I said you are all war criminals

Xingge asked again.

This glass of wine has the taste of the other three members of the band, but not Hong Xia's own taste.

Xingge's question struck a chord with Hongxia. Her movements froze, and the liquid in the cocktail shaker swirled, reflecting her current state of mind. She lowered her eyes, her gaze fixed on the unfinished cocktail. Yes, this drink had the spiciness of coolness, the sweetness and sourness of Xiduo, and the tenderness of Yili, but not her own.

The reason is also very simple.

She tasted far too foul to be added to the wine.

"What's wrong, Hongxia?"

Xingge continued to ask.

Hong Xia just raised her head and looked towards the door, "A guest is coming, sister, go and greet the guest."

In fact, this was originally Hongxia's job, but now Hongxia is mixing cocktails, so she handed the task over to the boss Xingge.

Xingge turned his gaze away from Hongxia and glanced towards the door. "This isn't a guest at all. It's clearly an unwelcome guest."

She paused, a hint of barely perceptible disgust in her tone, "You're actually hanging out with a high school student. Do you have any sense of responsibility as a member of society?"

"That's too much."

The guest said in a provocative tone, "I am still a college student, big sister."

It's Hakuno.

The blue-haired boy walked in confidently, carrying the high school girl on his back.

Perhaps because passersby on the street mistook them for siblings, no one called the police. However, those who knew the two knew that they were a couple.

…Though, those two seemed to be trying to hide it.

However, neither of them is good at hiding things.

"Want to drink?"

Hong Xia took the initiative to raise the cocktail she had just made, "This one is called 'End of the Band'."

Bai Ye took the glass without hesitation, his azure hair swaying slightly as he moved. He brought the glass to his nose and sniffed gently. A scent of gin, the sweetness of lemon, and the aroma of syrup filled his nostrils.

"Finish the band, huh?"

He took a sip, savoring it carefully, then smacked his lips with a playful smile.

"This taste is different from what I expected 'ending the band' to taste."

"What's the difference?"

Hong Xia asked casually.

Bai Ye shook the wine glass, and the amber liquid swayed gently in the glass.

"Something is missing, something is missing...the flavor of Senior Hong Xia."

He raised his head, his blue eyes looking directly at Hong Xia, his tone carrying a hint of teasing, "This glass of wine has the spiciness of Liang, the sourness and sweetness of Xiduo, and the tenderness of Yili. The only thing missing is you, Senior Hong Xia."

"……senior?"

Hong Xia raised an eyebrow, "Senior in what field?"

"Of course it's a senior in bartending, Senior Hong Xia, I want to learn bartending too!"

Hakuno said, placing the Takamatsu lamp behind him on the sofa for rest.

Seeing this, Xingge snorted coldly, "Stop talking so slickly! Why don't you reflect on the fact that you're dating a high school student and still have the mind to taste wine?"

Bai Ye laughed out loud, "Big sister, you are too old-fashioned, aren't you? Love is free. What's wrong with dating a high school student these days? Besides,"

He paused deliberately, "Could it be that you're jealous because you're almost thirty and still single?"

Xingge's face turned red instantly, like a ripe apple.

"You, what nonsense are you talking about! I...I've just been busy with music!"

Then, Xingge started talking nonsense, saying things like "It's not that I can't find a boyfriend, but I don't want to find a boyfriend" and "I still have PA", which were difficult to understand.

"Okay, okay, sister, don't bother with him."

Hong Xia quickly tried to smooth things over, "What's wrong with the light? I see a little red on her head."

"I brought her here after getting hit on the head by a classmate."

Bai Ye said, looking at the clock on the wall, "Now... there's still half an hour until those applicants arrive?"

Hongxia raised her glass. "Actually, Ms. Iwanaga is already here. She's in the rehearsal room... Do you want to go see her?"

"We agreed to go in half an hour, right? Then go in half an hour later."

Hakuno said so.

"You have a really bad personality."

Then, Hakuno heard someone say this from behind.

He turned around and saw a young girl.

