The middle-aged man didn't expect that so late at night, someone would actually appear in this remote alley.
A hint of panic flashed in his eyes, and he immediately seized the young woman, turned around to look at Yozora, who had just spoken, and brandished the dagger in his hand, threatening in a stern voice.
"If you dare to take another step, I'll kill her!"
Yozora shrugged and said something astonishing with a light laugh that neither the robber nor the young woman had expected.
"What's that got to do with me?"
"What..."
The robber was stunned.
The young woman also froze for a moment, then immediately stammered out a plea.
"Save... save me."
"No."
Yozora's answer was as blunt as ever, a kind smile on his face as he slowly spoke.
"What does your death have to do with me? I'm just here for him."
For some reason, looking at Yozora's expression, the robber was already convinced that the other party wasn't lying.
This handsome young man in black clothes simply didn't care whether the young woman lived or died.
"Damn it..."
The robber gritted his teeth, suddenly pushed the young woman forward with force, then turned and fled into the depths of the alley.
He had already realized that there was no need to take such a big risk just to steal some money.
He could just rob someone else, no big deal.
By the way...
Why did he suddenly want to kill that woman just now?
Facing the young woman who lunged at him, Yozora merely shifted his body slightly, elegantly dodging her, letting her fall to the ground in a very disheveled manner.
He looked at the robber's back, and what appeared in his vision was the thick black aura emanating from the robber, which ordinary people couldn't see.
"At this stage, he's beyond saving."
With that, Yozora slowly followed in the direction the robber had fled.
If he remembered correctly.
That way was a dead end.
...
On the other side.
"Damn it, damn it!"
The robber looked at the wall blocking his way, gritting his teeth, his eyes filled with dense bloodshot veins, his face twisted into a grotesque, inhuman grimace.
He heard footsteps behind him, gnashed his teeth, and turned around to see Yozora slowly approaching, the inexplicable voice echoing in his mind once again.
"Kill him!"
"Ki-kill you..."
The robber's bloodshot eyes stared directly at Yozora's face, radiating a strong killing intent.
"Kill you!"
He tightened his grip on the dagger and rushed towards Yozora, thrusting the knife with all his might towards the other's abdomen!
"Clink!"
The moment the dagger struck, what the robber heard was not the sound of flesh being pierced as he expected.
Instead, it was a crisp metallic clang, as if it had struck an iron plate.
"Are you kidding me?"
Yozora shook his head, a look of displeasure on his face.
"I'm a legitimate exorcist, at least. Who are you trying to fool with a broken fruit knife? You're not showing me any respect."
The robber's face was filled with disbelief as he saw that the tip of the dagger in his hand had not pierced Yozora's abdomen, but was completely blocked by a strange black mist.
"Th-this, how is this possible..."
He took two steps back, then suddenly threw away the dagger in his hand and directly fell to his knees on the ground, crying and begging for mercy.
"I, I was momentarily possessed by an Evil Spirit, please let me go."
From madness to humble begging for mercy.
The robber's change in attitude was so swift that even Han Xin of old would have felt inferior.
Yozora looked at the robber kneeling on the ground, crying and begging for mercy, without the slightest hint of pity in his eyes. He just shook his head and spoke softly.
"Truly disgusting."
The moment his voice fell, the surroundings instantly fell silent.
The robber remained on his knees, his body seemingly stiff, and after a long time, he finally raised his head.
His eyes were no longer bloodshot red, but completely black.
And his body began to grotesquely swell, taking on a twisted form, his skin gradually turning into a nauseating, disgusting dark purple.
Facing this terrifying sight that would make an ordinary person faint, Yozora remained calm, merely chuckling.
"Wouldn't it have been better to be like this from the start? Why pretend?"
There was one thing he hadn't told Yotsuya Miko when he was explaining today.
The moment a person's actions are manipulated by an Evil Spirit, even though they can still think independently and largely move freely, they are actually already dead, having become a walking corpse.
The most disgusting part was that.
Even knowing the other party was beyond saving, not everyone could bring themselves to act when faced with a human's pleas and cries.
Of course, Yozora was among that small portion who could.
Looking at the Evil Spirit, whose body had swollen to nearly three meters tall, with dozens of sharp blades appearing on its two arms, and a twisted, terrifying face, he only spoke three short words.
"Dinner time."
...
Ten minutes later.
"Done."
Yozora patted the dust off his clothes and quickly left the remote alley.
As expected.
The young woman who had been robbed earlier was long gone.
Leaving aside the dagger-wielding robber.
Even Yozora didn't seem like a normal person; it would be strange if she had dared to stay there at one in the morning.
"Another long night."
After devouring the Evil Spirit he had just encountered, Yozora didn't stop, but continued to search for other prey.
His reason for hunting Evil Spirits was simple: to become stronger.
After devouring hundreds of Evil Spirits, Yozora discovered that in addition to his physical prowess increasing, he also gained the ability to manipulate that strange black mist for offense or defense, as he had just done, and the Ghost Hand that followed him, which even Yotsuya Miko couldn't see.
Since Evil Spirits exist in this World, are there other dangerous entities lurking in corners he doesn't know about?
It's always good to be prepared, just in case.
Having a sword in hand and not using it is one thing; not having a sword at all is quite another.
...
The next morning, in the Class A classroom at Soubu High School.
"Good morning, Yozora."
"Mm, good morning."
As soon as Yozora sat down in his seat, Yotsuya Miko walked over and greeted him.
From her obvious dark circles under her eyes, he could guess that Miko must have tossed and turned all night, unable to sleep.
Of course, it wasn't due to adolescent romantic stirrings, but because her Worldview had been severely impacted.
Yotsuya Miko glanced around, and seeing that the other students weren't paying attention to their side, she carefully lowered her voice and asked,
"Yozora, after school today…?"
"Don't be so impatient."
Yozora smiled and said.
"Do you know 2.5 Gojo Satoru? If you're too impatient, you'll easily turn into a 2.5 Yotsuya Miko in a fight with an Evil Spirit."