"Y-you... who are you? I... I don't know you."
Eriri, suddenly pulled out by Ye Xing, was so frightened she could barely speak properly, but still stammered out a denial.
"Still pretending?"
A glint flashed in Ye Xing's eyes as he slowly said, "As Kyoto's number one eroge shooter, I can accurately measure any beautiful girl's three sizes just from one glance. Your measurements match Eriri Spencer Sawamura's perfectly. Combined with this distinctive blonde hair, you still want to deny it? Hmm?"
Eriri remained silent for a few seconds before finally taking off her sunglasses, revealing her clear blue eyes, and couldn't help but complain, "What kind of weird, perverted skills are you mastering?"
"I can also undo bras with one hand. Want me to demonstrate?"
"N-no need."
Eriri originally wanted to say, How could you undo it with one hand when I'm wearing such thick clothes? But then she remembered - this was someone who could block bullets with his bare body. Besides, even though she was covered up so thoroughly, he had still recognised her. What if he really could undo it...
Just thinking about that possibility made Eriri shudder.
"What are you hiding here for? Look, there's someone you know - that Utaha Kasumigaoka..."
"Shh!"
Noticing Utaha Kasumigaoka standing in the distance and observing them, Eriri quickly pulled down her hat brim, dragged Ye Xing behind the standing banner, made a shushing gesture, and whispered in a fluster, "Especially her - she absolutely must not know I'm at this comic convention, selling doujinshi I drew myself..."
"Oh?"
Before Eriri could finish, Ye Xing suddenly interrupted with apparent surprise. "So those doujinshi were drawn by you?"
Eriri: "..."
She was sweating bullets.
Damn it, she'd let it slip.
This sudden fire incident, coupled with encountering Ye Xing here and, worst of all, Utaha Kasumigaoka, whom she least wanted to see, had nearly robbed Eriri of her ability to think calmly.
Unintentionally, she ended up revealing her involvement in drawing doujinshi.
Thinking carefully...
The stall owner was her mother, and the name displayed was her pen name, Eri Kashiwagi. As long as she didn't admit it, who would know she drew those books?
"No... no... I mean... if people found out I'd accompanied my mother to the comic market to sell doujinshi, it could easily lead to misunderstandings. Yes, that's it!"
Seeing Eriri still trying to justify herself in this situation, Ye Xing couldn't help but chuckle and tease.
"Little blonde, you're quite stubborn with your words."
Eriri continued arguing with a flushed face.
"Who... who's being stubborn? This is the truth!"
"Eriri, you wouldn't want everyone to know about you drawing doujinshi, would you?"
Hearing this classic line, Eriri crossed her arms over her chest with a guarded expression.
"What... what do you want to do?"
"Heh."
Ye Xing looked at Eriri's defensive posture and shook his head with a light laugh.
"Not much to protect there, yet you guard it so tightly."
"You bastard..."
Eriri gritted her teeth, resembling a Chihuahua ready to bite at any moment.
She was perfect in every other aspect, but when it came to bust size...
It was somewhat below average standards, and one might even say rather underdeveloped.
He had truly hit a sore spot.
"Alright, keep hiding then. I just wanted to say that classic line."
Just as Eriri was contemplating how to retort, Ye Xing waved his hand and turned to leave directly.
This didn't diminish her anger; instead, it made her feel more frustrated, as if she'd gathered all her strength for a punch only to hit cotton with no feedback.
Though... hitting cotton was still better than hitting a hard wall.
Meanwhile.
Ye Xing walked up to Marin Kitagawa and spoke with a smile.
"Kitagawa, you should go change out of your cosplay outfit first."
"Oh... alright."
Saki Kawasaki followed Marin Kitagawa.
"Marin, I'll help you change so it'll be faster."
Wearing Shizuku Kuroe's heavy black chiffon dress indeed made movement quite inconvenient in this situation.
The other cosplayers should change into regular clothes too, but under these circumstances, they were clearly reluctant to enter enclosed changing rooms. If the fire spread, there would be nowhere to escape.
Watching Marin Kitagawa and Saki Kawasaki enter the changing room, Utaha Kasumigaoka looked at the copy of 'The Metronome in Love' that Ye Xing was holding single-handedly, her expression slightly complicated as she pursed her lips and murmured softly.
"You... why are you still holding that book?"
"Hmm?"
Ye Xing looked at her as if it were the most natural thing and countered.
"What do you mean? I've already paid for it. If I don't take the book, wouldn't that mean I wasted my money?"
Utaha Kasumigaoka looked speechless.
"That's not what I meant..."
For autograph session sales, the process was always to pay first and then bring the book to the author for signing. Although Utaha Kasumigaoka was just a novice writer, she still understood this procedure.
"In such a critical situation just now, I thought you would... casually toss this novel aside..."
Utaha Kasumigaoka let out a soft sigh as she spoke quietly.
"After all, you only bought this novel to tease me, right? You wouldn't actually read it, would you?"
Ye Xing's response took Utaha Kasumigaoka by surprise.
