I planted a sacred tree in Tokyo.

Chapter 192 Spirit Possession
"Breaking news!"

"Attention, everyone! Attention, everyone!"

"A large number of new 'evil spirits' have appeared in the island nation. These evil spirits have the following characteristics."

On a small hill near a town, several junior high school students were walking along a forest path; ahead of them walked two boys and two girls, who seemed to be a couple, playing around and bursting into laughter.

Two girls followed behind, and it was easy to tell from the distance between them that they were peripheral figures in this small group.

"Hey, you two!"

"Stop playing on your phone while walking, hurry up and keep up!"

A girl in front of them turned around and spoke impatiently. She had dyed brown curly hair and her appearance was not bad at first glance, but upon closer inspection, it was a 'standard' made-up face: foundation that completely covered her skin, carefully shaped eyebrows, and tattooed lip liner.
It gives people a feeling of being 'all the same'.

However, any youthful body is attractive enough: the boy whose arm she was holding was clearly already under her control.

"coming,"

Of the two people behind, one wearing glasses, who looked like the kind of girl who only knew how to bury herself in her studies, quickly stepped forward.

Not everyone who wears glasses can do well in school. As an ordinary person whose grades, appearance, and eloquence are all below average no matter how hard she tries, the girl with glasses is considered the 'last' in the group, but she still 'cherishes' this position.

Well, you could call us 'friends', right?
Especially in this day and age, if you're alone, you don't even know when you'll die!
"The news says that a new type of evil spirit has recently appeared."

Another short-haired girl walking behind hesitated as she looked at the news on her phone and spoke.

"Hey, it's just a 'test of courage' event, can you not be such a spoilsport?"

Another girl in front, holding her boyfriend's hand, turned around.
"If you don't want to participate, then go back."

"Feel sorry,"

The short-haired girl put away her phone and lowered her head.

She wasn't particularly outstanding either; she lacked both courage and intelligence. Perhaps her pretty face was her only redeeming quality. However, her personality was far too dull, making her merely the bottom-ranked "number two" in this small team.

When people gather together, there will naturally be a hierarchy; and a 'king of the kids' will inevitably be chosen—this is the nature of living beings.

And the 'leader of the kids' in this group is, naturally:
"alright."

Another boy in front turned around. His classic blond hair, lip ring, and shaved eyebrows all indicated that he was a 'thug'.

"The abandoned church is just ahead. We're just here to test our 'courage,' so don't be nervous."

Although the government has repeatedly emphasized that people should not go to uninhabited areas.

But 'rebellion' is also human nature, especially among these middle school students: wearing strange clothes, engaging in relationships between boys and girls, and trying new things. They are at an age where they are fearless.

mere evil spirits?

"With so many of us, what are we afraid of—"

"what!!!!"

Before he could finish speaking, a scream suddenly rang out behind him, startling the blond-haired man with the lip ring so much that he almost threw his girlfriend off balance.

"What are you yelling about?!"

Enraged, the blond-haired man with the lip ring turned and angrily berated the girl wearing glasses.

Behind the window

The woman with glasses tremblingly raised her hand and pointed to the church in front of her.

At the end of the road stood a Western-style church, which looked to be over a hundred years old: clearly a remnant of white missionaries.

And now-

The four women and two men looked together at the church window:
A black-and-white figure stood there, staring blankly at them.

The evil spirits that have recently appeared in the island nation are not like those in movies and novels, hiding and dodging. They often float there openly, even in broad daylight, without any fear.

However, these evil spirits do not possess the 'invincible' characteristics depicted in works of art. Although they are also immune to guns, cannons, water, and fire, they can still be injured by 'bravery'.

"Why panic!"

The blond-haired man with the lip ring, whose voice involuntarily rose, first yelled, then pulled out a weapon from his waist:

He drew a gleaming dagger!

"Just an evil spirit,"

"Watch me take it down!"

It has to be said that the blond-haired man with the lip ring is indeed a thug.

But compared to ordinary students, he was still more 'brave': even if that bravery was full of malice.

If you dare to show your weapon when facing an evil spirit, you've already won half the battle.

but--

"Wait, what are those?"

His girlfriend beside him trembled and let go of his arm.

Because subconsciously, this girl felt that her boyfriend was no longer able to protect her.

One, two, three.
Behind the abandoned church windows, figures of varying heights emerged.

so much? !

Huang Mao's expression changed.
If there are only one or two evil spirits, their sheer numbers and 'courage' will allow them to defeat the other side: not only will it provide fodder for conversation, but it will also further bolster their courage.

Escaping is not the solution. Many schools in island nations encourage students to have the courage to confront evil spirits: of course, this doesn't mean running up the mountain to commit suicide.
This is definitely not what the school wants to see.

A glance over,

Five or six evil spirits have already appeared, their numbers comparable to that of their group.

"let's go!"

The number of evil spirits was enormous.

