Just after leaving Sobu High, Shirakawa glanced at a LINE message sent by Miura Yumiko. He skimmed through it quickly and was left a bit stunned.
Miura choosing the first option to resolve things was going to be difficult. Even he had to rely on his proficiency panel to successfully master the exorcist profession. The second option—Purification—was just straight up cruel.
[Note: For those who still have no clue or too innocent of what 'purification' is, It's just sex]
He hadn't expected Miura Yumiko to actually accept it. Seeing the LINE message marked as "read," he realized she had already made her decision.
No matter what, she deserved a proper reply.
"Okay."
He had barely sent the message when Miura replied. Unlike her usual haughty queen-like behavior at school, this time she sounded timid:
"Um… Shirakawa-kun, what should I do?"
She then shared her location.
"I have other things to handle right now. I'll come over tonight."
"Okay."
Back in Class 2-F, Miura Yumiko seemed distracted. She knew exactly what kind of decision she'd just made.
Giving everything.
In exchange for a relatively safe and comfortable life. Was it worth it? She didn't have an answer. She stared out at the still-bright sky.
The world… felt different now.
After replying with his location, Shirakawa stopped checking his phone. He boarded the train home, currently with one task in mind—
Return Megumin's magic staff.
He had borrowed it for a long time. It worked well, improving magic output efficiency. In the world of Konosuba, something like that wouldn't come cheap.
"I'll have to take on some commissions in Konosuba again, earn a bit of money first."
In that world, earning money was easy if you were strong enough to accept dangerous quests that ordinary adventurers couldn't handle.
What Shirakawa really needed to think about, though, was how to use his empty profession slot. The Akame ga Kill world, where Esdeath resided, offered the very tempting role of Teigu user.
The Demon Slayer world, home of Shinobu Kocho?
A waste of the profession panel.
As for SAO, where Asuna was, he hadn't considered that one yet. The Goblin Slayer world had heroes, but nothing stood out to him yet.
None of the available jobs excited Shirakawa. As for the Danmachi world, being part of a god's familia didn't appeal either.
If anything interested him…
It was Hestia, the goddess with the blue ribbon. He wasn't sure if he met the conditions to change class yet, but he had to think about upgrade paths too.
Otherwise, getting stuck with a useless job would just be a waste.
"No need to think too far ahead. I need more points to unlock another world first."
As the train neared his apartment building, Shirakawa sensed a powerful supernatural presence. This wasn't from an ordinary evil spirit.
It had to be a top-tier urban legend.
Going by the original plot of Toilet no Hanako-san vs Kukkyou Taimashi, Hanako was friendly with other urban legends. This aura…
It was likely from one of her old "friends."
Slit-Mouthed Woman?
Or maybe the Catwoman? Shirakawa couldn't be sure. But what he could confirm was that the target of this ghostly presence… was him.
"..."
He didn't rush to confront the threat.
Instead, he went straight to the house where Hanako and Mary were temporarily staying. No need to knock—the moment they sensed his aura, the door opened.
Mary skipped lightly to the entrance.
"Shirakawa-sama, you're back." Treated like a canary in a cage, Mary wasn't greedy—she felt genuinely content.
His aura had practically left a mark on her.
No knocking needed. Mary always knew when it was him. This time, she didn't ask to be purified; she just gently took his hand.
And led him to the bathroom.
"Just now, the Slit-Mouthed Woman came looking for Hanako-chan. She said she wanted to take her away. But Hanako refused, so she said she was going to find you…"
"Now Hanako's hiding in the bathroom and won't come out."
Mary explained seriously.
So that's what happened. Hanako hadn't been lured back into being an urban legend spirit.
Shirakawa was genuinely relieved.
He opened the bathroom door without hesitation. Ignoring Hanako's protests, he looked toward the girl huddled in the corner and spoke casually:
"You're afraid the Slit-Mouthed Woman will cause me trouble?"
"..."
Still curled up, Hanako didn't speak—just nodded. She looked up at Shirakawa with guilt in her eyes. After all the help she received…
Living like a normal person was already a dream come true for her.
Hanako had been content. She never imagined this peaceful life could be disrupted by an old friend. Even though she'd clearly rejected that past.
"I'm sorry, Shirakawa-sama… I caused you trouble."
"Where is the Slit-Mouthed Woman?"
He picked up the cornered schoolgirl spirit and carried her to the apartment's living room. With her and Mary's presence, it was starting to feel like a real home.
