In a crossover anime, do you believe that a machine spirit can defeat a fake human?

Having realized that the problem lay with that mysterious exchange student, Yotsuya Miko deliberately followed the student for several days.

That international student from the University of Tokyo, Chen, must have some way to eliminate evil spirits.

You must ask him for help.

I absolutely, absolutely, definitely go...

Service Department: Chapter Thirty-Two - Yotsuya Miko's Request

“Evil spirits…that sounds terrifying.” Yuihama shivered, her face turning pale.

"..." Chen Yi remained silent. He did not believe that those so-called evil spirits were real spiritual beings, but perhaps some form of pseudo-human.

So how do we define this kind of thing? Is it a pseudo-human or an evil spirit?

"Um, this is... too..." Unrealistic? Fantastic? Yukinoshita found herself unable to find the words to express herself.

So, do I have any way to eliminate evil spirits? Recalling how the other party had initially specifically asked for his help by name, Chen Yi pondered.

Could it be that I've killed too many fake people, and my bloodlust is too strong? Or am I a time traveler, possessing some kind of aura that others cannot see?

"Why not try to get some amulets at a temple? If it really is...?" Yukinoshita still couldn't quite accept that her previously peaceful and tranquil life was now filled with danger.

"Amulets...are useless." She took out a few small charms from her bag and said helplessly.

"I've prayed in many places, but I can only say that the impact on them is negligible..."

"So you came to us specifically because you heard we can help others solve problems?" Hachiman said helplessly.

"This level of danger is beyond the capacity of an ordinary student organization like ours to handle."

"But... Yotsuya-san must have been troubled for a long time, right? Aren't you really going to help her?" Yui Yuigahama objected weakly.

“You should only help others within your own capabilities, Yuihama-san.” Yukinoshita shook her head.

"Huh? Yukino..."

"In that case..." Hachiman sighed, intending to say something.

"Why don't we ask the magical conch?" Chen Yi held up his phone, which displayed a chat interface that was difficult for the others to see clearly.

"Chen, what did you call me here for..." A few minutes later, Hiratsuka Shizuka walked in, with a hint of helplessness in her voice.

"Hiratsuka-sensei, have you ever heard of evil spirits?"

"What nonsense!" Hiratsuka Shizuka thought for a moment that she had misheard.

......

"You mean, this student claims he can see things that ordinary people can't, and he felt it was dangerous, so he came to you for help?" Hiratsuka Shizuka digested what they said and then summarized it.

"...That's roughly it." Yukinoshita nodded.

What is all this nonsense? Hiratsuka Shizuka sighed, rubbing her forehead.

"So, you asked me to come here because you want me to help you make a decision, right?" Hiratsuka Shizuka looked around, and only Chen Yi nodded.

“I still maintain that we minors are not capable of handling this kind of thing…” Yukinoshita corrected.

"You brat..." Hiratsuka Shizuka stepped over the snow and placed her large hand on Chen Yi's head, rubbing it vigorously.

"You called me over here saying you wanted me to make the decisions, but actually you just wanted me to back you up, didn't you?"

"What can I say to you? You really think you're someone important... Be careful, I'll keep my phone accessible, contact me if anything happens." Hiratsuka Shizuka reassured her, but was still quite worried.

"You agreed?" Kasumigaoka turned around, a hint of worry in her eyes.

What if those evil spirits are real...? It would be too dangerous for you to go there like this, junior!

Chen Yi nodded, offering no further response.

He figured it out.

If 'evil spirits' are real, he must figure out their mechanisms and principles to avoid being passively put in danger one day. Now there is an opportunity to understand them, a rare chance.

Moreover...

He looked at the guitar case in the corner.

Could these so-called 'evil spirits' be related to his cheat ability? If both the evil spirits and his cheat ability are products of idealism, then could we use this as a starting point to understand how to utilize cheat abilities more efficiently?

......

"So, what are you two doing here?" After school, Chen Yi strolled leisurely to the school gate and found Yotsuya Miko waiting for him, along with Yukinoshita and Kasumigaoka standing to the side.

"Huh? So the ice queen Yukinoshita and Kasumigaoka-senpai were waiting for that legendary exchange student?" A very obvious whisper sounded behind him.

"..."

Shocking! An international student from the University of Tokyo is juggling multiple relationships!

Chen Yi already sensed that his reputation was being damaged.

“Since you’ve agreed to help Yotsuya-kun, I won’t back down either. After all, it was a request I accepted in the name of the Service Club, and I can’t just stand by and do nothing,” Yukinoshita said calmly, as if it were a trivial matter.

"And you, senior?"

"Oh my gosh~ If I can record my junior's heroic figure, it might be a great help in writing a novel."

Two reckless fools.

Chen Yi thought to himself, "This is what I'm thinking."

"Let's hurry up and get going. Otherwise, we might not make it back home in time... Yotsuya-kun, where is your home?"

"Take the tram back, then walk a bit..."

After adjusting the shoulder strap of his guitar bag, Chen Yi followed behind the others.

......

On the tram, the scenery outside the window rushed past.

It's still early, around 5 o'clock. After dropping off Yotsuya Miko, I can take the train back by myself and make it in time.

Neither Kasumigaoka nor Yukinoshita are extroverted people and they don't like to strike up conversations with people they don't know well, so the atmosphere among them was somewhat awkwardly silent.

