The next morning, Motomachi, Tennōji Ward, Osaka City.
The so-called Shitennō-ji wasn't just an ordinary temple, but rather a collective name for an entire tourist attraction.
The temple itself was located at the very centre, surrounded by a park, with the Osaka City Museum of Fine Arts also built within this compound.
After all, this was a joint school trip organised by two schools. Although Sobu High School hadn't arranged any group activities considering the Supernatural Society members' requests, on this final day before leaving Osaka, they still had to organise students from both schools to visit this famous Osaka landmark.
However...
"So boring... really uninteresting."
"What's even worth seeing in temples..."
"Ah, be content. Luckily, it's almost winter now, and the temperature isn't too high; otherwise, with this many people, we'd be dying from the heat."
"I came here with my parents when I was little. Seeing it again isn't particularly interesting. Can't we just have free time?"
Just from listening to the students' whispers and seeing the impatient expressions on the teenage boys' and girls' faces, it was clear that everyone was rather dissatisfied with the school's chosen visiting location.
A temple?
What could possibly be interesting about that?
Unlike most students, today's Ye Xing wasn't displaying the impatience, slacking off, lazy attitude that Shizuka Hiratsuka had imagined, nor had he failed to show up. Instead, he appeared quite expectant.
"Quick, Shizuka, hurry up. I can't wait to visit Shitennō-ji."
Seeing Ye Xing being so well-behaved, Shizuka Hiratsuka first showed a slight smile, then suddenly remembered his identity and lowered her voice hesitantly.
"Um... after you enter the temple, you're not going to do anything... like exorcism or such, are you? Wait, those enshrined in Shitennō-ji - like the Fierce-faced Vajra Guardians - in your view, they shouldn't count as evil spirits, right?"
"Shizuka, you're completely mistaken about that."
Ye Xing shook his head and patiently explained.
"It's not that just because people believe deities are enshrined here, there actually are powerful deities here, understand? It's possible that due to accumulated faith and worship over the years, there might be earthbound spirits, local deities, guardian spirits and such, but at the very least, among the deities I've seen, there's no such thing as Fierce-faced Vajra Guardians."
Hearing this, Shizuka Hiratsuka first breathed a sigh of relief, then paused.
"What do you mean, among the deities you've seen...? You've seen many deities?"
"Not that many."
Ye Xing first replied casually, then began listing them off knowledgeably.
"Let me think... one Goat-Headed Deity, which counts as the earthbound spirit type, then the Slaughter Demon that enjoys cruelly killing evil spirits - that could be considered a deity too. Then there's that old local deity in Tokyo who shakes bells, the big whale that controls Japan's weather, and the Matchmaking Deity currently lounging lazily in the hotel. Five altogether, roughly."
"Five... wait, you just said, Matchmaking Deity?"
Hearing this straightforward name, Shizuka Hiratsuka immediately seemed to think of something, her face full of hope as she said:
"The God of Fateful Bonds, is that a deity who governs marriage? Then could you..."
"I understand what you mean, don't worry."
Ye Xing responded with a knowing smile, looking completely understanding.
"You have the red thread of marriage, and before long, it will bear fruit."
"Really?"
Although Shizuka Hiratsuka claimed on the surface that she was single only because she wanted to be, as an older woman, she was actually somewhat concerned about marriage.
Hearing Ye Xing say this, she couldn't help but show delight on her face, but the next moment, she frowned slightly, sensing something amiss.
"Wait... my red thread of marriage... is with whom?"
Ye Xing replied casually:
"Who else could it be? With me, of course."
Shizuka Hiratsuka had probably already guessed this answer, her expression becoming somewhat complicated, unsure how to feel.
If she said she was happy... Ye Xing was her student.
If she said she was unhappy... if her red thread of marriage was connected to someone else, Shizuka Hiratsuka truly couldn't accept that either.
"Anyway, after we enter the temple later, you won't do anything strange, will you?"
"Don't worry, I won't."
Ye Xing waved his hand dismissively, full of confidence.
"But I've heard that this Shitenno-ji Temple enshrines some relics? I'll take them with me."
