Chapter 67: The Contract with the Great Yokai Tamamo-no-Mae, Yoru's True Name of the Soul
Hearing the female ghost complaining about her words in that gentle, soft, and delicate voice, Futaba Rio suddenly felt a sense of guilt.
It couldn't be helped.
This female ghost wearing a kimono, dressed elegantly with an ancient style, was simply too beautiful.
Otherwise, Rio wouldn't have thought Yoru would be bewitched by her.
"Sorry."
"It's okay."
Hearing Rio's apology, the kimono female ghost covered her lips and chuckled, then looked at Yoru.
"You actually saw that this mistress was testing you. You truly have keen eyesight."
That's right.
In the eyes of Miko and the others, the intense battle between the exorcist and the evil spirits just now, with blood and flesh flying and neither side giving way, was actually just a test.
The evidence was obvious.
Yoru could sense that although the evil spirits in this procession were relatively strong in the Otherworld, they were far from reaching the level where the black mist and other evil spirits would retreat three she (ancient unit of distance ~ 90 miles) away.
This meant that what truly made the black mist and other evil spirits avoid them wasn't the number of evil spirits in this procession.
But solely the kimono woman sitting inside the white-cloth-covered carriage—this one monster.
As a professional exorcist, Yoru had also told Miko.
Evil spirits had no bottom line.
Whether it was pretending to kneel and beg, disguising themselves as humans, or seizing human companions as hostages—they could do all these things.
Since that was the case, why didn't the kimono woman make a move?
Leaving Miko aside, Yui and Rio, two ordinary humans in the distance, were perfect targets for threats.
Either the kimono woman was too cautious.
Or she was just testing him, and her real goal was to see the true ability of the so-called professional exorcist.
Yoru felt the second possibility was higher.
"So now..."
Yoru looked straight into the kimono woman's eyes and spoke slowly.
"Tell me your purpose for doing all this, even sacrificing dozens of your followers just to test my abilities."
"Hehe, you are very impatient."
The kimono female ghost smiled and spoke softly.
"Perhaps you don't know it yourself, but I have heard about your deeds recently."
Speaking of this, she paused, looked at the spot where the meat-mountain evil spirit was devoured by Yoru, and said with interest.
"A human who can actually devour evil spirits... this is the first time this mistress has heard of such a thing."
"You still haven't said what you want to do. My patience is limited."
Rio hid behind Yoru, listening to his tough attitude, and peeked at the kimono female ghost, feeling a bit guilty inside.
No way.
Is this how you negotiate with people?
Those who know realize this is the Otherworld, the home ground of evil spirits.
Those who don't might think this is your backyard.
Complaints aside, Rio also understood that this was a negotiation tactic: keeping the opponent in the dark about one's cards to loosen the subsequent conditions.
She knew Yoru's negotiation skills well.
After all, she was attracted by the clubroom, agreed to his deal conditions, and walked step by step until she became a "victim."
But...
Would an evil spirit fall for this?
"It was presumptuous of this mistress."
To the surprise of Rio and the others, the kimono female ghost actually bowed slightly and apologized politely.
Good grief, an evil spirit apologizing to an exorcist?
It's like a Goblin and a female Elf coexisting peacefully.
Evil has truly come home.
"This mistress actually wants to propose a deal to you this time."
Hearing this, except for Yoru, the other members of the Super-Quant Club, including Hachishaku (the evil spirit), were very surprised.
An evil spirit wants to make a deal with a human?
This sounds very ominous, doesn't it?
Are you sure this female ghost isn't lusting after Yoru's body?
Seeing no response from the crowd, the kimono female ghost didn't mind. She just smiled at Yoru and continued in a gentle and elegant tone.
"If this mistress is not mistaken, devouring evil spirits should be helpful to your strength."
"Since that is the case, this mistress has a win-win proposal."
"This mistress can provide you with intelligence on areas where powerful evil spirits frequent in this world, as well as their specific abilities and appearance times."
"Of course, this mistress is only responsible for providing intelligence and will not force you to devour these evil spirits. It is entirely up to your own will. How about it?"
Hearing this, Yoru nodded noncommittally.
"So that's how it is..."
He dragged out a long, lazy tone, a hint of a smile in his eyes. Looking at Rio beside him, he said nonchalantly.
"My Beloved Concubine (Ai Fei), I (Zhen - Royal We) am tired. Help me analyze this."
Hearing the address "Beloved Concubine," Rio's face turned completely red instantly. She gritted her silver teeth and said resentfully.
"Who, who is your Beloved Concubine? Don't call me that randomly."
Although she said that, Rio's brain was honest and immediately began to ponder the words just spoken by the kimono female ghost.
An evil spirit wants to make a deal with a human?
Why?
Since it was a deal, both sides must benefit.
Yoru devouring evil spirits could make him stronger.
