Swinging double doors led to the corridor with the autopsy rooms, along with the ghosts Taniguchi was holding hostage. Teruo headed straight toward them, but Shinji grabbed onto his shoulders, holding him in place.
“Stay behind me. Taniguchi placed a barricade of energy around us. We’re trapped here with the ghosts.”
For a second Teruo looked like he was about to protest, but gave up and moved out of Shinji’s way with a frustrated grunt. Judging by the scars on his body alone, Teruo was certainly not the type to hide behind his officers, but Shinji hoped he understood that ghosts weren’t like common criminals.
Bracing himself for the impending attack of the ghosts, Shinji slowly pushed one of the swinging doors open. An icy mist engulfed the entire corridor, so thick that it hindered visibility. A puff of white air left Shinji’s mouth and his gaze roamed in all directions. He could sense the ghosts nearby, but couldn’t pinpoint their location.
Shinji brought out his spiritual energy, just enough to block in case of a sudden attack and they advanced slowly, keeping close to each other. Thereiryokuswirled in white tendrils around his hands and Shinji wanted to look back and see if just the mere presence of the energy affected Teruo or not, but couldn’t afford that. Teruo’s breathing sounded calm behind him, so they were good—for now.
As they approached the autopsy room the temperature dropped significantly. Even being used to the ghostly mist as he was, Shinji’s teeth started chattering. It must’ve been almost below freezing.
The fog thinned for a faint moment and the ghosts’ silhouettes became visible. They stood on the left, their backs to the autopsy room’s door like sentinels.
When Shinji and Teruo stepped into their line of sight, their heads turned all at the same time. Shinji inhaled a sharp breath and halted, holding an arm out to stop Teruo as well. He counted fast. Ten ghosts. Were these other victims? Most of the students were accounted for and there had been no new murder reports, but he couldn’t be sure.
Yamato, Ozawa, Ishida, and Miura were among the ghosts. Shinji made eye contact with Yamato and Ishida, hoping they would recognize him. But the sharp glare in their eyes told Shinji enough. Taniguchi was controlling them.
Shit.
The spirits moved fast. In a breath, they reached Shinji, howling into his face, their hands clawing at his clothes, their cold fingers wrapping around his throat, tightening hard. He staggered backwards and pushed Teruo out of the way then fell onto the floor, hissing as his back hit the cold tiles.
Ozawa Fumiko was right above him, her hair in a disheveled bun, eyes wide and nearly white as the rest of her immaterial body. Her neck had three distinct lines made by the aluminum wire Taniguchi killed her with. Ozawa’s hands tightened around his throat, her nails sharp as knives, digging into his skin. Shinji groaned his head tilting backwards. A woman he didn’t know sat behind him, holding Shinji’s arms in a powerful grip.
“Shinji!” Teruo yelled.
He struggled to turn his head. Teruo lay on the ground, three ghosts hovering over him, feeding on his vitality. Bringing forth the full extent of hisreiryoku, Shinji covered his body in the energy then pushed it all out in a wave, throwing Ozawa and the other ghost off him. They both hit the wall ofreiryokuTaniguchi had placed, sending ripples through it.
He shoved two more ghosts aside and rushed to Teruo. With the energy wrapped around his hands, Shinji grabbed onto the spirits and shoved them away.
“Come on.” Shinji helped Teruo to his feet.
Teruo cursed and leaned on Shinji, his breath ragged, but his gaze focused toward the autopsy room. Shinji pulled on the handle. It didn’t budge. His hand went to his holster, but Teruo stopped him.
“The bullet can ricochet,” he said.
Teruo grabbed onto a fire extinguisher and rammed it hard against the handle, once, twice. Right when it was about to give away, the ghosts returned heading straight toward Teruo.
“Fuck! Get down!” Shinji jumped over Teruo, covering him.
The ghosts dug their hands into Shinji’s hair and clothes, shrieking into his ears, their voices deafening.
Come on, you bastard. Controlling ten spirits. Aren’t you tired yet?
Pressing his palms together, Shinji created a sphere of energy around him, then extended it fast driving the ghosts far from them and holding Teruo and himself under it.
“Are you okay?” Shinji breathed.
“Not really,” Teruo said. He propped an arm against the door, rubbing his forehead with the other.
The ghosts draining his energy must’ve exhausted him. Shinji could even feel himself leeching on Teruo’s vitality and kept his distance, making sure not to touch him directly.
Teruo took a long, deep breath, then grabbed the extinguisher again and rammed it one last time through the weakened handle of the door. He kicked it open with his foot and went inside, Shinji following close behind.
Taniguchi hunched over a stainless steel table, tapping away at a laptop like everything was fine. There was a pungent smell in the air, something strong and acidic. Shinji guessed Taniguchi used whatever chemicals he had on hand to destroy the DNA evidence. The body of the last victim—Miura Eisuke—was still on the autopsy table, covered up to his chest by a sheet. On the floor to their left, by the table’s legs, was Kojima laying face down. Shinji quickly kneeled and checked her. She was still alive. There was no sign of the new medical examiner.
“Step away from the laptop,” Teruo said, gun pointed at Taniguchi, “and put your hands in the air slowly. No sudden moves.”
“Hello officers. How may I help you?” Taniguchi rasped, with feigned confusion.