I cultivate a deity in Tokyo

This is a longbow that looks somewhat old, but it is not as light as it looks. It is quite heavy. There are many cracks on the peach wood bow and many ribbons that have been wrapped around it for who knows how long. It looks like it would break if you exerted a little force.

Yuukawa Yaya explained from the side, "Grandma Chiyo said that this is the Demon-Slaying Bow passed down by Kanda Shrine. It has the power to ward off evil spirits. The priests of Kanda Shrine throughout the ages have used this bow to kill many spirits."

"However, Granny Chiyo told me that if I want to use this bow, I must be prepared for the consequences."

"Is it that serious? Is there some other price to pay for using this bow?"

Shiraki Jun asked in confusion.

Yuukawa Yaya nodded solemnly.

"Grandma Chiyo said it will hurt a lot the first time you use it."

Chapter Thirty-Three: Stop Bragging

Meguro Ward, Tokyo.

Although it is close to the heart of Tokyo, it is completely different from the bustling pace of the city on the other side. Walking on the streets of Meguro Ward, you can't help but feel a sense of comfort and ease.

In addition, this place is a famous cherry blossom viewing spot, and many people come to Meguro River to enjoy the cherry blossoms every year.

As dusk fell, Shiraki Shun and Hanekawa Yaya arrived at the old house renovation site that Takanashi Kazuki had contracted.

Before they even got close, a man wearing a hard hat spotted them at the construction site and immediately came up to greet them warmly.

"You must be Priest Shiraki?"

"My name is Naoya Kagaki. I'm in charge of this construction site. The company president asked me to wait for you here so I can explain the situation to you in detail."

As they spoke, their gaze gradually shifted from Shiraki Shun to Hanekawa Yaya.

It must be said that Yuukawa Yaya's outfit was indeed very eye-catching.

Moreover, it reveals two words: professionalism.

Especially the longbow on her back, she looks like the embodiment of a witch from the Warring States period who exorcised demons.

Just standing here gives me a sense of peace.

In addition, Hanekawa Yaya is indeed very cute and pleasing to the eye.

Shiraki Shun also expressed his understanding of this.

Kagaki Naoya stared at Hanekawa Yaya for two seconds before tentatively asking.

"Hanekawa Miko?"

Hanekawa Yaya was taken aback: "Kamikaki-san, do you know me?"

"Of course I know you, Miko Hanekawa! I'm your fan! I've watched every single one of your videos!" Naoya Kamekaki rubbed his hands excitedly.

"That's great, that's great! I was a little worried before, but I didn't expect that it was Priestess Hanekawa who came in person, so I can rest assured!"

"If it's the shrine maiden Hanekawa, even if it's Shuten-dōji who's causing trouble, he'll still be in trouble, right?" Kagaki Naoya chuckled and gave a thumbs up.

Seeing how confident Kagaki Naoya was, Hanekawa Yaya looked a little embarrassed.

There's a reason why Kagaki Naoya said that.

The paranormal sites she visited before were mostly unknown and had a relatively low risk factor.

Even if you encounter a supernatural being, it will be a relatively weak one. You can throw two or three exorcism talismans at it and it will make the other party scream and yell. It's basically a complete stomp.

Ordinary people who can watch the video cannot distinguish the strength of the spirit.

All they could see was Hanekawa Yaya calmly and easily dispelling one terrifying-looking ghost after another and purifying one dark place after another.

Over time, the image of a cute and powerful witch has become deeply ingrained in people's minds.

This is something that even Yuukawa Yaya couldn't explain.

You can't just jump out and say that you're not that good, and that it's mainly because Granny Chiyo's talismans are effective, right?

and--

Haven't you watched the latest video?

You've been exposed as a fake fan!

The big shot is right here, please stop praising me!

begging!

However, there is one point that Hanekawa Yaya felt Kaki Naoya made some sense about.

As long as Priest Shiraki is here, even if it's Shuten-dōji who comes tonight, he can probably hold him off for a while.

Okay, then tonight my role will be "a cute little accessory that won't cause trouble for Priest Shiraki".

But seeing that Kagaki Naoya looked like he was about to continue, Hanekawa Yaya had no choice but to interrupt.

She said in a slightly apologetic tone, "If it's convenient, could you please tell us about the specific situation here, so that Priest Shiraki and I can carry out the exorcism?"

"Oh, okay, okay."

Only then did Kagaki Naoya manage to suppress his excitement at seeing his idol. He led the two into the construction site, past several houses that had already been demolished.

Upon reaching a certain point, Kamitsu Naoya stopped and pointed to a perfectly intact single-family house behind him.

"Gentlemen, this is the room where the problem occurred."

Shiraki Shun and Hanekawa Yaya both looked over.

