Hikigaya Hachiman's face was filled with curiosity.
Could it be that between the man in the windbreaker and the Inari God...
"Is the tail in your hand nice to touch?"
"It feels really good to touch."
"Really? I felt the same way a hundred years ago."
"....."
.
After leaving behind one of Inari's tails, the man in the windbreaker disappeared in front of Hikigaya Hachiman in a flash.
Disappearing along with him was the human-shaped mark on the ground that Hikigaya Hachiman had previously pressed down.
If it weren't for the tail that felt so good in his hand and the silver power surging in his body, Hikigaya Hachiman would probably have thought that what had just happened was just his imagination.
"So, next we have to go to the shrine to return the tail?"
Thinking about what he was going to do next, Hikigaya Hachiman shrugged his shoulders, then picked up his luggage and continued walking home.
Chapter 326 Don't be mean
It was around seven in the evening, at an Inari Shrine on the outskirts of Chiba city.
Inari God looked at the familiar tail in Hikigaya Hachiman's hand, and his originally dignified expression instantly broke.
"Mr. Hikigaya, where did that tail come from?"
This was the first time that Hikigaya Hachiman saw the Inari god gritting his teeth.
Not only Inari God, in fact, when he showed the tail that the man in the windbreaker gave him, the faces of everyone in the shrine except him changed color.
"It was given to me by a man I met on my way home."
The man in the windbreaker explained a lot of information to Hikigaya Hachiman throughout the process, but he did not reveal any information about himself.
However, judging from the reaction of Inari God, it is obvious that even if he did not say the name, Inari God knew who the person he was talking about was.
"Is that so?"
After hearing what Hikigaya Hachiman said, Inari God lowered his head and thought for a while.
When she raised her head again, the strange emotions she had shown before had been completely suppressed and there was no trace of any flaws.
"Thank you so much for giving me my tail back."
He gracefully pulled the wooden box containing the tail in front of him and felt the familiar breath in the wooden box. Even the Inari God, who had lived for nearly a thousand years, became excited at this moment.
After all, for a fox, the more tails it has, the stronger it is.
Moreover, the tail that was lost and recovered still contained enormous divine power, which was enough to change her current predicament and restore her strength to a higher level!
"You're welcome. I'm just being asked to do this."
Hikigaya Hachiman was already familiar with the corresponding polite words in response to Inari God's gratitude.
However, perhaps because the return of the tail was too important, for the first time, the Inari God did not chat with Hikigaya Hachiman, but quickly got up and left after expressing his gratitude.
"Hikigaya-sama, this way please."
The god Inari left early, and the task of receiving Hikigaya Hachiman naturally fell on the shoulders of the chief shrine maiden.
Pushing open the wooden doors and windows, the chief shrine maiden invited Hikigaya Hachiman to a smaller tea room in the shrine, and then she disappeared for a while.
When the chief witch appeared in the room again, she was holding a small wooden box of extremely ancient style in her arms.
"Thank you again for returning Inari-sama's tail. Please accept this small gift."
As she spoke, the chief shrine maiden opened the wooden box to reveal the contents inside, and then pushed it in front of Hikigaya Hachiman.
"What is this?"
The wooden box is wrapped with red cloth of unknown material at the bottom.
And in the center of the red cloth, a golden bead about the size of an olive was quietly placed there.
After obtaining the consent of the chief shrine maiden, Hikigaya Hachiman reached out, took out the bead and examined it in his hand.
The moment his palm touched the bead, Hikigaya Hachiman felt as if he had come into contact with an extremely vast ocean of divine power.
"A bead that stores extra divine power. I think Hikigaya-sama will need it."
Looking at the beads in Hikigaya Hachiman's hand, the chief shrine maiden's tone did not fluctuate at all. Instead, the little foxes who were eavesdropping outside the door started scratching the door anxiously.
"Wait a moment."
Hearing the creaking noise made by her companions scratching the door outside, the chief witch frowned, apologized, and left the room again.
As several screams rang out, the room returned to silence again.
"Crash…"
After dealing with the troublemakers, the chief witch opened the door again and walked in as if nothing had happened.
Then she knelt beside Hikigaya Hachiman and brewed him a cup of high-quality tea that she had just collected from the believers yesterday.
"Well, I was just helping to deliver the stuff. You don't have to go to such lengths."
