Shinji Ikari, the pilot of Unit-01 during the Spirit Awakening Era

Chapter 127 Slaughter

"I knew this meal wasn't good!" Gojo Satoru sighed. Although everyone knew from the aura Morishita Yamato exuded when he left home this morning that Morishita Yamato was definitely up to something, no one knew that Morishita Yamato could go this far.

The entire venue was now shrouded in dark clouds, filled with resentment. Countless shattered ghosts roamed the sky in an unnatural manner, their long, flowing black hair spreading like moss in all directions. Some demons that got too close were swarmed by these shattered ghosts, their souls forcibly pulled out and torn to shreds. The ferocious spirits were rampaging, and all living beings avoided their path.

"Shinji, he's almost on par with Himuro Kirie, but Morishita Yamato is really daring, actually using himself to raise a demon." Mei Isayama subconsciously reached out to block Ritsuko Akagi, praising Morishita Yamato's ruthless actions, suggesting that he had probably already given up on living.

“Mori-nee…” Shinji Ikari was at a loss for words. He looked at the female figure that slowly rose from behind Yamato Morishita. The red dress that Yamato Morishita was wearing was now draped over her. Michiko, who was standing in mid-air, pulled out several kitchen knives dripping with black blood from her body and flicked them lightly, instantly slicing the shrimp demon into pieces.

Unlike the previous clamor, the entire place was now silent. Even the monsters dared not utter a sound. No wonder, Michiko's aura was simply too terrifying. Having just been elevated through the blood sacrifice, she stood before the kitchen counter, receiving the last kitchen knife from Morishita Yamato. The thunder in the sky never stopped, and her aura continued to rise. Her overwhelming black hair and increasingly dazzling red clothes made the nearby creatures dare not look directly at her. This was truly a matter of shortening one's lifespan.

The reason why Mei Isayama mentioned Kirie Himuro is naturally because the aura emanating from Michiko in front of him has truly crossed the line of S-rank, and even reached the point where, if she can pass the tribulation of lightning, Michiko will become the second highest known ghost spirit, a malevolent god in the present world!

The previous malevolent god in the present world was none other than Shinji Ikari's older sister, Himuro Kirie, who was not related to him by blood, the owner of the Himuro Mansion, the gatekeeper of the Gate of the Underworld, the ancestor of the Onmyōryō (Bureau of Yin and Yang), and eternally sixteen years old.

"It seems... a little different." If you were to ask who among those present was most familiar with Himuro Kirie, who else could it be but Shinji Ikari? After two whole months of dancing the cha-cha face-to-face with Himuro Kirie, who had not yet regained her senses, Shinji Ikari was very clear about the power of a ferocious god who was on the verge of madness.

As for Michiko right now, the feeling Shinji Ikari gets from her is that although she seems to be extremely fierce, and the resentment emanating from her forms a dark fog that almost covers the entire sky, it always feels like she was forcibly elevated, unlike Himuro Kirie who went through a long period of time to reopen her intelligence.

"Cellphone!" Ritsuko Akagi tugged at Shinji Ikari, indicating that his cell phone was ringing in his pocket. He was truly grateful to the countermeasures bureau down the mountain for providing communication support, as the signal vehicle was parked there.

"Okuni?" Shinji Ikari glanced at the phone. It wasn't someone else calling him, but Izumo Okuni, who should be busy in Minakami Village right now. Had something happened there? Or had some kind of disturbance suddenly occurred in Minakami Village, which was hidden away?

"Something has happened at Morishita-ya... The entire Morishita-ya is now almost shrouded in resentment, making it impossible to enter. There was a sudden change in the weather here. According to a few survivors on the outskirts of the countermeasures bureau, the people inside said that a blood sacrifice has taken place. Tell them to run!" As soon as the call connected, Izumo no Okuni said quickly, completely forgetting about his earlier plan to curse Shinji Ikari to death.

"...So that's how it is." Shinji Ikari looked at the imposing Michiko before him. Clearly, she didn't care whether he would be completely destroyed afterward.

After Michiko appeared, Morishita Yamato's complexion visibly and rapidly declined. The drunken shrimp dish was not served to the judges, but was instead placed entirely in front of Dojima Gin, clearly as a farewell gift for him. As for the judges...

