Ye Xing wasn't the least bit surprised by the measures taken by the Metropolitan Police Department.
Ever since the appearance of the Gate, Kyoto's crime rate had skyrocketed, with the scale of crimes growing increasingly alarming—escalating from ordinary robberies and brawls to murders and even serial killings.
If they didn't come up with a solution soon, Kyoto would soon resemble Gotham.
The festering, ugly crimes and the filthy obsessions lurking in people's hearts had become nourishment, strengthening the power of evil spirits.
And as their power grew, the number of humans these evil spirits could manipulate or possess—along with the atrocities they could incite—only intensified.
This was nothing short of a vicious cycle.
If the Metropolitan Police Department's current purge proved effective, it might just suppress this cycle.
For the Society, whose goal was to eradicate Gates and eliminate evil spirits, this would also be a good thing.
Moreover, through the Kyoto Metropolitan Police Department's announcement, Ye Xing could confirm a long-held suspicion of his:
Currently, within Japan, Gates have only appeared in Kyoto.
Otherwise, if crime rates were soaring in other cities as well, how could they possibly spare personnel to send reinforcements to the Kyoto Metropolitan Police Department?
As for the news reports about the incident at Kyoto Municipal Kindergarten two days ago—which made no mention of him whatsoever—Ye Xing had anticipated that as well.
On one hand, the only person who had actually seen Hachishaku-sama with his own eyes was Soichiro Yagami.
Someone as rigid and upright as him was probably still questioning whether what he'd witnessed had been a hallucination.
After all, the existence of evil spirits would deliver an unimaginable blow to any normal person's worldview.
On the other hand, if the Metropolitan Police Department told the truth, public opinion would undoubtedly erupt.
"What? The mighty Kyoto Metropolitan Police Department was helpless against a group of kidnappers and had to wait for some mysterious saviour to step in?"
Acknowledging his existence would be tantamount to admitting the Metropolitan Police Department's incompetence.
There was no way anyone in the department, from top to bottom, would ever agree to that.
Of course, Ye Xing had never intended to gain fame or anything of the sort. The fact that the Metropolitan Police Department had concealed his presence also meant they couldn't investigate him openly, lest word got out.
Which was, in a way, a good thing.
"Yahallo."
Hearing that familiar greeting, Ye Xing immediately knew who it was.
"Yahallo, Yuigahama."
Yui Yuigahama yawned, rubbing her eyes as if she hadn't slept well, and forced herself to perk up.
"Just reporting in—the number of requests Mr Oda's been receiving has dropped significantly lately. The occasional odd one, I've already forwarded to Miko for her to check out."
"I see..."
Seeing Ye Xing lost in thought, Yui couldn't help but ask, puzzled:
"Isn't it a good thing that supernatural incidents are decreasing?"
"No."
Ye Xing shook his head and said softly:
"Yuigahama, you need to remember one thing."
"What?"
"Our enemies are those intelligent monsters. The evil spirits that act purely on instinct are just pawns under their control."
The more Ye Xing dealt with supernatural incidents, the more he felt that the appearance of the Gate and the Reverse World wasn't so simple.
Although he entered the Reverse World daily to explore, Kyoto—while not as large as Tokyo—was still a major city.
Even now, the overall exploration progress was likely less than a thousandth of what it could be.
Based on the information gathered so far, Ye Xing could roughly analyse the following points:
Even in the Kyoto of the Reverse World, dominated by evil spirits, there existed some form of order that maintained balance.
The Slaughter Demon he had encountered last time played a role akin to a scavenger, preventing the density of evil spirits from becoming too high.
The stronger evil spirits, those with independent thought and intelligence, knew the function of the Gate and understood how to accelerate its opening.
The Nukekubi and the Slaughter Demon were both solid proof of this theory.
And the third point—the most crucial one.
No matter who it was, Ye Xing urgently needed someone trustworthy, someone who could keep secrets, to awaken the ability of Soul Materialisation under his direct observation.
He needed to verify one thing.
Was it only possible to awaken abilities within the Reverse World?
No, that was merely the surface-level question.
Digging deeper, the real question was...
Was it as Rio Futaba had theorised—that one had to achieve the process of "cognitive existence," then confront their own heart and soul, to awaken their ability?
Or were he and Miko Yotsuya simply exceptions?
If it were the former, then all would be well.
As long as the Society continued to exist, over time, even if unexpected changes occurred with the Gates and the Reverse World, the number of allies like Miko Yotsuya by his side would steadily increase.
But if it was the latter...
Ye Xing swept a glance across the sparsely populated classroom, where students chatted in small groups, and at Yui Yuigahama, who stood before him with her head tilted in an adorably clueless manner.
That would be... rather troublesome.
...
Morning classes passed quickly.
Restless and agitated, Ye Xing woke up five minutes before lunch break—even managing to listen to five minutes of the lesson.
