39 39

◎Heaven and Tyrant (Four in One)◎

January 2005.

Looking at the little girl on the mission list who looked only a few years old, Fu Heishen was a little puzzled. He chuckled and asked the person in front of him, "Only three years old, and she's already going to die?"

The person in front of him coldly mocked, "When did Heaven and the Tyrant become people who care about life?"

Fuhesh shrugged and said nothing more.

"Once this mission is complete, a large sum of money will be deposited into your account, enough for you to play around for months." The person in front of me clenched his hands and placed them on the table, saying coldly, "Heaven and Tyrant shouldn't disappoint me, right?"

Fuheishen lowered his eyes and said with a smile, "...Of course."

He looked at the task list again.

[Name: Yuuki Matsuna]

Age: 4 years old

Gender: Female

Family relationships:…

…

Spells: Superior-grade Cursed Spirit - Deer-like Beast, Copy Spell, others unknown.

Next to the task sheet was a photo of a little girl. The little girl, who had just turned three, had an extremely indifferent expression, as if she had already seen through the meaning of life.

Fukushiro's mission this time is to assassinate this little girl and kill the eldest daughter of the Yuuki family.

He was not a curse caster, but an assassin, specifically a caster-killer.

*

Yuki Matsuna sat in the courtyard, leaning against a monster that resembled both a fox and a horse, with mottled, iridescent markings on its body. The monster let her lean against it, occasionally sticking out its tongue to lick her.

As she looked down at her book, the monster raised its head and roared, but its roar was unlike the unpleasant roars of ordinary wild beasts; its voice was extremely beautiful, like someone reciting poetry and singing.

Hiding in the shadows, Fuheishen narrowed his eyes, pondering how to defeat this top-tier cursed spirit and kill the little girl.

The little girl was caught off guard and seemed to be not very strong. Perhaps if we could just lure the special-grade cursed spirit away in a different way, we could easily succeed.

But to Fuheshel's surprise, the little girl suddenly spoke while he was thinking.

"Uncle, how long are you going to hide there?" Yuki Matsuna put down the comic book in her hand and looked straight in the direction where Fushiguro Jinji was.

She tilted her head and said, "Uncle, is it comfortable hiding there? If you want to kill me, why don't you just come out?"

So they've been discovered!

Fuheishen was startled. After hesitating for a moment, he stepped out from the shadows.

He walked step by step to a spot not far from the girl, looked her in the eye, and after a moment of silence, he smiled and asked, "Since you knew I was here to kill you, why didn't you call for help?"

"No need." The girl stood up and reached out to stroke the spirit's head. The spirit obediently lowered its head and let her stroke it. "Uncle can't beat me. If you force your way in, you'll be the one who gets hurt."

Can't beat them...?

"Looks like I'm being looked down upon." Fuheishen chuckled darkly, his expression suddenly shifting. "Whether we can win or not, we'll have to try and see."

No sooner had he finished speaking than Fuheishen attacked.

He didn't actually intend to attack directly; it was just a feint. While the special-grade cursed spirits came up to intercept his attack, Fuheshen would launch an attack from another location. That was his real purpose.

His goal was to lure the enemy away from their base and eliminate the person who truly needed to be killed in one fell swoop, rather than wasting his strength.

“It’s no use,” Yuuki Matsuna said.

The super-grade cursed spirit did not move an inch, but its body suddenly became enormous. It stretched out a front claw, and the huge claw pressed Fuheishener to the ground, rendering him unable to move.

“No one in this world can defeat Lu Shu.” The girl squatted down and looked down at Fu Heishen’er, who was being pressed to the ground. “Uncle, you shouldn’t waste your energy anymore.”

The moment her eyes met Fuheshchen's, she frowned, as if she had seen something.

She added, "Uncle, if you continue doing this, you'll die in a year."

"Ha." Fuheishen chuckled.

He laughed self-deprecatingly, "A year later? Miss, I've been caught by you now, I should be dead soon, there's no need to wait a year."

When he started this line of work, Fuheshel knew he wouldn't live much longer.

Although the bounty for each mission was very high, and some missions were even enough for him to live comfortably for the rest of his life, Fuheshen was a prodigal son.

