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

Akane Kiryu, whose body was made of flames, grabbed the puppet by the neck. The flames began to surge and pour into the puppet's body. Despite the puppet's constant struggles as an evil spirit, it was held firmly by Akane Kiryu. Mei Isayama watched this scene, shook his head, and felt a strange feeling in his heart for some reason.

Then she sighed, feeling a sense of unease. Of course she did. She knew that recently, her father had called her, still complaining about her naivety and that she should have taken the initiative. How could the things belonging to the Isayama family fall into the hands of a mere adopted brat?

Isayama Mei immediately scoffed at his father's statement. Could Isayama Yomi really keep his money safely? There was no need to ask; how could his father and Isayama Yomi's uncles and aunts possibly let Isayama Yomi live a comfortable life?

But things are different for Mei Isayama now. She can decide how much she earns, how she wants to draw it, and what she wants to buy. Just recently, when she bought that egg for 1000 million yen, her hand didn't even tremble. Before, her father would never have agreed to it. So Mei Isayama feels increasingly lucky.

When the Flame Spirit stood up once more, Kiryu Akane walked up to Isayama Mei, took out a fragment, and handed it to him. Then, she herself turned into countless sparks and vanished.

"Shinji, have you solved it?" Mei Isayama glanced at it and confirmed that it was indeed the fragment he needed. He was slightly surprised that it was in the hands of this puppet.

“Yes, we only have Makabe Seijiro’s piece left now.” Shinji Ikari flicked the object in his hand with a smile on his face.

"Shinji, it's possible that your guess is true. Those sisters are very fast... They might not just be attracted sacrifices anymore, so are you sure you can do it this way?" Asou Yuu held up the camera and pointed it at Amakura Mio, who was shouting "Sister, wait for me!" as she chased after Amakura Mayu ahead. Amakura Mayu, though a little lame, was determined to chase after a red butterfly and slowly pressed the shutter.

Just as he pressed the shutter, a person dressed in priestly attire suddenly emerged slowly from behind the wall, raising a staff and smashing it down on the back of Asou Yuu's head. They were priests who were to uphold this ritual; whether in life or in death, in their remaining consciousness, they had to ensure the success of the Crimson Sacrifice Ritual! And Shinji Ikari and his group, as obstacles, were naturally the ones who had to be eliminated!

However, before his staff touched Asou Yuu, a series of flashes suddenly appeared behind him. The priest's vengeful spirit was instantly severely injured, and its spirit could no longer control its original form, collapsing in an instant.

“It seems we’ve stirred up real trouble here.” Asou Yuu turned her head slightly, glanced at the devastated priest behind her, and shook her head. The detection equipment in his hand told her that his camera was constantly consuming film and stored spiritual energy. In just over ten minutes, due to the constant triggering, it had already consumed more than half of it.

"Oh? Why?" Shinji Ikari placed the Resurrection Talisman on Kiryu Zentatsu's face. Kiryu Zentatsu, who had been beaten to the point of near death, looked at Kiryu Akane hanging to the side and a bitter smile appeared on his spirit's face. He had failed to protect his daughters in life, and it seemed that he had failed to protect them in death as well. But this time, it seemed that it could be considered a good thing.

"Because behind them, there's a red butterfly. I'm sure you don't think that a red butterfly is meaningless in this godforsaken place," Asou Yuu simply described.

“I’ve already obtained the fragment. Are we going to the Kurosawa family next? We should be able to find the girl in this village who’s second only to the one with the red rope around her waist there, right?” Mei Isayama said simply.

"You mean Kurosawa Sae? No, I think she's not as strong as Kirie-nee. We both saw Kirie-nee at the Himuro mansion. I think you two remember how fierce she was back then." Shinji Ikari shook his head self-deprecatingly. If he hadn't discovered that there really was a kind mode in a loli form, Shinji Ikari really thought he was doomed. However, it was only by constantly flirting with Kirie that he gradually awakened Kirie-nee's true form. Others might think they have some secret techniques, but that's nothing. It's just good luck, thick skin, and the ability to make desserts. Yes, both Kirie-nee and Kirie-nee love to eat desserts.

Thinking this, Shinji Ikari took out his Divine Mirror and glanced at it. During that time, he really was... Shinji Ikari never expected that the moment he picked up the Divine Mirror, it would open naturally, and Himuro Kirie's big white eyes were glaring at him.

