I’m Really Unnerved In Tokyo

"Today, as the 15th favored person of Aum Shinrikyo, I would like to ask my teacher for advice..."

On the mask worn by the man in the black hood, "Shiwu" was written squarely in black ink with two long and thin calligraphy characters.

"The Buddha you believe in, has it ever appeared in front of your eyes, proving its existence?!"

Countless slender arms protruded from the slightly bowed back of the man in black.

"The 'power of thin hands' of this old body is the divine favor bestowed by the 'true god' I believe in!"

"Thin hands" are monsters that originated in the northeastern region of Japan. It is said that the main body is a slender invisible arm that is hard to defend. It often appears in people's homes.

The body protection spiritual power and enchantment of ordinary spirit removers are like nothing to ghosts like "Thin Hands".

However, the Dharma practiced by Kato Junko is extremely good at defending, and it has persisted until now.

"Has the Buddha you believe in ever stretched out even a finger to you when you were confused, desperate, or in pain?"

"Now, your life is about to die, will the Buddha you believe in come to save you?!"

Under the black robe, the old female voice questioned aggressively and madly.

"Buddhas have three incompetences, no karma will not be saved, fixed karma will not be transferred, and sentient beings will not be exhausted..."

With the frantic slapping of the arms, the pink Buddhist bell was gradually compressed, but Kato Junko's voice was still calm.

"One who cannot destroy fixed karma means that the Buddha can empty all appearances and cut off the evil of all sentient beings, but cannot avoid fixed karma."

Turning a blind eye to the critical situation in front of her, she actually discussed Buddhism with the other party in a serious manner.

"Secondly, you can't save those who have no predestined relationship. It is said that the Buddha can guide all sentient beings, but he can't save those who have no predestined relationship."

As she unhurriedly revealed the Zen mechanism, the originally weakened Buddhist clock stopped "shrinking" with great resilience.

"Those who cannot exhaust the world of living beings in the three means that the Buddha can save all sentient beings in the world, but cannot end the realm of living beings!"

The battle situation in the white mist became stalemate again for a while.

"Tsk, you can't do this, you can't do that, I think it's all your Buddha's excuse for your incompetence!"

Smacking his lips in disdain, "No. 15" turned his head to look into the mist on the right, and called out kindly: "Hey, don't dawdle... If you don't shoot anymore, it will consume those guys with only muscles left in their heads." Follow here, the living sacrifice named by the president will be snatched away."

"Snapped……"

Her response was a crisp clap of applause.

"Precious Grain..."

After the applause, the girl's immature, innocent singing sounded in the mist.

"Many flowers and trees..."

Another short black-robed man folded his hands reverently and hummed a simple waka, slowly appeared from the white mist and stood beside "No. 15".

"It's all a gift from the sun shining..."

On the mask on her face, the Arabic numeral "18" is crookedly written with the strokes of a child's graffiti.

"The food that breeds our lives..."

Humming softly, "Number Eighteen" lifted his hood and turned the mask behind his head.

"It's all the favor of Amaterasu-sama..."

This was actually a girl with big exaggerated buns tied on both sides of her hair, with an immature face, no more than sixteen years old by visual estimation.

"Oh, there are still people who can sing this waka?"

Listening to this weird tone and lyrics, Kato Junko thought for a while and recognized this waka.

This is a waka composed by Motoi Nobunaga, a master of Edo Chinese studies, to praise the food given by Amaterasu.

It has been passed down to this day, and many Shinto priests still hum this song in its entirety and pray solemnly before meals.

Ordinary people put their hands together before eating and say "I'm going to start (いただきます)", which comes from this waka, which can be regarded as a simplified version of the ceremony.

"Your life (あなたのせいめい)..."

As the waka was about to end, No. 18 clapped his hands together again, and bowed at ninety degrees to the pink Buddhist clock wrapped by countless arms.

"...I accept (いただきます)!"

Her eyes were closed and her face was downcast, full of sincere and devout thanks.

As soon as the words fell, her neck stretched like lightning, her head swelled a hundred times like inflated air, opened her huge mouth as ferocious as a great white shark, and bit down on the Buddha clock where Junko Kato was...

"I'm moving (いただきます)" can also be understood as "I accept it".

This idiomatic word comes from the last sentence of this waka.

This is also the last hypocrisy expressed by those who dine on the "food" that feeds themselves and loses their lives.

I accept your life.

"It turned out to be a ghost?"

From the gap in her arms, Kato Junko frowned when she saw "Number 18" pounce on her huge mouth that could swallow an entire car.

"That's right, it's a ghost..."

Saying this in a pure tone, "No. 18" gnawed hard on the Buddha bell with his huge head like a hot air balloon.

"Anything you can eat, and you never have to worry about being hungry, take a bite!"

One mouthful of ghosts is a ghost that is said to have a head that suddenly grows bigger in "The Tale of Ise" and can swallow people in one bite.

"Crackling..."

Bitten by her sharp teeth, the pink Buddhist clock immediately crumbled, showing dense cracks.

"Hey, bang crunchy!"

Seemingly very satisfied with the taste of this Buddha clock, No. 18 grinned grinningly and increased his bite strength.

"The World-Honored One speaks the Dharma for me, persuading me to admiration, and achieving joy..."

Among the Buddhist bells, the sound of Kato Junko's pious chanting continued to come out.

"In the process of practice, there are various levels of joy..."

As the chanting sounded, the pink Buddha light on the Buddha bell became more and more intense, and the original cracks were gradually recovering.

"Master, have you ever imagined that the child No. 18 is an orphan who was adopted and raised in a shrine since childhood..."

Seemingly obsessed with the previous conversation with Kato Junko, No. 15 manipulated countless arms to slap the Buddhist bell, while expressing it in a resentful tone.

"However, those bullshit priests who claim to enshrine the gods keep her as a pet and refuse to give her food..."

Having said that, she kindly put her hand on the thin shoulders of the person beside her.

"... only if she offers her immature flesh in exchange, can she have a full meal."

If the granddaughter hadn't left him, she would be so old now.

"When we rescued her, she couldn't even speak a complete sentence except for singing this pre-dinner waka..."

Hearing the hatred and affection in his companion's words, "Number 18" bit the giant face of the Buddha bell and twisted his smile, shaking his head slightly.

"Grandma...it's okay...I've already forgiven 'Father' and 'Grandpa'..."

Immediately, the bun on her head split from the middle, turned into another huge mouth, and bit the Buddha bell fiercely from the other side.

"...After all, they have long been food in my stomach."