I said you are all war criminals

Ta, tap, tap...

The woman's footsteps quickened, the clacking of her high heels growing more rapid, like drumbeats pounding against her heart. Just as she was about to reach the alley entrance, the footsteps rang out again, this time clearer and more rapid than before, like a predator spotting its prey and speeding up to catch up.

She turned back again, her heart sinking. A shadowy figure appeared in the depths of the alley, rapidly approaching her. Fear, like a cold, venomous snake, instantly wrapped itself around her, rendering her unable to think.

"what--"

The woman screamed and turned to run. Her high heels became a burden in her panic, causing her to stumble and fall. The alley was too narrow, and she was caught up by the figure behind her after only a few steps.

A rough hand suddenly covered her mouth, and the other hand roughly pressed her against the cold concrete wall. The woman struggled in fear, but could not break free from the iron-like grip.

"Don't shout, just be obedient and suffer less!"

A hoarse voice sounded in her ears, with a sickening smell of alcohol.

The woman was so frightened that she was shaking all over and her tears couldn't stop flowing.

She knew what she had encountered. It was natural to encounter such a thing in such a dark alley... If she had known earlier, she should have taken the main road. No, she should have just taken a taxi home...

The man tore her clothes roughly, and the woman closed her eyes in despair.

At this moment, a cold voice sounded at the entrance of the alley: "Stop."

The man was stunned for a moment and looked back. He saw someone standing at the entrance of the alley. In the dim light, he couldn't see his face clearly.

"Who the hell are you?"

The man pulled out a dagger and pointed it at the man at the alley entrance, "Get out of here now, you have nothing to do here!"

"I beg to differ. After all, I am... a police officer."

The man walking at the entrance of the alley walked into the alley.

The man was a middle-aged man of medium build and slightly thin, with short pink hair and a calm expression. He didn't look like he had seen a crime scene at all.

"Mr. Criminal, if it's convenient, could you tell me your name?"

“Who would say that?”

The drunken man's expression changed and he yelled.

Then--

"Thank you so much for being such an easy-to-understand idiot."

The pink-haired man smiled.

In contrast, the drunken man stared with his eyes wide open.

"What, what is that—"

"boom!"

The woman was surprised to see that even though nothing happened, the drunken man flew out.

His stomach felt like it had been hit by a huge club.

"That lady over there,"

The pink-haired man said in a brisk tone as he walked towards the drunk man, "You can go now. But if you want to call the police, could you please do so a few minutes later? This isn't an order, it's a request."

For a moment, the woman didn't understand what was happening.

Although she had seen something so unnatural, her brain had not yet comprehended what had happened.

All she saw was... the drunken man rolling on the filthy ground, looking really ridiculous.

"Are you ok?"

The pink-haired man held the woman's shoulders and blocked her view with his body. "There's no need to see what happened to the criminal. He deserves it. What you should do now is run out, call the police, and forget all about this... okay?"

The woman nodded blankly.

So the pink-haired man smiled, a very gentle smile.

"Are you okay on your own? Run now."

The woman stumbled out of the alley, her high heels clacking against the pavement with a resounding sound, like the beat of a dying drum. She didn't dare look back, her heart pounding in her chest, threatening to burst through her throat. The pink-haired man's smile lingered in her mind, yet that gentle smile now filled her with a chilling chill, more terrifying than the drunken man from earlier.

The pink-haired man watched the woman disappear around the corner. The smile on his face slowly faded, his eyes turning cold. He turned and looked at the unrecognizable mass on the ground. The man was dead, and his death was extremely tragic. There was not a single piece of intact skin on his body, and his bones were twisted and deformed, as if he had been repeatedly crushed by some immense force. The air was thick with the smell of blood, making people sick.

"One in ten thousand... One criminal can only fill one in ten thousand of the residual soul? That number is too small."

The man closed his eyes, muttering to himself as if to strengthen his resolve.

“…We need to work harder.”

The pink-haired man's name is Akito Narumiya.

After obtaining the curse bead, he immediately took active action to resurrect his wife and daughter... and the curse just now was his first action.

Even though he had to kill more people than he had imagined...it didn't matter, Akito had already prepared himself mentally.

Be mentally prepared for a protracted war.

"…Muraku is still waiting for you, Narumiya Akito. You can't lose heart at a time like this."

Akito stood up.

Then he opened his eyes and saw a young white-haired girl standing in front of the corpse he had cursed.

The girl looked to be about the same age as Akito's daughter, Ryoku Narumiya. She was wearing a uniform from an unknown school and was dragging a suitcase behind her.

Her abrupt appearance here was out of place at the crime scene.

"Funny uncle."

The white-haired girl smiled gently in this place filled with the smell of blood.

26

Chapter 26: The Light of the Divine Tree.

Shenmu Guang stood on the edge of the cliff, overlooking the surging waves below.

Just now, he killed another person.

Naturally, the person he killed was yet another idol who seemed to be able to surpass Hoshino Ai.

That's right... Only by killing someone who might surpass Hoshino Ai, only by killing someone who might surpass Hoshino Ai, can Kamiki Hikaru feel that he is alive.

Only in this way can he feel that love is still with him.

but……

"I missed you so much... Love."