The barrier rope unfolded, passing over Kiryu Zentatsu and Kiryu Akane who were being exorcised, and gathered all the various spirits wandering nearby, dragging them directly into the Divine Mirror.

These spirits were stuffed directly into the evil spirit cart next to them by the barrier rope. The evil spirit cart, which looked somewhat dying, suddenly seemed to be overfed after being fed so much.

"A few days?" The barrier rope gently tapped her forehead. Himuro Kirie covered her face, feeling a bit of a headache from her troublesome younger brother, Ikari Shinji. He had just arrived home and made her some dessert with Ryoko. The moment Shinji touched the Divine Mirror, Himuro Kirie felt a chilling aura.

"It's been a few days, hasn't it?" Shinji Ikari's smile was a little awkward. How was he supposed to respond to that? He was afraid he'd be sent to the Himuro mansion later.

“Reason.” Himuro Kirie knelt on the ground, glancing at the ghost car beside her, which seemed to be swaying a few times because it was feeling uncomfortable.

"We've discovered a hidden place here. It's said that there's something called 'Void' underneath. If possible, I'd like to seal this place off, otherwise something big is bound to happen."

"Rope, I'll notify the Onmyo Bureau." Himuro Kirie rolled her eyes at Shinji Ikari, annoyed. *You think you're so capable?* Has everyone else in the world died? Himuro Kirie planned to leave her dungeon and go find the Onmyo Bureau. They had two teams of shrine maidens practicing naginata dances and refining sealing rituals there; wouldn't this come in handy?

"By the way, Kirie, is there any sign of the underworld around here?" Shinji Ikari was unaware of Kirie Himuro's plans. He simply shrugged. Not being beaten up was already a victory for him. He had been publicly humiliated by Kirie Himuro that day, shocking everyone. Shinji felt like he had completely died that day, unaware of how many people were incredibly envious of his treatment.

"Yomi." Upon hearing these two words, Himuro Kirie slightly turned her head, extended her barrier rope, and grabbed another priest's evil spirit from the street. She brought it close to her, squinted her eyes to sense it, and then shook her head at Shinji Ikari. "No."

“Okay… I have an idea, sis. You can think about what you want to eat this weekend. I’ll make you a cake.” Shinji Ikari began to launch his dessert offensive.

"Hmph... Ropes! Seal!" A long rope was thrown out, containing the power of Himuro Kirie, which was meant for Shinji Ikari to seal.

"Thank you!" Watching the Divine Mirror slowly close, Shinji Ikari began packing his things and went out to reunite with his companions. If Himuro Kirie said there was no aura of the Underworld here, then what exactly was this Hollow? Shinji Ikari put the barrier rope Himuro Kirie had given him around his arm. "What exactly was the Crimson Sacrifice ritual for?"

"Once we find it, we'll know, especially now that the other side is more anxious than we are."

"Yes, Kurosawa Sashige is extremely eager to complete the ritual that was never finished."

"This is really interesting."

Chapter 143 The Kurosawa Family

"They've been here too?" Shinji Ikari looked at some lunchboxes with the Morishitaya mark with a strange expression. According to the information sent by Inspector Yakushiji Ryoko, she should have found the important location where Yamato Morishita was conducting synthesis experiments. However, due to an accident, some of the remaining experimental subjects broke the seal. Although Inspector Yakushiji managed to escape, a fire burned the site to the ground. The only thing that survived was a notebook in Yakushiji Ryoko's hand, which is now in the hands of the Onmyōryō (Bureau of Yin and Yang).

After confirming that the Kiryu family had no valuable information or items, Shinji Ikari and his group entered their final destination: the Kurosawa family.

As for why it was the last one, it was because Tachibana Jugetsu sent a message that Yae, also known as Amakura Mio, had already caused a huge uproar here, and the remaining keys had been obtained by Amakura Mio.

This news left the three of them looking at each other in disbelief. This little girl's efficiency was terrifying! She actually caught up with their progress in such a short time? Shinji Ikari certainly couldn't have guessed that, thanks to Aso Yuu's optimization, what Amakura Mio had in her hands now was not the Spirit Camera Unit-01 that Aso Yuu had carefully protected in her bag, but a popular model manufactured by the Onmyōryō after Aso Yuu made the core components.

