type-moon, Tokyo.
On a moonless night, Yalin strolled along the dimly lit streets of Ikebukuro, wandering through dark alleys, occasionally even going up to rooftops.
The city at night, especially its dens of iniquity, was often a hotspot for incidents.
The rules here do not follow the order of the sunlit world, but are similar to nature, more savage and bloody. Gentle animals that stray into it due to misfortune or foolishness will be targeted by predatory beasts.
They will bare their fangs, salivate, attack and tear the animals apart, ultimately devouring them completely.
Yalin made no comment on these rules; he had only come to absorb enough negative emotions and specifically test the effects of his Demon King Talent.
Fear, despair, resentment... all of these could become his nourishment, converting into energy.
Wait, why does this concept feel similar to the All the World's Evil in Fuyuki City? It doesn't seem like an ability a decent person should have.
If this were a tokusatsu set, this ability to absorb negative emotions would definitely be a boss's power.
Fortunately, he was on the side of order.
Yalin absorbed various negative emotions while his thoughts wandered.
Current Tokyo was perfect for him; people in utter despair, with all hope lost, were everywhere.
Yalin only needed to get close to these people, and his Demon King Talent could absorb their emotions.
For those who were merely having a moment of weakness, impulsively considering suicide, even if there was a slight hesitation in their hearts,
He would choose to intensify the absorption, making them mentally weak and completely calm down, giving them a chance to reconsider.
For those who had clearly decided to commit suicide, with no lingering attachment to the world, he would let them proceed.
This was Yalin's small return for absorbing negative emotions.
Until three hours later, Yalin's capacity to absorb negative emotions reached its limit, and his body was filled with abundant magical energy, centered around his heart.
Given his current body and mind, this was the extent he could reach.
Any more, and he might become weak from over-replenishment.
The desires and malice gathered in this city were too intense, reaching an incredible degree.
Even without actively searching, he could continuously collect negative emotions, though the efficiency was nowhere near as high as it was now.
For Yalin, being in Tokyo was like a type-moon Magician being in the Age of Gods.
As he was about to head back, his steps suddenly halted, and his gaze turned towards a small alley to one side.
From the alley emanated emotions of terror, despair, as well as malice and greed.
"Tsk, such strong emotions are hard to ignore."
Yalin muttered, silver clocks appearing in his eyes as he headed into the alley... Inside the alley, four thugs were surrounding a high school girl of about fifteen, speaking loudly as if no one else was around.
"She's the one Brother Hirota mentioned, right?"
"These days, besides her, what other kid would be wandering around here in an Itabashi Girls' High uniform?
She's clearly here to sell herself, but every time a customer agrees on a price, she changes her mind and runs off halfway. That makes the customers very angry.
Brother Hirota specifically said that if we catch her, we should beat her up first to teach her a lesson, and then hand her over to him."
The thugs scrutinized the girl, showing expressions of satisfaction and greed.
"But before we hand her over, there's no harm in us checking the goods first."
As low-level recruits of the organization, they usually didn't get to enjoy such good merchandise.
"...You've got the wrong person, I haven't done anything wrong." The high school girl squeezed out the words, her lips and tongue trembling, her eyes filled with fear and regret. She clearly hadn't expected to encounter such a situation.
"Everyone says that." The thugs scoffed. "They also say, 'Sorry, I didn't know this was your territory.' "
"Or they scream for help or something, it's really unoriginal."
At this, the thugs burst into laughter, their voices incredibly grating.
The high school girl, Yoshimori Reina, felt her heart sink further.
Why did it come to this?
It started because of the economic crisis; her mother's work at the hospital became harder, and her salary decreased instead of increasing. Their once decent family situation instantly plummeted by more than half.
Daily living expenses became tight, forcing her to work part-time after school to make ends meet, which was quite difficult.
At the same time, she saw a classmate whose family's financial situation had also deteriorated like hers, suddenly wearing new clothes and a watch. They spent money generously, unlike their previous careful budgeting.
The whole person appeared incredibly captivating, sought after by many.
Therefore, Yoshimori Reina couldn't help but ask her classmate.
She then received an unexpected answer: the other party was doing 'papa-katsu' (compensated dating).
The classmate also said that with Reina's beautiful looks, she would definitely earn more than her.
Thinking of her mother's increasingly haggard appearance each day, and their worsening daily life, the girl's heart was swayed.
Following the location provided by her classmate, she wandered nearby, trying to find wealthy clients.
With her looks, this wasn't difficult.
However, each time on the way to the hotel with a client, Yoshimori Reina always ran away out of fear.
After several attempts, she finally made up her mind tonight.
But she hadn't expected to be ambushed in the alley and even sold as merchandise.
This filled her with endless regret, and tears streamed down her face... Would she ever see her mother again?
"Friends, could you please quiet down for a moment? I have a small question I need to ask you."
As the thugs approached Yoshimori Reina, an untimely voice suddenly rang out.
"Which bastard dares to interrupt our good time? Get lost if you don't want to die."
"This guy is a bit off, let's be careful."
The thugs were annoyed by Yalin's sudden appearance. However, the lead thug, A, still maintained some rationality, not letting his small head completely control his big head.
Only the high school girl's eyes showed a glimmer of hope, wishing that the person had come to save her.
Yalin didn't look at Yoshimori Reina, but instead gave the thugs a gentle smile: "Excuse me, what is 1000-7?"
"Huh? What nonsense are you spouting? You're asking for a beating, aren't you?!"
Thug A pulled out the dagger from his waist and lunged at Yalin.
Yalin grabbed his arm, gently pushed him down to his knees, and then asked in his ear.
"What is 1000-7?"
"Let go, you bastard!" Thug A clearly didn't realize the seriousness of the situation, still cursing incessantly.
The other three's faces changed, and they all pulled out their weapons.
To dare provoke them, this was no ordinary passerby; they had to strike hard.
Dismembering this man's limbs, then bleeding him out and removing his organs, would surely fetch a good price.
Want to meddle?
The price wouldn't be easy to bear.
Yalin was indifferent to the three's attack. He exerted a slight force on his wrist, breaking the arm of Thug A in front of him.
Then, ignoring the other party's unbearable pain, he continued to ask: "What is 1000-7?"