So what benefit would it bring to the kimono female ghost to let him devour her own kind?
Rio's thoughts spun rapidly, combining the currently known information about the Otherworld, evil spirits, and spirit mediums for analysis.
Suddenly, a flash of inspiration struck her. She remembered a sentence Miko casually mentioned while explaining the truth of the world on the way here.
"Evil spirits... I've seen individual powerful ones devour their own kind. The scene was disgusting. Although I don't want to admit it, compared to Yoru, their eating scenes are indeed not elegant enough, almost like zombies in movies."
Zombies, devouring each other?
A thunderclap seemed to sound in Rio's mind.
There is only one truth!
"I understand."
Rio mustered her courage, walked out from behind Yoru, looked straight at the kimono female ghost's face, pushed up her glasses, and spoke slowly.
"I guess that among evil spirits, there are many powerful existences that do not possess rational thinking abilities like you. Instead, they are highly aggressive and will devour their own kind indiscriminately based on instinct to increase their own power."
"For you, the existence of these evil spirits is equivalent to the lunatics in the real world who commit countless heinous crimes in the eyes of ordinary people."
"You don't need to state your own conditions because as long as the number of such evil spirits decreases, it is a benefit for you."
"There is also a hidden benefit. After you provide relevant intelligence on these evil spirits to Yoru, you two will have established a so-called contract."
"In this way, Yoru will at least not actively devour you and the evil spirits belonging to you."
"With one side diminishing and the other growing, your status in this world will become more stable, correct?"
Rio said this long paragraph in one breath, her fair face flushed, and she was out of breath.
The kimono female ghost, her subordinate evil spirits and ghosts, as well as Miko and Yui in the distance, were thoroughly shocked by this analysis.
This is too fierce, right?
Just based on a few short sentences from the kimono female ghost, she could analyze so much information in less than four or five seconds?
Miko now understood why Yoru insisted on adding the seemingly meaningless "Quantum Mechanics" to the club's name to lure Rio into the Super-Quant Club.
This rational analysis of intelligence and speed of thinking wasn't something a normal high school student... no, a normal human could do, right?
Mind you.
This was Rio's first time entering the Otherworld. She had just learned about evil spirits from Miko moments ago.
Under such circumstances, being able to make such an analysis was simply astounding.
Watching the evil spirits, Yui, and Miko shocked by Rio, Yoru thought your vision is too small after all.
Who is Futaba Rio?
In the original story, she was someone who could combine Sakurajima Mai's Adolescence Syndrome with Quantum Mechanics theory and provide specific solutions.
Rio's analysis has never been wrong.
What does this mean?
If placed in a fantasy cultivation world, Rio would be the kind of Causal Law Powerhouse whose words become law!
Terrifying, truly terrifying.
The kimono female ghost froze for a moment, then recovered. She looked deeply at Rio, covered her lips, and smiled meaningfully.
"Little sister, although you are just an ordinary human, you have a really good head on your shoulders. Just as you said, that is this mistress's purpose."
Yoru thought sister is fine, but...
He glanced at a certain part of the kimono female ghost.
She doesn't seem qualified to call Futaba Rio "Little" sister.
"How about it? Do you accept this deal?"
"No problem."
Yoru didn't hesitate much and gave his answer directly.
"Then, let's sign a contract."
Hearing the word "contract," Hachishaku standing beside him trembled, as if recalling some memories she didn't want to remember.
"A contract, of course, must be signed."
The kimono female ghost extended her right hand. An evil spirit immediately ran over quickly and respectfully handed a scroll to her.
You don't say, really don't say.
This scene has the style of a mafia boss extending a hand, and the underling consciously knowing to light a cigarette.
"Come."
The kimono female ghost opened the scroll. On the original blank space, several lines of small characters slowly appeared, exactly the contract conditions she just proposed.
The word "Contract" had extremely strong binding force.
Hachishaku once told Yoru that whichever party violated the contract would suffer extremely severe backlash, even death.
This thing was much stronger than contracts where one could be nice on the surface but play dirty tricks behind the back; there were absolutely no loopholes to exploit.
The kimono female ghost took the brush and wrote her name on the scroll with extremely elegant movements.
Rio, who was close by, saw the name she wrote, and her pupils dilated in shock.
She was a science girl who liked to study Quantum Mechanics and didn't know much about ghost stories and legends.
But the name on the scroll... let alone in Sakura Prefecture, even in Kyushu (China), many people had heard of it.
Unexpectedly, the true identity of this kimono female ghost was such a Great Yokai.
"It's your turn."
"Okay."
Yoru took the brush handed by the kimono female ghost, bent down, and wrote his name on the scroll.
He also considered whether to use evil spirit power to condense a dagger and cut his finger to sign in blood.
But thinking carefully.
That seems a bit painful. Not necessary.
