The Momobami clan's estate stood in a corner of central Tokyo, occupying an enormous tract of land enclosed by towering walls.
From the outside, it looked like an ordinary traditional Japanese residence. Black roof tiles, white walls, and lush green trees gave it a quiet, understated appearance.
But Haruno knew that beyond those gates lay one of the most powerful criminal organizations in all of Japan.
The Momobami clan controlled more than half of Japan's underground economy: gambling, loan-sharking, underground banking, and countless gray-market industries.
Their influence extended into politics, business, and entertainment. They had eyes everywhere and a hand in everything.
Their clan head, Kirari Momobami, was a madwoman feared by all who knew her.
Haruno stood before the gates, the corners of her lips lifting slightly.
In the past, she had avoided places like this whenever possible.
Not because she was afraid, but because they were troublesome.
The Momobamis were all lunatics, especially Kirari. Every meeting with that woman left Haruno deeply uncomfortable.
But she no longer needed to worry about any of that.
She possessed the power Genichi had given her, supernatural abilities, and the confidence to destroy anything that stood in her way.
She could come whenever she pleased and leave whenever she wished.
Who could possibly stop her?
The gates slowly opened, and a servant dressed in a black suit bowed respectfully.
"Yukinoshita-san, the clan head is waiting for you in the main hall."
Haruno nodded and followed the servant through the courtyard.
Carefully trimmed pine trees lined both sides of the stone path. Artificial hills and flowing streams added an elegant, refined beauty to the surroundings.
Yet Haruno knew how many filthy dealings were hidden beneath that elegance.
She had witnessed the Momobami clan's methods firsthand. She had seen how they drove people into desperate situations, reduced them to slaves, and manipulated them like puppets in the palms of their hands.
The sight of those people kneeling on the ground and begging for mercy remained etched in her memory.
The door to the main hall slid open.
Kirari sat in the seat of honor, holding a cup of sake with a serene expression.
She wore a dark kimono, and her long hair had been pinned up to reveal her slender neck.
Her features were delicate and coldly beautiful. The faint curve of her lips suggested a smile that was almost impossible to discern.
Her eyes were especially striking. They seemed capable of seeing through a person's heart, yet also resembled a bottomless abyss.
"Haruno Yukinoshita-san. It truly has been a long time."
Her voice was soft and languid, as though she were discussing something utterly inconsequential.
Haruno sat across from her, picked up the sake cup before her, and took a small sip.
"It has been a long time, Kirari Momobami-san."
Their eyes met, their gazes colliding in the air.
Haruno caught a flash of curiosity in Kirari's eyes.
Kirari naturally knew that Haruno had always avoided her in the past. If there was any way to escape a meeting, she took it.
For Haruno to suddenly visit of her own accord, she had to want something.
Something important.
"So, what brings you to see me today?"
Kirari set down her cup, folded her hands over her knees, and leaned forward slightly.
Haruno placed her own cup down and looked directly at Kirari, her expression turning serious.
"There's something I'd like to ask you."
"Go ahead."
"Do you believe vengeful spirits exist in this world?"
Kirari's expression stiffened slightly.
She stared at Haruno, a trace of displeasure flashing in her eyes.
She had assumed Haruno had come to discuss a partnership, mutual interests, or business.
She had not expected such a tedious joke.
"If you came here today merely to make such a ridiculous joke, then..."
Before Kirari could finish, Haruno raised a hand.
"Gospel."
An invisible blast shot forth, grazing Kirari's cheek before striking the wall behind her.
A deafening explosion shook the hall.
The wall collapsed instantly, sending bricks and debris flying in every direction as dust billowed through the room.
The garden outside was exposed, and moonlight spilled inside, illuminating the scattered rubble.
Kirari's pupils contracted sharply.
She had felt the searing heat when the attack brushed past her cheek. She had also felt the terrifying power contained within it.
If Haruno had aimed at her face instead of the wall, Kirari did not dare imagine what would have happened.
Her fingers clenched the kimono covering her knees until her knuckles turned white, but her expression quickly returned to normal.
A smile appeared on Haruno's face.
She lowered her hand and looked at Kirari, her voice light and cheerful.
"Can we have a proper conversation now?"
Kirari remained silent for a moment.
She lowered her gaze to her tightly clenched fingers, then slowly relaxed them.
When she raised her head again, the smile on her face made even Haruno's skin crawl.
It was not fear, anger, or panic.
It was pure, heartfelt excitement.
It was the expression of a starving wolf discovering prey, a gambler seeing the perfect stake, or a madwoman finding the most fascinating game imaginable.
"Of course."
Kirari's voice remained soft, but an unusual light gleamed in her eyes.
"Now we can have a proper conversation."
Haruno stared at her smiling face, complicated emotions rising within her.
This woman truly was insane.
Anyone else subjected to such treatment would have been frightened, furious, or overwhelmed with panic.
Kirari was none of those things.
She was excited and curious, impatient to learn more.
"What was that?"
Kirari's gaze settled on Haruno's hand.
"Magic? A supernatural ability? Or something else I've never encountered before?"
"Magic."
Haruno made no attempt to conceal it.
"Magic bestowed upon me by my master."
"Your master?"
Kirari's eyes shone even brighter.
"You have a master? Where is he? Does he possess more powers like that? Can he grant power to other people?"
Watching Kirari's eagerness, Haruno silently reflected that the woman was exactly as the rumors described.
Ordinary things held no interest for her. Only the unknown, the dangerous, and the exhilarating could capture her attention.
When ordinary people learned about vengeful spirits, magic, or supernatural power, their first reactions were usually doubt, fear, and avoidance.
Kirari's first reaction was excitement.
She wanted more.
"My master's name is Genichi," Haruno said calmly. "He needs more subordinates, which is why I came to you."
Kirari rose and walked over to Haruno, looking down at her with excitement blazing in her eyes.
"He needs subordinates? What for?"
"Experiments."
Haruno did not hide the truth.
"He needs volunteers. A great many volunteers to test a new type of power."
"What kind of power?"
"Spirit Tamers," Haruno answered quietly. "People capable of controlling vengeful spirits."
Kirari's breathing quickened.
She lowered her head and stared at her hands, opening and closing them.
People who could control vengeful spirits.
People who could acquire supernatural power.
People who could step into an entirely different world.
Was that not precisely what she had always wanted?
Ever since childhood, she had found the world unbearably dull, ordinary, and meaningless.
Gambling, games, victory, and defeat were nothing more than tools she used to pass the time.
She had always searched for something that could truly excite her, something that could make her feel alive.
Now, she had found it.
(End of Chapter)
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