begging to me for help, I actually recommend someone for the job, then suddenly you start doubting me?
: Katou Youhei: Not at all, never! Whatever Lady Guuji says, I trust wholeheartedly! Thank you two for your willingness to help, please follow me!
: Paimon: Now hold on a hot second, Miko! We may be a lot of things, but we ain't exorcists!
: Yeah, this is way beyond our level!
: We have no clue about this!
: Yae Miko: Hehe, don't worry. If he wants an exorcism, just grab a handful of salt and mutter some mumbo-jumbo while you're sprinkling it around.
: Yae Miko: It's a common trope in light novels, right? You just have to have a bit of bravado. As soon as the protagonist gains self-confidence, everything else just magically falls into place.
: This is not a light novel though...
: Pretty sure there's more to an exorcism than "bravado"...
: Yae Miko: Well, you were the ones who seemed concerned about his situation. Don't you think it would be a little unfair to make me do all the work?
: Yae Miko: Besides, we both know you wouldn't be here at the Grand Narukami Shrine unless you had a request for me, too. This is an opportunity to demonstrate that you come in good faith.
: Paimon: Ugh... this feels all wrong, but you technically have a point, so...
: Yae Miko: Alright, let's go. Don't worry, now, I'll be coming along too.
: Paimon: Okay, , let's follow Youhei and go visit his brother.
;(After talking to Yae Miko)
: Paimon: What is going on here? Granted, you can never be quite sure what's going on in Miko's mind, but she seems even more disinterested than usual in Youhei's situation...
: Paimon: Well, a life's at stake here, so it looks like we'll have to deal with that first before we'll get the chance to ask her about the incantation stuff.
----
;(Search for Youhei's brother in Konda Village)
: Katou Youhei: Hmm, how strange. My brother's been meditating here pretty much constantly over the past few days, but now he's gone!
: Paimon: Meditating?
: Katou Youhei: Yeah, it's something that he suddenly started doing after defeating Domon's disciple. He just sits there alone, talking to himself... It's pretty disturbing, actually.
: Katou Youhei: But that's not important right now! Where the heck could he have gone in his current state?
: Yae Miko: Hmm, this does pose a bit of a problem. If we can't find your brother, well, we can't perform an exorcism with nothing to exorcise, can we?
: Yae Miko: Katou whatever-your-name-was, given the circumstances, why don't you start by going to find your brother and also picking up a handful of salt on your way. We'll need to use it during the exorcism.
: Katou Youhei: Okay... okay, got it! I'm on it!
: Paimon: Miko, what about us? Shouldn't we help look for his brother, too?
: Yae Miko: Hehe, no need. While what's-his-face is handling that, we'll take a walk around and ask people what they know about the two brothers. Maybe we'll find out some amusing details.
----
;(Talk to Nobuo while asking villagers about Youhei and his brother)
: Paimon: Hello, Sir! We'd like to ask you about the Katou brothers.
: Nobuo: Oh, are you debt collectors? Youhei said to tell you not to worry — he'll be able to pay you back as soon as he has enrolled a few disciples...
: Paimon: Huh? Debt collectors? No, no, we're not here for anything like that!
: Paimon: But, uh, it sounds like Youhei and Shingo have gotten themselves into a bit of a pickle...
: Nobuo: Well, yes, I don't think there's any disputing that. Those two don't have an ounce of dedication between them. They just hop between ideas and won't stick to anything.
: Paimon: Huh? But Youhei said his brother has always wanted to become a swordmaster, and even asked Domon to be his sensei.
: Nobuo: That's true, yes. Shingo begged Domon to take him on and eventually, he finally relented. But even after convincing a renowned sensei to give him a chance, he was the same as ever, bumming around in class instead of focusing on his training.
: Nobuo: In the end, Domon had enough and kicked him out. But Shingo was resentful about it. He blamed Domon for not seeing his potential, and even declared that he would challenge a disciple of Domon to a duel.
: Paimon: Wait, what? That's not what we heard...
