16 Chapter 10. The Woman (Part 3)

The sun was rising, turning the sea into a beautiful vessel of molten gold, and painting the sky a bright, vibrant pink. I stood on the balcony, feeling the fresh breeze caress my torso, the scent of the morning breeze hitting my nostrils, and a hint of sea salt lingering on my lips.

One of the best side effects of becoming otherworldly was that no matter how much I drank, I woke up feeling fresh as a daisy. I lit a cigarette and took a deep drag, then glanced over my shoulder at the peacefully sleeping Mei.

We had peculiar dynamics between us. There was nothing remotely sentimental like love involved, mainly because Mei loved the smell of money, and I loved the scent of burning wood and gasoline...

But being serious, there was a genuine pull between Mei and me, though initially, we were in completely different leagues. To Mei, I was a teenager who caught the eye of an older woman, and to me, she was just a sisterly figure. Perhaps, nothing would have happened between us if our profession wasn't so perilous. Yet, after a mission where we barely escaped with our lives—well, I barely escaped—we crossed that line. Once we did, there was no reason to stop; the deed was done, so why waste nerves and arguments?

"I'm losing Geto's trail," I said, looking at the long, almost alive shadows, taking a deep drag that scorched my throat and lungs.

"You have a strange habit of tracking shady individuals," a slightly hoarse voice behind me spoke, a result of prolonged screams. Soon after, slender hands embraced me from behind.

As murky as Suguru Geto might be, I needed to track this guy, and not just him. Of course, from an outsider's perspective, tracking someone who will inevitably appear before you might seem foolish. Yet, my instincts and Hunter's habits wouldn't let me rest. It happened to me since the ninth Sequence—if I don't know where the game is, I can't find peace.

"Maybe he decided to retire," Mei, leaning her forehead against my back, continued.

"Characters like him can only leave the sorcerer world in one way," shaking my head, I smirked.

Mei chuckled softly.

"Why are you so interested in this guy?" Mei asked, with undisguised curiosity. "It's hardly the usual solidarity of high-ranking sorcerers."

"Male solidarity?" I corrected her.

"Doesn't matter," Mei said.

"Don't worry, my interest is reserved for women only," I replied, with a light chuckle.

Mei shifted slightly behind me. I felt her nipples scratching my back.

"At least some good news," she muttered. "Not that anything would come out of it anyway. Satoru will pine for this guy."

I swallowed my next response. It was better not to fall for her provocations. Besides, who knew, maybe it was true.

"You've probably noticed that over the past couple of years, there have been a lot more special-grade curses. They pop up like mushrooms after rain," I said. "With such a numerous automatic 'experience' farm and an incredibly loyal flock, this guy is the most dangerous man among the living."

Mei only snorted but seemed a bit reassured.

"Have you ever thought why there are more curses?" On the corner of the room's television screen, some clumsy reporter was interviewing a man showcasing his "spirals."

"No, it's obvious," exhaling tobacco smoke, I continued. "Satoru Gojo, damn him."

Mei smiled faintly.

"The gods love that guy, but I have a feeling that lately, the situation is beyond the usual influence of Six Eyes."

On my face appeared a subtle smile. Such a bold statement could be attributed to damn female intuition or, in the worst case, luck, but I understood perfectly well that this woman was very observant. Thanks to that, she had long ago figured out that I was up to something. Of course, due to Mei's nature, she couldn't directly ask me about such things, so she only probed. Although, in any case, her assumption was incorrect because it was Satoru who was the catalyst for the beginning of great changes in this world. Even now, curses were becoming stronger because Six Eyes still existed.

"Even if that's the case, neither you nor I can influence it in any way," I blatantly lied to Mei. However, it was the only correct path— the less people knew about what Kenjaku was planning, the higher the likelihood of playing a winning hand. There is a saying that ignorance breeds bravery. Its true meaning might be slightly different, but there is some truth to it. When people gain knowledge, they become aware of the limit of "recklessness."

On the other hand, it didn't mean that I would cower at any chance to inadvertently influence the plot. Quite the opposite, I had already influenced this world in a way that could turn everything upside down. And who knows, would Yuta Okkotsu be able to fulfill his role during the Night Parade of a Hundred Demons?

And if he couldn't, it would destabilize the entire situation, possibly even altering the original plotline. However, wasn't that what made the whole process exciting? It's one thing to prepare for inevitable danger, and another to fear it. The fear of changing the plotline wasn't a characteristic of a strong person. Taking into account the changes that occurred with me during the sequences, I could confidently say that a world that didn't change was something a Pyromancer like me despised.

Ah... I had grown too fond of watching things burn.

"I hate when I have to role-play as someone else," Mei interrupted my train of thought, pressing her nose against my back.

"Well, when we're exorcising curses, you don't think that way and constantly throw me under the bus," I remarked.

"Men should perform feats for ladies," her voice carried a slight amusement.

"And for non-ladies, feats are not necessary," I said amusingly, how a simple phrase could stir memories of my past life.

Mei chuckled in response.

Having finished the cigarette, I put out the butt and sighed leisurely. It was nice to sometimes divert attention from the intricate spider webs laid out by Kenjaku to something more down-to-earth and pleasant, like meeting with Mei or, at the very least, paying a visit to Kinji and enjoying some good banter.

We continued to stand in silence for a while, savoring this calm moment. Suddenly, my phone rang. Glancing at the contact that decided to bother me so early in the morning, I couldn't help but smile and answer the call.

"Hey, Bastard, it's been a while since you've been in street fights," a bass-heavy voice with hints of laziness sounded from the other side.

Mei stepped away from me and headed to the kitchen, giving me space for the conversation.

"Remember the devil, and there he is, as always," I let the altered version of my name pass, only smiling, hearing my friend's voice. "How many references were in your very first sentence?"

"Two," my interlocutor cheerfully replied.

"I thought you were fit for more, Kinji," recalling how foul-mouthed this guy was, I was surprised that he still hadn't used a single Russian curse word, except for how he pronounced my name.

"Don't think, know," the guy chuckled. "Anyway, did I disturb you there? Maybe you have some very important business? For example, screwing Mei to death?"

"The creator of the fight club, a Russian yakuza, a lucky idiot, and now a voyeurist. Soon you'll catch up with me in nicknames," I wasn't surprised that this guy knew, as Yokohama was his territory. "However, I hope you had a serious reason to call me so early because otherwise, I'll have to remind you why..."

"Okay, okay, I get it. With such a woman by your side, you don't want to waste time on a friend," Kinji interrupted me, feigning sadness.

"Last time you called me when you were already drunk as a skunk and needed company to go to the game room," recalling that fine evening, I looked at the Dakimakura with Ryan Gosling in human height.

"Back then, you had a different opinion," Kinji retorted. "But this time it's a really important matter..."