Forget it, I won't act cool today; maybe next time.
However, after Yoru signed his name, the kimono female ghost frowned. A look of confusion appeared on her face, something she had never experienced in her life. She muttered to herself.
"What is going on? The contract... didn't take effect?"
The kimono female ghost couldn't understand.
Clearly, both parties had signed their names, but the contract didn't take effect.
There was only one explanation for this situation.
That was, one of the parties signing the contract did not have the ability to fulfill the contract conditions.
She knew she could definitely abide by the contract.
Then logically, she should suspect the other party now.
But the kimono female ghost clearly saw with her own eyes Yoru using the ability to devour evil spirits right in front of her.
To verify this, she even sacrificed dozens of her followers without hesitation.
Then why?
"Didn't take effect?"
Yoru didn't seem surprised, just smiled.
"In that case, let's sign my other name."
"Hmm?"
Rio, Yui, and Miko were all confused upon hearing this.
You have another name?
Why didn't we know about this?
Don't tell me you were a wanted criminal before?
Yoru didn't care about the puzzled looks of the Super-Quant Club members. He just used the brush to write another name.
His movements were fast, but it felt like there were more strokes, definitely more than two words/characters.
Before Rio could see clearly, when the kimono female ghost saw the name written by Yoru, her face changed drastically. She quickly put away the scroll into her bosom.
"Contract... established. Then this mistress will take her leave first."
After saying this, the kimono female ghost turned around quickly, got on the carriage, and left the area rapidly with her followers.
For some reason, watching these evil spirits drift away, Yui and the others all had the same thought.
They...
Seem to be afraid?
Especially that kimono female ghost. She had been maintaining a quiet and elegant appearance, but after seeing the name Yoru wrote, she looked very panicked.
What exactly... did he write?
...
Ten minutes later, in the real world Kyoto, inside an abandoned hospital.
"Finally back."
After crossing the "Door," Yoru checked his phone. It was only 6:30 PM.
"Why did we come back so soon?"
Rio and the others were speechless.
So they went in so aggressively, but ended up staying for only an hour and a half in total?
Nearly an hour of which was walking with that evil spirit procession, listening to Yoru play Song of the Phoenix all the way.
Did we go to the Otherworld to hold a concert?
Who in their right mind holds a concert with a Suona?
"Can't help it. I can't hold on anymore."
Yoru looked extremely exhausted, leaning against the wall and sitting down.
"My power consumption is too severe. Continuing to stay in the Otherworld would be dangerous."
Hearing this, Rio frowned, pursed her lips lightly, hesitated, but still leaned close to Yoru and squatted down.
Although she tried to keep her tone flat, the concern and worry in her voice couldn't be hidden.
"Are you okay? Do you need to go to the hospital?"
However, what Rio found strange was that when she said this, Miko and Yui's expressions became a bit complicated.
"Thank you for your concern."
Yoru sighed deeply and spoke slowly.
"I actually consumed nearly 10% of my power. I'm about to drop below the safe line of 90% HP. It was truly thrilling."
Rio froze.
Ten percent?
Wait a minute.
One hundred percent minus ten percent equals what?
Ninety percent!?
"You!"
Rio finally reacted.
Yoru acted exhausted, and she thought he couldn't hold on anymore and didn't even have the strength to continue fighting evil spirits, so he found a nearby "Door" to return to the real world before Ouma-ga-toki ended.
Turns out, he still has ninety percent of his power left!?
"See? You also think it was thrilling, right? Simply a narrow escape."
Listening to Yoru's matter-of-fact words, and seeing Rio's bewildered and helpless expression, Miko and Yui covered their mouths and chuckled.
Back in the day.
They had also fallen for this trick.
Seeing the rational and calm Rio fall for it too, they really couldn't hold back their laughter.
"Sigh, I'm really speechless with you."
Rio shook her head, then a complicated look appeared on her face as she murmured.
"But I didn't expect to see a Great Yokai from legends with my own eyes today. It felt like a dream."
"Then how about I pinch your butt to let you confirm this isn't a dream?"
"Absolutely not! Besides, isn't it usually pinching the cheek? Who pinches, pinches that place?"
"Look at what you're saying. What if I pinch your face and ruin it? That place won't show."
"Die (shine)!"
Listening to their conversation, Yui and Miko were curious and couldn't help but lean in to ask.
"Futaba, who is the Great Yokai you mentioned?"
Rio remembered that only she saw the name written by the kimono female ghost on the scroll.
She didn't answer the two girls directly but first cast an inquiring look at Yoru. Seeing him nod nonchalantly, she replied.
"You guys should have heard the name of that kimono female ghost too."
"Hmm? We've all heard it?"
"Correct."
Rio looked solemn and said word by word.
"She is the Great Yokai from legends, Tamamo-no-Mae."