I became the emperor in the comic book series.

The soft, warm girl in his arms gradually changed the feel of her originally smooth skin, and her body shrank rapidly.

Before finally turning back into a kitten, Toyokawa Shoko, who had been sulking for a long time, finally spoke again, "Don't use my account to contact Suze anymore!"

As soon as he finished speaking, a small blue kitten darted out from beside Higashino Akira and only stopped two bodies away from him in the blanket, its backside facing the naughty guy as it went to sleep.

Nothing was said that night.

The next morning, Akira Higashino casually made breakfast and sat facing Miko Yotsuya, eating quietly.

Miko's best friend, Yurikawa, has already gone home, so even during the holidays, it's impossible for them to get together and play every day.

Over the past two days, Higashino Akira could sense that the girl had been trying to avoid him, but it wasn't simply that she had a problem with him. From their daily conversations and attitudes, he could tell that she was willing to get closer to him, but she seemed a bit distant in terms of physical distance.

Thinking this, Higashino Akira casually tossed a Qi-gazing spell at Miko, and surprisingly, the Qi was still golden, with a higher amount than that of Yurikawa Hana.

Another main character?

In the past, Akira Higashino might not have thought much of it, but now that his worldview is different, he inevitably starts to think about other things.

The origins of the haunted house that could curse people across most of the metropolitan area were also investigated and clarified. When he saw that among the people who had died in that house was a woman named Kayako, he felt relieved.

If there's any change in me now compared to when I first started, it's probably that I've been targeted by the Grudge.

Perhaps Jianzi has a natural talent for this and might have noticed something unusual.

However, she didn't say it aloud.

Whether it was due to danger or because the relationship wasn't right, Akira Higashino didn't intend to investigate further.

After all, the two weren't really family.

Akira Higashino doesn't plan to stay here permanently. Although he's the one being targeted by the Ju-on, it's basically unreasonable and doesn't care about right and wrong. It attacks indiscriminately like a madman. He's fine, and he can be sure that short-term contact with others won't affect them. As for whether long-term contact will change things, there's no need to try.

Chapter Twenty-Four: Buddhist Beads

Breakfast ended quietly in silence.

Because breakfast was made by Akira Higashino, Miko Yotsuya thoughtfully took the initiative to clear the dishes and prepare to wash them. In the living room, Akira Higashino wiped his mouth and called out to her.

"See you, son."

In the kitchen, Yotsuya Miko looked up at him, puzzled.

"The Lunar New Year is approaching, and I will be leaving Tokyo to go back to my hometown. I will probably be back in about a month."

Yes, Akira Higashino has a hometown; he's not a native of Tokyo.

Even his hometown is quite remote, a genuine rural area, not the kind of rural area that people from Tokyo would think of as Chiba.

He finished junior high school in his hometown before being admitted to Chiba Sobu High School, and finally went on to university.

He didn't have much natural talent; he relied entirely on his past life's experiences. A significant portion of his knowledge was simply a repetition of what he had learned, making it easier for him to grasp. In the most extreme times in the countryside, during his primary school years, because there weren't enough students in the village, there would sometimes be students of several different ages all in one classroom, taught separately by one teacher. Naturally, the quality of teaching couldn't be expected to be high. Unless one was an exceptional genius who could learn everything by reading books without a teacher, it was quite difficult to succeed.

Back in junior high, the school was alright. Although the educational resources couldn't compare to those in the city, it attracted students from all over the town, so there were at least enough students to divide the classes into grades and have enough teachers. It was a normal school.

After Higashino finished speaking, Yotsuya Miko remained silent in the kitchen for a moment, then forced a smile and said nonchalantly, "Then I wish Onii-chan a safe journey. Don't worry about me, I can take care of myself."

"If you'd like to come along, pack your own luggage. We're leaving the day after tomorrow. Bring plenty of warm clothes, as it gets very cold there in winter."

Higashino Akira looked at the girl speechlessly. Her face was all gloomy and she looked so downcast. There was no need for her to force herself to look good.

After saying that, Higashino Akira got up and prepared to go out to run errands.

As Akira Higashino went to the entrance to change his shoes, Miko Yotsuya ran out of the kitchen, pulled a string of ornaments from her pocket, and handed it to him. "Oh, right, Onii-chan, please take this. It's a Halloween present."

Buddhist prayer beads?

Higashino Akira looked at the girl who was trying to suppress her nervousness as she approached him, then glanced at the little trinket. As if he had thought of something, he took it and put it on his wrist.