The building is a two-story Japanese-style building from the 1980s. Although it is in good condition overall, a closer look reveals that the walls are dilapidated and the names of the residents in front of the door are rusted, indicating that it has been uninhabited for a long time.

Seeing this, Yuukawa Yaya couldn't help but ask, "Kamikaki-san, is the owner of this house already..."

Kagaki Naoya nodded: "Yes, the original owner of this house, Granny Funo, passed away twenty years ago, and it is now registered under the name of her son, Mr. Funo."

“But Mr. Funo usually lives in Shinagawa Ward, and in order to commemorate his mother, he has never sold or rented out the house, so he has been idle.”

"So, this house has been uninhabited for twenty years? In that case, it's easy for bad things to breed." Yuukawa Yaya pondered.

"Kamishi-san, have there been any rumors about this house being haunted? Could it be that Granny Funo still has some lingering attachment to something here, which is why she hasn't ascended to heaven yet?"

Uesugi Naoya shook his head: "We've inquired, and there's never been such a thing."

"Grandma Funo was a very gentle and kind person who never hesitated to lend a helping hand to those in distress. Even when she passed away, she had a smile on her face, as if she were just asleep."

“Even after she passed away, the bad rumors in the surrounding area disappeared. People believed that it was because Grandma Buno was watching over them from heaven, and they would go to pay their respects every year.”

“These are all things that the nearby residents told us.”

"If you were to say that such a person would turn into a vengeful ghost and return to the human world, I don't think anyone would believe it."

"Then," Yuukawa Yaya was also a little at a loss for words.

Left with no other option, they had to seek help from outside the venue.

"Priest Shiraki, what do you think?"

But Shiramu Jun just stared blankly at the door in front of him.

The moment Shiraki Shun arrived, led by Kagaki Naoya, he activated his magic in his eyes and began to observe secretly.

But the scene before him was somewhat unexpected.

He originally thought he would see many bloody handprints, footprints, and other traces left by ghostly activity on the courtyard walls and even the building.

Surprisingly, although the house in front of them looked dilapidated to the naked eye, it appeared very clean and tidy from a magical perspective, faintly radiating a glow.

It may even appear more sacred than some shrines and temples.

Even Shiraki Shun felt an urge to bow down to it.

But to say it's normal isn't quite right either.

Although there were no signs of ghostly activity, the roads inside and outside the house were covered with claw marks.

The claw marks, though only four toes long, were larger than Shiramu Shun's palm. The marks varied in depth, indicating they were left from activities at different times.

Even the spot where Shiramu Jun and the others were standing showed signs of this claw mark activity.

Looking at the claw marks, Shiraki Shunsuke frowned and looked back at the house.

Could this room be...?

Were we attacked by wolves?

Chapter Thirty-Four: Anyway, as long as you have hands, it'll be fine.

Although all indications suggest that a ferocious beast, like a wolf, had indeed roamed the area.

However, Shiraki Jun knew that this was impossible.

The reason is simple: there are no wolves left in Japan.

Due to overhunting and killing, the native Japanese wolf became extinct in Japan at the beginning of the last century.

Even if someone later claims to have seen it, it would have been in the deep mountains and forests, and it would be impossible for it to have appeared here.

After all, this is Meguro Ward, where the price of a house is 1.2 million yen per square meter.

What kind of wolf is so rich?

More importantly, these claw marks are not ordinary claw marks; they require magical power to see.

The answer is already quite obvious.

Taking advantage of the moment when Hanekawa Yaya and Kamikawa Naoya stopped discussing, Shiraki Shunya asked, "Kamikaki-san, did this old lady Funo keep any pets or rescue any stray dogs or cats before she passed away?"

"If so, is there any information about it?"

"This..." Kamitsuki Naoya hesitated slightly, then said with a hint of helplessness, "Priest Shiraki, I don't know much about these things."

"Besides, even if Grandma Buye raised them, it's been over twenty years since then. It's rare for any breed of dog or cat to live to that age."

Hearing Shiraki Shun's question, Hanekawa Yaya thoughtfully replied, "Priest Shiraki, are you saying that what remains in this house is not the spirit of Granny Funo, but the spirit of the animals she used to keep?"

Kagaki Naoya was taken aback and quickly asked, "Hanakawa Shrine Maiden, what do you mean by that?"

"Oh, you might not know this, Kamikashi-san. Because animals don't have the concept of life and death, their souls often linger in the human world after they die," Hanekawa Yaya explained very professionally.

"It's just that these kinds of creatures are not very intelligent and don't know how to strengthen themselves. They usually disappear after a few days, which is why there are not many rumors about haunted beasts."

"However, if they happen to accidentally devour the soul of a deceased person, they will quickly become stronger, gain sentience, and transform into supernatural beings similar to human-faced dogs, spiders, or cows in urban legends."

A human-faced dog?