Just after leaving Soubu High School, he saw a LINE message on his phone from Miura Yumiko. After a quick scan of the content,
Shiraishi Kawa was a bit stunned.
It would be very difficult for Miura to solve the problem using the former method, as even he only managed to master the Exorcist profession through the proficiency panel.
The latter method of Holy Light Exorcism was simply too perverse.
He hadn't even expected Miura Yumiko to choose to accept it. Seeing the LINE message box change to 'read',
the other party had already made her choice.
Then, no matter what, he really should give a clear answer.
Okay.
Not long after sending the message, he quickly received a reply from Miura Yumiko. Unlike her usual arrogant queen-like personality at school,
I... I want to ask, Shiraishi-kun, what exactly should I do?
User shared address information.
I have other matters to attend to now. You can come find me tonight.
Okay.
Returning to Class 2-F, Miura Yumiko was a bit distracted. She naturally knew what kind of decision she had just made.
To dedicate everything,
in exchange for a relatively safe and comfortable state. Whether it was truly worth it, she didn't have an answer in her heart. Looking out at the still bright sky,
she only knew that the world seemed to have changed.
After replying with the location information, he didn't continue to pay attention to his phone. He took the orbital train back home. The matter he needed to deal with currently
was to return Megumin's staff to her first.
He had borrowed it for quite a long time, and the effect was naturally good, effectively improving the efficiency of Mana output. In the Konosuba World,
the price would definitely not be cheap.
"When I go to konosuba, I'll have to find a way to complete a quest and earn some money first."
Earning money in the Konosuba World was simple. As long as one possessed enough strength, they could take on dangerous quests that ordinary Adventurers couldn't complete.
What truly made Shiraishi Kawa ponder
was the arrangement of the blank profession slots. In Esdeath's Akame ga Kill World, there was a profession that greatly attracted him: Imperial Arms User.
In the Demon Slayer World, where the Master of the Butterfly Mansion resided,
choosing a profession there would simply be a waste of the profession panel.
As for the SAO game world where Asuna was, he hadn't considered it for now. In the Goblin Slayer World, there were indeed Heroes.
Among the currently available professions, none had particularly moved Shiraishi Kawa. The Familia members of the gods in DanMachi were even less of a consideration.
If he had to say what interested him,
it was Hestia's divine identity as Blue Ribbon. As for whether she could meet the transfer conditions, that was another matter. He also had to consider the upgrade path.
Otherwise, if the profession panel got stuck, it would be somewhat counterproductive.
"No need to think so much for now. I need to accumulate enough points to go to other worlds."
Riding the orbital train,
he returned to his apartment building. However, as soon as he got close, Shiraishi Kawa felt a strong ghostly aura. This was not something a high-level evil spirit could possess.
It must be an urban legends level.
Referring to the plot development of the original Compulsory Exorcist, Hiraki Hanako had quite good relationships with other urban legends, and this aura
was very likely from one of her friends.
Kuchisake-onna?
Or Cat Woman? Shiraishi Kawa wasn't entirely sure, but what he could confirm was that this urban legend evil spirit's target was clearly him.
"..."
He wasn't in a hurry to find the other party.
Instead, he first went to the house where Hiraki Hanako and Mary were temporarily living. This time, he didn't even need to knock. Sensing his aura,
Mary came to open the door with light steps.
"Shiraishi Kawa-sama, you're back." Mary, who was kept like a canary at home, was not greedy at all. Her heart was very content.
Her body was practically branded with Shiraishi Kawa's aura.
She didn't even need to knock; Mary knew who was coming. This time, she didn't ask for help with Purification. Instead, she actively pulled his hand
to the outside of the bathroom.
"Kuchisake-onna came to find Hanako-chan just now, saying she wanted to take her away. Then Hanako-chan disagreed, and finally Kuchisake-onna said she was going to find you..."
"Hanako is also hiding in the toilet and doesn't want to come out."
Mary explained seriously.