Exhausted, burdened by Kyoto's plight, unable to sleep peacefully—take note.
During lunch break, Miko Yotsuya and Yui Yuigahama, along with a few other girls, went outside the school building to eat their packed lunches.
Ever since Yuigahama mentioned that Miko's reputation at school wasn't great, Miko had resolved to change.
Miko can't communicate...
Wait, wrong script.
In any case, Miko Yotsuya had decided to make more friends.
At the very least, she wanted to ensure that when other students had supernatural-related requests, they wouldn't hesitate to approach her.
Naturally, Ye Xing didn't want to stay in the classroom either and instead headed to the Society's clubroom.
"Good afternoon—"
His greeting trailed off the moment he slid the door open.
Bathed in the midday sunlight streaming through the window, Rio Futaba—wearing her usual white lab coat—had both hands behind her head, clumsily attempting to tie her long, grey curls into a ponytail.
The most fatal part?
Between her soft pink lips, she lightly held a pale green hair tie. Even with both hands, her movements were awkward and fumbling.
Seeing Ye Xing at the door, Rio Futaba's actions froze momentarily.
After a few seconds of silence, she let down her hair, allowing it to cascade over her shoulders. With her left hand, she removed the pale green hairband from her mouth and naturally tucked it into her lab coat pocket, her tone calm and composed.
"You're here? Coffee?"
"I'll have a cup then."
Ye Xing sat opposite Rio Futaba, watching as she took out two beakers. She poured fragrant black coffee into one, gave it a gentle stir with a glass rod, and handed it to him.
The air was still and quiet.
"You... saw it?"
"Saw what?"
"Don't play dumb."
"Right, I saw it. Crystal clear."
At his words, Rio Futaba's eyes flickered slightly. After a brief silence, she spoke softly.
"Do you... think it looked nice?"
"Hmm... how should I put it?"
Ye Xing replied noncommittally, his mind racing.
What does she mean?
Has the life-or-death battle of wits between geniuses already begun?
If he answered 'nice,' Rio Futaba would likely ask:
"So you're saying my usual hairstyle isn't nice?"
If he answered 'not nice,' she might counter with:
"Are you implying I can't pull off a high ponytail?"
After careful consideration, Ye Xing suddenly had an epiphany.
Why was he overthinking this?
Rio Futaba wasn't some petty person—why would she deliberately pick a fight?
Why not just answer honestly?
"I think both hairstyles suit you well, complementing your outstanding aura and adorable face."
At his blunt words, Rio Futaba's hand trembled slightly, nearly dropping the beaker onto the table.
Her eyes narrowed behind her glasses as she stared intently at Ye Xing, speaking in a slow, deliberate tone.
"You... don't tell me you're... into me?"
"Miss Futaba, you're overestimating yourself."
"Never mind then."
Rio Futaba remained as composed as ever, her expression unchanging throughout.
Except...
Ye Xing watched her incessant stirring and, with a barely suppressed smirk, remarked:
"Miss Futaba, what exactly are you stirring? That's an empty beaker."
Rio Futaba glanced down, her fair cheeks visibly reddening at an alarming rate.
"I... I know. It's a... ritual to make the coffee taste better. It's... quantum mechanics. Yes, that's right—the latest research in quantum mechanics. The principle is too complex to explain to you."
"I see. Enlightening, Master Futaba."
Rio Futaba shot him a glare, steadied herself with effort, and poured herself a cup of coffee.
The clubroom fell silent once more.
Noticing Ye Xing sipping his coffee while scrolling through his phone, Rio Futaba broke the silence.
"Next Wednesday is the spring exam. Did you know?"
Ye Xing nodded dismissively.
"Yeah, what about it?"
"If you know, why aren't you studying in your free time?"
After saying this, she hastily added, as if to cover her tracks, "Of course, I'm not concerned about you personally. It's just that if you, as President, were to fail an exam, the school might revoke our club room privileges or even disband the club altogether. I've grown rather comfortable here."
"Fail?"
Ye Xing wore an expression that suggested he found this amusing.
"Futaba-san, your concern seems somewhat unnecessary."
Rio Futaba's brows furrowed slightly as she began to realise things might not be as simple as she'd imagined.
"Judging by your reaction, are you implying you're confident about your academic performance?"
"Isn't that obvious?"
Ye Xing shrugged and yawned.
"I was the top scorer in this year's national exams for the entire country of Japan."
"Oh, first place..."
Rio nodded absentmindedly before the full implication hit her several seconds later, her pupils dilating in shock.
"First? National exam? Top in all of Japan?!"
"Ah, you didn't know? Right, I suppose I never mentioned it."
Watching Ye Xing's completely unruffled demeanour, Rio asked again in disbelief.
"You? Achieved first place in the national exams across Japan?"
Ye Xing raised his hands in a modest gesture, though his tone carried no trace of humility.
"Indeed, that would be me."
