But now it seems... the other party is even more reckless than they are! Charging into such a dangerous place without a second thought.

He shook his head helplessly and took out his priest's baton from his pocket.

The so-called baton is actually a wooden stick that is slightly thicker at the top and thinner at the bottom, with densely woven paper strips at the top that create a sound when waved... that's the baton.

Its style is similar to the dusters used in China, and most Shrine Priests are equipped with them.

But the baton of Inari Keiichi, as a spiritual tool, naturally has its own unique features.

His wooden handle is crafted from branches fallen from the Divine Tree in Inari Shrine. The paper strips are imprinted with spells passed down through the Inari family, making it quite a powerful spiritual tool.

As for the other Inari Oneji, her weapon is comparatively much simpler.

Being the family priestess responsible for Shenle, her weapon is the three-layered Shinra Bell.

A golden shimmer flows across it.

"Let's go."

Inari Keiichi and Inari Oneji exchanged a glance and then jogged into the apartment, one after the other.

But before they had taken a few steps, they already saw Beichuan Si standing by the second-floor corridor.

He seemed to be holding something in his hand, his eyes flickering, contemplating something unknown.

"Brother Beichuan... what is that in your hand?"

The Inari siblings slowed their pace and approached Beichuan Si.

"..." Beichuan Si.

Beichuan Si did not answer their questions; he just showed them the item in his hand.

In his hand was a piece of dusty letterhead, part of which was severely damaged.

"This is..."

Inari Oneji instinctively turned on the flashlight, scanning it with her eyes.

Simple sentences lay across the letterhead.

"Ms. Nakahara."

"We are truly pained that your son has been missing for half a month, as neighbors, we sincerely hope the police can find your son. But this does not justify your disturbing our nights; Mrs. San Yuan next door tells me strange sounds always come from your room, Mr. Sato on the same floor as you on the third has... these people have reported your nighttime noise concerns to me."

"Sorry, but if you continue to disturb the tenants' rest, I think we should discuss when exactly your leasing contract will end."

"I desperately wish I could..."

The content on the letterhead ends here; the rest has been entirely torn away.

But judging from the previous content, the rest should probably just be some comforting words to Ms. Nakahara.

"This is...?" The Inari siblings were completely baffled by the disjointed letter.

Fortunately, Beichuan Si's explanation promptly interrupted.

"If you had looked at the records, you would have known that this Ms. Nakahara Shoko's son, Nakahara Kyou, went missing a few years ago at the age of just five."

Uh...

If you had looked at the records...

Inari Oneji and Inari Keiichi both sheepishly lowered their heads.

Luckily Beichuan Si seemed unaware of their little actions, he just continued his explanation as he put the letterhead away:

"The reason for the disappearance is unknown, deemed an abduction case by the police, who after searching for a month and a half without results, had no choice but to abandon the search."

"So... this letter was written by the landlord to that Ms. Nakahara Shoko?"

Inari Keiichi quickly deduced the cause and effect of the situation.

Nakahara Shoko, overwhelmed by grief after her son's disappearance, cried every night, affecting the neighbors' usual routines, which provoked dissatisfaction among them, prompting the landlord to respond to their complaints.

After hearing Inari Keiichi's analysis, Beichuan Si calmly added, "If you had looked at the records, you would know that Nakahara Shoko too disappeared without a trace a month after."

Before Inari Keiichi could speak, he added swiftly:

"If you had truly studied the records, you would note that several residents here have gone missing successively after that."

Listening to Beichuan Si's repeated emphasis on the records, Inari Keiichi couldn't help but twitch his mouth, just as he was about to speak.

"Uh... Brother Beichuan, about the records..."

"If you had examined the records thoroughly, you would even find that the missing people had not taken money with them, their furniture remained perfectly intact, and the whole person seemed to have suddenly evaporated from the apartment complex. This is the origin of the 'Adachi District's Hidden Apartment' legend."

"Ah... uh... okay."

Inari Keiichi found himself at a loss for words.

Beichuan Si was simply rubbing salt into the wound.

He kept stressing 'if you had looked at the records' phrase.

"Could it be that Brother Beichuan is upset that we didn't review the records?"

Inari Keiichi posed a relatively reasonable question.

Beichuan Si turned his head, his voice unchanged:

"I'm not unhappy."

"Really?"

Inari Keiichi was just about to breathe a sigh of relief when Beichuan Si looked over again, his tone calm: "I just feel a bit uncomfortable inside."

"..." Inari Keiichi.

Isn't that being unhappy?!

"You're definitely dissatisfied, aren't you?!" Inari Oneji shouted.

"You can interpret it however you like. That's your business."

"I..."

Looking at Beichuan Si's expressionless face, Inari Oneji almost jumped up to hit him.

But before Inari Oneji could make a move, a sinister, deep black aura suddenly swirled in Beichuan Si's eyes.

Under Inari Oneji's gaze full of surprise, Beichuan Si stepped forward… He actually… actually charged towards her?!

"What are you doing?!"

Staring at the deathly aura-surrounded giant hammer in Beichuan Si's hand, Inari Oneji screamed in terror!

Run!

Run quickly!!!

In a split second, Inari Oneji felt the threat of death closing in, the sensation as if her heart was being clenched, causing her entire body to tremble.

The warmth from her body was stripped away... Her vision was occupied by the giant hammer...

There's no time.

Although she saw it, it was as if her nerves were frozen, and her body couldn't react.

In a moment, she was overwhelmed by Beichuan Si's aura, leaving her unable to make any response.

Moreover, Inari Oneji couldn't understand.

Why would Beichuan Si try to kill her like this?

Was it just because she always opposed him and kept emphasizing 'Brother Keiichi is the best in the world'?

Inari Oneji couldn't help but turn her head.

Just like a slideshow before death, Inari Oneji could clearly see Inari Keiichi slowly trying to rush over to protect her.

Bang!!!

The giant hammer came down.

Then there were the sounds of shattered flesh flying everywhere.

...

"Unbelievable! Simply unbelievable! There's… more here! Ahhh! This outfit was my favorite!"

Inari Oneji patted the sticky remains of the wraith clinging to her with a look of utter disdain.

Yes.

It was all fragmented wraith remains.

On her face, around her mouth, her white short-sleeve shirt, everything was covered with the stinky, rotten remains of wraiths, and even some pieces of wraith heads, resembling 'brain matter,' that sticky, gritty yellowish fluid, splattered all over her during the explosion.

"Hehe... hehe..."

Inari Keiichi could only offer a wry smile on the side, sneakily glancing at Beichuan Si standing next to them.

Just now, he thought Beichuan Si was trying to harm his sister.

At that moment, he felt absolute despair.

Because Beichuan Si's speed was just too fast.

In practically the blink of an eye, he reached Inari Oneji, and then the black hammer capable of crushing anything had already fallen.

However—

"I never expected such a type of wraith to exist."

Inari Keiichi gently patted his chest.

Although Beichuan Si's hammer fell, the target wasn't Inari Oneji, but rather a child wraith that had somehow latched onto Inari Oneji's neck.

Inari Keiichi had no doubt that if Beichuan Si hadn't brought down the hammer, his sister might have had her head twisted off by the child wraith in the next moment.

Beichuan Si's terrifying speed and the precise strength of his strike...

Thinking back now, Inari Keiichi still feels—

"Brother Beichuan... is truly... uh... impressive."

(Thanks to the bros who rewarded me after I went to sleep last night. Because the writer's assistant had a problem and couldn't display your rewards... I'm really sorry!)

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