Cassian drove an old Toyota borrowed from Sato, the engine roaring as they sped down a dark road toward Tokyo. Helen was in the passenger seat, checking her gun with nervous fingers, and Yumi trembled in the backseat, wrapped in a blanket they had found in the trunk. Sato, injured after the attack at the cemetery, had insisted on staying behind, his shoulder bleeding as he begged them to stop Kuchisake-onna before more innocents died. The silence inside the car weighed heavily, broken only by the sound of Yumi's labored breathing.
"Cassian, I don't understand what's happening," Yumi said, her voice trembling as she clutched the blanket. "All day I felt something following me, like someone was watching me from the corners. After I saw you in Shibuya, I couldn't stay still. I took the train to Hino without knowing why, and then that woman… What is she?"
Cassian kept his eyes on the road, the lights of Tokyo appearing in the distance.
"She's a vengeful spirit," he explained, his tone firm. "Her name is Kuchisake-onna. She kills whoever she finds, asking if she's pretty before cutting their faces. She saw you with me, Yumi, and for some reason, she marked you."
"Marked?" Yumi asked, leaning forward. "What does that mean? I didn't do anything, I just met you last night. Why is she chasing me?"
"I'm not entirely sure," he replied, turning the wheel to avoid a pothole. "It could be because we were together. Sometimes these spirits fixate on the connections of their targets. Maybe she's using you as bait to get to me."
Helen turned her head, frowning at Yumi.
"If that's true, we can use it," she said, holstering her gun. "She might lure her into a trap. I found an abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of Tokyo when I checked the maps yesterday. We could set up a containment circle there, put Yumi in the center, and end this."
"What?" Yumi exclaimed, her voice rising in pitch. "Use me as bait? I'm not a soldier, I'm just a housewife. I can't face that thing."
"You won't be alone," Cassian interjected, looking at her through the rearview mirror. "Helen and I will be with you. She won't touch you."
"And if it fails?" Yumi asked, clutching the blanket to her chest. "I saw her at the cemetery, Cassian. She spoke to me, looked at me like I was already dead. I don't want to die like that."
"I won't let you die," he said, softening his tone. "But if we don't stop her, she'll keep killing. Children, families, anyone who crosses her path. Can you help us, Yumi?"
She fell silent, staring at her trembling hands before nodding slowly.
"Alright," she whispered. "If you say you'll be there, I'll do it. But I'm scared."
"I know," Cassian replied. "You're brave for trying."
They arrived at the warehouse an hour later, a rusted building on the outskirts of the city, surrounded by tall grass and broken windows. Cassian parked the car behind it, and the three entered with flashlights. The interior smelled of dampness and old metal, the floor covered in dust and debris. Cassian traced a circle of salt in the center, sprinkling it with holy water, while Helen placed amulets in the corners, including the restored wooden disc Sato had given them.
"Yumi, stay inside the circle," Cassian instructed, handing her a flashlight. "Don't leave it, no matter what happens."
"And you two?" she asked, standing in the center, her small figure trembling under the light.
"We'll hide," Helen explained, checking her gun. "When she shows up, we'll trap her. Cassian has the exorcism ready."
"I've never done anything like this," Yumi said, staring at the salt circle. "What do I say if she talks to me again?"
"Don't answer," Cassian warned, adjusting his papal crucifix. "Just wait. We'll handle the rest."
They hid behind stacked crates, Cassian with the dagger in one hand and the crucifix in the other, Helen aiming her gun at the circle. The silence lasted for minutes until a sharp knock echoed from the double doors of the warehouse. The metal doors burst open, and Kuchisake-onna entered, her long coat dragging across the floor, the fallen mask revealing her grotesque, slit mouth, bloody and filled with sharp teeth gleaming under Yumi's flashlight.
"Am I pretty?" she asked, her raspy voice cutting through the air as she advanced toward the circle.
Yumi stepped back within the salt, her flashlight trembling, but she didn't respond. Cassian emerged from his hiding spot, raising the crucifix.
"Exorcizamus te, omnis immundus spiritus," he recited, his voice echoing through the warehouse. "Omnis satánica potestas, omnis incursio infernalis adversarii."
Kuchisake-onna shrieked, turning toward him, scissors raised. Helen threw the restored amulet onto the ground in front of her, and the disc rolled to a stop near the circle. The woman staggered, her form trembling, but a deep roar shook the warehouse, the walls vibrating and dust falling from the ceiling. Black shadows emerged from the floor, like pools of living ink, writhing toward Kuchisake-onna.
"Cassian, something's helping her!" Helen shouted, firing her gun into the darkness, the blessed bullets vanishing into the shadows.
Yumi ran toward Cassian, leaving the circle, her flashlight falling to the ground.
"I can't stay there!" she cried, clinging to his arm. "She's going to kill me!"
"Stay behind me," he ordered, pushing her toward the crates as he raised the papal crucifix.
The shadows rose, forming a tall, vague figure, a humanoid silhouette with no clear face. It grabbed Kuchisake-onna by the shoulders, lifting her as if she were a worn chess piece. She screamed, dropping the scissors, but didn't resist. The figure turned toward Cassian, and a deep voice filled the air.
"How interesting," it murmured, each word resonating in their bones. "A living descendant of Enoch."
"What?" Helen asked, aiming her gun at the figure. "What is it talking about?"
"I don't know," Cassian admitted, gripping the crucifix tighter. "But I won't let it take her."
"In nomine Domini, recede!" he shouted, completing the exorcism, the crucifix glowing with a white light that cut through the shadows.
Kuchisake-onna dissolved into ashes, her final scream fading as she collapsed into a gray heap on the floor. The shadowy figure let out a low growl, staring at Cassian for a moment before sinking into the ground, the shadows dispersing like smoke. The warehouse fell silent, the salt circle intact but empty.
Cassian lowered the crucifix, taking a deep breath, as Yumi sobbed beside him.
"Is it over?" she asked, lifting her head, tears streaking her face.
"For now," he replied, helping her to her feet. "You're safe."
Helen holstered her gun, walking toward them with a frown.
"What was that about Enoch?" she said, crossing her arms. "That thing knew something about you, Cassian."
"I have no idea," he admitted, sheathing the dagger. "But it wasn't just Kuchisake-onna. Something bigger was controlling her."
"We need to go to Hawkins," Helen insisted, picking up the amulet from the floor. "This is all connected—first the Warrens, now this."
"I know," Cassian said, looking at Yumi. "But I'll stay one more day. I need to make sure she's okay."
"One more day?" Helen asked, raising an eyebrow. "We can't afford to lose time."
"After what happened, I owe her," he replied firmly. "Take the car, get everything ready. I'll catch up with you tomorrow."
Yumi hugged him, trembling against his chest.
"Thank you, Cassian," she whispered, her voice breaking. "I thought I was going to die. I don't know how to repay you for this."
"You don't have to repay me," he said, gently pulling her away. "Just stay safe."
They left the warehouse, the cold night air hitting them as they walked toward the car. Cassian glanced back, the echo of the shadow's words resonating in his mind—a descendant of Enoch, a clue he didn't understand but knew would follow him far beyond Tokyo.