I have an unlimited number of shikigami

and……

Kasahara Asuka didn't know if this was just her imagination.

It seemed as if something was watching her from the shadows.

"Senpai~~" Kasahara Asuka subconsciously moved closer to Fujiwara Izaya, her small hand tugging at his sleeve.

“Let’s go up to the second floor first.” Inspector Suzuki took the lead and went up first.

The moonlight outside was bright, coating the entire building with a bright silver glow, but the interior, which was not illuminated by the moonlight, resembled a pitch-black ruin.

The air was chilly.

The smell of blood was mixed with a musty odor.

The surroundings were deathly silent; any slightest sound was exceptionally clear.

Turn right on the stairs.

Kasahara Asuka continued to hold onto the wall and turned right.

A small light appeared on the second floor, flickering like glimmers of light seeping through several layers of window curtains. She quickened her pace and walked up, her wooden clogs making a pleasant "clack-clack" sound.

The light came from a long, narrow room on the second floor.

The unfinished house had a door temporarily made of wooden boards, which were wrapped with red and white rope and covered with six or seven yellowed talismans.

"Shimenawa (sacred rope) and exorcism charms."

Kasahara Asuka recognized the two items at a glance.

Fujiwara Izaya was no stranger to this either.

Shimenawa is common in Shinto shrines. It is usually hung on large trees in the courtyard to mark the boundary between the divine realm where the gods reside and the mortal realm. Shimenawa is used for exorcism and can form a unique barrier to protect a small space.

Upon closer inspection, the shimenawa rope was covered in dust, looking like it hadn't been cleaned in a long time.

"Did you set this up before?" Fujiwara Izaya asked, looking into the room.

The small room was probably for workers to rest temporarily. It had a hard sofa, a small coffee table, and a few small stools, but no carpet or refrigerator.

Ito Takumi was sitting on a small stool when he heard Fujiwara Izaya's question, and he simply snorted.

then……

He turned his head away haughtily, as if he had suffered some great injustice.

"Pfft~"

"Haha~"

Kasahara Asuka couldn't help but laugh, tilting her head to look at Fujiwara Izaya.

Fujiwara Izaya's gaze fell on her.

The girl was sixteen years old, with a pert nose and red lips, her beauty as radiant as a cluster of cherry blossoms glistening with dew.

"Let's go inside and rest for a bit. Walking in wooden clogs is so tiring." Kasahara Asuka gently grabbed his sleeve with one hand and swayed her hips as she walked inside.

Ito Takumi looked up, gazing at the pitch-black night outside the window at a 45-degree angle.

I feel terrible and want to cry.

Upon entering the room, Fujiwara Rin saw a rather large spider web in the corner above the window, with the corpses of three shriveled little insects hanging on it, but no spiders were visible.

He is now extremely wary of spiders, and even after sitting on the sofa, he keeps secretly glancing at the spider web out of the corner of his eye.

Kasahara Asuka sat next to him.

It's unclear what she was thinking, but as soon as she sat down, she put one hand on Fujiwara Izaya's shoulder and closed her eyes to rest.

Fujiwara Izaya is reading the ebook of "Crime and Punishment" on his phone.

Now we have to wait for Kitahara Takaki to come and give him some instructions before we can remove the spirit. Reading is a great way to pass the time.

Occasionally, he would turn his head to glance at the little witch.

The hand resting on his shoulder, like her face, looked exquisite and noble. But compared to her more mature and charming demeanor than the average high school girl, her soft and slender fingers strangely revealed the childlike innocence that should be present in someone her age.

"Mmm~ Senior's body feels so warm."

Asuka Kasahara murmured in a dreamlike voice, her slender fingers absentmindedly running through her orange hair a few times as if in a daze.

Beautiful movements, beautiful fingers.

Each slender finger seemed to possess a different alluring sentiment, even wielding some kind of divine spell to control people's hearts.

Fujiwara Rinya also had a very strange feeling.

The junior girl... seems to want me to be her puppy?

Ok.

It's probably just an illusion.

After waiting for about half an hour, Kitahara Takaki brought up two bags.

Upon seeing the two people on the sofa, he immediately went to greet them, his expression excited.

"Greetings, Kasahara-kun and Fujiwara-sama!"

Kasahara Asuka, who had been pretending to be asleep just a second ago, suddenly jumped up and stared at Kitahara Takaki with an unfriendly expression.

Why is he a master and I a junior monk?

Where am I small!

