The colossal Black Pool was perfectly still, its ink-dark, foul waters thick and stagnant. The surface was carpeted with countless cherry blossom petals.
Above the terrifying water, where innumerable vengeful spirits moaned in the depths, a girl stood barefoot on the surface. She wore a deep crimson shrine maiden outfit. Her long, jet-black hair was pinned up, revealing a slender, snowy-white neck. Adorning her hair bun were two cherry blossom petals, thin as cicada wings.
As the girl walked, her ornate shrine maiden robes fluttered in the breeze, looking as if fresh blood were flowing over her body.
Though she was beautiful, her stiff, unnatural gait gave the distinct impression of a moving corpse rather than a living person.
With each slow step she took toward the center of the lake, ripples spread across the water, as if something beneath was waking up.
Soon, ten crimson coffins, radiating a terrifying aura, slowly broke the surface of the black water around her. The foul, viscous sludge of the Black Pool dripped down their rotting wood.
These coffins shared a common trait: they were incredibly decayed. through the rotted wood, one could see they were filled to the brim with blood-red crystals.
If Kenmei were here, he would realize that these crystals were all made of ultra-high-concentration "Killing Stone."
Most of the entities inside the coffins remained dormant, but the one directly facing the girl—carved with a special crest—began to tremble slowly.
Through the broken wood, deep within the crystals encasing the Killing Stone, a cloudy, dull eye slowly opened.
"Liu is dead, Ci."
The moment the ancient, heavy voice spoke, the lake surface turned from calm to violently turbulent.
Though the tone was devoid of emotion, it sounded like an interrogation.
"His soul died along with the [Vessel]. This has never happened in a thousand years."
Hearing this, a flicker of emotion finally crossed the girl's otherwise placid face. A flash of envy appeared in her eyes, as if she longed for the release of death.
There were originally twelve coffins here. One belonged to her, and one belonged to the white-haired brat Kenmei had just obliterated.
The vessel's name in life was Kazuhiro Mitogawa, and the soul occupying it was Liu.
But the coffin that held Liu's soul had completely shattered, sinking forever into the deepest depths of the "Abyss."
"It is my responsibility," Ci spoke, her voice ethereally hollow.
"That vessel had just completed the 'Ritual' of [Incarnation] and couldn't bear my power yet. just activating my technique pushed the body to the brink of collapse..."
"That is no excuse!"
Ci was still explaining when a sharp voice from the third coffin on the side cut her off, shrieking like a cat whose tail had been stepped on.
"During the Divine Child's ritual..."
"Enough, Wu Gui."
"Liu's death is a lesson."
The first coffin spoke again, interrupting the screeching one with evident displeasure.
"Ci, while we are not yet fully revived, do not create unnecessary complications."
"I can sense that the outside world has undergone great changes..."
At that moment, above the Black Pool, the crisp chiming of a Kagura Suzu (shinto bell) rang out from nowhere.
With each low chime of the bell, a petal slowly fell, dissolving into a wisp of red mist in mid-air.
Ding-ling-ling...
---
"Boss?"
Kenmei was wondering why he suddenly heard a melodious and oddly familiar bell chime in his ear when Toji's voice snapped him back to reality.
"Oh, nothing. Just spaced out."
He stared into the distance at the ruins of what used to be Mei's mansion, now cordoned off by police tape and surrounded by patrol cars.
"Old man, you head back first."
Blending into the crowd, Kenmei spoke to Toji beside him.
"Thanks for your hard work these past few days."
Although Kenmei had forced Toji to sign that insane contract, there was no need to keep him on a leash 24/7.
The contract was just a bridge, allowing Kenmei to issue absolute orders when necessary.
Normally, Kenmei felt it was better to let Toji live his life however he wanted.
At the very least, their daily lives needed to be separate. Hanging out with the infamous "Heavenly Tyrant" was way too conspicuous.
Plus, Toji had too many enemies. Most people swallowed their anger because they couldn't beat him, but Kenmei didn't want to catch stray bullets. He preferred keeping his distance.
Kenmei was used to being a loner; having someone around felt awkward.
Finding Toji as a heavy hitter was purely accidental, not part of the plan.
If it were a silent, giant muscle-head like a Space Marine ("Blue Uncle") who just did the job without talking, that would be fine. But Toji was a living, breathing human—and a middle-aged one at that. having him move in would be weird.
"Call me if you need anything, Boss."
Toji was straightforward. Hands in his pockets, slouching with that distinct thug swagger, he walked away without looking back.
"So the rumors were true."
Kenmei watched as Toji made a quick phone call, and moments later, an expensive sports car pulled up. Through the window, he saw a mature, beautiful woman driving. The moment Toji got in, she couldn't wait to plant a kiss on him.
Then, the car sped off in style, leaving a crowd of onlookers questioning their life choices and wondering why sugar mommas never looked their way.
Aside from being a mass murderer, Toji's reputation as a gigolo was well-founded.
Kenmei had no comments on his subordinate's private life. That was off the clock.
Shaking his head, Kenmei walked to the intersection and hailed a taxi.
"Driver, hello. To Nakano Ward, [Address]."
"Sigh. What a hassle."
The clues on the white-haired brat had been severed completely. Kenmei had deliberately preserved some brain tissue, but he got nothing.
It was as if all traces had been buried. Otherwise, farming Killing Stones would have been another fast way to grind Points.
Kenmei rolled up his sleeve and looked at his arm with disgust. On the outer skin of his arm, there was a blood-red tattoo resembling a cherry blossom petal. The texture of the two petals was incredibly clear.
Earlier, Kenmei had been marked by something unknown, leaving a petal-shaped mark. After killing the white-haired brat, a second petal had inexplicably appeared.
Kenmei wasn't without methods to remove it, but he needed to know what it was first to plan accordingly.
Before consulting a professional, Kenmei had to make a trip to the Isayama main house.