The sixth day... and the shrinking perimeter

The sixth day... and the scope of the shrinkage

Only vengeful spirits can truly fight against them.

As the "polka dot phenomenon" in Tokyo intensifies, more and more people are clearly experiencing this.

--Whether you're deeply involved or on the sidelines.

"Chairman, the acting Chief Cabinet Secretary has sent some new information regarding Tokyo. Please review it as soon as possible."

"Okay, put it there—no, just give it to me!"

At first, he didn't react, but after noticing that it was news about Tokyo, the old man, who was wearing a haori (traditional Japanese clothing) and had nearly gray hair, quickly took the paper document.

After seeing the insignia and the words "Okinawa Base" on it, he frowned slightly, but still quietly opened the file bag and took out its contents.

Objectively speaking, with the disruption of external information and population interaction, Tokyo, a vital city in the island nation, has literally been "out of contact" for more than 24 hours.

Now that even the emergency legislation for government affairs has been activated, and with the Prime Minister, the Cabinet, and other government agencies in Tokyo losing much of their communication, many relevant staff members have no choice but to temporarily take on some of the duties, either with gritted teeth or with secret delight.

Even veteran politicians like him, who are based in Kyoto, were once again invited to "come out of retirement" to carry out public reassurance work and coordinate various affairs.

There's no way around it; given the combined effects of population, economy, and the capital's status, the seemingly inexplicable and bizarre "fall" of the island's leading city has had far too severe an impact.

Even though many people's first reaction upon hearing the news was to try their best to suppress it—but the truth will eventually come out.

Similarly, personnel sent to scout the area, along with patrol vehicles and fighter jets, never returned after entering the vicinity of Tokyo.

Judging from the intermittent network signal and communication disruptions, and the information provided by the very few survivors who managed to escape Tokyo, Tokyo may now have become a "dangerous place" where entry is permitted but exit is not!

However, the specific reasons and developments remain completely unclear to the vast majority of people.

Therefore, the seemingly insignificant document in his hand right now seems exceptionally important.

[Kayako Kawamata, female, married to Takeo Saeki, had a son, Toshio. Her husband had been diagnosed with oligospermia before his death. It is suspected that due to marital infidelity, he killed Manami, the wife of her son's homeroom teacher Shunsuke Kobayashi, and later also killed Kayako Saeki. It is said that the state of her body was extremely gruesome.]

[Shunsuke Kobayashi's whereabouts are unknown----]

[Toshio Saeki's body was later found in a closet on the upper floor of his old house----]

[During Takeo Saeki's escape and wandering, his body was found next to a garbage bag, with what appeared to be numerous hair-like thread-like binding marks.]

[During the investigation, some of the police officers who entered the house to investigate subsequently died unexpectedly, their bodies mutilated gruesomely, suggesting possible involvement in a gangland revenge plot.]

[No one is willing to take over the case, therefore it is being closed and archived ahead of schedule.]

A very strange and vague file, clearly pieced together from multiple sources of recollection, including photocopies of old texts and photographs.

Based on the few clues that were found and compared with the "ghost dream," some surviving parties were still able to barely recognize the "spider woman" in the terrifying dream, or rather, the origin of the vengeful ghost named Kayako Kawamata.

In contrast, another paranormal video that is circulating like a virus online has seen more definitive information coming from the investigation, despite the immense pressure of the "fall of Tokyo"!

After watching this video, even if the communication signal is cut off beforehand, the phone will still ring on its own in a mysterious way, informing the viewer of the video message that they will die in seven days.

Based on the volcanic footage that appeared on the videotape, the police quickly located the Mihara Mountain News, where the volcano had previously erupted.

Furthermore, according to some elderly people still alive in the Izu region, the figure combing her hair in front of the mirror in the videotape was a woman named Shizuko Yamamura!

Shizuko Yamamura, who once appeared in newspapers and is said to possess special abilities, met Dr. Heihachiro Ikuma from the reclusive "T University" when she was young. She had a daughter named "Sadako" with this psychiatrist who was actually already married.

It is said that Sadako, in her youth, was shrouded in mystery and regarded as a "special person" like her mother because of her actions such as "watching a television that displayed images even though it was not plugged in" and "predicting a tsunami while playing at the beach, resulting in the deaths of most of the other children."

Just as her mother Shizuko, ultimately jumped into the crater of Mihara Mountain, Sadako also later disappeared completely.

Including the ancient well mentioned at the end of the videotape, which was also discovered through in-depth investigation and found to be located in a southern area not too far from Tokyo.

Near the root sanatorium.

The problem is that while a large amount of relevant information seems to have been unearthed from old papers, it's not all good news that's coming along with it.

