FengYuchen and the others were discussing the details of the base plan when suddenly Takashi Komuro and Kohta Hirano emerged from the jungle, their expressions somewhat serious.
"Senpai, there's a shrine in the forest, and there's a shrine maiden inside who's actually controlling zombies, not allowing us to approach the shrine even a step. We tried to rescue her but couldn't do anything," Takashi Komuro said, panting.
FengYuchen was puzzled."Wait, Komuro, what are you saying? Controlling zombies? A shrine maiden? Are you kidding with us? How could someone control zombies?"
"It's true, Senpai. If you don't believe me, ask Kohta," Takashi Komuro said seriously.
FengYuchen then turned his gaze to Kohta Hirano.
Kohta Hirano nodded earnestly."Although it might sound exaggerated, it's true. She's indeed controlling zombies, and shrine maidens can sometimes possess mysterious powers..."
FengYuchen couldn't help but smirk. Well, calm down. If there's an Infinite System in existence, then what's a shrine maiden with some special powers? Who exactly is this girl who controls zombies?
"Alright, let's go check out the shrine. If this shrine maiden joins us, it could be a great strategic advantage. Nanlixiang and the others will stay here on guard. Saeko, Asami, Komuro, Kohta, let's go up and take a look..." FengYuchen said.
"Okay..."
Everyone nodded.
Guided by Takashi Komuro, FengYuchen gradually arrived at the foot of the shrine. Japanese shrines are usually built on mountains, with more stairs indicating greater mystery. The shrine at the foot of the mountain had many stairs, surrounded by dense forests, giving it an eerie and mysterious atmosphere.
When FengYuchen and his group climbed up to the shrine, they found a girl dressed in a white shrine maiden's outfit sitting under the eaves, having a meal. Surrounding her were several zombies, none of which showed any intention of attacking the shrine maiden.
Upon hearing the noise, the shrine maiden quickly reacted, looking somewhat panicked as she gazed at FengYuchen's group. Pointing at them, she said,"You, leave, all of you, leave. This place has been taken over by demons. It's not safe for you to be here..."
Demons?
FengYuchen couldn't quite grasp what the girl was talking about, but one thing he understood was that the shrine maiden before him was also an Infinite Player, identified as Haruna Suzumiya with the code number 012, as she didn't conceal her name. As a player who could control zombies, she was certainly not ordinary. If she used her abilities wisely, Haruna Suzumiya could be even more formidable than FengYuchen himself.
"Hello, I'm FengYuchen, and these are Saeko, Asami, Komuro, and Kohta. We mean no harm to you. I'm not sure what you mean by demons, but if you're referring to them (the zombies) as demons, then I can tell you that this world is filled with such 'demons,' and we fight against them every day," FengYuchen explained.
"The whole world has become demons? How is that possible? People thought it was punishment from the gods, turning everyone in this shrine into demons, and I'm here to manage these demons to prevent them from harming others..." Haruna Suzumiya said in a daze.
Sweat...
FengYuchen and his group were collectively dumbfounded. This girl... was overthinking things, wasn't she?
Having watched a lot of anime, FengYuchen understood that shrine maidens were considered messengers of the gods, similar to priests or prophets, with duties such as dispelling disasters, managing demons, and ensuring the well-being of humans. Characters like Kikyo from"Inuyasha" and Reimu Hakurei from"Touhou Project" fulfilled such roles.
Damn it, does this guy named Haruna Suzumiya really believe that she's been assigned a duty by the gods to manage demons (zombies) and prevent them from harming humans? And on top of that, she's successfully controlling zombies! What a ridiculous setup! Is this Haruna Suzumiya guy really from the 21st century? Seriously, what a mix-up! Managing demons, my foot...
Not just FengYuchen, but the others were also grumbling. It's worth venting about these glaringly absurd points. It's a relief to let it out. This guy in front of them has clearly surpassed the boundaries of normal human thinking.
"Alright, Miss Shrine Maiden, then come down the mountain with us to punish these demons (zombies). Since you have the ability to control demons (zombies), then use that power to command them to fight against their kind. In doing so, we can save the world. The gods didn't intend for you to just stay here calmly eating. They want you to punish these demons (zombies)," FengYuchen had to explain to Haruna Suzumiya in a way she could understand.
After thinking about FengYuchen's words, Haruna Suzumiya nodded excitedly. She stood up from the tatami mat, clasped her hands together, closed her eyes, and bowed towards the sky, saying,"Haruna respectfully follows the divine decree and will definitely punish these demons (zombies) to bring peace to the world!"
"!!!"
She really took it seriously!
FengYuchen and their group couldn't help but grumble again. This guy is definitely not normal.
"Now I believe in the legends of shrine maidens in our country..." Komuro suddenly said.
Kohta also looked thunderstruck and said,"Yeah, I believe it too. Today, I finally got to see a real shrine maiden..."
Continuing, FengYuchen said to Haruna Suzumiya,"Miss Shrine Maiden, uh, maybe you should first make these demons (zombies) in front of you kill each other. Once their heads are smashed, they won't rise again. This is like granting them salvation..."
FengYuchen wanted to witness firsthand Haruna Suzumiya's ability to control zombies!
Haruna Suzumiya nodded and said,"Okay..."
Then, to the astonishment of everyone, Haruna Suzumiya's eyes instantly turned purple, and an unseen powerful force emanated from her body...
"Roar... Howl... Howl..."
Then all the zombies started fighting each other, thrusting their sharp claws into each other's heads...
In just a moment, over a dozen zombies fell to the ground...
"Phew..."
After doing all this, Haruna Suzumiya sighed lightly, looking somewhat exhausted as she sat on the ground and panted, saying,"Phew, that was tiring. As expected, I need to eat more to have energy..."
Though Haruna Suzumiya appeared somewhat relaxed, FengYuchen and their group were utterly shocked! What kind of power is this? It's terrifying, incredibly terrifying power. Is this something an ordinary person can do?!