Transformed into the leader of an esoteric sect in Japan

As a massive tidal wave receded, the war ended in a complete defeat for the Divine Society. The fabricated history was on the verge of collapse. In the desolate, lifeless city, Kurosawa Shizuki wandered alone across the crumbling earth. Everywhere, black snow, like coal dust, drifted down, and the air was filled with the lingering scent of decay and decay.

The remains of Muko withered away before her eyes, but Kurosawa Shizuki knew that this was destined to be nothing more than a short slumber for Muko. She had only successfully driven Muko away once, leaving an incurable wound on Muko's body. But Muko would never die until Kirie was completely resurrected. Both Kurosawa Shizuki and Muko knew very well the profound significance of that unhealable wound.

In the near future, after the war with Kirie begins, everyone will inevitably revolve around that wound—the gods who descend will no longer be flawless, and that incurable wound at least gives many mortals a glimmer of hope to truly challenge the gods. However, Kurosawa Shizuki is certain that neither Kureko nor Kirie will allow anyone to easily touch that scar again.

She still couldn't fully understand what happened between the Shadow Girl and Muko—the mysterious scissors, the illusory dream, and the despair and hatred hidden deep in Muko's eyes at the end. Kurosawa Shizuki couldn't figure it out.

However, Kurosawa Shizuki understood at least one thing: the so-called Shadow Girl could not possibly be just a shadow left on her by the original owner; it was more likely that the being was simply impersonating the original owner, and the real original owner might have long since...

Kurosawa Shizuki felt a chill run down her spine as she thought about it. Perhaps the shadow girl herself was the real reason for the original owner's disappearance?

"What are you thinking about, Kurosawa-kun?" Suddenly, a smiling shadow girl appeared behind Kurosawa Shizuki, reaching out to gently pat the stiff Kurosawa Shizuki's shoulder.

"I'm wondering what to do with this guy. He seems to be Asakura's father, right? After his battle with Muko, his condition must be terrible." Kurosawa Shizuki said somewhat stiffly, looking down at the middle-aged man at her feet, whose body was covered in black matter. His face still had a half-broken golden mask, and the burning yang flames around his body never dissipated. He remained silent like a vegetable, his empty eyes staring at the desolate sky.

Compared to the majestic and godlike King of Blaze that she first met, Kurosawa Shizuki now only saw a weak and dejected man, who seemed on the verge of dying at any moment. However, the terrifying aura emanating from him never subsided.

“It would be best… not to take him to see Asakura,” the shadow girl said meaningfully. “He is a person who has offended the heavens. He has already fulfilled his final contract with Asakura. If he sees Asakura this time, he will do what all those who offend the heavens do.”

"A thing that everyone would do... Father, would you really be willing to eat your daughter?" Kurosawa Shizuki felt a strange chill.

"Heh, never challenge the rules of the gods with your own will. Why do you think we've ended up in this situation?" The shadow girl said softly behind Kurosawa Shizuki. "Uncle Shizaki is here. We'd better continue to cooperate with the Anti-Suppression Bureau. Without their resources, we can't possibly defeat Kirie."

As if avoiding Chai Qi, the shadow girl silently disappeared into Kurosawa Shizuki's shadow once again. Was she wary of something on Chai Qi?

Chai Qi, dressed in a greasy trench coat and wearing an old-fashioned top hat, had the same gloomy look in his eyes as always, as if nothing in the world could bring him joy. His gaze towards Kurosawa Shizuki was devoid of any warmth, yet it made Kurosawa Shizuki feel uncomfortable, as if all her secrets had been seen through.

Beneath Shizaki's trench coat, Kurosawa Shizuki seemed to see a shadow resembling a wild beast flash by, and a strong, unsettling smell of blood lingered in the air.

Kurosawa Shizuki realized this was the first time she had been alone with Shiba Inu since her transmigration. As a high-ranking member of the Anti-Extermination Bureau, Shiba Inu clearly had many secrets. He was always accompanied by the Akita Inu that seemed to act as his avatar, possessing at least fourth-tier strength. It seemed he had made some kind of deal with the original owner in the past, and could even use some kind of power to help her evade pursuit by a powerful enemy in Heijō. Furthermore, it appeared he had also reached some kind of deal with the original owner regarding Kirie's revival.

