Tokyo bombing incident Nth time

Before Yuri could even fill in the details of the feud between his sect and his master, Akemi interrupted his imagination.

"In terms of skill level, they should be about the same as me, or slightly better. As for any connection in terms of lineage... I think that's probably not the case."

"Wasn't it said to be a variant?"

"Wasn't Takemura's last one a variant? Could it be that Takemura and I have a teacher-student relationship? You've read his diary and know that he was self-taught, right?"

"From Bamboo Village?" Yuri thought for a moment... Indeed, there were similar things in Bamboo Village, so there should be a ritual site there... "Where did you see it?"

"It's in his hut, on the very top floor. I found it there, but I forgot to tell you—by the way, in terms of this ritual site alone, Takemura's is not as good as mine, but he has the advantage of abundant energy."

Yuri stopped searching his memory; there was no point in doing so, and it was unlikely that Akemi would lie about it.

"Wait, does that mean this person's ritual skills surpass Takemura's?" Yuri felt like he had grasped something. If Takemura dared to hunt the hunter, then someone stronger than him... something seemed off.

“Yes, this person’s ritual skills surpass Takemura’s, so it’s obvious that she’s not very strong.” Akemi glanced at Yuri and added, “Only someone who can’t find a better ability would put so much effort into these rituals.”

Yuri opened his mouth, but didn't know what to say.

Akemi announced that this ritual is very basic, and various variations of the ritual are popular throughout Japan—at least in the eastern part of Honshu and the Hokkaido region. These variations are the result of people constantly making personal modifications and what they believe to be improvements to the most basic version.

But so far, I haven't heard of anyone being particularly successful, and those that are still usable are generally still recognizable as prototypes.

Yuri asked why there was a basic version and who passed it down, but Minmei couldn't give him a clear answer.

The earliest known source of this phrase is said to be Abe Seimei, but Akemi believes this is likely a far-fetched connection to a famous figure, and the actual source is impossible to verify; it's just a matter of using it.

"In reality, a large number of new rituals are constantly being created, and after being tested in reality, those that are truly effective are usually passed down... However, there are exceptions. For example, there are spirits that deliberately mislead mystics, making them believe that what is ineffective is effective and what is effective is ineffective, thus inducing them to abandon the true direction. Such things happen."

In short, a whole host of complex situations, circumstances, and coincidences piled up together—and the result was this: an effective ritual became the mainstream, used by most people within Mingmei's sphere of influence, along with its ten thousand variations.

This also explains another problem that Yuri had initially thought of... the protective gear used by these civilian spellcasters was not published by the same publisher.

It's a pity, if so, he would have liked to buy a copy... and have Mingmei buy one.

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.

In the end, the two of them did not find anything else noteworthy.

"Nothing to show for it?" Yuri looked at Akemi, who seemed to be deep in thought. What was she thinking?

“If the existing evidence is true and not fabricated, Yuri, I don’t think this cult leader is powerful enough to summon and command a level three spirit. In fact, I think that if the spirit cooperates with her, summoning it is probably the limit; it’s impossible for her to have any coercive power over it.” Mingmei looked around the room. “And even if she did summon it, it wouldn’t be here. This place isn’t suitable; it’s not a vulnerable spot.”

She skipped the part explaining "why these judgments were made," but Yuri believed that Minmei's knowledge was reliable, and if it wasn't, there was no other way.

"Hmm... So if she shouldn't have any coercive power over spirits... at least 'that person' isn't her anymore?" Yuri gestured in his mind, knowing that the fire spirit wouldn't easily obey humans.

So who is "that person"? Could it be the wealthy patron inside the station...? Yuri quickly dismissed this guess again. The conversation with the Fire Spirit touched upon the wealthy patron, but the Fire Spirit's reaction was quite normal. It didn't seem like it possessed such quick wit, but that didn't rule out some special method...

If there is a force that can make someone verbally agree to join, then there should also be a force that can make someone verbally agree to keep secrets.