The investigators who were urgently dispatched are now receiving a series of chilling reports: almost everyone who arrived near the South Hakone Sanatorium has disappeared. This includes not only the police officers investigating, but also the accompanying photographers, and even local residents who have vanished without a trace.

Left with no other choice.

The authorities and police have also had to quickly seal off the entire South Hakone Sanatorium area, which is located deep in the mountains. Various rumors have also emerged, and the whole situation has fallen into panic.

Legend has it that some kind of "great terror" disturbed the area, and now it is spreading outwards like a vortex, engulfing everything, and large areas nearby have fallen out of contact.

Seeing that this situation, if handled carelessly, could quickly escalate into a second "Tokyo situation," the old man who had received the documents was now trembling more and more as he looked at them.

But what shocked him even more was a document that followed the two reports.

Positioned as an "observation" base, Amerika Okinawa Base clearly sensed something was wrong and requested intervention, citing the disappearance of soldiers on leave in Tokyo.

Having obtained some information in advance, and perhaps realizing the seriousness of the situation, the Miki District government unilaterally proposed that, considering the risk of further spread of the paranormal phenomena, an emergency "disinfection" operation would be carried out in Tokyo.

The last line, in particular, carries weight even without any diplomatic embellishment. "We suggest that your side..."

The remaining personnel must be evacuated from Tokyo within 24 hours. Those who fail to evacuate within the specified time will bear the consequences themselves.

It was less a request for cooperation and more a unilateral notification—a "friendly reminder."

The corresponding timeframe is—until tomorrow!

As for the so-called "disinfection," how exactly should it be done?

This veteran politician was naturally not entirely clear on the specifics, but his years of experience in assigning blame had taught him one thing: in situations like this, not knowing the inside story might be the better outcome.

Compared to the anxieties of those outside, those actually inside Tokyo at this moment likely have much simpler thoughts.

This is fucking bizarre!

Even though it was still broad daylight and the clouds weren't thick, the sky suddenly became unusually dark.

The sight of those pale, bluish-white Spirit Entity wandering around in broad daylight, their indistinct images blending with the victims' features, was utterly chilling.

On the third day after the Ju-On was "freed," these increasingly clear paranormal phenomena, the growing "marching of the dead," were even easily captured by a large number of photographic devices.

The increasing quantity and quality of Kayako —in other words, its threat continues to rise!

Even the temples near the outer areas are like this; heaven knows what the situation is really like in the most densely populated areas of Tokyo right now.

No one can figure it out, nor do they have the time to pay attention to so much.

That's why they say pressure is the best teacher.

The chanting of sutras, which began in a dozen hours, went from unfamiliar to fluent, and then from fluent to hoarse. Even so, many of the fugitives who followed the monks in chanting, although mostly middle-aged and elderly, continued to chant softly despite their dry mouths.

"----The Tathagata cannot be seen by his physical form. Why? Because the physical form spoken of by the Tathagata is not a physical form at all."

Every inch of space where people could sit, both inside and outside the temple gate, from the main gate to the main hall, is now packed with people.

Even as more and more people kept desperately trying to squeeze in, and even the police officers guarding the gate stopped stopping them, each one simply holding their guns horizontally across their knees, their eyes filled with anxiety and bloodshot veins.

Now that things have come to this, especially after what happened last night, no stubborn old man can still deny that "there are no ghosts in the world, these are all illusions."

Even during the daytime, the generator inside the temple was still running at a deafening roar. Judging from the sound of it, there was probably some kind of information antenna equipment involved, which was efficiently emitting electromagnetic waves and forming a frequency-converting information field in the surrounding area.

In contrast, the bluish-white shadows wandering nearby, judging from the larger "ripples" between the Phantom Form, did indeed appear to have been affected to some extent.

Undoubtedly, these things, which are more or less related to spirit, resentment, soul, and mental power, cannot ignore all interfering factors.

But this "good news" is not enough to put users at ease.

Under the gloomy sky, on the highway, in the shade of trees, and beside the mountain road—these large numbers of pale and bluish figures were crowded together, their cold gazes fixed on the living people in the distance. Their bodies still bore many signs of the torture they had suffered before death, and just looking at them made one feel the pain and resentment in their faces!

For normal people, the indirect psychological pressure is enormous.

Nowadays, the number of living people who can still flock to the temples is naturally decreasing.

After all, based on actual observation, without clear protection, even just being touched by such a bluish-white Ghost Shadow would cause an ordinary person to almost completely lose control of their body, leaving them at its mercy.

Out of desperation, some people within the temple are now even secretly circulating the cursed video, attempting to gain the protection of the spirit known as the "Well Woman" through this method.

