Chapter 50 – Amakasu Touma Is Not Alone
Hikigaya hadn't indulged in food for a long time.
But now it didn't matter. The saying "a little dirt won't hurt you" seemed tailor-made for a God Slayer, since those guys could eat anything and it'd be the same.
Of course, even among God Slayers, opinions on food could vary.
Voban's opinion was simple: the important thing wasn't what you ate but having something to eat.
He devoured everything ravenously.
You could tell medieval humans lived pretty miserable lives—if God Slayers were like that, then regular people didn't stand a chance.
In contrast, Hikigaya, a product of modern society, had standards—if it's food, it has to taste good, or there's no point in eating it.
Especially after he one day discovered he could perform photosynthesis.
Komachi's bento boxes, however, were an exception.
After making a call home, Hikigaya quickly set out to look for good food with Amakasu Touma.
Hikigaya wasn't familiar with Kyoto.
Although he'd visited once on a school trip, half that time was spent fighting with that fight-obsessed old geezer Voban, so it was like he never came at all.
Amakasu Touma, being a seasoned traveler across Japan, wasn't going to let Hikigaya down.
Yudōfu (hot tofu) held an important place in Kyoto cuisine.
It was said to have been invented because old-time Japanese people found tofu cooled too quickly in winter, so they placed it in small bowls of hot water to keep it warm—only to find it unexpectedly delicious.
Nowadays, it was common in Kyoto, especially near temples. You could always find a yudōfu restaurant.
"Now this is how you eat," Hikigaya said, chewing contentedly after dipping a piece of tofu in seasoning.
Amakasu Touma sat across from him. On their table was a bottle of sake and two small cups. After eating a piece of tofu, Hikigaya picked up his cup and clinked it against Amakasu's.
"Cheers."
Then he downed it in one go.
Sake didn't taste like much, but it seemed to have a strong aftereffect.
But he didn't feel that way at all—maybe it was just different levels of tolerance.
After all, there were people who could pass out after just one beer.
"You seem to be in a good mood," Amakasu Touma chuckled, pouring another cup for Hikigaya.
"Of course I am. A world without that crazy old man is a beautiful world." Hikigaya grinned.
But Amakasu Touma clearly didn't dare respond to that comment—he just chuckled awkwardly and moved on.
"No need to be so cautious. It's not like I'm going to blab," Hikigaya said, pouting and picking up another piece of tofu.
There were other dishes on the table too.
The Japanese seemed to love making food look delicate, though the portions were tiny.
It sounded a bit like a rant, but Hikigaya always thought it was because ancient Japan had such limited food resources. Even nobles couldn't afford meat feasts, so they had to show off through presentation.
"That's because people like you are terrifying beings," Amakasu Touma said self-deprecatingly, smiling bitterly and sipping his sake. "There's something you might not know."
"What is it?"
"Have you ever thought that you might affect the world around you?"
When he said that, Amakasu looked like he was in some documentary exploration series.
It really piqued Hikigaya's curiosity.
He liked to think of himself as a calm guy, but Amakasu's smug expression made him want to tie him to the top of Kyoto Tower to reflect on his facial expressions.
"Nope. My neighbor's aunt visiting has nothing to do with me."
"You misunderstand. I don't mean small effects like that. Although… hmm… maybe a little." Amakasu Touma made a TV drama face. "In fact, agricultural output in the Kanto region tripled last year."
Hikigaya really didn't want to make a dumbfounded face, but Amakasu was forcing him into it.
"So?"
"Your power seems to be fundamentally different from that of your peers. Even if you do absolutely nothing, you affect the surrounding environment. We're quite certain about this," Amakasu said admiringly. "If it were ancient times, you would definitely be worshiped as a god."
"Huh... I need to load my save file and process that..." Hikigaya put down his chopsticks, massaged his temples, and started thinking.
What the hell? He was just watching TV at home—how did that get tied to farmers' income?
"Also, since your return, several predicted earthquakes in the Kanto region have failed to occur.
We're very accurate in this regard, as we rely on spirit-vision sorcerers for our predictions."
Hikigaya put down the sake cup he had just picked up.
This guy didn't seem to be joking...
"So you're saying this is my fault?" He pointed at his nose.
What was this? A passive aura skill?
Never mind that—this could be turned into a new income stream!
Boss, I'm buying out the whole place today!