He knew he was a bad person who didn't cherish his life. After his first wife died, he reverted to his old ways, gambling all day long, with alcohol and gambling sustaining him every day.

When he ran out of money, he would take on more missions. When he had no missions, he would go from house to house with several women, acting as a gigolo for wealthy women. When he had money, he would continue to gamble and drink.

Fuheshchen is such a rotten person.

He never intended to live for long; he just drifted through life aimlessly. This was his way of surviving, and he neither wanted to nor would change it.

“I won’t kill my uncle,” Yuuki Matsuna said.

She sat back down on the ground, leaning against the Superior Spell Spirit, flipping through a comic book while talking to Fuheishen: "Why did Uncle want to kill me?"

"Is that even a question?" Fuheshel said matter-of-factly. "Of course it's because your life is very valuable; killing you will bring a huge bounty."

Being pinned to the ground didn't diminish his arrogance. He even shamelessly said, "Hey, kid, just let me kill you. After I kill you, I'll have money to continue gambling and drinking."

"I'm sorry, I don't want to die yet." The girl looked up at him and suddenly asked, "Uncle, how much is my head worth?"

After hesitating for a moment, Fuheshen said the amount.

To everyone's surprise, the girl nodded calmly and blurted out, "Then I'll give you double the money, and you won't kill anyone anymore."

Fuheshen couldn't understand the girl's thought process for a moment.

He was a man with no moral compass, so he simply raised an eyebrow and asked, "What, you want to keep me as your sugar daddy?"

"What is being kept as a sugar daddy? And what is a gigolo?" Yuuki Matsuna didn't understand what this meant, so she frowned and asked.

Fuheishen didn't bother to explain: "It's all about money, Miss. Are you going to take care of me?"

“…If it will make you stop killing.” Yuuki Matsuna thought for a moment. Children don’t understand the wicked intentions of adults, and she frowned as she agreed.

Fuheshchen, in a playful mood, said maliciously, "Hey, my prices are very high, can you afford them?"

He underestimated the financial strength of the young lady's family.

The young lady chuckled, as if mocking him, and said calmly, "If it's a matter of money, then it's a trivial matter that you don't need to worry about at all."

Fuheshchen: ...

The evil rich.

He stayed by the girl's side under the guise of a "financial relationship".

When Yuki Matsuna learned that she was going to hire Fushiguro Shige, her parents strongly opposed it.

No one wants to hire a "mage killer" to stay by their girl's side, and Fuheshel understands that perfectly.

He shrugged, looked down at the little girl who was much shorter than him, and deliberately feigned a pitiful look as he asked maliciously, "Oh dear, what should I do? Your mom and dad seem to really dislike me."

“That’s not a problem,” the girl replied calmly.

She looked up at her parents and uncle, and said confidently, "Daddy, Mommy, do you think anyone can kill me?"

As she said this, a special-grade cursed spirit appeared behind her, staying by her side like a guardian spirit.

Arrogant brat.

Fuheishen looked away unhappily. This arrogance reminded him of another brat, a brat who annoyed him greatly.

He stayed with the girl, maintaining this "financial relationship."

Even so, he was still accepting missions.

It's just that we now have a place to temporarily return to.

Every time he returned from a mission, he would deliberately leave the bloodstains on his body and come to Yuuki Matsuna, hoping to arouse her disgust and hatred.

He is a pure antisocial personality.

But there was no disgust or hatred in the girl's eyes; what he saw in her eyes made him hate her even more.

Those were eyes filled with pity and compassion.

The girl sat on the ground, looking at him with those eyes, and asked with sympathy, "Mr. Fukuro, why did you kill him?"

Ha, sympathy?

Does Fuheshchen need sympathy?

If he weren't outmatched by the girl, and forcibly attacking her would only result in him being slapped to the ground by her cursed spirit, he would definitely have attacked without hesitation, cut off her head, and let her know who really needed sympathy the most.

"Tsk." He turned his head away unhappily. "Because I want to."

The girl shook her head and said with pity, "Mr. Fuhei, you're like a stray dog, without any goal or direction. It's so pitiful."

Enraged, Fuheishen mechanically turned his head and said in a threatening tone, "Hey, who are you calling a dog?"

“Mr. Fukuro.” The girl was not afraid of him at all.

