Tokyo: Starting with the Shrine Maiden

But soon golden light emanated from her body, restoring her mobility.

Only Tsuchimikado Mari is unaffected.

It wasn't entirely without her; she revealed her true form.

Her hair flew like flames, and beneath her fair skin flowed not blood, but magma.

The ground around her was scorched black, with faint waves of heat rolling in.

This shows just how terrifying the temperature was.

"Divine power."

Mari Tsuchimikado looked at the giant snake, her voice unusually filled with shock.

Shenwei, as the name suggests, is the majesty of the gods.

Ordinary people cannot look directly at it.

Generally speaking, only psychics of the fourth rank or higher can resist it.

It's somewhat similar to Conqueror's Haki from One Piece.

Aside from deities, only those belonging to deities can possess divine power.

Mari Tsuchimikado glanced at the dying old man and guessed that this must be some kind of divine ritual.

Priests used similar spells frequently even a thousand years ago.

To communicate with the gods and gain power beyond that of ordinary spells.

But once the gods disappeared, they were extinct.

Its appearance now signifies a connection between the serpent spirit and the gods.

The gods at the Takamagahara ruins should not have died completely.

Mari Tsuchimikado narrowed her eyes.

If this news gets out, it will probably drive fifth-tier psionicists crazy.

Since the gods are not dead, it means that obtaining the method of advancement is easier.

Especially a dying god.

Mari Tsuchimikado pondered for a moment and then took out a folding fan.

It's white, with several butterflies painted on it.

The giant snake overhead swooped down.

Accompanied by divine might, the entire space trembled.

Tsuchimikado Mari opened her folding fan and chanted a spell.

In an instant, terrifying psychic energy erupted, and the butterfly on the folding fan rose with the wind and collided with the giant snake.

A storm is coming.

Countless aftershocks, like a tsunami, spread outwards.

A barrier as strong as the wind suddenly appeared on Haruhiko's body.

The Wind Demon Bracelet was triggered.

This means that even the aftershocks have the strength of a third-order spell.

It's so scary.

Haruhiko took out the Fiery Dragon Talisman after thinking for a moment.

His target was the elderly.

The flames transformed into a dragon and flew away.

As a third-tier talisman, it withstood the aftershocks, but even so, it dimmed considerably.

But killing an old man who is on his last legs is not a big problem.

A game notification sounded.

Another 320 points of psionic energy have been credited to my account.

In this way, his total psionic energy exceeded eight thousand points.

Two thousand points are still needed to advance to the next level.

The continuous sound of the wind gradually subsided.

Tsuchimikado Mari's figure reappeared.

Just like before, there were no injuries, and even the kimono was intact.

However, she did not transform back into human form and remained in her demon form.

To be honest, Haruhiko thought her demon form was quite beautiful.

Especially the kimono and the black and white stockings.

"Let's go down."

Tsuchimikado Mari ignored Haruhiko, who was stealing kills, and focused her gaze on the tubular staircase of the funnel-shaped building.

The sight of the elderly man and the middle-aged man fighting to the death was truly heartbreaking.

Of course, their loyalty also played a part.

Tsuchimikado Mari understood just how fanatical those servants of the gods were.

A thousand years ago, priests were beings that no one dared to provoke.

Takahashi Kisaragi quickly stepped forward.

At the same time, she glanced at Haruhiko with curiosity.

The performance under divine power just now is something that a second-tier psionicist could not achieve.

He must possess a fourth-tier treasure.

But considering he was the heir of the Tsuchimikado clan, it's somewhat understandable.

Tsuchimikado Mari didn't tell her Haruhiko's identity, but the way she addressed him as "little master" had already given everything away.

As the three people descended, the space became increasingly cramped.

Because of the deaths of the old man and the others, they encountered no obstacles and reached the bottom smoothly.

Unsurprisingly, it was a magic array.

Five broken bamboo tubes float around.

The psychic energy acted as a pull, ultimately converging on a boy in the center.

He was dressed in modern casual wear, his eyes closed, his hair disheveled, and his fate unknown.

Haruhiko felt that the face looked somewhat familiar.

he mused.

This person's temperament is almost identical to that of Morikawa Teru, the fourth-tier divine messenger who was captured.

Is it a ritual of divine transformation?

Haruhiko subconsciously looked at Tsuchimikado Mari.

She was expressionless as she surveyed her surroundings, clearly observing what purpose it served.

Haruhiko shifted his gaze to the five sections of bamboo.

Judging from the gap and length, they should have come from the same bamboo.

In addition, there are various bamboo leaves surrounding it.

Haruhiko felt that with so many bamboo leaves, he could make several nice Kagura bells.

Just then, he suddenly froze, thinking he was hallucinating.

Because he heard the pleasant sound of Kagura bells ringing.

"Kagura Bell?"

Takahashi Kisaragi asked with a puzzled look.

Haruhiko then realized that he had indeed heard Kagura Bell, and it wasn't a hallucination.

After the bell rang, the bamboo leaves trembled slightly and all gathered together, vaguely forming the shape of a priestess.

"She is destined to be a woman with auspicious horoscopes."

Tsuchimikado Mari recognized the shrine maiden.

She was the legendary goddess, the first priestess.

As she pondered, her expression changed drastically. She instantly took out a folding fan and swung it forcefully.

The flames transformed into butterflies, not just one, but four.

They circled around the bamboo leaves, instantly generating a powerful pulling force.