The Exorcism Tale of Hachiman

Hachiman Hikigaya gritted his teeth and exerted all his strength to circulate every bit of spiritual power and Inari divine power in his body.

After a long struggle, he slowly and finally stood up again!

"In that case, their strength is actually quite good. And considering when they started cultivating, their talent can practically be described as freakish..."

Standing quietly beside Hachiman Hikigaya, watching him struggle to his feet again against his oppressive aura, the man in the trench coat nodded in satisfaction.

But the story isn't over yet!

"Having two powers at the same time is not bad in the early stages, but it will cause suffering in the later stages of cultivation."

Sensing that the spiritual power and Inari god power within Hachiman Hikigaya's body were clearly distinct and incompatible, the man in the trench coat moved his hand again.

This time, it's doubled!

The instant the pressure was adjusted, Hachiman Hikigaya was pressed directly into the concrete, leaving a human-shaped imprint.

"Senior, I don't think I've offended you in any way, have I?"

Lying in the imprint, feeling as if the bones inside his body were about to explode, Hachiman Hikigaya asked with a mixture of frustration and confusion.

If the previous two instances could be considered tests of his strength by the man in the trench coat, then this time it seems like the man did this because he didn't like him.

"You brat, don't be ungrateful."

Standing beside Hachiman Hikigaya with his arms crossed, the man in the trench coat, realizing that Hachiman was not in mortal danger and that his spiritual and divine powers had not yet begun to merge, directly amplified his pressure to the level of a lower-level demon god.

After sensing that the spiritual power within Hachiman Hikigaya's body was slowly intertwining with the power of the Inari God, he nodded in satisfaction and then sat down to chat with Hachiman Hikigaya.

"Go ahead and ask. I promised to answer one of your questions."

"......"

Can't you let me out before I can ask my questions?!

Feeling as if Mount Fuji was pressing down on his back, Hachiman Hikigaya thought to himself that countless alpacas were galloping through his mind.

However, he could only think these things to himself.

After all, if he were to speak out and the man in the trench coat simply admitted that it was his problem, that would really be...

Why did the five exorcists leave together?

After thinking for a while, Hachiman Hikigaya finally asked about the thing that concerned him most at the moment.

Upon hearing Hachiman Hikigaya's question, a hint of surprise flashed in the man in the trench coat's eyes.

Although it wasn't exactly a secret that he and the other four were going to leave Japan for a while, logically speaking, Hachiman Hikigaya shouldn't have known.

Otherwise, he wouldn't have needed to make such a long trip all the way from Kansai this time.

"I can't tell you the details, and even if I did, you wouldn't be able to get involved with your current strength."

"This time, it's not just our five exorcists from Japan who are leaving. In fact, a total of 121 exorcists from all over the world will gather in a special place and then disappear for a period of time."

"As for how long he/she will disappear, we can't guarantee it beforehand. It could be just a day, a week, a few months, or a few years. Of course, it's also possible he/she won't come back..."

"What about the evil spirits?"

Sensing the bitterness in the man in the trench coat's tone, Hachiman Hikigaya, though unaware of the specifics of what those exorcists would encounter, knew it was certainly a very serious matter.

However, given his current strength, he had no way to intervene, so he could only ask the man in the trench coat about how they dealt with the evil spirits from Japan after they left.

Since they knew in advance that they would be leaving, the exorcists should have left behind methods to control evil spirits, right?

"It's understandable that you don't know about the other four regions, but you don't know about the Kanto region either?"

The man in the trench coat stared at Hachiman Hikigaya as if he were an idiot, while inwardly wondering if the arrogant guy was too lazy to tell Hachiman what he should know.

"I really don't know..."

Hachiman Hikigaya felt quite innocent.

However, as soon as he finished speaking, he was slapped on the back of the head by the man in the trench coat, and then he heard the man's disappointed voice.

"That anime guy, that arrogant tsundere, and me—you've met three exorcists already! Don't you know that?"

I thought the same way before Chapter 325

"........"

Upon hearing the man in the trench coat's reminder, Hachiman Hikigaya fell silent.

indeed.

If he wasn't special, why would three of the five exorcists from Japan have met with him?

"So, the means of maintaining balance in the Kanto region is me?"

Although he was pointed out, Hachiman Hikigaya already understood that his guess was most likely correct.

But with his current strength, which is only enough to fight the Ghost Emperor, he's not exactly in a position to hold his own, is he?

"That's right. If nothing unexpected happens, the Kanto region will be under your jurisdiction from now on."

Seeing that Hachiman Hikigaya had finally realized what was happening, the man in the trench coat nodded in confirmation.

"But my strength..."