The meal served to Morishita Yamato was a farewell meal, but wasn't what they ate also a farewell meal?! The moment Michiko appeared, these judges immediately tried to jump off the table and run away, but how could they possibly succeed? The food battle isn't over yet, you all have to stay here obediently, even if you die, it has to be with Michiko's permission, right?

Even if these judges completely disregarded their decorum and revealed their true beast forms, they didn't even have time to run a few steps before being grabbed by the overwhelming black hair and dragged back. Then, the black hair was poured into their ears, noses, and mouths, and heart-wrenching screams immediately rang out. These demonic beasts were practically skinned alive by the black hair, and all their flesh, bones, and organs were completely pulverized into bloody water, leaving only a thin layer of skin in the end.

The five skins were delivered directly to Michiko by the black-haired man. Michiko smiled happily and even opened them to show Morishita Yamato, who was pale and coughing incessantly. Morishita Yamato also smiled with relief, but he was too weak to praise Michiko's masterpiece, which disappointed her.

"What deep-seated hatred must there be..." Gojo Satoru twitched his lips. What a vicious spirit, what brutal methods. There weren't many people left watching the show. Most of the mountain spirits and monsters had fallen into utter panic after Michiko appeared. This was the absolute suppression brought about by the difference in rank. Their fear could not be overcome by reason. The quick ones should have already rushed down to the scene of the mountain god festival, but the countermeasures bureau down the mountain hadn't seen a single one. On the contrary, as time went by, Michiko's spirit was becoming more and more abundant, and the resentment within her was becoming more and more immense.

However, Gojo Satoru still had no intention of making a move. This was the Mountain God Festival, a place where he shouldn't be taking action. If he did, these demons might not only fail to thank him for saving their lives, but would also use it as an excuse to force the Spellcaster Association to pay a price for breaking a taboo. Of course, if he could force Gojo Satoru to his death, that would be an unexpected bonus!

"Enough... Morishita Yamato, you've taken your revenge, now it's time to stop!" Seeing the area covered by the black hair growing wider and wider, although it hadn't attacked anyone else yet, this development clearly sent a chill down the spine of Fengyuan Honganji. As the host of this session, Fengyuan Honganji naturally couldn't watch any longer and stood up to loudly stop it, trying to lure Morishita Yamato to stop there.

"Hey..." Morishita Yamato, whose eyes were already bleeding, was about to collapse. He forced a ferocious smile onto his face and finally expressed his thoughts with a crude middle finger.

"Hmph... You think your female ghost can last long! The tribulation lightning is almost over, and you still dare to kill living beings before the tribulation. I think you all have a death wish!" The Mad Resentment Honganji knew that the five judges who had just stepped onto the stage were among the best. He didn't object to cannibalism, but they hadn't cleaned up the mess and dragged him into it. Back then, Morishita Yamato was just an ordinary person, whom he could easily crush with a flick of his wrist! Now, he was going to face a near-demon! The Mad Resentment Honganji wished he could drag those trash out and kill them all again.

The other reason why the Mad Resentment Honganji Temple was unwilling to take action was none other than that this damned evil spirit was about to face the tribulation lightning that would elevate her. Originally, ghosts and gods were not tolerated by the world, and it was not news that they were suffering from tribulation lightning. But now, this thing was indiscriminately killing all kinds of monsters under the tribulation lightning while it was brewing. It was simply a blatant provocation! The Mad Resentment Honganji Temple dared not guess how much the tribulation lightning would be strengthened in the end.

So, under such circumstances, asking him to fight the female ghost in front of him, Fengyuan Honganji doesn't consider himself a selfless saint. Just stepping in to stop him is considered fulfilling his responsibility.

"Whoosh..." Just because he thought that way didn't mean everyone else thought that way. Michiko's shrill scream suddenly rang out, and the black hair on the ground pierced into the bodies of everyone nearby. Countless monsters were almost instantly pierced through by the long hair, and blood sprayed everywhere in the entire mountain god festival venue, covering the entire festival site almost instantly. Apart from a few strong ones, most of the monsters started to flee like madmen.