Although the spirit of fire is several orders of magnitude stronger than that of mortals, "that great one" is definitely several orders of magnitude stronger than this cult leader... No, if I keep thinking like this, it will never end.

Yuri realized that if he kept adding new "possibilities" to his mind, he would never reach a conclusion; there were simply too many forces in the world.

Upon closer reflection, Yuri didn't see anything unusual about the Fire Spirit; it should be acting almost entirely according to its own will.

So, who exactly is "that person"? That remains a question for now.

While Yuri was pondering, Akemi made her judgment.

“Well, I think that although this cult leader is most likely not the mastermind, she might be cooperating with the mastermind. I don’t mean I have any evidence, but this kind of phenomenon is not uncommon. For example, if they want to escape into the Shadow Realm by opening the portal, given the level of this cult leader has shown, it’s probably somewhere in between.” The high school student mystic paused. “In other words, it might open, it might not open, it might open but not be able to maintain it—it’s obviously not suitable as an escape route in an emergency. So, she might consider cooperating with a high-level Shadow Realm spirit, who could connect the passage on the other side.”

While it's unclear whether the exact principle is correct, it aligns with intuition. If opening a door from one side is difficult, opening it from both sides together sounds much easier. Moreover, "opening but not being able to maintain it" sounds very much like the fluctuations the two had previously experienced.

"However, although spirits are diverse, most spirits will not work for others for free. This high-level spirit may demand some reward, from specific sacrifices to some exchange of favors, such as... letting her perform summoning here, sending her friends or subordinates to the human world to cause some destruction."

This sounds perfectly reasonable, or rather, too reasonable. What other explanation could possibly make sense?

"Another variant of this hypothesis is similar, but with a slight change. Instead of cooperation, it's a direct subordinate relationship. The cult leader kneels before the Shadow Spirit in exchange for promises such as power, life, or beauty. In return, the Shadow Spirit gains a henchman who can move freely in the material world and do things for it... like summoning its friends or subordinates to the human world. The promises the cult leader makes to its followers are complete lies, or perhaps the Shadow Spirit is deceiving her."

Okay, that seems reasonable too.

"The third possibility is that they've found the wrong person—this cult leader just happens to be nearby. The matter of the spirit is the spirit, and the matter of the cult is the cult—it's even possible that the spirit noticed this cult and is using them as a cover."

Mingmei spread her hands. "In short, this cult leader is very incompetent, and according to you, she can't directly see spirits under normal circumstances. Next time you see her, you can be bold and ask her directly what's going on and see her reaction. She can't do anything to you unless you stand still and let her mess with you."

Well, that's great. This is some rare good news we've received these past two days. However, we still don't know where this cult leader has gone.

Where will she go?

Chapter Seventy-Four: Halftime

Yuri thought and thought, but still couldn't figure it out. That's the problem with skirmishes; once the fighting is over, you never understand the cause and effect... But if you have to strategize with everyone you meet, Yuri doubts whether he has enough time... Even if he really learned the time-manipulation technique in that notebook, he'd probably be driven crazy by it.

Human strength is limited, and the strength of an individual is especially limited. Even if Yuri is not human, his strength is still extremely limited.

The two individuals are no better off either, and resolving this issue may require an organization.

Yuri now faces the following questions:

First, the cult leader has disappeared and may subsequently cause trouble.

Secondly, it is unclear who "that person" is, and it is very likely that they will cause trouble soon afterward.

Thirdly, Yuri is now out of ammunition and supplies, and is on the verge of death with just one more beating. Fortunately, the direct damage is not very serious, and it is expected to take three to four days to fully recover.

However, there is one advantage.

Yuri thought for a moment and realized that this matter could be temporarily put on hold.

The most direct threat, the fire spirit that set fires everywhere and could cause casualties at any time, has now obediently returned to the world of film.

The secondary, potential threat, the cult, has also felt threatened and gone underground. Although it cannot be guaranteed that they will remain obedient for a long time, it seems that nothing will happen to them anytime soon.