The girl was about thirty centimeters taller than Hakuno, her face as delicate and youthful as a porcelain doll. Dressed in a loose green and white cardigan and skirt, she looked like a lovable, well-off young lady. Yet, the strength radiating from her eyes and the unwavering expression of her mouth betrayed a style honed by extensive experience.

Age difficult to estimate.

It would be believable if he said he was a middle school student, but it would be inexplicably acceptable if he said he was older than Hakuno.

She's a girl with a wonderful presence.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Iwanaga Kotoko, the guitarist."

She bowed slightly, "I'm here to apply for Wild Fire."

2

Chapter 2 Kotoko Iwanaga.

Kotoko Iwanaga moved lightly and found a suitable seat at the bar.

There were two interviewers sitting across from the bar: one was a young girl with blonde hair, who looked very young, only sixteen years old. Her bright eyes revealed a hint of innocence and vitality, and her smile was kind. She was obviously a lively and innocent girl; the other was a man with blue hair, about twenty-five years old, with a well-proportioned figure, an ordinary face, and a dull expression, giving people the impression that he was neither outstanding nor lacking in presence.

"Miss Iwanaga, is that right?"

The blue-haired man cleared his throat slightly and asked in a formal tone, "May I ask why you sent us... more precisely, WildFire, a job application?"

Qinzi's lips curled up slightly, and she answered firmly, "I have a deep interest in music, and I hope to contribute my strength to the band and make a small contribution to society."

Then, the blue-haired man asked, "But, there are so many bands on the market right now. What made you choose WildFire? Please answer truthfully, which one was your first choice?"

Kotoko answered without hesitation: "Wild Fire, of course."

Although they did not give a clear response to this answer, because most job seekers would answer like this for politeness, feeling that it was just a formal test, the moment that truly determines their fate finally arrived.

"but,"

Kotoko looked at the interviewer with a steady gaze, then changed the subject and continued, "Initially, this wasn't my first choice."

Iwanaga Kotoko bowed slightly and continued, "Actually, the band I first started paying attention to was called 'Starlit Sky'."

There was a hint of helplessness in her tone.

"That band is quite famous, and I wanted to join them to get more opportunities to learn and improve myself."

Kotoko paused and sighed slightly, "But after thinking it over carefully, I realized that it's not the best place for me."

The blonde girl interjected curiously, "Is it because of a conflict in musical philosophy?"

"Well, partly."

Kotoko nodded, her eyes sparkling with her love for music. "Starlit Sky's music style is more commercial, but I hope the music I create will have more substance and emotional depth, something that can truly touch people's hearts."

"Concerns about development also play a role."

Qinzi continued to explain, her eyes revealing a mature reflection. "Their goals are more focused on popularity and short-term success, but I prefer to slowly hone my skills and pursue the true essence of music. I believe music is a way to express one's inner self, not just to cater to the market."

Hakuno studied the girl before him, "So, Wild Fire became your choice?"

"Yes."

Kotoko answered without hesitation, "In my opinion, although Wild Fire isn't top-tier yet, it has potential. I hear raw fighting spirit and passion for art in your music, which is what I aspire to."

The atmosphere of the interview became heated after Kotoko's heartfelt statement, and the atmosphere reached the point where "it would be impossible not to accept Kotoko Iwanaga."

In this atmosphere, Bai Ye pondered for a moment, then asked, "How do you see so much from a band like us that has nothing?"

That's right.

Although the attitude just now made it seem like an interview at a large company, Wild Fire is not a large company.

It's just a band, or to be more precise - it's a band that doesn't even have a full complement of members.

Naturally, it had no real track record. Not only did it not have any original songs, it hadn't even held a live performance.

Where does a band like this get the "potential" that Kotoko mentioned?

"You invited Nana Ohba to be the lead singer, didn't you?"

"Wow...you know this too?"

Hakuno commented, "You're acting a bit like a stalker."

Iwanaga Kotoko slightly lifted her hair from her ears and said, "This is just basic etiquette as a fan."