Strength is the ultimate truth. The difference in strength between him and the girl was simply too great. Yuuki Matsuna didn't even know what the word "fear" meant.

She repeated, "Mr. Fukuro is like a stray dog."

Fuheshen was completely enraged. He took out his spell tools and was about to attack, but he was once again pinned to the ground by the girl's spell spirit with a claw.

He gritted his teeth and threatened, "Hey, kid, I'll kill you."

The girl stood up, shook her head, and denied his statement: "Mr. Fuhei, you can't kill me, you're too weak."

This is the first time someone has said he is weak since Fuheshner accepted the power of the heavens and the curse.

He angrily stuck the spell implement into the ground, but that was all he could do.

The girl squatted down and sighed softly, as if lamenting his fate.

She then asked, "Mr. Fukuguro, how can I give you the motivation to live, and help you find your purpose and direction in life?"

"How can we transform Mr. Fushiguro from a stray dog ​​into someone with a home to return to?"

She leaned against the spirit again, picked up the book, and it was unclear whether she was pondering the question or engrossed in reading the comic book.

Fuheshen was pinned to the ground by her cursed spirit. Although he was angry and felt ashamed, there was nothing he could do.

After a long while, the girl finally let the cursed spirit release him. He made a move to attack again, but this time Yuuki Matsuna did not let the cursed spirit attack.

She met Fuhesh'er's gaze, and her eyes suddenly changed color in an instant.

Just then, Fuheshel felt himself suddenly out of control.

He was conscious, but his body was out of his control, and he turned around and slammed straight into the wall.

Just a second before he hit the wall, he regained control of his body.

"Uncle, now you know, even without the deer, you couldn't kill me," the girl said calmly.

The powerful girl possesses abilities yet to be known by others. It is always Shikazuki who has been protecting Yuuki Matsuna, and even the copying technique was given to her by Shikazuki. She has never used her own technique in front of outsiders.

This is the first time.

"Uncle, wouldn't it be better if you just stayed by my side forever?" She sighed and asked again, "Uncle's personality is really strange. Does Uncle just want to destroy everything?"

"If Uncle really wants to continue living like before, then leave." Yuuki Matsuna turned around, opened the door, and walked out.

That wretched brat.

Unexpectedly, even Fuheishen didn't know why, but he actually stayed by the girl's side. Although he would still take on missions as before, the frequency was getting less and less.

One day, he was lying on the roof, watching the kid sitting on the ground flipping through a comic book, when a thought suddenly came to him.

He flipped over and jumped in front of the girl, raising an eyebrow as he asked, "Why did you say I would die when we met again?"

“It was the Deer-like creature that told me this,” Yuuki Matsuna said, stroking the Deer-like creature’s fur. “The Deer-like creature has the ability to see the future. It told me that you will be killed by a white-haired man someday in the future.”

Do you have the ability to see the future?

No wonder those people wanted to kill her so much.

He paused for a moment, then suddenly said, "Hey kid, do you know you're being used and manipulated?"

Prophecy is a very useful skill, applicable to all walks of life and to everyone.

Those who can foresee the future can seize opportunities, gain the greatest benefits, know where to invest for the best reasons, and know which investments are risky and should be avoided.

This skill is very useful in the workplace.

It wasn't long before Fukuro Shinobu discovered the reason why Yuuki Matsuna was different from the other children.

Her powerful abilities weren't the real reason; the real reason was that she was being imprisoned in the Yuuki family's courtyard under a form of "protection" by the Yuuki family.

Whatever she wanted, the Yuuki family would find a way to move it into the yard, preventing her from talking to outsiders and giving her no chance to touch the outside world. It was more like fear than protection.

They were afraid she would leave the house.

The Yuki family depends on this child for survival.

Whenever there is competition in the workplace, the girl's father, Shunichi Yuki, would call her in and have her use divination to predict everything that will happen in the future, so that she could make the best choice in the workplace.

Shunichi Yuki's success in his career was not the result of his own efforts. If it weren't for Matsuna Yuki's prophetic abilities, he wouldn't have been able to reach where he is today.

The more he used this ability, the greater his guilt towards Matsuna Yuuki became, and at the same time, he became increasingly dependent on it.

