Zongman I fight weirdness in everyday world

It was Friday noon in the Occult Research Club's activity room.

“All of Master Miyamoto's crafted weapons are here.”

Riko Futaba brought out two heavy suitcases, lifting one in each hand with astonishing strength that completely belied her petite frame. She gently placed them on the table, then pulled out a list from her pocket and slowly began to read.

“Hmm… Three long swords infused with the relics of a high priest, a Buddha statue that has been worshipped for hundreds of years melted down to make a hundred nail gun bullets, five silver-plated nail guns, and some charms and Buddhist prayer beads of uncertain efficacy.”

“Uh…”

Yui Yuigahama looked puzzled and couldn't help but ask.

“This… a long sword infused with relics? If I remember correctly, relics are…”

Riko Futaba nodded slightly, adjusting her glasses.

“Yes, the remnants left after a legendary high priest is cremated. According to Master Miyamoto's theory, the spiritual power of a weapon has little to do with the material itself, like Yozora’s Onimaru Kunitsuna, Kazusa’s Juzumaru Tsunetsugu, and Miko’s Mikazuki Munechika. The materials of these famous swords are just ordinary iron. The reason they have a damaging effect on evil spirits is that people believe these three famous swords have the power to exorcise evil.”

“The relics of a high priest are the same. People believe that so-called relics and Buddha statues possess spiritual power and can make evil spirits fear them, so weapons made of these materials should also cause additional damage to evil spirits. We’ll know once we test them. Nail guns are easy to use but not very convenient to carry.”

Listening to Riko Futaba's words, Setsuna Ogiso leaned close to Kazusa Touma's ear and whispered.

“Kazusa, I remember last time, Master Miyamoto seemed to say… that after his master passed away, he left behind so-called relics. Could it be…”

Kazusa Touma waved her hand expressionlessly.

“Some things are better left uninvestigated.”

Seriously, you can't deny it. Although Master Miyamoto's personality is a bit abstract, he is truly an enlightened monk.

Some of the relics he used to make weapons did indeed come from his deceased master, but this was not considered desecration of the dead.

In Master Miyamoto's view, what was this called?

Accumulating merit for his master, accumulating great merit.

As the saying goes, a monk is compassionate and saving a life is better than building a seven-story pagoda.

How many people have "Mask" and his assistants saved so far? If not ten thousand, then thousands, right?

How great is this merit?

To have the relics left behind after his death used as weapons in the hands of "Mask" and his assistants, how much merit would this accumulate for Master Miyamoto's deceased master?

Wouldn't that directly lead to enlightenment on the spot?

Not to mention his master, Master Miyamoto was also thinking that after he passed away, if he could be cremated into relics, he would also have them made into weapons and sent to the members of the Occult Research Club.

Even if there were no relics, it wouldn't matter. Wasn't there still ashes?

Make the most of everything, just use it.

“Then what’s in this suitcase?”

Noticing the curious gazes of the members, Riko Futaba slowly opened the suitcase. What appeared before everyone's eyes were several black heavy pistols, and magazines placed inside.

“Guns?”

“Yes, guns.”

Riko Futaba adjusted her glasses, took out the firearms from the suitcase one by one, gently placed them on the table, and said softly to the Occult Research Club members in front of her.

“After Amane Suzuha's performance in the last incident, I realized that although firearms are not as useful as spiritual abilities for us, they can sometimes have a good effect. However, this gun is provided by L. It has great power, but the recoil and weight are also amazing. Only those of us with spiritual abilities can use it. As for giving ordinary members something to defend themselves with…”

Riko Futaba looked at Marin Kitagawa and the newly joined Shoko Nishimiya, her tone gentle.

“Marin, Nishimiya-san, how about I get you two a gun for self-defense?”

“No, no, no, never mind, never mind.”

Marin Kitagawa repeatedly waved her hand in refusal.

“I can’t use this gun, and it’s not easy to carry around, so never mind.”

Although Shoko Nishimiya didn't understand what everyone was discussing, when she saw several guns in the suitcase and Riko Futaba said she would get one for her too, she was slightly stunned at first. Then, a hint of sadness appeared in her eyes, and she forced a smile, pointing to the hearing aids on her ears.

“I… I can’t be exposed to loud sounds…”

“I see, I understand.”

Riko Futaba nodded, closed the two suitcases, and placed them in the corner of the activity room.

After she finished speaking, Miko Yotsuya looked at Yozora and said softly.

