"…Start catching worms."
Kitahara Makoto held a Hana in one hand and an umbrella in the other, striding into Kamakura High School, which was shrouded in heavy rain and the mist of curses.
Although he was alone, his steps showed no fear or hesitation.
The reason was simple.
Confidence comes from strength and assurance.
After gaining the Hagun Utahime buff, Kitahara Makoto's basic attributes directly doubled. Now, even if Batman came, he would have to surrender obediently; one punch would make a giant bear spit blood and collapse.
A moment later.
"Found it."
Kitahara Makoto moved like the wind, quickly traversing most of Kamakura High School. Upon reaching the area where the gym warehouse was located, the Fishing Bait finally vibrated.
Having used the Fishing Bait before, Kitahara Makoto knew very well that the sudden vibration of the bait now meant the target had entered the fishing range.
After confirming that the target was about to fall into his trap, Kitahara Makoto simply stopped, standing still and waiting.
"Squeak squeak~"
Not long after, a squealing sound, like that of a mouse, pierced through the heavy rain and fog, reaching his ears.
Kitahara Makoto looked over at the sound and saw an ugly worm, about an arm's length, crawling out of the gymnasium storage room. Under the effect of the Fishing Bait, it shrieked and willingly delivered itself.
"It's really ugly."
Kitahara Makoto clicked his tongue softly.
Aside from squeaking like a mouse, the Voidworm seemed to have no other abilities; even its crawling speed was very slow.
With a slight shift of his gaze, Kitahara Makoto looked behind the Voidworm, where two Umbrella Monsters in suits followed blankly.
These monsters might have intelligence, but it was clearly not high; they all looked bewildered and helpless.
However, upon discovering Kitahara Makoto's presence, the Voidworm's cries suddenly became sharp, and the Umbrella Monsters, as if receiving an order, suddenly floated into the air and then rapidly dove towards Kitahara Makoto.
According to the official information, the Umbrella Monster's attack methods primarily consisted of two types: one was Umbrella Slash, where the edge of the umbrella was as sharp as a blade, easily cutting through human skin and muscle.
Additionally, the Umbrella Monster could also unleash Black Rain; this rainwater had corrosive effects and would also slow down human movement like asphalt.
For ordinary people, the Umbrella Monster was a considerably dangerous Otherworld anomaly.
Unfortunately, Kitahara Makoto was not an ordinary person.
Facing the Umbrella Monsters flying down from mid-air, spinning and slashing incessantly, Kitahara Makoto didn't even blink. He simply drew the katana he had obtained in Otherworld before, his expression calm, and cut them down with one strike.
If there were ordinary people present, they wouldn't have been able to clearly see Kitahara Makoto's sword-wielding motion; they would only have seen a cold, sharp light flash through the air, followed by the Umbrella Monsters being directly torn in half.
Thud.
The two halves of the body fell to the ground, splashing mud.
Normal physical attacks were ineffective against anomalies, but the Malevolent Spirit Katana could completely harm them.
Kitahara Makoto shook off the rainwater from the Malevolent Spirit Katana, sheathed his sword, and casually said:
"Tomori-chan, I'll leave it to you."
"…"
Hana stepped forward, and a Flower Sea rapidly grew under her feet, directly submerging the Umbrella Monsters.
Kitahara Makoto walked up to the Voidworm, then drew his sword again and cut it down with one strike.
The Voidworm shrieked, its ugly worm body quickly lost all movement, becoming a dead worm.
At the same time.
The cursed mist, which could not be dispersed by wind or washed away by rain, began to rapidly dissipate with the death of the Voidworm. Before long, the sky and earth suddenly cleared.
Well, not quite.
A typhoon was currently passing through, with wind and rain as dark as night, and the sky filled with gloom. However, after the mist dissipated, the sky did indeed feel much brighter.
"Click."
Kitahara Makoto took out his phone, snapped a picture, and sent it to his contact person.
"The worms in Kamakura High School area have been eliminated."
The contact person quickly responded:
"Received. Mr. Kitahara, please be sure to pay attention to your safety. For every worm you eliminate, we will give you a reward of one million yen."
Kitahara Makoto put away his phone, inadvertently revealing the bracelet on his right wrist:
"If you put it that way, I'm not sleepy anymore."
"…"
At the same time.
Tokyo.
Kitahara's home.
