Anime Crossover: Eating Evil in a Daily World — Chapter 68

Chapter 68: A True Exorcist Should Spend Extravagantly

“Tamamo-no-Mae!?”

Let alone Miko, who had spent her fair share of time reading up on strange urban legends and folklore, even Yui knew that name perfectly well.

This was a Great Yokai of Japan. A name so deeply ingrained in the cultural consciousness that not a single person hadn’t heard of it. According to the myths, Tamamo-no-Mae was a nine-tailed fox who had taken human form, possessing world-ruining beauty and terrifying talent.

The middle chapters of her legend varied wildly depending on who was telling the story, but the conclusion always hammered home a single, obvious point: her power was absolute. Ancient armies were nothing more than fragile toys before her. If not for the combined efforts of several legendary Onmyoji, she never would have been brought down.

And the woman they had just met was actually that legendary Great Yokai?

This was entirely out of the league of the ordinary evil spirits they usually dealt with.

While Miko and Yui were still reeling from the shock of the name, the careful Rio was already analyzing the situation from a different angle. She recalled Tamamo-no-Mae’s bizarre, almost frantic reaction the moment Yozora wrote down his name.

A great demon of that caliber should have seen everything the world had to offer. Could a mere string of characters actually terrify her to that extent? Was it because Tamamo-no-Mae’s strength was just a myth built on historical exaggeration, or was it because…

Yozora’s so-called “true name” was just that horrifying?

Rio couldn’t deduce the answer. There were simply no variables to work with.

Besides, she wasn’t particularly desperate to pry. Everyone had their secrets.

She remembered her first days at Sobu High School. The suffocating feeling of being entirely out of place under the judging gazes of her classmates. The classroom during breaks and lunch had been a noisy torture chamber that left her restless and shrinking into her seat. Then, Yozora had casually strolled over and extended an invitation to join the Supernatural Society.

It sounded a bit pathetic in hindsight, but on that day, in the bustling open space where clubs were recruiting, her short, few-minute conversation with Yozora had contained more words than she had spoken to the rest of her classmates combined.

Deep down, Rio was painfully self-conscious. She thought she wasn’t pretty enough, that her personality was too prickly, and she carried a developing body that she actively detested. If she hadn’t been baited by the words ‘quantum mechanics’ on his flyer, and if she hadn’t mustered every ounce of her courage to ask about the club…

If she hadn’t met Miko and Yozora, what kind of gray, isolated life would she be living right now?

Rio didn’t care about his true name or his hidden depths. She only trusted her own judgment of the boy in front of her.

Judging by the looks on their faces, Yui and Miko felt exactly the same.

“Oh, we’re back a bit early this time,” Yozora said with a light laugh, standing up and stretching his arms over his head. “Since we’ve got time to kill, why don’t we go shopping?”

“Shopping?”

Rio and Yui blinked, completely thrown off by the sudden shift in tone.

“That’s right.” Yozora nodded with absolute solemnity. “Team building. Strengthening the bonds between club members is a critical part of our operations!”

“Really?” Rio adjusted her glasses, looking highly skeptical.

Before she could dissect his logic, Yui threw her hands up in excitement. “Yes, yes! Hanging out with friends after school, this is exactly the high school life I wanted!”

Miko wasn’t quite as energetic, but she nodded in quiet agreement. “Hmm… I really should buy two new sets of athletic wear. My old ones are getting worn out.”

Miko wasn’t the sporty type, so her wardrobe lacked practical workout clothes. But lately, her after-school activities involved life-or-death exorcisms. She couldn’t exactly go hunting grotesque monsters in her school uniform and a short skirt. Not only was it a massive mobility hazard, but exorcism was dangerous work. Accidental exposure was the least of her worries when a single misstep could get her eaten.

She couldn’t exactly tell her mother she needed new tracksuits because her current ones were getting shredded by invisible ghosts.

Fortunately, Miko had her own private stash of funds now. The 60,000 yen Yozora had given her last time had been handed straight over by Yui for safekeeping.

So now… she was going to spend it. Heavily.

She was guarding Kyoto from the shadows every single day; she deserved to treat herself.

Seeing the other two girls on board, Rio felt a rare stir of inclination. “Alright, then let’s go together.”

No one was waiting for her in her empty apartment anyway. Having processed so much heavy information in the Inner World, even her brilliant mind felt fatigued. It was time to properly decompress.