While its maximum power might not be as impressive as the camera Kunihiko Aso himself created, there's no doubt that their camera is exceptionally simple to use, and in many other aspects. As a result, Mio Amagura is remarkably efficient, except when facing a few powerful evil spirits.

In addition, during her previous wanderings, she had managed to collect several looting compilations compiled by Mei Isayama, meaning that Mio Amagura, carrying her small bag, had no shortage of film. Moreover, most of the early mysteries had been either solved or "solved" by Shinji Ikari and his two companions. As a result, Mio Amagura swept through the entire Minakami Village while chasing after her older sister.

This left Shinji Ikari and the other two somewhat numb. As expected of the game's protagonists, when they get going, it's beyond the comprehension of normal people.

Shinji Ikari casually asked Mei Isayama, "This girl is so talented, Mei Isayama, why don't you just take her on as your apprentice?!"

Without any hesitation, Isayama Mei crossed her arms in front of her chest, gesturing in refusal. "While it's true that she has excellent spiritual talent, we all have to undergo combat training since childhood. Whether it's me or Isayama Yomi, the arduous training we've undergone since childhood is no joke. She's too old; there's no need for her to suffer like that. Besides, this girl has a burden to carry on, which is incredibly troublesome."

Shinji Ikari simply shrugged at Mei Isayama's conclusion; he had only asked on a whim and hadn't expected it to actually come true.

"However, you could recommend her to your good friend. Izumo Taisha wouldn't miss out on her and her sister. With such strong spiritual energy and good looks, a naginata dance in a shrine maiden outfit would definitely make a whole bunch of people swoon." Mei Isayama curled her lip. "At that time, wouldn't your cow-monster give you a face wash?"

"I was just joking, how can you hold a grudge for so long?" Shinji Ikari was speechless. One of the reasons why Mei Isayama was willing to join Shinji Ikari's team was because during an exorcism, Mei Isayama unexpectedly encountered a monster that was much stronger than the investigation had predicted. If Shinji Ikari hadn't happened to be there at that time to exorcise the monster and save her, she would have been finished.

Afterwards, Mei Isayama thanked Shinji Ikari and asked him what kind of gift he wanted. Without thinking, Shinji replied with a face wash. A few days later, when Mei Isayama actually brought Shinji a bag of high-end face wash, Yuu Aso, who was standing next to him, almost laughed herself to death.

Seeing this scene, Mei Isayama thought for a moment before realizing what it meant. He was both angry and annoyed, and kicked Shinji Ikari in anger. For some reason, he was infected by the infectious laughter of Yuu Aso next to him, and after a while, he couldn't help but laugh too. In the end, he inexplicably joined Shinji Ikari's team.

However, for Shinji Ikari and his team right now, the most important thing is not whether Mei Isayama is willing to take them on as apprentices. Their top priority is what the Ghoul Souls have obtained here and what they have researched! This is perhaps the most important thing.

"I don't know, and the fact that they even set up a base in Kurosawa's house shows they're a bunch of fearless people." Shinji Ikari's discovery naturally piqued Yuu Aso's interest. She squatted down, took pictures of everything, and then did a quick search. "This is just their living area, not their research or investigation area."

"Let's go. They won't set up a base in a pointless place. But I find it strange that Tachibana Juzuki didn't mention them. That's odd." Shinji Ikari frowned. Yamato Morishita had dug a huge pit. Japan had been in a state of chaos lately, with anyone coveting power rushing towards Japan.

Apart from the spirit that Gojo Satoru was hiding, everyone saw Michiko, who was about to grow into a fierce god, clinging to Morishita Yamato. The scene of various monsters being slaughtered like vegetables at the entire mountain god festival fully proved that she was not just a pretty face. If she could survive the tribulation of lightning, then Michiko would become a true fierce god in the future.

In this situation, does this mean there's a way to artificially cultivate malevolent gods in a short period of time? What's even more crucial is that, in addition to the previous period, the massive vengeful spirit warship in Tokyo Bay also seemed to have an inexplicable connection with the Evil Soul Group. If a malevolent god represents top-tier power, then the vengeful spirit warship represents a de facto weapon of mass destruction from the mystical side, and both of these... are S-rank!

Therefore, a large number of people entered Japan to investigate Morishita Yamato's research. Naturally, under such circumstances, the Evil Spirits Group also came under scrutiny, and everything related to it was being watched by all parties and subjected to large-scale investigations.

