One Strange Night's Monster Parade

1: Halloween is Nearly Here

Kiyoka: Nnnn... Ah, it's finished! Phew... Carving out a pumpkin is easier than it seems, isn't it?
Mirja: It may be hard on the outside, but it isn't so difficult to cut with a knife.
Kiyoka: Come to think of it, why do we use pumpkins anyway?
Mirja: About pumpkin lanterns-- Halloween is thought to have originated with the ancient Celts, and is largely based on a certain legend.
Mirja: That is, the lingering spirits of sinners who were unable to pass on would wander the land carrying lanterns carved from turnips.
Mirja: It seems that at some point, people who had emigrated to America began carving pumpkins into lanterns in place of turnips.
Mirja: As it goes, these Jack O'lanterns are said to drive off evil spirits and welcome in kind ones.
Kiyoka: Lingering spirits... It's kind of scary to think about, but if they drive off evil spirits, then that's a bit of a relief.
Kiyoka: And I just can't wait to put on cute costumes and makeup with everyone for Halloween.
Sanae: You're giving it your all to get things ready for the Halloween party, aren't you, Musumi-san.
Kiyoka: I am! Have you decided which costumes you're going to wear yet, Iwakura-san, Juujou-san?
Sanae: Well, I was thinking it over. But I'm not so sure yet.
Hiyori: ...I haven't gotten anything yet. Anyway, Halloween has become completely natural in Japan now, hasn't it.
Mirja: It has. Even theme parks seem to be holding special limited time Halloween events.
Sanae: Hmm. That sounds like it could be neat to try too.
Mirja: If you have the opportunity, you should go and see one.
Mirja: Now then, why don't we bring things to a stopping point here and continue the rest of the preparations tomorrow?
Kiyoka: Good idea.
Kiyoka: I know! While we're having dinner, we can think over what Juujou-san should do for her costume!
Kiyoka: We should be able to rent costumes too, so I think it would be alright to come up with a list of ideas first!
Sanae: Sure! That sounds like a plan.
Hiyori: Not you too, Iwakura-san... Me in a costume, it's just...
Sanae: Well, we don't have to do any more than think about it, okay? I'm sure it'll be fun.

That night... Kiyoka and the others received an urgent dispatch to an abandoned factory.

Kiyoka: When I got the call to come here in the middle of the night, I didn't expect there to be so many other people...
Mirja: It could be that these aradama were recognized as enough of a menace to warrant it.
Maki: Thank you for responding to our summons despite the late hour.
Maki: The aradama that appeared here seem to have some strange characteristics.
Maki: After a recent reading we picked up, we've decided to take immediate action now.
Sanae: Shidou-senpai? What do you mean when you say these aradama are strange?
Maki: Even though they appears on spectrum finders, they can't be seen in person... Or so it seems.　We thought it might be an equipment malfunction at first, but it's been happening too often here.
Sayaka: It's like there's ghosts.
Kiyoka: Even though Halloween is close, a real ghost would be a little...
Hiyori: That's right... Something like ghosts couldn't actually be here.
Kanami: Still, it feels like there really could be one here, in a place like this.
Kiyoka: ...!? I was trying not to think about that...
Kanami: Whoops, sorry. Anyway, we should beat these aradama as soon as we find them.
Sanae: I think that's the best course of action too.
Maki: Let's first look for them using our spectrum finders. Contact everyone the moment you detect anything. Now, let's get to work!
Kiyoka: (We've been walking all over since then... But there's no signs of aradama at all. Are they really even here...?)
Kiyoka: And... I feel like we've been walking in circles this whole time. Don't you think so, Juujou-san?
Kiyoka: Huh? Juujou-san?
Mirja: Is something wrong?
Kiyoka: Juujou-san was right with me until a minute ago, and now she's gone...
Mirja: Did she go to search someplace else? Still, to do so without informing anyone... What do you think about this, Etou Kanami?
Mirja: Etou Kanami?
Kiyoka: ...Eh, Etou-san's gone too!?
Kiyoka: What if it isn't an aradama after all, but there's something else here...
Mirja: Don't allow your nerves to get the better of you, Musumi Kiy--
Kiyoka: B-But... We've been walking in circles this whole time...! And now Juujou-san and Etou-san disappeared--
Kiyoka: ...KYAAAAAAA! I'M FALLIIIING!?

