"Boss, the box office progress of RULE#1 has slowed down quite a bit," Zoroark said as it drove, glancing at Edward through the rearview mirror. "Many people say that after watching RULE#1, they felt a kind of… oppression, a sense of heaviness."
Edward nodded thoughtfully. That kind of feedback was somewhat unexpected, but not entirely outside his expectations either. After all, he hadn't anticipated that once RULE#1 passed the 400 million, its box office growth would begin to stall.
Still, that wasn't unusual. Most films tend to surge early on and then slow down in the later stages once word of mouth and reviews settle in.
Moreover, RULE#1 was labeled as a horror film. And while horror movies did have a dedicated fanbase in this era, the truth was that most people still avoided them. For a horror movie to achieve truly stellar box office results was extremely difficult. That was also one of the key reasons Edward had started laying the groundwork for more commercial films.
If you wanted to make real money, box office revenue was essential. For any film IP, its box office directly reflected its influence — its brand power. If that wasn't strong enough, the IP's value in the market would never be high.
"But still, what's this about the film being oppressive?" Edward frowned slightly. "I've heard people say it's scary, creepy, or unsettling — but oppressive?" That was rare.
After all, RULE#1 was a horror film. To amplify its horror atmosphere, Edward had specifically inserted extra frightening sequences and intensified the tone to magnify that dreadful immersion.
Of course, increasing horror elements sometimes dulls the emotional punch of other aspects, but that was expected.
"Boss," Zoroark continued, sounding a little helpless, "a lot of people say that after watching it, they've started feeling uneasy interacting with others. Some even get nervous, afraid they might accidentally run into a ghost. A few have gone so far as to suspect that their family or friends might have been possessed or replaced."
"..."
Edward's mouth twitched slightly.
Seriously? These people had that strong of an imagination? He knew his mastery of cinematography could enhance immersion, but the system automatically erased lingering influence after viewing. Viewers shouldn't be feeling this way long-term.
Feeling puzzled, Edward pulled out his phone and searched the current hot topics — and sure enough, one keyword immediately caught his eye:
[RULE#1—A Film That Made Me Paranoid]
Intrigued, he tapped in.
The post's author claimed that after watching RULE#1, they began doubting everyone around them, fearing their loved ones might be… not themselves. The person also admitted to having prior mental health issues, which had been improving — until the film supposedly worsened their symptoms. They especially expressed frustration at how, in the film, Siu-man actually managed to defeat the police in the end.
Edward rubbed his temples in exasperation.
He had expected some criticism when he'd decided to make this movie, but when the actual complaints started surfacing, he found himself unsure what to say. These people's reactions were… beyond anything he could've imagined.
In his previous life, RULE#1 had gained some attention too, but never to this degree of controversy.
Maybe this really was his own doing. After all, this version had far greater immersion than the original. Even though Director Roda had only used the specialized cinematography equipment Edward provided, that alone was enough to heighten the viewer's sense of realism considerably.
"Right, I still haven't used my The Grudge 2 lottery draws yet," Edward suddenly remembered.
After completing The Grudge 2, he'd earned four lottery chances. As the number of draws increased, the required Fear Value also rose sharply — but so did the odds of obtaining high-grade rewards. It was a balanced risk-reward system.
[You have obtained: Immersive Audio (Master)]
[Immersive Audio (Master):Your films' sound design becomes far more captivating and realistic.]
Edward raised his eyebrows. "A master-level skill again?"
Not bad. Finally, some luck. He'd been drawing mediocre stuff lately. Now he wondered — was there a rank higher than "Master"? In theory, it should be "Grandmaster," but whether his system even included that tier, he wasn't sure.
Still feeling lucky, he decided to use the remaining three draws in one go.
[You have obtained: Movie World Travel Voucher ×1]
[You have obtained: Special Skill – Shadow Companion!]
[You have obtained: A Strange Stone Sculpture]
Edward blinked at the floating notifications. "Huh? What kind of weird loot is this? And a stone sculpture again?"
The name immediately triggered a sense of déjà vu.
He checked the new items one by one.
First up, the Movie World Travel Voucher — an old friend. The effect was the same as before: he could travel to any film world for seven days. He hadn't decided how to use it this time.
The last trip — to Kayako's world — had been… memorable. But since these travel tickets were rare, he wanted to be strategic. Next time, he'd pick a world that was both interesting and worth exploring.
Then came the new skill:
[Shadow Companion: You may summon a vengeful spirit connected to you to dwell within your shadow and accompany you.]
"...The hell kind of ridiculous skill is this?" Edward muttered, lips twitching again.
A vengeful spirit connected to him? That could only mean one of two people — Kayako or Tomie.
He'd personally dealt with both, so those were the most likely candidates. But what did "accompanying" him even mean? What use was that? The system didn't explain. He could only speculate that maybe the spirit's presence acted as a form of protection — like a supernatural bodyguard.
If someone tried to attack him, perhaps the vengeful spirit would intervene. That would at least make sense.
Finally, he looked at the stone sculpture.
[Strange Stone Sculpture: For some reason, this sculpture resembles Kyogre.]
Sure enough, a small, blue gemstone shimmered at the center of the sculpture — unmistakably Kyogre.
Edward's expression darkened.
