Chapter 100

(Today there might only be three updates. I can't help it, today is very busy, and the broadband issue at home is really troublesome. I'll continue with four updates tomorrow (╯﹏╰))

Inside the Great Barrier, the Yin-Yang Academy has other buildings besides the teaching buildings, just like a regular school.

Other schools have facilities like sports fields and swimming pools, but the Yin-Yang Academy has a dojo and a shikigami lodge.

The dojo is generally used for practical combat tests, which are divided into two types: spell combat and physical combat.

As for the "shikigami lodge," as the name suggests, it is a place where shikigami are enslaved for battle. There is an altar here, which also has the ability to allow students to summon shikigami.

The shikigami lodge can be considered the busiest place in the entire barrier.

Because most students at the Yin-Yang Academy consider themselves to be the chosen ones, they offer a large number of things here every day, hoping to summon powerful shikigami of their own.

There are actually two ways for yin-yang practitioners to obtain shikigami. One is to sign a contract with a demon willing to submit to them, and that demon will then successfully become their subordinate.

However, it is not easy to achieve this situation. Most demons are also proud and arrogant beings, and once they become "shikigami," it means they will forever lose their freedom.

So most demons, after being defeated, would rather choose to die than become shikigami.

The second way to obtain "shikigami" is what Yūto and the others are seeing now.

By offering sacrifices at the altar to gain the approval of the gods, they can sign a contract with the gods, who will lend them a hand when they need power.

Yes, it is the so-called "gods."

This country is known for having "eight million gods," but in reality, the status of the gods is not necessarily high, and most of them are not as powerful as some demons.

With eight million gods, most of them cannot even enter "Takamagahara." They are essentially just spirits representing "goodness."

However, even so, it is not an easy task for yin-yang practitioners to obtain shikigami through this method.

No matter how low the status of the gods, they are still gods. To gain their approval, the offerings must satisfy the gods, and the yin-yang practitioner themselves must also be recognized by the gods.

Unlike the "shikigami" contract signed with demons, gods do not specifically serve one person. They can sign contracts with multiple people, and their relationship with yin-yang practitioners is merely one of assistance, not subordination.

When yin-yang practitioners need help, the gods can lend them power by projecting their avatars to the lower world, but if the gods are unhappy, they also have the right to refuse the summoning.

Therefore, the shikigami summoned by the gods are usually just avatars or shadows of the gods.

Compared to god-type shikigami, most yin-yang practitioners naturally prefer the diligent and hardworking "demon-type" shikigami.

Unfortunately, obtaining shikigami here is much more difficult than the second method.

God-type shikigami do not require battle or submission; they only need to be recognized by the gods.

In the past, there were many yin-yang practitioners with ordinary abilities who were favored by the gods. Everyone has a heart that hopes to be the chosen one, and everyone thinks they are the one chosen by the gods.

If they are chosen by powerful gods and gain the ability to summon them, it would naturally be a great help to exorcists.

Today, the shikigami lodge is as usual, with people coming and going. Most people gather around the altar, watching others perform shikigami summoning rituals.

A large number of offerings are placed on the altar, and the yin-yang practitioner sits cross-legged in the center, reciting incantations devoutly.

If a shikigami responds to the yin-yang practitioner, the magic circle will light up, and the food on the offering platform will disappear.

"The magic circle is lit! A god has responded to the shikigami summoning! Which class is this senior from?"

"Wow, this is the first time this week!"

Just as Yūto entered the shikigami lodge with Daisuke Kyūka, a commotion suddenly broke out at the altar, and their attention was instantly drawn there.

They saw a boy of about Yūto's age sitting cross-legged in the center of the magic circle. He had a sandy yellow spiky hair and a slightly stocky build, making him look more like a boxer than a yin-yang practitioner.

"That's someone from the Chizō family. It seems the god who responded is also a god related to the earth."

Daisuke Kyūka recognized the person in the magic circle at a glance.

There are many yin-yang families, but the "Chizō family" is definitely one of the easiest to identify.

The Chizō family is a large family among yin-yang practitioners and ranks eighth in the ancient "Thirteen Demon-Slaying Families."

The members of the family have the power of the earth within them, so they generally awaken with great strength. From ancient times to the present, they have always worked for money.

It is said that as long as the reward is rich, anything can be entrusted to them.

Yūto knew nothing about the so-called "yin-yang families," but he was quite interested in the "shikigami summoning," so he also looked at the boy sitting cross-legged in the magic circle.

Under the watchful eyes of everyone, Chizō Maruji was visibly nervous. He had been coming to the shikigami lodge for a full half month.

Until today, a god finally responded to his summoning, so he was both nervous and excited.

Although shikigami summoning is not dangerous, it is very expensive. To attract the attention of the gods, the offerings cannot be ordinary things.

Similarly, the more powerful the god you want to summon, the more advanced the offerings must be.

Moreover, offerings that have been offered cannot be reused, as this would be considered a grave disrespect to the gods.

Being able to come here every day and maintain it for a full half month is a testament to the Chizō family's wealth.

The people around were curious and eagerly guessing what kind of god would appear, but unexpectedly, the magic circle, which had been lit halfway, suddenly dimmed as if it had been extinguished.

The offerings on the altar had already disappeared.

"The summoning failed. The god was very satisfied with the offerings, but he did not think the yin-yang practitioner was worthy of his recognition."

Daisuke Kyūka sighed lightly as she looked at the dimming magic circle.

"So the god took the offerings but thought the yin-yang practitioner was not strong enough, so he just walked away?"

Yūto, surprised by Daisuke Kyūka's words, said this without thinking, but his comment about the yin-yang practitioner's lack of strength was heard by Chizō Maruji, who had just woken up from a brief nap...