Shizuka Hiratsuka looked at him speechlessly.
"Are you a thief?"
Ye Xing replied matter-of-factly:
"Hey, as the old saying goes, since we're already here, if I return empty-handed, wouldn't that mean the monks of Shitenno-ji Temple have failed in their hospitality? That won't do, I must take something back with me."
Shizuka Hiratsuka sighed helplessly.
"Aren't you afraid of angering the gods?"
"Angering the gods? You've got it backwards."
Ye Xing frowned slightly, his expression showing displeasure.
"If there really are so-called gods in this temple, they hide inside all day, enjoying people's offerings while I handle all the world's safety issues. In the end, I can't even use the relics left behind by their believers after death? If they're really that unreasonable, forget the relics - I'll eat them too."
"You're saying strange things again."
Shizuka Hiratsuka thought Ye Xing was being abstract, but actually...
He was completely serious.
...
Half an hour later, the queue to visit Shitenno-ji Temple finally reached the two schools.
"Ahem..."
Shizuka Hiratsuka scanned the queue, cleared her throat twice and called out names:
"Ye Xing, Miko Yotsuya, Rio Futaba, Yui Yuigahama, Mai Sakurajima, Hana Yurikawa, Kazusa Touma, Saki Kawasaki, Hina Amano, Yukino Yukinoshita, Marin Kitagawa, Setsuna Ogiso, and Shoko Makinohara, follow me inside for the visit."
Anyone with eyes could immediately tell that Shizuka Hiratsuka wasn't reading from the class roster.
The students she had named were all members of the Supernatural Society, known within Sobu High School as 'those people'.
"Wait a moment."
As soon as Shizuka Hiratsuka finished speaking, she saw Kazusa Touma leave Class A's queue, run to another class's queue, scan it briefly, then expressionlessly pull out Shouko Nishimiya.
"She's coming with us, too."
Seeing this, Yui Yuigahama seemed to have thought of something as well. Mimicking Kazusa Touma's actions, she pulled out a bewildered Yumiko Miura and said with a sweet smile:
"Yumiko, come in with us, too."
Just as Shizuka Hiratsuka was about to speak, she saw Ye Xing also leave the line and pull out a petite girl dressed in gothic style with an eye patch.
"This one should come along, too. I promised her older sister I'd look after her more at school."
Shizuka Hiratsuka rolled her eyes and remarked:
"Anyone else who wants to tag along?"
"Ms Hiratsuka."
Without any surprise, another surprise occurred.
The teacher leading Toyogasaki High School's group came up to Shizuka Hiratsuka, pointed at Eriri and Utaha behind her, and spoke with an awkward smile:
"We also have two students here who want to go in with you. Sorry to trouble you."
"Alright."
Noticing the curious gazes from the students in Toyogasaki High School's group, Shizuka Hiratsuka let out a slight sigh.
This situation was truly absurd.
Ye Xing, a single boy, was joining over a dozen girls, with her, a female teacher, having to accompany them on the tour.
The students from Sobu High School were already accustomed to this, but those from Toyogasaki High School hadn't seen much of the world yet and didn't understand the significance of this Great Satan from Sobu High.
This was the role model who, after taking first place in the joint examinations, had dared to publicly read out his harem list in front of everyone.
"Alright, since no one else wants to join, let's hurry inside. We're still in line after all."
Under Shizuka Hiratsuka's lead, the group moved toward the interior of Shitennoji Temple.
Meanwhile, Rikka Takanashi and Yumiko Miura, who had been invited along, both wore expressions of complete bewilderment.
Wait, what kind of development was this?
How had they inexplicably been dragged into this?
Was their Supernatural Society some kind of bandit stronghold that recruited people by force?
Weren't they just pure bandits?
"Wait, Yuigahama... no, Yui."
Yumiko Miura moved closer to Yui Yuigahama and asked hesitantly in a low voice.
"Why did you drag me along? I'm not in your club, and we're not even in the same class."
"Relax, Yumiko."
Yui Yuigahama smiled sweetly, linking arms with Yumiko Miura as she spoke in an intimate tone.
"We're friends, aren't we?"