“On the way here, the police showed me the video of your exorcism,” Kitahara Takaki placed the bag of food on the table, stood in front of Fujiwara Izaya, put his hands together, and bowed sincerely to express his gratitude: “Thank you, Master Fujiwara, for avenging my brother.”

Imperceptible white light spots emanated from his body and converged on Fujiwara Izaya.

This is the power of the believer's will.

As a yokai enshrined in a shrine, Fujiwara Izaya's strength increases by relying on the devout prayers of believers, a method that has both advantages and disadvantages.

Its advantage is that it is safe and harmless.

The downside is that it's slow.

Of course, his slowness might also be a personal flaw.

If he could expand Asakusa Shrine to the size of Meiji Shrine, collecting tens of thousands of resentful spirits every day... it wouldn't be long before he became the sole person in charge of Tokyo's 23 wards.

Kitahara Takaki is now very devout.

Therefore, the quantity is very large.

So much so that when Kitahara Takaki straightened up, his vision went black and he almost fell to the ground.

The feeling of being completely drained...

"Ahem~!"

Kasahara Asuka coughed.

Kitahara Takaki gave her a strange look: "Little mage, is your throat bothered?"

“Mr. Kitahara, I must explain something,” Kasahara Asuka said with a formulaic smile, “I killed that vengeful spirit just now!”

“Oh right, that’s right, we also have to thank Kasahara-kun.” Kitahara Takaki was quite excited and bowed deeply to her. “We must thank the little monk for assisting Master Fujiwara, otherwise things wouldn’t have gone so smoothly.”

"..."

Kasahara Asuka was speechless for a moment.

Forget it.

Where in this world are there so many clever people who know how to speak appropriately?

As a beloved celebrity shrine maiden, she can't afford to be ignored and hold a grudge against ordinary people. In short, no matter the situation, she must maintain her composure and never lose her youthful charm!

According to Takumi Ito.

The current situation is clearly that Kasahara Asuka killed the vengeful spirit, but the credit went to Fujiwara Izaya.

Isn't this the same principle as accepting a commission and having someone else complete it for you?

snort!

pretty boy!

Ito Takumi sneered inwardly.

He made up his mind to let Fujiwara Izaya pretend for a while, and then when the vengeful spirit came out at night, he would use all his skills to put on a good show in front of him!

"Master Fujiwara, I'm counting on you tonight." Kitahara Takaki looked back at Fujiwara Izaya, his bloodshot, weary eyes filled with anticipation. "Because of the ghost story, construction has been halted for a month and a half. If this continues, we'll miss the delivery date and have to pay a hefty penalty..."

"Don't worry, Mr. Kitahara, leave this to us," Inspector Suzuki reassured him.

“After watching the video, I have great confidence in Master Fujiwara,” Kitahara Takaki bowed again, then looked up and said sarcastically, “Unlike some guy who only adds money but is completely useless.”

While Ito Takumi was immersed in grief, his eyelids suddenly twitched.

He felt as if he had been shot in the back.

Fujiwara Izaya smiled kindly and did not express his opinion.

“Master Fujiwara, I have prepared the payment for you.” Kitahara Takaki remained bowing, looking at the tips of his shoes. “Tomorrow, I will personally deliver 5000 million yen to Asakusa Shrine. I hope you will not delay.”

Fujiwara Rinya showed no reaction, his expression remaining calm.

Kitahara Takaki greatly admired this composure in the face of 5000 million yen.

Unlike these swindlers... He silently turned his head and glanced at Ito Takumi, thinking that he would consider the 1000 million yen a lesson learned. He would warn his relatives, friends and business partners that the priests of Asakusa Shrine were the real priests, and the priests of Yoshiwara Shrine were swindlers!

"Mr. Kitahara, please listen to me."

At this moment, Fujiwara Izaya spoke up.

He placed his hands flat on his knees, his expression gentle, and a pleasant smile on his lips.

“We clergy are duty-bound to eliminate evil spirits that threaten society, not to do it for money.” He slowly stood up and gently patted Kitahara Takaki’s shoulder. “No need for money. If you are sincere, just come to my Asakusa Shrine to offer your prayers during Golden Week.”

The voice was neither hurried nor slow, neither arrogant nor overly deliberate, neither tense nor overly relaxed—just right. It was a voice that, once heard, could never be forgotten.

Just like his smile, his clean, even teeth, and his elegant, straight nose, he is unforgettable.

Kitahara Takaki was completely stunned.