He had a simple understanding of the situation's cause and effect. Hiraki Hanako had not been lured by Kuchisake-onna and returned to her urban legend evil spirit state.
Shiraishi Kawa was quite relieved about this.
He actively opened the toilet door, not caring about Hiraki Hanako's thoughts. His gaze fell on the girl cowering in the corner, and he said in a relaxed tone,
"Are you afraid Kuchisake-onna will cause me trouble?"
"..."
Hiraki Hanako, huddled in the corner, didn't speak, only nodded. She looked up at Shiraishi Kawa, her eyes full of guilt. After receiving help,
she could live like a normal person.
Hanako was actually very content, but she never expected her peaceful life to be shattered by an old friend, even though she had rejected her quite thoroughly.
"I'm sorry, Shiraishi-sama... I've caused you trouble."
"Where is Kuchisake-onna's location?"
He picked up Hanako-chan, the JK high school girl from the corner, and brought her to the living room of the suite. With her and Mary's arrangements, the place gradually felt like a home.
He was about to sit on the sofa.
It couldn't really be called a force of habit; Hanako, who only wanted to sever ties with her past, spoke with extreme solemnity, especially after her encounter with Kuchisake-onna.
"Please, Shiraishi-sama, help me... Purify my spirit body!"
"..."
Hanako felt the scorching summer heat and suddenly recalled eating popsicles as a child. This feeling was exceptionally wonderful, causing trouble for Shiraishi Kawa.
She simply didn't know how to make amends.
She could only show through her actions that she would never again become an urban legends evil spirit, wanting to serve by Shiraishi Kawa's side forever.
"I can feel your sincerity."
"I'm not looking for you because of Kuchisake-onna. I just want to invite you to become the guardian spirit of this apartment building to prevent ghosts from entering here."
He stroked Hanako's smooth long hair.
What happened to Yurikawa Hana, and the safety of Izumi Miori and Sagiri, who live in the apartment, all needed to be ensured.
This apartment building.
It could be said to be the foundation of the Crystal Palace going forward. If Miura Yumiko had no objections, she would likely move in eventually.
The resources that the real world could provide were very limited.
Shiraishi Kawa, who urgently wanted to improve his strength, would likely spend most of his time in the Apocalypse and Goblin Slayer World, leveling up.
"..."
Suddenly looking up, Hanako-chan, whose spirit body was being completely Purified and sublimated, now had an expression of disbelief in her eyes. As the guardian spirit of the apartment building...
Originally, she only wanted to live a normal life.
Serving by Shiraishi Kawa's side, she had never even aspired to such a status, but now receiving this affirmation, Hanako-chan felt even more moved.
"Master!"
"I... I want to be Purified too!"
Mary naturally didn't want to fall behind Hanako. Even if her status prevented her from becoming a guardian spirit, she still wanted to improve!
Welcome, Shiraishi-sama's Holy Sword!
Leaving the apartment building again, the time was already close to 4 PM. Following the detailed address Hanako provided, Shiraishi Kawa decisively chose to go there.
The main reason... was that compared to Mary and Hanako, who had completely pledged their loyalty, Kuchisake-onna, who had not yet been Purified, was the most unstable factor currently.
If he focused his attention on the people around him, he needed to go to other worlds to improve himself. Safety hazards must be resolved in advance!
As for Kuchisake-onna, he only had a general understanding.
urban legends are divided into several versions.
Among them, there is a saying that she was a beautiful woman before she died. During a cosmetic surgery, she kept wriggling because she smelled a waxy odor from the doctor's head.
As a result, the doctor accidentally cut both sides of her mouth. The woman, enraged at her disfigured appearance, killed the doctor and fled.
Later, she was killed by a hail of bullets as a monster... After becoming an urban legends, she became the fear of countless people, but from the perspective of a God-mode viewer, he only felt it wasn't enough.
"This should be it, right?"
Shiraishi Kawa surveyed the abandoned hospital in front of him. It had been deserted for nearly 30 years, with old walls covered in climbing ivy and weeds everywhere.
