Chapter 189 The hell thread enters the brain, the origin of murderous intent!
Following the conclusion of Kurogane Shizuku's match against last year's semi-finalist Asaki Momiji, Arthur and the others decided to visit Ikki in the infirmary.
The cost of using Ittoshura was immense; the moment the final whistle blew, Ikki collapsed straight down and was expertly carried away by the medical staff who had been waiting nearby.
Barring any accidents, he should still be deep in the slumber brought on by general anesthesia.
However, accidents always arrive before pleasant surprises.
When everyone pushed open the infirmary door, the scene before them instantly froze the air.
Sarah, her clothes disheveled, was clumsily tearing at Ikki's hospital gown, a look of almost fanatical artistic pursuit on her face.
This scene made Kurogane Shizuku's eyes instantly turn blood-red, as she had just finished her match and her murderous aura had not yet dissipated.
With a flick of her wrist, Yoisigure shot out like a venomous snake, stabbing straight down!
"Stay away from Big Brother! You incurable pervert!"
Sarah, startled by the killing intent, rolled backward awkwardly to dodge the attack.
She tumbled off the bed but still expressed strong dissatisfaction with Kurogane Shizuku's choice of words.
"I'm not a pervert! Please call me an artist in pursuit of inspiration!"
"An H-artist who specializes in drawing R-rated works, right?!"
Kurogane Shizuku was trembling with anger; she lunged forward, grabbed Sarah's arm, and tried to apprehend her, emitting a grating crunching sound.
"Ow! Ow! Stop! My hands are for creating! You're going to break them!"
Stella and the others looked at the screaming Sarah, then at the petite Kurogane Shizuku, who had restrained her with one hand, and were momentarily at a loss for words.
Arthur raised a hand to rub his brow and spoke, interrupting the farce.
"The drama of jealousy can stop for a bit; this is the infirmary."
His voice was not loud, but it made the enraged Kurogane Shizuku pause.
She snorted, released her grip, but her eyes remained fixed on Sarah like knives.
Sarah, on the other hand, acted as if nothing had happened, calmly stood up, and elegantly brushed the dust off her apron.
"It seems my plan to gather material directly while Ikki was unconscious has failed again. You all chat; I'll come back next time."
Leaving behind these words, which were neither a greeting nor a challenge, the indifferent-faced Sarah turned and left.
Everyone instinctively made way for her, but Arthur's gaze followed her, his brows deeply furrowed.
Not because of her strange behavior, but because of a deeper sense of incongruity.
Stella, nestled beside him, noticed her lover's unusual behavior and followed his gaze to Sarah's receding back, unconsciously glancing down at herself.
After a quick assessment, Her Royal Highness had to admit a cruel truth.
The enemy's "strength" was far superior to her own!
"…Could it be that you prefer the majestic type?"
Arthur's thoughts were interrupted by this sudden question; the clue he had just pieced together instantly broke.
He looked at the blushing Stella, a wry smile on his face, took her hand, and walked out of the infirmary, lowering his voice.
"What are you thinking about all day in that little head of yours? I was thinking about this."
As he spoke, he opened his palm, revealing several strands of silk even finer than hair lying quietly in his hand—the Hell Silk collected during the morning's match.
The magic power contained within it was minuscule, almost indistinguishable from ordinary silk.
"This is…that clown's Noble Art? How did you get it?"
Arthur picked up a piece of Hell Silk, his expression showing a hint of inquiry.
"It's not the clown's; it was left behind after Tatara Yui self-destructed."
"Before this, I only felt that the Rebel Army's killing intent towards me was very off, but I couldn't find the source."
"Jealousy? Or a simple command? These emotions can indeed generate killing intent, but it shouldn't be so pure, so…without reason."
A flash of understanding crossed Stella's eyes: "You suspect that clown is secretly pulling strings? But isn't he just a Blazer who manipulates silk?"
Arthur frowned; he had never truly fought the clown who called himself Hiraga Reisen, and everything was just a guess based on brief probing.
"The Hell Silk must have been hidden in an extremely secret place within Tatara Yui's body before this; otherwise, it would have been impossible to escape my perception."
Stella also picked up a piece of Hell Silk, repeating her lover's words.
"An extremely secret place? Where would that be?"
Arthur's gaze became meaningful, with a hint of coldness.
"Think about the abnormal emotional shifts of Shinomiya Amane and Tatara Yui; only one place fits best—the brain."
"The Hell Silk has probably already invaded their brain nerves, achieving absolute control that even the individuals themselves couldn't perceive."
"Brain…Eek!"
At these words, Stella felt as if she had been electrocuted; the Hell Silk she had been toying with between her fingers instantly felt incredibly prickly.
She shook her hand, igniting a ball of flame that burned the silk to ashes, and also knocked away the silk in Arthur's palm.
Without a word, she pulled Arthur towards the sink, determined to perform a 360-degree, all-encompassing disinfection and sterilization.
Buzz—!
A sudden notification sound interrupted their actions. Arthur took out his mobile terminal from his pocket and opened the message.
His eyes darkened, and he smiled apologetically at the puzzled Stella, tilting his head towards the outside of the medical area.
"The 'reference materials' I ordered earlier have arrived. I need to go pick them up. We can talk more at the hotel during dinner."
Stella's delicate brows furrowed, her eyes fixed on him, her worry unconcealed and overflowing.
Arthur quickly raised both hands: "I promise, it's good news."
Only then did Stella reluctantly nod, watching her lover disappear down the corridor.
…
Harbor Dome, Competition Committee Warehouse.
Kurogane Gen stood at the entrance like a statue, arms crossed, watching the staff unload boxes of ancient Daoist scrolls from the transport plane.
Arthur arrived shortly after, and before the other could speak, he went straight to the point, posing a more important question.
"Regarding Hiraga Reisen, how much information does your O洲 Branch have?"
Kurogane Gen, who had intended to greet him, opened his mouth, a hint of stiffness appearing on his stern face.
He lowered his head and recalled for a moment, the corners of the unsmiling O洲 Branch Head's mouth turned down, his voice dry.
"Previously, the O洲 Branch's cooperation with the Rebel Army was largely handled by Tsukikage."
"After he stepped down, I cut off all ties with the Rebel Army, so…"
Arthur understood instantly, waving his hand dismissively.
"Tell me whatever you have. That guy, even if he's not pure evil, is definitely a huge menace."
Thus, Kurogane Gen, in his dull, lead-block-like voice, precisely recounted all the intelligence the O洲 Branch possessed.
The content was largely similar to what Arthur already knew; the only valuable piece of information was—
Hiraga Reisen had consistently acted as the liaison between the Rebel Army and the O洲 Branch, and the news that the Rebel Army had ceased pressuring the O洲 Branch was also conveyed by him.
The transaction concluded, Arthur swept up all the ancient Daoist scrolls in the warehouse, stashing them into his storage bag.
As he walked out of the warehouse, he casually flipped through a scroll about 'willpower,' carefully comparing it with the experiences left by his predecessors, muttering to himself.
"Using Noble Art to control others' will, and even indirectly detonating their souls, making them overdraw power beyond their physical limits."
"This level of soul interference is inconceivable, let alone long-distance control…"
Clap!
Arthur abruptly closed the Daoist scroll, a glint flashing in his eyes, and a cold arc formed at the corner of his mouth.
"Hiraga Reisen…what exactly are you?"