Long-term salvation

"Yes!"xN

Today is the routine inspection day of the Global Occult Alliance's Japanese branch. Regarding the Saigawa Shrine branch located on the ruins of the former Minamigami Village, after the last otherworldly incident marked as the "True Crimson Butterfly" ended, the head of the Saigawa Shrine, with the support of the Army Without Borders and the assistance of the Phantom Migration Barrier, re-sealed and supervised the "Yellow Springs", a rift in the otherworld.

Because of this, someone needs to come here every two to three months to clean it up and take readings to ensure there are no problems.

"The higher-ups are actually planning to keep this inner-world rift partially open for now, simply monitoring it without sending anyone to deal with it..."

Shiraishi Mizuki sat down next to Saikawa Ayane, holding the rifle in her arms. She took the tea and dumplings handed to her by the younger shrine maidens, thanked them, and said as she ate:

"Are there any plans to reopen it later?"

This girl named "Shiraishi Mizuki" was from the Japanese Self-Defense Forces and was personally recommended by Tetsuji Yoshioka. It could be seen as the latter's attempt to continue to provide assistance to Rhodes after being marginalized. This old man with a cold appearance but a warm heart was eagerly waiting for Rhodes to give him a submarine, but now he could only wait while gathering intelligence on the restless "National Defense Clan" within the Self-Defense Forces.

"Maybe they're conducting research into the otherworldly realm," Saikawa Ayane squinted her eyes and fanned herself with her hand. Fine beads of sweat trickled down her fair neck, soaking the edge of her collar. "We need to ask Director Makise Kurisu about this, though she might not know the answer."

"Maybe that person will come in person," a famous armed shrine maiden with a bun-like hairstyle had a glint of anticipation in her eyes. She rubbed against Saikawa Ayane and asked curiously, "Mr. Rhodes - will the boss come? I want to see what he looks like with my own eyes!"

"If Tokyo fell into the other world, he would definitely come over."

An armed miko said this, and her voice aroused a wave of agreement, but the person who had spoken just now puffed up his cheeks and said with a hint of anger:

"Don't say such horrible things... But can we change to Kyoto? The attitude of those Kyoto people is really infuriating."

"Nara is fine too. The last time I went back home, I got butted in the waist by those deer."

The young girls, who were not very old, burst into laughter. Their weapons were placed beside them, and their mechanical exoskeletons were kept in the best condition.

As mentioned before, this place is not that safe and comfortable - even though Kaishin Village has long disappeared, the terrifying energy of the other world still lingers here to a certain extent, bringing with it some beast-like howls from deep in the jungle - these are just some illusory, tragic memories that have not yet dissipated. Hearing too much of them will still make people feel uncomfortable and scared, and even seeing some fragments of memories will cause severe fright.

However, for them who have already gone through arduous training, officially become armed priestesses, and carried out missions in the other world, this is just a little boring noise.

"...That's enough, please leave those places alone."

Amagura Mio complained with a dead look in her eyes. She laid down on the shrine floor in despair, letting the cool air dispel the heat from her body. Soon, the cool air turned into a chill, forcing the girl to get up again and sit up like everyone else.

"How much longer do we need to stay here? I already miss the air-conditioned rooms at the base..."

"One hour, just wait until the data collection is complete."

Saikawa Ayane said softly, but then she sighed and had no interest in drinking tea or eating meatballs. Instead, under the concerned gazes of others, she continued:

"Tokyo... no, the number of otherworldly incidents happening across Japan is on the rise. I don't know when it will end. Anyway, does anyone want to sign up for the Mobile Task Force?"

"Eh? That seems difficult to get into—Ayane-san and Mizuki-san are okay, right? They can even go to Arkham Town in the United States for further training."

Go to the United States... Saikawa Ayane looked up at the sky, a bitter smile appeared on the corners of her mouth:

I never thought of going to such a faraway place, leaving my hometown, the shrine, and my father... But now I have come to Tokyo alone.

The girl leaned to the side, causing Shiraishi Mizuki, who was leaning on her shoulder, to look at her with disdain and mutter something like "It's so hot today", but she didn't dodge away and just sat there quietly.

For a moment, the entire shrine fell into an inexplicable silence. The armed priestesses stopped talking and calmly savored the tea and snacks they brought, waiting for the data collection device to finish its work.

At this moment, the wind blowing in from the mountains and forests was crawling along the stone slabs, turning over the fallen rotten leaves and blowing the brass wind chimes hanging under the eaves of the shrine.

