Miko Yotsuya wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed, but she wasn't as slow as a certain famous chuunibyou either. After a brief moment of thought, she understood what Ye Xing meant.
"Are you saying that under the premise of visibility, not only can evil spirits break free from the restriction of not harming humans, but humans can also harm evil spirits?"
Ye Xing nodded slightly. "I can't say for certain, but it's highly likely."
As a transmigrator, Ye Xing could deduce this based on the plot progression of the anime "The Girl Who Can See Them." In the original story, Miko had encountered other psychics. One elderly woman even crafted bracelets capable of repelling weaker evil spirits.
Of course, such items were nothing but a joke in the face of truly powerful evil spirits. Through personal experience, Ye Xing had also obtained strong evidence to support his theory.
When he encountered Miko this morning and uttered those words to the evil spirits—"I can see you"—it wasn't just for show.
Of course, there was a bit of his middle-school syndrome acting up.
But the main reason was that Ye Xing had discovered that if the evil spirits didn't know he could "see" them, he couldn't inflict any damage on them. All his attacks would simply pass right through.
The reason so many evil spirits gathered around Miko Yotsuya was likely because, as a powerful ability user with immense Spiritual Power, she posed a natural threat to them—even to those mindless spirits that acted purely on instinct.
"Then how can I gain the power to fight evil spirits?"
A rare spark of hope flickered in Miko's eyes. Her usually calm and composed expression, always so unreadable, now betrayed unmistakable excitement.
To be honest, she was fed up with herself—having to feign composure in the face of evil spirits, only to wipe away tears afterwards, her legs weak with fear.
"We'll talk about this tomorrow," Ye Xing waved his hand dismissively.
"I have things to do today. I'll only be free after school tomorrow."
"Things to do? Exorcising evil spirits?"
"Nope. Going to the gym."
"Huh?"
Seeing Miko Yotsuya's bewildered expression, Ye Xing explained matter-of-factly,
"Fighting evil spirits requires a solid physical foundation. Sure, every time I devour one, I gain a slight boost in physical ability, but maintaining peak focus through exercise ensures no surprises in the field."
With that, he patted Miko's shoulder and spoke earnestly,
"Young lady, you've got a long way to go before becoming a professional exorcist. Better learn more from your Senior Ye."
Miko sighed and shook her head helplessly.
Her urge to retort had been thoroughly worn down by Ye Xing's endless stream of absurd remarks.
"In that case, I'll head home first."
Ye Xing nodded and asked,
"Need me to walk you back?"
"No need. My place is just two stops away by bus. You've got things to do, right? Don't bother."
"Alright. I was just being polite anyway—wasn't really planning to."
"..."
As a speechless Miko turned and left, Ye Xing watched her figure gradually vanish into the distance. The playful, lazy smile on his face faded, replaced by a pensive expression.
"As I thought, she can see the Gate, but not this..."
He muttered to himself before walking off in another direction.
Behind him, a grotesquely pale, enormous hand—large enough to cover a family living room, with razor-sharp black nails—floated silently in the air, following him as he departed.
...
Meanwhile, at a gym near Sobu High.
Shizuka Hiratsuka, dressed in a long tracksuit, sat in the lounge sipping a drink, idly watching Mafuyu Kirisu sweat it out on the treadmill. She shook her head and complained,
"Seriously, you're way too diligent, working out every single day like this."
Even after nearly twenty minutes of running, Mafuyu's breathing remained steady as she replied in her usual tone,
"As an educator, maintaining ample physical stamina is essential. Otherwise, I can't fulfil my duty of guiding students."
"You're borderline obsessive," Shizuka grumbled under her breath before slumping onto the table with a lazy sigh.
"Ugh, it's because you drag me here every day that I don't have time to date."
"Don't blame me. With your looks, you could've dated ages ago if you wanted. You just don't feel like it—can't pin that on me."
"Tch. Still your fault."
Mafuyu shook her head, pressed the treadmill's stop button, and wiped her forehead with a towel before sitting across from Shizuka.
"So, how was your first day with the new class?"
"Ugh, don't even ask."
Shizuka propped her chin on her hand, her expression utterly drained.
"I envy you. Your class is full of ordinary students, so you only need to worry about their overall grades. Unlike me, I'm always on edge."
Mafuyu Kirisu picked up her cup and took a sip of water before responding unhurriedly.
"You're referring to those two students with special talents, aren't you? There's no helping it—they're the school's designated excellent talents. To be honest, even though I'm not their homeroom teacher, I'd also like to guide her and him onto paths where they can fully utilise their abilities."
"That's easy for you to say."
Shizuka Hiratsuka let out a long sigh. "Touma is manageable—she just sleeps through class and doesn't cause any trouble. But that Ye Xing..."
She proceeded to recount everything that had happened that morning, along with all the rumours about Ye Xing circulating in the school, in meticulous detail to Mafuyu Kirisu.
After listening, the latter nodded noncommittally and remarked calmly,
"Hmm... Given that he has a history of violent incidents from middle school, it's only natural you'd find him difficult to handle."
"Right, right? I'm telling you, if it weren't for the school—"
Just as Shizuka Hiratsuka was mid-sentence, loud shouting suddenly erupted from the equipment area nearby. She frowned slightly and muttered,
"What's going on? Is all this noise really necessary for a workout?"
Mafuyu Kirisu looked up, her eyes widening slightly in surprise, and whispered to Shizuka Hiratsuka, "Huh? Isn't that Ye Xing over there?"
Shizuka Hiratsuka froze for a moment before turning her head. Sure enough, just as Mafuyu Kirisu had said, there was Ye Xing, dressed in black workout clothes, surrounded by several burly men. The atmosphere between them seemed tense, as if a fight could break out at any moment.
Without hesitation, Shizuka Hiratsuka stood up and strode over.
Regardless of her personal opinions about Ye Xing as a student, as a teacher—whether at Sobu High or anywhere else—it would be inexcusable to ignore a student in trouble.
"Hey, you lot! Cut it out!"