Chapter 430: Aoandon, the Kirari of Another World
The girl at the door slowly withdrew her hand. Seeing it was unharmed, a faint, curious smile touched her lips. She had a feeling she'd stumbled upon something truly interesting today.
'Then let's see… just what kind of story does the light from this late-night forest shrine hold…?'
Yakumo Yukari's words trailed off, her gaze fixed on the spot where the girl's hand had been. It wasn't the retraction that puzzled her, but the lingering trace of power she had sensed from that simple touch—Youkai Power.
What did that signify? The power of gods was divine power; the power of immortals was immortal power; the power of beings like demons and angels was magic. But Youkai Power belonged exclusively to youkai.
In other words, a youkai had just arrived. And one that had achieved a perfect human form.
In the hierarchy of their kind, insufficient Youkai Power meant insufficient cultivation, which in turn determined whether one was even qualified to assume a human guise. This visitor was, by all accounts, far from weak.
A playful glint entered Yakumo Yukari's eyes. "Well now, Yuuka," she murmured, her voice laced with anticipation. "That was Youkai Power, wasn't it?"
Beside her, Yuuka Kazami gave a slight, elegant nod. She, too, felt a flicker of interest toward this new arrival.
The next moment, a sudden, inexplicable chill swept through the restaurant. A silver-haired girl, seated gracefully upon a glowing paper lantern, drifted silently through the open doorway as if carried by an unseen current.
The instant she came into view, Yakumo Yukari's eyes widened. Yuuka Kazami froze, her serene composure momentarily broken. Even Lucifer, the Queen of Hell, shot to her feet with a sharp intake of breath.
The girl herself, suspended in mid-air, simply blinked, her expression one of pure bewilderment as she took in the scene. It was clear the four onlookers were each fixated on entirely different aspects of her arrival.
"This Youkai Power…" Yakumo Yukari breathed, a note of genuine surprise in her tone. "It's not weak at all."
Yuuka nodded in agreement, her voice a soft whisper. "Not human. Definitely a youkai."
Their hushed exchange drew the girl's attention, and as her gaze fell upon the two ancient beings, her pupils constricted into pinpricks.
'I can't win,' was the only thought that screamed through her mind.
She was no match for these two beautiful women; their Youkai Power was an ocean, so vast and deep she couldn't even begin to fathom its depths. The sheer pressure radiating from them struck a chord of primal fear within her, instantly erasing every half-formed story she had been imagining. It was so overwhelming that she completely overlooked the fact that she had just materialized in a place utterly alien to her.
Noticing Lucifer's stark reaction, Yuuka Kazami tilted her head. "Lucifer, do you know her?"
Yakumo Yukari shared the confusion. 'No way,' she mused silently. 'The Queen of Hell knows a youkai? The crossover feels a bit strange.'
The girl turned her head, her gaze landing on Lucifer. Though it wasn't Youkai Power, the pressure emanating from the demoness was still evident.
'Good heavens, this isn't some quaint ghost story. I think I've stumbled into serious trouble!'
Lucifer swallowed hard, her eyes wide. "Ren… doesn't she look… incredibly similar?"
Ren, who had been watching quietly, felt a jolt of surprise himself. The resemblance was uncanny. The pale, almost translucent skin, the slender figure, the shade of her eyes, the color of her lipstick, and the silver hue of her hair—it was all nearly identical to Momobami Kirari.
He nodded slowly, his voice soft. "She really does look like Kirari… In a way, could she be a Kirari from another world?"
Lucifer, still struggling to process the sight, fumbled for her phone and took a quick picture.
The girl, of course, had no idea what was happening, but the initial wave of terror was beginning to subside. These people, powerful as they were, didn't seem to harbor any ill intent. She had regained enough composure to speak.
"Where is this?" she asked, her voice a quiet melody. "And who are you?"
Ren offered a gentle smile. "This is a restaurant. A restaurant that connects to other worlds. As for us, I am the owner of this establishment. Those two over there," he gestured to Yukari and Yuuka, "are guests from another world, just like you."
The girl stared, processing his words. Then, her eyes suddenly lit up with a brilliant spark. "An… Another World? What is that? A different plane? The Human Realm? But… does the Human Realm have decorations like this?"
"The term 'Another World' simply means a world that is not your own," Ren explained patiently. "That includes what you might call the Human Realm, Hell, or any other plane of existence. It's a place different from where you live, though my shop itself is located in my world's Human Realm."
The girl nodded, a look of dawning comprehension on her face. A moment of silence passed, and then her expression exploded with unrestrained excitement. "Another World?! A completely different world! That means… this world must have entirely new ghost stories! No… this shop! No, no… that light! All of it is brand new! Ghost stories no one has ever heard! Stories I can tell to so many more people!"
Yakumo Yukari and the others stared, momentarily taken aback by her sudden outburst.
'My, my,' Yukari thought. 'She seems to be quite the enthusiast for listening to and telling stories.'
That thought, however, triggered a connection in the minds of Ren, Yakumo Yukari, and Yuuka Kazami. They all thought of a specific being, a youkai born from the very act of storytelling.
Yukari felt Ren's gaze and turned to meet it, a knowing smile spreading across her lips. "Oh my. It seems the Shopkeeper and I are thinking the same thing."
Lucifer and Pandora exchanged puzzled glances, completely lost.
Ignoring them, Yakumo Yukari addressed the girl directly, her smile widening. "You love to listen to stories, you love to tell stories, and you travel with a paper lantern. Let's confirm, then. Your identity is…"
The girl snapped back to reality, her eyes darting between Yakumo Yukari and Yuuka Kazami. The sheer weight of their presence made her instinctively flinch. She was still a little afraid.
"I… I don't remember my name," she said, her voice a nervous whisper. "I just know that… over time, people started calling me… Aoandon."
Yakumo Yukari nodded and clapped her hands together lightly. "It really is the famous youkai, Aoandon! Though, you're a bit different from the ones I've seen before."
Yuuka Kazami added softly, "Compared to those others, this Aoandon is certainly more pleasing to the eye."
Yukari nodded in agreement, a strange light flashing in her eyes. "Aoandon. How wonderful. I've heard the ghost stories about you, of course, but to meet an Aoandon from another world… I'm quite curious. What is your ability?"
Aoandon knew she stood no chance against them and understood nothing about her current situation. Honesty seemed the best policy. "Soul absorption," she admitted quietly.
"Hmm?" Yukari paused, tilting her head. "Is that the soul-sucking I'm imagining?"
Aoandon nodded. "Ah… yes. I… I suck the souls of humans and youkai into my lantern."
Yakumo Yukari considered this. The ability was certainly powerful, yet also quite useless in many contexts. Still, it was perfectly in character for the legend of the Aoandon.
A wry smile touched Ren's lips. "So, it feels like this place is becoming a unique blend of Hell, a pirate's den, and now… a youkai canteen."
At the words "Hell" and "youkai canteen," Lucifer and the other three guests all raised their eyebrows. A meaningful, deeply amused smile bloomed on Yakumo Yukari's face.
A youkai canteen… how very interesting.
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