However, their escape was completely futile. With the slaughter, Michiko, who was clearly devouring their flesh and souls, became even stronger. Her black hair chased after them even faster and pinned down the fleeing monsters. The original mountain god festival instantly turned into a slaughterhouse. Only this time, it was the monsters who had been relying on their individual strength who were being slaughtered.

"The countermeasures bureau will be very happy afterward... even though they themselves have lost quite a few people." Shinji Ikari looked at the black-haired demon at his feet, who had also launched an attack, but the attack was not strong. Listening to the screams coming from all directions, he felt very lucky. Michiko's intelligence, perhaps because of Yamato Morishita, had already been present, instead of slowly awakening like other demons.

The moment Michiko appeared, most of the mountain spirits and monsters had already fled. The few remaining were all of a certain level of cultivation, and these guys were eyeing Michiko, simply because they believed in taking risks for riches. This was something that both humans and monsters understood very well. Regardless of whether the other party successfully passed the tribulation, the moment the tribulation ended would be the best opportunity.

There weren't many humans at the Mountain God Festival to begin with; most of them were from the Onmyōryō (Yin-Yang Bureau), the Countermeasures Bureau, and the Spellcasters. Now, with the yokai (demons) taking their anger out on them, they basically banded together and formed several groups, making it very easy to distinguish which group to attack.

"You deserve to die!" Feng Yuan Honganji looked at the mass slaughter of the demons, his eyes bloodshot. Although the lives of these guys had nothing to do with him, as a merchant, his reputation was the most important thing. Without a doubt, after today, as the guardian of this mountain god festival, he would have no reputation left.

Enraged, he began to reveal his true colors. Since the lightning tribulation wasn't aimed at him, even if he had to endure it, he would stop these two madmen and prevent them from continuing their slaughter! Otherwise, the Mountain God Festival becoming a laughing stock was a minor matter; the real problem would be the loss of human respect for them!

"What reason do you have to think you can leave alive?" Morishita Yamato leaned against the kitchen counter, struggling to stand. Behind him, Michiko turned her head slightly to look at the Mad En Honganji Temple.

"You dare to challenge me!" With his hands clasped together in a mudra, the madman Honganji clearly began chanting a spell, drawing upon his demonic power. The black hair beside him was shredded to pieces.

"Pfft..." But almost without warning, Honganji was sent flying by the suddenly formed black whip.

"Hahaha... Hahahaha! Guests from afar are guests, none of them... will leave alive!" Looking at the mountain god festival scene below the stage, which was almost covered in blood, Morishita Yamato's mouth revealed a maniacal smile!

Chapter 128 Eat Me

"Finally, he couldn't hold on any longer. Is his mind starting to crumble?" A faint golden aura began to emanate from Shinji Ikari's body as he crossed his arms in front of him. "Hurry up to the platform, this is going to kill us!"

The reason for this was that Michiko had begun to indiscriminately attack everyone in the venue. As her curly black hair tore a large number of monsters to shreds, Morishita Yamato, who was already bleeding from all seven orifices, could no longer stand. With a stumble, he knelt on the ground, his face contorted in pain as he braced himself with his hands. The blood flowing from his seven orifices quickly formed a pool on the ground.

Michiko suddenly let out an angry roar in mid-air, as if she knew that Morishita Yamato was about to fall. As she roared, the blood that had already soaked her black hair turned into waves of blood and surged up. Many monsters who were waiting for the tribulation to occur so they could take advantage of the situation, as well as the humans who were hiding on the side, could not escape this time.

Those who planned to wait for the right moment, including humans and monsters, were almost immediately swallowed up by the sea of ​​blood. After struggling a couple of times in the sea of ​​blood, they were lucky to survive in this blood-soaked and bone-corroding water. However, after struggling a few times, they would disappear without a trace, quickly turning into a pool of blood.

A few of the stronger ones were strangled by Michiko's black hair. Of course, there were also some fierce people who tried to fight back. One of them drew his sword and charged towards Michiko as if walking on flat ground in the sea of ​​blood. But just as he thought he had succeeded, Michiko grabbed his neck with one hand.

Michiko lifted the person, who was taller than her, high into the air. Without her exerting much effort, the person's life essence was drained in an instant, turning into a withered, dried corpse. Michiko casually tossed the person aside, then pulled the longsword from her chest and threw it into the sea of ​​blood. The spiritual energy on the sword was instantly corrupted, emitting a cloud of mist.

