Chapter 428: The Power of Talismans
The moment Higa Makoto's words fell, the world seemed to undergo a cataclysmic change. What was merely dusk abruptly turned into pitch black night, and chilling winds howled through the area.
All actions at the various altars outside the apartment ceased, and everyone calmly looked up at the sky. Dark clouds covered everything, swallowing the aura that had been rising into the sky until now.
Even John Wick looked up at this dramatic scene, gaining a new understanding of the demonic forces of Japan. Compared to the spectral horrors of the island, demons seemed rather restrained. The scene unfolding was akin to the arrival of a true deity.
"It's like before, but last time it was repelled by the church's array. This time..."
John Wick glanced at the uniquely designed altars around him.
Perhaps confirming John's thoughts, all the shrine maidens and priests at the altars, who had stopped their movements, simultaneously began to act, gathering at their respective stations and kneeling down.
"Cock-a-doodle-doo!"
In a moment of silence, the elder priests stationed at the four directions called out again.
"Cock-a-doodle-doo!"
The powerful and sonorous voices, amplified by the atmosphere, invigorated everyone's spirit.
"Cock-a-doodle-doo!"
"Cock-a-doodle-doo!"
The force that John Wick could not comprehend surged from the priests and shrine maidens, coalescing into a wave that swept across the chilling winds.
The candles around the altars, unlit due to the twilight, spontaneously ignited.
Pop, pop, pop, pop, pop!
One after another, the candles lit up, filling the dark apartment community with a warm glow.
Fire, a form of energy, does not belong to physical matter. In the theory of the Five Elements, fire is one of the elements, possessing unique characteristics and meanings.
Its attributes include heat, brightness, and ascent, symbolizing the power and vitality of life.
Simultaneously, fire is also a destructive force, symbolizing courage and strength. In many cultures, fire is used to represent war, spirit, and bravery.
At least John Wick could perceive and feel what this light, dispelling darkness, held.
He glanced inside the apartment.
With movements outside, Higa Makoto had already stood up, looking toward the door that seemed to swing open with each gust of chilling wind.
"The next step is to suppress the demon."
She explained to Eileen the sequence of actions—drawing in and suppressing the demon.
As she spoke, she glanced at the nervous Higa Makoto and then walked towards the door by herself.
Eileen caught up with Higa Makoto, following her.
"Cock-a-doodle-doo!"
The sound continued to echo.
The three of them arrived in the corridor, taking in everything outside.
It was only now that Eileen realized that the altars outside were also part of a ritual.
Neatly arranged like soldiers in formation, they stood at their designated spots, connected by the light of the candles into a cohesive whole.
A Chinese character suddenly appeared in Eileen's mind. She had studied Japanese, Korean, and even Chinese under the guidance of her bishop, so she was familiar with the scripts of the world.
"So it is..."
High above, Eileen looked at the unified light below and muttered to herself.
"Suppress."
As if confirming Eileen's thoughts, the priests and shrine maidens at the bases of the altars began to form a hand seal simultaneously, pointing towards the densely clouded sky. Rich and resonant spiritual energy surged from each of them.
"Cock-a-doodle-doo!"
The usual call that symbolized the dispersal of darkness and the arrival of dawn halted at that moment, replaced by a chant.
"The sun rises in the east, shining golden. Banish the evil demons, and may the gods shine eternally. God of the East, protect me and bring peace, let no demons invade, blessing longevity and health."
A chant rose from the eastern direction.
"The flames rise fiercely, burning intensely. Burn away the evil, purifying heaven and earth. God of the South, grant me strength, let the evil demons retreat, and bring peace and order."
A second chant emanated from the south.
"Autumn is sent refreshingly, with a harvest expected. Let the demons depart swiftly, bringing prolonged blessings. God of the West, protect my home, let no demons near, bringing auspicious health."
A third chant came from the west.
