Japanese Terrorist: What? I'll fight Hellstar!

"Everyone will die eventually, it's just a matter of time, but... Sakiko isn't necessarily completely dead."

Seeing Hinako Fukami's heartbroken expression, Amamiya Rin softened his tone and offered words of comfort that calmed her down a little.

"Not completely dead... Human host? Ultraman Seven! Are you planning to become one with Sakiko and let her become your human host?"

The boy named Xiu paused for a moment, then his eyes widened suddenly, his voice filled with barely suppressed excitement as he stared intently at Amamiya Rin.

"Human form?"

"Really?"

Before Xiu could finish speaking, Hinako Fukami and Rinko both looked up at Rin Amamiya. Their previously reddened eyes instantly ignited with a burning light, a light that contained not only the excitement of regaining what they had lost, but also a hint of youthful envy and longing for the Giant of Light.

The person Ultraman mentioned wasn't completely dead, implying that he would resurrect the deceased.

Ultraman can revive humans in two ways: one is through life solidification technology – I brought a life.

However, did the Land of Light develop that technology during this period? And Ultraman Seven seems to be a civil servant of the Land of Light, Star Observer No. 340, who came to Earth to create orbital maps. Would he bring a life with him?

Another approach is more likely, more representative, and more orthodox! That is, to share one's own life with the victims, to be of one mind and heart, and to make the victims one's own human form.

In other words, their good friend, Sakiko Igarashi, will transform into Ultraman Seven in the future!?

Thinking about this, Xiu even felt a pang of jealousy. After all, it was about transforming into Ultraman! What boy hasn't dreamed of becoming Ultraman himself?

Transforming Sakiko Igarashi into Ultraman? Could she even pull it off? Is she even capable of that kind of feat for a girl like her?

"Human host? I haven't tried that yet."

Upon hearing this, Amamiya Rin's eyebrows twitched slightly. He lightly touched his chin with his fingertips and murmured thoughtfully.

Could the supernatural tale he created, "Ultraman Seven," truly find a human to form a contract with and achieve a unified connection? He couldn't be sure at the moment, since he wasn't a real Ultraman, but merely a living being with the form of an Ultraman.

"However, Sakiko's situation is rather special, or rather, the situation in this space is rather special, and I am not able to be of one mind with anyone for the time being."

Amamiya Rin changed the subject.

Even if it were feasible, it probably wouldn't work in this space. Everyone's bodies are in the outside world. This sacred realm only contains people's souls and spirits. If even the body doesn't exist, how can they be one?

Upon hearing this, the light that had just ignited in the eyes of the three gradually dimmed, like a flame extinguished by a storm.

Xiu opened his mouth as if to say something, but in the end he could only sigh heavily, his face full of helplessness.

Rinko's shoulders slumped, and she turned her head away dejectedly, looking at the moss-covered earthen wall beside her, her face showing an undisguised sadness.

"What...what happened? Why, why has our Ebisu Hill become like this? Sakiko...!"

Hinako Fukami slowly knelt down beside Sakiko Igarashi, carefully extending her still slightly trembling right hand to gently stroke her friend's pale cheek.

When her fingertips touched that cold skin, her body trembled again, and her voice was laced with sobs.

Hinako Fukami could never accept that Sakiko Igarashi would die so abruptly, so carelessly, before she could repay the 500 yen she had lent her.

Amamiya Rin didn't dwell too much on the fact that Igarashi Sakiko had already lost her life. He remained absolutely calm, his gaze sweeping over the three heartbroken boys and girls in front of him, before calmly steer the conversation back to the core issue.

"This is also the question I want to figure out. Rongzhi Hill has obviously undergone a serious change. Since I entered the village, I haven't seen any humans other than you. The sea of ​​red spider lilies that just now was beyond my expectations. You've been in the village the whole time. Have you noticed anything unusual?"

"We didn't see any other humans besides ourselves?"

Upon hearing this, Xiu, Rinko, and Hinako Fukami looked up, exchanging bewildered glances, their eyes filled with confusion and bewilderment, as if they couldn't understand what Amamiya Rin meant.

"I just said goodbye to my parents and left home."

Rinko said, puzzled.

Xiu and Hinako Fukami nodded. How could there be no one else? They had just walked from their house and overheard people talking on the way, only to be told that there was actually no one else in the village besides them...

The three men's faces turned deathly pale instantly, and their bodies trembled involuntarily.

This story sounds like a ghost story.

"It must be that something suddenly changed at Rongzhi Hill, or perhaps you and I have all accidentally entered another dimension. But this place is clearly abnormal, and I think you can understand that, so please try to recall carefully."