"What a waste of a fine sword! Why are you two so calm!" Isayama Mei looked regretful. This sword looked to be of very good quality; even if it wasn't as good as the Lion King, it was almost there! Isayama Mei glanced at Isayama Yomi, who was not far away, and snorted coldly.

The rest of the people were together. Isayama Yomi was not far from Isayama Mei. In order to avoid the blood sea's slaughter, most of the humans had to hide in high places before the blood sea surrounded them. And right now, the highest place in the mountain god festival was the food battle platform.

Of course, no one dared to approach the rampaging Michiko right now; they could only head to another platform, to Dojima Gin's side! Even so, fortunately, most of the monsters had already been slaughtered by Michiko in the previous attacks, and now, in her frenzied state, only...

"Why is it that its attack method, after being significantly enhanced, becomes a sea of ​​blood! And why does it turn into a pool of blood after the apostles die!" A whole host of questions swirled in Ritsuko Akagi's mind. "What exactly is in our blood? Or rather, what is blood?"

“Blood is the lake that carries the soul, the coin of the soul. If genes represent our basic structure, then our blood perhaps represents our soul.” Dojima Gin, who had just snapped out of his daze after Michiko’s shout, put down his chopsticks and looked across at Morishita Yamato, who was barely breathing and bleeding from all seven orifices. “Although I’m very unwilling, but… as expected of my senior.”

"..." Morishita Yamato seemed to hear it, and the corners of his mouth curled up. In the last few days of his life, after obtaining this item, he had already calmed down and carefully prepared the dish with Michiko's help. Now he had gained the approval of his opponent.

"You actually dared to eat that? You might be the first person in the world to eat a dish made by a near-demon god." Shinji Ikari, standing to the side, was full of admiration as he looked at Gin Dojima. Did this guy have the guts of a bear and the courage of a leopard? The near-demon god opposite him had simply sliced ​​up the shrimp, but... you actually dared to put it in your mouth! A true man! I'm impressed!

"What? What? Red?" Gojo Satoru, who had been observing the lightning tribulation loading in the sky, turned around immediately upon hearing Shinji Ikari's exclamation. He then looked at the shrimp sashimi that was missing several pieces, smacked his lips, and swallowed hard. "What does it taste like?"

"The taste?" Dojima Gin took a deep breath and looked at Gojo Satoru beside him. "The dream of a young man, the helplessness and pain of middle age, the exhilaration of letting go of all constraints. It's a loss for Nakiri-sama that he didn't get to taste this. If you're brave enough, you can try it..." Dojima Gin said with a smile.

What is there to be afraid of eating? As chefs, they pursue the ultimate in culinary art. So what if the fierce god cooks? He is still willing to eat it, and he is certain that in the end, the other party is simply pursuing the outcome of the food battle with him.

If the goal was to kill him, why go through all the trouble of poisoning him? Although the one opposite him was a quasi-demon, unlike Shinji Ikari's Kirie who was a true demon, if he wanted to kill him, he would probably just behead him, and he wouldn't have a chance to resist at all.

"Boom!" Just as the group was starting to waver, a deep rumble of thunder began in the clouds above. The tribulation of lightning, meant to punish everything, was about to begin. Lightning serpents rolled and roared incessantly in the clouds, preparing to unleash their punishment on Michiko, who dared to provoke them.

"Hmph, you fool... Your troubles are here!" With difficulty, it rose from the pile of debris, the Mad Vengeful Honganji Temple with a ferocious expression. It didn't want to fight this obviously insane thing in the first place. It had deliberately created an opening, which allowed the other party to knock it away. After that, it could play the role of being seriously injured and recuperating at home. But with Morishita Yamato's commotion, it would be a long time before it caused any more trouble in Japan.

Whether it's humans who feel the monsters have been weakened and plan to take advantage of the situation to wipe them out, or monsters who are angry and want revenge, ha, it's another big show! The reason why the Honganji Temple has been able to live so long and survive one disaster after another is because of its ability to extricate itself in time.

