The Price of a Life

“Eh!?”

“This can’t be real, can it?”

“Just like that… he died…?”

Crimson blood erupted from his veins, only to be swallowed whole by a surge of black mist before it could even splatter.

The girl recoiled, her movements frantic with panic.

With a dull thud.

Deprived of its supporting strength, the body on the stage collapsed to the ground like a tattered ragdoll, the blood gushing from its wounds staining the floor crimson.

Even in death, a faint smile lingered upon his handsome face.

‘What in the world is this?’

‘You can’t possibly think I’m that easily fooled!’

Liu Yu, seething with anger, began stomping indiscriminately on Miroku’s body.

Despite the undeniable presence of the corpse, she refused to believe he was truly dead; after all, his dramatic entrance had been that of an elite monster, making his sudden demise seem utterly implausible.

However, fate had other plans, and the girl’s actions, beyond accelerating the blood loss, achieved nothing.

Undoubtedly, the entity known as Miroku had perished at her hands.

“Murder!”

Witnessing such an atrocity, a sudden shriek pierced the long-silent auditorium.

Liu Yu traced the sound to its source, meeting a pair of eyes that held an unmistakable blend of panic and terror.

Then, as if a switch had been flipped, gasps of shock, screams, and cries of fear erupted in a chaotic cacophony, reverberating throughout the entire theater.

“Miroku is dead!!!”

“There’s a murderer!”

“Someone, quick, seize her!”

“Tch… stop yelling, it’s deafening.”

Exasperated by the incessant noise, Liu Yu decided to use force to silence them, swaggering towards the audience.

Yet, strangely, she found herself unable to approach the crowd, as if they were nothing more than an elusive mirage.

“Friends, please listen to me.”

A booming male voice drowned out the clamor, drawing Liu Yu’s attention.

“Miroku is dead; our great star is dead, slain by this woman’s hand, which means… she is a murderer!”

His words served as a harsh awakening, and a man cried out:

“That’s right, she’s a murderer!”

“Why is she still standing before us? A life for a life!”

An old man rose, shaking his fist.

“Exactly, a life for a life!”

That was the roar of a woman.

“A life for a life!”

“A life for a life!”

Men, women, children, and elders—all voices converged into one, resonating with the same timbre, the same emotion, the same words, declaring deafeningly:

“A life for a life!”

“A life for a life!”

“A life for a life!”

The tidal wave of sound surged, cresting higher and higher, solidifying into a tangible force that bore down upon Liu Yu with immense power.

‘Is that all?’

‘It feels less potent than even the Blood Clan.’

The grand, imposing attack failed to even stir a corner of her clothes.

The grey-haired girl, standing at the eye of the storm, yawned, as visible black energy flowed across her body, at times coalescing, at others dispersing.

She conceded that the consecutive events had caused her a brief moment of panic.

However, all fear stemmed from insufficient firepower, and what reason was there to dread a group of enemies incapable of breaking her defenses?

‘Ultimately…’

‘The weak would always remain weak… no matter how tightly they banded together… they were still inherently fragile… shattering at a mere touch…’

Disordered thoughts tangled in her mind as she covered her right eye, compelling the shadows to flow into her left, and a black longsword materialized in her hand…

Whether in distant, unknown lands or across inaccessible dimensions…

Once marked by the Devourer Hound…

There was absolutely no chance of survival.

A cruel smile played on her lips as Liu Yu raised her shadow sword…

“I’ve found you.”

Following the joyful female voice, a fair, slender arm encircled the girl’s waist, pulling her into a soft, ample embrace.

“Who are you?!”

Liu Yu snapped, her tone sharp with irritation.

With her skill release interrupted, she was in a foul mood, and if no suitable explanation was offered, she wouldn’t hesitate to beat up another person.

“Hello, I’m here to take you away from this place.”

The gentle, mellow voice seemed to possess a calming power, soothing the girl’s inner restlessness and aggression.

Looking up, she saw an unfamiliar face.

‘A new character, one she hadn’t encountered before…’

A cascade of pink hair flowed like a waterfall, and though a bandaged left eye marred the beauty of her face slightly, her remaining right eye gleamed like gold.

Yet what most astonished Liu Yu was the towering bust behind her, a size that would undoubtedly rank first in her short life.

‘Someone actually has bigger breasts than that b*tch Irina, huh.’

‘And it felt entirely different from being hugged by Villy; truly, women ought to have breasts, while flat chests were simply an abomination.’

