Miko nervously pressed her lips together, staring at the distant "Gate." It felt as though the blood in her veins had frozen in that instant.
"No, no, no, no..."
She muttered repeatedly, fine beads of sweat forming on her forehead. Her shoulders trembled uncontrollably, and deep fear flickered in her golden eyes.
"How… how can something like this exist in this world…?"
Now, Miko finally understood why Ye Xing had remained so composed when facing evil spirits.
Every twisted, horrifying evil spirit she had ever encountered paled in comparison to the sheer terror emanating from this "Gate."
Something like this shouldn't exist in this world at all.
Even just looking at it from a distance, Miko felt as though her very soul was being sucked in.
Watching her reaction, Ye Xing didn't rush to speak. Only when her emotions had settled slightly did he finally offer a gentle explanation.
"From my investigations, there's more than one Gate like this in Kyoto."
"The effect of the Gates is simple—they amplify the power of evil spirits and spectres in the surrounding area, making them more aggressive and increasing their desire to attack humans."
"As for the range of influence, the smallest covers a few hundred meters, while the largest I've seen affects an area nearly three kilometres in diameter."
Hearing this, Miko took another deep breath, her eyes heavy with unease.
"So you're saying that wherever a Gate exists, the surrounding evil spirits will continuously grow stronger, and even common spectres that were originally harmless to humans will be affected, gradually turning into evil spirits that attack people?"
"Mm, it's more than that."
Ye Xing nodded slightly and continued to elaborate.
"You must have noticed that for those who can't see them, the harm caused by evil spirits is quite limited—at most, they might possess humans, making their luck worse, their minds foggy, or their emotional control weaker."
At this point, Ye Xing's tone shifted.
"But under the influence of the Gate, the power of evil spirits goes far beyond that."
"Aside from what you've seen before—their ability to disguise themselves as humans and deceive special individuals like you—they can also instantly render people unconscious. And a few particularly powerful ones..."
Ye Xing locked eyes with Miko Yotsuya, his smile vanishing as he spoke deliberately.
"...can even possess humans and take complete control of their actions."
Hearing this, Miko's pupils contracted in shock, and she murmured to herself.
"That's... absolutely terrifying."
She immediately understood just how much danger these so-called "Gates" could bring if what Ye Xing said was true.
Forget about possession and control—just the ability to instantly knock someone unconscious was horrifying enough.
For example, if an evil spirit made a bus driver pass out while the vehicle was in motion...
Miko didn't even want to imagine the aftermath.
Her mood grew heavy, and she asked softly,
"Is there any way to make these Gates disappear?"
"Of course there's a way..."
Before Ye Xing could finish, Miko seemed to have an epiphany and blurted out,
"Oh, right! You can eat them, can't you?"
The moment the words left her mouth, she noticed Ye Xing staring at her with a look that screamed, 'Are you stupid?'
Flustered, she awkwardly added, "Uh... did I say something wrong?"
"You really must have a screw loose."
Ye Xing rolled his eyes and pointed at the distant Gate.
"Take a good look. Even though this thing affects evil spirits, it's literally made of wood. You want me to gnaw on timber? Might as well sign me up for a talent show—I'm sure they'd have someone qualified for that."
Miko gave an embarrassed laugh, her eyes radiating pure, unfiltered naivety.
"So... what should we do then?"
"Burn it."
Ye Xing replied casually before shrugging.
"But I didn't bring any tools today. I just wanted to show it to you. We'll deal with it another time."
"Alright, another time then."
Only after leaving the alley and returning to the bustling streets, bathed in the warm early spring sunlight, did Miko finally feel some relief.
She stole a glance at Ye Xing's profile and asked quietly,
"By the way... why did you tell me all this?"
Before he could answer, Miko quickly waved her hands, as if afraid he might misunderstand.
"Not that I'm unwilling to help! If what you said is true, the Gates really are a huge danger."
"But as you saw today, aside from being able to see those things, I don't have any special abilities."
"To be honest, I don't think I can be of much help to you. In fact, I might end up holding you back."
Hearing Miko Yotsuya's words, Ye Xing nodded.
"At your current state, you're indeed completely useless."
Miko was taken aback by his blunt response and pouted slightly. While she had admitted to being a liability, wasn't it common courtesy to offer some comforting words in such situations? His straightforwardness made her feel rather embarrassed.
"However."
Noticing the dimming light in Miko's eyes, Ye Xing chuckled and continued.
"If you want to gain the ability to fight against evil spirits, I do have a way."
"Eh, really!?"
Miko was startled but clearly sceptical of Ye Xing's claim. Ever since she gained the ability to see evil spirits and spectres, she had tried countless methods—visiting renowned psychics, purchasing numerous talismans, bracelets, prayer beads, and other such items. The only result was her already limited pocket money dwindling further, with no actual effect.
Now, Ye Xing was saying he could give her the power to combat evil spirits? Miko found it hard to believe.
Seeing her doubtful expression, Ye Xing yawned lazily and explained.
"First, let me ask you a question. Aside from the special influence of the Gate, under what circumstances can evil spirits directly harm humans?"
Miko cautiously replied.
"Is it... when they know humans can see them?"
"Correct."
Ye Xing nodded and then asked another question.
"You saw my fight with the evil spirit this morning, didn't you?"
Miko thought to herself, 'Could that even be called a fight? Wouldn't "one-sided slaughter" be more accurate?'
Of course, she kept this thought to herself and merely nodded obediently.
"Then, based on this logic, when both parties can see each other, is it only the evil spirit that can harm humans unilaterally?"
Miko paused, murmuring.
"Could it be...?"
Ye Xing spoke nonchalantly.
"In other words."
"Do you think what truly harmed the evil spirit this morning was the peach wood dagger and silver nail, or me, the one wielding them?"