Infinite Journey: Dark Souls

"Then come along."

"Ok!"

What's the most beautiful thing after the rain stops and the sky clears?

Of course, it's a rainbow.

Her smile was as radiant as a rainbow.

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The interrogation room is actually just a separate solitary confinement room, so there are no bloodstains or terrifying instruments of torture. It was originally built to detain students who have made mistakes, so it is simply a spacious room that is quite bright when the lights are on.

Naoi Fumito, the former vice president of the student council and the current acting president of the student council, as well as the second-in-command of the mastermind, is currently imprisoned here.

Considering the ghoul's constitution, the SSS group did not dare to be careless and tied him up tightly with rope. At this moment, he leaned against the corner, quietly waiting for the next interrogation.

He was, in fact, just like the other members of the front line, a boy who died with regrets; however, even after he came to the afterlife, he still clung to that life full of regrets.

He was born into a family of ceramic artists. He had a talented older brother who died young, and he became his brother's replacement. He did not have his brother's talent, so he could only desperately try to follow in his brother's footsteps. He didn't know whether, in the end, he would want to surpass his brother to prove that he was the one who was alive, or become his brother to bury his dead self.

He had walked this path for too long, always using his ideal brother as a reference for his actions.

He only found a new life when a young girl told him she needed "Naoi Fumito's" help.

The door to the solitary confinement cell was opened, and he knew without looking up that it was that group of troublemakers from the front lines who had come in again.

Normally, he would just sit there with his head down, completely unresponsive, until those idiots couldn't hold back and started using their fists instead of asking questions, at which point he would be forced to be knocked out of this corner.

Today was different. He had asked someone to participate in the interrogation, so the moment the door opened, he raised his head and turned his gaze to the idiots and oddballs who had entered.

Sure enough, the newcomer arrived.

They probably thought this was a breakthrough in the interrogation, but little did they know that he was just trying to fulfill his last remaining value.

"Yuriko, you're too soft-hearted. If you bring her in, I don't know what the other members will think."

"Exactly, even for us, the thought of that Dark Spirit's straight sword covered in needles piercing our bodies makes us want to... well, I can't quite bring myself to want to kill a beautiful girl."

"Extremely superficial."

"Shut up, you bastards! Don't let my prisoners laugh at you."

These guys were as noisy as ever, to the point of being heartless. What did Naoi see? The ash he had just used to create distance was now following behind Yuri, and although the members of the execution team were aggressive in their tone, there was very little malice in them, unlike what he had expected.

He truly is a unique idiot among idiots.

Even that timid girl dared to confront the aggressive members of the execution team.

Heh, it doesn't matter. His previous actions all failed anyway. It's probably within Master's expectations that the battle lines and Ashes are starting to make contact again. So, just do as Master asks.

Her gaze fell on the boy who was getting close to the angel, and she unconsciously grinned. This gave Otonashi, who had been suddenly called over and was completely clueless about the current situation, a bad feeling.

"I really admire you, you fools. The real culprit is standing right next to you, yet you still manage to go on with this ridiculous daily routine."

"I am indeed the one who brought disaster upon myself, but aren't you the ones I brought it upon myself?"

Unexpectedly, the words intended to mock the front line provoked Ash's rebuttal, which hit the nail on the head, leaving Ash speechless for a moment.

"Mikuru, there's no need to say anything to this kind of guy! If he says something like that again, just kick him!"

Yuri kicked him, sending him flying into the corner of the room, and then viciously kicked him in the stomach again.

The bruises on his face faded quickly thanks to his ghoul physique. He lay on the ground, unconcerned, watching the leader who was deliberately venting his anger with a mocking expression.

"Hey, that look you're giving me really annoys. I'm warning you, don't even think about trying to hypnotize me!"

She stepped on his head, forcing his gaze to the ground, and felt the pressure and troubles of the past few days finally ease.

"I've brought the new person you're looking for. Now, tell him what you want to say."

"Hmph, of course I'll tell him what he needs to know, and make him come closer."

"Come closer? Do you think we're idiots? Whether it's your hypnosis or your fangs, letting him come closer is just sending him to his death."

The foot was lowered from his head, then hooked in the air again. Using her juggling skills, Yuri kicked him against the wall, returning him to his seated position against the wall.

“He won’t go there, just say it out loud.”

"Hehe, it's not that I can't say it here, but the information about my master needs to start with Tachibana Kanade, who you call the 'angel'~"

"Xiao Zou? You bastards! What did you do to her?!"

If someone is unwilling to come, he has his own ways to get them to come. Often, words are the greatest weapon, a weapon that can be used even by someone who is tied up.

Otonashi lost control upon hearing the angel's name. Ignoring Yuri's attempts to stop him, he rushed over and grabbed Naoi by the collar.

"Idiot! Don't go over there!"

Hinata walked up, separating herself from Yuri who wanted to drag Otonashi back, and shook her head slightly under Yuri's questioning gaze.

"Haha, hahaha! Hahahaha!"

"What are you laughing at!?"

"Haha! -- Of course I'm laughing! You know nothing, yet you dare to meddle in our affairs!"

His laughter was abruptly interrupted by a violent shaking, but the smile remained on his lips as he used words as a weapon, displaying a mocking demeanor.

"You don't understand anything? I don't understand anything? Then what do you know about Xiaozan? Huh?"

"Come closer, just a little closer, and I'll tell you why Tachibana Kanade would..."

Without using hypnosis, nor needing to use hypnosis, words transformed into a rope, tightly binding Otonashi's neck, causing him to unconsciously, without his conscious control, bring his ear closer to the ghoul's fangs as the voice gradually softened.

"What are you doing blocking my way! Go save him!"