Amamiya Rin said calmly.

Xiu shook his head, his brows furrowed as he tried desperately to recall, his tone full of confusion.

"I don't know. There shouldn't be anything unusual about Rongzhiqiu. Since the dam project was completed, Rongzhiqiu has been very peaceful and quiet. Life hasn't changed much. Everyone's life is the same every day."

He paused, then turned to look at Hinako Fukami, who was wiping away her tears, and asked, "Hinako, have you discovered anything?"

Hinako Fukami raised her hand and wiped away the tears on her cheeks with her sleeve. She took a deep breath, forced herself to calm down, and carefully searched through the memories in her mind.

But in the end, she shook her head helplessly.

"No, Rongzhiqiu is only this big. Everyone knows each other. If something really unusual had happened, it would have spread throughout the village long ago. It's impossible to hide it from anyone."

"Could it be... that the Ultra Guard discovered a monster at Rong Hill?"

Rinko's eyes suddenly lit up, as if she had thought of something, and then she showed a curious expression.

"Speaking of which, do the Ultra Guards really exist in the real world? Like in the TV shows, do they have dedicated bases specifically for fighting monsters and aliens?"

"Although there are no leads on the monster, I have received a credible tip that the fox spirit worshipped in this village is not benevolent; it has been subjected to human sacrifices. This kind of evil god that takes human lives as offerings must be completely eradicated."

Instead of directly answering the question about the Ultra Guard, Amamiya Rin shook his head and said without changing his expression.

As he spoke, he quickly sorted through the clues in his mind.

Shu, Rinko, Sakiko Igarashi, and Hinako Fukami clearly still perceive themselves as being from their high school days. This village, called Ebisugaoka, is most likely a mental space constructed from their collective memories.

The sudden curse of the other shore flower that just appeared was, without a doubt, the direct interference of the fox spirit's power with this space.

Thinking of this, Yu Gonglin frowned even more deeply.

He had no idea how powerful the fox spirit truly was. What he feared most was its bizarre curse ability. A curse that wasn't meant for direct confrontation was far too difficult to deal with if it couldn't be understood.

Even though the curse couldn't cause him any real harm, he couldn't stop that power from harming others, just like Sakiko Igarashi's death, which came so suddenly that he didn't even have a chance to save her.

There was absolutely no warning!

At that moment, he could only sense a change in the surrounding atmosphere, and then Sakiko Igarashi's body was covered in spider lilies... Wait! Why was only Sakiko Igarashi the one who died?

Amamiya Rin's heart stirred, and he looked thoughtfully at the three people in front of him.

They were all in the same space, and they all faced that malice. So why were only Sakiko Igarashi, Hinako Fukami, Rinko, and Shu affected? What was so special about these three?

Or rather, Sakiko Igarashi has a unique quality that makes her a must-kill.

Amamiya Rin remembered the things that Igarashi Sakiko had mentioned to him when they were outside.

A fox spirit enters Sakiko Igarashi's dream and threatens her, saying that if she dares to serve the sacred tree, it will crush her head.

Is that the reason? Because of Igarashi Sakiko's resistance, the fox spirit directly killed Igarashi Sakiko, the former shrine maiden, both as revenge and to give her a warning?

Or is there some other reason?

Why not kill Rinko and Shu? Is it because they can't, or are they like the evil gods and monsters in most horror works, who enjoy toying with their victims, slowly killing them one by one, and relishing the process of their prey's struggle? There are too many questions. Without seeing anyone who knows the truth, even the magical illusions are useless.

"Human sacrifice? How is that possible!"

As Yu Gonglin pondered, Xiu looked shocked. He waved his hands repeatedly, his tone full of disbelief.

"The Fox Spirit has been worshipped at Rongzhi Hill for hundreds of years. The village elders have taught us to respect the Fox Spirit since we were young. We have never heard of the Fox Spirit accepting human sacrifices! This is absolutely a rumor!"

"Such heinous acts will naturally not be made public. However, I would not have appeared at Rongzhi Hill if I had not found any clues."

Amamiya Rin looked up at Xiu, her tone still calm, but carrying an undeniable certainty and a hint of something more.

"Please think about it again. Even if there haven't been any public sacrificial ceremonies, has nothing strange really happened at Rongzhi Hill over the years? For example, have any people mysteriously disappeared?"

Upon hearing this, the shock on Xiu's face gradually faded, replaced by a thoughtful expression.

There's no way around it; the person who came up with this idea is, after all, Ultraman. Others might be just spouting nonsense or have been misled by people with malicious intentions.

