Junk Was a Cheat All Along

Pakunoda took the fragment of videotape. The moment her fingertips touched it, she froze.

She looked up at Bai Zhu.

Bai Zhu was looking at her too.

Half of the freshly excavated Old Church lay between them. When the wind swept across Junk Mountain, discarded plastic bags rustled and rattled.

Chrollo did not rush her.

Uvogin took a step forward.

The layer of scrap metal beneath his foot caved in with a piercing screech.

Nobunaga drew his sword half an inch.

Feitan stood behind them, a dangerous smile curling at his lips.

Shalnark was no longer smiling.

Machi let her fingers hang at her sides. Her threads had not emerged, but they could at any moment.

Bai Zhu swept his gaze over them and sighed.

"Your welcoming ceremony is pretty unique."

"Pakunoda."

Chrollo finally spoke.

Understanding his meaning, Pakunoda put away the videotape. Her other hand slowly rose.

Her palm faced Bai Zhu.

"I only need to touch you once."

Pakunoda's tone was calm.

"We'll know soon enough whether you're telling the truth."

The laziness on Bai Zhu's face gradually faded.

Touch him once?

It sounded rather polite.

But to Bai Zhu, it was far more troublesome than Uvogin swinging a fist at him.

He had enough secrets to open a chain of stores.

Transmigration.

Kidō.

Zanpakuto.

And a pile of things even he had not figured out himself.

If Pakunoda really touched him, who knew what she might read.

If she happened to see his memories of being a three-hundred-and-twenty-pound shut-in before his transmigration, paying cute girls to cosplay with him, that would be even worse.

Social death was still death.

Bai Zhu looked at Pakunoda's outstretched hand, and his voice turned cold.

"What, you want to touch me?"

Pakunoda did not withdraw her hand.

"If you haven't lied