During this period, Kyoto's top exorcist, Ye Xing, and the great yokai Tamamo-no-Mae from Kyoto's Reverse World had completed numerous seamless and highly effective collaborations.
As a powerholder within the Reverse World, Tamamo-no-Mae would compile detailed reports about the regions, abilities and activity patterns of powerful evil spirits there.
These reports were then delivered to members of the Supernatural Society who entered the Reverse World.
Simply put,
Tamamo-no-Mae now served as an external collaborator for the Supernatural Society, essentially acting as a tour guide for the Reverse World.
And it wasn't just limited to the evil spirits mentioned in their contract.
Whenever new Gates appeared in the Reverse World, Tamamo-no-Mae would also inform the Society.
The Reverse World mirrored the structure of the surface world.
As pathways connecting both worlds, any Gate that appeared would manifest simultaneously in both realms.
In this regard, Tamamo-no-Mae had made significant contributions.
One glance revealed the truth - this great yokai possessed strong self-management awareness.
"So there really is a Gate."
Ye Xing wasn't surprised by Tamamo-no-Mae's confirmation.
Mainly because that violent organisation's actions were simply too outrageous.
Selling firearms and hallucinogens?
Japan wasn't some lawless territory - were they not afraid of the Self-Defence Forces cracking down hard?
Such suicidal behaviour that completely abandons common sense might be coincidental if committed by one or two small groups.
However, since they could be considered a violent organisation, it is suggested that they had many members.
With so many people collectively losing their minds, Ye Xing could only think of one plausible explanation.
Just like that incident at Kyoto Municipal Kindergarten, either their minds were being controlled by evil spirits.
Or, every single person there had already had their bodies possessed by evil spirits.
If that were the case, it meant there was at least one Gate in that area.
And what's more, it was likely a highly dangerous one.
Meanwhile, Light Yagami stared blankly at Ye Xing, chatting casually with Tamamo-no-Mae, his mind completely frozen.
How could this be?
In this world, did evil spirits capable of conversing with humans actually exist?
No...
Was this even the same world he originally came from?
The thick, churning black fog, those malicious gazes lurking within it.
And this stunningly beautiful woman in white standing before him, whose every graceful step seemed to stir an ocean of blood, radiating an aura that made one's heart palpitate with fear.
At this moment, Light Yagami finally grasped the gravity of the situation.
The other side connected by the Gate was a hellscape dominated by evil spirits, filled with despair and fear.
Thinking this, his gaze turned towards Ye Xing, who was chatting effortlessly with Tamamo-no-Mae, looking completely at ease.
This was the other's domain.
In a world ruled by evil spirits, a human showed not the slightest tension, as relaxed as if he were on a spring outing. Even for a psychic, this was utterly unbelievable.
Either the man was completely insane, utterly devoid of fear.
Or... he possessed formidable power beyond Light's comprehension.
Without even realising it himself, after entering the Reverse World and witnessing these continuous, unimaginable shocks, coupled with Ye Xing's utterly fearless and relaxed demeanour, Light Yagami had unconsciously shifted from viewing him as an equal to looking up at him with reverence.
"If there's a Gate, let's set off then."
Ye Xing didn't intend to waste time.
Having confirmed there was a highly dangerous Gate in that area, it was best to eliminate it quickly.
His main objective this time was to gauge Light Yagami's sincerity, with no plans to stay overnight in the Reverse World until dawn.
This meant they had about two hours left to reach the Gate, return to the human world, eliminate all violent organisation members, return to the Reverse World, and then return to their original positions in the human world.
Time was indeed pressing.
"Wait, Ito-kun."
Light suddenly realised something, frowning slightly.
"Are there any means of transportation in this world?"
Light thought even by train or taxi it would take considerable time.
Surely the other wasn't planning to walk there?
Though Light didn't know about the restrictions of only being able to travel between worlds via the Gate during Demon Hour and Human Hour, he similarly didn't want to waste time.
The reason was simple.
If they were gone for two or three hours, that could still be explained.
But if he stayed out all night, coupled with his father—the Director of the Criminal Affairs Bureau at the Metropolitan Police Department—inevitably receiving news of all the violent gang members' deaths, suspicion would undoubtedly fall on him.
Hearing Light Yagami's question, Ye Xing turned to face him and replied indifferently,
"Why not just fly? It'd be even faster."
Light was stunned. "Fly?"
Ye Xing mirrored his surprise with an expression of his own, speaking as if stating the obvious.
"You mean you can't fly?"
His tone made it sound as though flying was no different from walking—something anyone who wasn't disabled should be capable of.
Light was utterly shocked.
