The acquisition of experience left Luo Shu unable to sleep. He stood up and pushed open the bedroom door.
In the living room, the television that Kisara had turned on earlier was broadcasting the morning news.
Luo Shu glanced at the TV, called out a greeting to Kisara in the kitchen, then went to the bathroom to wash up.
As he did so, his thoughts wandered:
'Having Suzuka Dairenji impersonate Minagoroshi Jizō seems to have worked perfectly, though that's hardly surprising since this arrangement was communicated to Hagoromo Gitsune and Nurarihyon beforehand.'
'Heh. With humans holding the upper hand, yet subordinate organisations engaging in cannibalism... While the Nura Clan can't strictly punish these subordinate leaders due to their pact, they can still clean house by borrowing others' hands—especially those of the Hagoromo Group.'
'After all, it's common knowledge among those in the know that the Hagoromo Group and Nura Clan have been enemies for generations.'
'As for the Hagoromo Group, Hagoromo Gitsune needs to filter her members to determine how many are under the control of Minagoroshi Jizō, the Gokadoin Family, or even Abe no Seimei.'
'From the looks of it, Hagoromo Gitsune seems ready to abandon all her Tokyo operatives, keeping only Kyokotsu by her side. Is it because the screening cost is too high, and those sacrificed are just minor players, making it easier to cut losses?'
'She's certainly ruthless.'
'Both the Hagoromo Group and Nura Clan have achieved their goals through the destruction of the Old Rat Gang, while I've also gained some experience from it.'
'Oddly enough, even though I facilitated the cooperation between the Hagoromo Group and Nura Clan, and Suzuka Dairenji carried out the mission under my orders, the experience gained was only about 6%.'
'I orchestrated this whole affair, causing trouble and misfortune for those involved—Minagoroshi Jizō, the Nura Clan, the Hagoromo Group—yet the feedback wasn't as strong as expected, nowhere near the previous incident with Hagoromo Gitsune.'
'Is it because I didn't personally impersonate Minagoroshi Jizō, leaving it to someone else?'
'But that doesn't add up. When Hagoromo Gitsune suffered the agony of realising her son wasn't her son, I received massive feedback, even though I relied heavily on intelligence channels and Meer's connections throughout.'
'So, is it because the yokai affected this time were just small fry, or the misfortune caused wasn't severe enough?'
At this thought, Luo Shu turned on the tap, cupped water in his hands, and rinsed the cleanser from his face. Then he looked up at his reflection in the mirror:
'In other words, does experience gain prioritise quality over quantity?'
'Not necessarily. It could also be that the quantity wasn't substantial enough, so the feedback was weak.'
'But if I want to inflict misfortune on a large scale for experience, the immediate ideas that come to mind involve Evil Gods, demons, or inciting disasters...'
His expression turned peculiar as he studied the face in the mirror.
The reflection showed a young man with well-proportioned, handsome features—bright dark eyes, thin lips, and a clean-cut, sunny demeanour.
Someone like this becoming an Evil God would be such a waste. Besides, his own morals wouldn't allow him to commit such heinous acts.
'So, should I try spreading misfortunes that are harmful but not too severe...'
'I recall that Japan experiences a high incidence of pollen allergy around now, between March and May. I could try mass-distributing mild pollen allergies across Tokyo to spread misfortune?'
'On the side, we could also stockpile pollen allergy medication through the SDS and make a tidy profit. Physical suffering coupled with financial loss—that could certainly work.'
'Though if I do this, I might end up being called something like the Pollen Allergy Evil God, wouldn't I?'
Just then, the TV in the living room broadcast a news segment:
"Yesterday at Akihabara Station, a group of men were seen performing dogeza before the high school idol group A-RISE to express their devotion."
"Professor Watanabe of the University of Tokyo, a specialist in neuroscience and human behaviour, claims that the rapidly expanding 2D industry is showing cult-like tendencies, corrupting the values of minors..."
Luo Shu glanced at the news, his expression growing increasingly odd as he watched the youths kneeling before posters on screen:
'Could obsession with 2D culture also count as a form of misfortune?'
'But then again, it's not like I could debut as an idol myself, could I?'
Luo Shu caught sight of the A-RISE logo on TV and suddenly realised something.
'A-RISE... isn't that the group from Love Live! School Idol Project?'
'Should I try an idol cult scheme? Would that even work...'
"Shu-kun, breakfast is ready!"
Hearing Kisara's voice, Luo Shu wiped his face with a towel and headed to the dining table.
"I tried making the grilled sanma that Mahiru recommended today. Here, say 'ah' and try it!"
Without thinking, Luo Shu opened his mouth and was fed a bite of charcoal-grilled sanma. As he chewed, Kisara asked:
"Well? How does it taste?"
"The texture is excellent, especially with the added lemon. Your skills have improved again, Kisara."
Luo Shu replied without turning his head as he watched the television.
Just then, the shocking incident at Akihabara Station finished airing, and a new report began.
"This year's Spring Grand Festival at Meiji Shrine has reportedly been cancelled. Due to this decision, many merchants who had prepared for half a year took to the streets in protest this morning, causing significant disturbances."
"Next, our reporter's live coverage from the scene!"
The screen changed.
A street interview appeared on television.
"Of course, I'm furious about the sudden cancellation! I've been preparing for ages - sharpened my sword, nearly got divorced over it - only for this to happen. So yeah, I'm here to protest."
Watching Rihan Nura on screen - clad in a kimono, shouldering a sword, and spouting nonsense - Luo Shu's chopsticks froze mid-air.
Noticing this, Kisara glanced over curiously, then tilted her head upon seeing the second-generation leader of the Nura Clan declaring on national television that he'd keep causing chaos in Tokyo unless the festival was restored.
"That person on TV... is that Mr. Rihan Nura, correct?"
Luo Shu swallowed some rice, took a sip of miso soup, patted his chest to calm his shock, then deadpanned:
"The Metropolitan Police Department must be having a rough time!!"
"I wonder how much Meiji Shrine's PR budget is."
Kisara seemed at a loss for words:
"Wasn't this morning's commotion actually the Nura Clan attacking the Hagoromo Group's base?"
"And now it's being rewritten as street protests over a cancelled festival?"
"Most likely. I only ordered the cleanup without knowing how they'd handle it. So this is their solution?"
"Are they planning to turn Tokyo into some French-style protest zone with daily demonstrations?"
Luo Shu shook his head in exasperation.
"I'll visit the headquarters later."
"I need to settle accounts with Hagoromo Gitsune and Rihan Nura, and give them a proper warning."
His gaze returned to the television, where Rihan Nura was still making a spectacle of himself.
"The mastermind is causing trouble on live news without a shred of self-awareness."
"Even if he doesn't care about the Metropolitan Police, he should at least consider those of us forcing them to clean up his mess!"
"Do they think suppressing these incidents comes for free?"
With these frustrations simmering, Luo Shu finished breakfast and set off with Kisara toward the Hidden Management Department headquarters.