---

When Jinseong arrived at the shrine, he was greeted by a scene identical to the one he had seen during a video call not long ago. However, the difference lay in the eerie atmosphere that surrounded the shrine, which hadn’t been visible through the screen.

An atmosphere that naturally rendered people solemn. It was a feeling that settled the heart and made one cautious of their every action. Some might call this the sanctity of the shrine itself, but Jinseong knew the true nature of this ambiance all too well.

It was the vibe emanating from a divine power devoid of any agency, born from the hun and baek.

Once upon a time, the divine power had been a source of collective will, gathered over many years, but now it had degraded into mere energy, trapped within the slime-like divine object created by Jinseong. There, the one qualified to handle that divine power, Saigo Rise, bestowed upon it a ‘distorted image’ through her faith, and in return, the divine power granted her its strength multiple times, fixing it in place as a ‘twisted form.’

Not deviating from its essence.

Yet, there was a peculiar sense of incongruity, and if one delved into that unease, they would discover nothing strange at all.

From that slight twist emerged a bizarre atmosphere.

Jinseong took a deep breath as if that strange atmosphere delighted him.

‘It’s starting to take the right shape.’

He savored the ambiance wafting from the shrine as he stepped through the torii.

And with purposeful strides, he headed towards the main hall.

Creak.

He flung open the doors to the main hall.

As if welcoming Jinseong, the divine power that filled the main hall swirled around him silently, clinging to his side, repeatedly intertwining without causing any discomfort, as if it were teasing him.

“You’ve come.”

In a space exuding a clear favor towards Jinseong, a woman was waiting for him, kneeling gracefully.

Dressed in shamaness robes, she sported immaterial fox ears and a tail, radiating a cheerful smile.

“Indeed.”

Jinseong responded to Rise, who welcomed him, and gestured for her to rise. Following that, Rise delicately lifted the fox tail resting on the floor and placed its tip back down. With a flourish of her plush tail, she easily pushed against the floor to rise.

Jinseong smiled at the sight.

“You’ve grown accustomed to using your tail. Excellent work.”

“I’m glad to hear that.”

Rise beamed at Jinseong’s praise.

“Since it’s not a natural body part, I practiced a lot to get used to it.”

Jinseong glanced around, taking in evidence of her claim scattered about.

1kg and 3kg dumbbells.

Exercise rubber bands.

And awkward drawings that seemed to have been made with food smeared on her tail.

Seeing these, Jinseong realized how much effort Rise had put into training her tail.

Of course, her tail wouldn’t develop muscles.

While it was a part of her body, it simultaneously wasn’t part of her flesh.

However, by doing this, Rise must have been able to grasp how to handle her tail and how to move it.

“I can see you put in the effort. Truly well done.”

Thus, Jinseong had no choice but to commend her.

He gave a fleeting glance to Rise, whose tail wagged in delight, before looking toward a corner of the main hall.

In that corner rested an ambiguous-sized square box, neither large nor small.

The box, seemingly intended for additional seating, was covered in soft fabric, with a cushion laid on top that bore the imprint of where Rise had previously sat.

In front of this makeshift seat was a small table, laden with tiny pouches that could hold talismans.

On the opposing side of the pouches, neat stacks of identical pieces of paper—perhaps the product of a factory—were piled high, each inscribed with precisely the same text.

Below the table, a plastic basket sat, filled to the brim with neatly tied talisman pouches that appeared to have been carelessly tossed there.

“These are the omamori (お守り) sold at the shrine. They’re rumored to be effective for studying, and even at 1,000 yen each, they sell quite well.”

“Looks like the papers are printed, huh?”

“Yes, we get them supplied from the town’s printing shop.”

Rise replied with a smile to Jinseong’s inquiry.

“Effect…”

Jinseong’s gaze settled on the talismans, the omamori.

The tiny pouch, crafted from soft fabric fit for a fortune pouch, boasted golden embroidery that resembled a round sun, and reflecting the light, it seemed to possess a clear curvature creating shadows.

