One-way traffic

"It looks like it's eroding the tree's own energy, but why is that happening?"

We need to confirm this carefully.

Just as Accelerator had this thought, there was a sound coming from the door of his room.

"Party?"

A familiar voice came from outside the door.

Upon hearing this, the first person put away the time-space generator and casually opened the door.

It's Hatsune Miku, of course.

The girl was dressed in casual clothes, and instead of looking like an idol, she gave off the vibe of a... Western country's young lady.

"I thought you were already asleep."

"How could that be? We just ate, it can't be that fast."

Hatsune Miku appears to be quite happy.

"Are you wondering why I'm so happy? Hmm... I've been thinking about that too."

A nostalgic expression appeared on the girl's face.

"Only after living with them in this era did my soul tell me that all of this was something I had experienced before."

"I did indeed live in this era, and everything here was just like everything in modern times. They were my family..."

"So? You're planning to live in this era from now on?"

"How could that be? Even if you like it, it doesn't mean you can stay here forever."

The girl smiled and looked at the first person.

"After all this is over, could you... come here with me again?"

"I think I really like them. I really enjoy being with Ren, Rin, and Kaito. They are just as important as my family in the modern world."

"...Therefore, I should find out more about what exactly has happened in this era."

After hearing Hatsune Miku's words, Accelerator understood.

He closed his eyes.

"Go and take good care of your younger siblings."

"Ah."

"Then, in turn... I should also go and see what the anomalies in this world are like."

——————————————————————————————

A few hours later, Accelerator appeared directly in the sky above the capital.

He looked into the distance, and even in the pitch-black night, a light still shone brightly in the capital.

It is a kind of radiance that makes people feel incredibly warm.

"That's the one, isn't it?"

A gigantic thing, like an ancient tree reaching to the sky.

The cherry blossom tree was covered in beautiful cherry blossom colors, and the ground beneath it was filled with countless cherry blossom petals, making it look like a sea of ​​flowers.

Accelerator instantly teleported to the base of the tree.

It seems that there is no need for lights; this tree alone is enough to bring endless light to the surrounding area.

boom--! !

He had just landed when he heard a strange noise behind him.

"I can't sit still anymore."

Behind Accelerator, countless shadowy figures descended from the sky like arrows.

Shadow.

Although the true nature of these things is unclear, they must be symbols of evil.

These monsters attacked with overwhelming speed, landing behind the first-place player and baring their jaws to bite him.

—Bang.

It didn't even move.

The reflection is then activated.

Subsequently, the Shadow Spirit that attempted to bite off the first head was directly countered by its own attack.

All the force was returned, resulting in its head exploding instantly.

Countless black maggots were scattered on the ground.

"Immortality...?"

Even after being hit by the reflected light, the shadow figure still did not die.

It stepped back a few paces, and then the maggots replaced its repulsive head.

Countless shadows continued to roar at him.

"These are indeed familiar physical characteristics, but you've really met the wrong opponent."

The moment countless shadows attacked him, Accelerator simply raised his hand.

A wisp of fire appeared on his right hand.

Then, the flame materialized into a tangible form, which he grasped and stretched out.

Nathos, the blade of hellfire.

The moment he swept the scythe, burning with an ever-flowing flame, in all directions, he had already completed his attack.

In an instant.

The circular flame ripples instantly tore apart the bodies of all the shadow figures.

Even as these shadows wailed, the black maggots could no longer restore their bodies.

The fire of karma is inexhaustible.

It will keep burning everything in front of it until everything is completely destroyed.

"Alright, since I've run into these guys in a place like this, it means I've definitely come to the right place."

These shadow entities don't seem to have much of a brain; even if you try to read their minds, you won't get any useful information.

Accelerator stood there, letting all his shadows gradually burn away in the karmic fire.

But he heard other sounds.

Unlike the eerie darting sounds of the shadowy figure, those were footsteps.

It is human.

"Stop! Don't move!"

A small team of six surrounded him.

These people were armed with all sorts of weapons, including Japanese swords, spears, and even firearms that resembled muskets, which they aimed at him.

"It's 3 a.m., and you're near the sacred tree 'Senbonzakura'. What are you planning to do?"

"Senbonzakura"?

Upon hearing the name, Accelerator was taken aback. Wasn't that the name of the sword that Hatsune Miku was holding?

How did this get involved with this tree?

"Captain Qingyin."

"Leave it to me, you all disperse."

"Yes!"

The soldiers in military uniforms dispersed, and then—

A young man, also dressed in military uniform, rode over on a horse.

Qingyin Kaito.

Upon seeing this person, Accelerator and Kaito locked eyes, while Kaito narrowed his eyes in surprise.

"You may all step back. This person is someone I know."

"Huh? Is that someone the captain knows...?"

"Ah, but his presence here is probably not for evil purposes. Please allow me to speak with him alone."

The other soldiers dispersed, leaving only Accelerator and Kaito at the scene.

The two looked at each other.

"What are you planning to do here?"

"It's nothing, I just came to take a look. You can treat me like I'm just taking a walk."

"Taking a walk...you really have no idea what kind of place this is."

Haito sighed and leaped off his horse.

"This place is the sacred ground of the imperial capital, the Senbon Shrine, and the location of the sacred tree, the 'Senbonzakura' (Thousand Cherry Blossoms)."

"Ordinary people who want to come here must apply to the shrine's messenger before they are qualified to come here. Apart from that, it is us soldiers."

"That's why you arrest people indiscriminately."

Accelerator pursed his lips and then looked to the side.

"So, regarding this, have you all caught on to it as well?"

"..."

Haidou looked in the same direction.

The remnants of the previously destroyed Shadow Possessions remained there.

"Since you call this place a sacred domain, how could you allow so many things called Shadows to infiltrate here? Your defenses are truly exceptional."

"As expected..."

However, it seems that Haito knows something.

"Sightings of the Shadows have been appearing frequently in this area for the past few days, but I didn't expect there to be so many today."

"This is purely a matter of your efficiency."

Haito glanced at the scythe in the first person's hand, and then looked at him.

"So, what exactly are you doing here?"

It's no wonder that the soldiers mistook Accelerator for a suspicious person when he suddenly appeared in the dead of night in this sacred place where shadows have been appearing frequently lately.

"Even from a thousand miles away, I can still sense the unusual energy emanating from this tree."

"Abnormal energy... aura?"

"Right in here."

He pointed with the tip of his sickle.

"If we want to find out the truth, we have to go to the deepest part of the tree, where the abnormal energy converges."

"You mean...we want to go inside the divine tree? Could it be—"

So, right in front of Kaito, Accelerator did something that made Kaito look incredibly stupid.

Ding.

With the sickle in his hand, he gently touched a corner of the sacred tree "Senbonzakura".

Then, the mutation occurred.

Boom boom boom boom boom————

With a loud clang, the ground beneath the divine tree collapsed, revealing an area resembling a gap.