The air in Genichi's laboratory reeked of disinfectant and blood.
The walls were covered with photographs and documents, while the tables were buried beneath experiment logs and notes.
Several black bags were piled in a corner. They contained the bodies he had not yet had time to dispose of.
Haruno stood in the doorway, her face slightly pale. Her fingers gripped the doorframe so tightly that her knuckles had turned white.
Her gaze swept across the numbers recorded in the experiment logs.
First group: twelve subjects, all deceased.
Second group: twenty subjects, all deceased.
Third group: thirty subjects, all deceased.
Fourth group...
She could not bring herself to continue reading.
Nearly a hundred people had already died over the course of the experiments.
A hundred lives. A hundred families. A hundred people who would never return home.
Genichi sat at the table with a pen in his hand, writing something.
His expression was calm, betraying no emotion whatsoever.
Haruno watched him, repeatedly opening her mouth to speak, only to hesitate. Her lips trembled, but the words never came.
"If you have something to say, then say it. There's no need to stare at me like that."
Genichi did not look up. His pen continued scratching across the paper.
Haruno took a deep breath and entered the room. She sat in the chair behind him, resting her hands on her knees.
Her fingers twisted together, her nails digging into her palms.
"Could we suspend the Spirit Tamer experiments for a while?"
Her voice was quiet and carried a faint tremor.
"Too many people have died. Nearly a hundred so far, and some people are already starting to notice."
Genichi's pen paused briefly before continuing.
"Is a hundred people really that many?"
Haruno's expression froze.
She opened her mouth to speak, but found herself unable to say anything.
To her, a hundred people was an astronomical number.
She had personally dealt with every corpse and comforted every family. She had seen their grief-stricken faces with her own eyes.
Their tears, their cries, and the despair in their eyes had carved themselves into her heart like knives.
But to Genichi, a hundred people might have been nothing more than a number.
Perhaps a hundred lives truly meant very little to him.
"The research cannot stop."
Genichi put down his pen and looked up at her. There was no emotion in his eyes.
"If the Yukinoshita family can't handle it, I'll find a family that can."
Haruno's pupils abruptly contracted.
She understood exactly what he meant: if you cannot do it, someone else will.
It was not a threat. It was a statement of fact.
Genichi needed experiments, volunteers, and people willing to dispose of the bodies.
If the Yukinoshita family could not provide those things, he would simply find another family.
Tokyo had no shortage of wealthy families, and plenty of people would gladly serve him.
When that happened, the Yukinoshita family would not only lose his trust, but also the power he had granted them and every benefit he brought with him.
"I understand."
Haruno lowered her head, her voice hoarse.
"Send the next group of volunteers as soon as possible."
Genichi picked up his pen and resumed writing.
Haruno nodded, rose from her chair, and walked toward the door.
Every step felt heavy, as though lead weights were tied to her legs.
When she reached the doorway, she stopped and glanced back at Genichi.
He sat with his back perfectly straight, the pen scratching steadily across the paper. He looked focused and utterly indifferent.
She bit her lip, turned around, and left.
By the time Haruno returned to the Yukinoshita residence, night had already fallen.
She entered the living room and found her mother sitting on the sofa, drinking tea.
Mrs. Yukinoshita wore casual clothes, her long hair pinned behind her head. Age had done little to diminish her mature beauty.
When she saw her daughter, she set down her teacup and frowned slightly.
"What happened? You look terrible."
Haruno sat across from her, holding a cup of tea in both hands without drinking it.
Her fingertips rubbed lightly against the side of the cup as she hesitated.
"Mother, the experiment failed again."
She finally spoke, exhaustion evident in her voice.
"More than a dozen people died. Nearly a hundred have died altogether."
Mrs. Yukinoshita's expression did not change. She merely let out a soft sigh.
"What did Genichi say?"
"He said the research cannot stop. If the Yukinoshita family can't handle it, he'll find another family that can."
