Within the World, How Could Anyone Live Forever?

"Su-kun, I wonder if you've ever heard this saying..."

"I'm all ears."

"Life is but fifty years, and the past is like a dream. Is there anything in this world that can live forever?"

Kambara Shuichi drove, his gaze was fixed on the rugged, winding road ahead. He was merely looking at the road conditions, yet it seemed as if he were seeing something much more distant.

"That was said by Oda Nobunaga, wasn't it?" Su Qing'an replied, sitting in the passenger seat while Satou Yunona sat in the back.

They were already on their way to Kambara Village.

Su Qing'an understood what Kambara Shuichi was saying.

This statement is undoubtedly applicable to ordinary people. Whether it's Su Qing'an, Kambara Shuichi, or even the immortals who Shenzhou for five thousand years, the concept of fifty years as a number will eventually disappear.

Before their demise, they would clutch tightly to what they cherished.

"Yes, Su-kun. For me, this life has been enough. As long as I can end the fate of the Kambara Family, rescue Yu, and fulfill my promise to my wife, I will have no regrets."

Hey, you know, when an old man says something like that on the road, he's setting a flag for himself, right? Characters who say things like that in anime usually don't come back. At most, the main characters will put a bouquet of Abyss Flower on his tombstone and carry on his spirit.

But what about the person who died?

All that remained was a single bunch of Abyss Flower that would soon wither and die.

So the moment the man said those words, Su Qing'an felt a sense of foreboding. He thought, "With us protecting you, you shouldn't say such nonsense."

What if your jinx comes true? It's really strange that your first mission is to collect the client's corpse.

But Kambara Shuichi's words were so serious, so serious that it seemed he could see the ending, so serious that it seemed he truly didn't care about death.

She was so serious... Su Qing'an could only remain speechless.

After all, how could you say something offensive and ruin the atmosphere at such a serious time? That would be incredibly rude of you.

Kambara Shuichi glanced at the photo frame placed beside him and smiled happily.

Su Qing'an followed his gaze and looked at the picture; it was a family photo.

It's clear the photo is quite old. Kambara Shuichi is still very young in the photo, with an adorable little girl on his shoulder, and a woman with a gentle and serene smile standing next to him.

This is an ordinary, harmonious scene of a family of three.

"My wife didn't die because of the Living Doll. She had always been in poor health and passed away from an illness a few years ago."

When Kambara Shuichi said this, there was no sadness in his eyes. Instead, a pure and bright smile, like that of a young boy, appeared on his face. It seemed that for this man, thinking of his wife was something to be happy about.

"She asked me to protect Yu, that was my wife's only request before she died, how could I not do it?" said Kambara Shuichi.

This is a promise from a man to a woman, and a promise from a husband to his wife.

So even if you have to go through fire and water, search the highest heavens and the deepest hells, you still have to do it, right?

The same applies to Su Qing'an.

Therefore, he had no grounds to refute anything. The reckless actions he had taken had already cost him half his life, so what could he possibly lecture Kambara Shuichi about?

Besides, there's no need for preaching.

Sometimes, for a man to still have a chance to risk his life is itself a kind of mercy.

Kambara Shuichi wasn't actually that strong. He had some rudimentary training in martial arts and iaido, but he was only considered decent among ordinary people.

But what use are martial arts and iaido techniques when facing Living Doll?

Even a genius like Raiden Mei can only kill Zombie with the Beichen Ichi-ryu.

But there's a saying...

So what if it's useless? Useless wood is still wood, as long as it can be burned!

Kambara Shuichi kept a Sacred God Sword in the trunk of his car.

That is a sword that has been worshipped day and night in the shrine of Kambara Village for five hundred years. Because it was not designed for actual combat, this sword does not have a tsuba (handguard).

However, it seems that he was tainted by the evil spirit of the Living Doll, and the blade is so sharp that it can cut hair in an instant. On the day his father was sacrificed ten years ago, he took away this Sacred God Sword.

Today, Kambara Shuichi returns to Kambara Village with this nameless Sacred God Sword. He doesn't know if he can break the chains of tragedy this time, but what does it matter?

I've been clinging to this life until now, just so I can use it for one last desperate gamble someday.

Even if that day were now, Kambara Shuichi would have already prepared to die.

"Mr. Kambara, we will do our best to protect your and Kambara Yuu's lives." In the end, Su Qing'an could only offer this somewhat official statement.

Sometimes, a single word or a glass of wine is enough for a man to become a true friend.

Su Qing'an is not good with words and doesn't talk much. But the fact that he could give such a reply already proves that he approves of Kambara Shuichi.

"Of course, I believe you. But if, if that day ever comes, Su-kun, Ms. Sato, please prioritize protecting my daughter's life."

Kambara Shuichi's tone gradually became heavy.

"... If that time really comes, we will respect your choice, Mr. Kambara," Su Qing'an replied after a moment of silence.

He thought that assigning you a very low-level task to a semi-A-rank and a Pseudo-Herrscher was incredibly lucky.

It was as if fate had ordained them to end the Kambara Family's destiny.

Under such circumstances, it's understandable that Kambara Shuichi is worried, but what does Su Qing'an herself have to worry about?

He was as if he had been infected by the tragic heroism of the samurai charging into Kambara Shuichi.

Therefore, I couldn't help but feel that things might get to that point.

However, things are still far from reaching that point, so it's better to plan ahead than to worry unnecessarily.

After that, the car fell silent as the conversation ceased, the only sound breaking the stillness being the roar of the Maybach's engine.

Su Qing'an gently stroked the instrument case, inside which was the weapon [Calming the Tempest] that had accompanied him until now.

This time, the enemy is not just the Living Doll; the villagers with their cult-like twisted beliefs may also be enemies.

If we were to divide the battle, then king against king, soldier against soldier, would naturally be Satou Yunona, the Pseudo-Herrscher, dealing with the Living Doll, while Su Qing'an would be responsible for dealing with the others.

This means he might be planning to kill someone.

Don't assume that just because he died twice and killed Honkai Beast and Zombie, he can be completely unmoved and have no feelings about killing.

If such a person really existed, he'd probably be the protagonist of some cold-blooded, dark fantasy novel.

But Su Qing'an is not.

He was essentially just a 17-year-old boy; his willpower was only directed at his ability to withstand emotional stress and pain, as well as his stubbornness.

This may not be ordinary, but it certainly has nothing to do with a cold-blooded killer.

The mere thought of raising a sword against one's own kind would make a boy feel uneasy.

If Kambara Shuichi's account is accurate, and the victims were indeed deeply sinful, killing them might not elicit any moral condemnation.

However, imagining the sight of a sword blade slicing through a human body, Su Qing'an couldn't possibly feel indifferent or accustomed to it.

He hated being a judge.

If he were to draw his sword, before witnessing those sins firsthand, Su Qing'an's only reason for killing would be that the other party also harbored murderous intent.

Perhaps it was for him, or perhaps it was for the client.

But no matter who it is, the boy will retaliate with his sword in the same way and with the same killing intent.

Many things are not about right or wrong, but about perspectives.

Su Qing'an and Satou Yunona, who were standing with Kambara Shuichi, were naturally on the opposite side of Kambara Village.