When he saw Morishita Yamato enter the Mountain God Festival, he knew that this time the Mountain God Festival would not end well. After all, Morishita Yamato was one of the few who had escaped from those guys' control, and he was quite famous. So after returning, he immediately arranged for his shop to close, and had his female companion and his subordinates organize an evacuation before going out to continue patrolling. Just as he guessed, the other party had no intention of honestly causing any trouble with the damn food war.

The only problem is that even the Mad En Honganji Temple didn't expect Morishita Yamato to go so far this time, directly elevating a female ghost to a damned evil god during the mountain god festival? Even without this female ghost's indiscriminate killing and the resulting lightning tribulation, it would be enough to strike most of the people present. What's worse is that with the female ghost's antics, blood has spread everywhere in the area, and the lightning tribulation in a while will probably be tough for everyone!

"Boom!" After the thunderclouds churned for a while, the first lightning bolt struck down suddenly. Although it was only the first bolt, the dazzling lightning was so bright that everyone present could not open their eyes.

The might of Heaven was almost unmistakably manifested in this strike; the sea of ​​blood above the Mountain God Festival venue was instantly evaporated by a third under the lightning strike.

"Ha..." Morishita Yamato struggled to tilt his head back, so he could look at Michiko, the girl he had killed with his own hands, the girl he had...eaten. Yes, that day, to reward him for his delicious cooking, they gave him a piece. They watched him eat it, watched him vomit into the trash can, unable to straighten up, and they laughed heartily, overjoyed!

Morishita Yamato felt that what he ate with that bite wasn't just meat... but his own conscience, his right to be human! From that moment on, Morishita Yamato felt like a demon walking among demons! And today, that demon has come to claim his life!

"Boom!" The second bolt of lightning struck straight down without any hesitation. This time, the sea of ​​blood was evaporated, revealing the long, jet-black hair that covered the ground.

"Eat me," Morishita Yamato said calmly.

"..." Michiko ignored him, because the third bolt of lightning had already struck. The terrifying divine punishment almost instantly shattered part of Michiko's long hair.

"I said, eat me." Morishita Yamato said again. With blood flowing from his seven orifices, he could only vaguely see the outline of Michiko, and his eyes were beginning to lose focus.

"Boom!" An even stronger thunderbolt struck, and the spreading lightning, like a group of thunder snakes, roamed throughout the entire site of the Mountain God Festival. Except for a few places where people managed to hold back the crowds with various means, it basically annihilated all living beings.

"Boom!" Almost without any pause, the next bolt of lightning struck Michiko, who had been so imposing just a second ago, and sent her crashing down beside Morishita Yamato.

"So, I said, just eat me. That way, at least I won't be too bored on the road." Morishita Yamato turned his head to look at the ferocious god before him, who could already be considered a failed ascension candidate. "Anyway, you won't be able to protect me from the next lightning strike, will you?"

"..." Michiko turned her head and looked at Morishita Yamato.

"Come on, middle-aged meat shouldn't taste too bad. You're still the same young girl you used to be, but your meat... is not tasty at all!"

"Ow!"

"Take it easy..."

Chapter 129 Entrustment

"..." Gojo Satoru was expressionless, seriously studying the types of ants under his feet. Judging from his constant deep breathing, he seemed to be having a hard time holding back his emotions.

"..." Dojima Gin's face was ugly. He looked down at his feet. Although he wanted to laugh, it was really not the right time.

"Pfft!" Isayama Mei laughed without any politeness, then was tapped on the head by a barrier rope, and immediately restrained himself, assuming the demeanor of a Yamato Nadeshiko.

"Eh?" Sakaki Ryoko, who was curious about Himuro Kirie's appearance, opened her eyes wide, wanting to see what Himuro Kirie looked like. However, her eyes were gently covered by the barrier rope. After all, if you looked at her, unless you were very powerful, you would be unlucky for a few days.

"Thank you, Kirie-nee!" Shinji Ikari was covered in bumps from being hit, looking like a Buddha, but he still thanked her respectfully. Ryoko Sakaki wasn't rolling on the ground laughing this time; she was dressed up to give face to Michiko opposite her and the heavenly tribulation, to be serious, as she was undergoing tribulation.

