As Ye Xing invoked the true name of his soul, the hem of his black coat, much like the mask on his face, transformed into flickering black flames.
Standing atop the ghost hand, Hina Amano and Yui Yuigahama witnessed this scene and exclaimed in unison.
"So... so cool."
This was the first time Ye Xing had summoned the true name of his soul.
Beneath the burning black mask lay his calm, unreadable eyes.
The hem of his black coat swept through the air, leaving a trail of dark fire in its wake.
With just a flicker of movement, Ye Xing dodged the giant evil spirit's lunge and appeared behind it.
He even had the leisure to explain to Hina and Yuigahama, still mid-air.
"My Soul Materialisation ability isn't the type that's powerful from the very beginning."
Yuigahama had wanted to retort, but upon reflection...
It did seem to be the case.
The pale ghost hand had only appeared after Ye Xing had devoured hundreds of evil spirits.
When he first awakened, his Soul Materialisation ability was limited to crafting weapons using evil spirit power.
In fact, on the very day he first encountered an evil spirit—March 20th—his body hadn't contained a trace of evil spirit power.
He had killed that first evil spirit with his bare hands.
In contrast, whether it was Miko Yotsuya's Hyakume or Rio Futaba's Bone Woman, both had possessed combat capabilities from the moment of awakening.
At the very least, their users didn't need to put themselves in danger.
Ye Xing's Soul Materialisation ability was entirely different from the autonomous Hyakume and Bone Woman.
Unable to fight on its own, it was more like a tool in his hands.
"However,"
Ye Xing's tone shifted.
"My ability has no limitations."
This cryptic statement left Yuigahama and Hina bewildered.
What did he mean by 'no limitations'?
Taken literally...
Was Ye Xing saying his Soul Materialisation could achieve anything?
That... couldn't be possible, could it?
For anyone else, awakening a Soul Materialisation ability as reliant on the user as Ye Xing's would likely render it ineffective.
But Soul Materialisation was inherently shaped by the user's heart and soul.
In other words.
The ability one awakened was always the most compatible with oneself.
Ye Xing was no exception.
The so-called flaw of his Soul Materialisation was, in fact, its greatest strength.
Having no initial form meant there were no constraints.
For an ordinary person, conceptualising a coherent power system they could believe in, then extending it into usable abilities, would be incredibly difficult.
After all, chuunibyou wasn't common, and the logic they constructed was prone to collapse.
But Ye Xing was different.
He was a transmigrator.
"Hmm..."
Ye Xing observed the giant evil spirit crouched on all fours before him and murmured coolly.
"Which ability to try first? Let's go with this one."
As his words faded, the giant evil spirit roared ferociously, slamming its left fist toward where he stood.
Hina Amano's heart sank, even closing her eyes involuntarily, unable to bear witnessing the bloody scene that was about to unfold.
Yet after several seconds, she realised she hadn't heard the expected thunderous impact of a palm slamming onto the street.
When she cautiously opened her eyes, Hina beheld a sight so astonishing it would remain etched in her memory forever.
A shell of pure blackness, resembling a humanoid creature standing four to five metres tall, had enveloped Ye Xing.
The giant evil spirit's palm merely brushed against this shell before recoiling in pain as if scalded by boiling water, its mouth emitting unwilling, venomous shrieks.
"This is the third ability."
Ye Xing brandished Onimaru Kunitsuna in his hand, staring directly into the bloodshot eyes of the giant evil spirit.
"Susanoo."
Not just Hina, who had only just met him.
Even Yui Yuigahama, the ambassador of the Supernatural Society who'd joined nearly two months prior, was stunned.
Ye Xing had this kind of power?
What on earth was this!?
Was this also Soul Materialisation?
This was too outrageous!
Even the giant evil spirit, faced with this Susanoo half its own height, momentarily faltered in confusion.
Its simple mind, driven only by twisted instincts to kill, couldn't comprehend how a mere human could wield such power.
"Time for some fun."
After invoking his soul's true name, though his expression remained hidden behind the mask, both Hina and Yui Yuigahama sensed something.
From his tone alone, he sounded... exhilarated?
They couldn't fathom his thoughts at this moment.
"Marvellous, absolutely marvellous."
A blue smiling pattern emerged on the burning black mask covering Ye Xing's face.
His eyes brimmed with genuine delight and anticipation.
"With a body that huge, you won't die so easily, right? Right?"
This was the first time Ye Xing had encountered such a perfect evil spirit.
Massive in size, highly defensive, and capable of feeling pain.
What better specimen than this Gate-fused giant evil spirit to experiment with his Soul Materialisation abilities?
"Let's start with something simple."
Ye Xing dispersed the Susanoo's shell.
Seeing this, the giant evil spirit immediately reached out to swat at him again.
Its mind, now consumed by distorted bloodlust, didn't pause to consider what agonising torment awaited it.
Ye Xing focused his left eye's gaze on the approaching left palm and murmured.
"Amaterasu."
