𝐑𝐔𝐌𝐎𝐑 𝐇𝐀𝐒 𝐈𝐓 / 𝙩𝙗𝙝𝙠

03. STAIRWAY TO SPACE

"Ah, they've beaten us here." (Name) sighed, spotting a familiar trio standing in front of the bleeding staircase. Atsushi trembled beside (Name), his eyes wide as he watched the red liquid drip and pool on the fourth step.

"Y-Yashiro-san..." Atsushi nervously called out, startling the girl in front of him.

"Nakajima-san!" Yashiro shrieked, leaping a few feet as she turned. She puffed out her cheeks once she regained her composure, whining, "Don't scare me like that!"

"Oh?" (Name) hummed, their eyes landing on the blond exorcist. "If it isn't the little exorcist."

"(Name)-san!" Hanako cheered at the sight of the spirit. (Name) nodded to the seventh mystery before bringing their attention back to the staircase.

"I'm guessing the two of you are here for the same reason we are," they hummed, their eyes following each drop of liquid. "We shouldn't delay then. Let's get to it?"

"Sounds good!" Hanako beamed, lifting his foot and harshly stomping on the first step. "Here goes. One!"

"What?! Already?!" Yashiro gasps. (Name) is quick to follow Hanako, calmly stepping on the second stair.

"Two."

"Three!" Hanako cheered next, prompting the other three to hurry to fall in step with the spirits.

"Four."

In the blink of an eye, the group found themselves in front of a cluttered room. A bridge separated them from the rest of the domain which consisted of a tori gate and several staircases. Lanterns lined the skies, illuminating the red structures with yellow lights.

"Well, Misaki Stairs, you sure are doing your own thing," Hanako hummed quietly, adjusting his hat. (Name) scratched the patch on their cheek quietly, letting their gaze wander the domain they had only seen in passing. 

"Let's head up, shall we?" (Name) proposed, taking the first step on the bridge. "No use in prolonging this trip."

(Name) and Hanako led the group up the various stairs, finally reaching a long stretch of the structure that was filled with trinkets and goods presumably stored in the boundary. The three humans paused for a moment, inspecting the dolls that stared at them through pieces of paper. (Name) and Hanako stopped in front of another tori gate that towered over another set of stairs. This staircase was no longer lined with trinkets and dolls. Instead, balls of orange light floated above each step.

"Hurry up, you three," Hanako called, spinning around to face the living trio.

"Atsushi-kun," (Name) called from over their shoulder, prompting the white-haired boy to jump and rush over. (Name) pat his shoulder lightly before asking, "So? What do you think?"

"It's... weird here," he mutters under his breath, looking around at the floating lights. "Where are we exactly?"

"A boundary," they respond, motioning out towards the steps. "This whole place is Honorable No. 2's to be specific. It's what connects the Near Shore to the Far Shore."

"Far...? Near...?" Atsushi echoed, earning a nod from the spirit.

"That's what the two worlds are called. Near Shore is where you live," (Name) jabs their finger at Atsushi's chest, "and the Far Shore is where spirits like me live," another jab at their own chest.

"Hey, Hanako!" Kou suddenly called as the spirit began floating up the stairs. "Nothing's here. Didn't you say I was gonna get shredded?"

"It won't do that right away," Hanako pointed out. "Ending things too quickly is boring, right?"