A man among dragons, building a mysterious ancient church.

Chapter 304 Kazama Ruri Visits the Church Alone

Late June in Tokyo is the end of the rainy season, hot and humid, with the air so sticky you could wring water out of it.

In the ubiquitous convenience stores, many people stand and read magazines and newspapers, wanting to stay a little longer under the air conditioning before leaving.

Only the devout believers of the old church made an exception, flocking to the old temple from morning till night to pray, hoping to catch a glimpse of the gods.

Even if the phantom of the deity seen during prayers remains silent and gives no divine pronouncements, believers remain fervent, spontaneously believing that simply seeing the phantom of the deity is already a great divine blessing.

And those who receive divine blessing will surely have everything go smoothly.

And you know what? Because of this psychological effect, believers have increased confidence in everything they do, and most of them live better and better lives as a result, forming a very positive cycle.

When a few believers are struggling, they don't blame God. Instead, they feel they haven't been devout enough and decide in their hearts to pray more sincerely next time to solve their life's difficulties.

As dusk settled and the last rays of warm light gilded the bronze temple, the worshippers slowly dispersed, restoring tranquility to the temple.

As the head priest, Taro Inuyama was temporarily in charge of all aspects of the old temple when Bishop Aso was away.

He stood quietly before the temple, gazing at the setting sun, waiting for his companions to return the sealed artifact.

Before supporting Bello Island, Aso Makoto had instructed them to be wary of the Oni Clan and to protect the old temple, never allowing the enemy to offend or destroy it.

They were also worried that their strength was insufficient, so they said that they had specially exchanged several extraordinary items from the old church for Inuyama Taro and others to protect the old temple.

Each person performed their duties: Miyamoto Ogawa, Sakurai Masami, Fuma Matsu, and others inspected other old temples, while Inuyama Taro stayed at the headquarters.

They also agreed that every evening before the temple closed, the other three would come over, seal the magical item together, take turns guarding it, and retrieve it the next day until Aso Makoto returned.

Unexpectedly, Aso really did return from Bello Island, and as a result, he wanted to take Erii on a trip to various places, so Taro Inuyama and the others had to endure the hardship for a while longer.

"Yo, have you been waiting long?" Sakurai Masami arrived the fastest: "Our head priest is getting more and more imposing."

As night fell, Inuyama Taro, his face even more composed, chuckled and replied, "That joke isn't funny. If we're talking about authority, Ogawa and Matsu are the real authority, extraordinary authority."

“I could hear people talking about us from far away.” Miyamoto Ogawa and Fuma Matsu arrived together, just as Inuyama Taro had said.

The two men had an air of majesty far beyond that of ordinary people. When they occasionally appeared in the old temple, they could even frighten some believers into bowing deeply and not being able to straighten their backs.

Taro Inuyama and Masami Sakurai are doing well, gradually adapting to their friend's changes. Masami Sakurai brushed a strand of hair behind her ear with her left hand and twirled it around her index finger several times: "I'm praising you."

"Representing justice and fairness..."

Before they could finish speaking, Miyamoto Ogawa and Fuma Matsu had already turned around, their backs to the two of them, facing the beautiful woman at the end of the old temple square.

Taro Inuyama and Masami Sakurai also became serious. Following their two friends' gazes, they could keenly sense that the newcomer was no ordinary person.

As dusk settles, the evening breeze weaves through the gaps between the tall buildings, turning into a mournful sigh as it lifts the guest's bright red kimono. "The moon's shadow has long since vanished, the road ahead is fraught with obstacles; the way back is lost, and looking back, all is in vain."

The newcomer used a peach blossom as a hairpin to tie up her long, black hair, revealing her fair, jade-like neck. She walked and sang against the backdrop of the night and the crescent moon.

The neon lights in the distance began to illuminate, but they could not dispel the darkness of the square. Only an invisible tension grew wildly with the singing, pressing down on every inch of space, and even the sound of the wind became sharp.

Miyamoto Ogawa's gaze was fixed on the newcomer, and without turning his head, he asked Sakurai Masami, "What are they singing?"

"Don't ask me." Sakurai Masami walked up to the two of them in an annoyed tone: "This is real Kabuki, only men can perform it."

Feng Mosong's previously admiring gaze suddenly cleared. Only men could perform true Kabuki?! Then this beautiful woman before him... Baka!
“Yami is right.” Taro Inuyama walked up with a solemn expression, shoulder to shoulder with his partner, just like back in the Oni Disco: “Mr. Kameda, who donated 20 million yen to the temple, once invited me to see a Kabuki performance.”

"A true Kabuki actor will spend his whole life observing, studying and imitating women, just as the viewer understands a painting better than the painter."

Miyamoto Ogawa's expression was somewhat strange. Could the person looking at the painting understand it better than the painter? This reminded him of the reading comprehension section in his middle school Japanese classical literature exam.

Are those bizarre and varied reading comprehension answers truly the original author's intention? Or, to put it another way, could the original author get full marks if they wrote the reading comprehension passages?
Okay, they donated 20 million, so whatever they say is right.

Feng Mosong's expression grew increasingly grim as he listened, as if he had swallowed a bitter pill.

Kazama Ruri, who was singing as she walked, finally stopped in front of the four of them. She even nodded very slightly to Inuyama Taro and Sakurai Masami, just like a true artist.

It was as if I was thanking them for their popular science; those little gestures were so alluring, they were more feminine than a woman's.

If it weren't for the small Adam's apple on Kazama Ruri's throat, Miyamoto Ogawa and Fuma Matsu would probably have doubted whether their partner's explanation was accurate.

The other three remained silent, tacitly agreeing that it was time for Inuyama Taro, the head priest, to step forward. Inuyama Taro took a half step forward and cut to the chase: "The Demon Clan?"

Their spiritual senses indicated that the newcomer was a threat.

In Tokyo, the Old Church has already formed a partnership with the Snake-Headed Eight Families. Kazama Ruri, who is both a threat and not a foreigner, is most likely from the Demon Clan.

“Inuyama-kun is right.” Kazama Ruri bowed slightly, hands tucked into her sleeves, and said, “I am Kazama Ruri, the ‘Dragon King’ of the Demon Clan.”

It was actually the 'Dragon King'?
Taro Inuyama and his three companions were all from the Demon Clan, so they had naturally heard of the Demon Clan's three leaders: the King General, who was the leader of the entire Demon Clan, and Ruri Kazama, who was named after the Dragon King, who was naturally the strongest member of the Demon Clan, the King of Demons.

What is the Demon Clan sending Kazama Ruri, this 'Dragon King,' for?
Taro Inuyama paused deliberately. During this time, he did not hear Miyamoto or Fuma cough, which meant that they did not sense any other enemies, there was no ambush nearby, and it really was just Kazama Ruri alone.

Did Kazama Ruri come here alone?
Taro Inuyama remained vigilant. The strongest among the demons—no one knew what kind of power he possessed, or what kind of incantations he wielded.

No amount of caution is too much. We cannot underestimate Kazama Ruri just because of her gentle words and actions: "Kazama-san, you've come here?"

(End of this chapter)