: Yae Miko: Oh, how interesting. We heard a slightly different version: "My brother wasn't about to resign himself to defeat — he trained every day as hard as he could, and finally proved himself by defeating one of Domon's best disciples in a duel recently."
: Nobuo: Haha! Youhei said that? That Shingo trained hard? That's ridiculous, he just lay there cussing to high heaven all day, every day. Some training regimen that is.
: Nobuo: Youhei did tell me about Shingo winning the fight, but I took it with a grain of salt. You can ask Kenji at the village entrance more about that. He always has reliable information.
;(Talk to Nobuo again, optional)
: Nobuo: I always used to tell Shingo to stop wasting his time, find something worthwhile to do, and stick to it.
: Nobuo: Their parents passed away when they were young, and as the older of the two, he should be setting a good example rather than lazing around all the time... Of course, he wouldn't listen to me.
: Nobuo: In my opinion, he hasn't had things bad enough yet to really feel the heat. He doesn't understand that you have to stay grounded and focused in life.
----
;(Talk to Kenji while asking the villagers for more information)
: Paimon: Hey there, we've come to ask you about the Katou brothers!
: Kenji: Oh, you mean Shingo and Youhei?
: Paimon: Yeah! We heard that Shingo defeated an apprentice of Domon's recently. Is that true?
: Kenji: Haha, yes it's true. Wait, so are you here because you heard they're starting their own school and you're looking to sign up?
: Paimon: We're not here to sign up, but we would like to hear more details about the fight.
: Kenji: Well, you've come to the right person. I actually went to watch it.
: Kenji: I thought it was a joke when I first heard that Shingo was going to challenge a disciple of the Meikyou Shisui Art. But when he drew his sword, whoa. He became a whole different person.
: Kenji: The way he handled his blade, it was like flowing water. Mesmerizing to watch. Domon's disciple is no pushover, but he was absolutely no match for Shingo.
: Paimon: Is Shingo really that strong!?
: Kenji: Yup. He seemed pretty euphoric after winning the duel, too... he was celebrating very vocally, saying something like "What a duel! I haven't felt this good in a long time!"
: Yae Miko: Hehe, any other details to share? We've heard that Shingo has been behaving rather out of character since then.
: Kenji: Hmm... I'd definitely say that he has more energy than he used to. In the past, he never used to do much except lie around sunbathing all day.
: Kenji: But just yesterday, for example, I saw him cutting down trees for the village head. In the space of one afternoon, he did what most people couldn't finish in three days. Not only that, but he managed to fell a Lavender Melon Tree with just one kick!
: Paimon: ...
: ...
: Yae Miko: Hmm... Quite impressive.
: Kenji: Things got weird after that though. The village head brought out some tofu for him, and he just flipped out. He shouted: "What is that stuff!? Keep that away from me!" then ran off.
: Katou Youhei: Lady Guuji. Esteemed exorcists. Finally, I've found you!
: Katou Youhei: I found my brother, he's at the waterfall. And I've got the salt you asked for, too. C'mon, let's go!
: Yae Miko: As much as I'd prefer to stay and hear some more delicious details, I suppose we had better be going now that he's been found.
;(Talk to Kenji again, optional)
: Kenji: Shingo's been pretty upbeat lately, but for some reason, Youhei's been in a really gloomy mood. I thought they were about to start taking on disciples and start their new chapter — what could be getting him down?
: Kenji: Maybe it's the weight of the responsibility dawning on him? If so, I guess Youhei's finally growing up.
----
;(Approach the waterfall where Katou Shingo is located at)
: Katou Youhei: Look! Look over there! That's him, at the waterfall!
;(Get closer to Katou Shingo)
: Paimon: So this is Youhei's brother. Whoa, he's meditating while sitting in a waterfall! That's pretty wild!
: Paimon: Hey, listen, he's talking to himself...
: Katou Shingo: ...
: Katou Shingo: Wooh!... Hehehe... How's that! Can you... feel it!?
: Katou Youhei: Uhhhh...