He'd already received a Groudon stone once before. And that Groudon had become real after he accidentally triggered it. Now this Kyogre one showed up? What was next — Rayquaza? Was he collecting the "Hoenn Legendary Trio" now?
He sighed. "This stone is definitely connected to Kyogre… but this time, I'm not using a Poké Ball on it."
Owning Groudon was already controversial enough. The League was still keeping an eye on him for that. Not to mention Rayquaza — which still soared freely above him, having formed a bond with him through mega evolution.
If he added Kyogre on top of that…
Edward grimaced at the thought.
When both Maxie and Archie came knocking, crowning him "King of Hoenn," would he accept or refuse?
Thankfully, there was no ancient prophecy like "The Stone rises, and Edward Stone becomes king." Otherwise, people would be calling him the founder of a new "Hoenn Empire."
Just as he was pondering that absurd idea, another message popped up before his eyes:
[Kayako has sent a Follow Request. Allow Kayako to become your Shadow Companion?]
Edward froze.
So, this was how the new skill worked — apparently, even the vengeful spirits could initiate the link themselves.
Curious, he decided to accept. He also wanted to see whether Zoroark could perceive Kayako in her ghostly form.
The moment he consented, two familiar figures appeared beside him — Kayako and her son Toshio.
Kayako was dressed casually this time, no longer in her ghostly appearance. Her eyes were clear, calm, even gentle — very different from her usual, twisted expression of hatred. Toshio, too, looked like an ordinary cheerful boy.
Edward glanced at the rearview mirror. Zoroark's expression hadn't changed — it clearly couldn't see them. Not even a Dark-type Pokémon with illusionary perception could sense their presence.
"So, it's like that," Edward thought. "They're invisible to others, even to Ghost-types."
Turning slightly, he smiled politely. "Long time no see, Miss Kayako."
The words made Zoroark visibly stiffen. It shot a startled look back, but saw nothing. A chill ran down its fur as it gripped the steering wheel tighter.
Who is the boss talking to?!
Kayako smiled softly. "It's been a while, Mr. Edward. I didn't expect I'd ever appear here again."
Her tone was calm, her gaze lucid. Not like before — when even her human form carried that eerie malice.
That's when Edward realized something important: Kayako still had fragments of her own consciousness.
The house of The Grudge had become steeped in overwhelming hatred — not only hers, but also that of every unfortunate soul she'd ever killed. All those resentments merged into one dreadful collective.
To Kayako, those whispers were constant — the murmurs of the damned, echoing endlessly in her mind. No wonder she had become such a mindless, bloodthirsty entity in her world.
Strictly speaking, that Kayako wasn't even a ghost anymore — she was a conglomeration of malice itself.
"Mom, it feels so warm here," Toshio said happily, hugging her arm.
Edward smiled faintly. It seemed Toshio, too, had regained some of his humanity.
At that moment, he felt he finally understood the true mechanism behind The Grudge.
That curse — The Grudge — had undoubtedly originated from Kayako.
But according to the lore explored in the American adaptation, The Grudge's true origin stretched further back — all the way to Kayako's childhood.
When she was little, her mother was a famous shaman in their district, specializing in exorcisms. But her method was horrifying: she would force evil spirits out of the possessed, then feed them into young Kayako, turning her daughter into a living vessel for curses.
That upbringing warped her psyche — filling her with shadows, resentment, and madness.
So, in truth, it was her mother who planted the seed that would one day become The Grudge.
If Kayako had later met a kind man, her story might've ended peacefully. The powers within her might never have awakened.
But fate was cruel. She met Takeo Saeki — a violent, unstable man — and a selfish doctor. Their betrayal and abuse led to her horrific death. Her soul, bound with immeasurable hatred, fused with the lingering energies of the house.
From then on, the mansion became a nest of curses — her spirit trapped within, killing any who entered.
Every death added new hatred to the cycle, deepening the curse and eroding her remaining consciousness. Eventually, she became less of a person and more of an unstoppable manifestation of vengeance.
Yet Kayako herself had resisted that fate.
In The Grudge 2, she had momentarily broken free from the curse's control and even spared The Onryo Queen who had entered the house — fulfilling her ultimate wish: reincarnation.
In that sequel, though many characters perished or vanished, the Queen survived long enough to give birth to a new Kayako — a reborn version carrying traces of her old powers.
That child grew up, and once again tragedy struck.
Still unable to feel genuine love or warmth, Kayako pushed her mother down the stairs, killing her — severing the last tie that bound her. Free at last, she wandered the streets of Tokyo, no longer bound to the cursed house.
The mansion, however, remained.
Without Kayako's consciousness anchoring it, it became a purely autonomous curse, killing all who entered and absorbing their resentment to grow stronger.
"If that's the case…" Edward murmured, glancing at her beside him. "Then The Grudge could end perfectly with parts 3, 4, and 5."
"Part 3 would tell Kayako's origin story, part 4 would maintain the horror tradition, and part 5 would conclude with her reincarnation."
It was a complete, satisfying arc — one that tied everything together.
He smiled faintly to himself. That would be a fitting end for the series.
After that, he had no plans to continue the franchise.
After all, the later Grudge sequels in his previous life had only gone downhill, each installment worse than the last.
Sometimes, knowing when to stop — and ending a story properly — was the most artistic choice a creator could make.
(End of Chapter)