AI Model: gemini-2.5-flash
Chapter 337: The Mutated Background Character and Saitama (3K+)
"It… it really came out…"
Lilith reached out her hand, somewhat disbelievingly, and felt the warmth of the sun.
Even the air had a sweet scent that made her feel good.
"I advise you not to breathe too much of the air in this place, little girl~"
A somewhat lazy female voice interrupted Lilith's sigh.
She turned her head and saw a woman with long white hair standing tens of meters away, her hair pointing skyward. She wore a cloak and stood outside a cordon, holding a weapon that looked like a metal baseball bat. A cigarette dangled from her mouth as she surveyed herself and Tao Bai Bai.
Lilith looked back at the sewer she had just escaped from. Behind her, there was no sign of a hospital, only large swathes of colorful, vibrant hues appearing out of thin air and constantly shifting.
"If you're alive, you'd better come back over here."
The woman continued to remind Lilith. Lilith certainly wanted to leave, but she turned back to look at Tao Bai Bai, who hadn't moved.
The space was abuzz that Tao Bai Bai had directly hunted a Title-level Reincarnator, Seven-Colored Magic Guide · Kirin Temple, and had even put his scarlet drop card on display at a stall.
Lilith didn't think that she, a [Bing] rank spellcasting Reincarnator, could escape the other party's pursuit at such a distance, so she wisely made no attempt to flee.
Of course, if the person who came wasn't Ayase Hoshiko from the [Bold Party], but some powerful S-class hero from [one-punch man], she would probably try to ask for help.
Bai Cangshu "heard" the weak woman's thoughts and glanced at her. Her thoughts were so simple that he could understand them without even needing to read her mind.
Bai Cangshu looked around. This was probably the outskirts of a city, with the city skyline visible in the distance. However, a large area of space behind them was occupied by that strange energy.
Those colorful, vibrant hues gave no sense of splendor or beauty; instead, looking at them for too long would cause discomfort and nausea.
A special aura emanated from there, isolating all forces of the real world. Even the wind, when it blew into that space, completely dissipated.
Sunlight could not penetrate, and air could not circulate, indicating it was a completely isolated independent space.
"Don't look. That side has been completely contaminated by the spirit world. Your companions are beyond saving. Give up."
Ayase Hoshiko reminded the two "nostalgic" individuals. She didn't dislike this type of person, but in this day and age, such people were becoming increasingly rare.
After seeing the tall, handsome man and the slender, black-haired woman walk out from within the cordon, Ayase Hoshiko frowned.
This man carried a strong scent of blood.
"Spirit world contamination?"
Bai Cangshu realized that this was probably the plot character arranged by the space to introduce the world background and current situation to the Reincarnators who had escaped from this side mission, so he took the cue and continued the conversation.
Ayase Hoshiko received the distress call and, after a brief deduction, knew that someone else was trapped in this spirit world contamination zone. She came here simply to observe if there were any new changes in this area.
She didn't expect there would actually be survivors.
"Half a year ago, someone tore the boundary between the spirit world and reality, causing a large amount of spirit world power to spill into the real world. The number of monsters and ghosts exploded, and many places turned into this. Tsk, it's very dangerous…"
The woman spoke with a hint of disinterest. The changes in this world were no longer something a single spirit medium like her could resolve.
Bai Cangshu listened to the woman's brief description, understanding that this must be part of the world's background.
He turned to look at the other side of these cordons. A motorcycle was parked by the roadside, and a man whose hair almost covered his face leaned against the bike, smoking.
"Hey, you know what happened half a year ago, right…"
"Mr. Reigen Arataka."
Ayase Hoshiko, who was about to leave, also stopped. The spirit disaster half a year ago had almost caused devastating damage to them, the spirit mediums. Spirit mediums, whose heritage was already beginning to break due to modern society's disapproval, were almost overwhelmed by the massive number of supernatural incidents.
Many spirit mediums died in the spirit disaster.
Bai Cangshu actually recalled the voice, suspected to be Reigen Arataka, when he heard Ayase Hoshiko mention someone tearing the boundary between the spirit world and reality, as he had heard that group of people trying to find Kageyama Shigeo for help.
The other party said, "Reigen Arataka is just a fraud," but remained silent about Kageyama Shigeo's whereabouts.
Combining the currently known world view, Bai Cangshu believed that there were few individuals capable of tearing the boundary between the real world and the spirit world.
Probably only Saitama, Kageyama Shigeo, God, and a few others. While Tatsumaki is also a ceiling-level Ability User, the description of tearing the spirit world is fundamentally more fitting for Kageyama Shigeo and God.
As for Saitama, due to his unique characteristics, he is theoretically capable of almost all destructive events.
Combined with Reigen Arataka's appearance here and his decadent demeanor, Bai Cangshu was almost certain that the terrible spirit disaster was caused by Kageyama Shigeo, or rather, a blackened and rampaging Kageyama Shigeo.
—
In the center of a bustling city, in a coffee shop with the sign "Shandora Maid Cafe" on a densely populated commercial street, the aroma of coffee mixed with the scent of blood.
Several young and sweet maid-costumed waitresses lay torn apart in the shop, leaving only the barista, dressed in a suit and white shirt, lowering his head and brewing coffee at the counter.
His face was pale, his hands trembled, and he couldn't perform his usual skilled techniques. His heart constantly wailed.
