The purification didn't last long.
Mainly because Hanako's resentment was too deep. Only through repeated, thorough "communication" did Shirakawa finally clear her spiritual core.
Thanks to his upgraded "Stamina" skill, this degree of labor barely tired him anymore.
He glanced at the now-limp figure slumped against the wall, legs sprawled on the floor. White Holy light—residue of the forced exorcism—still shimmered faintly.
Her white school blouse had been torn apart during the process. The red skirt? Missing entirely.
But the darkness in her eyes was gone.
If not for her identity as an urban legend's spirit, she'd look like a normal—albeit distractingly stunning—high school girl.
「Your skill 'Purify' has gained EXP +4500 (Lv4→Lv5)」
「Current class: Exorcist — all skills at level cap」
"Exorcism complete. Not exhausting, but still... good job, me."
As for the dramatic chase through the dormitory he'd imagined—where Hanako would try to flee and he'd fight her floor to floor?
Didn't happen.
He looked at the girl still sobbing in the corner, tears streaking her cheeks. Without pressing further, he found her crimson pleated skirt, neatly folded it, and handed it over.
"Here. You should put this back on."
"As for the blouse... sorry about that. If you don't have spare clothes, I can go buy you something right now."
"..."
Eyes wet with tears, Hanako didn't respond. She curled her arms over her chest, body trembling.
Was this man... really an exorcist?!
The brutal method from earlier—if not her life's greatest trauma—was certainly something that would haunt her for years. That rampaging Holy Sword, Curry Stick, had nearly destroyed her entirely...
Gone was her earlier defiance and hostility. Her voice now carried a tearful quiver as she asked:
"Exorcist-sama... the grudges inside me have all been purified... so..."
"Can I go now?"
"Let you go? So you can rebuild your strength using the remaining resentment and come back for revenge?"
That was how the original story always played out.
By all logic, when dealing with creatures like goblins or other low-level entities, Shirakawa would always deliver the finishing blow, especially if the body was still relatively intact. As for urban legends like Hanako-san...
You could still see where her blood had first begun to spill.
Completely eliminating future threats with the methods of a "Holy Sword User" wasn't an issue—but he simply couldn't bring himself to go that far.
"..."
Her thoughts had been seen through. Hanako's gaze darted away, unable to meet his. She shook her head rapidly, as if to deny everything.
If this forced exorcism were to continue... her spirit might really shatter.
Or perhaps... dying by Shirakawa's hands would be a form of release?
She slowly closed her eyes. She'd never imagined that becoming an urban legend would also mean being "freed" like this. It wasn't as though she had any lingering regrets...
But...
The end she had expected never came.
Instead, she felt a warm, steady breath against her, and arms gently cradling her legs and waist. Her eyes fluttered open—and she found herself staring at the clear, handsome face of Shirakawa.
"I don't know what you've been through," he said softly.
"But holding onto all that resentment just to survive as an urban legend... sounds exhausting, doesn't it? Ever thought about living a different kind of life?"
Without hesitation, Shirakawa draped his own coat over her shoulders. Even as a supernatural being, one still had to obey the rules of society. Sometimes that was a real pain.
Urban legend or not...
He intended to save them all.
"Eh?"
Hanako hadn't expected this attitude from him. Clutching the coat close, she could feel the long-held hatred inside her starting to quietly fade.
But then, she laughed bitterly.
"Hey."
"Shirakawa-sama... I'm just a cursed ghost who can never see the sunlight. What you're talking about... it's something I never dared to dream of."
"But what if I could help you change that?"
Chapter 18: Her New Life Begins
Having completed the exorcism in full, Shirakawa didn't linger in the abandoned dormitory.
He returned to his apartment building—with a girl in a red pleated skirt and oversized coat quietly trailing behind him.
He walked ahead.
She followed silently behind, head lowered.
Though she said nothing, Shirakawa didn't seem to mind. With a casual tone, he remarked,
"My place is pretty spacious. But if you're not comfortable living with me, I can rent you a separate unit."
"If you're more used to toilets, I can even build you a ladies' restroom."
"..."
Hanako's expression froze. She wanted to scold him—thank you very much, but despite being an urban legend, she didn't want to live her afterlife bound to a public toilet.
Now that she could leave it...
That alone was already more than she'd ever hoped for.
Maybe—just maybe—life really could change... thanks to Shirakawa.
---
They arrived back at the apartment.
Shirakawa set Hanako up in one of the vacant rental rooms. He planned to make dinner first before figuring out how to properly integrate her into his life.
Maybe letting her meet Mary would make future operations go more smoothly.
He opened the front door to his own unit. As always, the indoor slippers had been neatly set out in advance.
Izumi Mio and Sagiri were already there, preparing rice bowls in the kitchen. A rich, savory aroma greeted him at the entrance.
And then...
A familiar chime echoed in Shirakawa's mind.
[Ding!]
[Dimensional Chat Group Member Count: 10. Group Sign-in and Point Exchange System has been activated.]
"Wait—what?"
"I was just purifying a ghost! How did the group gain this many members already?!"
"Shirakawa-kun, welcome back."
Mio greeted him with a warm smile, placing the food she had prepared on the table.
This kind of "family life"—
It was something she'd never even dared to dream about.
Working in a profession she loved, raising her daughter Sagiri in peace, and having a "husband" return home at dusk...
Even if that "husband" was a high schooler, just the thought made her heart flutter with guilt—
But also with a quiet joy she couldn't explain.
"Yeah," Shirakawa replied, "Everything's finally settled."
Of course, he wasn't about to explain the specifics—helping a high school girl forcibly purify the grudges within her sounded wrong no matter how he phrased it!
Besides, the supernatural had no place in a regular person's everyday life. There was no need to say more.
He turned his attention to the dishes on the table.
Grilled salmon sashimi, a rather clumsily plated mapo tofu rice bowl, stir-fried asparagus, and a hearty bone broth kelp soup.
It was obvious—
Auntie Mio had put a lot of effort into this.
She'd even attempted a classic Chinese Sichuan dish—mapo tofu—probably because it was easier to learn.
Though in terms of appearance...
Shirakawa could only say: A for effort.
Still, it wouldn't do to discourage a young housewife. He smiled and said,
"Auntie, did you make this mapo tofu just for me? It smells amazing."
"Better than any of the Chinese restaurants I've tried outside!"
"R-Really?!"
Mio's calm expression shifted to one of surprise. His words clearly delighted her. She scooped up a spoonful of her own dish to taste.
Glancing across the table at the boy, she couldn't help but smile shyly.
She knew those restaurants probably tasted better.
But the fact that he said it anyway...
Somehow, it made her feel as sweet as if she'd eaten a spoonful of honey.
"Let's eat!"