Dagon's domain.
A stretch of beach.
Five figures stood on the beach.
Kenjaku stood at the front, with Suguru Geto's body, Suguru Geto's face, and Suguru Geto's hair, but the light in his eyes belonged to a thousand-year-old monster.
His expression was grim.
Very grim.
Mu Xi stood three paces behind him, her right hand hanging at her side, a palm-sized balance resting in her palm.
"I didn't expect that one to come back now."
"We made a mistake."
Jogo recalled how, not long ago, he had boasted about killing Wangchuan. But now it seemed that man had never shown his true strength.
He drew his gaze back and looked at Kenjaku.
Kenjaku stood on the beach, his expression gloomy.
But Jogo knew he wasn't grieving for Mahito and the others.
From beginning to end, he had never regarded them as companions. Of course, the feeling was mutual.
He turned his head and looked at Mu Xi.
Mu Xi stood three paces away, the balance slowly floating above her palm, her expression as calm as stagnant water.
"Mu Xi."
"Mm."
"How many people will it take to resurrect the three of them?"
Mu Xi lowered her eyes to the balance in her palm.
Its beam turned, cursed inscriptions lit up, and silvery-white light rose from the pans, forming the outlines of three figures in the air.
Mahito.
Suishi.
Hanami.
The phantoms of three souls floated above the balance, indistinct and transparent, but present.
Mu Xi tapped a pan with her finger.
One end of the balance sank.
"Forty thousand."
"Forty thousand human lives to bring those three back."
The beach fell silent again.
Jogo turned his head and looked at Kenjaku.
"Kenjaku."
"Mm."
"If we act now, can you get forty thousand people?"
The reason Jogo asked Kenjaku rather than