After an hour of hiking, we came to a long stone staircase that led to a magnificent shrine.
"This is Rakuhei Shrine," I said, as we climbed the steps. "My friend Haruka Rakuhei lives here. She's a really good miko. She taught me that fire spell for self-protection! I'm sure she'll know a way out of this predicament."
We stepped through the torii gate at the top, and Haruka came running out of the main shrine to meet me. She was stunningly beautiful as usual.
"Oh Kanae, I'm so glad you're safe!" she said, embracing me. "I sensed the fire spell earlier. What happened?"
"Er...hi, I guess," Kenta said through my voice. "Nice to meet you, I'm Takahiro Kenta. I got mixed up in some...uh...nasty business, and ended up dead..."
"Some yakuza made me summon this pervert," I interrupted, "and now he's stuck in my body! Hurry up and get him out already!"
Haruka just laughed.
"Nice to meet you, Kenta. How does it feel to be in such a sexy young body?"
We blushed a deep crimson red. "Haruka! Don't say such weird things!"
---
"Once two souls have been bound together by cursed rope, the only way to separate them is by untying or cutting the rope," Haruka said, reading from an ancient scroll. We were sitting on the floor of the shrine library. "But this doesn't say anything about burning it with holy fire."
"How are we supposed to untie the rope when it's gone!" I demanded.
"Hold on. This next scroll mentions an emergency ritual for splitting two souls. But it can only be performed with a special fan from Gentokyo."
"Gentokyo? But isn't that where the yokai live?"
"Yep!" Haruka seemed way too excited.
"But that's dangerous! We'll be eaten!"
"Haha, don't worry! Kenta will be with you," Haruka teased.
"H-hey, I don't know how to fight Yokai, I'm just a ghost!" Kenta protested.
"So it's decided, we'll leave for Gentokyo first thing tomorrow morning!" Haruka said cheerfully.
"You're not listening!!" Kenta and I chorused together.
---
to be continued?
>>839
I demand you write a short fan fiction about my short story.