However, as the lightning continued to bombard them, Shinji Ikari and the others were finding it increasingly difficult to withstand the onslaught. Although it seemed they could now descend from the platform, the entire mountain god festival platform was already a sea of ​​lightning. Going down would be tantamount to inviting lightning upon themselves, as if they were courting death.

But standing at this height, wouldn't you still attract lightning? Looking at the lightning bolt as thick as a water vat falling from the sky, Gojo Satoru, who had just been hit by the aftershock of the previous lightning bolt, was almost numb. He looked at the person opposite him in disbelief. Although he was slumped on the ground, looking extremely disheveled, Michiko, who was still struck by lightning, remained calm.

Therefore, for the sake of his life, Shinji Ikari had no choice but to grit his teeth and pour most of his spiritual power into the Divine Mirror to open the passage to the Himuro Mansion.

"It's only been a few days!" Himuro Kirie angrily slapped away a bolt of lightning and yelled at Shinji Ikari, who was clutching his head. Himuro Kirie, who was watching the latest season of "Hanzawa Naoki" inside the Himuro mansion, turned around and found that the mirror was open. Moreover, she could feel a threatening aura coming from behind the mirror. Immediately realizing that Shinji Ikari had caused trouble again, Himuro Kirie rushed over.

"Is it her?" She'd already hit him and scolded him. Shinji's "I was wrong, I'll do it next time" attitude infuriated Himuro Kirie, but now wasn't the time to deal with him! She'd go back and beat him to a pulp! However, Himuro Kirie was starting to admire Shinji's ability to cause trouble. Things were getting bigger and bigger, and she could even see the lightning tribulation. At least she wasn't completely unable to cover this up.

"No need... I guess she doesn't want to live anymore. With a lightning tribulation of this scale today, she's bound to die." Shinji Ikari sighed. Just like the others, he saw that Gin Dojima hadn't had any problems after eating, so he directly picked up a piece with his chopsticks. He instantly felt that Yamato Morishita's cooking skills were also the kind of terrifying chef with unfathomable depth.

So, although they didn't hear the other side's account firsthand, Shinji Ikari and most others roughly understood the story of Yamato Morishita and the unnamed near-demon before them. It was quite poignant; in Shinji's words, it was a perfectly good protagonist archetype who was forcibly corrupted into a villain by a few scoundrels. Isn't that just about infuriating people the best you can get?

What Shinji Ikari didn't say was that although Yamato Morishita's fate was regrettable, even somewhat lamentable, his subsequent actions were anything but saddening. He deserved to die. Frankly speaking, most of those who died or were about to die at the Mountain God Festival today deserved to die! Yamato Morishita bore some of the guilt for the evil deeds committed by the Ghoul Group, not to mention those he personally sank into Tokyo Bay!

He deserves to die, and Michiko, whom he raised on countless corpses, deserves to die as well, especially since neither of them seemed to want to live.

"This is..." Suddenly, Michiko lowered her head and bit down on Morishita Yamato's neck. "Has it devoured its master?"

"It's hard to say whether there's a master-servant relationship between them, so is this really a case of 'devouring the master'?" Dojima Gin didn't see it that way. As a chef, he was able to savor the nuances of a recipe. The fact that Morishita Yamato's skills were being revived through Michiko's hands showed that the relationship between the two was very delicate.

"Morishita Yamato showed no sign of panic, and even accepted everything quite calmly..." Gojo Satoru clicked his tongue in amazement. This was the first time he had ever seen such an interesting scene between Morishita Yamato and Michiko. Not only did the human and the demon not have any conflicts, but they also seemed to live peacefully in the same body. If he knew what Morishita Yamato was muttering right now, Gojo Satoru's expression would definitely be even more interesting.

"Wait, what is she doing..." A group of people watched as Michiko was struck down by lightning. Everyone felt that things should come to an end. Suddenly, they saw Michiko lower her head and bite Morishita Yamato's neck. It seemed that something had changed about Michiko.

The extraction from a near-demon was far beyond what Morishita Dai and a mere mortal could withstand. In an instant, his face turned ashen, and he was barely clinging to life. "It's a pity your body was destroyed before it could be used, otherwise, you wouldn't be so weak..."