Guilt tormented Yuuki Shunichi and Yuuki Mizuki. They would buy Yuuki Matsuna whatever she wanted, but they kept silent about this matter, reaching a tacit understanding.

What a deformed family.

Parents' excessive pampering of their children stems from their desire to exploit their children's abilities.

Even if there is a sense of guilt, it cannot outweigh the temptation of the benefits.

Yuuki Matsuna remained silent for a while, then closed her manga, looked at the area firmly hidden by the wall, and slowly said, "Yes, I know."

With both high intelligence and powerful abilities, she had long realized that the Yuuki family was imprisoning her under the guise of protection.

"Then why don't you resist?" Fuheshel pressed. "With your abilities, leaving here shouldn't be difficult."

“There’s no need.” Yuki Matsuna stood up, and Lu Shu stood up with her. “It’s not a bad thing that I can provide useful value to Daddy and Mommy.”

The Yuki family has been binding her in the name of love, and she is aware of this, yet she doesn't want to break free from it.

"I thought you were pretty smart, but it turns out you're so stupid," Fuheshen laughed.

His laughter was deafening, and the sarcasm was undisguised, which made Yuuki Matsuna frown.

She raised her eyes and said unhappily, "Mr. Fuhei, please don't meddle in other people's business."

"Of course I won't meddle in other people's business." Fuheshchen had no intention of getting involved.

He shrugged and leaned against a tree in the yard: "If you, kid, leave here, then nobody will give me this much money?"

"Where can I find another sucker like you? It's better for me if you don't leave."

His words made Yuki Matsuna stop in her tracks.

She turned her head and looked up at Fu Heishen for a long time. Fu Heishen did not avoid her gaze and just stared back at her.

After an unknown amount of time, Yuuki Matsuna sighed softly, turned around, and left.

He's only three years old, yet he sighs so often, even more often than an adult.

That little devil is precocious despite his small stature.

Children should hide in an adult's arms or behind an adult, waiting for the adult to help them solve problems.

Fuhei Shen'er's face was gloomy. He didn't want to stay here any longer and left the Yuki family.

*

Even if he doesn't kill her, someone else will want to kill Yuuki Matsuna.

Arriving at the Yuuki residence as usual, I intended to continue teasing the brat whose face remained expressionless and devoid of any smile, but instead I heard the servants' panicked voices.

"Miss has been kidnapped! Quickly inform the master and madam!"

The little girl was taken away?

What kind of powerful being could take away Matsuna Yuuki under the protection of such a powerful cursed spirit?

Fuheishen turned his head away, thinking to himself, "What's it to him?"

The absence of that troublesome, sullen brat was actually a good thing for him.

However, the actions they took were completely different from their thoughts.

Ah, why did I even come here?

Seeing the brat lying on the ground, anger instantly filled Fuheishen's heart. He took out his spell tool, his face completely darkened, and he looked extremely terrifying.

The wrath of the heavens and the tyrant are invincible.

The enemy was easily defeated. After dealing with them, Fuheishen kicked the brat who was still pretending to be dead, and asked with his eyes down, "Why didn't you use any magic and just let them take you away?"

Someone this weak has no way of taking Yuuki Matsuna away by sheer strength.

She did it on purpose.

The little imp, who hadn't reacted at all, stirred. She stretched out a hand and used it to help herself get up from the ground.

After getting up, she leisurely patted the dust off her body before raising her head.

Fuheshchen then realized that she was laughing.

“Because Mr. Fukuro will definitely come to save me.” She pointed to her head. “Whether it’s divination or my head, it all tells me this.”

"Is it hard to understand that you did this because you wanted Mr. Fushiguro to come and save me?"

That wretched brat.

Fuhesh clicked his tongue, turned and left, saying, "Kid, if you do this again, you're dead."

Next time, Mr. Fushiguro will definitely come to save me too.

What Fukuro Jinji didn't expect was that Yuuki Matsuna would pay the price for this reckless behavior.

Looking at the wound on the girl's neck wrapped in gauze, Fuheishen'er's eyes showed surprise. He quickly realized who had caused it.

"They implanted a tracking system in your neck?" he asked. "And you didn't resist, just let them do it?"