Rio took a deep breath, her expression complicated.
"Then why did you choose Sobu High School instead of Shuchi'in Academy or Advanced Nurturing High School?"
"Isn't that obvious?"
Ye Xing's expression and tone made Rio question whether she'd just asked something utterly ridiculous.
Upon reflection.
Wasn't this a perfectly reasonable question?
Why wouldn't Japan's top scorer choose Shuchi'in Academy, renowned as the cradle of Japan's future elite, or Advanced Nurturing High School, known as the social ladder where capable students could achieve any dream?
While Sobu High was decent enough.
It simply couldn't compare to Shuchi'in or Advanced Nurturing High School.
"Think about it."
Ye Xing began explaining with earnest seriousness.
"With my national first-place results, at Advanced Nurturing High or Shuchi'in, I'd merely be one exceptional student among many - both schools have produced numerous national top scorers throughout their histories, correct?"
"That's true."
Rio nodded slightly in agreement.
Rather than saying that those schools had many top scorers.
It would be more accurate to say that geniuses capable of achieving first place nationally would only consider those two institutions.
Compared to them, other high schools - in terms of campus environment, teaching quality, networking opportunities or future prospects - were completely outmatched.
In Japan's entire academic history, Ye Xing might be the only national top scorer to choose an option other than Shuchi'in or Advanced Nurturing High.
"Therefore."
Ye Xing shrugged as if stating the obvious.
"With my credentials, coming to Sobu High makes me the administration's golden child. They'll grant me special privileges for anything short of outrageous demands."
Before Rio could respond, he added.
"And this club room happens to be one of those special privileges."
Hearing these words, Rio Futaba had only one thought.
'You're being way too honest, aren't you?'
These were things you were supposed to just think about, not say out loud so brazenly.
Unspoken rules were called unspoken for a reason.
Because everyone knew about them, yet they couldn't see the light of day.
But...
Rio tried looking at it from another perspective.
If she were part of Sobu High School's administration and learned that this year's top scorer in Japan's unified exams had chosen to enrol at Sobu High, how would they react?
It would bring honour to their humble institution.
A glorious achievement for their ancestors.
Punching Shuchi'in Academy in the face, kicking Advanced Nurturing High to the curb!
Sobu High, when will you be number one in Japan?
Today!
"But..." Rio studied Ye Xing with a puzzled expression. "I never see you studying normally. Can you really maintain these grades?"
"Hmph, piece of cake."
"You're not just boasting, are you?"
"That's where you're wrong, Miss Futaba."
A nostalgic look suddenly appeared in Ye Xing's eyes as he spoke slowly.
"Can you imagine school life where classes start at 6:30 every morning, end at 11 at night, with only twenty minutes for lunch and no breaks between lessons?"
"How could such a thing exist?"
Rio shook her head like a rattle-drum.
"That's not just school - it completely exceeds human physiological limits. No such place could exist."
"You're too naive, Rio Futaba."
Ye Xing shook his head, gazing out the window as he continued solemnly.
"It was in such an environment that I competed with tens of millions of peers, carving a bloody path across the single-plank bridge. Through hundreds of battles, I emerged victorious as the chosen warrior!"
Rio: "..."
After several seconds, she delivered what might be the most accurate remark of her life.
"From how you describe it, that doesn't sound like a warrior."
"More like an evil spirit clawing its way up from the eighteenth level of hell."
Hearing this, Ye Xing nodded in complete agreement.
"Yes, that's about the right difficulty level."
Rio sighed helplessly, rubbing her forehead as she naturally assumed Ye Xing's words were just another manifestation of his chuunibyou.
How could there possibly be schools where students only get seven hours of sleep a day with barely any rest time?
What difference is there from hell?
However, chuunibyou aside.
Rio Futaba didn't doubt Ye Xing's claim that he had entered this school as the top scorer in Japan's unified entrance exams.
This explained many things.
Like why the club could be established initially with only two members - Miko Yotsuya and Ye Xing - despite not meeting the minimum requirement of five.
And why this south-facing clubroom in such a prime location was allocated to them, despite their club having no clear purpose or defined activities.
"There's something..."
For the first time, Rio's usually calm and rational expression showed traces of nervousness and hesitation. After pausing for several seconds, she finally parted her lips lightly.
"Recently, when I walk home... I keep feeling like someone's watching me."
"Stalking?"
Hearing this word, Ye Xing frowned slightly.
"Did you see who it was? When did it start? Does it happen every day?"
"Ah..."
Rio hadn't expected such a serious response from Ye Xing - she'd thought he might say something abstract upon hearing her request.
"Well... I'm not certain. It's just a vague feeling. Maybe because of my past experiences, I'm more sensitive to people's gazes."
"This is extremely serious."
Ye Xing assumed an expression of righteous indignation and slammed the table emphatically.
"Don't worry, Futaba-san. Today, this chosen maverick of destiny shall escort you home."