Don't force me to use my right fist.

You can't trust a god who appears out of nowhere, but it would be a very unwise decision to offend someone with such power.

Whether it's a god or a monster, it's something their small village can't afford to deal with.

So, the old man actually shared the same thought as the other villagers: if they just enshrined Shibata Ai, wouldn't the problem be solved?

He stopped the villagers for two reasons: firstly, as he said, even offerings require ritual; secondly, Shibata Ai had a samurai backing her up. The thought of Saya's deliberate instructions and threats before leaving—to protect the girl—gave him a headache. While gods were not beings he could afford to offend, this samurai who could casually toss gold beans was equally someone they couldn't afford to provoke.

Therefore, this matter needs to be brought up by Shibata Ai herself; at least nominally, it needs to be done voluntarily.

"The village chief is right, then let's take her to the shrine."

It must be said that the old man still has a certain say in this village. Now that he has spoken, the other villagers can no longer cause trouble.

But the old man shook his head and looked at Shibata Ai's parents, who hadn't gotten up since being pushed to the ground.

"Take her home first to tidy up, take a shower and change clothes, and then wait for news. I will have someone send her a change of clothes."

Pointing to Shibata Ai, who was being held down by the crowd, the village chief gave the remaining orders.

"The others go and invite the priest from the next village, and the rest of you come with me to tidy up the shrine and prepare for the subsequent ceremonies."

The old man sighed and assigned tasks to those in charge. He absolutely did not want this promising harvest to turn out like this.

Of course, he couldn't just let the Shibata family leave like that; necessary surveillance would definitely remain.

After finding two trustworthy men to escort Shibata Ai's family back, the village chief dispersed the crowd that was still gathered together and walked hunched over toward the shrine.

Naraku, who was mingling among the crowd, had no intention of stopping it. It was not easy to make someone despair; only a slowly fermenting sense of despair was the soul he ultimately wanted to obtain.

How can one instill greater despair without offering hope?

In contrast, the old man who was the village chief was surprisingly rational, which made him quite curious.

However, it was clear that such a rational character didn't need to appear on this stage he had planned. In the end, he transformed into a disgusting, twisted mass of flesh, which detached from his body.

"Go ahead, add a bit of improvisation to this performance, and make this good show even more exciting."

Naraku smiled at the piece of flesh that had vanished from the ground and walked towards the direction of Shibata Ai's house.

Chapter 481 Escape

Ai Shibata was still in shock from the attack by the villagers.

She couldn't understand how the villagers, who could have been normal and friendly before, could suddenly transform into such vicious people.

But one thing she was very clear about was that if she continued like this, she might face the same fate as last time—being sacrificed.

It's possible they might go even further. Judging from the villagers' angry expressions, it seems more like they want Naohime to kill her at the shrine, rather than just beating her up and leaving her to fend for herself like last time.

"My dear, my poor daughter, we were wrong. We should have listened to your advice and moved out of here together."

The loving mother hugged the poor girl's head and pulled her into her arms, tears streaming down her face, and regret lingering on her expression.

If only I had listened to her advice and left this village earlier, I wouldn't be in this predicament now.

"Mom, I don't want to be a sacrifice. Why does it have to be me?"

Somewhat bewildered, Shibata Ai instinctively reached out and protected her mother, bursting into tears as well.

Why should she be the one to suffer all this? She just wants to live a life like everyone else. What's wrong with that?

"Stop talking. We still have a chance. While most of the villagers are busy preparing the shrine for the ceremony, at the very least, we should send our love out."

The deity did not specifically state that love was required as a sacrifice; as long as she could escape from here, the villagers would have no way to hold her accountable.

No one is indifferent to their own child, and no one can stand by and watch love die.

"Honey, do you have any ideas?"

As if grasping at the last straw, a resolute glint flashed in the loving mother's eyes.

Having already experienced the pain of losing her child once, she absolutely did not want to suffer a second blow. This time, no matter what, she would never give her love away again.

“The two people guarding us at the door are on fairly good terms with me. If we take out the gold coins we hid earlier, it might be possible for them to make an exception. We can stay and buy some time so that they can escape with love.”

The loving father, his mind racing, stroked his beloved child's head and explained his simple yet effective plan.

"If we can find Mr. Saya, he'll definitely have a way!"

Ai seemed to remember something, recalling the black-haired youth with a casual expression. As if infused with courage, she spoke up, echoing her parents.

"Very well, then let's go find him. But since you've never left the village, we need to find someone trustworthy to take you away."

Shibata Ai's father scratched his head, only one candidate remaining in his mind.

"Sentaro will definitely come to check on Ai's condition later. Then we'll let him take Ai away from this village. Whether you go to find that samurai or just run away, don't come back."

Looking at his daughter with a loving expression, the man gave his final piece of advice.

Just as they were making their plans, a commotion arose at the door. The man got up and opened the door; the person who entered was none other than Sentaro, whom he had just mentioned. What was the problem?

But it's not too late now. If he's allowed to take his love and run away together, he shouldn't have any reason to refuse.

"Let me in! The person inside is my sister. Am I not even allowed to talk to her?"

The villagers at the gate still couldn't stop the hot-blooded young man, but since he was just a child and wouldn't cause any trouble even if he went in, they didn't bother with him anymore.

When Sentaro entered the room, he saw Shibata Ai with tears streaming down her face, and two adults looking at him with heavy eyes.

"Stop talking, Sentaro. Haven't you always said you'd protect Ai? It's time to act like a man. After we get out, just wait at the village gate. Once Ai escapes, you can take her and leave."

They quietly explained what had happened to the boy, regarding him as the key figure who could save their love; now it was up to him to agree to their plan.

