I have an unlimited number of shikigami

"You're a weirdo, senpai!" Kasahara Asuka repeated.

“Not at all,” Fujiwara Izaya retorted, then asked her, “Have you seen Coco?”

"Coco..." Kasahara Asuka looked thoughtful, her small lips moving slowly: "Death is not the end of life, forgetting is... Is that what you're trying to say, Senpai?"

"Smart!" Fujiwara Izaya praised her. "They had no place to go when they were alive, and no one cared about them. They can't be as pitiful in death as they were in life. This place has all kinds of flowers and plants, fresh air, bright sunshine, a healthy atmosphere, and a neatly trimmed lawn. It's an ideal place to rest in peace."

Kasahara Asuka chuckled: "The environment is good, but a good environment comes at the cost of high annual management fees."

"Do you think I can't afford it?" Fujiwara Izaya retorted domineeringly.

"No wonder you're so greedy, senpai!" Kasahara Asuka looked at him with a teasing gaze, quite mischievous.

Fujiwara Izaya shrugged curtly: "Who told me to be poor?"

"The senior was also a very good person."

"It's not good at all."

"it is good."

"not good!"

"it is good."

"Okay, I'm fine."

The argument ended once again with Fujiwara Izaya admitting defeat.

Around 2 PM, Seiji Ikeda returned with the prepared tombstone, and the three of them buried Ms. Momose's personal belongings together. The young monk even gave them a free Buddhist ceremony.

The process was a bit long and a bit boring.

The afternoon sun was sweltering, and Kasahara Asuka, feeling drowsy from watching the film, pulled Fujiwara Izaya to rest in the pine and cypress grove next to the cemetery. Soon after, she became so sleepy she couldn't stay awake any longer, and with a tilt of her head, she leaned on Fujiwara Izaya's shoulder and fell asleep.

"Namo Amitabha Buddha Tathagata..."

The Buddhist verses were carried by the wind blowing up the slope into the forest, rustling the pine needles.

The shoulders bore the weight of the girl, a heavy, unbelievable weight.

She seemed genuinely asleep, not just teasing him.

Fujiwara Izaya placed his hand on her cheek, touched her soft little lips with his finger, and could feel her moist, warm breath.

It feels great.

It was plump and juicy, so fresh and bouncy that he couldn't resist pressing it many times.

After finishing the ritual, Ikeda Seiji looked into the grove and immediately saw Fujiwara Rinya playing with his junior's lips.

"I can't graduate in a cemetery!" he shouted from afar, then put his hands behind his back, shook his shoulders with a sigh, and left.

“It seems like they’ve accepted that we’re a couple…” Fujiwara Izaya withdrew his hand and looked up at the sky.

A few wisps of cloud drifted through the gaps in the leaves, and otherwise the sky was an unmistakably deep blue, so vivid it was breathtaking.

He did nothing all afternoon but stare blankly at the sky.

The sun gradually began to set in the west.

Sunset rays filtered through the gaps in the trees and fell on the lawn.

The wind that blows carries the scent of the sea, the fragrance of leaves, the hazy emotions of youth, and the atmosphere of dusk.

"How long have I been asleep?" Asuka Kasahara asked groggily.

“Perfect timing,” Fujiwara Izaya replied, “Just right to watch the sunset.”

The two lay side by side on the cool grass, listening to the rustling of the trees.

"The sunset is so beautiful!" Asuka Kasahara exclaimed, looking at the western sky.

"Ah."

Fujiwara Izaya also gazed at the bright and vivid sunset clouds.

The last time he saw such a beautiful sunset was at the flea market in Meiji Park. He took a picture that day, but didn't know who to send it to.

Chapter 64. The Landlord's Son Visits

Early on the morning of the 2nd, Kitahara Takaki visited Asakusa Shrine.

The peeling paint torii gate is located at the end of a long slope. The early summer sun is hardly refreshing, but fortunately there are many trees on both sides of the slope, so walking in the shade prevents you from sweating from the sun.

Passing through the torii gate, a spacious courtyard comes into view.

Kitahara Takaki's expression suddenly turned to surprise and suspicion.

Located in the heart of bustling Tokyo, this place is so quiet it's like... a ruin, with most of the buildings collapsed and weeds growing everywhere.

How could a master live in such a dilapidated place?

Filled with doubt, Kitahara Takaki walked through the weeds in the courtyard toward the worship hall.

The faint chirping of birds could be heard, and sunlight shone through the eaves of the small building, dazzling like glass. Under the eaves of the worship hall, there was a large space where a boy dressed in a white hunting robe sat on the ground, and the wind made the old teru teru bozu dolls under the eaves dance.

Seeing this scene, Kitahara Takaki suddenly felt relieved.

Although the courtyard still looks weathered, it no longer feels abandoned.

“Master Fujiwara!” He quickly walked down the steps and bowed.

"No need to be so polite, please come in and have a seat," Fujiwara Izaya invited.

Sunlight filtered through the treetops, illuminating the ancient worship hall. Kitahara Takaki took off his shoes and knelt down opposite Fujiwara Izaya.