Faced with Yui Yuigahama's utterly innocent expression and her warm words, Yumiko Miura turned her head aside, avoiding Yui's smiling gaze as she lifted a hand to brush through her golden hair, her cheeks slightly flushed as she spoke in a bashful tone.
"I... I suppose so."
In this world, was there anyone who could resist a friend invitation from Yui Yuigahama?
Perhaps there were.
But was there anyone who could simultaneously resist the combined offensive of the lively gyaru Marin Kitagawa, the gentle and kind Yui Yuigahama, the friendly Angel Setsuna Ogiso, the adorably simple-minded Hana Yurikawa, and Kazusa Touma, who, though always saying shocking things, could unexpectedly prove effective at certain times?
No.
In this world, there wasn't a single girl who could resist friend invitations from all these individuals at once.
With these five great generals, what great undertaking could possibly fail?
Shitennoji Temple, though an ancient Japanese structure, drew on Chinese architectural styles, evoking a long-lost sense of familiarity as Ye Xing walked its grounds.
At the entrance stood a vividly lifelike statue of a wrathful guardian deity. Though merely an inanimate object, it exuded an inexplicable sense of pressure.
"This... is so cool!"
Without any doubt, the only person who could describe such an eerie and somewhat frightening statue as 'cool' was the severely chuunibyou-afflicted Rikka Takanashi.
Under Shizuka Hiratsuka's guidance, everyone gathered before the wrathful guardian deity statue to admire it up close.
Just then, an unexpected change occurred.
From within the wrathful guardian deity statue, a mass of black mist suddenly erupted, rapidly forming an identical wrathful guardian deity - only with an even more ferocious countenance - that scanned the people before it with eyes as large as bronze bells.
Then, as if sensing something, it quickly approached Miko Yotsuya, staring directly into her golden pupils, speaking in a distorted voice that seemed to come from the underworld.
"You... can see me?"
Miko Yotsuya remained expressionless, not even furrowing her brows.
Not just her - the other psychic members who possessed the observation ability showed no reaction either.
While Mai Sakurajima and the others might not have psychological resilience as absurdly strong as Miko Yotsuya's, as professional exorcists, they had long passed the stage where suddenly appearing evil spirits could startle them into revealing weaknesses. They might frown slightly or blink, but their ability to control their expressions was certainly adequate.
"Fierce-faced Vajra..."
Ye Xing stepped forward twice, standing unhesitatingly before the Fierce-faced Vajra as if examining it, yet his gaze seemed to pass straight through its form to rest upon the statue that even ordinary people could see.
"Quite interesting."
After saying this, Ye Xing casually addressed the group behind him.
"Alright, let's continue. This thing isn't particularly worth looking at anyway."
Hearing Ye Xing's words, Miko Yotsuya and the others dismissed the thought of using their spiritual power to immediately destroy this evil spirit that resembled the Fierce-faced Vajra.
Although this evil spirit looked very similar to the Fierce-faced Vajra, one could sense that its spiritual power level wasn't particularly strong.
The problem was that for a temple of Shitenno-ji's calibre, there should be a guardian deity that was born alongside this place.
Even that neglected place of the Goat-Headed Deity, which had no human divine envoy and was only occasionally inspected, could give birth to something like him. So how could Shitenno-ji Temple, with its endless stream of visitors and extremely flourishing incense offerings, not have one?
This completely defied logic.
There were only two possible explanations. First, the guardian deity born here had been destroyed by some evil entity - such an occurrence would certainly be connected to the mastermind behind the scenes.
Second, from the very beginning...
What was born in this temple, which gathered everyone's faith, was never anything benevolent in the first place.
Of course, for Ye Xing, this made no difference.
The relics should be returned to their original... never mind, that phrase doesn't quite work here. It should be called letting the right person make use of their remaining value.
Evil entities - they should be consumed when appropriate.
"Can't... see me?"
The Fierce-faced Vajra stood at the entrance, watching the group walk into the temple, murmuring to itself before its body dissolved into black smoke and disappeared.
...