"Ice and snow are pure, the cold penetrating to the bone. Let the evil demons disperse and become pure. God of the North, grant me protection, let no demons approach, and may prosperity reside forever."
The fourth chant rose from the north.
Under Eileen's gaze, these chants, empowered by some mysterious force, turned into orange-red flames.
One character after another floated in the air, suddenly rushing towards the cloud-filled sky, rapidly merging
into a chain composed entirely of the chants, glowing orange-red.
The end of the chain was anchored by the kneeling elder priests.
Eileen followed the chain with her eyes, only to see a scene that made her gasp.
The start of the chain was directly embedded into the bodies of the elder priests, who now bowed their heads, their bodies bent, motionless.
Using her mediumistic talents, she could no longer sense any life force within these bodies.
"They are already dead," Higa Makoto's calm voice announced.
Eileen pursed her lips, looking at the lifeless bodies with a sigh.
"This is the price of suppression, only in this way can the demon be nailed down here."
Even though the elder priests at the four directions were dead, Higa Makoto's face and voice remained unchanged. She simply looked down calmly and said, "Otherwise, if the demon escapes, all our efforts would have been in vain."
Then she looked up at the continuously swirling clouds in the sky, resembling a massive dragon flying above.
"From now on, it can't escape."
As she spoke, the candles around the altar suddenly swayed without any wind.
"After suppression comes exorcism," Higa Makoto continued, addressing Eileen and the visibly upset Higa Makoto calmly.
As her words fell, the colors in the northern sky turned even darker.
A surge of chilling wind burst forth from there, like a raging beast rampaging between heaven and earth.
It came with the force of thunder, sweeping through the area, lifting sand and stones, uprooting trees, and shredding the apartment in an instant.
The fierce swirling currents, as if endowed with endless power, swept up everything in its path, reducing it to nothing.
"Sister!" Higa Makoto looked anxiously at her sister.
Higa Makoto silently regarded the priests and shrine maidens on the altar, saying calmly, "It's not yet time for you to act."
As she spoke, the patiently waiting priests and shrine maidens began to move.
They stared directly at the magnificent scene before them, their hands continuously forming seals, swiftly and precisely changing gestures, each action uniform and filled with a certain rhythm and power.
"Protectors of the divine realm, barriers of the four directions, let no demons or ghosts pass!"
As this chant was spoken, the air around them seemed to thicken and become sacred.
Eileen, watching from the sidelines, could see runes forming in the space below, which spread out with the chanting and formed a huge barrier that enveloped the entire apartment complex and the surrounding land. It slowly closed in, trapping the rampaging beast and blocking the raging giant creature.
With a loud bang, a tremendous noise erupted.
Inside the barrier, the raging beast seemed to roar and bellow, trying to break free from the constraints binding it. The sound of sharp whistles and deep roars mixed with the turbulent airflow.
In an instant, the entire barrier trembled violently. The faces of the priests and shrine maidens on the altar turned pale, some spouting blood and collapsing from the altar, even as cracks appeared in some altars, ready to crumble.
Despite this, the trembling barrier, with the cooperation of the priests and shrine maidens, slowly closed in. Perhaps when the barrier finally closes into a single point, the vast resentment inside will be completely eradicated...
Eileen looked at the still calm Higa Makoto.
"The demon has no physical form; this entire world is its manifestation."
Higa Makoto seemed to sense Eileen's gaze and spoke.
"Although we have constrained most of its power, what it can do next exceeds our actions. Please have Brother John protect the priests and shrine maidens on the altar."
Higa Makoto looked at Eileen, ready to bow, but Eileen, quick to react, supported Higa Makoto, saying gently, "Haven't we already agreed?"
Higa Makoto paused, feeling the supportive hand on her shoulder, and bowed her head, saying, "Please!"
Eileen remained silent, only nodding her head. This touch finally made her understand why Higa Makoto's face was always so pale.
Because Higa Makoto's body had no spiritual power left. Her once-abundant spiritual energy, reputed to be the most potent in Japan, had been completely depleted in those repeated exorcisms.