2: With as Much Courage You Can Muster

Kiyoka: Nngh... It hurts a little all over...
Kiyoka: What even happened...?
Kiyoka: ...Where is this, anyway? It looks kind of like one of Renpu's research labs, but... It's too dark in here.
Kiyoka: Oh right, where's Mirja-san!? Mirja-saaan!
Kiyoka: ......
Kiyoka: Ah, my phone!
Kiyoka: ...There's no service. ...Am I completely on my own?
Kiyoka: No, there has to be somebody nearby...! Shidou-saaan! Iwakura-saaan...! Juujou-saaan...
Kiyoka: ...I-I'll just take a quick look around. Though, it's scary... It is scary.
Kiyoka: Hya... Did something just move!? There was some kind of faint light...
Kiyoka: Like a Jack O'lantern... almost.
Kiyoka: It couldn't be... a lingering spirit, could it?
???: ...Aaa....a.
Kiyoka: Wh-What... was that!?
Kiyoka: Is there actually an invisible aradama here!?
Kiyoka: Wait, on the ground here, these are... Glasses?
Kiyoka: These are just like Mirja-san's.
Kiyoka: They aren't very dirty either... That has to be it. If her glasses are here, she must be nearby... Maybe the others too.
Kiyoka: If they fell down like I did, they might be hurt...
Kiyoka: If they are, then I have to help them! It's a little intimidating... But Musumi Kiyoka won't give up here!
Kiyoka: Okay... The ones here are just normal aradama. If it's just these... I can manage.
???: ...Aaa...a.
Kiyoka: There it is... That weird sound again. What's making it?
Kiyoka: Juujou-san and Iwakura-san! Ahh... I'm so glad to see you. I finally found you.
Hiyori: ......
Sanae: ......
Kiyoka: I defeated some aradama, but I'm still detecting more of them. And, since I got separated from Mirja-san and everyone...
Kiyoka: ? Is something the matter?
Hiyori: Kiyokaa...?
Kiyoka: Yes? I'm here now...?
Sanae: Kiyokaa...
Kiyoka: Could you please stop talking in that weird voice? Also, is it me, or are you covered in sweat?
Kiyoka: Actually, it's more like... Y-Y... Y-Y-You're!? You're melting!!!????
Two Aradama: Kiyoka...a!
Kiyoka: ...KYAAAAAAAA!
Kiyoka: [pant, pant]... Juujou-san, Iwakura-san... They turned into aradama. Uuu... I just don't know what's going on anymore...

3: If You're the Real One... Then Answer This!

