Becoming a god in a low-key way in the supernatural world

"He's just here to bully people," the junior priest standing nearby whispered.

Fujiwara-sensei, who had been sitting, stood up and seemed to be in a very good mood.

On the other side of Radiant Academy, someone said dejectedly, "They can throw people so far with just a flick of their fingers. They're obviously aiming for the championship. How are we supposed to compete?"

Chapter 136 Wanting to recruit him as a live-in son-in-law

In fact, the preliminary rounds were simpler than Fujiwara-sensei had described. After winning against four clubs, they successfully advanced.

The preliminary round's criteria is that one-quarter of the clubs advance directly, while the remaining one-quarter will be selected from the eliminated clubs. All the advancing clubs will then participate in the semi-finals until the top sixteen are determined.

The rules are simple and brutal.

Although there are many high schools in the Kanto region, there are only a limited number of exorcism clubs with decent strength. According to the rules, some strong teams have the privilege of being directly admitted to the top 16 after passing the preliminary rounds.

So the little-known Luye Exorcism Club, in a low-key yet efficient manner, fought its way through and directly entered the top 16 of the Exorcism Competition.

After several days of competition, the little priest made the most progress. He was so nervous in the first match that he completely adapted to the rhythm and atmosphere of the competition. His fighting style also changed from being eager to take down his opponent in one fell swoop to being more relaxed and at ease. Although he inevitably suffered some injuries.

Walnut was also a little tired, not physically, but mentally.

The opponents she faced in the later matches of the preliminaries became increasingly difficult. If she could use her strengths and win quickly with a decisive move, it wouldn't be so strenuous. However, this time, in addition to participating in the competition, both she and Kotegawa had the intention of training Shirakawa Nozomi. Since Kotegawa was the last one to win, she could only appear last. Therefore, only she could complete the task of wearing down the opponents.

August 15th is the quarterfinals qualifying round, one week before the Obon festival.

In the underground arena of the martial arts hall, the rings used during the preliminary rounds have been dismantled, leaving the space completely empty.

"The rest of the matches will be team battles, with eliminations by drawing lots and using a double-elimination format. Whoever loses two matches first will be eliminated... This round is largely based on luck. If a club is unlucky and draws two strong teams in a row, they're really in for a rough time."

Sitting in the rest area, Hu Tao yawned slightly and casually talked to the two guys next to her about the rules of the quarterfinals.

Mr. Fujiwara doesn't care about these things; he's only responsible for being happy.

Kotegawa, sitting next to him, said thoughtfully, "It's that simple?"

"Pretty much!" the junior priest replied. "The exorcism competition is held every year, and in some ways it's not much different from competitions like track and field, kendo, and archery."

"Oh……"

"But the rewards are pretty good. If you win the championship, the school will not only reduce your tuition, but you'll also get a large bonus. If you perform exceptionally well, you might even be admitted to your dream university! If you're even luckier, you might get into a special department or the Onmyodo (Department of Yin and Yang) without having to sign a contract of servitude..." Hu Tao said with a smile, "That's the benefit of participating in the exorcism competition!"

The junior priest did not refute this point, but simply said, "This preferential treatment is only available to the champion team."

In fact, the rewards for other large-scale competitions are basically the same, but they are not as generous as the Exorcism Competition.

The Special Department and the Yin-Yang Bureau are well-funded and can easily afford it; in fact, to put it more clearly, this is one of their talent reserve bases.

Kotegawa nodded slightly. Being recommended to university, being selected by the Special Department and the Onmyōryō, two major supernatural organizations, were enough for most people to risk their lives for.

Hu Tao looked at him and suddenly asked, "Is there any reward in here that excites you?"

He said very frankly, "Tuition fee reductions and scholarships, and the qualification for direct admission to university."

In this country, if you want to get into your desired university, you have to participate in the university's independent admission process. But if you can make it easier and get a guarantee in advance, that would be ideal.

Whether or not to go and whether or not to have something are two completely different things.

As for other options, such as joining the Special Department or the Onmyodo (Bureau of Yin and Yang), he had absolutely no interest in them.

I used to think that place was safer than the outside world, and that there were more opportunities to make money.

But if he were to go in now and be ordered around like a mule, he would definitely be tempted to draw his sword.

Hu Tao looked at him, blinked, and suddenly became a little shy and embarrassed: "Actually, besides these, there are other benefits. For example, it might attract the attention of some large families, conglomerates, or even shrines and temples..."

