Yotsuya Miko stared blankly at the nine-tailed fox that devoured the multi-armed evil spirit until Yurikawa Hana gently pulled her and she came back to her senses.
"Jianzi, what's wrong?"
From the moment she entered the shrine, Yotsuya Miko was praying and in a daze.
This made Yurikawa Hana, who had been watching from the side, very worried that Yotsuya Miko was possessed by a ghost.
"It's all right."
Giving Yurikawa Hana a reassuring smile, Yotsuya Miko looked up at the nine-tailed fox squatting beside her for the last time, then led Yurikawa Hana down the mountain.
"I will take my reward at the appropriate time."
Suddenly, the voice of the nine-tailed fox came to my ears.
However, Yotsuya Miko didn't care much about this.
After all, the nine-tailed fox had just helped them get rid of the evil spirit, so it was only right to ask her for a reward.
But she still had no idea what to offer.
On the way down the mountain, Lily Kawaka beside me felt hungry again.
At this moment, she was holding her belly and urging Yotsuya Miko to go to the station to buy a kind of dried fish that she had recently become obsessed with.
As for Yurikawa Hana's suggestion, Yotsuya Miko thought of another thing.
"Since it's a fox, it should like dried fish, right?"
...
"Then, please be careful in the next few days."
The two-day and two-night summer camp for elementary school students is over.
Hayato Hayama and Yumiko Miura's group chose to take another car back because it was not on their way, while Hachiman Hikigaya and others were sent back to the original gathering place by Shizuka Hiratsuka.
"Instead of worrying about me, why don't you pay more attention to yourself?"
In response to Hiratsuka Shizuka's reminder, Hikigaya Hachiman expressed his gratitude in his heart.
However, compared to him, Shizuka Hiratsuka, an ordinary person, is actually a little more dangerous.
After all, whether it was Yuigahama Yui or Yukinoshita Yukino, if they encountered danger, he could rush over in a very short time, but only Hiratsuka Shizuka...
"Haha, did you forget I have this?"
In response to Hikigaya Hachiman's concern, Shizuka Hiratsuka smiled and took out her jade and shook it in front of him.
With that jade pendant, at least 90% of the evil spirits would definitely take a detour when they saw her.
"I almost forgot about this."
Seeing the jade pendant given to Shizuka Hiratsuka by the wife of an exorcist, Hachiman Hikigaya breathed a sigh of relief.
Even considering his current strength, the spiritual power contained in that piece of jade is still enormous.
With it around, nothing should happen to Shizuka Hiratsuka.
"So, kid, you should worry more about them."
Putting the jade pendant back proudly, Shizuka Hiratsuka pouted at Yukinoshita and Yuigahama who were standing by and didn't notice her, then took off her sunglasses and drove away.
"Your own relationships have all ended in failure, yet you still care about mine like this?"
Hikigaya Hachiman expressed helplessness regarding Hiratsuka Shizuka's actions before leaving.
"Yukino~"
At this moment, a very familiar voice suddenly came from the side.
Hearing the sound, the three people from the service department looked in the direction where the sound came from.
They saw an adult woman wearing a black dress, short hair, and a face very similar to Yukinoshita Yukino waving towards them.
Behind the woman, there was a black luxury car that looked very familiar to all three of them.
"Xiaoqi, that..."
Looking at the car behind Yukinoshita Haruno, Yuigahama Yui's pupils shrank instantly, and a hint of surprise appeared on her face.
Especially when she thought about Yukinoshita Yukino taking that car to school, a trace of worry appeared on her face again.
"I know."
Compared to Yuigahama Yui's reaction, Hikigaya Hachiman was much calmer.
He had already known that the car Yukinoshita was riding in was the same car that hit him on the first day of school.
After all, there aren't many luxury cars like that in all of Chiba, not to mention that they were driving to Sobu High School during school hours...
However, knowing that the car that hit him belonged to Yukinoshita Yukino, Hachiman Hikigaya's feelings towards her did not change at all.
After all, the car was being driven normally at the time.
The one who actually violated the traffic rules was him, the idiot who ran into the middle of the road to save the puppy.
"Hey, Hikigaya-kun, we meet again~"
Yono walked up to the three of them, greeted her sister first, then went up to Hikigaya Hachiman and kept poking his chest with her fingers.