The black flames composing his mask extended outward, clinging to the giant's left hand like malignant parasites.
The creature unleashed deafening howls of agony, frantically rubbing its burning palm against the ground - yet the flames continued spreading relentlessly.
Ordinary fire would merely cause pain.
But Ye Xing's black flames, composed purely of evil spirit power, had extraordinary effects on evil spirits.
"Not bad."
The Amaterasu manifested through Soul Materialisation proved just as potent as the original.
For the ten-metre-tall giant evil spirit, it was indeed impossible to completely burn its entire body to ashes in a short time.
However, Ye Xing wasn't concerned about the power of Amaterasu—after all, this was just an experiment.
He had plenty more techniques up his sleeve.
"Next..."
Holding Onimaru Kunitsuna in his right hand, Ye Xing stepped forward towards the giant evil spirit writhing in agony.
Yui Yuigahama and Hina Amano didn't dare to blink, their eyes fixed unwaveringly on the scene below.
They were both eager to see what technique Ye Xing would use next.
"Chidori Sharp Spear."
Ye Xing extended his left hand, and a black laser-like beam shot out from his palm, piercing the body of the giant evil spirit.
The pain in the giant evil spirit's howls was so intense that even Hina Amano and Yui Yuigahama, hovering in mid-air, felt a pang of sympathy.
Yet Ye Xing remained as calm as ever, watching as the black Chidori Sharp Spear sliced across the evil spirit's body, producing an effect similar to when weaker evil spirits and spectres approached Hana Yurikawa—burning as if scorched. He murmured to himself,
"Hmm... the flexibility is sufficient, but the power is still lacking. Good for clearing mobs, but lacks single-target damage."
The giant evil spirit, already suffering under excruciating torment, nearly lost its mind upon hearing Ye Xing's indifferent tone and noticing his relaxed demeanour.
A mere human...
Not only had he obstructed it from devouring that girl, but now he even dared to humiliate it like this?!
Despite the pain of its burning palm and the Chidori Sharp Spear cutting into its body, the giant evil spirit opened its bloody maw and lunged at Ye Xing, who stood unmoving.
"Too slow."
Ye Xing's figure flickered, reappearing over a dozen metres away as he shook his head with a faint smile.
"That's enough. Your usefulness ends here."
"Come back."
As soon as Ye Xing spoke, the black flames covering the giant evil spirit swiftly retracted, reforming into the pitch-black mask.
After enduring such torment, the giant evil spirit's body bore the marks of severe burns—yet within just a few breaths, it had fully regenerated.
"As expected, it's different."
Watching the giant evil spirit rise to its feet again, Ye Xing nodded noncommittally.
Its foundation had always been solid.
And after merging with the Gate, not only had its strength and size increased, but even its regenerative abilities far surpassed those of ordinary evil spirits and spectres.
"Time to eat."
Ye Xing had already figured out how to solve the problem of the creature's massive size, making it difficult to devour directly.
He gripped the blade of Onimaru Kunitsuna with his right hand.
Then, he dragged his palm across it.
Crimson blood dripped onto the devastated street below.
Hina Amano and Yui Yuigahama exchanged a glance from afar.
Both girls' eyes reflected confusion.
What new trick was Ye Xing pulling now?
Why was he harming himself?
This was just part of the fundamental power system.
Before transformation, one must first be injured.
The dark clouds in the sky parted, revealing a sliver of light.
The Reverse World, which had been shrouded in the dim crimson glow of the blood-red moon, suddenly erupted with unprecedented brightness.
A golden, lightning-like radiance descended upon Ye Xing.
The blinding light forced Yui Yuigahama and Hina Amano, hovering mid-air, to instinctively shut their eyes.
When they opened them again, accompanied by a furious roar, what appeared in their vision was a humanoid monster—taller than the giant evil spirit, with jet-black hair and eyes, muscular contours, and an entirely black body adorned with white patterns resembling cursed inscriptions.
The roar they heard came from this colossal being.
"Wh-what... what is that!?!"
Thankfully, the black railings prevented Hina Amano and Yui Yuigahama from tumbling off the ghost hand in shock.
What on earth was that!?
It's enormous!
Is that... Ye Xing?
The giant evil spirit, faced with this black giant towering over it, froze momentarily.
Then, its expression twisted into an even more grotesque snarl as it let out a bone-chilling screech. Dropping onto all fours like a beast, it lunged violently at its opponent.
The ground quaked in its wake, sending rubble flying.
Boom!
Only when the giant evil spirit closed in did the black giant finally act.
He reached out with both hands, gripping the terrifying head of his foe.
Then, raising his left knee, he delivered a brutal knee strike straight to its face.
Boom, boom, boom...
At first, the giant evil spirit struggled.
But under the relentless barrage of knee strikes, its head was utterly deformed. Its ashen body convulsed, arms hanging limp.
Seeing the familiar madness and exhilaration in the black giant's eyes, Yui Yuigahama finally confirmed it.
This guy...
Was Ye Xing after transforming!
