Chapter 10: Target: Mount Hiei
For the time remaining, Hikigaya chatted with the members of the Death God Squad about everything under the sun. By the end of their conversation, he had a good grasp of the situation.
Among this group, not many were suitable to become customers of the Odd Jobs shop, but a few existed. In theory, as long as one possesses a deep inner craving or a significant regret—paired with a restless heart—one can become a customer. Within this group, the most suitable candidate was the blonde little girl, Ai Haibara.
Ai Haibara didn't say much; perhaps it was because she wasn't familiar with Hikigaya, but that was enough. A god's divinity is formed by the combination of its own power and the power of human consciousness, thus granting them the ability to suppress and manipulate the human mind. In Hikigaya's view, a Campione, whose core power originates from gods, should possess a certain degree of perception regarding human emotions, even if only through association.
Hikigaya didn't know how other Campiones fared in this regard, but he certainly could do it. It wasn't mind-reading, just perception—the kind of feeling where, if someone across from you lies, you might not know their rich inner monologue, but you simply know the person is lying.
The feeling Ai Haibara gave Hikigaya was that of a massive bomb; her emotions were intense, rich, yet deeply restrained. However, this excellent emotional control itself would eventually become a burden. Hikigaya didn't know where her breaking point was, but once it exploded, it would likely result in a legendary loss of sanity. What could push her across that line was likely Gin—that man who, despite being a villain, was so professionally dedicated it could make one weep.
Truthfully, she and Conan would likely never have the chance to find the so-called Black Organization, because that organization didn't actually exist anymore—it was a literal World Expo of spies. It used to be held together by Gin, but now even Gin had been directly requisitioned by Hikigaya. Thus, the organization was effectively dead. There wasn't a single soul left who purely belonged to that organization alone.
Honestly, how did such a hilarious organization get established in the first place? Hikigaya couldn't help but sigh at how, under Yomi's loose management, the peripheral agencies were filled with eccentrics—not just the people, but the organizations themselves.
In the end, Hikigaya left business cards for Ai Haibara, Hattori Heiji, and Suzuki Sonoko before parting ways with the Death God Squad.
Behind him, Hattori Heiji watched him push open the shop door and disappear into the flow of people on the main road, then turned his gaze to the business card.
"Odd Jobs Shop?" he muttered softly, not noticing Conan's face twitching beside him. "What a strange name for a commercial promotion company..."
"But if you think about it, it's actually a pretty good name, isn't it?" Toyama Kazuha didn't find it strange; in fact, she found it quite cool. "See? It gives the feeling that they can promote anything."
"Wait a second, there's no address on here!" Hattori, intending to retort, was stunned to find that there was no address or anything of the sort on the card. Even Hikigaya's name and phone number were missing. The only thing present was the name "Odd Jobs Shop."
This was very strange, because no one felt this way when Hikigaya took the cards out and handed them over. The group looked closer and found that the card indeed didn't just have the name, but they couldn't understand the rest. It looked like the patterns of a talisman you'd see in a shrine or temple—totally incomprehensible—yet it was written on the card like arranged text.
"As expected of someone in a culture-related job, though it feels more like some kind of fan club..." Hattori was baffled and put the card away. Regardless, the card was beautifully made, and the material felt special; it must have been quite expensive. Truly a young and successful lad. Although Hattori didn't feel deeply about the "young and successful" part since he qualified as well, he had to admit this Hikigaya Hachiman was quite impressive compared to most peers.
"Um... Heiji-niichan?" Since everyone was at the same table, Conan had to maintain his child act. After all, he had something he just had to get off his chest.
"What's up?" Hattori winked at Conan. He found it amusing every time he saw his best friend acting like a kid. At the same time, he felt sympathetic. Truly tragic.
"Isn't a business card like this very strange? Wouldn't it be unlucky to keep it on you?" Conan reminded his friend with a fake smile.
'Throw it away, you idiot! That guy is highly suspicious, you shouldn't take his things!'
"Is it? I think it's quite pretty. It can be a bookmark." On the side, Ai Haibara pulled out a book, opened it, removed the original bookmark, and placed the business card inside before closing it. She checked the effect of the "new bookmark" and looked very satisfied.
Conan suddenly felt that on this trip to Kyoto, their entire group might get wiped out.
"It is indeed pretty, though the style is a bit similar to that British lad's." Suzuki Sonoko flipped the card over and flicked it with her finger. "That guy also pulled out a very strange card back then. Ha! Claimed to be some kind of Prince? How can there be such a mean-spirited Prince in this world!"
"Ah-re? Is it that British friend Hikigaya-kun mentioned? Sonoko, from your tone, it sounds like you really dislike that person?"
"If someone said to you, 'If your brain isn't good, don't bother studying; you'd better hurry up and get married while you're young,' you'd hate him as much as I do." Sonoko took a deep
breath, clearly stirred by bad memories. She pulled out her purse and tucked the card inside, spotting Conan's "I'm going to die" face during the process. "I say, Conan, why are you making that face?"
"No reason..." Conan decided to find a gap later to have a proper talk with Hattori Heiji. He truly felt that anything Hikigaya Hachiman produced was likely dangerous. In any case, he absolutely wouldn't touch it.
-
-
-
Meanwhile, on the other side, Hikigaya hadn't walked far when his phone suddenly rang. He had indeed lied to Tamamo-no-Mae; this phone was provided temporarily by the Kansai Branch, not brought from Tokyo. In Tokyo, he always had people from Yomi or the Ennead at his beck and call.
It was different in Kansai. Shinto forces were highly concentrated here, and because of Seishuin Ena, Yomi didn't want to cause too much friction with the Kansai Branch. Consequently, Yomi's operational capacity here was heavily impacted. In this situation, communicating directly with the Kansai Branch was more convenient.
He pressed the answer button, listened to the person on the other end, replied "Understood," and hung up. A moment later, he saw Tamamo-no-Mae.
"Finished playing?" he walked up and asked.
"Yes! This Concubine is thoroughly satisfied." Although Tamamo hadn't returned to her true form, she had reverted to her original way of speaking.
"You felt it too?"
"Of course. This Concubine originally entered Kyoto from Mount Hiei; I will know if anything happens there."
Hikigaya nodded, acknowledging Tamamo's words. At the same time, he acknowledged this new challenger. They hadn't chosen a subtle approach, but rather decided to charge straight through the "Saru-no-michi" (The Monkey's Path)—the Demon Gate Line that pierces through the northeast of Kyoto.
How hot-blooded.
"In that case, we set out tomorrow!"
Read ahead (60 chapters) by supporting me on buymeacoffee com/varietl or ko-fi edwriting