"Hello, Miss Yang No, long time no see."
A face that was extremely similar to Yukinoshita suddenly came over and made such an intimate gesture. Hikigaya Hachiman frowned slightly and dodged.
"What a cold reaction."
Seeing Hikigaya Hachiman dodging, Haruno sighed and then turned her gaze to Yuigahama Yui who was beside Yukinoshita.
"Yuigahama-san, right?"
Because it was related to Yukinoshita, Yang No vaguely remembered the name of the girl in front of her who looked very easy to deceive.
"Yes, hello."
Unlike Hikigaya Hachiman's indifference, Yuigahama Yui was a little nervous towards her friend's sister.
"What do you want from me?"
Just as Haruno was about to open her mouth to chat with Yuigahama Yui, Yukinoshita Yukino suddenly stood in front of Yuigahama Yui and asked about the purpose of Haruno's trip.
"That's too much. We sisters haven't seen each other for such a long time. I didn't expect you to be so cold, Yukino..."
With one hand covering her heart, Yangno had a heartbroken expression on her face.
"Um, Xiaoxue, aren't your words a bit too much?"
Yuigahama Yui, who was successfully deceived, looked at Haruno's pitiful appearance and couldn't help but speak for her.
"Yuigahama, she's just pretending."
Hikigaya Hachiman, who had already recognized Yukinoshita Haruno's true nature, saw Yuigahama Yui being deceived and quickly reminded her.
"Huh?!"
Hearing that Haruno's current behavior was just an act, Yuigahama Yui's face was full of surprise, and then she turned her head again to carefully observe the expression on Haruno's face.
"Hikigaya-kun, even if you see through it, don't say it!"
There was a hint of resentment in Yukinoshita Haruno's tone.
She had clearly successfully tricked the little girl into her camp, but with just one word from Hikigaya Hachiman, all her efforts were in vain.
"I'm sorry, I just don't want to see Yuigahama being deceived by you."
Hikigaya Hachiman didn't care about Haruno's resentment at all because he knew that Haruno was not angry.
"Ahh, what a boring man."
Yono seemed helpless in the face of Hikigaya Hachiman's stubbornness.
However, she was only depressed for a few seconds before she fixed her eyes on her sister again.
Chapter 323 Mrs. Yuigahama's Helplessness
"Mother asked me to take you back."
Before Yukinoshita Yukino could speak, Haruno told her the purpose of her trip.
"Mother called me?"
Hearing the purpose of her sister's visit, Yukinoshita Yukino subconsciously frowned and showed an expression of resistance on her face.
After all, the blind date party last semester still pops up in her mind from time to time, and she is afraid that something unpleasant will happen again when she goes back this time.
"I don't know what it is specifically. After all, I just came back from a business meeting."
Seeing Yukinoshita's inquiring look, Haruno shrugged and indicated that she didn't know either.
"Is that so? I see."
After nodding and understanding the current situation, Yukinoshita Yukino said goodbye to Hikigaya Hachiman and Yuigahama Yui, and got into the car.
"Is Xiaoxue okay?"
Looking at the car's back gradually moving away, a trace of worry appeared on Yuigahama Yui's face.
For some reason, she always felt that if they parted like this, she might never see Yukinoshita Yukino again this summer.
"It's fine"
Looking at Yukinoshita's receding back, Hikigaya Hachiman spoke in a comforting voice.
If something really happened, he would definitely take action.
And given his current situation, there is almost nothing he can't handle!
"Um, Xiaoqi, I have something to tell you..."
Looking down at the tip of her shoes, Yuigahama Yui twisted her body uncomfortably.
"Are you thinking you are the owner of that dog?"
Hikigaya Hachiman spoke out what Yuigahama Yui was about to say.
"Huh?"
First Chapter Previous Chapter 256/300Yuigahama Yui looked up in surprise, her eyes widening.
"Curious why I know that?"
Looking at Yuigahama Yui's puzzled expression, Hikigaya Hachiman had a hint of pride in his eyes.
"Um..."
She nodded slightly, then Yuigahama Yui blinked her big eyes and waited eagerly for Hikigaya Hachiman to explain to her why he knew it.
