Tokyo bombing incident Nth time

Now things are different. After successfully using a spell that he himself didn't even know what was going on to knock Anzai to the ground, Yuri felt incredibly good. Even the injuries from being shot several times seemed less important.

In short, the first step is to destroy it directly.

Overly excited, Yuri forgot that he could also stop his opponent by punching and kicking him, and instead poured more of his energy into spells.

Yuri forcefully dismantled the opponent's spiritual layer protection.

Bad news: Progress is not fast enough; at this rate, Hirosaki might not have enough time to get back on his feet.

Good news: At this rate, Hirosaki's best he can do is probably stand up.

Yuri couldn't wait that long, so he changed his approach. Instead of focusing on reducing the spiritual layer to nothing, he began to peel it off. He completed this task in an instant, as it seemed that directly eliminating the spiritual layer was more difficult than changing it into a form that the other party couldn't use.

Before proceeding with the next step of the study, he gave Hirozaki one last push, making him lie down on the ground along with Anzai—Hirozaki was in slightly better condition than Anzai; he seemed to be just extremely stiff, rather than completely unable to move.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

"Yuri, what happened? Are you alright?!" Yuri, snapping out of his overly focused spellcasting state, heard Yuka Yamanaka's exclamation.

And the voice of the walkie-talkie he had instinctively dropped when the enemy opened fire: "He's alright, he's not dead yet, and two enemies are already down—I believe that in this situation, for the sake of his comrade's life, the remaining person shouldn't fire either."

"Yes, I'm fine—I just don't know what's going on."

For example, suddenly using a power you wouldn't normally use during a crisis... that's certainly a good thing, a great thing.

But is it possible for such a good thing to happen for no reason?

Unless you are the protagonist of this world, it's best not to have such wishful thinking.

"So, can I come out now? It's so suffocating down here." Yuka Yamanaka climbed up the pole.

Yuri looked around.

The walkie-talkie was lying on the floor near the window, the projector was on the bed, two hunters were lying dead at the door, and the room was full of bullet holes.

One bullet even pierced the bed surface; it must have been fired by Anzai during his initial burst of fire. Another bullet struck diagonally downwards, piercing a corner of the bed before hitting the floor, bouncing back up, and then crashing into the wall.

It seems that, without anyone noticing, the enhancement spells and shadow shield that Yuri cast on the blankets have disappeared again.

Looking out the window, there was another hunter over there.

“I’m not so sure. Zhongdao is still outside in the mountains, pointing his gun at us.” Yuri hesitated. “What if he shoots you the moment you pop out?”

It turns out that the bed could hardly stop a bullet, but even if it was in the middle, it's unlikely that you would force a shot without a target, right? The curtains were drawn, and now that the two people inside had fallen, there shouldn't be anyone calling out their positions to them.

But this also means that he has no way to influence the situation except to fire indiscriminately. And what if he really does fire indiscriminately? The bed frame can't stop bullets, but the space under the bed is low enough that it's relatively easier to avoid being hit by incoming bullets.

"Didn't your friend say that two people have fallen into our hands? He shouldn't dare to fire!" The Sin Eater girl was quite puzzled. Judging from the voice, she should be near the two hunters, on the side closest to the door.

"You know that, I know that, but does Nakamichi know that?" Yuri said, his words sounding like a tongue twister. "What if he's just going to fire indiscriminately?!"

“I think it would be very difficult for them to cooperate like this if they didn’t have some kind of real-time communication method—or rather, I think they should be able to maintain direct communication in some way, for example, they should have their own walkie-talkies.” It should be Lehweh. “He should be able to hear everything that’s happening here very clearly—and he should also be able to speak up on this side.”

That makes a lot of sense.

"Really? Do you know what's going on here, Mr. Nakamichi? If you fire indiscriminately, the lives of your two companions will be in danger," Yuri said tentatively, raising his voice.

There was no movement.

"There's absolutely no response. Is he planning to open fire regardless of the potential death risk to his teammates?" Yuri felt a headache coming on.

If spells that sense machinery... or more specifically, spells categorized under matter could still be used, that would be great, as it would allow us to quickly search for communication devices on the other person.

Unfortunately, it didn't work. Yuri had just made a few attempts, but there was still no response.

Even when Hirozaki was lying stiffly on the ground, almost unable to move, he did not return the stolen power.

Do we have to beat him until he's unconscious? Or do we have to beat him until he completely loses his memory...? Or is it that we have to kill him to solve this problem?

Yuri pondered increasingly dangerous thoughts—Yaka Yamanaka felt that she could regain her power in about a week, but who knew if her feeling was right, or if she could apply it to herself.

