I have an unlimited number of shikigami

Fujiwara Izaya exclaimed, "That metaphor is quite in my style!"

“It wasn’t me who said that,” Kasahara Fukari looked in her mother’s direction, her voice warming up a bit. “I have a huge appetite, it’s like my stomach can hold as much as it can. My mother said I’m like a monk’s alms bag.”

"Mrs. Kasahara's analogy is quite in my style!" Fujiwara Izaya immediately corrected himself.

"Don't get too close to my family!" Kasahara Fukari warned.

“If you’re worried, you can come and listen in,” Fujiwara Izaya replied with a smile. Just as he was about to leave, he suddenly remembered that Asuka had been changing clothes for an hour or so and hadn’t seen her. He looked at his older sister with a puzzled expression: “Your sister…”

"I sent him to the temple to greet the tourists."

Kasahara Fukaeri seemed to read his mind immediately and told him the truth directly.

Having said that, she picked up the food and strode away, heading in the direction of the temple. Along the way, everyone who passed by her turned to look at her.

Men usually respond with admiring glances, while women react with a mixture of envy and hostility.

But with that icy aura that seemed to say "keep away," no one dared to approach her and speak to her.

“If it’s out of concern, why be so stiff…” Fujiwara Rinya sighed, carrying the food and drinks toward the veranda to keep his appointment with the two ladies.

Halfway there, the trendy young man from before suddenly appeared with a group of people, blocking their way aggressively.

"Fujiwara Izaya!"

"You're the culprit!"

"Go, let's beat him up."

Surrounded by a crowd of peers, Fujiwara Rin calmly called out to the eaves, "Two chairmen, may I have a fight first, and then deliver the food to you?"

Before the two ladies could reply, the younger generation scattered in all directions.

"He's good at leveraging opportunities," Mrs. Hoshimi said with a smile, watching the young man stride towards her with his long, slender legs.

Mrs. Kasahara astutely commented: "She's full of bad intentions, and might even be secretly plotting against the two of us."

"The chairman guessed that?" Fujiwara Rinya placed his plate on the table in front of the two of them, and seeing that a seat had been left for him between them, he plopped down and sat down.

"Isn't he underestimating us?" Mrs. Kasahara asked Mrs. Hoshimi, turning to her.

"He needs to be disciplined." Mrs. Hoshimi nodded in reply. "Come closer, let me tell you how to teach him."

As they spoke, the two ladies leaned out and whispered behind Fujiwara Izaya, seemingly having prepared a whole scheme for him.

Fujiwara Izaya took out champagne and juice from the ice bucket.

He poured champagne for the two ladies, while he poured himself a glass of juice, added two ice cubes, and finally picked up a slice of watermelon to eat.

As noon approached, the two wives finally reached an agreement: Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays would be spent at the Kasahara residence, and Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays at the Hoshimi residence.

"There's still one day left?" Fujiwara Rinya spat watermelon seeds onto the table.

“One more day. I’ll send you to Section 9 to experience Eri Fukahara’s grueling training.” Mrs. Kasahara elegantly swirled the champagne in her glass, the ice cubes clinking and bubbles rising to the surface.

Even Fujiwara Izaya, who had seen many beautiful women, couldn't help but admire her noblewoman-like demeanor, which exuded composure and elegance.

"I hope the two chairmen will show mercy..." Fujiwara Izaya pleaded, then cut straight to the point, "Or, before you lecture me, tell me about the past of Asakusa Shrine?"

"Let me speak, Miko. I'm a little hungry." With that, Mrs. Kasahara began to eat her steak, her movements with the knife and fork were very authentic and graceful.

She was focused on the delicious Kobe beef, looking innocent and carefree, as if she were truly hungry.

"What do you want me to say?"

Mrs. Hoshimi murmured something, lightly tapping her stemmed glass with her slender fingers. The sound, which should have been crisp and melodious, inexplicably carried a dull chill.

Fujiwara Izaya held his breath in anticipation.

Soon after, only the hissing sound of bubbles remained in the glass. Mrs. Hoshimi picked up the champagne, slowly drank it all in one gulp, and then pushed the glass towards Fujiwara Izaya.

Fujiwara Izaya poured her another full glass of champagne.