"Sabre likes me very much."
Hikigaya Hachiman did not give a direct answer, but mentioned the puppy in Yuigahama Yui's house.
"Ah, so it was Sabre who exposed it?"
Yuigahama Yui, who was usually slow to react, instantly understood what Hikigaya Hachiman meant.
She was a little amused and confused about being exposed like this.
But if you think about it carefully, it seems that there is nothing wrong with being guessed.
After all, if this was their first meeting, Sabre would never jump on Hikigaya Hachiman the moment he saw him...
"Will Xiaoqi hate me for this?"
With her hands behind her back, Yuigahama Yui was spinning one foot aimlessly on the ground out of anxiety.
"Do I hate you now?"
Hikigaya Hachiman asked back.
"No....."
Faced with Hikigaya Hachiman's answer, Yuigahama Yui was slightly stunned, then shook her head.
"Isn't the result obvious?"
Hikigaya Hachiman looked helplessly at the silly dumpling in front of him, then picked up their luggage and walked towards home.
"Ah, Xiaoqi, wait for me!"
Yuigahama Yui reacted and immediately started laughing happily. She looked at Hikigaya Hachiman's back and jumped to catch up with him.
....
"Ah, Hikigaya-kun is here to play at my house again?"
After sending Yuigahama Yui to her doorstep, Hikigaya Hachiman was about to say goodbye when the tightly closed door suddenly opened from the inside.
Mrs. Yuigahama came out and was stunned to see her daughter and Hikigaya Hachiman standing together, but then she greeted them warmly.
"No, that's right, I just sent Yuigahama back..."
Faced with Mrs. Yuigahama's enthusiasm, Hikigaya Hachiman was about to explain, but then he was dragged directly into Yuigahama's house.
"Woof!"
After being dragged into the entrance hall, a brown figure suddenly jumped out from the living room.
"Sabre, long time no see."
After squatting down and petting the puppy that had been circling around their feet, Hikigaya Hachiman and Yuigahama Yui looked at each other.
have no choice.....
"Hikigaya-kun, what have you been doing at home on vacation lately?"
A few minutes later, in the living room of Yuigahama's house.
Hikigaya Hachiman sat opposite Mrs. Yuigahama under great pressure, enduring her smiling interrogation.
"Just resting at home and completing the homework assigned by the teacher..."
Hikigaya Hachiman described with a guilty conscience what he had done these days.
"Two days ago, Xiaoqi went to participate in volunteer work!"
Seeing that Hikigaya Hachiman did nothing during the summer vacation, Yuigahama Yui quickly filled in the volunteer work that had just ended.
"Volunteer?"
Mrs. Yuigahama, who had originally had a hint of worry on her face, immediately relaxed when she heard that Hikigaya Hachiman would be the sole volunteer.
"That's exactly what happened."
Hikigaya Hachiman lowered his head and admitted that he had indeed gone to be a volunteer, although he had only been working seriously on the first day...
"Oh, by the way, how's Komachi doing lately?"
Perhaps she didn't know how to ask Hikigaya Hachiman to get a satisfactory answer, so Mrs. Yuigahama quickly changed the topic to Hikigaya Hachiman's lovely sister.
"As for Komachi, every day is very fulfilling..."
Thinking of Komachi who was lying on the sofa like himself every day, Hikigaya Hachiman said with gritted teeth.
"If you feel bored at home, you can always come here to play."
After hearing what Hikigaya Hachiman said, Mrs. Yuigahama seemed to understand something. The corners of her mouth twitched slightly, and then she forced herself to continue the topic.
"OK....."
Seeing Mrs. Yuigahama's barely maintained gentle state, Hikigaya Hachiman lowered his head even lower.
....
I sat at Yuigahama's house for about half an hour.
Mrs. Yuigahama finally waved her hand and let Hikigaya Hachiman leave.
After getting permission to leave, Hikigaya Hachiman, who didn't want to stay in Yuigahama's house for even a second longer, instantly turned into a gust of wind and rushed out.
"Mother!"
Seeing that Hikigaya Hachiman had left, Yuigahama Yui immediately asked her mother in shame and anger why she had dragged Hikigaya Hachiman into the house and asked him so many embarrassing questions.
"Why, are you angry?"