However, the other party is Ultraman Seven! Since Ultraman Seven has come to Rongzhi Hill in person, it is enough to prove that the fox spirit worshipped in the village must be hiding a secret, and the theory of human sacrifice is probably not unfounded.

"A hidden human sacrifice?"

"How could such a thing happen!"

Not only Xiu, but also Hinako Fukami and Rinko began to ponder.

Like Xiu, trusting Ultraman, they began to consider the matter based on the premise that everything Amamiya Rin said was true.

A moment later, Rinko was the first to speak, taking the initiative to speak.

"If I had to say... in this town that worships the Fox Spirit, there have always been some legends circulating. It is said that those who disrespect the Fox Spirit will be punished, or even possessed by the Fox Spirit. And in Rongzhi Hill, there has always been a saying that if a young woman is chosen by the Fox Spirit to become a fox bride, she will suddenly disappear."

Hinako Fukami nodded, picking up where Rinko left off, and continued, "In the past, if a young woman went missing in the village, the elders would comfort her family by saying that she had been chosen by the fox spirit and was now living a rich and happy life in the fox spirit's palace. However... I used to think that this was just a way of comforting people who had lost a family member."

Hinako Fukami's expression grew even uglier.

She never imagined that such a dangerous phenomenon existed in Rongzhiqiu, where she lived.

"The fox bride?"

Amamiya Rin glanced at Fukami Hinako, a knowing look flashing in his eyes.

It matches up!

All the clues came together at that moment.

Fox brides, disappearances, the fox spirit's palace, the sacred realm of the Toki family... those young women who mysteriously disappeared in Rongzhiqiu before should be brides similar to Fukami Hinako, who were forcibly transferred to this underworld constructed by souls and spirits by the power of the fox spirit, becoming sacrifices to the fox spirit.

"Um... I haven't introduced myself yet. I'm Osamu, Osamu Iwai. My family has been pharmacists in this small town for generations."

The boy named Xiu hesitated before speaking after Hinako Fukami finished.

However, he did not immediately reveal any valuable information, but instead introduced himself first.

"I am Rinko Nishida, Sakiko's good friend. If Mr. Seven knows Sakiko, has she ever mentioned me?"

The girl named Rinko hurriedly spoke to Amamiya Rin as well.

"I'm sorry, this is the first time I've met Sakiko Igarashi."

Amamiya Rin nodded slightly to Nishida Rinko. Upon hearing this, Nishida Rinko's expectant gaze fell, revealing a clear expression of disappointment. The implication of not giving a direct answer during their first meeting was that Sakiko hadn't mentioned her to Ultraman Seven.

"My name is Hinako Fukami."

Hinako Fukami, in her teenage years, also made a belated self-introduction.

"My name... please just call me Seven."

Amamiya Rin also responded, but it wasn't her real name.

"Because my family are pharmacists, if any strange illness or bizarre death occurs in the village, it's hard to hide it from others, but it's even harder to hide it from us. In fact, over the years, there have been people in Rongzhiqiu who have died mysteriously because they offended the fox spirit."

Osamu Iwai's expression gradually turned serious, and he finally continued the previous topic, his tone carrying an indescribable sense of oppression.

"When I was a child, I saw a corpse. The way it died was extremely bizarre. The deceased was unusually thin, as if all the flesh and blood in its body had been drained. Its head had exploded like a ripe pomegranate, revealing an empty skull. What was even more terrifying was that the inside of the skull was filled with the eggs of insects such as crickets, mantises, and locusts. Even though it was the dead of winter, those eggs were still alive, and some had even hatched into larvae, slowly crawling out of the corpse's head. The villagers all believed that this was retribution from the fox spirit for the deceased's slander."

After Iwai Osamu finished speaking, the air froze for a moment.

"Ugh—!"

The color drained from Hinako Fukami's face at a visible speed. She instinctively raised her hand to cover her mouth, her brows furrowed tightly, her shoulders heaved uncontrollably, she made suppressed gagging sounds, and her body bent slightly.

"Wow!"

Rinko Nishizono's reaction was even worse. She pursed her lips tightly, feeling her stomach churning and acidic liquid rising to her head. Unable to hold it in, she leaned against the wall and dry heaved.

"How...how disgusting...how could such a terrible thing happen..."

While vomiting, Rinko Nishizono complained about Osamu Iwai.

"Xiu! Don't talk about such disgusting things! You don't need to go into so much detail!"

Suppressing her urge to vomit, Hinako Fukami frowned deeply and glared fiercely at Osamu Iwai.

Even if she doesn't act like a girl normally, what she hates most is being told what to do just because she's a woman, and being ostracized by other girls because she spends all her time playing games with Xiu, she is still a girl.

