This barrage of shocking revelations left Light utterly dumbfounded.
Clubs?
Family discounts?
Hunting tigers requires brothers; going to battle needs a father and son?
That's... not the kind of 'battle' the proverb refers to.
Isn't this called getting to third base?
Ye Xing's rapid-fire remarks nearly made Light Yagami miss the last sentence.
When he finally processed it, he responded with a mix of amusement and exasperation.
"Ito-kun, you've misunderstood. I don't have that sort of interest in men."
"That's debatable."
Ye Xing thought to himself, 'In the original storyline, your girlfriends all seemed like tools for your schemes.'
'As for genuine feelings...'
'Wasn't it always with that famous detective L?'
Light Yagami didn't just despise foolishness – he had a distinct preference for intellectual equals.
The only people he willingly associated with were those he deemed capable of standing at his level.
Not those idle, vulgar individuals he considered rotting in mediocrity.
The world was rotten and tedious.
So were the people around him.
Light's perspective was simple.
Only this youth before him – possessing similar abilities and having undertaken comparable acts of justice – was the sole person in this world who could truly understand him.
"Wait, hold on..."
Light suddenly chuckled as if realising something.
"My father is the Director of Criminal Investigations at the Metropolitan Police Department. You want me to take him... to that sort of place?"
Though Light didn't grasp the references to Mitsuha Miyamizu or Makoto Ito, he vaguely understood.
This person he acknowledged...
Had an utterly unpredictable personality, always capable of shocking statements.
"Interesting."
That was Light's immediate reaction.
Precisely because this differed from how ordinary people treated him – that's what made it fascinating.
"Well then, Yagami-kun."
Ignoring Light's sarcasm, Ye Xing pointed at a marked location on the map.
"What's here?"
Light revealed a meaningful smile before answering softly.
"That district is controlled by Kyoto's largest violent organisation."
"According to Metropolitan Police Department investigations, this group – the Black Dragon Society – engages in human trafficking, kidnapping, extortion, psychotropic drug trade, and secretly sells homemade firearms to petty criminals at absurdly low prices."
"Currently, we're only monitoring and gathering intelligence due to insufficient evidence. It's still the preliminary investigation phase."
"Following standard police procedures, legally dismantling this organisation would take at least a year."
Hearing this explanation, Ye Xing showed no surprise, merely nodding.
Such conduct could only be described as that of a violent gang.
Yakuza?
Japan's yakuza organisations clearly understood what lines could never be crossed.
At most, they dabbled in prostitution and gambling – drugs and firearms were strictly forbidden red lines.
Even during turf disputes, they settled matters through brawls, never firearms.
There's an entirely different concept between accidental killing during a fight and deliberately carrying a gun to provoke.
Bringing a gun proves murderous intent – that changes everything.
The Metropolitan Police Department wouldn't even need to intervene.
To maintain industry stability, Kyoto's other organisations would eliminate such violators first.
This preserved the unspoken, delicate balance between law enforcement and the underworld.
Don't cross the line.
We won't waste additional manpower investigating you either.
Obviously.
This violent group's actions have far exceeded the Metropolitan Police Department's tolerance threshold.
"This intelligence..."
Ye Xing looked at Light Yagami and spoke slowly.
"Did you obtain it from your father?"
"Of course."
Light Yagami maintained his smile as he replied softly.
"As the son of the Metropolitan Police Department's Criminal Affairs Director, coupled with abilities ordinary people can't see, gathering intelligence - even classified cases under police investigation - isn't difficult for me."
Ye Xing nodded noncommittally, shedding his previously frivolous demeanour to stare directly into Light Yagami's eyes.
"Is this your way of showing sincerity? What's your purpose?"
"No particular purpose."
Light Yagami shook his head.
"I simply believe people like us - different from those vulgar, decaying masses, with our noble ideals - should understand each other. If not cooperate, at the very least, we've no reason to be enemies."
"Is that so?"
Facing these words, Ye Xing merely chuckled dismissively.
"But if that's all, I'd say your display of sincerity still falls somewhat short, Light-kun."
"I share your sentiment."
Light Yagami nodded slightly in agreement before asking meaningfully:
"Ito-kun, now that you know about this vicious, dangerous, violent group operating in Kyoto, what do you intend to do?"
Ye Xing's answer to this question consisted of just two flat words:
"Kill them all."
"Just as I'd expect."
A flicker of near-manic excitement surfaced in Light Yagami's eyes.
Though this wasn't his home turf of Tokyo, any opportunity to change this rotting world, to erase evil completely, was worth pursuing.
But this time, beyond eliminating wickedness and fulfilling his justice, Light Yagami had another, more important objective.
"Well then, Ito-kun."
Light Yagami smiled.
"How exactly do you plan to take me to that gang's territory without leaving any traces?"