The young priest looked her up and down, then suddenly said, "You want Dad to bring him in as a son-in-law to inherit the family shrine? That's not impossible, but you'll have to give me a job too."

"What nonsense are you talking about? She's not an only child!" Kotekawa Kami retorted.

These siblings have such strange thought processes!

Why do you keep thinking about getting him married?

Hu Tao too! From the very beginning, I've been hinting that he should marry a rich young woman, even though she's not as wealthy as he is.

Hu Tao glared at her good-for-nothing younger brother, speechless. "I mean, Dad and Master will definitely pay attention to this exorcism competition. If we perform well, we'll definitely leave a good impression, which will make things much easier later."

She spoke without any reservation, which was somewhat unlike a sixteen-year-old girl just beginning to experience romantic feelings.

But for Hu Tao, after repeatedly teetering on the brink of death, those youthful shy feelings had long been smashed to death with a single punch.

She is more resilient than most girls her age, and knows what she cares about and what she wants, even if it is something shocking or unconventional.

The young priest gave an "oh" and frowned slightly. That wasn't what Hu Tao meant, and his elder brother wasn't interested in this. It seemed that the burden of inheriting the shrine would eventually fall to him.

After listening to Hu Tao's explanation, Kotekawa Kami nodded slightly.

That makes a lot of sense. We should fight hard this time, and ideally, we should win over that old man's heart.

With this thought in mind, he suddenly felt like going on stage, but the venue didn't seem to be fully prepared yet, and it looked like he would have to wait a while.

Unlike the noisy preliminary rounds, the round of 16 was much more prestigious: the competition area was expanded to 400 square meters, almost the size of a basketball court. Not counting the special specialists and medical staff on the side, there were six referees walking back and forth, and many cameras and microphones were set up around the area, currently adjusting the view on the LED screen.

They stopped talking and waited quietly.

In the huge underground arena, in addition to special agents, medical staff, referees, and the sixteen participating clubs, there were also members of the exorcism club who had lost the previous competition. Although they lost, they had the right to watch and learn from the competition. This benefit was the main reason why they were willing to risk injury to participate.

Someone whispered, "It doesn't really feel like a big competition..."

But someone quickly replied: "The high school 16-to-8 competition isn't very interesting. The real excitement is the Kanto finals, and the melee between Kanto and Kansai. Many important figures will come to watch the competition then."

"Wow! Will I get to see Section Chief Ishikawa from the Special Division?"

"...If we can make it to the finals, I think we can, right?" The person who answered sounded a little unsure of themselves.

Chapter 137 Admit Defeat

After the martial arts arena was renovated, lines of text appeared on the four LED screens above, all displaying information and times for the quarterfinals.

Kotegawa looked up and murmured, "Our opponent is... Yagyu Dojo? Which school?"

His gaze swept across the rows of names, noticing that each club was named after the school, except for 'Yagyu Dojo', which stood out from the rest.

"Yagyu Dojo?" Kurumi replied without hesitation, "Yagyu is short for 'Yagyu Musou,' a school specializing in Onmyōdō! It's one of the affiliated high schools of the Onmyōryō (Yin-Yang Bureau), and they were the runners-up last year..."

At this point, she suddenly blinked: "We actually ran into them so early. It seems their luck wasn't so good!"

The junior priest beside him silently turned his gaze in one direction, where two boys and a girl were also sitting. When they seemed to sense something and turned their heads to look, he withdrew his gaze and whispered, "Yagyu Dojo recruits students according to the standards of the Special Operations Team. They require the schools they interview to be able to resolve evil spirits upon enrollment."

According to the standards for the Special Department, evil spirits are classified as "Difficulty Level Two" for exorcism. This is not difficult for Special Department specialists, but it is a bit strict for junior high school graduates. Kurumi meets the requirements, but she has her own master and does not study Yin-Yang magic.

Kotekawa Kami listened quietly without much reaction. He was going to keep fighting anyway, and it didn't matter who he fought.

The members of the two clubs that had clashed first had already stepped to opposite ends of the field, gazing at each other with sparks flying between them.

The difference between team battles and qualifiers is that the weapons used in team battles are made of wood, and the swords are wrapped with cloth, which further reduces their power.

There were too many unexpected changes in the six-person melee. If real weapons were still used, even with six referees on the field, it would not be possible to rescue people in time. In order to avoid serious casualties, the weapons were all replaced with wooden ones.

