Anime Crossover: Master is Not Here Today

Fukami Natsuhiko seemed to remember something and said to Kouji Akira:

"Oh, right, Professor Huang, we found the shrine."

"There really is a shrine."

Huang Gongxiao revealed an expression that said, "I didn't expect this."

This morning, after discovering a large number of fox statues in Yaoguan Township, he guessed that there might be a shrine in the township, so this result was within his expectations.

Then he asked with great interest:

"What kind of shrine is it?"

"Hmm, how should I describe it? Let me think..."

Fukami Natsuhiko organized his thoughts and roughly described the scene he had witnessed:

It was a side road leading deep into the mountains within the village.

Take a side road, walk through the woods, and you'll see a long staircase lined with countless torii gates.

After climbing the stairs, they were greeted by a shrine perched atop the mountain, surrounded by clouds and mist, resembling a fairyland.

In the main hall of the shrine, they also encountered a lovely shrine maiden...

"It sounds pretty good."

Huang Gongxiao listened with great interest, while Yueqiu Xianglian clasped her hands together, looking forward to it:

"I have a feeling this must be a particularly efficacious shrine. Why don't we go and pray there tomorrow?"

"Of course, I was just thinking of going to visit."

The group chatted animatedly, while only Fujimaru Ritsuka and the other two remained silent, listening attentively to Fukami Natsuhiko's account of the shrine atop the mountain, exchanging subtle glances.

According to the information they obtained in the village, the shrine on the mountaintop should have been destroyed during the war and had never been rebuilt.

So, what exactly was the shrine that Fukami Natsuhiko saw?

Or was it that the old lady provided them with false information?

In any case, this is something worth verifying.

Perhaps, Renka, who was traveling with Fukami Natsuhiko, might know something.

At the same time, Fujimaru Ritsuka seemed to have thought of this, so she looked at Renka sitting next to her, only to find that Renka was also looking at her.

The moment their eyes met, Lianhua quickly looked away, trying to pretend nothing had happened.

But after a while, she hesitated and looked at Fujimaru Ritsuka again, seemingly understanding what she wanted to say, and nodded almost imperceptibly in affirmation.

Fujimaru Ritsuka smiled and expressed her gratitude, but Renka awkwardly turned her gaze away again, no longer looking at her.

She seems to be a somewhat shy child.

Seeing this, Fujimaru Ritsuka thought to herself.

After finishing their meal, they discussed the meeting time for tomorrow, and then everyone dispersed to return to their rooms to rest.

Nanfang Rihe followed them to their room, and as soon as she closed the door, she asked bluntly:

"That girl named Renka must be a Zashiki-warashi, right?"

"Miss Hizuru, did you notice?"

Fujimaru Ritsuka and Mashu were both somewhat surprised, since they hadn't said anything yet.

"No, in my opinion, she is just an ordinary girl."

Nanfang Rihe pushed up his glasses and said:

"This result is merely a judgment made based on a little observation, a little reasoning, and a little guess."

"And it's also possible that thanks to you, she didn't dare to do anything to me."

Huang Gongxiao and Yueqiu Xianglian's attitude towards Lianhua was obviously a bit strange, and their behavior was also a bit abnormal. Regardless of Yueqiu Xianglian, based on her understanding of Huang Gongxiao, the other party should not be unable to see this problem.

However, the other party did not find anything unusual at all, so she could only speculate that Lianhua had done something to them.

As for Fukami Natsuhiko, judging from his series of actions, he is clearly someone who truly understands Renka's situation, and could even be considered her comrade.

"As expected of Miss Ritsuku!"

Fujimaru Ritsuka and Mashu exclaimed in amazement, admiring Minakata Hitsuru's reasoning ability.

At that moment, she suddenly thought:

I wonder what Conan's reaction would be if he came?

Back to the point.

Fujimaru Ritsuka recounted what had just happened to Minami Hitsuru, and then revealed her plan—

"Next, Mashu and I will go to the top of the mountain to find out about the so-called shrine."

