I said you are all war criminals

She scratched her head and said vaguely, "Anyway, you are free now, so don't worry about it."

Riki narrowed his eyes suspiciously, staring at Aine's evasive gaze.

"say clearly."

Aine felt a little uncomfortable being stared at, and finally sighed in surrender.

"Alright, alright, I'll be honest. Actually... I was the one who put everything on you. I said you were the one who had the cursed beads, so they locked you up. As for me... I'll just say you coerced me."

Li Xi was stunned.

"It seems like all the other Curse Masters are solo, there's no pairing like us. So I said I was just dragged into this, and Akito seemed to believe it."

Aine continued to babble on.

Before she could finish her words, Li Xi snatched the unfinished bottle of mineral water from Aine's hand, unscrewed the cap, gulped down two mouthfuls, and then threw it back into Aine's arms, "It's even."

Aine caught the nearly empty bottle and smiled dully. She wiped the remaining water stains from the corners of her mouth, and there was a subtle bitterness in her smile.

"Even? You think too highly of yourself. I've put my life on the line. If I make a wrong move today, I might even be killed by Fengchuan's curse."

"So what else do you want?"

Li Xi said unhappily.

"Um……"

Aine stretched out her tone and looked at the neon lights outside the window.

"Forget it, let's take it one step at a time!"

51

Chapter 51: The Quincies.

In the spacious conference room, an oval mahogany conference table took up most of the space, large enough to accommodate thirty people at a time. However, at this moment, there were less than ten people sitting there.

The neon lights of the city outside the window poured in through the floor-to-ceiling windows, casting a hazy glow on the room and reflecting the different expressions on everyone's face.

"Xiangzi, you are in charge of this paranormal investigation, right?"

Someone asked, "Hasn't it been resolved yet? With your strength, you should be able to defeat that kind of opponent quickly."

"The enemy this time is very good at hiding themselves,"

Xiangzi brushed the blue hair that fell on his cheek and said, "I haven't caught the other party's tail yet."

"That's not a reason,"

The man continued, "You are not deliberately delaying time, are you? If these things disturb His Majesty..."

"How will that benefit me?"

Xiangzi did not hesitate at all, but instead showed an unhappy expression.

"I am also a Quincy, and of course I don't want these things to disturb Your Majesty. But I think everyone has realized that the enemy this time is not a Hollow."

Everyone was silent.

So Xiangzi continued speaking.

"Based on my investigations over the past few days, this time the enemy is likely a soul that wasn't "buried" but, because of its deep resentment, didn't become a Hollow. They don't have a physical form like a Hollow, but instead possess a stronger cursed power. In a way, they're more like Zanpakutō..."

"Cough cough."

The other man coughed twice. "There's nothing much to say about the specific circumstances, so let's talk about the conclusion. You can't locate those who hold the mantra beads?"

"...The Curse Masters whose identities have been confirmed so far, besides my deceased father, Kamiki Hikaru of Kamiki Production, Tokyo police officer Narumiya Akito and... Shiina Ritsuki."

When Lixi's name was called, Xiangzi obviously hesitated.

However, she immediately restrained her expression and continued speaking.

"According to the records of the 'Last' incident forty years ago, there are a total of nine of the Seven Wonders. Therefore, theoretically, there should still be five Curse Masters who have yet to reveal themselves. Of course, one Curse Master, while not revealing his true form, has already appeared in a form known as 'Monsterization' – this mechanical monster."

As she spoke, Xiangzi showed a photo - to be more precise, she took out a photo and projected it into the air with her spiritual power.

Everyone present had already seen photos of the mechanical monster, so no one was particularly surprised.

Someone immediately asked, "Even including this monster, there are only five of us. Do you have any idea about the remaining four Curse Masters?"

Xiangzi shook his head, his blue hair swaying. "No. As for the remaining curse masters, I haven't found any clues yet."

...As a result, the meeting ended abruptly and everyone filed out.

Xiangzi stayed alone, tapping the smooth mahogany tabletop with his slender fingers, again and again.

"Still thinking about the curse beads?"

A cold voice broke Xiangzi's thoughts. She opened her eyes and saw Yukinoshita Yukino standing in front of her without her knowing when.

"Under the Snow..."

Xiangzi frowned slightly, "Why are you here?"

Yukinoshita Yukino didn't answer directly, but walked to the table and asked, "Do you need help?"

There was a hint of condescension in her words.

"no need."

Xiangzi rejected Yukinoshita's proposal without a second thought, "I'll take care of the curse beads myself. We agreed that this is my...family affair."

Yukinoshita Yukino didn't mention the curse beads again. She crossed her arms, leaned back slightly, and leaned against the mahogany table. "Xiangzi, do you remember what you said when you were drunk?"

Xiangzi laughed, "Just like you said, I am drunk."

"You talked a lot about... the Youkai Empire."

Yukinoshita whispered, "You said at the time that you were the emperor of the Youkai Empire."

