Watching the dark purple humanoid creature whose head had been crushed, its body gradually dissolving into black Qi and dissipating, Shizuka slightly parted her lips, her eyes filled with horror.
"Ye... Ye Xing... what... what was that thing..."
"So, you can already see them."
Hearing Shizuka's words, Ye Xing immediately realised something.
Normally, ordinary people like Shizuka-kawaii shouldn't be able to observe the existence of evil spirits.
But from her reaction just now and now, plus the evil spirit's screamed words, it proved that Shizuka Hiratsuka could now observe spiritual entities.
Had Shizuka Hiratsuka awakened spiritual power?
Impossible.
Shizuka Hiratsuka didn't have the prerequisite of having observed evil spirits before.
That left only one possibility.
"Little Shizu, come with me."
Ye Xing grabbed Shizuka Hiratsuka's hand, noticing her momentary pause before a strange blush spread across her pretty face, speaking in a voice as faint as a mosquito's buzz, half resisting yet welcoming.
"Ye... Ye Xing, we can't do this..."
Ye Xing looked utterly speechless.
What kind of situation is this? She was nearly attacked by an evil spirit just moments ago, yet within seconds, she instantly switches to lovestruck mode?
She's somewhat similar to Miko Yotsuya, isn't she?
Both of them have remarkably strong mental fortitude.
"Act normal and give me the key card."
"Oh... right."
After using the key card to open the door, Ye Xing glanced around the hotel room's layout and exclaimed in surprise.
"Wow, it's a suite?"
Shizuka Hiratsuka: "..."
Weren't you the one who told me to act normal?
Why are you the one commenting on it now?
Ye Xing only said that one remark and didn't make any other strange moves, instead quickly walking over to the room's window and looking up at the sky outside.
"Just as I thought..."
Shizuka was utterly bewildered and hurried to Ye Xing's side, mimicking him by looking up at the sky.
But the scene that met her eyes left her stunned.
Unbeknownst to her, the heavy rain had stopped—no...
It was as if it had never rained at all. There wasn't the slightest hint of post-rain moisture in the air.
In the sky hung a crimson moon.
A viscous black mist surged through the streets outside, and just looking at it evoked an inexplicable fear, like staring into the deep sea at midnight.
"Where... is this place?"
Shizuka's mind went completely blank.
The surrounding buildings clearly indicated they were still near the hotel, with the view outside the window exactly the same.
But what was with this viscous black mist and the crimson moon!?
"Little Shizu, stay close to me..."
Just as Ye Xing was halfway through his sentence, a ghastly pale human face suddenly appeared outside the half-open window.
Those black pupils, devoid of any whites, were fixed directly and unwaveringly on Shizuka's face.
"You can see..."
"Don't scream."
Before the evil spirit could even finish its entrance line, and before Shizuka had time to feel fear, Ye Xing instantly thrust out his right hand, his five fingers clamping around its throat. With a slight exertion, its head separated from its body, dissolving into a cloud of black mist.
Only then did Shizuka finally react.
"Ye Xing... what are these things?"
"Evil spirits."
The two words Ye Xing casually uttered made Shizuka's expression change, and he added,
"Also known as ghosts, yokai—call them whatever you like. But these things harbour pure malice towards humans. Don't expect to encounter the rare few that might be benevolent towards people."
Shizuka was taken aback, her lips parting slightly.
"But... why do you..."
"Little Shizu, what's the name of our society?"
"Super... Supernatural Quantum Mechanics Research Society..."
"Exactly."
Ye Xing smiled, shifting his gaze towards the door.
"So, as the Director of the Supernatural Quantum Mechanics Research Society, it's only reasonable that I can perform exorcisms, right?"
"Hmm... that does sound quite reasonable."
Having encountered so many shocking events in quick succession, Shizuka actually calmed down at this moment.
"So what do we do now? If I'm not mistaken, the change in the moon's colour means we've entered some kind of special danger zone?"
"You're quite clever."
A faint smile curled at the corner of Shizuka's lips as she crossed her arms over her chest, looking rather smug.
"Hmph, of course. Just look at whose homeroom teacher I am."
"Alright, don't get too proud now."
Ye Xing reached out and ruffled Shizuka Hiratsuka's hair. Her first reaction was to smile shyly.
Only then did she realise something was amiss, slapping away Ye Xing's hand with a faint blush on her cheeks as she scolded, "You... let's discuss serious matters first."
"Fine."
Ye Xing nodded slightly, his tone indifferent.
"Anyway..."
BAM!
"You just need to know that in this area, evil spirits can attack humans, and ordinary human strength..."
SMACK!
"...is completely incapable of resisting evil spirits. That's all you need to know."
Two sounds punctuated this brief statement.
The first was when a tall, raggedly clothed evil spirit suddenly lunged out of the bathroom, claws bared.
The result: Ye Xing punched straight through its chest, and after its body fell to the ground, he crushed its head underfoot.
The second was when a round evil spirit head poked through the window, attempting to bite Shizuka Hiratsuka.
The result: Ye Xing slapped it straight into the wall.
