Unaware that Kanoe Yuuko had split into two different individuals sixty years ago, Kanoe Kirie was still hoping to find a way to resolve the knot in the heart of the Kanoe Yuuko before her. Even if she couldn't dispel the hatred in her heart, she wanted to coexist with her as peacefully as possible.
However, although the shadow Yuuko at the entrance of the basement did indeed originate from Kanoe Yuuko's hatred and resentment before her death.
Over the past half-century, the various different rumors of Yuuko at Seikyou Academy had also become a part of her through word of mouth.
Especially in the last ten years, under the influence of the spiritual resurgence, by monopolizing all the negative emotions generated in the area around Seikyou Academy, her strength had been greatly enhanced.
Of course, what was more important was that a few years ago, a high-grade Cursed Spirit passing through this place, after seeing her potential, had provided her with a method to counter-devour her main body, giving her a place to vent the hatred that had been suppressed in her heart for many years.
Therefore, the Kanoe Yuuko standing here, after breaking free from the constraints of her main body, was now more like a brand-new Cursed Spirit condensed from the hatred of Kanoe Yuuko before her death.
So it was impossible for her to be swayed by Kanoe Kirie's heartfelt words now.
Right now, she just wanted to truly rip out the heart and lungs of this girl who bore an eighty-percent resemblance to the living Kanoe Yuuko, and use the blood of Kanoe Yukariko's descendant as the first step in her revenge against humanity.
After hearing Kanoe Kirie's words begging for forgiveness, the shadow Yuuko once again let out a creepy smile.
In the basement, Itou Kaiji wanted this little girl, Kanoe Kirie, to retreat quickly.
Although he was still a little confused and didn't know what had happened back then.
For him, the version of the story he knew was still the abridged version that Kanoe Yukariko had told him before and the script version that Miyauchi Hikage had fabricated.
But from Kanoe Kirie's words and that Kanoe Yuuko's reaction, he could still guess that there must be some truth hidden in between that Kanoe Yukariko was unwilling to mention.
But even if Kanoe Yukariko had really done something to wrong Kanoe Yuuko back then, this responsibility shouldn't be borne by a descendant like Kanoe Kirie.
However, after hearing Itou Kaiji's shouts from below, Kanoe Kirie still remained where she was, and even tried to raise her head to meet the eyes of this ugly and ferocious "Grand-aunt Yuuko" at the entrance of the basement.
This creepy smile lasted for more than half a minute. If someone with spiritual vision were here, they would be able to detect that the resentment power around the shadow Yuuko was still constantly strengthening.
And the direction of this resentment power's movement was not the few people in the basement, but towards the direction of the ley line.
She had originally wanted to use Kanoe Yukariko's image to deceive this girl, to let her feel what it was like to be betrayed by her most trusted relative before she occupied her body.
However, because of the interruption of that filthy man below, her disguise was exposed.
Of course, this did not have much of an impact on her mood.
Anyway, the few people in the basement now were all going to die here.
It was just that the order of death had to be adjusted a little.
Among these three people, the one she hated the most was Kanoe Kirie, who looked similar to her main body. The one she disregarded the most was the man who had mixed in with Miyauchi Hikage.
The only one who posed a threat to her was the shrine maiden who was communicating with the ley line.
So, she would start with this shrine maiden, then that man, and finally, complete the possession of Kanoe Kirie amidst her wails.
To be honest, it didn't even matter if this man was left alive.
Didn't that guy named Miyauchi Hikage want to film the whole truth?
He was able to find that hidden stone monument, and was also able to make Kanoe Yuuko, the main body, realize what had happened back then, successfully freeing her from the final restraint ahead of schedule.
Although for some unknown reason, she had not been able to devour Kanoe Yuuko on the spot to become a complete being, Miyauchi Hikage had indeed helped her.
If he really had the ability, what did it matter if they were allowed to live and film this event?
Maybe she could even absorb more negative emotions from the internet and become even stronger.
So, this man's matter could be put aside for the time being. She would decide based on whether he knew his place.
Anyway, the first one who had to die must be that shrine maiden.
She remembered very clearly.
Ten years ago, a shrine maiden had broken through the barrier she had hidden for half a century, found this basement that she did not want others to discover, and had even forcibly held a prayer and purification ceremony for her in the basement.
However, ten years ago, she was still constrained by her main body and did not know how to use the power of the ley line, so she could only be humiliated by that shrine maiden.
Ten years later, a shrine maiden with a similar aura had come here again. She only needed to identify her for a moment to confirm that this shrine maiden should be the descendant of the one from ten years ago.
However, she was no longer the shadow who could do nothing ten years ago.
Want to borrow the power of the ley line?
Then take it.
However, if all the spiritual power in the ley line was affected by her resentment, would this shrine maiden suffer a backlash from the ley line?
The shadow Yuuko poured the malice in her heart into the ley line without reservation.
And Hiiragi Inori, who was sitting in front of the shrine, had originally been wholeheartedly communicating with the ley line in the final step of the process, and was about to select the spiritual power that had not yet been polluted for her own use.
But who knew that at this final step, a change occurred.
An incomparably turbulent resentment poured into the ley line, with no intention of competing with her for the ownership of the ley line. Instead, it targeted the clean spiritual power, using these pure negative emotions to affect this spiritual power.
This move caught her off guard.
She quickly realized that this must be the vengeful spirit of Kanoe Yuuko who had noticed her situation and had launched a counterattack against her.
This vengeful spirit of Kanoe Yuuko was indeed not easy to deal with.
Not only did she have a deep connection with the ley line here, but she probably also knew that she was unlikely to win against her, who had mastered the secret techniques of Shinto, in a competition for the ownership of the ley line. So she simply used this method to pollute the ley line, making it impossible for her to borrow too much power from it in a short period of time.
