"How careless of me."
Miko stared at the half-human, half-evil spirit creature with its elongated tongue, surrounded by thick black Qi. She clenched her teeth, eyes filled with regret and self-reproach.
She knew perfectly well that humans with excessively twisted desires could have their bodies possessed or even fused with evil spirits.
Even if Hana thought the man was human and didn't mention this detail...
As an exorcist, failing to consider all possibilities was still a critical mistake.
"Miko, is... is this thing a monster?"
Seeing Miko suddenly holding a long sword that clashed with the hooded man's tongue, Hana stood frozen in shock.
Hearing her cry, both Miko and Rio Futaba felt their hearts sink.
The sword was a physical spiritual object, so Hana seeing it was normal.
But if she could also see the hooded man's tongue...
There was only one explanation.
The evil spirit and human body were nearly completely fused.
By possessing a human body, the normally invisible evil spirit had gained physical form.
This meant it had exploited a loophole in the "must be seen to be attacked" rule.
Since it had merged with a human body, even ordinary people who saw the possessed body would effectively be seeing the evil spirit part of it.
Simply put.
This half-human, half-evil spirit monster possessed a spirit's power while having a human body that made its existence perceivable to anyone.
In other words, it could attack anyone.
"Damn it..."
Miko gripped the hilt with both hands, pointing the gleaming blade at the human-bodied evil spirit before her.
"Let's go, Hyakume! Hachishaku-sama!"
Rio, who had only intended to gather and analyse information along the way, hadn't expected things to escalate like this.
Showing no panic or confusion, she calmly intercepted Hana, who was about to run forward, whispering:
"Step back. Leave this to Miko."
"Eh... Eh?"
Watching Miko Yotsuya deftly wield her longsword while dodging the monster's tongue attacks, Hana Yurikawa felt both flustered and an indescribable emotion rising in her chest.
This... seemed like the real Miko Yotsuya?
This version of Miko...
Was so cool.
Rio Futaba pulled Hana Yurikawa to safety about ten metres away, but instead of focusing on Miko's battle with the evil spirit, she first surveyed their surroundings.
They were on a residential street flanked by houses.
Rio's gaze swept behind her glasses as she carefully assessed the most crucial detail.
At least within her line of sight, there were no surveillance cameras.
This exorcism differed from their usual operations.
Normally, they conducted exorcisms in remote, gloomy locations.
Since ordinary people couldn't see evil spirits, any cameras would merely capture a girl swinging a sword while muttering incomprehensible words at empty air.
She'd definitely be mistaken for a chuunibyou.
But this target was special - even non-psychics like herself could clearly observe it.
If passersby came now, they'd witness a man with a demonically contorted face attacking Miko Yotsuya with his metre-long dark green tongue while she fought back with her sword.
Though Hyakume and Hachishaku-sama remained invisible, the scene alone was horrifying enough.
What normal human could extend their tongue several metres or parry razor-sharp blades with it?
"Miko, retreat for now."
Hearing Rio's call, Miko responded without hesitation, murmuring:
"Hyakume, take over."
"Understood."
Hyakume, who had been providing peripheral support, seamlessly swapped positions with Miko at her command, instantly assuming the primary combatant role.
Miko immediately disengaged, passing her sword to Hachishaku-sama before sprinting to Hana and Rio's side, echoing the classic phrase from her first training session with Ye Xing:
"Scatter, retreat, abandon, flee!"
"Eh? Eh!?"
Before Hana could react, Miko and Rio each grabbed one of her hands, dragging her down the street at full speed.
Hachishaku-sama followed close behind.
As a proper exorcist, Miko always remembered Ye Xing's teachings.
One lesson stood paramount:
When outmatched, retreat.
With millions of evil spirits worldwide, professional exorcists must never risk foolish one-for-one exchanges.
"Scatter" meant the enemy's strength exceeded Miko's expectations.