The ringtone was clear and crisp, without any trace of the harshness that had been distorted by the darkness in the past.

Suddenly, a completely different sound entered the ears of all the shrine maidens, causing them to subconsciously focus their attention on Saikawa Ayane, who turned on the communicator and asked:

"This is Saikawa Ayane, what's going on?"

"After data collection is complete, return to headquarters immediately to prepare for the investigation of the otherworldly incident."

"...Yes, Saikawa Ayane understands!"

Chapter 480: Future Props Research Institute (1/4)

It doesn't take long to get back to Tokyo from Maebashi City in Gunma Prefecture, especially if you take a helicopter:

Civilian helicopters cast their shadows onto the vast urban complex below, merging into a time so monotonous that it would not change in thirty years - buildings of varying heights squeezed densely together, then crammed into asphalt roads and a never-ending stream of traffic, thus building this city named "Tokyo" - and in every corner, gap and crevice of steel and concrete, there grew densely packed humans.

The huge amounts of joy, anger, sorrow and happiness gathered together, allowing darkness and resentment to quietly grow and gradually grow stronger.

The helicopter landed on the rooftop helipad of the Future Props Research Institute. While the rotors were still spinning, the armed priestesses emerged from the cabin, their faces etched with annoyance at the noise. They yawned and walked into the building.

After arranging for the other shrine maidens to rest, Saikawa Ayane led the sisters Shiraishi Mizuki and Amakura from her team straight to the office - straight to the Future Props Research Institute, which is the office of the director of the Japanese branch of the Global Occult Alliance.

After greeting the two patrolling security guards, Saikawa Ayane was about to reach out and knock on the door when she heard a chaotic clamor from inside. The people inside seemed to be arguing over a trivial matter:

"You've usurped my position as director! I knew the 'agency' would use all sorts of methods to suppress me in this pathetic 'reality'. Even Duduru (Shiina Mayuri) has been deceived by you!"

"Okabe-san, you signed the agreement a long time ago. What's the point of getting so hung up on it now?"

"...Even so, you should still address me as 'Director—Director Fenghuangin Kyouma', my assistant, Christina!"

"No Road Race!"

Saikawa Ayane: "...What's with this strange feeling of déjà vu that it will happen again?"

Sighing, the girl pushed the door open and said to the two childish geniuses who were arguing inside:

"What the hell are you guys messing around with? Director Makise Kurisu, and your assistant, Mr. Okabe Rintaro?"

The office was bright and clean, with two identical desks and a sofa for entertaining guests. However, compared to a typical office space, it was cluttered with several computers and other devices connected by dozens of cables, and digital coordinates were constantly scrolling on the open screens.

The young man and woman whose names were just called looked back awkwardly and began to greet each one.

Besides this, there was another unkempt man sitting on the sofa, concentrating on looking at documents. After the armed priestesses entered, the man looked up and nodded at them, a genuine smile appearing on his feigned indifference.

"We're... ahem, Ayane's back, and you all... please sit down first. This is Officer Kiichi Goto, I'm sure you all know him."

Makise Kurisu coughed lightly and sat back in her seat. She was still wearing the high school uniform that she had modified in her own style, and a white coat was forcefully put on the outside - for the reason that "you can never relax here", at least that's what Okabe Rintaro said.

"Go pour the tea!" Makise Kurisu glared at Okabe Rintaro who was still posing. The latter shrank his neck, muttered, and turned to pour the tea.

Although Makise Kurisu is just a smart girl who is easily fooled, she has lawyers and financial fraudsters from Wall Street behind her!

Even if normal means couldn't solve the problem, they could still resort to humanity's oldest, most direct, and most effective method—violence. As Dr. Gordon Freeman's beloved disciple and a top talent who would be selected as a director of the Cogito Foundation in the future, if Makise Kurisu wanted, Rhodes could even personally help her get Okabe Rintaro into the Emperor's Chamber.

In short, after a story of bickering, the Future Gadget Research Institute, including Okabe Rintaro himself, became Makise Kurisu's possession... Now he is working for the Global Occult Alliance (Army Without Borders) as a glorious senior researcher with his good friend and genius hacker Hashida Shi.

"Ah, thank you, Mr. Rintaro," the armed shrine maidens took the cold green tea and sat down neatly on the chairs they had dragged from the corner of the room, waiting for new orders from Makise Kurisu, who was not much older than them.