"I am drunk."

Xiangzi said lightly.

"Right now, I am only your Majesty's Quincy. I don't have any other identity."

“…Then let’s just take it as it is.”

Yukinoshita didn't pursue the matter relentlessly, but changed the subject. "You really don't have any clues about the other Curse Masters? In the Knights, you've always been the fastest and most conscientious one. I don't believe you've run out of clues."

"actually……"

Xiangzi hesitated for a moment, "I may have found the identity of the next curse master, but I don't have any solid evidence yet."

"Oh? Who is it?"

Yukinoshita immediately became interested.

"Have you heard of Okabe Rintaro?"

Xiangzi said.

"Rintaro Okabe..."

Yukinoshita Yukino repeated the name, "I seem to have heard it somewhere."

Yukinoshita thought for a moment. "He's that scientist who's made great achievements in the field of artificial intelligence, right? I remember he was on a TV show a few years ago, demonstrating the AI assistant he developed."

Xiangzi nodded. "Yes, it's him. I looked into his information and found out that he recently... disappeared."

"Missing?"

Yukinoshita raised an eyebrow, "At this time."

"indeed,"

Xiangzi agreed, "Besides, I found out that his childhood sweetheart died in an accident over ten years ago. This coincides with the trait of 'someone who wants to be resurrected'."

Yukinoshita nodded slightly, "He's a strong suspect... Then, could that mechanical monster be him?"

"I don't know the true identity of that mechanical monster."

Xiangzi said frankly, "That mechanical monster is probably also a curse master, but I really don't know his identity... Do you have any clues?"

"That mechanical monster... I have no idea what it is either."

Yukinoshita's slender fingers tapped lightly on the table. "However, since Okabe Rintaro is the most suspicious, why not start the investigation with him first?"

Xiangzi agreed.

"That's what I thought. Let's first investigate his whereabouts before he disappeared and see if we can find any clues."

"His last known location and the people he came into contact with all need to be investigated."

Yukinoshita added, "You don't need to investigate this yourself, right? Kaguya is also setting up a subordinate organization, and she's asking for people..."

"Do you really believe in Kaguya Shinomiya?"

Xiangzi interrupted Yukinoshita.

Yukinoshita raised her delicate eyebrows slightly when she heard Xiangzi's words. "Although Kaguya's style of doing things is different from ours, in general, our goals are the same. We are all members of the Knights and will protect His Majesty."

"really?"

Xiangzi did not respond directly to Yukinoshita's words, but just asked a question.

"Can you really trust someone who even killed his own family?"

There was a brief silence in the room.

Yukinoshita Yukino lowered her eyes, and after a while she slowly spoke, "You also know the situation of the Shinomiya family, that oppressive atmosphere, those twisted family relationships... It's normal for Kaguya to feel resentful."

"normal?"

Xiangzi shook his head, "Kaguya is not normal."

"Xiangzi..."

Yukinoshita Yukino's voice lowered, "I know you are prejudiced against Kaguya, but..."

"I have no prejudice against her."

Xiangzi interrupted Yukinoshita and said, "I know that this venue was also provided by Kaguya. Among the current members of the Knights, Kaguya is probably the most active in promoting the reconstruction of the Knights."

"But that doesn't mean Kaguya is normal."

Xiangzi turned around and looked directly at Yukinoshita Yukino, "If it were you, would you kill her?"

"If you were living in Kaguya's family environment, and if you were treated like that, would you kill? Kill your own father, kill your own brother, kill everyone who treats you badly, and pave a river of blood in your family... Would you do that?"

Yukinoshita avoided Xiangzi's gaze and said nothing.

Some things don't need to be said.

52

Chapter 52 Prelude to Resurrection.

Although the universe has a beginning, it has no end—it is infinite.

Although the planet also has an origin, it is destroyed by its own power - it is limited.

Creatures with wisdom are the most foolish, as evidenced by human history.

Fish that venture into the sea don't know the world of land; even though they possess wisdom, they will eventually perish. Humans' desire to exceed the speed of light is even more ridiculous than fish's desire to live on land.

This can also be said to be God's ultimatum to those who resist.

"…El Psy Congroo."

After saying his secret farewell words, Okabe Rintaro put down his phone in complete silence.

While calming himself down, the man in white spread out his hands and began to quietly enjoy the sunshine.

the weather is nice today.

Rintaro strolled leisurely through the afternoon streets. He wasn't wandering aimlessly, but rather with the composure of a hunter surveying his territory. His nerves, strained for days, finally relaxed, and he even hummed a tuneless tune, like a normal office worker enjoying his weekend.

He passed by a retro game shop, its screens flickering with pixelated light and shadows, and Okabe Rintaro paused for a moment, a flicker of nostalgia in his eyes. He recalled the time he had spent with Mayuri in the lab, her adorable, pouty smile, and a slight smile curled his lips.

soon.

Soon he would see her again.