Yuri picked up the walkie-talkie, floated over the bed, placed it beside the bed, and looked down at the two fallen hunters.

Anzai appeared completely unable to move; his entire body was stiff, and even the movement of his eyes was quite slow—but it seemed that it did not affect his breathing, so he was not going to die.

Hirozaki could make slight movements, but standing up was out of the question. When he saw Yuri approaching, his eyes widened noticeably.

“So, if you— um?” Yuri noticed that Hirosaki’s mouth was moving slightly, as if he was whispering something.

"Nakamichi, answer me! What's wrong with you!?" As Yuri drew closer, the hunter acted like someone who had been playing dead and was being sniffed by a bear that couldn't hold it in. "Nakamichi!"

It seems that although he can't move, he can still speak—wait, what's going on? Does the middle way outside not react to him either?

Suddenly, the intercom on the bed crackled to life, shouting, "Get out of the window, Yuri, something's trying to get in—"

With a loud bang, something the size of a person crashed into the window.

Unconscious, Nakamichi fell to the ground, rolled to the edge of the bed, and stopped. While in mid-air, Yuri realized that his arm was twisted in a strange direction.

There was a huge shadow outside the window.

183 Great power originates from itself

The monster is crawling into the house.

The monster has the face of Minagawa-do.

He didn't pay any attention to what was being said on the walkie-talkie; it was just a warning for Yuri to be on guard. He quickly dragged Yuka Yamanaka out from under the bed and pulled her behind him. The girl, who was a sin-eater, stumbled and bumped, barely managing not to fall to the ground before a walkie-talkie was shoved into her hand.

"Ouch—what is this?" Yuka Yamanaka, halfway through her cry of pain, noticed the figure trying to squeeze through the window.

Although Yuri felt he should rush up and break through the window now, an instinct prevented him from doing so. Instead, as the other person crawled through the window, he led the Sin Eater girl over the two fallen roadblocks and retreated further.

"Hmph...you guys don't seem surprised at all." Minagawa Dojin glanced around the room, then focused his gaze on Yuri and the other person who had already run to the door.

“Well, if you had shown up while we were still in the hospital, we would have been surprised, but so much time has passed, and we’ve figured things out by now…” Yuri drawled out the last word.

This night has been really long, but thankfully I feel like I'm in top form right now.

"Oh, how did you figure that out?" The traitor glanced around.

"Minagawa, what time is it and you're still like this! Kill them already!" Hirosaki may have realized something was wrong, but he still tried to grasp at the last straw.

“…You might not be able to see it from your angle, Mr. Hirosaki,” Yuri said without looking away from Minagawa, “but you should be able to hear it, the sound of something heavy falling before Mr. Minagawa came in—that was Mr. Nakamichi, and it looks like his arm was broken.”

Hirozaki fell silent.

“Your observation skills are truly remarkable, Yuri.” Minagawa clapped his hands solidly several times. “You can not only see fleeting scenes, but you can actually see many things that others cannot. That’s why I’ve been trying to exclude you… but I haven’t been able to find many opportunities.”

“Everyone can see that they just trusted you too much.” Yuri, speaking on behalf of the others, could feel Yuka Yamanaka trembling behind him. Judging from her expression, she was angry.

“No, no, no, it’s true. You can see things that others can’t see… For example, you can see behind you, right?” Minagawa Dojin drew a circle with his finger. “You can observe from all directions at the same time, taking everything in. As long as you’re there, unless you block it with something else, there are no blind spots, right?”

“Every spirit can do that!” Yuri immediately replied.

His words had barely left his lips when the voice of the sin-eater girl came from behind him, "So you have this ability?"

This question completely shut down Yuri's words.

“Ghosts can only sense things from other directions and things they are particularly interested in.” Minagawa Dojin slowly shook his head. “As for spirits, I’m not entirely sure where their eyes are, but those I’ve seen often have blind spots. So after noticing that you can observe the entire surrounding area at the same time, I started to suspect that you’re not a ghost, nor a spirit… But then, what are you?”

Good question, Yuri wants to know too.

Yuri could clearly see the raven wings behind Minagawa-do, which were similar to the spiritual layer that Hirosaki had previously covered his body. However, in terms of agility, they far surpassed Hirosaki's defensive style.

After all, it's something that belongs to you, not an extra ability you just acquired for a day, so this is perfectly normal.

"Oh dear, how rude of me! I've completely steered the conversation off-topic." Minagawa Dojin raised his hand and tapped his forehead. "Let's get back to the question: how did you come to that conclusion?"

“The most important evidence is of course the simple process of elimination. The others were either victims or I protected them.” Yuri had already mentally processed this topic many times, so telling him it was no big deal. “However, there were some doubts before.”

