Chapter 38: This Step is Called Society.

The hearts of the three sank.

Dilu was currently the only supernatural individual courted by the Metropolitan Police Department, and he had even received direct personal guidance and teachings from the Holy Kannon. His status was extraordinary; how could the matter concerning him be trivial?

Looking at the slumbering hair-specter contained within the vessel, Dilu voiced the deep concerns weighing on his mind.

"With demons and ghosts running so rampant, and the Earth Spider lurking unseen in the shadows, I am deeply concerned that it will gather all the apparitions gradually returning to this world from the collective resentment of humanity, and ultimately form a Hyakki Yagyo—a Night Parade of One Hundred Demons."

Hyakki...

"A Night Parade?!"

Everyone present was a native of Japan. During this recent period, they had frantically crammed their knowledge of mythologies and legends, thoroughly studying many classic tales by heart. They were certainly no strangers to the immensely prominent concept of the Hyakki Yagyo in island folklore.

"The Night Parade of One Hundred Demons." Superintendent Hakuba furrowed his brow tightly. Coupling Dilu's words with the Earth Spider—whose whereabouts remained entirely unknown—and the faint, shadowy rumors of specters emerging one after another, a creeping sense of unease began to spread.

Enduring the growing anxiety within, he humbly sought guidance.

"Master Dilu, is there something particularly special about the Hyakki Yagyo?"

"The Hyakki Yagyo does not require fixed conditions to manifest. Any exceptionally powerful supreme demon can assemble its own army of a hundred demons. Wherever the parade passes, the demonic aura fills the heavens. Within the Night Parade, even the weakest specter receives a formidable boost to its demonic power, turning immensely dangerous. Naturally, the already powerful demons become even more formidable."

"Take this hair-specter, for instance. If it had been placed within the environment of a Hyakki Yagyo yesterday, while it still would have fallen victim to modern firearms, the sheer firepower required to subdue it yesterday would have fallen woefully short without reaching a much higher magnitude."

This concept was well known to them. Which modern person did not understand that special environments provided buffs to bosses and minions? But that was in video games; in reality, monsters that were already difficult to deal with would become even more terrifying during a Hyakki Yagyo, and the resulting destruction would be immeasurable.

Most crucially, reports submitted by the Metropolitan Police Department’s newly formed squad analyzing the Earth Spider indicated that the creature was not one to stay quietly put. Aside from recuperating from its injuries, the very reason it remained so dormant was likely the one Dilu had just mentioned.

In other words, the probability of Dilu's analysis being correct was exceedingly high!

The more they thought about it, the more apprehensive they became. The joy brought by the acquisition of supernatural materials vanished completely. Superintendent Hakuba said in a deep voice.

"Director Otagiri, this matter must be classified at the highest priority level. We must track down the movements of the Earth Spider!"

"Understood!"

Fully grasping the gravity of the situation, Toshiro Otagiri rushed off to work with burning urgency.

"Asakawa-kun, lead the Supernatural Division in closely monitoring all aspects of Japan. Every place where demons might potentially appear must be thoroughly searched. We must never give the Earth Spider an opportunity to assemble the Hyakki Yagyo!"

"Understood!"

Yuya Asakawa, who had only just caught his breath, was once again thrust back into the grueling life of a workhorse.

"Master Dilu." Superintendent Hakuba turned to look at Dilu, saying earnestly, "On behalf of the Metropolitan Police Department, I must beg Master to keep a close eye on developments in this regard. In today's Japan, we can only rely upon Master."

Dilu solemnly accepted the commission. Looking at Superintendent Hakuba, whose worry far surpassed his own moments ago, he offered words of reassurance.

"Superintendent need not be overly concerned. Things may not necessarily develop in the direction I have surmised."

Superintendent Hakuba managed a strained smile.

*Ah, to take precautions before it rains.*

Turning his gaze back to the hair-specter in the container, he could only hope things would not take a turn for the worst.

After all, a Hyakki Yagyo was assembled by supreme demons and typically erupted in the most prosperous regions of a nation.

In the past, it was Kyoto—a city steeped in historical depth.

Now, it was Tokyo—a pure product of modernity, a sprawling metropolis.

He dared not imagine what kind of scene would unfold if a Hyakki Yagyo truly erupted in Tokyo.