"Call me 'Houhoin Kyouma'!"

Okabe Rintaro raised his eyebrows, but while he was talking, his hands were not slow at all - he took out the documents that had been prepared long ago from the pile of documents and stuffed them into the hands of the four armed shrine maidens, then pulled down the projection screen and started the slide projector.

An ordinary-looking house then appeared in front of the girls, which, even in the projection, brought an uncomfortable gloom and dampness.

Tiancang Jian, who had the strongest clairvoyance among the few people, frowned slightly, and her breathing became slightly heavy.

"This house is in Nerima Ward, Tokyo. The owner's surname is 'Saeki' and they have a family of three."

The speaker was Goto Kiichi, the man once known as "Razor Goto." He was unusually serious. He folded his hands, his gaze drifting towards the house, and continued:

"Saeki Toshio, Saeki Takeo, and Saeki Kayageko are all dead, but missing persons and even murders continue to occur around them."

"The GOC took notice and sent investigators."

Makise Kurisu's face was no longer as cheerful as before, but now she was as serious as the police officer next to her. After arriving here, she quickly adapted to her new role:

"A priest who went to investigate nearly died. If he hadn't promptly reported it in secret and obtained the application for the Black Stone... he would have become a new victim of the curse and pollution. We're currently unable to determine the cause of the events in the other world, and we can't just blow up the house. If the curse spreads completely, it would be disastrous."

"So, we need to go in and try to find the source of the curse and contain it?"

Saikawa Ayane reached out and tapped the file. She didn't see a photo of the family of three inside, only simple coded text as a label - this was obviously a means to prevent the spread of contamination within the base. After realizing the difficulty of the next task, the girl nodded slightly and asked calmly:

"When do we leave?"

"After nightfall, we'll need the cover of darkness, and mobilizing our 'friends' within the Metropolitan Police Department for assistance will also take time," Makise Kurisu leaned back in her chair and pondered for a few seconds. "Actually, since this is our first time facing an otherworldly incident of this magnitude, I'd like to try more 'civilian' methods... After all, with the rising tide of the otherworld, exorcism methods that were previously unusable may now become available, and perhaps even more effective."

As she said this, a hint of a smile appeared on Makise Kurisu's face. She looked at the somewhat confused Saikawa Ayane and continued:

"Ayane, your father will bring the priests, Buddhas, and shrine maidens to try to seal off the contamination from the cursed objects outside, and we have also prepared more technological means."

"Go and get some rest now. The battle tonight will be even harder."

Chapter 481: Curse! (2/4)

Night falls.

In Tokyo at night, there is always a corner forgotten by neon lights - this is a suburban residential area in 1992, like a worn scrap of a prosperous tapestry, close to the brilliance of the city center, but immersed in dim tranquility.

Due to the frequent massacres and missing persons cases, many residents of the surrounding houses have moved away, and the remaining people have been controlled and will soon lose this unpleasant memory due to a flash of light.

A military helicopter flew over a residential area, and the noisy sound caused some residents who were awakened to angrily open their windows, but they could only see the cold moonlight.

“…We seem to have arrived a little early.”

Saikawa Ayane opened the armored vehicle's door. The girl, dressed in a red and white miko costume, her mechanical exoskeleton humming softly. Behind her, three other equally fully armed companions filed out.

After looking up at the helicopter flying overhead, the armed witches set their sights on the target house not far away - darkness and resentment were growing inside, and even though the demonic moment of dusk had passed, this supernatural evil thought was still surging.

"No, it's just the right time."

A man's voice came from the side, which made Xuanyin's face more joyful. She turned around and looked at the person who came:

"father!"

Saikawa Seiya (Chapter 121, from Kinki Spiritual Affairs Bureau), the head of Saikawa Shrine, was standing a few meters away, and behind him was the exorcist team from Japan that had been prepared for a long time.

Two abbots of the Obaku sect temple, clad in robes and holding staves and Buddhist beads, walked with a single thought, ringing bells as they walked. Three Shinto priests and three shrine maidens, holding a mirror, a sword, and a jade, chanted ritual songs. They moved at the same pace in a straight line around the residence, creating a sealing barrier.

