Ai Bielie

But there were no hundred ghosts in Tokyo's Arakawa Ward.

Living in groups was the instinct of the weak. Truly ferocious predators all possessed vast territories, and outsiders entering them had to pay the price.

Niijima Yuta was such a predator. He had once charged alone into another group's headquarters and cut down dozens of people. After that night, the yakuza of Arakawa Ward would fall silent whenever his name was mentioned.

It was said that the enemy's blood had drenched the tiger tattooed across his chest that night, and that was why he, the leader of the Niijima Group, had earned the nickname Blood Tiger.

Yet this same vicious predator was now bowing and scraping respectfully... one might even say fearfully... before the woman sprawled wantonly across his beloved office desk.

—Ai Bielie.

That was the name the monster on the desk called herself.

Perhaps she looked like a breathtakingly beautiful woman now, but at first glance, one would only feel that she was not human, not a demon, and not even some kind of specter or fiend.

Niijima Yuta knew that what he was seeing was merely what Ai Bielie wanted him to see.

"—Niijima, did you know?"

Ai Bielie's light laughter echoed through the Niijima Group's office. "Everyone grows."

"If you give someone warm hope and beautiful love, let it continue for a long time, and then destroy it all at a certain moment..."

Ai Bielie turned her head. She quietly gazed at the towering Niijima Yuta, her eyes filled with compassion. "At that moment, all the beauty will shatter and become the pain of parting. That is how people grow."

Ai Bielie sighed softly. "Thus, all living beings suffer."

She sat up and reverently pressed her palms together. "I came here this time to relieve all living beings of their suffering."

Niijima Yuta's scalp prickled. He realized that even he, a man who killed without the slightest hesitation, could not understand this monster's way of thinking at all.

She had clearly told him earlier to kill anyone who blocked his way and had mentally controlled every member of the group, yet now she was speaking with a compassionate expression about saving all living beings.

—If he weren't trying to obtain the legendary power of an evil spirit, he would never have stayed in front of this monster for even two seconds.

"My lady, another branch of the club was destroyed by Nanjō Emi this morning. All the cult members and believers inside were killed. There are now only four branches left in the entire Arakawa Ward."

He lowered his head, already prepared for Ai Bielie to fly into a rage.

Because that was the kind of person she was.

Yet what reached him was Ai Bielie's delighted laughter.

"Niijima, that's a good thing. So many friends have gone to the blissful world without suffering, a paradise filled with friendship. You should be happy."

Ai Bielie continued, "If Nanjō Emi likes doing this, then let her continue. I also want to know exactly how many deaths it will take to reveal the other side hidden within her heart."

To hell with her blissful world.

Niijima Yuta thought that if he could beat her, he would draw his sword on the spot and cut the woman in half. Renaming his Niijima Group into something like the Friendship Club was a disgrace.

But this monster... perhaps calling her a ghost god would be more accurate. With merely a single instant, she could kill dozens of people from a distance. Such Ghost God Power was completely beyond Niijima Yuta's comprehension.

Moreover, it seemed that as time passed, this monster's power was growing stronger and stronger...

"Niijima, are you thinking about me?"

Niijima Yuta's thoughts abruptly stopped.

In that instant, he even felt as if his entire body were about to melt into a puddle of mindless liquid—that was how the people who had defied Ai Bielie before had died.

Before the terrified Niijima could apologize, he felt a pair of warm hands helping him up. Before his eyes, Ai Bielie smiled sweetly and said, "I can know what you're thinking~ That's right. I'm indeed much stronger than I was at the beginning."

"Whether it's joy, sorrow, fear... The more violently human emotions change, the faster I can grow." At this point, Ai Bielie looked at him meaningfully. "That's why people are at their most delicious at the moment of death."

Niijima Yuta felt as though he had fallen into an icy cavern, and he was even somewhat desperate.

"Don't be afraid, don't be afraid~"

Ai Bielie gently patted Niijima Yuta's palm.

And so he felt the fear and unease in his heart rapidly fade away, replaced by an utterly ferocious urge to destroy and a bloodthirsty impulse.

"That's more like it."

After clapping her hands, Ai Bielie crouched down and looked at Niijima Yuta expectantly. "You must have more to say. Hurry up and tell me."

"Yes."

Blood Tiger bowed his head loyally, concealing his fangs before his only master. "The Ouija Board sent out a few days ago has been confirmed to be effective. The seal has loosened, but not completely."

"And then?" Ai Bielie widened her eyes. "Where's your 'but'?"

Niijima Yuta paused for two seconds before saying, "But the Ouija Board was also confiscated by Nanjō Emi."

Nanjō Emi. Nanjō Emi again?

She looked like an incredibly boring person, yet she could do so many interesting things.

How dazzling and delicious would she be when her emotions collapsed and she completely broke?

Ai Bielie could hardly wait.

Compared to that, although the Ouija Board could allow her strength to advance further at the very first moment of the First Wave's arrival, restoring her from an "evil spirit" to a "ghost god," it no longer seemed quite so important.

"There's also..."

"Wait a moment."

Ai Bielie smiled and raised a hand. Then, under Niijima's puzzled gaze, she reached out and grabbed a translucent ghost from somewhere. The ghost held a paper umbrella and wore an expression of gentleness and sorrow.

"Oh, it's the Rain Woman. I wonder what it felt like for you to cross countless hardships to reach the living world, only to step into death abruptly just before seeing your husband from life."

As she spoke, Ai Bielie stuffed the Rain Woman, who was frantically begging for mercy, into her mouth and chewed her to pieces in a few bites.

Savoring the mournful cries of sorrow gradually fading within her body, Ai Bielie could not help revealing an intoxicated expression.

Niijima acted as though he had seen nothing and continued, "Besides that, there are two students who survived after coming into contact with the Ouija Board."

"Who? Who are they?"

Ai Bielie's face was full of anticipation.

Niijima took out his phone and showed Ai Bielie photos of Uesugi Tetsu and Tokugawa Ririko.

Ai Bielie excitedly memorized Uesugi Tetsu's face. Then, when she saw Ririko, she narrowed her eyes. "I remember her. Wasn't she the champion of the kendo tournament?"

She slowly said, "I hate kendo..."

Niijima immediately called for his subordinates and ordered them to abduct Ririko and bring her over. If they could not bring her back alive, bringing her corpse would do.

An orderly chorus of "Yes!" immediately came from outside the door. The voices were loud and sounded full of energy.

"Forget it. I am still somewhat interested in her." Ai Bielie stopped them.

Niijima waved his hand again, sending the gathering underlings away. They returned to their posts and went about their duties, using electronic devices specially modified by Ai Bielie to spread the Friendship Cult's doctrines.

The Niijima Group now... no, perhaps it was better described as this demonic den overflowing with friendship... obeyed orders to the letter.

"These two children look so delicious."

Ai Bielie patted Niijima Yuta's broad shoulder and made him stand. "There is no need to concern yourself with the Special Affairs Division or Nanjō Emi. Let them do as they please. Just follow my instructions: search for people of extreme bliss or despair, and then sow the seeds."

Immediately afterward, before Niijima Yuta's eyes, Ai Bielie seemed to split apart like a thread dividing, becoming three figures. Then all three Ai Bielies laughed in unison:

"It's decided. Before eating the main course, I'll use my clones to go meet those two children first."