When Jinseong arrived at the shrine, he was greeted by a familiar scene, identical to the one he had seen during a recent video call. However, there was one difference: an eerie atmosphere now lingered around the shrine, something that hadn’t been apparent on the call.
This was an atmosphere that naturally made people solemn. It weighed heavily on the heart, compelling caution in every action. Some might call this the shrine’s inherent reverence, but Jinseong knew the truth.
He understood that it was the atmosphere created by divine power which lacked a true subjectivity, having originated from Hun and Baek, as well as “false gods.”
What was once divine power, gathered over long years in one place and imbued with will, had now degenerated into mere energy. Jinseong had trapped this divine energy within a slimeskin artifact he had forged himself. Saigo Rise, who wielded divine power, then infused it with a “twisted image” through her faith. This process was reciprocated by the divine power, which in turn amplified her efforts, ultimately solidifying into a “distorted shape” while remaining true to its essence.
Though there was a sense of incongruity to it, looking deeper would reveal nothing amiss. The strange aura came from its subtle distortion.
Jinseong took a deep breath, clearly pleased by the odd atmosphere.
“It’s beginning to take its proper form.”
Imbued in this satisfaction, Jinseong walked under the torii gate and entered the shrine grounds, striding confidently towards the main hall.
With a loud creak, he pushed open the wooden doors of the main hall and stepped inside.
As soon as he entered, the divine power that filled the hall seemed to welcome him, silently swirling around him before clinging affectionately to his sides, almost playfully.
“You’ve arrived.”
Inside the hall, a woman knelt demurely. Dressed in a shamaness’ traditional outfit, and with immaterial fox ears and tail seemingly manifesting from her own energy, she smiled warmly at Jinseong.
“So you have,” Jinseong replied, then gestured for her to rise. Rise complied smoothly, subtly manipulating her plush tail to push herself up from her position.
Jinseong chuckled.
“You’ve become very adept with your tail. Very impressive.”
“Thankfully so!” Rise responded, with a slight grin.
“Given that I didn’t originally have such appendages, I trained hard to become accustomed to them.”
Jinseong glanced around the room, spotting clear evidence of Rise’s practice everywhere—1kg and 3kg dumbbells, exercise bands, and clumsy drawings that appeared to have been created by dipping her tail in ink.
He recognized the effort she had put in, knowing that despite the tail not being physical muscle, the practice must have helped her understand its functionality.
“Your efforts are evident. Well done.”
And thus, Jinseong couldn’t help but commend her. He then glanced at a corner of the main hall, where a square box was placed.
The box was of an ambiguous size, neither particularly large nor small. Soft fabric draped it like a makeshift seat, with a cushion atop it that bore the imprints of someone who had recently been sitting.
Next to the seat was a small table with a collection of talisman pouches on one side, and stacks of paper slips neatly printed on the other side, presumably produced in a factory.
Underneath the table sat a plastic basket filled with the same talismans sealed in pouches.
“These are the shrine’s lucky charms, or omamori. They supposedly improve academic performance and sell for 1,000 yen each.”
“Do those papers seem printed to you?”
“Yes, they are ordered from the local print shop.”
Rise replied with a bright smile. Jinseong inspected the omamori talismans, noting the golden embroidery on the small pouches, which seemed to resemble a circular sun but upon closer inspection revealed grooves and shadows akin to Jupiter or an eye, radiating a mysterious allure.
“It seems these marks grant them their efficacy.”
“Yes, as long as they work, that’s all that matters.”
Jinseong understood why these patterns were valued for their supposed academic benefits. The symbols emitted a feeling similar to the divine power of the shrine—alerting the mind, calming anxiety, and soothing heated hearts.
For students striving for exams, this was a great boon.
Jinseong turned his attention back to the box used as a makeshift seat and, sensing faint breathing within, he summoned its occupant toward him with a gesture.
He uncovered the box and opened it carefully.
Creak.
The lock released with a soft sound, and as the door swung open, the figure inside revealed herself.
Sshh.
Inside was a woman—a mature vixen beauty, tightly folded into the cramped space. Her eyes were covered with a blindfold, her ears stuffed with cotton, and a sound-reducing magical artifact in the form of earmuffs adorned her head. Her nose was pinched shut, and her mouth gagged, though a small transparent tube extended from the gag to connect her to the outside world for air. Even so, the tight quarters and the small size of the tube must have made breathing difficult.
The woman’s face twisted with evident distress.
“Hmm. You said you were going to train Narumi properly. It appears you’re making good use of Seitani.”
“Yes.”
Rise stood demurely behind Jinseong, her hands neatly together and a bright smile on her face while her tail swayed gently. Her ears twitched occasionally.
Jinseong studied Narumi carefully.
“Hmm.”
He contemplated for a moment, then grabbed her from the box with another gesture. Though stuck tightly, Jinseong managed to pull her out by widening the confines of the box. Narumi, still in a crumpled state, collapsed onto the floor and shivered violently, as though awakening from a nightmare. Her muscles convulsed, and she groaned as muffled screams escaped through her gag.
When Jinseong released the gag, Narumi began to mutter incoherently.
“I hate nightmares… I hate them….”
As she whispered, a shadow-like entity began to crawl out from the folds of Narumi’s clothes. It quickly inflated, taking on a human form composed of paper, empty eyesockets, and a mouth filled with insects, which it opened wide in an eerie grin.
It swiveled its neck wildly and shook Narumi with its long, flowing hair, tickling her face.
“No! Stop! Stop! I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I just couldn’t stand seeing her act so superior… Seeing others compete and work so hard to be a shamaness, getting their calves beaten until they bled while they practiced Kagura every night… It disgusted me so much. I’m sorry, I’ve done wrong… Please forgive me.”
Narumi confessed rapidly as the apparition’s hair irritated her face.
“Sorry… I surrounded her with people to isolate her and forced them to insult her. I had others steal her belongings, damage her handbag and destroy her foundation… break her eyeshadow and lipstick too… create holes in her bag so it would ruin things on a rainy day… spread rumors among her friends… even forging a love letter in her name to another shamaness, calling her a lesbian…”
Narumi’s endless confessions listed numerous cruel acts she’d committed against Rise in the past.
Jinseong turned to Rise with a raised eyebrow.
“Should I return her to the box?”
Rise simply smiled.
“It’s fine.”
