Reika Kitami leaned weakly against the medicine cabinet, looking at the empty doorway, her chest heaving violently. The words to stop him were stuck in her throat, finally turning into a sigh full of helplessness and deep worry. She knew Kanjuro's methods and was even more aware of the Dark Authority he now possessed, far beyond ordinary imagination. Minase Taki was like a firefly before the bright moon in front of him.
"Light... is it destined to be swallowed by darkness in the end..." She closed her eyes, feeling the sense of decay within her body that was becoming increasingly difficult to suppress, as well as the complex, hard-to-describe attachment and fear toward Kanjuro that had been entangled for eighteen years.
Meanwhile, Minase Taki, who had just escaped the fear in class and was hiding in a corner of the campus, reading the holy bible of light with infatuation, trying to master more power, was completely unaware that such a terrifying existence had already locked a cold gaze onto him. The shadow of fate was quietly looming over him.
In the empty classroom, Minase Taki closed the holy bible of light irritably. Kanjuro's cold glance in class just now was like a maggot on a bone, making him restless. The temptation of power was still strong, but the seeds of fear had also been planted.
"Mizunurai, what are you doing??" A crisp voice rang out at the door.
Minase Taki was startled and suddenly stuffed the bible deep into his desk. He looked up and saw his childhood friend Imari Kurumi peeking her head in, with her usual, slightly shy, radiant smile. She was like a ray of sunlight suddenly shining into his gloomy and restless mood, but it felt a bit glaring and annoying to him.
"Is something the matter?" His tone was somewhat stiff.
Imari Kurumi didn't notice his abnormality, or rather, she was used to his occasional awkwardness. She walked into the classroom, hands behind her back, tilting her head slightly: "It's nothing... I just saw that you seemed a bit unhappy. Do you want to go for a walk around the campus? I heard the roses newly cultivated by the Gardening Club are blooming beautifully."
There was expectation in her eyes, the simple desire to share beautiful things with him.
However, at this moment, Minase Taki's mind was full of the mysterious incantations from the holy bible of light and the vision of the power he was about to obtain, as well as his fear of Kanjuro. How could he have the heart to accompany his childhood friend to see some roses?
"Sorry," he looked away, not daring to look into those clear eyes, "I... I still have some things to do; I want to be alone for a while."
The smile on Imari Kurumi's face dimmed for a moment, and a hint of imperceptible disappointment flashed by, but she quickly cheered up again and nodded vigorously: "Mm! It's okay! Then... I'll leave first. Taki, don't overwork yourself."
She considerately didn't ask more, turned, and left the classroom, gently closing the door.
The soft sound of the classroom door closing seemed to separate two worlds.
Imari Kurumi sighed softly and walked along the quiet corridor. Before she had gone far, she saw a familiar figure leaning against the corridor window, seemingly admiring the view outside.
It was Kanjuro-kun.
He was facing away from her sideways, the sunlight outlining his profile which was almost unrealistically perfect. His black hair hung over his forehead, his expression indifferent, yet carrying an indescribable, mysterious quality that drew people to investigate. At school, Kanjuro was always a loner, with excellent grades and outstanding looks, the focus of many girls' private discussions, but there was always a sense of distance about him that made people afraid to approach easily.
As if sensing her gaze, Kanjuro turned his head, his eyes falling on Imari Kurumi. Those deep black eyes, calm and waveless, made Imari feel a sudden heart palpitation for no reason.
"Imari-san." Kanjuro took the initiative to speak, his voice deep and pleasant, with a faint, magnetic quality.
"Ah, Ye... Kanjuro-san." Imari Kurumi responded somewhat flusteredly, her cheeks turning slightly red. She usually had almost no interaction with Kanjuro and didn't expect him to take the initiative to greet her.
The moment Kanjuro's gaze met hers, deep in his eyes, the dual powers originating from the Eye of Truth and the Demon-Breaking Eye quietly operated. Imari Kurumi, in his "eyes," was no longer just a pure and cute high school girl.