"No wonder Makoto said she was prepared to sacrifice her lifespan," Eileen thought back to their time in the church.
Regardless of the country, there are methods to exchange lifespan for great power, and the church has them too. Although the path to heaven is inevitably affected, the nature of the act is also crucial.
For those long-dead priests who sacrificed their lives just to confine the demon, the path to heaven would not be impacted. Instead, because of their sacrifice, their path to heaven would be more solidified. Of course, whether or not they believed in God was also crucial.
After all, heaven is merely a place created
by God for His people.
A flurry of thoughts passed through Eileen's mind as she steadied Higa Makoto, saying seriously, "Brother John has been waiting all along, which is why he parked his car among the altars, not outside."
Just as Eileen finished speaking, the world around them stirred again.
"Hee hee!"
"Ha ha!"
"..."
Suddenly, from all directions, came a sound that raised goosebumps—now distant, now near, as if coming from everywhere, impossible to pinpoint.
And yet the voices seemed right by the ear, whispering softly, yet also as if from a distant, ethereal place, evoking fear and making one's scalp tingle.
"Hee hee!"
These were not just any voices; they were the playful, childish laughter of children, clear and youthful yet unnervingly eerie.
"Hey hey!"
Their carefree laughter seemed out of place, causing not just the frowning Higa Makoto and Eileen to shudder but also the relatively naive Higa Makoto.
Simultaneously.
As the childish voices rose, the air seemed to grow heavier, suffocatingly oppressive, spreading an inexplicable fear that made Higa Makoto involuntarily want to flee this eerie space.
Every little sound tugged at her nerves, accelerating her heartbeat and heightening her fear.
Higa Makoto's breathing became labored, she swallowed a non-existent gulp of saliva, but as she was about to speak, a somewhat cold hand touched her shoulder. Higa Makoto suddenly woke up and turned to see her sister Higa Makoto and Sister Eileen.
Unbeknownst to her, she had been drenched in sweat, her forehead slick with it.
Higa Makoto looked bewilderedly at her sister, Higa Makoto, now understanding everything.
She had almost been invaded by the demon in that moment.
"The demon can sense the dark sides and weaknesses of people's hearts, finding 'gaps' to attack," Higa Makoto explained calmly.
"You must remember, wherever you are, before you act, protect your mind first. Always be vigilant, guard against everything. Although your current spiritual power is enough to wake you, sometimes it's not just one evil being."
"I understand, Sister," Higa Makoto nodded earnestly, having learned her lesson. She took a deep breath and silently pulled out a talisman from her bag.
"Zen Purification Talisman?"
The Zen Purification Talisman: It can purify the soul, returning it to calm and peace, eliminating evil thoughts and resentment, making it difficult for spirits to possess.
Higa Makoto, still expressionless, nodded her approval.
"Phew!"
Higa Makoto exhaled softly, glanced at Sister Eileen, and after receiving a nod, pinched one corner of the talisman with two fingers and carefully unfolded it. As she did, she linked all the spiritual energy within the talisman as if awakening the power sleeping within it.
In an instant, the talisman began to emit a faint light.
At that moment, Higa Makoto swung her right hand, throwing the talisman into the air in front of her.
Her action was swift and forceful, as if channeling all her strength into the throw. The softly glowing talisman traced a beautiful arc in the air, then suddenly stopped in front of Higa Makoto, releasing a dazzling light and powerful energy.
With a sound like striking a wooden fish!
The sound, like a droplet on a calm lake, rippled through the air, carrying an ancient and profound charm, directly penetrating the hearts of all present.
With a sudden silence!
All noise vanished, leaving only a peaceful calm in the world!
"This is..."
Looking at the talisman that had stopped in the air, glowing faintly after unfolding, Higa Makoto blinked, experiencing for the first time the power from the talisman, and also that from her sister, because she felt...
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