The key point was that throughout this process, Ye Xing's speech never faltered.
It was as if eliminating these two evil spirits was as simple as eating or drinking.
Shizuka Hiratsuka was utterly stunned.
So this student in her class had been hiding such abilities?
Watching Ye Xing's skilled exorcism movements and faintly sensing the terrifying explosive power contained within his unadorned techniques, Shizuka Hiratsuka recalled the several times she'd threatened him with her iron fist in the office. She didn't know what to think anymore.
With physical capabilities like his, would he really fear her iron fist?
So...
He'd just been flirting with her all along...
No, that wasn't quite the right term.
Thinking this, Shizuka Hiratsuka suddenly realised something, her expression changing as she said, "Then... what about the other guests in the hotel?"
"Don't worry."
Ye Xing patted Shizuka Hiratsuka's shoulder, his tone calm.
"I've sent helpers over."
"We'll save those we can, of course."
"But when people deliberately seek death at times like these, there's nothing to be done."
...
Meanwhile, on the twenty-second floor of the hotel.
"Thirty-five."
The woman in black mourning clothes remained motionless, merely lifting her gaze to glance at the evil spirit standing outside a certain room door. The monstrous creature with its ferocious face, as if sliced dozens of times by sharp blades, instantly fragmented into scattered pieces of flesh.
"What's happening!?"
"What are those things!?"
"Staff!? Where are the hotel staff!?"
Watching the panicked crowd in the corridor, the mourning-clad woman simply lowered her eyelids, her eyes devoid of any emotion.
At the end of the corridor, before a window slightly raised from the bottom, a young woman was holding a little girl. Though her own eyes were filled with fear, she maintained composure as best she could, softly comforting the child.
"It's alright, Mummy's here, don't be afraid."
"Mmm... Mummy..."
Just then, from the gap at the bottom of the window, a horrifying, wide-grinning head suddenly emerged, roaring at the mother and daughter.
"You... can see me!"
Facing the attacking evil spirit's head, the young woman's expression changed, instinctively pulling her daughter tightly into her embrace, her eyes revealing sheer terror.
At this critical moment, a flash of black passed by.
"Thirty-six."
The mourning-clad woman merely raised her left hand and made a light slicing motion. The evil spirit's head slid cleanly off its long neck.
She then lifted her foot and directly crushed the still-screaming evil spirit's head that had fallen to the ground.
Her movements were extremely practised.
Had Miko Yotsuya and the others been present, they would have noticed that the Qi and movements this mourning-clad woman displayed during exorcism were virtually identical to Ye Xing's.
"You..."
The mourning-clad woman first glanced at the mother and daughter, then looked towards the panicked guests in the corridor, speaking calmly.
"Those who want to live, follow me."
After saying this, she walked forward without another word.
The young mother paused briefly, then immediately took her daughter's hand and followed behind her.
Regardless of what those monsters were...
This woman in mourning clothes definitely possessed the capability to deal with such entities.
Under these circumstances, following her was the wisest choice.
Of course, a small number of people did not follow the mourning-clad woman.
"Hey, are you hotel staff? What exactly is happening!?"
"I want to file a complaint!"
"Hey, hey! Stop, explain yourself before leaving!"
Faced with the guests' demands, the mourning-clad woman merely swept her gaze over them. The sharp intensity in her eyes made them hesitate to approach further.
After the mourning-clad woman led the majority of guests away, the dozen or so remaining in the corridor gritted their teeth and made the same decision.
They turned around, opened their room doors, and returned to their rooms.
The situation outside remained unknown.
Rather than following some unknown woman aimlessly, staying in their own rooms seemed safer.
This line of thinking wasn't unreasonable.
But just five minutes later...
A river of blood seeped from beneath the hotel room door, staining the expensive wool carpet a dark crimson.
The metallic scent in the air grew increasingly thick.
...
Meanwhile, in Shizuka Hiratsuka's room.
"No weapons..."
While the human-formed Onimaru Kunitsuna gathered hotel guests from the fifth floor upwards, preparing to lead everyone to the top floor, Ye Xing was surveying Shizuka Hiratsuka's room while muttering to himself.
"Not having a proper weapon really puts one at a disadvantage."
Hearing this, Shizuka Hiratsuka couldn't help but express her confusion.
"You... can kill those things barehanded, can't you? Do you still need weapons?"
"Little Shizu, you don't understand."
Ye Xing shook his head and walked over to the half-open bathroom door, peering inside as if he had discovered something, then nodded with satisfaction.
"Would you use your bare hands to handle food? Of course, there are some special foods meant to be eaten with hands, but having utensils is always preferable."
After uttering these words that left Shizuka completely bewildered and unable to comprehend, Ye Xing strode directly into the bathroom.
Following some rustling sounds, he emerged again after a few seconds.
In his hand, he now held something cold and gleaming that caught the eye, shining so brightly it could chill one's heart. Though its surface showed smooth curves, the polished metal exterior reflected the light with an intensely dangerous aura.
Coupled with the dense cluster of small holes gathered together, it emanated a Cthulhu-like quality that made it difficult to look at directly.
