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

After thinking about it carefully, although this world is different from the real world, the general situation should be similar.

"There is some instability in some areas, but the country as a whole is currently at peace."

"Why did those people attack me with muskets as soon as they saw me? And these people aren't ordinary people, are they?"

Kikyo pointed to the GSDF members standing guard around the perimeter of Higurashi Shrine, looked at Kujo Toru, and awaited his reply.

Although she couldn't understand what the colorful clothes those people were wearing represented, she had already erected a barrier to block the bullets when the two investigators from the First Investigation Division fired at her.

It can be said that the firearms of this era were easier to fire and use than those of the Warring States period. Even if someone was prepared, it would be difficult for an ordinary person to dodge them.

Even if five hundred years have passed, surely not everyone would be carrying a firearm, a deadly weapon.

I'd guess they were foot soldiers or samurai or something like that.

So the question is, why wasn't Kujo Toru surprised at all when he saw these people?

Seeing the shrine maiden's probing gaze, Kujo Toru unconsciously turned his head away.

Although the reason this place caught the attention of the higher-ups was not primarily due to him, he was still involved in it.

As a result, when the priestess followed him, she was shot three times.

To be honest, it was kind of embarrassing.

"Never mind, as long as this era is peaceful, that's all that matters."

Kikyo ultimately withdrew her finger and did not continue exploring.

And so, the two walked one after the other on the shrine's approach, stepping over the remains of the torii gate, and then descending the mountain path that had been painstakingly repaired over the past week.

Kujo Toru didn't say where he was going, nor did he ask Kikyo why she came.

The shrine maiden didn't say anything, but simply followed silently behind him.

Until they reached the main street.

The priestess was slightly lost in thought.

While inside the shrine, due to the obstruction of the mountains and forests, she could only vaguely see glimpses of the outside world.

But once you get onto the street, your view opens up instantly.

The asphalt road stretches into the distance, with a constant flow of vehicles and people out shopping on the weekend.

Neon lights flickered on the tall buildings, and advertisements were playing on the high glass curtain walls.

So many things that she had never seen before in the Warring States period rushed directly into the shrine maiden's mind.

She had many questions she wanted to ask, but when they came to her lips, she just couldn't get them out.

As she approached, she could only let out a soft sigh, so quiet that Kujo Toru almost couldn't hear it before it was swallowed up by the noise:

"Is this...the era five hundred years from now?"

"That's it."

Kujo Toru nodded.

Actually, if we calculate based on the era in which the shrine maiden lives now, it's only about 450 or 460 years, but that's not far off.

"How many people are there...?"

The shrine maiden unconsciously tugged at the hem of Kujo Tetsuka's robe.

The impact of modern metropolises is still a bit too great for a 500-year-old rural shaman.

But seeing that Kujo Toru was completely unfazed and seemed used to it, he slowly regained his composure.

It's a bit of a shame for Kujo Toru, as it's truly rare for Kikyo to show this side of herself.

"I'm not entirely sure of the exact numbers, but there should be at least several million people."

Although this is not Tokyo, it is still a bustling metropolis with a population of over a million.

After saying that, Kujo Toru just stared at Kikyo without moving, his eyes filled with anticipation.

It seemed they were waiting for the priestess to repeat her previous expression.

Unfortunately, Kikyo, who had already recovered, didn't give him that chance and saw right through his thoughts.

She rolled her eyes almost imperceptibly and immediately changed the subject:

"So where do we go next?"

"Although I'd like to show you around this era, let's go back to my shrine first. Hiyori is waiting for you there."

Kujo Toru revealed his plans.

Volume 1: Chapter 219 (6K) The Salvation Society

Kikyo knew that Kujo Toru had a shrine in this era, something Iki Hiyori had told her.

So when he heard Kujo Toru say that, he not only didn't feel confused, but he also felt relieved to hear a familiar name.

Although this acquaintance was someone she hadn't seen for fifty years.

"So Hiyori was already waiting..."

"Yes."

This was something that Kujo Toru only finalized not long ago.

According to Hiyori Iki's own words, when she inexplicably returned from the Sengoku period a week ago, she ended up at the main hall of Seifu Taisha Shrine, not at Higurashi Shrine.

However, this also allowed them to avoid the First Investigation Division and the Ground Self-Defense Force, thus avoiding exposure.

The Higurashi family was a bit unlucky; they were arrested and taken away for questioning.

Unfortunately, Kagome Higurashi witnessed the battle between Yato and Bishamonten, two deities.

In order to prevent the news from getting out, Yato severed all ties with Kujo Toru and Ama Murakumo after they left.

That is to say, they completely forgot about it.

They were only released a couple of days ago, but they were forced to move to a different apartment, where many people are secretly watching their daily lives.

That means they're now eating the government's rice.