Surprisingly, the fastest progress so far is being made by the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department. That's right, thanks to the efforts of the exorcist goddess, all sorts of details about the evil spirits group have been unearthed, allowing the world to appreciate the evil in human nature.

Therefore, Shinji Ikari and his crew discovered information related to Yamato Morishita here. If they hadn't chosen to destroy it directly, there's no doubt that many people would have been willing to pay a high price for their discovery.

However, Shinji Ikari and the others have just reached a consensus that they do not want such information to circulate in the world. Spreading such deadly information will only increase the average strength of the enemy and enhance the fighting power of the villains. There is already enough trouble in this deadly world. Let's leave some room for ordinary people to live.

"Let's go, let's see what this Avenger has accomplished back then." Shinji Ikari sighed. "No madness, no life." Even those monsters who persecuted Yamato Morishita back then probably didn't expect that Yamato Morishita would turn around and pull such a big trick on them. The Mountain God Festival was originally a gathering where various monsters showed off to humans. Monsters traded, carried out activities, and even bought and sold things that might enrage humans without any restraint.

However, after this, there probably won't be a next time. All of humanity has realized one thing: the gathering of these yokai is a perfect opportunity to solve the problem. The Mountain God Festival has practically wiped out the middle ranks of Japanese yokai, forcing a bunch of low-level yokai to keep their tails between their legs.

So Shinji Ikari and the others simply gathered up all the lunchboxes from Morishita-ya, went to the kitchen, and burned them.

"Hahaha..." At this moment, a sharp and somewhat manic laugh came from the second floor of the Kurosawa family's house, attracting the attention of the three.

"So it really is that particularly powerful evil spirit that roams the village? Its name is Kurosawa Sashige, right?" The three exchanged glances and immediately started running. Shinji Ikari, who was in the lead, briefly explained the situation, and golden particles began to emanate from his body, indicating that he had begun to mobilize his entire body's energy.

“That’s right, that’s what Tachibana Juzuki called the other person. But he’s been avoiding us before. Is he trying to lure us over here?” Asou Yuu quickly gave her judgment at the end.

"Whatever it is, we'll find out soon enough, oh no, we've hit the jackpot!" As soon as Isayama Mei rushed up the stairs, he threw his naginata at a figure dressed in a white kimono with a red rope hanging from her waist. The naginata flew like a missile towards Kurosawa Sashige, who was heading back to the sacrificial site.

Meanwhile, Shinji Ikari, who had rushed forward first, didn't hesitate at all and started running like the wind, immediately conjuring a crimson spirit ball in his hand, clearly intending to give a friendly greeting as soon as they met.

"Bang!" But in the end, neither the naginata thrown by Mei Isayama nor the spirit ball of Shinji Ikari were thrown out. They were interrupted. Suddenly, a fierce spirit that seemed to be covered with various torture instruments rushed out of the room next door, smashed through the paper door, knocked the naginata away from the side, and blocked Mei Isayama's attack.

He was none other than the evil spirit that Makabe Seijiro, the last one to be used as a wedge in the Yin Ritual and to undergo the body-shaving ritual, had become.

However, Shinji Ikari did not hesitate. He kicked off the wall to avoid its punch, and in mid-air, he kicked the crimson Spirit Ball towards the giant man who was already a ferocious spirit.

The giant dodged hastily, but how could he possibly avoid it completely in such a narrow space? The Spirit Ball exploded instantly! The burst of strong wind even caused Shinji Ikari to slam heavily against the wall of the corridor.

Chapter 144 Face to Face

The exploding Spirit Ball instantly dealt a severe blow to Makabe Seijiro, whose sharp scream was filled with pain. However, the attack he was facing was far from over.

Mei Isayama's attack followed almost immediately after Shinji Ikari. The instant Shinji was knocked away, Mei Isayama grabbed the hilt of his naginata and yanked it out. The blade of the naginata rolled back and slashed at Seijiro Makabe's waist. The exploding Spirit Gun forced Seijiro Makabe to take a half-step forward, which effectively blocked his escape route.

Then, just as Seijiro Makabe was about to continue his attack, Mei Isayama caught Shinji Ikari's outstretched foot and leaped forward, while Shinji Ikari rolled backward to dodge.

