Chapter 490: Arrogance, Interest, and Moving Hearts

Listen!

Do you want to hear what you're saying!

「……」

「……」

At this moment, silence was like an invisible great net, quickly enveloping the entire venue.

As if time itself had pressed the pause button at this moment, all sounds were instantly stripped away, so quiet that the sound of a needle falling to the ground could be clearly heard.

Everyone's expressions, like images completely frozen in an instant, froze in unison.

Almost without exception.

It was nothing else, mainly this witch's statement...

emmmmm... how should I put it? It was truly too impactful?

It made the group of young loli girls completely flustered...

「……」

「……」

After a long moment, Yukari Yakumo spoke with a very strange tone, breaking this silence.

"You... are you serious?"

"Otherwise? I can't possibly be joking with you, can I?" The White-robed Witch put away her teasing and finally became serious.

She slightly raised her head, her gaze burning as she said: "What can a single thought do?"

That voice was weighty, as if asking everyone.

"I probably understand what you're thinking!"

"No matter how powerful a single thought is, the things it can do are limited!"

"Yes! That's right!"

"The things a single thought can do are of course limited."

Her voice paused slightly here, like the brief calm before a storm, as if brewing power about to explode.

"But—"

Miss Merry's voice suddenly rose, carrying an indisputable momentum.

"To us, that is a divine might capable of overturning the glory of the world!"

That's right!

Exactly!

Actually, even Miss Merry's understanding of that person's details was like seeing flowers through mist; her authority in this regard came from only one audience.

That one audience only allowed her to peek at the tip of the iceberg.

That was at Dream Demon's Side.

That was at Mental Abyss.

Until today, the girl still could not give an exact description of that encounter.

When memory traced back to that instant, only in the radiance as vast as an overturning star sea was displayed the unprecedented terrible majesty—

Endless, wantonly trampling everything that dared to defy it.

Under that radiance transcending human wisdom, even the most arrogant soul would shrink into dust.

Even heroes who could inscribe epics would have their rationality evaporate like morning mist in an instant, falling into the eternal chaotic vortex.

If it weren't for Miss Merry always acting very cautiously, formally applying before the audience, and only carefully paying her respects after receiving permission,

then...

Just the remnant wave of a momentary spiritual connection was enough to make her drown in this suffocating oppression.

The girl did not doubt whether her seemingly firm rationality would be completely destroyed under the impact of this powerful force.

Nor did she doubt whether her soul, after undergoing such a baptism, could still retain some completeness.

But even so—

It did not hinder her at all from focusing and vividly describing the severity of the situation at this subtle critical moment.

Perhaps not entirely accurate...

But Miss Merry was very clear that exaggerating the severity of the situation as much as possible could never be wrong.

「……」

「……」

Amidst the dead silence of divine silence around, the air seemed to be enveloped by invisible pressure.

The golden-haired Great Youkai pondered for a moment: "—Satori, what do you think?"

This sentence was asked as she turned her gaze toward a certain direction.

Originally, the Earth Youkai was not on the invitation list.

However, the major implications hinted at by this incident, like the low pressure before an approaching storm, made the Sage keenly perceive its seriousness.

So the thoughtful Boundary Youkai, relying on her own face, invited the master of Palace of Earth Spirits over, letting her serve as a witness to this important meeting.

And at this moment, others also reacted one after another, subconsciously looking over.

「……」

「……」

Satori Komeiji's Third Eye floated before her, quietly watching Miss Merry, who looked very calm and completely unmoved.

After a moment, Satori Komeiji lightly gave her conclusion.

"...... Not a lie."

And this conclusion was like a massive boulder thrown into a calm lake, instantly triggering an uproar.

The entire venue went *boom* with a sound, as if it had exploded.

Exclamations, discussions, doubts — surging like a tide, they instantly submerged the originally quiet venue.

After all, if before this——

They had no way to verify the truth of that shocking news, then after the mind-reading youkai's conclusion, it was thoroughly, completely nailed down.

The ability possessed by the Palace of Earth Spirits' master, although it doesn't look particularly high-end, isn't an ability to manipulate time, an ability to manipulate realms……

But merely an ability to manipulate mind-reading.

However, every profession has its specialty.

This mind-reading youkai's ability, however, possesses a dreadful power that makes one shrink back.

Already powerful to the extent that dialogue cannot even be established — the thoughts of any person, youkai, animal, even soul, to her——

Are like being stripped of layer upon layer of disguise, laid bare naked before her eyes, completely one-way transparent, not the least secret to speak of.

Precisely because of this, she became the most feared youkai.

In the entire venue, only Yuuka Kazami and Satori Komeiji, the two of them, each had a stretch of empty ground surrounding them.