"...Long time no see, Ayane," Saikawa Seiya looked at his daughter with relief. The latter stood in front of the armored vehicle, holding a submachine gun suitable for indoor operations in her hand, and a short-sword-shaped electric shock weapon hanging on her back. The GOC Japanese branch personnel around her were carrying out -

Four heavily armored trucks were slowly backing up. Technicians inside were connecting cables and powering up computers, ready to activate the Blackstone Resonance Field at any moment. Heavily armed soldiers were rapidly entering surrounding buildings, ascending to rooftops and setting up heavy weaponry. Military helicopters, providing reconnaissance and fire support, were still circling overhead.

"Don't worry about me," Saikawa Ayane smiled. She reached out and patted Shiraishi Mizuki beside her. "My companions and I will handle this incident beautifully!"

His father wanted him to leave the village and the shrine, but he obviously wouldn't be happy with him doing such an extremely dangerous job... But he didn't object, he just liked Shiraishi Mizuki even less.

"How can I not be worried?" Saikawa Seiya shook his head, but he didn't say anything more. Instead, he looked at the exorcists who had worked with him several times and were his long-time friends, and said:

"The ceremony begins in five minutes, set up the altar now!"

Time quickly slipped away in the dim night. The neon lights of the city in the distance were still burning, like the never-extinguished aurora, but when the light reached here, only a lavender mist remained - no one knew that there was a group of people here trying to drive out evil and protect the innocent.

When the GOC agents disguised as police officers completely completed the interception and blockade work, the guide, Seiya Saikawa, struck the small drum and asked the two abbots to start chanting Sanskrit, and the sounds of ringing bells and falling leaves also rang out.

Namo Amitabha, Dothagata, Dodiyata...

When the first Sanskrit sound began, Tiancang Jian, who was a strong clairvoyant, felt that the darkness in the Saeki house began to tremble slightly, but it was just a tremor, like throwing a small stone into a flowing river, which was useful, but not much... at least that's the case now.

"Although this incident's disaster level is high, it seems we still need the help of [Iron and Fire] for now."

Saikawa Ayane sighed slightly and looked at her father who was carefully maintaining the ceremony. After watching silently for a few seconds, the girl turned to the others and said:

"Activate resonance immediately upon receiving the signal, and be prepared to handle failure—arm the miko, enter the disaster!"

In response to a low shout, four armed witches, guns in hand, slowly entered the darkened house. As they approached, the Ododek scanners on their bodies quickly deployed, emitting a faint warning beep.

"The energy readings in the other world are rising," Shiraishi Mizuki whispered. She could hear the sharp sound of the door hinges at the entrance, like nails scratching on a blackboard, the moment the wooden door was opened.

"This is why we are here," Saikawa Ayane replied calmly. She exchanged glances with the Amakura sisters and then continued forward. "Stay alert, we are putting ourselves in danger."

The door was quickly closed after the uninvited guests entered, with an impatient glee.

Blood slowly flowed down the window glass, blocking out the neon lights, moonlight and fear.

The GOC personnel and exorcists outside looked at each other in bewilderment, but could only continue their work and pray for the four experienced girls inside. Even if they could only provide minimal help, it was no reason to give up.

However, none of the armed priestesses noticed this; they could still see the scene outside through the glass. The sound of the door closing was harsh enough, as if it was intentional.

The door's slamming sound didn't go unnoticed; the sharp, piercing creaking sound reached the shrine maidens' ears, causing their hearts to skip a beat. But the girls didn't panic. Instead, they briefly tried to open the door without success before continuing on into the house.

There are so many situations like this where people can't leave, so many that they are almost a regular feature of horror movies, and the girls are no longer surprised by them.

The armed priestesses glanced around. Instead of being attacked immediately, they felt several resentful gazes fixed upon them. Whether they moved forward or backward, stood upright or crouched, those gazes never left their path, as if piercing through all obstacles in reality—or perhaps, peering from another supernatural dimension, completely locking onto their target.

"So that's how it is... Everyone who enters this place will be 'cursed,'" Tiancang Jian looked down at her palm, where a dark aura was swirling. Then, she calmly said to the others, "This explains why so many people died elsewhere. They were targeted."

"Then we'll check this house for valuables, then evacuate and try to deal with the entire house."

Saikawa Ayane said this, and she heard her Ododek scanner's blades swinging rapidly, making a rapid sound.

The next second, the tactical lights on the guns illuminated the surrounding environment, allowing the armed witches to see the interior of the mansion filled with resentment - the house was still in a mess, and the edges of the books, magazines and furniture scattered on the ground were soaked with dark red blood, as if someone had been tortured alive here!