Starting a Night Shift Part-time Job at a Convenience Store.

“Oh, I wasicareless.”

“Your carelessness isinot acceptable!”

Fromithe bottom of my heart, I exclaimed that. The evil spirits failed to discern the atmosphere and crept toward me, stretching out their handsias if to say, “It’s your turn now.”

“We’re screwed! Let’s flee…!”

“No, we’reinot fleeing.”

“Why! If there’s nothing to hold them back, we’re going to have to go right now…!”

“Don’t beiso hasty, Sonny, who’s out of moves? Indeed, the Shikigami is no longer usable, but I still have… a few tricks up my sleeve.”

The guyiwas still smiling and looking composed just as I was ready to flee the scene.

“Whatiare you going to do this time?”

“What? You’ll find out once you see it.”

Yakumoiwiped off the blood smeared on his forehead and began to drip it onto a sign he had drawn on the ground.

“Sonny, haveiyou ever heard of a guardian spirit?”

At this critical juncture, what was he on about?

“An ancestorior family member typically has a guardian spirit linked to them to offer protection. But even if the guardian spirit is not a human spirit, it is still possible to enter into a conditional contract with one to serve as their own personal guardian spirit.”

“What do you mean?”

“I ownia dog.” 

You’d be astonished at the amount of them, he added in a meaningful way before stamping the mark three times on the ground and calling out.

“Now, come…! Guardian lion-dogs―!!”

Unexpectediwind gusts prompted leaves to whirl in the air and pass by. All around me, the atmosphere drastically changed. The tense atmosphere left me shivering unconsciously.

My chest rumbled, and I was convinced that―something extraordinary was imminent.

Once I blinked, I was rendered speechless by the sight that instantly spread out before my eyes. The red papers that had been moving on their own earlier had caught me aback, but it was much more than that. Around Yakumo, a pallid light—or should I say fireballs—emerged. In no time at all, they converged around Yakumo, outnumbering the number of the departed.

All sizes. Swaying, they moved around like living creatures. They blazed ferociously, as though surrounding Yakumo.

The perception of ordinary people would have ended there, but I was able to see beyond that. They each had the appearance of a dog with a shimenawa around its neck, and I could tell that they were all distinctive in shape and look.

This was the guardian spirit that materialized in response to Yakumo’s call―

Like Takenaka’s guardian spirit, the yagura in armor and helmet, or even beyond that if the numbers were added together. These blazing, pallid dogs were unlike the spirits on the other side. Dazzling in the darkness, their light seemed almost divine, with no sign of disappearing, and all of them were gathered close to Yakumo with their fangs bared.

A multitude of cries that sounded like sirens surged upward as soon as one of them lifted its head.

“Time for a game!”

Glaringiup at the departed, Yakumo’s single cry released those who had remained where they were―

The army of blue flames descended upon the mass of the departed at once. With a tremendous momentum that resembled a murderous intent, they devoured the departed who were about to scatter. In a matter of seconds, those who could not even be called human were knocked off their feet by the pursuing dogs and had their legs and necks snapped off.  The deceased struggled and flailed to escape with no luck. 

Once theidogs secured their prey, they dragged them several yards until both the dead and the dogs vanished into the darkness, as though a candlelight was blown out. One by one, and then another. Catching the deceased and dragging them away. Then disappearing.

The dogs vanished, followed by the deceased.

At last, twoidogs pounced on the woman clinging to the tree, dragging her groaning body with them.

All the evil spirits were forced to leave the place.

Although a few remained, Yakumo returned them to where they were after confirming that their presence could no longer be detected. With a mysterious technique that was beyond description, Yakumo eradicated the source of the terror within only a few minutes.

I, on the other hand, was once again struck by shame. I couldn’t even keep my mouth shut.

“Hey, it’s over!”Translator: MadHatter

Yakumo stretched widely and showed a satisfied look on his face. Despite the exhaustion on his face, he looked more at ease than I did, who had been sitting on the ground. How resilient was he?

“What was that, what did you just… do?”

“Full-on attack magic.”Not shared on aggregator sites

“Don’t messiwith me.”

“I was trying to make it easy for you to understand… well, the consumption is so bad that it’s limited to one shot.”

“Whatiabout those spirits…?”

“Yeah, it’s a little rough, but I had them dragged off to the other side by the guardian dogs.”

“Did they make them all attain Buddhahood?”

“Initially, it wouldibe ideal to persuade each of them separately, but in a situation like this, it is inconceivable. We can’t have a dialogue with them, and unless we force them to go, they won’t be able to take a step forward but well… When they reach the other world, they will recall their true selves and will be able to walk again… I’m sure they will feel a little better by now, being free from pain and suffering. Forgetting everything and staying here all the time is tough.”

For themselves and for what they left behind. No doubt, Yakumo added with a complicated expression on his face.

“Well then, now that I haveimy body back, let’s finish up this job, shall we?”

Yakumoimoved his body, which should have reached its breaking point, toward the wrecked blackivan.