"Don't tell me... you can fly?"
"Of course. You can't?"
"Uh... no, I can't."
Hearing this, Ye Xing shook his head with visible disappointment and patted Light's shoulder.
"Hah, you're like that Ground-type Legendary. Who even can't fly these days?"
Light didn't get the Groudon reference, but he could definitely sense the mocking undertone in Ye Xing's words. It was genuinely hard to take.
"In that case..."
Ye Xing casually flicked his right hand and uttered two simple words.
"Come out."
As soon as he spoke, an enormous pale ghost hand materialised instantly.
Light noticed a detail.
When summoning Soul Materialisation, the other party didn't call out the spirit's name like he did.
Was this a difference in ability?
Or was it because Ye Xing's power was so immense that he could skip this essential step?
Light couldn't figure it out.
No matter how sharp his mind was, with only himself and Ye Xing as reference points among psychics, drawing any concrete conclusions was impossible.
Even the cleverest housewife can't cook without rice.
While the Supernatural Society had already begun systematically honing their spiritual powers, Light was still like a newbie who'd just created an account and hadn't even finished the tutorial.
His Emperor Sutoku was powerful, but in a one-on-one fight against Miko Yotsuya, his chances of winning were slim.
After all, stats and combat prowess weren't directly interchangeable.
"Step on."
At Ye Xing's words, Light didn't hesitate for a second. He took two steps forward and stood atop the pale ghost hand's outstretched palm.
Now, if the ghost hand simply clenched its fingers, he wouldn't even have the chance to summon Emperor Sutoku—he'd be killed instantly.
Watching Light's bold move, Ye Xing nodded approvingly.
Truly a gambler who aspired to become the new world's god, thriving on the edge of life and death, preferring to risk it all rather than endure boredom.
His courage was undeniable.
"Alright, we're taking off."
Ye Xing stepped onto the ghost hand as well and chuckled.
The expanded palm of the pale ghost hand was nearly as large as Sobu High School's rooftop. It could easily accommodate over a dozen people, let alone two.
Whoosh!
Once they were steady, the ghost hand shot forward like an arrow, slicing through the air as it soared into the distance.
Standing on the ground, her long hair tousled by the wind, Tamamo-no-Mae was utterly dumbfounded.
This was the first time she'd learned—
So Lord Ye Xing could fly?
And with just one hand, no less. Such unfathomable, bizarre power.
What kind of terrifying monster could that pale ghost hand truly be?
...
Meanwhile.
Light Yagami, who had been standing tall atop the pale ghost hand with a composed smile, now cut an utterly dishevelled figure.
His long, brown hair had been whipped by the raging winds into the shape of a mop, revealing his smooth, gleaming forehead. His entire face appeared nearly distorted by the gale.
Clutching the pale ghost hand's raised middle finger like a lifeline, he refused to let go.
Given his mental fortitude, the high-speed aerial travel didn't frighten him. No thrill could surpass rollercoasters in amusement parks - after all, the ghost hand flew straight without any loop-the-loops or inverted manoeuvres.
The real problem?
There were no seatbelts on this damned thing!
The retreating black mist couldn't keep pace with the ghost hand's velocity. From Light's current vantage point, all he saw below was an undulating sea of inky vapour, like staring at an unlit ocean surface.
This sight alone would terrify most people.
Moreover, Light could vaguely sense something within that mist - a palpitation-inducing presence that made one's hair stand on end. Falling would mean certain, unmarked death.
Maintaining his cool image became the least of his concerns now.
Though an anime protagonist himself, Light had to admit:
Ye Xing's protagonist halo outshone his own.
Skill activated: True Protagonist Aura
Effect: Normally composed protagonists near you lose all dignity, leaving you as the sole cool one
What would've taken fifteen minutes by train, the pale ghost hand covered in under five.
Ye Xing mused inwardly: 'If only we could use this freely in the real world.'
Alas, whether it's a man flying mid-air or a pale ghost hand carrying someone, both scenes would shock ordinary civilians too profoundly.
Best kept as a trump card.
As the ghost hand finally halted, Light released his grip and stood. Though his hair remained dishevelled and clothes windswept like a vagrant's, his expression betrayed no panic - no vomiting, trembling or unsteady steps.
Let's reiterate:
Light feared neither heights nor rollercoasters, bungee jumps or other extreme amusements normal people found thrilling. He'd clung to that middle finger purely to avoid falling - nothing more.
As for dignity...
Truthfully, Light couldn't care less.
Only one thought occupied him now:
Judgement upon evil was imminent.
