Human hearts are made of flesh and blood.
Even someone like Kakeru Ryuen, a ruthless delinquent who lived by the law of the jungle, would be moved after receiving the genuine favor and care of the elderly members of the Visual God Cult.
But Ryuen wasn't good at expressing gratitude.
He simply read the heartwarming diary entries over and over in silence.
Then, suppressing any outward emotion, he continued turning the pages.
The next few pages were all about everyday trifles. The weather, tea times, the aches and pains of growing old.
Until…
> [Entry 60]
> Who are they? They're actually willing to pay such a high price for our humble church building? It should be a good thing… we old folks need money too. With this money, that child (Ryuen) should be able to go to an even better school.
>
They!?
Ryuen's eyes sharpened instantly.
Who are "They"?
He had a premonition. They must be the "Trouble" the old Cult Leader had encountered recently.
A cruel smile flickered across Ryuen's lips.
He had said he wasn't a good person. He was a scumbag.
But if anyone wanted to mess with these old guys who had tried to help him, they would have to see if they could withstand the bites of a mad dog.
> [Entry 63]
> We're rich! That kid probably doesn't know yet, right? Ha! Once this transaction period is over, we'll send that kid back to school. A good education is needed to stand on your own two feet in society. But this money… it doesn't seem so easy to hold onto. It's alright. That kid is waiting for good news from us old guys; it's only right that we bear the burden for him.
>
> [Entry 65]
> Something's not right... What are they trying to do? They made us eat crows' eyes? What's wrong with Granny Inoue? Ever since she ate the crow's eye, she has been acting strangely. She keeps talking to the air, acting like she's reverted to the time before her grandson disappeared.
>
> [Entry 68]
> Damn it! I wanted to apply to replace old man Kawaguchi in the "Special Ceremony," but the new buyers refused. What are they trying to do? No, we can't let them keep this up any longer. If there's real danger, we'll have to give up the money for now.
>
> [Entry 70]
> Damn it! Damn it!! So that's how it is! So that's what happened to the missing people!! No! We can't do this! We have to give them the money back! We have to leave!
>
Ryuen's eyelids lowered. His eyes grew cold and sharp.
In his mind, cruel images of human experimentation and yakuza organ harvesting flashed rapidly.
If all else fails, I'll call in reinforcements from the Fujiwara family. Isn't busting a dangerous crime syndicate exactly the kind of political achievement the Fujiwaras are hoping for?
He turned the page, ready to find evidence of criminal activity.
But the next entry froze his blood.
> [Entry 71]
> I saw it! I finally saw it!! No! This isn't something an old man like me should see! God... So this is the Truth of the World...
>
Ryuen's heart skipped a beat.
His gaze quickly swept across the date. Yes. It was indeed around the time the old man had started acting strangely and looking terrified during his sermons.
The Truth of the World?
What is the old man saying… What had he seen?
It seemed… not quite what Ryuen had expected. This didn't sound like he had discovered a yakuza operation. This sounded like religious mania.
Ryuen hesitated slightly. His fingers hovered over the page. He debated whether to continue.
His intuition, honed by years of street fighting, was incredibly sharp. It was as if an obscure, dangerous aura lingered around his nostrils just from touching the paper. If he continued reading, he felt he would be unable to predict or control the sinister outline that lay ahead.
He looked out the window.
The overcast sky grew even darker, and the rain intensified. The strong wind brought by the storm made the windowpane rattle slightly. It was as if trouble was knocking at the door…
He continued reading. Ryuen didn't give up. He wasn't one to easily back down.
> [Entry 73]
> No! Don't bother me! I didn't do anything wrong! That wasn't me! That wasn't me looking at You!!
>
The handwriting here was messy, erratic, tearing through the paper—clearly showing the old man's absolute panic.
Bothering him?
Who was bothering him? Was he having a nightmare?
> [Entry 75]
> God… I was wrong. I shouldn't have let them in. They are devils! I knew, I knew they wouldn't let me go, so I talked to my old buddies. Only that child… only that child has to get out of here!
