"That woman's scent?"
Natsuki raised an eyebrow in surprise.
Hachishakusama had no reason to lie, so… did he really have another woman's scent on him?
Who was that woman?
Could it be Juju?
Natsuki's first reaction was Juju.
Indeed, in the Miroku hospital instance, Juju played the role of Hachishakusama, but that was a long time ago. The scent shouldn't still linger until now, righ
He couldn't figure it out.
Natsuki gave up thinking and chose to ask directly: "Miss Hachishakusama, may I ask who the woman you're talking about is?
Hachishakusama elegantly sipped her black tea, her voice lazy: "Before asking others, shouldn't you answer one of my questions first?"
"Questions and answers, as it should be." Natsuki placed his hands on the table and smiled, "Miss Hachishakusama, please ask
Hachishakusama tilted her head and looked over, saying casually, "Where did you hide the sin coins you stole?"
"They're still in the warehouse. There are so many guards, it's not convenient to move them out." Natsuki told the truth, pointing with his hand, "So I dug a hole and hid them… right inside that wall."
As soon as he finished speaking, an evil spirit maid immediately stepped forward, found a subtle flaw in the wall, then tore open the wall with her bare hands, pulling out several black cloth bags from inside.
Clatter.
With a casual rip of the cloth bags, blood-soaked sin coins rolled all over the ground, reflecting the color of blood under the faint candlelight, and even the air seemed to be filled with a faint smell of blood.
These funds, extorted from ordinary people, each coin was permeated with blood and sin.
"You actually didn't lie to me…" Hachishakusama put down her black tea, sat up slightly, looked at Natsuki across the dining table, "You're a truly interesting the child. I have to say, you've successfully piqued my curiosity."
Natsuki said neither humbly nor arrogantly, "Thank you for the compliment, Miss Hachishakusama."
Hachishakusama rested her right hand on her chin, then suddenly sighed: "It's a pity, you've passed your expiration date. If you were only twelve, I might allow you to do some happy things."
Don't joke around, a twelve-year-old the child can't drive a big truck!
Natsuki said earnestly, "Miss Hachishakusama, I just look older for my age. I'm actually exactly twelve this year.
"Heh." Hachishakusama let out a light laugh, extended her pink tongue, and gently licked her red lips, "Interesting the child, I suddenly can't bear to kill you."
Natsuki's expression was calm, completely fearless.
Hachishakusama was very confident in her combat power.
Coincidentally, Natsuki was also very confident in his abilities.
He had faced a Hiruko no Kami of divine level; a mere Hachishakusama truly couldn't make him afraid.
Seeing Natsuki so calm, Hachishakusama narrowed her eyes slightly and didn't make a move. Instead, she picked up her black tea again, took a sip, and said, "the child, what do you want to ask me?
Natsuki asked curiously, "Who was that woman Miss Hachishakusama mentioned just now?"
Hachishakusama said casually, "Someone who always covers her face with her hair and never shows her true appearance."
Natsuki: "…"
Your sister!
A woman who always covers her face with her hair… who else could it be but Sadako!
Natsuki quickly made a guess.
As far as he knew, some special characters in the game, such as Sadako and Yandere Kaguya, could travel between different instances and had their own will and emotions, not puppets controlled by the game.
If so, it was normal for evil spirits to know each other, right?
Sadako and Hachishakusama, both being urban legends, knowing each other was indeed very reasonable.
Natsuki coughed lightly and tentatively asked, "Is Miss referring to Sadako?"
"You really know her." Hachishakusama sipped her black tea, her posture elegant, "Such a strong scent on you, and you're still alive. You're quite good, the child."
Hey, hey, just being alive means he's quite good?
If you knew Sadako almost went on maternity leave, you wouldn't be able to hold your cup steady!
Natsuki asked curiously, "May I ask, what is the relationship between Miss and Sadako?"
Hachishakusama tilted her head and thought for a moment, then said, "Well, I suppose we're friends. I spent some time with her before."
Natsuki smiled and said, "Since you're friends, then there's no problem."