"This guy is known as the King of Sunfire in the Black Sun Cult, right?" Chai Qi stood next to the King of Sunfire, casually kicking the King of Sunfire's left arm with his leather boot. He probably didn't care at all about the King of Sunfire's terrifying status. "Although this guy is stupid and slow, his status is indeed that of an immortal. We have to thank Him for making this operation go so smoothly."

If it weren't for the King of Blaze holding off Muko in a prolonged battle, Kurosawa Shizuki would never have had the chance to drag Muko into that dream realm and inflict that incurable wound. In the near future, everyone might have faced a god who descended in perfect form, a god who would bring utter despair.

"Compared to the King of Blazing Sun, I am more concerned about the Great Enemy. The cover you provided for me has already failed, hasn't it?" Kurosawa Shizuki recalled the illusion she experienced when she used the Purifier's power on the Pillar Hermit in the forest. The Great Enemy's deathly blue eyes were still unconfirmed by her, whether they were real or an illusion.

“Well, it’s a little faster than expected, but everything is still under control. After dealing with Kirie, your adversary will visit Heijyo sooner or later,” Shizaki said, seemingly unconcerned about the enemy. Kurosawa Shizuki couldn’t understand where his confidence came from. “He seems to be in a bad mood lately. In His heart, we are already people He must kill.”

Although she knew that she had been exposed to the enemy after seemingly using power from the enemy in the woods, Kurosawa Shizuki really did not expect the enemy to arrive so quickly. The matter of dealing with Kirie was still far from being resolved, and the enemy was about to descend soon. Did she really have any hope left?

"Thank you for informing me... I understand, I will be prepared." Kurosawa Shizuki gave a bitter smile.

"Oh~ I remember now, Kurosawa-kun. If our plan goes smoothly, you probably won't remember anything by now, right?" Chai Qi suddenly remembered something and looked at Kurosawa Shizuki with a strange gaze, but the corner of his mouth had a hint of sarcasm. He seemed to know far more than Kurosawa Shizuki imagined.

Kurosawa Shizuki and Shiba walked side by side toward the collapsing Shedding Club. Neither of them wanted to remain in this false history forever. To return to reality, they had to go to the crevice within the Shedding Club. Behind Kurosawa Shizuki, clumps of black matter, like living creatures, enveloped the body of the King of Blaze, supporting its dying remains. Countless legs, like centipedes, crawled on the ground. Although the King of Blaze was still alive, in Kurosawa Shizuki's perception, it was as lifeless as a corpse. However, the deadly threat emanating from it never diminished in the slightest.

Meanwhile, Kurosawa Shizuki had already ordered Nakamura Yukise to take Asakura out of the false history and hand her over to the Black Sun Cult for treatment as soon as possible. Just like the Shadow Girl's advice, Kurosawa Shizuki also felt that it was best not to let Asakura meet her beloved "father" again, and let the Holy Lord, the real high-ranking member of the Black Sun Cult, worry about how to deal with such a Kagerou King.

“If you could tell me some of the necessary information again, I would be very grateful. It seems that we had a very detailed plan in the past on how to deal with Kirie and even that adversary, but now I know nothing about that plan,” Kurosawa Shizuki didn’t really expect to get the information she wanted from Shibasaki. “This has indeed caused me a lot of trouble.”

“I’m sorry, Kurosawa-kun, but the one who truly cooperated with me was the past you, not the present you. If you don’t know the specifics of our plan, it means that the other you believes that your ignorance is more conducive to the progress of our plan. As a collaborator, it is essential to abide by the contract,” Chai Qi kept her mouth shut as Kurosawa Shizuki had expected. “And indeed, the facts have proven this to be true. The success of our plan has exceeded our expectations.”

"I repelled the Purifiers' reinforcements, you left an incurable wound on Muko, the Anti-Purge Bureau and the Black Sun Cult concocted a false history, eliminating the Shindaikai forces within the Shedding Clothes Club once and for all, and the forest that was the foundation of the Divine Kingdom in Kirie was also destroyed... Even Lady Fujiwara was unexpectedly dealt with by you. It seems I really underestimated you." Chai Qi looked at Kurosawa Shizuki with a half-smile, but it sent a deep chill down Kurosawa Shizuki's spine. She hadn't seen Chai Qi's Akita dog since leaving the forest, so how did Chai Qi know about her and Muko's affair, and how did he know about Lady Fujiwara's death?