>
> [Entry 76]
> Child, go! By the time you read this notebook, things are already beyond saving! Go, Ryuen! This place is about to become Hell. I'm sorry, my child. There are many things we can't tell you, and even if you knew the truth, you wouldn't be able to leave if they notice you. Go, go quickly. You shouldn't stay here with us old folks…
>
Thud…
As Ryuen reached the end of the written pages, an envelope fell out of the back cover and landed on the floor. Inside the envelope was a high school re-admission notice and a thick stack of 10,000 yen bills.
But Ryuen's eyes never lingered on the money. His gaze was fixed on the admission notice, sending shivers down his spine.
Good… good.
A bunch of old guys who have nothing have actually done so much behind my back.
How wonderful…
But the contents of the notebook also sent a paralyzing chill down his spine.
He vaguely sensed a crimson, pulsating danger—something entirely different from a normal criminal worldview. One wrong step, and he would face death.
Perhaps… a scene even more terrifying than death.
What is it?
Ryuen couldn't get a clear answer. A fog seemed to hang before his eyes. It was dangerous, yet he had no choice but to venture back out and investigate.
At this moment, Ryuen amplified his perception of the danger to the extreme. He reached for his phone, deciding he needed to call Ayanokoji or the Fujiwara fixers for immediate backup.
But just as he was about to dial, he was startled to discover several pages stuck together at the very back of the notebook. He quickly peeled them apart, and the contents immediately seized his attention.
The handwriting was completely different. It was frantic, scrawled in what looked like dried rust—or dried blood.
> [Hidden Pages]
> Hahahahahahaha…!! !! ! ... I understand! I understand!! We can't leave! We can't leave!
> No! We have to go! We must let that child...
> No! This is Heaven! We must let that child come to Heaven to enjoy happiness too!
>
Ryuen's pupils contracted sharply. His heart seemed to stop.
How… how could this be?
The old man... has he gone completely mad? The handwriting changes mid-sentence!
> Come! Come, my child! Do you know what we have discovered? God... Forgive my disrespect, but my child has not yet entered Heaven! My child, do not be afraid! Come here, you will get everything you want! Do you know our God? Yes, He is real! Do not let worldly thinking limit your wisdom...
>
Then, the handwriting violently shifted back to the old man's original, shaky script, crossing out the previous lines frantically.
> No!! Child! Listen to me! My time is limited, you must hear me finish! Remember! These are all fake! Do not believe! Go! Go now!!
>
And then, overlapping the old man's desperate warning, the bloody, manic handwriting returned, larger and bolder.
> SHUT UP!!
> COME TO ME, CHILD!
> BECOME ONE WITH US! GO TO HEAVEN WITH US!!
>
"Clang…"
Ryuen dropped the notebook, kicking his chair back as he scrambled away from the desk.
"Huff… huff… huff…"
Horror. Pure, primal fear.
A chill ran straight to his heart, causing Ryuen to jump up as if his body were on fire. He retracted his hand as if the notebook itself had grown thorns and stabbed him.
What the hell was this?!
Yes. A hellish thing!
The one who wrote the bloody text couldn't possibly be the old Cult Leader! Or rather, it wasn't the old man he knew! That terrifying, alien madness seemed to be communicating directly to Ryuen through the paper, leaping off the page to infect his mind.
At this moment, Ryuen suddenly realized he wasn't as fearless or unruly as he thought.
He was afraid.
These mad words sent a chill down his spine. Looking down at his slightly trembling hands, he saw his arms were completely covered in goosebumps.
Words… could words on a page really be this terrifyingly eerie?
Impossible.
He wasn't unfamiliar with horror novels or scary movies. But this notebook… rather than a mere record of the old man's descent into madness, it felt more like a ghost beyond human comprehension was groveling and grinding its teeth directly into Ryuen's ear.
What on earth is this...?
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