"Eh, Kitahara-kun is so amazing! That speed just now was too fast, wasn't it?"
"That worm just now looked super disgusting."
"And the Umbrella Monsters, they looked so eerie."
"I didn't expect the bracelet could also be used to watch the battle."
"…"
The girls chattered excitedly, discussing amongst themselves.
Kitahara Makoto went to Kamakura alone to 'save the world,' and the girls were naturally very worried. However, with the cursed mist present, going there would only cause trouble. So, Yamada Ryo suggested that Kitahara Makoto wear the Kessoku Band bracelet, so that while they stayed in Tokyo, they could at least confirm Kitahara Makoto's safety.
Kitahara Makoto agreed to Yamada Ryo's suggestion without hesitation.
The Soul Swap entry could not be triggered between different genders, so Kitahara Makoto was not resistant to wearing the Kessoku Band bracelet.
At this moment, the girls were staying at Kitahara Makoto's home, wearing their bracelets and watching the battle remotely.
"Me, me, me!" Chihaya Anon said excitedly, "I want to see too!"
"Here, for you."
Kita reluctantly took off her bracelet and handed it to Anon.
There were only four Kessoku Band bracelets in total. Although Nijika re-knitted them afterward, they were not optimizable items.
"Well, Kitahara is indeed excessively fast sometimes."
Yamada Ryo rested her right hand on her chin, speaking while turning her head to look at Nijika.
Nijika's pretty face quickly flushed red, and she puffed out her cheeks, saying:
"Ryo, just talk, why are you looking at me?"
"Because I suddenly remembered when we went to the onsen together two days ago, Nijika always said it was too fast…"
"Don't, don't say it!"
Nijika quickly reached out and clapped her hand over Ryo's mouth, her pretty face flushed crimson with shame:
"Be careful someone hears you!!!"
Yamada Ryo rested her chin in her hand, as if nothing had happened:
"I saw a saying on Twitter: there are only two words in a man's dictionary, one is violence, and the other is [BEEP—]."
Nijika's pretty face was flushed scarlet, and she asked, puzzled:
"Ryo, why are you saying these things?"
Yamada Ryo whispered:
"Kitahara is very violent now. When he comes back, his mind will definitely be full of the other word in the dictionary, so Nijika, you'll help me then."
"I won't!"
Nijika refused, embarrassed:
"If Ryo wants help, help yourself. Don't always drag me into it!"
Yamada Ryo's expression was innocent:
"How mean~ Nijika, when you couldn't hold on and called for help before, I always sacrificed myself. Now it's my turn to need help, you wouldn't just leave me to die, would you?"
Nijika: "…"
While the girls chattered in the background, Kitahara Makoto had already gotten into his car and was heading to the location of the next target.
Ten minutes later.
The second Voidworm was easily taken down.
Then came the third worm.
The fourth worm…
Extraordinary Vision could ignore the mist, and Fishing Bait could make the Voidworm fall into its own trap. With the two combined, Kitahara Makoto naturally swept through everything like a hot knife through butter.
Buzz buzz.
Just as Kitahara Makoto eliminated the fourth Voidworm, his phone suddenly vibrated.
"Kitahara-kun, you can come back now." Kita sent a message, "We'll continue to give you buffs."
Unbeknownst to him, half an hour had already passed, and the Hagun Utahime's buff duration was about to end.
Kitahara Makoto exhaled lightly, saying:
"Got it, Tomori-chan and I will be back right away."
The location of the fourth insect was a shopping mall. Kitahara Makoto picked up Tomori, found an unoccupied bathroom, and then quickly traveled back to Tokyo.
"They're back, they're back!"
"Your clothes are all soaked, hurry up and change."
"Kitahara-kun, are you hungry? Do you want something to eat?"
"The cucumbers have just been washed…"
"…"
As Kitahara Makoto returned victorious, the girls all came forward to express their concern and comfort.
"I'm fine." Kitahara Makoto directly took off his soaked shirt. "But I am a bit hungry, and I want something to eat and some water."
The process of eliminating the Space Worms seemed easy, but it actually consumed a lot of physical strength, and he indeed needed to replenish his energy now.
As for his soaked clothes, that was because the wind and rain were too strong, and the umbrella's effect was very poor. Eventually, he simply threw away the umbrella, so his clothes naturally got soaked.
"I'll go to the kitchen to get bread."
