Chapter 65: The Absolute Suppression of "Song of the Phoenix", A Battle on the Verge of Breaking Out
The three girls and one evil spirit (Hachishaku) were completely bewildered as they listened to the high-pitched, cheerful Suona music and watched the scene before them.
"Yoru-kun... actually has this skill?"
Hearing Yui Yuigahama's words, Futaba Rio massaged her forehead and sighed.
"Your focus is wrong, isn't it?"
It wasn't just them who were confused.
Even this bizarre wedding procession composed of evil spirits and ghosts was confused.
The evil spirits and ghosts looked at each other, confusion showing in their differently colored eyes.
They didn't need words to roughly understand each other's meaning.
"Did you hire him?"
"Not me. I thought you hired him."
"There's a Suona player? The Master never mentioned this."
....
Yoru's movements and demeanor were so natural, without the slightest awkwardness, that he completely baffled the evil spirits and ghosts.
Could it be...
Is he an outsourced helper?
"Hey, hey, hey, what are you all doing?"
Yoru lowered the Suona, frowned at the surrounding evil spirits and ghosts, and urged them righteously.
"Hurry up and move! What are you waiting for? If you miss the auspicious hour, you'll be in big trouble."
You don't say, really don't say.
Several evil spirits leaned in, seemingly sniffing Yoru's scent. Then, they actually nodded and led the wedding procession to continue walking slowly forward.
Blending in perfectly.JPG.
This dumbfounded Yui, Miko, and Rio.
Is there such a strategy?
They thought it would be an explosive battle where life and death were decided instantly.
How did Yoru end up playing the Suona in their procession?
"Is he... always this abstract?"
Hearing Rio's softly whispered question filled with complexity, Yui patted her on the shoulder and said earnestly.
"No. After spending more time with him, you'll realize this is far from Yoru-kun's limit."
"So, what should we do now?"
After all, they were just ordinary people. Being in the Otherworld dominated by evil spirits, even Yui (Dumpling), who had been here once, and the brilliant Rio had no ideas.
The two girls cast inquiring glances at Miko.
Miko shook her head, sighed slightly, and helplessness appeared in her golden eyes.
"Keep a distance and follow them. Although Yoru often acts crazy, he usually has a reason for doing things."
The three girls and one ghost looked at each other, nodded together, and secretly followed behind the wedding procession.
They appeared less than professional while doing this.
The others were fine.
The problem was Hachishaku's height; she was nearly three meters tall. In the physical world, it was fine since only powerful spirit mediums like Yoru and Miko could see her.
But in the Otherworld, her size was too conspicuous to hide.
Fortunately, the evil spirits and ghosts in the wedding procession weren't paying attention to what was behind them at all.
Their gazes were all focused on the most conspicuous focal point.
Boom, boom, boom~
Drum beats tinged with sorrow.
Toot, toot, toot~
High-pitched and cheerful Suona sounds, like the chirping of a hundred birds.
Twang, twang, twang~
Soft and graceful Guzheng sounds.
Toot, toot, toot~
High-pitched and cheerful Suona sounds, like the chirping of a hundred birds.
Ring, ring, ring~
Crisp and lonely bell sounds like wind chimes.
Toot-toot-toot-toot!
Seemingly reaching the climax of the piece, the Suona sound became more rapid and cheerful.
The ghosts in the procession put down their rusty instruments, looking speechlessly at Yoru playing to his heart's content and the Suona formed by evil spirit power in his hand.
What the hell is there to play anymore?
Sakura Prefecture's traditional instruments focused on being graceful and reserved.
With these things in hand, how could they compete with the Suona, which had dominated weddings and funerals for thousands of years?
Not to mention.
Yoru was playing the classic of classics: Song of the Phoenix.
Originally, this wedding procession composed of evil spirits and ghosts, with even the carriage cloth being pale white, was extremely bizarre, exuding an aura of loneliness and desolation. But now, set off by the cheerful and high-pitched Suona music, the three girls and one ghost following behind even felt it was a bit festive.
