“Wait, you’re my Spirit? You barely look like you can harm anything! How did you cause me so much trouble?!”

Once Shin’s consciousness returned to his body, he was finally able to grasp hold of the Spirit that was so elusive in his spiritual body. Before, he did not manage to get a good look at his Spirit. After all, it looked like a ball of light the entire time. However, right now, he could clearly see a Cerulean Koi that was struggling to break free from his tight grip.

“Oh no, you don’t! Stop trying to… Wait, why is there so much water in the Shrine Room?”

Shin verbally asked his question out loud. He was sure that there were no signs of water in the Shrine Room before he underwent his ceremony. But right now, in his kneeling position, the water level in the room had reached his waist. Looking around, he saw that everyone in the room, including the Shrine Maiden, were soaked to the bone. Oddly enough, although his pants were wet, his torso and head remained totally dry. As if he was immune to the earlier downpour.

“Why is everyone so wet?”

Shin threw a question into the crowd.

“Why? You don’t remember?!”

“Damn this clueless black-hair!”

“Screw you, Shin! Do you know how long it took to wear this dress?!”

A number of the children near Shin replied the boy. A certain red-hair, freckled young girl even threw a verbal insult in his direction about her clothes.

“Wait… What happened?”

Shin was clueless as to why there were so many people infuriated with him.

“What happened? You happened! You and your bloody Spirit caused the Shrine Room to rain! Now everyone here is wet because of you!”

“Yeah! Do you know how troublesome it is to simply wear these clothes? Now we have to slog back while they are wet!”

“What kind of Spirit causes the interior to rain anyway?”

Majority of those present were annoyed with the ceremonial clothes that they had to wear to the ceremony. It was tight, uncomfortable and made movement clumsy. They could not wait to get back and change into something cosier. But now, adding to the aforementioned qualities, the robes were now damp and sticky. It caused the children to feel an unbearable hatred to the black-haired youth responsible for their plight.

“Hey, why is he dry?”

Someone in the crowd noticed that Shin was totally dry at his top. The current situation looked like everyone else was forced to enter the ocean for a ‘dip’ while Shin enjoyed himself on the beach.

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“What the hell?! We went through all of that, and the culprit himself is totally unaffected by his own ability?!”

“The heavens are against us! Why must we suffer such injustice?!”

“Hmph! If the heavens won’t deal judgement! Let me be the judicator!”

As he said that one of the youths summoned his recently awakened Spirit.

“Well put! We shall all deliver justice to this heretic!”

Another girl who saw that her friend had summoned his Spirit, brought hers out as well.

“Die, Shin!”

Even the purple haired girl who was supposed to support Shin pulled out her Ice Bow.

“WOAH WOAH WOAH!!!! NOT FUNNY GUYS!!! I’LL DIE!!!”

Shin yelled at the top of his lungs.

“Accept your fate, Shin...”

Ariel approached Shin, Lava Warhammer in her hands and led the charge.

“Enough!”

*CLAP*

Before anyone could get to Shin. A sharp clap echoed through the Shrine Room. A surge of spiritual energy filled the room and cancelled every single awakened Spirit. Even the cute little Koi that Shin contracted.

The rebound of their Spirits caused those who summoned them to fall on their back. Shocked, they looked for the source of the clap.

“The ceremony has concluded. Everyone is to return to their lodgings and talk to their instructors on how to utilise their Spirits. Please make haste.”

The Clan Master held her hands together in a clapping position indicating that she was the source of the earlier ability that cancelled their abilities. She informed the group of her decision and silently pressured the forty odd kids. Although they outnumbered the Clan Master, none of them felt that they could win in a direct confrontation with the monster in front of them.

“Yes, Clan Master.”

Begrudgingly, the children started to form back into their groups to head back to their lodgings.

‘Phew, that was close!’

Shin breathed a sigh of relief as he felt that he would have perished if not for the Clan Master’s intervention.

“Senior Edward, Senior Ash. Please follow me. We have urgent matters to attend to.”

The Clan Master opened the door to the Shrine Room as the residue water in the area was emptied out, much to the surprise of the chaperones waiting outside. She beckoned the two elders to follow her and walked out of the room. However, before she left, she took one last glance at Shin.

Feeling the stare, Shin immediately stood up straight and met the eyes of the Clan Master. He wanted to thank her for saving him, but before he got the chance, the Clan Master kicked off the ground and flew away.

The First Elder wanted to follow, but he would only fly when he knew the Second Elder had left. There was no way he was going to leave the Second Elder with Shin in the condition that he was in.

“Hmph!”

Snorting in derision, the Second Elder flew away from the Shrine Room, following the Clan Master. Now that he was assured of the orphan’s safety, the First Elder pursued the two.

‘What is going on?’

Shin was still in a daze after what had happened. While he was in his spiritual body, he saw a lake. Inside said lake, was a bright light. As he closed in on the bright light, he awakened in the real world and grasped his Spirit. After that, he noticed that the surroundings were filled with a significant amount of water and the people around him was filled with equal amounts of hate. Furthermore, he almost died with that many Spirits aiming at him.

‘What a day! I just want to go back and lie down!’

Thinking that. Shin fantasised about his comfy bed.

“Please wait a moment child.”

A warm and gentle voice came from behind Shin. The Shrine Maiden, dressed in pure white robes called out to Shin. Still standing in front of the altar, the Shrine Maiden was visibly fatigued. Not only physically, but mentally as well.

“A word of advice child, do not stray too far from your lodgings in the foreseeable future.”

“Huh?”

Shin was confused as to why the Shrine Maiden asked him to do that.

“Child, it’s for your own sake. Just listen and stay in the orphan’s division. At least for the time being.”

“Ermmm… Alright, Senior.”

The Shrine Maiden warned Shin. After hearing what the Shrine Maiden had to say, Shin rushed towards his group that was already departing from the Shrine.

‘What a mess...’

It was, without a doubt, the craziest Spirit Awakening Ceremony she had ever initiated.