"Oh? This looks pretty interesting."
Makoto was a high school student and a paranormal enthusiast. He had even founded a "Paranormal Phenomenon Investigation Club" at his school. Although it was so dismal that it only had four members, including himself, he tirelessly organized investigative activities.
They had personally investigated the "Ten Great School Horrors," such as Pen Spirit, the Hell Girl, and Hanako-san of the Toilet, but they never found anything unusual.
However, Makoto firmly believed that ghosts and gods were all around him; he just lacked the necessary en (fate) and opportunity. Therefore, he felt he needed to redouble his efforts and search for more famous haunted spots. He had grown tired of the amateurish rumors on campus and had set his sights on the wider world beyond the school gates.
A few days ago, he saw an article on a website with a "Shocking" headline. At first, he thought it was just clickbait, but after clicking in, he realized he had discovered a treasure trove.
The author of the article had actually recounted his encounter with a deity in vivid, gripping detail. It was exactly the kind of experience Makoto had always dreamed of. What excited him even more was that the location of the encounter was on the outskirts of his city, very close by.
It was settled—the next club activity would be held there!
Seeing replies at the bottom of the article, Makoto immediately typed: [I think it's real. You couldn't make up so many specific details. I live near there; I'll go check it out when I have time.]
Unfortunately, due to classes, he had to wait until Saturday to set out in search of the deity's traces.
The next day, he told his club members about it. Everyone was excited and expectant. For the next few days, they prepared for the activity.
Makoto also kept a close eye on the article. Perhaps because many people had shared it voluntarily, it attracted a huge number of comments, including several from people who claimed to have gone to the area and taken photos.
Among the replies, many said there was only a forest and that the article was a lie. However, a select few stated they truly saw a shrine and even met a deity, though the descriptions of the deity varied wildly.
Some said it was a giant bird, some said a dog, some a fox, and some even claimed it was a tall, beautiful onee-san.
In response, many "armchair experts" shared their views:
[Clearly, this is a successful marketing stunt. I have to say, people these days use all sorts of tricks just to get attention.]
[Marketing stunt my foot! It's obvious the deity is testing them. If your heart isn't sincere, you won't see the shrine.]
[I agree with the person above. How could a deity be easily seen by mere mortals like you?]
[Then how do you explain everyone seeing a different form?]
[Isn't it normal for a deity to have multiple avatars? The bird represents the deity's bravery, the dog represents sincerity, the fox represents wisdom, and the beautiful lady represents beauty. Everyone sees a different image based on the hidden desires of their heart.]
[Whoa... if you're gonna keep spitting facts like that, don't stop!]
Watching this, Makoto couldn't help but clap in admiration. He felt he had found kindred spirits online. "See, the netizens understand me. It's exactly what I was thinking. Hey, Mu-chan, Kai, Kotoha, what do you guys think?"
These three were the remaining members of the Paranormal Investigation Club, and all of them were pretty girls.
Mu was a petite, "kuudere" girl. She spoke tonelessly and blankly, "Nothing special."
Kai, who had a curvaceous figure and dyed blonde hair, looked like a gyaru or a delinquent. She spoke in a rough, aggressive tone, "Why ask us about gods? Just ask Kotoha. She's a real-deal shrine maiden."
"Heh, it's just a small family shrine. To be honest, I've never seen a deity either," Kotoha said gracefully, sounding like a proper Yamato Nadeshiko. "As for what's actually there, we'll find out tomorrow when we go, won't we?"
"True!" Makoto clapped his hands and stood up to announce loudly, "Everyone, get to bed early tonight! We head out first thing tomorrow morning!"
After saying that, Makoto grabbed his schoolbag and went home.
Once he left, the atmosphere in the clubroom shifted instantly. The auras of the three girls became distinct and sharp, splitting the room into three territories.
"Kotoha, you've served your family's god for so many years. I don't believe for a second that you don't find this incident abnormal," Kai was the first to speak.
"You're an Onmyoji from the Onmyo Agency. Your intel is a hundred times better than mine, a shut-in girl. Is there really any need to get info from me?" Kotoha tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and spoke softly.
"It concerns a deity, so naturally, one must be cautious. Did 'that one' at your place say anything?"
