Poor magical girls, work for me!

Not long after the call ended.

Hurried footsteps could be heard from the path beside the shrine.

Nanatsuji Kirion appeared running under the torii gate.

She changed out of her previous casual clothes and was now wearing a more formal shrine maiden outfit.

Her upper body was covered in a pristine white robe, while her lower body was clad in dark crimson hakama. Her long hair was neatly tied back with white tamarisk paper and red water rope, revealing her smooth forehead and slender neck.

He was carrying a bulging, dark blue cloth bag with the Nanatsuji Shrine crest on it, filled with "purifying salt".

Nanatsuji Kirine, who was a shrine maiden, spotted the "toy bus" on the roadside at a glance.

She crouched down, looked at the "little person" inside the bus, and greeted him.

"Ryosuke-kun!"

As soon as she finished speaking, ripples spread across the wall in front of Nanatsuji Kirine, like waves on water. The once-solid wall unfurled like a scroll, and a bus door appeared out of nowhere.

As the car door opened, she turned and jogged inside.

The interplay of light and shadow magnifies the surrounding objects rapidly, shifting the perspective.

The next instant, Nanatsuji Kirion had already stepped steadily into the bus.

He turned around, looked at Ryosuke Miyagi and Sena Momose, his gaze lingering on Sena Momose for a moment longer, and greeted them with a bright smile.

"Hello! I am Nanatsuji Kirion, a shrine maiden of Nanatsuji Shrine. Nice to meet you!"

Momose Sena seemed a little uncomfortable with such a direct and sunny greeting, and lowered her head slightly, her voice soft but clear.

"H-Hello, I'm Momose Sena...Nice to meet you."

"Alright, everyone's here."

Ryosuke Miyagi clapped his hands, drawing the two's attention back.

"Before we discuss the specifics of tonight's attack on the vengeful spirit, let's have lunch first, and maybe we can find some help. Kirito, are you all ready?"

Everything is ready.

Nanatsuji Kirion patted the package in her hand that was full of refreshing salt.

But she brought more than just these.

Nanatsuji Kirion crouched down and opened her backpack; inside was...

"I brought a gohei (ceremonial hat), a kagura bell, a cypress fan, a shimenawa (sacred rope), and some talismans and charms."

Imperial coin.

Kagura Bell.

Cypress fan.

Talismans and divine scrolls.

…………

Twenty minutes later, the four of them were sitting in a secluded tatami room at a family restaurant called "Fengting".

The aroma of hot tea wafts through the air, and a simple set menu is laid out before you.

After ordering, the atmosphere relaxed a bit while we waited.

At the small table for four, Matsushima Yukio and Momose Sena sat on one side, while Nanatsuji Kirion leaned against Miyagi Ryosuke; the entire subjugation squad was present.

"So."

Ryosuke Miyagi took a sip of tea and got down to business.

"Tonight's target is... the Wild God of the Thousand-Layered Valley Shrine—the Vengeful Ox God. That guy is gradually becoming a great threat to Thousand-Layered Valley. Does anyone have any information or thoughts on this?"

Matsushima Yukio wasn't too shocked to hear about this target.

Last night, Ryosuke Miyagi asked herself if she had ever thought about defeating the Vengeful Bull God. At the time, she thought that she was alone and that challenging a mid-level monster was completely overestimating her abilities.

And now...

Matsushima Yukio put down her teacup and glanced at the other three.

A shrine maiden from Nanatsuji Shrine and two magical girls.

With this setup, she had a good chance of defeating a mid-level monster, and her expression became serious.

"Yes, it's officially classified as a 'mid-level vengeful spirit,' which is quite dangerous. It's been very active lately, causing several attacks on people returning home at night. Because it's entrenched in the abandoned Yue Shrine, the terrain is complex, and its resentment can affect the mind, making it quite difficult and risky to defeat. But I don't know why the authorities haven't offered any bounties or organized any hunts."

Momose Sena added in a low voice.

"I've heard about this. Because the wild gods in the Thousand-Tao Valley are not under the jurisdiction of the investigators, and the ones who have become vengeful are wild gods, not evil spirits. This kind of identity is very ambiguous for the authorities."

Nowadays, investigators basically believe that if they don't do anything, they won't make a mistake.

No matter how many people that monster has harmed, their duties and regulations do not fall under the jurisdiction of law enforcement, so that thing continues to harm people.

Ryosuke Miyagi's indifference towards Shibuya, Tokyo, has reached a new level.

In a bubble economy, every job is extremely important.

Momose Sena continued speaking.

"I know more about that bull god. Legend has it that it was a wild god transformed from a plow ox in its previous life. It became resentful because the incense offerings were cut off and it witnessed too much human suffering. It especially hated... tired 'laborers'."

Nanatsuji Kirion held the teacup with both hands, her eyes lighting up.

"Similar records can be found in the ancient records of the shrine! These 'wild gods', which are formed from the resentment of local deities or spirits, are often deeply obsessed, but they also retain some of their characteristics or weaknesses from their previous lives."

For example, since it's a "cow god," wouldn't it react to certain farm tools or grains that symbolize "new life" or "purity"? Or, the cleansing salt commonly used at shrines should be able to purify and block its resentful aura to some extent, right?

Ryosuke Miyagi inwardly praised Nanatsuji Kirion's keen insight, which matched part of his "knowledge".

He cannot directly provide the detailed information from the encyclopedia entry, but he can guide and confirm.

"Kiyone is right."

He continued, his tone carrying the cautious analysis of a Witcher.

"Based on my experience handling similar cases before, and some circulated Witcher's Notes, the core power of this type of 'labor-resentment' monster is often tied to a symbol of its obsession. For example... the bell around its neck."

"That bell was originally a 'peace bell' used for blessings, but now it's been tainted by resentment and has become the core of emanating resentment and manipulating the field. If we can temporarily suppress or interfere with that bell, we can create an opportunity."

"Suppressing the bells...?"

Sena Momose pondered, "Fight with sound? Or... a more powerful purifying force?"

Nanatsuji Kirion patted the cloth bag beside her.

"A stronger purification is difficult to achieve immediately, but interference and weakening are possible! I brought a sufficient amount of specially made cleansing salt. If we set up a barrier, it should greatly reduce the corrosive effect of the resentment in the bell's sound, buying everyone time and space."

"Good idea."

Ryosuke Miyagi nodded.

"Then the initial tactics can be set up as follows: Kirito will prioritize setting up a barrier to weaken the influence of the environment and the bell. Yukio-senpai and Hoshina will be responsible for frontal restraint and attacks, looking for opportunities. I will observe from the flanks and try to find ways to interfere with or attack the bell."

"I'm fine."

Yukio Matsushima stated that she approves of this reasonable allocation.

Momose Sena nodded silently.

"Leave it to me!" Nanatsuji Kirion said with great enthusiasm.

At that moment, the shoji door was pulled open, and a waiter came in carrying a tray of food, the enticing aroma of which attracted everyone.

"Okay, that's the general plan. We'll adjust the details once we get there, based on the actual situation."

Ryosuke Miyagi picked up his chopsticks.

"Now, let's eat first. We'll have the energy to work tonight if we're full."

"I'm starting!" Nanatsuji Kirion said, her hands clasped together in a clear voice.

The others immediately echoed this sentiment.