Chapter 323: 15 Higashi-cho, Nerima Ward
William looked at his deflated wallet, his eyes filled with nothing but blankness.
"A taxi fare of nearly 30,000 yen... how is this any different from a robbery."
At this moment, he only had one thought—to storm up to the driver's window and give him a standard Los Angeles greeting.
Even though this expense could be reimbursed by the Vatican, and William himself had long stopped lacking this bit of money.
But human nature was just like that; even if one ordered an expensive meal over the phone, they would still agonize for a long time over a few bucks for the delivery fee.
Before he could make up his mind, the driver beat him to it, sticking his head out the window and enthusiastically waving his arm at the two of them.
"Have a pleasant trip!"
As soon as his voice fell, a sharp screech of tires grinding against the pavement rang out, and the taxi sped off into the distance.
William: "..."
A moment later, he could only give up helplessly.
Kerson aside didn't care about any of this, seemingly observing the surrounding environment.
William also took out a document.
This was the latest intelligence provided to them by the local church after their handover.
The document indicated that recently, the location where the case occurred was enveloped by a dense evil aura.
But this energy seemed somewhat abnormal. Whenever Holy Clergy Members attempted to investigate it, the aura would instantly vanish.
Even if investigators delved deep into the interior of the residence, it was difficult to find any anomalies.
Yet, shortly after they left, these powers would reappear.
Under these circumstances, the local church dared not act rashly, which also caused the investigation into the previously missing exorcists to stall.
"It seems to be guided by some kind of consciousness... is it hiding?" William rubbed his chin, pondering.
"William, it should be that street." Kerson pointed in a direction.
The former followed his gaze and indeed found a house plate reading "Higashi-cho."
However, this was a fork in the road; both sides belonged to the same block.
"Let's split up and meet up once we find the residence," Kerson suggested.
"NO! NO!" William shook his head decisively, then lectured him on the dangers of splitting up.
Kerson looked thoughtful: "Hmm... that sounds very reasonable."
Thus, the two decided to explore the right alleyway first.
Before setting off, William also placed a crucifix at the edge of both forks to prevent any other accidents.
Not long after they left, voices echoed from the other alleyway.
"Miss Miura, the script this time will definitely guarantee massive ratings! Everyone's enthusiasm for paranormal exploration is incredibly high right now!"
"Kawata-kun, you're exaggerating. If this show goes viral, it'll be because of Miss Harase. The ghost she plays is deeply loved by everyone."
"Of course. In the entire ghost show industry, no one can act better than Miss Harase, wouldn't you agree?"
The one addressed as Harase was a woman with a beautiful face.
"Ah... this is the result of everyone's hard work." She squeezed out a smile, but a hint of worry lingered between her brows.
Not long ago, American news had publicly disclosed the existence of evil in the world, instantly causing a massive sensation.
Kyoko Harase was originally a horror movie actress, so she quickly received an offer for a "paranormal exploration" documentary program.
15 Higashi-cho, Nerima Ward. This was the residence where the gruesome murder took place years ago.
But throughout the entire afternoon's shoot, she felt a strong sense of unease, as if some gloomy emotion was shrouding her heart.
And that house gave her a mysterious and dangerous feeling.
Even though they had already left the place, the feeling still hadn't disappeared.
At this moment, Kyoko Harase suddenly stopped in her tracks.
She turned her head and walked to the base of a utility pole near the fork in the road.
A clump of weeds grew here, looking like nothing special.
But Kyoko Harase crouched down and reached into the grass.
The next moment, she pulled out a silver crucifix.
"Miss Harase, what's wrong?" her companion asked curiously.
"N-nothing." Kyoko Harase tucked the crucifix away and caught up with the others with a smile.
Just now, she had suddenly felt an inexplicable urge to look under that utility pole, never expecting to actually find this thing.
Her eyes were filled with confusion, not understanding why a crucifix would be thrown here.
But what Kyoko Harase didn't know was—
The moment she picked up the crucifix, an invisible power instantly rippled outward in all directions. And the pitch-black strands of hair that had been trailing behind them immediately recoiled upon touching this power.
Over ten minutes later.
William and Kerson returned to the fork in the road.
"Looking at it this way, residence No. 15 should be on this side." The former pondered.
At this time, William suddenly raised an eyebrow; he detected traces of Holy Power fluctuations.
At the same time, one of the crucifixes he had set up earlier had also disappeared.
"Could an evil entity have bumped into it itself?"
William immediately investigated the surroundings but found no anomalies.
But the location of the commission was right before his eyes; he refused to believe this was a coincidence.
"Perhaps they are testing our strength... regardless, we must be more careful from now on."
A moment later, he planted the crucifix again and added an extra one as a backup.
If it weren't for the evil entities in this place being exceptionally sensitive to supernatural power, William would have definitely set up a dozen isolation magic arrays right off the bat.
Only that way could he feel a little peace of mind.
Afterward, the two walked down the other alleyway.
Despite being in Tokyo, the residential area here still retained a detached-house style.
Exposed utility poles were crammed into the narrow streets, giving William the feeling of having walked into a manga.
Before long, the two stopped in front of a house. The number plate at the door read "Higashi-cho 15".
But someone had arrived here before them.
"Wait, Simon! I need to reapply my lipstick. The lighting is too dim right now; I don't want to look like a corpse on camera."
William looked toward the voice and saw a young woman dressed in revealing clothing.
Ultra-short denim hot pants, paired with a pure white sports tank top, laid her sexy figure bare.
Beside her was a man carrying a video camera on his shoulder.
He wore a black long-sleeve shirt and green cargo pants, his build quite muscular. His right arm, in particular, firmly stabilized the heavy equipment on his shoulder.
Coupled with a receding hairline, it was enough to highlight his professionalism.
Hearing the woman's request, Simon didn't reply, merely giving a thumbs-up in the air.
"Ms. Mia, please don't yell. It interferes with my perception of the spirits!" another voice shouted from nearby.
This man wore a black suit, his hair slick and neat, seemingly styled with expensive pomade.
He wore numerous accessories—a crucifix, a necklace strung with bones, a bracelet woven from flowers and grass... making it difficult to discern his origins.
Before being interrupted by the woman named Mia, he was shaking his head with his eyes closed, seemingly performing some kind of ritual.
"Sorry, Mr. Nakamura, I just wanted the upcoming footage to look better." Mia leaned in as she spoke, her face full of pleading.
Tsuna Nakamura was initially feeling somewhat annoyed, but upon glancing down and catching sight of that deep, pitch-black cleavage, his anger dissipated by more than half.
After taking a deep whiff of the fragrance wafting from her, he put on a "look of impatience" and said, "Don't let it happen again."
Hearing this, Mia immediately broke into a smile: "I'll follow your every command."
These words made Tsuna Nakamura feel a wave of jelly-like weakness wash over him, and some sultry images involuntarily surfaced in his mind.
But the next moment, Mia's voice interrupted him once again.
"Huh... who are you?" The former stared in a certain direction.
The cameraman, Simon, immediately turned his camera toward them.
Tsuna Nakamura also turned his head, only to see two men in black robes walking down the intersection.
"Are these... priests?"
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