It's really hard to hold back laughter.
Toot-toot-toot-toot-toot-toot~
Relying on his amazing lung capacity, Yoru played the Suona faster and louder.
Yui couldn't help but retort.
"Why is he getting so intense with it?"
Rio pushed up her glasses, looking at Yoru playing heartily while walking with a complicated expression, and hesitated.
"Is he... just purely having fun?"
Miko remained silent.
Initially, she truly believed Yoru must have had a purpose for joining this bizarre wedding procession as a Suona player for no reason.
But now, watching him devotedly immersed, playing to his heart's content, and burning with youthful passion, she began to doubt it too.
Is he sure he's not just simply going crazy?
After all, Yoru was a veteran mental patient with a long record.
"I'm not sure either. Let's follow and see first."
Amidst the high-pitched and cheerful Suona music, the group continued forward.
But this time, the ghosts originally responsible for playing music just quietly watched Yoru perform.
It couldn't be helped.
With the instruments in their hands, they couldn't challenge the Suona in his hands at all.
Playing would be in vain.
Just slack off (leech).
During the journey, Miko took the opportunity to explain everything about evil spirits and the Otherworld to Rio in detail.
The latter looked enlightened and nodded.
"So that's how it is."
Futaba Rio lived up to her name as a genius; her speed of understanding new things far exceeded normal people.
While listening, she was also observing the scenery on both sides of the street.
After Miko finished speaking, Rio immediately whispered.
"Did you notice one thing?"
Miko and Yui looked puzzled.
"What thing?"
Rio pointed around.
"As this procession moves forward, the surrounding black mist disperses automatically. Moreover, according to what you said, Miko, the Otherworld should be full of evil spirits everywhere, but we haven't seen a single one until now."
Hearing her say this, Miko realized.
Right.
The density of evil spirits in the Otherworld was equivalent to the population density of Kyoto in the real world, and it was the kind that was lively day and night.
Then the question arose.
They had been walking on the main street for nearly ten minutes, yet they hadn't encountered a single evil spirit.
A thoughtful look appeared in Rio's eyes as she spoke slowly.
"Since this situation occurs, there are two possibilities."
"First, although the Otherworld is dominated by evil spirits, there still exists some kind of order."
"Second, the identity of this bizarre wedding procession is probably not simple. Ordinary evil spirits, and even that thick black mist, have to make way for them."
"As to which one it is, we can only follow to the end to find out."
After saying this, Rio looked at the surprised Yui (Dumpling) and Miko and asked calmly.
"What's wrong?"
"No, nothing."
Yui had an honest, slightly silly, and adorable look on her face.
"Futaba-san, you are so smart."
"It's alright."
Facing Yui's direct praise, Rio coughed twice to hide her embarrassment.
"Yoru probably discovered the anomaly the moment he saw this procession, which is why he made the move to mix in."
Deep deliberation, picking up the Suona, blending in, taking over as the host, and leading the show alone.
Excellent, excellent.
Boys who could play instruments gained extra points in high school.
Like guitar, bass, piano.
But if I pick up this Suona and play 'Song of the Phoenix', how will you respond, sir?
....
While the Super-Quant Squad was having a bizarre adventure in the Otherworld, inside the clubroom at Sobu High.
"That guy is so annoying. What does he take me for? A Tamagotchi?"
Sakurajima Mai held a bento box, eating while muttering angrily to herself.
She really couldn't understand.
How could several living people just disappear into thin air?
Saw a ghost?
Mai couldn't understand, but one thing was certain.
Just as she guessed, this Supernatural Quantum Mechanics Investigation and Research Club was definitely not simple.
To solve her symptom of being spirited away, the answer could only be found here.
....
Nearly an hour later, in the Otherworld.
Huff, huff...
