Theresa's embarrassing reaction really made Shun feel like he couldn't bear to watch. Even if you're afraid of ghosts, there's a limit, right?
If it were the kind of ghost that made people feel physically uncomfortable just by looking at it, Shun would understand. But Yae Rin was such a cute little girl—having that kind of reaction upon seeing her was a bit much, wasn't it?
"S-Sorry, I didn't mean to scare Miss Theresa." Seeing that Theresa was badly frightened, Yae Rin almost dropped into a dogeza to apologize.
The little girl had died young and had no social experience, so she had no idea what to do in this situation and appeared extremely flustered.
"It's fine. She embarrassed herself; you can't be blamed." How could Shun show a bad attitude toward poor Yae Rin, who had such a tragic background?
He helped Theresa, who was nearly collapsed on the ground, to her feet and pointed at Yae Rin opposite them: "Take a closer look. She looks like an adorable little girl, not some ferocious evil ghost at all. Don't get too worked up."
"Ah... Oh..." Theresa, supported by Shun, looked at Yae Rin and found that the other party really didn't look like the ferocious evil ghost she had imagined. Although she was terrified of ghosts deep down, she still tried hard to overcome it. (Theresa's fear of ghosts isn't something I made up.)
"Esteemed sirs, this humble one is Yae Rin. I beg you—please liberate my sister from the curse of memory. Only you, who do not belong to this world, can accomplish this..."
After saying this, Yae Rin's body gradually disappeared. Perhaps it was because ghosts couldn't stay exposed in sunlight for too long...
But Shun thought that even if she couldn't appear in the sunlight anymore, she should still be able to hear them if they spoke to her now.
"Yae Rin, we can help your sister, but I need you to do everything you can to stop your sister when we clash with the mastermind behind this place. As long as you can guarantee that, I'll agree."
If the plan went without issues, Shun envisioned himself dealing with the Jizo Guardian Soul in the Tenshu Pavilion while Theresa handled Hellmaru. Here, Yae Sakura was a variable.
Whoever Yae Sakura sided with would have the advantage. After all, two fists were no match for four hands. If Yae Rin could appear at that moment, Yae Sakura would almost certainly be unable to draw her blade against their side—unless she had already been completely controlled by the Herrscher by then.
After a while, Yae Rin's ethereal voice drifted over faintly.
"I understand. I will prepare well these next few days so I can play my part at the critical moment. Thank you."
Shun and Theresa were the only variables in five hundred years. She couldn't possibly miss the chance to go all out, just like Kallen outside. After five hundred years, the power of their souls had almost completely dissipated, and Yae Sakura's corrosion had grown deeper and deeper.
"Let's go, Theresa. Shall we take a look at the Tenshu Pavilion?" After meeting Yae Rin and securing this final guarantee, there was nothing left in Yae Shrine worth lingering over.
If there was anything, it would at most be the sacred blade Sakura Fubuki enshrined in Yae Shrine. After Yae Sakura went dark and killed the entire village, it would turn into the demon blade Akazakura—barely qualifying as a famous blade.
But right now, Shun had the super weapon Cold Prison Ice Sky, forged using Limit technology from the Previous Era and second only to the Divine Keys.
There was no need to care about an ancient craftsman's blade with a bit of spirituality and history that was somewhat connected to Honkai energy.
After passing through the familiar downhill path and walking for some distance, the two arrived at the entrance of Yae Village. The Tenshu Pavilion was located at the very center of the village.
From the village's layout with a moat, Shun could tell that this village had originally been built as a castle town centered around the Tenshu Pavilion to serve it. The village had stone-paved roads and neatly arranged houses—it truly didn't look like a small rural village at all.
The roads felt cleaner than those in the shogunate, and there were even small trees planted along the sides. It was as unreasonable as it could possibly be.
None of this had anything to do with Shun, however. What he needed to deal with was how to handle the unruly villagers blocking their path to the Tenshu Pavilion.
"Stop! Outsiders are not allowed to enter or leave Yae Village freely!" Blocking Shun was a farmer who was only about 1.4 meters tall—quite exaggerated.
But when you remembered that the Far East Sword Saint Miyamoto Musashi was only 1.5 meters tall, it became understandable. At this height, even Theresa seemed tall among these Far Eastern people, let alone Shun.
Standing in front of these Far Easterners, being two heads taller created a completely different sense of oppression.
"If you won't let me in, do you know what happens to commoners who obstruct a samurai? I can use you for sword practice as I please, and no one will pursue me."
Shun said, revealing the hilt of his blade and scaring the villager blocking him. In the Far East, before Oda Nobunaga issued the Sword Hunt decree, samurai could freely use commoners for sword testing.
These people living in the Stigmata space, although controlled by Hellmaru, could only influence and push their behavior and couldn't easily manipulate them—that is, they couldn't go OOC.
And these bullying-the-weak-and-fearing-the-strong unruly villagers would never risk their lives to confront a noble samurai. They quickly scattered under Shun's threat.
Along the way, no one obstructed them, and no one dared approach within ten meters of Shun. Seeing that the villagers were so sensible, Shun felt reassured. He didn't want to unsheathe Cold Prison Ice Sky unless absolutely necessary.
As a blade that could deliver a first-encounter kill against the Herrscher of Corruption, it would definitely produce a psychological deterrent effect. Shun was looking forward to seeing that scene.
That being said, Shun had mainly come to Yae Village to find the route to the Tenshu Pavilion. After all, games were games and reality was reality. Although there were many similarities, if you treated the game as reality, Shun could only say: "Kid, you're invincible."
Shun walked along the main road toward the Tenshu Pavilion and soon arrived at the main gate of the Tenshu Pavilion courtyard.
"Hmm, the main road doesn't differ much from the game map, but unlike the game where there's only one path leading straight there, the real Yae Village has many side paths."
"Hmm, no problem. Theresa, let's head back." After mentally noting the main road and the many small paths around the Tenshu Pavilion, Shun called out to Theresa.
Not long after the two left, a wooden barrel near the Tenshu Pavilion suddenly shook slightly without anyone touching it.
It seemed like something inside was moving.