Chapter 126: The Shrine Maiden Asano's Elder Sister

Qiao Qiao was not exactly a fan of watching virtual streamers. He only checked in on Arisu Asano to keep an eye on her daily routine. Recently, because she was in Kyoto without her equipment, Arisu had naturally stopped streaming. He hadn't expected her to go live at such a time. Curious to see how his student was doing, Qiao Qiao clicked into the stream.

Yes, it was the virtual avatar of Miko Asano. But it seemed to be lagging, frozen in place.

"…Sorry, sorry! I’m traveling in Kyoto these past two days and don’t have a PC, so I can’t move. See? 'Motionless is Alice,' haha."

"Oh, thanks for the Super Chat! Hmm? You want to send me money to buy a PC? No, no, there’s no need for that."

As soon as he entered the stream, aside from a flurry of comments, he could only hear Miko Asano’s voice. She was chatting casually about her experiences in Kyoto.

"…But you know, Alice has a friend who went to play at Nintendo, but didn’t even think to bring Alice along."

Even though the virtual avatar remained motionless, one could feel the resentment in Miko Asano’s voice. As expected, she was still bothered by that.

"Eh? Suzuka-chan is also in Kyoto? Oh, I didn't know that."

Hearing the streamer read the comment, Qiao Qiao nodded with a sense of relief. Their relationship really was quite good.

"And so, since I don’t have a PC here, I can’t stream properly today, and I can’t check the marshmallow submissions either."

Miko Asano’s voice was pleasant to listen to, no matter the occasion.

"But, ta-da! Today, I’ve invited Alice’s older sister, Murakumo-chan, to join the stream!"

"?" Qiao Qiao tilted his head. He had never heard of a sister. Based on the information from her employer, wasn’t Asano an only child? Filled with questions, he continued listening.

"…Hey, hey, hmm? The microphone seems a bit off."

A voice came through the stream. Based on the timbre, it was indeed Asano’s voice, but the tone, the cadence, and the emphasis on the syllables were completely different. To put it simply, it felt like two distinct voice types.

"Sister, you need to get closer," Miko Asano whispered from the side.

"I'm not very familiar with modern electronic devices," Murakumo’s voice finally came through clearly. The two voices continued their banter amidst a sea of "Ohhhh" comments.

"Asano’s acting is quite good." Qiao Qiao knew, of course, that this was just a performance. Through the switching of two vocal ranges, she created the illusion of a conversation between two people, but in reality, there was only one person behind it all. It was a feat only a streamer skilled in voice modulation could pull off. While showcasing her talent to the audience, she had also put on a fun stream. Truly impressive, Asano. However, for some reason, Qiao Qiao found the second voice strangely familiar.

Around midnight, Asano ended the stream. Qiao Qiao closed the window and turned his attention back to the documents he had been reading. This case was quite different from the previous exorcism requests, as it didn't come from a human, but from a yokai. Just like the yokai in Toei Kyoto Studio Park, the yokai living in Kyoto—while registered and regulated by the Exorcist Association—could naturally hire exorcists to help resolve their problems. He had once read a file about a case where humans developing mountainous land reduced the yokai's habitat, leading them to seek the association's help for mediation. Compared to the bustling metropolis of Tokyo, where humans held complete dominance, a city like Kyoto likely received far more requests from yokai.

Setting that aside, this request was a coincidence; it came from the tanuki of Tadasu no Mori. As everyone knew, Shimogamo Shrine was nestled within Tadasu no Mori, with Kawai Shrine nearby. Even so, the forest was vast, containing many areas where humans had never set foot. The forest tanuki had recently discovered that the yin energy in the woods had grown thick, and someone had been secretly cutting down ancient trees. Even the famous "En-musubi" (marriage-tying) trees seemed to have been corrupted. Couples who visited to pray not only failed to improve their relationships but ended up breaking up over trivial matters. Thus, they had sent a request to the Exorcist Association, hoping an exorcist could investigate.

It was a straightforward request. If Qiao Qiao wanted to, he could change his clothes and head out to help the tanuki right now. But considering everyone’s rest and work schedules, he decided to handle it in the evening. He would be able to finish the job and still make it back to the shrine for dinner. That worked out well.

Inside Tadasu no Mori, two thick trees stood intertwined, growing together as one. This was the En-musubi tree. Compared to the one at Shimogamo Shrine, this one was larger and had a much longer history. Seven hundred years ago, these trees already stood here. They had witnessed the changes of Heian-kyo, the fires of the Onin War, and the development of modern society. Under the moonlight, wisps of yin energy seeped out from the trees, turning their once-natural appearance into something eerie. A shadow witnessed it all. Without a word, it silently walked away.

July 15th, Monday. It was a rare day in Kyoto without rain. A gentle breeze provided a touch of coolness. Since Shimogamo Shrine was located within the forest, the mornings were humid. Qiao Qiao opened the window and looked out at the fresh greenery. The environment was truly pleasant. Thinking of the air in Tokyo, he couldn't help but sigh.

The miko's morning training had just concluded. Besides basic physical exercise, it included chanting prayers, meditation, and training in kyudo and kagura dance. This began at 5:00 AM and lasted until breakfast at 8:00 AM, which was when the day's schedule truly began.

"Oh, Qiao-san, are you awake? Come have breakfast," Maki Shinoki said with a smile, a bead of sweat on her forehead as she passed his window.

"Yes." Qiao Qiao changed his clothes and headed to the dining hall. Beyond the miko, the shrine priests were also eating at this time. However, since most of the priests didn't live at the shrine, it felt a bit like having breakfast in a workplace canteen.

The Japanese breakfast was quite hearty. Before Qiao Qiao sat half a piece of salt-grilled mackerel, a side of pickles, a portion of simmered vegetables, a bowl of miso soup, and, of course, white rice. Though the portions were small, finishing everything was quite filling.

"Maki-nee and the others are going to the Gion Festival rehearsal today; they won't be back until the afternoon," Arisu Asano said to Qiao Qiao, taking a small sip of miso soup. Incidentally, Suzuka seemed to have done a surprise stream around 1:00 AM last night, so she was likely still in bed with messy sleeping habits.

"Starting tomorrow, it seems Mount Hiei will also be closed to make room for the Exorcism Martial Arts Tournament."

Time was running out for Qiao Qiao. He was well aware of it. After breakfast, he watched Maki Shinoki and the others leave in a black luxury sedan. He and Arisu remained at the shrine. Just as Arisu suggested visiting the Manga Museum, Qiao Qiao felt a sudden sensation and picked up his phone. The ringtone of a kagura bell sounded—it was a call.

Arisu stiffened, her shoulders trembling for a moment. Not noticing her reaction, Qiao Qiao looked at the number and understood. The "thing" had arrived.