"Didn't I just test your strength? You're probably at the advanced level of Ghost Emperor, just a little short of the peak."

As he spoke, the man in the trench coat gestured with two fingers to indicate the distance between Hachiman Hikigaya and the so-called peak of the Demon Emperor.

He then added:

"Once the two forces within you have fully merged, your strength will likely increase another level. At that point, you'll be just one membrane away from becoming a demon god."

"As for how to break through to the level of a demon god, I think those two guys have already made arrangements. If they're even bolder, you might have a very leisurely work schedule for a long time after you break through to the level of a demon god. At that time, please take good care of the Kansai region. After all, besides Kanto, Kansai has the most rampant evil spirits..."

"Has everything been arranged?"

Upon hearing the man in the trench coat's words, Hachiman Hikigaya's expression immediately turned strange.

It feels like his life is being manipulated by someone else...

"Don't be silly, we have no interest in interfering in your life."

The man in the trench coat slapped her again.

"Those two guys merely provided you with the opportunity to advance to the level of a ghost god. It's not like you can simply lie down and pass the level directly."

"Besides, there are other alternatives besides you. It's just that you are the most suitable in terms of both character and ability at the moment, which is why we are focusing on you."

"However, as your senior, I still hope you can successfully complete the mission and take over the Kanto region. Although that would place a huge responsibility on your shoulders, there would also be many benefits..."

During the conversation, the fusion of the two forces within Hachiman Hikigaya's body was completed.

As the spiritual power and Inari God power within Hachiman Hikigaya's body completely merged, Hachiman Hikigaya's demigod state was forcibly canceled. Immediately, a silver energy flowed out from his body, automatically forming a semi-transparent protective shield around him, which lifted up the man in the trench coat's oppressive aura.

"Peak Ghost Emperor, just as I expected..."

Looking at the silver protective shield, the man in the trench coat nodded in satisfaction, then withdrew his aura and reached out to pull Hachiman Hikigaya out of the pit.

"Congratulations, you're only one step away from godhood."

"grateful......"

Hearing the man in the trench coat's praise, Hachiman Hikigaya felt a pang of helplessness.

Even if his strength improves again, he still cannot see through the trench coat man's strength.

Based on this speculation, even if he successfully breaks through to the Ghost God level, he would still be utterly defeated if he were to become enemies with the man in the trench coat...

"Speaking of which, if it's Rimuru, who's stronger, him or his senior?"

Of all the people Hachiman Hikigaya knew, Rimuru and Karna were the most unfathomable.

However, Karna has never actually used his full power due to limitations in his mana supply, so he can only compare himself to Rimuru.

"If it's that slime, it's a little stronger than us."

As if he could see right through Hachiman Hikigaya, the man in the trench coat took the initiative to answer Hachiman Hikigaya's questions.

"!"

"Don't make that surprised face. It looks stupid with your dead fish eyes. And what's wrong with your eyes? You've already reached the Emperor level, so don't look so rotten!"

"No, um, why does Senpai know about Rimuru?"

When Hachiman Hikigaya summoned Rimuru, he only stayed for a day at most.

Why would the man in the trench coat, who lives far away in the Kansai region, know about Rimuru's existence?

"Japan is like a big house, and the five of us each occupy one-fifth of the house. Now, a fully armed guy suddenly shows up in the house. Do you think I wouldn't know?"

The man in the trench coat looked at Hachiman Hikigaya with a growing sense of helplessness.

Because he discovered that the guy from the Kanto region really hadn't taught him anything!

"In short, you'll understand once you reach the level of a demon god."

To avoid trouble, the man in the trench coat chose to skip the topic altogether.

Having said almost everything he needed to tell Hachiman Hikigaya, the man in the trench coat rummaged in his pocket for a while before finally pulling out a golden tail and handing it to Hachiman.

"this is?"

Sensing the Inari divine power contained in the tail, Hachiman Hikigaya looked up at the man in the trench coat with a puzzled expression.

There is no doubt that the power of Inari comes from Inari.

So where did the senior get the divine power?

"This tail was left by Inari at the Fushimi Inari Shrine over a hundred years ago. The divine power it contains is the power collected from Inari shrines in the Kansai region over the years. I think that guy must be in a terrible situation now, so I'm asking you to give it to her."

"Why didn't you hand it to her yourself, senior?"

Holding the fluffy tail in his hand, the excellent feel made Hachiman Hikigaya unconsciously start playing with it.

"Give it to her personally?"

Upon hearing Hachiman Hikigaya's question, the man in the trench coat's expression changed for the first time.

"Well, if that guy saw me, he'd probably want to kill me on the spot, right? So it's better to avoid him..."

Could you explain why?