Mrs. Yukinoshita remained silent for a moment before nodding.
"He's right."
Haruno's head snapped up. She stared at her mother in disbelief.
"Mother, you..."
"Haruno."
Mrs. Yukinoshita's voice was calm, yet carried an unquestionable seriousness.
"Listen to me. This is no longer something we can handle by ourselves. We need to bring in new allies."
Haruno's expression stiffened.
Of course she understood what her mother meant. They would cooperate with other families, sharing both the pressure and the risks.
But that also meant sharing Genichi's power with others. It meant revealing his secrets and allowing others to claim a portion of his trust.
"But..."
Haruno tried to object.
"We have no choice."
Mrs. Yukinoshita interrupted her, her tone growing even more serious.
"If our failure causes his experiment to collapse or delays his research, what do you think will happen to us?"
Haruno fell silent.
She knew exactly what would happen.
Genichi would be disappointed. He would become angry. He would take back the power he had granted them, cross their names off his list, and never spare them another thought.
The Yukinoshita family would lose everything: their supernatural power, Genichi's protection, and the possibilities their future now held.
Would they simply return to the way things had been before?
No. It would be worse than that.
They had already tasted power and glimpsed a greater world. There was no going back now.
"Genichi's interests should matter more to us than our own."
Mrs. Yukinoshita spoke softly, but every word carried unmistakable weight.
"His interests are our interests. When he grows stronger, so do we. When he grows weaker, so do we. Surely you understand that by now."
Haruno lowered her head and tightened her grip on the teacup.
Of course she understood.
From the moment she drank the blood wine, she had ceased to be an independent individual. She had become part of Genichi's system.
Her life and death could be decided with a single thought from him. Her power came from his gift, and her future was inextricably bound to his.
She should not focus solely on her own pressure, burdens, and troubled conscience.
She should be asking herself one question: what course of action would benefit Genichi the most?
"Besides..."
The corners of Mrs. Yukinoshita's lips lifted into a meaningful smile.
"We get to choose our allies."
Haruno froze for a moment, then immediately understood what her mother meant.
Not just any family would be allowed to become their ally. The Yukinoshitas would choose them personally.
They could select families that would benefit them, families that would not threaten their position, and families they could control.
That way, the Yukinoshita family would not lose Genichi's trust. Instead, they could use this opportunity to expand their influence.
Delight appeared on Haruno's face.
How had she forgotten something so obvious?
They could choose the allies, negotiate the terms, and retain the initiative.
She could select obedient, sensible families that knew how to keep their mouths shut.
She could use Genichi's power as leverage to secure their support and loyalty.
She could also distribute the burden of the deaths among them, leaving others to handle some of the resulting problems.
"Mother, I know what to do now."
Haruno rose to her feet, her eyes shining.
Mrs. Yukinoshita nodded.
"Go. Remember, Genichi's interests come first."
Haruno nodded and turned to leave.
Her steps were much lighter now, and the gloom on her face had completely vanished.
She left the residence, climbed into her car, and started the engine.
The headlights cut through the darkness, illuminating the road ahead.
Her mind was already considering which families she should approach.
The Shinomiya Group?
The Suzuki Group?
Or perhaps smaller families that would be easier to control?
She needed to weigh her options carefully and screen every candidate to ensure that nothing went wrong.
The night outside the window was dark and deep.
Haruno gripped the steering wheel, the corners of her lips lifting slightly.
Genichi was right. The research could not stop.
A hundred lives in exchange for the creation of a single Spirit Tamer was worth it.
Even if more people had to die, it would still be worth it.
Once the Spirit Tamer project succeeded, humanity would gain access to supernatural power. The Yukinoshita family would be able to command its own supernatural army.
The volunteers who had died would be remembered forever.
Haruno pressed down on the accelerator, and the car sped into the night.
She was going to find new allies and clear the path for Genichi's experiments.
(End of Chapter)
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