My Refrigerator Turned Into A Dungeon
Chapter 308

Katsuo-kun Bat

Today, I was visiting the Kateshina household. The reason? To deal with that thing somehow...

"Coach, hello."

"Ah, Ruu. Where's Katsuo-kun Bat?"

"Well, about that..."

"(Oooohhhh...!)"

Katsuo-kun Bat was still stuck in the umbrella stand by the front door, twitching oddly.

"Is there a problem?"

"Uh, well... At night, there’s rattling sounds, and I hear strange groaning noises..."

"Hmm, I see. Well, it’s just as you described over the phone."

Katsuo-kun Bat, which had always given off a peculiar vibe, had been purified with my [Salt] Skill and used sparingly. But now, it seemed to have reached a truly dangerous state.

"Alright, I understand. Ruu, don’t worry too much. I’ll have a talk with this guy."

"What? You can do that, Coach?"

"Of course. I’m a man who can communicate with fairies and spirits. I can definitely connect with a bat too."

"Okay, thank you, Coach!"

Yeah, saying it out loud, I sound like a lunatic to anyone who doesn’t know the situation. But it’s the truth, so there’s no helping it.

I used to lack confidence in this kind of thing due to its uncertainty, but after my battle with the psychic grandma, I feel like I’ve got a handle on spirit battles. So today, I plan to properly address this guy causing trouble for the Kateshina household.

Heading toward my usual spot on their balcony, I passed through the living room. At the kitchen table connected to the living room, Ruu’s mom was having tea.

"Oh my, welcome, Nakihito."

"Hello, Mrs. Kateshina. I’m just borrowing your balcony for a bit."

"Go right ahead. Oh, wait, I left the laundry out to dry!"

"What?! M-Mom!"

Embarrassed at the thought of me seeing her hanging laundry, Ruu suddenly panicked in the most adorably universal way. Did you know? This girl is my girlfriend.

Anyway, after Ruu and her mom frantically gathered the laundry...

I took the ominously radiating Katsuo-kun Bat in hand and stepped out onto the balcony. Sitting cross-legged, I used my [Salt] Skill to build a mound of salt within reach and began my communication ritual with Katsuo-kun Bat.

"Skill [Meditation]... Chakra on! Let’s med-i-tate!"

Using psychometry to read object memory and channeling to connect with Katsuo-kun Bat, I attempted a dual approach...

But I wasn’t making much progress.

I could vaguely sense something like Katsuo-kun Bat’s consciousness, but I couldn’t find a channel deep enough for meaningful communication.

(Hmm... If I go deeper, I might enter a dreamlike state... But I’ve got no choice. Let’s dive further.)

With spirits or fairies, I can usually talk to them while fully awake. But this one seemed closer to the likes of a nightmare hag or Japanese wolf spirit, who only speak through dreams.

(Oooohhh...)

(Hm? Did I connect? Hey, what are you?)

I finally touched Katsuo-kun Bat’s consciousness, but its response was sluggish. Could it not understand my questions?

(Bat, who are you? What do you want? What’s your wish?)

(Ooooh... Ho...me... Run...)

Oh, a reaction!

(Home? Home run? Is that your wish?)

(Home... Run... Home run... Home run...)

Could this bat have become a tsukumogami? Perhaps it absorbed the strong emotions of its previous owner, a baseball-loving kid.

As that thought crossed my mind, a vision of kids playing baseball flooded my consciousness. I saw a sepia-toned baseball field by the riverside.

(Is this... the bat’s memory?)

I saw the shadow of a boy kneeling before stepping up to bat, pressing his forehead against the handle of the bat, praying earnestly for a home run.

(So that’s it. You want to hit a home run?)

(Home... Run!!)

(Alright, I understand! I’ll help you hit a home run!)

Though drenched in an aura of malice from absorbing monster blood, the bat’s core was rooted in the pure wish of a baseball-loving child.

...

"Coach, did you finish?"

When I returned to the living room, Ruu called out worriedly.

"Not yet. But I found the answer. I’m heading to the batting center now."

"The batting center? Then I’ll go too!"

"No, Ruu, stay here. If you’re with me, my attention will naturally drift toward you. If the channeling with this unfamiliar entity gets interrupted, reconnecting will be difficult."

Sorry, Ruu. But beings like this are fickle. If the connection is lost due to a distraction, it might refuse to cooperate altogether. I have to tread carefully.

"I-I see... Alright, I understand."

"Thanks. I’ll be back as soon as I can."

And so, maintaining my connection with the altered Katsuo-kun Bat, I headed for the batting center.

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