Hiyori: ......
Sanae: Juujou-san, are you hurt anywhere?
Hiyori: No, I'm fine. Still, what is this place? Weren't we supposed to be looking for aradama in an abandoned factory?
Sanae: We were... This seems to be an unused research facility though.
Sanae: Ah! There's an aradama's signal over that way.
Hiyori: We should check it out.
Kanami: ......
Sanae: Look! Etou-san is over there fighting! Let's back her up!
Hiyori: So you're okay then, Kanami. Good thing we found you so soon.
Kanami: ......
Hiyori: Kanami?
Kanami: ...Kanami?
Sanae: Something's not right about her... Back up, Juujou-san!
Kanami: [sizzle, sizzle sizzle]...
Aradama: Ki...ki... SHAAAA!
Hiyori: What the... Kanami turned into an aradama!?
Sanae: Is this the strange aradama Shidou-senpai told us about!?
Hiyori: Insulting Kanami by disguising as her like that... Prepare yourself!
Hiyori: What wass the deal with that, anyway...
Sanae: If aradama could go up to people looking like their friends, a lot of people are going to get hurt... Hopefully that's something only the aradama here can do.
Hiyori: Right. We've got to destroy these aradama and find the others.
Voice: ...I-Is someone over there?
Hiyori: That voice...
Kiyoka: WAH-!? Y-You again!?
Kiyoka: Are you... the real Juujou-san and Iwakura-san?
Hiyori: I'm the real one!
Kiyoka: I-If you are, then... What foods are rich in soy isoflavones!?
Hiyori: Tofu and natto. Here, I'll make sure you're real too. At our last meeti... Or anyway, who was absent last time? If you are the real Kiyoka, you should be able to answer that.
Kiyoka: Hono-chan and Kofuki-san. Hono-chan went shopping with Chie-san. Kofuki-san was suppressing aradama with Tsugumi-san.
Hiyori: No doubt about it; it really is you.
Kiyoka: Ahh, I wanted to see you two so badly... Juujou-san, Iwakura-san!
Sanae: Um... You believe we're the real ones for now, don't you, Musumi-san?
Kiyoka: Ah, yes, of course I do. A little while ago, I found aradama that looked just like you two... It's all so confusing.
Sanae: Us too, we just saw Etou-san change into an aradama...
Kiyoka: They started melting all of a sudden... I was so scared on my own...!
Hiyori: It's not something anyone'd be comfortable seeing, is it...
Sanae: If the three of us stick together, you should be able to get some peace of mind, Musumi-san. Let's hurry and find the others.
Kiyoka: Okay!

4: Don't Turn Into an Aradama...

Aradama: ......
Kanami: I guess they're the same as the ordinary aradama we fight after all?
Mirja: That seems to be the case. I didn't notice any major differences between them.
Hiyori: That Kanami and Mirja just destroyed an aradama. It should be safe to treat them like they're real.
Kiyoka: No... We have to be careful here! I have Mirja-san's glasses with me, but she's still wearing them... That's a little suspicious!
Hiyori: In that case... It'd be best to ask them things only the real ones could know.
Sanae: We have to make absolutely sure. Okay, let's call out to them.
Hiyori: Kanami!
Kanami: Wah!? What are you shouting for, Hiyori-chan?
Hiyori: What was the present I gave you for your birthday?
Kanami: Natto over rice, and homemade nimono! It was extra tasty!
Sanae: ...Eh!?
Sanae: (...She gave natto over rice as a birthday present?)
Hiyori: Alright, that confirms it... You're the real Kanami!
Kanami: C'mon, you're so weird, Hiyori-chan.
Kiyoka: Um... I think these are your glasses, Mirja-san.
Mirja: Thank you very much, Musumi Kiyoka. I was using a spare pair after I lost these.
Kiyoka: A spare pair!? Then that means, you're the real Mirja-san, aren't you!
Mirja: Juujou Hiyori had the same thing to say about Etou Kanami. Did something happen to you three?
Sanae: Well, you'll never believe this, but...
Mirja: I see. So that's what happened.
Sayaka: Kanami and Mirja... Everyone's here.
Maki: I was a bit anxious when I found myself in an unfamiliar place with nobody else around, but we can now finish our original mission.
Kiyoka: Iwakura-san, Iwakura-san, do you know anything we can do to confirm if that's the real Shidou-san?
Sanae: (I think it's fine, or at least, I feel like that's the real Shidou-senpai, but...)
Maki: What is it?
Sanae: Um... Shidou-senpai, this question might sound strange, but, when we first met, do you remember what we spoke about?
Maki: Of course. We talked about personal strength, didn't we? That was a good chance for reflection for me too.
Sanae: I'm glad to hear it; that you remembered.
Hiyori: What could we ask Sayaka...
Kanami: Hey, Sayaka-chan! Will you have a sparring session with me real quick? It's very important right now!
Sayaka: I don't really understand, but okay.
Maki: An aradama that imitates a human form. That sounds like trouble... Though I never ran into one myself.
Kanami: Oh yeah, you said there was an aradama that looked like me, wasn't there? Was it about the same as me when it came to swordfighting too?
Hiyori: Kanami. ...You're not about to say you wished you could have fought it, are you?
Kanami: You really get me, Hiyori-chan. But, I was only thinking that a little.
Sayaka: Look... The aradama grouped up.
Maki: Even if they try looking like us, they're still a sorry sight. Let's beat them down fast!

