Chief Okita in Taisho

"That... beauty?"

"Are you planning to go to Aokigahara Sea of ​​Trees?"

Okita Souji raised his eyes.

The person who struck up a conversation was a young man in his 30s, standing in the corridor of the train staring at the newspaper in his hand, his brows were tightened, and his expression was strange.

"This place is unlucky."

Facing Souji Kami Okita's eyes, the young man realized: "You don't know the alias of Aokigahara Tree Sea, do you?"

"—Forest of Suicides."

It is a half-moon-shaped forest on the side of Mount Fuji.

"There, you can see a lot of clothes and suicide notes of suicides... If it's a little longer, you can also see skeletons."

"It is said that the deepest part is full of corpses."

The young man looked at the newspaper, always feeling that the black and white photos of the forest printed on it suddenly became weird.

He looked away, trying not to show fear on his face.

"Leaving aside the mystery brought by the rumors, this forest itself is very strange—"

"I don't know how many people disappear here for no reason every year."

"..."

Okita Souji's eyelashes trembled, and a glimmer of light flashed across the deep purple eyes.

The boy was sixteen or seventeen years old, his long loose hair softened his temperament, and he was so beautiful regardless of gender.Occasionally being mistaken by people with poor eyesight is not surprising.

On the contrary, he burst into a smile that made people unable to look away, his eyes were as curved as the moon.

"Eh? It sounds mysterious."

"Can you tell me more about it, sir?"

"In return..."

Souji Okita pushed the last untouched dessert on the table forward, "I'll give this Daifuku steamed bun to sir."

Seeing that the other party was interested, the young man was overjoyed, sat down in the empty seat opposite, and continued to tell.

He has been paying attention to this beauty for a long time since he got in the car!

The other party has long blue-purple hair and a cape over a white kimono. When he turned his head and looked out of the snowy window, his outline was like a superbly carved ice sculpture, as beautiful as a painting.

...It was just that he had been eating desserts on the train, and it was hard for him to find a chance to talk to him.

"Let me tell you, that forest is filled with thick fog all day long, and even at noon, there is no sunlight."

"Once the compass is taken in, it will fail, and no one who enters the forest can come out!"

"Most people who go there choose to hang themselves, so local residents often hear the sound of ropes rubbing against bark in the middle of the night, and they can also see ghosts with fangs and tongues sticking out, and some even saw ghosts eating people!"

The young man tutted and said, "This is a forest where the undead wander."

"Beauty, why are you interested in this kind of place?" He was puzzled.

Okita Souji didn't answer his question directly, but lowered his eyes slightly, and his tone was as light as a sigh.

"That's really... sad."

The newspaper only pointed out that it was a beautiful place at the foot of Mount Fuji, without giving a detailed introduction.

"Of course the newspapers won't publish these things!" The young man thought he was questioning, "Only people like me who have been traveling all the year round would know!"

"Did you see those carriages at the back? They are all goods to be taken to Kyoto this time."

"If you don't say anything this time, you can sell this amount!"

Youth began to boast of their wealth.

show off.

This is the main purpose of his flirtation.

This kind of man looks like he just got a little money and is losing his temper.The newly grown fat is tightly wrapped in the ill-fitting suit, and the buttons may be undone at any time.

"I paid a lot of money to buy those pots. The design... tsk, only a true artist can understand it!"

"I don't know if I'll take good care of those guys, one less, so they can't eat and go around!"

"I have booked several carriages specially for this purpose!"

Amidst the youth's yelling, Okita Souji's gaze fell back to the newspaper.

Below the photo of the sea of ​​trees in Aokigahara is an anecdote about the Ghost Killing Squad.

[The new Yanzhu of the Ghost Killing Team has saved hundreds of lives in the team for one year, and may become the strongest in history. 】

[The mysterious warrior is still missing. 】

This is where he just looked.

Ghost Slayer...

After the young man finished speaking, Director Okita, who hadn't heard most of it clearly, said, "Thank you sir for reminding me."

"In return, let me tell Mr. one thing."

The beauty is not only good-looking, but also has a clear and soft voice.The youth thought to himself.

"Does sir know about 'Car Chaser'?"

"The car chaser?"

"Creatures chasing after the train will slowly approach the carriage during the night," Mr. Okita said slowly, "After being caught up, the people in the train will disappear one by one starting from the last section."

