I planted a sacred tree in Tokyo.

Chapter 197 Acquaintance
"Please be aware that a series of disappearances have occurred in XX town of this prefecture, suspected to be the work of a new type of evil spirit."

The words broadcast over the loudspeaker on the roadside made Higashi Takami, a short-haired girl on her way home from school, pause slightly in her steps.

Immediately afterwards, she took out her phone and began searching for relevant information.

As various images and texts popped up on the screen, the 'experienced' Higashi Takami quickly discerned the clues from the heavily pixelated images.

'Sister Yiyue,'

'Hmm, it was done by a new type of evil spirit!'

Although not very intelligent, Izuki, who resides in Higashi Takami's body, has a wealth of combat experience.

Based on the description on the phone, she could immediately tell that the so-called disappearance was the work of a 'new type of evil spirit' like herself.

'Should we...?'

'Kill him!'

After receiving the answer from 'Sister Izuki' in her mind, Higashi Takami tapped her fingers and began planning her route.

Although she possesses a constitution similar to "Resurrection Incense," capable of attracting evil spirits to their trap, the two of them have nearly wiped out all the evil spirits in the town over the past few days. If anyone wants to hunt evil spirits, they'll have to go elsewhere.

Resurrection Incense
This creature is a spirit; its fragrance can be smelled for hundreds of miles, and even corpses on the ground will come back to life upon smelling its aroma.

According to Izuki, Higashi Takami's body was a 'delicious meal' that the evil spirits wanted to devour.

Highly nourishing!

"Sigh, on the way back, I can only fly over the roof again."

Because of the influence of evil spirits, trams, buses, and taxis will stop operating after 9 p.m.

At that time, there will be no ordinary pedestrians on the streets: only 'security teams' spontaneously organized by various neighborhoods, streets, and towns will patrol continuously until dawn.

There's no way around it. Even though the nights are brightly lit in this era, those evil spirits aren't afraid of sunlight, let alone lights. Without a self-organized security force constantly patrolling, who can sleep?

Fortunately, the government is now well-funded, and large subsidies have been allocated, encouraging many adult men to actively participate in night patrols.

'It's alright, just avoid those security teams.'

Ordinary evil spirits, or even general 'new evil spirits', can hardly completely avoid police patrol personnel: although they can hide in buildings or even underground, they will eventually succumb to the pressure: that is a lingering human instinct, the fear of being covered by soil.

However, for the 'Higashi Takami & Itsuki' duo, bypassing ordinary patrol personnel was not too difficult.

After all, they can 'fly'.

Even a 'leap' similar to swinging on a swing is much better than running on the ground.

'Change direction of the goal,'

As expected, we will soon be taking the train to XX town.

Just as Higashi Takami was about to take the tram to the area where the disappearance had occurred, the town's police station was also 'following up' in the same way.

Higashi Hsiao-mei's phone had long been hacked by experts; the information she could see was all that the government wanted her to "see." Given the size and power of the government, secretly manipulating someone's behavior was incredibly easy!
Especially in this chaotic era, all kinds of 'bottom lines' are falling one after another;
Methods that used to cause a huge uproar are now commonplace.

"You're really diligent!"

"The evil spirits over there will be left to these two 'unofficial staff'."

Several members of the Extraordinary Countermeasures Department stretched, some got up to make coffee, and others stood up to stretch their necks. This "extra staff member" was indeed diligent, but it was precisely because of her diligence that these clerks had to work overtime as well.

"On the other hand,"

"If all superhumans were like them, we wouldn't need to work overtime."

During the time the girl was riding the subway, several office workers chatted and reminisced.

Extraordinary individuals.
Anyone who suddenly gains extraordinary power is considered a potential "recruitment" target, as long as they don't "kill in the street".

A mere 'arrogance' or similar temperament is not a problem at all: after all, in ancient Japan, samurai could draw their swords and kill people in the street, and at most they would be 'reprimanded' afterwards.

That was in an era without supernatural powers. No, according to experts, since those historical tales of the strange and supernatural are not false, it is quite normal that the warriors once possessed supernatural powers.

It's even more normal for superhumans to kill people!

In short, under the careful 'guidance' of the Extraordinary Countermeasures Department, the girl indeed headed towards the scene of the incident.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

XX town,
The term 'machi' is an administrative division used in island nations.

Its administrative level is between that of a city and a village, and it belongs to the prefecture. At the same time, "machi" is also a subdivision of a city or ward in an island nation, such as Kojimachi in Chiyoda Ward.

Therefore, there are terms like 'ni-chōme' which represent a specific street, and 'xx-chō' which represent a large area.

Night had fallen, and although the area appeared brightly lit, there wasn't a single person on the streets.

Many houses had lights on, but no one was inside.

For safety reasons, many families spontaneously gather together at one house for a "shared stay," just like when they went on a trip during their student days; except now, it's for mutual support and warmth.

