Chapter 136: Sudden Visit of Sakurajima Mai's Mother, Awakening of Soul Manifestation
While Light Yagami completely attracted L's attention to Tokyo in a way almost like a self-destructing truck...
Kyoto's Number One Exorcist was enjoying a night walk with Mai.
"Today... come to my house?"
Mai tucked her hair behind her ear with her right hand, her left hand swinging by her hem, smiling gently.
"There's not much food left at your place. If we go to my house, I can make you a late-night snack."
"Sure."
Seeing Yoru's nonchalant appearance, Mai suddenly stopped, looking a bit angry, puffing up her cheeks cutely.
"What's wrong?"
Seeing Yoru staring at her with a half-smile, Mai blushed slightly, stomped her foot angrily, and extended her fair left hand as if giving up.
"Do I have to say it explicitly?"
"Ah?"
Yoru froze for a moment, then as if suddenly realizing, took out a banknote from his bosom and placed it in Mai's hand.
"Here, awarded by the Master, take it."
After taking the banknote, Mai reacted belatedly, her chest heaving with anger.
She subconsciously wanted to tear the banknote in her hand, hesitated, and finally put it into her bosom with reluctance.
Being angry with Yoru, she couldn't take it out on money.
This money could buy so many groceries and cook so many meals for Yoru.
Besides, tearing banknotes is illegal.
After carefully putting the money away, Mai complained angrily.
"What Master, what award? You really treat me as a cook, right?"
Yoru shrugged and chuckled.
"Otherwise treat you as what? Se..." (Sex slave/servant imply).
"No nonsense!"
Mai knew Yoru too well. As soon as he opened his mouth, she knew he was going to say something outrageous, hurriedly raising her hand trying to cover his mouth.
Before she could, Yoru grabbed her hand and smiled.
"Teasing you. Of course, I know what you mean; holding hands."
Being held by him, the slight resentment just born in Mai's heart was instantly washed away by sweetness, pretending to be calm and snorting lightly.
"Hmph, consider you sensible. Let's go home."
The corner of Mai's mouth was harder to suppress than an AK (recoil).
Walking and walking, she had changed from holding hands at the beginning to hugging Yoru's entire arm.
It was almost 2 AM now. There were few pedestrians on the road. Even if they noticed the two, they wouldn't deliberately observe Mai's appearance, only thinking they were a couple immersed in happiness.
Although Mai didn't like staying up late, occasionally enjoying the time walking on the street together like this, she felt it was also very nice.
The only pity was...
Mai stole a glance at Yoru's side face under the dim street light, thinking shyly in her heart.
Unfortunately, Kawasaki Saki hasn't finished making the costume yet.
Otherwise tonight...
Thinking of this, Mai suddenly remembered she needed someone to help measure the sizes of various parts.
Just as she wanted to ask Yoru to help her, she suddenly saw a woman wearing a suit skirt, with long black hair, looking very capable, standing under her apartment building.
The moment she saw the opponent's face clearly, Mai froze.
"Coming back so late?"
The woman walked slowly to Mai wearing high heels.
Nervousness appeared in Mai's eyes. Seeing the opponent staring at the part where she held Yoru's arm, she subconsciously wanted to let go.
But after composing herself, instead of letting go of Yoru's arm, she hugged it tighter.
"Hmm?"
Seeing Mai neither letting go nor explaining, a strange color flashed in the woman's eyes. She looked at Yoru and spoke slowly.
"I am Sakurajima Mai's mother and her manager. May I ask who you are?"
Hearing her mother's question, Mai unconsciously tightened her grip on Yoru's arm.
Since the two met, everything seemed to happen naturally.
It seemed they had never really confirmed the relationship.
With Yoru's personality, would he say some very abstract words facing her mother at this time?
"My name is Yoru, Sakurajima Mai's junior (kouhai), and also her boyfriend."
Hearing the word "boyfriend," Mai's mother frowned, looking somewhat displeased.
She looked at her daughter, speaking seriously.
"Mai, don't you understand that things like falling in love will affect your acting career..."
Mai raised her hand, stopping her mother's subsequent words.
She glanced at Yoru beside her, her eyes full of tenderness, speaking softly.
"Wait for me a moment; I'll handle it right away."
"Okay."
Mai let go of Yoru's arm, stepped forward two steps, looking straight at her mother.
At this moment, she seemed to summon up all her courage, speaking word by word.
"Perhaps one day, I will continue to be an actress."
Hearing this, before her mother could speak, Mai changed the subject, her attitude very serious, even tough.
"But the manager definitely won't be you."
"Moreover, Yoru is my lover."
"Even if it causes serious impact on my acting career, I will absolutely not break up with him or hide this news."
"That's all I want to say."
"Please don't disturb my life in the future."
