Chapter 18: The Encounter

Earthbound spirits.

In various tales, the methods for exorcising earthbound spirits involve either fulfilling their lingering wishes from life or forcibly "purifying" them through immense cultivation.

However, the Metropolitan Police Department and the various high priests and shrine masters they had invited possessed neither. They could only resort to stringing up caution tape and assigning officers to guard every entrance.

Several "experts" stood by—some with arms crossed, staring at the burning apartment building until their eyes watered, others twirling prayer beads while chanting "Amitabha."

Superintendent General Hakuba felt anxious. He had already spoken with Yuya Asakawa; though his intuition suggested Yamada Ryoka had accepted the task, the lack of visual confirmation left him uneasy.

Toshiro Odagiri, stationed at the scene, scanned the area, maintaining a high level of alert.

As his gaze swept over the burning building once more, he suddenly froze, his eyes widening.

Shadows from all directions converged and churned, forming a black pool about two meters wide. A head emerged from the "surface," followed by a neck and a chest. In the blink of an eye, a living person stood at the scene.

Wearing a pale purple scarf and a beige coat, he looked, by all appearances, like an ordinary high school student.

He had arrived.

Odagiri naturally remembered what Yamada Ryoka looked like. Just as he was about to speak, he saw that the youth’s attention was entirely fixed on the burning apartment, completely disregarding the police officers standing guard around him.

"Indeed, there is a wicked soul here that barely meets the requirements."

A pleasant surprise. It was not difficult to find heinous criminals on a planet with billions of people, but with his current abilities, Yamada could not pinpoint them with precision. Now that an earthbound spirit meeting his criteria was right before him, how could he not be pleased?

He channeled the power of the departed to form "armor" around his body and strode inside.

Outside, the old men, stunned by Yamada’s entrance, stared wide-eyed at his back as he stepped into the flames.

"He... he just went in like that?" The head priest of Meiji Jingu stammered, his face filled with disbelief.

"Could this be the true strength of the Metropolitan Police?" a low-profile old monk driving a Mercedes muttered to himself.

Hearing their remarks, Toshiro Odagiri snapped out of the shock caused by Yamada’s world-shattering entrance and turned to face these "experts."

"Gentlemen, the Superintendent General invites you to come to the Metropolitan Police Department later for a cup of tea."

At these words, everyone fell silent.

Was it really just for tea? Did they not need to sign anything?

At the Metropolitan Police Department, Superintendent General Hakuba let out a soft sigh upon seeing Yamada Ryoka appear on screen.

"Though I don't know if this is good or bad," at least the problem of the earthbound spirit was resolved.

Inside the apartment building, thick smoke billowed and the pungent smell of gasoline permeated the air. For an ordinary person, visibility was less than two meters.

But that was for ordinary people.

Yamada Ryoka, channeling his power, could clearly sense the evil spirit hiding in the apartment.

After all...

"My power comes from the souls of the departed who could not let go." He turned his hand into a claw, listening to the roar of a chainsaw charging out from the sea of fire. Yamada turned swiftly, catching the roaring blade with a palm covered in the power of the dead!

He stared at this earthbound spirit.

It was a standard bubble-era corporate employee, wearing a disheveled, blood-stained white shirt, the blood on it showing signs of having been baked by high heat. His eyes were hollow, filled only with the most primitive intent to kill.

Back then, the salary and benefits of such employees were enough to make the citizens of the countries where this nation’s troops were stationed weep with envy. Because of this, it was inevitable that he would turn to extremes after being laid off and finding himself powerless against the impact of the subsequent bubble burst.

"But that has nothing to do with me. Earthbound spirit, come here!"

As he spoke, a dozen souls lunged out, tearing and gnawing at the "feeble" earthbound spirit.

An earthbound spirit is also a soul; he alone could not resist someone who bore the weight of a thousand spirits.

Yamada watched this scene calmly. He did not know how powerful his own strength was, but the entity who saved his mother’s soul and allowed thousands of spirits into his body without letting him collapse—that alone was enough to glimpse a fraction of that being's immense power.

