Chapter 26: Encountering a Strange Evil Spirit

Looking at the evil spirit on Isshiki Iroha's back, Hikigaya Hachiman did not act rashly. The figure of this evil spirit was obviously much sturdier than the few low-level evil spirits he had seen earlier at Kawasaki Saki's house. If he wasn't mistaken, this was a mid-level evil spirit. After yesterday's incident, Hikigaya had gained some understanding of evil spirits. Low-level evil spirits were newly born, possessing only a little intelligence or sometimes none at all. They instinctively searched for suitable humans and then harmed them. Then there were their upgraded versions — mid-level evil spirits. Although it was unclear how evil spirits leveled up, mid-level ones undoubtedly had their unique abilities. For example, the spider evil spirit in the gym hid its presence; the samurai evil spirit in the kendo club excelled in close combat with swords and spears; and the last one was good at shapeshifting into a human form. By the time they reached high-level evil spirits, they could apparently manipulate spiritual power to perform seemingly impossible feats, like the tornado summoned by the bird-headed evil spirit... It was currently rush hour for the after-work trains, and Hikigaya and Isshiki Iroha were already packed tightly amidst the crowd of white-collar workers. Before figuring out this evil spirit's special abilities, rashly provoking it would clearly be unwise. With a whooshing sound from the far end of the tracks, a train slowly decelerated and stopped in front of the crowd. "Pshhh..." (sound effect) As the train doors slowly opened, the crowd surged forward, pushing Hikigaya onto the train without him needing to move himself. Even with the power of his tactical suit, Hikigaya felt like a lone boat in a vast sea, at risk of capsizing at any moment. If Hikigaya felt this way, it was easy to imagine how cramped Isshiki Iroha's situation was. She had only been daydreaming for a bit before looking up and realizing she was surrounded by men in suits. Just as a faint sense of helplessness flashed through her mind, the moving crowd carried her forward. Night was about to fall, and obviously no one present wanted to miss this train and wait for the next one. So, despite the train being incredibly crowded inside, people outside still pushed hard to get on. The petite Isshiki Iroha was pushed inside with the flow of people. But her situation was bad. She hadn't noticed when boarding. Once the doors closed and the train started moving again, she realized she was surrounded entirely by tall men, with not a single woman nearby! Hearing the rapid breathing of the men next to her, Isshiki immediately sensed something was wrong. She desperately clawed through the gaps between the men, trying to get to another carriage. But the men around her, their eyes bloodshot and breathing heavily, formed a circle and blocked her way. "Help...ugh!" Seeing the situation deteriorate rapidly, Isshiki shouted for help. But as soon as she opened her mouth, a man behind her covered it with his hand. "Mmm..." With her mouth covered, panic flashed in Isshiki's eyes. Thinking of the news stories she had seen online, her body trembled. Who will save me... Countless faces flashed through her mind in an instant, but none could possibly appear at this time and place to rescue her from this crisis. Just as Isshiki was sinking into despair, a hand suddenly appeared. It cut through the dense circle of men and pulled her out from the crowd! A cold metallic sensation pressed against her back, and she let out a slight breath of relief. Gratefully, she looked up to thank the person who saved her—but what she saw was the familiar uniform of Sobu High School. Could it be the same senior from before? With some uncertainty, Isshiki carefully scrutinized the Hikigaya Hachiman standing before her. No longer slouched or disheveled, he stood straight and blocked several burly men in front of him, almost unrecognizable. But from Hikigaya's trademark deadfish eyes, Isshiki was certain this was the same senior. 'Is there really such an evil spirit?' Standing in front of Isshiki, Hikigaya looked at the several red-eyed, irrational men and the humanoid evil spirit scratching behind them, feeling a flash of surprise. But the world was a big place; it was normal to have a few oddities. This theory surely applied to evil spirits as well. After the initial shock, Hikigaya began to think about how to deal with the evil spirit without harming the possessed office workers. However, the evil spirit was clearly losing patience. Seeing Hikigaya ruin its plan, it emitted a strange sonic wave. Immediately, all the humans it controlled let out angry roars and charged at Hikigaya. "Ah!" Startled by several burly men rushing toward her, Isshiki screamed in terror. With only her senior's skinny arms and legs in front of her, how could he possibly resist their attack? Soon, a dull thud came from the air, followed by several heavy objects hitting the ground. Hearing the noise, Isshiki opened her eyes curiously. She saw the uniform on her senior had somehow changed into a black tight battle suit, and he was now grabbing a man by the neck, lifting him off the train. "Strange, why aren't the others reacting?" Looking at this violent scene, Isshiki glanced around in confusion. Within a two-meter semicircle around her lay the previously red-eyed office workers, unconscious. Beyond two meters, the crowd was indifferent, going about their business as if what was happening here didn't exist. What was going on? Faced with this incomprehensible scene, Isshiki did not panic or collapse like an ordinary girl might. She scanned around, and her gaze settled on another person still standing within the two-meter radius. "Well, there goes my hard-earned money again..." After knocking out the last possessed person, Hikigaya looked at the black bracelet on his hand that had turned red, and sighed. He bought this because things were urgent and he was short on spirit coins. But wearing this thing was really quite embarrassing! Yes, Hikigaya Hachiman had made up his mind. After dealing with this evil spirit, he would permanently seal this red bracelet away in the system space and never use it again!