After saying this, seeing her mother stunned at first, then gradually looking incredulous as if not believing she dared to speak to her in such a tough tone, Mai pulled Yoru's hand directly and ran into the apartment building.
After entering the elevator and watching the two metal doors gradually close, Mai breathed a sigh of relief as if a heavy burden was lifted.
"Performance not bad."
Hearing Yoru's praising laugh, Mai raised her head, slightly proud.
"Of course, this is the mature senpai's way of handling things; you have to watch and learn well."
Mai had wanted to say those words to her mother long ago.
Her acting career wasn't a tool for her mother to compete for favor.
Mai liked acting, or rather, she liked the meaning brought to others by being an actress.
But now, she had found something more meaningful.
Fighting against strangeness, protecting Kyoto city.
Just as Mai opened her lips wanting to continue saying something, a chuckling female voice suddenly sounded in her mind.
"Finally made up your mind?"
As this female voice sounded, the lights in the elevator began to flicker constantly.
"As long as it is what you want to do, don't be bound by anyone's thoughts."
"Mother, father, fanatical fans."
"Sakurajima Mai in these people's eyes is part of you itself."
"No need to distinguish deliberately."
"From this moment on, act for what you want."
"Here, call out My True Name."
Listening to the voice echoing in her mind, Mai's exquisite face seemed covered with a thin layer of mist under the flickering lights of the elevator.
She took a deep breath, slightly opened her pink lips, and whispered.
"Here, call out Your True Name."
"Break free from constraints, Ame-no-Uzume (Suzuhikohime)!"
The moment she called out the name Ame-no-Uzume, Mai felt the feeling Miko and Rio once had.
In her heart, there seemed to be a heavy iron lock all along.
And at this moment.
The lock broke.
A beautiful woman wearing a light pink gauze skirt like a dancer's outfit, with a jade ring-like hair ornament tied with a few bells, beautiful and charming face, graceful figure, and fair skin appeared behind Mai.
"Finally..."
Mai's face looked a bit tired, but the joy in her eyes couldn't be concealed.
"I finally... also awakened the ability of Soul Manifestation."
Under the sudden visit of her mother today, Mai finally broke through the last barrier in her heart and faced her true self.
As an idol actress, not only the pressure from her mother but also the pursuit and love of many fans were shackles binding her for Mai.
Once she thought that as long as the world forgot "Sakurajima Mai," everything could be solved.
Later, the Puberty Syndrome problem was solved with Yoru's help.
But Mai still didn't realize the most important point.
The experience of being an actress for those years was also part of her as a person.
As long as she still denied and resisted the identity of the former national idol actress in her heart, she didn't count as facing her true self.
Until that moment just now, Mai finally completed the transformation.
"As expected of you, Mai-senpai."
Hearing Yoru's praising laugh, Mai pursed her lips and returned a smile.
"You guy, this seems to be the first time calling me senpai, right?"
"Isn't this seeing you awakened Soul Manifestation ability, expressing admiration? Rewarding you."
"Hmph, who wants your reward."
As soon as Mai said this sentence, her Soul True Body Ame-no-Uzume walked slowly to Yoru, emitting a charming fragrance, large areas of snow-white skin visible under the semi-transparent gauze skirt, exhaling like orchids.
"Reward me too, okay?"
"Hey, what are you saying!?"
Seeing her Soul True Body saying such shameless, even naked seduction words in front of Yoru, Mai's face flushed instantly, immediately canceling the summon.
Only after Ame-no-Uzume disappeared did Mai feel the dizziness from her brain and the powerless exhaustion in her body.
"Soul Manifestation... very tiring."
Mai heard Rio and Miko describe how much physical and mental consumption the first use of Soul Manifestation caused.
Only after experiencing it personally did she know Miko and Rio didn't exaggerate at all.
Just summoning the Soul True Body without even fighting evil spirits, Mai felt exhausted.
"Hmm..."
After walking out of the elevator, Mai led Yoru into her home, murmuring to herself.
"It seems I must let Ame-no-Uzume devour evil spirits as soon as possible to improve power and become useful combat power."
Hearing this, Yoru added faintly from the side.
"Actually, eating something else instead of devouring evil spirits is also fine."
"Eat something else?"
Mai froze first, then her face changed.
"Don't tell me... you want me to eat humans?"
Yoru smiled and explained.
"In a sense, it counts, but actually, eating your favorite thing."
"My favorite thing..."
Mai muttered softly, suddenly blushing, ashamed and angry.
"You... you guy... talking nonsense, talking about serious business."
"I'm not talking nonsense."
Seeing Mai at a loss, Yoru told her exactly about himself being a collection of tens of thousands of evil spirits and being able to serve as a converter to enhance spirit mediums' power.
After listening, Mai looked thoughtful.
A few seconds later, she suddenly reacted.