Nijika quickly turned and headed to the kitchen.
"Kitahara-kun, do you want to take a quick shower or just wipe yourself down?"
Kita's face was slightly red, and her gaze drifted as she asked.
It wasn't just Kita; the other girls were the same.
Of course, Mutsumi was an exception. Mutsumi's emotions were slowly recovering, but she wasn't shy yet, so at this moment, she stared intently, even saying:
"I want to touch your abs."
"Cough cough cough…"
Soyo quickly coughed twice and swiftly pulled Mutsumi aside.
Each time a fitness task was completed, Kitahara Makoto's body would be subtly adjusted. By now, his body could truly be described as a combination of strength and beauty.
Although he didn't have as many muscles as a fitness enthusiast, every muscle perfectly conformed to the golden ratio, making it hard for people to look away.
"Damn, stop looking…!"
Taki secretly bit her lower lip, turning her small face away to look elsewhere, but the corner of her eye couldn't help but steal glances at Kitahara Makoto.
Thump thump thump.
In the noisy living room, Taki could clearly hear her own rapid heartbeat, and she found a terrible thought uncontrollably emerging in her mind:
"I want to touch…"
Ahhh! Don't think such nonsense!
Taki quickly shook her head, trying to drive the terrible thought out of her mind.
"Taki?"
A girl's gentle voice suddenly sounded by her ear.
"W-what is it?"
Taki jumped in surprise, quickly looking at Tomori with a guilty conscience.
Declaring sovereignty in front of her sister, actively kissing the scumbag Kitahara, and pretending to be a couple—all those things she still hadn't confessed to Tomori.
Although Taki really wanted to tell Tomori the truth, every time the words reached her lips, she couldn't bring herself to say them.
Even though there were reasons for it, she had still betrayed Tomori, so she could only hide it for as long as possible.
Tomori asked with a puzzled tone:
"Taki's face is so red, is she feeling unwell?"
Taki quickly shook her head:
"I'm not unwell... Tomori-chan doesn't need to worry."
"..."
"Kitahara-kun, have some water."
Yamada Ryo handed over the glass of water.
"Thank you, Ryo-senpai."
Kitahara Makoto drank the water and casually said:
"Just quickly wipe your body. We'll be going to Kamakura soon, so we can't delay too long."
"Understood."
Kita nodded quickly and ran towards the bathroom, "I'll go to the bathroom to get towels."
Soon after, Kita returned with two towels, directly handing one to Chihaya Anon:
"Anon, your towel."
Chihaya Anon blinked: "Eh, I have to help too?"
Kita's face was flushed, and she whispered:
"Many hands make light work, you know."
"..."
The two girls exchanged glances, then, with blushing faces, stepped forward and began to help Kitahara Makoto wipe his body.
After he was clean, Nijika happened to bring out the food. Time was tight, so they could only have some bread and milk.
While Kitahara Makoto was eating and drinking, the girls played their instruments again, stacking buffs on him.
A moment later.
"I feel like I'm at full health and mana."
Kitahara Makoto drank the last sip of milk, extended his right hand, took a clean shirt from Togawa's hand, put it on directly, and waved, saying:
"I'm going back to save the world."
The girls: "..."
With Hana's help, Kitahara Makoto passed through the mirror and once again arrived in Kamakura, beginning his pest extermination operation.
At the same time.
Other official personnel were also rapidly mobilizing. Although their efficiency was far from Kitahara Makoto's, they had the advantage of numbers, so they weren't too slow.
With everyone working together, Kamakura, like a map covered in fog in a single-player game, began to unlock and light up piece by piece.
"There's only one last area to clear, the library..."
Kitahara Makoto looked up at the library in front of him, pushed open the main door, and walked inside.
Just as he was about to use bait to lure out the bugs, Kitahara Makoto was surprised to find a figure standing in the library's main hall.
"Someone's here?"
Kitahara Makoto stopped, his eyebrows raised in surprise.
A petite figure was clearly standing in the library's main hall, wearing a hood that obscured her face. At her feet, a grotesque Voidworm was even prostrate. However, this worm appeared larger, even giving off a feeling of being bloated.
"Official personnel?"
Kitahara Makoto secretly guessed in his heart.
Just as he was about to speak, a black rift silently tore open behind the hooded girl. An ominous aura emanated from the rift, and then the hooded girl picked up the worm and silently retreated into the rift.
