"Let's go, let's get out first."
Kitahara Makoto led the way out of the bathroom.
Kita and Anon followed closely by Kitahara Makoto's side, one on his left and one on his right.
Due to the chaos brought by the Mind Demon, the vast subway station was dead silent, with only the cold, pale light spilling down.
"Kitahara-kun, the exit is ahead."
Kita Ikuyo pointed.
"Okay."
Kitahara Makoto nodded slightly and strode towards the exit.
A moment later.
The scene at the exit came into the three people's view.
Police, doctors, blood-soaked injured people, and unlucky individuals trampled to the ground. There were easily twenty to thirty people, and it looked quite tragic.
In addition, countless items like shoes, bags, and mobile phones were scattered on the ground, making it clear how crowded and chaotic the exit must have been when the chaos erupted.
"Ah, I see Mom."
Looking at Mrs. Kita in a white coat among the crowd, Kita Ikuyo immediately breathed a sigh of relief.
Chihaya Anon said softly beside her:
"It's good that Auntie is okay."
"...Something's not right."
Kitahara Makoto suddenly narrowed his eyes.
"Eh?"
The two girls turned their heads to look at him in unison.
"What's wrong? What's not right?"
"Kitahara-kun, don't scare us."
Kitahara Makoto's expression was serious, and he said in a low voice:
"It's too quiet."
The two girls blinked their eyes and quickly realized.
"That's right... it's really too quiet!"
Police, injured people, doctors… so many people gathered together, even if it wasn't as noisy as a wet market, there would definitely be all sorts of sounds.
However, at this very moment, among the many people at the subway entrance, not a single one was speaking!
The eerie silence in the vast subway station made everyone uncomfortable.
"Look at that policeman," Chihaya Anon whispered, her eyes wide. "His eyes are practically popping out, and his expression is so terrified… but there's clearly nothing in front of him."
Kitahara Makoto narrowed his eyes and looked over, quickly spotting the policeman Anon was referring to.
It was a middle-aged male police officer; his facial muscles were trembling slightly, as if he had seen something extremely terrifying. However, following his gaze, there was only an empty passage ahead.
"It's not just that policeman," Kitahara Makoto said, his tone grave. "Everyone at the exit seems to be looking in the same direction."
Boom.
As he spoke, the policeman who had been so terrified suddenly fell backward stiffly, his entire body convulsing like a frog.
Kita Ikuyo and Chihaya Anon were both startled.
"What happened to that policeman?"
"There's clearly nothing there, so why did he suddenly collapse?"
"…Kitahara-kun, what do we do now?"
The two girls looked over nervously.
Although they couldn't see it, it was clear that some strange entity was lurking in the subway station.
Kitahara Makoto looked down at Hana:
"Hana, what do you say?"
When in doubt, the answer book, but unfortunately, today's question quota was used up. Now, he could only rely on Hana to see if he could get more information.
Hana tilted her small face up; her delicate and lovely face showed no panic, and her voice was equally unwavering:
"Kaidan."
Kitahara Makoto frowned slightly:
"Is there a kaidan that we can't see?"
Chihaya Anon lightly furrowed her brows and bit her thumb:
"No wonder those people at the exit are all looking in one direction… Did they also see some kaidan that we can't see? But why can't we see it?"
Hana never played the riddle-maker:
"Distance."
Kitahara Makoto immediately understood upon hearing this: "There's some unseen kaidan in the subway station. Only when you're close enough can you observe it, and those police officers and doctors at the exit are standing there silently because they saw that kaidan."
Undoubtedly, the kaidan in the subway station was quite eerie.
Once eye contact was made, there was no chance to escape.
No wonder a crying Kita appeared in [Foresight]. When ordinary people encounter a kaidan with no chance to escape, the outcome is self-evident; there can be no other possibility besides total annihilation.
Kitahara Makoto took a deep breath and said in a low voice:
"Kita, Anon, let Hana send you away through the Mirror Space first…"
"No!"
