"Bre-bread?"
Yotsuya Miko's expression was slightly complex, and for a moment, she didn't know how to respond.
She indeed didn't remember how many slices of bread she had eaten.
But the key question was, could Evil Spirits be the same as bread?
Did Kano Yoruhoshi mean that, in his eyes, Evil Spirits were just like food, like bread? That there was no need to specifically remember how many he had consumed?
Before Yotsuya Miko could react, Kano Yoruhoshi pulled out the notebook she had seen that morning from his pocket and casually handed it over.
"The answers you want are probably all in here. I'm too lazy to explain, so just read it yourself."
Looking at the black notebook Kano Yoruhoshi handed over, Yotsuya Miko lightly bit her lower lip with her silver teeth, her golden eyes showing hesitation.
A very uneasy feeling suddenly arose in her heart.
According to Kano Yoruhoshi, he had only awakened the ability to see those "things" about half a month ago.
But it was clear.
Kano Yoruhoshi's understanding of Evil Spirits and ghosts was far more thorough than her own, who had possessed the Ryokunoryoku for many years.
If she took this notebook now and came into contact with the truth of this World, would she…
…still be able to turn back?
After hesitating for a long time, Yotsuya Miko finally extended her fair, tender right hand, her slender fingers resting on the black notebook's cover, and took it.
She took a deep breath, calming the nervous feeling in her chest, and slowly opened it.
The very first sentence that met her eyes made Yotsuya Miko freeze.
[March 20th, Weather: Cloudy.]
[Today, I awakened the ability to see Evil Spirits and ghosts.]
[Damn, I woke up this morning and opened my eyes to see a distorted monster standing by my bed. It really scared the hell out of me.]
Seeing this sentence, Yotsuya Miko unconsciously sighed.
She could only say she felt the same way.
Even now, when she occasionally opens her eyes in the morning and is suddenly startled by Evil Spirits and ghosts, she breaks out in a cold sweat.
At the same time, the anxiety in Yotsuya Miko's heart eased somewhat.
She looked at Kano Yoruhoshi, who was leaning against the rooftop railing, gazing at the distant scenery, and thought that although he appeared calm, his first encounter with an Evil Spirit had scared him just as much as it had scared her.
Possessing emotions like fear was a sign of a normal human being.
Yotsuya Miko had just shown a slight smile, but when she saw the following content, her smile froze.
[Eaten.]
[Surprisingly, Evil Spirits taste quite good. How should I describe it?]
[The texture is a bit like spicy strips, but the outer shell is crispy.]
[Friends who often eat Evil Spirits know that swallowing is easy, but cooking is difficult.]
[I tried deep-frying it, but it doesn't seem to be an ingredient; it can only be eaten raw.]
[Forget it, raw is fine. It has a primitive, natural flavor.]
Yotsuya Miko's brain had crashed; she couldn't even think, she just instinctively turned a page.
[March 26th, Weather: Sunny.]
[After continuously consuming Evil Spirits these past few days, I have a deeper understanding of my abilities.]
[It's not just being able to see Evil Spirits.]
[After consuming them, my physical fitness will be slightly enhanced. The specific effect seems to depend on the strength of the target Evil Spirit.]
[Furthermore, after consumption, some memory fragments that do not belong to me will appear in my mind.]
[I speculate that these might be some experiences of the Evil Spirit during its lifetime.]
[In the memory fragments, I only act as a third-person observer with a God's-eye view and do not experience them personally, so they have no effect on me.]
…
[April 2nd, Weather: A clear, cloudless day.]
[How many Evil Spirits have I consumed during this period? I haven't specifically kept track.]
[Around two or three hundred? Four or five hundred is also possible, after all, the number of these things is simply too many.]
[As the number of consumed Evil Spirits increases, I've found that ordinary Evil Spirits and ghosts, perhaps out of fear of a natural predator, no longer dare to approach me.]
[In fact, they even quickly flee after I appear.]
Seeing this entry, Yotsuya Miko's eyebrows twitched twice.
From March 20th to April 2nd, that's only thirteen days in total.
Kano Yoruhoshi actually consumed hundreds of Evil Spirits in such a short time?
That's equivalent to him consuming at least twenty to thirty every day?
Although the notebook didn't explicitly state it, based on Yotsuya Miko's experience, if she didn't specifically go to remote, dark places, the number of "things" she could see each day was only about four or five.
What did this mean?
It meant that ever since Kano Yoruhoshi awakened his Ryokunoryoku, he hadn't avoided Evil Spirits; instead, he had been actively searching for them every day.
Could this be a normal person!?
The content of the next entry, however, was difficult for Yotsuya Miko to comprehend.
[April 4th, Weather: Rainy.]
[Found another "door."]
[Just as I suspected, in areas where this thing exists, Evil Spirits and ghosts within a few kilometers become much more active.]
[If left unchecked, Kyoto will turn into a Hyakki Yagyō within two months, won't it?]
[Those Lao Deng at the Shrine, one by one, have no real ability. An Evil Spirit is practically sitting on their backs, and they're still talking about helping me with spiritual blessings and prayers to the Gods?]
[However, if the settings for Evil Spirits and ghosts are the same as in Yotsuya Miko's World, I remember there are so-called Gods who have the ability to eradicate Evil Spirits.]
[Perhaps I haven't found the right place.]
[Or perhaps, Gods truly exist, but They are unwilling to help me.]
[Either way, it no longer matters.]
[Tomorrow is the first day of school at Soubu High School. After I make contact with Yotsuya Miko, I'll consider the next step of the plan.]
The daily entries in the notebook ended here.
At the very end, there was Kano Yoruhoshi's compilation of reactions when attacking Evil Spirits with weapons of various materials.
Seeing this record, Yotsuya Miko finally understood why he had done what he did that morning.
It wasn't for pleasure.
Rather, he was conducting experiments, trying to find out which material of weapon could inflict the maximum damage on Evil Spirits.
What is professionalism?
This is professionalism.
Yotsuya Miko even felt there was a hint of scientific exorcism to it.
Only one thing remained incomprehensible to her.
Yotsuya Miko looked up at Kano Yoruhoshi, puzzled.
"What do you mean 'my World'? Have you seen me before? And what exactly is this 'door'?"
"Hmm… how should I describe it?"
Kano Yoruhoshi shrugged, smiling indifferently.
"You could say that although I haven't met you, I know you very well."
"As for the door…"
"If you're free after school today, I can take you to see it with your own eyes. Once you see it, you'll understand everything."
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