As the savior, I only want to play single-player games.

"Nii-chan's arms are so soft and bouncy, how do you maintain that?" Yuzuru pinched Tendo Kagura's muscles with a hint of envy.

"It's a matter of physical constitution," Kagura Tendou said without elaborating.

Looking at Suzuka again, she had already reached the other side. She was excitedly fiddling with the camera in her hand. She really liked this kind of high-tech equipment and felt that she was keeping up with the times. Yuzuru had taught her how to use it. She aimed at the lens and pressed the shutter.

After confirming that the filming was done, Yuzuru went over to check the results.

She likes photography; it's a hobby, but judging from her perspective, she's only passable, and we can't expect her to be any better.

"Yuzuru-chan, how was it!" Suzuka said with some pride, feeling that she had done a pretty good job of taking a clear picture of the person.

Yuzuru didn't discourage her, but smiled and said, "She's very talented."

Never mind, I'll just adjust the focus later.

"Then take a picture of me and my brother." Suzuka handed her the camera and ran excitedly over to Tendo Kagura.

Yuzuru happily took a picture of the brother and sister.

Suzuka then asked Kagura Tendo to take a picture of her and Yuzuru as well. Kagura Tendo nodded slightly, took the camera in his hand, adjusted it slightly, and had Yuzuru and Suzuka stand in the corner between the living room and the corridor. Then, he found the right angle, squatted down, and pressed the shutter.

Yuzuru came over curiously, looked at the photo, and was stunned when he saw it.

It's not that it's bad, it's that it's excellent.

It's almost too good to be true...

The theme is mysterious; the simple layout creates a complex atmosphere. The left side is richly colored, appearing eerie and unpredictable, while the black corridor on the right gives the illusion of endless extension. The shadows are distinct, not a symmetry of light and dark, but a symmetry of darkness and even darkness.

She stood on the right, half her body seemingly disappearing into the darkness, forming a silhouette. Suzuka Ise stood on the left, her smile, which should have been sweet and lovely, transformed into a bizarre and ever-changing style. Bathed in light, she was not radiant, but rather a kaleidoscope of colors, so vibrant that it was almost blinding, a chaotic and grotesque style.

This photo is extremely impactful and rich in meaning; its irrational style, in particular, is chilling.

Putting aside herself, just looking at Suzuka reminded her of a card in the Tarot deck.

Fool.

The one that's reversed.

—How did you do that?

Yuzuru glanced at Kagura Tendo, then at the camera in his hand, and asked, "You've studied photography, ni-chan?"

"I have a little knowledge of it." Tendou Kagura shook his head slightly; he had created it by following his own spirituality.

Admittedly, from a mystical perspective, some things may not be as simple as they seem on the surface.

If a prophet saw this, perhaps he could interpret something.

Yuzuru didn't understand what he meant. Did he understand? Or did he not understand?

"Could it be luck?" Yuzuru wondered to himself, but quickly dismissed the idea.

Her eyes began to light up as she looked at Tendo Kagura.

Ni-chan was a pleasant surprise in her life.

Suzuka fiddled with Yuzuru's camera, stared at it for a while, and then said with a bitter face, "Brother, you took such ugly pictures of me and Yuzuru."

Kagura Tendo remained silent.

Yuzuru didn't mind at all; she treasured it like a precious gem. Suzuka, that silly girl, had no taste whatsoever.

"Brother, I want to buy a camera too." Suzuka looked at him pitifully.

"No way." Kagura Tendo refused. Suzuka Ise acted on impulse; she had no talent for photography and would only play with the purchase for a few days before leaving it there.

Yuzuru wanted Kagura Tendo to take a few more pictures, but she refused.

"It's getting late, let me take you home," he said softly.

Yuzuru agreed. She was sensible and didn't cause Tendo Kagura too much trouble. There will be plenty of opportunities in the future.

Yes, in the future.

She waved goodbye to Suzuka and disappeared around the corner with Tendo Kagura.

After taking a shower, Suzuka crawled into bed, sulking. That wretched brother of hers wouldn't buy her a camera! Fine, she'd buy it herself. She still had plenty of money; her brother gave her 10,000 yen a month, so she could buy one in two months…

With this thought in mind, Suzuka Ise fell asleep.

……

'Ise...Ise...'

This is a frantic hoarseness, this is an eerie call.

Like a nightmare that won't go away, this is a nightmare that you can't get rid of!

'Ise...Ise...'

I feel depressed and uncomfortable...

In the dream, Suzuka frowned deeply.

A feeling of suffocation washed over her, making it hard for her to breathe.

It looked like something was pressing down on it.

I was completely unable to move and was in extreme discomfort.

It felt like being in a living hell!