However, we should not underestimate the power of weapons. If a person is hit in a vulnerable spot, such as the eye socket, throat, or perineum, they can still die.

With the referee's whistle, the first match of the round of 16 began. Neither of the two clubs considered using Onmyoji techniques. Onmyoji are difficult to learn and are initially quite weak, with a very low margin for error. They both wanted to use their weapons to defeat the other side.

A real melee broke out instantly. Both sides had their own targets, and the six swords clashed together, producing a heavy and powerful sound.

However, since it wasn't a real sword, the killing intent was much lighter, but the momentum was still fierce. A wooden sword suddenly swept out, catching a boy off guard and causing him to scream. However, the opponent's next attack came, giving him no chance to breathe, and directly cut him down to the ground.

Kotegawa glanced at the boy lying on the ground, his face contorted in pain; he must have broken ribs.

If he had been holding a real knife, this guy would have been cut in half.

With one player injured, the remaining two panicked and were quickly seized upon by the opposing three, who sliced ​​them all down like vegetables, securing victory and applause.

The medical staff, who were on high alert, carried the injured person away on a stretcher. The two groups from the second match got up and walked to the sides, handing over their wooden weapons to the referee for inspection.

The three members of the Kano family watched silently. Their match against the Yagyu Dojo was scheduled for the sixth match, which was quite far in the end. They could focus on watching the matches of the ten clubs ahead of them.

The pace of the team competition is much faster than the previous round-robin matches. Most of the time, it's one-sided, or like the first match, a player suddenly makes a mistake. It's rare for the two teams to be evenly matched.

"This battle is actually a test of brainpower," Fujiwara-sensei said slowly. "In the simulation of the Special Department team fighting against monsters, the teammates who are brainless and weak will definitely be the first to die."

The young priest listened silently. Although he had no evidence, he felt that Fujiwara-sensei seemed to be implying something.

On the other side, Hu Tao whispered, "He's still young. He gets all hot-headed as soon as he steps on stage, which is why he's so confused."

"That's probably why the exorcism tournament is held only once a year, right? Through these battles, we can improve and grow..." Kotekawa guessed, then continued, "When we go on stage later, let's find out what the opponent is like, take out two of them, and then hold them off."

Hu Tao blinked: "That will definitely scare the other party, and they are probably two years older than us. I'm not sure I can beat them."

She wasn't being self-deprecating. She wasn't the only one in the world with the right conditions and mentors. Behind the Yagyu Dojo stood the Onmyoryo, who were last year's runners-up. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to call them the seed among seeded clubs. They must be quite strong. If it weren't Kotegawa sitting next to her this time but Yachiyo Shizuya, then Kano would basically have stopped at the top 16 this year.

Kotegawa pondered for a moment and said, "Then I'll back you up. Just fight without fear."

He said the second half of the sentence while looking at the young priest.

The young priest nodded.

Putting aside other aspects, he has to obey orders on this matter.

The outcome of the team battle was decided even faster than expected. Unexpected events occurred frequently on the field. The more chaotic the battle, the faster the winner was determined. Some people lost their composure and became ruthless, attacking their teammates and stumbling away amidst boos. Others fought with all their might, even to the point of being bloodied, and ultimately won the game by sheer willpower.

After the fifth game ended in an even more brutal manner, the three members of the Kano team stood up and walked down the aisle to one side of the court.

Kotegawa also carried a wooden sword made of beech wood, which Fujiwara-sensei had specially prepared for the team battle.

Although the old man never said it, he really longed to win the exorcism competition. Every day after the competition, he would take them to the most upscale physiotherapy shop for massage and relaxation, and then have a big meal at a high-end Wagyu beef restaurant.

Even Kami Kotekawa's muscular physique softened considerably under the gentle massage of the young lady's hands.

After the referee inspected the weapons and confirmed that there were no problems, the three stepped onto the ring and stood in a triangular formation. Kotegawa took the lead without hesitation, looking straight ahead.

Their opponents also stood in a triangular formation, dressed in moon-white hakama, which made their already expressionless faces appear even colder.

All three of them were carrying weapons, but they didn't seem to intend to use them. Instead, they were each making hand seals.

The junior priest standing to the left rear moved his lips slightly: "They are going to summon a shikigami."

On the other side, Hu Tao was sizing up the little priest's opponent and said with a smile, "What a pretty girl. If you dare to be gentle with her later, you'll be beaten to a pulp. You might as well run as far away as possible."

The little priest's face twitched instantly, and he took a deep breath.