Seeing the weapon in Ye Xing's hand, Shizuka's lips parted slightly as she stared in stunned disbelief.
"The weapon you mentioned... is a..."
"A shower head?"
Ye Xing nodded with complete seriousness, speaking in a grave tone.
"Little Shizu, you mustn't underestimate this shower head!"
Hearing these familiar words, Shizuka suddenly recalled a student once telling her about how on the first day of school, Ye Xing and Kazusa Touma had gotten into a dispute over seating arrangements.
And how he had delivered an impassioned declaration about the King's Throne.
Looking at him now...
'Are you about to start again?'
"Behold!"
Ye Xing waved the shower head before Shizuka's eyes and slowly began his explanation.
"Such smooth curves, perfect weight distribution, and being a household item, it possesses drop-resistant properties - perfectly suited for smashing evil spirits' heads."
Then Ye Xing pointed to the metal pipe connected beneath the shower head.
"And look at this - this is where its true essence lies."
"For close combat, you can directly strike with the shower head. When you need wide-area damage, you can grasp the metal pipe below and swing it around, achieving an effect similar to a meteor hammer!"
"Moreover, you can even do this!"
At this point, Ye Xing made a throwing motion with his left hand and launched the shower head like a hidden weapon.
CRASH
The hotel room window shattered accordingly.
Like pulling a yo-yo, Ye Xing tugged the metal pipe with his left hand, and the shower head flew back automatically, landing perfectly in his right hand.
"How about that?"
Shizuka Hiratsuka looked utterly bewildered, instinctively nodding.
"Indeed... quite impressive."
To wield a showerhead as a weapon... from any perspective...
Ye Xing was truly remarkable.
"Let's go, Little Shizu."
"Oh... oh, alright."
Ye Xing led Shizuka Hiratsuka out of the room.
As soon as they stepped outside, Shizuka caught the scent of blood permeating the air, and her expression immediately changed.
"This... this smell..."
"Yes, many people have died."
Seeing how calmly Ye Xing spoke, Shizuka was taken aback. Her lips parted as if she wanted to say something, but when she saw his completely unruffled expression, she swallowed her words.
He...
Clearly wasn't experiencing this for the first time.
So the Supernatural Quantum Mechanics Research Society was genuinely investigating supernatural incidents?
No...
Did supernatural events actually exist?
"With such a widespread paranormal incident, it's impossible for there to be no casualties."
Ye Xing walked slowly ahead. Being half a step behind, Shizuka couldn't see his facial expression as he spoke these words, but she could tell his tone was flat - unlike his usual flippant, amused delivery, just completely matter-of-fact.
"Hundreds, thousands - these numbers are quite normal."
Ever since the Gates appeared, paranormal incidents had actually been causing massive casualties all along.
Ordinary people just didn't know about it.
Like the Yukinoshita Construction Company case, where construction workers suddenly developed mental abnormalities, which resulted in hundreds of deaths.
Then there was the incident where the Kyoto Metropolitan Police Department specifically issued a notice urging citizens to reduce nighttime travel due to a sharp increase in crime rates - most of those cases were also influenced by evil spirits, amplifying the twisted desires in human hearts and causing them to commit horrifying crimes.
During that process, the number of dead and injured innocents was certainly not limited to just hundreds.
It's just that in the eyes of ordinary people, incidents like mental breakdowns, sudden sharp increases in crime rates, and terror attacks using trucks at amusement parks, the true causes remained undiscovered.
When they reached the elevator area, Shizuka saw a humanoid creature about two meters tall standing by the elevator doors, dressed in tattered clothing with only a few coarse hemp strips hanging from its body. Its skin had a decaying grey tone, with only one eye remaining, while the other socket stood empty.
Though she wasn't a psychic, she instantly realised.
This evil spirit... was completely different in level from the previous ones!
"Ye... Ye Xing..."
Seeing that the humanoid creature simply stood there, seemingly uninterested in her and Ye Xing beside her, Shizuka nervously pursed her lips, tugged at Ye Xing's sleeve, and whispered in a hushed tone.
"Should we... take the stairs instead?"
"Ah, it's fine."
To Shizuka's surprise, Ye Xing just smiled and waved his hand dismissively, then actually walked up to the humanoid monster as if encountering a close friend he hadn't seen for ages on the street, reaching out to pat its shoulder.
"We're all mates here, no worries."
Shizuka was so shocked that she froze completely.
'Are you really this brave?'
The humanoid creature slowly turned its head after being tapped on the shoulder, its single remaining eye scanning Ye Xing's face while emitting puzzled, slightly hesitant, unintelligible sounds from its throat.
"Don't recognise me? Truly, noble people... noble spirits are forgetful."
Ye Xing smiled, raising his left hand to cover the area beneath his eyes.
"Now then, remembered yet? It's me."
The humanoid creature froze for a moment, staring into those black eyes, carrying a frivolous smile, as if suddenly remembering something. With all its strength, it shouted words that made the entire floor tremble.
"So it's you! Where's my eye!!!"