My new Patreon link is patreon.com/forbiddenlust69 and guys please do give me your power stone so i can know you are still reading this story
Chapter 93: The Light in the Distance and the Rural Return
Since the Mysterious Person did not directly deny the existence of Ultraman, mentioning that the "time wasn't right yet" and even speaking of "turning into light," a wave of speculation hit the chat group. This implied that if Ultraman existed in this world, ordinary people might be able to obtain that cosmic power through specific means.
Without needing a nudge from the others, Kaguya Shinomiya had already begun investigating the archives of Tsuburaya Productions. She was determined to find any scrap of information regarding the Ultra Warriors or hidden alien visitors. She even tasked Miko Yotsuya, who was now officially splitting her time between her family and Tokyo Jujutsu High, to pick the brain of Satoru Gojo about extra-terrestrial threats.
Kaguya even suspected that her recently failed commission—the one involving the Three Fox Valley Shrine—might have been intercepted by a well-hidden alien rather than a rival girl. Because of a few rambling sentences Renji Miyauchi casually wrote in his Diary, these girls embarked on a massive journey of catching up on decades of dormant tokusatsu lore.
As the culprit behind this chaos, Renji felt absolutely no guilt. Watching Ultraman was good for them; at least the portrayals of aliens were educational. Many modern anime, like Dandadan, borrowed heavily from those images, suggesting that Earth's yokai were the only things keeping an alien invasion at bay.
Renji's move was strategic. He wanted Kaguya and Miko to use their access to the easy-going Gojo to gather intelligence. In a sense, they had become his best field agents; more than half of the inner-world information he possessed was actually investigated by them.
"Thinking about it, I might be a little bit of a puppet master," Renji muttered to himself.
He had already tasked Jerry with a special mission for Golden Week: delivering abridged manga sets of Kaguya-sama: Love is War and Oshi no Ko to Kaguya and her circle. He felt this was a "kind" alternative to posting the stories directly into the public Diary for all to see.
However, Jerry, happily reading the manga in his little nest, had his own ideas of "reliability." His boss wanted trouble stirred up? Say no more.
Jerry began dividing the Kaguya-sama manga into tactical batches:
Kaguya Shinomiya would get the largest share to see her own "arrangements."
Ai Hayasaka would get a set, given her dual-loyalty struggles.
Chika Fujiwara would receive her share as the "last to know" best friend.
Maki Shijo, the distant relative and "perennial loser," couldn't be left out.
Even Ai Hoshino would get a few volumes to admire her "senior's" drama.
As for the original male lead, Miyuki Shirogane, Jerry decided to skip him. If he reads this, he'll just mope about Kaguya all day. I'll send him a stack of elite practice exams instead to help him become the top student in Japan.
For Oshi no Ko, Jerry decided to distribute single volumes to every Diary holder in Tokyo. He briefly considered sending the first volume to Goro Amemiya in Miyazaki to warn him about the dangers of obsessed fans, but realized the cross-country trip would take too long. Hoshino Ai is currently safe under my boss anyway, Jerry reasoned.
Renji woke up in his old bed in Asahigaoka, unaware that Jerry had "upgraded" his instructions by 1000%. After a quick breakfast, he took Kaiji Ito to the local filming set.
Aside from their rustic vlogs, Asahigaoka's biggest project was a parody series titled The Brave Man Challenges the Demon Castle. Renji had left Takeru Koshigaya and Kaede Kagayama in charge, and the footage he'd reviewed in Tokyo was flawless.
Near the set, he reunited with Kaede Kagayama. Far from the "cool boss" persona she projected online, she looked messy, having clearly just rolled out of bed to check the equipment. Renji, acting on muscle memory, leaned over and pressed down on the stubborn cowlick—the ahoge—sticking up from her hair.
In this world, these anime-style cowlicks were a physical reality. No matter how much Renji's sister, Renka, washed or combed hers, they would pop back up like symbols.
"How many times do I have to tell you? Don't just touch a girl's head!" Kaede huffed, though she didn't move away.
"I haven't touched an ahoge in a month. I'm just getting used to the feeling," Renji joked.
"Exciting month in Tokyo, then?" Kaede smirked. "I heard from Hikage that you're an assistant to some world-famous painter now."
Renji waved it off. "Normal performance. If you want, I can write a manga to promote Asahigaoka."
"Spare me," she laughed. "Managing these videos is enough."
Watching from the side, Kaiji Ito stared in awe. He knew the "Asahigaoka Media" boss was a beauty, but seeing his own boss treat her so familiarly—and seeing her let him—blew his mind. Rich, powerful, and a lady-killer, Kaiji thought. Renji-san is only a first-year. How many more girls will he attract by graduation?
Renji introduced a very reserved Kaiji to Kaede. "I know this guy," Kaede nodded. "He's a natural on camera. You have a great eye for talent, Renji."
Renji knew Kaiji wasn't "acting"—he was just naturally terrified. But he kept that to himself.
Kaede's expression suddenly turned grave. "Renji, while you're filming those 'ghost' videos in Tokyo, be careful. I don't want anything happening to you."
Renji's smile faded. Kaede wasn't a believer in the supernatural. If she was warning him, she'd heard something. "Is there trouble in Asahigaoka?"
"Not here," Kaede said. "But Konomi Fujimiya mentioned some things."
Konomi lived near the Koshigaya house and was a childhood friend two years older than Renji. She was currently attending high school in Saitama. She was gentle but sharp, having served as the glue for Renji's early filming teams.
Renji pressed for details. It seemed Konomi's high school and several nearby middle schools were experiencing a rash of "hauntings."
Kaiji interjected nervously, "I researched the Saitama rumors before we came. People are hearing roars in the deep mountains—like massive beasts. And there are stories of 'Spirited Away' incidents and 'Cursed Stones' in the middle schools. Write a name on the stone, and that person gets sick or worse."
He shivered. "And then there's the suicide hotspot, Hachijuhachi Bridge. People say if you stand there, you feel... wrong."
Renji's eyebrows twitched. School legends were usually 99% fake, and "beasts" were often just stray demons. But those names... Saitama? Suicide bridges? Cursed stones?
Hachijuhachi Bridge? Renji's mind raced. That's a central location in Jujutsu Kaisen. And the cursed stone... that sounds like the bridge curse involving Megumi Fushiguro's sister.
It seemed the "Plot" wasn't just happening in Tokyo. It was creeping toward his own backyard.