Shenmu Guang said softly.

No matter how much I kill, no matter how much I pray, love never comes back.

……unless.

"The dregs of soul in the curse bead haven't increased... Do I have to rely on spells to kill them in order to replenish them?"

Shen Mu Guang stroked the wooden beads in his pocket.

Just this afternoon, a wooden bead appeared in his pocket. After lightly touching it with his finger, Shen Muguang was overwhelmed by a memory of resentment, and naturally felt the "power" of the curse bead and the rule of "cursing someone to resurrect them."

...It's probably hard to understand if I just talk about it. But after Shenmu Guang felt the memory of that resentment, he immediately believed that this was not an illusion or a joke, but the truth.

No, maybe I should say, I have to believe it.

For Kamiki Hikaru, the most important person in the world is Hoshino Ai.

For the sake of Hoshino Ai, Kamiki Hikaru doesn't care how many more people he kills.

But this damn curse bead requires him to curse and kill others with his own hands.

"Tsk."

Shenmu Guang smacked his tongue impatiently.

To him, the curse beads were like putting a heavy sheath on a sharp knife. He was already a sharp enough knife, so the curse-killing technique became a burden.

He narrowed his eyes and pressed his thin lips into a straight line.

This so-called "curse" might be very effective for ordinary people, but for him...

Shenmu Guang retreated from the edge of the cliff, the sea breeze ruffling his golden hair.

To revive Hoshino Ai, one needs the curse beads, the curse beads require the residual soul, the residual soul comes from the curse... and the curse needs him to do it himself.

"so troublesome."

Shenmu Guang cursed under his breath.

It wasn't that he was afraid of killing; in fact, he had already killed many. It was just that the feeling of being bound by rules irked him. He was used to freedom, used to doing whatever he wanted, used to solving problems his own way. But now, he had to be controlled like a puppet by this tiny curse bead.

But for love... he can endure it all.

"...Love, I love you."

Shen Muguang closed his eyes and felt the surging sea breeze.

There was no murderous intent burning in his chest.

For Shen Mu Guang, killing has no special meaning. What is meaningful is that through killing, he can welcome love back to him.

In this case, he naturally would not have the intention to kill.

…This is a good deed.

How can one harbor murderous intentions while performing good deeds?

The air in the rental apartment was filled with the cheap aroma of instant noodles, a stark contrast to the expensive cologne on Shenmu Guang. He took off his jacket, stained with the sea breeze, and tossed it casually on the dusty sofa. This cramped one-room apartment seemed particularly shabby compared to his position as president of MediaEYES Co., Ltd. and the several luxury properties he owned.

But this is his most secret lair, a holy place that outsiders cannot peek into and is filled with the breath of Hoshino's love.

The walls were covered with posters of Hoshino Ai, each one meticulously framed like a treasure, gleaming with a hazy luster under the dim light. Shenmu Guang's eyes slowly scanned each poster, their gentleness practically dripping with tears, a stark contrast to the cold, ruthless look he had displayed not long ago, standing on the edge of the cliff.

"like……"

He murmured softly, as if it were a whisper between lovers.

He took out the spell bead from his pocket and looked at it carefully in the palm of his hand.

The mantra remained silent.

But Shenmu Guang became more and more obsessed.

"I'll see you again soon...soon."

Shen Mu Guang lowered his head towards the mantra beads, as if to express his love.

Just then, the noisy sound of news broadcast came from the TV.

"The highly anticipated new idol Chiyoko Ibuki held her debut press conference in Shibuya today. Her innocent and lovely image and energetic stage performance attracted a large number of fans to support her..."

On the TV screen, a girl with twin ponytails and a sweet smile was waving at the camera, her youthful energy almost overflowing the screen.

"This idol is called 'The Return of Hoshino Ai'..."

Hearing that description, Shenmu Guang's originally gentle eyes instantly turned cold, and he directly smashed the ashtray at hand onto the TV.

The TV screen suddenly went black and the room fell silent. Only Shenmu Guang's heavy breathing echoed in the small space.

"The Return of Hoshino's Love"?

What a ridiculous name!

Shen Muguang stood up suddenly, the mantra beads in his hand rattling as he squeezed them, as if they would be crushed at any moment. He walked to the window and pulled open the curtains. The dazzling lights from outside shone into the room, but only made the black stars in his eyes shine brighter.

Love is unique, there will never be another Hoshino Ai in this world.

The black stars in his eyes flashed with dangerous light, and the curse beads in his hand also sensed the owner's emotions, emitting a faint cold light.

Shenmu Guang felt a surge of excitement, not because of the upcoming killing, but because he had finally found a new sacrifice, a sacrifice that could be offered to love.

Without further ado, he set off immediately.

At Chiyoko Ibuki's debut press conference, a large number of fans gathered there. They waved glow sticks, shouted Chiyo's name, and had excited smiles on their faces.

At the press conference, Chiyoko Ibuki was standing in the center of the stage. She was wearing a pink princess dress and smiling sweetly at the camera. Her every move imitated the posture of Hoshino Ai when she was alive.

"Hello everyone, I'm Chiyoko Ibuki, please take care of me!"