“Alright, let’s move out.”

Meanwhile, deep within the Inner World.

Tamamo-no-Mae sat elegantly inside a carriage draped in white cloth. A single green candle flickered on the low table in front of her, casting eerie shadows against the silk walls.

She pulled the parchment scroll from her kimono, slowly unrolling it. Her slender, pale fingers traced the black ink written right next to Yozora’s signature.

“This guy’s true name…”

What met her golden eyes was a title that made her immortal heart pound with genuine dread.

The End of Eight Million.

If Yui or Rio had seen those words, they would have just found them slightly edgy or inexplicable. But if Miko had seen them, her reaction would have mirrored the Great Yokai’s.

Eight million was not just a random number. In Japanese mythology, there are eight million gods—the Yaoyorozu no Kami. Whether it was a literal count or just an ancient exaggeration to mean ‘infinite’ didn’t matter. In the modern era, the number eight million was strictly synonymous with the divine pantheon of Japan.

And in this country, the definition of a ‘god’ also encompassed legendary yokai like Tamamo-no-Mae.

The meaning behind The End of Eight Million was brutally simple.

It meant the one who brings absolute death to all gods and evil spirits.

Just staring at those characters made a cold dread coil in Tamamo-no-Mae’s stomach. A contract of this magnitude required a true name to take effect; the fact that the parchment hadn’t burned meant the title was completely authentic.

Who exactly was that boy?

No… was Yozora even human? How could a mortal possess a true name that claimed dominion over the death of the divine?

Tamamo-no-Mae exhaled a shaky breath, incredibly grateful that she had chosen to negotiate. She had played the gentle, accommodating hostess instead of throwing her weight around as an arrogant Great Yokai.

If she had chosen violence… Yozora would have likely become her end today.

“However…”

Tamamo-no-Mae rested her chin on her hand, the fear slowly giving way to a deeply amused smile.

“That tune he played was quite nice.”

Half an hour later, inside a brightly lit women’s clothing store on Kyoto’s bustling commercial street.

“This outfit is really beautiful!”

“I-Is that so? I don’t usually wear this kind of style.”

“Little Rio, why don’t you try it on?”

“Oh, um, this is…”

“Alright, alright, hurry up and go in!”

Before Rio could formulate a refusal, Yui playfully shoved her into the fitting room and shut the door.

Yozora noted that after their little adventure in the Inner World, Yui’s way of addressing the kuudere scientist had rapidly evolved. She had skipped right past “Futaba-san,” breezed through “Rio,” and landed firmly on the final form: “Little Rio.”

Watching the lively scene, Yozora concluded that when it came to fashion, Yui absolutely held the most authority in the Supernatural Society.

Rio was a lost cause. She wore a white lab coat over her school uniform all day long. If it weren’t for her top-tier facial features, she would look like a perverted mad scientist.

Miko’s style was aggressively plain. A standard uniform skirt paired with a bright yellow sweater. It was the kind of unpretentious, comfortable look favored by middle-aged women, and she only pulled it off because she was naturally gorgeous.

Yui, however, leaned into a slightly gyaru-inspired aesthetic. It was trendy, vibrant, and incredibly eye-catching.

Of course, they were currently standing in the middle of a trendy women’s boutique.

And in this specific environment, Yozora was actually the one drawing the most attention.

“That guy over there… he looks like a high schooler, right?”

“No way, he’s too tall. University student, maybe?”

“He’s so handsome. Should we go say hello?”

“He’s probably here with his girlfriend. Why else would a guy be in a store like this?”

“Eh, I saw him walk in with three girls. Even if one is his girlfriend, he wouldn’t bring a whole group on a date, right?”

“So… there’s a chance?”

If a normal teenage boy were standing in a women’s clothing store—surrounded by female shoppers and standing dangerously close to a lingerie display rack—he would have been sweating bullets, staring at the ceiling to avoid looking like a creep.

Yozora, however, was a picture of absolute tranquility. He stood there with his hands in his pockets, looking completely at ease.

A professional exorcist who ate evil spirits for breakfast wasn’t going to be intimidated by a little social awkwardness. He was already famous at Sobu High for being a social terrorist.

“Hey there, handsome.”

A woman in her early twenties, dressed in a flamboyant miniskirt and a camisole that showed off a generous amount of fair skin, approached him. She linked arms with her friend and flashed a practiced, flirtatious smile.