: Katou Shingo: Can you feel... the feeling... of manliness!
: Katou Shingo: Found your own school... Hah! So shallow... How can a manly man... aspire to something... so... lame!?
: Katou Shingo: ...Ugh... Please, spare me... spare me... I—I can't feel the... m—manliness... I can't even feel the cold anymore...
: Katou Shingo: ...I... I can't take any more... I'm gonna die...
: Katou Shingo: Youhei... Youhei! S—Save me! Save me!!!
: Paimon: Did you hear that, ? All the nonsense aside, he's calling for help!
: Katou Shingo: Huh? Who... Who goes there?
: Paimon: He stood up... and now he's coming this way!
: Katou Youhei: No! Don't come any closer!
: Katou Youhei: Help!
: Paimon: What do we do? , Miko! Think of something!
: Yae Miko: Aww, poor thing.
: Yae Miko: Youhei, your brother's life is hanging in the balance, and he's using his final breaths to call on you for help. Whatever shall we do?
: Katou Youhei: Uh, I... Well, how should I know?
: Yae Miko: The way it looks to me is that Shingo feels terribly resentful to you about something. Would you mind telling me what that's all about?
: Katou Youhei: I don't know what to tell you! I don't know!
: Yae Miko: You don't know? But surely you should have more insight than anyone else into how your brother came to be this way?
: Yae Miko: Youhei, I suggest you think very carefully before you open your mouth again. This is a life-or-death situation.
: Katou Youhei: Uhhh! Umm... Ummm...
: Yae Miko: "Uhhh! Umm... Ummm..."? Your brother is your closest relative. You must have noticed straight away when he started acting out of character.
: Yae Miko: And yet five whole days pass before it occurs to you to come and seek help from me. You really expect me not to notice the gaping holes in your story?
: Katou Youhei: But I—
: Yae Miko: As you wish. It's fine by me if you don't want to tell the truth.
: Yae Miko: But after Shingo dies, you'll be next.
: Yae Miko: It's futile trying to escape. Anywhere in the world you run to, it will be right behind your back. After all... you did summon it together.
: Katou Youhei: Aaaah!!!!
: Katou Youhei: Alright, I'll talk, I'll talk! I'll tell you everything! ...My brother and I used a wishing incantation. We made a wish!
: "Made a wish"?
: From "A Firsthand Guide to Summoning Spirits"?
: Katou Youhei: Yes! Yes, that's it! The one that's all the rage right now. You just have to recite an incantation at midnight and your wish will be granted!
: Katou Youhei: Just like the book described, we drew the magic symbol, stepped inside it barefoot at midnight, said the incantation, and lo and behold — spheres of light appeared all around us!
: Katou Youhei: After my brother wished to become a swordmaster, it really worked — out of nowhere, he suddenly had these amazing sword skills. But his whole personality changed, too!
: Why didn't you seek help right away?
: Why did you wait till now to get him some help?
: Katou Youhei: Because... I was worried that if he goes back to normal, he'll lose his skills with the sword.
: Katou Youhei: If that happens, it'd ruin our plans to start a martial arts school, and we'd be back to being poor. I just wanted to keep this under wraps until we'd managed to get the dojo set up and paid off our debts...
: Paimon: So then why'd you go to the Grand Narukami Shrine?
: Katou Youhei: Well, cause with the way he's acting now, I was worried that rumors might start spreading that he's gotten involved in the occult arts or something. And then no one would wanna sign up as his disciple!
: Katou Youhei: So I was thinking that maybe Lady Guuji might have a way to get my brother back to normal but let him keep his sword skills...
: Yae Miko: My, look at you with your ingenious schemes!
: Yae Miko: Stop deluding yourself. These new-found sword skills are not his, they belong to the spirit that has possessed him.
: Katou Youhei: You're right, you're right! We were wrong to do what we did! We had this coming!
: Yae Miko: Alright then. Your turn now, my little friend. Toss the salt, and then draw your sword.
:
: Paimon: Wh—What is that!?
