Tokyo: I can enlighten all obsessions

Passing through the stone torii gate that seemed to completely shut out the hustle and bustle of Shinjuku, the heat wave that was originally mixed with the smell of yakitori smoke and cheap perfume suddenly became a bit cooler.

The stone lanterns on both sides of the approach path emitted a faint orange glow, casting long, thin shadows of the two people onto the moss-covered stone steps.

Kamiki Tetsu carried the two large, heavy bags of "trophies," his footsteps making rhythmic sounds on the stone slabs.

Walking beside him, Kujou Hisana had clearly recovered from the shadow of "almost going bankrupt" just now.

Clutching the paper bag filled with fine ingredients, she moved with the lightness of a schoolchild about to go on a field trip, her steps quick and quick as she muttered to herself:

"A5 Matsusaka beef is definitely best prepared using the sukiyaki method... The feeling of the fat melting on the tongue, paired with pasteurized egg yolk, is absolutely an unparalleled enjoyment..."

The girl muttered to herself while unconsciously slurping her saliva.

"Then there's snow crab... Hmm, the crab legs can be used for buttered charcoal grilling, and the crab body can be put into miso soup to enhance the flavor... Ah, no, it would be more luxurious to make crab meat casserole?"

Her brows were furrowed, her expression so serious it was as if she were contemplating some crucial issue concerning world peace.

"And that Shizuoka melon... should I just cut it open and eat it, or scoop it out and make a parfait? Hmm... it's such a difficult choice..."

Surprisingly, Kujou Hisana took Kamiki Tetsu's joking "menu list" to heart.

What they were carrying at that moment was indeed genuine A5 Wagyu beef and top-quality seafood.

Although the bizarre "Calamity" incident ultimately ended with the monster known as "The Landlord" disappearing, it did not achieve a complete eradication.

However, based solely on the few "five senses" vengeful spirits they jointly killed and the firsthand information they brought back about the domain's rules, the special bonus issued by the countermeasures office was already a considerable sum.

This is why this usually impoverished duo, who would rather split a coin in half to make ends meet, suddenly had such a bold and confident demeanor today.

Compared to Kujo Hisana's enthusiasm for dinner, Kamiki Tetsu's mind was completely elsewhere than on those expensive proteins.

Peeping eyes, eavesdropping ears, a gluttonous mouth, and that nose.

The materials for the "five senses" collected in that eerie housing complex are now lying quietly together.

If all of them were "combined with obsession," what kind of outrageous set effects would be created?

Before they knew it, the two had crossed the mottled vermilion torii gate.

As soon as I entered the courtyard, a petite figure emerged from the shadows of the side hall, like a kitten that had been waiting for a long time.

"It's so slow."

Yui Kamiki was wearing a loose, old T-shirt, and her eyes, which looked particularly melancholic in the moonlight, were fixed on Toru Kamiki.

"If you don't come back soon, I'm going to call the police and report that someone has abducted the guardian of a minor."

"To correct you, from a legal perspective, all three of us present are minors."

Kamiki Toru sighed, lifted the two heavy bags of groceries in his hands, and walked past his sister who was blocking his way into the entrance hall.

"So this is at most an illegal assembly of rebellious teenagers. When the police arrive, they will only notify the school's student counselor, not arrest anyone."

"It doesn't matter what happens!"

Kujo Hisana had already squeezed in, eagerly presenting the bag full of top-quality beef to Yui like a treasure.

"Look! Yui-chan! This is A5 Matsusaka beef with a certificate! The marbling, with its red and white stripes, is simply a work of art!"

"……Meat."

The moment Yui Kamiki saw that box of premium beef, her previously resentful gaze vanished instantly.

She swallowed hard and took the heaviest bag from Jiutiao's hands with utmost naturalness, her attitude undergoing a complete 180-degree turn.

"Now that all the ingredients are ready, what are we waiting for, Hime-nee?"

The girl turned around and walked briskly towards the kitchen, not forgetting to turn back and urge them on:

"The kitchen is already preheated. In order not to waste the life of this cow, we must process it with respect and finish it within an hour."

"Understood! I'll make extra-rich sukiyaki tonight!"

Kujo Hisana cheered and, without even changing into her pajamas, followed Yui into the side kitchen.

Soon, the sounds of water washing vegetables and two girls chattering about which piece of meat to eat first could be heard from over there.

"...What a vibrant 'gathering of minors'!"

Kamiki Tetsu listened to the commotion over there and shook his head.

He didn't join the crowd, but instead carried his schoolbag alone, walked through the somewhat old wooden corridor, and arrived at the room located at the deepest part of the shrine.

That was the "boys' dormitory" that Kujo Hime had specially set aside for him.

"Splash!"

As you open the paper door, a faint scent of rush wafts out.

Although the room was a bit old, it was very clean, and there was even a fluffy quilt that had been sun-dried placed in the corner.

Kamiki Tetsu casually closed the door and locked it.

After confirming that it was absolutely safe inside the shrine covered by this barrier, and that the two "greedy cats" would not bother them for the time being.

He sat cross-legged in the center of the tatami mat and took a deep breath.

"Alright, now it's time to take stock of the spoils."

Kamiki Tetsu reached into his suit pocket and took out the items he had risked his life to retrieve from the "Huajin" territory, one by one, and neatly arranged them on the low table in front of him.