"Thank you."

Even so, Miko Yotsuya's expression still showed a hint of worry.

After changing his shoes, Akira Higashino turned around and opened the door.

Snapped--!

With a crisp snapping sound, the beads of the Buddhist prayer beads that Higashino Akira had been wearing on his wrist shot out in all directions.

[Affected by negative energy, the atmosphere is -1000]

Is that you?

Akira Higashino's face darkened.

Behind her, Miko's eyes were brimming with tears, making her look pitiful and on the verge of crying.

"Um...it seems the quality isn't very good. I'll report the seller later..."

Higashino Akira looked at her and sighed.

"never mind."

He reached out and pinched the girl's cheek, giving her a smile, "Don't overthink it."

He then waved goodbye and walked out of the house.

The fact that it reacts indicates that the prayer beads are somewhat useful, but only to a limited extent. After all, the system notification stated that triggering the automatic defense of the aura still consumed one thousand aura folds.

I don't know if all Buddhist prayer beads are not very useful, or if this particular type of prayer bead is just of poor quality.

After all, the money given to Miko, apart from living expenses, was not enough for her to spend recklessly, and certainly not enough to buy any expensive high-end goods.

The accumulation time is too short, and there isn't enough gas.

Relying on these external substances with unknown ingredients and uncertain effects is ultimately not as reliable as having a system that is tied to the size of the nation.

The boundaries of the influence of Qi and Xin also need to be further explored.

Shinjuku.

Akira Higashino met with a paranormal expert he had arranged to meet beforehand.

The other person was a young woman with short, pink hair. She dressed casually and had a lot of runes on her exposed skin.

Upon seeing this generous benefactor who could casually pull out a million yen as a thank-you gift, and looking at his young and handsome appearance, Makoto Higa felt that he was just another idiot.

But out of respect for money, she had no choice but to come over.

After all, the million last time was enough for her to earn two or three months' salary working as a hostess at a nightclub. This time, she not only has to talk, but also take action in person. Given the generosity of this sugar daddy, the thank-you fee should be two or three times higher.

Normal people are too busy avoiding those evil spirits to be stupid enough to deliberately go and risk their lives!

This guy wasn't completely brain-dead; at least he knew to find someone to cover for him, and picking a relatively easy target was the only thing worth praising.

At least she won't be gone before she receives the reward money.

After meeting, the two traveled from Shinjuku to the outside of a haunted house in Shimokitazawa that Akira Higashino had previously bought.

"Let me confirm one last time, are you really not going to give up?"

According to professional assessments, this house is the safest of all of Akira Higashino's special properties. When the homeowner first moved in, they only encountered some paranormal phenomena. As long as they did not live there for a long time and moved out in time, they were not in great danger.

"You have to give it a try and broaden your horizons."

Akira Higashino nodded affirmatively.

As for business development, it has been handed over to Kongming, an SSR-level logistics talent, so Higashino Akira doesn't need to worry about it too much for the time being. There's no need to rush things with the harem. The only thing that Higashino Akira feels is that he is under constant pressure from the haunted house that is constantly being attacked.

Akira Higashino disliked the situation where he was powerless and could only passively defend himself against the supernatural side of the world.

He has to try to do something; if today's attempt doesn't work, then he'll have no choice but to spend money to hire professionals as long-term bodyguards.

學？

According to Makoto Higa, psychic abilities are mostly innate; you either have them or you don't. If someone comes from an exorcist family with a bloodline, the probability of awakening such abilities is higher, but they are not common. Moreover, the upper limit of these abilities is basically determined from the moment of awakening, making it very difficult to break through. Even the awakening process is unstable; some may have a little bit of spiritual energy, but the most hopeless are those who can only see but have no ability to resist.

Exorcism is more of an experiential discipline. Many techniques are simply the accumulated and refined experiences of generations, and there are not as many fantastical skills and abilities as depicted in movies and TV dramas.

Shikigami do exist. As long as a shaman can subdue a spirit, that spirit can be regarded as a shikigami.

There are also gods, which psychics like mediums cannot subdue and can only submit to. If the other party is relatively easy to talk to and can at least negotiate terms, then over time, they will become what is called a god.

This is why Japan is full of small, diverse, and unique folk deities, along with a variety of other cults.

Chapter Twenty-Five: No, that's not how exorcism works!

"Don't get too close to me later!"

