“Yeah, yeah, it really looked like Hachishakusama,” Noki Izumi finally responded, nodding repeatedly. “…Xiaoxiao, do you think urban legends exist in this world?”
“They do.”
Noki Izumi let out a wail of despair, relieved that Xiaoxiao was with her. First, she encountered hypnosis, now a monster—this gal must be a magnet for bad luck, Mu Xiaoxiao thought to himself.
“The legend of Hachishakusama here is actually real… Looks like we’ll have to stick around a bit longer.” Although he didn’t have great investigative abilities, especially at night, Mu Xiaoxiao glanced around and carried Noki Izumi to the hot springs on the mountain.
“Huh? There’s actually a hot spring here?”
The gal was pleasantly surprised.
“I found it during the day. You can wash up here.”
“What about you?” Izumi hesitated, not letting go. “You’re dirty too, so why don’t we… why don’t we…”
…bathe together.
Before she could finish the sentence, there was a rustling sound in the leaves. Under the cold moonlight, a shadow suddenly appeared.
“Popopo—”
An eerie voice accompanied it.
A tall, yet curvaceous and alluring figure, dressed in a Western-style outfit, wearing a hat, with hair flowing in the wind.
She was smiling—
“Xiaoxiao! There, there, over there—” Noki Izumi hid behind him, her voice trembling.
Mu Xiaoxiao had already seen it, and with a playful arch of his eyebrow, he thought, Did I really encounter her?
“Don’t go, it’s dangerous.”
Izumi clung to his back, shaking her head frantically.
“What’s there to be afraid of?” Mu Xiaoxiao rolled his eyes. “Izumi, did you forget about that omamori? It has some demon-repelling effects.”
Oh, right.
Noki Izumi froze for a moment, realizing she had forgotten about it. No wonder Hachishakusama didn’t immediately follow them earlier.
But even so, it’s still scary… Ugh.
As they talked, Hachishakusama approached. Suddenly, she lifted her head, revealing a stunningly beautiful face under the moonlight.
“Hiss—!”