The bumpy contours exuded an air of mystery, almost reminiscent of Jupiter or a pair of eyes.

“Indeed. As long as it works, that’s what matters.”

Jinseong could comprehend why the design adorning the talisman was deemed ‘effective for studying.’

The unique essence wafting from this pattern felt innate to the shrine itself.

It would certainly rouse one’s spirit, calming the excitement, akin to a few drops of cold water on a heated heart.

For a student needing to focus and beat drowsiness, it was undoubtedly an excellent effect.

Jinseong shifted his focus from the talisman to the box used as a seat.

He observed a faint breath and vitality emanating from it and stifled a chuckle as he grasped the air and pulled it towards himself.

He then pushed aside the fabric covering the box and opened it.

Clunk.

The door, fixed tightly with a locking mechanism, creaked open at Jinseong’s gesture.

It swung up, propelled by the size of what was inside, revealing its contents to him.

S-s.

Sss.

Inside the box was a person.

Curled up tightly within the narrow confines was a fox-like beauty, seemingly somewhat mature.

Her eyes were tightly bound with a blindfold, preventing her from seeing anything, and her ears were stuffed with cotton. To top it off, she wore a noise-reducing, ear-covering artifact enchanted with magic.

Furthermore, her nose was pinched shut to prevent scents, and her mouth was even gagged. Luckily, it seemed she wasn’t intended for death, as a transparent tube was inserted in the gag, connecting her to the outside for breathing…

Though the tube was too small, and crammed within the box, she surely couldn’t take a single comfortable breath.

Her expression reflected this distress, all contorted and twisted.

Jinseong scrutinized the woman’s expression before speaking.

“Hmm. You said you’d train Narumi well, but you’re making good use of Seitani.”

“Yes.”

Rise replied from just behind Jinseong, her posture poised and hands neatly clasped, radiating a bright smile, while her tail swayed slowly side to side and her ears occasionally perked up.

Jinseong observed the terrified Narumi with keen interest.

“Hmm.”

He pondered momentarily, then, grasping the air, he unceremoniously pulled Narumi out of the box.

Though she seemed stuck tightly inside, Jinseong widened the box’s entrance, resolving the issue.

Thus, Narumi emerged from the box, her body curled up, rolling onto the floor.

As if waking from a nightmare, she shivered from the shock. However, whether a rat had scurried or something else, her muscles spasmed, and she struggled to scream through her gag, writhing on the floor with severe discomfort.

Eventually, as Jinseong grasped the air and removed the gag, drool fell from Narumi’s mouth as she began to mutter.

“I hate nightmares, I hate nightmares. I hate nightmares….”

With her murmurs, something began to crawl out from between the folds of her clothes.

It had long hair that flowed down and, as it emerged, the paper billowed, forming the shape of a human, quickly bulking up as if inflating, revealing hollow eyes and a mouth full of crawling insects that grinned wide.

It then twisted its neck left and right, and with each movement, its hair sprouted wildly across Narumi’s face, tickling her.

“I-I hate it. Stop it. Stop… I’m sorry. I was just being petty. I couldn’t stand watching others struggle to become shamans, competing and practicing Kagura (神楽) until their legs bled. I’m sorry for gathering others to bully you. It was just unbearable to see….”

Narumi gasped at the sensation of the Seitani brushing her face with its hair, frantically confessing her misdeeds.

“I’m sorry. I got too close and surrounded you so you couldn’t communicate, forced you to talk trash. I made you steal the ladies’ belongings and purposely damaged her handbag, causing the foundation to break…. I even made her makeup crumble and the lipstick snap…. I’ll even admit to making holes in her bag to soak it on rainy days, spreading bad rumors among friends… I pretended to be a lady and sent love letters to a fellow shaman, making her look like a lesbian….”

What poured out of Narumi’s mouth was a ridiculous litany of her sordid past and every underhanded method she used to torment Rise.

Jinseong, hearing Narumi spill everything, turned to look at Rise.

“Should I put her back in?”

Rise chuckled and replied.

“It’s alright.”

 

---