"How could Her Ladyship be bothered with such trivial matters? Perhaps some mountain god came up with this plan to save themselves. There's almost certainly a human assisting them."
"To save themselves? Indeed. We investigated that area; the nearby villages are all abandoned. Most likely their faith was failing, so they intentionally lured people there," Kai reasoned.
"Yes, quite a pitiful fellow," Kotoha said sympathetically.
Kai smirked. "With the three of us there, even if that mountain god has ulterior motives, we should be able to protect that idiot boy and make a clean getaway tomorrow. Right, Mu?"
"Tomorrow... everything will go wrong. Spend money to ward off calamity," Mu replied, then returned to her dazed state.
"Everything will go wrong?"
"Spend money to ward off calamity?"
Kai and Kotoha exchanged looks, both seeing a grave expression on the other's face. Mu was mysterious and taciturn, but her words were never anything short of precise prophecies.
The two couldn't help but add an extra layer of vigilance to tomorrow's activity.
…
Early the next morning, Makoto arrived at the meeting spot ahead of time with a large backpack, only to find the other three already waiting.
"Makoto, over here!"
Since it was the weekend, they were in civilian clothes. Their stylish outfits highlighted their individual charms. Petite and cute, sexy and fiery, and gentle as water—the three distinct beauties made many passersby secretly envious of Makoto's luck.
Unfortunately, Makoto's eyes only saw shrines and gods. He ran to them and praised, "You're all so early! Your passion is truly high. Good! This is exactly how the Paranormal Investigation Club should be! Without further ado, let's head out!"
"Is that all you have to say?"
"Eh? What else? Oh, did you bring everything? Let's check for missing items."
"FOR-GET-IT!"
"Why are you suddenly angry?"
"Hehe, as expected of Makoto-kun's usual style."
"..."
The group talked and laughed all the way as they took the bus to the vicinity of their target. After getting off, Makoto pulled out a hand-drawn map to orient himself.
"Hmm, it should be that way!" he said, pointing in a direction.
"Are you sure?"
"Of course! Don't worry, I made this map myself based on the coordinates mentioned by the guy on the website. It's 100% reliable."
"I was going to say, why not just use the GPS on your phone?"
"How could a place like a shrine be found with a mere electronic map?"
"Fine," Kai shrugged helplessly.
"But before we set out, let's take a group photo."
Makoto took out a selfie stick, mounted his phone, and snapped a photo of the four of them. Then, he directly turned on the recording function and started filming.
"This is a rare club activity. How can we not keep a full recording as a memento?"
"Hehe, whatever makes you happy."
Makoto selectively ignored that last comment and said enthusiastically, "Then, our 'In Search of God's Traces' activity officially begins!"
"Oh!"
The group left the main road and dove into the mountain forest.
The area was covered in lush greenery. Walking for long could easily make one dizzy and lose their sense of direction, but Makoto always led the way with confidence after checking his map. Kai couldn't tell if he actually knew the way or was just wandering randomly.
After walking for over an hour, they were far from human activity, entering a region where few people ever went. They encountered many wild animals along the way.
A small squirrel stood on a branch holding a pinecone, watching them. Mu spotted it and reached out her small hand. After hesitating for a moment, the squirrel jumped onto her hand, crawled up her arm to her shoulder, and sniffed her.
"Mu is quite popular with animals."
Mu patted the squirrel's head and gave a rare smile. "It says... it's very close to 'that place'."
"?"
"!"
"Mu is starting to joke around too," Makoto said dismissively, still looking at his map. "There's still a bit of distance. Let's pick up the pace."
"You're carrying so much stuff. Aren't you tired?"
"Not at all! Are you guys tired?"
"No."
"I-I'm not tired either."
"Then let's keep moving."
Mu reluctantly bid farewell to the squirrel and followed them.
After another stretch of walking, Makoto muttered, "It should be around here."
"Ha, finally," Kai panted. Kotoha's complexion didn't look great either, but she still tried to maintain a smile. Only Makoto and Mu appeared normal.
"Your stamina is poor. You guys don't exercise enough."
"Shut up." Kai found it strange. As an Onmyoji, her physical stamina should have crushed that of a dorky otaku like Makoto. Why was she the one most out of breath?
