One hour later.
"Well... Ye Xing-kun..."
Setsuna Ogiso lifted her left foot, lightly tapping it on the ground as if concealing her nervousness.
"Monday after school, in the music room?"
"No problem."
Ye Xing smiled and nodded, then pulled a piece of paper from his pocket and handed it to Setsuna Ogiso.
"This is the ensemble score for that piece, along with the lyrics. As for the audio, I'll ask Touma-kun to record it and give it to you on Monday morning."
"Mm, alright."
Setsuna Ogiso nodded obediently, carefully tucking the paper into her pocket.
She had already learned from Ye Xing that the song 'White Album' was something he had composed himself.
But...
According to school rumours, Ye Xing-kun didn't seem particularly interested in musical performances.
Did he write this song specifically for Touma-kun?
Such feelings... are truly enviable.
However, Ye Xing-kun also wrote lyrics specifically for her.
Indeed, joining this band was the right choice.
...
Twenty minutes later, at Mai Sakurajima's home.
"You... have been getting more and more excessive lately..."
Yukino Yukinoshita narrowed her eyes slightly, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. Though her expression wasn't fierce, there was an inexplicable killing intent about her.
Staring directly at Ye Xing, who sat opposite her with a frivolous smile, she slowly spoke.
"Regarding Kaguya Shinomiya's Adolescence Syndrome, are you really not concerned at all? Aren't you going to ask about our progress?"
"And regarding Shoko Makinohara's condition - it's already the school term now. Even if Mai-senpai is trying her best to cover it up, Shoko's parents haven't seen their daughter for so long and are already getting suspicious. What if they report it to the police?"
Rio Futaba, sitting on the other side, adjusted her glasses and looked at Ye Xing with displeasure.
"On this matter, I agree with Yukinoshita. Not just the Adolescence Syndrome issues, but also the white Gate I told you about, and the need for new members - you're not taking any of it seriously. Being this hands-off is really too much."
Listening to Rio Futaba and Yukino Yukinoshita's verbal attacks on Ye Xing, Yui Yuigahama smiled awkwardly and tried to mediate softly.
"Um... come on now, we're all in the same club, let's not argue. Ye Xing must have his own things to deal with, too; he's definitely not slacking off, right?"
Yui Yuigahama gave Ye Xing a suggestive look and emphasised again.
"Right?"
The great Yui Yuigahama attempted to establish a mental connection with Ye Xing.
Ding!
Passive skill Abstract Saint Body activated. Yui Yuigahama's skill Mediation failed.
"These unimportant matters, I naturally leave to you all to handle."
Ye Xing leaned back on the sofa with a completely unconcerned expression.
"I've been exorcising my whole life, can't a bloke enjoy himself for once?"
Miko Yotsuya commented expressionlessly.
"Your whole life... You haven't even had your spiritual power awakened for as long as I have, right?"
Mai Sakurajima sighed helplessly with an expression that saw through everything.
"You've fallen for it again. He's definitely been busy with something recently. Since he's called us for a meeting tonight, it means he's made progress and is waiting for us to take the bait - first criticise him, then he'll turn the tables and enjoy watching our expressions of regret and guilt when we realise we wronged him, satisfying his twisted desires, right?"
"Ah, Mai-senpai, what are you saying?"
Ye Xing waved his hand dismissively with a light laugh.
"Couldn't I have called you all here just to have a simple orgy?"
"Speaking such nonsense again..."
Mai Sakurajima glared at Ye Xing reproachfully and pointed at Yukino beside her.
"If you were really thinking about lewd things, you wouldn't have invited Yukinoshita-san, would you?"
Yukino Yukinoshita: "..."
She didn't know what an orgy meant, but judging from Yui Yuigahama and the others' embarrassed and angry reactions, she could guess it wasn't anything good.
Not being invited to participate... should be good news.
So why did she feel like Mai-senpai was humiliating her to her face?
"Then let me report on my recent progress."