"Click...click...click!" Although there was no time to activate her ultimate weapon, Asou Yuu's spiritual camera was also taking pictures of the evil spirit in front of her at top speed. The Zero-Type Film Modified had an excellent attack effect. In the short moment of the exchange, the very powerful Makabe Seijiro was suddenly reduced to thinner pieces.

Yes, Makabe Seijiro, originally a malevolent spirit, had a solid spiritual body and abundant resentment. However, after taking this attack, he was instantly severely injured. This was Shinji Ikari's Spirit Gun, which was launched in haste and did not land properly. If it had hit, Makabe Seijiro probably wouldn't have survived Aso Yuu's continuous attacks.

However, his fate ended there. Unlike the others, Makabe Seijiro, who was made into a wedge, had his soul completely driven into madness after undergoing the painful body-shaving ritual, leaving him with no chance of reincarnation.

As he was forced back by the rapid-fire of the spiritual camera and in pain, Shinji Ikari charged forward again. This time, the spiritual energy enveloped Shinji's own palm, emitting a bright crimson light. The scorching flame palm directly gripped Seijiro Makabe's head.

The conflict between spiritual power and resentment lasted only a moment. Makabe Seijiro, who was already exhausted, turned into scattered ashes in an instant, just like firewood after it had been burned.

"I have to say, every time I see this move from you, my biggest question is, are your hands already cooked through?" Asou Yuu came up and delivered another slash to Ash, then chased after Shinji Ikari's back and rushed backward.

"That's just spiritual energy, not real high temperature." Shinji Ikari rolled his eyes. He had both spiritual energy and ki within him, but the two were not contradictory at all. On the contrary, they were interdependent. Training ki made his body strong, and a strong body allowed spiritual energy to grow better. In turn, the growth of spiritual energy would promote the strengthening of his body, indirectly enhancing the presence of ki. However, when using them, the two could not be combined at all. If it weren't for his long-standing muscle memory, just switching between the two powers would be enough to give Shinji a headache.

The two of them were chasing after the knife marks that appeared on the walls and ground, running wildly forward. These were marks left by Mei Isayama for Shinji and his companion to track, since none of them had a nose like Mei's to chase after his perfume. The knife marks continued until they reached a torii gate, where Shinji and his companion finally caught up…

"Who are you!?" A little girl looked at the two people in front of her with a wary expression, but when she saw the spiritual camera that Asou Yuu was holding, her eyes clearly showed a little bit of happy excitement.

"You're Amakura Mio?" Shinji Ikari frowned. "What are you doing here? Didn't I tell you to stay put at the entrance?" Shinji's brows furrowed. There was no one else in this hidden place. There were only the five of them. The group that entered before had all been killed by the evil spirits of Minakami Village for various reasons. So, the person they would encounter here could only be Amakura Mio.

"Yes! You are... Eh!?" Mio Amagura thought for a long time but couldn't remember Shinji Ikari's name.

"You can call me Shinji. This is Yuu. What are you doing here? Never mind, you can wait here." Although it was a redundant statement, Shinji Ikari repeated it again, then gestured for Yuu Aso to follow him down. As members of a squad, they naturally couldn't let Mei Isayama venture into danger alone.

"No! I have to go down with you! I have a reason I must go down!" Amakura Mio took a deep breath and gripped the spiritual camera tightly. "My sister! My sister has been possessed by Kurosawa Sae... She's already gone down to the location of the Crimson Snake Festival! I..."

“Take a deep breath. Are you prepared to die to save your sister? We won’t waste our energy protecting you.” Shinji Ikari sighed. The girl’s reasoning was perfectly valid, but that wasn’t the reason Shinji agreed to let her in. Instead, Yuu Aso gently tugged at Shinji, drawing his attention to a red butterfly in the distance that seemed to be struggling to fly. Despite its arduous struggle, the butterfly was undoubtedly still trying to fly towards them.

Shinji Ikari frowned slightly, seemingly pleased with his luck, and didn't pay much attention, readily agreeing. After all, they didn't really have any good ideas at the moment. Besides, Shinji took a deep breath—was there still hope for a theoretically good ending like Zero & Crimson Butterfly? But that was hardly a good ending at all…

"You guys are so slow!" The group quickly descended the cave into the sacrificial space below. There were many marks of chopping in the cave, clearly indicating that Isayama Mei had not held back at all when they came in. These were just relatively strong evil spirits among the C-rank, so it was hard to say that they were a match for Isayama Mei. Isayama Mei did not stop much along the way and just smashed them in.

