"Expectation..." Ji Yan's gaze flickered slightly as he switched back to the exclusive panel of the [Devil] Tarot Card.
Below "Desire Baptism," there was another entry: "A path to increase [Audience] favorability—"
Ji Yan's expression shifted imperceptibly several times as he looked at this so-called "path."
Past a stretch of ruined walls and rubble, the five of them saw a flight of stairs rising dozens of meters high. One torii gate after another stood along the steps, stretching all the way to the summit, where a shrine hall stood.
The torii gates were draped with shide, while white paper figures danced through the air. Dense white mist shrouded everything, heightening the mysterious atmosphere to the extreme.
"Looks like that so-called 'Eerie God' should be inside the shrine hall at the top." Violet said, folding her arms.
"Hmph, those little Sakura devils sure love putting on a show. Later, I'll chop down every one I see..." Street Punk rolled up his sleeves, his face full of disdain.
The five stepped onto the stairs. White paper fluttered overhead, and on the next tier of steps, a short little old man sat cross-legged.
No, more accurately, it was an eerie—
It wore a thick coat, its face covered in bumps and corpse spots, utterly devoid of life. A huge fleshy tumor protruded from the back of its head. Its hands were tucked into its sleeves as it sat there leisurely.
"Outsiders, if you wish to enter the shrine, you must complete the rite of audience."
"Especially foreigners."
The Eerie Old Man slowly raised his eyelids and spoke in the language of the Sakura people. Yet when the words reached Ji Yan's ears, he could understand them strangely enough.
It was as though they had naturally learned an extra language.
"Damn, my Japanese was