“In the beginning, there were only you and Hirozaki in the house. Hirozaki was still an ordinary person at the time, so who had the opportunity to control those ghosts?”

"When the ghost attacked the house, it had such a precise understanding of the situation outside that there is a high possibility that someone was on the scene controlling it."

“During the ceremony, a problem suddenly arose, making the situation a mess—you were the one presiding over the requiem ceremony, so it couldn’t have been easier for you to tamper with it.”

"Almost every unexpected outcome gives Hirosaki the opportunity to seek help from the mountains... I think this is the usual condition for Hirosaki's ability to be activated, requiring others to trust him... But when faced with someone in crisis who urgently needs rescue, most people don't immediately become wary... They might be wary after thinking it over, but not when they need to make a judgment within three seconds. — And the one who can make this happen is you."

"You're the one who organizes the activities, manages the intelligence, finds the people, and handles the solutions—it's perfect for you to do all these things. If you're not a traitor, wouldn't it be too difficult for others to induce you to do these things?"

Yuri spoke at length while simultaneously healing his wounds. Although he didn't have a chance to communicate with the Sin-Eating Girl, he could sense that she hadn't been idle; power was flowing back from Nakamichi, who lay on the ground, towards Yamanaka Yuka. Thankfully, Yamanaka Yuka hadn't made the foolish mistake of revealing this…

However… the other party most likely did see through it. However, Minagawa-do simply showed approval and didn't do anything further.

Perhaps he really didn't see it, otherwise why would he let Yamanaka Yuka's behavior go unchecked? Yuri couldn't see what benefit this would bring to Minagawa, but he couldn't let his suspicions cost him the chance to bring back his powerful ally.

“Yes, that makes sense. It’s really too much to do everything myself.” The traitor nodded. “Hunters are all useless! How can we do anything well working with these people? Besides, they think they’re in control of the situation while I do everything. They’re so arrogant.”

Without making a specific observation, one could imagine that the two people at Yuri's feet were not in good spirits.

"Minagawa—you!" This was probably the loudest sound he uttered since first meeting Hirozaki. "What exactly do you want?"

“Shut up, you piece of trash. I’m talking to someone more capable than you. You’ve never been in control, but I’ve made you think you are. Why would you believe I care about your promises? The woman you control isn’t the one I love, and the money you’ve promised is worthless to me.” Minagawa Dojin gave a strange look. “Yuri, how about it? Cooperate with me? My plans desperately need a capable assistant, and the forces I serve are never stingy with rewarding capable servants.”

“I don’t like that word… To become someone else’s servant, I’ve never really considered such a thing.” Yuri felt a chill. “What are you talking about? Who are you serving?”

"Minagawa-do! What are you trying to say!?" In his agitation, Hirosaki Katsuya even managed to break free from Yuri's spell... but only a little bit. He was wriggling, and it was all in vain.

“Hey, you’re in such a hurry, Hirosaki… If I were to say what I’m going to do… it would be…” Minagawa Dojin’s expression became increasingly distorted. Yuri felt as if he were wearing a mask on his face, and now that mask was about to be removed. “Justice.”

"What? Justice?" The sin-eating girl asked, echoing the thoughts of everyone else present.

“Of course, justice is complicated, but I intend to carry out as much justice as possible at once.” The traitor’s face was no longer human. “For example, the first part is to sacrifice all the hunters who cruelly betrayed my fellow sin-eaters.”

"..." Yuri and Yuka Yamanaka were in a state of shock in a certain sense.

"You—you were part of this plan too!" Hirosaki immediately realized what was happening. "What are you saying? Don't you have a deep hatred for the Sin Eaters—aren't you the one who manipulated ghosts to launch the attack? How could you—"

“Oh, yes, you’re absolutely right. I’m also the one who betrayed my fellow Sin-Eaters.” The traitor’s face melted into some kind of liquid, beginning to flow. “I’m guilty! I deserve to die!—But what does that have to do with you?”

Huh? Yuri looked at the madman in front of him. What was this guy saying?

"Let me make this clearer... I betrayed my friends... What does that have to do with you?" The madman, whose true identity was once revealed to be Minagawa, flapped his wings. "Just because I did something wrong, does that mean you can do it too? Just because I committed a crime, does that mean you won't be punished?"

"You!" Hirosaki Katsuya seemed to be at a loss for words, and even Yuri felt a pang of sympathy for him.

"Of course, this is only one kind of justice. I've already said it before, there's much more justice I want to achieve," the monster said, opening its claws. "In the second part, I also need to get rid of all the spirits here—spirits only bring misfortune, I know that all too well!"

