Chapter 571: An Old Acquaintance
“Is this the place?”
Inside the emergency stairwell of the department store,
Kazumi, carrying a bag of scattered snacks,
Frowned as she walked through the rooftop passage, which seemed untouched by time, like dust,
As if no one had been there for a long time.
Fujiwara had only given her a slip of paper with a simple address.
However, Kazumi understood that Fujiwara Ryo’s reappearance at this time meant that the preliminary preparations for the mission he had mentioned were complete,
And now was the time for the mission to begin.
Following the address given by the other party, the young girl walked to a bustling and well-established old department store nearby.
Kazumi bought some snacks as a cover,
Using her practiced skills, she slipped through the Ghost Gate to the adjacent emergency passage, which had no surveillance.
Then, she headed towards the rooftop, her target.
Kazumi stepped onto the threshold of the rooftop and pushed open the heavy iron door.
The scene before her caused her to pause for a moment.
The afterglow of the sky had not yet completely faded.
The orange-red sky shone on the glass windows,
Stretching her shadow.
The air was fresh, with a hint of damp coolness,
Gradually blending into the transition of the night sky.
The wind gently brushed her black hair,
Creating a flurry of soft sounds.
Fujiwara Ryo stood in the center of the rooftop,
Still with that stern demeanor.
His long robe fluttered slightly in the wind.
His eyes were sharp,
As if waiting for someone.
As if sensing the sound of Kazumi opening the door,
Fujiwara Ryo turned around,
Revealing a faint smile.
“You’re here.”
“Yes,
I wasted a bit of time avoiding surveillance on the way.
I don’t have convenient abilities like you do.”
Kazumi shrugged,
Responding rather casually.
After all, he was a subordinate specially assigned by Uncle Fukada to assist her with the mission.
To some extent, he was one of ours.
Kazumi naturally did not treat him with the same indifference as she would other people.
“Yo, long time no see, Little Shimizu~”
A lazy yet playful voice came from above the young girl.
This completely unperceived existence caused the Ghost Gate behind Kazumi to appear instantly.
The white-clothed young girl teleported to an open space not far away,
Her [Black Coffin] also appearing with her.
Only then did she look up in the direction of the voice.
“Hey, hey, hey,
Don’t be so on guard. It’ll make me feel really hurt.”
He lightly jumped down from the building,
His carefree voice accompanying his descent.
The man’s figure was tall and slender, his skin pale as porcelain.
His tall, lean build,
His dark green hair fluttered in the wind.
His heterochromatic pupils, like those of a poisonous snake, were particularly striking,
Exuding a cold aura.
“Sorry, Lord Snakekura,
Because I didn’t sense your presence, I was startled.”
Kazumi lowered her head and quickly apologized.
What Kazumi didn’t expect was that the leader of the rescue mission for the Great General [White Bone] this time
Was actually an old acquaintance of hers,
A former traitor of the organization,
Executive [Poisonous Snake],
Snakekura Masaru.
“We’re all old acquaintances, so there’s no need to be so formal.
I still owe you a favor from last time,
So I specifically came to help you.”
Snakekura Masaru’s gaze darted around Kazumi,
Seeming slightly displeased by her attitude,
But he didn’t get angry. Instead, he walked over to a nearby stone block and squatted down,
Looking at the black-haired young girl before him with a playful expression.
“Help?!”
The content of Snakekura Masaru’s words made Kazumi’s eyes sharpen.
She couldn’t help but look up at this person, with whom she had collaborated a few times and who had also tricked her a few times.
She had classified him as an unreliable collaborator in her mind.
Yet, the young man before her gave Kazumi a feeling of familiarity and strangeness.
Although he was still as tall and slender as in her memories, with flowing hair,
And those eye-catching heterochromatic pupils,
Snakekura Masaru now gave Kazumi a completely different feeling.
Gone was the hidden, violent core beneath his calm exterior that flickered in and out during their previous missions.
Nor was there the slightly erratic liveliness she had seen when he was eating last time.
Snakekura Masaru now seemed like an ordinary person without any aura to Kazumi,
Just like the reason she had been startled earlier.
If she hadn’t seen him with her own eyes,
The young girl wouldn’t have even been able to sense his presence.
This incredibly smooth and peaceful aura made him seem as if he had merged completely with his surroundings,
So harmonious that no one could possibly detect him.
“Did you settle the previous matter?”
Recalling their previous missions when they worked together after the blood sacrifice,
Kazumi seemed to have guessed the reason for Snakekura Masaru’s change.
After all, his purpose back then had been too obvious,
So she had no reason to hide anymore.
Kazumi could easily analyze from minor details that Snakekura Masaru’s problem at the time was likely due to an imbalance of a certain energy in his body.
The purpose of the blood sacrifice was to open the gate of that seal,
To gather more of the energy he needed.
Clearly, the current Snakekura Masaru had succeeded.
Without his previous constraints, his power had undoubtedly advanced further.
Coupled with his ability to even detach his soul,
The cursed seal he controlled,
And his somewhat repulsive fighting style,
If possible, Kazumi would rather not face such an opponent.
However, Kazumi was now more concerned about what Snakekura Masaru had just said.
“Mhm, you can also think of it as your favor.
It’s about the matter you’re about to undertake.
I can lend you a hand.”
Snakekura Masaru had a playful smile on his face,
His eyes sparkling with an inscrutable light. His words were light,
Yet they carried a profound meaning that could not be ignored.
She subconsciously turned to look at Fujiwara Ryo in the distance,
Only to receive a shake of his head in reply.
Kazumi hadn’t expected her business to be exposed so quickly.
If Fujiwara Ryo hadn’t told Snakekura Masaru,
Then there was only one other possibility:
Snakekura Masaru was also being wooed by Lord Hyōshō of [Extreme Cold].
“Did Lord Hyōshō request your assistance?”
Snakekura Masaru’s gaze returned,
Frankly admitting it.
After all, if the people present had the same goal,
Then in the subsequent actions, Kazumi would be able to try more things.
“Oh, Little Shimizu, the thing you dislike doing the most.
Are you this excited?
Can’t you show me a happy expression?”
Kazumi’s calm deduction and answer caused Snakekura Masaru’s originally expectant gaze to instantly sag.
He lazily jumped down from the stone block,
His hands in his pockets, he slowly walked up to Kazumi,
And began to pry at her face with his hands.
“Yes, that old man gave me an offer I couldn’t refuse.
It also allows me to repay your favor, Little Shimizu,
And I can personally kill a former [Great General].
For me,
From any aspect, it’s quite tempting.
And…”
Suddenly, Snakekura Masaru’s gaze turned sharp.
His heterochromatic pupils narrowed slightly,
His gaze was as sharp as a poisonous snake’s,
As if he had transformed into a giant python that had locked onto its prey.
Kazumi felt a sudden change in his aura.
That peaceful, rounded feeling vanished instantly,
Replaced by a heart-stopping sense of urgency and deep greed, several times more violent than before.
“I’m quite interested in the power to directly connect with the [Underworld].”
