The arrival of Kyon-Kyon, a Kyonshi from the Foreign Demon World, made the agency considerably more lively.
Kawashima Toya watched with a mix of fascination and mild concern as she demonstrated her unique abilities.
"I have to admit, being able to dismantle yourself like a model kit and put it back together is impressive."
"I'm starving..." Suddenly, a mournful wail, sounding like a vengeful spirit, echoed through the room.
Toya looked toward the source of the cry with a teasing glint in his eyes. "Jashin-chan, you're the one who decided to provoke her."
"Losing the fight is one thing, but you ended up spending the afternoon as a stiff corpse. Can you really blame us for not saving any food?"
Watching the scum snake in such a pathetic state brought a wave of quiet satisfaction to his heart. Truly, a world where Jashin-chan suffered was a world at peace.
Nearby, Medusa looked at her friend with pity and held out a small plate.
"I still have a steamed bun left. Do you want it, Jashin-chan?"
"A bun?" Jashin-chan snatched the bun from Medusa's hand and began devouring it greedily.
Once she finished it in a few bites, she immediately began complaining with a look of disdain. "Medusa, remember to leave some meat next time!"
"A dry bun isn't enough to fill me up."
Medusa offered a faint, apologetic smile.
"I'll try to save some meat for you next time."
She really is better off as a kyonshi, Toya thought, his last shred of sympathy vanishing. One should never feel pity for Jashin-chan; she simply didn't deserve it.
"Um, could you help me out?"
While Toya was considering how to give the ungrateful snake a proper lesson for her attitude toward Medusa, Kyon-Kyon's voice drifted up from near his feet.
Toya looked down in confusion, only to see her head resting quietly on the floor.
The disembodied head of Kyon-Kyon looked up at him with a sweet, gentle smile.
"Kawashima-san, could you pick my head up and put it back on, please?"
Even with Toya's high tolerance for the supernatural, he almost couldn't resist the urge to punt the head across the room.
"I..."
"Kyon-Kyon, could you please stop playing this 'game'?"
"It's really pushing the limits of my sanity."
Fighting back his internal discomfort, Toya carefully picked up the head and walked toward the rest of her body, which lay scattered across the hall.
Kyon-Kyon stared up at him with an innocent grin. "But isn't this fun? Everyone loves this game, Kawashima-san."
Toya cast a skeptical glance around the room. Aside from Jashin-chan and Medusa, the area was empty.
"Does everyone really love it?"
"Because it feels like everyone else has vanished."
Kasugano Sora, Kasumigaoka Utaha, and even the horror-loving Hanazono Yurine had all retreated into the inner rooms.
Tohru remained, diligently performing her maid duties, seemingly unfazed by the sight of a disassembled girl.
"Eh? It seems no one likes it after all." Kyon-Kyon noted, looking troubled. "Okay, I won't play this game anymore."
"Kawashima-san, could you help me put myself back together?"
Toya sighed, looking at the various limbs on the floor. "I've already started, so I might as well see this through."
"Though I'm getting a chill down my spine for no reason."
He gathered the parts like a macabre jigsaw puzzle, meticulously reassembling her while Sora and the others watched from a safe distance.
As he finally set the head back onto her neck, the charming Kyonshi girl sprang back to life.
Kyon-Kyon stretched her limbs and bowed politely. "Thank you very much, Kawashima-san!"
"If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have known how to get everything back in the right place."
"Just don't do that again. You'll give people a heart attack," Toya said, letting out a weary sigh.
Truthfully, he hadn't enjoyed the process. There was a lingering horror to handling what appeared to be human remains, even if they were sentient. It wasn't about courage; it was simple revulsion.
Once he had her word that she'd stop, Toya spoke gently. "Kyon-Kyon, grab your coffin. I'll show you to your room."
"Is that really okay? It feels like a waste," she said hesitantly. "I can sleep anywhere, really."
"I'm just a Kyonshi; it's not like anyone is going to try and steal a corpse."
Toya looked at the luxurious, ornate coffin and shook his head. "Not necessarily. Never underestimate the greed of humans."
The coffin carried an aura of history, clearly not something made in the modern era. The rare wood and exquisite craftsmanship made its value far beyond what most could imagine.
"I'm sorry for being a bother." Kyon-Kyon said, bowing again. She seemed to think her presence was an inconvenience.
"Don't apologize. It's no trouble at all," Toya waved his hand dismissively and signaled for her to follow.
I should probably put her next to my room. Toya decided it was best to keep her nearby.
Kyon-Kyon was easy to get along with, but a coffin—a symbol of death—tended to make people uncomfortable.
.....
He didn't mind it, but he wasn't sure if Sora or Utaha could handle seeing it in the hallway every night.
Kyon-Kyon looked around the clean, tidy room, her eyes sparkling with joy. "What a lovely room!"
"I'm glad you like it. This will be yours from now on," Toya said with a smile. "If there's anything you need to decorate or change, just let me know."
"I'll take care of it."
"How could I ask for more?" Kyon-Kyon waved her hands frantically. "You've already provided a place to stay, Kawashima-san. That's a huge help."
"I don't even know how to repay your kindness for keeping me off the streets. I couldn't possibly make more demands."
"Don't mention it." Toya stepped back, giving her space. "I'll leave you to get settled."
"Arrange things however you like. I'll be going now."
Kyon-Kyon watched Toya's retreating figure, her voice full of gratitude as she whispered to herself.
"He was willing to help even a Kyonshi he just met, and even gave me a home."
"Kawashima-san really is a good person."
Toya's sharp ears caught her mumble, and he smiled to himself. You're the only one who gets this treatment.
Any other Kyonshi would have been exorcised on the spot.
In the world, Kyonshi with actual intelligence were rare. Rarer still was someone like Kyon-Kyon, who had never taken a life and possessed a pure aura without a trace of malice.
In the words of mystery, Kyon-Kyon is a spiritual entity born of the world with accumulated good karma; killing her would bring divine retribution.
If she had carried even a hint of bloodlust, Toya would have chosen the physical method of "delivering her to the afterlife" to prevent her from harming anyone.
As night deepened, the agency, which should have been quiet, was anything but.
The starving Jashin-chan was letting out pathetic wails of hunger, keeping Toya from falling asleep.
"So noisy!" Toya walked out of his room with a dark expression, only to bump into an equally irritated Hanazono Yurine.
Seeing Toya, the coldness on Yurine's face softened slightly. "Kawashima, I'm going to find Jashin-chan."
"Do you want to come along?"
"No, you can handle it," Toya chuckled. "I think I'll sit this one out."