Chapter 178: Tokyo's Most Prosperous Shopping Street, Shibuya on the Edge of Danger
Noticing the undisguised strong hostility revealed towards him in Kazusa's delicate and elegant slender eyes, and the subtle atmosphere in the air, Light Yagami, who was good at seeing through people's hearts, reacted in this instant.
"Have you guys misunderstood something?"
Light Yagami smiled and waved his hand.
"Yoru-kun and I don't have the kind of superficial and strange relationship you imagine."
Yukino, who had always been reticent, suddenly spoke at this moment.
"Then, what kind of relationship is it?"
Light Yagami glanced at Yukino standing there, didn't answer this question, but turned his gaze back to Yoru and smiled.
"Let's go to my house for a meal. Hearing that you... you all came, my sister was overjoyed and wanted to meet you."
Mai frowned slightly.
Deliberate, right?
Definitely deliberate.
This guy named Light Yagami, that slip of the tongue just now, was actually subtly expressing that she and the others weren't invited, right?
What a tough opponent.
Fortunately, the opponent is a ma...
Wait.
Is there a possibility that precisely because he is also a male like Yoru, this Light Yagami can do some things that she, Rio, Miko, and Yui find inconvenient to do?
For example... bathing together in a hot spring?
Under subtle influence, Mai's thinking also began to become increasingly abstract.
"Since that's the case..."
Rio pushed her glasses frame, seemingly nonchalant.
"Then Yoru, you go eat with your friend first. We will go check into the booked hotel, put away our luggage first, and gather together in the afternoon."
"OK."
After separating, Light Yagami smiled and said softly.
"Don't misunderstand, it's not that I don't welcome your friends, it's just..."
Yoru waved his hand, saying calmly.
"You feel that your actions as 'Kira' cannot be accepted by ordinary people, right?"
"Right, exactly."
Light Yagami put away his smile, a trace of inexplicable scarlet light revealing in his brown eyes.
"I don't expect the understanding of ordinary people, nor is this my goal. As long as I sanction those evils, it is enough."
"Is it really enough?"
Hearing Yoru's sudden sentence, Light Yagami couldn't help freezing for a moment.
"What you are doing now is indeed sanctioning evil."
Yoru walked forward shoulder to shoulder with Light Yagami, his face flat.
"However, the media hasn't publicly reported your actions, and people don't know that the cause of the criminals' deaths is due to your actions."
"Moreover..."
Yoru looked at Light Yagami.
"You are only one person after all. You should almost realize that relying on your actions alone, you can't even sanction the evils of a single city like Tokyo, right?"
"Mmhmm..."
Light Yagami lowered his eyelids, responding softly.
During this period, he acted almost every day.
But wanting to kill criminals without exposing his tracks, even with the ability of Soul Manifestation, still made Light Yagami feel very difficult.
After all, his opponent was that world's number one great detective, L.
Being able to maintain the frequency of sanctioning a criminal or ex-convict every three days was already the limit.
Compared to Tokyo, which has a population of tens of millions and where crimes happen every day, an operation of this scale was undoubtedly just a drop in the bucket.
A new world without any evil...
Does it really exist?
"So."
Just as Light Yagami was silent, he heard Yoru change the subject.
"The power of a human is limited."
"But if you can transform into some more mysterious, more terrifying existence completely different from humans, and create an image, then the effect will be entirely different."
Hearing these words, Light Yagami showed a look of surprise, murmuring to himself.
"Transform into... a different existence..."
He looked up at Yoru, his tone somewhat complicated.
"Just like... 'Mask'?"
"'Mask' huh... not quite the same. It's not a method I came up with myself either, just copying that Dark Knight of Gotham."
"Is that so..."
....
Light Yagami led Yoru, took a taxi, arrived in front of the two-story apartment where he lived, and raised his hand to knock on the door.
"Coming, coming~"
Sayu Yagami, wearing loungewear, opened the door. Seeing Yoru standing next to her brother, an embarrassed smile appeared on her face, hurriedly greeting.
"Yoru-onii-san, please come in, please come in~"
"Mmhmm, thanks, Sayu."
Seeing his sister acting like a fangirl just because Yoru smiled and called her name, Light Yagami couldn't help laughing dumbfoundedly, shaking his head, raising his hand to knock on the opponent's head.
"Stop dazing and hurry inside."
"Oh oh, okay."
After entering the house, Sayu poured tea, sat in her seat, and smiled sweetly.
"Mom went out today, so it's just the two of us at home. Yoru-onii-san, you can relax a bit."
Immediately after, Sayu examined Yoru sitting opposite, couldn't help speaking.
"However, this is the first time Brother brought a friend home."
In the eyes of Sayu, his younger sister, what kind of image did Light Yagami have?
The genius ranked first in academic ability in the whole school. Although she herself didn't feel much, her friends would say things like, "Your brother is so handsome," "Can you give me your brother's contact information?"
Thinking about it, in the eyes of outsiders, her brother must be very popular.
It's just that Sayu always had a strange feeling, perhaps a sixth sense only family members would have.
Brother... was very arrogant, and... not happy.
