The quiet coffee shop grew even more silent with the teenagers' wordless pause.
As if to break the stillness, Hana Yurikawa suddenly clapped her hands in congratulations:
"Miko's eyes are actually divine eyes! That sounds so amazing!"
Hearing this, Miko Yotsuya parted her lips slightly, hesitating as she looked at Luo Shu. After a long pause, she smiled wryly:
"Divine eyes that see through yin and yang? That sounds so exaggerated I can't even feel it!"
Luo Shu wasn't surprised by her reaction and patiently explained:
"Due to special circumstances, a high-level barrier has been erected over the entire Akihabara district."
"I can't disclose its full name, but I can describe its effects."
"Its suppression of supernatural techniques is roughly three times that of Kyoto's Four Symbols Grand Barrier."
"Thus, even experts considered Hero Rank in various countries can't manifest much supernatural power here beyond physical abilities."
He then gave Miko an example she'd understand:
"Take that demon maid's hypnosis in the alley earlier. Outside Akihabara, it could make an adult obey unquestioningly, stripping away all reason."
"But here in Akihabara, within seconds of activation, it's suppressed to merely making you think the person's words sound somewhat reasonable."
"So even if you'd done nothing earlier, the demon maid's hypnosis would have broken automatically within a second or two."
"Is that so..."
Miko recalled the earlier incident.
When the maid in the alley spoke to them, there had indeed been a moment when her words seemed incredibly persuasive, but that effect vanished almost immediately.
However, living in a world teeming with Evil Spirits had made Miko hypersensitive to anomalies.
Thus, the moment the maid behaved strangely, fearing it might be an Evil Spirit's transformation, she immediately fled.
"So... we would have been fine even if we'd stayed in the alley?"
As soon as she said this, Miko noticed Luo Shu looking at her like she was an idiot.
At that moment, Luo Shu spoke in an extremely subtle tone:
"Did you think a demon's servant wouldn't be able to overpower two young girls with brute strength?"
Hearing this, Miko Yotsuya immediately flushed red with shame, too embarrassed to make a sound.
Beside her, Hana Yurikawa gulped down her drink noisily and blinked her large eyes:
"Mr Luo Shu means that because of the barrier here in Akihabara, ghosts won't actually appear, right?"
Hearing this, Miko Yotsuya also came to her senses and said blankly:
"But on the street, there were clearly..."
She stopped mid-sentence, her face suddenly turning pale.
Because directly in her line of sight, a monster covered in bandages, bathed in dark currents, with rotting, stinking features and even clearly visible maggots wriggling, was pressed against the window, staring straight at her.
"You can see me?"
An androgynous, gloomy voice sounded.
"You can see me!!!"
A shrill scream fell upon everyone's ears at that moment.
Miko Yotsuya turned deathly pale with fright, grabbed Hana Yurikawa's hand beside her, and tried to run away from the glass window.
But before she could, that bandaged hand reeking of rotten fish had already passed through the glass, reaching for the girl.
"No!!"
The girl's scream was forced from her throat.
The foul-smelling, bandage-wrapped hand was already about to touch her shoulder under Miko Yotsuya's wide-eyed gaze.
But at that moment, a finger abruptly appeared between the two, pressing against the side of that stinking palm.
The next instant.
Boom!
A silver-purple lightning bolt suddenly appeared, instantly enveloping the entire monster.
In just a split second.
The monster turned into a pitch-black lump of charred remains.
The original stench of rot was completely wiped away in an instant, as if it had never existed.
Thud.
Miko Yotsuya fell backwards onto the floor, dragging Hana Yurikawa with her, who staggered a few steps before steadying herself against a nearby coffee seat.
"...Lightning?"
Miko Yotsuya was stunned for several seconds before murmuring quietly.
Then she heard a voice full of astonishment.
"...Was that the fluctuation of an Abyss Descent just now?"
Only then did Miko Yotsuya somewhat recover from her shock and look towards Luo Shu.
She stared at Luo Shu's hand raised mid-air, at those slender pale pink fingers, gazing blankly as if wondering whether that lightning had really come from those fingertips.
"Incredible." Luo Shu muttered in amazement. "Because it was seen, it crossed over from the other side of the Abyss, or perhaps Hell, into reality?"
"How could this happen?"
"What phenomenon is this?"
"Is it the ability of Mystic Eyes? Or something even more imperceptible, some rule-like existence?"
Hearing Luo Shu's murmurs, Miko Yotsuya finally regained her senses.
She quickly scrambled up from the floor and bowed 90 degrees to Luo Shu:
"Thank you for saving me."
Seeing this, Hana Yurikawa, beside her, also hurriedly imitated Miko Yotsuya's bow:
"Thank you for saving Miko."
Hearing the voice, Luo Shu turned his gaze away from where the Evil Spirit had perished and looked at Miko Yotsuya. He studied her for a long while without speaking.
Noticing Luo Shu's prolonged silence, Miko Yotsuya cautiously raised her head in confusion, meeting his scrutinising gaze:
"Um... Mr Luo Shu?"
"Did you hear what I just said?"
Luo Shu nodded, then added:
"I just saved your life, didn't I?"
Miko Yotsuya nodded earnestly, as if worried a simple nod wasn't enough, and immediately bowed deeply towards Luo Shu.
Seeing this, Luo Shu narrowed his eyes, watching Miko with an amused and eager expression:
"Since it's a life-saving favour... isn't it only reasonable for you to pledge yourself to me in return?"
Miko Yotsuya nodded reflexively and replied:
"Yes, that's completely reasonable... Huh?"
She abruptly looked up, meeting Luo Shu's smirk, and after confirming she hadn't misheard, let out a shocked cry:
"Eh—!!!"