Yu Qingxue parked the car in a nearby lot, carrying a Louis Vuitton leather bag, with a tachi roughly 80 centimeters long worn at her waist. She walked gracefully toward the main gate of Kaijo High School. Tonight, the moonlight was a cold blade, glinting with a chilling, baleful light that sent shivers down the spine.
At 8:20 PM, Kaijo High School loomed before them. Looking out across the campus, the teaching buildings were completely dark. Even the gate security guard had long since gone home for the night. The perceived temperature was slightly cold, a sharp contrast to the daytime when it had still been above 25 degrees Celsius. But now that night had fallen, thick, dark clouds had suddenly gathered in the sky. This darkness was denser than ever before. It felt like it could rain at any moment.
“This high school is truly radiating an eerie aura everywhere today.” Gao Sijin gazed at the campus. In a trance, it was like falling into an underground ice vault, the bone-chilling cold seeping deep inside. Mournful, phantom whispers coiled around his ears. Hell was opening its gates, inviting them in.
Uzuki pressed her lips together, her small face already pale with fright.
“Don’t worry, you two little guys. I’m here.” The sound of pure black lace-up high heels on the asphalt road was exceptionally crisp. “To prevent any sudden danger from occurring, I suggest we hold hands. Only this way can we avoid being forcibly separated by supernatural phenomena.”
“Holding hands…” Holding hands with Uzuki was something Gao Sijin was long accustomed to. To him, Uzuki was like his own little sister. Gripping her pale, thin little hand was like holding a dried-up, withered branch.
“Come, Sijin, let’s hold hands too.” The corner of Yu Qingxue’s lips curved up, revealing a sly smile as if her scheme had just succeeded.
Yu Qingxue was different from Uzuki. Thinking back to a few days ago, when they had passionately kissed in the sea, facing her slender, fair hand reaching out to him now made him unavoidably nervous.
If Uzuki was a little sister, then Yu Qingxue was, in Gao Sijin’s heart, more like… a mistress. It was just Yu Qingxue, after all, so why was his heart racing?
Before Gao Sijin could react, his hand was immediately enveloped by a soft, boneless touch. It felt like an electric shock, and he wanted to pull back, but Yu Qingxue gave him no chance. Her five fingers had already interlocked with his tightly, leaving no gap in an instant. The strength Yu Qingxue used made Gao Sijin suspect she might be trying to snap his finger bones.
“I’ve caught your hand, Sijin.” Under the night, Yu Qingxue appeared even more enchantingly seductive and dangerously alluring than ever before. Her gaze swept over lazily, possessing the full bearing of a regal Queen.
“Hey, Sijin, the feeling of holding my hand is pretty great, right? But don’t get the wrong idea. As I said just now, this is for your safety. Wait, why is your face red? You never blushed when holding hands with Uzuki. Could it be you’re reacting to this sort of thing? You really are such an innocent, pure boy.”
“Shut up.”
“Anyway, it’s not the first time you’ve had a reaction to me. Why not just admit it openly?” Yu Qingxue wore a graceful, amused smile. “Come to think of it, last time your little buddy poked my thigh, hahaha.”
“Qingxue, our purpose for coming here is for Uzuki,” Gao Sijin emphasized once more. But Uzuki also cast a surprised look at Gao Sijin.
She clearly couldn’t let go of what Yu Qingxue had just said. Pressing her lips together, she looked pitifully at Gao Sijin.
“Alright, alright, I’ll stop teasing you two. Let’s go.”
Yu Qingxue used a master key she had prepared beforehand to easily unlock the campus iron gate. Actually, as a school, Kaijo High School’s security system wasn’t very high. After classes ended, most people didn’t leave valuable belongings in the school, so thieves rarely visited the campus.
“Is your heart racing, Sijin?”
“A little.”
“From fear, or from holding my hand?”
“Perhaps… a bit of both.”
The moment the three of them stepped onto the campus together, a gust of sinister wind slammed the iron gate they had just opened shut. It was as if preventing the three from trying to escape again. Under the moonlight, the iris-shaped barbs on the surrounding fence seemed even more sinister than usual.
“Help!”
The moment they entered the campus, the sound of their cries for help suddenly exploded right next to their ears, crystal clear.
Heart-wrenching screams mixed with the sound of breaking bones, and the sound of hands slapping a door with all their might.
“I hear them. That’s Aoi and the others.” Uzuki furrowed her brow.
“Please, save me, Uzuki! I shouldn’t have done such horrible things to you!” Aoi was bawling loudly, kneeling on the ground, her heart wailing in anguish. The walls of the old school building around them were like the esophagus of a monster.
Amano pounded on the metal door with all her strength, but it was a door that could not be opened by human power alone.
“It’s useless. We’re all just ants. Our only purpose for existing is to be their playthings, hahaha!” Kaoru cast a look of contempt at the two people trying desperately to be saved, laughing maniacally and arrogantly.
Here, the excellent, popular girls were equal to her. Sooner or later, they would all become dinner for the supernatural entities.
In that case, it was better not to leave at all. In the outside world, Aoi was the class’s fashion queen, and Amano was the class’s pure angel. Only she, Kaoru, was obscure and unnoticed, fading into the background, serving as their servant.
But here, everyone was food, a punching bag, a toy, a sex object for the supernatural entities. Here, they were truly equal beings.
“Today is the final deadline.” The black mist that had taken Uzuki’s form calmly declared their fate. “If Uzuki does not save you, you will remain here forever.”
Eerie, mocking laughter tore through the night. Amano struck the metal door even harder. Her fingernails scraped against the surface; she had already lost six nails. Her mangled, bloody palms merged with the rust on the door. Every time her blood-soaked palms slammed against the metal door, they left behind smooth, stringy threads composed of Amano’s own flesh and blood.
Her flesh was slowly becoming a part of the metallic door.
Cold, malicious gazes surrounded them from all sides.
“It’s dinner time.” Aoi stood up. The color of blood filled her vision, as if someone was controlling her.
A night dyed crimson.
“Stop…” Aoi tried desperately to calm herself, but her mind only grew more and more chaotic.
“Ah, in this world, there is nothing more delicious than an eyeball.” Muttering to herself, Aoi suddenly plunged her fingers into her eye socket and scooped out her eyeball. A spray of bloody tears gushed out.
She chewed the spherical object, spitting out foul liquid that splattered across Kaoru’s face.
“Serves you right! Hahaha, every single one of us deserves this!”
Kaoru knew clearly that they had no way out long ago. Because Kaoru believed Uzuki could never come to save them. Even the kindest person in the world, after learning what they had done, could not possibly forgive them.
Sink into the darkness forever.
Kaoru threw her head back, letting out an innocent, girlish laugh, even as tears streamed uncontrollably down her face.