This is not a lie.

Kotoko is indeed a fan of Nana Ohba. After all, as a student of Seisho Conservatory of Music, the latter has already gained considerable fame in the opera world.

Unlike other schools, students at music schools are required to "work" during their time at the school... meaning, they perform. Since students participate in performances as actors, they naturally attract considerable attention and naturally have fans.

but……

Kotoko Iwanaga joined Wild Fire not because of Nana Ohba.

Kotoko shifted her gaze slightly in silent contemplation, carefully moving it away from Hakuno's figure and quietly settling on Ijichi Nijika, who sat beside her. Nijika's posture was slightly awkward, as if she was a little uneasy in such a formal and solemn atmosphere, but the interest that flickered in her eyes was unconcealable.

However, Kotoko's heart couldn't help but stir up subtle ripples - if it weren't for the monsters' meticulous and secret tip-off, she might never have connected the seemingly fragile girl in front of her with the case half a month ago.

Half a month ago, Kotoko suddenly received a commission from a monster.

The monster became terrified after witnessing the horror of "human beings" with his own eyes.

"She was just a high school girl, but she killed hundreds of people in one day! How horrible, how horrible! Even a monster couldn't kill so many people!"

This is the truth.

At least in modern times, monsters can't kill so many people.

In modern society, the space for yokai has been severely squeezed. Human technology is advancing at a rapid pace, with surveillance cameras and electronic devices everywhere. Every yokai move could be recorded—not the yokai themselves, but their "every move." While yokai themselves wouldn't be recorded, their crimes would likely remain unsolved by conventional methods. However, their attacks on humans would undoubtedly be recorded as "unbelievable" events.

From what Kotoko knew, the police seemed to have a special unit within the police force that investigated these "unbelievable cases." If the monsters were killing people at random, they would surely leave clues and be hunted down. Perhaps, precisely because the threat of monsters killing people was so great, the police would surely be quicker and more swift in apprehending them.

——From this perspective, unless the monsters don’t want to live anymore, they wouldn’t kill people on such a large scale nowadays.

If monsters that possess magical powers and can transform into various forms really want to kill someone, they would disguise the death as a natural accident or illness, which is more reasonable.

Such a brutal case, which was clearly a homicide, seemed like it was done by humans.

...In fact, it was also done by humans.

According to the information that Kotoko Iwanaga heard, Ijichi Hongxia killed all the remaining members of the three underworld organizations in order on that day. After taking away the ill-gotten gains, he went to a village that worshipped the "Golden God" and killed the people in that village and the "Golden God" that was worshipped.

As usual, Kotoko commissioned the monsters to investigate the underworld organizations and the village.

First of all, there are those underworld organizations.

Those three mafia organizations were involved in everything from drug trafficking, extortion, blackmail, murder and arson, pornography, loan sharking, money laundering, and financial disruption. This is actually not uncommon in today's mafia.

Due to the "Anti-Yakuza Law," the violent nature of gangs has been significantly reduced, with a shift towards financial crime. Let's not discuss which is more sinful, violent or financial, but simply point out that the three gangs involved in this incident all tend to be more violent.

According to the testimonies of the monsters, after attacking the first yakuza organization, Ijichi Nijika searched through the account books and selected her next target. The yakuza organization's business dealings weren't limited to violent crime gangs, but also involved financial crime gangs, but it seems Nijika had no intention of targeting the latter.

If we consider it from the perspective of "taking money", the latter should obviously have more money.

In order to investigate in detail the reasons behind Hongxia's choice, Qinzi quickly signed up after the other party posted the information about recruiting band members.

...Oh, and there's also the matter of that village.

There is no doubt that the village is a cult village.

There are nearly 200,000 different religious organizations in Japan. This is because after the war, Shintoism's authority vanished overnight, leaving Japan in a religious vacuum. Various religions have emerged to fill the void. Sects like this one, which worship tigers as "golden gods" and even kill passersby as offerings to them, can even be considered "harmless."