The setting sun stretched their shadows long as Kanjuro carried Imari Kurumi's schoolbag, walking side-by-side with her toward her home. The atmosphere was a bit subtle; after the small awkwardness at the dessert shop, although Imari still spoke with Kanjuro, her eyes were somewhat evasive, and she deliberately kept a bit of distance.
Just as they were about to reach the intersection leading to Imari's residential area, a familiar figure appeared ahead—it was Minase Taki, carrying his schoolbag with a gloomy expression. He clearly saw them too; his footsteps halted abruptly, his eyes fixed deathly on Kanjuro and Imari walking together. Especially when he saw Kanjuro holding Imari's schoolbag, his face instantly became extremely unsightly, his teeth gritting audibly.
(How can she be with Kanjuro?! And letting him walk her home?!) A surge of betrayed anger and an indescribable bitterness rushed into Minase Taki's heart. He had just been frustrated because his magic failed, and seeing this scene now, he felt all his negative emotions had found an outlet.
Imari Kurumi also saw Mizunurai, and her heart skipped a beat. She hadn't expected to meet him here, under these circumstances. A mixture of guilt, awkwardness, and helplessness welled up. (Taki saw us... he'll definitely misunderstand...)
"Mizunurai..." Imari spoke up somewhat flusteredly.
Minase Taki took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the anger on his face. He even forced a somewhat twisted, sinister smile, making him look like a completely different person from his usual cowardly self. "Imari, are you okay?" His gaze pointedly swept over Kanjuro.
Imari was taken aback by his abnormal smile and tone, but seeing that he didn't immediately lose his temper, she felt a slight sigh of relief. She quickly explained, "I'm fine! Mr. Kanjuro just... happened to be going the same way and walked me back." Subconsciously, she hoped Mizunurai would understand this was just a normal interaction between classmates.
(The same way? What a coincidence?) Minase Taki sneered inwardly, but on the surface, he nodded and said flatly, "As long as you're fine."
At this moment, Kanjuro took a step forward, a flawless gentle smile on his face. His tone was composed and natural, as if he were just having the most ordinary classmate small talk. "Classmate Mizunurai, don't worry. Imari and I just happened to be going the same way home and were chatting about some school matters. You shouldn't think too much of it." These words sounded thoughtful and generous, but in Minase Taki's ears, they were full of a winner's boasting and hypocrisy.
Minase Taki's eyes turned completely cold. He stopped looking at Imari and looked directly at Kanjuro, his tone blunt and carrying an undisguised order to leave: "It's fine, Kanjuro-kun. Since she's been delivered, can you leave first?" He deliberately emphasized the words "leave first," then turned to Imari and said in a tone that brooked no argument, "I'm going home with Imari." 347.
This forceful attitude made Imari Kurumi freeze again. In her impression, Mizunurai had always been somewhat weak and easy-going, but at this moment, he seemed so strange and aggressive. She looked at Mizunurai's cold gaze, then at Kanjuro beside her, who still wore a smile but whose deep eyes hid his emotions. Caught between the two, she felt an unprecedented pressure and dilemma.
Kanjuro didn't show any displeasure at Minase Taki's nearly rude dismissal. Instead, he readily handed the schoolbag back to Imari, his smile still gentle. "Of course. Since Classmate Mizunurai is here, I won't intrude. See you tomorrow, Imari."
He acted with such magnanimity and grace, forming a sharp contrast with Mizunurai's pushiness.
After saying this, he gave Imari a slight nod and a meaningful glance at Minase Taki. That gaze was calm and ripple-less, yet it made Minase Taki feel an inexplicable chill, as if he had been contemptuously swept over by some dangerous predator. Then, Kanjuro turned and walked away with composed steps, disappearing into the afterglow of the setting sun.
Watching Kanjuro's retreating back, Minase Taki's clenched fists finally relaxed slightly, but the sense of crisis and anger in his heart burned even brighter. He grabbed the still-dazed Imari Kurumi and said with suppressed irritability, "Let's go, home!"
Imari was pulled forward by him. She couldn't help but look back once more in the direction Kanjuro had disappeared, her heart filled with mixed emotions. Mr. Kanjuro's gentleness and thoughtfulness, Mizunurai's abnormal forcefulness and anger... all of this made her feel confused and uneasy.
She faintly felt that some things seemed to be quietly changing, sliding in a direction she couldn't control.
As for the departing Kanjuro, he stopped at the corner and looked back at the childhood friends pulling at each other as they walked. A cold arc formed at the corner of his mouth.
(Be angry, be jealous, Minase Taki... The more unstable your emotions are, the easier it is for darkness to erode that borrowed 'light' of yours. And you, Imari... struggle in contradiction and confusion. Only then will your soul be even more 'delicious'.)
He was in no hurry. The game of hunter and prey required patience.