The potential threat, namely "that person," is still unknown, but based on previous judgment, it is likely a powerful spirit. It should still be lurking in the Shadow Realm. According to the principle that the stronger the spirit, the more difficult it is to overcome obstacles, it will not be something that can be done in a short time if it wants to reach out.

In other words, the problem is solved! (Temporarily)

Yuri felt a profound emptiness in his heart as he cheered.

Yuri shared his ideas with Akemi, who gave him her basic approval.

Of course, now that we know this matter is not over, we still need to keep an eye on it. But for now, we can take a short break, catch our breath, and get back into the swing of things.

For example, Mingmei has just finished a day of school and then stayed up all night, even experiencing a tense and exciting water and fire battle. Yuri thinks she should go back and rest for a day.

Mingmei didn't think she was tired, but she agreed to the plan to rest. In her understanding, continuing the search now was unlikely to find any new clues, let alone stop a plan that was unknown or might not even exist.

Unfortunately, and very unfortunately, there were still a few things to do before taking a break.

First, back at the accommodations… Although it wouldn’t really matter where Yuri was, familiar surroundings were still somewhat helpful. Akemi had her own things to do, and she didn’t think Yuri could be of much help; it was just a matter of simple conversation.

Yuri secretly suspected that someone would say bad things about him during the conversation, but... oh well, he was the one who started this whole thing, so it's normal for him to be said a few bad things about him.

Akemi drove Yuri to her residence on her motorcycle and then left. According to her, she needed to refuel her motorcycle on her way to report to and communicate with Uncle Okumura, which would be a longer route, and the time required for the communication itself was uncertain. Therefore, this time it might take longer than usual—if anything happened, they would still contact each other by phone.

The high school mystic who wasn't worried at all about needing to initiate contact on her own left just like that.

That makes sense. In broad daylight, on a road with a lot of foot traffic, nothing could possibly happen. Yuri watched Akemi walk away, then headed towards his residence. He remembered there should still be a few coins on the table.

Although it is not strictly necessary, Yuri believed that maintaining contact with journalist Hojo Reie was beneficial, and that using people now and not using them later would not help achieve this goal.

Since she's involved in this matter, it's only right to communicate with her; it's not like dragging someone else down with you.

And... what if she knew exactly what happened to the cult members afterward?

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.

This is the third time, Yuri thought, listening to the notification tone on the phone.

I couldn't get through after three attempts.

He waited a long time before hanging up the phone, until the public phone hung up for him; this was the third time.

Moreover, after failing to get through on the third try, the coin was swallowed.

Yuri hesitated for a moment, but in the end he didn't open the coin box to get his money back.

The notification tone indicates that the phone is switched off.

What is this indicating?

They're probably tracking some important news... or maybe something else has happened?

It shouldn't be that something else happened. How could someone have two accidents in such a short period of time? She also said she would be careful, right?

...Let's contact each other again after some time, like a day or something.

Yuri left the public phone booth and headed towards his residence.

...We can't just go back like this, otherwise we'll have nothing to do. Yuri can't rest while he's worried.

Only at times like these would he envy Akemi's need for sleep. Creatures that sleep can suppress their consciousness, stop their thoughts, and enter a state of rest. Yuri, however, couldn't. He couldn't stop thinking, even knowing that thinking was futile.

When doubts linger, the problem will be amplified. If one cannot find something to occupy their mind, they will keep associating the issue with the doubts.

Yuri preferred the latter: he could try meditation or find something to do.

It's time to go back to the old spot and find some wood.

Turn a corner at the entrance of the residential area and move to the adjacent area; there is a recycling station there.

Unlike a traditional landfill, this place doesn't handle garbage disposal; it simply stores nearby trash and then transfers it. The main difference compared to a landfill is its much smaller scale.

This has little to do with Yuri; the main reason he came here was because it was close by.

