Supernatural/Anime Crossover: Where Did My Romantic Comedy Go?

Thank you very much this time.

Inspector Ando lowered his head to express his gratitude to Toru Kujo.

Whether it was the other party investigating Class 3-3 or helping to catch Akiyama Shoji, the copycat criminal, they were undoubtedly a great help to her.

However, while we are helping, we still need to follow the proper procedures.

"Next, I'll trouble you to come back with me to make a statement. I'll try to keep it as brief as possible."

"it is good."

Kujo Toru nodded.

He then followed behind Superintendent Ando, ​​got into the passenger seat of her car, and headed to the police station.

During that time, they happened to run into Natsukawa Masuzu and Kosaka Daisuke, who had just finished giving their statements.

However, because it was late, the group only said a quick goodbye before leaving.

Although Superintendent Ando tried to handle the case as briefly as possible, the nature of this dismemberment case was too heinous, and it was a copycat crime, so it took more than two hours to resolve.

By the time he got home, it was already past 2 a.m.

I slept for four or five hours, then got up and went straight to school.

The atmosphere in the classroom remained heavy.

Misa Sakakibara's death was a devastating blow to these teenagers who were still in their adolescence.

This was the first time they had faced death so directly.

There's a certain degree of sympathy for those of the same kind.

However, Natsukawa Masuri was dozing off with her head propped up.

Silver-white hair fell onto the table.

He yawned widely, his eyelids slightly closed.

Last night, Suzumoto Mayu played a crucial role in the fishing trip for Kyogoku Natsuhiko.

The little guy was extremely proud of this and chatted with her all night.

She also went along with Suzumoto Mayu's praises, resulting in her actually getting less sleep than Kujo Toru.

The zipper of the backpack hanging on the table was quietly pulled open a crack.

The palm-sized Suzumoto Cocoon peeked out secretly.

Seeing Natsukawa Masaki's appearance, he felt a little guilty, and then noticed a gaze falling on him.

He gave Kujo Toru an awkward smile and then crawled back into his schoolbag.

Zip the zipper back up from the inside.

For some reason, it reminded Kujo Toru of the famous scene where Tom slams the door shut.

She seems to have been a bit too naughty these past two days while I've been away. It looks like it's time to give her more homework after this is over.

Kujo Toru stroked his chin, lost in thought.

The school bell rang.

Natsukawa Masaki subconsciously raised her head and straightened her body.

I rubbed my sleepy eyes and started to listen attentively to the lesson.

Even so, after only a few minutes, she lowered her head again.

Seeing Hiratsuka Shizuka writing on the blackboard on the podium, Kujo Toru quietly moved his position.

She used her back to cover Natsukawa Masaki, who was sleeping on the table.

This continued until the end of the last class.

After packing his schoolbag, Kujo Toru was about to leave the classroom.

He arranged to meet Munakata Kiyono at Seifu Taisha Shrine that afternoon.

But as soon as he stood up, the girl behind him woke up from her sleep and grabbed his arm.

"Kujo-kun, I want to go too."

Natsukawa Masaki looked at him with her beautiful big eyes.

The smile on his face was radiant.

There was no sign of sleep deprivation whatsoever.

"Do you know what I'm going to do?"

"do not know."

The girl answered decisively.

"Then why are you following along? The part of this matter that concerns you is already over."

Kujo Toru glanced at her but did not forcefully break free.

"I'm curious."

Eyes facing each other.

A moment later, Kujo Toru strode out of the classroom.

He simply tossed out a sentence:

"Stop fooling around."

"Oh."

In the end, Natsukawa Masuzu obediently let go of her hand and stopped pestering her.

She knows Kujo Toru very well.

If he simply wanted to get rid of her, then what he just said would have been enough to make him give in.

Such a firm refusal shows that this matter is indeed very dangerous.

Then she could only obediently listen to Kujo Toru and choose not to cause him any trouble.

The early summer sun has already begun to grow scorching.

The road surface was scorching hot from the sun.

The cicadas' chirping was rather noisy.

Kujo Toru walked back to Seifu Taisha Shrine, stepping under the shade of the trees.

The vermilion torii gate in the distance looked particularly solemn under the sunlight.