Minase Taki's foolish actions were instead helping him break down Imari's mental defenses faster. This good show was getting more and more interesting. Kanjuro followed behind Imari Kurumi and Minase Taki like an elegant ghost, silent and invisible. The setting sun stretched and twisted their shadows, projecting them onto the quiet streets of the residential area. He watched Mizunurai forcibly pull Imari's wrist and saw the mix of confusion, worry, and a hint of resistance on Imari's face, a cold interest always lingering at the corners of his mouth.
(The bond of childhood friends... truly fragile and bothersome.) He thought of Reika Kitami, the woman who once had a deep bond with him as well, but who ultimately bore an eternal curse because of his betrayal and sacrifice. Certain core Taboo Rituals of the dark bible required the sacrifice to belong completely to the caster in both body and mind, to be sacrificed while carrying "love," so that the radiance of their soul would burst forth with the most extreme dark power at the moment of fall. Kitami's hatred originated from this—she had once truly loved him, only to be used and pushed into the abyss by him.
Now, he needed Imari Kurumi to "fall in love" with him. This required patience, and... some catalysts.
Minase Taki's anger and stupidity were the perfect catalysts.
Kanjuro watched the two deviate from the main road home and turn into a small grove used for greenery next to the City Park. His eyes flickered, like a leopard scenting its prey. He approached silently, hiding behind a thick tree trunk, perfectly blending into the deepening twilight.
The light in the grove was dim, and it was so quiet that only the rustling of the wind through the leaves and the two's slightly rapid breathing could be heard.
"Mizunurai, what are you doing? Let's go home quickly." Imari Kurumi looked at her childhood friend, whose expression seemed a bit off, and felt a bit creeped out as she tried to pull her hand free.
Minase Taki stopped in his tracks and spun around abruptly. His face no longer held its usual cowardice, but a twisted mix of fanaticism, rage, and a certain desperate ferocity. He didn't answer. Instead, he quickly pulled the holy bible of light from his schoolbag, flipped to a certain page, and rapidly chanted a tongue-twisting incantation—a spell with a powerful Charm and lust-inducing effect!
As he pushed his magic power to its limit with unrefined effort, a pale pink light laced with black threads surged from the pages. Like a living mist, it instantly enveloped Imari Kurumi!
"Ugh!" Imari felt a strange heat surge through her entire body. Her blood seemed to boil, her cheeks instantly flushed a deep crimson, and her body went weak. A strange, feverish longing sprouted from the depths of her heart, making her breath ragged and her eyes glazed. "So hot... Mizunurai... you... what did you do to me?" Her voice trembled with a hint of seductive Charm she hadn't even noticed herself.
"Hahaha! It worked! As expected! The power of the holy bible of light is real!" Minase Taki laughed excitedly as he watched Imari's sudden arousal, his vanity and possessiveness immensely satisfied. He tossed the Bible aside and approached Imari step by step.
"Imari, I want you! I want you to become my woman!" He panted, his eyes filled with naked desire.
Although Imari's body was unbearably hot and her consciousness somewhat blurred, the adherence to pure love deep in her heart, combined with Mizunurai's strange and terrifying appearance, filled her with immense fear and resistance. She stumbled back, leaning against a tree, hands protecting her chest, shaking her head as her voice carried a sob: "No... don't... Mizunurai, this is too fast... we can't do this... I..."
Her refusal was like cold water over his head, instantly enraging Minase Taki, whose psyche was already unbalanced by jealousy and his inflated sense of power.
(She's refusing me? Who is she thinking of? Is it Kanjuro?!)
The moment that thought arose, a cold light flashed in the eyes of Kanjuro, who was lurking in the shadows. He didn't appear directly but quietly activated a deeper, more sinister power from the dark bible—the Mind Control of the Gospel of John! An invisible, intangible mental ripple, infinitely more subtle and profound than Mizunurai's half-baked light magic, pierced into the depths of Minase Taki's defenseless consciousness like the finest poison needle!
Minase Taki's whole body stiffened. His eyes went hollow for a split second, only to be replaced by an even more frenzied and violent emotion. It was no longer just simple anger and desire, but an extreme darkness mixed with paranoia and destructive tendencies!
"How can you refuse me?!" Mizunurai roared, his voice hoarse and distorted. "You've taken a liking to Kanjuro, haven't you? You think he's rich and handsome, so you look down on me?!" His logic became extreme and chaotic.
Under Imari's terrified gaze, Minase Taki actually pulled a bright folding knife from his pocket! With a "click," the blade snapped out, reflecting the last rays of the setting sun in the dim woods, cold and biting.
"Since that's the case..." An extremely hideous smile appeared on Minase Taki's face, one that didn't look like him at all, his eyes crazed and hollow. "Then I'll just kill you! I won't be short of women in the future anyway! As long as I have the holy bible of light, what kind of woman can't I get?! Hahahaha!"
Holding the sharp blade, he approached Imari Kurumi step by step. She was stiff with extreme fear, unable even to scream.