For the current Yamada Ryoka, the stronger that entity’s power was, the better. He believed that a powerhouse of such stature would not lie. As long as he fulfilled the conditions, he could bring his mother back from the underworld!

Outside, dozens of heavily armed police officers had set up a firing line, aiming nervously at the apartment building's entrance.

Odagiri pointed his camera at the doorway, watching tensely alongside Superintendent General Hakuba and the others back at headquarters.

The "experts" were so eager they hardly dared to blink, desperate to record every detail in their minds. If they could figure something out, maybe they could go back and check if they possessed something similar, and perhaps they, too, could become transcendent.

In this tense atmosphere, a figure slowly emerged.

Still wearing the pale purple scarf and beige coat, he stepped out, and the raging fire in the apartment building behind him shrank at a visible rate. Within seconds, it was completely extinguished, not even a spark remaining.

This speed was not scientific, but it was transcendent.

Facing the approaching Yamada Ryoka, Toshiro Odagiri took a deep breath, knowing it was his turn to step up, and waved for the officers to lower their weapons.

His facial muscles shifted, forcing a kind smile: "Yamada-kun, thank you for your contribution to the people of Japan. The Metropolitan Police will not treat any righteous person unfairly. If you have any requests, feel free to state them. This is also the wish of Superintendent General Hakuba."

As he spoke, he turned the screen toward Yamada. The stern face of Superintendent General Hakuba appeared on it, and he bowed slightly to meet Yamada’s gaze.

"Yamada-kun, we are deeply grateful."

The intention of the Metropolitan Police was clear.

Negotiation. It had to be negotiation.

Yamada Ryoka had already proven his strength. The Self-Defense Forces had paid a bloody price for guarding and investigating the location where the Tsuchigumo had departed. Moreover, as one of the only two clearly human transcendents to appear, Yamada’s status was unquestionable.

And what about Master Chiriku?

Wake up. Not to mention the true-or-false Saint Kannon behind him, the mere Great Demon sealed at Senso-ji Temple was enough to make them shrink back in fear.

They had brought in underground perspective devices and detectors, but the final result was, without question, a total failure to find anything.

However, that did not prove the demons of Senso-ji did not exist; before this, they had also believed that transcendents did not exist.

What’s more, Chiriku was inclined toward their side. If they used force, would they really want to create an intractable enemy for no reason?

"Requests?" Yamada Ryoka loosened the scarf his mother had knitted for him and smiled disdainfully.

"One thousand heinous souls. Bring them to me."

Heinous. Not just ordinary evildoers. This condition could not be met even by searching every prison in the country, as many truly heinous people were still at large. Given Yamada’s track record, this "heinous" clearly did not refer to the kind of petty criminals people usually shouted about.

"You don't have them? Then don't bother me again, or I will slaughter my way into the Metropolitan Police Department."

Odagiri’s expression turned ugly. As the Chief of the Criminal Investigation Department, this was the first time someone had openly threatened him, and threatened the entire Metropolitan Police Department at that!

It was simply...

Forget it. The opponent possessed transcendent individual combat power; it was better to avoid his sharp edge for now.

Yamada Ryoka felt a sense of boredom. Since the evil spirit was now in his grasp, it was time for him to leave.

He unleashed his power, and the black pool reappeared.

"Amitabha."

Just then, a melodious and serene chant of the Buddha suddenly echoed across the scene.

Odagiri paused. This familiar voice...

The chant was too unique, drawing everyone to turn and look.

It was a monk with hands pressed together, dressed in white robes and a kasaya, his appearance solemn and majestic.

It was the current abbot of Senso-ji Temple—Master Chiriku.

Well, the previous abbot had felt he was not virtuous enough for the position and had abdicated in favor of Master Chiriku.

"Benefactor, bearing the weight of a thousand souls is not only painful, but the power of the dead will eventually consume you. This poor monk can offer to ferry the souls of the innocent for you."

Chiriku kept his hands pressed together, locking eyes with Yamada Ryoka, and said softly.