Upon hearing Ye Xing's words, Yui Yuigahama, Yukino Yukinoshita, Mai Sakurajima, Rio Futaba, Miko Yotsuya, and Shoko Makinohara, who had remained silent, all looked serious, holding their breath in anticipation of what would follow.
Little did they know the words he spoke next would leave all six of them utterly bewildered.
"I've formed a band. Setsuna Ogiso as lead vocalist, Kazusa Touma on bass, and I'm responsible for sending the audience off happily during performances."
Before Yui Yuigahama and the others could react, Ye Xing exclaimed in admiration.
"Oh? An unintentional triple rhyme? As expected of me, so talented."
Amidst the girls' speechless expressions, Rio Futaba noticed the details.
"Are you trying to guide Touma-san to awaken her Soul Materialisation ability?"
"Exactly."
"Good."
Rio Futaba didn't elaborate further on this.
Among those present, the one with the best relationship with Kazusa Touma... well, not exactly best, but most familiar, would be Yukino Yukinoshita - rivals yet friends who didn't get along but had secretly reached an understanding with Touma.
Although their relationship was average and not particularly close, if you asked anyone in the club whether Kazusa Touma could be trusted, you'd get the exact same answer.
She could be trusted completely, wouldn't abuse her Soul Materialisation ability after becoming a psychic, and wouldn't recklessly expose her special abilities.
A very suitable candidate.
"Also, regarding Menma's matter, I've resolved it. She's recovered the missing part of her soul and grown into a young woman's form."
"She had a friend when she was alive named Naruko Anjou, who seems to have the potential to become a psychic."
Before Ye Xing left that mountain, he had noticed one detail.
He had killed the evil Mountain God, and its unique domain had dissipated accordingly.
Logically, Naruko Anjou, being an ordinary person, shouldn't be able to see Menma anymore, but in reality, the opposite was true.
As for the reason...
A small portion of Naruko Anjou's soul had remained with the malevolent Mountain God for over five years, likely becoming imbued with some degree of spiritual power.
At the very least, she had already gained the ability to observe, much like Miko Yotsuya had before.
Of course, these weren't the most important factors.
What is the most essential quality for a professional exorcist?
It's the courage to overcome inner fear, to face terrifying evil spirits directly, and still dare to rise up and resist.
From this perspective, Naruko Anjou—who returned to that great mountain to resurrect her childhood friend Menma—completely meets the standard.
A new potential harem member... no, a new psychic candidate.
"And Hana Yurikawa also possesses the qualifications to become a psychic. Plus, she's friends with Menma and has long known about our club's activities, yet she's never mentioned it to anyone else. She's trustworthy and could be considered one of our new members."
"Oh, by the way, have any of you heard about the recent Kuchisake-onna rumours circulating in Kyoto?"
At Ye Xing's question, all the girls nodded. Rio Futaba adjusted her glasses, her expression turning somewhat grave.
"Yes... Chief Yagami has already issued an official announcement through the Metropolitan Police Department. This matter has indeed caused quite a stir, though personally I believe the perpetrator isn't the real Kuchisake-onna, but rather a human imitating her methods."
"Of course, the perpetrator's true identity isn't important. What matters is that we must stop this so-called Kuchisake-onna as soon as possible. Otherwise, in the Reverse World, an evil spirit Kuchisake-onna formed from the negative emotions of the public will be born..."
Before Rio Futaba could finish, Ye Xing interrupted.
"Enough analysis. There is no Kuchisake-onna. That announcement Chief Yagami issued was fake—it was just an experiment I was conducting."
"An experiment?"
Rio Futaba frowned slightly at this.
"And the purpose?"
"To recruit a new member, of course."
Hearing Ye Xing's casual tone and seeing his relaxed expression, the girls present all froze momentarily before their expressions changed.
"The new member you're talking about... couldn't be... the Kuchisake-onna from the Reverse World, right?"