Looking at the glinting tip of the knife and the demonic, completely unfamiliar expression on Mizunurai's face, the heat in Imari's body was instantly replaced by icy terror. Her mind went blank, her only thought being—Mizunurai is going to kill her! She had never felt death so close!
(Help... someone... save me...)
At this critical moment, a calm and familiar voice rang out at the edge of the woods like sunlight piercing through the gloom:
"Minase-kun, pulling a knife on a lady isn't exactly gentlemanly behavior."
Kanjuro stepped calmly from behind a tree, like a protagonist appearing at the perfectly calculated moment. He still wore that faint smile as if everything was under his control, but his eyes were sharp as knives, stabbing straight at the armed Minase Taki.
Seeing Kanjuro's figure, Imari Kurumi felt as if she had seen a savior. She nearly collapsed as tears instantly burst from her eyes.
As for Minase Taki, the moment Kanjuro appeared, his movements froze. A flicker of struggle passed through his crazed eyes, but it was quickly overtaken by the rage of being provoked.
Kanjuro's appearance wasn't just to "save" Imari, but to imprint himself deeply into her heart as a guardian at her moment of greatest despair and fear. The "hero saves the beauty" trope, though cliché, is often the most effective—especially when the "villain" was catalyzed by his own hand. Kanjuro's appearance was like a piece of driftwood thrown to Imari Kurumi in the abyss of despair where she was about to drown. However, this completely ignited the frenzied flames of jealousy and darkness eroding Minase Taki's heart.
"Kanjuro! You again! You lingering bastard!" Mizunurai's eyes were bloodshot, the blade in his hand trembling with agitation. But he didn't immediately rush at Kanjuro; instead, he poured all his malice onto the shivering Imari.
"Imari! You slut! Bitch! Trash!" He used the most vicious words he could think of, his voice distorted by extreme rage. "Is it true that as long as any man is a little nice to you, you can't wait to throw yourself at him? Stop acting so pure! You're just a man-seducing whore at your core!"
These foul words were like cold knives, ruthlessly carving into Imari's heart. The heat in her body and the icy sting in her soul intertwined, bringing her to the brink of collapse. She looked in disbelief at the once-gentle boy she had grown up with, tears streaming down, mixed with humiliation and heartbreak. "No... Mizunurai... I'm not... I'm not that kind of person..." Her defense was weak and powerless, completely drowned out by his roar.
At that moment, Kanjuro moved. Ignoring Mizunurai's verbal abuse and the blade, he walked straight to Imari's side and, with an unquestionable yet incredibly gentle force, pulled her trembling, weak body into his arms.
"Don't be afraid, it's okay now."
The moment she was pulled into his arms, the heat from the Charm spell seemed to find an outlet, becoming even more intense. She felt dizzy, her cheek pressed against Kanjuro's cool shirt, her nose filled with his crisp, pleasant scent. A strange sense of longing and dependence welled up within her.
"Mr. Kanjuro... I... I feel so hot, so uncomfortable... My head is spinning... What's happening?" She looked up, her eyes glazed, her voice carrying a helpless sob and a hint of seductive Charm she hadn't noticed.
Kanjuro looked down at her flushed cheeks and misty eyes, sneering inwardly while his face showed only concern and gravity. He gently patted her back, his gaze sweeping toward the manic Minase Taki, and said in a voice just loud enough for Imari to hear: "Imari, calm down. Minase Taki... he seems to know some strange, Black Magic-like methods. Your current state is likely his doing."
"Black... Black Magic?" Imari was stunned; this was completely beyond her comprehension.
At this moment, having his secret exposed by Kanjuro (albeit misleadingly) and seeing Imari nestling so submissively in Kanjuro's arms, Minase Taki's last shred of reason snapped!
"Nonsense! This is god-given power! It's the power of the holy bible of light!" he roared, raising the milky-white book again and flipping to a page. His eyes were fixed on Kanjuro as he rapidly chanted a powerful incantation he had just mastered, intended to control the minds of others! He wanted to turn Kanjuro into a slave who would kneel and beg for mercy!
However, when that pale golden light laced with black threads shot toward Kanjuro, not even his expression flickered. How could his dark essence, derived from Nyarlathotep, and the vast power of the dark bible be shaken by such polluted, half-baked "light"? The authority of the Gospel of John operated quietly, not only immunizing him against this clumsy control but also channeling an even more powerful and profound dark will back through the mental link!
"Argh—!" Minase Taki cried out in pain as if struck by lightning, clutching his head. He felt as if his brain was being torn apart, his vision turned blood-red, and his remaining reason was completely swallowed, leaving only the most primal and frenzied killing intent!
"Kill you! I'm going to kill you! Kanjuro!" He completely abandoned magic, roaring like a beast, hands gripping the folding knife as he charged recklessly at the two embracing figures! The blade carved a shrill cold light in the twilight!
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