"Spend money on a novel just to tease you? Do I have money to burn? Since I bought it, of course I'll read it. Can't let the money go to waste."
"But why..."
Though Utaha tried her best to keep her expression unchanged, recalling the empty scene at her book signing event, her eyes couldn't help but reveal a hint of disappointment and gloom as she murmured to herself.
"No one came to buy it... a boring light novel written by a new author... Why would you still buy it..."
"Are you the 'Hundred Thousand Whys'?"
Ye Xing first teased her with this remark, then casually replied without concern.
"I bought this novel simply because you're the author. The Utaha Kasumigaoka I know - if it's a novel written by her, no matter how dismal the book signing, no matter what the genre, as long as it's written by Utaha Kasumigaoka, I believe it has value worth my reading. That's all there is to it."
"You..."
Hearing this, Utaha could no longer maintain her calm expression. Complex emotions flickered in her eyes as she remained silent for a long moment before finally letting out a soft hum and saying in a deliberately indifferent tone.
"In that case, I can't let you down. I must live up to your expectations."
Ye Xing nodded, wearing an extremely sincere expression.
"Then can I touch your leg?"
"This... you!?"
Faced with this sudden remark, Utaha Kasumigaoka's pretty face instantly flushed crimson. She lightly bit her teeth, seemingly wanting to say something, but when she looked into Ye Xing's smiling eyes and the copy of 'The Metronome in Love' he held, she hesitated again. After glancing around to confirm no one was paying attention to them, she lowered her voice and spoke in a trembling, embarrassed rage.
"J-just one touch."
"You're really letting me?"
Ye Xing's expression instantly switched to one of complete disinterest.
"I suddenly don't want to anymore, forget it."
"You..."
Utaha Kasumigaoka's face flushed red as she gritted her teeth.
"You're really a terrible pervert!!"
"Is it wrong not to touch?"
"No! You must touch!"
Utaha Kasumigaoka, flustered and exasperated, grabbed Ye Xing's hand and pressed it against her fleshy thigh covered in black tights. After holding it there for a brief moment, she immediately released it. Though feeling extremely embarrassed inside, she forced herself to maintain an aloof, completely in control appearance.
"Well? For an energetic junior like you, the feel of a mature beauty senior's leg must be almost impossible to resist, right?"
Ye Xing smiled and uttered words that made Utaha Kasumigaoka completely furious, pushing her into full overheating mode.
"Just so-so."
"You..."
Utaha Kasumigaoka genuinely overheated this time.
Just so-so?
Just so-so!?
She was one of the two great beauties of Toyogasaki High School, and from the perspective of sex appeal, she completely crushed that blonde washboard without leaving any traces!
And yet, the first time in her life she let a boy touch her leg, this was the evaluation she received?
Utaha Kasumigaoka simply couldn't accept it.
"No good, you have to touch again!"
"Not touching, don't want to anymore. The feel is average, just so-so."
"No! You must touch again!"
...
Meanwhile, outside the building constructed by Yukinoshita Construction Company.
"What in the world... is that thing..."
Soichiro Yagami held binoculars, observing the ring of dark green fire several hundred meters away, his expression extremely grave.
Wasn't this a bit too exaggerated?
Was it the work of Mask's group?
No, probably not.
Though Mask's behaviour and style were quite flamboyant, Soichiro Yagami could tell that both they and their assistants would somewhat conceal their special abilities during operations. They wouldn't use their powers so recklessly without any consideration for the public opinion consequences of such a spectacle.
Then... was it another special ability user?
Regarding such matters, Soichiro Yagami wasn't particularly surprised.
Since this world contained individuals like Mask and their assistants who could utilise, whether you called it spiritual power, supernatural abilities, or something else, special powers beyond human imagination, it was only natural that there would be others with similar abilities but completely different allegiances.
While analysis was important, there was little Soichiro Yagami could do at the moment besides ordering Metropolitan Police Department members to maintain their positions and clear the surrounding area.
Rushing forward without understanding the special properties of those dark green flames would be no different from suicide.
...
Meanwhile, in a remote, deserted location...
"What an extravagant display..." Rio Futaba murmured as she observed the sea of dark green flames surrounding the building.
Though she could tell from photographs that the enemy possessed strong spiritual power, experiencing it firsthand made the reality much clearer.
If she had to rank them, Ye Xing was the strongest within the Supernatural Society, followed by Miko Yotsuya and Hina Amano tied for second, with Rio Futaba herself in third place.
Rio honestly assessed that while she could create skeletal structures to surround a building with a similar effect, it would still be quite strenuous.
This proved the enemy's mastery of spiritual power and their level of ability was at least on par with her own.
"Hina, it's your turn."
"Okay."
Hina Amano took a deep breath, gazing at the fiery sea encircling the building before slowly closing her eyes. She pressed her palms together and whispered softly.
"Please!"
The moment this left her lips, the previously clear sky suddenly became overcast with dark clouds. Within just two or three seconds, raindrops as large as beans began falling from the sky, striking the ground.
After the Weather God's destruction, while Hina couldn't alter an entire city's weather as before, she could still control clear skies or rainfall within a three- to four-kilometre radius.