So when a patrolling policeman saw a teenage girl walking alone on the street while scrolling through her phone, he couldn't help but sigh.

"Hey you--"

"I'm talking to you. It's this late, and you're still wandering around outside?"

The policeman straightened his cap and strode over.

"Which family are you from?"

"I'll take you home—"

As he spoke, he reached out and grabbed the girl's wrist.

Got it!
Just as the policeman was feeling pleased, his wrist tightened.

?

"Hey, got it."

Accompanied by a crisp laugh, a translucent hand emerged from the girl's arm and grabbed the 'policeman's' wrist.

? !
"you you."

The policeman, his face contorted in pain, wanted to say something more.
A rope suddenly shot out from the girl's other hand as she put away her phone.

Like a snake, it swiftly bound the 'policeman' and hung him up: his illusory feet revealed his identity as an evil spirit.

"Sister Yiyue, is it him?"

"I don't think so, he's too weak—"

Just as the blonde high school girl emerged from the girl's shoulder, the evil policeman, bound by ropes, opened his mouth:

"Big brother, save me!!!"

?

"careful,"

boom----

With a loud bang, a deep crater the size of a bathtub suddenly appeared in the street.

brush,

Higashi Hsiao-mei leaped backward more than ten meters, dodging the attack, and instinctively opened her mouth in surprise.

"Is this also an evil spirit?"

The other party is not a three-meter-tall person, no, it's an evil spirit.

His muscles bulged all over his body, making him look like some kind of bio-monster. Upon closer inspection, his muscles were actually twisted, ethereal entities, and one could even see distorted, elongated human features on his arms and thighs: terrified eyes, writhing mouths, and...
"Help me, help me!"

"It hurts"

This terrifying look,

It was only thanks to Higashi Hsiao-mei's nightly battles with "Sister Izuki" during this period that her legs didn't give way on the spot.

"Of course,"

Holding the girl in his arms, he used the rope to wrap around the telephone pole behind him, pulling the 'two' of them as they flew backward. The evil spirit of high school girl, Izuki, revealed a solemn expression.

"And it's a high-level evil spirit!"

The fact that the opponent could punch a hole in the street proves that they are capable of strongly 'interfering with reality'.

Even Yi Yue, just a few days ago, could only leave whip marks on the sand.

"Give me your body,"

"it is good!"

Faced with an unknown and formidable enemy, Izuki had to go all out, and Higashi Takami did not hesitate to immediately hand over 'control' of her body to the other party.

She was just an ordinary middle school girl who knew absolutely nothing about combat.
Professional matters should naturally be left to professionals.

"Big brother, it's her!"

The police demon pointed in this direction.
The monster beside him, a composite of numerous spirits, roared and charged towards 'Higashi Takami Izuki' with a thunderous roar.

"Tsk, what kind of gorilla is that?"

Seeing the opponent charging towards her like a tank, 'Azuma Takami Itsuki' raised her hand to the side.

Invisible ropes flew out and wrapped around the top of the house.

Then--

brush,

The girl flew lightly toward the roof, causing the charging hybrid evil spirit to crash headfirst into the wall.

With a deafening roar, bricks and stones flew everywhere, and the wall was instantly breached.

Such powerful spiritual energy!
Every gesture she made could affect reality, a performance that made 'Yi Yue' frown.

It seems the only option is to stall for time!

This is, after all, a human city, and the government still controls the island nation. Besides, there are Onmyoji, sorcerers, and samurai. If we can stall until these human experts arrive, taking down this hybrid evil spirit shouldn't be a problem.

As for myself
Izuki, who was controlling Higashi Takami's body, consciously retreated towards the outside of the residential area.

Once reinforcements arrive, Xiaoxiaomei and I will run away immediately!

Or, try to take control of the battle.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

puff,

"impossible!"

"This intensity."

Upon seeing the footage on the surveillance camera, the clerks in the town's police department's Extraordinary Countermeasures Division spit out their coffee on the spot.

The ground suddenly caved in, creating a crater the size of a bathtub; the walls of the houses abruptly cracked; and the girl constantly swinging and moving between the buildings—there was no doubt:

"They've encountered a formidable enemy!"

"It looks like a 'wolf-level' evil spirit!"

The ability to so drastically affect reality is undoubtedly that of a wolf-level evil spirit.

Without a corresponding superhuman, a single such evil spirit could wipe out a modern army: the Wolf-class is beyond the power of mere 'courage' to contend with. With all modern weapons rendered ineffective, even a massive army would be helpless.

"How could this be? How could this be—"

The squad leader in charge trembled, repeatedly muttering the same phrase.

In their original analysis, there was at most a 'new type of evil spirit' that was good at lurking but not very strong, which was eliminated by 'Higashi Takami Itsuki'.

But now it seems, this is not 'not strong' at all; it's terrifyingly strong!
"Quickly notify Section Chief Teng!"