"Take a break, then help me look for the shrine. I feel like it's nearby."
"Over there," Mu said suddenly, pointing in a direction.
"There? There's only a tree?" Makoto was puzzled.
Following Mu's lead, both Kai and Kotoha noticed something off.
It's a barrier!
No wonder so many people couldn't find it.
Makoto's luck is too good. He actually stumbled right into it.
What now? Should we take Makoto in?
Let's calm him down first, then we'll scout ahead.
Fine.
After an exchange of looks, they reached a silent agreement.
"Oh, yeah! There's a squirrel over there!" Kai shouted.
"What? Just another squirrel?" Makoto immediately turned to search elsewhere.
"Um, we have something to take care of. We need to step into the woods for a bit. We'll be right back," Kotoha said with an embarrassed expression.
Makoto understood instantly and scratched his head. "Okay, be careful. Shout if anything happens. We'll wait for you here."
"Okay!"
Kai and Kotoha exchanged a glance and left hand-in-hand. Mu watched their performance quietly, not saying a word.
The two took a detour and approached the edge of the barrier from another side.
Kai observed it for a moment and said, "It's just a standard confusion-type barrier. Very crude."
"Yes," Kotoha agreed.
Snap!
The sound of a dry branch breaking rang out. Both girls immediately tensed up and turned around to find a man wearing a wide-brimmed hat.
"A human?"
"Who are you?"
"Don't be nervous. I'm just like you, someone who wants to enter the shrine," Rom held up his hands to show he meant no harm.
"Are you... Shindou Rom?" Kai asked, looking at his outfit with uncertainty.
"Ah, for this lady to know my name is a true honor."
"?" Kotoha shot a questioning look at Kai.
"He's quite famous online. He likes to use small tricks to deceive people, but he actually has some real talent," Kai whispered.
"I see," Kotoha nodded. She frowned as she looked at the area behind Rom. There seemed to be something there that made her uncomfortable.
Oh, so she can see it? Rom noticed her expression and felt a bit excited.
"Since we've met like this, shall we go in together? It's safer to have company, isn't it?" Rom had been wandering around the barrier for several days. However, due to his wariness of what was inside, he hadn't gathered the courage to enter. He held reservations about what his master, Mitsue, had said. Who knew if she had already been brainwashed by an evil god?
He had originally planned to find the two girls from the photo first, but today he happened to run into two fellow practitioners. Seeing how capable they looked, Rom naturally wanted to use them and hitch a ride.
"Fine. But you walk in front."
The two girls were still wary of Rom's sudden appearance.
"Fair enough," Rom nodded without hesitation and stepped directly into the barrier.
After Rom's figure vanished, the two girls nodded to each other and stepped into the barrier together.
The scene shifted. A stone staircase leading straight to the mountain peak appeared. Rom stood a short distance ahead. Seeing them appear, he squinted and smiled, saying, "I'll take the lead."
He turned and stepped onto the stone stairs. Kai and Kotoha followed him at a brisk pace.
A few minutes later, they reached the peak one after another and saw the slightly dilapidated shrine.
Just like in my memories... but this time, there's no sound of bells.
After observing the surroundings, Rom suddenly called out loudly, "Is the master home? You have guests!"
Hearing this, Kai and Kotoha immediately scanned the area, tense.
Suddenly, a violent wind arose. A massive white fox descended from the sky, landing right behind Rom. A pair of cold eyes glared down at them.
"What is this? A deity?" Kai grabbed several paper-doll cutouts in her hand.
"Probably not. It looks more like a yokai," Kotoha replied. She sensed no divine aura from the white fox. She pulled several talismans from her pocket and entered a combat stance, fearing this great monster might attack at any moment.
Rom's pupils shrank. In his vision, the large, vengeful spirit that had been following him was crushed under the paw of this white fox.
It's not him! This aura... it's different from back then.
———
Note: I don't know which anime are Makoto, Kotoha, Kai, and Mu from. Either I didn't watched it or I forgot which one. Also author only gave a name here without a surname, so it's kinda difficult to tell which anime are they from. If you know, please let me know, as I might have mistranslated the names.