Inugami, in Japanese legends, is also a very famous kind of Yokai.
Usually formed from the souls of dogs that linger after death, it is said they can possess humans, causing fever, mental confusion, and even hallucinations.
Generally speaking, they are evil spirits, but in some places, Inugami also have the ability to protect families.
The shop assistant lady said the town plaza was located in the center of town, a spacious open area.
There were also many vendors and tourists strolling around here, bustling with life and full of human warmth.
The Inugami statue, as the symbolic structure of Hoori Town, was very popular. A long line formed in front of it, and many tourists came here especially to take pictures, leaving behind group photos as mementos.
Under the statue were piles and piles of offerings, showing that the incense was thriving.
The types of offerings were also diverse. Steaming grilled squid, cookies deliberately shaped like puppies, and chicken wings skewers with two bites taken out...
Using leftover food to worship the Inugami, are you really not afraid that a dog spirit will come knocking on your door in the middle of the night?
Kaito wasn't interested in these things. When he saw a stand selling taiyaki not far away, he decided to go buy a few to try.
Several girls, however, stayed behind to wait in line.
After they finally finished lining up and stood before the Inugami statue, they looked up. The tall statue entered their vision.
About three meters tall, the figure was a giant upright dog, but dressed in an extremely luxurious kimono, holding a katana. If one ignored the very obvious dog head, it looked just like a dignified and mighty samurai.
The sculptor's craftsmanship was excellent. The statue possessed both form and spirit, vivid and lifelike, full of pressure, even making one worry whether in the next second it might come to life and swing down the katana.
"It's said that in the chaotic times many years ago, a foolish daimyo wanted to raise an army to attack Hoori Town. Back then, the local clan of Hoori, the Mochizuki family, chose death over submission. In order to boost morale, the Mochizuki head even deliberately killed his beloved hunting dog, as a sign of determination to break the cauldrons and sink the boats."
Nijika had always been reading about legends of Hoori Town, and now they finally came in handy, "Later, when the enemy troops advanced, the Mochizuki family kept retreating. At a moment of crisis, the dead beloved dog of the Mochizuki family transformed into an Inugami and killed off all the daimyo's forces. Hoori Town was thus saved and regained peace."
"Afterwards, the Mochizuki family, in gratitude for the dog's contributions, built a statue and a shrine, offering worship day and night. Over time, it became a tradition of Hoori Town."
"Sounds like a rumor made up by a shady tourist spot to attract visitors," Ryou couldn't help but complain.
Kita and Nijika also nodded in agreement. After all, they were young people, it was hard for them to believe in ghostly superstitions like these.
On the contrary, Bocchi and Yumiko subconsciously glanced at each other and held back their opinions.
After all, the two of them had personally seen the other side of the world. Since there were ghosts, having an Inugami show up wasn't that strange either.
However, this simple little complaint happened to be overheard by an old lady in priestess attire passing by.
She glanced at the blue-haired Ryou and didn't show any intention of scolding her, just shook her head.
"Young people should maintain reverence for the gods."
"Sorry, sorry," Nijika didn't recognize this unfamiliar old woman, but judging from her attire, she was clearly a religious figure—maybe from a nearby shrine?
To secretly mock someone's god and then get caught red-handed, The Archangel was a little embarrassed and quickly apologized on Ryou's behalf, "My friend didn't mean it, it just slipped out. Please don't take it to heart."
Even Ryou didn't talk back. Though she pursued individuality, she wasn't a mean-spirited gremlin. She sincerely said, "Sorry, that was rude of me."
"What's going on?", Having just bought taiyaki, Kaito happened to return at this moment, successfully breaking the awkward atmosphere.
The old lady, who had originally planned to say something, clearly froze after seeing Kaito.
By her side was a young miko in a red and white shrine maiden outfit, who also froze upon seeing him.
After a moment of recovery, the old woman looked deeply at him again but didn't say more. She just nodded slightly and prepared to leave.
The young miko behind her gave a gentle smile and welcomed the group to visit Mochizuki Shrine when they had time, saying that the gods would bless them.
After speaking, she followed the old lady's steps, and the two left in a hurry.
"Ryou—", Once their figures gradually disappeared into the distance, Nijika finally rolled her eyes at Ryou, annoyed, "You're always so careless with your words! I dare you to say something like that again next time!"
"Luckily this time the old lady was pretty nice. If not, we'd have been in trouble."
After all, they were traveling outside. The other party was someone from the local shrine, practically a local boss. If she wanted to teach a lesson to a few tourists, it'd be easy.
'If Nijika says it's my fault, then it's my fault.'
'Because this time, it really was something I said wrong.'
Ryou lowered her head obediently, sincerely admitting her mistake, "I'm super sorry! As a sign of sincerity, even if you let Kaito-san ravage me, I won't resist."
"Wouldn't that be a reward... cough! cough!, I mean, dream on!", Nijika lightly knocked her on the head, looking quite exhausted. She felt that if she spent too much time with Ryou, she'd end up being the permanent tsukkomi.
At this moment, Kaito had already heard the full story from Yumiko and Kita, but he didn't take it too seriously. Instead, he curiously watched the direction where those two people had left.
He sensed a faint spiritual power, very weak and barely noticeable, but it truly existed.
This was the first time Kaito had seen a human in this world who actually possessed spiritual power.
However, after being surprised for a bit, he threw it to the back of his mind. After all, it was too weak to really pique his interest.
Because of this little incident, the girls had no intention of continuing to stroll around. After discussing, they decided to return to the inn to rest for now and regroup in the evening to watch the Kagura performance together.
Back in the room, Kaito originally planned to watch some TV. But before long, the door was pushed open, Yumiko sneaked in.
To avoid exposing herself in front of the others, she had been holding back for a long time.
Now that she finally had some private time, she rushed into Kaito's room, and her intentions were clear.
Of course, it was still daytime, so they didn't do anything too intense, just some light affection.
But even just kissing and hugging, Yumiko still acted like a spy in the middle of a secret meeting, constantly glancing at the door, worried someone might barge in at any moment.
Seeing her so on edge, those emerald green eyes were filled not with fear, but with excitement.
Kaito couldn't shake the feeling that, 'This girl... is enjoying it?'
'Yumiko, don't tell me you've awakened some weird kind of kink?'
[T/N: Hey everyone! If you're into mystery, magic, and a whole new twist on the wizarding world, check out my new fanfic "Harry Potter: Transmigrated Detective Link." A sharp-minded detective finds himself in the world of Hogwarts, and things are about to get interesting. Give it a read and let me know what you think!]
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