Anime Collector: Starting With the Malevolent Shrine

One strand per person.

A flash of shock crossed Daiki's eyes. He had to admit that Ichika was showing incredible bravery. Even Mrs. Yukinoshita wouldn't dare say such things.

Hopefully she would maintain this courage tonight.

| Daiki-Kun — Friend?…♡ |

| Alright. |

The phone vibrated softly.

Ichika's cheeks flushed sunset-red. She tucked away her phone and resumed eating her lunch, pretending nothing had happened.

Those without Spiritual Power, like Ginko and the others, hung their heads in resignation.

In the distance, Utaha gripped her chopsticks, her leg trembling slightly.

'Do Evil Spirits really exist? And is the stone shrine Yukinoshita mentioned truly the one that was destroyed?' Questions swirled in her mind.

Initially, she had doubted Daiki, but Ginko and Yukino's behavior made her wonder.

While Miko and Hana being deceived might be understandable, it seemed unlikely for the other two girls — both brilliant but proud and reserved. Earning their trust was no small feat.

Still... Evil Spirits... it seemed far-fetched, like something from an urban legend.

"..." Her keen eyes studied Ginko and the others carefully, 'I'll need to stay awake in class to observe Yotsuba-san.'

Utaha and Yotsuba were classmates.

She had witnessed the black and white energy enter her classmate's body. If Spiritual Power existed, Yotsuba would surely display some changes.

This might be her chance to uncover the truth about Evil Spirits.

The lunch break on the rooftop slipped away like a passing moment.

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Daiki and Ginko returned to their classroom.

Miku took her lunchbox and left the rooftop with Itsuki and the others.

A troubled Ichika was hesitating about what excuse to use to stay at Daiki's house. But no matter how she thought about it, she couldn't find an appropriate reason.

As she sat distracted from her classwork, screams suddenly erupted from a nearby classroom.

The commotion was clearly audible in both her class and Daiki's, where Mafuyu Kirisu paused her lecture mid-stride in her black high heels.

Ginko instinctively glanced toward Daiki next door — a movement Fumino happened to notice as she turned around.

When Mafuyu cautiously stepped toward the doorway and peered into the hallway, she discovered the corridor was already packed with a growing crowd of anxious students who had gathered to investigate the source of the commotion, their worried faces and hushed whispers filling the narrow space.

Through the chaos came the distinct sound of shattering glass.

Bang!

A tremendous force shook the wall.

"Quick... run away! There's a monster in the classroom!"

The sharp explosion brought the entire school building to a halt. Before Mafuyu could grasp the situation, the hallway erupted into chaos.

Panic spread through Daiki's class as well, with several students rising to join those fleeing in the hallway. Though uncertain of the situation, Mafuyu's primary concern was her students' safety.

She directed the students, "Evacuate through the back door."

Meanwhile, she intended to head toward the classroom at the end of the hallway.

"Daiki-kun, should we leave?" Fumino remained behind while others fled, looking to him for guidance.

Ginko had instinctively grabbed onto his sleeve.

"You all leave first, I'll go check it out." Daiki's Cursed Energy detected a Parasite that had infected a human.

"Then I'm coming with you." Ginko followed without hesitation.

She knew staying with him was safest — after all, he is a Sorcerer who had single-handedly destroyed a fully armed squad.

Though frightened, Fumino decided to trust Ginko's judgment. The other girl must know something to act so decisively.

Rizu Ogata, who had reached the door, turned back. Given her speed and small stature, she reasoned her chances of survival were better with Fumino and the others.

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Boom!

A male student's head in the classroom had split open — bizarrely, without spilling a drop of blood.

"This... this is already two different species, right?" Utaha's legs trembled beneath her black clothes.

The classroom walls were splattered with dismembered limbs and pungent blood.

While some students near the door managed to escape when they noticed something was wrong, someone had maliciously locked the door latch from the outside.

This trapped Utaha, Saki, and others in the classroom. Within moments, the casualties were devastating — even the balding math teacher had been decapitated.

The classroom had become a slaughterhouse, causing even the normally cheerful Yotsuba to pale. She struggled with the back door, but it wouldn't budge. The monster blocked the front entrance.

Utaha, Saki, and the others cursed their unknown assailant. Someone had clearly intended them as sacrifices.

The parasitized creature devoured intestines from the floor, regaining its strength before turning toward Yotsuba and the others.

Bang!

A blade, sharp as lightning, slashed toward the orange haired girl.

Clang!

Before the horrified eyes of Utaha and the others, a membrane of black and white light materialized around Yotsuba's body.

The Parasite's blade shattered upon contact with the membrane!

She opened her eyes, marveling at the protective barrier.

"Oh! Is this the Spiritual Power Daiki-kun mentioned?" The memory from lunch suddenly clicked into place.

While the Parasite's blade could slice through walls, a single strand of Spiritual Power had stopped it effortlessly.

Utaha and Saki sought shelter behind Yotsuba. Yumiko Miura huddled in the corner, weeping in terror.

Yotsuba spread her arms wide, shielding everyone behind her.

"Don't worry, Daiki-kun will definitely save us!" She declared with conviction.

From the hallway, Miku watched in horror.

While she trusted Daiki-kun would come, her sister's recklessness infuriated her. Instead of fleeing, here she was, brazenly protecting everyone.

Didn't she have any sense of self-preservation?

Miku recalled Daiki's warning about Spiritual Power's limitations. Though she hadn't learned the specifics, she knew it wouldn't last forever.

Despite her anger, Miku rushed to unlock the back door. Most students in the hallway had already evacuated.

Mafuyu ran up beside her, breathless.

"Students, quickly leave, let teacher—" Her voice failed as she took in the bloody carnage, her pupils trembling.

Nausea paralyzed her.

"Quick, leave! I'll hold the rear!"

Yotsuba's shout made Daiki, who was coming towards them, wince.

He appeared at the classroom door, Ginko, Fumino and Rizu behind him. His presence alone seemed to still the very air, making the gruesome scene freeze like a twisted photograph.

The Parasite's movements slowed as it sensed a predator far more dangerous than itself had arrived. Even without actively using his power, his mere presence was enough to make lesser beings tremble.

He surveyed the bloody classroom with cold eyes, his expression darkening at the sight of the mangled bodies. Despite the horrific scene, he maintained perfect composure.

"I gave you Spiritual Power, but not for you to waste it like this."

His calm words steadied the hearts of Utaha and the others who were about to flee.

If a single strand of Spiritual Power could render this monster helpless, then with the master himself here, weren't they essentially safe?

"Daiki-san?" Mafuyu, now alert but pale-faced, stared at him.

Daiki unleashed his Spiritual Pressure, releasing powerful waves of energy that rippled through the classroom like an invisible tide. The raw force of his power manifested as crushing waves that distorted the very fabric of space around them, making the air feel thick and heavy.

The Parasite's massive form shuddered violently as the overwhelming spiritual force washed over it. Its enhanced muscles, previously so deadly and swift, now locked up completely, rendered immobile by the sheer weight of his power.

With measured steps that betrayed no hesitation, Daiki moved purposefully through the blood-stained classroom floor. Without a word, he raised his hand and spread his fingers wide, placing all five digits directly over the creature's grotesque head in a gesture that held both power and finality.

Splat!

An invisible slash cut through the air with impossible speed, cleaving the Parasite vertically into six perfect pieces. As they fell apart, blood exploded outward like a crimson rose blooming across the classroom wall.

Utaha and the others' hearts thundered at the explosive sound.

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