If they were enemies, they might start fighting as soon as they met, but as friends, they could completely sit down and talk slowly.
Natsuki raised his right hand and snapped his fingers lightly.
Snap!
As he made the gesture, the three evil spirit maids immediately moved to subdue him. However, in the next second, Sadako, wearing a white dress and with her face covered by long black hair, suddenly appeared out of thin air.
Whoosh…
A faint cold wind swept past, and the candlelight on the dining table flickered under Sadako's aura.
"Hmm?!"
Hachishakusama instinctively sat up straight, a surprised expression finally appearing on her face.
Sadako, on the other hand, was clearly a bit confused by being suddenly summoned to an unfamiliar environment. After seeing Natsuki nearby, she quickly flashed and hid behind Natsuki, even reaching out to tug on Natsuki's clothes.
Seeing this, Hachishakusama was even more shocked. A bit of tea even spilled from her hand. She took a deep breath, put down her teacup, and for the first time, seriously examined Natsuki, asking curiously, "child, what is your relationship with Sadako?"
Natsuki smiled and replied, "To be precise, it's a boss-employee relationship."
Hachishakusama frowned slightly: "What do you mean?"
"Literally." Natsuki pulled Sadako, who was hiding behind him, out, "Aren't you and Sadako friends? You can talk to each other."
After a pause, Natsuki continued, "If Miss is willing to work for me, then the monthly salary is a million, with five insurances and one housing fund, and weekends off on holidays. I guarantee to meet all of Miss's requirements."
That's right.
Natsuki indeed wanted to recruit Hachishakusama.
The dungeon is about human relations, not about fighting and killing. Only barbarians would resort to violence when things can be resolved with money and power.
Hachishakusama: "..."
She wanted to twist his head off, but this guy actually wanted to hire her?
"Miss Sadako, I'll leave the task of convincing the lady to you." Natsuki turned his head, looking at the bewildered Sadako, and made a promise, "As long as you can successfully recruit Miss Hachishakusama, I'll get you a brand new large color TV, and the latest mahjong table. You can play mahjong whenever you want... Go for it!"
Sadako hadn't quite understood the situation, but hearing the promise, she still happily clenched her fists and softly responded:
"Go, go for it!"
Hachishakusama: "..."
Something's not right!
It's too wrong!
Hachishakusama felt her worldview shattered, even suspecting if she had fallen into an illusion.
Even during the days she worked with Sadako, she had never heard Sadako say a single word. Now, she was clenching her fists and saying 'go for it' with an expectant tone?
You are an urban legend, why are you obediently listening to a human!
"Wait—"
Hachishakusama suddenly thought of a possibility.
Could it be... Sadako has already been molded into that human's shape?
Bearing the mission of recruitment, Sadako mustered her courage and approached Hachishakusama. Fortunately, both of them were urban legends and old acquaintances. If it had been a strange evil spirit, with Sadako's social phobia, she might not have dared to speak up.
Unfortunately, even with an acquaintance, Sadako's speech was still stuttering, and she only repeated those few dry sentences over and over.
"You actually want to employ me." Hachishakusama picked up her cup again and looked curiously at Natsuki, "Little fellow, why do you think I would agree to you?"
"Sadako and I are just acquaintances, barely friends, but I can't abandon my career for her."
Natsuki intertwined his fingers, temporarily abandoning the plan of becoming a Wife Stealing, and said confidently:
"Although the lady manages the entire park, she doesn't experience true happiness, does she?"
Hachishakusama was startled and said:
"What do you mean?"
"It's simple..." Natsuki smiled, "As long as you become my employee, the lady can experience truly 'being alive'."
Whether they were evil entities in the dungeon or ghosts in reality, they all harbored intense hatred for humans. Once discovered, it was an endless slaughter, with only a few entities able to maintain their sanity.
After numerous studies and experiments, the Strange Tales Management Bureau finally found the reason—
Because of emptiness.
Evil spirits are not living beings. Even Hachishakusama, who has a body, is not a living being. Without true, vibrant life, they cannot experience any genuine sense of existence. Emotions like joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness all rapidly vanish with the erosion of time, ultimately leaving only endless emptiness.