With the disappearance of the outsiders, Mrs. Yuigahama's worried look suddenly disappeared, and her usual smile appeared on her face again.
"I'm not angry, but if you ask Xiaoqi questions like that..."
"Since my daughter has already made her choice, isn't it my duty as a mother to put some checks on her?"
Mrs. Yuigahama interrupted her by taking Yuigahama Yui into her arms.
Recalling Hikigaya Hachiman's poor performance just now, Mrs. Yuigahama couldn't help but shake her head.
That child's eyes were clearly full of confidence, but he behaved so poorly.
She couldn't quite understand people like this.
but...
His eyes glanced at Yuigahama Yui in his arms.
At this moment, Tuanzi was thinking about something and was lying in her arms, laughing foolishly.
Looking at her daughter's appearance, Mrs. Yuigahama sighed inwardly.
No matter what that boy named Hikigaya Hachiman is like, since her daughter likes him, then as a mother, she can only accept it.
Chapter 324: Man in Windbreaker
After leaving Yuigahama's house, Hikigaya Hachiman walked along the road towards his home.
On the way, he suddenly met a strange man wearing a black windbreaker and leaning against the wall.
After glancing at the man with the unique appearance a few times, Hikigaya Hachiman, who just wanted to get home quickly at the moment, didn't pay too much attention and was about to pass by him.
Suddenly, an invisible ripple appeared in the air, and Hikigaya Hachiman's body suddenly stopped.
"Such a strong aura…"
Just a hint of his aura leaked out, and he was almost pressed to the ground by Hikigaya Hachiman.
Feeling that all the bones in his body were screaming, Hikigaya Hachiman quickly circulated the spiritual power in his body at full speed, and at the same time actively activated the Breathing of the Sun to resist.
Gradually, with the full support of Hikigaya Hachiman, the pressure that was originally on him was slowly pushed away.
"oh?"
Seeing that the pressure that was enough to crush the Demon Emperor-level evil spirit was pushed back by Hikigaya Hachiman, the man in the windbreaker showed a hint of surprise and admiration in his eyes.
The next second, the pressure that had been successfully pushed back by Hikigaya Hachiman increased again. In less than half a second, Hikigaya Hachiman was pressed directly to the ground.
"If you can still get up this time, I can agree to answer a question for you."
Looking at Hikigaya Hachiman lying on the ground, the man in the windbreaker walked over and squatted in front of him and made a promise.
"real?"
Hikigaya Hachiman gritted his teeth and persevered.
After hearing the promise of the man in the windbreaker, his eyes lit up instantly.
"Of course, I never lie."
"Okay then!"
After receiving the promise from the man in the windbreaker, Hikigaya Hachiman immediately activated the divine power of Inari hidden in his body.
A dazzling white light flashed before the man in the windbreaker, and Hikigaya Hachiman in his demigod form appeared in front of him in a half-squatting position.
"The power of the Inari God? I didn't expect she's still alive..."
Feeling the familiar power fluctuations from Hikigaya Hachiman, the man in the windbreaker touched his chin with a hint of nostalgia in his eyes.
But then, he hooked his fingers, and the pressure on Hikigaya Hachiman instantly doubled.
With a "thump", Hikigaya Hachiman fell to one knee on the ground, pressing a hole in the concrete road surface.
"Is that not enough?"
The slightly disappointed voice of the man in the windbreaker came to my ears.
"Of course not!"Hikigaya Hachiman gritted his teeth and used all his strength to mobilize every bit of spiritual energy and Inari divine power in his body.
After a long struggle, he finally stood up again!
"In that case, his strength is quite good. And judging from the time he started training, his talent can be called a freak..."
Standing quietly beside Hikigaya Hachiman, the man in the windbreaker nodded with satisfaction when he saw him trying his best to stand up again under his pressure.
But, it's not over yet!
"Having two powers at the same time is good in the early stages, but it will cause you pain in the later stages of training."
Realizing that the spiritual power in Hikigaya Hachiman's body and the divine power of Inari were clearly distinct and incompatible, the man in the windbreaker moved his hand again.
This time, super double!
The moment after adjusting the pressure, Hikigaya Hachiman was pressed directly into the concrete floor, leaving a human-shaped mark.
