"Ha."
Oda Noto laughed meaningfully and asked:
"Probably not just beautiful 'girls', right? That Miss Natsumi Suga came to our shop once, specifically reporting on the exorcism commission performed by me and the Godmother. This was probably your arrangement too, wasn't it? You've got quite the luck with women, kid."
"Meh, it's all to save the world."
"Still you with the most twisted logic."
Ye Xing smiled, sitting by the fireplace, and casually asked:
"Anything particularly unusual about recent exorcism commissions?"
"Unusual... not really."
Godmother Granny shook her head and let out a soft sigh.
"Kyoto has been quite peaceful lately. As for other cities... at most, there are just some strange tales that are hard to verify, but none that actually threaten anyone. After all, we are exorcists who take on commissions. Without clients, there's no such thing as a commission."
"I see..."
Ye Xing nodded noncommittally, thinking to himself.
Soichiro Yagami still hadn't sent any news back.
He wasn't sure whether the Metropolitan Police Department, with all its resources, could track down the true identity of the mastermind behind it all. The only thing he was certain of was that if anyone in the Metropolitan Police Department could do it, it would definitely be L.
Could L do it?
Uncertain.
Judging from the Osaka battle over a month ago, the mastermind's maximum range for controlling their soul's true form was clearly much farther than Miko Yotsuya and the others. It was even possible that when that Izanami appeared, the mastermind wasn't even within Osaka.
Combined with Seishu Akoya's transformation, the known maximum range for the other party to control their soul's true form was now at least the distance between Osaka and Kyoto.
This was already exaggerated. Even Ye Xing couldn't have his black and white ghost hands appear in one city while his true body remained in another.
The only explanation was that this was a special ability of the other party's Soul Materialisation.
Of course, there was also a fatal flaw.
That was, the other party's soul's true form had almost no combat capability whatsoever. It could even be instantly defeated by Kazusa Touma in her normal state with a single shoulder throw followed by a ground-shaking kick.
Ye Xing had already passed this intelligence to Light Yagami. After all, Light was responsible for dealing with L, so Ye Xing didn't ask about the specific details.
The two most useful tools in the Supernatural Society were the Yagami father and son.
"Alright, you two old-timers, take your time and enjoy yourselves."
Ye Xing stood up, stretched with a long yawn, and waved with a smile.
"I've given you my New Year's greetings early, so I'll take my leave now."
Watching Ye Xing's retreating back, Godmother Granny suddenly sighed. Oda Noto, sitting nearby, couldn't help but ask curiously.
"Hey, why the sudden sigh? Is your time almost up?"
"Go to hell, you old fool. Are you starting to talk nonsense like that boy now?"
Godmother Granny first retorted irritably, then her expression turned complicated as she slowly spoke.
"A while ago, I did another tarot card reading."
Oda Noto asked curiously upon hearing this.
"And the result was...?"
"Still the Fool card."
Godmother Granny sighed, her tone somewhat heavy.
"How many more difficult trials must this boy complete... before he can end this Fool's journey... Can he really... accomplish it?"
Hearing this, Oda Noto fell silent for a moment, then picked up the sake bottle beside him, poured a small cup, and, while drinking by himself, said with a smile.
"If it's him, there's definitely no problem. I believe in him."
...
The next afternoon, at Ye Xing's home.
"Happy New Year!"
Hearing Marin Kitagawa's slightly excited words, Saki Kawasaki complained with an expression of disbelief."
"After midnight, it will officially be the New Year, right?"
Marin Kitagawa stuck out her tongue and smiled apologetically.
"Just giving early New Year's greetings."
Then, Marin Kitagawa looked at the members sitting in the living room and couldn't help but ask curiously.
"Speaking of the New Year, shouldn't we wear kimonos and go for hatsumōde? I know a few temples with nice environments that aren't crowded, and I've heard they're quite effective. How about..."
"No."
Marin Kitagawa's suggestion was unanimously rejected by everyone.
"Eh..."
Marin pouted slightly and muttered quietly in disappointment.
"It's really effective, isn't it?"
Miko Yotsuya said with a deadpan expression, giving a pointed evaluation.
"Precisely because it's effective, we shouldn't go."
Good grief, visiting a temple for New Year's prayers?
What happened last time everyone went to a temple together was witnessed by the entire nation of Japan.
Even Shitennō-ji Temple was completely destroyed. Let's leave some historic landmarks for Japan.
"Still, everyone's gathered quite completely today..."
Marin Kitagawa surveyed the spacious yet somewhat crowded living room and couldn't help but think this.
On this last day of the year, everyone had gathered.
The core members of the Supernatural Society went without saying, but there were also invited guests: Shouko Nishimiya, Naruko Anjou, Natsumi Suga, Shizuka Hiratsuka, and Haruno Yukinoshita, who had put aside her work to specially come from Chiba Prefecture.
What Marin Kitagawa didn't know was that there were actually several more upstairs, just that she couldn't see them.
Tamamo-no-Mae, Kuchisake-onna, Hachishaku-sama, and Menma.
