Chapter 469: Lady Yukari Finally Notices the Anomaly
Yakumo Ran found herself unable to approach the two women at the counter. An invisible weight, a pressure that spoke of ancient and overwhelming power, emanated from them. No matter how she looked at it, their ranks were simply too high for her to casually manage. She decided the wisest course of action was to remain by the door and peacefully watch over the shop.
Her gaze drifted, taking in the quiet interior. She glanced once, then twice. After a few more sweeps of the room, her eyes finally settled on Aoandon, who was completely absorbed in a horror novel off to the side.
"Lady Yukari... Is that a youkai?" Ran whispered, leaning closer to her master.
Yakumo Yukari nodded, a faint smile playing on her lips. "Yes! That's the Aoandon I told you about. Isn't she completely different from what you expected?"
Ran nodded repeatedly, her golden tails giving a slight swish. This Aoandon was far more composed and elegant than any she had ever encountered in their own world. Sensing their gazes, Aoandon looked up from her book and offered a small, polite smile. "Ah, you two are here again."
"We are," Yukari replied cheerfully. "Aoandon, are you living here now?"
Aoandon quickly shook her head. "Oh, no, no, no. I just come here to study during the day. I'm not always here."
"I see... It seems you've gained quite a lot, haven't you?"
"Yes! I've learned so many interesting things!" Aoandon's eyes sparkled with genuine enthusiasm.
Yukari tilted her head, a thoughtful expression crossing her face. "Tell me, which is scarier: the ghost stories you used to tell, or the ones you're reading now?"
"The ones I'm reading now, by far!" Aoandon admitted without hesitation. "But the more terrifying and bizarre they are, the more fascinating they become!"
Yakumo Ran leaned in again, her voice a low murmur meant only for her master. "So, Lady Yukari, is this a youkai from another world?"
"Yes! That's right. She is indeed a youkai from another world," Yukari confirmed. "Ran, what were you going to say?"
Ran considered for a moment before whispering her thoughts. "Well... I was just thinking that if she's a youkai from another world, the humans in her world must have a very difficult time. After all, if these stories can even scare an Aoandon... I can't imagine what they would do to a normal human..."
Her observation hung in the air, causing everyone, including Lucifer, to pause. They all turned to look at Aoandon. Ran had a point. Aoandon was a youkai whose entire existence revolved around telling terrifying stories. If she herself was getting frightened, then the humans who might one day hear these new tales...
Aoandon blinked, startled by the sudden attention, before a mischievous smile spread across her face. "Eh? But it's precisely because they're so scary that I have to tell them..."
In that instant, the others remembered exactly who they were dealing with. This was Aoandon, the legendary teller of a hundred tales, the youkai who manifests when the final story is told. Just because she appeared docile and studious here didn't mean she would be the same when she returned to her own world.
Lucifer let out a soft sigh. "Aoandon, you truly live up to your name... But surely you're not going to share any of the... stranger novel plots you've come across?"
"What strange... stra— I won't say it!" Aoandon's face flushed, and she clutched her book defensively. "How could I possibly say such things out loud!"
"Oh?" Yukari's interest was piqued. "What kind of novel possesses such power over you?"
With a flick of her wrist, Lucifer tossed the novel she had just finished across the room. Yukari caught it effortlessly, her form shimmering as she floated closer to get a better look. She began to read, and after only a few moments, the corner of her mouth began to twitch—the tell-tale sign of a desperate attempt to suppress laughter. Yakumo Ran peered over, wanting to see what was so amusing, but she didn't dare read over her master's shoulder without permission. She could only watch as Yukari's expression grew more and more strained.
"Pfft..." A small, choked sound escaped Yukari's lips. "What kind of divine author wrote this... I feel like I've learned something incredible."
"The imagination of humans..." Lucifer murmured, a knowing look in her eyes.
Finally, after getting halfway through, Yukari could hold it in no longer. Peals of unrestrained laughter echoed through the quiet restaurant. The book was just as Lucifer had described: it was simultaneously brilliant and mortifying, yet she couldn't stop herself from wanting to see what other bizarre developments it could possibly contain. As she continued to read, she felt a persistent, nagging sense that something was fundamentally off about the world that could produce such a story.
