Chapter 172: Summer Travel Plan, Famous Sword Mikazuki Munechika
"No... but... this..."
Hearing Yoru's sentence, Yui felt something was quite wrong.
But thinking carefully.
It seemed nothing was wrong; instead, it made a lot of sense.
How to make the internal members of the Super-Quant Club maintain their current state forever?
The answer was obvious.
The method Yoru proposed not only could maintain the friendship between members, but also could make them closer than family, going a step further.
Only...
Yui pursed her lips, a look of hesitation flashing in her eyes, saying carefully.
"Will Miko and Little Rio... agree?"
"Tuanzi..."
Yoru stood up, patted Yui's shoulder, and smiled.
"The version has long changed; you need to update."
"Oh... I see..."
Although Yui didn't quite understand, since there was a way to have the best of both worlds, maintaining friendship and not needing to disguise herself anymore, that was naturally the best.
"Then these cookies..."
Before Yui finished speaking, Yoru interrupted directly, saying earnestly.
"Yui, good things should be shared with friends. If I eat them all, Rio, Miko, and Mai won't be able to feel your heart. Honmei cookies must be given, but Giri (obligation) cannot be left behind either."
"Mmhmm, what you said makes sense."
Yui nodded deeply in agreement, picked up the box containing the cookies, and smiled sweetly.
"Then I... will first go distribute them to Marin, Touma-san, Saki, and Yukino? Oh right, and Saki's sister."
Yoru had a gloating look, urging.
"Right right right, go quickly."
"Alright."
Less than a minute after Yui left the study, Yoru heard a grief-stricken, greatly shocked voice coming from the first floor.
"What... exactly is this!!!"
....
Meanwhile, inside an ordinary apartment building in Kyoto city.
A petite girl wearing a gothic dark style outfit, with an eyepatch over her right eye, fair skin, and cute baby fat on her face, was curled up on the sofa, staring intently at the TV.
"Rikka, I'm going to work."
"Mmhmm, understood."
Seeing her sister staring blankly at the TV all along, that tall, beautiful woman with black hair, red eyes, and no expression glanced at the live broadcast recording playing on the screen and couldn't help sighing slightly.
This guy's Chunibyo... has become more serious.
Current TV stations really have no professional ethics at all.
After her sister Toka went out, Takanashi Rikka stared at the screen without blinking. Reflected in her eyes was the figure wearing a black coat and a pure black mask.
"'Mask'... so cool."
....
One week later, at Mai's home.
"Now, begins the... I don't know which meeting of the Super-Quant Club."
Rio pushed her glasses frame, looking seriously at the members in front of her.
"The number of people... is getting more and more."
Participant list for this internal meeting.
Humans: Yoru, Futaba Rio, Yotsuya Miko, Sakurajima Mai, Yuigahama Yui, Amano Hina, Touma Kazusa, Kawasaki Saki.
Non-humans: Yoru, Menma (Honma Meiko), Hachishaku-sama (At Makinohara Shoko's house, set up a memorial tablet, considered as participating).
Abstract people: Yoru.
Occupying all three categories, this is the gold content of the leader of the Super-Quant Club!
"Yeah..."
Mai looked deeply at Yoru, tucked her long hair behind her ear, and said meaningfully.
"The number of people, is getting more and more indeed."
Yoru made a stopping gesture.
"Don't be passive-aggressive (Yin Yang Guai Qi)."
"Sigh, really, let's get down to business."
Rio scanned the members in front of her and spoke slowly.
"Now that Tuanzi has also awakened her spiritual ability, we have more choices in grouping."
"My Soul True Body leans towards specializing in combat, and it just so happens Mai-senpai is the control type, and her exorcism experience isn't particularly rich. Mai-senpai and I will form a team."
"Miko and Tuanzi will form a team, no problem, right?"
Miko and the ignorant Yui both nodded.
"Mmhmm, no problem."
Veterans leading newbies, combat leading support.
The grouping method proposed by Rio was indeed very perfect.
Just one thing.
Miko asked curiously: "What about Yoru?"
"Him?"
Rio glanced at Yoru lounging on the sofa, sighing helplessly.
"Let him act freely. He can't be paired with us either, after all, the strength gap is too huge. Either he just watches the show, or he directly crushes the evil spirits to death, completely failing to serve the purpose of increasing our combat experience."
"Yeah, yeah."
As the person involved, Yoru nodded deeply in agreement and smiled.
"I am just a gardener watering the plants. Whether you can improve your strength depends on yourselves."
Yui, Kawasaki Saki, Kazusa, Amano Hina, Menma, the four people and one spirit noticed that what Yoru said was clearly a very normal sentence...
But why did Rio, Miko, and Mai blush inexplicably after hearing this sentence?
So strange...
Watering?
Could it be that this isn't literal watering, but a metaphorical word for some action?
"By the way..."
Kawasaki Saki finally couldn't help tilting her head slightly, asking curiously.
"Grouping... what are you going to do? And combat... support, what are those things? Are you going to fight something?"