Seeing this situation terrified Hiyori Iki, and for the past week she hasn't dared to utter a single word, simply maintaining her daily routine of going to school, visiting the shrine, and returning home.

So Kujo Toru plans to first go to the purification shrine in this world, talk to Iki Hiyori, and then find Yato and Bishamonten to see if they can summon other gods to deal with Kamiya, who may appear at any time.

"So we also have to take this kind of...vehicle to get there?"

Kikyo pointed to the busy road.

Watching the cars drive by one after another, he frowned slightly, seemingly wondering how these metal vehicles could move.

Kujo Toru's casual reply:

"No, I have no money and no phone, so I have to walk."

"Let's go then."

The shrine maiden spoke, and Kujo Toru nodded, walking at the front to lead the way.

However, after walking for a while, Kikyo's expression became a little strange.

The streets were packed with people, though not to the point of pushing and shoving, but far exceeding the density of the Kyoto Monument Festival.

Could there really be this many people?

But upon closer reflection, it's not entirely incomprehensible.

After all, in Kujo Toru's words, this was a city that could accommodate millions of people.

What exactly does this number of 7 shrine maidens mean? The village girls and shrine maidens who have lived in the mountains for a long time don't know much about it, but it must be more than the entire population of the Kansai region.

This situation seems to be normal.

But what truly perplexed the shrine maiden was the way passersby looked at her.

Whether alone or with others, no matter what they are doing, people look at her with a strange gaze when they pass by.

It was like seeing some strange person.

She unconsciously looked down at her own attire: white robes and crimson hakama, a very normal shrine maiden's outfit.

Could it be that……

"Are there no more priestesses in this era?"

Kikyo asked, quite puzzled.

This is the most likely problem she could find.

Having traveled this far, she had seen countless people from this era. Not only had she not seen any priestesses like herself, but she had also never seen the clothes worn by the passersby before, which she assumed were all from this era.

This seems to explain why passersby looked at her differently because of her incongruous shrine maiden attire.

"Yes, isn't Hiyori Iki my shrine maiden?"

Kujo Toru walked ahead without turning his head, but suddenly reached out and grabbed the shrine maiden's hand, forcibly pulling her to the spot.

The pedestrian light is red at the intersection ahead.

Kikyo glanced around and noticed that everyone else, like Kujo Toru, had stopped at the intersection and weren't moving forward. She realized that this was probably some kind of rule she didn't understand, so she stopped as well.

Just like when she was walking, the people around her who stopped looked at her with strange eyes before looking away.

"Really? Then why are they looking at me like that?"

Kikyo's brows furrowed slightly.

She believed that Kujo Toru was telling the truth, but the way these people looked at her was also true.

If it wasn't because of her attire, was it because the ruler of the country had noticed her?

Kikyo felt a pang of guilt as she recalled the scene she had witnessed when she emerged from the well.

I came here intending to help him, but I ended up getting into trouble instead.

"They probably mistook you for a cosplayer." Kujo Toru glanced over, and the people around looked away uncomfortably, immediately understanding.

Turning to look at Kikyo, I saw a look of confusion on the shrine maiden's face:

"what?"

She's strangely cute.

I've always been used to Kikyo's calm and composed demeanor, so seeing her like this occasionally is quite amusing.

As the green light came on, Kujo Toru took her hand again and led the priestess who had traveled through five hundred years into the modern metropolis.

"It's about playing a role, like a Kabuki actor... oh no, you've probably seen Noh plays before."

Kujo Toru originally wanted to use Kabuki, which is closer to the genre, as an example, but then he suddenly remembered that Izumo no Okuni, the founder of Kabuki, had not yet been born at Kikyo's time, so he changed his mind.

Fortunately, the shrine maiden was very intelligent and understood Kujo Toru's meaning quite well:

"You mean they mistook me for an ordinary person dressed as a witch?"

"more or less."

Kujo Toru nodded.

The real reason is definitely not as simple as he said.

In this era, the shaman's spiritual medium and divine attributes have long been stripped away.

To become a formal priestess, one must pass the professional priesthood exam, which is even more difficult than the civil service exam, and obtain a priesthood certificate.

Strictly speaking, neither Kikyo nor Hiyori Iki can be considered a true priestess.

In this context, the role was replaced by part-time shrine maidens who were professionalized by the secular world.

These shrine maidens are not seen as true shrine maidens by the general public; they are simply maids in a maid café, whose profession is merely a job.

Wearing a shrine maiden outfit while working at a shrine is one thing, but wearing it out in public is definitely considered bizarre attire, or it could be mistaken for cosplay.

It's quite normal that Kikyo was noticed by passersby.

Although Kujo Toru felt that the shrine maiden's appearance also played a role, he didn't want to bring it up because it was easy to cause misunderstandings.

Kikyo accepted Kujo Toru's explanation. Although she was still somewhat upset that she had been mistaken for a fake shrine maiden, she did not show it.