The Paranormal Is Resurging Worldwide? I'll Burn Incense and Summon Yin Soldiers to Crush It!

[Chinese-style horror crushes the competition + life-or-death arena battles + folk-horror ghost-and-monster instances]

"Eastern ghosts? You call those scary?"

Su Yan, a graduate of the Folk Customs Research Institute, opens her eyes to see a red-clad doll being torn apart by a Slit-Mouthed Woman.

She is the last awakened one in China.

A hundred years ago, twelve eerie arenas descended upon the world, forcing humanity to sign contracts with ghosts and monsters.

Western awakened ones command banshees and Bloody Marys, opening the Book of the Dead to sweep across the stars. Meanwhile, China...

With its civilization severed and its awakened ones dwindling, it is about to become fodder for the arenas.

Su Yan picks up the red-clad doll and sighs. "A bride bleeding on her wedding day is bad luck."

In an instant, the doll transforms into a bride in a red phoenix crown and embroidered wedding robes, as wedding music begins to play.

The red threads in its hands fly about, stitching the Slit-Mouthed Woman's gaping maw into a crooked "double happiness" symbol.

"Now that's lucky," Su Yan says, admiring her work.

The whole arena falls silent.

A thousand miles away, an abandoned City God temple senses the bloodline of China, and red lanterns light up at its entrance.

Before long, the Western awakened ones learn what it means to be crushed by the higher dimension of Chinese-style horror:

The SS-rank Bloody Mary has barely crawled out of a mirror when the iron chains of a night-patrolling City God loop around her head and drag her into the Judge's Hall.

An SSS-rank Western evil spirit steps onto the Bridge of the Helpless, where Granny Meng smiles and offers it a bowl of her soup with "extra sugar." Its contract is wiped clean, and it switches sides to become a Chinese underworld employee.

The Western awakened ones command a procession of a hundred ghosts, only to charge straight into the Gates of Hell. The underworld officials, stirring cauldrons of boiling oil and brandishing forks for pulling out tongues, greet them warmly:

"Next, please!"

The Western awakened ones: "…"

Later, when the twelve eerie arenas sense a threat and join forces to eradicate China's bloodline, Su Yan lights three sticks of corpse-oil incense and unfurls the Ghost Scrolls of Fengdu.

"When the three incense sticks burn out, the road to the Yellow Springs will appear."

"Everyone, come take a trip through the human world's hell."

The cloudless sky is dyed blood-red as an ancient palace descends with a rumble, enveloping the land of China.

A plaque hangs above the palace gates:

"Five-Thousand-Year-Old Training Base for Vengeful Ghosts."

"Welcome."

Hell money flutters down from the sky. Su Yan smiles faintly.

"Now it's China's turn... to set the rules."

2025/4/11

Premise: Keep a heart of reverence