Jealousy is one of humanity's original sins.
Evil spirits, transformed from humans, no longer possess vibrant life, but the original sin of jealousy has not dissipated. Under the torment of endless emptiness, they eventually become madly hateful and jealous of all living beings—Mrs. Shimizu was precisely like this.
Before acquiring the Theater rule card, the reason Mrs. Shimizu played on her phone and read comics day and night without a moment's rest was to use mental satisfaction to combat the emptiness of her soul.
Natsuki continued:
"The lady should know Miss Sadako very well and knows that Miss Sadako doesn't lie. As long as you become my employee, you can truly live like a living being in the Theater."
Hachishakusama silently put down the red tea in her hand, her fingers gently tapping the table, and said in a low voice:
"Empty words, how will you prove yourself?"
"I can't prove it now." Natsuki's tone was sincere, "Only after the lady signs a contract with me and becomes an employee can she enter the Theater."
This is the problem.
To sign a contract, the other party must be completely willing; coercion is not allowed, nor can abilities that influence the mind be used. However, mere words are unconvincing, which is why, until now, only Sadako and a few others have signed contracts as employees.
Hachishakusama gently raised her delicate eyebrows, her tone turning cold as she said:
"So you're trying to deceive me?"
Upon hearing this, the three evil spirit maids stepped forward, ready to seize Natsuki the moment Hachishakusama gave the order.
"Please wait." Natsuki extended his right hand, "Although I cannot temporarily prove the existence of the Theater to the lady, I can let the lady experience true deliciousness."
Hachishakusama narrowed her eyes and said:
"What do you mean?"
"Literally." Natsuki smiled, "I am a gold-medal Dark Chef."
"..."
The day before yesterday at the cafeteria, everyone didn't eat the pig slop in the cafeteria, but Natsuki still bought a portion and then summoned Mrs. Shimizu to taste it.
After just one bite, Mrs. Shimizu spat it out and commented:
Super disgusting!
Like pig slop!
The taste was sour and astringent, as if it were an unripe, prematurely picked sour orange. In short, it was super disgusting.
The only advantage was probably that even an evil spirit could experience the taste.
Hachishakusama and Sadako are both evil spirits, and they clearly would also be affected by the erosion of emptiness.
After Natsuki entered the warehouse, he saw Hachishakusama constantly drinking red tea. Was she really that thirsty?
Most likely not.
That cup of red tea, like the 'pig slop' in the cafeteria, was probably just something to counter the erosion of emptiness.
So Natsuki was very confident that his Dark Cuisine would definitely be more useful than a cup of red tea.
"Then I'll give you a chance." Hachishakusama stood up. Her towering height of two meters six meant she could touch the warehouse ceiling with a slight raise of her hand. She exuded an overwhelming presence, looking down at Natsuki from above, revealing two rows of pearly white teeth, "If you deceive me, the consequences will be very severe."
"Please rest assured, Miss." Natsuki was full of confidence, "I guarantee you won't be disappointed."
"..."
Hachishakusama said nothing, turned, and was about to walk out of the warehouse.
Natsuki naturally stepped to follow.
"Pull, pull—"
After two steps, his coattail was suddenly gently tugged.
Natsuki turned his head and saw Sadako, with her face obscured by black hair, tugging at his sleeve. Although he couldn't see her face, he could entirely imagine her pitiful expression.
Having experienced the taste of being alive in the Theater, and now being summoned to the real world, the erosion of emptiness naturally became even more severe.
Because of this, even Yandere Kaguya, who wanted to compete with Kaguya in everything, was unwilling to come to the real world.
"You've worked hard."
Natsuki rubbed the top of Sadako's head, then brought Sadako back into the Theater.
He had already connected with Hachishakusama, and the rest was up to him. There was no need to make Sadako suffer outside anymore.
He walked out of the warehouse.
The decoy at the entrance was visibly startled when she saw Natsuki.
"No need to panic." Hachishakusama said calmly, "You can undo your transformation."
The woman nodded slightly, dropped her disguise, and revealed her true form: an evil spirit maid.
