Zongman I fight weirdness in everyday world

“There's also a request… specifically asking for… Toma and Setsuna.”

“What!?”

Before Toma and Setsuna could even react, Yae was already frowning, a look of displeasure on his face, his dragon countenance filled with rage.

“Who is it? Could it be a suitor? How dare they covet My harem!?”

Yukino Yukinoshita rolled her eyes, and said unhappily.

“The client is a girl, a classmate in our grade.”

“Oh, then it's nothing.”

Seeing Yae instantly return to his usual demeanor upon hearing that the client was a girl, even with a hint of anticipation, Yukino Yukinoshita helplessly sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose.

“You really are so… realistic.”

Chapter 299: The Brain Trust, Yukinoshita Yukino, and the Destination of the School Trip

“Looking for me? Who's looking for me?”

Hearing that someone wanted to see her, Toma and Setsuna frowned slightly, a hint of impatience in her eyes, as she casually waved her hand.

“I need to prepare for the piano competition at the end of the year, I don't have time, tell her not to come… No, just don't reply.”

“Um…”

Yui Yuigahama hesitated upon hearing this, she approached Toma and Setsuna, leaned close to her ear, and whispered.

“That… could it be the girl you saved a few days ago? Nishimiya Shoko, from our grade?”

“What?”

Upon hearing this, Toma and Setsuna seemed to be recalling something. After a few seconds, she seemed to remember something, and turned to look at Yui Yuigahama, slightly surprised.

“Yuigahama-san, you actually know that girl's name? As expected of you.”

“Um… you're too…”

Yui Yuigahama had a helpless expression, not knowing where to even begin.

So, after you, Toma and Setsuna, saved a girl wearing Sobu High's uniform, who looked about the same age as everyone else, you just completely forgot about it?

At the very least, shouldn't a normal person inquire about whether there is such a girl in the school, what her name is, and what kind of personality she has? At the very least, to ensure that she doesn't leak what she saw that day, right?

Yui Yuigahama shook her head slightly, thinking that this Toma and Setsuna, although she looks very aloof on the outside, and is the type of ice beauty, the more she gets to know her, the more she feels…

Except for the piano, Toma and Setsuna is practically a ditz in other common sense areas.

Not to mention, there's also a kind of gap moe.

Yui Yuigahama didn't tell the other members what happened that day, only she and Amano Hina, who also couldn't temporarily form clothes with their soul manifestation abilities, were responsible for waiting near the scene in case something unexpected happened.

“How about… meeting her?”

Hearing Yui Yuigahama's words, Toma and Setsuna looked thoughtful, and looked towards Yae beside her.

“What do you think?”

Yae waved his hand dismissively.

“Whatever, I'm fine with anything, I wasn't the one who saved her, she probably wants to thank you, but your usual image is too scary, so she doesn't dare to approach you easily, right?”

Toma and Setsuna frowned slightly.

“My image is scary? What are you talking about?”

Hearing Toma and Setsuna's words, Yotsuya Miko maintained a blank expression and said softly.

“Toma-san, you seem to have a very big misunderstanding about yourself and our club's reputation in school.”

“Is that so?”

Seeing Toma and Setsuna's uncertain look, Komachi Yukino, who joined the latest, nodded in agreement.

“That's true, to be honest, the moment I first went to the music room and saw you and Yae standing inside, I was already scared into a cold sweat.”

“Hmm?”

Toma and Setsuna frowned even more, muttering to herself in confusion.

“Why is that…”

“Um…”

Everyone was speechless at Toma and Setsuna's absent-minded way of thinking.

Could it be that this is the ultimate detachment?

This is no longer about not caring about external opinions, you are so detached that you don't even know how bad everyone's image is in school.

Yukino Yukinoshita chuckled twice and said softly.

“Heh heh, you're just a love-struck fool, you probably only have Yae in your eyes.”

“Yeah, so what?”

Faced with Toma and Setsuna's undisguised and generous admission, Yukino Yukinoshita was speechless and defeated.

“Hmm…”

Toma and Setsuna thought seriously for a moment, then looked at Komachi Yukino sitting there, revealing a slight smile.

“If Setsuna agrees to accompany me, I'll agree to meet that Nishimiya Shoko.”

Komachi Yukino was stunned when she heard this, and hesitated.

“Eh? Me? I can, but… aren't you going to have Yae accompany you?”

“Him?”

Toma and Setsuna glanced at Yae beside her, and said lightly.

“Although I don't mind some things, there's no need to give myself more competitors, I'm not stupid.”

…

Twenty minutes later.

There were no special activities planned for today, Kawasaki Saki and Kitagawa Kaimeng went shopping together, while Toma and Setsuna, along with Yurikawa Hana, who also likes to eat sweets, went to the shopping street to eat desserts.

In the end, only Futaba Rio, Yukinoshita Yukino, and Yae were left sitting in the activity room.

“Regarding the next matter…”

Yae looked at Yukinoshita Yukino and Futaba Rio sitting at the table, and slowly opened his mouth.

“The higher-ups of the Metropolitan Police Department haven't made any moves yet, and I haven't heard any news that the next Director of the Criminal Affairs Bureau will be appointed recently, but…”

Without him finishing, Futaba Rio already understood what he meant, and nodded slightly.

“Yeah… Among the higher-ups of the Metropolitan Police Department, there are dangerous people with spiritual abilities. Leaving them alone is too dangerous.”

Hearing this, Yukinoshita Yukino frowned slightly and said softly.

“You guys wouldn't be thinking of…”

“You don't understand.”

Futaba Rio glanced at Yukino sitting there, and said in a flat tone.