“You say you’re here to save me?”

Liu Yu asked suspiciously, “Then do you know where this is?”

“This is a domain forged from the interwoven, converging thoughts, ideas, and spirits of countless individuals, situated at the nexus of reality and illusion.”

Lifting the girl into a princess carry, the woman explained their current predicament.

“A mental domain?”

Pondering the meaning of the term, Liu Yu’s curiosity eclipsed the embarrassment of being carried.

She wrapped her arms around the woman’s neck and asked:

“So, that Miroku fellow is the master of this domain, then?”

“Miroku…”

The pink-haired woman’s expression froze for a moment, and she murmured, “It was him, after all?”

“Hey, I’m asking you a question!”

Liu Yu shouted loudly.

“Shh, quiet now.”

With a forefinger pressed to her lips, Liu Yu dutifully closed her mouth under that gentle gaze.

She was least adept at dealing with this type of “big sister” figure.

“I’m taking you away now, hold on tight and don’t fall.”

Sliding her finger through the empty air, a gate of light materialized before them.

The woman cast a deep glance at Miroku’s corpse, then stepped into the light gate, still cradling Liu Yu.

‘Oh dear, just when success was within reach, a troublemaker had to come along.’

‘What a complete waste of effort.’

Not long after the two departed, another Miroku emerged onto the stage.

He waved a hand, and the entire audience vanished like smoke.

‘Still… that woman gives me a sense of familiarity…’

‘Who could she be?’

‘An old rival, or the incarnation of an old friend… or perhaps a member of The Alliance.’

Miroku pondered for a moment, then ultimately gave up on the thought.

“Never mind,” he mused. “I’ve already made my move as promised once; regardless of success or failure, what happens next is none of my concern.”

“It’s time to go back and find Geppetto; I hope he isn’t angry about my sudden disappearance, hahaha.”

Amidst Miroku’s laughter, the space where the theater stood peeled away layer by layer, transforming into a brilliant sun, suspended in an unseen void.

****

“I’ll leave you here.”

“Wait, I still have so many questions…”

In the blink of an eye, Liu Yu found herself back in the park’s bushes, surrounded by bustling passersby.

Only a single strand of pink hair wrapped around her hand confirmed that what had just occurred was no mere illusion.

‘How did she vanish so quickly!’

The grey-haired girl’s eyes widened as she tried to spot the pink-haired woman among the throng, only to see someone both unexpected and entirely logical.

Her nominal agent was emerging from around the corner, walking directly towards her.

‘She just left, and now you’re here; could this be some kind of human form game…?’

Harboring suspicions, Liu Yu charged towards Mu Yan.

“Oh? Miss Liu Yu, why have you become so enthusiastic? Are you finally planning to work diligently?”

Mu Yan asked, stroking the grey head nestled against her, her face alight with curiosity.

‘She had none of that distinctive scent.’

‘The sensation against her chest was quite ordinary too…’

‘So, it wasn’t her after all?’

‘But there might be a transformation form, just like with me and Liu Ling…’

‘I’ll keep observing for now.’

“Hmph, when have I, this great master, ever been anything but diligent in my work? How dare you, old hag Mu Yan! To slander me so, I’m quitting and going home!”

“Alright, alright, Miss Liu Yu is the most dedicated of all.”

Coaxing the little ancestor who threatened to quit at the slightest displeasure, Mu Yan waved her hand towards the corner.

“What are you doing?!”

With an explosion of vigilance, Liu Yu darted towards the direction Mu Yan had waved, looking around frantically, only to be scooped up and carried up the stairs by the pursuing Mu Yan.

“Ha… ha… I almost got caught… Does that guy have a dog’s nose?”

The girl with sunglasses leaned against the wall, panting heavily:

“Yesterday I was running around investigating at the hospital, and today I’m called to rescue someone.

One after another, they’re all treating me like a grunt, completely disregarding my feelings, boohoohoo, I might as well just die.”

The girl cried out in despair.

—Ring, ring, ring…—

The caller ID displayed [The Boss].

Trembling, she answered the call, and sure enough, it was the familiar roar:—Future!! You’re absent without leave!—

—I can explain… I…—

—I don’t need your explanation! Get back to the shop within half an hour, or you can just get lost!!—

With that, he hung up.

Only the girl, her face etched with despair, remained to encourage herself:

“Half an hour… Don’t give up, Miss Future, you can do it.”