Rio was panting slightly, wiping fine beads of sweat from her forehead with her sleeve, out of breath.
"Th-This... how much longer do we have to walk?"
Although Yui and Miko had slightly better stamina than Rio, they were also showing signs of fatigue.
"Don't know... I'm exhausted."
The wedding procession didn't move fast; one could keep up by walking.
But walking for nearly an hour was a severe test of stamina for three high school girls.
Toot-toot-toot~
Listening to the still high-pitched Suona sound without the slightest decrease in intensity, the three girls and one ghost felt a deep respect for Yoru.
Good grief, you can really blow.
Walking and blowing for nearly an hour, and it feels like his emotions are getting even higher.
This lung capacity.
Those with skills, those with unique talents, those with masterpieces.
For the first time, Miko felt a bit envious of Yoru's special constitution.
Although eating evil spirits was physiologically unacceptable to her, the physical enhancement it brought was vividly displayed at this moment.
During this hour-long journey, the wedding procession had moved from the downtown area where Sobu High was located to a desolate area that Yui and the others didn't recognize.
If they hadn't seen it with their own eyes today, they wouldn't believe there was such a remote place within Kyoto city.
"Are we there yet?"
Yoru lowered the Suona and smiled, asking a ghost beside him whose appearance wasn't much different from an ordinary human.
The latter hesitated but nodded.
"Yes..."
"Oho, you can speak too?"
Yoru looked surprised. He took out the black notebook from his pocket and wrote in it.
"Today's harvest: Evil spirits and ghosts in the Otherworld, besides the Slaughtering Ghost I saw last time, seem to possess certain communication and thinking abilities. Whether it is due to the influence of the Otherworld environment or because they are special themselves remains to be investigated."
After writing this, Yoru put the notebook back into his pocket and looked with interest at the carriage covered in white cloth, driven by four wheels with heads growing in the center.
The main character should be coming out, right?
Just as he thought this, Yui, Hachishaku, Miko, and Rio in the distance saw a pale, slender hand slowly lift the white cloth covering the carriage.
The moment that delicate hand reached out, the weeds on the wasteland turned from green to pitch black, and finally to a dead, decaying gray, turning into ash in less than a breath.
If someone were in the sky right now, they would see a very eerie scene.
Centered on that carriage, a circle of death and lifelessness was rapidly expanding.
Yui, Hachishaku, Miko, and Rio in the distance all felt a chill run down their spines.
At this moment, they finally realized they seemed to have misunderstood one thing from the beginning.
This wasn't a wedding procession (groom picking up bride).
This was a funeral/bride-sending procession.
The main character had been sitting in that white-cloth-covered carriage all along.
Miko lowered her voice and reminded Yui and Rio beside her.
"Step back a bit."
As a novice exorcist, Miko could tell that the existence in the carriage was definitely not an ordinary evil spirit.
Could an ordinary evil spirit have so many ghosts following and escorting it respectfully?
Could an ordinary evil spirit cause such changes to the surroundings just by extending a hand?
Could an ordinary evil spirit make the Number One Exorcist of Kyoto play the Suona all the way?
In short, Miko was certain.
This evil spirit was the strongest one she had ever seen in her life.
The question was...
Is it stronger than Yoru?
Yui and Rio both understood that as ordinary people, they couldn't help with anything at this time.
They could provide assistance, but when it came to actual combat...
They still had to rely on the two "Protagonists."
Retreating to a safe distance so Miko and Yoru wouldn't be distracted protecting them was the greatest assistance.
After Yui and Rio retreated some distance, Hachishaku saw Miko looking like she was facing a formidable enemy. Understanding tacitly, Hachishaku spat out the long katana and handed it to her.
"Thanks."
Miko took the katana, her palm gripping the handle starting to sweat.
Although Yoru was the one who signed the contract with Hachishaku-sama...
In reality, the team of Hachishaku, Hyakume, and Miko... oh no, two ghosts and one human, was the most cohesive unit.