Rumble.
From the darkness not far away, the tall Evil Spirit Manager rushed over, his crimson gaze falling upon Natsuki, and he said in a low voice:
"Miss... who is he?"
Hachishakusama said nonchalantly:
"This little fellow is the thief who stole from the warehouse."
Upon hearing this, the Evil Spirit Manager immediately became enraged, clenching his fists. His fists, comparable to a basketball, directly lunged towards Natsuki.
Natsuki quickly retreated half a step, directly hiding behind Hachishakusama.
The Evil Spirit Manager abruptly stopped his fist, his eyes crimson as blood, staring intently at Natsuki, radiating murderous intent:
"Miss, move aside! I'm going to crush his head!"
Hachishakusama said coldly:
"Are you telling me what to do?"
"..."
That simple sentence instantly calmed the Evil Spirit Manager, who quickly lowered his head, signifying submission.
However, the next moment.
Hachishakusama moved half a step to the side, revealing Natsuki, and said in a low voice:
"To sign a contract with me, you must have sufficient combat power... Go, prove your ability."
Natsuki sighed helplessly.
Although she had always been easy to talk to, it was clear that Hachishakusama was not a kind soul.
If he were to lose a one-on-one fight with the Evil Spirit Manager, the consequences would naturally be self-evident.
Natsuki suddenly recalled the Hachishakusama doujinshi he had once read.
At the end of the manga, the little boy was driven away by his parents, and Hachishakusama chased after the car reluctantly, the scene warm, as if a human-ghost romance was left unfinished.
However, in the car's rearview mirror, the reflection of Hachishakusama was surprisingly a terrifying, distorted evil spirit, capable of instantly calming one's Gilgamesh and even leaving a psychological shadow.
"Proving it is no problem..." Natsuki took two steps forward, came before the Evil Spirit Manager, then turned to look at Hachishakusama, "Miss, if I win, can I take the Manager's position?"
The Evil Spirit Manager was furious: "You're seeking death!"
Hachishakusama, however, ignored him and nodded calmly:
"You can."
The Evil Spirit Manager turned to look: "Miss..."
"Hmm?"
Hachishakusama glanced coldly.
The Evil Spirit Manager instantly deflated, not daring to argue, his blood-red eyes fixed on Natsuki, gritting his teeth and saying:
"Despicable thief! I'll crush your bones one by one!"
Natsuki stretched his body while waving to Yukino in the corner, smiling:
"'Thief' sounds too harsh. Please call me a bandit."
"Die!"
The Evil Spirit Manager directly swung his fist, his enormous fist carrying a whistling gust of wind, directly smashing towards Natsuki's head.
Natsuki narrowed his eyes, his body not dodging, but instead lunging half a step forward. His passive ability, 'Divine Speed,' activated, allowing him to narrowly dodge the Evil Spirit Manager's fist by a hair's breadth. At the same time, he counterattacked, delivering a lightning-fast punch to the Evil Spirit Manager's chin.
Evil spirits have no pain, but when their chin is attacked, their head will instinctively tilt backward, and their feet will also stagger back half a step.
Natsuki seemed to have anticipated this. He followed up in sync, kicking the Evil Spirit Manager's leg, causing the Evil Spirit Manager to completely lose balance and his massive body to fall heavily to the ground.
This set of combat moves flowed like water, appearing quite visually appealing. Of course, it wasn't practical.
True martial arts are killing techniques, not performance arts.
The reason Natsuki acted this way was actually for show.
If he truly wanted to kill the evil spirit leader, activating Time Stop for three seconds would be enough for him to dismember the evil spirit leader.
But he couldn't.
He could be stronger than the evil spirit leader, but he couldn't be stronger than Hachishakusama.
Forcibly activating Time Stop and instantly killing the Evil Spirit Manager, Hachishakusama's expression now would definitely not be appreciation, but rather caution and apprehension.
"You have a good body." Hachishakusama licked her lips with interest, emphasizing her promise, and said joyfully, "Little guy, as long as you win, I can make an exception and let you experience true pleasure."