Tokyo: Starting with the Shrine Maiden

"Then go in."

Seeing this, Haruhiko said, "You two follow behind and be careful."

He held Yukihime's hand and they walked forward together.

Since there's a powerful figure to rely on, there's no need to hesitate.

Besides, if he doesn't hug her, Yukihime will get angry.

When they reached the door, the two stopped.

More accurately, it is Yukihime.

Haruhiko stopped when he saw her movement.

"There are no traps."

Xue Ji paused for a moment, and after a few seconds, she spoke.

Haruhiko breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this.

He pushed open the door and was met with an unexpected scene.

This is the first floor of the castle.

He thought it was a living room, but it was actually a laboratory.

Three rows of long wooden tables were arranged in an orderly manner.

Above are dusty documents and utensils.

"What's happening here?"

Haruhiko subconsciously looked at Suzume and Hisashi Okubo.

But they were all completely bewildered and couldn't understand the situation at all.

As they expected, once opened, they should find a floor full of unclaimed treasure, not this mess.

Seeing this, Haruhiko stopped hoping for the two of them.

He stepped forward, raised his hand, and a faint psionic energy transformed into wind, blowing away the dust on the table.

It didn't take long, but it became much cleaner.

Haruhiko picked up the document in front of him; the cover had the words "Inugami's Curse" written on it.

He paused slightly, then casually flipped through a few pages, all of which contained related instructions.

This coincides with the legend of the dog god in Kochi Prefecture.

But not a dog god priest, but a dog god messenger.

Among psionicists, the latter has a relatively low reputation.

They are primarily skilled in curses and poisons.

Although they are all spells in essence, the methods used are vicious.

However, most psionicists didn't pay any attention to it.

After all, strength reigns supreme.

Haruhiko casually handed the documents to Okubo Yuzuru without putting them away.

Since he doesn't have a dog god, there's no point in learning it.

All curses must be cast through the possession of the Inugami.

When Okubo Yuzuki first got his hands on it, he was quite excited.

But a moment later, a look of disappointment appeared on his face.

Because she doesn't have a dog god either.

After the death of the previous Inugami, the Okubo family completely declined, and there was never a new Inugami.

Haruhiko frowned as he read through them all; they were all curses related to Inugami.

"Go to the second floor."

He put down the documents and said.

Okubo Yusuke and Okubo Yusuke quickly followed.

These curses are not what they want.

Upon reaching the second floor, a foul stench assaulted our senses.

Haruhiko immediately held his breath.

It's a skeleton.

The bones were mixed together in a jumble, making it look like a slaughterhouse.

Based on the remaining bone structure, it is a dog.

Inugami is the spirit of a dog that has died.

This is clearly the creation of a new Inugami.

Haruhiko began to suspect the Inugami of the Okubo clan.

It's probably an evil monster.

The expressions on the faces of Okubo Yusuke and Okubo Yuhisa were also rather unpleasant.

Anyone with even a slight understanding of Inugami knows why this scene is happening.

Neither of them is a bad person.

At this moment, realizing that their family's guardian, the Inugami, might not be the image they had imagined, they found it hard to accept.

Yukihime, on the other hand, is well-informed and has already gotten used to it.

She patted Haruhiko's head and went with him to the third floor.

There was no unpleasant smell, just rows and rows of bookshelves.

Haruhiko glanced at it, and his expression immediately turned strange, as if he couldn't understand it.

It's not some kind of magic, but rather knowledge of various biological processes.

"The most books are about humans and dogs."

Yukihime said thoughtfully.

Upon hearing this, Haruhiko took a few more glances and confirmed that it was indeed true.

But considering it was something left behind by the Inugami, it's understandable.

"Now only the last floor remains."

Haruhiko looked at the stone steps in the corner and said, "Let's go see the answer."

"Ah."

Yuki came to her senses and said, "I have a guess, but I'll talk about it when we get to the fourth floor."

Haruhiko nodded.

The group arrived at the fourth floor without any problems.

"This is... Lord Inugami?"

Okubo Yuzuru stared in surprise at the figure in the center.

It has a dog's head and a human body, and a knife at its waist.

"Indeed."

Okubo Yuuka quickly stepped forward and said, "I have seen the portrait of Lord Inugami in the clan's records."

"This is not a sculpture."

Yukihime suddenly raised an eyebrow and said, "It's the demon form of the Inugami."

"what?!"

The siblings, Suzaku and Hisashi, were immediately astonished.

Haruhiko was also somewhat surprised.

Why is the demon form of the Inugami displayed here?

They've shed blood and made contributions for your family, how can you be so hasty?

"I remember you said he'd been dead for about thirty years?"

Yukihime examined the Inugami's demonic form and asked a question.

"Yes."

Okubo Yusuke immediately replied, "To be precise, it's been thirty-one years."

“Under normal circumstances, a fourth-tier demonic body can be maintained for a long time without any external damage.”

Yukihime raised her hand and poked Inugami, who instantly turned to ashes. "Its interior has been corroded."