As if an invisible barrier, isolating them from the surrounding clamor and crowds.

Moreover, careful observation would reveal that the empty ground beside the latter was even more vast and desolate than the empty ground beside the former……

This obvious contrast explains the problem very well, extremely persuasive, incontrovertibly highlighting the power of Satori Komeiji's ability and the degree to which it inspires dread.

——Indeed a most authoritative mind-reader.

Just at this moment.

The conclusion given by this authority figure could be described as extremely bad……

It's true!

Everything is true!

Many people for the first time felt so intuitively that a heavy pressure, like an invisible boulder, weighed heavily on their hearts.

Except for those particularly heartless fellows who didn't care, as long as one was slightly aware of what all this actually represented, a grave expression surfaced on everyone's face.

As if statues, frozen by this heavy atmosphere.

Yukari Yakumo was also silent, her folding fan emitting a faint rubbing sound in her palm.

The Youkai Sage realized for the first time that what the foreign witch described was both a mere trickle of will flowing out……

And also an abyss that even realms cannot measure.

"Even a single stray thought is this astonishing, then——what exactly does that person seek?"

Doing her best to calm herself down, the Youkai Sage spoke up and asked.

She was thinking, whether she could resolve this unprecedented huge trouble through negotiation or the like.

"I don't know."

Miss Merry thought for a bit, very honestly shook her head, giving a quality answer.

"……You don't know?"

Yukari Yakumo raised an eyebrow: "Wait, aren't you the one who came to handle this kind of thing? Why don't you know either?"

It couldn't be that……at this juncture, you still want to hide something?

The Youkai Sage became somewhat suspicious.

"I came to handle this kind of thing, but that doesn't mean I know what that person thinks!"

The witch spread her hands, that movement carefree and casual——

"If forced to say, maybe just thought it would be interesting?"

"Interesting?"

"Right, thought doing this might be interesting, thought doing this might be amusing……things like that?"

Miss Merry's voice was lighthearted and clear, forming a stark contrast with this oppressive atmosphere.

"……"

"……"

"This is truly arrogant enough……" the Youkai Sage's eyes flickered.

She spoke faintly, her voice carrying a trace of helplessness and emotion, "But that kind of existence indeed has the awe-inspiring composure to be arrogant."

"Might just be an unintentional thought, but……when a thought possesses great power?"

The Flower Magician slowly explained, and even asked back a question.

"A thought possesses great power?"

Yukari Yakumo slightly raised her eyes, expression serious: "That would be the omnipresent 'Heaven's Will', right? Enough to distort all reality it reaches——"

"Exactly so, and that person just happens to overlook the myriad heavens and worlds, past and future, his mana qi inevitably covers every corner of spacetime that can be perceived……"

Miss Merry also very much agreed with this statement.

She nodded slightly, her eyes revealing a trace of contemplation.

"Under such circumstances, naturally the slightest stray thought, like a massive boulder thrown into a calm lake, is enough to stir up heaven and earth……"

"……"

"……"

"So——what kind of existence is that exactly?" someone couldn't help but ask.

"Hmm……a Qi Refining practitioner, probably."

The Flower Magician pondered slightly: "He told me about this aspect before, at the time that's what he called himself."

"Qi Refining practitioner?" Yukari Yakumo frowned: "Sounds like those cultivators who practice immortality and Dao……"

"Ah! Right, right, right... that's it!"

The White-haired Red-eyed Girl nodded repeatedly, saying seriously—

"That's what he told me, and the current situation is also because he has achieved success in his cultivation, bringing him one step closer to becoming an Immortal; his Great Supernatural Power is not yet under his complete control..."

"Wait!"

"Wait for me!"

"What does 'one step closer to becoming an Immortal' mean?"

In that instant, many people's Expressions were somewhat unable to remain composed.

Is there such a Monster who has not yet become an Immortal?

They have come into Contact with Immortals before, and without exception, none of them were this ferocious!

"It seems they merely share names with the terms we know, but Mors Actually belong to completely different Concepts."

Purple Miss's Smile was also somewhat forced.

She composed herself, then took a deep breath, as if making some Determination.

"Notify the Heavenly Realm and Hell, as well as the Immortal Realm and Demon Realm, and spread the news as soon as possible..."

"Make everyone understand this is no joke, and make them understand the severity of the matter..."

"We need more help, more Mors Strength, to Solve this problem..."

Without a doubt, the Seventeen-year-old Girl decided to Summon Help.

This matter is too big, too big—too big for Gensokyo to Solve on its own!

"By the way, we also need to find a Method to contact the Dragon Palace Messenger."

Seeming to remember something, Purple added another sentence—

"At least... try to see if we can contact the Dragon God."

(Chapter End)