Chapter 194: A Step Too Late
"Unable to teleport to the nearby Inari Shrine?"
Hachiman Hikigaya was slightly stunned when he heard the fox say this.
"That's right. I don't know why, but the spatial passage over there has been closed…"
The little fox nodded.
"Has this happened before?"
"No! Our teleportation ability was granted by the Inari God, and there has never been a problem before."
"Then that means there's a problem now!"
Hearing this, Hachiman immediately had the fox lead the way toward the Inari Shrine.
Tsuchimiya Kagura, seeing this, wanted to follow and help, but Yomi grabbed her arm.
"Yomi?"
Kagura turned her head in confusion, looking at Yomi who was stopping her. She didn't understand why Yomi would prevent her from going.
"Kagura, haven't you realized what that fox really is?"
Shaking her head, Yomi asked seriously, staring at Kagura.
"I of course know!"
Kagura immediately responded excitedly.
"Although I've never seen it before, according to the scrolls, that should be a divine servant."
"Even so, do you still plan to go?"
Although she didn't know the exact reason, the relationship between human spiritualists and gods was not good. If Kagura went recklessly, those divine servants might even consider her an enemy.
Moreover, divine servants are generally very strong. Even if they were having trouble, what could Kagura and Yomi do by going to help? They might just get in the way!
"But… they've saved my life before…"
Kagura replied with a conflicted expression.
Previously, she had been immobilized by the mountain spider's webs. If she hadn't been accidentally flung into the Inari Shrine, she probably would have been eaten by the spider.
"What we should do now is wait for reinforcements and bring this little one back…"
Seeing her words start to take effect, Yomi softened her tone and stood next to Kagura, placing a hand on her shoulder as she continued to persuade her.
"Mm…"
Kagura nodded lightly, giving up on the idea of helping at the shrine. However, when she looked toward the direction Hachiman had left in, worry was already etched on her face.
That fox at the shrine—hopefully it would be fine…
.
.
.
The Inari Shrine wasn't far from the train tracks.
At full speed, Hachiman and the little fox reached the foot of the mountain where the shrine was located in less than five minutes.
Looking up at the mountaintop from afar, they saw a dense swarm of blue butterflies circling the sky, wrapping the entire hill. Occasionally, rays of golden light shone through gaps in the butterflies, only to be immediately obscured again.
"Master…"
Sensing that her companion was engaged in intense combat, the little fox crouched nervously on Hachiman's shoulder.
"It's okay. We'll be there to help soon…"
Hachiman reassured her, then dashed up the steps toward the mountaintop.
Along the way, the enemies seemed to notice his presence. A group of butterflies separated from the main swarm and flew toward Hachiman, flapping their wings.
Unfazed, Hachiman continued forward, summoning the Demon Slayer Sword and infusing it with spiritual energy. He swung it forward, sending a massive wave of sword energy toward the butterflies.
Instantly, a rain of butterflies cascaded down the stone steps.
Even with the heavy casualties, the remaining butterflies relentlessly charged Hachiman.
Injecting spiritual energy into the Demon Slayer Sword again, Hachiman prepared for another butterfly storm, only to see all the butterflies suddenly disappear. In their place were steel needles glinting coldly.
"Shua shua shua…"
With a whistling sound, the needles rained down on Hachiman's temporarily activated protective barrier, clinking as they hit it.
Just ordinary steel needles?
At first, Hachiman was extremely cautious, fearing that some of the countless needles might contain special attacks capable of piercing his barrier.
Yet after advancing over a hundred meters while under attack, he could already see the top of the torii gate, with no further attacks materializing. Hachiman relaxed slightly and quickened his pace.
Meanwhile, Kazuhiro Mitogawa and Hiroshi had already broken into the shrine. One of them had a hand in his pocket while the other was gripping the neck of a shrine maiden. Around them lay the rest of the shrine's maidens.
"A bit too fast, isn't it?"
From the moment Hachiman reached the foot of the mountain, Kazuhiro Mitogawa and Hiroshi realized that today's plan to seize the shrine had failed. With only himself, even with the help of the Killing Stone, he could never defeat Hachiman.
He had stayed only to take something from the shrine, to avoid leaving empty-handed.
Seeing Hachiman approaching, they dared not delay further. He dragged the shrine's lead maiden to the closed shrine doors.
"Ugh, not a chance!"
The maiden, realizing their intentions, struggled wildly. But her spiritual power could barely keep her body from collapsing, and she couldn't stop them. She could only watch as Kazuhiro Mitogawa and Hiroshi used her to break open the shrine's doors and walk away casually with the containers holding months of offerings.
By the time Hachiman and the little fox reached the mountaintop, Kazuhiro Mitogawa, Hiroshi, and the butterfly swarm had already vanished. Only a group of severely injured maidens remained, collapsed on the ground.
"Everyone…"
Seeing the plight of her companions, the little fox on Hachiman's shoulder immediately leapt down, transforming into a human-like figure wearing a fox mask.
She radiated specks of golden light, falling onto the injured maidens. The golden light was absorbed instantly, enabling them to barely regain the ability to move, and they helped each other to their feet.
Just as the fox was about to ask what had happened inside the shrine, a column of golden light appeared before them. A fox maiden, roughly the same height as Hachiman, appeared.
"What exactly happened just now?"
Looking at the mostly injured juniors, the fox maiden asked anxiously.
"The shrine was attacked by a human…"
The most seriously injured maiden lying at the shrine entrance, even after the little fox's healing, could barely rise.
She painfully explained the sequence of events while emphasizing that the container of offerings had been stolen.
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