Between herself, Hachishaku-sama and Hyakume, victory remained uncertain.
But one thing was clear:
This wouldn't be resolved quickly.
"Retreat" and "flee" meant beating a hasty retreat.
The true brilliance lay in "abandon."
Miko had left Hyakume behind as a rearguard for good reason.
Hyakume was the manifestation of her own soul.
During the battle with the wild Hachishaku-sama, Hyakume had already dissipated once before. The only negative effect was a significant drain on her physical and mental energy.
Once recovered, she could summon it again.
But if Hachishaku-sama were destroyed, she would be gone for good.
"Huff... huff..."
Hana Yurikawa ran while panting heavily.
"W-where are we going...?"
Though Hana wasn't particularly athletic, her physical fitness was actually decent.
The reason she was exhausted after just a few dozen metres was that her life aura had been heavily drained when they passed by that half-human, half-evil spirit earlier, leaving her physically depleted.
As for Rio Futaba...
Best not to compare.
Her stamina was truly abysmal—she was already on the verge of collapse.
Rio thought to herself, 'If I'd known joining the Supernatural Society as a strategist would involve situations requiring physical exertion, I should've exercised more regularly.'
Tired as she was, her mind hadn't stopped working—if anything, it was racing faster.
An evil spirit had fused with a human body, but according to Hana's information, the monster hadn't attacked directly. Instead, it pretended to coincidentally cross paths daily on Hana's commute, siphoning her life aura to strengthen itself.
This thing possessed intelligence on par with humans—it wasn't an ordinary evil spirit.
This was a residential area.
If a passerby saw the evil spirit's true form, what it would do next went without saying.
Moreover.
Against an evil spirit of this calibre, even dozens of ordinary people would be nothing more than defenceless fodder.
Considering this, plus the need to avoid encountering other evil spirits that could increase enemy numbers, while also protecting Miko Yotsuya's identity as a psychic from exposure...
Rio completed the entire process—from analysing intel to reaching a conclusion—in just two seconds.
"Yurikawa-san!"
Rio stopped abruptly, speaking urgently.
"Is there anywhere secluded nearby where no one passes by, but has enough space?"
"Ah—"
"Answer me quickly!"
"Y-yes, there is."
Hana racked her brains before finally remembering a place, pointing ahead.
"Turn there, go about fifty metres—there's a small badminton hall being prepped for renovations. It's locked though..."
Rio glanced at Miko, who gave a slight nod. Understanding immediately, Rio declared,
"We're going there! Move quickly!"
The three girls and Hachishaku-sama rounded the corner and ran several dozen metres before spotting the two-storey badminton hall.
The entrance was chained shut, a "Under Renovation—No Entry" notice plastered on the Gate.
Without needing Miko's instruction, Hachishaku-sama stepped forward. Her pale right hand gripped the padlock, forcibly snapping the chain with brute strength.
Among all evil spirits, Hachishaku-sama was an exceptionally unique existence.
By conventional logic, evil spirits shouldn't be able to affect physical objects in the living world.
It was unclear whether it was due to forming a contract with Ye Xing, a psychic, or because a Gate had fused within her body, but Hachishaku-sama could accomplish this feat.
However, if she wished to attack an enemy, she still had to choose to manifest herself actively.
This rule—that only what could be seen could be affected—might have emerged to prevent humanity from being utterly slaughtered by evil spirits.
"Get inside now."
Seeing Hana Yurikawa still frozen in place, Rio Futaba frowned slightly and directly pulled her through the door of the badminton hall.
Once inside, Rio Futaba took a glance around.
Just as she'd anticipated, due to the renovation work, the badminton hall's electrical circuits had been disconnected for some time.
Though there were surveillance cameras, a sports facility of this scale clearly couldn't afford those high-end models with ultra-long standby power and real-time internet connectivity.
Perfect conditions for her needs.
Without hesitation after entering, Rio Futaba immediately took out her phone and dialled Ye Xing's number.
