"Setsuna."
Having completed an outstanding performance today, won first place in the school festival, reconciled with her mother, awakened her soul's true form, and most importantly, finally confessed her feelings to Ye Xing and established a romantic relationship, Kazusa Touma was clearly in high spirits and immediately replied with a smile.
"I heard Yurikawa-san talking about butt daifuku in the clubroom earlier. Though her description was a bit strange, since she likes it so much, it probably tastes good. Shall we go to that shopping street?"
Kazusa Touma liked sweets, something Setsuna Ogiso knew well.
"Hmm... let's go there then."
"Great, let's head off now."
Kazusa Touma turned to look at Ye Xing, her brows slightly furrowed with displeasure.
"Hey, why aren't you coming with us? Aren't you joining?"
"You two go ahead."
Ye Xing waved his hand and replied with a smile.
"I have other matters to attend to later."
Kazusa Touma nodded, somewhat reluctantly.
"Alright then, when I'm heading home after dinner... I'll call you."
"Okay."
Ye Xing immediately understood Kazusa Touma's suggestion, as some things weren't appropriate to discuss in front of Setsuna Ogiso.
After the two of them left together, Ye Xing sat by the window, as if waiting for someone.
He had declined Kazusa Touma's invitation to the celebration party partly because he genuinely had other business, and partly because he was considering Setsuna Ogiso's feelings.
Ye Xing certainly knew that Setsuna Ogiso had seen everything, but was pretending not to notice.
After all, he wasn't Kazusa Touma - the bitterness and reluctance in her eyes were far too obvious, plain for anyone to see.
Under such circumstances, if he were to attend the celebration party together with them, what would become of Setsuna Ogiso?
Her closest friend had become the lover of the person she herself loved.
What was she supposed to do then?
Even if Ye Xing and Kazusa Touma didn't act like a couple, merely being around the two of them would be pure torture for Setsuna Ogiso. Yet she could only endure it, forcing herself not to reveal her inner turmoil.
It wasn't just about Setsuna Ogiso - simply watching her suffer internally while forcing herself to smile made Ye Xing's stomach twist with sympathetic pain.
Rather than this, it would be better to let Kazusa Touma and Setsuna Ogiso go out alone together.
Hearing the approaching footsteps echoing behind him from the door's direction, Ye Xing murmured to himself.
"So you've come..."
As he turned around, he saw the music club room's door being pulled open, and two tall, burly men in black suits stepped inside slowly.
"Are you Ye Xing?"
Hearing this question uttered in a low voice, Ye Xing merely shook his head and chuckled teasingly.
"Why must we always exchange pointless words before a fight? Is it some kind of fixed..."
Mid-sentence, Ye Xing suddenly shifted his posture, bending slightly like an agile beast, and appeared directly before one of the men in suits.
"First."
Ye Xing struck the man's abdomen with his fist, clearly feeling the thick bulletproof vest concealed beneath the suit.
The moment he was hit, the suited man's vision went dark. Without even a moment to process what had happened, he collapsed to the floor.
Seeing this, the only thought that crossed the other suited man's mind was:
Bloody hell, you've got no honour!
You just attack without even a warning?
"Second."
As these words fell, the second suited man also felt a sharp pain in his abdomen. Before he could even register Ye Xing's movement, his vision darkened, and he fell to the ground.
"Just ordinary people..."
After incapacitating the two suited men, Ye Xing didn't relax. Instead, he turned his gaze towards the activity room's door.
The sound of a cane tapping against the floor grew louder, approaching from a distance.
"Ahem."
Gan'an Shinomiya, dressed in traditional Japanese attire and leaning on a cane, entered. His complexion clearly indicated poor health, his body as gaunt as a withering tree.
After closing the door behind him, he glanced at the two unconscious men on the floor before looking up at Ye Xing. He coughed lightly twice and spoke meaningfully.
"As expected... of the man representing Yukinoshita Corporation, who killed that Wu Hei in the Kengan matches. That my two former Kengan fighter bodyguards couldn't last a single round against you... truly astonishing."
After speaking, Gan'an Shinomiya struggled to regulate his breathing, as if even talking and walking required immense effort in his current state.
"Hello, Ye Xing. My name is Gan'an Shinomiya... I am Kaguya Shinomiya's... father."
Ye Xing didn't respond directly; instead, he studied the man before him.
If he remembered correctly, Gan'an wasn't even sixty yet - considered prime years for someone of his wealth and status. There was no reason for him to appear so aged and frail.
Seems he's seriously ill.
"The current head of the Shinomiya conglomerate appearing before me in person... what an unexpected honour."
Ye Xing smiled as he looked at Gan'an Shinomiya standing less than five metres away.
"Mr Shinomiya, you must be well aware that at this distance, I could kill you in less than a second."
"Of course I know."
Gan'an coughed lightly twice and glanced towards a nearby chair, asking permission before sitting.
"My health isn't good. May I sit while we talk?"
