Chapter 164: Open the Door, Water Meter Inspection

Wa-ring, Tokyo.
In a secluded courtyard.
Snap—
A man dressed in a kimono lurched backward, collapsing onto the ground.
Cold sweat broke out on his forehead, as though a bullet had struck him right between the eyes, guided there through the connection of spiritual energy.
A dull throbbing lingered at his temples.
He could not fathom how the bullet had managed to strike that living corpse.
Clearly, there were already two bodies acting as human shields in front of them—why had it still hit him?
And come to think of it, what on earth was that guy?
Using firearms inside an airplane cabin was simply going too far, no matter how one looked at it!
He slowly stood up.
Massaging his temples, a sudden realization struck him.
That spellcaster wielding the handgun had been standing directly in front of him.
Why had the bullet fired from his muzzle struck the temple on the side of his head?
He was utterly baffled.
However, this was no time to ponder the matter.
Since the attempt had failed, there was no reason for him to linger here any longer.
He tidied up the altar on the table.
And prepared to slip away through the back door.
Thump, thump, thump—
A sudden knocking sounded from that small wooden door.
The man startled, caught completely off guard.
Taking advantage of that momentary lapse, all manner of bizarre, misshapen apparitions swarmed in, surrounding him.
Atop the courtyard wall.
Yukitoku Masato sat astride a gigantic fox, smiling faintly.
"To use that fellow's phrasing, shouldn't I say something like, 'Open the door, utility meter inspection'?"
...
Ten thousand meters above the Pacific Ocean.
On Flight NH7024, traveling from Haneda International Airport in Tokyo, Wa-ring, to Honolulu International Airport in Hawaii.
The temples on both sides of the head of the source living corpse had been struck, a bullet directly blasting a small hole through its skull.
At the same time, the core spell formula was shattered.
Almost instantly, all the corpses ceased their movements.
Like a puppet show suddenly paused.
Soon enough, deprived of support, the bodies collapsed one after another, falling completely still.
The last to fall was the primary living corpse itself.
Flight attendant Sahashi Nozomi watched in stunned disbelief.
Especially at that final climax just moments ago.
No matter how hard she tried, she could not comprehend how Qiao Qiao had managed to guide the bullet through the barrier of corpses and straight into the living corpse's head.

"Hmm?"
Qiao Qiao, who was helping return a corpse to its original seat, heard Asano Arisu voice the exact same question, and replied,
"That's quite simple. It's because the bullet entered from the side."
He made a slight gesturing motion.
"Although ordinary bullets move in a straight line due to inertia, if they experience external force during their trajectory, their movement state will change. That's junior high school physics, you know."
"?"
The two flight attendants and Asano Arisu looked slightly bewildered.
"So, after the bullet was fired, I used my spiritual energy to alter its direction, allowing it to strike the opponent's spell core,"
Qiao Qiao explained.
"Of course, because handgun bullets travel relatively slowly, such maneuvers are feasible at this kind of distance. I previously struggled with being unable to hit enemies stationed behind fortifications, so I trained accordingly. Today is the first time I've actually used this technique."
After listening, Asano Arisu's expression shifted into one of sudden understanding.
"I see. I never imagined spiritual energy could be used in such a way. I'd never thought of it before."
She whipped out her little notebook and hurriedly jotted it down.
Meanwhile, on the other side.
Using spiritual energy to alter the trajectory of a bullet???
He even specifically trained for it???
Today was the first time he had ever used this technique???
Sahashi Nozomi listened in absolute bewilderment.
Was this truly the work of an exorcist, or some on-set filming for a supernatural action movie?
She was completely lost.
...
When the flight finally landed, it was the dawn of the next day.
The morning sun gradually rose from the horizon, casting a golden hue across the entire beach.
The passengers, entirely oblivious to the events that had transpired, were cleared after routine inspections.
As for Qiao Qiao and Asano Arisu, they remained at the airport.
Following communications with the Wa-ring Exorcist Association and the completion of several more forms, the two of them were finally cleared to leave.
By this time, the sun had fully risen.
"In the end, I didn't get any rest at all on the plane..."
Asano Arisu stretched lazily, looking thoroughly exhausted.
To be honest, she had never expected her Hawaiian vacation with Qiao Qiao to kick off with a corpse attack on an airliner.
"Let's head to the hotel to check in first. Here, let me carry your luggage."
Qiao Qiao glanced at his notebook, which detailed the basic itinerary for this trip, including daily accommodations and important reminders for various scenic spots.
Naturally, tickets and reservations requiring pre-booking had already been sorted out online by Qiao Qiao beforehand. The Kyoto Exorcist Association would reimburse it all anyway.
"Mm-hmm."
Asano Arisu nodded vigorously.
The two hailed an airport taxi and soon arrived at the hotel Qiao Qiao had previously booked.
It was a seaside resort whose primary attraction was suites offering views of the ocean and the beach, complemented by swimming pools—quite magnificent overall.
    
Naturally, the corresponding price was exorbitant.
Stepping into the hotel, Qiao Qiao quickly spotted the manager watching television behind the front desk.
He looked to be of Eastern descent, approximately forty years old.
"Hello, do you have a reservation... Ah, Sakura, I told you not to treat Tom like that..."
Just as the manager was greeting Qiao Qiao, he suddenly turned to scold a little girl in the lobby who was playing while hugging a cat.
The first half of his sentence was in English, while the latter half was in the language of China, giving Qiao Qiao a sense of familiarity.
"Are you Chinese?"
Qiao Qiao asked in Chinese.
"Hmm? Could it be?"
The manager looked quite surprised.
After a brief exchange, Qiao Qiao learned that the manager's name was Cheng Yiwei, a native of Sichuan, China, while his wife was a Japanese local from Hawaii. Together, they ran this inn, living a quiet and pleasant life.
"When I first heard you two communicating in Japanese, I assumed you were locals."
The manager switched fluently between Japanese, Chinese, and English.
"Ah, regarding reservation A23... Oh."
The manager peered at the computer screen, wearing a slightly troubled expression.
"I apologize, I was actually about to call and notify you. One of the two rooms you booked had an issue this morning and is currently undergoing repairs, so it's unavailable..."
He looked between Qiao Qiao and Asano Arisu.
"Unavailable?"
Qiao Qiao fell into thought.
Searching for another hotel at this hour would be terribly inefficient, not to mention the complications with expense claims...
"How about this? I'll refund the cost of the second room, add an extra bed to the first, and waive breakfast and service fees for you as well. How does that sound?"
The manager offered.
The rooms Qiao Qiao had booked were the most expensive in the hotel; such guests were hard to come by.
Moreover, the manager sized the two of them up.
Though they looked quite young, they must be a couple, right?
This young man looked so conservative and upright.
He surmised to himself.
"The room is actually very spacious, perfectly fine for two people. If anything, it might even bring you closer together."
"Is that so..."
Truth be told, Qiao Qiao was somewhat reluctant.
After all, Shrine Maiden Asano was a young lady, and sharing a room would surely bring about many inconveniences; she would surely refuse outright.
Just as he was contemplating this,
"Wonderful, let's do just that, Manager!"
Asano Arisu chimed in from beside him, her eyes sparkling.