Having deformed the giant evil spirit's head, Ye Xing—now a giant—seemed unsatisfied.
He seized its arms and, with a forceful yank, tore them clean off its body.
Next came the legs.
Then, the head.
It was practically dismemberment by bare hands.
Only after this did Ye Xing raise his left foot and stomp on the giant evil spirit's chest.
With a slight parting of his lips, the torn-apart remains scattered across the ground dissolved into thick black Qi, which he inhaled into his belly.
By the time it was over, the blood-red moon vanished from the sky. As the ghost hand lowered Yui Yuigahama and Hina Amano to the ground, the massive form of Ye Xing's black giant dissipated into mist.
"OK, done."
Ye Xing walked up to Hina Amano and Yui Yuigahama with a grin.
"All settled."
The two girls stood there, minds blank, utterly speechless.
After a long pause, Hina Amano turned to Yui Yuigahama, her expression complicated.
"Is this... how you usually deal with evil spirits?"
Yui Yuigahama also wore a complicated expression, pressing her lips together before speaking.
"No... this is my first time seeing it too."
As for Ye Xing, the person in question, he remained unfazed.
"Amano-san, we'll take our leave now. Tomorrow at noon, when we arrive at Sobu High School, I'll arrange for someone to explain these matters to you properly."
After saying this, Ye Xing left with Yui Yuigahama.
Hina Amano stood rooted to the spot, staring blankly at their retreating figures, her heart filled with mixed emotions.
She had originally thought that her ability to clear the weather through prayer already made her an existence beyond ordinary comprehension.
But compared to Ye Xing...
She might as well be completely ordinary?
What kind of exorcist can transform like that!?
...
Meanwhile.
After leaving the street where Hina Amano lived, Ye Xing walked side by side with Yui Yuigahama and sighed.
"That was really dangerous. A close call."
This time, Yui wasn't fooled. She pursed her lips and retorted sarcastically,
"Dangerous? Did you use up another tenth of your power?"
"No."
Ye Xing shook his head, unusually serious.
"Twenty per cent left."
"Twenty per cent!?"
Hearing this number, Yui's expression changed first in shock, nearly exclaiming aloud, then shifted to concern as she lowered her voice.
"Then if we encounter powerful evil spirits now... wouldn't that be very dangerous?"
"Not necessarily."
Ye Xing replied with a smile.
"I just had a snack, so my recovery speed has increased significantly. In about an hour or two, I'll be back to peak condition."
Just as Yui was about to say something, a cool sensation touched her face.
Plop.
She looked up to see rain beginning to fall from the sky.
At first, it was just a light drizzle.
But in less than five seconds, it transformed from a gentle rain into a torrential downpour.
It was as if a river in the heavens had emptied itself over Kyoto.
"Thank goodness."
Yui quickly took an umbrella from her bag and opened it, sighing in relief.
"Luckily, I brought an umbrella."
As she spoke, she held the umbrella over Ye Xing's head, her tone gentle.
"Kyoto's top exorcist mustn't catch a cold."
Only after saying this did Yui remember something.
Although she'd brought an umbrella...
She'd only brought one.
This... wasn't this the legendary scenario of... a boy and girl sharing one umbrella!?
Belatedly, Yui realised that because they were sheltering under the same umbrella, the distance between her and Ye Xing had closed to the point where their shoulders were touching.
A faint blush rose on her cute face as she pretended nonchalance, asking quietly,
"U-um, Ye Xing... you don't mind sharing an umbrella with me, do you?"
Ye Xing's answer took Yui by surprise.
"Well, if I said I minded..."
"Would you go out in the rain and let me have it to myself?"
For a moment, Yui actually considered braving the rain herself.
But noticing the amusement in Ye Xing's voice, she realised,
He was teasing her.
"You're really the worst."
Yui Yuigahama blushed and lightly patted Ye Xing's shoulder with her hand.
"Enough."
Ye Xing didn't tease her further, speaking calmly instead.
"Let's get you to the train station first."
Yui Yuigahama nodded obediently.
"Mmm, okay."
...
When the two arrived at the train station, they happened to hear the announcement coming through the loudspeakers.
"Attention all passengers: Due to heavy rainfall compromising safety, all train services are suspended effective immediately. Please exit the station in an orderly manner."
Yui Yuigahama froze momentarily, frowning slightly as she said.
"This is bad. If the trains aren't running, we'll have to take a taxi—"
Before she could finish, Ye Xing raised his phone screen and said calmly.
"Don't bother. The roads are too flooded for taxis to get through."
It wasn't that Kyoto's drainage system was poor.
Rather, sudden downpours of this scale had been extremely rare in recent decades.
Yui Yuigahama sighed and looked at Ye Xing with pleading eyes.
"What should we do then?"
Ye Xing countered: "What do you think?"
Yui Yuigahama fell silent for a few seconds before suddenly blushing slightly. Lowering her head, she tentatively asked in a voice as faint as a mosquito's hum.
"Maybe... we could stay at a hotel?"