In that other realm, Kenmyo had discovered that simply using a chainsaw—even without relying on his "psionics"—was enough to cause significant damage to those vengeful spirits.
The results were excellent. The only problem was the tendency for the blade to get stuck. When Kenmyo killed the Vengeful Spirit (Hunter), the chainsaw had been jammed by the creature's unnaturally dense skeletal structure, which differed from ordinary villagers. That was how the tool had ended up being scrapped.
Unlike the Cursed Spirits in Kenmyo's own world, which could only be exorcised with cursed energy while physical damage remained ineffective, cold weapons could deal lethal damage to the spirits in the All Souls Temple plane.
If blades and other cold weapons worked, there was no reason why firearms and explosives—thousands of times more powerful—wouldn't be effective.
Gunpowder is one of humanity's most terrifying inventions, instantly inflating war casualty rates to horrific numbers. Cold weapons were nothing more than toys in the face of thermal weaponry.
Therefore, if Kenmyo could get his hands on something like a bomb, he wouldn't just be confident in fighting those terrifying spirits; he'd have the guts to challenge the even more formidable All Souls Temple itself.
He wondered if the temple gates could withstand a cluster bomb.
The only problem was that Kenmyo had nothing. He couldn't acquire any of it.
Forget "Nuclear Warheads," the ultimate weapon of humanity; Kenmyo couldn't even get his hands on a small handgun. In this modern society governed by the rule of law, guns weren't exactly lying around; they were restricted to the military and the Police Agency.
The Sorcerers Association? Kenmyo had never seen anyone use a gun to exorcise a Cursed Spirit because thermal weapons were useless against them. Within the Association, firearms were strictly prohibited.
After all, sorcerers were made of flesh and blood. Unless they possessed a specific defensive technique, they would turn into an indescribable pile of mangled meat just the same if they took a $12.7\text{mm}$ round. With manpower already in short supply, wasting lives on meaningless internal feuds was a luxury they couldn't afford.
Thus, no matter how high their clearance, even Grade 1 Sorcerers couldn't apply for firearms unless they submitted a joint report clearly stating the reason, use, and quantity—and even then, approval from higher-ups was never guaranteed.
Of course, if Kenmyo's psionics broke through to an unimaginable level, all of this would be solved. A powerful psion could manipulate an entire star system's worth of humans with their mental strength alone; controlling every officer in a military base would be child's play.
But that was equally unrealistic. Kenmyo's psionic level was, at best, at the stage of telekinesis; controlling a person's thoughts was out of the question.
Backed into a corner, Kenmyo could only think of Rio Futaba. He treated her as his last hope, even bringing "tributes" (chocolate bread) to win her over.
Rio Futaba was a genius science girl on par with Asagi-nee. Her high school student status only limited her reach; she had participated in classified projects regarding aviation, aerospace, and the defense industry. For a "low-tech" item like a bomb, she surely had some experience.
Though, in reality, explosives research was notoriously difficult, and humanity hadn't seen a major breakthrough in a long time.
"Cough... cough!"
"Breathe slowly, don't gasp."
Kenmyo gently patted Rio's back, afraid he might hurt her.
"Have a sip of water."
"No need, Kenmyo."
With Kenmyo dropping such a hardcore question, the romantic atmosphere in the science lab had evaporated. After swallowing the stray piece of bread stuck in her throat, Rio finally leaned back in her chair with a sense of relief and waved him off.
"What was that just now? A joke?"
Since Rio had no friends in school other than Kenmyo, she didn't really know how friends normally interacted. She wondered if this was a trendy new way of greeting people. She took his question as a playful jab.
"A deadpan joke or something?"
"No, no, I'm serious."
Seeing that Rio had completely misunderstood and was developing some strange ideas, Kenmyo had to keep explaining.
"I mean it literally. The kind used for mining—homemade explosives."
"Of course, if you know how to make high-energy explosives like ONC (Octanitrocubane), HMX, or RDX, Futaba, that would be even better."
"Kenmyo, what's wrong with you?"
Rio was genuinely afraid that next he would start talking about CL-20 or all-nitrogen explosives. These were all strictly controlled hazardous materials; even the raw ingredients were heavily restricted.
Take ONC for example: ten kilograms of that stuff could bring down a hundred-meter-tall skyscraper. Such power in the wrong hands was unthinkable. HMX and RDX were the two most widely used military explosives; the former was more expensive than gold by weight but far more powerful than the latter.
Rio looked Kenmyo up and down, then rolled her eyes at him. "Even if I knew how to make something that dangerous, do you think I could comfortably hand it over to you?"
Her reasoning was simple, based on her own sources: word was that the murderer who killed Kenmyo's sister had a history of mental illness, making a conviction difficult.
She feared Kenmyo wanted explosives to carry out an extrajudicial execution of the killer rather than waiting for the court's judgment. But that would land Kenmyo in prison. It wasn't worth throwing away his life for a piece of human trash.
So, no matter what, Rio couldn't give him such terrifying things.
"No, really, I'm not planning to take revenge on society!" Kenmyo didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
He had a feeling Rio was looking at him like he was a "criminal-in-waiting." No, it was worse—it was the heart-wrenching gaze of a family member visiting her husband behind reinforced glass in a detention center.
"Look, Futaba."
Kenmyo looked at her seriously and thumped his chest to show his sincerity.
"I swear on our 'friendship' that I will never use anything you give me to harm a human being in any literal sense. I won't kill them."
"I don't want gunpowder for revenge; it's for something else."
"What use?"
"I can't say. Anyway, it's not for hurting people or blowing up buildings."
If Kenmyo explained his true intent, the girl would probably just think he was insane.
"I see."
Rio was silent for a moment. She turned and opened her computer, quickly creating a new blank document. The quiet lab was suddenly filled with the rapid clack-clack-clack of typing; her slender fingers danced across the keyboard.
"I'm going to the restroom."
She finished shortly after and stood up, talking to herself. She hadn't saved the file or turned off the screen, acting as if she were just taking a break. As if worried, she added one more instruction:
"Don't you dare look at my computer, Kenmyo."
Kenmyo nodded instantly.
But the second Rio stepped out, Kenmyo dashed to the screen. The document was titled:
"Simple and Easy Tips for Cooking Porridge"
"The One-Pot Method"
"Ingredients list: White Sugar..."
"Holy crap..."
Even though it was a "porridge recipe," Kenmyo read it with intense focus, letting out gasps and exclamations of amazement.
"Futaba, you're the best!"
Out in the hallway, hearing the shouting from inside, a blush crept onto Rio Futaba's face. She cursed softly under her breath.
"Idiot, there are other people in this building. Can't you be quieter?"
"Such a handful of a dummy..."