Hikigaya Hachiman felt uncomfortable as he watched the chief shrine maiden serving him respectfully.
"No, what you brought back is totally worth it for me to do this now."
Looking at Hikigaya Hachiman who seriously underestimated the importance of the tail, the chief shrine maiden shook her head slightly.
With that tail, Lord Inari's body was completely restored again.
In this way, the Inari God would not have to spend a lot of incense every year to prevent the loss of power.
The saved incense sticks, whether used to create new companions or to enhance the strength of these divine servants, will be of great benefit to the entire Inari Shrine.
Compared with the future prosperity of Inari Shrine, what she did now was nothing.
"By the way, how did Inari lose his tail before?"
Although the question raised was a bit troublesome, the fact of how the Inari God's tail ended up in the hands of the man in the windbreaker was tickling him like a kitten.
"It has been over a hundred years since Lord Inari lost his tail."
The chief shrine maiden was obviously well prepared for the questions raised by Hikigaya Hachiman.
After all, if she were Hikigaya Hachiman, she would also be curious about this matter.
"A hundred years ago, a great war broke out at the border between Kanto and Kansai, where humans and gods joined forces to fight against evil spirits."
"As one of the few great gods in the divine camp at that time, Lord Inari was naturally given special attention by several demons and gods."
"So the tail was lost in battle?"
After hearing the chief shrine maiden's narration, Hikigaya Hachiman was a little confused.
This plot doesn't seem to match what the man in the windbreaker said?
"Not really."
The chief shrine maiden was not angry when Hikigaya Hachiman interrupted her speech. Instead, she waited until Hikigaya Hachiman finished asking questions and continued to describe the subsequent developments.
"As a great god, Lord Inari's strength is unquestionable. Even though he was besieged by several demons and gods, he managed to achieve a good result with only one killed and several injured."
"However, despite such a great victory, My Lord did not suffer any losses. The demon you killed fought back before dying and injured the base of one of your tails."
"Then, just as the master transformed into a fox and returned to the camp, someone got carried away!"
Even though he was sure that he was not the person the chief shrine maiden was talking about, the biting coldness in the tone still made Hikigaya Hachiman shiver subconsciously.
"And coincidentally, right after that incident, the second wave of attacks from the evil spirits arrived. Because he had lost his tail, Lord Inari couldn't hold out until the end of the battle and was forced to flee here..."
As she recounted what happened next, the chief witch's tone gradually became lost.
At the same time, after hearing the whole cause of the incident, Hikigaya Hachiman showed a hint of understanding on his face.
Chapter 327 Is there no other way?
Ten o'clock at night.
After listening to the chief shrine maiden's account of the various tragic experiences she had encountered over the years due to the continuous decline in the power of the Inari god, Hikigaya Hachiman left the shrine.
Shortly after he left, a golden glow suddenly rose above the Inari Shrine.
With the appearance of the rosy glow, Hikigaya Hachiman could clearly feel the spiritual power in the air rushing towards the shrine at a rapid speed.
"Has your strength recovered?"
Thinking of what the chief shrine maiden had said before, Hikigaya Hachiman was not surprised by this strange phenomenon.
However, in the abandoned shrine on the other side, the nine-tailed fox who helped Yotsuya Miko to get rid of the multi-armed evil spirit during the day became serious when he felt the movement.
Obviously, the sudden recovery of some of Inari God's strength was not what the Nine-tailed Fox expected.
"I have to get the reward as soon as possible..."
The nine-tailed fox's faint voice echoed through the shrine.
As the sound fell, several blue butterflies resting on the torii gate flapped their wings and flew towards Tokyo in the distance.
.....
"Still not awake?"
In front of the visiting window, Isayama Naraku, Isayama Yomi's adoptive father, looked at Isayama Yomi lying motionless in front of the bed in the room, his tone full of fatigue and worry.
"I'm sorry. We've used the world's most advanced equipment to examine Ms. Isayama's physical condition, but we still haven't found anything abnormal."
The attending physician in a white coat shook his head with a hint of apology, indicating that the hospital was powerless to do anything for Isayama Yomi.
"Is that so? Thank you for your hard work."
The doctor's answer did not surprise Isayama Naraku.
After all, when Tsuchimiya Kagura sent Isayama Yomi back, he had already gathered all the doctors of the Isayama family to find out the reason why Isayama Yomi became what she is now.