Due to its proximity to the outskirts of Chiba Prefecture, the environment around the abandoned hospital was particularly desolate.
But as soon as he got close.
He felt an extremely dense aura of resentment, identical to the aura that appeared in the apartment building—the urban legends who had gone to find Hanako.
Kuchisake-onna!
With physical abilities beyond human limits, this environment didn't affect Shiraishi Kawa in the slightest. He decisively entered this abandoned hospital.
Just by virtue of his Exorcist profession, he had no fear of any evil spirits in the current world.
Not to mention, the opponent was a somewhat familiar character... Relying on his powerful spiritual perception, he advanced along the location of the evil spirit's aura, while Shiraishi Kawa surveyed his surroundings.
It was quite messy, with scattered documents on the floor covered in dust.
Various cosmetic surgery instruments were broken on the ground, and even dark red bloodstains could be seen on the walls, making it a suitable lair for Kuchisake-onna.
"..."
Feeling a powerful surge of resentment.
Arriving at the stairwell, Shiraishi Kawa looked towards the side wall, and what met his eyes was the figure of a woman. She was wearing a dark red trench coat.
Her hair was casually draped over her shoulders.
Even with the oversized trench coat.
Shiraishi Kawa could still clearly feel Kuchisake-onna's impressive figure. After she lifted her head, she revealed a rather delicate face.
The only flaw was that she was wearing a mask on her face.
Kuchisake-onna naturally noticed Shiraishi Kawa. Her somewhat magnetic, mature voice questioned the figure who had suddenly intruded into the abandoned hospital.
"Am I... pretty?"
"I can't see with the mask on. Can you take off your mask and show me?"
As a mandatory Exorcist, Shiraishi Kawa was certainly picky. He didn't care in the slightest about the resentment emanating from Kuchisake-onna.
He fully unleashed the power of his passive skill, Adamantine Body.
He slowly walked towards the stairs. Even though she sensed danger, Kuchisake-onna showed no signs of panic, and actively took off her mask.
What appeared before Shiraishi Kawa's eyes... was a rather perfect face. If there was a flaw, it was the very obvious stitches, and her overall beauty couldn't compare to Hanako's.
However, Kuchisake-onna's perfect figure was a bonus point!
"Well, what do you think?"
Kuchisake-onna smiled brightly. After sensing Shiraishi Kawa's aura, which was identical to the one imprinted in Hanako's body, her eyes flickered with red light.
"It was you who turned Hanako into that state?"
Her hands were no longer in her pockets. Underneath her naturally open trench coat was a perfect figure. If they were to be compared, it was even more terrifying than Marikawa Shizuka's!
The suspender stockings were pulled up to her thighs... showcasing Kuchisake-onna's perfectly sculpted legs with a hint of fleshiness. Coupled with her already tall stature, her body proportions were exceptionally perfect.
Kuchisake-onna observed Shiraishi Kawa with interest.
During their conversation, resentment continuously surged towards him through the ground. She made no attempt to hide the scissors she held in her hand. Seeing her movements restricted,
She slowly walked down the stairs.
Ignoring the stitches on her cheeks, Kuchisake-onna still looked beautiful when she smiled: "You're a very strange Exorcist, but when you met me..."
"The outcome was already predetermined."
As she moved, her ample bosom swayed slightly. Gripping the scissors tightly in her hand, she asked again: "Am I pretty?"
"My assessment is, one has to try to know..."
He naturally felt the dense resentment emanating from Kuchisake-onna, who wanted to use the abandoned hospital for home-field advantage. But ignoring his Exorcist profession,
Shiraishi Kawa was also a Holy Sword User.
This level of restriction would be impossible for an ordinary Exorcist to break free from, but for his current physical strength, it was meaningless.
He moved his body slightly.
He didn't even need the Mana Emission skill of the Holy Sword User profession. Under Kuchisake-onna's astonished gaze, his figure instantly vanished from its original spot.