Wolf-level evil spirit,

Only their Section Chief Fujiko can guarantee a win.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

However, the countermeasures department miscalculated once again.
"Whoohoo~~"

Amidst her panting breaths, Higashi Hsiao-mei's chest, which had just begun to develop some size, heaved violently.

"Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah!!"

In an abandoned park next to a residential area, a tall figure is hanging half a meter in the air, struggling angrily.

Its wrists, ankles, and neck were all entangled in ropes. Although these ropes could not harm its body, they certainly interfered with its movements: the tall evil spirit kept trying to grab the ropes, but in the back-and-forth pulling, it could not succeed.

Evil spirits are ultimately transformed from humans.

Therefore, it will also retain many human characteristics.
If you can't stay grounded, you'll find it difficult to exert your strength. However:
"Sister Yiyue, what should we do next?"

"wait,"

Both Higashi Xiaomei's physical strength and Izuki's spiritual power have been largely depleted.

Finally, they found an opportunity to kill the 'police demon'; then they hung the big guy in mid-air, preventing him from using his brute strength.

However, Yi Yue's ropes were not enough to kill this hybrid evil spirit; even just controlling it consumed a great deal of energy!
"Xiao Mei, can you still hold on?"

"No problem, Sister Yiyue."

The two girls could have simply abandoned the evil spirit, but they refused to give up because they understood that their previous 'disappearances' were actually orchestrated by a 'police evil spirit.'

Now the 'police demon' has been taken down by them.

If this big guy is let go, it will definitely go on a killing spree!
"Hold on, it's the government—?!"

Izuki froze halfway through her sentence.
Under the cover of night, a girl dressed in a women's suit, carrying a samurai sword, and who looked to be a high school student, slowly walked towards them.

"Evil spirit?"

The other party glanced at the mixed evil spirit struggling in mid-air.
"Eat it, wheat."

With a calm voice from the girl in the black suit, the katana in her hand automatically unsheathed and flew out with a clang.

? !
The next instant, the cold glint of the katana shone into the eyes of the monstrous, struggling spirit.

"Wang-"

In the low growl, what it saw was:

A giant dog with its mouth wide open, full of fangs, lunges to devour it.

"Rao"

Pfft

The samurai sword flashed through the air, instantly splitting the mixed evil spirit in two.

"Ah~~~"

What was severed in two was not only the mixed evil spirit, but also the ropes that bound it.

Amidst Izuki's cries of pain, the samurai sword that had slain the enemy with a single strike spun and flew toward the girl in the black suit before automatically returning to its sheath.

?

"These are government officials."

Higashi Hsiao-mei's eyes widened. "That's too strong!"

The mixed evil spirits that had plunged Sister Yiyue into such a fierce battle were thus—

To the astonishment of the short-haired girl, the other person raised their right hand, and then their 'forearm' automatically detached and was caught by the left hand holding the knife.

And at the 'broken' wrist, 'another hand' appeared out of nowhere.

? ?
Before Dong Xiaomei could understand the other person's behavior, a fair hand rapidly enlarged in her eyes.

brush----

The palm landed on the girl's face, then passed through her skull without any resistance.

???

"Ah~~!"

The familiar screams behind her made Higashi Takami turn around abruptly, and what she saw was:

"Sister Itsuki?!"

Izuki, the 'evil spirit of a high school girl,' was grabbed by the face and lifted into the air by a girl in a black suit!
"Let her go—"

Higashi Hsiao-mei shouted instinctively and rushed towards the girl in the black suit without thinking.

Certainly,

With just a glance from the other party, Dong Xiaomei was rendered unable to move.

"Do not misunderstand,"

"I only slay evil spirits."

The girl in the black suit spoke calmly.
"This evil spirit possessing you will be dealt with by me."

"no!"

Although she couldn't move her body, Higashi Hsiao-mi could still speak.

"Sister Yiyue is not an evil spirit!"

"She destroyed many evil spirits; she was a good person!"

Dong Xiaomei knew that her opinion was very subjective, but she just didn't want Yiyue to be killed: Over the years, although Yiyue always liked to make jokes that made people blush, in Dong Xiaomei's eyes, who had been alone for many years, Yiyue was her older sister.

"Hey, what nonsense are you talking about?"

They tried to pry open the girl in the black suit's hands, but found that Izuki, who was not moving at all, spoke up.

"It's time to say goodbye. You must be the 'Ghost Messenger'?"

"Take me away, don't hurt Xiaoxiaomei!"

Just as the girl in the black suit tilted her head, a rapid whooshing sound came.

"stop!"

A slender figure in a police uniform,
It flew down from the sky and crashed to the ground with a loud bang.

"She's ours, and you are?!"

Amidst the surprised voice of Fuji Seiko who had rushed over, the girl in the black suit turned around.

"It's been a long time, Holy Son."

".Hoshino."

Looking at the girl's face, Fuji Seiko uttered the name with a complicated expression.

"It's Tanimura Hoshino."

The girl corrected him as always.

(End of this chapter)