Shikigamis?

Greetings, dear reader!

Exactly 24 hours have passed since I made the mistake of promising Echidna unlimited desserts for a week. And seriously, I'm already regretting it. A critical analysis of the situation: the house's sugar inventory has been decimated. If this keeps up, I wouldn't be surprised if I have to declare a state of emergency.

Echidna's deployment has been brutal. Her first objective, of course, was ice cream, her favorite dessert. She has already liquidated the reserves that, in theory, should have lasted us at least two years. The freezer is now an echo of what it once was, and honestly, I'm very impressed.

The second phase of her attack has focused on me: the cook. She has kept me in a state of constant overexploitation, even after receiving reinforcements from Sara, with a list of orders that never stops growing. Dessert after dessert, I've had no moment of rest, as she devours them and asks for more.

The house's supplies are vanishing at an alarming rate. My finances, although constantly replenished by monetizing "innovative" ideas (which are actually blatant plagiarism of concepts from other worlds), cannot keep up with her voracious appetite. I'm afraid that if something isn't done, the situation could end very badly for our resources and for my already diminished sanity.

How much has she eaten?

Well, here is her kill list, which, to be frank, is scary!

Ice Cream: Three liters of vanilla, two of chocolate, and one of strawberry. To that, you have to add pistachio, cookies and cream, and one I had to invent on the fly at her request.

Cakes: A cheesecake that was my masterpiece (plagiarism of a recipe I saw in an anime), an apple cinnamon pie that would have made an ogre cry, and a chocolate cake so dark it could swallow light.

Minor Desserts: A dozen glazed donuts, an entire tray of blueberry muffins, the emergency chocolate chip cookie stash, and a flan so perfect it hurt to see it disappear in the blink of an eye.

And all this in a mere 24 hours!!

The situation was unsustainable. The current plan of action, or rather, the plan's failure, required a drastic change in strategy. How do you divert the attention of a voracious predator? Simple: you give it a new target. And fortunately, I had just the thing that could work.

I know you're wondering: what is it?

Well, dear reader, let me answer that question with one of my own: do you remember my recent hospital stay?

Because if you do, you must remember that completely by accident and without knowing the exact cause, I managed to create some entities known as "shikigamis," according to Echidna!

I'm not sure what they are or how I made them, but they are mysterious enough to capture Echidna's interest. The new plan is simple: divert her attention from the kitchen to the study of these new creatures.

A two-for-one!

I solve the dessert crisis and, in the process, I get answers.

This is what you call killing two birds with one stone!

After that, the plan of action has brought us here: an abandoned junkyard, courtesy of Sara's driving talents.

...Although, in the process, I had to escape again from that possessed police officer who clearly wants to profane me.

How are you so sure?

Because she told me to my face!!

Haa... Haa... Haa... Ahem... I'm sorry about that, but thanks to the fact that she's practically hunting me lately, I've had to learn to use disguises to evade her when I go out to make deliveries.

But let's forget about that and get back to the plot!!

The new study objective, these mysterious shikigamis, are right here. At first glance, they look like paper men, fragile and lifeless, and so far, their performance is... disappointing, to say the least.

The only ability they have demonstrated is levitating a few centimeters off the ground, which isn't exactly a mission-worthy feat. Compared to their older sisters, the straw dolls, these units are a complete failure. They don't have their superhuman physical capabilities, they don't change form, and I don't even know if they can regenerate. That's why the tests have to be cautious, which further delays the analysis.

To make matters worse, they haven't shown the slightest hint of will, nor can they transmit their intention like the straw dolls do. I'm starting to wonder if I've really created something or if I just have a few pieces of paper floating around without a purpose.

But in this case, that plays in my favor!

You're doing great, little guys, so keep consuming Echidna's time!!

<"They're actually quite interesting.">

"Huh...?"

However, in that moment of deep skepticism, Echidna, observing the useless paper men (no offense) with a curiosity I did not share, delivered her verdict.

"What do you mean?"

<"It's simple, while their physical power is zero, their abilities must be more focused on the 'soul' than on the tangible. It's logical, considering how they originated.">

.... How strange, I'm getting a lot of chills just now, but I guess I have no other choice but to ask, right...?

"The soul? What does that mean?"

<"To answer you, I must remind you: where did you create them?">

"Obviously, in the hospital."

At my obvious answer, Echidna nodded with a cute, self-satisfied smile, making the chills in my body get even worse.

<"Indeed. When you cursed those trucks, your cursed energy spread through the place, like a subtle poison. What happened next was that this energy linked with the souls that often wander through a place as full of misfortune as a hospital, and it trapped them in the paper men you had prepared. Hence their origin.">

"....."

A shiver ran down me from head to toe.

"Wait, are you saying... that I basically put the souls of dead people into pieces of paper to give them life?"

<"Indeed.">

Without even flinching, Echidna answered my question as I trembled slightly.

<"It's a fascinating mix of necromancy and the use of shikigamis. A combination as unique as you.">

"Mmm, mmm, I see, I see, I just have one question to ask..."

<"Go ahead">

"If, as you say, they're human souls inside then... won't they rebel?!"

I asked, feeling a knot in my stomach as I watched the harmless paper men float. Now, knowing the truth, their stillness was the most terrifying thing of all.

(Slap!!)

"Ouch!"

Only for Echidna, with a sigh of exasperation, to give me a slap...

<"CALM DOWN. They're harmless. While it's true that their origin is very close to necromancy, they are still shikigamis. As I told you, your cursed energy trapped the souls, but you also imbued them with your spiritual energy, unintentionally, of course.">

After saying that with all the calm in the world, she pointed to the paper men to the side, timidly floating as they fled from the nearby straw dolls who were playfully chasing them.

<"The mixture of both energies has caused that, although they have human souls and, therefore, some residual memories from their past lives, they are now more like new existences that are just forming, without a past to tie them down. Their potential is still unexplored or, in your words, they're like babies.">

"........."

After hearing that, I was left watching the controlled chaos that was unfolding before my eyes. The paper men now fluttered quietly in the wind, like little origami kites. Meanwhile, the straw dolls tried to catch them in a game that looked more like a children's chase.

"Mmm...?"

And before I realized it, as I was watching that scene, one of the shikigamis timidly approached me.

It floated with a palpable shyness, stopped in front of my eyes, and out of nowhere, it handed me a wildflower that it must have picked from the ground.

"For me...?"

After what seemed to be a nod, it floated away timidly... fine, I admit it.

They're adorable!!