"Rather than saying I did it, it's more accurate to say Hanako made the choice herself."
"..."
"It's precisely because you made Hanako so strange that I want to take Hanako away from you. You can't stop me!"
Kuchisake-onna gritted her teeth, completely uninterested in what Shiraishi Kawa was saying. Her eyes vigilantly scanned her surroundings, trying to use resentment to locate that figure.
But with an attack to her abdomen.
Kuchisake-onna, who had no chance to react, bent over driven by pain, and the vacuum scene beneath her dark red trench coat was perfectly revealed.
For other ghosts.
He could simply eliminate them with his Holy Sword User profession. If it was an urban legends like Kuchisake-onna, conventional physical exorcism would be a waste of valuable resources.
In the face of absolute power, there was no need for skill.
While Kuchisake-onna was bent over clutching her abdomen, Shiraishi Kawa decisively grabbed her hands. As for the red trench coat, it offered no obstruction.
"It's an old saying..."
"As is well known, the reason for an Exorcist's righteousness is to Purify evil, and all evil will be brought to justice, even if the methods are somewhat extreme."
"I think you can understand that too."
Shiraishi Kawa's tone was very serious.
The more the enemy resisted, the more it meant he was doing the right thing. Looking at Kuchisake-onna, who was struggling incessantly, he decisively chose to bring out Holy Sword Curry Stick.
Aiming at the weakest point in her resentment defense.
"Ugh!"
The sharp Holy Sword broke through the outermost layer of defense. The accompanying holy light effect had an absolute suppressive force against Kuchisake-onna, who was filled with resentment.
"Jit!"
Looking at the resisting urban legends evil spirit, Shiraishi Kawa decisively used Holy Sword Curry Stick, attacking the weakest defensive area of Kuchisake-onna's body.
"Tut!"
"..."
The intense pressure brought by Holy Sword Curry Stick made Kuchisake-onna feel suffocated. Holy light continuously Purified the resentment within her body.
Most importantly... the 5.6 Holy Sword summoned by Shiraishi Kawa carried the purest holy light!
"No! What do you want to do?"
"Exorcism."
Without any prior preparation, Shiraishi Kawa decisively used the Holy Sword to perform exorcism and Purification on Kuchisake-onna. The power continuously spread.
However.
The Purification effect was not particularly good. Dense resentment still enveloped Kuchisake-onna, even though her body was completely restricted from moving.
She still turned her head.
Kuchisake-onna, who survived on resentment, felt the loss of power within her body, which was gradually nearing collapse: "You can't completely Purify me."
"The fear these people have of me will provide me with an endless supply of power..."
"..."
It seemed Kuchisake-onna indeed had such a setting. Shiraishi Kawa paused the exorcism and Purification using Holy Sword Curry Stick. Even if he couldn't completely deal with her,
Bringing her home and setting up a sealing array to restrict her movements could also be considered solving the problem.
To prevent any accidents, with a thought, he decisively summoned Holy Sword: Shinra Bansho, the core of the Holy Sword User profession.
Shiraishi Kawa's tone was somewhat regretful: "If I can't perform Purification and guarantee the safety of the people around me, then I can only… completely eliminate you."
"…"
Feeling the purest power from the depths of her soul from Holy Sword: Shinra Bansho, the Kuchisake-onna felt an instinctive fear of Holy Sword Curry Stick.
It felt like her soul was being pierced… And now, this scarlet weapon emitting a tyrannical aura would probably annihilate her directly if she were to be struck by it. She no longer had her initial arrogance.
"I… I heard Hanako-chan say that you are Lord Shiraishi, the light that gave her a new life and freed her from being a bound spirit. You know…"
"Hanako-chan is my good friend."
"You are Hanako-chan's master, which means you are my master as well. Can you put away this weapon… I prefer the Curry Stick from before…"
She squeezed out a flattering smile on her face.
Having gained the right to move freely, the Kuchisake-onna actively seized the future!