Yakumo Ran watched her master, puzzled. "Lady Yukari, you're laughing so happily. Is this book a collection of jokes?"
"No, no, no, Ran," Yukari said, wiping a tear from her eye. "This isn't a joke, but it's much more interesting than one. It's incredible... What in the world... The Sixth Brother is a master assassin who came to save the day, but he was arrested by the Fourth Brother, who is an international police officer, and then sentenced to death by the Fifth Brother, who is a judge! Hahaha!"
Ran's ears twitched, her expression frozen in bewilderment. What a tangled and absurd family dynamic. She decided not to comment on it. After a moment of thought, she turned her attention back to the calm, silver-haired woman at the counter. "So, you are...?"
"Lucifer," she answered smoothly. "I'm certain now. Miss Yakumo didn't tell you anything about me."
Ran nodded vigorously. She truly didn't know anything! Realizing her earlier oversight, she felt a chill run down her spine; she had nearly made a fatal social error. The thought alone was terrifying. It took her a moment to process Lucifer's words before she quickly corrected her. "Um... Miss Lucifer, my surname is also Yakumo..."
"Eh?" Lucifer's eyebrow arched in surprise. "So your name is... Yakumo Ran?"
Ran nodded again. The corner of Lucifer's mouth twitched. "Don't tell me there's also a Yakumo Ao, or a Yakumo Chen, or something of that nature..."
"Eh? Why would you say that?" Ran asked, completely missing the reference.
Lucifer covered her face with one hand. "Haven't you noticed? Your names are the colors of the rainbow, in reverse order!"
Ran was startled. She scratched her head, not giving the odd comment much thought. Just as she was about to say something else, a rich, savory aroma wafted out from the kitchen. In an instant, all other thoughts were driven from her mind. The little fox, who had been subsisting on nothing but water for who knows how long, was now absolutely certain: Lady Yukari hadn't been lying to her! This place really did have good food!
Yukari sniffed the air, her smile returning. "That really is a fragrant smell. But now that I think about it, this whole situation is quite annoying."
Yuuka Kazami, who had been silently observing from the counter, turned her head slightly to glance at Yukari.
Still casually flipping through the ridiculous novel, Yukari continued, "This door, you see... it lit up in front of me a long time ago. And it stayed lit for quite a while."
"Eh?! Lady Yukari! How come I didn't know about this?!" Ran exclaimed, her tails puffing up in shock.
Yukari waved a dismissive hand. "Ah... Ran, you were probably busy with an inspection or out buying fried tofu. They were all minor things."
"They were not minor things at all!"
Yuuka Kazami spoke, her voice as soft as rustling leaves yet commanding absolute attention. "So, why did you never come?"
"Because I was out on business," Yukari explained. "I originally intended to open the door and have a look, but then I had to leave. By the time I returned, the light had gone out. It was only later that I felt a special energy on your side of the mountain, so I went to stake it out."
The corner of Yuuka's mouth twitched almost imperceptibly. She sighed. "So, if I hadn't opened the door either, this door would have simply moved on to someone else?"
Yuuka's words made the playful smile vanish from Yakumo Yukari's face. Her eyes widened, her pupils shrinking to pinpricks as the full weight of the implication crashed down upon her. Her voice was strained with disbelief. "Yuuka, are you saying that this shop will only stop once it successfully opens a door in our world?!"
Under Yukari's incredulous gaze, Yuuka Kazami gave a slow, deliberate nod. "Unless something unexpected happens, that is most likely the case. And I would wager it focuses on the residences of powerful Great Youkai."
Yukari swallowed hard, the book forgotten in her lap. "What... what exactly is the purpose of this shop...?"
"Don't overthink it," Yuuka said softly, her serene gaze unwavering. "It's just a restaurant. You know that, don't you?"
Yukari let out a long, slow breath. "I hope so..."
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