"Of course, please."
After seating himself, Gan'an looked at his two bodyguards lying unconscious on the floor. Though knocked out, their chests still rose and fell - their lives weren't in danger. He then spoke in a low voice.
"Though I'm not a Kengan fighter myself, I've watched many matches between fighters. I can tell you held back - thank you."
Then Gan'an Shinomiya continued speaking on his own.
"Being first in Japan's unified exams, achieving top score in the joint examinations between two prestigious high schools, defeating the genius from Shuchi'in Academy - these obvious accolades aren't why I came to see you today."
Here, Gan'an Shinomiya paused, looking directly into Ye Xing's eyes. Though appearing frail and sickly, the authority cultivated from years in a high position still revealed itself at this moment.
"Collaborating with Oda Noto to make him Kyoto's most famous exorcism practitioner, representing the Yukinoshita company as a Kengan fighter and winning with overwhelming dominance, maintaining deep connections with Light Yagami - son of Kyoto Police Chief Soichiro Yagami - and with Chief Yagami himself."
"You're an interesting person, Ye Xing-kun."
Hearing Gan'an's words, Ye Xing's expression didn't change at all, maintaining that same casual, indifferent smile.
"Given your position as head of the Shinomiya family, I expected you'd uncover these things right after Kaguya Shinomiya visited Sobu High School yesterday. I'm surprised it took you over a day - this doesn't quite meet my expectations of you."
Gan'an showed no displeasure at these words, instead shaking his head seriously.
"As the current head of the Shinomiya family, investigating someone's information is simple for me."
Here, Gan'an shifted his tone.
"However, if I want to prevent others from knowing who interests me without leaving any traces, my prominent position as Shinomiya family head actually becomes an obstacle. I didn't want my investigation of you to expose my weaknesses, nor did I want you to attract others' attention. Hence, it took slightly longer."
Gan'an wasn't lying - he spoke the truth.
Despite being head of the Shinomiya conglomerate with unimaginable connections and wealth, he still needed extreme caution in such matters.
Investigating a high school student posed no difficulty for Gan'an Shinomiya. The challenge lay in preventing anyone from knowing he was investigating a high school student.
For this, he could only entrust the task to his most trusted associates or even handle it personally, ensuring no information leaked and no traces remained.
Finding the connection between Oda Noto and Ye Xing wasn't difficult - the monthly bank transfer records were readily available, and comparing them with the timing of Oda Noto's rise to fame allowed deduction of their relationship.
The Kengan fighter identity wasn't hard to uncover either, since those present included not only Mrs Yukinoshita and Haruno but also their opponents from the Wu Clan and the Kyoto Municipal Bank.
Only one thing made Gan'an Shinomiya feel somewhat uneasy.
That was Ye Xing's relationship with Light Yagami... or rather, Ye Xing's relationship with Soichiro Yagami.
These two shouldn't have any connection.
If pressed, there was indeed one - the simple connection of being his son's friend and his friend's father, plus Ye Xing's name appearing in personnel lists from several emergency incidents.
If it were merely this, Gan'an Shinomiya wouldn't have thought much of it—perhaps just a coincidence.
But the problem was, it was too clean.
Even within the Kyoto Metropolitan Police Department, Gan'an Shinomiya had connections.
Precisely because of this, he discovered that in every incident where Ye Xing had appeared, the case records were excessively clean—so clean it could be described as abnormal.
The terrorist attack at the amusement park, the lorry crashing into the western restaurant, and the hostage situation at Toyogasaki High School...
In all three incidents, Ye Xing had been present. Yet, according to the case records, he appeared to be a complete outsider, with not the slightest connection to the events themselves—not even any suspicious minor details.
It was precisely because it was too clean that Gan'an Shinomiya felt something was amiss.
The question was... with Soichiro Yagami's promising future and his rigid, serious character, why would he do such a thing?
Unless...
That startling yet logically consistent conjecture in his mind was the reason Gan'an Shinomiya had personally come to Sobu High School today.
"Mr Shinomiya, if I'm not mistaken, you're here to discuss cooperation with me, aren't you?"
Ye Xing looked quite interested, showing not the slightest trace of nervousness even when facing someone of Gan'an Shinomiya's high status. This further confirmed Gan'an Shinomiya's suspicions.
"Now, state your terms."
Hearing this, Gan'an Shinomiya nodded and spoke in a low voice.
"As you can see, my health isn't very good. Perhaps a year, perhaps two—in any case, I don't have long to live."
"Ye Xing, you might not be aware, but although the Shinomiya Group appears glamorous on the surface, the internal situation is quite complex. The reason there's no trouble yet is simply because I'm still alive and can keep those with ill intentions in check."
"After I die, those vultures hiding in the shadows will merely shed a few crocodile tears at my funeral before beginning to fight without any bottom line, trying to carve up all the interests."
