Violent black cursed energy rolled wildly above the dilapidated village.
Suguru Geto's eyes were bloodshot. Those eyes, which were usually gentle and rational, were now completely consumed by the purest killing intent.
"Yoru, let go of me."
Suguru Geto's voice was so low it seemed to come from the depths of hell, carrying an unquestionable finality.
"You saw it too. These so-called weaklings, these monkeys we risk our lives to protect... look at what they're doing!"
"They're more disgusting than cursed spirits! Filthier than rats in a sewer!"
"These monkeys... they aren't worth saving!"
Along with his roar, the semi-Special Grade cursed spirit Rainbow Dragon, perched in mid-air, let out a deafening howl, its massive body lunging downward.
Its fanged maw lunged straight toward the villagers cowering on the ground below!
However, faced with this terrifying power capable of wiping out the entire village...
Yoru didn't even blink.
His bandage-wrapped hand remained as steady as a mountain on Suguru Geto's shoulder, acting like an immovable anchor for the beast about to go berserk.
"Clang!"
The crisp ring of a sword echoed through the village ruins without warning.
He hadn't drawn the blade.
The scabbard hadn't even fully left his waist; he had merely flicked the guard with his thumb, revealing less than an inch of the dark red blade.
But even that single inch emitted an extreme heat and divine pressure, transforming instantly into an invisible slash that soared into the sky!
"Awooo!"
The previously fierce Rainbow Dragon let out a shrill cry of agony the moment it touched that pressure, looking like a dying snake with its tail stepped on.
Its massive body ground to a halt mid-air, trembling violently out of sheer terror.
"Geto."
Yoru looked calmly into Suguru Geto's bloodshot eyes.
"Do you really think that killing them now is practicing your justice?"
"This isn't justice; this is running away!"
"You're playing right into the enemy's hands!"
Yoru's words struck Suguru Geto's feverish mind like a thunderous tolling bell.
"The enemy?"
Suguru Geto froze slightly, the madness in his eyes flickering.
"What are you talking about? Who else is there besides these disgusting monkeys?"
"The higher-ups."
Yoru sneered, his voice dripping with mockery.
"And that brain hiding in the shadows, living for a thousand years, plotting everything like a rat in the gutter..."
"Kenjaku!"
Hearing those names, Suguru Geto's pupils constricted violently.
"Why do you think this mission was assigned to you, of all people?"
Yoru released his grip on Suguru Geto's shoulder, pointing at the foul-smelling wooden huts and the iron cage holding the twins.
"The higher-ups hid the truth about the Land Deity, nearly killing Haibara and Nanami, just to test the limits of you and Satoru."
"And today, they sent you to this malicious village, forcing you to watch your own kind be tortured like monsters, specifically to shatter your principles!"
"They want to drive you mad!"
"They're forcing you to raise your blade against ordinary people!"
"The moment you kill even one person here today, the higher-ups will have every excuse to brand you an evil curse user!"
"They will isolate you, put a bounty on your head, and even force Satoru to kill you!"
Yoru stepped forward, his deep crimson eyes staring intently at Suguru Geto as if trying to see into his soul.
"And that monster Kenjaku has been coveting your Cursed Spirit Manipulation!"
"He doesn't need a living Special Grade sorcerer with a strong will!"
"He needs a broken shell, a perfect vessel abandoned by the world!"
"If you kill them today, you are personally handing your body over to that thousand-year-old demon!"
Silence.
The violent whirlwind of cursed energy miraculously stilled under the weight of Yoru's deafening lecture.
Suguru Geto stood there, dazed.
He looked at his hands, trembling with rage, as everything that had happened recently replayed in his mind like a nightmare.
The ugly members of the Star Religious Group during the Star Plasma Vessel incident... Haibara and Nanami nearly dying at the hands of the Land Deity... and this malicious village today...
It felt as if an invisible thread connected all these events, weaving a massive, suffocating black web!
And he, Suguru Geto, was the moth trapped in the center of the web, about to be devoured by the spider!
"Not only that."
Seeing the clarity returning to Suguru Geto's eyes, Yoru decided to deliver the final blow.
"Geto, the disasters of the future are far more terrifying than you can imagine."
"Kenjaku will return. He will trigger a Culling Game that will sweep across all of Japan, perhaps even the world!"
"Those rotten oranges in the high command will sacrifice every innocent life without hesitation to protect their own interests!"
"Riko's existence is still a thorn in their side."
"Haibara, Nanami, and even you and Satoru... everyone will face an unprecedented crisis!"
Yoru took a deep breath, his tone becoming incredibly heavy.
"If you choose to go to extremes and slaughter all ordinary people just because you feel powerless or disgusted..."
"Then you won't save anyone. Instead, you'll become the most pathetic victim of this messed-up world!"
"That would be a total, absolute defeat!"
*Clang—*
It was as if something heavy had shattered inside Suguru Geto's heart.
He slowly turned his head toward the stench-filled iron cage.
Inside the cage.
Nanako and Mimiko, two little girls covered in bruises, were huddled tightly together.
They looked timidly at the long-haired older brother who had summoned a dragon but was stopped by another man, their eyes filled with fear yet a flicker of hope.
Seeing those clear yet tear-filled eyes, Suguru Geto felt a sharp pang in his heart.
He was right.
If he had truly ordered the slaughter of the village just now...
What difference would there be between him and the villagers who abused these children?
He had almost become the very monster he loathed the most!
"..."
Suguru Geto exhaled a heavy, labored breath and slowly lowered his raised right hand.
The Rainbow Dragon in the air let out a low whimper before turning into a cloud of black mist and merging back into his body.
With the spirit gone, the terrifying killing intent that had shrouded the village completely dissipated.
"You win, Yoru."
Suguru Geto turned to face Yoru, a complex, slightly relieved smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.
"I almost... did something incredibly stupid."
The confusion and madness in his eyes had vanished entirely.
In its place was an unprecedented depth, a resolve, and an awakening as if he had seen through the nature of life and death!
He walked to the iron cage and broke the rusted lock with his bare hands.
He took off his oversized coat and gently draped it over the two shivering little girls.
"Don't be afraid."
Suguru Geto's voice was gentler than ever.
"From today on, no one will ever hurt you again."
Taking Nanako and Mimiko by their hands, he walked back to Yoru.
He looked at the villagers still slumped on the ground, too afraid to even look up; there was no longer any anger in his eyes, only utter indifference.
"Yoru."
Suguru Geto looked up at the cold moon, half-hidden by dark clouds.
"I've made my decision."
"I won't be a pawn for the higher-ups anymore, and I won't be held hostage by hypocritical principles."
"Since this world is rotten to the core, and since that monster Kenjaku wants my body..."
A dangerous yet incredibly captivating smile slowly spread across Suguru Geto's face.
"Then we'll... give them a game they'll never forget."
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