At first, Yuri was indeed picking up wood from the roadside, but he later discovered that he could also find wood here. Wood from the roadside is not always available, but here, sanitation workers would bring broken trees here, which is equivalent to someone else doing a sorting and collection process for Yuri.

If you're just grabbing whatever you want, the roadside stalls are enough, but Yuri wants a larger quantity to kill time, so this place might be more convenient.

Yuri, in spirit form, infiltrated the area and quickly found his target, though it was somewhat different from his last visit. A group of small spirits, specifically rat spirits, were gathered there. They had been chasing each other, but now, terrified of Yuri, they huddled in a corner.

Were they here before? Yuri looked around but didn't see anything that resembled a spiritual vein.

Rats, recyclers, Akemi has talked about this—as a symbol of recyclers, rat spirits will occupy these related places.

This place is probably a barely acceptable spiritual site for them.

Originally, there weren't any; the area here was too small for even small spirits to tolerate. But recently, the spirits have become more active, which is why they've appeared here.

Since they didn't pounce on him to bite, Yuri ignored them.

Once this matter is over and the activation of the spirits subsides, they will return to the Shadow Realm because they will be unable to sustain themselves. There is no need to do anything special to them.

Yuri left the rat spirit behind and carried away the large piece of timber he had picked up—it was indeed large compared to the past.

This appears to be a support structure for some kind of furniture. The material is ordinary, but it's on a completely different level compared to the untreated plant wood that was found earlier.

Even if Yuri had seen it in the past, he wouldn't have taken it. Wasting good materials would have made his miserly heart ache, even if it was actually free.

To be honest, the wood we received in the past wasn't unselected. The wood suitable for making dolls was basically the main trunk of plants or branches that were a few years old, so that it would have enough volume. Fortunately, Yuri's demand wasn't too large, otherwise, we might not have been able to break off so much wood naturally.

Some believe that true artists utilize all materials without waste, a view Yuri strongly supports, but he hasn't quite reached that level yet. He still hasn't figured out how to combine two smaller wooden blocks into a larger one, unless he uses glue.

While thinking about these things, Yuri returned home. When holding the larger block of wood, Yuri was in a physical form to avoid causing panic.

The journey back to my accommodation went quite smoothly, and I even managed to snag some tape recorders along the way.

His long-term efforts to use the repeater seem to have increased his spiritual essence reserves, or perhaps his absorption capacity. So far, there are no signs of any negative effects; in short, it's a good thing.

The journey back to his residence proceeded without incident... This wasn't the first time Yuri had felt uneasy even walking on the street, but he had never gotten used to this feeling of insecurity.

This world is too dangerous. Spirits in a weakened state must be careful to protect themselves, otherwise, if something happens and they die, no one may even know.

Anyway, we're home now.

He was carving new dolls until Akemi returned.

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.

"Is your inspiration flowing like a spring?" Mingmei pointed to a row of dolls on the table.

Four hours after the two parted, as soon as Akemi entered the room, she saw a row of dolls on the coffee table. They were generally similar, but each pair had a slight difference.

As an improvement, Yuri made a base out of thin wood, so that he could stand up by simply slipping his feet into it and locking them in place.

"Rather than saying that my inspiration flowed like a spring, it's more like that I recreated the ones I had ruined in the past." Yuri stopped carving the one in his hand. "The structure of these is actually the same as some of the worse things I did in the past, but I didn't have the ability to bring them to life back then. However, recently I feel like I've grasped a bit of the knack, so I took the opportunity to do some work and recreate them."

"I see, so you weren't really making cursed dolls before..." Akemi seemed to understand something.

Yuri stared at her. What? So this guy always thought I deliberately made the cursed doll? Who is that guy?

A few seconds later, Akemi seemed to suddenly realize something and glared back.

The two stared at each other for a few seconds, and then Yuri, feeling no need to be guilty, spoke up first, "What's wrong? Why are you looking at me like that?"

"You mean these are the same design as the cursed dolls you made before?" The high school girl asked again, confirming what was already common knowledge.