“Mr. Oda has sent a demon exorcism request. The content of the request is quite special, so we wanted to talk to you first before making a decision.”

“Exorcism request?”

Hearing Miko Yotsuya's words, Yozora instantly became interested.

“What good dish is there this time? Hurry up and serve it to your brother.”

“What good dish are you talking about…”

Miko Yotsuya shook her head helplessly, then continued to introduce.

“The demon exorcism request sent by Mr. Oda is located at… Shuchiin Academy.”

“Oh? Interesting.”

“What’s more interesting is yet to come.”

Miko Yotsuya slowly began to introduce the specific details of this request.

“According to Shuchiin Academy, starting from Monday this week, students in the school have been suddenly fainting one after another. At first, the school thought it was because the weather was too hot, so they had heatstroke. But on Tuesday, the same thing happened again, and it wasn't an isolated case. Dozens of students experienced the same symptoms.”

“Most of Shuchiin's students are wealthy or noble. Even if the weather is hot, they are driven to and from school in special cars, and they didn't faint during physical education class, so the possibility of heatstroke can be completely ruled out. But Shuchiin's school doctor couldn't find the specific reason. The students would wake up again a few hours later, just like when they fainted.”

“With such a thing happening in the school, Shuchiin Academy naturally realized that something was wrong. In the past few days after school, they had professionals thoroughly inspect every corner of the school and found no signs of any infectious diseases or unknown viruses. In other words, this isn't some strange disease.”

“Everyone understands the composition of Shuchiin's student body. The school couldn't find the reason, nor could they stop the students from suddenly fainting, and they were under great pressure from the students' parents. In desperation, they found Oda Notou and offered a high reward. However, Shuchiin Academy requires absolute confidentiality. After all, as the number one high school in Sakura Province, hiring exorcists to drive away evil spirits would ultimately affect their own image if it were to spread.”

Hearing Miko Yotsuya's introduction, Yozora nodded in agreement. Before he could ask, Miko Yotsuya knew what he wanted to ask and added.

“The most important thing is that the students who fainted…”

“The list of students who fainted includes those from first to third year. As of today, the number of students who have fainted has exceeded one hundred. However, none of them are people we know. Hayasaka Ai, Shinomiya Kaguya, and Fujiwara Chika, none of them have experienced sudden fainting. And we haven't found any other common points among the fainting students, except that they all occurred within Shuchiin Academy.”

“I see…”

Ye Xing wore a thoughtful expression. Just as the members thought he had some brilliant insight, they saw him turn his gaze towards Yukinoshita Yukino.

“Yukinoshita-san, what do you think?”

“Eh? Me?”

“Who else? No slacking off allowed.”

“Tch, you think I'm like you?”

Yukinoshita Yukino retorted unhappily, then said thoughtfully.

“Hmm… Causing over a hundred ordinary people to faint, although not simultaneously, is still a strange phenomenon. Moreover… it doesn't quite fit the pattern of evil spirits. If it were an evil spirit, it would first target a specific individual, then constantly interfere with their mental state, creating manifestations like madness, fainting, and drowsiness, slowly tormenting their soul, thereby consuming the pain within that human soul. But this incident seems a bit superficial, so…”

Yukinoshita Yukino raised her head, her brow furrowed slightly.

“Either it's a powerful evil spirit with the ability to think, or it's a psychic. But regardless of which, they seem to be conducting some kind of experiment on the students of Shuchiin Academy. However, the illogical point here is, if they possess the ability to think, why choose Shuchiin Academy? Any place in Kyoto, except for Soubu High, would be a better testing ground than Shuchiin Academy. It wouldn't attract our attention so quickly, unless…”

“Unless the students of Shuchiin Academy have some special value, or the mastermind is deliberately trying to attract our attention.”

Futaba Rio picked up her coffee cup and took a sip. Seeing that Yukinoshita Yukino seemed to want to say something more, she subtly shook her head, gave her a suggestive look, then looked at Ye Xing and said softly.

“In that case, you have nothing to do this afternoon anyway, so go to Private Shuchiin Academy and do some investigation. You've already been there once, and the second and third-year students there know you. Find a suitable reason, and it shouldn't stir up any suspicion.”

“Okay.”

After Ye Xing left the activity room to contact the school authorities of Shuchiin Academy through Hiratsuka Shizuka, Futaba Rio and Yukinoshita Yukino also left the activity room. Once they reached a secluded corner, Yukinoshita Yukino finally couldn't help but lower her voice and ask.