Perhaps it was a miracle, or perhaps it was just a final burst of energy before death. Amidst the falling lightning, Morishita Yamato, who had almost lost his sight, unexpectedly began to focus. He could vaguely see Michiko, her face covered in blood and tears, smiling in the shadows. "Don't cry, we've succeeded in our revenge. We should be laughing!"

"Boom!" At this moment, lightning roared down from the sky, engulfing the two of them. In the lightning, Michiko's already dwindling resentment meant she could not withstand this wave of lightning.

With strength that seemed to come from nowhere, Morishita Yamato suddenly pinned the ferocious man beneath him. "Let me shield you for a moment, even if it's just for a moment..." Michiko stared wide-eyed at the man on top of her, a look of heartache appearing amidst the blood and tears of the fanfic. As if she had made a decision, she gritted her teeth and, to Morishita Yamato's astonishment, thrust her hand into his body. Then, in the next instant, she and he seemed to vanish into nothingness together in the lightning.

"That was truly terrifying..." The ninth thunderclap covered up all traces and erased everything. Himuro Kirie simply used the barrier rope to construct a defensive array. Feeling the blinding light seeping through the gaps in the barrier rope, Shinji Ikari narrowed his eyes. It was almost like having a flashbang stuck to his face.

And that's not all. The final lightning tribulation unleashed a terrifying impact. Even those behind the barrier ropes felt the scorching air currents scraping across their faces like knives. If their hearing hadn't been lost due to the thunder's roar, they could hear the muffled thuds of countless pebbles striking the barrier ropes.

"Is it over?" After a while, the lightning dissipated, and the barrier rope slowly dissipated. The group of people looked around blankly at the mountain god festival site, which had been completely leveled by the lightning tribulation. Only a large crater blasted out by the lightning was left. Michiko and Morishita Yamato were nowhere to be found. It seemed that they had probably been struck by lightning and their bodies and souls were destroyed.

Michiko, who unleashed a frenzied massacre on the ground as the tribulation began to brew, did so intentionally. They wanted to ensure that even if they couldn't kill them, nothing could leave this place alive! After the lightning subsided, apart from the group protected by Himuro Kirie, there was no trace of any survivors left in the entire Mountain God Festival.

Even the fierce goddess Himuro Kirie, facing the lightning tribulation amplified to its peak, was not faring well. Her aura weakened slightly, and she appeared somewhat disheveled. However, a fierce goddess is still a fierce goddess, and no one present wanted to try and become her snack. Instead, everyone looked at the spot beneath their savior's feet with reverence (daring not to meet her gaze, lest it shorten their lifespan).

Himuro Kirie ignored them and flicked Shinji Ikari's head hard. Shinji, who was trying to beg for mercy, instantly fainted. From the perspective of Gojo Satoru and several people with the ability to see ghosts, Shinji's spirit was almost ejected by the blow. A chill ran down their spines, and Shinji collapsed to the ground with a thud. No one dared to help him up.

"Ryoko, take him back." Himuro Kirie looked around, the barrier rope began to retract, and after saying this, Himuro Kirie turned into a dark cloud of smoke and returned to the Himuro mansion through the Divine Mirror. The barrier rope automatically resealed the Divine Mirror.

"Does this mean they knocked him out to prevent him from causing more trouble?" Ritsuko Akagi asked curiously. She could understand Kirie Himuro's thoughts perfectly. "Why are you everywhere! Troublemaker!" She had just left NERV's infirmary when she was immediately struck by lightning at the Mountain God Festival.

A group of people looked at Shinji Ikari, who was lying unconscious on the ground, and then at the Divine Mirror lying in Shinji's arms. They shook their heads. Some of them might have had the idea, but then they thought about Michiko, who had just gone on a killing spree, and how the Himuro mansion had always been a "good place" from which there was no return. Even if they stole the Divine Mirror... wouldn't that be like sending her coordinates and telling her that her sister would come here to kill them next time?

“The problem is that Shinji’s motorcycle is still down the mountain.” Ryoko Sakaki clicked her tongue. Just now, Ritsuko Akagi showed her her car keys, obviously intending to take them back, but she can’t ride a motorcycle, and she can’t just leave it here.

“I happen to have some things to investigate here. Give me the keys, I’d like to try out Shinji’s Falcon. That guy’s always bragging to me about his finely tuned motorcycle.” Gojo Satoru clapped his hands, indicating that this was perfect timing. He needed a means of transportation, so he could ride Shinji’s motorcycle.