"Mio, you've finally arrived." The group entered the bottom of the cave, and in everyone's eyes, Kurosawa Sashige, dressed in a pale white yukata, stood on the ground, laughing wildly. The demonic laughter echoed in everyone's ears for a moment, but soon, their vision returned to normal, and Tensou Koko's figure appeared in their sight. "Let us become one."

"Sister!" Amakura Mio immediately tried to rush up and pull her sister up, but was held back by Isayama Mei who was standing to the side.

"Your sister is acting strangely... Shinji, did you fight your sister at the Gates of the Underworld before?" Mei Isayama took a deep breath and asked.

"No, I would definitely be dead if I did that." Shinji Ikari said seriously. He wasn't the reincarnation of Kirie's lover, so he didn't have the face to prevent her from killing him. If he had encountered Himuro Kirie back then, he would have been dead for sure.

"Hmm? So can I summon your sister now?" Aso Yuu looked at Kurosawa Sage, who kept appearing, and suddenly felt a chill run down her spine. She was lucky that she had listened to Tachibana Jugetsu's advice and escaped through the tunnel that day. Otherwise, if she had been alone with her equipment at the time, she would probably have been killed instantly by the female ghost.

"No... I don't know if this Hollow leads to the Underworld, but the resentment here is no joke. This place has an advantage in location, but... that troublesome thing below is really powerful." Shinji Ikari took a deep breath. He had just tried it in the village. Unfortunately, perhaps because the Hidden Abomination itself is a very strange space, even Himuro Kirie's power couldn't directly cross over from the Himuro Mansion. She could only give Shinji some items.

"Is this stuff I've been carrying all this way finally going to come in handy?" Shinji Ikari slowly put down the pack on his back, stretched his arms and legs, then took out a small bottle from the bag next to him and tossed it to Mei Isayama.

Of course, when putting down the package, Shinji Ikari didn't forget to give Yuu Aso a look, indicating the large roll of barrier rope on his package. These barrier ropes, imbued with Himuro Kirie's power, possessed powerful sealing abilities. If they could successfully seal it temporarily, Shinji Ikari was certain that the rest of the matter would be resolved! After all, the Onmyo Bureau might not be a match for them, but they definitely had ways to create some kind of seal.

“Yes! It should come in handy.” Asou Yuu didn't hesitate, grabbing the bag and starting to assemble his design. Then, he suddenly noticed something nearby, and his expression turned to shock. “Give me some time!”

"Alright!" Isayama didn't even think before tilting her head back and gulping down half the sake bottle. Then, she felt her blood and qi roaring all over her body in the next instant. "Good heavens... Is this Ryoko's cooking? You freeloader!" She threw the sake bottle back to Shinji, then assumed an attack stance, and her spiritual power began to surge. There was even a faint flow of air around her.

“Let’s stall for time, Mio. Can you keep an eye on Yuu?” After saying that, Shinji Ikari drank the remaining half of the sake in one gulp. This time, Shinji Ikari subconsciously adopted the starting stance of the Invincible East style.

"I... Sister... I! I can do it!" Amakura Mio took a deep breath. This day had been more impactful than the previous ten years combined. All sorts of incomprehensible events rushed in like a tide, but Amakura Mio gritted her teeth and stood there bravely, not for anything else, but for her sister!

"Kurosawa Sae, no one wants to abandon you... but you can't drag others down with you now!" Shinji Ikari's hand began to gather a spirit ball. "Now... behave yourself!"

Chapter 145 I've been waiting for you

"Hiss... It's Himuro Kirie's request?" Shinji Ikari and the others were unaware of the changing of the day and night while they were in seclusion, but when Izumo no Okuni, who was under outer blockade, saw the entire group of shrine maidens in front of him at dawn the next day, he felt a headache coming on! Was this a plan to go straight for the maximum level of confinement?

Himuro Kirie, in a very rare move, emerged from the underground chamber of the Himuro mansion and conveyed her will to the Onmyōryō members who were practicing in front of the mansion: Shinji Ikari needs reinforcements, go now! Or I'll kill you all! Understand?

