I Have a Date With Sadako

"You... you will die on the seventh day..."

A chilling, hoarse voice came from the phone, sending a shiver down to the bone.

Allen's face lit up with excitement. Confirming it was Sadako's death-calling line, he acted as if he had received a flirtatious call from a long-desired lover.

"Really?"

Allen asked expectantly, "Sadako, can you call me every day from now on to chat?"

"No..."

"If you don't call me, I'll swallow feces and kill myself preemptively, so you can't have me. Believe it or not, I believe it," Allen threatened angrily.

"Okay."

Faced with Allen's peculiar threat, Sadako had no choice but to compromise.

To be honest, this was the first time she had encountered such a strange person.

Normally, people who received the death-calling line would hang up in terror immediately, unlike Allen, who was enthusiastically chatting away.

"Then it's settled. Sadako, please make sure I die by your hand."

"..."

Allen's words exuded the cloying scent of romance.

For a moment, Sadako was a little flustered, even feeling a trace of emotion.

So understanding.

If every cursed person were as reasonable as Allen, her ghost career would have been much smoother.

"Sadako, you don't know how much I like you. I've watched The Ring at least three times, and I haven't missed any of the spin-offs, like The Ring: Service Customs and The Ring: Debt Love Fall. My favorite is your collaboration with Kayako in Mother-Daughter Sandwich. I've always kept up with your works in 3D and manga..." Allen couldn't help but recount his experience of secretly using his doctor's computer at Qingshan Rehabilitation Center.

"Beep... beep... beep..."

Sadako decisively hung up the phone.

Look at this, is this the kind of thing a decent person watches?

Putting down the phone, Allen clenched his fists and held them in front of him.

"Little Left, Little Right, you have to listen to my explanation. That was just an act just now, I really didn't cheat on you mentally. Besides, you both participated when we watched those educational films."

After a round of explanation, Allen relaxed his fists with relief.

The next day.

Allen absentmindedly stayed by the landline, eagerly awaiting Sadako's promised call.

However, he waited from daytime until midnight without receiving the death-calling line.

This infuriated him, and he couldn't sleep soundly all night.

The third day.

Night fell.

The landline rang.

Allen answered on the first ring, but there was silence on the other end of the line.

"Sadako, why didn't you call me? I waited for you all day yesterday. I didn't dare to sleep at night, worried that I might miss your call and you'd think I was toying with you. You only care about calling others, while you leave me, who keeps you in my heart and always thinks of you, aside."

Allen vented his frustration like a roar. After calming down, he changed his tone to one of worry, "I'm on a dangerous mission, and I can't even guarantee I'll be alive to wait for you. Let's cherish what we have."

"S-sorry..."

"Will you call tomorrow then?"

"Yes."

"It's a deal. Goodnight."

That night, Allen slept exceptionally soundly.

The fourth day.

Sadako's call arrived as promised.

The phone rang, and Allen deliberately waited a few seconds before answering.

"Guess who it is?"

On the phone, Sadako's tone was playful, like a young girl coquettishly talking to her boyfriend.

Allen was slightly stunned, his eyes sharpening. He reprimanded, "Sadako, you are a vengeful spirit, how can you be so emotional? Where has your professional integrity gone? You fell for my little game of playing hard to get. If it were someone else, would you have showered them with sweet words? Would you have let them go if you softened your heart? Do you still want to pursue your ghost career?"

"..."

After a long silence, Sadako responded grimly, "I understand. You have three more days."

"I hope you maintain your proper demeanor," Allen said with satisfaction.

"Beep... beep... beep..."

The fifth day.

The League of Assassins delivered the equipment, Oliver confirmed the target's location, but Allen decided to wait two more days before acting.

That night, Sadako called.

"You have two days left, beep... beep..."

Day Six.

"You have one day left, beep... beep..."

Day Seven. Sadako didn't call. Today was the day she was supposed to claim his life.

Allen walked out of the restroom, slinging a backpack over his shoulder. It contained his gear.

The mission to retrieve The Blade of Redemption officially began.

As Allen stepped out of his hotel room, the television that should have been on the cabinet was nowhere to be found.

As soon as he went downstairs, Bruce and Oliver were already waiting for him.

Before leaving, Allen had intentionally extended his stay by another day to prevent Sadako from accidentally killing any unsuspecting guests.

←Raccoon City, Silent Hill→

At a three-way intersection, a rusty signpost stood tall.

A yellow taxi sped directly towards Silent Hill.

Allen and the other two were sitting in the car.

The driver was playing heavy metal rock music to himself, but the three of them were unfazed, remaining silent the entire time.

The taxi drove onto a dilapidated road. Less than fifteen minutes later, it arrived in front of an old town.

The three of them got out of the car and looked at Silent Hill bathed in the twilight sun. Under the yellow light, the town was imbued with a sense of desolation.

"Pay up, you bastard."

The taxi driver yelled impatiently.

Allen casually took out a banknote and said with feigned nonchalance, "Keep the change."

The driver took the money, skillfully turned the car around, and sped back the way they came.

"How much did you pay?"

Bruce reminded him with ill intent.

Allen took out the money from his pocket and was shocked to find he had given the driver a hundred-dollar bill.

Oliver seized the opportunity to add, "The fare was thirty-one dollars."

Allen immediately wanted to chase after the taxi, but seeing that it had already disappeared, he clenched his fistful of change in annoyance and fumed, "Damn it, I'm never taking a taxi again."

Serves you right for pretending to be generous. What does the taxi have to do with it?

"Silent Hill had an underground fire accident many years ago. Because the ground fire couldn't be extinguished, the smoke was toxic, leading to the abandonment of the entire town."

Oliver shared the intelligence he had gathered. It wasn't exactly a secret; it could be found in the Philadelphia archives. However, crucial information had been deliberately omitted. After interviewing several elderly residents who had moved away back then, they had a general idea of what had happened.

Bruce added, "According to the mission briefing, the evil cult that stole The Blade of Redemption has been hiding in Silent Hill. They are very low-key and mysterious, so the information we have is limited."

"I have a question. How did they steal The Blade of Redemption?"

Watching the two of them talk, Allen felt like he wouldn't have any presence if he didn't say a word or two.

"The Blade of Redemption was lent to a scholar for research, and the evil cult took the opportunity to steal it."

Bruce and Oliver exchanged a look. Did this guy not read the intelligence they were sent?

Before searching, they reviewed the key points of the information to avoid being caught off guard in a crisis.

"Nyah nyah nyah, your looks make it seem like I'm just a filler NPC."

Allen said proudly, "Batsy, I'm not trying to steal your thunder, it's just that I've seen the Silent Hill movies and I know more than you guys."