Smoothing his brown locks, Light calmly surveyed his surroundings. Everything matched the intelligence he'd gathered - both through his Soul Materialisation abilities and via his father Soichiro Yagami's connections at the Kyoto Metropolitan Police Department.
This place wasn't particularly remote within Kyoto City, but rather a once-bustling commercial street that had gradually declined as the city's economic centre shifted over recent years.
Surrounding it were supermarkets, shops, and an already vacated department store building.
Light Yagami noticed that the thick black mist he'd been able to see with his naked eye since entering this world had now disappeared without a trace.
Only an ancient wooden door stood quietly in the street between two residential buildings, its cracked surface shedding wood shavings.
"Another Gate..."
Though Light had experienced a series of shocks since arriving in the Reverse World, he hadn't stopped thinking.
When he'd entered, he'd passed through a Gate that looked almost identical to one he'd seen in crime scene photos.
That ordinary people couldn't see the Gates was something Light had confirmed before coming to Kyoto.
Combined with what Ye Xing had just discussed with Tamamo-no-Mae...
"So that's how it works."
Light finally understood the principle.
This was the perfect crime method that the Metropolitan Police Department had been desperately searching for, yet couldn't find any clues about.
By using these mysterious Gates to travel between worlds...
To ordinary people, it would appear as if someone had materialised at a location.
No surveillance cameras would capture their journey; there'd be no eyewitnesses, and no traces would be left along the way.
Only psychics could detect the traces.
The problem was...
Even for psychics like himself who could observe evil spirits and the Gates' existence...
Who would dare rashly pass through a Gate that emitted ominous black energy from its cracks, clearly radiating something sinister?
Light knew he certainly wouldn't dare.
But without entering this world, even psychics couldn't know this teleportation-like method was achieved this way.
An unsolvable mystery.
Looking at Ye Xing waiting for him before the Gate, Light felt something he'd never experienced before.
Defeat.
Not just the gap in power as psychics.
Even setting aside strength, Light felt inferior in every aspect.
The application of Gates, the knowledge of Kyoto City, and psychological resilience beyond ordinary people...
Even that white-clad woman - a powerful evil spirit he'd never encountered before - had adopted a subordinate posture before Ye Xing.
For the first time, Light felt outmatched by someone.
Yet...
Alongside this sense of defeat came an inexplicable excitement.
This was interesting.
Competing against opponents at his level - or higher - was precisely what Light pursued.
Had his father, Soichiro Yagami, not disapproved of Shuchi'in Academy and Advanced Nurturing High School, Light would have gone there to compete.
Of course...
This current situation was better.
"Stop daydreaming. We're short on time."
Hearing Ye Xing's urging, Light quickly approached the Gate. Before he could speak, Ye Xing said calmly:
"You're probably thinking we should change into disguises first, right?"
Light nodded slightly.
"According to the Metropolitan Police Department's records, this area where the Black Dragon Society is located is likely under 24-hour surveillance. If we're caught on camera or seen by Metropolitan Police Department personnel, it would be very troublesome."
"Is that so?"
Ye Xing smiled carelessly and countered.
"Then why not just kill all the witnesses?"
Hearing this, Light Yagami froze momentarily before narrowing his eyes slightly, a glint of wariness flashing through them.
"Ito-kun, I act solely to punish evil – only to punish evil. Killing innocents doesn't align with my justice."
"I see."
Ye Xing nodded noncommittally at Light's response.
Just as he'd anticipated.
This was Light Yagami's true nature, untainted by the Death Note.
After all, targeting Metropolitan Police Department members to punish crimes beyond the law's reach, though somewhat twisted, still stemmed from a sense of justice.
"Watch closely. I'll only show this once."
As Ye Xing spoke, black flames erupted around his body.
In less than a second, his attire transformed into the pure black outfit and mask he'd worn during his first appearance at Kyoto Municipal Kindergarten.
"This is..."
Witnessing this, Light felt both astonishment and an inexplicable stirring in his heart.
This was...
Actually quite cool.
A transformation?
Light Yagami had a hidden trait.
Chuunibyou.
Only someone with latent delusions of grandeur would proclaim themselves a god reshaping the world.
Light's current thoughts mirrored that famous character's iconic line:
'Coach, I want to learn this move!'
However, Light understood the unspoken message behind the demonstration.
Learn it if you can.
If he failed, their so-called partnership might collapse.
Light had no objections to this.
Negotiations and collaborations operated precisely this way.
Each party revealed their cards in turn, yet never showing too much, until an agreement was reached.
Clearly, the weight of Ye Xing's displayed capability already surpassed Light's assets – both his status as the Director's son and his Soul Materialisation ability.
Now it was his turn to present more bargaining chips.