"Grandma…"
Eru Chitanda couldn't hold back her nature after all. Her large eyes sparkled with intensity.
"The person you talked about that day… can we really not say his name?"
This question instantly drew the attention of everyone present.
Their eyes turned bright. They pricked up their ears.
Haruno Yukinoshita was whisking tea, performing the traditional tea ceremony to display the virtues of a proper Yamato Nadeshiko to the older generation. However, upon hearing the question, her hands inadvertently slowed down. The rhythmic whisking sound became softer as she focused entirely on the answer.
Mitsue Takeda just sighed and waved her hand.
It was still the same taboo attitude as that day.
"I can't say it. I cannot say it…"
Because that is a person. But it is also a group of "people."
"But there is one thing that can be made public," Mitsue said slowly. "The reason why the world's extraordinary nature was hidden for so long, and the reason why the Supernatural Realm has only surfaced now, is because of that person—and that group of people."
She paused, her expression grave.
"There was a 'Great Severance' in the Extraordinary Realm."
Now, that severance was ending. It could be called a Spirit Qi Resurgence. Or perhaps, the awakening of the Divine Realm.
"The secrets involved are very dangerous," Mitsue warned. "It's not just the supernatural power that is poisonous. Knowledge about the extraordinary is also poisonous."
Mitsue gave a partial answer to prevent these curious children from getting their brains scrambled by seeking death.
Seeking death was one thing; she was afraid they would touch upon a taboo secret and implicate innocent people in the fallout.
I understand, Haruno thought.
It was just like in movies and TV series where some brain-dead government official accidentally releases an evil spirit from its seal.
Haruno's expression became subtle.
She had to admit that movies were quite accurate in judging human nature. Not all powerful people were resourceful or wise. Many of them were just political creatures of varying quality. The routine operation of making stupid mistakes in the heat of the moment was all too common.
Otherwise, the "Art of Bowing in Apology" wouldn't be jokingly called the traditional culture of Japan by foreigners.
As for the fact that there had been a gap in history… that was not something they could consider now. They hadn't even entered the door yet; thinking too much would only add to their troubles.
Haruno stole a glance at Grandma Mitsue from the corner of her eye.
This person is really too difficult to deal with.
Describing her as "unyielding" wasn't enough. She was stubborn. She didn't care about the overtures or flattery of the powerful. Even when her own son accepted bribes, she had beaten him up and forced him to return every yen.
Difficult…
Even Eru Chitanda, the only one who had a chance to please the old woman, received a standard, perfunctory response from the Godmother of Downtown.
"Child, practice your heart. Be sincere and accept your fate. If you practice like me for decades, you will naturally be able to enter my Taoist tradition and be watched by the gods."
Decades?
They had the energy and time, but they didn't want to wait. They wanted to completely tie down Mitsue Takeda now.
Just as Haruno was scheming, her phone rang. It was a special ringtone she had assigned to high-priority contacts.
Shinichi Kudo?
Didn't this guy go to beg his father for help? Does he have the leisure to call me now?
She answered the phone.
"!!!"
"Grandma! Grandma!"
Haruno's excited voice echoed through the room, shattering the peaceful atmosphere.
"The Extraordinary Seed… It seems there is news!"
Instantly, the room went silent.
The night view was beautiful.
Tokyo, Japan, was indeed worthy of its reputation as the city that never sleeps. The colorful neon lights filled the air with an ambiguous and impetuous atmosphere.
However, Haruki Yamauchi was deaf to it all.
His heart had long since flown to the temple in the overgrown backyard. To the copper pestle.
Similarly, Kiyotaka Ayanokouji followed closely behind him.
He hid well. He had learned tracking and reconnaissance skills in the White Room.
Tonight was different from the past. A bright, full moon hung in the sky, illuminating the earth. Visibility no longer depended solely on the neon lights of the city.
Ayanokouji could see clearly.
Yamauchi was in a state of inexplicable excitement. This was obviously abnormal. A normal student should be in the hotel room arranged by the school, sleeping soundly.
But now, this person was carrying a backpack that smelled of dirt, running madly toward Sobu High School.
Occasionally, a car passed by on the street. The shrill honking made Yamauchi look around suspiciously like a startled rat.
Getting closer.
Closer.
Yamauchi arrived at his destination—the backyard behind the main teaching building of Sobu High.
From the shadows, Ayanokouji watched as Yamauchi excitedly zipped open his backpack. He took out digging tools and a hammer, preparing to smash the stone platform of the small sacrificial shrine.
Ayanokouji observed closely.
Yamauchi smashed the stone very carefully and cautiously. He seemed terrified of accidentally hitting the object resting on top.
The Copper Pestle?
Ayanokouji's heart suddenly jumped, as if it were out of his control. The danger sensation—like sticking one's head into a tiger's mouth—roared toward him like a storm.
At this moment, Ayanokouji confirmed the reason for Yamauchi's drastic change.
That pestle…
It is a Divine Weapon.
Ayanokouji quietly picked up a few pieces of sharp gravel from the ground.
He stared at Yamauchi's hammering.
He waited patiently. Finally, the rough sound of the stone platform cracking echoed in the silence. Ayanokouji's eyes narrowed.
Yamauchi's expression changed to one of pure ecstasy.
It's done!
It's done!!
"Mine! It's all mine! It is mine! It is…"
Just as Yamauchi reached out to grab the artifact—
Whoosh!
"Ahhh!"
Yamauchi drew back his hand with a sharp intake of cold air.
The back of his hand was bleeding. A sharp stone had embedded itself in his skin, causing the flesh to turn outward.
"Who!?"
Yamauchi screamed, clutching his hand. "Who's there!?"
Rustle.
Kiyotaka Ayanokouji walked out from behind the large tree.
The moonlight illuminated his face clearly. Yamauchi took a step back in disbelief.
"Ayanokouji? You…"
"Yamauchi, can you please move aside?" Ayanokouji asked calmly. "I don't want to hurt you. As long as you walk away, nothing else will happen."
"…You want my Artifact!?"
"Artifact? So, there really are unreasonable, extraordinary things in this world. Thank you for confirming that, Yamauchi."
Indifferent words. Cold eyes.
It wasn't the look of a human looking at another human. It was the look of a scientist looking at a lab rat. It made Yamauchi feel cold to his bones.
"Impossible! Don't even think about it!"
Yamauchi screamed. He lunged toward the stone platform, desperate to claim his prize.
Thwack!
Another stone hit him, knocking him off course.
With blood trickling down his forehead, Yamauchi looked crazed. No one could stand being robbed at the finish line. This was his great opportunity to become the protagonist!
As he watched Ayanokouji walking closer and closer to the artifact, a teasing voice suddenly sounded from the darkness.
Clap… Clap… Clap…
"I've seen a good show, Ayanokouji. I'm very happy that you finally stopped hiding your true abilities."
Sae Chabashira walked out of the shadows of the teaching building, slowly clapping her hands.
"But now…"
She glanced at Haruki Yamauchi, who looked at her as if she were his savior. However, there was no compassion in her eyes—none of the concern a teacher should have for an injured student.
Because she was a teacher with no moral integrity.
"If you can stay away from the Artifact, Sensei would be very grateful."
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