The girl didn't speak; she lowered her head and answered him with silence.

How foolish.

That wretched and stupid brat.

"Hey," he suddenly spoke, "Are you going to live like this forever?"

Do we have to keep letting others manipulate us and become tools for their own use?

Surely your abilities shouldn't be limited to this?

Yuki Matsuna still did not reply.

She looked up at the window, lost in thought.

It's pointless.

Fuheshen didn't want to deal with her anymore. He turned around and was about to leave when he heard the little girl ask in a childish voice for her age.

"Mr. Fushiguro, what is the outside world like?"

Didn't they clearly state their request?

Fuheshen had no intention of leaving. He curled his lips into a smirk and asked arrogantly, "Hey, do you want me to kill them?"

This was not a difficult task for him.

But the girl did not do as he wished. She gently shook her head and said, "I don't want Mr. Fukuro to kill for me."

She paused for a moment, then asked, "Mr. Fukuro, could you take me to see the outside world?"

"I want to see the outside world."

Fuheshen'er scoffed: "Hey, I don't know how to take care of kids."

*

“I absolutely will not allow you to use Matsuna’s abilities again,” Yuuki Mizuki said.

She pushed everything off Yuki Shunichi's table, and many valuable items fell to the ground with a crisp cracking sound as she did so.

But Yuuki Mizuki seemed oblivious. She slammed her hand on the table angrily and repeated, "I will never allow you to use Matsuna's abilities for your own profit again!"

"...I had no choice." Yuuki Shunichi touched his forehead, rubbing his furrowed brows, trying to explain to Yuuki Mizuki, "You know, so many rivals in the workplace want to overpower me, and Matsuna's abilities..."

"What kind of bullshit workplace is this?" Yuuki Mizuki interrupted him. "If you don't have the ability, what's wrong with living a poor life? Just because you've had a good time for a while doesn't mean you can't go back to the way things were before."

“It’s hard to go from luxury to simplicity, Mizuki, you’re too naive.” Yuki Shunichi was also angry. “Don’t talk as if I’m so selfish. Mizuki is able to live such a good life now, isn’t it all thanks to Matsuna’s abilities?”

"If I hadn't borrowed Matsuna's abilities, could you have become the enviable Lady Yuuki?"

"What did you say—" Yuuki Mizuki exploded in anger, "Yuuki Shunichi, let me tell you, what kind of bullshit 'Mrs. Yuuki' is this? If it weren't for your good looks, I would have—"

"alright."

All the arguing was interrupted by the old woman who walked in.

She walked into the house with her cane, tapped the floor twice with it, sighed, and said, "You've argued about Matsuna's abilities so many times, and I've never interfered. But even today, as I'm about to leave this world, you still haven't reached a conclusion."

“Mom, you—” Yuki Shunichi was about to speak when he was interrupted by the woman’s sharp gaze.

“Shut up, Junichi.” Junichi’s mother, Guren Yuuki, said, “I know my days are numbered. Since you haven’t been able to make a decision yet, I will make the decision for you.”

She raised her head and calmly announced, "I will seal Matsuna's abilities."

*

Fukugoro was unable to take Yuuki Matsuna out with him.

It wasn't because he wasn't strong enough, but because when he clashed with the Yuuki family and was about to fight, the girl behind him grabbed his hand.

The little girl, who was only about 90 centimeters tall, walked up to Fuheshen'er and spoke in a calm tone and gentle voice, as if she were talking about something unimportant: "Never mind, Uncle."

Fuhesh was very unhappy.

But it couldn't simply be called being annoyed, because he was in a terrible mood. He frowned, gave a cryptic laugh, and asked in a gloomy tone, "Kid, are you toying with me?"

"I'm not teasing Mr. Fukuro." The precocious little brat's voice still had a childish quality, but her expression was completely calm, an expression that would never appear on a child her age.

"I don't want my uncle to kill someone for me. Even though his hands are covered in blood, I hope he can return to a normal life." The girl's voice was flat, and her eyes were calm, as if she truly had no expectations for her future.

She paused for a moment and lowered her head slightly: "As for me, I think it's best to stay at home. Someone like me will always have people who covet my power, no matter where I go."

