Zongman I fight weirdness in everyday world

"Be normal."

Immediately after, Yae Hoshi reached out and pinched Touma Kazusa's cheeks, chuckling as he spoke.

"What I like is the original Touma Kazusa. You don't need to change anything. To me, you're already perfect beyond compare."

Touma Kazusa's pretty face flushed slightly upon hearing this, using a cold tone to conceal her shyness.

"Hmph, I'll give you credit for knowing what to say."

The Matchmaking Deity watched this scene with a face full of motherly smiles.

Youth, how wonderful.

For this deity who presided over marriages and loved shipping couples the most, what could be more blissful than staying by Yae Hoshi's side in this world?

There was no need to pick and choose couples to ship; with the God of the Harem taking action, so many different types of girls were available that the Matchmaking Deity was in shipper heaven.

Moreover, she could even ship herself with Yae Hoshi, which was simply too wonderful.

"How is it, Yae Hoshi-kun? Am I amazing?"

Seeing the Matchmaking Deity's smug expression, Yae Hoshi nodded and praised with a smile.

"Yes, very strong, as expected of the great Matchmaking Deity-sama."

"Of course."

Although the Matchmaking Deity wasn't always serious, when it came to her worth as a deity, she had saved Itomori Town alongside Yae Hoshi, which was an immeasurable merit.

Furthermore, she had obtained faith from Yae Hoshi himself, something no other deity had ever achieved.

"Yae Hoshi."

Touma Kazusa walked up to Yae Hoshi and spoke softly.

"I just met that Izanami God and had a conversation with her."

"I think I already know... the principle behind her creating spirit power users."

Chapter 321: L's Hunt, The Arrival of a New Year

The next morning, on the Shinkansen bullet train returning to Kyoto.

"Wait... why did we have to get up so early to take the train back?"

Yui Yuigahama rested her face on one hand, yawning, rubbing her still sleepy eyes, looking adorable and puzzled.

"Can't we just fly back? I could have slept longer."

"Don't say silly things."

Rio Futaba explained helplessly.

"We came to Osaka by train, so naturally, we have to go back by train. It's the same reason why we extended the room for another day. We need to leave a record to prove our itinerary. If the police find out during the investigation that we high school students came to Osaka with the school but don't have a return ticket record to Kyoto, we might be suspected."

"Eh?"

Yui Yuigahama was stunned for a moment, a look of shock on her face.

"We... will we be investigated by the police?"

"I'm just saying there's a possibility."

Rio Futaba sighed helplessly, glanced at Yae Hoshi sitting on the other side, and complained grumpily.

"After all, someone turned Shitennoji Temple into a flatland."

"Little Futaba, you have to be responsible for your words, okay? It wasn't me who blew it up."

Yae Hoshi said nonchalantly.

"Speaking of which, it was quite a blast for me too."

"Heh heh, good riddance, it's best to teach you a lesson, remember not to be reckless next time."

Rio Futaba snorted and replied, then took off her glasses, rubbed her temples, and murmured as she pondered.

"But, there were gains from this battle as well, guiding out the distorted desires in people's hearts... and then converting them into abilities? Thanks to Touma-san, this is very important information. We finally have a general understanding of the enemy's abilities."

Miko Yotsuya nodded upon hearing this, then looked at Touma Kazusa, a hint of worry in her golden eyes.

"However, Touma's appearance was also seen by that Izanami God. If the other party..."

"It won't happen."

Hearing this, Yae Hoshi interrupted from the other end.

"Unless the mastermind is stupid enough to think that Kazusa is 'Mask', otherwise, they won't act rashly."

"How did you come to this conclusion?"

"It's very simple."

Yae Hoshi replied in a calm tone.

"Because the premise for the mastermind to play so many games with me is that 'Mask' has a bottom line, but the mastermind doesn't."

"Judging from his actions, although his mind is already twisted, he is indeed a very clever enemy."

"Taking the risk of angering me, making me lose my composure, abandoning all bottom lines, and resorting to any means, attacking my helpers? Before preparing measures to deal with me, the mastermind would never dare to do such a thing."

"Otherwise, he had Akugaya Kiyotaka as a pawn at the time, he could have completely controlled Akugaya Kiyotaka to act normal and wait until he found Yagami Souichirou before killing him, but he didn't choose to do so."

"In short, the mastermind is afraid of 'Mask', and even more afraid of an irrational 'Mask'."

Speaking of this, Yae Hoshi paused slightly, then chuckled.

"From the beginning, the mastermind probably didn't intend to find out our true identities. We don't want to expose our identities, which is the prerequisite for him to contend with us. If he loses this condition, he will only lose even more miserably."

"And the most important point."

Yae Hoshi looked out the window, a lazy expression on his face, and said softly.

"The mastermind is probably already having a hard time protecting himself now."

Speaking of this, Yae Hoshi suddenly changed his expression and muttered to himself.

"Crap... crap..."

Seeing his expression, the members' hearts sank, thinking that with Yae Hoshi's personality of remaining unfazed even when Mount Tai collapses in front of him, he would actually show such an expression at this time, could it be that... is some earth-shattering disaster about to happen?

Only in the next second did Yae Hoshi say something that made them all helpless, not knowing where to start complaining.

"I actually forgot to take the relics in the temple, damn it, damn it, I was thinking of tasting the flavor of the eminent monk's relics, it's really too bad, a slip of the mind, a slip of the mind."

......

At this time, the people in various parts of the Sakura Province were only concerned about one thing.

Shitennoji Temple in Osaka City was actually blown up, and it was blown to the ground, not even a speck of dust was left!?

Needless to say, such news, whether from the degree of shock or simply from the literal meaning, was extremely explosive, and instantly attracted the attention of the entire Sakura Province.