"As my daughter and the eldest daughter of the Shinomiya Group, Kaguya... though she's excellent, to be honest, I don't believe that after my death, with no connections in the main family and being just a high school student, she'll be able to protect herself in such a complex and dangerous situation."
"Poisoning, assassination, slander—those people will do anything for profit. It's a ruthless struggle with no bottom line."
At this point, Gan'an Shinomiya paused, coughing violently twice before looking at Ye Xing and speaking solemnly.
"If... you really are who I think you are, even in the situation after my death, you could protect Kaguya. This is what I, as a father, hope to gain your help with."
After listening to this, Ye Xing's smile faded as he said calmly,
"Mr Shinomiya, my relationship with Kaguya Shinomiya can only be described as acquaintances at best—far from the point where you could entrust her to me. Making such a request so abruptly is indeed speaking too intimately despite our shallow acquaintance."
"Let's skip those formalities."
Gan'an Shinomiya waved his hand, getting straight to the point.
"If you're willing to help, you can set any conditions. I don't mean to sound arrogant or presumptuous, but given my position as the current head of the Shinomiya conglomerate, I believe I possess value that could be useful to you."
From the moment he entered, Gan'an Shinomiya had maintained a humble posture. He couldn't remember how many years it had been since he last behaved this way - perhaps he had never done so in his entire life.
But Ye Xing was different.
If his suspicions were correct and the other party was indeed that person... then their abilities far surpassed mere money and power, making them a truly powerful individual in the most literal sense.
For instance, from a status perspective, Gan'an Shinomiya, as the current head of Japan's largest conglomerate, stood above tens of thousands of people. A single whimsical decision from him could affect the futures of countless individuals.
Yet, he remained merely an ordinary human.
Gan'an didn't know where Mask's abilities came from, nor had he ever heard of anyone capable of achieving what Mask could accomplish.
But he had a premonition.
Not just the Shinomiya conglomerate, but the entire world was already teetering on the brink of losing control and madness.
For Kaguya's safety... Gan'an Shinomiya was willing to humble himself like this.
"I see... Mr Shinomiya's sincerity is indeed quite substantial."
Ye Xing nodded, extending his right hand toward Gan'an Shinomiya while speaking softly with a smile.
"In that case, let's consider this a preliminary agreement. Later, I'll present some conditions - if you find them unacceptable, we can cancel the arrangement."
"I understand."
Seeing that Ye Xing didn't immediately make financial demands, Gan'an breathed a sigh of relief and shook his hand.
He knew he had made the right decision coming here today.
The other party didn't seem particularly concerned about things like money, which made sense, given that with Mask's abilities, mere wealth would be easily obtainable.
So what interested Ye Xing then...
Was it his daughter, Kaguya Shinomiya herself?
...
Meanwhile, in the commercial district.
"Setsuna, try this."
Kazusa Touma speared a soft, chewy daifuku with a fork and brought it to Setsuna Ogiso's lips. After watching her take a bite, she unhesitatingly returned it to her own mouth, taking another bite from the same spot Setsuna had bitten, her face filled with bliss.
"So delicious, sweet and soft."
Though Kazusa was commenting on the daifuku's flavour, for some reason, Setsuna's mind conjured the image of Kazusa kissing Ye Xing by the music clubroom window.
"Hmm..."
Noticing Setsuna's subdued mood, Kazusa asked with concern,
"What's wrong, Setsuna? Are you tired from singing today? Should we find somewhere to sit and rest?"
"No, I'm fine."
Setsuna forced a faint smile, speaking gently.
"I... I'm just a bit tired, but I'm alright."
"Really? Let's still find somewhere to sit for a while."
Though Kazusa had noticed Setsuna's unusual behaviour, she didn't connect it to that matter.
There was no helping it - the version gap was simply too large.
In the earliest version, the competition was about who could win and unlock the lover ending with Ye Xing.
In the mid-term version, the question was who could win the competition, block the rival's path, and together with those close to him, unlock the lover ending with Ye Xing.
In later versions, there was the milk battle, which didn't affect the ending and was just for fun.
In the current version, the Supernatural Society urgently needs more psychics to become members of the harem, even entering a conquest mode to expand the harem's scale on its own.
From Kazusa Touma's perspective, Ye Xing said that the three of them would form a band for life and be together forever. She also cherished Setsuna Ogiso as a friend and didn't want to lose her. Ogiso had to obediently join the luxurious harem package.
But from Setsuna Ogiso's perspective, it became Kazusa Touma and Ye Xing forming a lover relationship, leaving her as an outsider. Influenced by the junior high school confession-isolation incident, the relationship among the three couldn't continue. One day, she would be abandoned by those two.
Setsuna Ogiso was thinking about how to maintain the relationship among the three in this situation and how to keep herself by Kazusa Touma and Ye Xing's side.
As for Kazusa Touma?
She was already thinking about how to make Setsuna Ogiso awaken her Soul Materialisation ability like herself, then join the Supernatural Society.
In her view, this Setsuna Ogiso was quite an impressive figure indeed.