"In the end even the very existence of this train will be swallowed up."

"..."

The youth couldn't help but hold his breath.

Director Okita knocked on the window with his fingers.

"What's even more frightening is that as long as the matter is mentioned on the train, it will find this train."

A few clear and crisp sounds seemed to knock on the heart.

The young man was dumbfounded: "Huh?"

This kind of thing sounds very evil at first, but the other party's expression is too serious, so that he can't say anything doubtful.

"Then, this..."

"Pfft-"

Just when the young man was almost convinced, the corners of Okita Souji's mouth loosened, revealing a childish laugh of a child's prank, "Fake."

youth:"……"

"But you also have to be careful, don't let things be snatched by the 'car chaser'."

"……what?"

After saying this, Okita Souji stopped talking and looked out the window.

There was still a smile on his lips, but his eyes drifted far away.The glass window made him blurry.

The atmosphere was quiet, the sound of the rails echoing in the carriage, and someone snoring loudly.

Twilight fell.

It's snowing heavily.

The young man felt that it was inconvenient to talk to him again.

Although they were all in the carriage, the other party seemed to be wandering in another space, and even that smile gave people a fragile feeling that they couldn't bear to touch.

He also had no choice but to look out the window, and said dryly, "I don't know if I can arrive smoothly tonight."

……

The youth's fears came true.

The train from Tokyo to Kyoto had to stop at Mt. Fuji Station halfway due to the sudden heavy snowfall.

It's late at night.

Some people got out of the car to find a hotel, and some simply slept in the car with their clothes on.

Okita Souji got up, said goodbye, and turned to leave.

"Let's go, only to hide No. [-]."

The snoring stopped suddenly, and a powder ball jumped out from under the seat and hung on the shoulder of Souji Okita.

The young man froze.

That's... a pig?Piggy? !

Has it become popular to treat pigs as pets these days? !

Okita Souji got out of the car.

"Ah la la, I heard that the Mount Fuji senbei here is very famous, I wonder if you can still buy it at this spot."

Because the train stopped, the station became bustling for a short time. There were small shops selling ramen rice balls and other late-night snacks, and there were newspaper boys who jumped out of nowhere.

Hot air filled the cold night.

Feixue was dyed golden by the lights of the platform.

Mr. Okita pulled up his scarf and cloak, and the knee-length dark gray cloak enveloped his entire figure, making him look very thin.

"Pfft."

The piglet named Saizo rubbed his cheek, and the voice rang in Okita Souji's mind.

"What are you looking at, Chief?"

"Are you going to the Aokigahara Sea of ​​Trees?"

Director Okita thought for a while: "Okay, but let's settle the matter with this car first."

Looking around, the rear carriages loaded with cargo were parked outside the platform where the lights couldn't reach.

Like a monster lurking in the dark.

After observing for a while, he hid and said, "It hasn't moved yet."

Okita Souji nodded.

"Why don't you rest in the car and get off so early?"

"Because there are some people outside who can't hold back," Okita Souji said cheerfully, "Maybe it will be a bumper harvest tonight."

Cai Zang was stunned by the feeling of ambiguity.

"Okay, senbei senbei~"

Director Okita has already returned to normal, walking in a certain direction, walking side by side.

"About the sea of ​​trees in Aokigahara..."

"This forest has existed for an unknown number of years. The trees are so dense that no light can penetrate naturally."

"The tree species are single and they all look similar, so it's easy to get lost."

"The failure of the compass is caused by the magnetic field of Mount Fuji's lava."

Souji Okita raised his eyes and looked into the distance, and the majestic silhouette of Mount Fuji was faintly visible in the night.

"In addition, the forest is located on a high mountain with an altitude of more than 500 meters, and the air is thin. When you can't use the compass and the sun to distinguish your bearings, you can see all the similar forests when you look around. Anxiety and sensory confusion make it easier to get lost. .”

Cai Zang slapped his forehead with a pig's trotter: "That's right, you've been here before!"

"As for the undead and corpses..."

Okita Souji's voice became softer and softer, and he didn't say any more.

At the entrance of the specialty store, he sighed and pursed his lips in disappointment.

"Sure enough, it's closed."

"There's no way."

Suddenly, someone grabbed the corner of his clothes.

"This lord—"

It was the newspaper boy from just now, he opened his eyes innocently, "Do you want to buy a newspaper?"

