Back at the car, out of breath, Akiko stopped, listening for sounds of pursuit. Shiraishi was already getting in the car, but she paused when she noticed that Akiko wasn’t.

“Akiko, what is it?â€

“I still want to try to purify the factory.â€ Her headache had receded to a dull ache once they left the premises, but her stomach was still unsettled, and her skin was still crawling at the remembered touch of corruption. She couldn’t drive the image of the corruption hanging over the factory from her mind; leaving it in that state was not an option.

“We can’t go back in!â€ Shiraishi sounded seriously worried, even scared, and Akiko had to agree. The kegare spirits had attacked them.

“No. Maybe we can purify it from outside, though. If we stand close to the entrance.â€

“Hm. Maybe. The security guard won’t like it.â€

“Can he do anything if we don’t go in?â€ Shiraishi suddenly grinned.

“Well, we can’t do anything about the protesters, so probably not.â€ Her face turned serious again. “You think this needs to be done?â€

Akiko took a deep breath, and nodded, gently, her head throbbing in protest.

“Right. Let’s get it done, then.â€

Shiraishi led the way back to the front of the factory. The guard had returned, and looked at them suspiciously, but when they stayed on the road, he didn’t say anything. Akiko raised the kagurasuzu and switched her vision back to looking at the kegare, so that she could see any hostile spirits. She nodded at Shiraishi, who began the norito.

“Hey, what are you doing?â€ The guard advanced towards them, the threads tying him back to the factory stretching, maggots crawling down them towards him. But no spirits came close, and Akiko ignored him.

“Stop that! You can’t do that here!â€ The guard was getting quite agitated, as were the spirits behind him. The scuttling things appeared from within the webbing once more, scurrying to the edge of the factory’s land, then stopping, rearing up and waving dozens of spindly legs in the air. Akiko risked a glance back, at the light building up within the ohnusa. Maybe that was keeping them back? She turned her attention back to the creatures and swept the kagurasuzu across, but they still hadn’t crossed the boundary.

“Go away, or I’ll call the police!â€ The guard was also staying within the factory grounds, and Shiraishi continued reciting the norito, ignoring him. Akiko could see her shadow now, cast by the light from the ohnusa, and the creatures were hiding in it. There was a hissing sound, accompanied by a sweet smell of rot, and suddenly the things scattered, vanishing back behind the webbing.

The webbing itself was heaving now, as if something enormous within was trying to break free. Akiko couldn’t see any details, but she raised the kagurasuzu, and glanced back nervously at Shiraishi. <em>Nearly finished,</em> she thought.

A few strands of the webbing over the factory snapped from the motion, and the grubs started tumbling from them to the ground, where they tried to shuffle out of the way. The whole mass heaved again.

“Right, I’m calling the police.â€

Shiraishi finished the norito, and swung the ohnusa. Waves of light flowed around Akiko and into the factory, the grubs vanishing like smoke as it touched them, the threads snapping and springing back. Akiko caught sight of a shape within the threads, enormous, trying to raise a heavy head, and then the light caught it, as well.

The sound, a roaring scream that shook her bones and stabbed into her ears, drove Akiko to her knees. She dropped the kagurasuzu and clamped her hands over her ears, but it made no difference. She forced herself to look up, as the light whittled away at the kegare spirit, slowly destroying it. The noise weakened and then stopped as the shape collapsed back into the factory and vanished.

Akiko got to her feet, a little unsteadily, and looked at the factory. There were still a few fragments of kegare, but nothing more serious than any of the surrounding buildings. She turned to Shiraishi and nodded.

“Wait! Where are you going?â€ the guard called after them. Akiko guessed that he really had called the police.