"Don't say it like that—it's a blessing, isn't it?" Amakasu Touma said, visibly excited. "I don't know if the ancient King of Rakshasa had this ability, but as far as the modern era goes, you are unique."
"Okay, so what are you trying to say?" Hikigaya's face started twitching.
Damn it, he didn't need a man becoming his fan.
Especially not an uncle making that kind of expression.
Keep doing that and I'm calling the cops!
"Ah... Sorry, I got a little nervous," Amakasu Touma apologized, sitting down again.
Are you kidding? That's a little nervous?
Hikigaya could clearly feel the strange looks from people around them.
He really wanted to knock everyone here out to erase their memories...
Drunken outburst. People would understand, right?
Maybe he should start with the guy in front of him—that would be a good beginning.
"I just wanted to say, you're far greater than even you realize. What you give to the world isn't just an untouchable power to be revered."
"Gross. That line was nasty. I graduated from chuunibyou already," Hikigaya said uncomfortably. "Use Japanese, please."
"Understood." Amakasu, seeing Hikigaya's indifference, was a bit disappointed.
Still, he didn't want to waste this rare chance to drink with him—who knew when it'd happen again? Maybe never.
So with hope, he asked: "May I ask what kind of girls you like? Japanese girls? Or foreigners?"
"There you go again—not using Japanese. Aren't we from the same world?" Hikigaya shook his head, finished his drink, and grabbed the bottle to pour for himself. "Not bad. What brand is this?"
"Huh? You didn't know? The Italian Seven Sisters seem to be trying to get in touch with you lately." Amakasu looked genuinely surprised—but also clearly ignored Hikigaya's second question, which was rude.
"Seven Sisters? Celebrities?" Hikigaya perked up.
If his fans were exotic blondes, this could work.
"No, the Seven Great Houses of Italian Magicians. You've met one before—the Bronze Black Cross."
"Oh…" Hikigaya's long "Oh" made his disappointment obvious. "You mean Liliana? She's a nice girl. And that blonde fox—funny one."
"You're talking about Erica Blandelli, right? She and Liliana Kranjčar are considered the most outstanding of Europe's young generation. This does involve them. At their recommendation, the Seven Sisters are seeking your help."
Amakasu batted his eyes—honestly, that expression on a middle-aged man deserved a punch.
"Never heard about this," Hikigaya said honestly. "Why not ask that sword idiot? Isn't he closer?"
"Sword id... Ah, you mean the King of Swords?" Amakasu almost repeated the term but quickly realized who Hikigaya meant.
"Perhaps because he's not in Europe anymore, and the Sisters are getting desperate."
"You're saying that like you're the middleman."
Hikigaya put down his cup, squinting.
"Just when I was starting to like you guys again. Don't tell me you're up to something shady?"
"You misunderstand. The fact that you don't know about this tells me someone's been interfering. I strongly oppose this. Miss Liliana is your friend—cutting off her communication is unethical. I want to stop it."
Wow, this uncle is actually reasonable now?
Hikigaya looked at Amakasu in surprise.
"Don't look at me like that—it's embarrassing."
"Get lost! You're a grown-ass man—what's embarrassing about it?" Hikigaya laughed. "Still, now that you mention it, I might have an idea of what's going on."
"Looks like I was too talkative. Nothing escapes your eyes," Amakasu smiled, knowing he made the right gamble.
The Tokyo crowd was clueless about dealing with the King of Rakshasa.
He'd had enough of their arrogance.
Still curious, he asked:
"Forgive my boldness—but do you possess spirit vision like the Marquis?"
"No, I've got something better," Hikigaya grinned. As a Transmigrator, he had the all-seeing view of a god—but that wasn't something he could easily explain.
"Anyway, enough of this boring stuff. Got any other good places to recommend? You know what I mean." He flashed the kind of grin any man would understand. "Show me around—I can tell you're a guy who knows his way around."
"Really?" Amakasu was overjoyed. Today was full of surprises, and all his earlier complaints about this mission vanished. He wished he could kiss the girl who assigned him this task.
Of course, that was just a thought—trying it would probably get him sunk in Tokyo Bay.
"No problem. Leave it to me!" In this moment, Amakasu Touma was not alone. No—all the men of Kyoto should step aside for him.
Today, no one should call him Amakasu Touma—today, he was The Master!
"What kind of girls do you like? No wait, stupid question! Just leave it to me!"