"You said this method has been tested? Is it Rio... or Miko...?"
In such matters, Yoru focused on sincerity.
"Both tested. Hachishaku too."
"Hah!?"
An earthquake occurred in Mai's pupils, saying angrily.
"Why didn't you test with me?"
Facing Mai who was emotionally out of control and felt like crying immediately, Yoru decided to use that secret technique he was most proficient in and ordinary people absolutely couldn't master.
Plaintiff becomes Defendant.
"But didn't you just awaken Soul Manifestation ability today? Ordinary people cannot achieve the effect of the experiment."
Hearing this sentence, Mai opened her lips, just about to refute, but was interrupted by Yoru.
A famous e-sports professional player once said.
Output cannot stop for a second.
Yoru: I agree.
"To be honest."
Yoru looked straight into Mai's eyes, his black eyes full of sincere earnestness.
"I also wanted to experiment with you, but there was no way; you weren't a spirit medium."
"To protect Kyoto city, and more importantly, to protect you in Kyoto city, Super-Quant Club members must improve strength as soon as possible."
"For this, I didn't even hesitate to sacrifice myself to enhance power for Hachishaku."
Listening to Yoru's earnest words, combined with this extremely sincere demeanor, the slight anger in Mai's heart had long disappeared.
Replaced by a deep guilt from the heart.
Yoru's words were correct.
If she could awaken Soul Manifestation ability earlier, it wouldn't be like today.
Although Mai showed a little willfulness sometimes, she knew the importance of the Super-Quant Club from beginning to end.
When "Doors" first appeared, the crime rate and scale in Kyoto city rose sharply, even making the Chief of Criminal Investigation Bureau issue an announcement advising citizens not to go out at night.
And now...
The situation seemed to improve, but actually, it became more serious.
Just as Super-Quant Club members were improving their power step by step.
The seriousness of supernatural events was also increasing gradually.
Evil spirits fused with "Doors" already possessed the ability to pull surrounding areas into the Otherworld, no longer guiding from the side but directly killing humans.
And the more humans killed, the power of "Doors" and evil spirits, as well as the twistedness of evil spirits themselves, would also increase rapidly.
Only spirit mediums could deal with strange existences; ordinary people were powerless.
If without the Super-Quant Club...
Kyoto city would turn into a ghost domain within a few days.
Facing such strangeness involving the life and death of a city or even the entire Sakura Prefecture, Mai naturally couldn't be willful.
"Then... then..."
Although thinking so, Mai still felt a bit unwilling, pouting.
"Then I awakened now."
"Awakened, then of course it's different."
Yoru smiled, picked up the fruit knife on the table, and pretended to cut his wrist.
"What are you doing!?"
Seeing this, Mai blocked his hand in panic.
"Self-harm?"
"No."
Yoru shook his head, looking calm.
"Didn't I say? I am equivalent to a collection of tens of thousands of evil spirits, so as long as you consume my blood, you can enhance power."
Mai raised her hand, tucked her hair behind her ear, pretending to be calm and nonchalant, pursing her lips and whispering.
"Um... didn't you say, as long as it's from your body... not blood, eating... eating that, is also fine..."
Yoru waved his hand and laughed.
"Sigh, blood is the most convenient, not troublesome either; just scratch with a knife and it comes out."
Mai blushed slightly, muttering in a voice as tiny as a mosquito's.
"But... you will feel pain."
"To enhance your power a bit, a little pain doesn't matter to me."
"But... I don't like drinking blood; that's like a monster, too awkward."
"Then what do you mean?"
Looking at Yoru pretending to be puzzled, Mai's face flushed red, biting her silver teeth hatefully.
"Do I have to say it explicitly?"
Yoru suddenly realized.
"Oh, so you mean..."
"Don't say it!"
Steam was about to come out of Mai's head from shame.
She got up from the sofa, then knelt on the soft wool carpet with snow-white knees, holding her hair behind her ear with her fair left hand, moving as if eating noodles, burying her head slowly.
.....
Next day noon, Sobu High, rooftop.
"Did so many things happen yesterday..."
Hearing Yoru recount the suspicious points in the morgue of Kyoto City Hospital, the white coat evil spirit possessing the power of a "Door" without having one inside, and Mai awakening Soul Manifestation, Rio started analyzing thoughtfully.
"Most importantly, of course, is the matter of Mai-senpai awakening Soul Manifestation."
"This proves one point."
"The two conditions for awakening Soul Manifestation—observing the existence of evil spirits and facing the true self directly—don't need to be met simultaneously."
"Even if not simultaneous, as long as these two conditions can be achieved, the ability of Soul Manifestation can be awakened."
"In other words, Tuanzi who has observed the existence of evil spirits, and Touma-san who acted with you yesterday, have already met the observation condition."
"Only lacking the item of facing the true self, the awakening can be completed."