death of hope

Chapter 1000 "Psionic Storm" (74) Strolling through the Temple Fair

On the night of the temple fair, incense offerings were abundant.
The air on Ise Street was warmed by thousands of paper lanterns.
The aroma is infused with the sweet fragrance of tea and snacks, the crispy aroma of fried foods, and the smoky aroma of burning charcoal.

The Yasaka Temple Fair is also known as the "Yasaka Festival".
Originating from the ancient traditions of the Asian Oriental people on the home planet Terra,
When the plague spread, believers carried the sacred images out of the shrine, placed them on palanquins, and paraded them through Kyoto, offering sacrifices and praying to the gods to drive away the plague.

In the interstellar migration era a thousand years later, the citizens of New Sapporo still follow traditions, with fewer rituals and more entertainment, attracting many tourists to experience it. Tonight, Ise Street is bustling with people and lively.

·
"So many people! It's so lively!"
"Tetsuya-kun! Look over there! Look at those paper lanterns! Each one is different, all hand-painted! They're amazing!"

Yuna Jinguji's complexion was visibly much rosier.
The title of "strongest psychic talent" is well-deserved; despite enduring such inhumane experiments, he recovered his vitality in a short time.
Li Ang went to great lengths to please her, especially in terms of food and clothing;

Yuna, dressed in a cherry-pink kimono with a large silk bow tied on her back and high-toothed wooden clogs, looked as happy as a little rabbit that had wandered into a carrot field.

A blonde, silver-eyed European girl in traditional Japanese clothing creates a unique aesthetic through cultural fusion, unexpectedly becoming a popular attraction at the temple fair.
Even the sedan chair bearers wearing raccoon masks and the courtesan on stilts were stunned.

"Who is that woman? A celebrity...a model?"

"No, I've seen them. They're students from a nearby high school."

"That blond guy next to me is pretty handsome too."

Stop daydreaming and focus!

·
After browsing for half an hour without a moment's rest, Yuna held a candied hawthorn skewer she had just bought in her left hand and a box of seaweed sushi in her right.
Chasing after the paper lanterns hanging under the drone, they laughed and jumped around in the bustling sea of ​​light at the temple fair;

"There's delicious food and fun things everywhere! It's so awesome!"

Li Ang paid the money, left the food stall, and handed over the candied hawthorn wrapped in glutinous rice paper;
"Look, I bought another bunch of hawthorn, yam, and oranges."

"Thanks! Tetsuya-kun is the best!"

Yuna took it, unsure which one to eat first.

"So, didn't you come to the right place today?"

"Yes! I love going to temple fairs! Thank you for bringing me, Tetsuya-kun!"

Yuna Jinguji smiled radiantly and gently kissed her boyfriend's cheek.
Li Ang smelled a delicate fragrance and the sweet aroma of boiling icing sugar. The exiled illegitimate son of the Iks nobleman experienced a long-lost sense of happiness and warmth.

·
"Tetsuya-kun, aren't you going to eat?"

"My blood sugar is high, so I won't eat sweets for now," Li Ang lied.

In fact, Li Ang really likes Japanese snacks, which reminds him of the cream puffs at the church parade in his hometown of Vilnius. The reason he has no appetite is because of his guilt.
Three hours ago

A brutal psionic experiment was conducted in the B14 underground area of ​​the psionic research institute.

The Zero-gifted individual's body was eroded by a massive amount of radiation. The poor girl bled from her mouth and nose, suffered from electrolyte imbalance, her pupils dilated, and the damaged brain nerves caused epileptic seizures.

If it weren't for her exceptional psychic talent and extraordinary cell regeneration ability, she would have long since become a vegetable or even died.

Yuna was tormented by the psychic research, but Leon told her it was all for her own good, a form of treatment...

Living a life of lies, even Li Ang himself couldn't understand why he had brought her to the temple fair.

Was it to atone for his sins? Or because he loved her? Or perhaps both…

·
The takoyaki stall was steaming with white vapor, and the hot plate was sizzling with oil.

Yuna's eyes were fixed on the bamboo skewers flying in the shopkeeper's hand, as if drawn by a magnet.
The golden-brown takoyaki are skillfully tossed, coated in a dark brown sauce, and sprinkled with dried bonito flakes.

"It's so hot, let me blow on it~"

Yuna puffed out her cheeks and blew air, looking incredibly cute. Her bright, silver-gray eyes narrowed into tiny slits the moment her tongue touched the octopus tentacles filling.
"Delicious! Tetsuya-kun, open your mouth, I'll feed you one, ah~"

Li Ang chewed on the meatballs, looking at the faint scars left by the craniotomy under Yuna's temples, and felt ashamed. The food tasted like wax to him.