As I said before, Makoto Higa respects money!

Convinced that Higashino Akira wouldn't give up the idea of ​​going in, she took the initiative to walk to the front and use the key to open the door.

In an instant, the furniture covered by white cloth in the room and the bowls and chopsticks in the kitchen began to shake violently.

Evil spirits are feared precisely because they can disregard the prerequisite that ordinary wandering spirits can only influence reality by being observed and having a causal connection, and can directly interfere with reality.

If evil spirits at this stage go a step further and develop their own domains and laws, and if they can still barely coexist, they can be worshipped as gods by certain sects and psychics.

Those you can defeat are demons and monsters; those you can't defeat, even a madman, are still a demon god.

The one inside the house, having neither devoured many of its kind nor killed many people, could only be considered a gatekeeper among evil spirits.

The reason no one cleanses Him is because it's impossible to cleanse him completely. Evil spirits and wandering souls are everywhere, and even the most powerful psychics can't manage them all.

As long as it doesn't cause too much of an impact, even if someone occasionally gets infected without realizing it beforehand and seeking help from professionals, it can only be considered their bad luck.

Exorcism and spirit removal are inherently risky. Even psychics don't want to act unless absolutely necessary. Otherwise, who knows when they might offend someone powerful and get themselves killed or even endanger their family? Everyone needs to eat; you can't just quit your job and starve yourself to work every day.

Moreover, professionals are only qualified for their specific field; that doesn't necessarily mean they have sufficient technical skills.

As for the one in the house, Makoto Higa can only barely restrain and drive it away, but she can't guarantee that it won't come back. Most of the evil spirits in haunted houses are earthbound spirits, and simply driving them out is useless in the short term, as they won't leave on their own.

A gust of cold wind swept in, and the decorative vase on the display shelf above the shoe cabinet in the entryway suddenly fell downwards. Makoto Higa quickly dodged to the side, but she still couldn't react in time and only managed to avoid hitting her head.

At the critical moment, Higashino Akira reached out from behind her and caught the vase, preventing the main force of their side from being severely injured right at the start of the battle.

It's clear that her skill level isn't very high. Apart from having innate spiritual abilities, her physical skills and experience are quite average.

At least one Akira Higashino could take on more than a dozen of her.

With this move, Makoto Higa quickly sensed and located the general direction of the evil spirit. She reached out and unleashed her spiritual energy in that direction, instantly suppressing the evil spirit and rendering it unable to move.

"Whatever you're about to do, do it quickly, I can't control Him for much longer!"

In just a short while, Makoto Higa's forehead began to sweat, her short pink hair was damp with sweat and stuck to it in strands, showing that she was struggling to maintain her posture due to excessive exertion.

Where is He?

Higashino Akira didn't falter and quickly asked.

"In this direction, behind the sofa!"

Having obtained clear directional information, Akira Higashino walked over quickly. Although he still couldn't see it, perhaps because he and Makoto Higa had already formed a karmic bond with this evil spirit, Akira Higashino could feel a chill that was completely different from the feeling brought by the low temperature in autumn and winter when he got close.

[Affected by negative energy, the atmosphere is -300]

It's not really that strong. Kayako's curse alone, even from half of Tokyo away, could consume a thousand of her own ki in one strike. And even with her own ki pressed against Kayako's face, it only consumed three hundred.

Higashino Akira suddenly clenched his fist and forcefully punched it in the direction from which the coldness was coming. A faint tactile feedback came back, as if his fist had hit a cotton candy, and at the same time, a faint static electric shock.

Then came the second punch, the third punch…

[Affected by negative energy, the atmosphere is -1000]

[Affected by negative energy, the atmosphere is -700]

[Affected by negative energy, the atmosphere is -200]

By the fourth punch, he had no breath left.

Akira Higashino turned around. "Is He still there?"

Makoto Higa's arms remained in the same position as before, and she stood there dumbfounded, shaking her head in disbelief upon hearing this.

"It's gone. It seems you killed it."

She quickly walked over, grabbed Higashino Akira's hand, closed her eyes to feel it, and whispered some kind of incantation.

No, nothing at all.

I couldn't sense any psychic energy, or anything else, and I couldn't even transfer my own psychic energy to this guy.

This guy is like a monster!

Who uses this method to exorcise spirits?

That thing was clearly about to collapse after taking the first punch, but before her soul could dissipate, she took two more punches and was instantly shattered in less than a second.