When it came to exorcism, stubborn pride wasn't being tsundere - it was just stupidity.
If anything went wrong, all three people present, plus Hachishaku-sama, would die.
Her own death wouldn't matter much.
But if psychic Miko Yotsuya, Hana Yurikawa with her powerful life aura, and Hachishaku-sama, who had merged with a Gate's power, were devoured by that special half-human, half-evil spirit creature...
Wouldn't that be like feeding a boss monster?
To Rio Futaba's surprise, the call didn't connect - she only got a busy tone.
"This..."
Her heart sank as a terrifying possibility occurred to her.
Could it be...
Had Ye Xing gone to the Reverse World?
Though Hachishaku-sama wasn't present, as a psychic, Ye Xing could still travel between this world and the Reverse World during Demon Hour and Human Hour through Kyoto's existing Gates.
If the call wasn't connecting...
Didn't that mean game over?
'What to do? What to do?'
'Invincible Rio Futaba, think of a solution quickly!'
Her thoughts raced frantically, almost to the point of self-hypnosis.
After compiling all available information and analysing it, she reached a conclusion she hated to admit but couldn't deny.
They were cornered.
Just then.
"Ahem."
Miko Yotsuya suddenly coughed twice, clutching her chest with a pained expression, looking utterly exhausted.
"Are you okay, Miko?" Hana Yurikawa asked with concern.
"I'm fine."
Miko waved her hand, took a deep breath, and leaned against the badminton hall's wall.
She could feel it - her Hyakume had been destroyed.
Only about ninety seconds had passed since they'd fled the scene and entered this sports hall.
A thirteen-eyed Hyakume had only lasted a mere minute and a half against that evil spirit.
Miko realised her initial assessment had been far too naive.
Not only did that evil spirit possess remarkable intelligence - knowing not to devour Hana Yurikawa directly but instead siphon her life aura daily to strengthen itself - but its power was unimaginably formidable.
Truthfully, Miko's Soul Materialisation ability manifested Hyakume not as a combat-oriented spirit, but more as a scout-type spirit specialised in tracking and gathering intelligence through observation. Its current combat capability was only slightly stronger than Hachishaku-sama's.
And Hachishaku-sama's power wasn't particularly strong among evil spirits to begin with.
Having sacrificed Hyakume to protect two ordinary humans - Hana Yurikawa and Rio Futaba - Miko now suffered severe exhaustion both physically and mentally.
Two choices remained.
Summon Hyakume once more and lose the ability to fight.
Or refrain from summoning, and she might barely manage to continue.
Tap... tap... tap...
A steady, unhurried yet distinctly audible set of footsteps gradually approached the corridor ahead of the three.
From the rhythm alone, one could discern the mocking, predatory amusement of a hunter toying with prey before the kill.
Slurp.
The half-human, half-evil spirit man emerged from around the corner, his grotesquely elongated green tongue lolling out, face twisted into a hideous grin.
"Found you."
He—or rather, it.
Its undisguised gaze fixed directly upon Hana Yurikawa and Rio Futaba's chests, licking its lips with eyes brimming with perverse, distorted lust.
"My favourite thing is killing girls like you... then savouring every inch of your bodies, slowly, thoroughly."
"As for you?"
The evil spirit's eyes shifted to Miko Yotsuya, shaking its head dismissively.
"You're not my type."
"This bastard..."
Rio Futaba clenched her jaw so hard her nails nearly pierced her palms.
Nothing disgusted her more than having her body subjected to such a gaze.
That very look, those repulsive words.
They made her loathe even herself.
Rio knew how absurd victim-blaming was.
But she was still human. No matter how rational she usually appeared, she couldn't escape emotional turmoil.
Or perhaps Rio's extreme rationality existed precisely because she refused to confront her vulnerable, impressionable self—the part swayed by external voices.
"Find me disgusting?"