This was what Light Yagami truly wanted to know.
He was intensely curious.
What method had the other used to infiltrate Kyoto Municipal Kindergarten under heavy police surveillance?
How had he eliminated all the kidnappers and escaped unscathed?
Once might be a coincidence.
However, the incident at the Kyoto Municipal Museum two days prior, where the Metropolitan Police Department had cordoned off several surrounding streets, had seen an identical flawless infiltration and retreat.
That couldn't possibly be luck.
Moreover.
Light Yagami refused to believe his counterpart would recklessly storm the museum without some guaranteed means of success.
There had to be a method.
Some means of instantaneous movement beyond ordinary human comprehension - something approaching magic.
Light Yagami desperately wanted to understand this phenomenon.
"Oh? You want to know?"
Light Yagami didn't realise.
The question he posed had already provided Ye Xing with a crucial piece of information.
That was, despite being another Soul Materialisation user located in Tokyo, Light Yagami didn't know the specific function of Gates, let alone that the other side of Gates connected to an entirely different world.
Of course, this could also be an intentional act of deception.
But Ye Xing couldn't fathom Light Yagami's motive or reason for doing so.
Putting himself in the other's shoes...
Light Yagami had gone to great lengths to find a suitable excuse to come to Kyoto and, through a chance opportunity, made contact with him.
Even if Light Yagami had coincidentally discovered some Gate in Kyoto unknown to the Supernatural Society these past two days, and by sheer coincidence entered it during Demon Hour or Human Hour, discovering Kyoto in the Reverse World...
Setting aside how astronomically improbable such a chain of coincidences would be...
Given the level of power Light Yagami had displayed, in the Reverse World teeming with powerful evil spirits and unprecedented dangers, he could barely protect himself - he absolutely lacked the capability to explore those areas and gather intelligence.
So here's the question.
If Light Yagami didn't understand the structure of the Reverse World, then pretending ignorance when uncertain whether Ye Xing had intelligence sources there or would learn of his visit would inevitably provoke Ye Xing's hostility.
This would render all previous efforts, including the yakuza intelligence just provided, completely wasted.
Ye Xing didn't trust Light Yagami.
But he trusted the man's intelligence enough to believe he wouldn't make such a foolish decision.
"Want to know?"
Ye Xing asked with a half-smile, glancing at his phone screen - exactly fifteen minutes remained until 5 pm, when twilight would begin.
Only after confirming the time did he meet Light Yagami's gaze, his smile vanishing instantly as he enunciated each word:
"First consider carefully - this truth isn't something ordinary people can bear."
Light Yagami initially frowned at these words, then responded dismissively:
"Don't worry, my mental fortitude is excellent."
Outwardly calm, Light Yagami was inwardly sneering.
Hmph.
Trying to intimidate me?
Since awakening his Soul Materialisation ability, Light Yagami had killed no fewer than eight hundred criminals - if not over a thousand.
Whether facing the most vicious thugs or terrifying evil spirits,
before Emperor Sutoku - whose name represented the foremost of Japan's four great vengeful spirits - they were mere insects.
At some point, Light Yagami realised he'd begun observing everyone around him from a lofty, detached perspective.
Including his sister. His mother.
Even his father, whom he'd once idolised and strived to emulate.
After awakening his Soul Materialisation ability, this deeply buried pride within Light Yagami had grown more severe.
In his eyes, only one person could stand as his equal in mutual understanding.
The person before him now - the self-proclaimed Makoto Ito and Mitsuha Miyamizu's contemporary.
As for the rest?
Evil spirits, violent gang members—they were nothing more than rotten, filthy eyesores, utterly insignificant.
...
Fifteen minutes later, the arrogance Light Yagami had harboured deep within was shattered into dust by the sight before him.
He stared blankly at the crimson moon hanging in the sky, the thick black mist swirling around it, and the occasional flashes of grotesque, hate-filled eyes of varying colours within that fog.
"Th-this place…"
It wasn't that Light lacked mental fortitude, nor was his power too weak.
Quite the opposite.
Precisely because his spiritual power was strong, he could perceive—far more clearly than Rio Futaba, Miko Yotsuya, Yui Yuigahama, and the others when they first entered the Reverse World—the unimaginable fear permeating this eerie realm.
Just standing here, he felt it.
His Emperor Sutoku seemed to whisper incessantly in his ear.
"Call my true name, call my true name…"
Soul Materialisation was a manifestation of the user's own soul and heart.
Emperor Sutoku's urging now wasn't because Light, as usual, faced wicked individuals and felt the urge to kill.
It was because Light was experiencing an emotion he had never felt before in his life.
Fear.
Words failed him in describing his current state.