"Eh?"
Rio froze for a moment, asking back.
"You don't know?"
"Know what?"
"Yoru didn't tell you?"
"Tell me what?"
The insiders Rio, Miko, Yui, Mai, and Amano Hina looked at each other.
Immediately after, all their gazes turned to Yoru sitting there.
"Why are you all looking at me like this?"
Yoru looked calm and composed, replying rightfully.
"I was very busy this whole week."
"Busy doing what?"
Just a simple sentence made the members present start examining each other.
There was only one meaning in everyone's eyes.
"Did you sneak a head start?"
"I didn't, did you sneak a head start?"
"I didn't either."
After the girls looked at each other, they all cast their gazes on Kazusa, who had a calm face and no fluctuation in her eyes.
"Why look at me?"
Kazusa shook her head, saying faintly.
"During this period, I was always at home playing the piano."
"Then..."
Mai stared closely at Yoru, speaking slowly.
"Who did you go looking for again?"
"Hey, look at what you're saying."
Yoru waved his hand seriously.
"I went to do business."
"Really?"
"Of course."
Yoru put away his smile, speaking slowly.
"This week, I checked all families with the surname Honma in Kyoto city, and visited them."
"This surname is neither rare nor common, a total of seventeen households in Kyoto city."
"Two of them have already moved away. Among the rest, none have a daughter who passed away in childhood. They are not Menma's family from when she was alive."
Hearing this, the girls couldn't help freezing for a moment.
The expression on their faces had a very obvious meaning.
So you really went to do business.
"Um..."
Hearing Yoru's words, Menma, who had been silent all along, suddenly said carefully.
"Brother looking for my family... is it to let me dissolve my obsession... and pass on?"
Yoru nodded without concealment.
"Yes."
Menma's cute small face was full of loneliness, murmuring to herself.
"But... Menma doesn't want to disappear, still wants to stay together with everyone, with Shoko."
Hearing this sentence, the eyes of Miko and others couldn't help becoming somewhat sentimental.
Just as they were organizing their words, thinking about what way to tell the young Menma that the dead cannot be resurrected and cannot continue wandering in this world, they heard Yoru say an astonishing sentence in a very flat tone.
"Oh, is that so."
Yoru nodded and smiled.
"Should have said so earlier. Since you are unwilling to pass on, then from now on, change our Super-Quant Club's mission goal."
"The goal is to find a way to let Honma Meiko continue staying in this world, without turning into an evil spirit because of obsession."
"Of course, being able to resurrect would be best."
Miko and others looked bewildered hearing this.
Finally, it was Mai who reacted first, frowning slightly, showing worry and dissuading.
"Let Menma continue staying in this world? But logically..."
"No buts."
Yoru waved his hand, suddenly putting away his smile, speaking in a rare serious tone.
"Those principles like the dead cannot be resurrected and must reincarnate are all statements left by predecessors."
"Then here comes the question."
Yoru looked at the members in front of him, speaking slowly.
"Are the legendary Great Exorcists recorded in history really stronger than us?"
Hearing this question, Rio pushed her glasses frame, thoughtful.
"Perhaps... there are some stronger than us, but to say stronger than you... I'm afraid there are none."
"Isn't that it."
Yoru smiled with satisfaction, then spoke again.
"I'm not boasting. Converted into scores, the spirit mediums present are all eighty or ninety points. As for myself, I am a perfect score player."
"This kind of thing is like taking an exam."
"Would you doubt that you are wrong just because you saw a failing bad student giving a different answer sheet from yours?"
"No, you would only think the opponent is the wrong one."
"Since we are stronger than those Onmyoji, Exorcists, or whatever in Sakura Prefecture's history, then naturally, their deeds and summarized laws have absolutely no reference value for us."
Hearing these words, the members all had thoughtful looks.
Don't say it, really don't say it.
Makes some sense.
Whether it's the ability of Soul Manifestation, or the existence of the Otherworld and the Doors, no related information can be found in the records of Sakura Prefecture.
Just as Yoru said a long time ago.
What the Super-Quant Club members are facing now are strangeness phenomena that have never happened before.
Moreover, the strongest exorcist in human history is sitting right here.
The so-called dead cannot be resurrected, the souls of the deceased cannot wander the world, and other such rules are frankly all laws summarized by predecessors.
"Just like science..."
Rio was the first to express her attitude.
"Science progresses with time, perhaps exorcism is the same."
"Blindly trusting the experience of predecessors, observing from a limited perspective, the conclusion drawn is ultimately just looking at the sky from the bottom of a well."
As a veteran member, Miko also followed closely and nodded in agreement.
"From the beginning, precautions related to exorcism, abilities, laws, these were all summarized by ourselves."
"In this matter, we should also make the decision ourselves."
Seeing that up to this point, the other members, especially the person... the spirit involved, Menma, were all looking at her with pitiful eyes, Mai shook her head helplessly and said.
