Death Was the Only End

"A person?"

Yukino was startled and involuntarily took several steps back.

She had imagined the "dog" in front of her might launch a sneak attack, try to deceive them, or even be a lifelike illusion. But no matter what, she hadn't expected it to be a human being.

"Does it still have a human mind? Does it know it's human?"

Yukino looked at the person before her, feeling as though something had lodged in her chest.

Turning a human into a dog... She'd probably never forget this scene for the rest of her life. It was every bit as horrifying as the human walrus!

"I don't know, but I have a way to test it."

Bai Yuze had raised a dog himself, so he immediately thought of a way to find out whether the person in front of them still had any human awareness.

"Oi! Come here! Here, boy!"

Bai Yuze used the "here, boy" trick on the "dog," and after hearing his call, it slowly crawled over.

Just then, Bai Yuze snatched up the kitchen knife and swung it hard at the "dog's" face. He deliberately moved slowly so the "dog" could see what he was doing and understand his intentions.

But Bai Yuze didn't actually bring the blade down. He stopped with it suspended right in front of the "dog's" face.

The result was just as he'd expected. The "dog" lowered its head and lay on the ground, eyes squeezed shut, looking as though it feared being punished.

"Experiment over. It has no human awareness. It's completely convinced that it's a dog."

Bai Yuze's test was simple. When attacked, humans instinctively raise their arms to protect themselves and try to dodge. Trained dogs, on the other hand, squeeze their eyes shut, looking afraid but willing to accept the blow.

This also suggested that the "dog" had been beaten and trained many times. In other words, the human before them had been completely domesticated...

"It's beyond saving. It's numb now; deep down, it thinks it's a dog. Even if we took it out of this lousy Minzhai, it couldn't live independently. It might even end up fighting other strays for food on the street!"

"How pitiful... When do you think it was domesticated?"

Yukino looked at the dog with pity, growing all the more curious and suspicious about the truth behind Minzhai.

Could this place be some kind of research facility for swapping human and animal body parts?!

"Judging by its size, it looks about twelve years old. Domesticated an adult, and it'd be even harder; you wouldn't be able to fully train one. Even if it lost its memories, its subconscious would remain."

"Don't forget, it's not just a human domesticated into a dog. It's also a supernatural being."

Bai Yuze placed the knife against the dog's neck again, making sure he could slit its throat the instant it attacked.

With his other hand, he reached for the collar around the dog's neck. It was clearly sized for a puppy.

"The collar is that small... Right, if it weren't a supernatural being, it would've been strangled to death long ago. But it feels like being alive is worse than dying. It's trapped in this dark place and has to endure the torment of suffocation the whole time."

While Yukino murmured to herself, Bai Yuze went over to the Male Corpse and cut a piece of flesh from it.

He dangled the meat in front of the dog, and its eyes followed the swaying piece.

"Want some? Do me a favor, and it's all yours."

You want something from me, and I want you to be useful to me. That applies everywhere. Stray cats "put on a show" to get food from people, and people risk getting scratched when they pet cats for the emotional payoff. In the end, both sides are just getting what they want.

Of course, sometimes you get a cat that turns its nose up at the food. In that case, you can only blame heaven and earth—and Haji Cat for letting you down.

The Ghost Dog was drooling so much it could've filled Tokyo Bay. As soon as it understood what Bai Yuze meant, it hurriedly nodded.

Bai Yuze tossed it the meat. But for the Ghost Dog's appetite, one piece was no more than a drop in the ocean.

It barely had time to taste it before the meat slid down its throat.

So it could only gaze at Bai Yuze longingly, begging him to give it a little more.

"Don't rush. You can eat after we're done."

Bai Yuze knew the chain couldn't be cut or removed, but the collar attached to it was made of leather. So he immediately came up with a way to teach those brats a lesson.

Who hadn't been chased by the neighbor's big yellow dog as a kid? Bai Yuze was generously helping these children make up for the childhood they'd missed. What boundless love!

"Remember, bite anyone you see except me and her. Got it?"

The Ghost Dog nodded. Then Bai Yuze began cutting at the collar that held it in place. He didn't cut through it completely, leaving just a little bit intact.

"All right, go!"

At Bai Yuze's signal, the Ghost Dog shot off. The force of its lunge snapped the collar around its neck, and Bai Yuze ducked into the house to avoid the falling drops, pulling Yukino inside with him.

"It's left now. Shouldn't we keep looking for the Green Gate?"

In response to Yukino's question, Bai Yuze remained unhurried.

"I just had a bold idea. Wait a bit, and you'll understand."

Yukino looked puzzled, but still decided to rest for a while.

After a while, a child appeared at the door. It was covered in bruises. It looked like it had gotten the full childhood experience.

"What? Want to fight me head-on?"

Bai Yuze ran his hand along the kitchen knife's blade. He didn't know whether friends were supposed to be greeted with fine wine, but when an enemy showed up, he'd start by taking a swing.

"S-sorry..."

The supernatural being had actually apologized, which made Bai Yuze wonder if the Ghost Infant had covered his ears.

"Could you... make that big dog stop? It bit my friends..."

"Why should I? Why should I listen to you?"

Bai Yuze laughed. This supernatural being really did think like a child. Did it honestly believe that "salute, shake hands, you're my good friend" worked everywhere?

You had to go through something more painful than me to make me happy. You had to suffer more than me for your apology to count! Until death! Was the only end!

He'd always hated brats. From the moment the supernatural beings tried to kill him and Yukino, there was no chance things would end peacefully. If Bai Yuze could find the ashes of these brats, he'd mix them with water without a second thought, tell Yamauchi Haruki it was sesame paste, and trick him into drinking it.

Oh, right. Yamauchi Haruki was probably waiting in line in the Underworld now. He wouldn't get to enjoy that delicious treat...

"I might be willing to make it stop, but only if you do me a favor. Otherwise, forget it."

Just kidding. Even if it helped, the dog wouldn't stop. This basement was huge—where was he supposed to find it? Bai Yuze was only trying to use the opportunity to squeeze a little benefit out of the situation.