(End of this chapter)

Chapter 383 The Non-existent Shrine, Renka's Advice

This is the third mysterious event they have encountered since arriving here.

The first incident involved the Zashiki-warashi who appeared at Azusa's inn. It has now been confirmed that the Zashiki-warashi's true identity is Renka.

The second incident is the "Blue Spider Curse" that occurred at the private Sansakura Academy. The on-site investigation will only begin tomorrow, and the details are still unclear. It cannot even be confirmed that it is a mysterious incident.

The third incident, mentioned by Fukami Natsuhiko, involves a shrine that, in theory, should have been destroyed long ago, but for some reason, reappeared, along with a mysterious girl who serves as a shrine maiden.

"Three mysterious incidents have occurred in almost the same area in quick succession..."

Nanfang Rihe pondered:

"Although there is no evidence, it is hard not to suspect that there may be some kind of connection between the three."

"Right."

Fujimaru Ritsuka nodded in agreement; she and Mashu thought the same thing.

Then, she smiled and said:

"In any case, we still need to investigate the situation of the shrine first and see if we can find any clues."

"I see."

Nanfang Rihe nodded and said:

"I'll wait for you to come back at the hotel."

She can offer very little help in investigating the mysterious events, and may even become a burden to Fujimaru Ritsuka and the others when they encounter danger.

Therefore, staying in the hotel was the best option for her, for Fujimaru Ritsuka, and for Mashu.

Fujimaru Ritsuka felt very relieved to have such a calm and reliable teammate. She took out the classic trio of family-guarding dolls from the [Treasure of the Overseer] and handed them to Minakata Hizuru, smiling:

"Then I'll leave the hotel to you."

"I try my best."

Nanfang Rihe looked down at the doll in his hand, thought for a moment, and then asked:

"Can you give me a gun?"

"A shotgun will do."

"..."

Fujimaru Ritsuka handed her a shotgun, silently giving her a thumbs up.

Awesome!

The moon hangs in the night sky, and the hustle and bustle of the daytime has completely subsided, replaced by the rustling sounds of insects active at night.

Fujimaru Ritsuka and Mashu prepare to leave the inn under the cover of night and head to the mountaintop to conduct their investigation.

They had just reached the hotel entrance when suddenly a slightly cold voice called out to them from behind.

"Are you planning to investigate that shrine?"

Fujimaru Ritsuka and Mashu turned around, and the one who called out to them was none other than the inn's "Zashiki-warashi," Renka.

Unlike her sailor uniform during the day, Renka, who appeared before them, was now dressed in a gorgeous kimono. With her petite figure and delicate, lovely face, she truly looked like a Zashiki-warashi from legend.

"Yes."

Fujimaru Ritsuka nodded in agreement, then smiled and asked:

"Speaking of which, Renka entered the shrine with Fukami-sensei during the day, right?"

"Do you know anything about that shrine?"

"..."

Lianhua lowered her eyes slightly, making it impossible to see her emotions. Faced with Fujimaru Ritsuka's question, she remained silent for a long while before slowly speaking:

"...Something's not right about that shrine."

"If you don't want to die, I advise you not to meddle in other people's business."

Upon hearing this, Fujimaru Ritsuka and Mashu exchanged a glance, then looked back at Renka and smiled:

"Thank you for reminding us, we will be careful."

The implication is that they have no intention of giving up.

If, as Lianhua said, there is indeed some kind of anomaly there, then it is even more necessary for them to investigate it thoroughly.

Then, as if she had thought of something, Fujimaru Ritsuka asked again:

"Is the [Blue Spider Curse] that appeared at the private Sansakura Academy related to this person?"

"..."

This time, Lianhua did not reply, and her figure silently disappeared into the night.

Seeing this, Fujimaru Ritsuka was not discouraged and turned to Mash with a smile:

"let's go."