Chapter 166: Chapter 164: Haruto, Take Me With You! How Can I Live Without You?!
Haruto walked up to the towering Skeleton Demon King.
Nurarihyon was a highly intelligent being, it did not lose rationality just because it transformed. Even in its fourth form, it had already demonstrated the ability to communicate with humans.
And now, in its fifth form, it didn't rush to kill but instead stared in confusion at the young man standing before it.
During the Hyakki Yagyō, Nurarihyon had positioned itself at the highest vantage point, observing everything.
Its final conclusion was that only Oka posed a threat.
Only this human, equipped with the "Black Sphere" and possessing exceptional battle intelligence, was a danger to it.
But then, what was this boy walking toward it?
The Nurarihyon was puzzled.
"Human?"
The Nurarihyon raised its skeletal arm and pointed its sharp bony finger at Haruto, trying to probe further.
And in the next moment, Haruto simply reached out and—
Rip!
The Nurarihyon's arm was torn off at the root, blood and flesh spraying from the shoulder.
Before everyone's stunned eyes, Haruto casually ripped off the creature's arm and tossed it aside.
The Nurarihyon staggered back, its hollow eye sockets flashing with intense red light, filled with terror.
It couldn't comprehend; how could this human, standing right in front of it, rip off its arm and actually hurt it?
Suu, witnessing this scene, completely abandoned the idea of launching a preemptive attack.
Her mind, "743," even began forming some ridiculous thoughts.
For some reason, in front of this young man, the Nurarihyon actually seemed... weak.
Even kind of pitiful.
[Multiversal Chat Group]
Pain Magnet: "What just happened?! How did Haruto ignore the Nurarihyon's traits?!"
Blonde Defeated Dog: "Haruto is the strongest! So cool! I'm in love, in love!"
Big Sister Is Supreme: "Tsk, according to Big Sis' sources, even Muzan is just a lesser being to him... so that wasn't an exaggeration?"
Portal Daddy: "It seems to be... some sort of spatial power. It didn't ignore the Nurarihyon's traits, it directly severed its arm using a force that bypassed its defenses."
Back in the real world, Haruto spoke in a calm and indifferent tone.
"Cooperate with containment, or I will execute you."
Nurarihyon stumbled back two steps, clutching its severed arm while staring at Haruto.
"This is impossible! To humans, I am a god! A god possesses absolute authority! There are many gods in this world—I am merely one of them, but that is an undeniable truth!"
In the original storyline, these lines were meant to be a fear-inducing monologue, showcasing Nurarihyon's overwhelming power over humanity.
But now, they were nothing more than desperate self-reassurances.
Haruto raised an eyebrow.
"A god? You think you're a god? Sorry, but you don't even qualify as a false god."
Upon seeing the Nurarihyon's true form, Haruto was greatly disappointed.
He had assumed that a monster claiming to be a god would at least be on the level of a false god.
False gods were reality-warpers like the Little Witch, beings with the potential to ascend into divine concepts.
But standing before Haruto was nothing more than a weak skeleton monster.
A creature that couldn't even defeat an Undying Lizard.
Perhaps enraged, Nurarihyon's eyes flashed red, firing laser beams at Haruto.
Wherever the lasers passed, the marble floor was instantly sliced like tofu, the edges of the cuts melting into molten rock.
Yet Haruto remained motionless.
A black wing suddenly sprouted from his back, shielding him.
The red laser, capable of cutting through anything, was instantly neutralized upon touching the wing, as if it had become nothing more than a harmless toy.
"Well then, execution it is."
Haruto's voice remained indifferent.
After all, the current Foundation site didn't have the ideal containment conditions for Nurarihyon, and its adaptive evolution abilities were quite troublesome.
As the black wing spread open, a pair of crimson eyes emerged.
In the next instant, Nurarihyon's limbs, torso, and neck all simultaneously exploded, flesh and blood scattering everywhere.
The so-called god was instantly reduced to fragments.
With the clatter of bones hitting the ground, the final boss of the Hyakki Yagyō was defeated.
[System Notification: Nurarihyon—Slain.]
Oka's eyes widened in disbelief.
The boss that had seemed invincible to him... was effortlessly slaughtered?
At that moment, members of the Nine-Tailed Fox Mobile Task Force returned.
"Sir, all anomalies within Tokyo have been either contained or terminated. However... the scope of this anomaly outbreak was too large. We may need to apply global memory-wiping protocols."
The squad captain reported the situation.
Haruto simply waved a hand.
"Take the contained anomalies back to the site. I'll figure out how to handle the cleanup. Oh, and take those skeleton remains with you. Hand them over to the researchers, they might be useful."
This wasn't the main world. The exposure of anomalies was inevitable here.
Besides, Haruto remembered that the Black Sphere possessed memory-wiping technology. He would check on it later.
