I have an unlimited number of shikigami

"Did you kill that stupid spider, or was it just a coincidence that you were inside, and it was actually a shrine maiden from Tokyo Daijingu who killed it...?"

"Well, whatever, let him die if he's dead... What I'm more interested in is that piece of land belonging to your Asakusa Shrine. It's big enough, and the surrounding area is bustling enough. If only I could get my hands on it..."

After murmuring for a while, as if she had thought of something wonderful, Kawashima Miki looked at the neon-lit Asakusa night scene not far away, smiled slightly, a perfect smile, her lips suddenly parted, and charming dimples gathered at the corners of her mouth.

Chapter 25. A Dark and Windy Night

Tokyo, Taito Ward, 3 a.m.

This is the quietest time of day in the city, with almost no pedestrians on the streets.

All sorts of things were scattered on the road: empty cans of soda and beer, trampled newspapers, plastic bottles, cigarette butts, and vomit.

A group of flamboyantly dressed young people walked out of a nightclub with drunken gait.

"Goodbye, see you tomorrow night..."

"Goodbye, young master Kitahara..."

"Be careful on the road, don't get caught driving under the influence..."

After saying goodbye to his companion, Hideki Kitahara, arm in arm with his female companion, staggered into the parking lot.

Under a roadside trash can, a dirty big cat kept sniffing the smell of the trash bag, trying to fill its belly before the fierce crows flew in to forage for food at dawn.

"He, tui—"

He spat a mouthful of phlegm at the cat, which was so frightened that it darted into the flowerbed.

"Hahaha……"

Hideki Kitahara laughed so hard he bent over backwards.

“That cat is so ugly…” His female companion also shook her head and laughed.

The two staggered to the parking lot, ignoring the several advertising flyers stuck on the car's windshield wipers. Kitahara Hideki opened the door, got in, and completely disregarded the fact that he was already drunk.

His female companion didn't seem to notice anything amiss. As soon as she sat in the passenger seat, she started yawning repeatedly and looked sleepy.

Start the engine and drive.

"Om~"

The expensive sports car sped away from the parking lot and headed towards Asakusa.

Most of the neon signs on the shops on both sides of the street have been turned off, and the lights of the convenience stores that are open all night are shining alone, with an occasional lone vending machine appearing.

The gleaming hood reflected the orange-yellow light of the streetlights, the light and shadow flashing rhythmically like fireflies.

Kitahara Hideki was completely enveloped in soft leather, his expression slightly ferocious.

Shhhhhhhhhh

I just kept staring at the flashing lights, as if I would forget who I was, where I was, and what I was doing.

"Ugh... How annoying!" he yelled.

"Are you thinking about home again?" asked the woman next to me.

Holding the steering wheel, Kitahara Hideki turned his head to look at his female companion's face, "The old man is so biased towards my older brother, how can I not want to!"

Gazing at the man's distorted face, the female companion shrank back in fear, turning to look out the window, where a heavily made-up face appeared before her.

"I'm clearly his son too, so why does he give all the power to his older brother..."

Kitahara Hideki slammed on the gas pedal, as if venting his emotions through driving.

The expensive sports car roared as it sped along the two-lane road illuminated by orange lights, with hardly any other vehicles passing by.

Electronic music was playing continuously at high volume from the car stereo.

The noise was giving her a headache, so she simply took out noise-canceling headphones and put them in her ears.

After being isolated from the noise, she sighed inwardly, feeling much more comfortable.

...How annoying.

If it weren't for the money, who would want to be with this kind of spoiled brat?

The female companion was silently complaining when she suddenly heard a strange noise in her ears.

"Chirp chirp... Squeak squeak squeak... Caw caw caw..."

Huh?

What?

Are the headphones broken?

The female companion put her hand to her ear and adjusted the noise reduction mode.

Strangely, the abnormal sound did not disappear; instead, it grew louder and more intense, gradually transforming into an unusually piercing sound, like a chilling groan emanating from deep within a person's throat.

"What? What is this...?"

Startled, the female companion immediately took off her headphones and, without thinking, threw them out the window.

But the strange noises didn't stop.

Amidst the booming electronic music, screams of agony filled the air: "Gagaga... Ah... Waaaa!"

"Hideki, turn off the sound!" Her female companion covered her ears, her expression terrified.

