Shota is surrounded by monsters!

"..." Iizuna Noriyuki opened the gates of the Tsuchimiya family, which symbolized the highest honor for exorcists in the city—to welcome a yokai.

"Come in."

He led Shota to a meeting room and then left. After a while, Kagura came in.

However, she seemed to have already been informed of Huang Quan's death, and her expression appeared somewhat dejected.

"How is Lord Tsuchimiya Gyakura doing now?"

Shota didn't want to start talking about the underworld directly, so he changed the subject.

"Thank you for your concern. My father... should be able to save his life."

In other words, she might lose everything except her life. However, this girl seems to have matured a lot all of a sudden.

With the Killing Stone taken from Bai Rui's body, according to half the rules, Bai Rui will be reduced to a spirit beast only on par with Ran Honglian—and that's the best-case scenario. The decline of the Tsuchimiya family is almost inevitable.

"Huang Quan, she..."

Kagura whispered three words, but then didn't know how to continue asking.

"She was smiling when she left," Shota said, looking at Kagura. "Although I couldn't save her, but..."

After a pause, Shota continued, "She told me that her only wish was to see you alive and well."

"I'm sorry, Kagura."

These words were spoken on behalf of Huang Quan, and also what Shota himself wanted to say.

Seeing Kagura unable to hold back her tears, Shota told her everything he knew, from Mei Isayama possessing the Sessho-seki to that white-haired boy.

Although Huang Quan told him not to speak, he now carried Huang Quan's life on his shoulders, and he hoped that the person whose life was on his shoulders could be forgiven by others.

After saying that, Shota ignored Kagura, who was sobbing uncontrollably, and walked out.

Standing at the door was Iitsuna Noriyuki.

"In the end..." Shota glanced at Noriyuki Iitsuna and said, "She didn't blame you for your cowardice. Instead, she blamed you for being a bit of a womanizer before. To be honest, I'm a little jealous of you."

"Could you take me to see her one last time?"

"No." Shota shook his head and said, "Let her rest in peace there. Even if you can guarantee that you won't disturb her, you can't guarantee that others won't disturb her."

"..."

Noriyuki Iitsuna looked at Shota and didn't continue speaking.

"If you want to make amends, then protect Kagura well. I am a youkai, and although I was asked to protect Kagura, in reality, I can't stay by her side."

Shota glanced at Noriyuki Iitsuna and said, "I'll leave this matter to you."

To be honest, Shota felt somewhat powerless regarding the will entrusted to him by Yomi. After all, he was a yokai, and Kagura was an exorcist... Unless Shota became Kagura's guardian spirit, it was impossible for him to dutifully protect her forever.

At most, all he can do is step in at certain crucial moments.

"By the way, what about Senjougahara?"

"She recovered very early and went to search for signs of her."

What an idiot girl. Shota shook his head. He was truly helpless against Senjougahara's stubbornness. He'd call her when he got home and ask her to come back early. Although the area had been cleared out, there was nothing he could do about it.

So, Shota wandered around for a bit, went to a 24-hour convenience store, and then went straight home.

"I'm back~"

"flutter--"

The moment he opened the door, Rea pounced on him and bit his neck, while Mashiro lunged at him and snatched the plastic bag from his hand.

"Goooooooooooo-"

Listening to the sounds of the two girls eating, Shota wore a helpless expression. Did they really have to be so "enthusiastic"...?

"careful!"

Sensing something, Shota quickly rolled over and shielded Rea and Mashiro beneath him.

"Shh-"

A powerful sword aura cleaved through the wall and struck Shota from behind.

"HELLO~Kosaka-kun."

A girl dressed in a black kimono, with a glittering red gem on her forehead and eyes dyed completely black, appeared in the room, ignoring the existence of the walls.

Sunlight streamed into the room through the cracks in the walls.

Shota turned his head and looked at the girl in front of him with an incredulous expression.

"No, it's impossible...you've already..."

"I already said that," the mysterious woman who suddenly appeared said in a strange tone.

"Even if I become a ghost, I will not let you go."

Impossible! Such a thing couldn't possibly exist in the world. I was just thinking of sharing the responsibility of protecting Kagura, and she really turned into a vengeful ghost to claim my life?

Image: "Huang Quan" (Yellow Springs), Location: "Images/022015-47363.jpg"

Chapter 88. The Evil Spirit's Underworld

Image: "Evil Spirit Underworld", Location: "Images/164024-84831.jpg"

Impossible, absolutely impossible.

The monster that appeared before them—yes, it had no life at all and could only be called a monster rather than a human—had a face exactly like Yomi's, and even the red stone shining on its forehead was exactly the same as Yomi's Killing Stone.