These four, whether you called them spectres or evil spirits, were beings that couldn't get too close to Hana Yurikawa, currently playing upstairs with Naruko Anjou and Shoko Makinohara.
"Of course we're all here."
Yui Yuigahama approached Marin Kitagawa, leaning directly against her shoulder as she spoke with a sweet smile.
"After all, everyone present is among the most important people. We all want to spend the last second of this year and the first second of the next year together."
Hearing this, everyone present looked somewhat embarrassed, especially Yukino Yukinoshita, whose face flushed slightly as she let out a light humph.
"Hmph, I don't think so."
"Yukino-chan, since you're already here, still being stubborn?"
"Hmph, I was dragged here by my sister."
Hearing this, Haruno Yukinoshita, lounging lazily on the sofa, chuckled teasingly.
"Hehe, I've never seen you so obedient to me before. If you were really this obedient, you would have stayed in Chiba originally. You clearly wanted to come yourself - such a tsundere."
Having her thoughts so directly exposed by her sister, Yukino Yukinoshita couldn't help but feel somewhat awkward and retorted irritably.
"You... you talk too much."
"Oh ho, now you dare speak to your elder sister like that?"
"Only because you started being improper first."
Listening to the cheerful laughter in the living room, Kazusa Touma, sitting next to Setsuna Ogiso, suddenly spoke up.
"Speaking of the most important person, where has he gone?"
"He..."
Mai Sakurajima's expression turned somewhat complicated as she let out a light sigh.
"He made plans with someone to go for New Year's prayers."
"Huh?"
Hearing this, Natsumi Suga and Haruno Yukinoshita, who weren't aware of the specifics, both frowned slightly with displeased expressions.
"With everyone here, who else did that guy make plans with? There are more outside!?"
Mai Sakurajima's expression grew even more complicated. After remaining silent for a long moment, she finally spoke softly.
"The person he made plans with... is a man."
Everyone: "..."
Seriously? With so many women gathered in one room - for glamorous and sexy types, there's Haruno Yukinoshita and Natsumi Suga; for cute and adorable types, there's Yui Yuigahama and Hana Yurikawa; for classic black-haired beauties, there's Yukino Yukinoshita and Mai Sakurajima; for gyaru types, there's Marin Kitagawa; for delinquent cool types, there's Saki Kawasaki; for gentle and considerate types, there's Hina Amano and Setsuna Ogiso.
Even if you wanted someone older, there's always Shizuka Hiratsuka.
With so many people gathered here, going to invite a guy for New Year's shrine visit?
Is this really the Ye Xing they know?
"Let me guess."
Rio Futaba adjusted her glasses and said in a flat tone.
"He invited Light Yagami, right?"
"Eh, did Ye Xing tell you too?"
"Not at all."
Rio Futaba deadpanned.
"But that guy only knows one male around his age. It couldn't possibly be Chief Yagami or Old Man Oda, could it?"
...
Meanwhile, at a shrine in Kyoto.
"The last day of the year..."
Light Yagami murmured to himself first, then turned to Ye Xing standing beside him and said softly with a smile.
"Am I disturbing you? On such an important day, you were probably going on a date with some girl again, right?"
"Hey, what kind of person do you take me for?"
Ye Xing waved his hand and declared with righteous indignation.
"Not with some girl, but with some girls. The key is the plural 'girls'. Just one? You're seriously underestimating me, the Harem God."
Light Yagami looked speechless and gave the fairest assessment.
"Typical you."
Although the two were just wearing casual clothes and standing there chatting, their outstanding appearances still attracted the attention of people visiting the shrine for New Year's.
"By the way, there's something I've never told you."
Light Yagami looked at the offering box not far away and the wooden plaques hanging nearby, fluttering in the wind, as he spoke softly.
"My current power is much stronger than what I should normally possess."
"What do you mean?"
Ye Xing frowned slightly and said bluntly.
"Showing off in front of your bro? Light, you weren't like this before."
Light Yagami turned his head and looked directly into Ye Xing's eyes, speaking softly.
"I don't believe you haven't noticed at all... no, you noticed long ago. That's why you had me create an image when we first went to Tokyo."
Seeing that Ye Xing didn't respond, Light Yagami didn't mind and just continued on his own.
"The mastermind behind all this might have noticed this too, so all his actions were aimed at destroying the images of Mask and Kira, trying to weaken our power through this method."
Hearing this, the smile disappeared from Ye Xing's face as he said calmly.
"You... aren't thinking about becoming the god of the new world again, are you?"
"Again?"
Light Yagami felt somewhat confused, not understanding why the other would use the word 'again,' but still shook his head and said with a light laugh.
"No, the god of the new world? I'm not acting for something like that."
Saying this, Light Yagami reached out his right hand and placed it on Ye Xing's left shoulder, speaking softly.
"More than myself, I believe in you more."
"Hey, that's enough."
Ye Xing pushed away Light Yagami's hand with a disgusted expression.
"Don't pull this crap. If you ever lose your sanity, I won't hesitate to kill you."
Hearing this, Light Yagami's expression didn't change at all, still wearing a smile as he shook his head with an amused laugh.
