Even without Hyakume's reminder, Miko already knew.
Despite the thick metal door separating them, she could still sense the immense spiritual energy emanating from within.
The air itself was thick with golden particles, blurring Miko's vision slightly.
She had never encountered spiritual energy of such density before.
Even the lofty, overwhelming pressure exuded by the Goat-Headed Deity in the shrine paled in comparison to this scene.
However...
Miko frowned at the two keyholes on the metal door. "This is... a mechanical lock?"
Ye Xing nodded lightly, stepping forward to crouch and examine the keyholes. His tone was calm. "Yes, it's a safety lock that requires two keys to be turned simultaneously. Purely mechanical, no electronic components."
Electronic and mechanical locks each had their merits—neither could be definitively called more secure.
The museum's curator likely chose a mechanical lock to minimise modern technology in a place storing ancient treasures.
A man of principle.
"Can you pick it? You know how to pick locks, right?"
Hearing this, Ye Xing turned to glance at Miko, shaking his head with a wry smile. "Impossible. I can pick locks, but only residential security doors. For a lock of this level, I might be able to attempt it, but it'd take at least four or five hours."
Miko's golden eyes flickered with worry. "We don't have that much time. Maybe... we should come back another day?"
"There won't be another day."
Ye Xing's voice remained utterly calm, devoid of any panic or urgency.
"We've triggered the alarm this time. Onimaru Kunitsuna will definitely be relocated immediately. After all, it's a national treasure-level sword in Japan. If it were lost, even the mayor of Kyoto couldn't bear the responsibility."
"What should we do then?"
Though silent, Miko Yotsuya knew time was slipping away second by second.
She and Ye Xing didn't have much time left.
"Hmm..."
After pondering for several seconds, Ye Xing finally spoke.
"Have your Hyakume concentrate. See if her vision can penetrate the metal exterior to discern the lock mechanism, then tell me."
"This...?"
Hearing this, Miko was momentarily at a loss.
Could her Hyakume really do such a thing?
She instinctively wanted to turn and ask Hyakume, but suddenly remembered Ye Xing's words: 'You are Hyakume, and Hyakume is you.'
After growing to thirteen eyes, Hyakume had gained sufficient power.
But power alone was utterly useless.
The key was how to transform the 'power' within Hyakume into a 'capability' that could be utilised.
Miko recalled an analysis Rio Futaba had made after becoming a psychic.
Soul Materialisation was the manifestation of one's own soul and inner self.
Whether it was her Hyakume or Rio's Bone Woman, their forms and abilities were somewhat linked to their thoughts at the moment of awakening.
Moreover, Rio had another theory.
It wasn't just during the initial manifestation.
Even after Soul Materialisation had formed, it could still be influenced to some extent by the psychic's own mindset.
In other words.
As long as the Soul Materialisation had devoured enough evil spirits, accumulated sufficient power, and combined with the psychic's own thoughts, new abilities could be unlocked.
Now was the time to test Rio's theory.
"Haah..."
Miko took a deep breath, focusing all her attention on the two lock mechanisms before her.
In that instant, the world seemed to fall silent.
The passage of time appeared to halt.
The deep golden particles in the air slowly vanished.
All that filled Miko's vision was the two lock mechanisms on the metal door.
Behind her, Hyakume gradually closed her left eye, concealing the Slaughter Demon's eyeball.
Within the previously dark and hollow right eye socket, a faint golden glow emerged, gradually forming an eyeball identical to Miko's own.
"Open your eyes..."
Miko gritted her teeth and commanded softly.
"Hyakume!"
With her command, Hyakume's golden right eye fully formed, emitting a piercing light.
"I see it."
Hyakume's voice remained cool and gentle, but in her vision, the metal lock's outer shell had disappeared, revealing only its intricate internal structure.
Hearing her response, Miko finally relaxed, only to immediately notice a new problem.
Hyakume could see and describe the lock's internal structure verbally; that much was true.
But verbal communication had its limitations.
Miko Yotsuya didn't know how to pick locks herself, nor had she studied any professional knowledge in this area. As her Soul Materialisation, Hyakume was naturally equally clueless.
Could Ye Xing really open such a complex mechanical lock within just a few minutes, relying solely on verbal communication?
Miko furrowed her brows when, suddenly, a peculiar idea surfaced in her mind.
She turned to Hyakume and asked, "The vision from all the eyes on your body is interconnected, right?"
"Correct."
"Then could you pluck out one of your eyes and attach it to Ye Xing so that he can see the internal structure of the lock?"
"No."
Hyakume shook her head, looking at Miko as if she were an idiot.
"I'm your Soul Materialisation. Even if I were to merge with a human, it could only be you. Besides, his body doesn't have any extra holes. Should I stuff my eyeball into his nose or something?"
Miko had no rebuttal.
How could she argue?
