bioinnovel Chapter 361 The Compassionate "Savior"
Chapter 361 The Compassionate "Savior"
Time seemed to freeze at that moment, and even the air became thick and heavy.
Shinobu Kocho stood frozen in place, watching helplessly as the life force of the girl in her arms vanished rapidly, like the receding tide. Only a cold, stiff sensation remained.
She could clearly feel the sharp, icy chill lingering at the edges of those brutally torn wounds. Like a persistent, bone-deep infection, it seeped into the girl's remains.
The girl's eyes, which had just recently begun to show a glimmer of hope, were now wide open, reflecting the intricate wood grain of the ceiling, but no longer able to hold any light or shadow.
"...Sorry I'm late again."
Shinobu's voice was extremely soft, almost inaudible. It was as if she were speaking to the girl in her arms, or perhaps whispering to herself.
Her slender arms, embracing the shattered body, did not lessen its weight; instead, they made the broken remains feel even heavier to her. Her knuckles were white from the excessive force and trembled slightly.
It wasn't out of fear, but rather from a burning, magma-like anger and self-reproach that seemed to burst from his chest.
It was at this very moment that the man who was the culprit, seemingly an outsider who had nothing to do with it, tilted his head slightly, put on a troubled look, and smiled as he "apologized" to Shinobu Kocho, trying to get closer to her in this way.
"Oh, I'm sorry, I tried my best to control my strength, but I still got your clothes dirty... But don't worry, just put her down, and I'll eat you up completely, leaving not a single crumb~"
The man's voice was clear and melodious, like a divine being descended to earth, untouched by worldly concerns. Yet, deep down, he possessed a contemptible indifference that viewed life as worthless.
The content of their words was extremely cruel, yet their tone was relaxed, as if they were discussing what to have for dessert that evening.
This convinced Shinobu Kocho that no matter how innocent or naive she appeared...
What appeared before him now was a complete and utter bloodthirsty monster!
Taking a deep breath to calm herself down, Shinobu Kocho slowly moved and gently placed the lifeless girl in her arms on the floor away from the man.
They moved with extreme care, as if handling a fragile treasure.
Then, Shinobu turned around.
In that instant, the usual warm and gentle smile on her face vanished.
It peeled off like a mask, crumbling into dust.
Instead, there is an extreme coldness, like eternal, unmelting ice.
The deep purple eyes no longer held their former liveliness and tolerance. Instead, accompanied by prominent veins on their foreheads, they churned with hatred and murderous intent, almost tangible, like an active volcano about to erupt.
His gaze was sharp as a knife, fixed on the leisurely figure on the lotus platform!
Especially the golden folding fan in his hand, which had appeared out of nowhere and was slowly dripping bright red liquid!
Those iron fans, with their main body in gold, edges shimmering with a cold metallic luster, and surfaces meticulously engraved with sacred lotus patterns...
Without a doubt, the girl who should have been saved and could have continued to live died from the attack of this weapon!
Moreover, a past that Shinobu Kocho had kept hidden deep within her heart, one she didn't want to recall, was completely awakened by the glaring crimson and the familiar wound design!
In his mind, he saw his older sister, Kanae Kocho, on her deathbed, barely breathing and barely conscious, yet still striving to maintain a clear and complete description of the perpetrator. And the horrifying, fatal wounds scattered across her body…
It perfectly and without any discrepancy overlapped with the image of the smiling demon holding a golden lotus fan before my eyes!
Without a doubt! It is the monster in front of us, a beast in human form!
It was him who murdered Kanae!
"Click..."
It was as if something within Shinobu's body had been clearly and completely severed.
Is it that string called "reason"?
Is it still that same fake smile that she's been forcing herself to maintain all these years in order to imitate her beloved older sister and to avoid worrying others?
No, perhaps what broke down was something deeper. It was some kind of belief, besides "protection," that sustained her and kept her alive.
At this moment, the fire of revenge that Shinobu had been suppressing in the darkest corner of her heart finally broke through all restraints and burned fiercely, almost burning her soul as well.
She took a slow step forward, the wooden planks beneath her feet groaning softly.
Her slender yet steady hand gripped the hilt of the Nichirin Blade at her waist.
With a soft "clang," the blade was drawn from its sheath.
Under the dim lights inside the building, the specially crafted blade, much thinner than a regular Nichirin Blade, reflected a cold, faint purple light. The tip of the blade pointed directly at the demon on the lotus platform, who still wore a "merciful" smile.
"Oh my, what a fierce expression! You scared me."
The man tilted his head slightly, his seven-colored eyes gleaming with an innocent light.
He gently rested his chin on the blood-stained folding fan. There was no trace of genuine fear in his tone; instead, there was a playful fascination with the prey's dying struggle, a gleaning pleasure from it.
He then ignored the ever-increasing chilling killing intent emanating from Shinobu Kocho. In a melodious tone, almost like chanting a hymn, he began to introduce himself.
"Oh, right, I haven't had a chance to introduce myself yet, lovely lady. I am Doma, the current leader of the 'Eternal Bliss Cult.' My duty is to bring happiness to everyone... How about it? Would you like to join us?"
As he spoke, Douma opened his arms, and with that seemingly innocent smile, he appeared elegant and sacred, as if he were truly radiating some kind of divinity.
The blood dripping from the edge of the fan spread into a small, glaring crimson patch at his feet. Combined with the bloodstains on Doma's face from the earlier cannibalism, still damp and congealed, this only served to highlight the eerie and sinister nature of his "divinity."
"...Everyone's happiness? What nonsense are you talking about!"
Shinobu's voice trembled slightly, a barely perceptible tremor from her extreme anger and the absurd scene before her. But more than anything, it carried an undisguised, chilling killing intent upon confirming the enemy's identity.
As the sharp blade pointed directly at the door of the Tongmo Noodle Shop, every word seemed to be squeezed out from between his teeth, filled with bloody hatred, as he shouted fiercely.
"Didn't you see how scared this child is! How much he wants to live!"
"Hahaha! So, didn't I save her right in front of you?"
Faced with Shinobu's questioning, Doma showed no remorse or guilt whatsoever. Instead, he laughed heartily, as if he had heard a vegetarian questioning a wolf about why it eats sheep.
He even stood up boldly and showed Shinobu Kocho the pile of young girls' corpses around his lotus seat, each in a different pose, but all without exception, mutilated and completely lifeless, as if demonstrating some great achievement.
Even after a brief pause, Douma continued speaking in a compassionate, savior-like tone, seemingly oblivious to the world's troubles.
"By my grace, that child will no longer feel pain, sorrow, or fear, nor will she be harmed by anyone... You see, she has now attained eternal peace. And after this, I will be responsible for consuming her, so that she may become one with me, like my other beloved believers, and live happily ever after with me. This is my duty. It is also the ultimate mercy and redemption I bestow upon them."
"In other words, as the leader, I not only accept the emotions, blood, and bodies of my followers—everything they possess—and bestow upon them salvation and liberation, but I also generously allow them to become a part of my body, to enjoy immortality with me, and to ascend to a higher realm of life..."
"Don't you think that everything I've done is meaningful and truly great? Isn't that the highest form of happiness?"