At the foot of the mountain, Gokou Ruri was carrying the wooden plaque that read "Today's Offerings Received" and placing it next to the vermilion pillar.

She wasn't wearing that gothic maxi dress today; instead, she was wearing a girls' high school uniform.

It was obvious that he rushed over as soon as get out of class ended, without even having time to change his clothes.

It seems I should hurry up and get the shrine maiden outfit made.

Kujo Toru thought to himself.

Upon seeing Kujo Toru return, Gokou Ruri immediately stopped what she was doing and bowed respectfully.

"Lord Palace Secretary."

"Yes, thank you for your hard work. Are any guests coming?"

“An elderly gentleman arrived ten minutes ago. He said he had an appointment with you, so I asked him to rest in the office for a while.”

Ruri Gokou answered very seriously.

Volume 1: Chapter 132 Daimiya

Kujo Toru nodded and started walking up the mountain.

Next to the approach to the main hall stands a small wooden house.

This is the shrine's administrative office.

Items such as ema (votive plaques), omamori (amulet items), and goshuin (seals) are sold here.

However, unlike the handicrafts of other shrines, the items sold at Seifu Taisha are all handmade by Kujo Toru, so there are not many in stock.

An elderly woman dressed in a dark gray kimono was standing inside, her gray hair meticulously combed.

He was carefully examining these small items.

"Mr. Munakata, I'm sorry to have kept you waiting."

As Kujo Toru called out, the old man turned around.

Although his face looked somewhat aged, he appeared very energetic.

His eyes were bright, revealing a calm composure that came from being immersed in books.

"Actually, I just arrived too."

With a kind smile, Munakata Kiyono suddenly spoke:

"You're really amazing, Kujo-kun."

"I've visited quite a few shrines, but this is the first one that has such a solemn and dignified feeling."

As he spoke, he made a joke:

"No wonder the Goddess specifically asked me to get on good terms with you, so that I could get more good things from you."

As a folklorist, he frequently visited remote mountain villages and encountered many bizarre events that defied common sense.

They naturally understood the unspoken meaning behind the goddess's words.

"In any case, thank you for being willing to hand over that sword purification scroll to me."

Munakata Kiyono's choice of words was very clever; he made no mention of the fact that he had actually paid for it.

In fact, for such special items, it's a great favor to keep them; the fact that they were willing to sell them is already a kindness in itself.

"It's just a normal transaction."

Kujo Toru made a polite remark.

This was their first real meeting, and it must be said that Munakata Kiyono made a very good impression on him.

"Mr. Zongfang, this place is rather simple. Let's go to the back hall to talk."

Kujo Toru took the initiative to speak, his gaze falling directly on the briefcase that Munakata Kiyono was carrying under his arm.

The other party also noticed this and smiled slightly.

"It seems that Kujo-kun is a decisive person. Please lead the way."

The two walked one after the other to the back hall and sat down on the sofa in the living room.

Munakata Kiyono unzipped his briefcase, took out a thick stack of documents, and spread them out on his own initiative.

Some of the papers have yellowed, while others are brand new, spanning a vast period of time.

There were also quite a few printed photos mixed in.

“Ever since you mentioned the burning mountain ceremony in the book ‘Summer, Fireworks, and Me Under the Tree’ the night before last, I’ve made a point of going through some county records and folk customs research that I’ve collected in the past.”

Munakata Kiyono placed several documents on top:

“The burning mountain ceremony is not uncommon in this country. For example, Nara holds the Wakakusa Mountain Burning Festival every March.”

"Actually, it's about praying to the Lord of Wakakusa Mountain for favorable weather and abundant harvests in the coming year."

His finger was pointing at a photograph.

The photo shows countless people dressed in kimonos, carrying torches, forming a circle at the foot of the mountain. Festival stalls are set up at the entrance to the mountain, and fireworks are bursting overhead.

It's very similar to the cover of that book, but there are some subtle differences.

"Although it is called 'burning the mountain,' it does not actually involve setting the mountain on fire. Instead, it refers to holding torches and lighting up the night sky, which looks like the mountain is on fire from a distance."

Munakata Kiyono was worried that Kujo Toru wouldn't understand, so he explained it very clearly.