Hyakume was her Soul Materialisation. If she was saying such things, it meant Miko herself found her own proposal absurd.
This was basically arguing with herself.
"However..."
Hyakume suddenly changed her tone.
"If it's about attaching my eyeball to something that's also a spirit, then sharing vision is indeed possible."
Upon hearing this, Miko mused, "So that means..."
She and Hyakume turned their gaze towards Ye Xing, who was standing nearby, and spoke in unison.
"Ghost hand."
"Oh, I see."
Hearing this from both the human and the spirit, Ye Xing showed no trace of surprise.
"Come out."
At his command, the pale ghost hand, now grown into a full arm, appeared in mid-air.
"Shrink a bit."
Following Ye Xing's order, the pale ghost hand raised its middle finger.
Of course, this wasn't meant as an insult.
Using the middle finger as a substitute for a head, it bent slightly a few times—essentially nodding—before swiftly shrinking down to the size of a normal human arm.
"You can do that too?"
At Miko's slightly surprised tone, Ye Xing replied nonchalantly,
"Of course. Actually, this is its original size. I just chose the most suitable volume for dealing with evil spirits without compromising agility."
Seeing Ye Xing's expression and demeanour, Miko couldn't help but sigh softly.
Just as she'd thought.
Ye Xing had probably already guessed that, given Hyakume's current power, she could develop many more abilities.
These included seeing through objects and sharing her eyeballs with other spiritual entities to achieve shared vision.
As for why Ye Xing hadn't spelt it out directly, Miko could roughly understand.
What was that saying of his again?
Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime.
Ye Xing wouldn't directly teach her how to perform exorcisms. Instead, he would teach her how to comprehend and develop more abilities on her own, to become a proper exorcist.
"Alright, let's begin."
Hyakume plucked an eyeball from her wrist and attached it to the back of the pale ghost hand.
For the first time possessing an eye, the pale ghost hand seemed almost jubilant, waving excitedly in the air a couple of times.
"That's enough, hurry up."
At Ye Xing's reprimand, the pale ghost hand drooped its fingers like a dejected puppy, its middle finger tapping in submission as the palm slowly pressed forward against the metal door.
Two viscous strands of black Qi, thick as substance, extended from the pale ghost hand's fingertips, probing into the left and right keyholes respectively.
Miko Yotsuya was utterly dumbfounded.
Evil spirit power could be used like this?
She'd been imagining Ye Xing summoning two ghost hands – one black, one white – to fashion lockpicks from condensed evil spirit power for each keyhole.
Now she realised.
Her imagination had been far too limited.
Yet...
Miko finally seemed to understand why Ye Xing's adaptability and strength so vastly surpassed hers, despite them both being psychics and exorcists.
According to Rio Futaba's analysis, Soul Materialisation was an ability more aligned with idealism than materialism.
Her previous failure to develop more abilities had been entirely due to self-imposed limitations of imagination.
But no normal person could compare to Ye Xing.
This freak had tried devouring evil spirits the very first time his Mystic Eyes awakened.
And he'd actually succeeded!
How could any ordinary person achieve such a thing?
...
Meanwhile, in a Metropolitan Police Department vehicle.
"Drive faster!"
Soichiro Yagami, seated in the passenger seat, urged the driving officer, his square-jawed face etched with anxiety, his heart heavy with dread.
It had happened after all.
Two mysterious individuals had brazenly invaded the Kyoto City Museum housing the legendary sword Onimaru Kunitsuna.
Even with decades of investigative experience, Soichiro had never encountered criminals this audacious.
That they dared target a national treasure like Onimaru Kunitsuna was secondary.
The real question was – even if they stole it, how did they plan to escape?
The Metropolitan Police Department had mobilised fully, sealing not just the museum but several surrounding streets.
Truly a situation where not even wings could provide escape.
Yet despite this, Soichiro couldn't shake a terrible premonition.
Security footage showed one intruder dressed identically to the mysterious figure he'd encountered at Kyoto Municipal Kindergarten.
Whether it was the same person remained uncertain.
But if this truly was the criminal codenamed "Mask" – now with an accomplice...
Remembering that day, the unnaturally tall woman in white whose terrifying aura had chilled him to the bone, Soichiro's expression darkened.
His bushy eyebrows knitted tightly, complex emotions swirling behind his rectangular glasses – hesitation most of all.
Finally resolving himself, Soichiro lifted his radio and pressed the transmit button, speaking in a grave tone.
"Metropolitan Police Department heavy weapons unit, full deployment."
"Led by... Seishu Akoya."
The radio crackled in response.
"Understood, Director Yagami."
Soichiro Yagami heaved a heavy sigh as he watched the streets flash by outside the window, uncertain whether the decision he'd just made was right or wrong.
Seishu Akoya was the most formidable combatant in Kyoto—no, the entire Metropolitan Police Department of Japan.
Standing at 191cm tall and weighing 114kg, his sheer physicality could only be described as a human tank.