Compared to his formal posture, Fujiwara Izaya appeared quite casual.

He rested his right elbow on his right knee, his chin on his right hand, and looked relaxed and easygoing.

“Master, what’s wrong with you here…” Kitahara Takaki was about to ask the question that was on his mind.

"Have you had breakfast?" Fujiwara Izaya suddenly asked.

“Uh,” Kitahara Takaki shook his head, “I rushed over early this morning, but it’s still not here.”

"Yukihime!" Fujiwara Izaya clapped his hands. "We have a guest. Let's get some food for them."

A sudden gust of cold wind swept through the area, causing Kitahara Takaki to shiver. The wind rustled through the weeds in the courtyard, covering the blades with a thin layer of frost.

Countless ice crystals condensed together in the air.

In the blink of an eye, a woman as pure and beautiful as snow was born from the ice and snow.

"...This, is this a Yuki-onna?" Kitahara Takaki's eyes widened, his voice filled with barely suppressed excitement.

The snow woman who had just emerged was startled by the unfamiliar voice.

Her little ears twitched suddenly, and she quickly shrank behind her owner, tilting her head slightly and looking warily at the stranger who had appeared in the house.

Those beautiful, clear blue eyes gazed at Kitahara Takaki, as if recounting some painful past.

"Don't be so rude." Fujiwara Izaya affectionately patted Yuki's head, pulled her back to him, and introduced her to Kitahara Takaki: "Her name is Yuki-hime, and she is my shikigami."

The Snow Woman still doesn't like strangers.

After being pulled to the front by her owner, her instinct was to shrink back and hide in her owner's arms.

"This is amazing..." Kitahara Takaki's face flushed slightly, his eyes shining. "There really are Yuki-onna in the world, and they're even shikigami! Is Master a legendary Onmyoji?"

Fujiwara Izaya smiled faintly.

He didn't answer the question, but simply leaned against the pillar, gazing at the courtyard with a detached air in his eyes.

The master didn't want to show off to me... Kitahara Takaki's admiration for him grew even stronger.

Actually.

Fujiwara Izaya is a complete idiot, an Onmyoji.

Nowadays, Onmyoji (yin-yang masters) are extremely rare within Shintoism. This isn't to say that Onmyoji are particularly powerful or difficult to become, but rather that only priests who practice Tsuchimikado Shinto can be called Onmyoji. Tsuchimikado Shinto is a branch of Shintoism, originating from the Tsuchimikado family, direct descendants of Abe no Seimei. After hundreds of years of ups and downs, it remains the largest force within Shintoism, controlling Meiji Shrine, the largest shrine in Japan.

The previous head of the Tsuchimikado family was named Tsuchimikado Shino. She had a close personal relationship with Fujiwara Izaya's father and they had a daughter named Tsuchimikado Tomoko.

Unfortunately, Aunt Shino and Sister Tomoko both went to Takamagahara with their father, and the current Tsuchimikado Shinto has no connection with Fujiwara Izaya.

“Mr. Kitahara,” he looked back at Kitahara Takaki and asked, “Would you like some sukiyaki?”

"Eat!" Kitahara Takaki exclaimed with delight.

“Yukihime,” Fujiwara Izaya stroked Yukihime’s cold silver hair and commanded, “Go to the kitchen and bring out the ingredients. The master is going to entertain the guests.”

The snow woman tilted her head slightly.

Her frost-covered eyelashes trembled slightly, as if to say, "Olive doesn't understand."

"..." Fujiwara Izaya lowered his head slightly and whispered in her ear, "Just bring out the ingredients I prepared in advance, and also bring out a pot of sake. Please, Yuki, don't look silly today, or people will think my shikigami is a mentally challenged monster!"

It's unclear whether the Snow Woman understood or not.

However, upon hearing the term "mentally challenged monster," she pouted in grievance and reluctantly drifted towards the backyard.

Kitahara Takaki was once again speechless.

The Snow Woman's light and soft body floated up into the air like a gust of wind, the ice crystals covering her shimmering faintly in the morning light.

“So beautiful…” Kitahara Takaki murmured as if he had lost his soul, “Pure and immaculate, beautiful and sorrowful, just like the legend.”

"Mr. Kitahara," Fujiwara Izaya asked, "has your brother's funeral been arranged?"

"Oh, it's all done." Kitahara Takaki came to his senses and hurriedly kowtowed, "Thank you so much for your help, Master."

Has construction resumed?

"It's already on the agenda, and we'll resume work after the Golden Week holiday."

“That’s good, but you need to be careful,” Fujiwara Izaya reminded him. “After dusk, everyone must leave the construction site and not linger.”

“Yes, I know. Inspector Suzuki already warned me,” Kitahara Takaki replied. “He will arrange for someone to come and monitor us at night, saying it’s to be wary of retaliation from the mastermind behind it all.”

"good!"

Fujiwara Izaya nodded and smiled.

The snow woman, carrying a clay pot and stove, floated back to the eaves.