“Are you here alone? Want to ditch this place and go grab something to eat with big sister later?”

Yozora scratched the back of his head, offering up the perfect, shy smile of an innocent high school boy.

“Excuse me, but I’m actually here with my girlfriends.”

The woman’s smile faltered in disappointment, but her curiosity won out. “Oh? Out of those three girls from earlier, which one is yours? The cute one with the pink hair?”

“You misunderstood.”

Yozora’s shy smile widened just a fraction as he spoke with slow, deliberate clarity.

“All three of them are my girlfriends.”

Silence descended upon the immediate vicinity.

Every customer within earshot froze. A barrage of astonishment, disbelief, and sheer judgment focused entirely on Yozora.

One guy? Dating three girls? At the same time?

And he brought them all shopping together?!

And he just admitted it out loud like it’s a badge of honor?!

The sheer audacity was beyond human comprehension.

The flirtatious woman and her friend exchanged incredibly complex looks. Their faces cycled through confusion, disgust, and awe, before settling on awkward, strained laughter.

“O-Oh, I see. Our apologies for disturbing you…”

They practically fled toward the exit.

Only then did Miko walk over, pinching the bridge of her nose as she let out an exhausted sigh.

“What kind of nonsense are you spouting now?”

Miko was starting to realize her immunity to Yozora’s unhinged behavior was building up too fast. This wasn’t a good sign. Did becoming an exorcist mean she was doomed to slowly lose her grip on sanity just by being around him?

Before Yozora could defend his honor, the fitting room door clicked open.

“Quick, quick! Let me see!” Yui bounced on her heels.

Yozora watched her enthusiasm and felt a brief wave of philosophical contemplation. Why was it that when Yui said ‘Let me see,’ she sounded like a lively, supportive friend, but if he said the exact same words, he would sound like a massive pervert?

The world was truly unfair.

“I’m… I’m a little embarrassed,” Rio muttered, stepping out of the booth with a heavy blush dusting her cheeks.

She was still wearing her signature glasses, but the lab coat was gone. Over a simple camisole, she wore a stylish, fitted gray jacket. Knowing Rio’s reserved personality, Yui had smartly chosen a pair of denim hot pants instead of a skirt, giving her a sporty but highly attractive look.

Yozora’s immediate internal assessment:

White. Truly white.

His secondary assessment:

Big. Truly big.

However, remembering the rumors about Rio’s middle school days—how she had been isolated and criticized simply because her body developed much faster than her peers—Yozora kept his expression perfectly neutral.

“So cute!” Yui grabbed Rio’s hands, practically dragging the blushing scientist over to Yozora and Miko. “You guys think Little Rio looks amazing like this too, right?”

Miko smiled warmly. “Yes, it definitely suits you better than the lab coat.”

Rio’s blush deepened. She nervously adjusted her glasses and peeked up at the tall boy standing across from her. “Y-Yozora… what do you think?”

“Hmm. Very good. It suits you perfectly.”

Faced with a direct question, Yozora wasn’t going to give anything less than absolute approval.

Hearing his calm validation, Rio’s tense shoulders dropped. A rare, genuine smile graced her lips. “Since you all say it looks good… I’ll buy it.”

“Oh, I almost forgot.” Miko suddenly clapped her hands together. “Over the last few days, we’ve accumulated a total of 100,000 yen in exorcism rewards. 10,000 goes to the club’s activity fund. Yozora did the heavy lifting, so he gets 30,000. The remaining 60,000 will be split equally among the three of us. 20,000 each.”

“No need.” Rio waved her hand dismissively. “I haven’t even officially submitted my club application yet. Let’s talk about money next time.”

Miko opened her mouth to argue, but Yozora shrugged. “Let’s do as Futaba says.”

Miko and Yui didn’t know the truth, but Yozora was fully aware of Rio’s background. She wasn’t just some ordinary high school student. That massive, luxurious apartment she lived in right in the city center was worth tens of millions of yen. And she lived there completely alone.

This socially anxious science genius was a legitimate, hidden heiress. She might have even had more liquid cash than the Yukinoshita family. A mere 20,000 yen was pocket change to her.

After some gentle pushing from Yui, Miko finally picked out two sets of durable sportswear and a casual dress for herself.

Just as they were heading toward the register, a shop assistant intercepted them. She had been watching the group for a while, her eyes gleaming with the predatory look of someone trying to meet a sales quota. She flashed a highly aggressive, practiced smile.