This feeling of being completely controlled by others is truly awful.

"But we haven't achieved the most fundamental goal of this operation, have we?" Although from the perspective of the Anti-Suppression Bureau, the war against the Kamishiro-kai seems to be progressing too smoothly, Kurosawa Shizuki feels no sense of relief. "Although the Kamishiro-kai has suffered heavy losses, Muko has successfully devoured the fifth Chosen One, and Kirie's rebirth is inevitable."

“There are still two Chosen Ones, but rest assured, the Anti-Suppression Bureau is ready,” Chai Qi said with a chilling smile. “If all goes well, we will be able to deal with Wuquanzi once and for all next time.”

"You've worked hard today, please go back and rest as soon as possible. Tomorrow, the Anti-Suppression Bureau will convene a war meeting with all the secret cults in Pingjing to discuss the final battle. With both the Prince of Yang and the King of Yang Flame suffering heavy losses, we hope that you can represent the Black Sun Cult to continue to reach further cooperation with us."

"A war council already? Which esoteric sects will be attending?" After such a long and arduous battle, Kurosawa Shizuki truly felt physically and mentally exhausted; today's fighting felt like ten years. However, the situation didn't allow her any respite. Although she had repelled Kureko once and essentially eliminated the henchmen of the Shindai-kai, this would only make Kirie Izumi even more concerned about the upcoming great battle.

"The Quadruple Technology of the Way of Enlightenment, the Gourmet Association of the Way of the Cup, the Opening Ceremony of the Way of the Blade, the Sacred Secret Hydra of the Mystic School, the Zero-Fleeting Cult of the Way of Winter, plus the Mitra Black Sun of your Way of Forging, ah, tomorrow's meeting will probably be a grand event never before seen in the history of Heijing."

P.S., I've got a disease, cyberpunk mania. A part of my soul has traveled to the distant year of 2077.

Chapter 148, Section 150: Another secret ritual is about to begin?

Kurosawa Shizuki and Shizaki traversed the desolate and dilapidated city without encountering any further unexpected situations. Along the way, they mostly saw traces left over from the battle between the King of Blaze and Muko, as if the scene had been ravaged by some kind of natural disaster. The once prosperous and magnificent city had been wantonly destroyed like a Lego toy during their battle. It was hard to imagine what terrible consequences such a battle would have caused if it had actually happened in reality.

"Uncle Chaiqi, over there, are those traces left from your battle with the henchmen of the liquidators?" Kurosawa Shizuki noticed another, slightly smaller battlefield on the edge of the vast battlefield.

Compared to the completely collapsed ruins of other areas, this battlefield was filled with strange threads of light. The neon glow seemed to have come alive, clinging to the walls, pavilions, and streetlights, swaying on its own even without wind. These strange threads of light, which contained the power of lamps, also faintly emitted a bloody smell.

In addition, there are marks everywhere from knife and axe cuts to tear the ground with the claws of unknown beasts, which makes one imagine the brutal battle that once took place here between a powerful warrior wielding a blade and a ferocious and tormented beast.

“If it were merely an opponent of that lieutenant’s caliber, how could I have been held up for so long? That was the embodiment of your long-awaited adversary descending upon us. If I hadn’t used some clever methods to force him back, things would likely have taken a very complicated turn. But don’t expect me to be able to help you this far every time. We’re just cooperating, not allies,” Chai Qi said casually, as if he were talking about buying oden on his way home from get off work. “If our plan fails, I will abandon you without hesitation.”

"I never expected anything from you. After all, I know what kind of person you are now. To give up without hesitation... just like you gave up on Suzuki-senpai?" Kurosawa Shizuki recalled the moment not long ago when Suzuki faced the forest fairy alone in the woods. Although it was only Shibasaki's "Akita Inu" there, the dog's eyes were almost identical to Shibasaki's. Kurosawa Shizuki had no doubt that if Suzuki-senpai had really disappeared there, Shibasaki wouldn't have even blinked.