The liquor is golden yellow, exuding an air of grandeur, and crystal clear.

"Do you know Xia Xilin?" Mrs. Hoshimi put her finger to her temple, thought for a moment, and then spoke, "The last shrine maiden of Asakusa Shrine, a genius shrine maiden, and a half-demon."

Fujiwara Izaya nodded silently with his lips tightly pressed together.

"Where is Xia Xizhenchuan?" she asked again.

Fujiwara Izaya shook his head.

Actually, I knew.

That was his biological maternal grandmother, but she had been dead for many years, and he had never seen her before.

“She is Xia Xilin’s mother…” Mrs. Hoshimi held up her wine glass, looking at Fujiwara Izaya through the wine, her expression as if she was immersed in memories of a very distant past, with slight ripples occasionally appearing in her eyes.

"I can't remember exactly how long ago it was, probably about fifty years ago. At that time, Natsuki Masakawa was the most powerful shrine maiden in Shintoism, and Asakusa Shrine was also the strongest shrine. In addition to its large scale and numerous priests, Asakusa Shrine also enshrined the eight-foot magatama."

"The Yasakani no Magatama, one of the Three Sacred Treasures?"

Fujiwara Izaya exclaimed in surprise.

“Yes, one of the Three Sacred Treasures, a supreme treasure with miraculous effects on the soul.” Mrs. Hoshimi took a small sip of champagne, put down her glass, and looked back at him: “Back then, Sutoku coveted the Yasakani no Magatama and went to Asakusa Shrine to steal it, but was discovered by Natsuki Masakawa. The most powerful shrine maiden and the most powerful yokai engaged in a thrilling battle.”

"And the result?" Fujiwara Izaya asked.

"The result is fifty-fifty, neither side can really defeat the other." Mrs. Hoshimi brushed a strand of hair from her forehead with her slender, white wrist and chuckled softly. "To fight to a draw with Sukaku, what a magnificent achievement. It's a pity I wasn't born then, otherwise I could have witnessed the splendor of the strongest shrine maiden in history."

“I feel the same way,” Mrs. Kasahara interjected, then continued to eat her steak elegantly with her small mouth.

"Hmm, I think I understand." Fujiwara Izaya nodded, accepting the premise that his grandmother was the strongest priestess in history, and continued to ask, "What happened after that? Since Natsuki Masakawa was so powerful, why are there no stories about her now?"

"At the end of the great battle at Asakusa Shrine, Sutoku used a little trick to control a priest and steal the Yasakani no Magatama." Mrs. Hoshimi tapped her glass a few times with the tip of her fingernail. "Natsuki Masakawa went to chase after Sutoku. The two of them, one human and one demon, traveled north and eventually disappeared into the snow forests of Hokkaido. Then, seven years later..."

Fujiwara Izaya frowned, silently processing the matter.

The juice that was just poured in remains untouched, the ice in the glass has melted, and a layer of water droplets has seeped out from the glass.

"During the seven years that Natsuki Masakawa disappeared, Asakusa Shrine spared no effort in searching for her, and finally..." Mrs. Hoshimi suddenly stopped, looking at Fujiwara Izaya meaningfully and laughing.

Her eyes seemed to say that she wouldn't say another word unless he begged her.

"Is it fun to tease a child?" Mrs. Kasahara retorted dismissively.

Mrs. Hoshimi immediately retorted, "I wonder who is shameless enough to make a child call her 'sister'?"

"Who was it that just now shamelessly tried to steal my brother from me?" Mrs. Kasahara asked with an elegant demeanor, teasingly.

"Fujiwara-kun, let me ask you a question," Mrs. Hoshimi threw the dilemma at Fujiwara Izaya, "If we both fell into the water at the same time, who would you save first?"

"?"

This is the most unbelievable problem ever—falling into the water!

Fujiwara Rinya said decisively, "Knock them both out with one blow, then drag them back at the same time."

"Greedy!" Mrs. Hoshimi said disapprovingly.

"Hey, you're not allowed to have two at once!" Mrs. Kasahara scolded.

At this point, the two ladies had no airs of noblewomen at all; instead, they seemed more like spoiled seventeen or eighteen-year-old girls.

and also……

What does it mean to not want two at once?