Under the uneasy gaze of the other party, Souji Okita squatted down and looked at him with a smile that was like a spring breeze.

"It's hard work to come out to sell newspapers at such a late hour."

"How much is it?"

After quoting the price, Okita Souji put the coin in the boy's palm and gave a little more.

"Thank you!" The boy was overjoyed, and rummaged through the bag, "The hand is a little wet, I'll find you a clean one!"

He turned and asked, "What are you doing here, do you want to see Mount Fuji?"

"It's snowing so hard, I guess I can't even go up to the fifth station."

Mount Fuji is divided into "ten stations" from the foot of the mountain to the top of the mountain, and the fifth station is exactly halfway up the mountain.

"Or..." the boy lowered his voice, "Are you also interested in the legend of the Aokigahara tree sea?"

"This kid is a bit weird..." Cai Zang made a voice.

Director Okita did not answer, but said to the boy after receiving the newspaper: "It's late, go home early."

The boy was taken aback, bit his lips, and said with determination: "My lord, you are the one, go back quickly!"

"Here, don't stay outside too much at night!"

"There will be undead from the sea of ​​trees coming out to make trouble!"

"Is that so?" Mr. Okita said in a gentle voice, "I'm worried, I don't want to stay in the car, the nearby hotels are full."

"!"

The boy's face seemed to be trying to hide his urgency, "I know a store, it's probably not full!"

"If you don't mind—"

"Great!"

Okita Souji followed his words, smiled happily and mischievously, "Then please~"

The boy nodded heavily: "Leave it to me!"

"You follow me—"

……

The boy led Souji Okita out of the station and into a nearby alley.

The deeper the alley, the darker the light.

The lights of the station do not reach the depths.

If there is a bloody smell that seems to be absent.

The atmosphere is quiet, except for the sound of footsteps, there are occasional clucking sounds, like a mouse grinding its teeth in the dark.

"newspaper--"

Souji Okita spoke suddenly.

The boy walking in front was taken aback: "What?!"

"Can it be sold? There won't be many people at night, right?"

"Yes, there are some."

"You showed up as soon as this train arrived," Mr. Okita recalled the scene he saw through the window, "You moved very quickly."

Unlike shops, Newsboys have no fixed location.

"Ah, because..."

The boy hesitated, "If I can't sell them all, my family won't let me go back, so... so I can only wait at the station!"

Selling miserably didn't work this time.

Even if he didn't turn his head, the boy could feel that Souji Okita's aura was completely different from what he was on the platform.

"I checked the train timetable. There will be no cars stopping tonight. This car is considered a special case."

"Is this what you expected?"

A delicate dagger was hidden in the gentle tone of the long-haired boy, trying to strip off all the boy's disguise.

"If your family is so poor that you need to sell newspapers overnight, it would be better to go to a crowded night market. Besides..."

"You don't have a single patch on your clothes, which confuses me a little."

"!"

The boy didn't speak.

With his back turned to Souji Okita, the strange clucking sound became louder.

"Forget it," Okita Souji took the lead to end the topic, "Anyway, you are just a child."

"Go ahead and take me to the hotel?" He laughed.

"...um." The boy responded hoarsely.

After two more steps, he stopped.

"It's coming soon," the boy said, "but before that, my lord, let me tell you one thing, which is my advice to you."

He turned around suddenly, his thin body suddenly swelled like a hill!

The fangs and claws grew wildly, and he rushed towards Souji Okita like a hungry tiger——

The devil showed his true colors.

He's not a newspaper kid at all!

"Don't judge a book by its cover—"

The evil ghost grinned, and stretched its sharp claws towards Okita Souji's neck.The piglet on the shoulder scares Yan Yi out.

With a little boy like this, he can do it with just one finger—? !

The face that was close at hand suddenly disappeared.

A few strands of hair flowed from the tip of the claw.

Then, the male ghost's field of vision spun.

……

Snow is still falling.

The blood spread, and was soon covered in white.

Da da.

At the entrance of the bright alley, the figure of the boy gradually appeared.

He looked comfortable and at ease, his kimono and cloak clean and free from anything else.

When he was about to walk out of the alley, Souji Okita turned around and looked down at the embers in the depths, his expression was dim in the shadows, his long hair fluttering behind him in the wind and snow.

He smiled slightly.

"Don't judge a book by its cover."

"Did you say so?"