"And—" she changed the subject, but didn't speak. After a long while, she sighed and said, "Uncle, prophecy can predict the future, and I can also see my future. A life where you can see the future is very meaningless."

Why do people yearn for the future? Because the future is unpredictable and can be changed through human effort.

But if the entire future can be seen, it means that your future plans and path have already been predetermined in the book of destiny, which is boring and tasteless, and it seems that your life can only follow this path.

It's pointless.

It's really boring.

What is the purpose of human life?

As usual, Yuuki Matsuna sat on the ground in the yard, looking at the sky and thinking.

A person who wouldn't normally be here suddenly leaped down from the roof and appeared in her field of vision, causing her to stare wide-eyed in disbelief.

“Mr. Fukuro?!” Her voice was excited.

Yuki Matsuna never expected that this person would appear in front of her again.

"Ugh, what a troublesome brat." Fuheshen rubbed his hair in annoyance.

Although he said that, he threw everything he was holding to Yuuki Matsuna.

A jumble of photos, ordinary children's toys, a diary that I don't know where I got it from...

Yuuki Matsuna hurriedly took the items, her eyes filled with joy and surprise. She looked up in surprise and asked, "Mr. Fushiguro, this...this is..."

“Although I don’t like humans or this world either,” said Fuheshchen, “your lifestyle is just too negative, kid.”

"Go and experience what the outside world is like to cleanse your brain." He clicked his tongue, turned his head, and leaned against the tree unhappily.

And so the days passed.

Fuheshchen started accepting missions again, but this time he added another reason to his list of missions.

He wondered, if this brat really left with him in the future, how would the little brat who had never been in contact with the outside world survive?

So his reasons now include one more reason, a reason that is more humane.

Fukugoro did not tell Yuuki Matsuna about this.

All she knew was that Fukushige had gone to take on those missions that would leave his hands stained with blood again, and every time Fukushige came to the Yuuki family, Yuuki Matsuna would have an expression of incomprehension and pity on her face.

She asked again and again, patiently, "Mr. Fukuro, why?"

Fuhei was too lazy to explain.

Every time she asked this question, Fuheshel would silently lean against the tree, turn his head to the side, and say nothing.

When he's in a good mood, he'll also bicker with Matsuna Yuuki.

This continued until one day in 2006.

That day seemed no different from any other. He accepted a mission with a high bounty: to kill the Starmaw—Tenchi Riko.

Killing someone is not difficult for him, and he is used to it. As long as the bounty is generous enough, he will take it.

He arrived at the Yuuki residence as usual, and just as he was about to speak, he saw the girl's usually calm expression suddenly turn serious.

“The time has come,” the girl said. “Mr. Fukuro, don’t go, you will die.”

You will be killed by a white-haired man.

She had said that to Vuhish a year ago.

Fukugoro did not deny it, saying that prophecy could not be false, nor could it predict wrong, otherwise the Yuuki family would not rely on this energy so much.

"Isn't it exciting to face a powerful opponent?" Seeing the panic on the girl's face, he casually reassured her, "It's just killing one person."

Although that's what he said, he still took it to heart.

At the moment he killed Gojo Satoru, Fushiguro Jinji was extremely pleased. He thought to himself, what's the point of having the strongest curse magic, what's the point of having a six-eyed genius? In the end, he still died at the hands of a useless person like him who had no curse power.

but--

He never expected that in that instant, Gojo Satoru would comprehend the spell reversal, causing his heart to beat again.

As he fell to the ground after being killed, Fuhei's fingers twitched slightly.

Before a person dies, they will have a revolving lantern, looking back on their life. They sit in the audience, watching their short, crazy, and decadent life as if they were an outsider.

He saw many people, most of whom he had no dealings with.

During the viewing, Fuheshel suddenly sneered, mocking all of humanity, and also mocking himself.

His vision gradually darkened, and his breathing became faint; he knew he was about to leave this world.

He saw his first wife, his son, and the girl who had been with him in the last part of his life.

Fuhesh closed his eyes.

But he didn't die.

When he opened his eyes and saw the ceiling, Fuheshen did not react for a moment.

It was the girl's excited voice beside him that brought him back to his senses: "Mr. Fushiguro!! You're awake!!"

How did he survive?