The exposure of the supernatural would be a minor issue.

What he feared most was the wake of the hundred demons rampaging through Tokyo, leaving behind massive casualties and catastrophic economic losses.

That would be fatal.

————

The clock ticked slowly, and the sun drifted toward the west.

Inside a luxury apartment building in Bunkyo Ward.

Yukino Yukinoshita frowned as she turned her key and opened the front door.

The scent of alcohol—though very faint—was still detected by her.

The next second, two slimes lunged forward to attack from the front.

"Wuwu~~ Yukino~~"

Yukino Yukinoshita sidestepped to dodge them, her brow still furrowed.

"Did you travel all this way uninvited just to drink in my living room?"

"Yep."

Was this woman's brain broken?

Suddenly, she noticed the look in Yano's eyes toward her had changed. It had become... pitiful?

With her large, watery eyes blinking, Haruno Yukinoshita pleaded with Yukino in a supplicating tone.

"Yukino, won't you come back with us to Chiba?"

"..."

She had been mistaken; this woman's brain wasn't just broken—it was beyond saving.

In the end, Haruno Yukinoshita still failed to shake her younger sister's resolve.

However, she had no intention of giving up.

"As expected, I still have to confess everything to Mother."

In the bathroom, Haruno Yukinoshita gently bit her fingernail while looking into the mirror, muttering to herself.

Sending Yukino to Tokyo for her studies was the family's intention to have her mingle with Tokyo's high society. Bunkyo Ward was certainly not lacking in scions of wealthy and powerful families, but Yukino had never made any progress. Though their mother was disappointed, she also knew this daughter's stubborn streak, so she simply let her do as she pleased, as long as she could stand tall when the time called for it.

She had also intended to let her younger sister properly enjoy her youthful school life.

But not anymore. Tokyo was simply too dangerous.

As for the non-disclosure agreement...

She had more or less grasped the Superintendent's intent: letting her family be cautious was acceptable; publicizing the matter was not.

Taking a deep breath, Haruno Yukinoshita launched her offensive against their mother. Shortly after the call went through, following a brief silence, a faint sigh drifted from the other end of the line.

"Haruno, are you in your right mind?"

When the five o'clock bell rang, Yukino, who was preparing dinner in the kitchen, caught sight of a head poking inside.

"Spit it out." She rolled up her sleeves, preparing to tie back her hair.

"Mother told you to come back with me tomorrow."

"...Clack."

The hair tie gently slapped against the back of her hand before slipping from her grasp, a faint flush gradually creeping across the fair skin of her hand.

But Yukino Yukinoshita had no time to deal with such a trivial matter.

Her eyes widening slightly, her tone bordered on grinding her teeth.

"Just what did you say to Mom?"

————

While some were forced to leave Chiba, others took the initiative to head toward it.

"Are you certain that monster flew in the direction of Chiba?"

Still driving the vintage Porsche, Gin glanced at the two handcuffed individuals seated in the back row and spoke.

However, the current condition of the two high school detectives was somewhat regrettable.

The skin around both of their eye sockets was bruised and discolored—quite symmetrically so.

"Yes, I saw it with my own eyes flying toward Chiba. Aren't your organizations exceptionally powerful? You can just investigate something like this yourselves."

Kudo Shinichi drew in a sharp breath after finishing his sentence.

He had aggravated his injuries.

Hearing that voice, Gin let out a cold, emotionless chuckle, rolled down the car window, lit a cigarette, and said calmly.

"If there are any more petty tricks, next time you two will be returning to Tokyo lying horizontally."

Vodka, who was driving, smiled contemptuously at the pair in the back. "My大哥 (Boss) isn't joking."

High school detectives who had played a few detective games and gained a bit of fame dared to pull petty tricks right under the Boss's nose. If not for the fact that their special identities could yield quite a bit of valuable information, the two of them would have been directly disposed of during that previous encounter.

Just then, several black birds appeared in the scenery outside the car window. Gin glanced at them and uttered a sentence that sounded somewhat sentimental.

"Even crows know which way death is migrating."

As he drove, Vodka observed the birds, attempting to find a point of resonance with his boss. Suddenly, he blinked.

"Boss, those look more like mynas."

The two high school detectives in the back row felt entirely devoid of hope.

"..."

"..."