Story Dungeon: Yokai Tales - Chapter One Begins!

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So yeah, this little girl had a maturity way beyond her years.

When she was younger, Yayoi lost her parents in a car crash. 

But with her Spiritual eyes, she saw her mom get dragged off by a creepy spirit called 'Kuubou.' 

Before the incident with Kuubou, she could see both the living and the dead, but overlapped quite a bit. After the car incident she was able to see both clearly. Since then, she travels to various mysterious places in search for clues of her missing mother.

Yuto had nothing but respect for this little girl's courage and boldness.

"I've already investigated. The evil spirit in there's called Kishimojin—a ghost god with some serious power. It's dangerous. If you wanna leave, now's the time."

Yayoi pulled a mini bunny doll from her backpack, setting it on her chest as she faced Yuto and Meii, dead serious.

"No worries, we're sticking around," Yuto replied.

His eyes lingered on the doll. Thanks to his Heroic Spirit senses, he picked up a faint, dark curse energy leaking from it.

"This is a shikigami. By sealing an evil spirit in a shikigami, it can take hits or curses for you," Seeing Yuto staring at the doll Yayoi explained.

"But if you've only got one and it doesn't match the attack's target—like, say, a stab to the head when it has no head—you're the one who gets hurt. Plus, how tough it is depends on your own spirit's strength."

"To block more attacks, you need strong spirits. That's why I collect them like Pokemon."

"Yuto big brother, that's why I asked you along. I can't handle what's in there by myself."

In a world crawling with evil spirits, without these 'spirit Pokémon' to take the fall, even someone like her could get taken out fast.

Yuto and Misaki traded looks. 

'Where'd she even pick that up?'

......…..

In Japan, torii gates mark the boundary between the mundane and the divine.

Stepping through one means entering the realm of gods. 

Every move gotta be careful to avoid breaking any taboos. As the trio passed the torii, Yuto's dormant task panel pinged with a new mission.

[Story Dungeon Now Open…]

[(Urban Horror: Yokai Tales - Chapter One): Assist 'Hozuki Yayoi' in defeating or subduing 'Kishimojin' Completion rewards: 5 Saint Quartz, 1 Five-Star Special Craft Essence.]

'Huh, a story dungeon?'

The sudden alert grabbed Yuto's attention.

In his vision, the grayed-out dungeon panel flared a menacing red, its twisted, bloody text radiating a bad vibe, like a warning of rough times ahead.

"Kishimojin is one of Buddhism's twenty-four deities, originally from India. What's here is probably an avatar, a pseudo-god," Yayoi said.

'A story dungeon pits me against a pseudo-god right out the gate? And the rewards are cheap—just five Saint Quartz?' Yuto griped to himself.

As they moved deeper into the shadowy forest, the moonlight dimmed, flickering through the trees.

A sharp, cold wind whistled overhead.

Then, faintly, the sound of kids crying drifted through the air.

"We're here."

Yayoi stopped short, motioning for Yuto and Misaki to hold up.

"What… is that?"

Mei's left eye widened, her blue pupil locked on the scene ahead. A chill hit her like a punch, goosebumps prickling her skin.

Rows of child-sized jizo statues lined the path.

Their faces—half-smiling, half-weeping, wore red scarves around their neck that seemed soaked through in blood. They are scattered on both sides of the road, giving an inexplicable chill.

At the center sat an old, weathered temple.

"So many evil spirits… I've never seen this many before."

Mei's face went pale, sweat beading on her hands. The constant, hostile stares made her tense and nervous.

Even Misaki, roused by the tension, slipped out from her shadow.

Since awakening her Spiritual eyes, she'd never faced a swarm like this.

Thump… thump, thump!

Yuto's Red Dragon Heart was beating rapidly, stirring his dragon blood and sending out a fierce, unseen pressure.

The jizo statues flinched under his draconic aura, pulling back their greedy gazes and giving the gasping Mei some relief.

"Take my hand. Don't be scared, I've got you."

"Thanks…"

Mei's cheeks flushed as a wave of safety washed over her. She slid her soft hand into his, her pulse racing.

The closer they got to the temple, the more jizo statues popped up.

Their blank, spiteful eyes followed the trio, stirring a slow, creeping fear.

Legend says Kishimojin used to devour babies until she lost her own kid, then turned into a protector of children.

 But here, twisted by hordes of infant spirits, she'd fallen into an evil god.

Her minions were a small army, and even as just an avatar, she was no pushover.

In Jujutsu Kaisen terms, she'd Special Grade if not beyond Special Grade.

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