"Senior, I haven't offended you, have I?"
Lying in the imprint, feeling that the bones in his body were about to explode, Hikigaya Hachiman asked with difficulty, feeling depressed and confused.
If the two previous times could be considered as the windbreaker man's tests of his strength, then this time it seemed like he did this because he disliked him.
"You little bastard, don't be so ungrateful."
Standing beside Hikigaya Hachiman with his arms folded across his chest, after realizing that Hikigaya Hachiman was not in danger of life and that the spiritual power and divine power in his body had not begun to merge, the man in the windbreaker directly increased his pressure to the level of a lower-level ghost or god.
After feeling that the spiritual power in Hikigaya Hachiman's body was slowly intertwining with the divine power of Inari, he nodded with satisfaction, and then sat aside and chatted with Hikigaya Hachiman.
"Ask, I promised to answer you a question before."
"..."
Can't you let me out before asking questions?!
Feeling as heavy as Mount Fuji pressing down on his back, Hachiman Hikigaya felt countless alpacas running through his mind.
But he could only think about this in his mind.
After all, if I say it out loud, and the man in the windbreaker directly assumes that this is his problem, then it really is...
"Why did the five exorcists leave together?"
After thinking for a while, Hikigaya Hachiman finally asked what he was most concerned about at the moment.
When the man in the windbreaker heard Hikigaya Hachiman's question, a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes.
Although the fact that he and the other four were leaving Japan for a period of time was not a secret, it was logical that Hikigaya Hachiman should not have known about it.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have had to travel all the way from Kansai this time.
"I can't tell you the details, and even if I did, you wouldn't be able to intervene with your current strength."
"This time, it's not just the five exorcists from Japan who are leaving. In fact, a total of 121 exorcists from around the world will gather in a special place and disappear for a while."
"As for how long they'll be gone, we can't guarantee it in advance. It could be just a day, a week, a few months, or even years. Of course, there's also the possibility that they won't come back..."
"What about the evil spirit?"
Feeling a hint of bitterness in the windbreaker man's tone, although Hikigaya Hachiman didn't know what those exorcists would encounter specifically, he knew it would definitely be something very serious.
However, with his current strength, he had no way to intervene, so he had to ask the man in the windbreaker how they dealt with the Japanese evil spirits after they left.
Since they knew in advance that I would leave, the exorcists should have left behind some means to control the evil spirits, right?
"It's understandable that you didn't know about the other four regions, but you don't know about the Kanto region either?"
The man in the windbreaker looked at Hikigaya Hachiman as if he were a fool, and wondered in his heart if a certain tsundere guy was too bothered to tell Hikigaya Hachiman what he should know.
"I really don't know about that…"
Hikigaya Hachiman felt quite innocent.
However, just as he finished speaking, he was slapped on the back of his head by the man in the windbreaker, and then the man in the windbreaker's voice of disappointment rang in his ears.
"That 2D guy, that tsundere, plus me, you've already seen three exorcists! Don't you know?"
Chapter 325 I used to think so too
"....."
After hearing the reminder from the man in the windbreaker, Hikigaya Hachiman fell silent.
indeed.
If he wasn't special, why would three of the five exorcists in Japan meet him?
"So I'm the means of checks and balances in the Kanto region?"
Although he was reminded of this, Hikigaya Hachiman already understood that his guess was most likely correct.
But with his current strength, he can only defeat the Ghost Emperor. He is completely unable to control the situation, right?
"That's right. If nothing unexpected happens, the Kanto region will be under your jurisdiction from now on."
Seeing that Hikigaya Hachiman finally reacted, the man in the windbreaker nodded in confirmation.
"But my strength..."
"Didn't I just test your strength? You're probably at the advanced level of Ghost Emperor, just a little short of the peak."
As he spoke, the man in the windbreaker used two fingers to indicate the distance between Hikigaya Hachiman and the so-called peak of the Demon Emperor.
Then he added:
"Once the two powers in your body are completely integrated, your strength will probably increase by another level. By then, you should only be one layer away from becoming a ghost or god."
"As for how to break through to the level of a demon or spirit, I think those two guys should have already made arrangements. If they were a little bolder, you might have a long and leisurely time working after breaking through. At that time, please take care of the Kansai region. After all, besides Kanto, Kansai is the region with the most evil spirits..."
