‘No, no, no, no! How can there be so many of these evil spirits!’When Hoshimori Shion unleashed the Spirit Cutter once more, a searing pain shot through her wrist, distorting her movement. The intense agony forced her to drop the Spirit Cutter.Shion glanced at her wrist from the corner of her eye. It had been gashed in several places by the recent attacks of the evil spirits, blood flowing incessantly. Up until now, her focus had been entirely on the evil spirits she needed to exorcise, and the pain suppression granted by her enhanced Spirit-Subduing physique had allowed her to concentrate fully on the battle.But now, agonizing pain radiated from multiple wounds across her body. The intensity of it made her almost unable to stand steady, as if the pain suppression had suddenly, completely failed.’But, I can’t… these evil spirits before me…’For the first time, Shion truly understood what it meant to face a ‘beast tide’ composed of evil spirits.This was the same mountainside where she, Hoshimori Ayane, and Kujou Sakuya had picnicked just a few days prior. Given its distance from the residential area, even the significant commotion Shion was now causing had yet to draw any attention.Yet, upon her arrival, what greeted her was a surging tide of evil spirits, a veritable beast horde. Beneath the moonlight, where the silver glow fell, unlit black shadows stretched almost endlessly across the mountain. In her vision, countless dark figures blanketed the entire mountainside. A bone-chilling cold gnawed at Shion’s every nerve, causing her teeth to chatter involuntarily.The only silver lining was that, unlike last time, there were no evil spirit samurai; only beast-like evil spirits, each dispatched with a single strike of the Spirit Cutter.The problem, however, was that no matter how potent the Spirit Cutter, it was ultimately a lone force against a black tide of beasts, devoid of strategy and driven solely by relentless assault. Even as the evil spirits vanished almost instantly upon contact with the Spirit Cutter’s gleam, their surging, tidal attacks remained unstoppable. No matter how Shion defended herself, she inevitably exposed openings, allowing the beast-like evil spirits to tear at her skin.”Come on, Hoshimori Shion. You’ve faced this before, haven’t you…?” Shion gritted her teeth, once more brandishing the Spirit Cutter, annihilating several evil spirits that had been lunging at her.Just as she prepared to swing her blade again, a metallic taste suddenly filled her mouth.’How disgusting…’ Shion couldn’t hold it back and spat.It was blood… crimson stains blooming across her pure white miko attire.Shion’s eyes had begun to lose focus, yet she still raised the Spirit Cutter once more.****”Miss! The ‘pressure release’ amount this time is completely wrong! What did you just do?” the Grandpa Butler exclaimed anxiously to Igarashi Rie. “The ‘pressure release’ is almost five times what it was a few days ago!”Upon hearing this, the light seemed to drain from Rie’s crimson eyes in an instant.”I… I got distracted for a moment… when I was manipulating the seal just now…”Rie’s words came out disjointed. While she had been manipulating the seal for the ‘pressure release,’ her mind had wandered to the thought of Shion’s potential disappointment if she ever learned that Rie was the one who had unleashed the evil spirits.The Igarashi family had inherited a seal, passed down through generations, to protect the town and suppress evil spirits. Rie only knew that solely those with Igarashi blood could manipulate the seal, and even then, they could only perform this ‘pressure release,’ never fully opening it.From a young age, she had been told that the Igarashi family must guard this seal for all generations. Otherwise, should the evil spirits ever be released, the entire town would be annihilated. Moreover, it wouldn’t just be this town; several neighboring towns would inevitably be affected.Rie had once believed this implicitly. A duty was a duty.She had also harbored reverence and respect for her father, who had once borne such a mission.’But, oh, but…’If guarding the seal was the family’s mission, then why did her father take her mother and leave the town?’He claimed to be searching for a way to permanently resolve the evil spirit issue, yet Rie had only ever seen the Igarashi enterprises expanding into neighboring towns, cities, and even major metropolises through newspapers, television, and the internet.Aside from the ever-growing numbers in her bank account—so vast Rie didn’t even bother to count the digits—she had hardly ever seen her father in town again. The rare opportunities she had to speak with him were only over the phone, and usually, when Rie received a call, it was to be scolded.While she dared not defy her father’s authority, Rie was also deeply discontent. ‘Why did she have to stay in this town, guarding this seal forever?’Moreover, the seal was now growing increasingly fragile. The reason was simple: it had been maintained for four hundred years, with unexorcisable evil spirits absorbed into it annually. However, the seal, when first established, had its own inherent limits. Once it could no longer contain more evil spirits, it would collapse. Should the seal completely fail, the consequences would be unimaginable.As the inheritor of the Igarashi bloodline, Rie could sense this fragility. Yet, she had no better solution. Despite possessing the ability to maintain the seal, her own powers were limited to manipulating flames, which had almost no effect on evil spirits.****She had been distracted—just for a fleeting moment. Her manipulation of the seal had faltered, releasing a surge of evil spirits nearly five times the scale of yesterday’s.”The Guardian Miss is already in battle. But, evil spirits of this magnitude, even for the Guardian Miss…” The Grandpa Butler trailed off, his words heavy with unspoken concern.”Her chances are slim.”A sigh followed his words, left hanging in the air by the Grandpa Butler.”Miss, please prepare yourself for the possibility that the Guardian Miss may not be able to contend with these evil spirits.””No, it won’t happen, it won’t!” Rie clutched at her hair, rushing out of the house like a madwoman. Her long red hair whipped wildly in the night wind.’Is there still time?’But even if I arrive, what good would it do? My own abilities are utterly useless against those evil spirits, let alone saving Shion.’****When Rie finally reached the foot of the mountain, what met her eyes was a maiden, stained crimson with blood, unleashing her final silver blade-light.Beneath the moonlight, the miko attire, dyed scarlet with blood, radiated a potent aura of evil spirits—the lingering vestiges of those that had just attempted to overwhelm Shion before dissipating.As if sensing someone’s arrival, Shion turned her head, looking towards Kujou Sakuya’s direction. In truth, her vision was already a crimson haze, unable to perceive anything.Under the moonlight, the white-haired maiden stood like a statue bathed in blood, with only the Spirit Cutter, never relinquished from her grasp, emitting a faint, ethereal glow.