"Why does this make me look like a bad guy? I just mentioned it casually. I'm not saying Menma must pass on. To be honest, I also don't want to see Menma disappear just like that. Such a thing shouldn't happen."
Yoru nodded and smiled.
"Since that's the case, then it's decided."
"One more thing."
"Since it's a rare summer vacation, we should have some free leisure time."
"I went to the Otherworld and reached a new contract with Tamamo-no-Mae."
"If our Super-Quant Club has something and needs to leave Kyoto, she will lead that group of ghosts and Yokai through the 'Doors' to eliminate the evil spirits existing in Kyoto city while we are away."
Hearing this news, even Rio, who had the most calm personality, couldn't help showing joy.
Although they all wanted to protect Kyoto, even superheroes need some rest time.
In the first summer vacation of high school, if all the time of more than two months is spent on eliminating evil spirits and dealing with strangeness events, it would indeed be too much of a waste.
"Since that's the case, how about everyone go traveling together?"
Yui was the most excited one.
The "everyone" in her words didn't just refer to the internal members present, but also included Marin and Yukino, that is, all the members of the Super-Quant Club.
"Traveling..."
Rio actually had strong resistance to such outdoor activities, especially during this hot summer.
Only...
She stole a glance at Yoru sitting there, coughed twice pretending to be calm.
"Mmhmm... Strolling around places outside Kyoto can also observe evil spirits in other cities and collect more useful intelligence. It's a good proposal."
Kazusa also said faintly.
"If Yoru also goes, I will go."
Seeing the girls all eager to try, casting their gazes on him, Yoru nodded.
"Mmhmm, going traveling is fine too."
"Great!"
Yui showed joy and immediately started discussing the specific travel location with the others.
"Where to go? In summer, wouldn't it be better to go to Okinawa? There's a beach."
"Beach... we'll run into perverts, right?"
"Considering Mai-senpai's popularity, it's best to go to a place with fewer people. Even if we want to go to the beach, we should go to a private one, right?"
"Private beach... probably hard to find."
"Then how about going to some places with an ancient atmosphere and long history?"
"Forget it, isn't Kyoto historically long enough and has an ancient atmosphere?"
"By the way, regarding the budget..."
"Use the activity funds, no need to worry about money."
"How about... going to Hokkaido?"
"Hokkaido is not bad, the weather is also cooler, treat it as a summer resort."
....
Just as the members were discussing where to go for the summer trip, Yoru's phone rang.
He left the living room before picking up the phone.
"Hello."
Light Yagami's smiling voice came.
"Yoru-kun, a bit too cold, aren't you?"
"What's the matter, say it directly."
Light Yagami smiled helplessly.
"As expected, you still have this personality."
Immediately after, Light Yagami on the other end of the phone spoke.
"I saw the content on TV, the Teru Teru Bozu Killer... 'Mask' did a very good job."
Yoru replied with a chuckle.
"You just wanted to say this?"
"Of course not, I am not that bored."
"I think that's hard to say."
"What kind of image exactly do I have in your heart..."
After Light Yagami complained this sentence, the smile in his voice disappeared, speaking seriously.
"Calling this time, I want to tell you one thing."
"What is it?"
"The famous sword Mikazuki Munechika will be publicly exhibited at the Tokyo National Museum in the near future."
"Oh?"
Hearing the name Mikazuki Munechika, Yoru became interested.
Mikazuki Munechika, like Onimaru Kunitsuna, belonged to the heirloom-level famous swords of Sakura Prefecture.
It is said that the people who possessed this famous sword, specially forged by Sanjo Munechika to show the family's prestige for the Minamoto clan, included the Sword Saint Shogun Ashikaga Yoshiteru, the unifier of the realm Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and finally passed down from generation to generation by the Tokugawa family to this day.
Compared to Onimaru Kunitsuna, although Mikazuki Munechika didn't have fantasy legends of slaying evil ghosts, it was also a national treasure-level famous sword.
Light Yagami knew that Yoru once transformed into "Mask", invaded the Kyoto City Museum, and took away the famous sword Onimaru Kunitsuna.
Precisely because of this.
Light Yagami told Yoru this news immediately upon learning it.
"Mikazuki Munechika..."
Yoru pondered secretly in his heart.
Even without the legend of slaying evil ghosts, a famous sword passed down for so many years must be stained with countless lives.
Just this malevolent aura (Shaqi) alone is enough to become a Noble Phantasm against evil spirits.
Just right.
Miko's spiritual long sword was already getting a bit unable to keep up with the intensity of current battles.
"It seems it's time for me to go to Tokyo."
Hearing Yoru's answer, Light Yagami replied with a smile.
"Then I will wait in Tokyo."
After hanging up the phone, Yoru returned to the living room, stood in front of the Super-Quant Club members, coughed lightly twice, and smiled at everyone.
"I just got a piece of news."
"The Tokyo National Museum actually stole our famous sword Mikazuki Munechika."
"How can that do?"
"Just right, taking advantage of the opportunity to travel, our Super-Quant Club must let the famous sword Mikazuki Munechika return to its original owner."