Tokyo: I can enlighten all obsessions

8 PM.

Tokyo, Shinjuku.

Deep within this labyrinth of desire, known as the "city that never sleeps," countless neon signs dye the night sky a mesmerizing purplish-red.

The air was filled with the smoky aroma of yakitori, the scent of cheap perfume, and the sweltering heat rising from the asphalt.

In this bustling neighborhood filled with reinforced concrete and LED screens, there is a strange and out-of-place space.

It was a narrow ramp sandwiched between two towering office buildings.

At the end of the slope stands a stone torii gate that seems somewhat unbelievable in this prime location.

"...This is it."

Kamiki Toru stopped and slammed the heavy suitcase, stuffed with luggage, onto the ground with a dull thud.

He looked up and, using the pale light of the convenience store sign behind him, examined the barrier door that seemed to connect two worlds.

The faded vermilion paint, the thick pillars wrapped with shimenawa rope, and the stone steps that stretch into the depths of darkness.

Although I had heard that bald section chief boast about the "shrine in the city center" before, seeing it sandwiched between a love hotel and an izakaya still made me want to complain.

"Hey, I'm talking."

Standing next to him was a petite girl wearing an oversized hoodie and carrying a huge backpack that was completely disproportionate to her size.

Yui Kamiki was still holding half a lollipop in her hand, staring intently at the vending machine next to the torii gate with a half-broken light bulb.

She stuck out her tongue, licked the candy, and asked:

"elder brother."

"The place we're going to stay in, is it going to be one of those haunted houses where legless ghosts dressed in white come out to dance every night, and then we're forced to become sacrifices because we can't pay the rent?"

"Don't worry."

Looking at his sister beside him, who was filled with doubt, Toru Kamiki couldn't help but smile, a genuine smile of joy.

"Yui, do some serious math with your brain that's only the size of a walnut. In a place like Shinjuku where every inch of land is precious, renting an apartment for two people, even if it's a haunted house, would cost at least 80,000 yen."

"Now, this huge sum of money will no longer be dead money given to the landlord, but can all be used to buy you meat to eat."

"In other words, as long as you live here, the amount of meat you eat every month will increase by a full 80,000 yen."

"...!!"

Upon hearing these tempting words, Yui Kamiki's eyes lit up instantly, as if the dark shrine had transformed into a shrine radiating holy light.

"Then, onward to the meat... no, onward to our new home!"

The two of them, dragging their suitcases, finally stood before the long approach to the temple.

Looking at the hundreds of stone steps covered in moss, Shenmu Che's originally high spirits cooled down slightly.

"...Although I was mentally prepared, isn't this height a bit too demanding?"

He sighed, put down the heavy suitcase, and took his phone out of his pocket.

The time displayed on the screen is 20:05.

According to the time agreed upon yesterday, that young lady should have been waiting long ago.

"Beep...beep..."

The call was answered after only one ring, indicating that the other party had been paying attention to the phone.

"Hey? Kamiki-kun? Have you arrived yet?"

Kujo Hisana's slightly anxious voice came through the receiver, and there seemed to be hurried footsteps coming downstairs in the background.

"Ah, we've arrived. It's right below the torii gate."

Kamiki Toru looked up at the faintly visible lights at the end of the approach, his tone relaxed and lighthearted:

"I'm so sorry, but could you please come down and get this for me?"

He kicked two large boxes at his feet and added, half-jokingly:

"After all, to save money on the moving company, my family and I crammed all our belongings in here. If you don't want your new tenants to die of exhaustion on the approach to the temple on their first day... could you please lend a hand, Miss Shrine Maiden?"

Not long after, accompanied by a series of rapid and rhythmic footsteps, that familiar figure ran down from the shadows at the end of the approach.

Kujo Hina changed into a dark blue tracksuit that looked very homey, and her hair was casually tied into a high ponytail, giving her a girl-next-door vibe.

"Sorry to keep you waiting! I was just tidying up the bedding in the guest room..."

She stopped in front of the two of them, slightly out of breath. Her gaze first fell on Toru Kamiki, then quickly and curiously shifted to the small figure huddled in a hoodie next to her.

"This must be...my younger sister?"

Kujo Hisana immediately straightened her back, straightened her slightly disheveled clothes, and flashed her standard smile:

"Nice to meet you. I am the owner of this place, Kujou Hisana."

Yui did not respond immediately.

Like a frightened little animal, she silently shrank behind Kamiki Tetsu, her hands instinctively grabbing the hem of her brother's clothes.

Only after hiding most of her body in that familiar shadow did she timidly peek out from behind Kamiki Tetsu and murmur:

"...Hello. I'm...Yui."

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, the three of them stepped onto the long stone steps.

What made Toru Kamiki raise an eyebrow was that this seemingly slender young lady, upon hearing the reminder that "this box is full of books and is heavy," simply chuckled dismissively.

Then, she picked up the oversized suitcase—which even an adult man would struggle to lift—with one hand and walked up the steps as lightly as if she were carrying a sack of cotton.