"Kurosawa-kun, you don't need to underestimate yourself. In the grand scheme of things, you are far more valuable than Suzuki. At least you and I have the potential to become the key players in the future, while Suzuki is ultimately just a expendable resource. Being discarded when she's completely used up is her destiny."

Kurosawa Shizuki recalled the look in Suzuki Machiko's eyes when she looked at her teacher before revealing the power of her scars. What exactly did Suzuki expect from a cold-blooded monster like Shibasaki? With such a high-ranking member in the Anti-Corruption Bureau, would anyone really be willing to be loyal to him from the bottom of their heart?

"As expected... I just can't bring myself to agree with someone like you no matter what."

"Kurosawa, we are just using each other. There is no need for recognition. Everyone has their own value. Putting the right people in the right positions to maximize their value is what a leader should do. If you always look at the world with the attitude of an ordinary person, you may never become a true master of strategy."

Kurosawa Shizuki realized that she truly couldn't share anything with someone like Shibaki. If the Anti-Suppression Bureau were full of people like Shibaki, perhaps many members of the Secret Cult would be more humane than those in the Bureau. The Anti-Suppression Bureau's goal was to eliminate all gods who manipulated the course of history. To achieve this goal, was even the most basic humanity worth abandoning?

She had no interest in continuing to waste words with Chai Qi. On the contrary, every minute she spent with this strange middle-aged man was like torture for Kurosawa Shizuki. Kurosawa Shizuki always felt very uncomfortable with Chai Qi's cryptic gaze. She always felt that Chai Qi treated her as a lifeless tool. No, perhaps in Chai Qi's eyes, everything was a tool for him to use. This person was born without normal human emotions and was as cold as a machine.

Kurosawa Shizuki and Shiba Saki easily found the connection between the false history and reality on the edge of the ruins of the Shedding Club. Unlike the wormhole or spatial rift she had imagined, the so-called passage connecting the false history and reality was just an old-fashioned telephone booth that looked ordinary from the outside.

In front of the phone booth, Kurosawa Shizuki unexpectedly saw the figures of the Shadowless Legion of the Black Sun Cult.

At the moment the Shedding Club collapsed, Shinji Sakata's Shadowless Legion seemed to have withdrawn from the battlefield in time. Under the protection of the dark power, they launched another surprise attack on the Shedding Club. The Black Sun Cult's operation this time was relatively successful, and there were not many casualties.

The Shadow Walkers are currently sweeping through the battlefield, using their black tentacles to search for survivors of the Shining Club in the ruins. For every Shining Club follower who has undergone transformation, even those already killed by the Shadow Walkers of the Black Sun Cult, the Shadow Walkers will use their black-condensed blades to deliver a final blow to the corpse. The enemies of the Shining Club have always been known for their strong vitality, and the Shadow Walkers have indeed found quite a few who are feigning death. Even Shining Club followers who have transformed into various beast-like forms have not escaped the sweep. Shinji Sakata seems to want to make sure that no Shining Club members are left alive.

"Heh, it seems your battle went very smoothly. It's probably not convenient for me to appear in this setting full of cult lunatics. Kurosawa-kun, farewell. This cooperation with the Black Sun Cult has indeed been very pleasant." Chai Qi politely removed his top hat to Kurosawa Shizuki, and before Kurosawa Shizuki could respond, his body vanished into light and disappeared into the dilapidated old-fashioned telephone booth. No one from the Black Sun Cult noticed that the dial on the telephone inside the old-fashioned telephone booth began to spin to a specific number on its own.

Kurosawa Shizuki easily found Sakata Shinji among the many Shadowless Ones, who was still directing his subordinates to clear the battlefield.

“Welcome back, Holy Maiden. The Shadowless Ones have lived up to their mission and won this war.” The mountain-like Shinji Sakata knelt on one knee before Shizuki Kurosawa without hesitation. The lion head on his head was stained with foul-smelling blood. Behind him, the huge black lion was covered with scars left by the winged creatures of the Age of Gods. Having been devoured by venom, it looked somewhat weak and was still chewing on the remains of an incomplete Age of Gods believer. “Now the forest has also completely collapsed. It seems that today we have indeed won a great victory.”