How could he talk about such disgusting things in such detail in front of her and Rinko? What is Xiu thinking?

Even without seeing the corpse that Osamu Iwai mentioned, just hearing his description made the two girls feel extremely disgusted and physically nauseous.

"I'm sorry, but those words are indeed unpleasant. When I saw that body with my own eyes, I vomited on the spot."

Seeing the two's reactions, Iwai Osamu belatedly realized what was happening and a look of guilt appeared on his face.

"However, if those bizarre deaths are not caused by humans or strange illnesses, but rather curses cast by a real fox spirit, then it proves that Mr. Seven was right. The fox spirit is not a deity protecting the village at all, but a cruel and evil god. It uses the legend of the fox bride to make the young women in the village disappear as its sacrifices."

"Insect eggs are indeed a form of curse befitting an evil god."

Amamiya Rin's expression remained unchanged. His gaze fell once again on Igarashi Sakiko's corpse, and he said in a low voice, seemingly lost in thought.

Evil gods and demons always like to use these disgusting methods to harm people. Could it be that Sakiko Igarashi's death was due to the same principle? The fox spirit planted the seed of the spider lily in her body from afar, and then used its power to make it bloom, instantly draining her life force.

However, it didn't seem to be any useful information; it only confirmed the fox spirit's crimes.

Just then, a series of footsteps suddenly came from the mist.

The footsteps were strange, with a messy, dragging quality and an eerie stiffness, like a marionette, sounding particularly jarring in the deathly silence.

Amamiya Rin's gaze turned cold as she looked in the direction of the sound.

On another dirt road a few dozen meters away, a stiff figure slowly emerged from the thick fog.

It was a monster that appeared to be female, its clothes tattered, its body seemingly haphazardly stitched together from different pieces of flesh, its skin uneven in color and pockmarked. It moved like a soulless puppet, its joints stiffly bent, its waist arched backward at an 80-degree angle, its outstretched neck twisted, and its gait strangely erratic, limping yet with an eerie, springy quality. In its hand, it gripped a rusty short sword, and it was inching closer to them.

"What kind of monster is that?"

Hinako's pupils contracted, and her whole body trembled violently, but after the initial shock, her eyes were filled with anger.

"So that's the incident at Rongzhi Hill? It was that guy's kind... who killed Sakiko!"

Compared to fear, Hinako Fukami's emotions at this moment were more anger and destructive desire. The thought of avenging Sakiko Igarashi rose in her heart, making her have the urge to smash that thing with her own hands.

Iwai Osamu immediately shielded the two girls behind him, his eyes fixed on the strange monster, while his peripheral vision glanced at Amamiya Rin.

With Ultraman Seven by his side, this monster, who is only the height of an ordinary person, should be easily defeated, right?

Thinking of this, Iwai Osamu couldn't even muster a sense of tension.

Rinko Nishida was so frightened by the strange monster that she froze. She clung tightly to Osamu Iwai's arm, her body trembling slightly. She was pressed very close to Osamu. Osamu tried to break free, but Rinko Nishida was holding on too tightly. The atmosphere was not right, and he could not exert any force. He could only let her hold him.

Upon seeing this, Amamiya Rin's face instead showed a relaxed expression.

He wasn't afraid of any powerful or terrifying enemy; what he feared was an enemy lurking in the shadows, using insidious and unpredictable curses to prevent him from making a move. In such a stalemate, the mere appearance of an enemy, regardless of strength, could become a breakthrough point to break the deadlock.

"Wait a moment, I'll be right back."

After a careful observation, the doll-like monster didn't seem like a particularly powerful creature. Amamiya Rin turned her head, informed the three people behind her, and without waiting for their response, charged towards the monster.

Without even needing to transform or use the power of light, Amamiya Rin's leg muscles exploded instantly, creating a crater in the country road beneath his feet. Like a cannonball, he covered dozens of meters in the blink of an eye and appeared in front of the monster.

When the monster saw him suddenly appear, it stiffly raised the short sword in its hand and thrust it towards his chest. Amamiya Rin slightly turned his body to avoid the clumsy attack, and at the same time raised his hand and pressed it on the monster's shoulder.

With a slight exertion of his arm, he pressed down, unleashing a terrifying burst of brute force. A cracking sound rang out, and the monster's body snapped in two from shoulder to waist. Afterwards, Amamiya Rin grabbed the monster's shoulder, dragging the broken body, and quickly returned to Fukami Hinako and the others, to prevent any other monsters or the fox spirit from taking advantage of his absence to harm them.