"Something's not right..."
Kitahara Makoto frowned slightly, turned around, and exited the library. He could see the fog rapidly dissipating.
After a brief moment of thought, Kitahara Makoto took out his phone, called the liaison, explained the situation he had just encountered, and then returned to Tokyo with Hana through the mirror.
"Kitahara-kun, welcome back~"
"You worked hard."
"Hurry and take a shower, then get some good rest."
"..."
The girls all stepped forward, giving Kitahara Makoto the highest welcome.
Kamakura had hundreds of thousands of people; those were not just cold numbers, but countless families and countless vibrant lives. What Kitahara Makoto did was truly saving the world.
Although the girls did not go in person, they all assisted from behind and watched the entire battle through their Kessoku Band bracelets. Their sense of participation was maximized, and naturally, they felt honored.
Kitahara Makoto took off his backpack, handed it to Nijika, and then said:
"Given how hard I worked to save the world, shouldn't each of you give me two Universal Exchange Coupons?"
"Eh?"
The girls who had just been cheering instantly fell silent.
If they gave Kitahara Makoto Universal Exchange Coupons, he would definitely use them to exchange for terrible things, right?
Just then, Mutsumi stood out firmly:
"I'll give Makoto-kun exchange coupons."
Yamada Ryo crossed her arms over her chest, her face full of righteousness:
"And me. Kitahara-kun worked so hard to save so many people in Kamakura. Surely no one would be unwilling to part with just one Universal Exchange Coupon, right?"
"..."
With the conversation having reached this point, the girls naturally had no way to refuse and could only agree one after another, consenting to give Kitahara Makoto Universal Exchange Coupons.
"You keep your word. I've accepted the exchange coupons." Kitahara Makoto smiled, his gaze sweeping over the girls. "I'm going to take a shower and change first."
After washing up.
Kitahara Makoto changed into a clean and refreshing shirt and returned to the living room to sit down and rest.
"Little cucumber~"
Mutsumi, with a face full of anticipation, handed over a fresh, tender little cucumber.
Kitahara Makoto leaned forward directly, crunching it down in two or three bites at light speed, then sat upright:
"Mutsumi-chan, thank you for the treat."
"..."
Mutsumi's eyes widened as she stared blankly at her empty right hand.
Eating a small cucumber in private is one thing, but eating it with you in front of so many people will definitely cause a Shuraba!
Kitahara Makoto wiped the corners of his mouth and decisively changed the subject:
"Let me ask about the official progress."
"..."
The progress was very good.
Although the Voidworm could spew cursed mist, it had no other attack methods, and its body was very fragile, so the difficulty of the extermination operation was not high.
By eleven in the morning, the cursed mist that had engulfed Kamakura finally completely dissipated, and the typhoon also happened to pass and leave. Suddenly, the rain stopped and the sky cleared, as if the previous apocalypse was just an illusion.
"That... thank you."
The sister-in-law bit her lower lip, her expression complex, and bowed in thanks to Kitahara Makoto along with the other idol girls.
Kitahara Makoto waved his hand and said:
"You all go to the Onsen Village first and say goodbye to Mai-senpai. I'll take you directly back to Kamakura later."
"Okay."
The idol girls all agreed.
A moment later.
In the Onsen Village.
After the sister-in-law finished speaking with Mai, Kitahara Makoto then stepped forward.
"Senpai, how is Auntie?"
Kitahara Makoto asked softly.
"Still in a deep sleep." Sakurajima Mai frowned slightly, clearly still worried. "Nodoka said the fog in Kamakura has disappeared?"
"That's right, the crisis has indeed been resolved..."
Kitahara Makoto did not hide anything and softly recounted what had happened during that time.
Mai looked up and said softly:
"Thank you for this."
Kitahara Makoto patted his chest:
"For Senpai, even the apocalypse cannot stop me."
"Indeed, men are chuunibyou until they die." Sakurajima Mai raised her hand to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear and said softly, "First, take me and mom back to the apartment."
Kitahara Makoto asked, puzzled:
"Why go back?"
Sakurajima Mai bit her lower lip with her pearly teeth, her eyes filled with resentment:
"The time flow here is too exaggerated."
"I forgot." Kitahara Makoto slapped his forehead. "I'll take Senpai back to Kamakura right away, and then come back tonight to treat mother-in-law."
"..."