"Don't be too smug. Kirie has not truly returned yet. Before Kirie completely falls, all victories are meaningless," Kurosawa Shizuki coldly shook her head, waved her hand, and lifted the King of Blazing Sun, who was entangled by black matter, up from behind. "He was almost defeated head-on by Muko and is in very bad condition now. You should know how to deal with him, right?"

“Holy Maiden, there’s no need to worry. Even Fujiwara no Kage in her current state would never be able to cause the King of Blaze any real harm. What the King of Blaze needs now is only a temporary hibernation—until the next time the Black Sun calls upon Him with a great mission.” Sakata Shinji was clearly not encountering this situation for the first time.

"Gentlemen, the time has come to sacrifice ourselves for the sacred flame."

Shinji Sakata gently clasped his hands together, and several shadowless figures behind him responded by walking towards the King of Blaze. Each shadowless figure took out a small, round black mirror from their robes. The roughly polished mirrors were almost identical in style to those used by Asakura when she summoned the King of Blaze at the seaside festival. The shadowless figures raised the small round mirrors high above their heads, and the mirrors resembled small, burning black suns. The cold light shone from the small round mirrors, focusing on the King of Blaze who was lying flat on the ground.

"Thank you, King of Sunfire, for bestowing upon us light." Many Shadowless Ones knelt down in the direction of the King of Sunfire, their faces filled with fervent honor.

Under the chilling light, the ever-burning flames on the King of Sunfire finally extinguished. The King of Sunfire's tightly closed eyes opened slightly, revealing an extremely gentle gaze. The dark gold mask on his face, mostly shattered, slowly dissolved. Strange white mist rose from the King of Sunfire's breath. In this chilling light, the King of Sunfire's entire body melted and crumbled rapidly like a wax figure under high temperature, turning into black particles that emitted the smell of something burning.

Countless black particles floated in mid-air, following the light emitted by the small black mirror, and entered the black mirror held by the Shadowless Ones, disappearing without a trace.

The shadowless figures holding the small black mirrors suddenly burst into black flames. They raised the mirrors high above their heads, letting out bloodcurdling screams, clearly enduring immense pain. In the blink of an eye, they turned into charred corpses. However, throughout this process, they remained in the kneeling posture with the black mirrors raised, without moving an inch, and finally became solemn, kneeling charcoal statues.

This reminded Kurosawa Shizuki of the remains of Pompeii, completely burned and carbonized by lava. Such sacrifices were carried out silently and without fanfare, which was truly chilling. Kurosawa Shizuki realized once again what kind of madmen these guys, who were nominally under her command, were. They were always ready to give their lives for the cult. If the entire Shadowless Legion were such fanatical believers, it was no wonder that they were able to defeat the Shindai-kai with such overwhelming force under the leadership of Sakata Shinji.

However, unexpectedly, witnessing such a sacrifice did not move Kurosawa Shizuki much. Could it be that spending so much time with these madmen had subtly influenced her to stop valuing human life as a human being? Kurosawa Shizuki found that she seemed to be accepting the worldview of the cult madmen more and more quickly. Could this be a good thing?

After the lives of the Shadowless Ones were completely sacrificed to the Black Round Mirror by the black flames, the small round mirrors shattered into countless pieces. Kurosawa Shizuki could vaguely see a huge shadow sweeping over everyone's heads and disappearing into the sky above the false history.

“The King of Blaze has returned to the divine realm of the Great Black Sun, and everything is going smoothly,” a hint of unease appeared on Shinji Sakata’s face. “But if we need to rely on His power again next time, we may have to sacrifice the life of the Prince of the Sun.”

Kurosawa Shizuki vaguely remembered that when Asakura Yuki summoned the King of Blaze, she smiled and told her father that this was "the last time." If the King of Blaze were summoned again, it would not only be at the cost of sacrificing these few Shadowless Ones. At that time, Asakura Yuki might have to sacrifice herself so that the King of Blaze could fulfill its destiny of devouring its offspring after offending the heavens.

"Speaking of Asakura, I had Nakamura hand her over to you. Is she alright?" Kurosawa Shizuki was a little worried about Asakura Yuki. At the same time that the King of Blaze was completely defeated by Kureko, Asakura Yuki, whose life was tied to the King of Blaze, had obviously also suffered a serious injury. Her body began to crack like porcelain. Given the extent of her injuries, coupled with the fact that she had already been killed once by the Centipede Sage with the Golden Branch in the forest, Kurosawa Shizuki absolutely did not believe that her resurrection was without cost.