A genuine smile from the bottom of his heart like when he was with Yoru, Sayu was seeing it for the first time.
"He is different."
Light Yagami clasped his hands together, resting his chin on the back of his hands, speaking with a smile.
"By the way, Sayu, you didn't know yet. Yoru-kun is the genius who took first place in the joint exam between Sobu High and Shuchiin. He is even stronger than me."
"Eh? Really?"
Sayu didn't know what place Sobu High was, but she had definitely heard of Shuchiin.
As a middle school student, she also took Private Shuchiin Academy as her first choice.
"Yoru-onii-san, is he really that amazing?"
"Of course."
Light Yagami smiled and nodded, saying softly.
"He is the friend I acknowledge."
.....
After finishing the meal together, Light Yagami asked his sister to go upstairs first.
Then, he flipped through his phone, found a web page of a news report, and placed it in front of Yoru.
"This is a report about the exhibition. Starting from noon tomorrow, lasting for a week, the location is the Tokyo National Museum. Of course, unlike your operation with Onimaru Kunitsuna last time, the situation this time is relatively special."
"It is very special indeed..."
Yoru looked at the content of the news report, thinking as expected.
For this exhibition with Mikazuki Munechika as the theme, the Tokyo National Museum and the Tokyo Police Department could be said to have made full preparations in all aspects.
Thinking about it, it made sense.
After all, just a few months ago, a major case happened where the Kyoto City Museum was invaded by a mysterious person.
Even though the Kyoto Police Department claimed that no cultural relics were stolen or damaged, it still caused an extremely bad impact.
Under such circumstances, the Tokyo National Museum, also holding an exhibition with a famous sword as the theme, would naturally raise the security level of this exhibition to the highest. This was expected.
"Truly arrogant."
"Arrogant?"
Hearing the word Yoru used, Light Yagami couldn't help freezing for a moment.
He originally thought the opponent would say it was very troublesome and needed to be careful, or according to the personality he observed, completely disregard the Tokyo Police Department and the guards of the Tokyo National Museum.
Why use 'arrogant' to describe it?
"Isn't it arrogant?"
Yoru looked very displeased, saying righteously.
"They stole our famous sword Mikazuki Munechika, and actually dare to exhibit it openly in front of the public like this. I have never seen such brazen people!"
Light Yagami: "...."
Reversing heaven and earth?
Plaintiff becoming defendant?
"Anyway... I have already gone to observe the terrain around the National Museum these two days. The nearest 'Door' is 7.2 kilometers away. After completing the operation, how to cross this distance of 7.2 kilometers is the priority issue to consider."
"Speaking of this..."
Light Yagami paused slightly, taking out a photo from his phone album.
"Look here."
Yoru looked down, seeing the photo on the screen, with high-rise buildings on both sides, and a bustling shopping street full of people coming and going in the middle.
In Sakura Prefecture, there is such a saying.
Everywhere except Tokyo is the countryside.
Although a bit exaggerated, the emergence of such remarks also proves the huge gap between the city of Tokyo and other cities in Sakura Prefecture.
That shopping street in Kyoto, which even on holidays had a foot traffic of only two or three thousand, paled in comparison to such a prosperous commercial district.
And in the eyes of ordinary people, this was just an ordinary photo capturing the passing crowd without anything special.
But Yoru could clearly see.
In the photo, there was a "Door" emitting black mist, which had already opened about eighty percent.
"This place is?"
Light Yagami's eyes flickered, speaking slowly.
"Shibuya."
"Shibuya huh... interesting."
Looking at this photo where only spirit mediums could "observe" the abnormality, Yoru looked full of interest.
According to Rio's analysis of the Otherworld, it was an alternate space formed by people's negative impressions and emotions.
This also explained why the "Doors" connecting the Otherworld and the real world would most likely appear in places like dark alleys, unfinished buildings, abandoned architecture, and the like.
Because human subconsciousness would try to avoid these places. Even people who didn't believe in the existence of evil spirits were the same; this was instinct.
However...
Putting the two words Shibuya and shopping street together, what would it make people think of?
Prosperity, liveliness, endless crowds, a dazzling array of goods, the forefront of fashion, young people with outstanding appearances.....
No matter how you think about it, it shouldn't accumulate negative impressions to the point of producing a "Door", right?
"You actually pay attention to such incidents?"
Hearing Yoru's curious inquiry, Light Yagami revealed a meaningful smile, the scarlet light in his pupils even stronger.
"Only by devouring more evil spirits can my Emperor Sutoku become stronger, and only then can I sanction more evil."
"You truly are a madman, Light."
"Likewise, Yoru-kun."
...
That night.
"Tokyo, is Tokyo as expected."
Seeing the person who said this was actually Rio, Mai couldn't help covering her lips and chuckling.
"Futaba's personality has become much more cheerful compared to when we first met."
"This..."
Rio seemed somewhat embarrassed, took off her glasses, placed them on the table aside, and muttered softly.
"Sort of..."
"By the way..."
Yui examined Yoru's room, her expression complicated.
"Why are you staying in a luxury suite, while we are all in ordinary king-size bed rooms!"