“Grandma…” Suzuka murmured instinctively.

Sweat beaded on her forehead, her face flushed, and she looked extremely pained. Her struggles were futile; she kicked her legs wildly and threw off the blanket, but to no avail.

This was a bloated evil spirit that lingered laboriously beside Suzuka, like a lost soul who had found its way home. It entered from outside the door, constantly murmuring and instinctively calling out her name.

Its body flickered intermittently, and the body that was originally fixed on gradually became illusory, as if its very existence in this house was an extremely difficult thing.

'Ise... Kiriko...' it kept calling out, and finally uttered her full name, a feminine name.

'Tongzi, my Tongzi...'

Suzuka was in even more pain; veins bulged on her forehead, and she had difficulty breathing. Bizarre images flashed through her mind.

At the nameless shrine, Grandma knelt there, praying devoutly. Her young Suzuka, frail and sickly, was struggling to survive before her. His little hands were withered and thin, like those of a Middle Eastern child. His dim eyes were filled with a life of utter weakness, and he couldn't even lift his little hands, his life force utterly feeble.

During that childhood, she seemed to be cursed. She couldn't eat normally, but she still needed to take medicine for a long time. She would take the medicine and then vomit, then take it again. She had to take one pill three to five times to make sure she wouldn't vomit it up. But no matter how painful the torment was, she endured it with great difficulty.

"Suzuka, Suzuka, child of suffering, your life has been full of hardship. Why were you born? Why did Kiriko give her life to bring you into this world? You must live well, you must live well..." Grandma's sorrowful words began to echo in my ears.

She held the young Suzuka in her arms and swore in an old voice with unwavering determination, "I will absolutely save your life. I cannot let you die young. You deserve the childhood that all children have."

"But I feel so bad, Grandma!" Suzuka cried out, afraid of something.

She cannot die, she should not die, she must live, she must live tenaciously, neither illness nor divine intervention can defeat her, she is not afraid of any setbacks, the more her fate tries to kill her, the less she wants to die!

She couldn't die! She couldn't die! Her subconscious screamed in anger.

She must live!!

But living is so painful...

Tears welled up in Suzuka's eyes, streaming down her face and wetting her pillow.

'Ise Kiriko... Suzuka... Suzuka... Hide... Don't get found...' The evil spirit howled in grief, desperately reminding it of something. Its hideous face was twisted in extreme contortion, and black smoke billowed from its body as it spoke with great effort.

"Brother, save me..." she cried out in despair.

The evil spirit seemed to sense something. Instinctively, it retreated, gazing longingly at Suzuka before finally having to withdraw to a great distance.

The bedroom door was pushed open.

Kagura Tendou stood outside the door; the lights were off, and the room was completely dark inside and out.

He approached and looked at Suzuka's disheveled appearance. The poor thing was heartbreaking. He gently wiped away Suzuka's tears and tucked her messy hair behind her ear. Her expression relaxed, and she did not wake up.

Kagura Tendo covered Suzuka with the blanket again, which she had thrown off, and then left silently, closing the door behind her.

……

It dared not return through the doorway. The return of the evil spirit, even at close range, was the heaviest oppression for it. It could only pass through the wall in a daze, instinctively retreating, and unconsciously burrowed underground.

It didn't know where it was. It was originally a basement, but no one ever went there. The door was locked from the inside. Leaf had never used it, and even Suzuka had never been here.

This place should have been extremely dark.

But it saw a bright future ahead.

In the light, he saw a figure lying quietly in a crystal coffin.

The figure was extremely imposing, with sword-like eyebrows that reached his temples, exuding a heroic and majestic air, but now he seemed to be asleep.

……

……

……

Please vote! I'll try my best to update more chapters in the future.

The Best of Times, The Worst of Times: Chapter 71: A Living Hell

Whenever Suzuka Ise recalls this past, she falls silent for a long time.

She looked down upon the world, her noble and beautiful face showing no emotion.

Humans live in the present, focusing on all aspects of life, and only caring about the trivial details.

What did I eat today? What did I play? What did I learn today?

Despite the turbulent times, she was oblivious and unaware of the situation. She only remembered that she had pestered her brother to buy her a camera, and when he refused, she sulked all night.

Many people are the same; they are unaware that they are in the midst of a major upheaval in their destiny.

Standing at the crossroads, they saw countless sails rising and a vast expanse of wind and clouds, yet they still thought it was just an ordinary day.

This day was dull and ordinary.

……

Tendou Kagura sensed that several fluctuations in the spirit world were affecting the mortal realm, and the situation was very bad. Some of the fluctuations had created strange scenes.

He and Miko found Myōken-no-Miko again and learned that the great battle was still ongoing.