Before he could finish, Kita Ikuyo quickly shook her head, clenching her small fists and saying:
"How could I let you risk it alone? Besides, Mom is right there, I absolutely won't abandon her in battle!"
"That's right, there's strength in numbers," Chihaya Anon said from the side. "Kitahara, don't try to be strong by yourself."
"…Alright, if you want to stay, then stay."
Kitahara Makoto exhaled lightly and looked down at Hana:
"Hana, what special abilities does that invisible kaidan have?"
Hana: "I don't know."
Kitahara Makoto: "Can Hana directly swallow that kaidan?"
Hana: "No, it will escape."
Kita Ikuyo's eyes lit up upon hearing this, and she quickly said:
"Driving the monster away is fine too."
Saving Mom was the most important thing; being able to get Mom out of danger even a second earlier would be the best possible outcome.
Hana tilted her small face up: "Those people will be harvested."
Kita Ikuyo: "…"
"Since it has come to this, I still have to rely on myself."
Kitahara Makoto decisively took off the backpack from his back, then looked at Anon and Kita:
"My physique is very special, so I might not be controlled like ordinary people… but you can't be sure, after all, anything can happen, so it's best to add an extra layer of insurance."
Kitahara Makoto didn't keep them in suspense and quickly stated his idea:
"I plan to share the ability of [You Who Slipped Through Nine Years of Compulsory Education] with you. We'll agree on a secret signal later. I'll go forward first and make contact with the kaidan. If I can control my body, then don't worry, but if I don't make the agreed-upon hand signal, you use the ability of [You Who Slipped Through Nine Years of Compulsory Education] to pull me back… Any problems?"
Kita Ikuyo quickly raised her small hand, her tone puzzled:
"Kitahara-kun, why don't you use that ability that forces everyone to answer questions, and have everyone answer together?"
"I can't," Kitahara Makoto shook his head. "The ability's maximum range is only ten meters. The people at the entrance are spread out, so I can't pull everyone into the question-answering mode at once, and those left out, who knows what they would encounter."
Kita Ikuyo pursed her lips upon hearing this:
"I see, then let's not take the risk."
Kitahara Makoto nodded gently:
"So, who will share the ability?"
Kita Ikuyo and Chihaya Anon exchanged glances, then quickly said:
"Share it with Anon. I need to stay here and watch Mom."
"Th-that's fine…" Chihaya Anon's pretty face flushed slightly, and she cleared her throat twice, saying, "For Kita-chan, I can only sacrifice myself."
To make you make such a great sacrifice, I'm really sorry!
Time was pressing.
Kitahara Makoto naturally wouldn't look for some secluded corner to avoid attention. He directly extended his right hand, pulled the pink-haired girl Anon into his arms, and then, in front of Kita, directly blocked Anon's pink, moist cherry lips.
Kita Ikuyo stood beside them, without a trace of jealousy in her heart, only anxiety, worry, and gratitude.
She would never be jealous of Anon again… As long as Mom was safe and sound, helping to push her butt wouldn't be a problem!
If it had been an hour ago, seeing Kitahara Makoto kiss Anon in front of her would have made her puff up like a pufferfish, but now that Mom was in danger, plus Anon was staying to help at risk, she couldn't be jealous no matter what.
With a soft 'pop' sound, Kitahara Makoto quickly released Anon.
"The ability has been shared."
"Hoo… hoo…"
Chihaya Anon's pretty face was crimson, and she quickly raised her hand to wipe the corner of her lips, guiltily glancing at Kita beside her.
Kissing Kitahara Makoto in front of someone else was indeed super embarrassing.
But at the same time as the embarrassment, there was also an indescribable thrill…
"Remember the ability's limit is ten meters," Kitahara Makoto said gravely. "As for the hand gesture, the most common OK sign will do."
Chihaya Anon took a deep breath and said:
"I've noted it down."
"…"
Having completed the safety precautions, Kitahara Makoto simply strode forward, walking towards the subway entrance and exit.
At first, everything was normal, until Kitahara Makoto took the last step. It was as if he had stepped into an abyss; a buzzing roar echoed in his mind, and he felt as if his soul was leaving his body, and everything in the world was quietly moving away.