"Chairwoman Kasahara," Fujiwara Rin asked, exasperated, "Asuka's personality, could it be that she learned it from you?"

“After all, we are mother and daughter…” Mrs. Kasahara covered her mouth with a napkin and smiled. Suddenly, she seemed to remember something and gently clasped her hands together: “It’s rare to have a chance to be together, so why don’t we go play golf this afternoon?”

"I'll call Rinko." Mrs. Hoshimi immediately took out her phone.

"Calling your daughter to help out, huh!" Mrs. Kasahara smiled disdainfully, holding up two fingers: "Two to one, Miko, you've lost again."

Fujiwara Izaya tapped his glass with his fork: "We've gone off-topic!"

"Don't be so fierce..." Mrs. Kasahara looked at him with a pitiful expression.

She struck such a delicate, feminine pose, exuding the captivating charm of a stunning beauty; even steel could melt into silk, and dry ice would vaporize before her.

Fujiwara Izaya simply shut up and didn't say anything.

His gaze kept shifting between her and Mrs. Hoshimi, as if to say, "I won't talk to you unless you say something."

"Alright, alright, I won't tease you anymore." Mrs. Kasahara smiled slightly and slowly said, "Asakusa Shrine searched for Natsuki Masakawa for seven years and finally found her in Hokkaido. But when they found her, she was accompanied by a six-year-old girl with blonde hair and blonde hair."

That was his mother when he was a child… Fujiwara Izaya’s chest tightened instantly.

"Without a doubt, that is Natsuki Masakawa and Chongde's child, her name is Natsuki Rin." Mrs. Kasahara's voice was elegant and clear, and although the volume was not loud, it still resounded throughout the entire courtyard.

In an instant, countless eyes were cast toward this side.

This is a name that is almost taboo, involving too much of the past.

Mrs. Hoshimi was no exception, and said with a sigh, "Natsuki Masakawa was forcibly taken back to Asakusa Shrine, while Natsuki Rin was left in Hokkaido with only one servant to take care of her."

Upon hearing this, Fujiwara Izaya took a deep breath and placed his fists on his knees.

"Not long after Natsuki Masakawa returned to Asakusa Shrine, disaster struck." Mrs. Hoshimi squinted and tilted her head slightly. She recalled for a few seconds, then shrugged, probably feeling disappointed, and continued, "At the call of Sutoku, all the demons gathered at Asakusa Shrine, and a great war between humans and demons began."

Mrs. Kasahara added, "Since the bombing during World War II, Tokyo has once again suffered a severe, unnatural disaster."

"And the result?" Fujiwara Izaya asked in a hoarse voice.

"Natsuki Masakawa died, Sutoku was sealed away, and the military, Section 9, and the Bureau of Yin and Yang suffered a total of more than 20,000 casualties." Mrs. Kasahara gave a bloody answer.

Despite being mentally prepared, Fujiwara Izaya was still shocked by the number.

"Now you know why people have a problem with Asakusa Shrine, right?" Mrs. Kasahara reached out and patted his shoulder reassuringly.

"understand."

Fujiwara Izaya nodded.

But then he took a deep breath and added, "I will change their impression."

“That’s difficult,” Mrs. Kasahara said. “You haven’t interacted with your peers before, so you don’t really feel their prejudices, and they’re happy to treat you like the elephant in the room. But when you rebuild Asakusa Shrine, the memories in those old guys’ hearts will be revived, and they won’t ignore you anymore. They’ll come out on their own.”

“You won’t be able to handle it,” Mrs. Hoshimi warned. “You’d better get out of here as soon as possible and live a normal life.”

Fujiwara Izaya shook his head: "Although my rationality, common sense and instinct all tell me that I should withdraw as soon as possible. I am originally a cautious ordinary person who does not like gambling and taking risks. You could say I am a coward. But this time, I cannot back down. Xia Xilin is an extremely important person to me. Her long-cherished wish is to restore Asakusa Shrine to the glory of her mother's time. I cannot back down because of fear."

“It’s good to have courage,” Mrs. Kasahara said, a hint of a smile appearing on her lips, but her tone remained firm. “But you have to face reality. What lies before you may be a path with nothing at all.”

“Hey, chairpersons,” Fujiwara Izaya asked, “do you know how many days a person can live on just water and nothing else?”