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As expected, he was [disappeared].
If nothing unexpected happens, she will finally get her wish and see her mother, and then hug her resurrected mother tightly in her dream.
If Sakurai hadn't intervened in this matter, such news would probably have come out the next day.
[Sleeping Beauty in the Forest of Literature] mysteriously disappeared.
But unfortunately, he learned the news from Yotsuya Miko early this morning.
Then, through the channel of a guy with nothing to do, he identified the person who would be missing this time, and took the bus to the [World of the Dead] with her.
Walking on the dim earth and stone path, the uninvited guest who came here on his own had bright eyes, and he stared straight ahead with burning gaze.
Clip its wings, destroy its plans, descend upon its residence, seize its sacrifice, and finally -
Attack its existence.
The dignity and arrogance of a supernatural being whose true identity was completely unknown was thrown to the ground and crushed over and over again.
Ignore its resentment, ignore its anger, and show disdain and sneer at its existence itself.
Now he has reached the deepest part.
This is Sakurai's character, and also...
His attitude towards supernatural beings.
67. Ancestral Hall (Five Watches)
In the darkness, the ancient and decaying ancestral hall came into view.
The sound of wind rang in my ears, and the rising black air was like a snake lingering around my body, cold and damp...
A very resentful gaze without any emotion was watching him from the deepest darkness.
A woman was singing in a low voice with a strange accent, sharp, ancient, and harsh.
There were men waving and striking ancient musical instruments, the sound was dull, loud, and noisy.
Join us, join us, join us...
Be one with us, we are one.
There are children inviting us with their tender and pure voices, with joy, laughter and anticipation.
The noble and dreamy being took pity on his distortion and bestowed blessing upon this alien being.
Tell him that he doesn't need to suffer anymore.
Convince him that he can gain eternal peace if he gives up this meaningless resistance.
However...
In Sakurai's eyes, all this beauty was just a trick played by the owner of the village.
It was like a colorless gas floating around him.
It washed over his body again and again, as if a hungry insect was trying to tear off a piece of his flesh.
Chew and eventually swallow it all.
The village is longing for his arrival, expecting his presence, and hoping to taste his flavor.
Sakurai knew this better than anyone else.
To these guys, his body was more alluring than poppy.
Even though he knew that once he swallowed his flesh and blood, he would be dissolved by the poison.
Still flocking to it.
and so--
How can I compromise?
"Want to eat?"
"Tear my flesh? Drink my blood? Chew my bones?"
Staring directly at the shadow in the deepest part of the village, Sakurai spoke.
"Then do it yourself."
"Do you really think you are God?"
"Don't flatter yourself. You are now..."
"It's just a little bit of supernatural."
"Stop here..."
"You are so arrogant!"
Amidst Sakurai's well-deserved scolding.
Women, men, and children no longer whisper.
There seemed to be an ambiguous whispering sound in my ears, and the existence entrenched in the deepest part of this village responded to Sakurai's provocation.
Covering his ears with one hand, Sakurai sneered and stepped in with disdain.
Came to...
The deepest part of this darkness.
Unlike other wooden houses, the decoration of the ancestral hall is unexpectedly much more gorgeous.
Wooden floors and vermilion-white Japanese-style buildings.
The gravel on both sides of the ancestral hall, the dried-up lotus pond and the green plants on both sides of the yard all indicate one thing...
The existence of the ancestral hall itself occupies a special position in this unknown village.
Is it related to the owner of the village?
Or is it that the guy who uses ghost stories to select the "sacrifice" is actually the ancestor of this village?
Sakurai didn't know and was too lazy to waste time trying to find out.
The so-called ancestral hall is a place used to worship and sacrifice to ancestors or sages.
It is indeed possible to use this place as a base.
Cheering upon such thoughts silently in his mind, Sakurai turned a blind eye to the strange chill that penetrated deep into his bones, and silently tightened his grip on the dagger once again.
As expected, I still want to tear this place down directly.
Rather than searching for clues bit by bit and walking into the trap set by the protagonist, which is a troublesome process, the most appropriate method is to destroy the entire site in one go.
Unfortunately, if it were just the dagger, I don't know how much time it would take to complete this.
Sakurai once again confirmed one thing, in order to better cope with the next battle and to avoid similar situations again he needed a heavy weapon.
A sledgehammer, an axe, a baseball bat, anything.
He needs this.
Also, you need to prepare a suitable combat uniform.
At least you can't run around naked while fighting.
Looking down at the school uniform that was somewhat damaged in the recent battle, Sakurai was sure of one thing: he would have a big expense again.
But before that...
He has to kill the owner of this place first.
He gathered all his strength and kicked open the half-closed wooden door that had long since decayed over the years. He brushed off the wood chips on his shoes, and as the dust rose, Sakurai strode in with his mouth tightly closed and eyes squinted.
Entrance...
Well, the place that can probably be called the entrance is unexpectedly spacious and can accommodate four adults walking side by side.
For this village...
For this small village with only a dozen wooden houses, it seems unexpectedly luxurious.
He lifted one foot and stepped on the wooden board. The floor, which had not borne weight for a long time, made a harsh creaking sound.
Glancing down at the moldy ground, Sakurai was already prepared to die once or twice due to the collapse of the wooden boards when the fight started.
It's so annoying, such a battle location.
Ignoring the annoying moans, Sakurai temporarily suppressed his desire for destruction.
The big and bold footsteps became light and steady.
In order to avoid the situation of taking one step at a time, Sakurai reluctantly changed his course of action.
He continued to move forward, but unlike what he expected, he did not see any supernatural creature, even a single one.
Even the harmless little old man that can be seen everywhere was not seen.
A bit too clean.
It is as if, after planning its own territory, it hunts equally all top predators that enter its hunting ground.
Mountains of deformed skeletons, rotting flesh that made one want to vomit, and the dark blue ghost that kept asking, "Can you see me?"
All the mental preparation I had made before stepping in here was completely useless.
He didn't see...
He didn't see the scenery he thought he would see.
All that was in front of me was an ordinary abandoned ancestral hall.
It was as if the place he was in now was not a mysterious place inhabited by strange creatures, but an abandoned and dilapidated ancestral hall in the countryside.
If we add a well-known story to it.
It is a very suitable place for internet celebrities to check in to gain popularity.
But unfortunately, hidden behind this ordinary scene is the monstrous malice from inhuman creatures.
Sakurai could already smell the desire to devour him completely.