Japan Story: The First Trial

The First Trial  (Translated from Japanese)

Kado enters the old house with care. It's falling apart and flooded, the smell of rot thick in his nostrils. It's taken ages to track down this spirit. A dangerous and puzzling journey that started out so simply and escalated into a matter of life or death. He and Hiroto had to set the trap over time, keeping the existence of the others close to Kado and the magic they possessed secret.  The closer they got to the Spirit, the more secretive they had to be or the Spirit would use them all to break into this plane.

He sees the yōkai shimmer to life in a misty spot by the back door. 

The ghost's voice is faint and it sounds like it's coming from under water. "Your magic will not work here. The girl is ours. Your efforts have failed." It turns to vapor and slithers to the other side of the space. 

Hiroto's sister Masami cries, "Kado....please...do something....it hurts so bad..." He sees that she's up to her knees in a spectral water spell. This Spirit is holding her to the spot with powerful magic. Kado wishes Hiroto was here to help spring the trap.

"You and this girl....the last of the Tribe....will be gone...and the rest of mine will be free to take their place back in this world...with or without your secrets...."

Kado starts to focus on the spell that will banish this Spirit and shut the door on this forever. He just needs a few moments to complete the ritual. 

That's when he feels Cindy's magic behind him. A sense of her and her connection to him fills the space. The love and passion she has for him lights up the room as she seeks him out. 

The Spirit can feel Cindy's connection to Kado and their story about being the last falls apart before his eyes. The Spirit is filled with rage and lashes out violently, sending its dark magic out like a whip towards Cindy's sight magic. It roars, " You are a lier! False promises! You can not help me!" It slams its hand down into the watery spell that holds Masami and raises its other arm high above its head. "I shall feast on you two, then I shall use your souls to seek out the others!"

Kado knows it's now or never. With the Spirit aware, there is a high chance that the casting will not work and that the barriers between the darkness and the real world will be broken...and They will be allowed to enter the light. 

He shouts out the spell, raising his hands to project it at the Spirit before it can hurt Masami anymore. She was the bait and he can't let her die. 

"YOU FOOL! You go against ME?!" The Spirit laughs...until she feels his spell slam into her like a boulder. She starts to vibrate and loses her hold on the world. "NO! NO!" she screams as she digs into the soul water trying to stay in the world. She can't maintain her grip and takes one last gamble. 

She raises her hand and screams and incantation - the words old and filled with dark magic. Her hand glows, a strange symbol flaring to life before she's ripped up and away back into the Dark World with a scream. 

Masami wretches and falls backward to the floor. Her body shakes and quivers as her eyes flutter. 

Kado rushes to her and lifts her up, breaking the spell the dark witch spirit had cast on her. 

She sobs out, "Is it over. Is she gone?" 

Kado whispers, "I believe so. She tried to snare us and drag us away with her, but failed." He hugs her to him. "I need to get you to Hiroto. She can come out of hiding now. She needs to tend to you. I can feel that things poison within you still."