Chapter 2: The Shrine Maiden Who Defies Heaven

"So... why can't I hide these ears even though I'm clearly so powerful?" Zhao Baiyou wondered aloud.

She arrived at a clear little river. (To avoid confusion, from now on, let's use names appropriate to each identity!) Yae Sakura sat down right on the bank, removed her shoes and white socks, and dipped her long, beautiful feet—which definitely didn't seem to belong to her—in the water.

Ah, that feels amazing!

Even though winter still held sway in her own world, here it seemed to be summer already!

Yae Sakura gazed into the river, where her reflection stared back. She grabbed the long ears atop her head; no matter what anyone said, they looked nothing like fox ears.

Fox ears aren't nearly this long!

This wasn't the most important thing. Yae Sakura didn't just have a pair of fluffy fox ears; she also had her original human ears.

So... Yae Sakura now has four ears... Four channels of sound!

The feeling was... incredible!

It was like an entirely new experience, with hearing vastly improved...

Now, even faint sounds were easily audible if Yae listened carefully. While it wasn't as extreme as having "ears that can hear from miles away," it was still pretty amazing.

However, without being careful, noise could be overwhelming.

If this ability brought inconvenience, it paled in comparison to the discomfort caused by my current body and attire.

Having transformed into a Gyakushin Miko, I naturally had to wear A-Yae's traditional shrine maiden outfit!

The top, revealing the shoulders, seemed acceptable enough, but what was up with this short red plaid skirt?

It barely covered past the hips!

In the game, I always wished their skirts would be shorter, but now that it's me wearing one...

Hmm, thinking about it, it is kind of thrilling...

Ugh! That was a slip of the tongue...

But thankfully... I'm wearing safety shorts underneath, not regular underwear. This small detail lifts my spirits slightly.

What if you suddenly woke up as a beautiful girl one day? What would be your first move?

Would you show off for your friends?

Take some time for yourself first?

Or maybe use it to meet people and make a ton of money?

For Zhao Baiyou, the choice was simple: himself first!

Even though he had a sister who insisted on marrying him alone, well... she was flat-chested!

Not fair!

"No one's around now... Maybe I should..."

Zhao Baiyou glanced around, then placed his hand on his chest...

"Help! Help me!"

Just as Zhao Baiyou was about to move, a scream rang out from nearby.

In this wild, deserted mountain... where did that person come from?

Zhao Baiyou froze for a moment before quickly standing up... then put on his socks and shoes, grabbed his knife, and headed towards the sound of the cry.

Before long... Zhao Baiyou arrived at the scene. He spotted a girl in traditional Japanese attire struggling to run away from several monsters chasing her with weapons.

"Help me! Please help!" The girl was terrified, gasping for breath as she looked exhausted. The monsters eyed her like they were closing in on their prey, quickly surrounding her.

Just then... Zhao Baiyou stepped forward with his blade raised. All the monsters turned their attention to him.

"A human? No wait! It's another monster..."

"It looks like a shrine maiden? But those clothes are way too revealing!"

"I sense human presence—it must be half-human! Ha ha..."

As "Yae Sakura" approached, the monsters eyed the fox-eared miko warily. But when they sensed her human presence, they immediately broke into smiles.

"A half-demon... Just a measly half-demon. How dare you disturb us, you half-breeds! We'll eat you all together!"

In this world, monsters looked down on half-demons, and humans shunned them too. All half-demons had a sad fate.

"Half-demon..." The girl in traditional Japanese clothing was surrounded by enemies. She had hoped Yae Sakura was her savior, but instead, she found another monster.

Even though it's a beautiful one!

Now knowing that this gorgeous creature before her is actually half-monster, she can't help feeling a bit more intrigued.

"A half-demon? She's just a measly half-demon!" Yae Sakura brushed off the insult. Even if she wasn't one, so what?

Nura Rangiku was also a half-demon, yet he ruled over all manner of monsters.

"How dare a half-demon brat act so tough! Capture her!"

A vicious ghost roared, its green face twisted with fangs, radiating invisible terror.

Several monsters immediately moved towards Yae Sakura.

"Hmph!"

Yae watched the approaching monsters. Though she tried to look unfazed, inside she was terrified. Despite being an SSS-rank Gyakushin Miko—possessing powers that defied the gods... Yae had never faced a legendary monster before!

She'd barely ever been in a fight, let alone killed one of these creatures.

Though she'd practiced her skills earlier, it had only been against trees—it wasn't the same at all.

But... there was no time for hesitation now. As the monsters drew closer, Yae gritted her teeth and gripped the hilt of her spiritual blade with one hand.

When they were close enough, she followed the sword technique she'd learned, locking onto several terrifying monsters right in front of her.

"Cut down!"

Even though the monsters were still several meters away from Yae, she swiftly drew her sword, unleashing a massive wave of sword energy.

The sword slashed through the monsters in front of her, severing them at the waist. The force of the blow continued through the beasts, cleaving even the rocks behind them.

"What...?"

Witnessing the sheer power of this half-demon's single strike, the remaining monsters were utterly stunned! The timid ones couldn't help but prepare for flight.

"You fools... you deserve to die!"

After slaughtering these creatures, Yae Sakura realized she felt not a hint of discomfort. Instead, an inexplicable sense of pleasure washed over her. This thrill of killing left her somewhat frightened—had she always been this twisted?

When others kill or slay monsters, shouldn't they feel sick or disgusted? Why do I feel so good instead?

For now, Yae Sakura pushed those thoughts aside. Gazing at the remaining monsters before her, she let out a bloodthirsty laugh and approached with an unsettling grin.

"Don't come any closer!"

"I'll cut her down if you dare move another step!"

The monsters were terrified by Yae Sakura's actions and even tried to grab the girl in her traditional clothes to threaten her.

But Yae Sakura didn't care about their threats at all!

Flash of a sword!

Locking onto the monster threatening her, she used the Gyakushin Miko's sword technique to instantly appear behind it.

Then... with one swift motion, she stabbed the blade right into the monster's head.

Ignoring the terrified girl, Yae Sakura turned her attention to the remaining monsters and slaughtered them as easily as mowing grass.

After dispatching all the creatures, the spiritual blade in Yae Sakura's hand remained... a beautiful cherry blossom pink, not stained with even a drop of blood.