Anime Collector: Starting With the Malevolent Shrine

۞ Ghost Hand! ۞

Roar—

A faint wail echoed through the air.

The invisible hand reached out and grasped the void. The Evil Spirit, once untouchable, now found itself trapped in its grip. Like a helpless ant, it was at the mercy of Daiki's whim.

『 Detected host collecting Low-Level Evil Spirit! 』

『 Not worth collecting, unable to record! 』

He had intended to collect it, hoping for a reward. However, the Collection Space deemed it a low-level Evil Spirit, impossible to record.

"Could the world fusion have made ghosts and demons special?" A hint of doubt arose in his mind.

As the Ghost Hand increased its strength, the Evil Spirit's form shattered. With no collection value, it had no reason to exist.

"My flesh is being nourished by cursed energy, continuously improving my physical attributes and perception. But compared to Miko Yotsuya's Spiritual Sight, it's still not even close."

Miko's Spiritual Sight was extraordinary. It was powerful enough to see Evil Spirits disguised as deities, and even some powerful ones, yet weak enough to miss the powerful Life Aura of her close friend Hana Yurikawa.

Her Spiritual Sight seemed to be constantly evolving. Since its sudden awakening, it had been on a rapid ascent.

Other people with this ability could only vaguely see the outlines of Evil Spirits. Some were so weak they could only clearly see harmless-level ones.

Daiki couldn't match Miko's level. He could only vaguely sense the general trajectory of Evil Spirits with the help of Cursed Energy.

Yet, this was enough. The Ghost Hand's attack range covered the entire area. As long as he could sense their outline, Evil Spirits were almost certainly doomed. It had a dual impact on both the soul and physical realms.

This was truly an unexpected delight for him. The only flaw might be that it seemed unable to improve. Regardless of how strong the Cursed Energy used was, the Ghost Hand's power remained constant.

Perhaps because he obtained this through the system, which usurped this ability from the Ghost Devil, it had a predetermined upper limit. In other words, the ability would only improve if the Ghost Devil itself became stronger.

Daiki sat in the bedroom, gazing towards the living room.

۞ Ghost Hand! ۞

The invisible hand effortlessly passed through the wall and refrigerator door, grasping a can of ice-cold cola, then bringing it back to the bedroom.

"So when held by the ghost hand, it can pass through physical barriers?" Daiki marveled, holding the ice-cold cola with excitement.

This process not only demonstrated the Ghost Hand's ability to ignore physical obstacles but also showcased its precision — it hadn't crushed the cola can.

Daiki strolled to the balcony, savoring the cool breeze while sipping his cola. Simultaneously, he browsed the Private Demon Hunter Forum for relevant information.

| We've captured a terrifyingly powerful Sea Cucumber Devil. Interested buyers please DM. Price negotiable. You can sign a contract after purchase. |

| ... |

| Sign a contract with a damn sea cucumber? Are you out of your mind? Terrifyingly powerful? Who in their right mind would fear a sea cucumber? |

| The Matsushita Group is actively recruiting. We're severely understaffed. Anyone can join regardless of abilities. The organization also provides contracted Devils. |

| Hiss... The Matsushita Group is quite aggressive! I heard they've recently taken over Chiba's underground forces. All former gangs have been absorbed. |

| Has the Matsushita Group captured a Devil? Could this mean they might gradually develop behind the scenes to rival the Public Safety Devil Hunter Division? |

| Captured a Devil? Have you considered they might become targets instead? Aren't private sector Devil Hunters around Chiba City rapidly decreasing? |

| Bah! Don't spout nonsense! It's because a powerful Devil has appeared in Chiba City. I've seen it — shaped like a giant bat. |

Amidst the swirling rumors, whose truth was impossible to verify, two pieces of news particularly caught Daiki's attention.

First was the rapidly rising underground force in Chiba City, the Matsushita Group. According to forum information, their ascent was eerily swift. The group's history could be traced back only fifteen years at most.

Before that, the Matsushita Group was just another run-of-the-mill gang in Chiba's underworld. However, three years ago, their growth became extraordinarily rapid.

Not only did they absorb all underworld forces, but they also began expanding into the real estate industry. They had already clashed several times with local powerful families.

The second piece of news concerned a Bat Devil that had recently invaded Chiba. This wasn't mere fiction — it was supported by photographic evidence. The creature had already devoured a chilling double-digit number of people.

Private Demon Hunter Organizations and the Public Safety Devil Hunter Division had launched several encirclement operations. All ended in failure. The demon had since gone into hiding, its whereabouts unknown.

Daiki was about to delve deeper into the thread when he received a message from Miku.

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Wrapped in her blanket, Miku tossed and turned in bed, unable to sleep. Staring at the dark phone screen, she felt an indescribable unease.

Usually, Daiki would have messaged her by now. Today, however, he'd sent only one message during lunch break, saying he was on the rooftop. Since then, silence.

Even the message she'd sent right after getting home remained unanswered.

Was Daiki sulking because of what happened at noon? Or worse — had he met other girls during lunch on the rooftop?

The thought made Miku's heart clench. She'd occasionally seen those three girls on the rooftop — all as beautiful as her, one even Daiki's desk mate!

Her mood plummeted further.

She opened her phone, staring at the unanswered chat. Wild thoughts raced through her mind.

'I should explain.' She thought, "But how? It's not that I don't care about Daiki-kun, it's just that Yotsuba was injured..."

Miku typed and deleted messages repeatedly. Finally, after what felt like ages, she nervously sent one. And aafter some time, the phone buzzed again.

| Daiki-Kun — Boyfriend♡ |

| Sorry, I was busy with something earlier and didn't notice your message. |

Seeing his reply, Miku exhaled in relief. She then steered their chat to other topics, her anxiety slowly ebbing away.

❊❊❊❊❊❊❊❊❊❊

Meanwhile, Itsuki and Ichika crept out of their rooms.

They meticulously rewashed the already-cleaned lunchbox.

"How should we break this to Miku? Do we just tell her outright?"

❊❊❊

T/N: If you want more chapters like this, check out my Patreon! Take a look at my other translations too, you might like them!

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