Eldritch Horror Theatre

”I’m sorry, but I have absolutely no interest in you anymore.”

”Just seeing your face makes me sick.”

Brother Takagi’s deranged yet affectionate confession was touching, but in the blink of an eye, he suffered a brutal double blow.

Although Kana Kisaragi was technically the wounded one, her condition seemed vastly superior. She mocked him, her laughter cold and haughty.

”You’re lying to yourself. You felt it, didn’t you? What I just showed you...”

Takagi refused to accept this, the infatuation on his face not diminishing in the slightest.

”They only treat you as a plaything, including this Mister Dancy.”

Fu Qian, who had chosen to stand by the stairs and watch the show, was surprisingly the first person Takagi noticed.

”They’ll only hurt you. They’ve never appreciated your charm. Only I... I will save you. No, you’ll save yourself... I am only your most loyal tool, your only tool... I just need a little comfort from you...”

By the end of his outpouring, Takagi’s logic had clearly derailed.”If you like that hand so much, you can keep it.”

Chie Kisaragi had recovered from her shock by this point and started untying the ropes binding Kana Kisaragi.

Takagi had obviously tied them incredibly tight; she was struggling.

Kana Kisaragi didn’t even glance at her efforts, merely continuing her verbal assault on Brother Takagi.

”Just disappear from my sight from now on.”

”No... impossible... We’ve long been inseparable...”

Takagi’s voice grew increasingly hollow.

”Inseparable—”

The next moment, he suddenly lunged forward and did something shocking.

Opening his mouth exaggeratedly wide, he shoved Kana Kisaragi’s dull, severed hand straight inside, chewing forcefully as he tried to swallow it.

Judging by his expression, swallowing it was excruciating. Yet he didn’t hesitate at all, using both hands to firmly stuff it down his throat.

’What is wrong with people these days...’

Hayami Suzune, who was closest, was obviously so shocked that she forgot to step forward and stop him.

Not that anyone could blame her; she had seen a few too many man-eaters lately.

By the time Hayami Suzune finally reacted, Takagi had forcefully swallowed the severed hand. He was bleeding from his nose and mouth, his whole body convulsing.

Given that she was clearly no medical specialist, Hayami Suzune was momentarily at a loss for what to do after witnessing this.

Urgh, urgh...

The collapsed Takagi could no longer speak, but his eyes remained dead set on Kana Kisaragi until he slowly stopped struggling. The corners of his mouth even curled into a satisfied smile.

”Mister Dancy, thank you for coming to save me.”

Unfortunately, the next moment Kana Kisaragi turned to Fu Qian, smiling as she thanked him.

...

Chie Kisaragi’s hands almost trembled as she untied the rope, but she gritted her teeth and continued.

Unfortunately, Takagi had tied the knots too tightly. In her agitated state, she struggled with the final knot several times but couldn’t undo it.

Kana Kisaragi, however, grew faintly impatient. She pushed her sister’s hands away and gave a forceful tug with her uninjured left hand, completely breaking free from her restraints.

”You’re welcome.”

Fu Qian casually replied, observing the scene and thoughtfully evaluating it.

’This is about—Tier 7?’

...

’It’s only been a day since we last met. Her efficiency is almost catching up to mine!’

Fu Qian sighed deeply in awe of this new discovery.

Indeed, unlike when they had met previously, Kana Kisaragi’s state had undergone a qualitative transformation.

She no longer just bore the peculiarity that only he and Su Gao could sense; she now explicitly manifested a Transcendent aura. Her Rank was no lower than Hayami Suzune’s.

His idea to come over and observe had been correct. The Jiali 9527 Plan had entered a new phase.

”Kana Kisaragi?”

Hayami Suzune, whose attention had been entirely drawn by Takagi’s gruesome demise, finally realized something was wrong.

Looking at Kana Kisaragi standing up, and then glancing at the snapped ropes beside her, the Night Watcher sounded like she was mumbling in her sleep.

”What’s wrong?”

Kana Kisaragi hadn’t even realized the change herself yet. Seeing Hayami Suzune’s bizarre reaction, she was momentarily confused.

”Your hand...”

After staring blankly for a moment, Hayami Suzune’s eyes locked onto her severed arm.

”It was chopped off by Takagi. He had clearly gone mad. Not only did he kidnap me here, but he also killed Mister Ishida right in front of me.”

While speaking, she subconsciously followed Hayami Suzune’s gaze. The next second, Kana Kisaragi froze as well.

On her originally bare elbow, countless fleshy tendrils were squirming, slowly tearing and extending outward bit by bit.

”The Miracle Potion actually works...”

Hayami Suzune sounded like she was questioning her entire reality.

”You need to come back with me.”

Swallowing hard, she subconsciously pulled Chie Kisaragi to the side, gritting her teeth as she stared at the newly advanced Transcendent.

”Okay...”

Kana Kisaragi finally realized what was happening. She couldn’t help but gently stroke the fleshy tendrils at her stump with her left hand, murmuring to herself.

The thing she had dreamed of for countless days had suddenly materialized just when she had long given up hope, leaving her overwhelmed with indescribable emotions.

”Mister Dancy, could you accompany me?”

However, after agreeing to Hayami Suzune’s demand, she suddenly remembered something and smiled at Fu Qian.

’She’s become even more confident. Is this the psychological impact of being reborn?’

’Trying to conquer me with the aura of a dimensional strike?’

Facing the even more alluring Kana Kisaragi, Fu Qian clicked his tongue in silent praise.

This trip could be considered a major discovery. What he needed to figure out next was how she had managed to achieve this.

Unlike Hayami Suzune, Fu Qian didn’t believe this was purely a delayed effect of the Miracle Potion. He leaned more toward it being related to her special talent.

’Was it years of accumulation finally crossing a certain threshold, or did some special trigger induce a mutation?’

’However, my identity is quite sensitive right now. Tagging along to the Night Watchers Base isn’t a good idea. I’ll pass.’

Fu Qian gently shook his head. But the next moment, Kana Kisaragi’s expression stiffened, and she looked as though she were about to weep. Surprisingly, Fu Qian found the words of refusal incredibly hard to voice.

’Fascinating. Something is a bit off!’

Fu Qian acutely noticed the shift in his own mentality.

He didn’t believe he was capable of feeling embarrassed or overly polite; this sudden difficulty seemed to be the result of some external influence.

It didn’t even feel like he was under a charm effect. It was purely a sudden reluctance to go against her wishes.

’Was Classmate Takagi tortured to such an extent because of this too?’

’But even though she is not the Ameng of Wuxia anymore, Kana Kisaragi is only showing the strength of a Tier 7 at most.’

’No matter how miraculous her abilities are, unless she is Mid Tier, I don’t believe she could influence a Demigod. This is a bit strange.’

’Wait a minute, in a certain aspect, she really does seem to be Mid Tier!’

Fu Qian suddenly thought of the Badge in his pocket.