At the same time.
Kitahara Makoto finally saw the non-existent kaidan.
It was a humanoid black shadow, about two meters tall. Besides its eyes and teeth, which were white, the rest of its body was pure black.
As Kitahara Makoto stepped into its 'domain,' those eyes with concentric ripples suddenly stared at him.
Their gazes met.
Kitahara Makoto felt a roar in his mind. Although he could still remain conscious, his body was Seized of control, completely unable to move a single inch.
In front of the black shadow kaidan, a box filled with eerie patterns floated in mid-air. Black mist emanated from the box, transforming into tendrils that reached out to everyone.
"One second, two seconds, three seconds…"
Chihaya Anon widened her eyes, standing about ten meters behind Kitahara Makoto. She silently counted three seconds in her heart. Seeing Kitahara Makoto's body stiff and him not making the OK gesture, she didn't dare to hesitate for a moment and quickly activated the ability.
[Ability: You Who Slipped Through Nine Years of Compulsory Education]
[Category: Active]
[Description: When you activate this ability, all targets within range will enter a forced question-answering mode. Answering incorrectly or not answering will result in a random punishment]
[As the ability user, you can ask a total of three questions, but please note, the content of the questions cannot exceed the knowledge scope of nine years of compulsory education]
Under the effect of the ability, Kitahara Makoto suddenly turned his body, involuntarily walked in front of Anon, sat down cross-legged, and entered the question-answering mode.
Kita had already dodged beforehand, so Kitahara Makoto was the only one forced to answer.
"Um…" Chihaya Anon blinked and extended a finger, "Why can't you ride a zebra?"
Kitahara Makoto quickly answered:
"Zebras have violent temperaments, are easily startled, and will not obey human commands."
"What is behind a human's belly button?"
"There's nothing behind it; it's just a scar left after the umbilical cord falls off."
"What is thirty thousand multiplied by forty thousand?"
"…"
The three questions had been discussed in advance; the ability of [You Who Slipped Through Nine Years of Compulsory Education] did not prevent the questioner and the answerer from colluding beforehand.
Questioning completed.
Kitahara Makoto regained his freedom of movement.
Kita Ikuyo quickly walked over, very worried:
"Kitahara-kun, what just happened? Are you okay?"
"Steady, don't panic, I'm fine."
Kitahara Makoto pressed his brow.
"The reason my body couldn't be controlled was because of the black shadow kaidan's eyes," Kitahara Makoto frowned. "As long as I don't look at those eyes, I should be able to blow up that kaidan."
In Kitahara Makoto's original thought, ordinary people would be controlled, but since he was a Dutiful Exorcist, he thought there wouldn't be a problem, and even if there was an effect, it shouldn't hinder his counterattack.
Unfortunately, the reality was cruel.
The black shadow kaidan's eyes seemed to directly affect the soul; in short, it was quite troublesome.
Chihaya Anon suggested:
"How about closing your eyes?"
Kitahara Makoto shook his head: "If I close my eyes, I won't be able to see that black shadow kaidan."
The information received by human eyes accounts for eighty percent of all information. Kitahara Makoto had no way to fight with his eyes closed.
"…I have an idea!"
Kita Ikuyo suddenly exclaimed softly.
"What method?"
Kitahara Makoto turned his head to look.
"It's the bracelet!" Kita Ikuyo quickly said, "The bracelet allows for a Soul Swap. We only need two bracelets, one for me and one for Kitahara-kun. When I wear the bracelet and enter the realm of the kaidan, Kitahara-kun can close his eyes, and I will be Kitahara-kun's eyes!"
Soul Swap can only be triggered by two girls; normal Soul Swap is not gender-limited.
After stating her method, Kita Ikuyo immediately bit her lower lip:
"But there isn't a single bracelet right now…"
"We'll use this method," Kitahara Makoto decisively said, "Kita, you and Hana go out through the Mirror Space and contact everyone by phone. The Mirror Space ignores distance, so we can quickly get the bracelets."