“We’re actually running a special event today! Why don’t you ladies pick out two more items to qualify?”

“Ah, no, that’s okay…” Miko tried to step around her.

“Ladies, look at this set!” The assistant blocked their path, pulling a gaudy top off a nearby rack and practically shoving it against Yui’s chest. “It’s perfect for high school girls! And this one, and this skirt—these are the absolute trendiest styles right now. You’d look amazing, you really can’t pass this up!”

Watching the assistant completely ignore Miko’s refusal and physically crowd Yui, Yozora narrowed his eyes.

This woman was doing it on purpose. Rio had social anxiety, Miko hated confrontation, and Yui was a chronic people-pleaser who couldn’t say no to save her life. The assistant had recognized they were soft targets and was bullying them into buying things they didn’t want.

Yozora sighed. The psychological hang-ups of his club members were honestly more exhausting to manage than his own.

A thick-skinned salesperson trying to extort his friends required a heavy-handed response.

“Hey. I’m talking to you.”

Yozora stepped smoothly between the girls and the assistant. At over 1.8 meters tall, he easily towered over the woman, casting a dark shadow that made her aggressive smile instantly falter.

“E-Excuse me, sir…”

Yozora didn’t let her finish. He unleashed his verbal barrage with cold, crushing precision.

“Do I look like I need you to teach me how to buy clothes? She already told you no, so stop shamelessly shoving your garbage in her face. You took one look at a group of polite high school girls and thought they’d be easy marks to trick into padding your commission, didn’t you? I thought this brand had standards, but clearly, they’ll hire any street-level scammer off the pavement.”

He didn’t bother lowering his voice. The words echoed clearly across the quiet store.

The assistant’s face turned beet red. She opened her mouth to argue, but Yozora didn’t even grant her a second glance. He turned his back on her, gently guided Yui and the others to the main counter, paid for their original items, and walked out.

The brief confrontation didn’t sour the mood for long. Once they were back out on the cool evening streets, Rio checked her phone. It was nearing eight o’clock.

She looked up at Miko and Yui, a hint of reluctance in her eyes. “Since you both already told your families you’d be out late… why don’t you stay at my place tonight?”

She had genuinely enjoyed herself today. It was the first time she had gone out just to have fun with friends since middle school, and she didn’t want the night to end.

“No problem.” Miko nodded easily. “I was originally thinking we could all just crash at Yozora’s place, but if you have the space at your house, that’s definitely more convenient.”

The moment the words left her mouth, Miko froze.

The atmosphere on the sidewalk instantly plummeted into a bizarre, heavy silence.

Yui and Rio slowly turned their heads. They stared at Miko with expressions so intensely complex they defied description.

“You…” Yui’s voice squeaked slightly. “You’ve been to Yozora’s house?”

The air stopped moving.

Miko’s mouth hung open slightly. She realized the catastrophic slip of the tongue she had just made, but her brain short-circuited trying to find an innocent explanation. Hanging out with the Supernatural Society was so relaxing—she didn’t have to constantly pretend not to see horrifying monsters—that she had completely dropped her guard and spoken her inner thoughts out loud.

Feeling the sudden, suffocating pressure radiating from the three girls, Yozora took a sharp breath.

Could this be it?

The legendary phenomenon? The terrifying event known to be far deadlier than any evil spirit… the Japanese Shura Field?

Wait, I haven’t even made a move on any of them yet! Yozora panicked internally. Makoto Itou, is this my punishment? Is this the curse for all the times I trash-talked you while playing School Days?!

Faced with the silent, romantic bloodbath brewing on the pavement, Yozora made the only tactical choice available to a master exorcist.

“I’m a little hungry. How about…” He pointed vaguely down the street. “Let’s eat first?”

`[Inorin’s Note: `

`1. The End of Eight Million: A reference to the “Yaoyorozu no Kami” (Eight Million Gods), the Shinto concept that spirits and deities reside in all things. Yozora’s title implies he is the ultimate end to all divine and supernatural beings in Japan.`

`2. Shura Field: A common internet slang term (Asura field) referring to a chaotic, jealous romantic entanglement or a scene of absolute carnage between multiple love interests.`

`3. Makoto Itou: The infamous protagonist of the visual novel/anime “School Days,” known for two-timing his love interests and meeting a very gruesome, well-deserved “Bad End.” Yozora is terrified he’s about to suffer the same fate.]`