"Yin no Miko has been taken to the Heikyo headquarters by Lord Kurosaki. We are preparing to hold another ignition ceremony for her to heal her injuries. I wonder if you, Holy Maiden, still have the strength to hold another Mitra ritual for the Order?" Sakata Shinji's expression was very heavy, it seemed that Asakura Yuki's injuries were obviously not optimistic.

P.S. Before Cyberpunk comes out, I'll try to write more. Once Cyberpunk 2077 comes out, I'll definitely stop updating to work like crazy.

PS2, thanks to Cat Demon for the dog food (a form of online donation). Sigh, my update speed is really not good enough to accept donations.

Chapter 149, Section 151: Hatred is the source of power.

"I'm sorry, but I can't help you with Yang Zhiyu's situation right now. After a series of battles in the forest, I'm exhausted and have no energy left to perform any more rituals." Kurosawa Shizuki shook her head helplessly. She had no mood to burn a few more people for entertainment. Through Nakamura's eyes, she could also confirm Asakura's current condition. Even if Asakura Yuki was in a dangerous situation, she was still a fourth-tier Sun Attendant. Unless the King of Sun Flame, Tian Nie, acted up and tried to devour Asakura Yuki, she wouldn't die anytime soon.

At most, Asakura will be unlikely to participate in battles in the near future. However, if Kurosawa Shizuki's prediction about the upcoming war between her and Kiriezumi in Heikyo is correct, Asakura's current strength, without control of the Blazing King, is unlikely to play a key role in the battle.

"Holy Maiden, you have done very well. Your strength will be indispensable in the upcoming war. Please make sure to rest well tonight." Sakata Shinji, covered in blood, bowed ninety degrees to Kurosawa Shizuki once again.

"Everyone has worked hard. You all did a great job tonight. The Order will not forget the blood you shed today. All the warriors present will have the opportunity to participate in the next Ignition Ritual." Kurosawa Shizuki smiled and nodded to Sakata Shinji and the Shadowless Ones. She now had a certain understanding of the situation within the Order. Apart from consuming various ghosts to increase the black matter, the fastest way to advance in rank within the Black Sun Cult was to participate in the rituals held by high-ranking figures such as the Black Sun Cult's saints and saints. Although the mortality rate of the rituals was extremely high, having the opportunity to participate was actually an honor for most believers.

"Thank you, Holy Maiden! Praise be to the Holy Maiden!" The many Shadowless Ones bowed to Kurosawa Shizuki in unison. The identical fervor in their eyes sent a chill down Kurosawa Shizuki's spine. With such longing for those esoteric rituals, there was no way there could be any normal people here.

"Beep beep—" A long honking sounded, and a crimson sedan drove up from the end of the road and stopped at the street. The car door was wide open to Kurosawa Shizuki, and in the driver's seat, Nakamura Yukise, whose body was mostly shrouded in shadow, said, "Saintess, please get in the car. It's already midnight. I'll take you home."

"Eh... I remember this car was already...?" Kurosawa Shizuki was stunned. This car was almost exactly the same as the car she had always ridden in before. Her original car had been blown up by the Falcon Man along with Nakamura Yukise's body!

“Hehehe, this is a surprise I prepared for you, Saintess~” Nakamura Yukise said with a smug smile, “Didn’t I get rejected by the Woodland? While I was trapped in reality, I tried to practice my control over the dark matter.”

Then, the blood-smelling black substance that Kurosawa Shizuki sensed in the car answered her questions. Nakamura Yukise had actually used the power of the black substance to recast a car belonging to the Shindai-kai members into a car that was almost exactly the same as before. If she wasn't mistaken, this car recast by the black substance probably had many more strange functions...

For example, black wings suddenly grow from its back, allowing it to glide briefly in mid-air; when faced with a sudden attack by firearms, the black matter can form a protective barrier on the car's surface; and on complex terrains such as steep slopes and swamps, black legs can grow to traverse the earth. If necessary, the car can even disappear into the shadows for camouflage... In short, Nakamura Yukise, whose execution capabilities are unexpectedly exaggerated in some aspects, seems to have created another semi-black car with an unexpectedly unique style.