Aside from Otonashi, who was trapped by words, everyone else saw the suddenly elongated fangs, but they were too slow to get there; they hesitated to draw their pistols, afraid of hitting Otonashi, who was almost lying on top of Naoi.

The blood pupils were dazzlingly red, and the fangs were about to pierce the skin.

*Clang!* *Bang!*

Seeing that the newcomer was about to be drained of blood, Yuri wanted to kill Otonashi first to prevent him from being corrupted, but after a sound of a mechanism being pulled, a figure with dark purple outline rushed in front of them.

The figure used the hunter's great axe's transformation slash, the extended axe handle instantly closing the distance between the two.

Avoiding the axe blade, the back of the axe slammed heavily into Naoki's mouth.

The fangs, streaked with blood, flew out of his mouth.

He passed the girl with chestnut hair.

PS: Yunxi: 744486102 uploaded this chapter to the wrong address yesterday! It has now been corrected; this is chapter thirty-three.

Intermittent Thirty-Four Wild Beasts

"Shikuru?"

Yuri was somewhat surprised, never expecting that at this crucial moment, the one who saved Otonashi was actually the girl who had always been unable to pick up a weapon!

However, she looked rather strange. Beneath the deep purple outline, her legs were trembling; her eyes were tightly closed amidst her chestnut hair; only her hands, gripping the hunter's axe, remained unusually steady, still in the posture of slashing away the ghoul.

"Damn it! You Ashes are ruining our plans again!"

The ghoul, sent flying by the impact, spat out bloody teeth, struggled and screamed, and pounced on the stunned newcomer once more.

"When attacking, keep your eyes fixed on the enemy and don't look away."

The calm tone wasn't emanating from a cold voice; instead, a childish voice echoed in Asahina's mind. Her hand was compelled to swing the axe, but she barely managed to open her eyes.

The horizontal slash turned into a charged vertical strike. The ghoul in mid-air heard the wind whistling past his ears, barely managing to curl up as the axe blade grazed his body and struck him.

The force of the impact on the ground returned to her hands, and the shattered ground and the stones it kicked up made her close her eyes again.

"Letting the enemy out of sight is extremely dangerous."

The calm, childlike voice echoed in her mind once again. This time, when she opened her eyes, she felt her feet were also propelled forward. She lunged forward, and the axe handle shortened at the same time. Just as Naoki straightened up from the ground, the back of the axe, still covered in his blood, was right in front of her.

The ghoul was swung out again, and more fresh blood appeared on the back of the axe.

"To deal with creatures with strong regenerative abilities, you either have to kill them all quickly or seize their consciousness."

Witnessing her own brutal actions, Asahina almost closed her eyes for the third time, but the continued sound of the child's voice reminded her of her determination. Finally, she overcame her fear, stared wide-eyed as she walked to the side of the ghoul and raised the great axe high.

It was still the back of the axe, but this time it was aimed at the ghoul's cervical spine, intending to paralyze it with this blow.

"Damn it! Don't take away my last bit of value!"

The ghoul, trapped in a dead end, howled hysterically, but in this closed confinement room, who could help him?

Of course, it's the Dark Spirits that are capable of rampant invasion.

The second time, Asahina saw the Dark Spirit manifest; the first time, she experienced being parried by a shield; also the second time, she saw the straight sword pointed at her body; also the first time, she pulled the trigger.

It's that same needle-wielding knight again, relentlessly invading this world; he's died here several times already, yet seems to have learned nothing.

He just happened to appear next to Naoto, just happened to deflect Asahina's great axe with a shield, just happened to raise his straight sword, just happened to be about to deliver an execution; however, just happened to be in a one-handed state, just happened to be equipped with a shotgun, just happened to be pointing the muzzle at him, just happened to spray out mercury bullets.

The series of actions happened in the blink of an eye. The girl, who had been staring wide-eyed, only saw the shield block the bullets and bullets fly by before the two Ashes simultaneously went into a state of stun.

"Hahahaha! Now that those two monsters are gone, let's see how arrogant you can be!"

Naoki still doesn't understand the principle that villains won't die if they don't talk too much. Although Asahina's situation is a bit strange, he doesn't think that the people in front of him alone can defeat the Dark Spirit, so he continues to mock them to the fullest.

Dark Spirit, however, did not feel relieved. The timing of his parry was perfect. As a seasoned Dark Spirit, he did not underestimate the panicked girl in front of him. Despite taking a bullet of mercury at close range, he forcibly steadied himself and rolled towards the girl, his body covered in spikes.

As soon as the Dark Spirit lowered its body in his field of vision, Asahina felt herself also roll backward.

The roll to graze blood missed, and Dark Spirit got up and added a straight thrust, but unexpectedly she didn't stop and did two more rolls.

"This is not something a novice can handle. Yuri, help organize suppressive fire."

The calm, innocent child's voice appeared again. This time, the voice did not enter Asahina's mind, but instead reached everyone's ears.

Yuri recognized the tone; she had heard it many times in her headphones not long ago. But what was with this voice? Was it some kind of magical trick by Ash?

That's right, the one acting as Homura's mouthpiece and controlling Asahina's body like a possessed demon was none other than Homura's familiar, Stubborn; so Dark Spirit still couldn't escape the fate of being blocked by Ash, and once again kicked a hornet's nest.

However, the steel plate is a bit thinner this time, so if we seize the opportunity, it's not impossible to break it.

Yuri seized the opportunity first, snatching Hinata's RPK-47 light machine gun and unleashing a barrage of fire at the Dark Spirit whose thrust had missed.

"You bastards! Did you hear me?! Everyone with weapons, open fire!"

The gunshots from the primer explosions and the sounds of bullets hitting shields couldn't drown out Yuri's roar. The idiots in the execution team finally reacted, picked up their weapons, and joined in the barrage of fire.