Without hesitation, the blond-haired man gripped his dagger defensively and quickly retreated a few steps.

He shielded everyone in front of him, then turned to leave—?!

"Ah!!! This side too!"

"Shut up!"

He brandished the dagger in his hand, its cold glint causing his screaming girlfriend to cover her mouth with both hands.

"If the way we came is blocked, turn this way!"

Holding his weapon, the blond-haired man with the lip ring steadied himself and instinctively chose a path to the side, where there were no evil spirits, to descend the mountain.

The short-haired girl on the fringes of the group, though feeling her heart pounding, felt something was off.
"Go quickly——"

Without time to think it through, everyone else had left, and she had no choice but to take a step forward.

As she jogged away, she glanced back at him:
Whether it was the evil spirit in the church or the evil spirit blocking the way down the mountain, they seemed to have just 'realized' and slowly drifted towards the crowd.

Take your time.

this.
"Follow!"

"Be careful not to fall behind, and don't wander off!"

The blond-haired guy at the front jogged along the forest path, constantly giving instructions.

It's not that he's particularly 'kind,' but rather that once they disperse: countless cases have shown that they will only be defeated one by one by evil spirits.

Damn!

Isn't there only one abandoned church on this mountain?
Why are so many evil spirits suddenly appearing?!
"Whoohoo~~"

"I'm so tired. I can't run anymore. Wait for me."

If you allocate your energy properly, a human's stamina is enough to chase and kill most animals; but if you run around in a panic for short distances, your energy will quickly run out: before long, the woman with glasses was left behind in the group and cried out for help from the others.

However, how could two couples possibly pay attention to her?

"Don't be discouraged,"

A hint of hesitation flashed in the short-haired girl's eyes, but she slowed her pace and helped the girl with glasses.

"This mountain isn't big; we're sure we can get out of here!"

This is true. Although with the development of the times and the concentration of people in big cities, their small towns have become quite desolate. But it's still a small town, and if people come to the mountains for a walk or exercise, everyone gathers together.
Just as the short-haired girl was adjusting the glasses-wearing girl and jogging to catch up, the two couples in front of the group caught their eye.

someone!

An old man with his hands behind his back,
Stroll leisurely along the forest path.

"Old man!"

"Old man—"

Upon seeing the others, the middle school students immediately beamed with joy, waving their arms and shouting.

?

The old man turned his head, his expression changing.

"Come here quickly, there are evil spirits behind you!"

Waving at the old man, the "daredevil" team hurriedly ran towards him.

"What are you young people doing here?"

As the two approached, the old man complained while extending his hand.

Snapped,
"Old man, you—?!"

The blond-haired man with the lip ring, who was running at the front, had his face change drastically when the 'old man' grabbed his wrist!

A chill ran up his wrist.

He could no longer hold the dagger in his hand.

thud,

As the dagger fell to the ground, the 'old man' in front of him chuckled.

His split mouth extended to his ears, revealing two rows of dark yellow teeth and a long tongue covered in saliva. "Young man,"

"Let me teach you a lesson: don't go near strangers."

As he spoke, the 'old man' who had revealed his true colors lunged at the blond-haired man!

"what!!!"

With that bite, the 'old man's' teeth sank into the blond man's shoulder.

Along with the excruciating pain that went deep into his 'soul,' blood seeped from Huang Mao's shoulder.

???

"Evil spirits—"

Amidst screams of terror, the blond-haired man's girlfriend fell to the ground in fright.

"Quickly, get him away from me, quick!!"

Faced with the blond-haired man's cries of "Help me!", the girl scrambled and crawled into the bushes beside her.

this.
The remaining couple looked on and thought, "Well, your girlfriend isn't going to save you."

Then we will also—

"run!"

The two turned and rushed into the nearby woods.

These trees are the result of 'artificial planting', and the ground is perfectly passable except for some shrubs.

Besides, the issue now isn't whether it's better to plan or not; escaping is the most important thing!

"We also"

Since the team has fallen apart, let's all go our separate ways when disaster strikes.

The short-haired girl gritted her teeth, grabbed the bespectacled girl, and ran into the woods on the other side.

I shouldn't have come to this damn test of courage.
But do I dare to refuse?

If I refuse, I will definitely be ostracized.

Then, if only one person is left, they will eventually die, right?

The short-haired girl ran down the mountain, her mind racing with thoughts, but she didn't notice the evil spirit still chasing after her at full speed, and:
The bespectacled woman beside him glanced back and her expression changed several times.

The next second, a sudden shove came from beside her, causing the short-haired girl to lose her balance and her footing slipped.

Bang!
She fell heavily to the ground, rolled around a few times, and got up in a daze. The short-haired girl only saw a receding figure.

这 是
Brush, brush, brush, brush—

Before she could even process the 'betrayal' she had suffered, the short-haired girl faced:
A group of ragged evil spirits surrounded them.