“Why didn't you let me say it directly just now… If this incident is really related to evil spirits, then those students who fainted at Shuchiin Academy are likely to have already…”

“Already become puppets, indeed, that's a possibility.”

Futaba Rio nodded, then asked a question that stunned Yukinoshita Yukino.

“If it were you, knowing that those students at Shuchiin Academy have become puppets of the mastermind, could you kill them without hesitation, without any hesitation? Even if they haven't done anything wrong?”

“This…”

Yukinoshita Yukino's face showed hesitation. Clearly, she couldn't do it.

“Of course, you can't.”

Futaba Rio's eyes revealed a complex look. She took off her glasses, raised her hand, rubbed her forehead, and sighed.

“Faced with such a moral dilemma, perhaps only Kazusa among us can give a definite answer, but that's just her personality, it doesn't mean that she won't really feel guilt or anything like that in her heart. Only Ye Xing… can do such a thing.”

Yukinoshita Yukino pursed her lips and said softly.

“He… even when faced with such a moral dilemma… he won't waver?”

“No…”

Futaba Rio sighed heavily.

“I hope, or rather, I must believe that he won't waver, because with the appearance of SERN, such things will happen in the future… As Futaba Rio, of course, I don't want him to do this, but as 'Hone Onna', I must believe in 'Kamen'.”

Hearing this, Yukinoshita Yukino's eyes flickered, feeling that somewhere within her heart, she seemed to be touched.

She seemed to… have touched the “genuine thing” she was searching for for the first time.

… …

Later that day, at the main gate of Private Shuchiin Academy.

“Special operation, start!”

Looking at Hiratsuka Shizuka's excited appearance, Ye Xing couldn't help but complain.

“Be normal, you're making me look like a homeroom teacher taking elementary school students on a spring outing, it's embarrassing.”

“Hehe, can't help it, I'm excited.”

Hiratsuka Shizuka struck a cute girl pose, clearly in a very cheerful mood.

You know, she's a seasoned enthusiast of hot-blooded comics.

And now, what the Supernatural Quantum Mechanics Investigation and Research Society is doing is almost the same as in hot-blooded comics, isn't it?

Ye Xing is the protagonist in hot-blooded comics.

Of course, apart from the abstract personality, the appearance is much more handsome, and he also plays the suona, opens a harem, and there are never any moments of crisis where he suddenly explodes with power, or any knife-wielding plots…

Okay, actually it's nothing alike, but Hiratsuka Shizuka just wants to fantasize a little, so that she can imagine herself as the official female lead beside the male protagonist in this afternoon's action.

At this time, that middle-aged female teacher with gold-rimmed glasses, who had appeared during the joint exam last time, walked out with Shinomiya Kaguya.

When she saw Ye Xing standing at the door, she couldn't help but reveal a bit of a complex look, and immediately recalled the outrageous things that had happened the last time he came to Private Shuchiin Academy, but she still maintained politeness and took the initiative to greet him.

“Hiratsuka-sensei, Ye Xing-kun, welcome to Private Shuchiin Academy.”

“Hello.”

The middle-aged female teacher nodded noncommittally, then said blandly.

“Shinomiya-san has already told me that Ye Xing-kun wants to visit Private Shuchiin Academy and help her with some preparations for the student council election. That's fine, but now is class time after all. As long as you don't disturb the other students in class, please feel free to do so. I have something to do, so I won't disturb you any further.”

Chapter 401 Shuchiin Academy Student Council Election, Kaguya's Competitor

After the middle-aged female teacher with gold-rimmed glasses left, Ye Xing turned to Shinomiya Kaguya and said with a smile that was not a smile.

“Help you run for student council?”

“You have to find a suitable reason, right.”

Shinomiya Kaguya wore an expressionless look, but Hiratsuka Shizuka keenly noticed that in her beautiful ruby-like eyes, compared to the last time she saw Ye Xing during the joint exam, there was obviously more joy, and a hint of shyness hidden very deeply.

As for why Hiratsuka Shizuka could tell…

Because she often showed such eyes, fellow sufferers, how could she not understand what Shinomiya Kaguya was thinking?

Shinomiya Kaguya tucked her black hair behind her ear and said in a calm tone.

“Although I don't understand what you're doing at our school, I can be sure that it must be something very important that can't be discovered by others. In that case, I'll think of a suitable reason for you, so that others won't become suspicious when they find out.”

Ye Xing asked back with a smile.

“Can't I come if there's nothing going on? What if I came to see you?”

“Don't give me that.”