"Aren't you a sin-eater too?!" This time it was Yamanaka Yuka's turn to get agitated. "Aren't you also one with the bound spirit? How could you—"

Yuri was hoping she would consider the situation and figure out what was so human about the guy opposite her—could the amniotic sac really turn a sin-eater into a monster?

Unlike the previously seen human in spirit armor, this monster looked far more hideous, but its threat was only greater—as if its entire body had melted into a spiritual slurry and then reformed. The muscles beneath its clothing were fully exposed, almost bursting through the skin's confines; its hands and feet sprouted sharp claws, suggesting that anyone struck by them would be either dead or severely injured. Its face, which had originally been the most distinctive feature of its human form, had transformed into something resembling a swamp, indicating that its transformation was not yet complete, but it was certain that it would never ultimately adopt a human appearance.

Is this thing a sin-eater?

"Isn't the amniotic membrane technique you're using now performed with the help of spirit binding power?" Yuka Yamanaka completely failed to grasp Yuri's thinking. "What you're saying now, that spirit binding only brings misfortune—"

What? This thing is still within the scope of the sin-eater's amniotic membrane technique?

"That thing ceased to exist the moment I pressed his head down and made him drink the waters of the River Styx!" A voice seemed to come from multiple angles simultaneously. "Now, there is no spirit binding, no body binding, only myself, who controls the spirit binding with my own will!"

"Damn it, the waters of the Styx will—" Yamanaka Yuka's eyes widened.

"It will cause weaker ghosts to lose their self-awareness, and bound spirits are no exception!" The monster's voice suddenly became steady. "But only by drinking the waters of the River Styx can one become stronger. This applies to every ghost, and bound spirits are no exception! This is the axiom of the underworld!"

"What are you saying! You've gone mad! This can't possibly not be reflected in yourself!" The sin-eating girl's voice was filled with shock and anger. "The bound spirit and the bound body are one and the same, how could this be—"

"I forced him to become stronger, even though he didn't want to, and he forced me to resurrect, even though I cried and begged him to let death take me instead of my family—this is what they call being of one mind!" The thing that was once a sin-eater burst into maniacal laughter, "One mind! Now we are truly one mind!"

"Your family?" Yuri pressed on—Yaka Yamanaka's power hadn't been fully absorbed yet, and the power flowing from the middle path hadn't ended; they needed to buy some more time. "Could it be... the time for resurrection..."

“Yes, yes!” There was no sorrow in the monster’s voice, but Yuri could hear a forced feeling in it. Minagawa was forcing himself to act indifferent. “Accident, accident, coincidence, my spirit is so generous, helping me to be free from the pain of the mortal world, giving me the opportunity to devote myself to the great cause of saving others time and time again—why must I keep losing like this?”

This guy started rambling incoherently, something must have gone wrong. Yuri eagerly hoped that the other person would stop because of mental problems.

"Then, there is the third kind of justice. After all, I am an honest and trustworthy person..." The surrounding spiritual field was rapidly materializing, and the windows seemed to be sealed shut by some force. The monster that was once Minagawa looked around, and Yuri could not see any expression on that monster's face. "So, yes, although my collaborators are two useless people who were killed in a three-on-one fight, and although their impending death may be their greatest contribution to this world, I will still complete their unfinished business and eradicate the sin eaters."

The answer to the previous question has been revealed—no, actually it had been revealed long ago, but at this moment, seeing the surrounding spiritual field being twisted under Minagawa's control, Yuri had no choice but to admit it.

It seems there's a particularly powerful traitor, but he doesn't want to know the answer under these circumstances. The amniotic sac, the spirit field—will this madman pull out something else later?

"Don't act like you've already won! Now—" Yamanaka Yuka stopped drawing energy from Nakamichi, and a familiar figure emerged from her body. It looked a little weak, but it was still able to move normally.

“That’s right, that’s exactly it—otherwise, we won’t be able to gather enough offerings! It’s been worth all this waiting!” Minagawa’s voice boomed, drowning out the sin-eater girl’s declaration. “The ritual can’t begin without all three bound spirits present!”

184 Plan Pass Plan Pass Plan Pass

I knew it—Yuri felt nothing when faced with Minagawa's declaration of victory.

After experiencing all of this, he had no expectations for his luck anymore. He didn't expect anything like "the other party suddenly self-destructing due to excessive emotional excitement or not being able to see what Yamanaka Yuka was doing." Not at all.

"Hey, can you hear me on the walkie-talkie? The situation is terrible—is there any updated plan or anything?" Although Yuri thought it was unlikely, he figured it wouldn't cost him anything to ask.

No human voice could be heard coming from the walkie-talkie; only a hissing noise could be heard.

Does this thing stop working as soon as it leaves the window? The signal is so bad?