Chapter 22: Evil That Must Be Thoroughly Eradicated
That same night, inside an Izakaya (Japanese pub).
"Damn it, damn it, damn it, damn him!"
The man who had groped the woman on the train was currently clutching a bottle of shochu. He didn't even use a glass; he was chugging it straight from the bottle.
Judging by the mess on the table—bottles strewn everywhere—and the flushed look on his face, he was clearly drinking alone to drown his sorrows.
"Damn brat..."
The man slammed the bottle onto the table, wiped his mouth with his hand, and recalled what happened on the train. His eyes revealed intense hatred as he spoke through gritted teeth.
The throbbing pain from his wrist constantly reminded him of the humiliation he had suffered in that carriage.
To think that he, in full view of the public, had been put on the spot by an ordinary high school boy, and even knelt on the ground, weeping and begging for mercy.
It was simply too humiliating!
The physical pain was secondary.
The key point was that Yoru's actions had forcefully dragged the man out of his fantasy of bullying the weak to gain a sense of control.
It made him realize once again that he controlled absolutely nothing.
The man didn't think there was anything wrong with him.
That woman I touched clearly didn't dare to resist.
Since she didn't dare resist, doesn't that mean she was willing to let me touch her?
Where did that little bastard come from, meddling in other people's business!?
"Sobu High..."
Because both Yoru and Miko were wearing school uniforms, the man had simply searched online for the uniform styles of various high schools in Kyoto and identified them as students of Sobu High.
He gritted his teeth, his breathing becoming heavy.
He absolutely would not let this go.
He had to make those two high school students understand just how terrifying a thing it was to provoke him.
The man was already fantasizing about the scene where Yoru and Miko would kneel and beg him for mercy.
Just thinking about it made him tremble with pleasure.
Just then.
"Ugh!"
The man suddenly looked pained. He clutched his chest tightly, gasping for air.
"What... what is happening..."
He felt as if his heart was being squeezed by an invisible hand. The blood flow in his body began to slow down.
His oxygen-deprived brain caused his vision to gradually blur.
"Haa..."
A sinister voice, genderless and carrying a chilling aura, rang in the man's ear.
"You. Are. A. Sinner."
Bang!
The man's eyeballs instantly filled with a crimson color.
Before losing consciousness, the last sound he heard...
Was the muffled thud of his own heart exploding.
....
Outside the Izakaya.
"It's over."
Yoru, now changed into a black tracksuit, looked at the pale giant hand floating back behind him and spoke faintly.
He was a timid person who feared trouble.
Therefore, before trouble came knocking at his door, it was better to strangle any potential conflict in the cradle.
The slender fingers of the pale giant hand trembled, its sharp black nails scratching incessantly against the wall, revealing a restless impatience.
After taking a human life, the form of the giant hand had changed.
Originally, it was just the shape of a hand, but now, something had grown out from the wrist.
"You look ridiculous."
Yoru casually complained as he looked at the grown form of the pale giant hand behind him.
To be honest.
He had been pondering a question.
What the hell is this thing?
Calling it an evil spirit didn't fit; what evil spirit looked like this?
Calling it a guardian spirit...
It looked way too eerie for that.
Yoru vaguely sensed that this thing was likely the manifestation of his own soul—a Noble Phantasm specifically against evil spirits.
The problem was, after his soul manifested, did it have to look this ugly?
In the past, there was Gaara's Sand Defense: "Mom-saan'oo."
Today, there is Yoru's "Hand-saan'oo"? (Note: Puns on Susanoo from Naruto).
I'm not Yoshikage Kira; I don't have a hand fetish.
Anyway, based on the intelligence gathered so far, there were three ways for the pale giant hand to grow.
The first was the slowest: devouring hundreds or thousands of evil spirits just to barely condense a hand.
The second was exorcising the "Doors" in Kyoto, which was significantly faster than devouring spirits.
And the third was using the pale giant hand to take a human life.
Looking at the situation now, the last method was the fastest way to grow.
Could this be the cheat code for an Isekai traveler?
This thing was very convenient for killing people, and it left absolutely no trace.
The problem was, he didn't want to become the God of the New World (Kami), so what was the point of having this?
"Whatever. Better to have it than not."
Yoru wasn't picky.
He actually had a very curious question.
Since this pale giant hand could grow continuously...
Would it one day grow into the shape of a human?
If it were a normal person, just making this connection through the terrifying appearance of the giant hand would probably be enough to stop them from doing anything that accelerated its growth, like devouring spirits or exorcising Doors.
But Yoru wasn't quite normal.
His main driving force was curiosity.
Not only would he continue to devour, but he would devour fiercely.
The true face of the eerie giant hand?
Let me see it.jpg
....
Three days later, inside Sobu High. Friday lunch break.
Yotsuya Miko sat in her seat, taking small bites of her cream bread, chatting and laughing with Yui Yuigahama, who sat next to her.
After spending these few days together, the two had become good friends.
Or rather.
With her cheerful, lively, innocent, and slightly silly personality, Yui Yuigahama was friends with almost everyone in the class.
Except for three people.
The Abstract Almighty who occupied the "Protagonist Seat" in the corner of the classroom and made everyone turn pale at the mention of his name: Yoru.
The Sleeping Arhat who sat next to him, sleeping from the moment she arrived in the morning until the final bell rang: Touma Kazusa.
And the heavy hitter.
Although seated in the center of the classroom, she always had a book in hand and never spoke to anyone, the Iceberg Beauty: Yukinoshita Yukino.
These three could be considered the "Big Three" of Class 1-A.
At the same time, they were the three high mountains Yui wanted to conquer.
"Hey, Miko-chan, what method do you think I should use to become friends with them?"
Hearing Yui's question, Miko picked up a napkin, wiped the cream from the corner of her mouth, and replied unhurriedly.
"Why do you insist on making friends with them?"
"Of course I want to make friends."
Yui looked as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
"Having no friends in class and being all alone... they must feel terrible inside, right?"
Miko sighed helplessly. She placed a hand on Yui's shoulder, looked straight into her eyes, and spoke slowly.
"How about this. I'll answer your question using a phrase Yoru would say."
"Eh? What phrase?"
"I think you might have some mental illness. Go see a doctor as soon as possible; don't delay treatment."