NOVEL ONLINE FREE Chapter 23: 23
The soothing warmth of the hot spring had just begun to dissipate from Ren's skin as he emerged from the toilet, feeling refreshed and light. He stretched, a soft sigh escaping his lips, when a figure rounded the corner of the hallway, heading directly towards his room. It was a man dressed in what looked like traditional priestly robes, an unfamiliar sight within Yuragi-sou.
"A priest?" Ren mumbled to himself, a flicker of confusion. Had Chitose accidentally assigned a guest to his room? Or perhaps the priest was lost? As the owner, and with the inn currently hosting guests, Ren knew he needed to be respectful. He recalled the very first scene of the Yuragi-sou anime, a memory that sent a jolt of alarm through him. Yuuna!
Without a second thought, Ren broke into a run, his bare feet slapping softly against the polished wooden floor. He burst into his room, and just as he expected, the sight before him mirrored his memory: Yuuna, translucent and shimmering, was bound by an invisible spiritual power, her form struggling against the unseen force.
The priest, his face stern and unyielding, stood over her. "I'm one of the Gudon people," he declared, his voice resonating with an almost fanatical zeal. "We eradicate those like you, a descendant of evil who escaped from the afterworld."
Yuuna, her eyes wide with bewilderment, struggled to comprehend. "Gudo? Excuse me, but can you please say that again?"
"You miserable lost soul in this world, with my technique I will let you rest in peace," the priest intoned, and with a surge of his spiritual power, the binds around Yuuna tightened, making her shimmer even more violently.
Ren knew, intellectually, that Yuuna couldn't truly "rest in peace" in the way the priest intended; she was technically not dead, merely a lingering spirit. But this was his cue, his opportunity to play the hero, to step into Kogarashi's shoes. He calmly stepped forward, his voice even and steady. "Stop your exorcism, priest."
The priest turned, his eyes narrowing, mistaking Ren's calm demeanor for spiritual influence. "Another one controlled by the spirit! I will put you to sleep!" He unleashed a wave of spiritual energy, a focused attack aimed at rendering Ren unconscious.
Ren simply raised a hand, and with a casual, almost dismissive slap, he deflected the spiritual attack. The energy dissipated harmlessly around him. The priest's eyes widened in shock.
"You are also someone who needs to be exorcised!" the priest roared, releasing Yuuna and turning his full, unbridled spiritual force towards Ren. He lunged, his fists glowing with power.
Ren met the attack with a simple, direct punch. The priest flew backward, a surprised grunt escaping his lips, and crashed through the open window Yuuna had instinctively created in her struggle. He sailed through the night air, disappearing into the distance.
Ren knew he couldn't perfectly copy Kogarashi's unique spiritual abilities, but his newly acquired 'Ticket of Talent' allowed him to master anything he focused on. He had focused on understanding and replicating Kogarashi's power, and while it wasn't a perfect copy, his mastery was enough to easily defeat the priest.
He turned to Yuuna, his expression softening. "Are you okay?" he asked, reaching out a hand.
Yuuna, her eyes still wide, launched herself towards him, intent on a grateful hug. But her translucent form passed right through him. A flicker of disappointment crossed her face, a familiar sadness at her intangible existence.
Ren saw it, and a pang went through him. He wouldn't let her feel that disappointment. He closed his eyes, focusing intently, recalling Kogarashi's unique ability to interact physically with spirits. He poured his spiritual power into his hands, willing them to become tangible to her.
He opened his eyes and reached out again. This time, as Yuuna tentatively leaned in, his arms wrapped around her. Her form, still ethereal, solidified against him, a warmth, faint but undeniable, radiating from her. It was the first time she had ever been truly hugged, and a soft gasp of pure comfort escaped her lips. She melted into his embrace, a feeling of profound peace washing over her.
After a few minutes, Yuuna pulled back, her eyes shining with unshed tears. "I'm okay," she whispered, her voice thick with emotion. "Thank you, Ren-kun. Thank you so much."
The commotion had not gone unnoticed. Soon, the other residents of Yuragi-sou gathered, having heard the crash and the priest's shouts. Chitose, upon hearing what happened, immediately declared that she would be more vigilant with all future guests, ensuring no such incident occurred again. Nonko, Yaya, and Koyuzu surrounded Yuuna, offering words of comfort and reassurance, but it was clear Yuuna was far more cheerful than they expected, her face still glowing from Ren's embrace.
Chitose watched them, a warm smile gracing her lips, pleased to see Yuuna so happy. Ren, however, sighed inwardly. He knew this wasn't the end. The priest would be back, and likely with reinforcements. Still, he didn't feel any real concern. This was an easy matter, a minor inconvenience in the grand scheme of his plans.
As he expected, later that night, the priest returned, not alone, but with a dozen more robed figures, their faces grim and determined. They advanced on Yuragi-sou, spiritual energy crackling around them.
Before they could even reach the inn's entrance, Ren stepped forward. He focused, channeling a significant portion of his spiritual power, and unleashed his 'Real Illusion.' A vast, impenetrable shadow dome erupted from his form, engulfing the entire group of priests.
Within the dome, each priest suddenly found themselves alone, disoriented. Then, a figure coalesced from the shadows, a perfect clone of Ren, its eyes glowing with menace. The priests, believing they were facing the source of the "evil," attacked the illusory Ren. But in reality, they were attacking each other, their spiritual attacks and physical blows landing on their own comrades. The sounds of their struggle, their shouts and grunts, were completely contained within the shadow dome, unheard by the residents of Yuragi-sou.
The internal battle raged until, one by one, each priest collapsed, defeated by their own hands. Ren maintained the illusion, watching them fall. Once they were all unconscious, he created another clone of himself, a physical manifestation, which then proceeded to gather the defeated priests and toss them far away from the inn, scattering them across the distant landscape.
The entire endeavor, the creation of the shadow dome, the individual illusions, and the physical clones, consumed approximately one-fourth of Ren's current spiritual power. It was an easy victory, but also a significant drain. This was the first time he had used his 'Real Illusion' on such a large scale, and he realized he needed to find a way to make his shadow dome and his clones more efficient, consuming less spiritual power in the future. He had much to learn, but with his 'Ticket of Talent,' he knew it was only a matter of time before he mastered this, and more.