"Has it been arranged?"
Hearing the words of the man in the windbreaker, Hikigaya Hachiman's face suddenly became strange.
He always felt that if this were the case, his life would be controlled by someone else.
"Don't be silly, we have no interest in interfering in your own life."
The man in the windbreaker slapped him again.
"Those two guys are just giving you the opportunity to ascend to a ghost god. It doesn't mean you can just lie down and pass it."
"Besides, it's not like we don't have other backup candidates besides you. It's just that you're the most suitable candidate right now, both in terms of character and ability, so we're focusing on you."
"However, as a senior, I still hope that you can successfully pass the customs and take over the Kanto region. Although you will bear a huge responsibility, there will also be many benefits..."
During the conversation, the fusion of the two forces in Hikigaya Hachiman's body had been completed.
As the spiritual power in Hikigaya Hachiman's body and the divine power of Inari completely merged, Hikigaya Hachiman's demigod state was forced to cancel. Then a silver energy flowed out of his body and automatically formed a translucent shield around him, resisting the pressure from the man in the windbreaker.
"The peak of the Ghost Emperor, just as I expected..."
Looking at the silver shield, the man in the windbreaker nodded with satisfaction, then retracted his imposing aura and reached out to pull Hachiman Hikigaya out of the pit.
"Congratulations, you are only one step away from becoming a god."
"grateful..."
Hearing the praise from the man in the windbreaker, a trace of helplessness flashed through Hikigaya Hachiman's heart.
Because even if his strength improved again, he still couldn't see through the strength of the man in the windbreaker.
According to this speculation, even if he successfully broke through to the ghost level, if he became an enemy of the man in the windbreaker, he would still be hung up and beaten...
"Speaking of which, if it's Rimuru, who's stronger, him or Senpai?"
Among the people Hikigaya Hachiman knows, the ones who are the most difficult to understand are naturally Rimuru and Karna.
However, Karna has never actually used his full strength due to the limitations of his magic power supply, so he can only use Rimuru as a comparison.
"If it's that slime, it's a bit stronger than us."
As if he could see through Hachiman Hikigaya's heart, the man in the windbreaker took the initiative to answer Hachiman Hikigaya's doubts.
"!"
"Don't look so surprised. It makes you look stupid with those dead fish eyes. And what's wrong with those eyes of yours? You've already reached the Emperor level, so why do you look so rotten?"
"No, um, why do you know Rimuru, Senior?"
When Hikigaya Hachiman summoned Rimuru, he only stayed for one day at most, right?
Why did the man in the windbreaker who was far away in the Kansai region know about Rimuru's existence?
"Japan is like a big house, and the five of us each occupy one-fifth of the house. Now a fully armed guy suddenly runs into our house. Do you think I wouldn't know?"
The man in the windbreaker looked at Hikigaya Hachiman with a look of helplessness.
Because he found out that the guy in Kanto region really didn't teach anything!
"Anyway, once you reach the ghost level, you'll understand it yourself."
Because he was afraid of trouble, the man in the windbreaker chose to skip the topic directly.
Seeing that he had almost finished explaining everything to Hikigaya Hachiman, the man in the windbreaker fumbled in his pocket for a long time, and finally took out a golden tail and handed it to Hikigaya Hachiman.
"What is this?"
Feeling the divine power of Inari contained in the tail, Hikigaya Hachiman looked up at the man in the windbreaker in confusion.
There is no doubt that the power of Inari comes from the Inari God.
So where did the senior get the divine power?
"This tail was left by Inari at the Fushimi Inari Shrine over a hundred years ago. The divine power contained within it is the power gathered from the Inari shrines in the Kansai region over the years. I'm sure that guy must be in a very bad situation now, so please give it to her."
"Why don't you give it to her yourself, Senior?"
Holding the furry tail in his hand, the excellent feel made Hikigaya Hachiman unconsciously start playing with it.
"Give it to her personally?"
When the man in the windbreaker heard Hikigaya Hachiman's question, his expression changed for the first time.
"Well, if that guy sees me, he'll probably want to kill me, right? So it's better not to meet him..."
"Can you explain why?"