"Great!" Marin cheered. "Actually, I have a cousin. She and a few friends formed a band, and today they're performing at an underground bar. Since she's worried no one will show up, I plan to support her. Renjou-kun, if you could come along, that would be wonderful."
"Your cousin?"
Kael was surprised. He hadn't known Marin had a cousin. Was this another twist of the crossover world?
Curious, he asked: "Marin, what's your cousin's name?"
Marin replied: "Her name is Kita Ikuyo."
Kael couldn't help but exclaim. That name—how to describe it? Not just familiar, but very familiar. Bocchi the Rock! was the anime of the year. Of course he had seen it.
But then again, Kitagawa Marin and Kita Ikuyo both had "Kita" in their names. Yet "Kitagawa" and "Kita" were clearly different forms. Kael didn't quite understand how Ikuyo was Marin's cousin.
Wait—cousin, not paternal cousin? Hmm, that explained it.
"Marin, if I'm not mistaken, your cousin's band is called Kessoku Band, right?"
Marin was shocked. "Renjou-kun, how do you know my cousin's band name? Have you been following them? But they haven't performed publicly yet. Why are you interested? Could it be that someone in the band is your type?"
Hearing Marin's rapid-fire questions, Kael was amused. Her imagination was wild. But her guess wasn't entirely wrong.
"If I said no, that'd be a lie. But if I said yes, that person is too difficult. Forget it." he answered after some thought.
Marin was surprised. "Now I'm curious. What kind of girl could even make you think she's too difficult?"
Kael said: "A very socially anxious girl. So anxious she can barely communicate normally."
He was, of course, referring to Bocchi. He even had a special connection with her.
"Socially anxious?" Marin found it hard to believe. "My cousin's band is a rock band. How could someone like that join?"
In Marin's mind, rock musicians were all extroverts. A socially anxious person performing on stage? Impossible.
Kael said: "The world is full of surprises. You'll understand once the performance begins."
Marin smiled. "So you're accepting my invitation."
Kael nodded. Knowing Kessoku Band was performing, he had to see it. Watching on TV was nothing compared to seeing it live.
They agreed on a time and place. Seeing it was still early, Kael tried to nap. But unable to sleep, he got up, washed, and went out with the Hundred Ghost Banner to capture spirits.
By now, he had caught hundreds of spirits. Yet the streets were still full of them. Any secluded place had spirits gathering.
In one abandoned building, he found a cluster of them. Their faces were dark, bodies twisted, more like monsters than humans. He waved the banner, absorbing them, then crushed their consciousness. They turned into pure soul energy, which he absorbed bit by bit. His Heavenly Demon Mana grew steadily.
At this pace, Kael estimated he could reach Third Rank Upper in three to five years. In ten years, he could attempt Fourth Rank Lower. It sounded slow, but it was fast.
He had often emphasized: cultivation is one step at a time. Each rank was a new realm, not just in strength but in speed of progress. At First Rank, spirits were a great boost. At Second Rank, their effect diminished. He had once calculated he'd need five hundred spirits to break through. But after cultivating Gluttonous Mana, the number dropped.
Now at Third Rank, the effect weakened again. Even after consuming a hundred spirits, his mana barely grew. Progress like before was impossible without new, higher-quality resources.
Still, he wasn't worried. Third Rank Lower gave him solid footing in this crossover world. As long as nothing too dangerous happened, he could live well. No urgency anymore. Three to five years for a small breakthrough, ten for a major one—acceptable.
Time passed as he hunted spirits.
At three in the afternoon, Kael arrived at Shimokitazawa station, their meeting place. Marin was already waiting. "Renjou-kun, over here!" she waved excitedly.
"Good afternoon, Marin." Kael greeted her, then noticed a cute red-haired girl behind her.
He recognized her instantly—Kita Ikuyo, one of the heroines of Bocchi the Rock! and the vocalist of Kessoku Band.
The girl looked at Kael curiously, her gaze carrying a hint of scrutiny. She seemed to be evaluating him for her cousin.
Then Ikuyo pulled Marin aside and whispered: "Cousin, this is Renjou Kael, the one you mentioned?"
Marin nodded.
Ikuyo said: "Cousin, do you really like him? From what I see, he might be a playboy."