The evil spirit licked its lips, eyes roving incessantly between Rio and Hana's chests.
"If you grew bodies like these, isn't that your own fault!? How could it possibly be mine!? Your deaths, your violation—it's all on you!!!"
Miko was clearly angered by these words, too, yet remained composed. Accepting the blade Hachishaku-sama handed her, she braced herself with one hand, took a deep breath, and spoke calmly.
"Rio, take Yurikawa and go. There should be a back exit here. Hachishaku-sama will go with you—get out."
"And you?"
Miko stared down the evil spirit at the corridor's end, gripping the blade with all her strength.
"As a professional exorcist... I won't lose. Trust me."
Rio knew Miko was lying.
If she could truly handle this evil spirit alone, she would have annihilated it instantly earlier on the street with Hyakume and Hachishaku-sama's assistance.
Clearly, Miko intended to buy time through self-sacrifice, allowing Rio and Hana to escape.
Rationality told Rio one death was better than three.
Yet emotion rooted her feet to the spot. Though her lips parted slightly, she couldn't bring herself to say "I'll leave it to you."
Clang!
The evil spirit's tongue lashed out, clashing with Miko's blade once more.
This time, however, Miko's steps faltered. The impact sent her stumbling back several paces before she collapsed to the floor.
She clenched her teeth, enduring the exhaustion of overexertion, and struggled to rise from the ground once more, pointing the tip of her blade at the evil spirit before her.
"Miko..."
Seeing Miko Yotsuya in such a state—utterly drained yet still forcing herself to stand—Rio Futaba took a deep breath, her eyes reflecting a resolve never seen before.
She had to do something.
At that moment, the evil spirit, convinced of its impending victory, spoke with a mocking tone and perverse excitement.
"After I kill you, I'll take my time enjoying the pleasure of toying with those two girls' tantalising bodies—"
"Shut up!"
Before the evil spirit could finish, Rio Futaba suddenly roared, cutting it off mid-sentence.
Miko had never seen her lose her composure like this before.
...
Meanwhile, behind the corner of the corridor.
Ye Xing leaned against the wall, chuckling softly to himself.
"Finally... It's coming."
...
"Disgusting, how you casually comment on others' bodies."
Rio Futaba pulled a pale green hairband from her pocket, gathering her shoulder-length hair into a ponytail.
She removed her glasses, and in that instant, her vision seemed to sharpen immeasurably.
Her gaze locked onto the evil spirit's face as she spoke, each word deliberate.
"Even someone like me—someone I myself despise—is still needed by others."
"Yui, Miko, and... Ye Xing."
"A person like me can still find a place in the Supernatural Society. That... is my sanctuary."
"From this moment on, the Rio Futaba tormented by the need for validation no longer exists."
"Because having these people who need me... is more than enough!"
As her words faded, the world before her eyes fractured like shattered glass, intricate patterns blooming across her vision.
An inexplicable voice echoed in her mind.
[Finally reached your limit, have you?]
[The pain you endured came not just from others, but from your own emptiness.]
[Now, that void has been filled.]
[Face the imperfect self—the one swayed by emotions, the one who craves to be needed.]
[Now... speak my true name.]
Rio Futaba's right hand, still clutching her glasses, slowly tightened. The frame warped under her grip, the transparent lenses cracking into a web of fine lines before shattering completely, piercing the snow-white skin of her palm.
Crimson blood dripped onto the ground.
Her lips parted as she raised her head, meeting the evil spirit's gaze head-on.
"Manifest your true form..."
"Bone Woman."
As the words left her lips, a female ghost materialised—dressed in a kimono, her face beautiful, yet her body below the neck composed entirely of bleached bones.
Bone Woman's eyes, brimming with venomous hatred, locked onto the evil spirit before her.
Hidden around the corner, Ye Xing heard Rio Futaba utter the true name of her soul and murmured softly to himself.
"At last..."
"Rio Futaba... has awakened."