As for Chen Yi, he was looking at the map.

He had previously inquired about the areas where Yotsuya Miko's evil spirits were most prevalent, compared the locations on map software, and tried to find some patterns.

"It doesn't seem to follow any pattern..."

Chen Yi frowned as he circled several areas on his phone.

The areas where these creatures are active don't seem to have anything special about them, and this situation with no clues is really troublesome.

"We've arrived at the station," Yotsuya Miko reminded the group.

"Let's go."

...Chen Yi stopped at a certain intersection.

"Chen Yi?" Yukino turned around and glanced at Chen Yi, who seemed to be looking for something.

"Yotsugu-kun, isn't this area a place where evil spirits might appear? Could you tell me, in a subtle way, which direction they are in right now?" Chen Yi asked Yotsugu Miko, recalling the setting that evil spirits could only attack if they were seen.

Is this 'seeing' subjective or objective?

“Hmm… I don’t see them anymore.” Yotsuya shook his head, revealing a surprising result.

"The evil spirits along the way... have disappeared."

"Disappeared?" Yukinoshita asked. "Why?"

“I…don’t know.” Yotsuya Miko shook her head, looking very confused.

"Why are you all looking at me?" Chen Yi noticed the gazes of the others and scratched his head.

“Yotsuya-kun once said that when he came to school one day, the evil spirits in the school were cleared away,” Yukinoshita began to analyze.

"That day was March 21st."

"Chen Jun, Yotsuya said the problem lies with you. So what were you doing on March 21st?"

That was my second day of school.

"Is there any connection between them?" Chen Yi pondered.

There was no difference between the first and second day of school.

wrong.

—He brought a gun the next day.

P.S.: Speaking of which, it feels like there are fewer people around lately... Feeling abandoned, I need some nourishment QAQ

Service Department: Chapter Thirty-Three - Gathering Intelligence

“Evil spirits…” After returning home, Chen Yi lay on the sofa, and exhaustion immediately overwhelmed him.

"Does this thing really exist...?" The light was a bit too bright, and Chen Yi stared at the radiance in a daze.

"..."

Oh right, I haven't maintained my weapons yet today.

Because he hadn't fired anything for the past few days, Chen Yi simply cleaned the barrel and bolt, and wiped the outside of the gun with a wet wipe.

Then comes the most important part: prayer, a ritual commonly known as appeasing the spirit of the machine.

"Miss HK416, today's service is complete... No jamming, every shot a headshot... That's my wish, the great Miss HK416, please..."

After completing the entire process, Chen Yi carefully put the rifle back into the guitar case and breathed a sigh of relief.

The 'miracles' that occurred during his multiple brushes with death in just a few weeks are enough to show that prayer may indeed be effective, but he doesn't know how or where it works.

All you need to know is that miracles will happen.

"I never imagined that the first thing I learned after arriving in this world, after being such a materialist before transmigrating, would be to pray like a charlatan..." Chen Yi sighed.

It's about surviving, nothing to be ashamed of.

"Hiss, if I printed the gun girl image on the gun... would it summon a humanoid to help me fight?" Chen Yi suddenly had a whimsical idea.

No, no, no, that's just too outrageous.

Hmm, why don't we try it out sometime? There's no harm in losing anything...

"—" The phone on the coffee table suddenly vibrated.

"Hello, Hiratsuka-sensei, what's up?" Chen Yi picked up the phone; it was Hiratsuka Shizuka's call.

"Hey kid, what did I tell you before school ended?" Hiratsuka Shizuka's voice came through the phone.

That's right.

Chen Yi described in detail what had happened that afternoon when he took Yotsuya Miko back, and waited for her to continue.

"That's strange... You should be able to confirm that it wasn't Yotsuya's prank, right?" Hiratsuka Shizuka asked casually.

"If it were really a prank, she should have seen through it when you came to the Service Club. After all, Ms. Hiratsuka's reputation is well-known throughout the school..."

"Ahem! Speak properly."

"...So I'm more inclined to believe it's true." Chen Yi concluded.

"That's the problem... If evil spirits are real... logically I should know about them..."

"Hiratsuka-sensei has finally admitted that he's a big shot in Chiba Prefecture?"

"Stop being so glib. But there's also the possibility that cases of evil spirits harming people have been wrongly classified as attacks by fake humans, and that logic makes sense."

“Indeed, according to Yotsuya, most people can’t see evil spirits, and incidents of evil spirits harming people are probably rare, so it’s understandable that people are confused,” Chen Yi agreed.

"So what are you planning to do next? We still don't have a clear idea of ​​what an evil spirit is. Are you just going to keep escorting Yotsuya Miko like this?"

"As Yotsuya-san said, I seem to be a dazzling creature like the sun in the eyes of evil spirits... Staying by Yotsuya-san's side can certainly ensure her safety, but that would mean we wouldn't be able to gather any information about evil spirits at all."

"So what's your plan?" Hiratsuka Shizuka asked with great interest. Now that she knew that evil spirits posed little threat to Chen Yi for the time being, she was naturally looking forward to seeing what methods he could come up with.

"Why not start by gathering intelligence, perhaps by investigating urban legends?" Chen Yi thought for a moment.

In this world, urban legends may very well originate from a fake human attack. So, could urban legends originating from evil spirits really be related to evil spirits? Chen Yi believes that the possibility is quite high.