With Yoru's combat power, he usually acted alone.
Usually, whether exorcising spirits or removing "Doors" in Kyoto, it was this configuration of two ghosts and one human.
Just then.
That pale, delicate hand in the carriage finally lifted the curtain completely.
A beautiful woman wearing a pure black kimono, with dignified and elegant features and a cinnabar dot on her forehead, dressed like a young lady from ancient times, stepped gracefully out of the carriage onto the decaying gray ground.
From appearance alone, apart from her overly pale skin, she looked completely human.
But Miko wasn't stupid enough to think this woman was really human.
In her eyes, this woman was surrounded by thick resentment. Although she couldn't hear the sounds, it was as if the shrill screams of the dead were pouring into her ears.
This guy...
Was definitely an evil spirit among evil spirits, with thousands of lives on her hands!
"Miss, we have arrived."
The kimono woman nodded slightly. First, she glanced at Miko standing in the distance, as well as Hachishaku and Hyakume beside her.
Then, she turned her gaze to Yoru, who had mixed into the procession holding a Suona. She walked up slowly, curtsied gracefully, and said.
"Thank you for your accompaniment. The tune was very beautiful."
The kimono woman's voice was very soft, but Miko, as well as Yui and Rio standing further away, could hear it clearly.
This sentence stunned them directly.
Logically speaking, shouldn't there be a dark battle between an exorcist and an evil spirit right now?
What kind of development was this?
Thanks for the accompaniment?
No...
Who in their right mind plays 'Song of the Phoenix' on a Suona when getting married? (Note: It's traditionally for funerals too, creating irony).
And why are you speaking so politely?
"Ah, don't mention it. My Suona addiction really acted up."
The kimono woman covered her lips and chuckled lightly. Her every movement was flowery, exuding a reserved and elegant charm.
However, Miko was a novice exorcist after all. She had long ceased judging humans and evil spirits by mere appearance.
There was only one place to distinguish them with 100% accuracy.
That was the eyes.
No matter what form an evil spirit disguised itself in, or if it possessed a human body to hide itself, the eyes couldn't be changed.
Miko didn't know how to describe it.
Anyway, those who knew, knew. Just one look at the other party's eyes, and she could tell.
Obviously, this kimono woman, who had been dead for who knows how long, couldn't understand modern terms like "addiction acted up." Even the smile on her face was just a disguised fake expression.
"I have heard of your great name recently."
"Really? Am I that famous?"
"Of course."
The smile on the kimono woman's lips gradually disappeared, and a chilling killing intent suddenly appeared in her black pupils.
"After all, you have killed many of my kind."
Hearing this sudden sentence and feeling the atmosphere in the field take a sharp turn for the worse, Miko was already sweating buckets.
Is it starting?
Is it right now?
Can we win?
"Heh."
Yoru maintained his smile and said word by word, articulating clearly.
"Who the hell (BYD) do you think you're talking to?"
The kimono woman was confused.
Yoru continued his output.
"Do you know why I played the Suona for you?"
"If your attitude is good, we can talk. If your attitude is bad, I'll send your whole family away with pleasure."
"Get ready, Psycho"
Hearing Yoru's call, Miko froze for a moment before realizing he was calling her.
Since awakening her Soul Manifestation, she hadn't fought evil spirits alongside him yet, so she almost forgot her code name.
"O-Okay, Captain."
While feeling the shame of Chunibyo, Miko also felt an inexplicable surge of hot blood.
Is the Super-Quant Club's first collective operation finally here?
"Go."
The kimono woman's body floated into the distance. Upon hearing her soft command, the nearly hundred evil spirits and ghosts in the procession revealed their hideous true forms simultaneously.
In an instant, the atmosphere in the field became incomparably oppressive. Yui and Rio in the distance felt their breathing stagnate just by looking at it.
The dark red moon in the sky seemed to dim slightly at this moment.