It's over,

Dying?

I don't know if I'll become an evil spirit after I die, or if I'll be able to go to heaven.
No, heaven is a Western concept.

"Ordinary people like me"

The girl picked up a branch from the ground, raised it shakily, and gave a bitter smile.

"Shouldn't we go to the Yellow Springs?"

Even becoming a Buddha is impossible—

"Not bad,"

Just as the evil spirits were about to tear the girl's soul apart, a loud voice rang out.

?

A rope hung down and appeared in front of the short-haired girl.

As she looked up, she saw long, golden hair, an inverted face, and a high school uniform: a blazer, a tie, and an 'anti-gravity' skirt.
It's an evil spirit!
The other party's barely visible legs proved her identity as an 'evil spirit'.

Unlike those 'dull' traditional evil spirits, this high school girl was lively and spirited, like a living, breathing person. Like:
Just like that 'old man' from before!
That's what the government said.
A new type of evil spirit?

"Hey, why are you staring at me like that? Do I look good?"

"nice."

? ?
After answering instinctively, the short-haired girl, realizing what had happened, tilted her head and blushed.

What's wrong with me? It's already this late.
"Hahaha, this is interesting!"

The 'female high school evil spirit' hanging upside down in the air turned around and landed lightly.

"I've got this little guy under my wing, understand?"

With a domineering wave of her hand, the tattered evil spirits all took a step back.

Even among evil spirits, there are differences.

Clearly, this 'high school girl evil spirit' belongs to the category of evil spirits that are stronger than ordinary evil spirits.

? ?
I was actually saved by an evil spirit—no, a 'new type of evil spirit'?
Just as the short-haired girl was stunned, the 'evil spirit of a high school girl' in front of her turned around.

"My name is Yi Yue, what's yours?"

"My name is Hyomi."

Although it didn't seem like the time to introduce herself, the short-haired girl still answered instinctively in the face of this 'lifelike' evil spirit.

"Very good, Hyomi."

"I want to make a deal with you,"

"I can get you out of here, but you have to help me investigate the cause of my death."

Upon hearing the words of the 'female high school evil spirit,' the short-haired girl, Takami, fixed her gaze on the other's neck.

A rope was wrapped around the neck of the 'high school girl evil spirit,' dragging long down to the ground, which was the source of the rope that Xiaomei had seen earlier.

A ring of bluish-purple marks around her fair neck, inflicted by strangulation, spoke volumes about the cause of her death:

Hanging himself

"What's that look in your eyes?"

Do I look like someone who would commit suicide?

The female high school student demon who called herself 'Izuki' snorted unhappily.
"I've forgotten a lot of things, but I'm certain I didn't commit suicide!"

As for how she died, that was precisely what she most wanted to know after becoming an 'evil spirit,' so:
"So, do you agree or not?"

"Give me a straight answer!"

"This"

The female high school student evil spirit 'Izuki' in front of me seems to have a straightforward personality.

Moreover, he was already surrounded by evil spirits; if he didn't agree—?!

"Okay, I agree!"

The short-haired girl, Hyomi, nodded vigorously, and the reason she did so so readily was:
On the other side of the woods, the 'old man' from before was slowly walking towards them, picking his teeth with his little fingernail. Among his cracked, yellowish-black teeth:

You can also see a terrified eyeball, and hear a familiar voice:

"help me"

Click,

Chew, chew~~
? ? ? ?
My mind went completely blank.
If a girl isn't scared out of her wits on the spot, it's as if she hasn't eaten.

"Old thing,"

A hand dressed in a women's suit was placed in front of her, bringing Hyo-mi back to her senses.

"This little guy is one of my men, give him some face—"

"That won't do,"

Despite being an evil spirit, the 'old man' who swallowed the yellow-haired man's soul spoke in human language.

"This girl is delicious; eating her will greatly increase my strength!"

As the 'old man' took a step forward, the surrounding ragged evil spirits began to stir.

Am I some kind of "Tang Monk's flesh" character?

Just as the short-haired girl, Hsiao-mei, was lost in thought, the mystery of the 'evil spirit of a high school girl' blocking her way was revealed.

"nonsense!"

"The body I chose to possess is naturally bound to be good."

After saying that, the female high school student evil spirit turned her head away.

"Little Xiaomei,"

"Lend me your body."

? ?
I'll take that as a yes—

Before the short-haired girl could refuse, the other party suddenly rushed towards her and directly entered her body!
Next second,
"Hahaha, this body is perfect!"

'Wait, this is mine.'

Amidst a weak internal rebuttal, the 'girl' whose demeanor had drastically changed raised her right hand, a rope appearing in her palm, which she then swung sharply:
brush--

The rope swept across like a python, coiling and twisting around a ragged evil spirit.

Pfft

It was torn into dust and scattered everywhere.

"Old man, you're asking for it, don't blame me for being impolite!"

(End of this chapter)