Finally, with no other options left, I came to this hospital hoping modern technology might be able to help.Hearing the expected answer, Isayama Naraku could only sigh to express his complicated feelings at the moment.
"Uncle, you still haven't found the cause of Huang Quan's illness?"
Just as Isayama Naraku was staring at his daughter in a daze through the window, Isayama Mei's voice suddenly came to his ears.
Turning around, looking at Isayama Mei, whose dress and etiquette were impeccable, Isayama Naraku's expression eased a little.
He opened his mouth and was about to say something, but suddenly remembered that Jianshan Mei was not like her father.
In the end, he could only respond to Jianshan Mei's question with a sigh.
"Perhaps there is a way to wake up Sister Huang Quan."
Walking to the side of Isayama Naraku, Isayama Mei looked at Isayama Yomi who was like a puppet in the room, and a complex emotion flashed through his heart.
But he kept encouraging Isayama Naraku not to give up hope.
"Thank you for your comfort, Ming. You are much better than your useless father."
Thinking of her younger brother who was always obsessed with the position of head of the family, Isayama Naraku suddenly felt a headache.
Recent events have made the Isayama family, an ancient psychic family, feel precarious.
Fortunately, after Jianshan Huangquan's accident, Jianshan's family did not lack excellent backup candidates...
"Ming, do you want to try Lion King?"
After looking at Isayama Yomi in the room again and being silent for a while, Isayama Naraku suddenly said these words.
"!"
Hearing what Isayama Naraku said, Isayama Mei's heart suddenly began to beat violently.
indeed.
If Isayama Yomi is unable to return to normal for a long time, in order to maintain the morale of the various Isayama branches, Isayama Naraku, as the head of the family, will have to appoint a new heir.
And she, Jianshan Ming, is undoubtedly the most suitable candidate!
"Try to pull it out."
Just as countless thoughts flashed through Isayama Mei's mind, Isayama Naraku, who had already made up his mind, handed over the Lion King that originally belonged to Isayama Yomi.
Looking at the Lion King who was so close at hand and whom he had longed for in the past, representing the position of the next head of the family, Jianshan Mei subconsciously stretched out his right hand.
However, just as her fingers were about to touch the hilt of the knife, Jianshan Mei's eyes suddenly regained clarity.
"No! Uncle, we can't give up hope yet. Sister Huang Quan will definitely get better!"
He suddenly withdrew his right hand because he was afraid that he would regret it. After persuading Isayama Naraku again not to give up Isayama Yomi, Isayama hurried out of the hospital.
What Isayama Mei didn't know was that after hearing her refuse the position of head of the family, Isayama Naraku became even more determined.
Jianshan Mei, who ran out of the hospital, felt very confused.
In order to prevent herself from continuing to have wild thoughts, she decided to find some evil spirits to vent her emotions.
Coincidentally, just when she had the idea of defeating the evil spirit, the evil spirit's fluctuations suddenly came from nearby.
"You came just in time!"
There was no one around, so Jianshan Mei took out the small sword hidden in her kimono. Then she quickly identified the direction and went into an alley opposite the hospital and rushed towards the place where the evil spirit fluctuations came from.
....
Because she started to take on family affairs, Kagura Tsuchimiya was very busy every day during the summer vacation.
But even so, she still squeezed out time from the rest of her day after 10 o'clock in the evening to visit Isayama Yomi in the hospital.
As usual, Tsuchimiya Kagura was escorted by the family driver to the hospital where Isayama Yomi was.
"Uncle Naraku?"
The hunched back in front of the visiting window almost made Tsuchimiya Kagura fail to recognize Isayama Naraku.
"Ah, Kagura, you're here again."
Hearing the voice of Tsuchimiya Kagura, Isayama Naraku woke up from his daze.
After giving Tsuchimiya Kagura a kind smile, he turned his head again and stared intently at Isayama Yomi lying on the hospital bed.
"Uncle, is there really no way to cure Huang Quan?
Walking to Isayama Naraku's side, Tsuchimiya Kagura looked at Isayama Yomi in the ward and asked without giving up.
"We have already made all the efforts we should make…"
Just like the reply he gave to Mei Isayama, Naraku Isayama no longer has any hope for Yomi Isayama's recovery.