The differences lie in the aura, clothing, and eyes.

The aura was pure evil, pure darkness. Judging solely from the aura, the person in front of him was definitely a pure-blooded demon. To be more specific, he should belong to the ghost species, and the kind of ghost that was resurrected due to extreme resentment.

The clothes were a black kimono with intricate and ornate patterns. Shota knew that ghosts' clothes were constructed according to their own will, and what they wore was purely out of their own interest.

The whites of the eyes had turned completely black, while the black of the pupils had turned gold.

Almost one glance is enough to be drawn to the monster before you—even knowing she is a monster, you are still captivated by her strange beauty.

However, no matter what, Shota refused to believe that the person in front of him was the vengeful spirit that Isayama Yomi had become after her death.

Although he knew that it was impossible to kill someone who possessed the Killing Stone in one go, the Killing Stone had already been turned to ashes. Shota was certain that Yomi could no longer possess the power of the Killing Stone within her body at that time.

The crucial point now is that this monster, who looks exactly like Huang Quan and keeps shouting "HELLO," has already broken into my home.

Moreover, the fact that he stabbed someone upon first meeting them clearly indicates ill intent.

“Shota-kun, she, she’s not, she’s not…”

Before Rea could finish speaking, Shota moved immediately. He lunged at the monster, his hand, imbued with the power of fear, aimed directly at her forehead!

The monster simply sidestepped the attack—and the furniture in the room seemed to exist outside of her; she was now half-standing inside the television.

However, Shota wasn't so easily fooled. Even though his hand brushed past her and his body had already passed her, his tail was covered with a faint layer of demonic energy, ensuring that he could make contact with her spirit while simultaneously binding one of her calves.

Before the other party could react, Shota didn't even slow down. Like a heavily armored tank, he crashed through his own wall and dragged the monster that had invaded his absolute territory onto the street!

Fortunately, no one witnessed this. Otherwise, it would have become another urban legend.

"Who exactly are you...?"

Shota stopped and turned to look at the monster that had broken free from its restraints and seemed to be faintly emitting black mist in the sunlight, yet was still repairing its body.

"How heartless, Kousaka-kun," the demon said with a half-smile. "It hasn't been that long, has it?"

"Or did I accidentally fall asleep for hundreds of years? But I clearly remember someone saying that they would carry me for the rest of their life."

This guy... is definitely Isayama Yomi.

No, it's no longer the Yellow Springs of Isayama.

Shota watched as Yomi once again drew his sword and summoned the chaotic red lotus, but he felt a little resentful.

This hypothesis is based on the premise that she truly became a demon, meaning that before that, Sesshoseki used strange methods to conceal his senses and resurrected Yomi.

However, monsters are not entirely without reason. Even a ghost should know who she can oppose and who she cannot defeat.

For example, Shota, even as a ghost, Yomi has no hope of defeating him.

It's too slim. Even with the help of the spirit beast Ran Honglian, Huang Quan is still only a demon with A-rank strength. She might be able to win against ordinary exorcists, but against Shota, who is tough and treats ghosts as his prey, her chances of winning are too slim.

But Huang Quan seemed unconcerned. She raised the knife in her hand once more and said:

"To punish you... I will kill you, Kousaka-kun."

The way he raised the knife was exactly the same as the way he delivered that final blow not long ago.

Upon seeing this posture, Shota seemed to realize something and suddenly became annoyed.

"...Izayama Yomi..."

Shota lowered his body and almost roared out the other person's name. A strong demonic aura spread out from his body and instantly locked onto every corner of Yomi's body.

The moment she moves, Shota will pounce on her at an even faster speed!

"Disordered Red Lotus".

Before Huang Quan could act, Luan Honglian made her move first. She first fired a roaring bullet at Shota, then leaped into the air and stared at Shota from above, preparing to establish a three-dimensional offensive with Huang Quan.

Shota, who thought he would never have to face such an annoying pale yellow energy ball again, angrily used all his demonic energy to swat away the Roaring Bullet with one hand.

Although his arm almost twisted from that blow.

"Tsk."

Just as Shota was about to shake his hand, the silver sword light reappeared in his field of vision.

"Shh-"

The same sweeping sword strike.

Shota covered the demonic energy with both hands to withstand the attack—but he underestimated Yomi's current strength. After a brief clash, the blade pierced his arm, but soon the demonic energy that had increased the blade's sharpness was completely absorbed by Shota's power of fear, and the blade could no longer cut into Shota.

However, the immense force still swept Shota away.

"Bam—"

"It hurts, it hurts..."

Shota had just climbed out of someone else's wall when another Roaring Bomb came hurtling towards him—