"Regarding the bombing of Shitennoji Temple, a famous scenic spot in Osaka City last night, the police are fully investigating. According to a related spokesperson for the Osaka Metropolitan Police Department, the Metropolitan Police Department has assembled a team of the most elite investigators in the entire Sakura Province, and is determined to find the mastermind behind this incident."

A silver lining in the misfortune: due to the sudden torrential rain last night, the monks and staff in the temple were evacuated in time. It was finally confirmed that only a dozen monks, including the current head priest of Shitennoji Temple, were missing and possibly dead.

The official Osaka City television station was relatively serious, as it needed to appease the public's emotions rather than incite panic.

The online media or some privately-run news agencies were not using this tone at all.

《Sudden Once-in-a-Century Torrential Rain! Golden Lightning in the Sky! A Sign of Impending Disaster?》

《Shitennoji Temple Destroyed! What Shocking Conspiracy Lies Behind It?》

《A Sudden Disaster, or a Deliberately Planned Terrorist Attack?》

......

Looking at the news reports on the computer, L's attention was not focused on the content of the news itself, or the intense discussions coming from the high-ranking officials of the prefectural police departments across Sakura Province on the big screen, but rather he was lost in thought, pondering in his mind.

"Last time...during the Mikazuki Munechika theft...there was also a torrential rain without any warning..."

"This time...it's rain again..."

"Is it 'Kira'...no, is it 'Mask'?"

L took out his phone, swiped a few times on the screen, and found the two news reports that he had treasured for a long time. What came into view were the two reports that marked a turning point in Natsumi Suga's career as a media person.

One was an exclusive interview with the Sunshine Girl, and the views of the Super-Limited Club members on the Sunny Doll Killer who ran rampant in Kyoto during that time.

The other...was a personal interview.

"Yozora..."

L's gaze swept over, and he happened to see Yozora's words, "Mask" is not a true hero, but just a dangerous person who acts according to his own will.

"Is it a case of everyone else being drunk while I'm sober...or...is it a clear understanding of one's own identity?"

As if responding to L's thoughts, at this moment, a deep voice from a high-ranking police official came from the big screen.

"Could this incident...be the work of 'Mask'?"

Hearing this, Soichiro Yagami's expression remained unchanged, but his heart couldn't help but tremble.

Firstly, if not one hundred percent, he was at least ninety percent certain that Yozora was related to this incident.

The private Toyozaki and the public Somu High Schools jointly organized a school trip to Osaka City, and then it rained heavily in Osaka, and Shitennoji Temple was blown up. To say that Yozora had nothing to do with it? Soichiro Yagami wasn't stupid.

But the problem was that Soichiro Yagami could be one hundred and twenty percent sure that Yozora was not the culprit who destroyed Shitennoji Temple.

The person he knew would never do such an exaggerated act, and would never use high-yield explosives. After all, he was a real esper, and he didn't need those things at all.

However, Soichiro Yagami believed it, but he couldn't give a reason.

What if this incident was really suspected by these high-ranking police officials to be the work of "Mask", who knows what the investigation team might find?

After all, the nature of this incident was too serious. The entire population of Sakura Province was waiting for the police to give an answer. All police forces and resources were mobilized, and the police department was unanimously determined to find the perpetrator. Who knows if they might actually find something?

Just as Soichiro Yagami was thinking about how to clear "Mask" of suspicion and prevent him from becoming a target of the investigation team, L, who had been silent, suddenly spoke.

"This incident was not done by 'Mask'. Do not mislead the direction of the investigation."

Hearing L's voice, a high-ranking police official snorted coldly.

"Hmph, how do you know there's no connection? Oh, right, your Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department is the General Police Department, but even 'Kira' hasn't been caught yet. It's hard to say whether it's a problem caused by insufficient ability, or whether you are deliberately protecting this kind of criminal who destroys procedural justice."

"Please don't be so stupid."

Faced with the questioning from the high-ranking police official, L just replied expressionlessly, in a flat tone.

"Even the criminal methods and styles of 'Mask' and 'Kira' haven't been figured out, and you're already spouting nonsense here. I'm not acting out of any personal feelings, but from the professional perspective of a detective, after analysis, I have come to this conclusion."

"May I ask, how did someone as foolish as you, who makes random guesses, not only makes no contribution, but even has a negative impact on the investigation, get recognized as an elite detective and be able to communicate with everyone here?"

"Is your Sakura Province Police Department so short-handed that you're lacking manpower to this extent?"

Faced with L's words, the high-ranking police official directly chose to shut up.

It wasn't that he didn't want to refute, but that he couldn't refute.

"Kira" and "Mask", the two most famous criminals or anti-heroes in Sakura Province, not only the police departments in charge of Tokyo and Kyoto, but also the other local police departments, had certainly heard of their deeds.

The two had some differences in their styles, but overall, they both followed one principle.

They only target criminals and do not harm the innocent.

Even during the invasion of the Tokyo National Museum and the 'Kira' public live broadcast on television, no police officers died. At most, they were knocked unconscious on the ground, and it couldn't even be considered an injury.

But this time...

Shitennoji Temple was destroyed, and a dozen monks died. This was a completely and utterly heinous crime.

As L said, this did not match the style of "Kira" and "Mask".

"No one wants to refute anymore? Good."

L directly took over the speaking rights for this online meeting. He didn't pay attention to the emotions that the high-ranking police officials might have about this, and he didn't want to waste energy on such boring social niceties.

"Due to the particularly heinous nature of this incident and the large scope of its impact, I suggest taking special measures."

"First, the Shitennoji Temple incident and the death of Inspector Taniguchi a few days ago should be investigated as a joint case."

Hearing this, a high-ranking police official asked in confusion.

"Why..."