After entering Shitenno-ji Temple and looking around various places, when they reached the final location - the hall containing a Buddhist statue - Utaha looked at Eriri, who had closed her eyes and pressed her palms together as if praying for something, and spoke softly.
"Let me mention this first - the deities here don't handle matters of romantic luck."
"Eh? They don't handle that..."
Eriri's reflexive words trailed off halfway as she belatedly realised what was being implied, her pretty face flushing slightly.
"I... I wasn't praying for something trivial like romantic luck or anything like that."
"Is that so?"
Utaha Kasumigaoka gave a noncommittal nod, then deliberately performed the exact same action Eriri had just done moments before. Speaking in a volume that wasn't particularly loud but clearly audible to Eriri, she began:
"I hope Buddha will bless me to become a couple with Ye Xing, then we can hug, hold hands, kiss, and of course... do naughty things at night..."
"Stop, stop!"
Eriri couldn't bear to listen any longer, blushing with embarrassment and anger as she protested.
"You... you! Don't spout such nonsense here!"
"Hehe."
Utaha Kasumigaoka wore the expression of someone whose scheme had succeeded. Looking at Eriri, who seemed about to turn into a steam-powered maiden, she couldn't resist teasing:
"To be honest, I find it hard to understand how someone who draws that kind of material can become this embarrassed just hearing those words. Have you developed some peculiar form of schizophrenia?"
"You... what would you know! That's art!"
"Then why don't you show that 'art' to everyone at school?"
"You..."
The golden-haired loser Eriri was completely no match for the black-stockinged, voluptuous, sharp-tongued woman Utaha Kasumigaoka.
...
At the other end of the main hall, Ye Xing extended his hand toward Shouko Nishimiya with a smiling greeting.
"Nishimiya-san, I believe this is our first time meeting - we haven't even had the chance to exchange greetings yet. It's nice to meet you."
Shouko Nishimiya nodded, reaching out to gently shake Ye Xing's hand.
Watching this scene unfold, Mai Sakurajima and the others all harboured a strange thought.
They seemed to be witnessing history in the making.
The hand Ye Xing was extending wasn't just an ordinary hand - it was the demonic claw of the Harem God reaching out toward Shouko Nishimiya.
After shaking hands with Ye Xing, Shouko Nishimiya took out the notebook she always carried with her, wrote a line on it, and then showed it to Ye Xing.
[My name is Shouko Nishimiya. Nice to meet you, Ye Xing-san.]
"Hmm? I remember... you can speak, right?"
[My voice is a bit unusual... so I usually communicate with others this way.]
Seeing these words, Ye Xing waved his hand dismissively and laughed.
"Just speak freely. If you speak and I don't understand, that's my problem, not your responsibility."
Hearing his words, Shouko Nishimiya first froze momentarily, then mustered her courage and spoke in her somewhat unusual tone of voice.
"Touma-san... said the same thing to me, too."
"Because that's just common sense."
Ye Xing said this as if stating the obvious, his tone matter-of-fact.
"There's absolutely nothing wrong with how you speak. If anyone mocks you for it, it only proves their own ears are the problem, not yours. Life is like this - rather than blaming everything on myself, I prefer placing all the blame on others. Can't adapt to me? Then that's their problem."
Pausing here, Ye Xing looked directly into Shouko Nishimiya's eyes and said with a smile.
"If anyone could dislike someone as adorable as you, that can only mean it's their own problem, not your fault."
Hearing these words, Shouko Nishimiya couldn't help but freeze again, her eyes showing traces of being moved.
Meanwhile, Mai Sakurajima and the others standing not far away wore complicated expressions on their faces.
It wasn't because of Ye Xing's direct approach - this guy's straightforward attacks didn't feel like active skills but rather passive abilities with no cooldown, triggered automatically when conditions were met.
The main point was...
At this moment, a monstrous evil spirit similar in size to a Buddha statue, with four eyes, deep black skin, and pale golden patterns, was pressing its head against Ye Xing's side. Its four eyes rotated eerily, their gaze locked on Ye Xing's face.
Truly worthy of being called the Harem God.
How could he so casually deliver direct attacks to Shouko Nishimiya while such a massive, terrifying evil spirit was right beside him!?