Himuro Kirie's demands, or rather threats, were taken very seriously by the Onmyōryō (Yin-Yang Bureau). The shrine maidens from Izumo Taisha immediately boarded a vehicle and headed to Minakami Village. By the time Izumo Okuni received the call, the shrine maidens were already preparing to jump off the vehicle with expressions of grim determination.

When Izumo no Okuni first received the call from his superiors, he thought they had gone crazy again, coming to cause trouble at this time. Didn't these guys know how many people had already been taken in before Shinji Ikari and the others went in?

In order to explore the secrets of the evil god, to uncover the secrets of the hidden realm, or even to take advantage of the chaos, all sorts of people frantically poured people into this hidden realm. How many people did they put in? How many people died in it? Are these guys really in their right minds?

But if this is what Himuro's fog painting requires...

Well, alright, no one can refuse the request of the elder sister. After all, thanks to Shinji Ikari's influence, the entire Onmyōryō can now use the Himuro mansion for training, basically making one day count as two. How could the Onmyōryō possibly tolerate Himuro Kirie's hatred? So after Himuro Kirie made her request, the Onmyōryō immediately mobilized the largest number of shrine maidens in the vicinity to prepare the highest level of confinement to satisfy Himuro Kirie's request.

Looking at the young and inexperienced girls before him, whose expressions were resolute, Izumo no Okuni took a deep breath and said, "Girls, I think you should understand where you are about to go. You should have done all the necessary preparations on the way. I don't need to elaborate on the seriousness of the matter. Let's go in together now! We'll come out together after this is all over!"

After speaking, Izumo no Okuni, like the group of girls, tied up the sleeves of his kimono with a rope, switching to a more convenient and efficient mode. Meanwhile, the shrine maidens in front of him casually removed the dust covers from their naginata.

"Who's the youngest one among you?" Izumo no Okuni had no intention of going in and risking her life herself, so now that these girls were all ready to go in, she naturally couldn't just stand by and watch.

A group of shrine maidens turned to look at the end of the procession. Izumo no Okuni, who looked like she was only of elementary school age, walked over and sighed. These girls were all unfortunate. In this era, orphans were not a new thing. In fact, they were not a small group. The Onmyōryō had a tradition of adopting orphans affected by supernatural events, most of them.

"You stay." After saying this simply, Izumo no Okuni ruffled the girl's hair, then took her naginata from her hand. The girl's eyes instantly reddened, but she was patted on the shoulder with a smile by the person next to her. Yes, they all knew that this was an operation that could very well be a one-way trip; surviving was the greatest blessing.

"Shinji Ikari, you bastard, you better finish this already! Otherwise, I'll make you pay when you get back!" Turning around, Izumo no Okuni gritted her teeth and muttered, "The Onmyōryō has really gone all out! This bunch of girls, even if they just did one group dance, it wouldn't be enough to sell you, Shinji Ikari!"

Himuro Kirie isn't even human, and Izumo no Okuni has decided that arguing with her is pointless. So, it's perfectly reasonable for you, Ikari Shinji, to take the blame! Aren't you his brother? Who else should we turn to if not you?

With a wave of his hand, Izumo no Okuni and all the shrine maidens, carrying naginatas, charged into the shrine under the watchful eyes of everyone...

Meanwhile, Shinji Ikari and his companions were engaged in a fierce battle with Sae Kurosawa, who held the advantage of having the home-field advantage, inside the ritual room.

Behind Kurosawa Sae was a Hollow, and she immediately summoned back most of the wandering spirits in Minakami Village. If Shinji Ikari and the others hadn't already severely injured Seijiro Makabe, they might have faced at least two powerful A-rank evil spirits, and on their home turf, at least one of them would have been upgraded to S-rank by the Hollow. This was definitely not a good situation for the three of them.

"Thump!" The Spirit Ball crashed into the thick black mist. The muffled sound of the Spirit Ball's explosion was accompanied by Kurosawa Sashige's sharp shriek, but Shinji Ikari immediately performed a high jump and a series of backflips, just managing to dodge the barrage of attacks.

The scene resembled a bomb exploding; the immense impact blasted huge craters into the rock face, and shattered rocks rained down on Shinji Ikari in mid-air like stray bullets. Shinji Ikari braced himself against the blast with his hands clasped together in front of him, enveloped in holy light, and took the hit head-on.