As the grand shrine procession arrived at Ise-dori Street, the bustling market quieted down slightly.

Monks beat drums, shrine maidens danced with fans, believers burned incense, and sedan chair carriers shouted chants:

"Hey-yo! Hey-yo! Hey!"

On the eighteen-bearer palanquin, a gilded statue taken from the shrine was enshrined. People clasped their hands together, praying to the statue for blessings, peace in their homes, and the expulsion of evil spirits.
Yuna followed suit, closing her eyes and letting her long, golden eyelashes droop down:
"May the gods bless Tetsuya-kun, grant him success in his endeavors, and keep him away from misfortune..."

Li Ang felt uneasy after hearing this:
(I lied to her... but she did it to me...)
·
As the shrine palanquin gradually moved away, fireworks and firecrackers exploded in the sky, and courtesans on stilts danced gracefully, bringing the temple fair atmosphere to its peak.

"Look over there! It's a goldfish scooping stall!"

"Let's go play."

"Tetsuya-kun is so sweet~ I'm going to be spoiled rotten!"

Yuna rolled up her sleeves, grabbed the net, and aimed at the biggest red goldfish with bulging eyes. After several failed attempts, she stuck out her tongue and made a face.

"Oh dear, I'm so clumsy..."

"It's okay, just try a few more times."

“Thank you for your patronage~”

Li Ang handed a banknote to the stall owner, bought a whole dozen nets, and gave them to Yuna so she could have her fill.
Suddenly, Li Ang noticed several figures approaching and became alert;
In Shin-Sapporo, these cult members are quite unpopular.

They acted in secrecy, their temples were dilapidated and lacked incense offerings, and they called themselves the "Star Mystic Sect." They wore tattered black robes, hoods, and had twelve-pointed star patterns and inscriptions of unknown meaning tattooed on their faces.

The cult members reeked of sweat and urine, causing tourists to hold their noses and move away. The goldfish stall owner cursed under his breath.

"That annoying guy... he's ruining my business..."

The cultist stared at Yuna's retreating figure with an unsettling, fanatical gaze that sent chills down one's spine.

"What are you doing? You filthy bastards."

Li Ang was tall and broad-shouldered, blocking his view like a wall, and threatened in a low voice: "Stay away from my boyfriend."

"Your partner..." The cultist grinned, revealing crooked, yellowed, and decayed teeth.

“I’m her boyfriend, so what? You don’t like it?” Li Ang reached into his pocket and gripped the handle of the switchblade.

“A blasphemous title,” the cultist scrutinized Li Ang with disdain. “Pretty boy, you’re not worthy to serve the Holy Maiden.”

"The Holy Maiden?" Li Ang frowned. "What nonsense are you spouting? You bunch of lunatics, get lost!"

“Ignorant little rascal, you’re the one who should get out of the way. We have received a holy decree from His Holiness the Pope and are here to find and welcome the Holy Maiden.”

"You've got the wrong person."

Li Ang pulled out his knife, pressed the trigger, and the gleaming silver spring blade sprang out with a 'whoosh'. He then reached into his clothes with his other hand towards the holster.

“We sensed an abundance of psychic energy…it was her…”

Several cult members drew knives or batons, and a conflict seemed imminent.

Yuna, however, was completely unaware of this. She squatted in front of the stall, intently scooping up goldfish with a net.

·
"You're not welcome here, you bastards!"

A group of gang thugs, shirtless and covered in tattoos, wielding samurai swords, surrounded them.
"This street is under the protection of our Black Tiger Gang. You bunch of weird beggars will affect our business and our protection money collection!"

After a few seconds of standoff, the cultist watched Yuna's retreating figure with lingering reluctance, muttering scriptures in some unknown language, before turning and leaving.

"Hey! They ran away! A bunch of cowards!"

The gang members whistled mockingly, while the leader patted the stall owner on the shoulder:

"Uncle, the protection money isn't paid for nothing. If those bastards dare to cause trouble again, we'll cut off their legs!"

Li Ang sheathed his knife, let out a long breath, and turned around to see Yuna using the last net to scoop up the goldfish;
"Phew... I'm so stupid... After all that effort, I only got this one... and it's the smallest one at that..."

"Haha, this girl is so naive. We almost got into a fight just now, and she didn't even realize it..." the stall owner grumbled, taking out a plastic bag to put the fish in, but Yuna stopped him:

"Put it back in the tank, sir. I'm too clumsy to keep it alive. Don't harm the fish. Let's change the prize to snacks instead."