And this boy, who had always been concerned about the safety of love, only hesitated for a moment before agreeing.

He had previously regretted not bringing food to Ai, who was staying at the shrine, and now that he finally had a chance to help her and even take her away from the village, he didn't think there was anything wrong with it.

Ultimately, why must she be the sacrifice?

So, after agreeing to Shibata Ai's parents' request, the boy made an appointment with them at a certain time and hurriedly left to go home and prepare the things he and Ai would need to leave the village together.

As Ai watched the somewhat thin boy's retreating figure, her unwavering faith in him stirred for some reason, and she involuntarily reached out and called out to him.

"Sentaro, you'll keep your word, right? Just like before, you'll protect me, right?"

Two questions were posed in quick succession, but the girl wanted to confirm only one thing.

The boy who had reached the door stopped, turned around, and nodded firmly to Shibata Ai.

"I will, just like I said before, you just need to trust me."

After saying these words, the boy left without looking back. He believed that he could never be the one to break his promise, but little did he know that everything that had happened in the room had been seen by Naraku, who was lurking in the shadows of the room.

"Interesting, an agreement with someone you trust, that makes it even more interesting."

He flicked his finger behind his ear, and the wicked smile on Naraku's face never faded.

Chapter 482 This is Punishment

Sentaro came out of his house, carrying on his back the belongings he might need on his escape route.

He hadn't even mentioned it to his father. Judging from his previous behavior of even stopping him from delivering meals, he definitely wouldn't agree to Sentaro leaving the village with Ai.

But Sentaro couldn't care less about that anymore. He simply couldn't accept why such a heavy burden had to be forcibly placed on the shoulders of that weak girl he loved.

This has nothing to do with any logic; the humanity involved only made him feel a chill run down his spine.

Even if he leaves with love, this meaningless ritual will continue. The idea of ​​offering sacrifices to the gods is just an excuse for those adults. Otherwise, how can they explain that they didn't suffer divine punishment before when they only used domesticated animals as sacrifices?

However, before the boy could head to the village entrance with his belongings to await the arrival of love, he first witnessed a commotion coming from the direction of the village chief's house.

The cacophony of sounds, including screams, immediately drew Sentaro's attention.

He didn't want to get involved, but when he noticed the firelight rising over there, he couldn't help but move closer.

It was still early before the appointed time, so going to see what was going on wasn't a problem. But when he finally saw the source of the commotion, he was so frightened that he almost collapsed to the ground.

A gigantic, sleek, fox-like monster, the size of a house, had appeared in the middle of the village. Beneath its claws lay the shredded corpses of villagers, and its gaping maw, filled with sharp teeth, was chewing on the head of some unfortunate villager.

Blood dripped continuously from its mouth and claws, and the remaining villagers, seeing this, cried out in despair, trying to escape from the monster.

But it was as if an invisible shield had trapped them all inside, and no matter how hard they tried to escape, they couldn't break free from that area.

"This is the punishment that must be borne by those who protect thieves who have stolen the precious things of the gods. Repent for your ignorance."

Once again, in front of everyone, it tore another villager to pieces. The fox-like monster spat out the severed head from its mouth and warned the panicked villagers. If offering sacrifices were all that was needed, the monster that appeared next was entirely different.

This is tantamount to telling them in a very real way that if they don't sort these things out, disaster could befall them at any time.

Humans are incredibly attentive to anything that might affect them at any moment. Village Chief W was one of the group trapped next to this monster. He struggled to move forward and try to negotiate with this monster, which was making murderous gestures but speaking with a rational air. However, he noticed a hint of a smile in the monster's eyes as it looked at him.

"Respect....

Before the old man could speak, the monster's claws grabbed him and held him tightly in its hand.

“Believing that guy, you are one of the culprits.”

Before the village chief could explain, the monster's foul-smelling mouth had already bitten off his old head, and with a flick of its tongue, it swallowed it whole. As the mastermind behind this drama, Naraku didn't want any clever fellows to interfere; this tragedy was perfectly fine with the participation of these foolish villagers.

Then, as if sensing Sentaro's gaze, the monster that was devouring the village chief's corpse looked at him through the invisible barrier.

Beside it, Sentaro's father and a pregnant woman holding a child lay on the ground, seemingly terrified. With a mere flick of its paw, it could take their lives.

But just as if it had eaten its fill, or perhaps it had grown tired of playing, the terrifying monster straightened up and gradually transformed into a normal red fox. Aside from being excessively large, it was virtually indistinguishable from an ordinary fox.

"The punishment has been enough. I hope you will not make the same mistake again and protect that cursed child. The only consequence will be that it will implicate those around you."

Whether it was a warning to others or a premonition of Sentaro's thoughts, the giant fox glanced at the two people lying beneath it, its menacing, blood-dripping mouth curving upwards. Then, as if it were all a dream, the fox that had wreaked havoc in the village vanished in a gust of wind, leaving behind only corpses and villagers whose screams and cries had ceased.

As if by some unspoken agreement, the villagers who had been slumped on the ground silently stood up, their eyes filled with resentment as they looked in the direction where Shibata Ai'e was.

What just happened needs no further explanation. Just as they suspected, it was because Shibata Ai stole something from the gods that this tragedy occurred.

It all started with that cursed girl; they should have gotten rid of her long ago! Just like the rumors say, her power only brings endless disaster and misfortune!

Looking at the villagers who had stood up, their noisy discussions gone, and who were now eerily quiet, Sentaro knew very well that this was no longer a simple matter of using Shibata Ai as a sacrifice.

If we don't warn her quickly, her parents could be put in danger.

Sentaro, who had been thinking of getting up and rushing to Shibata Ai's house to remind her, froze in place as soon as he stood up.