There was no sign of the use of magic; it was simply physical strength.

"really……"

Although their class is "Miko" and they are not good at close combat, the so-called "Spirit Barriers" are essentially a group of aliens who have been corrupted by curses and gradually separated from the category of "human".

As the spirit is corrupted by the filth of another world, the limitations of the body are also lifted.

Even for magic-based professions, the physical functions of their bodies have long surpassed human limits due to the long-term exposure to spiritual energy.

"A monster disguised as a beautiful girl...?"

Kamiki Toru muttered something to himself, then picked up another equally heavy box with one hand and followed without changing his expression.

As someone who is also a member of this group, I don't seem to have the right to criticize others.

A few minutes later.

Passing through the last torii gate, the bustling night view of Shinjuku is completely shut out beneath your feet.

Before them lay a shrine courtyard surrounded by ancient trees, which appeared exceptionally tranquil and solemn under the moonlight.

Although the paint on some buildings has peeled off and the stone slabs on the ground are cracked, at this moment, the profound sense of history still inspires awe.

"Welcome to Kujo Shrine."

Kujou Hisana gently put down her suitcase, turned around, and smiled brightly in the moonlight:

"From today onwards, this will be your new home."

By the moonlight, Yui, who had been huddled inside her hoodie, slowly pulled down the hood.

As her long black hair fell down, it revealed the girl's pale face, which was as delicate as porcelain, due to long periods without sunlight.

She blinked her large, ethereal eyes nervously and looked around timidly.

"Wow……"

Kujo Hisana couldn't help but exclaim in surprise.

As if she had discovered some rare treasure, she suddenly moved closer to Yui, her almond-shaped eyes sparkling with undisguised admiration:

"So cute!!"

"...Um, thank you."

Faced with this sudden enthusiasm, Yui shrank back shyly, but still responded politely:

"My sister... is so pretty too."

After speaking, she raised her head, her gaze sweeping over the magnificent yet desolate shrine, finally settling on Kujou Hina's face, and asked in an innocent tone:

"This place is so big...does your sister live alone?"

Kujo Hisa's smile suddenly froze.

In that instant, she subconsciously glanced at Toru Kamiki beside her, and then quickly realized what was happening.

The girl in front of me, with her doll-like delicate face, is just an ordinary middle school student living in the sunlight, completely unaware of that bloody underworld.

So she lowered her eyes, concealing the fleeting pain in them.

"...Yes, everyone is gone."

She spoke softly, her voice sounding somewhat faint in the night breeze, as if afraid of disturbing something:

"Ten years ago, a very serious accident happened in this courtyard."

Kujo Hisana raised her head, looked at the empty space in front of her, and forced a smile:

"It's a pity, but from then on... I'm the only one left to protect this place."

"ah……!"

Realizing she had just stepped into a minefield, Yui's face turned deathly pale.

She waved her hands frantically, her voice trembling with guilt and on the verge of tears:

"I'm so sorry! I didn't know... I asked some really inappropriate questions..."

"It's okay, really. Don't look like you're about to cry."

Kujo Hisana blinked, the darkness in her eyes instantly dissipating. She reached out and gently patted Yui's head.

"That was a long time ago. Compared to this—"

She clapped her hands, forcefully dispersing the heavy atmosphere:

"Was anyone's stomach already rumbling? Let's put our luggage back in our rooms first, then go eat! To celebrate your stay, I specially ordered some premium sushi for delivery!"

"S-Sushi...!"

Upon hearing this word, the guilt in Yui's eyes was instantly suppressed by her primal urge to eat.

"Then let's go! The living room is this way."

Kujo Hisana took Yui's hand and turned to walk towards the side hall.

However, Kamiki Tetsu did not move.

"...You guys go ahead."

Kamiki Tetsu waved his hand at the two people who turned around to look at him, but his gaze did not look at them. Instead, it swept over the main hall that was silent in the darkness.

"I'll be there shortly. Before eating, I'd like to walk around here first... to check on the security situation in the area."

As he watched the two figures, one large and one small, disappear around the corner of the side hall, the relaxed expression on Kamiki Tetsu's face vanished instantly.

He turned around and faced the ancient shrine, bathed in the pale moonlight, all alone.

The so-called "security check" was just an excuse to get rid of them.

"This place has a history of hundreds of years, has received countless prayers, and even became a top-tier accident property that is absolutely unsellable on the real estate market because of the incident ten years ago..."

Kamiki Tetsu reached out and gently stroked the stone lion covered in moss and cracks next to the torii gate with his fingertips.

Even a cheap utility knife from a convenience store can evolve into a blue-quality weapon because of "the resentment of working people".

Even a cloth bag that Grandma casually sewed could become a purple amulet because of "love".

So, in this place that has gathered hundreds of years of faith, incense, and the vast longing left over from that calamity...

How many undiscovered top-tier materials are buried in this place?

"Let me see."

Kamiki Tetsu slowly narrowed his eyes, his gaze sweeping over every corner silent in the darkness.

"How many treasures, waiting to be discovered, are still hidden in this house?"