Unusual Fate Records

Chapter 114, page 051: The Mantis Stalks the Cicada
Aoyu stepped onto a protruding stone in the ruins and chuckled softly:

"Do you know why I chose the Iris Opera House? I've been preparing for this for a long time, just waiting for you to come so I can present the final performance." He curled the corners of his mouth. "Let me recite a passage for you."

He stretched out his hands in a welcoming gesture, and through the still-intact speaker, he muttered a spell:

"Enter the city of endless suffering through me;"
"Through me, enter the pit of eternal misery;
"Through me, we enter the people who are doomed to eternal damnation;

"It is precisely to advance my sublime Creator;
"I am the embodiment of divine authority, divine will, and divine love."

His face lit up with enthusiasm, and he was about to continue speaking.

"boom--"

Gunshots.

Despite her injured left hand, Fujiwara Chizuru still held the gun steadily in her right.

Fujiwara Chizuru said coldly, "Originally, I didn't want to interrupt, but as the only human present, I still want to make one point—"

Her eyes widened suddenly: "Don't underestimate humans!"

Aoyagi finally noticed her, and pouted in dissatisfaction: "I wanted to deal with you last, but I can't wait to die."

Aoyagi's voice echoed throughout the ruins, like a demonic chant buzzing in his mind.

"There was no eternal creation before me;"
I will live as long as heaven and earth;
"Those who enter will have all hope extinguished—"

Before Aoyagi could finish speaking, Fujiwara Chizuru took a deep breath, interrupted him, and said:
"Arrogance, guard against pride—punish it severely."

"Jealousy, beware of jealousy—punish those who slit their eyes."

"Wrath is the root of all evil - black smoke is its punishment."

"Laziness, the key to overcoming it is laziness - running away is the punishment."

"Greed, beware of greed - lie down and be punished."

"Overeating should be avoided, especially when there is plenty of food; hunger should be punished."

"Lust, guard against lust - fire will punish it."

It was only when Ryoma moved that he remembered that Fujiwara had reminded them of the planned way to die on a note before the operation tonight. However, Aoyagi's cunning still made it impossible for everyone to guard against him.

As Qingliu listened, her expression slowly changed: "How did you know!"

Fujiwara stared at him: "Isn't this your declaration of murder? The Seven Deadly Sins is easy to think of 'Hell Poems,' and besides, your method of committing the crime is blatant."

Although Aoyagi looked displeased, his tone remained relaxed: "So what if you've been found out? Lust dies in the fire; rage dies in the smoke; gluttony dies in the hunger; sloth dies in the struggle of the mind; envy is destined to blind; greed will be trampled underfoot; pride will die burdened with unbearable weight. These are the fates that the Creator has long decreed in the pantheon of gods!"

"And what can you possibly use to change this?"

Fujiwara Chizuru stubbornly raised her head: "Don't underestimate human wisdom and strength."

"Nonsense!" The dragon horse stood up shakily. "Why should kind people be subjected to such unreasonable punishment!"

"Qingliu, have you ever really tried to understand them? Do you even know—"

"Lust is like a young woman who has never experienced human relationships, yet still holds onto her longing and yearning for life and love!"

"He was furious, but he never lost his temper for the girl he loved. He used his gentlest and kindest side to protect her with his life!"
"Gluttony, clearly a child who cannot taste the flavors of life, yet silently suffers the cruelest flavors of life! He has never been full, yet he still endures hunger and loves the bitter life!"
"Lazy, clearly the most light-hearted, lively and cheerful boy, yet he has to bury his own brilliance. He's curious about everything, but can't do anything! How much bitterness lies behind his hip-hop facade!"
"Jealousy? He was clearly the most tolerant person among all of them! He never envied anyone, and silently waited for the person he admired!"
"Greed, having conditions that heaven and earth would envy, a truly broad mind, regarding everyone as brothers, never asking for anything, never coveting anything!"
"Arrogance, who has always been the most humble and cautious person among everyone, how much did she like you to save you five years ago! Have you truly accepted their affection for you!"

The dragon horse almost cried out in despair, the sorrow in its chest pouring out like a burst dam.

"Shut up!" Qingliu could no longer hold back, her eyes gradually turning red.

As he uttered his last sentence, he had already mustered his strength and leaped into the air. His astonishing jumping power instantly propelled him high into the sky, and he shouted at the crowd, "Die, all of you!"

Countless arrows of blood splattered across the field as they detached from the hedgehog's quills and spun rapidly.

Arrogance had barely regained his mobility when he rushed towards You Dong, slashing at him at high speed with his dagger, blocking many of the blood arrows.

Meanwhile, Chizuru Fujiwara was somewhat helpless. Although the policewoman never compromised verbally, she still couldn't hide the fact that she had no fighting or dodging abilities.

Her composure was the last vestige of dignity.

"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!"

The sound of strings piercing the air came whistling through the air.

Fujiwara Chizuru gritted her teeth and waved her hand to shield her forehead.

When faced with a life-or-death situation, she would instinctively squint her eyes.

Aoyagi laughed wildly: "Who else among you can kill me!"

"Om-"

The sound of bullets hitting a metal plate and bouncing off.

The expected puncture and pain did not occur as predicted.

Fujiwara slightly opened her eyes and, in a daze, saw a man covered in tattered, yellowed bandages, disheveled and dirty, walk out of the passage behind her. As the blood arrows reached her, he brushed past her, and a smooth protective shield appeared around his body, enveloping her as well. The blood arrows pierced the shield, but were stubbornly deflected by it.

“You are—” Fujiwara squinted, trying to see the other person clearly, but could only see brown eyes on the bandaged face, as still as dead water.

Fujiwara Chizuru's heart skipped a beat, and she instantly remembered the other person's identity: the necrophiliac beside Kodera.

The tattered bandages were loose and slowly came off with the man's steps.

Fujiwara Chizuru's heart started pounding for no reason; she seemed to have overlooked a possibility!
Aoyagi turned his head, looked at the newcomer, and asked with an unfriendly expression, "Who are you?"

The atmosphere suddenly turned eerie. The necrophiliac simply walked quietly toward Aoyagi, unhurried and unresponsive.

Arrogance and movement also discovered necrophiliacs.

You Dong was somewhat surprised. Wasn't the necromancer someone from the Ranzan-do group? Koji was about to die, so how could he suddenly appear here?

Arrogance, on the other hand, instinctively tightened his grip on the dagger in his hand.

This man, who had been silent throughout, appeared at the very end, which inevitably made people wary.

Qingliu frowned, and without further ado, his claws shot out blood-red light, instantly strengthening his arm into a giant palm with sharp claws, which he slapped at the approaching person.

The next moment, his figure appeared in front of the necrophiliac, and with a boost of his leap, he intensified his attack, slashing down with one claw.

The necrophiliac did nothing but raise his hand.

The transparent shield glowed again, and the blood palm struck it with a clanging sound, but it couldn't cause any damage.

"Tch—" Qingliu gritted her teeth in resentment after her attack failed.

At that moment, the necrophiliac moved.

He retreated and exerted force, arriving in front of Qingliu almost the instant the protective shield was removed, and unleashed a powerful punch from his waist.

"Useless—uh—"

Before Aoyagi could even finish speaking, he was punched in the cheek, the force of which knocked his head and his still-open mouth askew.

(End of this chapter)