He was about to sit on the couch—
But Hanako, wanting to cut ties with the past, became serious—especially after coming in contact with the Slit-Mouthed Woman again.
"Please, Shirakawa-sama… purify my spirit!"
"..."
As summer's heat bore down, Hanako found herself remembering childhood summers and eating ice pops. A strange sense of nostalgia swept over her. She'd caused trouble for Shirakawa…
And didn't know how to make up for it.
All she could do was show her resolve—no matter what, she would never go back to being an urban legend spirit. She wanted to stay by Shirakawa's side forever.
"I can feel your sincerity."
"But I didn't come here because of the Slit-Mouthed Woman. I wanted to invite you to be this apartment's guardian spirit—to keep evil spirits out."
He gently stroked Hanako's soft hair.
What happened to Yurikawa Hana, and the girls living here like Izumi Miori and Sagiri—their safety needed to be protected.
This apartment…
Was going to be the foundation of his harem. If Miura Yumiko had no objections, she'd likely move in eventually.
Resources in the real world were limited.
To get stronger, Shirakawa would spend most of his time in HOTD or Goblin Slayer worlds, leveling up.
"…"
Hanako suddenly looked up, her spirit fully purified and elevated. Her eyes filled with disbelief—becoming the apartment's guardian spirit…
She had only wanted to live a normal life.
To stay by Shirakawa's side. She'd never dared hope for a title. Now that she had it, her heart was overwhelmed with emotion.
"Master!"
"I want to be purified too!"
Mary wasn't going to let Hanako beat her. Even if she couldn't become a guardian spirit, she still wanted to grow stronger!
Welcome, Holy Sword of Shirakawa-sama.
---
After leaving the apartment again, it was already near 4 p.m. With the detailed location Hanako provided, Shirakawa set off decisively.
The main reason…
Compared to the now-loyal Mary and Hanako, the unpurified Slit-Mouthed Woman was the biggest unstable factor.
If he was going to spend time leveling up in other worlds, he had to eliminate any threats near those he cared about.
As for the Slit-Mouthed Woman, he only had a rough idea about her.
There were several urban legend variations.
One said that she was a beautiful woman before death, who underwent plastic surgery. But when she smelled something rotten on the doctor's breath, she squirmed constantly.
The doctor accidentally cut the corners of her mouth. Enraged after seeing her ruined face, she killed him and fled.
Later, she was mistaken for a monster and gunned down…
She became an urban legend—and a source of fear for many. But from a narrator's god-like perspective, Shirakawa didn't find it all that scary.
"This should be the place?"
He looked at the abandoned hospital ahead. It had been deserted for nearly 30 years. The crumbling walls were covered in ivy; weeds grew everywhere.
Located on the outskirts of Chiba Prefecture, the environment around the old hospital was particularly desolate.
As soon as he approached, he could feel an extremely dense surge of resentment—exactly the same as the aura from the apartment building earlier. It was the same urban legend he'd gone to investigate before.
Kuchisake-onna.
With physical abilities far beyond human limits, this environment had no effect on Shirakawa. He entered the abandoned hospital without hesitation.
With the Exorcist profession, there was no need to fear any evil spirit in this world.
And besides, he was somewhat familiar with this opponent...
Following the aura with his powerful spiritual sense, Shirakawa moved deeper into the building while observing his surroundings.
It was a chaotic mess. Papers were scattered all over the dusty floor, various cosmetic surgery devices lay broken, and there were dark red bloodstains on the walls. As a hideout for Kuchisake-onna, this place was perfect.
He sensed a strong fluctuation of resentment.
At a turn in the staircase, Shirakawa glanced toward the wall and saw a woman's figure. She wore a deep red trench coat.
Her hair draped casually over her shoulders. Even in that oversized coat, her voluptuous figure was impossible to miss. When she lifted her head, a rather delicate and attractive face came into view.
The only blemish was the surgical mask covering her face.
Naturally, Kuchisake-onna noticed him too. Her voice, husky and mature, questioned the intruder in a calm tone:
"Am I... pretty?"
"I can't tell with the mask on. Mind taking it off so I can see?"
As a ForcedExorcist, Shirakawa had standards. He didn't even blink at the ominous aura coming off her. Instead, he activated his passive skill [DiamondBody] fully.
He slowly walked up the stairs. Even sensing the danger, Kuchisake-onna remained composed and removed her mask.
What appeared before him... was a near-perfect face. The only flaw was the visible stitching along her cheeks. In terms of pure beauty, she didn't quite surpass Hanako, but her figure definitely gave her bonus points.
"So, what do you think?"