However, immersed in the adrenaline rush from speeding, Kitahara Hideki was completely oblivious to what was happening. With one foot still slammed on the gas pedal, he sprinted at full speed, looking at the night road illuminated by sodium streetlights.

Not far away, you can already see the Kaminarimon Gate of Senso-ji Temple.

"Ah...ahhhhh...ahhhhh..."

The eerie wailing continued until her female companion finally couldn't take it anymore and roughly turned off the music with her slender fingers, glossy with nail polish.

In an instant.

Silence descended upon the car, with only the continuous roar of the engine.

"What are you doing!" Kitahara Hideki, gripping the steering wheel, glared angrily at his female companion.

"Hideki, did you hear any strange noises just now..." The voice coming from her female companion was so hysterical that even she was startled.

"Neuropathy!"

Kitahara Hideki cursed angrily, then turned back and continued speeding.

“You…” The female companion turned her face away angrily, staring at her reflection in the car window.

In the dim light, every part of my face was evenly covered with foundation, my delicate, arched eyebrows were meticulously drawn, my long, thick eyelashes were coated with mascara, my large eyes were shaped with eyeliner and eyeshadow, and my small, glossy lips shone...

Looking at the heavily made-up woman, she suddenly felt a little scared. When did she start to become like this?

at this time.

With a loud bang, the car bounced up from the impact.

"Damn it, what the hell is this!" Kitahara Hideki slammed on the brakes, the violent inertia propelling the two of them forward. They were then pulled back by the seatbelts, which pressed against their mouths. The sound of high-decibel braking filled the air as the car skidded sideways and wobbled into the roadside green belt.

"What's wrong? What was that just now?"

The female passenger in the front seat looked at Kitahara Hideki with a panicked expression, her seatbelt digging deeply into her high breasts.

"Maybe we hit something," Kitahara Hideki replied breathlessly, cursing as he unbuckled his seatbelt and opened the car door.

After getting out of the car, the skid marks left behind resembled a giant snake, winding its way across the asphalt. At the front of the snake, something black lay there, slowly wriggling.

"Hey, what's that?!"

Kitahara Hideki roared, and a chilling coldness instantly swept over his entire body.

"Let me tell you, don't lie there pretending to be dead, get up quickly..." Encouraged by the alcohol, he walked forward while talking to himself, and the woman lying on her side gradually came into clear view.

Blood slowly flowed out, and from the ruptured body, something resembling internal organs gleamed stickily, emitting a faint warmth in the slightly chilly night air. A rib-like object, exposed through the skin on the side of the abdomen, was a ghastly pale color.

"Hideki... what should we do?"

Her female companion was pale, her lips trembled, and her large eyes, drawn with eyeliner, were already glistening with tears.

"Alright! Stop talking!"

Kitahara Hideki interrupted his female companion impatiently and climbed into the car.

He started the car, stuck his head out, and yelled, "Get in now! Are you just standing here waiting for the police to arrest you?!"

However, at this very moment...

The female corpse lying on the ground suddenly twisted her limbs and crawled forward.

Fear filled her female companion's face.

With great difficulty, she turned around and shouted at Kitahara Hideki, "Help me—"

The next instant, a piercing scream rang out.

Under the hazy night sky, a few crimson hues of blood rose up. Araki Jiro, transformed into a black spider, crawled out of the car and watched as two humans were slowly tortured to death under the extreme fear brought by the vengeful spirit, as if watching a stage play.

Chapter 26. Mind Your Own Business

The next day, Saturday.

Fujiwara Izaya woke up promptly at six o'clock.

A light drizzle was falling outside.

After a quick wash, I went for a morning run along my usual route over the Sumida River.

Tokyo at night may not be a quiet city, but in the early morning, just before it awakens, it is definitely a city that temporarily sheds its bustling nature, as quiet as an apocalyptic ruin.

The view was shrouded in mist, and the cherry blossoms along the river looked like a pink dream from afar.

Arriving at the Sky Tree, after a short rest, Fujiwara Izaya patted the water stains off his hair and turned to return along the path.

Going uphill, crossing the river, and passing under the railway.

You can run and stop whenever you want, without any worries. You just need to keep running, and you can put on a raincoat when it rains.

As he passed by the Lemon bakery, Yukino Riho, wearing a blue long-sleeved dress, opened the shutter door. Seeing him running over, she greeted him with a smile: "Good morning, Fujiwara-kun."