Who will save me? Anyone, please save me!
But no one responded to his plea. People came and went on the street, seemingly uninterested in the situation inside the shop. He even saw several professional heroes walk past the window, yet they still didn't notice anything amiss.
Inside the shop, nine men and women, dressed in various styles, were seated in different poses. The man by the window wore a gray trench coat and a hat. He lowered his head, tasted his coffee, and then spoke,
"Although being placed in the same area as me means that everyone here is at least a veteran-level Reincarnator, with quite good evaluations in the space, I still want to share some information and a few pieces of advice."
"This world currently appears to contain content from both [one-punch man] and [Mob Psycho 100]. Therefore, there are a few iron laws that I hope everyone can adhere to."
"First, no matter what type of Reincarnator you are, whether orderly, neutral, or evil, and no matter what goal you want to achieve in this world, do not, in any form—remember, *any* form of behavior—provoke Saitama, Tatsumaki, or Kageyama Shigeo!"
The man emphasized his words and also took off his hat, revealing his face. A cross mark was branded on his brow.
"Want to capture female slaves? Fine, but don't set your sights on Jigoku Fubuki."
"Want to torture plot characters to satisfy your personal desires? No problem, but not in front of these people."
"Want to kill plot characters to obtain singularity points? Also OK, but stay far away from Jigoku Fubuki and those around Kageyama Shigeo."
At this moment, several people in the coffee shop had already recognized the speaker as Number 4 of the Far East Magic Society, the Title-level Reincarnator, Mu Shuren.
He was infamous, but his words now implied that everyone should "behave themselves."
Li Qingzi, wearing a half-mask, stood against the innermost wall, her peripheral vision taking in everyone's expressions.
Those who could be placed here were probably Reincarnators of [Strong] Mid-rank or higher. There were two recognizable Title-levels, neither of whom spoke, indicating that the iron laws mentioned by Mu Shuren were likely rules summarized by Reincarnators who had entered these two works.
She briefly recalled Kageyama Shigeo's emotional breakdown in [Mob Psycho 100] and Saitama's powerful portrayal in [one-punch man].
She then understood this arrangement.
These so-called iron laws were probably discovered by countless Reincarnators at the cost of their lives.
"Second, Reincarnators with anomalous bloodlines should try to avoid appearing before Saitama."
"Third, the Limiter is not something we Reincarnators can touch. I suggest you put away those inappropriate thoughts and just stay away from Saitama. If anyone interacts with Saitama and causes a plot deviation, I will kill them directly."
These so-called pieces of advice were mostly focused on a few overly powerful plot characters. Before anyone could object, Li Qingzi's expression suddenly changed.
A bald man in a casual hoodie, carrying a bag, appeared by the window.
Thump, thump!
Li Qingzi's heart suddenly constricted. The instant terror made her vaguely realize that her Kenbunshoku Haki had not detected the other party's approach at all.
Even more terrifying was that the "Expel Humans" spell cast at the coffee shop entrance had no effect on him. Those dead-fish eyes looked directly into the shop.
None of the Reincarnators in the coffee shop were weak, nor were any of them foolish. Even if they didn't necessarily agree with Mu Shuren's words, and certainly didn't think Mu Shuren could become their temporary team leader.
But no one initiated a conflict with Mu Shuren before confirming their safety.
The more mission worlds one experienced, the more one would understand that those who relied on the power of Reincarnators to abandon thought and cause trouble everywhere often died in sudden conflicts.
At this moment, almost everyone's gaze froze simultaneously. The coffee shop became unusually quiet for a moment, with only the sound of heartbeats and the clinking of cups as the barista brewed coffee with trembling hands.
Mu Shuren sat by the window, his heart, which had long been replaced by a pure elemental body, now uncontrollably accelerated its beating.
Damn it, it can't be this coincidental, can it? Saitama actually appeared here directly?!
His face turned ashen, and the cross on his brow began to glow.
Almost everyone else's nerves tensed instantly. Because they believed in the effect of the "Expel Humans" spell, and due to the arrogance rooted in these powerful Reincarnators' hearts, they hadn't even bothered to disguise the gruesome scene inside the shop.
When Saitama's dead-fish eyes, like the eyes of Yama, looked into the shop, finally, a Reincarnator could no longer bear the pressure.
Boom!
Blazing battle qi erupted. One person's body burst with incomparable wind and lightning, instantly shattering the back wall and disappearing. Wind and thunder roared, as if countless figures appeared simultaneously.
Three Thousand Thunder Movement!
Then magic power erupted. One person pointed at Saitama, and magic power exploded, completely submerging the space in bright light.
Li Qingzi's muscles instinctively trembled. She possessed the extraordinary characteristic of Godspeed, combined with the explosive speed of Soru, enough to escape in an instant.
But she looked at the Reincarnators, each displaying their unique abilities, and forcibly suppressed her fear, lowering herself and leaning against the wall.
Puff!
Amidst spurting blood, a destructive impact swept past Li Qingzi.
Then the glow of magic power dissipated, and the Reincarnator who had released the strong magic power was left with only half a body on the ground, and the distorted spatial teleportation was completely shattered.
Mu Shuren gripped the table tightly, unmoving, his head lowered, not meeting the bald man's gaze outside the window.
Then, to everyone's slightly changed expressions, the bald man in the hoodie turned and left without emotion, not even asking about anything inside the shop.