Yes, with their unanimous agreement, this Japanese temple, which blends Shinto and Buddhist traditions, has temporarily given Sadako, who crawled out of the ancient well, the honorific title of "Well Woman," and even erected a plaque to enshrine her.

Ah, the true value of the so-called eight million gods of Takamagahara since Takamagahara!

Regardless of the meaning of this self-deceptive "deification" approach, the fact that more and more survivors have already risked watching Sadako's video means that a strange stalemate has formed!

Whenever a Ju-On Spirit Entity approaches, the same eerie ghostly call will ring directly from the target, even from any object that can barely be called a communication device.

What followed was a bloody battle between the vengeful ghost clones!

This is precisely why, since last night, many survivors, despite knowing the risks involved, chose to watch the video.

After all, let alone them, even the Main God User, when faced with something like Ju-On, which can be seen as the embodiment of the "evil" side of human nature, are not actually confident that they can survive on their own.

Just like now.

A chilling sensation, like a leech, clung to his back. His muscles and skin trembled instinctively, and without thinking, Li Anshan performed a nimble somersault, almost instantly "taking off" and flying a few feet away!

As Second Tier [Magic Bullet Shooter], with this spell-like variant enhancement, his skills are currently mainly concentrated on his agile movement and enchanted shooting.

When he glanced back again, the somewhat unique-looking, revolver-like classic gun at his waist was already swiftly aimed at the position behind him.

Sure enough, right where he had just been standing, a small, pale-faced ghostly Ghost Shadow was now crawling on the ground, quietly reaching out and almost touching the hem of his clothes.

Admittedly, this "little boy" seemed to be playing hide-and-seek, with dark circles under his eyes that were more pronounced than most people's, but that didn't mean that people were less wary of him.

Previously, ordinary Spirit Entity would dissipate within a hundred or so steps of Sadako. But now, as the "forms" become clearer, the "distance" that a few relatively special individuals can penetrate among these increasingly large Ghost Shadow seems to be getting closer and closer.

The boy, Toshio Saeki, who resembled a black cat, moved with the stealth of a snowflake, closing in to within forty or fifty paces.

Within a range!

An extremely dangerous distance!

"Alert!""

With a sharp shout, but no time to think, Li Anshan pulled the trigger without hesitation, and several bullets flew out of the barrel with a series of bangs, leaving obvious streaks of light in the air!

But this boy, whose skin was as pale as paper, only let out a chilling meow, and the next moment, his traces vanished into thin air!

Sensing something was wrong, the users who had also jumped up quickly looked around and their gazes fell on the gray-haired student who was sitting relatively far out, looking dejected because of the previous communication equipment incident!

"Careful!"

"Run!"

"Run!"

Startled by the sound, the blond-haired man didn't react until he realized that everyone seemed to be watching him, at which point he snapped out of his daze.

But soon, that expression was replaced by terror!

A pale, snake-like arm slithered across his shoulder from behind, while another arm simultaneously wrapped around the boy's arm.

His left shoulder visibly slumped, as if some heavy object had suddenly pressed down on him.

----No, someone actually rested their chin on it.

His long, dark hair swept across the room, almost instantly obscuring half of his body, along with a stiff, traditional geisha-like face that suddenly appeared.

The deathly pale woman had already embraced the figure from behind, their posture so intimate it resembled the whispered words of lovers.

Even so, for every eyewitness, this scene would probably only leave them with an extremely chilling sense of horror!

"Don't!!!"

As if encountering a natural enemy, Li Anshan's body instinctively emptied the magazine the moment he cried out!

But it was too late.

The bullet, still glowing with fire, pierced through the thick black hair and white clothes, leaving only a few broken edges. But the increasingly rapid, slender black threads had already enveloped the poor man like a swarm of mad snakes!

The snakes tightened their grip, so much so that a few individuals with exceptional hearing could even hear the faint, creaking sound of the fabric being deeply constricted into their skin.

The next moment, accompanied by that familiar "clucking" sound, along with the almost suppressed, shrill sound inside, it was like a person whose throat was blocked, making a desperate sob that was tearing their heart apart!

In just a few moments, the vengeful ghost that had silently arrived vanished again, leaving only a large amount of gushing blood in its place, clearly carrying many flocculent substances that resembled "meat paste"—

And the result was that no remains were found.

Everyone looked extremely pale, and some even vomited!

It's one thing for students to react this way, but it's another thing for users to have this reaction!

Yong Qi glared at Tao Guangsheng, who had just vomited, but didn't say anything more.

Regardless of the circumstances, everyone's first reaction is to immediately reduce the surrounding sentry posts and move towards the center!

The risk has increased again!