The road grew quieter the closer they got.
Not naturally.
Not peacefully.
Just—
Empty.
"…It's too quiet," Maru muttered.
Her voice came out lower than usual.
Instinctively cautious.
Daichi glanced around, his grip tightening slightly on the hammer.
"…No… it's not quiet."
A pause.
His eyes shifted toward the shadows lining the road.
"…It feels like something's watching us."
Hikari adjusted her glasses slowly.
Her gaze moved carefully across the surroundings.
Analyzing.
"…There's a high concentration of energy here."
Her voice was calm—
But that only made it worse.
Because she wasn't guessing.
She knew.
Ahead of them—
The shrine stood.
Oiwa Inari Tamiya Shrine.
Broken torii gates leaned at unnatural angles.
Cracked stone steps stretched upward, worn and uneven.
Old paper charms hung from posts and ropes, fluttering weakly in the wind—
Dry.
Fragile.
Like they had been there far too long.
But—
No sound.
No insects.
No birds.
Nothing alive.
Rishiro stopped.
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"…Yeah."
A small pause.
"…This is it."
They stepped forward.
The moment they crossed the gate—
The air changed.
Heavier.
Colder.
Wrong.
A faint blue glow flickered in front of them.
[AREA ENTERED: CURSED ZONE]"Oiwa Inari Tamiya Shrine"Escape Condition: Restricted
Daichi frowned.
"…Restricted?"
Maru clicked her tongue.
"…Great. So we're stuck."
Hikari shook her head slightly.
"…Not stuck."
A small pause.
"…Tested."
The word lingered.
Uncomfortable.
They moved deeper into the shrine.
Each step slower than before.
More careful.
More deliberate.
The ground creaked faintly beneath their feet.
Old wood.
Worn stone.
Everything felt unstable.
Then—
A faint blue flame drifted past.
Silent.
Floating.
Then another.
Then—
More.
Small orbs of flickering light moved through the air like wandering souls.
"…What the hell are those…" Daichi whispered.
"…Hitodama," Hikari replied.
Her voice steady.
"…Spirits."
The flames flickered slightly.
As if reacting.
Watching.
"…Careful."
Rishiro suddenly stopped.
Mid-step.
His foot hovered just above the ground.
"…Don't move."
Maru froze instantly.
"…What now?"
Rishiro pointed down.
A thin paper charm lay barely visible against the ground.
Blending in.
Easy to miss.
"…Trap."
Daichi swallowed.
"…You're kidding."
Rishiro didn't respond.
Instead—
He picked up a small stone.
Dropped it.
The moment it touched—
WHOOSH
Cursed flames erupted upward.
Violent.
Sudden.
The group jumped back instinctively.
The fire vanished just as quickly as it appeared.
Leaving only scorch marks behind.
"…Yeah, I hate this place," Daichi muttered.
They moved more carefully after that.
Watching every step.
Avoiding anything unnatural.
Which—
Was almost everything.
The shrine grew darker the deeper they went.
The air heavier.
Like it pressed against their skin.
The hitodama followed them.
Floating silently.
Never too close.
Never too far.
Always—
Watching.
"…Did you hear that?" Maru said suddenly.
Her voice was tense.
"…Hear what?" Daichi replied.
She hesitated.
"…Someone just said my name."
Silence.
No one answered immediately.
Rishiro didn't turn.
Didn't even slow down.
"…Ignore it."
Hikari nodded slightly.
"…It's trying to lure us."
The implication was clear.
If you responded—
You were already caught.
They reached the main shrine building.
Old.
Half-broken.
The wood cracked and darkened with age.
The doors—
Slightly open.
Just enough to see darkness inside.
Waiting.
Watching.
Inviting.
Rishiro stopped.
"…You guys handle this place."
Maru frowned immediately.
"…What?"
He turned slightly.
Just enough to look at them from the corner of his eye.
"…There's something else nearby."
Hikari's eyes narrowed.
"…Something else?"
Rishiro smirked faintly.
"…Yeah."
Daichi frowned.
"…You're seriously going alone?"
"…Obviously."
Maru stepped forward.
"…Rishiro—"
He cut her off.
Clean.
"…You want to get stronger, right?"
Silence.
That one question—
Was enough.
Rishiro's gaze shifted toward the shrine.
Calm.
Certain.
"…Then fight."
A small pause.
"…Or run."
No hesitation.
No explanation.
No reassurance.
Just—
A choice.
Then—
He turned.
And walked away.
"…Tch."
Maru tightened her grip on the katana.
"…He's so annoying."
But this time—
She didn't follow him.
She didn't call out again.
She stayed.
Daichi lifted the hammer onto his shoulder.
"…Guess we're doing this."
Hikari took a slow, steady breath.
Her eyes focused.
Sharp.
"…Stay close."
A pause.
"…And don't trust what you see."
They stepped inside.
The moment they crossed the threshold—
CREEEEAK
The door behind them began to close.
Slowly.
Deliberately.
Like something was controlling it.
Until—
It shut completely.
Silence.
Cold.
Heavy.
The air inside felt thicker.
Harder to breathe.
"…Guys…" Daichi whispered.
"…I don't like this."
No response.
Maru turned quickly.
"…Hikari?"
Nothing.
Her voice echoed slightly.
Wrong.
"…Daichi?"
Gone.
The space had changed.
The shrine twisted around her.
The walls felt closer.
The shadows stretched deeper.
Longer.
Moving slightly—
Even though nothing should be moving.
"…Tch."
Maru tightened her grip on the katana.
Her stance shifted.
Lower.
Ready.
Her eyes sharpened.
Scanning everything.
Her voice dropped.
Low.
Steady.
"…Don't fuck with me now…"
Above—
Something shifted.
Not visible.
Not clear.
But there.
Watching.
Waiting.
And slowly—
Smiling.
End of Chapter 26