He saw... purity.
A nearly transparent soul luster—kindness, sincerity, unsullied purity—and... a very special spiritual fluctuation hidden deep within her life source. This constitution was one in ten thousand, exactly the best "vessel" to perform that forbidden Body-Swapping Secret Rite and carry Reika Kitami's soon-to-decay soul!
(The perfect sacrifice...) This thought flashed through Kanjuro's mind instantly. The essence of the dark bible's power was extreme distortion and depravity. Only by defiling and sacrificing the brightest and purest things in its rituals could the most powerful dark energy burst forth. Reika Kitami back then was the same. She was his first love, possessing the potential for light, but the moment she was seduced and sacrificed by him, and united with him during the ritual, the power of the dark bible was completely activated, while also leading to the manifestation of the holy bible of light and her own eternal curse.
Now, history seemed about to repeat itself. Only this time, the target was replaced by this oblivious, lily-like Imari Kurumi.
A nearly imperceptible, cold, and twisted curve hooked at the corner of Kanjuro's mouth. He needed to "defile" this purity first, and after her body and mind both belonged to him, at the critical moment, use her as a sacrifice to prolong Kitami's life... This would not only "help" Kitami, but the process itself would be a grand sacrifice and reinforcement of the dark power.
"Are you alone?" Kanjuro walked toward Imari Kurumi, his steps composed, carrying an invisible sense of pressure.
"Y-yes..." Imari Kurumi unconsciously took half a step back, her heart beating wildly. Kanjuro's gaze made her feel a bit afraid, yet she couldn't look away.
"It just so happens I have nothing to do either," Kanjuro stood still in front of her, leaning in slightly, whispering in her ear in a voice only the two of them could hear, a voice that seemed to have a bewitching magic, "Why not... chat with me?"
Imari Kurumi's eyes widened, her mind going blank. She looked at Kanjuro, who was close at hand, looking into the bottomless darkness in his eyes, as if it were going to suck her soul in. The words of refusal were stuck in her throat, and she couldn't say them no matter what. A mixture of fear, shyness, and some hidden expectation began to spread quietly in her heart.
She didn't know that this seemingly accidental encounter was actually the first step of a web meticulously woven by a demon.
She knew even less that the holy bible of light her childhood friend Minase Taki was obsessed with, and her own special constitution, had already dragged her into a new, even more cruel game between two dark existences that had been entangled for eighteen years.
At this moment, hiding in the classroom and secretly rejoicing over mastering a new spell, Minase Taki remained completely oblivious to the fate that was about to befall his precious childhood friend. The tentacles of darkness were quietly coiling around her. Kanjuro and Imari Kurumi walked side by side along the shaded path of the campus. The afternoon sunlight filtered through the layers of leaves, scattering fragmented golden spots. Kanjuro's pace was composed and his posture upright; even the ordinary male school uniform he wore somehow exuded a noble aura. He would occasionally turn his head to say something to Imari, his voice low and pleasant, with a perfectly measured smile on his lips.
Walking beside him, Imari Kurumi's heartbeat had not yet calmed down. She had heard many rumors about Kanjuro—he was always surrounded by different beautiful girls, and people like Yui Yuigahama and Miura Yumiko seemed to have deep relationships with him. He was like a mist, dangerous yet charming. Her reason told her she should stay away, but when those deep eyes gazed at her and that magnetic voice spoke to her, she found it difficult to resist the attraction.
"Classmate Imari is so cute, you must be very popular at school, right?" Kanjuro asked seemingly at random, his gentle gaze falling on her slightly flushed cheeks. "Do you have someone you like?"
"Ah?" Caught off guard, Imari Kurumi's cheeks instantly turned even redder, like a ripe apple. Minase Taki's somewhat timid face subconsciously flashed through her mind. The bond of growing up together as childhood friends almost made her blurt out: "I... I do..."
