“Hmm?”
I had come to the town library for a bit of reading.
I’m Naofumi Iwatani, a sophomore in college. I am aware that I am more of an otaku than most people.
Ever since I encountered various games, anime, and otaku culture, I’ve lived my life earnestly on them rather than studying.
I was looking through the section with old fantasy stories in the library.
After all, the history of fantasy is as old as the history of mankind. Even the Bible is, after all, a fantasy novel if you really think about it.
“The Records of the Four Holy Weapons?”
A seemingly old-looking book, whose title I could just barely make out, just fell off the bookshelf. Perhaps whoever read it last hadn’t taken the time to put it back onto the shelf securely.
What to do now… I could just think of this as a fateful counter and read it…
But still, I returned the book to the bookshelf. I did want to read a fantasy novel, but let’s just read something lighter today.
“Alright…” I started searching for a fantasy novel.
Thud.
Something fell from the bookshelf again. It is ‘The Records of the Four Holy Weapons’ that I just put on the bookshelf.
“Is there anything on the back of the shelf?”
I picked it up and checked the back of the shelf.
… There is nothing in particular. It didn’t feel weird when I first returned it to the shelf.
“I wonder what happened.” While muttering that, I placed the book back onto the bookshelf once more.
But again, the book fell from the bookshelf again.
“Is the book jumping out on its own…?”
Okay, jokes aside, what’s the deal with this book?
Okay, I’ll line it in between the group of books and the walls of the shelf so that it wouldn’t fall this time… And, sorry for doing this, but I placed another book horizontally on top of that book. Now, no matter what happens, it shouldn’t fall.
“Alright then…”
Thud.
I looked at the source of the sound behind me with fear in my heart.
… Why is it falling as if nothing that I did mattered when I already held it down to prevent that exact thing from happening!? And the books that were holding it didn’t fall off for some reason!
What’s going on!?
As I felt fear crawling up my spine, I walked away with a fantasy novel that I took in the spur of the moment and sat in a far away seat to read.
Let’s just pray that someone will return that book to the shelf.
—
And so, I peacefully read the fantasy novel I randomly took with me, having completely forgotten about the strange book that just kept on falling off the shelf.
Treating it as just a conversational topic that I’d talk about to my internet friends, I then returned the book I finished reading back onto the shelf and went back home. By the time I left, The Records of the Four Holy Weapons was no longer on the floor which led me to believe that someone had already returned it to the shelf.
“Hey…”
When I returned to my room, I froze.
To my shock, I found… The Records of the Four Holy Weapons sitting on my desk as if it was natural for some reason.
My parents are away from home and my brother has already left for school. That book certainly wasn’t there before I went out either.
J-just what is going on!?
It’s such an exciting situation. To think I’d be able to encounter such a mysterious phenomenon… is what I should be feeling, but the thought of being stalked by a book just gives me the creeps.
I calmed myself, picked up The Records of the Four Holy Weapons, and dumped it into a garbage dump near the house.
No more fantasy novels for the time being! I’ve already read enough in the library!
“Alright, now…”
Returning from the garbage dump and getting home, I realized that something was in the mailbox.
“What… the…”
It’s The Records of the Four Holy Weapons again!
Wh-what’s going on!? Did someone get angry that I threw it away and returned it to my house!?
No, that’s not possible. That’d mean someone came here faster than me when I returned right away after throwing it away!
Amazing… but it’s so creepy…
I’ll go request for an exorcism to get rid of this thing at a temple that specializes in holding rites for possessed items!
—
At a later date, relying on information I found online, I brought myself to a doll purification service temple. Handing over the book to them after having explained the situation. As for the contents of the book, I had refrained from reading it due to the uncomfortable amount of creeps it has been giving me. The priest in charge had also empathized with my predicament and was willing to take care of it for me.
But…
“W-what is going on!?”
When I got home, The Records of the Four Holy Weapons was back in my room as if it were the most natural thing in the world!
What a dreadful book!
Driven by the impulse of my fear, I immediately rid myself of The Records of the Four Holy Weapons by burning it in the kitchen.
“Finally, with this…”
Then, I return to my room with peace of mind and check on my computer.
Hm? That’s an unfamiliar program…
TheRecordsoftheFourHolyWeapons.exe
… Why is it a program!? It’s not a ‘txt’ or in any other document-related formatting, but it’s an ‘exe’ of all things!?
Or rather, The Records of the Four Holy Weapons, why are you following me!?
I deleted it without hesitation!
Sheesh… If this thing is going to be that persistent, maybe I’ll read it a little the next time it appears.
And so, with The Records of Four Holy Weapons in hand after finding it appearing under the chair… I began reading it in silence.
—
Conclusion: The Cursed Book—The Records of the Four Holy Weapons.