She smiled brightly. When she sensed the same aura from Shirakawa that was imprinted in Hanako, her eyes glowed red.
"You're the one... who turned Hanako into that, aren't you?"
Her hands came out of her coat pockets. Beneath the open coat was a stunning body—frankly, even more extreme than Shizuka Marikawa's. Her black stockings dug tightly into her thighs, highlighting her perfect legs. Combined with her height, the proportions were just unreal.
Kuchisake-onna eyed Shirakawa with interest.
Throughout their exchange, resentment kept seeping up from the floor toward him. The scissors in her hand weren't concealed at all. She saw him being surrounded by malice—and started descending the stairs.
Ignoring the stitched cheeks, her smile was still quite charming. "You're a strange exorcist... but the moment you stepped into this place, your fate was already sealed."
As she walked, her chest subtly bounced with each step. Clutching her scissors tightly again, she asked once more, "Am I pretty?"
"My answer is... I'd have to try to know."
He could feel her aura surging, clearly trying to use the hospital as home turf to suppress him. But she had overlooked one thing—he wasn't just an Exorcist.
Shirakawa was also a Holy Sword Wielder.
What would be a deadly restriction for an ordinary exorcist didn't affect him at all. This level of suppression was meaningless to his current physical strength.
After a small stretch—
He didn't even need to use mana release from his Holy Sword Wielder profession. Under Kuchisake-onna's startled gaze, his figure suddenly vanished.
"Rather than say I changed her, you should say Hanako made that choice herself."
"..."
"It's your fault she became that way. That's why I'm going to take her back—you can't stop me!"
Kuchisake-onna bit her lip, completely ignoring his words. Eyes alert, she scanned the area, using resentment to try and locate him.
But the attack from her abdomen gave her no time to react.
Doubling over in pain, her red trench coat lifted, revealing everything underneath—completely exposed.
For other monsters, simply using his Holy Sword Wielder profession to eliminate them was enough. But for urban legends like Kuchisake-onna, using brute force exorcism was a waste of quality resources.
With overwhelming power, there was no need for finesse.
While she was hunched over, clutching her stomach, Shirakawa grabbed both her wrists. The red coat posed no resistance.
"The usual speech…"
"Everyone knows exorcists are righteous because they purify evil. And all evil must be punished, even if the methods are a bit extreme."
"I think you understand that."
His tone was dead serious.
The more the enemy resisted, the more it proved he was doing the right thing. Looking at the struggling Kuchisake-onna, Shirakawa summoned the Ex CurryStick and targeted her weakest point in the aura.
"Evil!"
The blade pierced through her outer defenses. The holy light it carried had absolute suppression against her curse-fueled existence.
"Begone!"
Watching the evil spirit flail, Shirakawa kept attacking her most vulnerable spot with the Ex Curry Stick.
"Strike!"
The sheer force of the Ex Curry Stick made Kuchisake-onna gasp for air. Her body trembled as waves of white holy light cleansed the resentment within her.
The key point—
This Holy Sword he summoned carried the purest holy power.
"No—what are you trying to do!?"
"Exorcise."
No fancy buildup needed. Shirakawa directly used the Ex Curry Stick to exorcise and purify her. The power spread quickly.
However—
The purification wasn't fully effective. Dense resentment still clung to Kuchisake-onna. Even with her body restrained, she managed to turn her head.
Fueled by resentment, she felt her strength dwindling and started to break down. "You can't completely purify me."
"The fear people have of me... it's endless. It gives me power."
It seemed this was part of her lore. Shirakawa stopped the exorcism with the
Ex Curry Stick. Even if he couldn't completely finish it now, he could still take her back and place a seal to restrict her movement.
To avoid surprises, he summoned
[AllThingsofCreation], the ultimate sword of his Holy Sword Wielder class.
With a somewhat regretful tone, Shirakawa said, "If I can't purify you and keep the people around me safe... then I'll have to destroy you completely."
"..."
Feeling the pure energy of [AllThingsofCreation] strike at her soul, Kuchisake-onna was overwhelmed with fear. Compared to Ex Curry Stick, this blade carried an aura of total annihilation.
"I... Hanako-chan told me about you. You're Master Shirakawa—the one who gave her a new life and freed her from being a bound spirit... you know that, right?"
"Hanako-chan is my best friend."
"You're her master, so you're my master too! Could you please... put away that sword? I much prefer the Ex Curry Stick…"
She forced an obedient smile on her face.
Now free to move, Kuchisake-onna had taken hold of her future.