"But what about Kita's mother?"
Kita Ikuyo looked worriedly at the crowd at the subway entrance.
As the middle-aged police officer collapsed, twitching, others began to sway, clearly unable to hold on.
"Leave it to me," Kitahara Makoto said with a serious expression, "If Kita cannot return in time, I will use the power of You Who Slipped Through Nine Years of Compulsory Education to pull Kita's mother over."
As for those who cannot be affected, they can only pray for themselves.
In the face of danger, naturally, the priority is to rescue important people.
"I'll go right away."
Without saying more, Kita Ikuyo nodded hurriedly and left in a rush with Hana.
Time quietly slipped away, second by second.
Thump.
Another unlucky person collapsed, twitching.
Kitahara Makoto's face was grim, his gaze constantly on Mrs. Kita, unwavering.
Fortunately, hurried footsteps soon sounded from behind.
Kita Ikuyo ran over, panting:
"Ki-Kitahara-kun, I got the bracelets. I couldn't reach Ryo-senpai. These are Nijika's and Hitori's bracelets."
"Thank you for your hard work," Kitahara Makoto looked behind Kita, "No one else came?"
"No," Kita Ikuyo shook her head, "The most important thing was the bracelets. I called Nijika and Hitori to explain the situation, then had Hana go over, get the bracelets, and come back. I didn't ask everyone to come… How is Kita's mother?"
Kitahara Makoto put on the bracelet: "Kita's mother is fine for now."
"That's good." Kita Ikuyo let out a sigh of relief, then put on the other bracelet, "I'll be Kitahara-kun's 'eyes'. I'll leave the rest to Kitahara-kun."
Kitahara Makoto's expression was serious:
"Leave it to me."
"…"
Kita Ikuyo clenched her fists and walked towards the subway entrance. As she entered the shadow kaidan's domain, her entire body instantly froze.
At the same time.
Under the effect of Soul Swap, Kitahara Makoto once again saw the shadow kaidan's eyes, but because he was outside its domain, he was not affected.
"Hoo…"
Kitahara Makoto took a deep breath and turned to look at Anon:
"Anon, help me with the buff."
"Okay."
Chihaya Anon nodded quickly and began to play the guitar.
During the time Kita was out seeking help, Kitahara Makoto and Anon were also not idle.
First, they changed the shared ability, replacing You Who Slipped Through Nine Years of Compulsory Education with the ability Hagun Utahime.
[Ability: Hagun Utahime]
[Category: Active]
[Description: You are skilled in using various musical instruments. The music you play can enhance the various attributes of allies and weaken the attributes of enemies.]
[Note: Ally judgment is determined by the ability user's thoughts.]
The poster space already had a storage function. To be prepared for emergencies, Kitahara Makoto had bought several sets of musical instruments when he bought a bass as a gift for Ryo-senpai two days ago, storing them in the poster. They came in handy now.
As Chihaya Anon began to play, Kitahara Makoto quickly felt his body lighten a bit, clearly indicating that his various attributes had improved.
After Anon finished applying the buff, Kitahara Makoto didn't waste any time. His body transformed into an arrow shot from a bow, and with his eyes closed, he charged directly into the shadow kaidan's domain.
[Ability: Godspeed]
[Category: Passive/Active]
[Passive Effect: Your reflexes are superior to ordinary people.]
[Active Effect: Greatly increases reaction speed and attack speed for a short period. When the active state is activated, it will consume a large amount of stamina. Once stamina is exhausted, you will fall into a state of exhaustion.]
With multiple buffs stacked, Kitahara Makoto's speed was astonishing; Chihaya Anon even felt her eyes could barely keep up.
One second later.
Kitahara Makoto crashed into the shadow kaidan's domain.
Another second later.
Kitahara Makoto had already crossed twenty meters and directly slammed a fist into the shadow kaidan's body.
A heavy punch landed a critical hit, and the shadow kaidan was sent flying.
It tumbled across the ground, struggling to get up, letting out a roar of frustrated anger.