: Katou Youhei: Aaaah!!! It's the s—s—spirit!!!
: Yae Miko: See that? That's what you summoned. And look, now that Shingo's no use, it's coming straight for you.
: Katou Youhei: Waahhh! Save me! Save me...
: Paimon: M—Miko! He fainted! What do we do now?
: Yae Miko: We do nothing.
: Yae Miko: But you, little one. Just a quick fight and this will all be over.
: Arakawa Kouji: Huh... Hahahaha! Who's this? Ah, a fellow swordmaster!
: Arakawa Kouji: Come on! Fight me!
: Paimon: He's coming, ! Be careful!
----
;("Exorcise" Katou Shingo)
;(After defeating the spirit that has possessed Shingo)
:
: Arakawa Kouji: Hehe... Hahaha... That was great, excellent! Wooh! What a rush!
: Arakawa Kouji: I haven't felt this great... in a long, long time!
: Paimon: He... disappeared. But he looked pretty content at the end there.
: Paimon: Huh, well, Paimon sure is confused. Do you know what that was all about, ?
: I have a rough idea.
: I'm completely bewildered as well.
: Yae Miko: Ah, we can talk about it later. They're about to wake up.
: Katou Shingo: *cough cough* ...What am I doing here... Youhei? Youhei, is that you?
: Katou Youhei: Shingo! Are you alright?
: Katou Shingo: Youhei, I had the weirdest dream...
: Katou Shingo: I dreamed that I wasn't a useless loser with the sword anymore. I even beat one of Domon's disciples.
: Katou Shingo: I thought we could finally open a dojo of our own now... but then I realized, I couldn't control my own body, and there was this voice in my ear talking to me constantly.
: Katou Shingo: I was terrified and I wanted to take control of my body back, but I couldn't. And the voice kept talking about "manliness"...
: Katou Youhei: Shingo, we shouldn't have made that wish. We summoned a spirit and... it possessed you!
: Yae Miko: Yes, and had we not come to your rescue, your life would've been over before too much longer. Then, the spirit would have haunted your brother until he died of fatigue, too.
: Katou Youhei: Thank you, Lady Guuji! And thank you for your assistance, exorcism experts!
: Yae Miko: Alright, take him to get some rest. He's very weak right now, having been possessed for quite a few days.
: Yae Miko: He will experience a high fever, but it won't be fatal. Remember, this is the price you pay.
: Yae Miko: At this point, I would normally lecture you on the dire consequences of using occult methods to obtain power that does not belong to you... but I think you get the picture now, don't you?
: Katou Shingo: Yes... we understand now! We won't ever do it again!
: Katou Youhei: Thank you, Lady Guuji! Thank you, exorcists!
: Katou Youhei: We'll be on our way then. Come on, Shingo.
: Paimon: Miko, would they really have lost their lives if we hadn't gotten involved?
: Paimon: And if so... why the heck were you so reluctant to help out!?
: Yae Miko: Ugh, they would've been fine.
: Yae Miko: I had to scare them a little, though. Otherwise I hardly think these two lazy rascals would have learned their lesson.
: Paimon: So... what was it that possessed Shingo?
: Yae Miko: You saw it all for yourselves. I'm sure you can figure out what kind of spirit had possessed him, can't you?
: A master of the sword...
: Lots of strength and passion...
: But doesn't like tofu.
: Paimon: Ah! Paimon's got it! It was an oni!
: Yae Miko: Correct. Although it possessed Shingo, it didn't have any ill intentions. As a matter of fact, it actually seemed like it was trying to train Shingo to become bolder.
: Paimon: Huh... Fair enough, but it seems like it had the opposite effect.
: Yae Miko: Tossing salt caused it to temporarily leave Shingo's body. Then, you exhausted its strength by fighting it, so it disappeared.
: Yae Miko: Even if we'd done nothing at all, Shingo would have eventually become too weak for his body to host the spirit, and it would have left of its own accord.