"Hey, what you said is not right."
Yoru replied seriously.
"I stay in a luxury suite paying out of my own pocket, not from the club activity funds. Not letting you guys stay in twin rooms and having king-size bed rooms to stay in is already good enough. Hotels in Tokyo are very expensive."
Yui froze upon hearing this, then nodded.
"That's true, save whatever we can. After all, making money from exorcism is also very dangerous."
"Why did you actually believe it?"
Mai sighed slightly, looked at Yoru sitting on the sofa with a knowing look, and said faintly.
"This guy, is thinking that if we stayed in pairs, he wouldn't have a chance to make a move, right?"
Yoru nodded deeply in agreement, smiling.
"Mmhmm, the one who knows me is Mai-senpai indeed."
Immediately after, he put away his smile, saying seriously.
"Alright, let's discuss business."
"Regarding the matter of a 'Door' appearing in the Shibuya shopping street, what do my beloved concubines think?"
Hearing the title 'beloved concubine', Kawasaki Saki's pretty face flushed red. Just as she opened her mouth wanting to retort, she found that besides herself, those four people didn't have any surprised reaction.
She was shocked.
Did I become an internal member of the Super-Quant Club, or... join someone's harem group?
How did it develop into this?
"Shibuya shopping street..."
Rio opened the online map on her phone, checked the view of the surrounding area, and said thoughtfully.
"In such a prosperous commercial district, logically speaking, a 'Door' shouldn't appear. Even if it did, it should be in a remote corner. Standing straight like this in a pedestrian street with people coming and going really doesn't conform to logic."
Miko added from the side.
"I checked if there were any accidents with many casualties in Shibuya over the past few months. The result is no. The only thing worth noting is the renovation of the mall next to the pedestrian street, but the construction process went very smoothly, without any casualties like the Yukinoshita Construction Company."
"Then how could this be... Could it be that underneath some building, it was actually a mass grave in the past?"
"Probably not. Even if it was a mass grave, the focus isn't on that itself, but on people's negative emotions and cognition of this matter. Even if you say this commercial district was a battlefield where many people died hundreds of years ago, or some other place with heavy Yin energy, most people wouldn't care at all, right."
"The difficulty of this incident is indeed very high. To actually produce a 'Door' in such a lively place with people coming and going, does it mean the strength of the evil spirits around there is much stronger than those in gloomy remote places?"
"Mmhmm, Miko makes sense, we cannot ignore such a possibility."
....
Listening to Mai and others as exorcists discussing, Kawasaki Saki suddenly seemed to think of something and tentatively expressed her opinion from the side.
"Um... although I still don't quite understand these things, is it possible that this shopping street is not the first place where the 'Door' was generated?"
"Hmm?"
Hearing this sentence from Kawasaki Saki, Rio froze for a moment first, then became thoughtful.
"Not the first place where the 'Door' was generated..."
Kawasaki Saki waved her hands, hurriedly saying.
"Um... I just said it casually, don't mind it..."
"No, what you said makes a lot of sense."
Rio made a habitual motion of pushing her glasses frame, but forgot she had already taken off her glasses, her slender finger pushing nothing but air.
Watching the other members holding back laughter, she coughed lightly twice to cover up her embarrassment.
"Um... if it's as Saki said, then it can be explained."
"The Shibuya pedestrian street is not the first place where the 'Door' was generated, but was moved there."
"After all, there are evil spirits like Hachishaku who have fused with 'Doors', and those capable of directly pulling the nearby area into the Otherworld. If it's a more powerful existence that has been fused with a 'Door' for a longer time, maybe it can indeed do this."
Mai frowned slightly upon hearing this, tucked her long hair behind her ear and said.
"Then if it can do this, wouldn't moving to a place like a hospital where people often die be more beneficial for power growth? Why move to the prosperous Shibuya commercial pedestrian street where almost no negative emotions exist?"
"Isn't this obvious?"
Yoru looked at Miko. This Miko-san, who joined the club earliest and had the most exorcism experience, had already thought of the same place as him.
"Could it be..."
Miko's heart sank. Just thinking of the image in her mind, her face had already become very ugly, her lips trembling slightly.
"Because... the foot traffic in the Shibuya pedestrian street is... one of the highest in Tokyo city... so..."
Yoru took over Miko's words, using a very flat tone to say a sentence that made Kawasaki Saki and others terrified.
"So, as long as it successfully creates an accident, the number of humans it can kill and the negative emotions it can collect are also the most."
Rio gritted her silver teeth lightly, saying in a low voice.
"Even for an evil spirit fused with a 'Door', the number of humans it can pull into the Otherworld in a single time is limited..."
"Moreover, there is also the risk of the 'prey' it pulled in being targeted and snatched away by other existences in the Otherworld."
"Compared to the Otherworld surrounded by powerful evil spirits, the evil spirits and ghosts in the real world are overall much weaker in strength. An evil spirit capable of manipulating a 'Door' to this extent should be an existence at the top of the food chain in the real world of Tokyo..."
"This guy... has it treated the Shibuya pedestrian street in the real world as its own hunting ground..."