5: Even if it's Halloween, I Don't Want Any Mischief!

Sayaka: The aradama have all been defeated. There aren't any more readings.
Hiyori: We didn't see any more aradama looking like people after that... But what even were they?
Kiyoka: I'm not exactly sure, but... It's better that we didn't see any more. I'd rather forget I ever saw them...
Hiyori: Well, I guess there's no point in us worrying about it.
Someone's Voice: Anybody-, is anybody there-?
Kiyoka: Eek... Did you hear that strange voice just now!?
Tsugumi: Ah, there is someone there. This is Ban Tsugumi. Please tell me if all of you are together.
Tsugumi: I can guide you through an escape route this way up to the surface-.
Tsugumi: It seems like you safely defeated the aradama. I didn't expect any less from you all. By the way, did you find the strange aradama from the rumors?
Kiyoka: It was so hard on us... Everyone disappeared all of a sudden, and, before I knew it, we were somehow underground...
Kiyoka: When I was alone, I thought I found other people... But they changed into aradama...! It was scary like you wouldn't believe...
Tsugumi: I see. This factory, and the research laboratory underneath it, have a bit of a shady history...
Tsugumi: Before its closure, there were common reports of researchers abruptly losing consciousness. And, after its closure, there were signs of aradama on spectrum finders, but they couldn't be found in person. It's a highly interesting case.
Kiyoka: ...I wish they'd tell us things like that before we got sent on our mission!
Tsugumi: This factory itself has been abandoned for a long time, so maybe it wasn't considered that important.
Kiyoka: I wish this had all been settled before I became a toji then...
Maki: Though, Musumi Kiyoka. Because of how quickly we acted, the aradama causing this issue were dealt with. So, don't you think things should be settled here now?
Tsugumi: That's right. Thanks to all of you, I think that should be the last of the strange happenings here.
Kiyoka: Speaking of strange, why did we end up in that underground lab anyway?
Kiyoka: I remember feeling like I was falling down, but when I looked up at the ceiling, there weren't any holes I could have fallen through...?
Everyone There: ............
Tsugumi: I'm not quite sure about that now, but, hmm. What if we think about it like this?
Tsugumi: How about, the aradama decided to get up to some mischief for Halloween?
Kanami: That's a little too out there... Right?
Hiyori: As if something like an aradama could have fun with Halloween.
Tsugumi: Fufu, I was only joking of course.
Tsugumi: I would have greatly liked to have seen the aradama you found here. If only I'd gone along with you from the beginning.
Kiyoka: You look happy just hearing about an unusual aradama...
Kiyoka: With Tsugumi-san acting so much like her usual self, it's almost like everything that happened was like a dream.
Mirja: In that case, why don't we all return home now? We'll need to continue our preparations for Halloween tomorrow.
Kiyoka: That's right! We also have the important job left of deciding on Juujou-san's Halloween costume.
Hiyori: Didn't I tell you... I said I didn't need one.
Kanami: Wait, that sounds like fun! What would Hiyori-chan look best in-?
Sanae: So many things would look good on Juujou-san that it's hard to rule any out.
Kanami: I know what you mean!
Hiyori: Know what what means? And anyway, don't get started on this here.
Maki: They're a real noisy bunch, aren't they.
Mirja: Agreed. Though, it's fine to let them go on like this sometimes.
Maki: Well, you're not wrong.