The moment she said it, she regretted it. How could she just tell such a private matter to a boy she had just met (or rather, didn't even really know)?
Kanjuro did not show any unusual expression. Instead, as if he were happy for her, he chuckled softly. That smile looked exceptionally handsome under the sunlight, yet it also carried a trace of something elusive. "Is that so? That's wonderful. A kind and cute girl like Classmate Imari will surely be happy together with the person you like."
His blessing sounded incredibly sincere, causing the shyness and awkwardness in Imari Kurumi's heart to dissipate quite a bit, even giving rise to a strange sense of being touched. She waved her hands hurriedly, trying to change the subject: "Mr. Kanjuro is the amazing one! Being so good-looking, you... you will surely be very happy too!"
"Happy?" Kanjuro raised an eyebrow slightly, seemingly finding the word interesting. He looked up at the swaying shadows of the trees in the distance, his tone carrying a faint, imperceptible trace of mockery. "Perhaps. But being able to chat with Classmate Imari like this feels quite nice as well."
He refocused his gaze on Imari, his dark eyes seeming to have whirlpools swirling within them. "Thank you for accompanying me today. I hope... we can become good friends."
"Good friends?" Imari Kurumi's eyes widened in surprise, and then a delighted smile blossomed on her face. "Really? I... I can become good friends with Mr. Kanjuro? I'm really happy!" To her, Kanjuro was a presence as dazzling as a star in the school; being recognized as a 'friend' by him was like winning the lottery.
Looking at her defenseless, pure, and joyful smile, a cold sense of satisfaction flickered deep within Kanjuro's eyes. Pure souls are always so quick to believe in surface-level kindness.
Just then, the two walked onto a gravel path connecting the teaching building and the Gardening Club's flower beds. Kanjuro's gaze seemingly swept across the ground inadvertently. From the fingertips of his right hand hanging by his side, an extremely faint, almost invisible wisp of black light flashed and vanished. Like distorted light, it silently sank into several gravel stones in front of Imari Kurumi's feet.
"Ah!" Imari Kurumi felt her ankle get violently tripped by something. Her body instantly lost balance, and she cried out as she fell forward.
Just as she thought she was about to hit the ground, a firm and powerful arm caught her waist in time, while the other hand steadily supported her shoulder. A crisp, pleasant scent with a faint, mysterious aura instantly enveloped her.
Kanjuro's face was inches away. He frowned slightly, his face showing the perfect amount of concern: "Are you all right? Classmate Imari? This path is a bit uneven, be careful."
Still shaken, Imari Kurumi was almost completely leaning in Kanjuro's arms. Through the thin summer school uniform, she could clearly feel the strength from his arms and the warmth of his chest. Her cheeks instantly turned beet red, as if on fire. Her heart pounded so hard it felt like it would burst out of her chest, and even breathing became difficult.
"I-I'm fine! Thank you, Mr. Kanjuro!" She hurriedly tried to stand up straight, but her limbs were still a bit weak, and for a moment, she couldn't break free.
Kanjuro did not release her immediately. Instead, he maintained this near-embrace, looking down at her flushed cheeks and flustered eyes. The smile at the corner of his mouth deepened slightly, carrying a hint of playfulness.
"Can you stand steadily?" His voice became even softer, as if carrying a sense of enchantment. "Should I help you over there to sit for a while?"
Imari Kurumi's mind went blank, and she could only nod dizzily. Kanjuro's 'help' had come so timely and naturally that she didn't suspect the strangeness of the 'accident' just now at all. She only felt that being held by Kanjuro like this was both incredibly embarrassing and stirred a hidden, never-before-felt flutter in her heart.
Sunlight, tree shadows, a gravel path, and a girl with flushed cheeks in the arms of a handsome 'youth'... it formed a seemingly youthful and beautiful picture. However, beneath this beautiful facade was a web carefully woven by a demon, quietly tightening. Imari Kurumi, this pure little white flower, had already taken a crucial step toward the bottomless dark abyss without realizing it.
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