Genius. Son of the Metropolitan Police Department's Criminal Affairs Director. Handsome, tall, top of his class—
Every word that defined Light's image in others' eyes, every accolade that would inspire awe and envy in the outside world, turned pale and meaningless here.
None of it held any significance anymore.
There was no order here, no safe haven.
This world was filled only with despair, oppression, and terror.
Toot toot toot!
Just as Light was sinking deeper into this fear, his brown hair drenched in sweat, on the verge of summoning Emperor Sutoku—
A piercing suona blast yanked him violently back to reality.
Light turned mechanically and saw Ye Xing, utterly absorbed, playing an all-black instrument.
Toot toot toot toot!
Light froze.
Wait…
Isn't that a suona?
You can play that?
No, that's not the point.
The point is—in this world that fills me with utter despair, this place oozing with strangeness—you're in the mood to play an instrument?
And you look like you're enjoying it?
Dude.
You're calling me mentally ill?
At this point, you're the one who needs a diagnosis!
Wait.
Light frowned. Something wasn't right.
He had nearly lost himself to fear, saved only by the sharp sound of the suona.
Given Ye Xing's personality, would he really start messing around here for no reason?
Such loud suona notes would undoubtedly draw the attention of whatever lurked in that black mist.
There had to be a reason behind this—one he didn't yet understand.
Yes. That had to be it.
Light Yagami initially wanted to ask immediately, but seeing Ye Xing fully immersed in his passionate suona performance, he hesitated and ultimately didn't interrupt.
Not bad.
He actually plays quite well.
At that moment, Light noticed something peculiar.
Why did the surrounding black mist seem significantly thinner?
The faintly visible, predatory eyes that had been watching from within the fog when they first arrived had now completely disappeared.
Why was this?
Was it because of the suona's sound?
Could the suona exorcise evil spirits?
As Light pondered this, he suddenly spotted a beautiful woman in a white kimono approaching from afar, exuding an elegant demeanour.
His expression instantly changed.
Light wasn't stunned by her appearance.
Women didn't particularly interest him.
It was because Light sensed an unprecedented aura of fear emanating from this white-clad woman.
As someone who had awakened Soul Materialisation abilities, Mystic Eyes were his most basic capability.
Light could clearly see:
With each step the white-clad woman took, what appeared to be a winding red river extended beneath her feet.
It wasn't a river.
Rather, it was a path paved with congealed blood, radiating an aura of death.
Every pore in Light's body trembled uncontrollably before the presence of this white-clad woman.
This thing...
Just what level of evil spirit was it?
Just as Light prepared to summon his Emperor Sutoku, he saw the white-clad woman walk straight past him without even a glance, stopping before Ye Xing instead. She bowed slightly and said with a smile:
"Greetings."
"Mhm, hello."
Ye Xing dissipated the suona formed from evil spirit power in his hands and responded absentmindedly.
Witnessing this scene, Light was utterly shocked.
What was happening?
Clearly, this white-clad woman was undoubtedly an evil spirit.
Moreover, she was the most powerful, most terrifying evil spirit Light had encountered since awakening Soul Materialisation. Just standing there motionless, her mere unintentional aura was enough to make his hair stand on end, creating a sensation of life hanging by a thread.
Yet judging by this situation...
She actually displayed an attitude of utmost respect towards Ito-kun, even seemingly positioning herself as subordinate?
How could this be possible?
Weren't Ito-kun's abilities roughly on par with his own, making them mutually incapable of harming each other?
Unless...
He'd been hiding his true strength?
Ye Xing had no idea about the complex inner monologue running through Light's mind.
Not that he'd care even if he knew.
Initially, Miko Yotsuya - who possessed Mystic Eyes - couldn't even see the pale ghost hand following Ye Xing.
The reason was simple.
Just as psychics like Oda Noto or the gods' godmother - who had some spiritual power but not much - couldn't perceive extremely powerful evil spirits,
Miko was too weak back then.
The power gap between them was so vast that Miko didn't even qualify to consciously observe the pale ghost hand.
The same principle applied to Light Yagami.
What he perceived wasn't Ye Xing's true power.
Merely a fraction Ye Xing chose to reveal - the strength of a single pale ghost hand.
In other words.
The current Light Yagami possessed combat power roughly equivalent to the pale ghost hand.
Only one person... no, only one evil spirit could truly glimpse even a fraction of Ye Xing's real power, like seeing a leopard through a bamboo tube.
That was the great yokai standing before him now.
Tamamo-no-Mae.
"This location."
Ye Xing pulled out a map from his robe, pointing to the area Light Yagami had mentioned earlier.
"Does a Gate exist here?"
Tamamo-no-Mae glanced at it and gave a slight nod, replying softly.
"Yes, there's a Gate. It appeared suddenly just these past two days. I was about to inform you, but it seems you already know."