Unfortunately, only half the sound escaped its throat before Kitahara Makoto was already in front of it, slamming its head into the ground, even cracking the marble floor.
The Dutiful Exorcist's physique allowed Kitahara Makoto to directly harm the kaidan. After taking two hits, the shadow kaidan realized the situation was bad and tried to escape, but it couldn't.
Through Kita's eyes, Kitahara Makoto could firmly lock onto its position.
"Hand of Deprivation!"
Kitahara Makoto continued to deliver heavy punches while using his ability again.
This thing felt incredibly tough; after taking so many punches, it was still full of vigor, seemingly unharmed.
The next second.
A cold object suddenly appeared in his palm.
Kitahara Makoto spared a glance and found it was a black bow tie.
As Kitahara Makoto peeled away the bow tie, the pure black on the kaidan's body quickly receded, revealing a pale, bloodless, elongated body, and it clearly let out a panicked sound.
Kitahara Makoto naturally didn't stop or show any mercy. Under the effect of Godspeed, his fists even left afterimages, continuously delivering skull-crushing critical hits.
Under the storm-like output, the gradually fading black kaidan finally lost its ability to resist.
"Hoo…"
Kitahara Makoto exhaled lightly, grabbed the shadow kaidan by the neck, and turned to leave.
Before leaving, he suddenly saw the bizarre box still floating in mid-air, with tentacles of black mist extending from it, as if the battle just now had not affected it at all.
"It's not the shadow kaidan's thing?"
Kitahara Makoto raised an eyebrow slightly, hooked his finger, quickly closed the box, and then carried it away.
"Anon, take down the poster, let's go."
Kitahara Makoto said in a low voice.
"Okay."
Chihaya Anon quickly took down the Kessoku Band poster stuck to the wall, picked up the backpack on the ground, and quickly left with Kitahara Makoto.
The two quickly returned to the empty bathroom.
Kitahara Makoto looked down at Hana:
"Hana, can you swallow this kaidan?"
Hana nodded: "Yes."
"Then I'll leave it to you."
"…"
Flowers, almost real, quickly grew on the ground. Kitahara Makoto casually tossed the shadow kaidan, whose head was still wriggling and slowly recovering, into the Flower Sea.
The next second.
Countless flowers surged over, quietly engulfing and devouring the shadow person.
At the same time.
Outside the bathroom, faint noises were already audible.
Chihaya Anon walked to the bathroom door and pricked up her ears to listen:
"So many voices… It seems everyone has returned to normal."
Kitahara Makoto ended the Godspeed state, and a strong sense of fatigue immediately surged through him. He pressed his brow and said:
"When Kita comes, we'll leave through the mirror first."
A moment later.
Footsteps hurried outside.
"Kitahara-kun, Anon-chan, I'm back."
Kita Ikuyo jogged into the bathroom.
"Kita, how's the situation outside?"
Kitahara Makoto opened his eyes and asked.
"After Kitahara-kun defeated that kaidan, everyone returned to normal," Kita Ikuyo whispered, "Everyone was very scared and panicked, so I secretly slipped away in the chaos."
"Is Kita's mother okay?"
Chihaya Anon asked softly.
"Kita's mother is fine," Kita Ikuyo said hesitantly, "But when I was leaving, Kita's mother looked over, and it seemed like she recognized us."
"We'll talk about that later," Kitahara Makoto said gravely, "Let's leave here through the mirror first."
As he spoke, Hana had just finished digesting the shadow kaidan.
The flowers disappeared into thin air, and the bathroom became empty again.
Kitahara Makoto looked down at his right hand. The black bow tie he had seized earlier, as well as the strange box, had not disappeared. However, he was exhausted at the moment, so he temporarily put them into the poster, planning to examine them closely when he had time.
"Hana, let's go out."
"…"
With Hana's help, the three successfully left the subway space and returned to the KFC bathroom.
"Good, no one outside. We can go out now."
Kitahara Makoto quietly observed the situation, and after confirming no one was there, he quickly led Anon and Kita out of the men's bathroom.