The fact that black matter could be used in this way was something Kurosawa Shizuki had never imagined. If this line of thinking were to be continued... wouldn't it be possible to realize even stranger things like black matter mechs, black matter war fortresses, black matter cybernetic bodies, black matter internet, black matter cyberpunk civilization, and so on? After all, it's all the power of "reconstruction and change" at work.

"Hmm, well done. Let's go home." Kurosawa Shizuki waved to the Black Sun Cult members and said goodbye to Sakata Shinji. She sat in the passenger seat of the car. The decorations inside were almost identical to before; only when she sat down could she feel the unique, cold aura of black flowing within the car.

He floored the accelerator again, heading towards the apartment where Kurosawa Shizuki lived. However, this time, he felt no bumps at the extreme speed, and there was not even any noise while driving. It was a very ordinary sedan, but it felt like a top-of-the-line sports car.

It was well past midnight, yet the vast city of Heijō remained brightly lit, like a restless beast. However, there were very few vehicles on both sides of the road, and the occasional sirens of police cars could be heard. Only the rumbling of thunder could be heard from the horizon, and the air was so oppressive that it was suffocating. The dark clouds in the night sky looked like thick blood. Kurosawa Shizuki looked at the city night scene rushing past the window and felt a little breathless.

Leaning back in her seat and fastening her seatbelt tightly, Kurosawa Shizuki felt utterly exhausted, not wanting to say a word. As soon as she closed her eyes, all sorts of chaotic images from the woods and the molting club flooded her mind. In a daze, she felt as if countless moths were fluttering around her ears, still in that endless dark forest, being watched by countless pairs of eyes.

His breathing became rapid, his heart pounded erratically, and his body trembled unnaturally. Bang—a sharp gunshot suddenly rang in his ears. Kurosawa Shizuki held his forehead, feeling a splitting headache, and cold sweat seeped from his entire body. The broken spear that he had taken from the Falconer was still vibrating incessantly within the blackness, hissing like metal.

Kurosawa Shizuki still vividly remembered the terrifying feeling of a bullet imbued with the power of a blade tearing her skull apart. Although her body had been reforged by the black matter, the tangible pain, the terrifying sensation of facing death and flying into the Netherworld, would come rushing in like an avalanche in any slightly quiet place, impossible to escape. Resurrection was never as easy as it seemed. Experienced veterans often develop various forms of PTSD after battle, but what Kurosawa Shizuki had recently experienced was a true resurrection. The excruciating pain within her body never subsided; she was simply forcing herself to keep going.

"Holy Maiden, you can feel it too, right?" Nakamura Yukise, sitting in the driver's seat, suddenly uttered this seemingly random question.

"Hmm, you mean you can feel something?" Kurosawa Shizuki said somewhat reluctantly. For some reason, she didn't want Nakamura Yukise to notice any weakness in her.

"The feeling of facing death, isn't it? Although we have all been resurrected, can we really be called alive now?" Nakamura Yukise's face was expressionless, like a puppet being manipulated. However, Kurosawa Shizuki could still feel the emotions emanating from Nakamura Yukise: gloom, confusion, and a faint fear. "Even now, I still feel like a walking corpse. My body is only made of pseudo-materials like black matter, and it could fall apart at any moment... As for you, Saintess, is your state really that different from mine?"

"You mean...we've all become monsters, half black matter and half human...? We can't even be sure if we're still alive or dead," Kurosawa Shizuki's voice was dry. "We're no different from this incongruous car we're sitting in."

"Holy Maiden, you should understand, after becoming your shadow servant, a part of my soul has become connected to yours. When everything in my heart is laid bare before you, a part of your thoughts are also projected onto me... Although you are the Holy Maiden of the Black Sun Cult, you don't actually have any faith in the great Black Sun Mitra, do you?" Nakamura Yukise's voice was completely unwavering. "Like many false believers, the existence of God is merely a path, a direction, or even a tool to be used by you. After all, how could anyone be willing to sincerely believe in a god who gradually reshapes people into monsters and ultimately burns them to ashes?"