Nanashi asked calmly, "So... do you need help?"
Yato looked confused. "Wait, are you a god too?"
Nanashi shook his head and raised one hand slightly.
Null.
An invisible wave rippled through the air. The demon froze mid-leap, its body suspended as if time itself had stopped.
Yato, startled, jumped down from the street sign, staring first at the demon—then at Nanashi—with disbelief in his eyes.
"That... was Binding Cloth? Are you a divine weapon!?"
"Not quite. Think of me as someone with psychic powers," Nanashi replied, intrigued. "Aren't you going to finish it off?"
Yato hesitated. "You're strong enough to destroy it yourself. Why don't you do it?"
"That's true," Nanashi admitted, "but I'm curious. I want to see how you gods deal with demons."
Since Yato was here, then the so-called Eight Million Gods of Noragami might also exist.
In the world of Noragami, "Eight Million Gods" refers to the term Yaoyorozu no Kami, which is a concept from Shinto belief meaning there are a vast, uncountable number of gods. This term does not literally mean 8 million gods but rather signifies the countless deities, spirits, and supernatural beings believed to exist in everything from nature to objects, a belief central to the Noragami story.
Nanashi didn't think much of them—they all seemed like weaklings to him—but his curiosity about divine combat methods remained.
Yato was caught off guard. So that's why Nanashi hadn't stepped in.
After a brief silence, Yato's expression turned serious. He held up his short blade and began reciting solemnly:
"Demon—"
"To the one bringing disorder here, I, the god of God of Calamity, have descended! Submit to my sacred weapon, banish the impure, and be slain!"
With one clean motion, the blade sliced through the demon, splitting it in two. The creature dissipated into nothingness.
Nanashi tilted his head slightly. "Hmm... That was a pretty standard cut."
Yato's divine power was, after all, just cutting.
As the demon vanished, the short blade in Yato's hand transformed into a woman in white. She bowed respectfully toward Nanashi.
"Thank you for your assistance, Lord Nanashi."
Though Nanashi's identity was still unclear, his powers and aid were undeniable. Addressing him respectfully was only appropriate.
"This is...?" Nanashi asked.
"My divine tool—Tomone," Yato said proudly.
"…."
Tomone (Real name Mayu) simply gave Yato a tired side-eye.
Unbeknownst to him, Mayu was already mentally preparing to switch jobs.
"Nanashi, the demon's gone. I'll be heading off now. I really hope you'll remember me next time," Yato said as he turned, hands in his pockets.
Nanashi gave a soft, vague reply. "I think I will."
Yato paused mid-step.
That might've been the first time someone had willingly acknowledged him... the first time someone said they'd remember him.
His heart lifted, just a little.
Even if that memory fades... that's the fate of a Noragami(*stray god).
"..."
Hayasaka stood frozen in disbelief.
Psychics. Demons. Gods. Sacred weapons. Blades turning into people—
All those things that sounded like fantasy were now very, very real.
Unless... she was hallucinating?
"Miss," Nanashi's voice suddenly came from right in front of her, startling her, "are you following me?"
Hayasaka's slender frame trembled. She forced a dry laugh and awkwardly scratched her head. "Ahaha... I think I got lost. I'm not sure how I ended up here. Do you, uh... know the way out, mister?"
Nanashi didn't answer immediately. Instead, he stared directly into her eyes.
Hayasaka, caught off guard and a little afraid, tensed up—wondering if she was about to be silenced.
"You've awakened spiritual vision?" Nanashi asked, genuinely surprised.
"...Spiritual vision?"
Hayasaka repeated the unfamiliar term with confusion.
"You saw the monster and Yato, didn't you?"
The question hit her like a hammer. Her heart pounded.
How should she answer?
Was he testing her?
If she admitted it, would he "clean up" the witness?
After all, only the dead keep secrets.
But to her surprise, Nanashi gave her a strange look and sighed in exasperation.
"You're overthinking this. If I really wanted to kill you, I wouldn't be chatting. It's dark, isolated—I could've just killed you, [beep—] your body, and launched your body to the moon where no one would find it."
"!!!"
Hayasaka's eyes widened in shock.
Did he just... respond to my inner thoughts?!
But I didn't say that out loud...!
"Yes, I can hear what you're thinking," Nanashi said flatly.
"Ha—?!" she yelped, genuinely alarmed now.
Nanashi kept a straight face. "Your name is Hayasaka Ai, currently serving as the maid to Kaguya Shinomiya of the Shinomiya family. But in truth, you're a multi-faceted spy."
He paused.
"Oh, and you're wearing black lace panties today."
"!!!"
Hayasaka froze.
He was right about everything—especially the last part.
Her poker face cracked. Panic set in.
Her carefully guarded secrets... exposed in an instant.
"No need to panic," Nanashi said with amusement. "It's not like I'm going to report you."
Hayasaka blinked, at a total loss.
Now that he mentioned it... yeah, who would she even be reported to?
Still, she hesitated. "But... you and Miss Kaguya...?"
Nanashi answered with a straight face. "We've done it. But we're not in love yet. I'm still working on conquering her."
"…?"
Hayasaka had no words.
Seeing her completely flustered, Nanashi casually continued.
Since everything had already been exposed—even down to her underwear—Hayasaka slumped, gave up, and raised both hands in surrender.