: Yae Miko: Of course, it would have been more stressful for Shingo and Youhei that way, hehe. Still, the experience may ultimately have been more effective than me scaring them into submission with a little exaggeration.
: Paimon: Whew... Well, the main thing is that nobody got hurt.
: Yae Miko: Alright, seems like we've wrapped up everything here. Come on, off we go.
: Paimon: Hold on, Miko! You say everything's wrapped up, but are you sure about that?
: Yae Miko: Hmm? You mean you disagree?
: The incantation they used...
: The book, "A Firsthand Guide to Summoning Spirits"...
: Yae Miko: Oh, you mean that they got the incantation from that book. Yes, I know the one.
: Paimon: Actually, that book's the whole reason we came looking for you at the shrine today. Incantations seem really popular right now.
: Yae Miko: Human beings don't have powers like us youkai. It's quite understandable for them to be interested in incantations to summon the supernatural.
: Paimon: That's not the point! The problem is that the incantations in the book are actually capable of summoning spirits and stuff! And loads of people are trying it!
: Yae Miko: Ugh, even then, humans only have so much strength. Even if they do successfully summon a spirit with the incantation, it won't stay with them for very long. I really wouldn't fret about it.
: Paimon: But who wrote this book, and why? Don't we think there might be a bigger safety risk here?
: Paimon: What do you think, ?
: It does worry me a bit.
:: Paimon: Yeah... Youhei and Shingo may have been fine in the end, but things got pretty scary when Shingo was possessed.
: If Miko says it's fine, we probably don't need to worry.
:: Paimon: Well, when you put it that way... She has been pretty trustworthy so far. She said from the beginning that it wasn't anything major, and so far, there hasn't been any big danger.
: I'm more curious about Miko's reaction.
:: Paimon: You're right. Big events in the light novel market should be at the center of her attention, surely? But she doesn't seem to care about this book at all.
: Kuroda: Lady Yae! I've finally found you.
: Yae Miko: Kuroda? What are you doing here?
: Kuroda: I'm here to report on Yae Publishing House's sales for the last month. All the numbers are here, please take a look.
: Yae Miko: Let me see... What? We're losing market share?
: Kuroda: Yes. "Overall Bestseller," "Reader's Favorite," and "Trending Ranking"... We're being beaten in all categories!
: Kuroda: One book is topping all the charts... It's called "A Firsthand Guide to Summoning Spirits."
: Yae Miko: Both of you, back here, now!
: Paimon: Miko, what is it? You have a really scary look on your face right now.
: Yae Miko: Things just got serious. "A Firsthand Guide to Summoning Spirits" is an all-round hit, summarily beating the novels of the Yae Publishing House by every analysis.
: Define "serious"...?
: Yae Miko: Just what is that supposed to mean!? I worked extremely hard to promote our latest featured work, and now a rival book comes out of nowhere and steals our thunder! If this isn't the very definition of intolerable, I don't know what is.
: Yae Miko: I have to come up with a counter plan. And you are going to help me.
: Paimon: Huh? How is this our problem all of a sudden?
: Yae Miko: Paimon, please. "Who wrote this book, and why? Don't we think there might be a bigger safety risk here?"
: Yae Miko: *sigh* Am I to take it that the safety of the people of Inazuma isn't so important in your eyes after all?
: Paimon: Wait... what just happened... Again, you technically have a point, but... this feels all wrong!
: Yae Miko: Nothing's wrong, okay? Come on. We're going to war.
: Yae Miko: I'm going to head back and make some preparations. Meet me outside the Yae Publishing House.
===Idle Quotes===
Several unnamed NPCs have idle quotes during this quest.
One NPC near Kiyoto and Takatoshi:
* "Face the ground at the stroke of midnight..."
Two NPCs near Amenoma Smithy:
* "The incantation is a little hard to memorize."
* "I hear it's more effective than the Grand Narukami Shrine!"
Two NPCs near Kiminami Restaurant:
* "I want to try too."
* "What? It actually worked for him?"
==Other Languages==
==Change History==
es:La misteriosa leyenda urbana