"Here!" Ryoko Sakaki pulled the keys from Shinji Ikari's pocket and tossed them to Satoru Gojo. Then she reached for the Mirror of the Gods in Shinji's arms. However, before grabbing the Mirror of the Gods, Ryoko Sakaki stopped, her hand trembling slightly. She took a deep breath, swallowed, and then grasped the Mirror of the Gods. The Mirror of the Gods didn't seem to mind her at all, letting her place it securely into Shinji's small bag.

"Alright! Let me check the rest. Everyone hurry home. After I'm done, I'll use a teleportation spell to return directly to Kyoto." Gojo Satoru clapped his hands, speaking with a very relaxed expression, as if he were the unlucky guy cleaning up after a cherry blossom viewing party...

The group exchanged glances. Everyone present roughly understood the current state of the Mountain God Festival. It had been slaughtered by a ferocious god and bombarded by lightning. What could possibly remain? All that was left was a pile of trouble, with absolutely no benefits to be gained.

"So it looks like the finishing touches will be up to you. Come to the Nakiri Hotel sometime, and I'll definitely treat you to a good meal." Dojima Gin patted Gojo Satoru on the shoulder, his expression slightly embarrassed. He had indeed set aside a few servings of curry lobster seafood risotto, and theoretically Gojo Satoru should have had one too. But now, along with Morishita Yamato's last creation, the Drunken Shrimp Sashimi, it had all been packed up and taken away by Sakaki Ryoko.

But no one could say anything now. After all, they were able to survive and endure the fierce lightning punishment entirely thanks to Himuro Kirie, whom Shinji Ikari had invited. Ryoko Sakaki took away all the delicacies, and no one present had a second thought. After all, the opportunity to feel the majestic power of the heavens at a height of more than 20 meters was rare. If it weren't for Himuro Kirie's protection, look at the mountain god festival site, all that would be left is a huge crater, and the faint smell of blood and burnt food mixed together in the air.

"Alright, everyone's gone. It's the last one left, just us." After watching everyone descend the mountain, Gojo Satoru lowered his waving hand, turned around and looked behind him. "I really didn't expect that you could survive such a tribulation of lightning, even if it's just a remnant of your soul." Gojo Satoru pulled up his blindfold and said with a rare serious expression.

"..." Michiko's remnant soul slowly floated out from the ground. She was completely unrecognizable as the fierce and brutal person she had been before. She just knelt on the ground, looking lost and helpless, and seemingly having no will to live.

“Although I don’t know what you’re thinking right now, I know your fate is very unfortunate, but this world really doesn’t need another evil god who has survived the lightning punishment.” Gojo Satoru sighed. He had to annihilate Michiko in front of him. Although he didn’t know how she survived such a terrifying lightning punishment, it was only a matter of time before Michiko went crazy and lost control because her soul was incomplete, or she would be taken away by someone with ulterior motives and turned into a killing tool again.

Gojo Satoru decided to end it all here. He reached out and began to cast a spell. "Although it's a bit inappropriate to say this now, I just tasted the food you made. It was delicious. If there is an afterlife, you will be a good wife."

“…Ah…” Michiko shook her head slightly, reached into her heart, and slowly pulled out something. She held it in her hand, seemingly wanting Gojo Satoru to take it away.

"This is..." Gojo Satoru was stunned. "Today is truly a miraculous day!" A spirit, a spirit so pure that Gojo Satoru couldn't even believe it. Gojo Satoru suddenly realized that this nascent spirit seemed to have just experienced the tribulation of lightning alongside Michiko! In other words, although this spirit is currently very weak, its future potential is terrifying because its starting point at birth is almost above the finish line of others; it can almost be described as limitless...

"..." Watching Gojo Satoru cradle the tiny spirit, Michiko smiled, and then began to collapse and disappear from her own heart. This consciousness was something she had forcibly torn from her body to protect this nascent spirit, but under the tribulation of lightning, how could it be so easy to dodge? It was already extremely difficult to barely survive. Even if she hadn't entrusted it to Gojo Satoru, it would have dissipated soon anyway.