"Who else would they be?"
"You're..."
Seeing the complicated expressions on Yui Yuigahama and the others, Ye Xing said indifferently, "It doesn't matter. If she's as enlightened as Hachishaku-sama—'a fine bird chooses a tree to nest in, a wise minister chooses a master to serve'—that would naturally be for the best."
"If she's unwilling to submit, that's fine too. At worst, I'll just eat her and take you all on a sweep through the Reverse World to gain some combat experience."
Here, Ye Xing paused, smiling as if with great anticipation.
"Of course, I'm hoping she chooses not to join. I'd really like to have a taste..."
Seeing Ye Xing like this, Rio Futaba looked utterly speechless, thinking to herself:
Are you sure you're really trying to recruit new members by using Chief Yagami's help to create this Kuchisake-onna?
It feels more like you're just... hungry?
"So when are we going?"
"Sunday. With Tamamo-no-Mae keeping watch, that Kuchisake-onna won't be able to go far."
Listening to their conversation, Hachishaku-sama—who had been curled up in the corner quietly sipping milk—suddenly revealed a look of excitement and joy in her eyes.
A new spectre is coming?
Kuchisake-onna?
Doesn't this mean... she's about to get promoted soon?
And she'll have a companion who shares her common ground.
Most importantly...
They'll be able to drink the boss's milk together!
This makes Hachishaku-sama incredibly happy.
But despite her joy, Hachishaku-sama also felt somewhat heavy-hearted.
Times have changed, circumstances have shifted.
What was the Supernatural Society like when she first joined?
Ye Xing, Rio Futaba, and Miko Yotsuya - just three people in total.
One who didn't know the truth and thought they were just adding settings to a chuunibyou fantasy world - Rio Futaba.
The other could see evil spirits and spectres but had no abilities at all, someone who wouldn't last even one minute against Hachishaku-sama during their first meeting, even after awakening her spiritual power - Miko Yotsuya.
Back then, the Supernatural Society was desperate for talent. Combined with Hachishaku's unique nature of having fused with a Gate, this was why she "voluntarily" signed the contract and became a contractual employee.
And now?
Miko Yotsuya, Yui Yuigahama, Mai Sakurajima, Rio Futaba, Hina Amano, and Light Yagami in Tokyo.
And these were just the human members.
Then there was the Goat-Headed Deity from the shrine, the guardian deity of Itomori Town, the Slaughter Demon, which had its prey stolen by Ye Xing and was forced to leave its homeland, and Hachishaku-sama herself.
With this lineup, even without counting Ye Xing, how luxurious was this!?
As for a mere Kuchisake-onna, even if Hachishaku-sama assumed her initial power upon birth might be stronger than her own when she first fused with a Gate, in the current Supernatural Society, she would at most be relegated to patrol duty. Forget about drinking milk - she probably wouldn't even get proper wages.
If she were to mouth off as Hachishaku-sama did back then, would the boss tolerate it?
Wouldn't Kuchisake-onna get utterly devoured?
Hachishaku-sama desperately wanted that promotion.
At this moment, she made up her mind.
She had to find a way to ensure Kuchisake-onna joined the Supernatural Society rather than becoming food.
"Any progress on your end?"
Mai Sakurajima looked resigned, thinking to herself that she had guessed correctly after all.
Ye Xing was pretending to be slacking off while actually secretly accomplishing so much, just waiting for the members to reach their limit and criticise him before turning the tables.
What terrible taste...
"Yukinoshita-san, please brief us on Kaguya Shinomiya's condition."
"Alright."
Yukino Yukinoshita nodded, brushing aside the black hair near her ear.
"Based on our recent interactions, we've preliminarily determined that the cause of Kaguya Shinomiya's Adolescence Syndrome, similar to Mai-senpai's case, stems from internal conflicts within her heart."
"Compared to Mai-senpai's resistance towards her former identity as an idol actress, Kaguya Shinomiya also experiences a similar identity crisis, but the circumstances are somewhat different."