Either she had to consume her own spiritual power to first purify a part of the polluted spiritual power, or she had to forcibly use this polluted spiritual power.
No matter which choice, it was obviously not the result she wanted.
But Hiiragi Inori also knew that she didn't have much time now.
Even if it was polluted spiritual power, she could only forcibly borrow this power now.
As she made her choice, Hiiragi Inori suddenly opened her eyes and looked at the shadow Yuuko at the entrance of the basement.
A huge amount of spiritual power manifested on her body. Although a large part of it was somewhat turbid power, at this moment, her aura was indeed much stronger than Kanoe Yuuko's.
And seeing this shrine maiden ultimately choose to borrow this spiritual power polluted by her resentment, the corners of the shadow Yuuko's mouth split even wider.
So, letting her enter the basement was a trap she had set from the very beginning.
She had suffered a loss ten years ago. How could she not have any defense against the methods of these shrine maidens now?
When Hiiragi Inori hastily chose to establish a connection with the ley line, not even caring about the polluted spiritual power within it, her fate was already sealed.
With a thought from her, the resentment in this basement, which served as Kanoe Yuuko's burial place, immediately erupted.
Hiiragi Inori, who had just completed her connection with the ley line, only felt a huge pressure pressing down on her.
Just as she was mobilizing her spiritual power to resist, she felt that the spiritual power she had just borrowed was not obeying her commands, and had even turned around and joined with Kanoe Yuuko's resentment.
Then, the torture that Kanoe Yuuko had suffered before she died seemed to appear before her eyes.
Was this an illusion created by Kanoe Yuuko?
No, from the activation of her technique to its effect, she had no ability to resist at all.
Could it be, this was her domain?
Although a trace of clarity still remained in Hiiragi Inori's heart, due to the influence of the shadow Yuuko's resentment, a trace of hatred for humanity also appeared in her heart, and she even gradually began to lose herself in the hatred.
It wasn't just Hiiragi Inori alone. All three people in the basement were simultaneously trapped in this memory.
This could be considered a prototype domain similar to an Innate Domain that the shadow Yuuko had created in her burial place. However, as she had not yet evolved to special-grade, she could only exert some effect here with the help of the ley line's power.
But even so, against a spirit medium like Hiiragi Inori, this incomplete prototype domain was already enough to suppress her when she took the initiative to borrow the power of the ley line.
Looking at the three people who had lost themselves in the illusion she had created, with expressions of hatred gradually appearing on their faces, and were rapidly sinking into this illusion.
The shadow Yuuko gently caressed Kanoe Kirie's cheek with her hands, which were covered in an ominous aura.
Feel my pain and hatred from back then carefully, and become the new me in the illusion. Only in this way, when I take over your body later, can the compatibility between soul and body reach its peak.
With this thought, taking Kanoe Kirie's body, she walked to Hiiragi Inori's side.
Looking at the emptiness and lifelessness in her eyes, the shadow Yuuko slowly extended her hand towards her heart.
However, at this very moment, an annoying voice came from the direction of the basement entrance.
"Stop!"
Although this was just a meaningless sentence, it really did force the shadow Yuuko to stop the action in her hand.
The shadow Yuuko felt the instinctive reaction in her body and immediately turned her head with an even more twisted expression to look at the naive main body that had bound her for sixty years.
Even though because the other had realized her own existence and had unlocked the most crucial restraint on her, there was still an inextricable link between them.
When the other's will was strong enough, it could indeed affect her actions in some situations.
Seeing that her path of revenge was about to take this most critical step, but was once again blocked by her main body.
The resentment on the shadow Yuuko immediately became even denser.
"Isn't it better to just wait for your end obediently?"
A violent force surged towards Kanoe Yuuko's position, seeming to also want her to experience everything they had suffered back then in the illusion, just like the others present.
But that mysterious power was still protecting her main body at this moment. As soon as this spiritual power touched her main body, it was as if it had hit an indestructible fortress, having no effect at all.
Although the diary had been secretly placed in Miyauchi Hikage's backpack just now, because Miyauchi Hikage had not made any choice, the diary and Kanoe Yuuko were still connected.
In fact, if Kanoe Yuuko wanted to, she could still summon her diary back from Miyauchi Hikage's backpack.
But Kanoe Yuuko had no such thoughts. After confirming that this self of hers could not harm her for the time being, she slowly walked down to the basement, trying to wake up the few people there.
Seeing her completely unaffected appearance, the shadow Yuuko couldn't help but sneer.
"They have already been completely immersed in our memories of the past. That power may be able to protect you, but you probably can't use that power to wake them up."
After asking this question and seeing that Kanoe Yuuko had no response, the shadow Yuuko knew that her guess was probably correct.
Although that power was strong, it was obviously not a power that Kanoe Yuuko could control at will. She had only simply obtained the protection of this power.
Sensing that she had regained some ability to move, the shadow Yuuko pointed her finger at Kanoe Kirie, who was right beside her.
"You don't know this girl yet, do you? She is Yukariko's granddaughter. Look at her appearance, isn't she almost exactly the same as you were back then?"
"Do you know what she said to me just now?"
"She just told me that Yukariko has told her everything, and that she came here to atone for Yukariko's sins."
The shadow Yuuko said in a sarcastic tone, trying to awaken the hatred in her main body's heart.
She could see the conflict in her main body's heart at the stone monument just now. Therefore, at this time, she did not hesitate to add more fuel to this painful past.
"We let her live back then. Do you think her repentance over these sixty years is really sincere?"
"If Yukariko was really sincere in her repentance and wanted to use her whole life to atone, why did she instead ask her granddaughter to come and atone for her? Why didn't she come herself?"
"Faced with such a sister, can you really let go of everything and forgive everyone from back then?"