Chapter 121: The Artistic Style Joe Qiao Yearned For

Nanase Hayami felt somewhat dazed. Everything on the small stall seemed to possess a captivating magic. Even the things she didn’t recognize shimmered as if glowing from within.

“I...” Nanase reached out toward the items on the table.

Memories surged up inside her, only to blur as if obscured by some unseen force, losing their clarity. There was a sensation that something was about to slip away from her grasp. This premonition grew stronger with every inch her hand moved forward.

Though her will tried to resist, Nanase couldn’t stop herself.

Just as her hand touched the old mobile phone—

Snap—

A hand grasped her wrist.

Ding—

Her consciousness snapped back. Nanase glanced to her side.

It was Kyohashi.

“...” The man selling the goods froze momentarily, then quickly addressed Kyohashi again.

“Anything you want to buy?”

Through Kyohashi’s pupils, Nanase caught a flicker of change reflected within—only for less than a second before Kyohashi blinked and spoke.

“An EPIC-A1 electromagnetic acceleration rifle combat unit. I’ve always wanted to try a weapon like this, but the boss said there’s no supply channel. Do you have one here?”

“?”

The vendor was stunned.

Kyohashi raised his right hand.

In it was a long-barreled revolver.

“You must be the Faceless One,” Kyohashi said coldly as he chambered a bullet.

The Faceless One was a legendary yokai from Aomori Prefecture.

It was said to have a human shape but only a blank face without features.

Yet it mimicked humans, and if its imitation surpassed that of the original, it would kill the human and take their place.

Nowadays, at the bustling market of Kamogawa, the Faceless One’s deeds carried a more modern twist.

It stole people’s memories, arranging them on display.

If someone chose one item, they would lose memories of others.

If they chose nothing, the Faceless One would curse them, coaxing others into making a choice.

Once it amassed enough memories, the Faceless One would gain human existence.

Such was this yokai—a thief of memories.

“I only take what they discard,” the Faceless One said, its featureless face calm yet Nanase noticed the items on the stall begin to shift.

Once delicate and beautiful trinkets twisted into grotesque forms, mixed with dark, sticky sludge and ominous energy.

The old phone Nanase had reached for morphed into a stone sculpture covered in eye-like patterns.

“I’m afraid it’s more than that,” Kyohashi said without emotion.

“This is a busy market—you can’t—”

Before the Faceless One could finish, Kyohashi fired.

Bang—

Fragments from the explosive bullet, laced with spiritual power, struck the Faceless One’s stall, piercing its body.

Its featureless face vanished, revealing a terrifying visage devoid of features.

Sss—

White mist rose from where the fragments made contact.

Is this guy crazy? The Faceless One thought.

Performing exorcisms in a crowded market was one thing.

But shooting a gun?!?

Wait—gun?

Before it could fully register, Kyohashi fired again.

Bang, bang, bang, bang—

Four shots in rapid succession shattered and vaporized the Faceless One’s stall, the force pushing the yokai several steps backward.

?

Only now did the Faceless One realize something.

What bustling market?

What passing crowds?

There was no one else around!

A barrier? An illusion?

As it pondered, the Faceless One tried to flee.

But its body no longer obeyed.

Thoughts slowed, movements froze like a puppet.

In despair, it saw a man in an ordinary kimono.

“A friend’s disciple asked me for help—can’t afford to slack off,” said the owner of Neko Ramen.

“You are... could it be the exorcist feared even by yokai, Kyoto’s most feared and ruthless exorcist...?”

“Enough,” the owner snapped his fingers.

The Faceless One immediately ceased all movement.

The entire yokai folded down to the thickness of a sheet of paper, then transformed into a paper crane, landing in the owner’s palm.

“Almost let someone overhear something unpleasant, haha,” the owner laughed, casually pocketing the paper crane.

“Truly your friend is impressive,” Kyohashi remarked.

Despite firing five explosive rounds, he couldn’t disable the Faceless One. Yet the Neko Ramen owner resolved it with a single snap.

And the style—mysterious and peculiar—was exactly the kind of exorcist Kyohashi admired.

“I haven’t exercised in a while,” the owner said, snapping his fingers again.

The surroundings transformed instantly into something like a flat painting, folding up.

The voices of the crowd, the lively market, the gently flowing Kamogawa—all returned to reality.

Nanase felt this strange shift and, coming to her senses, found herself standing before the door of Neko Ramen.

So exorcists are really this powerful?

Nanase had thought exorcists merely used spiritual water or the spiritual arrows of Kazumi.

She never considered Kyohashi’s brash techniques were genuine exorcism.

But now, witnessing the Neko Ramen owner’s skill, Nanase was convinced.

A wave of admiration welled within her.

“Is it the ability to manipulate memes?” Kyohashi muttered.

Though he had asked the owner for help before leaving Neko Ramen, he hadn’t expected such profound meme manipulation.

Had he not known beforehand, he might have been deceived by the scene’s transformation.

Indeed, what the owner displayed was mastery over meme manipulation.

Yet the way he wielded it and the types of changes far surpassed any yokai Kyohashi had encountered.

“But that guy really has taken on a fine disciple,” the owner said, looking at Kyohashi with satisfaction.

“Too bad I’m no longer accepting disciples, or I might have taken one just for fun.”

“For fun?”

Nanase thought that verb sounded somewhat off.

“In that case, how about taking her as a disciple?” Kyohashi said, patting Nanase’s shoulder and giving her a gentle push.

“Her spiritual power is weak, but she has a talent for information control.”

“Huh?”

Nanase was momentarily at a loss.

Was this... an offer to help her?

“No, no, teaching is too much trouble,” the Neko Ramen owner said, hanging the paper crane among the others and waving his hand.

The entire Neko Ramen shop folded up like an origami toy, eventually becoming a small paper model tucked into the owner’s pocket.

“However, if you want to help out and listen to some exorcism stories, you’re always welcome,” he smiled and waved goodbye.

Nanase was still dazed, only now fully realizing.

“Before the Neko Ramen owner teaches you, why don’t you look over my materials first?” Kyohashi said to her.

It would be difficult for Nanase to quickly master the owner’s exorcism techniques.

To prepare for the Gion Festival, she needed to learn some basic self-defense and exorcism skills first.

The girl, absorbed by her phone but faintly aware, nodded in agreement.

That made two.