The first thing was a vitreous body that was still slightly rotating, with a malicious red light flashing in its pupil.

[The voyeur's eyeball].

The second item was a withered, black cartilage that seemed to be constantly capturing rumors and gossip in the air.

[The eavesdropper's ear].

Next came the loot that had fallen from the two entangled monsters at the last moment.

It was a soft, fleshy lump that was constantly secreting mucus and occasionally trying to open up.

[A greedy, big mouth].

And finally, that greasy, pore-filled, slightly contracting purplish-red ball of flesh.

[A snobbish, rosacea-like nose].

Eyes, ears, mouth, nose.

Four blue-quality spell items, exuding an ominous aura, were neatly stacked together.

There seemed to be some kind of strange magnetic field between them; as soon as you got close, they began to vibrate violently and make a "buzzing" sound.

[Highly compatible material detected. Should we proceed with "obsession synthesis"?]

[Main material: The voyeur's eyeball (blue)]

[Add materials: eavesdropping ears (blue), gluttonous mouth (blue), smelly nose (blue)]

[Success Rate: 100% (Resonance of Shared Source)]

[Note: They were originally one. Although they were separated into independent vengeful spirits, they share the same blood.]

See, hear, eat, smell. When these senses come together again, the puzzle is complete. Look, this pieced-together face... doesn't it look familiar?

"……look familiar?"

As Kamiki Tetsu looked at the line of faintly glowing text, his eyebrows furrowed unconsciously.

A strong sense of unease arose spontaneously.

"Are you kidding me?"

He quickly flipped through his memories of that old residential compound.

The figure standing deep in the dark corridor.

That monster, dressed in a plain-colored kimono, exuding a terrifying aura.

And that mask covering his face, devoid of any facial features.

From beginning to end, the so-called "landlord" never showed his true face.

"If you've never even seen their face before, how can you say they look familiar?"

Kamiki Tetsu lowered his head, his gaze sweeping back and forth over the four still restless organs.

A strong sense of incongruity arose spontaneously.

The system's explanations are never unfounded.

If it says "looks familiar," then it proves that it has definitely seen the owner of this face at some point, in some place.

"Forget it, there's no point in thinking about it anymore."

Kamiki Tetsu shook his head, shaking off all the jumbled guesses in his mind.

"Then as long as we make it and see what this face actually looks like, the answer will naturally be revealed."

Without further hesitation, he took a deep breath and chose to synthesize.

Om-!

As soon as the command was given, the four still-wriggling organs on the low table instantly disintegrated.

They transformed into four streams of pitch-black resentment, devouring and merging with each other.

A few seconds later, the black mist dissipated.

A mask lay quietly in the center of the low table.

It was a half-face mask.

In stark contrast to the landlord's smooth, blank Noh mask, this mask features clearly defined facial features.

His eyes were tightly closed, his nose was high and straight, and his lips were slightly thin.

It lay there quietly, face up, with a lifeless calm.

Kamiki Tetsu reached out and picked it up, bringing it close to his eyes for a closer look.

Every line on that bone surface was sculpted with extreme delicacy.

Whether it's that straight nose like a mountain ridge, or those lips that appear somewhat thin even when relaxed.

It's as if it were peeled directly off the face of a real, living person.

"..."

Kamiki Tetsu frowned and turned every face in his mind upside down.

From the positive and outgoing classmates at school to the quirky customers encountered while working at a convenience store, and even the unfamiliar office workers you occasionally glimpse on the train.

All the faces flashed through my mind and I compared them to the mask in my hand.

however.

The result is zero.

"I have absolutely no recollection of it."

Kamiki Tetsu tapped the forehead of the mask with his finger in annoyance, making a crisp sound.

This face is not typical; in fact, it is quite distinctive.

If it were a living person, it would definitely be the kind of person who would make people take a second look when walking down the street.

If you had actually seen it, it would be impossible for you to have no recollection of it at all.

"Is the system playing a trick on me?"

Kamiki Tetsu stared at those tightly closed eyes, and a sense of unease crept into his mind.

What exactly does "familiar" mean in terms of what aspects it looks familiar?

Or is this actually someone I've met before, but for some reason I've completely forgotten?

"never mind."

Kamiki Tetsu sighed and decided to temporarily put those baseless guesses aside.

Compared to that guy I only met once, the focus now is...

"Let me see my first set item."

Kamiki Toru took a deep breath, and his initial irritation was quickly replaced by anticipation.

As the mind focused, the purple light representing the item's information unfolded clearly.

The Forgotten True Face

[Quality: Purple (Flawed)]

[Type: Bonus Item]

[Description: This is a face searching for its owner. It is pieced together from peeping eyes, eavesdropping ears, a gluttonous mouth, and a nose searching for flavor.]

However, when these vile organs come together, they transform into a "true face" that has been abandoned.

Take a closer look...doesn't this face look familiar?

[Special Effects: A Glimpse into the Lives of People]

The so-called "faces of all living beings" are nothing more than the ways people are forced out by reality in the process of living.

(Emotions are the fuel. The mask absorbs your most intense emotional fluctuations at that moment. Whether it's rage or fear, as long as your emotions are extreme enough, it can push your abilities beyond their original limits. The more hysterical you are, the stronger the power this mask grants you.)

[Special Effects: ???] (Unknown.)

[Special Effects: ???] (Unknown.)

[Special Effects: ???] (Unknown.)