"She might not even realise it herself, but after that joint examination ended, two completely different thoughts emerged within her mind."
"The first is that as the eldest daughter of the Shinomiya conglomerate, she must excel beyond anyone else."
"The second is the stimulation brought by failure."
"If it were just that, it wouldn't be intense enough to trigger Adolescence Syndrome."
At this point, Yukino Yukinoshita paused, glanced at Ye Xing, who sat there with an indifferent expression, and sighed softly.
"Fortunately, our most honourable Captain not only defeated Kaguya Shinomiya in the joint examination, but it was such a crushing defeat with such a vast difference in ability that it left her feeling utterly powerless and despairing."
"Consequently, as the eldest daughter of the Shinomiya conglomerate who was raised with the belief that she must excel above all others, Kaguya Shinomiya experienced intense conflict between this ingrained ideology and the undeniable reality that no matter how hard she tried, she could never defeat Ye Xing. This subsequently triggered Adolescence Syndrome."
Rio Futaba took over the conversation, delivering the final conclusion.
"To summarise, there are only two solutions."
"The first is to let Kaguya Shinomiya win against Ye Xing once, and it must be a victory where she genuinely believes Ye Xing didn't hold back and fought her with his full strength before ultimately losing."
Just as Ye Xing was about to speak, he saw Rio Futaba wave her hand helplessly.
"I know this approach has a very low success probability. After all, your performance in that joint examination was simply too overwhelming. Even if Kaguya Shinomiya exerts endless effort, she cannot surpass the ability you've already demonstrated. So, this option is a pass."
"That leaves only one approach remaining."
Rio Futaba picked up her coffee cup, took a sip, and then spoke slowly.
"Make Kaguya Shinomiya change her deeply ingrained beliefs, make her accept that it's alright even if she loses."
"Oh."
Ye Xing nodded.
"Well then, good luck with that. I'm really too busy to get involved."
"We weren't planning to ask for your help anyway."
Rio Futaba rolled her eyes.
"Don't want you meeting her and triggering Kaguya further. If her mental split turns into actual duplication, we'd be completely doomed."
"Little Futaba, originally it should have been you who ended up with a split."
"Huh? What do you mean by that? I've never had Adolescence Syndrome, I'm perfectly mentally healthy."
"Then shouldn't you thank your big brother Ye Xing?"
"Pfft, boasting about yourself."
"What about those white Gates that can cause disasters?"
Miko Yotsuya said calmly.
"We've checked all the areas around Kyoto during this period and haven't found any traces of those Gates. Is it that white Gates must appear before a disaster occurs, or do the Gates cause disasters, but not every disaster is caused by those Gates? We still can't determine which one it is."
Ye Xing nodded.
"Alright, let's continue maintaining this. Stay safe during operations."
Rio Futaba hummed lightly, turning her face away with a tsundere expression.
"Now that sounds like something a human would say."
Just then, the phone in Ye Xing's pocket suddenly rang.
He took it out and saw it was Hina Amano calling.
"Hello, what's up?"
"We're at your doorstep, why aren't you opening the door when we knock?"
"Ah?"
Ye Xing was stunned for a moment, then chuckled helplessly.
"Wait... you? You brought Menma and Naruko Anjou to my house?"
"Well, what else was I supposed to do?"
Hina Amano's voice sounded quite helpless.
"They're old friends reuniting after a long separation and want to spend tonight chatting together. How could I bear to separate them? My place is so small, how could I bring Menma and Anjou-san back to stay?"
"Heh."
The great Harem God immediately saw through the little Sunny Girl's scheme.
"With all that talk, you just want to come to my place yourself, don't you?"
"S-so what if I do!?"
Hina Amano initially seemed a bit shy and awkward, but the next moment, she completely gave up pretending.
"You... you're the one who brought me back from that place, so you have to take responsibility! Anyway, hurry back!"