After taking a last look at Isayama Yomi, Isayama Naraku shook his head, then turned around and prepared to leave this sad place.
"Wait! Uncle Naraku, where is the Exorcist? We haven't asked the Exorcist for help yet, right?"
"Master Exorcist?"
Turning around and looking at the girl who was holding onto his sleeves and refusing to give up, Isayama Naraku showed a miserable smile on his face.
"The five exorcists have all left Japan. Even if they have a way, Huang Quan won't be able to get treatment..."
"Besides, how can we, little psychics, possibly invite such a great figure?"
Chapter 328 Incident
"They've already left Japan? Then wouldn't Big Brother also..."
After hearing what Isayama Naraku said, Tsuchimiya Kagura subconsciously expressed what was in her mind.
"What?"
Isayama Naraku looked at the girl in front of him with suspicion, who covered her mouth because she realized she had said something wrong.
Did he just hear her using such a friendly name for a boy?
It's unbelievable that the next head of the Tugong family would actually call a man like this.
"No, nothing..."
Realizing that she almost exposed Hikigaya Hachiman, Tsuchimiya Kagura quickly shook her head, left the bouquet of flowers in her hand, and turned and ran out of the hospital.
"This child…"
Looking at Tsuchimiya Kagura's receding back, Isayama Naraku shook his head helplessly.
Even though he has already started to accept the family's work, he still looks so anxious...
After leaving the hospital, Kagura Tsuchimiya quickly took a car to Chiba.
On the way, she suddenly realized that something was wrong.
It is still unknown whether Hikigaya Hachiman also left Japan, and it was already late at night when he arrived in Chiba.
If she rashly disturbed the Hikigaya family at this time, Hikigaya Hachiman would most likely not agree to her request, and on the contrary, it might even cause him to be disgusted.
"Please turn back."
After weighing the pros and cons, Tsuchimiya Kagura finally suppressed her anxious mood and ordered the driver to turn around and return home.
At the same time, she took out her cell phone and asked Komachi about her brother's whereabouts through Line.
Because it was already very late, Tsuchimiya Kagura originally thought that she would have to wait until tomorrow morning to get a reply from Komachi.
However, the fact is that as soon as she sent a message on Line, Komachi replied to her immediately!
So fast...Isn't Komachi asleep yet?
Tsuchimiya Kagura was a little surprised to receive Komachi's reply so quickly.
But then this hint of surprise turned into joy.
[As for Onii-chan, she's at home. ]
After confirming that Hikigaya Hachiman was at home at the moment, Tsuchimiya Kagura put her cell phone in front of her body, raised her head and took a deep breath to vent her excitement.
[Tsuchimiya Kagura: Then can I come visit you tomorrow? ]
[Komachi: Of course, you're always welcome to come play!]
[Tsuchimiya Kagura: Then I'll come over tomorrow morning.]
...
After confirming the itinerary for tomorrow, Tsuchimiya Kagura completely collapsed on the backrest of the car.
Although she didn't know whether Hikigaya Hachiman could find a way to solve Isayama Yomi's situation, she finally found a glimmer of hope.
"But I just don't know if big brother will agree to help..."
Although Tsuchimiya Kagura felt that with Hikigaya Hachiman's personality, he would most likely not refuse her request.
But her relationship with Hikigaya Hachiman was ultimately just that of an acquaintance they had met a few times.
"If you ask Big Brother for help, you must be prepared to pay accordingly!"
Tsuchimiya Kagura was troubled by this matter of course.
"What would Big Brother need?"
Tsuchimiya Kagura held her chin and muttered to herself.
Real-life wealth certainly cannot be used as a reward. After all, that kind of thing will be offered to you by countless people without Hikigaya Hachiman even asking for it.
However, she currently has nothing related to the other world.
After all, she is just a junior high school student.
Although her strength has reached S-level, due to her young age, most of the family's things are controlled by her father.
Even the weapons she currently uses were allocated by the government because she joined the Countermeasures Room.
.
Just as Tsuchimiya Kagura was worrying about what to offer as a reward, in a remote alley in Tokyo, Isayama Mei was surrounded by a group of low-level evil spirits.
"If you're not strong enough, it won't be any use even if more of you come!"
Although he was surrounded by evil spirits, there was no trace of panic on Jianshan Mei's face.
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