"I surrender. I admit it. I saw everything. Do what you want—kill me, chop me up, whatever."
She looked utterly defeated.
So tired. Just destroy me already.
But Nanashi just nodded and replied casually, "It's fine. You just saw it, that's all."
Instead of killing her, he even gave her a kind warning:
"Just be careful. Spiritual vision isn't always a blessing. It's manageable if you run into a demon. But if it's an evil spirit, don't answer its questions. If you do... you'll die."
He said it so casually—as if reminding someone to bring an umbrella before it rains.
Helpful to the end. A good citizen.
Hayasaka stared at Nanashi, suspicion clouding her eyes. She couldn't shake the feeling he was trying to scare her—deliberately, even maliciously.
But since she had already shown her hand, she decided to ask boldly, "Do these things… really exist in the real world?"
Nanashi nodded and answered in a calm, patient tone, "Yes. Evil spirits are exactly what the name implies. They feed on negative emotions—and not just that, they can amplify them to the point where people take their own lives."
He paused briefly before continuing, "Gods and divine tools exist to eliminate them. That's the basic setup."
Hayasaka stood silently, digesting this new reality. Strangely, it all started to make sense.
She remembered something from earlier. That intense wave of negativity she felt… she'd nearly lost control, nearly acted on it. But then Nanashi appeared—and everything changed. He had reached out and…
Pinched her ear?
"You... saved me just now?" she asked tentatively.
"Oh, you mean the demon beside you? Yeah. I noticed the negative energy taking over, so I cleared it up for you. No big deal," Nanashi replied nonchalantly, as if swatting away demons was just a Tuesday thing.
To him, maybe it was.
To her… it meant everything.
"...Thank you," Hayasaka murmured.
Her life had always felt small, expendable. The idea that someone would save it so effortlessly—it was almost unreal.
"Mm." Nanashi nodded. He didn't make a fuss about her gratitude.
"Are you okay now? You should stop following me. I'm not some bad guy," he said, then gave her a sideways look. "You're seriously following someone like me this late at night? What if I really was the type to—"
"First kill, then... you know?" Hayasaka cut in, finishing his sentence with a mischievous glint in her eye.
Nanashi raised an eyebrow, staring at her in disbelief.
Wow. She really said that out loud.
"Actually," Hayasaka continued, now much more composed, "I have another question."
Nanashi gave a shrug. "Sure. Ask away."
"Will Miss Kaguya... have a baby?"
There was a bright curiosity in her eyes—childlike, almost. The idea of a baby with superpowers clearly thrilled her imagination.
Nanashi stared at her, one hand thoughtfully pinching his chin. "...That's a hell of a question."
Hayasaka tilted her head, completely serious. "Hmm? Didn't Nanashi-kun, you know… do it with Miss Kaguya? So wouldn't you be the—"
"Hiss—!" Nanashi sucked in a breath. This maid really had no filter.
Still, he answered earnestly, "You're right... but no, it won't happen."
"Why not?" she asked, blinking her big watery eyes.
"Because I have superpowers."
Yeah. Normal logic didn't exactly apply to people like him.
Just as he finished speaking—
In the blink of an eye, Hayasaka found herself back in her room.
"Is this your room? I pulled the location from your memory," Nanashi said. "It's late, so I sent you back. I'm outta here."
And just like that, he vanished.
Hayasaka stared at her desk, her computer. She touched them—real.
"I… really am back."
"Hayasaka!" a familiar voice shouted from the hallway.
Kaguya had just returned home and, not finding Hayasaka, had asked the other maids. No one had seen her. Panic rising, she rushed down the corridor.
"I'm in my room!" Hayasaka called back casually.
"Huh?"
Kaguya hurried over and pushed the door open, finding Hayasaka standing calmly inside.
"Is something wrong, Miss?" Hayasaka asked, keeping her tone even.
Kaguya frowned. "I could've sworn… you weren't in here just now."
"Maybe we just missed each other," Hayasaka replied smoothly.
Seeing her safe, Kaguya exhaled a breath of relief. She was about to dismiss it—until something made her pause.
She sniffed the air.
Her brow furrowed as she stepped closer to Hayasaka, her nose twitching like a bloodhound. She stopped inches away and stared into her maid's eyes.
"...Why do you smell like the President?"
Dead silence.
Hayasaka cursed internally.
As expected of Miss—utterly smitten and trained by heartbreak. Her nose was sharper than a wolf's.
But Hayasaka didn't flinch. Her face remained unreadable as she answered, "I ran into the President earlier. I was asking him about club funding for a friend."
"Ah, I see." Kaguya nodded, accepting the explanation without suspicion. It wasn't unusual.
With that, her expression softened. "Alright. I'm going to rest. You should get some sleep too, Hayasaka."
"Yes, Miss."
Hayasaka lowered her head respectfully as Kaguya turned to leave.
The door clicked shut.
Then Hayasaka slowly raised her eyes, a faint glimmer flickering in them.
Today, she had stumbled upon something truly unbelievable.
A hidden world of gods, demons, and superpowers.
A truth behind reality.
And Kaguya—who had been completely crushed, emotionally and physically, by the superpowered Nanashi.
Hayasaka couldn't help it.
Just imagining the scene brought a soft, happy smile to her lips.