“You're not a spiritual ability user, you haven't fought those kinds of guys face to face. They are no longer human, but like the Kyoto Tower incident, evil spirits wearing human shells, even worse than those things, because they don't have souls at all.”

Snow-shita Yukino wore an inscrutable expression, looking at Yae Hoshi and softly asking.

“Is it as Futaba-san said?”

“Yes.”

“Alright.”

Having received Yae Hoshi’s confirmation, Snow-shita Yukino nodded.

“I trust your judgment, so why wait until it was just Futaba-san and me to talk about this?”

“Because the two of you have the best minds.”

Upon hearing this, a complicated look surfaced in Snow-shita Yukino’s eyes, and she sighed softly.

“To receive your acknowledgment in this situation really makes my mood rather complex; I don’t know how to describe it.”

Futaba Rio pushed up her glasses, her brow furrowed slightly.

“Then why not let Mi-ko and the others join too? With more people…”

Yae Hoshi shook his head.

“Sometimes, more people aren’t necessarily better. Right now, I only need the two of you. Rio, you can think from the perspective of an esper, and Snow-shita-san, you can play your original role. Perhaps sometimes, it’s precisely because we possess special powers that we overlook certain things.”

“I see.”

Futaba Rio responded noncommittally, stirring the coffee she had just made with a stirrer. She picked up the cup, took a sip, and said faintly without even raising her head.

“You say it that way, but isn’t it just that you don’t want the current predicament to put too much pressure on Mi-ko and the others? You can’t change your tsundere personality, no matter what the situation. Tsundere has already become outdated; you said that yourself.”

“There’s still one who hasn’t become outdated sitting across from you.”

“Tch.”

Futaba Rio made an ambiguous clicking sound, then immediately asked.

“Let’s confirm one thing first: there’s no way to save these people, right?”

“Right.”

“Then the answer is very simple.”

Futaba Rio picked up her coffee cup and took a sip. The hot, bitter-smelling liquid made her feel as if her brain was working faster.

“Find the evil god’s follower hidden in the upper echelons of the Metropolitan Police Department, then eliminate him.”

“Wait a moment.”

Upon hearing Futaba Rio’s proposal, Snow-shita Yukino frowned slightly, as if deep in thought.

“Some time ago, the most famous figure in the Metropolitan Police Department, the Criminal Investigation Bureau Chief and head of the Special Operations Unit, our assistant Yagami Soichiro, just resigned, taking responsibility for the matter. In this situation, if another high-ranking official in the Metropolitan Police Department suddenly dies, even if your actions are flawless, with no one seeing anything and leaving no traces, the citizens of Kyoto will inevitably panic.”

“You once said that the evil spirits in the Reverse Side are born from the negative emotions of humans. No one can predict how public opinion will turn…”

Speaking to this point, Snow-shita Yukino paused slightly, a complicated look appearing deep in her eyes, seemingly remembering something, and she murmured.

“And although atmosphere is invisible and intangible, it can invisibly make people submit. Coupled with the media’s reckless speculation, if the citizens believe that even the Metropolitan Police Department, which maintains public order, cannot protect itself, then people will inevitably be panic-stricken. Emotions and atmosphere are the most dangerous things to be wary of and impossible to control.”

Hearing these words, Yae Hoshi nodded and said with a smile.

“Little sister-in-law, continue.”

“Let me emphasize again… Don’t call me by that name.”

Although Snow-shita Yukino said this, she also knew that Yae Hoshi would obviously not listen to her. Even if she emphasized it many times, it would be the same. She could only sigh, restrain her emotions, and continue to analyze.

“Although Chief Yagami disclosed all the information of the Agutagu Kiyaki incident before resigning, proving that ‘Mask’ has indeed played the role of a hero, preventing evil people, as always in this incident, this is, after all, an internal matter of the Metropolitan Police Department.”

“My sister called me a few days ago, and we talked about this matter for a few sentences. She said that judging from the perspective of evil and justice, ‘Mask’s’ behavior is heroic, but in the eyes of some high-ranking officials in the Metropolitan Police Department, this is, after all, an act that shames the Metropolitan Police Department and lowers its public image.”

“Now that Chief Yagami is no longer there to act as an intermediary, and another high-ranking official in the Metropolitan Police Department dies and is found to be related to ‘Mask’… No, it doesn’t even need to be discovered. Even if it’s just guided by the media to make people suspect it’s related to ‘Mask,’ then the Metropolitan Police Department will inevitably take action.”

“The worst case scenario would be to regard ‘Mask’ as an extremely dangerous criminal, drawing manpower from all over Sakura Prefecture, even the military, to investigate at all costs. If it really comes to this, even our club’s exorcism activities would probably have to be forced to stop.”

After listening to Snow-shita Yukino’s analysis, Futaba Rio finally understood why Yae Hoshi had invited her to join the Overload Club.

This Snow-shita-san’s mind isn’t just reflected in her studies.

“Which means…”

Futaba Rio picked up her coffee cup again and took a sip, taking off her glasses.

“If we don’t eliminate that out-of-control high-ranking official in the Metropolitan Police Department, he will most likely… No, he will definitely use the power of the Metropolitan Police Department to create a disaster in Kyoto, causing disturbances in the Reverse Side.”

“If he is eliminated, if, as Snow-shita-san said, there are even high-ranking figures with the power of speech in the media who are manipulated by the enemy, then ‘Mask’ will become an enemy of the Metropolitan Police Department, and everyone in Kyoto will still panic, causing disturbances in the Reverse Side.”

“This time’s enemy… If they intentionally created this situation, they are too smart. Not only do they know the operating rules of the Reverse Side, but they can even use this to deal with us. In my memory, this is the first time we have been at a disadvantage.”

“Disadvantage?”

Yae Hoshi shook his head, chuckled, and said.