Shinji turned to Teruo. “I am so sorry!”
“What…?”
Pressing his palms together, Shinji released hisreiryoku. It whipped around him in white, ink-like tendrils. He stretched his arm and made a grabbing motion toward the ghost. Thereiryoku’s tendrils went straight after the spirit and latched on, only to be repelled and pushed back at Shinji.
The hell?
Shinji made a second attempt, but before his energy could latch again the ghost’s body stretched out like it was being vacuumed. The unregistered Shinigami had already lay claim on the ghost and was calling it.
“No, no, no!” Shinji rasped and sent hisreiryokuafter the ghost, the white tendrils grabbing onto Miura and tugging.
A deafening shriek came from the ghost as his body was torn apart by the two battling energies. Shinji could feel the power of the other Shinigami, as it called the ghost, and one thing was for sure: Shinji was about to lose this ghost, too.
His energy snapped free, and the spirit went through the wall and disappeared to wherever the Shinigami who called it was. Shinji staggered backwards and fell down with a pained grunt.
“Fuck,” Shinji swore under his breath. He shivered, his body ice cold.
“What did you do?” Teruo murmured.
Shinji gasped and crawled toward Teruo who sat on the floor, his back to the wall and head in his hands.
“I’m really sorry,” Shinji said, kneeling by his side. “Are you all right?”
Teruo groaned. “No… My head is killing me and my body is numb.”
Shit. I shouldn’t have done this next to him!
“Sit here for a bit longer until you catch your breath. It’ll go away.”
Teruo was unexpectedly tough, but, if anything, this confirmed how dangerous it was to actively use hisreiryokuaround Teruo. Though too cold to be helpful, Shinji took Teruo’s hands in his, in an attempt to soothe him.
Instead, Teruo hissed, drawing back his arms as if he’d been burned. “What are you doing to me?”
“N-nothing,” Shinji stammered, confused. “Just trying to… Wait, what did you sense?”
“Like you’re draining me of energy.”
Fuck.
That was exactly what Shinji had been doing these past few days, except now Teruo seemed to feel it happening and Shinji had no way to stop it. He tried focusing onnotsiphoning Teruo’s vitality, then touched him.
“Stop it.” Teruo stumbled to his feet, hands on the wall for support. “I mean it, Shinji.”
“I don’t want to hurt you. I swear, I’m not doing it on purpose. I’m sorry…”
Teruo let out a choked breath. “Let’s get out of here.”
Shinji just nodded, pushing open the door and getting out of Teruo’s way, afraid that even a slight brush between them would drain Teruo of energy. Great. Another thing to worry about. Just what Shinji needed right now.
After telling the supervising officer they were leaving, Shinji followed Teruo to the car. He was already in the passenger’s seat, his arm out the window with the cigarette between his fingers and drinking from a stale cup of coffee an officer had bought a few hours ago.
Shinji climbed into the driver seat and started the engine. “Do you want me to stop on the way and get you fresh coffee?”
“I’ll drink one at HQ.”
“I’m sorry, Teruo. Truly, I am.”
Teruo took a long drag from the cigarette, mumbling something about it not being strong enough. “Stop apologizing. It’s just… I don’t think I’ll ever get used to it. That horrible feeling.”