I spent the rest of the lunch break hiding in the library, trying to figure out what to do with my new "pet."
The Stray Spirit was weak, pathetic, and smelled like gym socks. But as I held it in my palm, hidden behind a stack of encyclopedias, I realized something.
It was attracted to Rengoku.
"You like that bright energy, don't you?" I muttered.
The blob gurgled affirmatively.
"Disgusting."
But useful. If these things were drawn to the reincarnated Hashira, I could use them as early warning systems. A radar for avoiding my enemies.
I was about to congratulate myself on my tactical genius when a shadow fell over my table.
"Found you."
I jumped, nearly crushing the blob.
Tanjiro Kamado was standing there. He wasn't smiling this time. His nose was twitching.
"Kibutsuji-kun," he said, his voice serious. "I picked up a weird smell in the cafeteria earlier. Like… something rotten."
He leaned in closer. The Hanafuda earrings swayed ominously.
"And now the smell is right here."
My heart hammered against my ribs. I shoved my hand deeper into my pocket, gripping the squirming spirit.
"I don't know what you mean," I said, trying to keep my voice steady. "Maybe it's the liver and onions? Rengoku-sensei forced me to eat it."
Tanjiro frowned. He sniffed the air again, moving closer to my pocket. "No. It smells like… sadness. And old mud."
He reached out.
"Let me help you check. Maybe you stepped in something."
Do not touch me.
If he touched the pocket, he’d feel the cold energy. He’d know.
I stood up abruptly, my chair screeching against the floor.
"I have diarrhea!" I shouted.
The librarian shushed me violently from across the room.
Tanjiro froze, his hand hovering in mid-air. His face turned bright red. "Oh! Oh, I see! I’m so sorry!"
"It’s an emergency," I said, backing away. "Severe gastric distress. Please excuse me."
"Of course! Go! Drink plenty of water!" Tanjiro looked genuinely concerned, stepping aside to let me pass.
I power-walked out of the library, clutching my stomach to sell the lie.
As soon as I turned the corner into the empty hallway, I leaned against the lockers, gasping for air.
Too close. Every single interaction is a death sentence.
I pulled the blob out of my pocket. It looked up at me with its one eye, vibrating.
"You," I hissed at it. "You almost got me Exorcised."
The blob burped. A small puff of purple smoke came out.
And then, it spoke. Not telepathically, but with a tiny, raspy voice.
"Blue..." it croaked.
I froze. "What?"
"Blue... flower..." The blob pointed a tiny, shapeless limb down the hallway. Toward the Science Wing. "Bad... lady... has it..."
I stared at the creature. It wasn't just a random spirit. It was a fragment of memory. A residue left behind by something—or someone—who had been obsessing over the Blue Spider Lily.
My eyes narrowed.
"Tell me more," I whispered.
[Quest Updated: The Informant.]
[New Objective: Extract information from the Stray Spirit without alerting the Student Council.]
Just as I was about to interrogate the slime, the bell for the afternoon session rang.
And then, the PA system crackled to life.
"Attention students. Will Muzan Kibutsuji of Class 1-A please report to the Student Council Room immediately? The President would like to have a word."
My blood turned to ice.
The Student Council President.
I didn't know who it was yet. I had been too afraid to ask. But if Rengoku was a teacher and Shinobu was a club president... who was running the whole school?
I looked at the blob in my hand. I looked at the loudspeaker.
"Well," I muttered, adjusting my glasses to hide the fear in my eyes. "Out of the frying pan, into the volcano."
ns216.73.216.10da2
and then Add to home screen.