"Didn't I already say? More than myself, I believe in you more."
"If there really comes a day when you decide to kill me... I might just kill myself before you get the chance."
Ye Xing wore an indescribable expression.
"Please act normal, you're scaring me."
Light Yagami shook his head with a smile and didn't continue the topic.
He had already noticed something.
The ways for psychics to grow stronger weren't limited to devouring evil spirits - there was another path that ordinary people could hardly imagine.
Human negative emotions would create evil spirits in the Reverse World, while emotions like prayers, expectations, and hopes would give birth to deities like the Weather God and the Matchmaking Deity, who was formerly the Itomori Town guardian deity.
The more intense the emotions, the more powerful the deities and evil spirits became.
And for psychics...
The same principle applied.
As people's impressions of Kira and Mask deepened, with worship, support, and various other emotions converging, Light Yagami and Ye Xing's spiritual power grew stronger.
The Supernatural Society members who had publicly appeared - those whose action figures had been made into merchandise - had also gained benefits in this regard, though not as noticeably as Light Yagami and Ye Xing. Plus, since they drank milk daily, they hadn't noticed the change yet.
On a smaller scale, this was a new method to enhance spiritual power.
On a larger scale...
This was literally the path from human to deity.
Several minutes later, just as Ye Xing and Light Yagami had chatted for a while and were preparing to leave the shrine, they suddenly saw in the distance a boy wearing a pure white long-sleeved shirt, obviously oversized baggy jeans, and sports shoes with untied laces, his hair messy, yawning as he walked toward them.
The boy approached and stopped before the two, his eyes hidden beneath messy bangs, seeming to possess some truth-revealing magic as he stared directly into their eyes.
"Hello, I'm Hideki Ryuga. I've come to Kyoto from Tokyo for tourism, and I'm not very familiar with the area. Could you please tell me what the procedure is for shrine worship here?"
The moment Light Yagami saw him, his heart sank, but his exceptional psychological composure and acting skills prevented him from showing any flaws.
Just as he was contemplating how to respond, Ye Xing spoke up directly.
"Look, even if you're going to use a fake name, you should at least choose a decent one, right? L?"
Hearing this, not only Light Yagami beside him, but even L standing opposite was stunned.
Wait, why aren't you following the script?
Logically, shouldn't we be maintaining that 'I know you know my identity, and you know I know your identity, but we'll both pretend not to know' situation, engaging in verbal sparring and mutual probing?
How can there be someone who, right after the cards are dealt and before anyone can place bets, just flips the entire gambling table over?
"You look surprised?"
Ye Xing appeared completely nonchalant, showing no signs of panic, and just smiled as he spoke.
"You didn't really think I'd have enough patience to play some childish detective game with you, did you? The fact that you're here means you already know my identity. Let's speak frankly and skip all those boring mutual probing sessions."
L furrowed his brow slightly, his tone carrying a meaningful weight.
"You're much calmer than I imagined."
"That's what I should be saying to you, isn't it?"
Ye Xing looked directly into L's eyes, enunciating each word clearly.
"You're just an ordinary person. Knowing full well who I am, you still dare to come before me like this. Aren't you afraid I'll kill you right here?"
L met his challenge without backing down, countering:
"Would you do that?"
"Hmm, I would."
Facing L's doubt, Ye Xing nodded with utmost seriousness.
"Perhaps you've misunderstood – I'm not Kira. I kill whoever I want, whenever I feel like it. I have no bottom line."
L's expression and gaze remained completely unchanged as he replied calmly.
"If I said that before coming here today, I'd already informed several high-ranking officials at the Metropolitan Police Department that if I died, it would prove you're Mask?"
"No, you didn't."
Ye Xing replied without the slightest hesitation.
"If you'd really told them, it wouldn't be just you appearing here. For a dangerous individual at Mask's level, even mere suspicion would be enough reason for the Metropolitan Police Department to dispatch mobile units for arrest, or even bypass legal judgment and execute you privately."
"I don't know the reason, but it seems you haven't told anyone about my identity yet."
"As for why you came here alone today... forget it, I find it hard to understand the thought processes of psychotics like you. Just tell me directly - I can't be bothered guessing."
L narrowed his eyes slightly, remaining silent for a long while before finally looking at Light Yagami and speaking softly.
"I already know the name of the suspect you're looking for."
Light Yagami wore a complicated expression, thinking to himself whether he should speak to L directly as Kira or continue pretending to be innocent.
If he were alone today, he'd definitely choose the latter option.
Gambit, probing, battle of wits!
But now, Ye Xing had used his skills directly and overturned the table. Even if L hadn't known he was Kira initially, through Ye Xing's performance, he must have figured it out by now.
What was there left to gamble about? To probe about? To battle wits about?
In the end, Light Yagami could only sigh faintly.
"What's the name?"
L shook his head and slowly spoke.
"Before that, I hope you can tell me what exactly has happened to this world?"
"And why do you want to know?"
Facing Light Yagami's question, L slowly spoke, uttering something astonishing.
"Because... I might become your collaborator, just like Mr Yagami."