Combined with his years of refining an unrestricted combat style based on the Metropolitan Police Department's arrest techniques, Seishu Akoya was indisputably the strongest within their ranks.
Yet Soichiro disliked him.
Rumours claimed Akoya frequently sought out criminals in his spare time, meting out brutal private justice that left them severely injured—or dead.
But without concrete evidence, and with higher-ups deliberately shielding their strongest enforcer, even Soichiro, as Director of Criminal Investigations, couldn't rein him in.
During that meeting, he'd raised the principles of procedural versus outcome-based justice.
To Soichiro, Akoya's actions were more egregious than even those of "Mask".
At least Mask had only killed armed, unstable kidnappers—a grim necessity to protect hostages.
Akoya, however, made no distinction between crimes. Every offender was equal in his eyes.
'The man's dangerously unhinged.'
Were it not for the involvement of the legendary sword Onimaru Kunitsuna in this case, Soichiro would never have deployed a monster like Akoya.
...
Meanwhile, at Kyoto Municipal Museum.
"Time's up."
Rio Futaba's calculated seven-minute deadline had expired.
Miko Yotsuya knew Metropolitan Police Department forces could storm the museum any second now.
Her pale palms grew clammy with tension.
"Stay here."
Ye Xing gave Miko's hand a brief squeeze before ruffling her hair like she was some pet.
Though her cheeks flushed pink, she didn't pull away, merely muttering in protest:
"Honestly, treating me like a child..."
Then, almost inaudibly, she added:
"Be careful."
"Relax."
With an easy smile, Ye Xing strode down the long corridor, waving dismissively as he delivered an outrageous boast with utter nonchalance:
"The Metropolitan Police Department's ordinary officers aren't even in my league."
"That guy..."
Watching Ye Xing's retreating back disappear down the hallway, Miko shook her head wryly and murmured:
"He's so arrogant about his abilities."
...
When Ye Xing emerged into the main exhibition hall, his ears caught the sound of rapid footsteps in the outer corridors.
And the distinctive clatter of rifle bolts being drawn.
'Heavy weapons unit, then...'
He wasn't surprised.
His attire tonight matched his previous appearance exactly.
If Soichiro Yagami were to still send out those ordinary Metropolitan Police Department officers armed only with standard pistols and wearing basic bulletproof vests, that would be the height of foolishness.
Several seconds later.
A fully armed SWAT team from the Metropolitan Police Department stormed in simultaneously through multiple entrances of the main exhibition hall. Clad in heavy full-body bulletproof gear, riot helmets, and equipped with ballistic shields, they were armed to the teeth with professional equipment.
The dark muzzles of their guns were trained on Ye Xing, who stood motionless.
"Freeze! Hands in the air!"
Surrounded by over a dozen SWAT officers, Ye Xing merely swept his gaze across them before speaking softly.
"Did your Director of Criminal Investigations, Soichiro Yagami, not come this time?"
"I'm here."
Accompanied by this solemn voice, Soichiro Yagami appeared behind one of the SWAT teams, wearing bulletproof gear.
Logically speaking, an executive of his rank shouldn't need to risk entering the scene directly.
Yet Soichiro Yagami couldn't shake an ominous premonition in his heart.
Even with the entire Metropolitan Police Department mobilised this time...
Could they truly stop Mask?
That tall woman in white he'd seen last time—was she some kind of hypnotic trick that caused hallucinations...
Or did this world truly harbour eerie phenomena unknown to ordinary people?
Soichiro Yagami's eyes first swept over the exhibition case containing the replica Onimaru Kunitsuna at the centre of the hall.
Seeing the replica still lying undisturbed under bulletproof glass, he visibly relaxed.
Ye Xing noticed this subtle change in expression, thinking it an interesting detail.
Could it be...
That Soichiro Yagami didn't know the Onimaru Kunitsuna in the display case was merely a replica?
If this were deliberate acting, it was far too flawless.
Besides, what purpose would that serve?
"So it is you."
While Ye Xing was pondering, Soichiro Yagami met his gaze squarely and spoke in a low voice.
"Our second meeting. The spectacle you've caused this time is no less dramatic than last time."
Soichiro Yagami could now confirm it.
This Mask before him was the same one he'd encountered at Kyoto Municipal Kindergarten.
Those utterly calm eyes, unfazed even by gun muzzles, were something no ordinary person could possess.
"Director Yagami, we meet again."
Ye Xing's voice, like his gaze, held no trace of emotion as he stared directly into Soichiro Yagami's eyes and spoke slowly.
"I told you last time that even if I stood still, I could kill all your subordinates. This time..."
Just as Soichiro Yagami was thinking that this time, fully armed SWAT officers had arrived on scene—surely even Mask couldn't remain so composed and at ease—Ye Xing continued softly:
"I only need five seconds to kill everyone present here."