After all, her soul's true form, Hiyoribo, had devoured a small portion of the Weather God's body, and she herself was naturally gifted, being a psychic of the same calibre as Miko Yotsuya.
Her lack of combat prowess stemmed mainly from Hina's unfamiliarity with spiritual power and Hiyoribo's abilities not being combat-oriented.
The sudden rainfall hitting the dark green sea of flames produced a thick black cloud of smoke, similar to that generated when evil spirits were destroyed.
"It's working."
Watching the dark green flames gradually dim and wither under the spiritually-charged rain, Rio Futaba immediately took out her phone and sent a message to Ye Xing.
Rio Futaba: In a few more minutes, the outer flames will be cleared by Hina's ability. Be careful - if the enemy's target is someone inside the building, these next few minutes represent their final opportunity to act.
Ye Xing: Okay.
...
From the building's top floor, Ye Xing replied with a single character before looking up at Utaha Kasumigaoka, who was still inviting him to touch her legs, and smiled.
"Kasumigaoka-san, I really won't touch them."
"No, you must..."
Halfway through her sentence, Utaha suddenly realised something wasn't right.
Wait.
If Ye Xing touched her legs, wouldn't that mean he was taking advantage of her?
So why did it feel like she was throwing herself at him, desperately wanting him to say how nice her legs felt to touch?
Could it be...
Was she being manipulated?
Utaha Kasumigaoka - Toyagasaki High School's fastest legend of giving herself away freely.
At that moment, Onimaru Kunitsuna, having taken human form, slowly walked into the comic convention venue and approached Ye Xing's side, softly parting her lips to speak.
"Master, I have completed the reconnaissance."
Knowing that ordinary people couldn't see her unless she actively manifested herself, and understanding that Ye Xing couldn't conveniently talk to what appeared to be thin air in such a public setting, Onimaru Kunitsuna continued directly.
"During the reconnaissance, I eliminated two spiritual entities."
"The first was a humanoid creature composed entirely of dark green flames."
"The second was also a humanoid creature composed entirely of dark green flames."
"According to my judgment, these two spiritual entities were completely identical, with exactly the same power. Their strength was quite ordinary, barely stronger than common evil spirits."
Hearing this, Ye Xing didn't respond verbally but simply nodded to indicate he understood.
He took out his phone and sent a message to the group chat.
Ye Xing: The enemy this time is confirmed to be a psychic capable of using Soul Materialisation. Be extra careful.
While evil spirits could belong to the same species, such as Nukekubi, there were still differences between individuals. Even if they appeared similar, one could clearly sense the distinctions.
The appearance of two completely identical evil spirits could only mean one thing.
They weren't evil spirits, but someone's Soul Materialisation.
As long as one's own power was sufficiently strong, even if the Soul Materialisation was destroyed, it could be immediately summoned again.
"Another point: that dark green spiritual flame has remained at the tenth floor level and hasn't continued to rise higher."
Hearing Onimaru Kunitsuna's words, Ye Xing edited another message and sent it to the group chat.
Ye Xing: The enemy's maximum control range for their Soul Materialisation is approximately the height of this building's tenth floor.
...
On the other side, Rio Futaba saw this message and immediately began calculations.
As a science prodigy, mathematics was naturally no challenge for her.
By visual estimation, the tenth floor of this Yukinoshita Construction Company office building was about forty meters high. Considering the coverage range of the dark green sea of flames as well...
After thinking for a few seconds, Rio Futaba immediately opened her phone's map, searched for a while, marked several locations, took a screenshot and sent it to Miko Yotsuya.
Rio Futaba: Considering the enemy wouldn't expose their true body in broad daylight, combined with the information Ye Xing just sent, focus on searching these areas. The true body should be in one of them."
Miko Yotsuya: Alright, I understand.
...
Meanwhile, inside the building.
"They're coming..."
Hearing Ye Xing's words, Utaha Kasumigaoka slightly furrowed her brow.
"What's coming?"
Ye Xing smiled and handed The Metronome in Love to Utaha Kasumigaoka.
"Please hold onto this for me. It wouldn't be good if it got blood on it later."
"What blood..."
Before Utaha Kasumigaoka could finish, Ye Xing walked out of the comic convention venue on his own.
Seeing this, Eriri, who was hiding in the corner, hesitated briefly before chasing after him.
With so many people around, there were many things she couldn't ask openly. Now that he had voluntarily left, she wanted to ask about that day's events, and by the way...
To express her gratitude as well—having had her life saved, the very least she could do was say thank you.
After leaving the venue, Eriri looked around but couldn't spot Ye Xing anywhere. After scanning the area, she noticed the tightly shut fire exit door and immediately walked over to push it open.
The scene that met her eyes, however, left Eriri stunned.
She saw that Ye Xing's body was now covered in a layer of black flames, while his handsome face was concealed by a pitch-black mask with a white smiling pattern—one she recognised all too well. For the sake of drawing the perfect manuscript, she had observed it countless times, memorising every single detail.
"Ma... Mask?"