With that order given, the Nine-Tailed Fox members gathered the scattered Nurarihyon remains and returned to the Foundation site via the dimensional portal.
Haruto then temporarily closed the portal.
Although he planned to maintain a connection to this world, he couldn't just leave an open portal in the middle of Tokyo's plaza.
At that moment, a girl came running from the distance.
Haruto looked at her; black hair, black eyes, and an adorable face with slightly chubby cheeks.
She gave him a sense of familiarity.
Though they weren't from the same world, at least they were both transmigrators from Earth.
Suu ran up to Tokyo Plaza and, upon looking up, found herself staring into the eyes of the legendary powerhouse.
She immediately stopped, her breathing turning erratic.
"I'm Suu. May I ask... your name?"
She already knew Haruto's name from the Multiversal Chat Group.
But she didn't want to reveal the chat group immediately, so she asked conventionally.
What she didn't know was that the person before her was a lurker in the group.
Haruto smiled.
"I'm Haruto, a member of the SCP Foundation, designation O5-1. It's nice to meet you, Suu."
That gentle voice, that warm and refreshing smile, it instantly captured Suu's heart.
Before, she had been on the fence about the ongoing debate in the chat group regarding Haruto.
But now, she had firmly chosen her side.
She was part of the Haruto Fan Club!
The reason was simple—
Haruto was not only strong and handsome but also gentle.
She was completely in love.
Meanwhile, Haruto was monitoring the Multiversal Chat Group.
Messages were flooding in.
Blonde Defeated Dog: "@Big Sister Is Supreme, speak up, hater!"
Big Sister Is Supreme: "Being charming doesn't erase his mischievous side!"
Blonde Defeated Dog: "You're just in denial! Haruto is the most gentle and righteous being, silently protecting humanity! Toil in darkness, serve the light—how can you still slander him?!"
Big Sister Is Supreme: "Tch! I will never forgive him for taking my sister!"
Pain Magnet: "Does Haruto really have a mischievous side? His aura reminds me of a friend..."
Hall Master of Wangsheng: "Are you referring to Reinhardt? Their auras do feel similar..."
Spoilers Are Fun:"I am Haruto's loyal dog!"
Pain Magnet: "?"
Blonde Defeated Dog: "?"
Big Sister is Supreme: "?"
Hall Master of Wangsheng: "?"
Portal Daddy: "Suu is going crazy again. Not long ago, she even claimed to be Kamisato Ayaka's loyal dog."
Spoilers Are Fun: "Ahem... I got carried away, don't mind me."
Haruto glanced at the chat window, then at Suu, who looked completely unfazed, and was momentarily speechless.
So this was the difference between the internet and reality?
If he revealed himself as the group admin now, Suu would definitely suffer a social death.
Haruto's lips curled up uncontrollably.
But in the end, he held back.
Not because he couldn't bear to see a beautiful girl embarrass herself—
Rather...
If he exposed himself now, wouldn't he miss out on all the future entertainment?
He should collect more of these moments, then one day drop a bombshell revelation!
With that thought, Haruto quietly took a screenshot in the group chat.
Messages continued to flood in, while in reality, Suu and Oka bowed deeply to Haruto in gratitude for saving their lives.
Haruto simply waved his hand and said,
"No need for that. Containing anomalies and protecting humanity, that is the SCP Foundation's duty. It's my responsibility."
Upon hearing this, Suu immediately asked, "We... can we join the SCP Foundation?"
Compared to Black Sphere, the Foundation was clearly the better choice.
Following Black Sphere meant constantly facing life-and-death missions. Even with a powerhouse like Oka on their side, sooner or later, they'd run into a god-tier boss like Nurarihyon.
Getting wiped out was just a matter of time.
However, Suu couldn't reveal her affiliation with Black Sphere otherwise, she'd be executed by it.
Haruto naturally understood Suu's implication and smiled.
"Of course, you're welcome."
Just then, a red scanning light began to rise over Suu and Oka Hachiro's bodies.
Their physical forms started to fade away.
Clearly, the Hyakki Yagyō mission had ended, and they were being transported back to the Black Ball room.
Suu panicked and shouted, "Haruto, I'm being teleported away! But I'll be back soon!"
After the mission settlement, they would be free to return to society for a while.
Suu was determined to rush back and be a freeloader.
(Suu: Take me with you, Haruto! I can't survive without you!)
What she really wanted was to follow Haruto and leave the world of Black Ball behind, freeing herself from its control.
However, Haruto simply said,
"No worries, I'll come with you. I'm quite interested in the force behind you as well."
The moment those words left his mouth, Suu and Oka were dumbfounded.
Was he saying... he was coming with them to the Black Ball room?
But how?
They were always teleported in. The room didn't exist in reality.
And the first time they entered, it was only after their deaths that they suddenly found themselves inside.
How was he planning to—?