Fukuro Jin asked Yuuki Matsuna about this later. The girl lowered her head in silence, and after a long while, she replied in a somber voice, "It's the price."

“I made a deal with Lu Shu. I paid Lu Shu the price of never being able to see the future again. In return, Lu Shu protected your heart when you were on the verge of death.”

The special-grade cursed spirit appeared in this world at the time of her birth, accompanying her like a pet, a follower, or a family member, but not voluntarily.

This is a kind of bond it formed with the ancestors of the Yuki family.

It must serve Yuki's descendants, being born into this world every other generation to protect Yuki's offspring, help them, and provide them with all its abilities.

Each time a deal is made with them, the bondage will lessen, until all the deals are completed and there is no longer any ability it needs to provide to the Yuki family. Then the bondage will be broken, and it will no longer need to serve the Yuki family.

“I can’t see a future anymore,” she said softly. “That way, I might be more free.”

The girl was happy that she couldn't see a future.

In contrast to her, the Yuuki family was in complete disarray.

The future can no longer be predicted, and Shunichi Yuki can no longer rely on the power of prophecy to avoid the dangers in the business world. He must rely on his own abilities and wisdom to deal with them, which makes it impossible for him to cope.

"Why did you save that sorcerer assassin—!" Enrage briefly clouded his judgment; he smashed everything in the room to the floor and roared again, "Why!!"

This made Yuuki Matsuna, who was inside the room, tremble involuntarily.

She was still just a child. Although her thinking was more mature than her peers, being treated like this by her father still made her feel scared and sad.

"Who are you angry at?!" Yuuki Mizuki pulled her into her arms.

She gently patted Yuuki Matsuna's head, whispered a few words of comfort, then looked up to confront Yuuki Shunichi: "Relying on prophecy to cheat was wrong to begin with. Now that prophecy has disappeared, it's actually a good thing. Did your ancestors want you to use prophecy to make money?!"

"What did you say?!" Yuki Shunichi was even angrier. He tugged at his collar and said irritably, "Do you even know how important money is? Without money, we'd all be starving right now!"

"Money, money, money! Is money all you think about?!" Yuuki Mizuki retorted through gritted teeth. "So what if you don't have money? So what if you do? If you have the ability, make money; if you don't, live your life well. How can you not understand such a simple principle?"

The argument started again.

Mizuki Yuuki pushed Matsuna Yuuki out the door, closed it, and then had a wild argument with Shunichi Yuuki inside.

Yuki Matsuna just squatted alone outside the door.

A cane suddenly appeared in front of her. She looked up and saw her grandmother, Yuuki Guren.

“Matsuna, you did nothing wrong.” Yuuki Guren ruffled her hair. “There’s nothing wrong with wanting to save a life.”

“Trading a life for the price of prophecy is a very worthwhile thing to do.” She added, “Jun-yi relies too much on prophecy. He has even forgotten that even without prophecy, he can still forge his own path through his own efforts.”

Yuuki Guren sighed softly. She took Yuuki Matsuna's hand, and the two walked forward together, asking, "Matsuna, do you think your ability is a blessing or a curse for you?"

"Is your ability to make those around you happier, or to plunge them into unhappiness and suffering?"

She stopped and turned to look directly at Matsuna Yuuki: "Think it over carefully and give me an answer."

*

When they heard the baby crying, everyone except Yuuki Guren had a happy expression on their faces.

She saw Lu Shu, the Lu Shu who had left her more than ten years ago.

"The Deer-like creature has arrived." Yuki Guren said calmly to Yuki Shunichi as she met the Deer-like creature's gaze.

No one is immune to the power of the Deer-like creature. Upon hearing Yuki Guren's words, Yuki Shunichi was overjoyed. He picked up Yuki Matsuna, ecstatic.

Unlike her own son, Guren Yuuki believes that the power of curses is a misfortune.

Her past memories left her with painful shadows. Being used and betrayed, as well as the responsibilities she had to bear as a sorcerer, made her extremely disgusted with this power. She knew that these things would definitely happen to Yuuki Matsuna as well.

As expected.

The little girl, who had not yet learned how to control her magical power, casually ended the life of a maid. Blood splattered on Yuuki Matsuna and Shikazuki, looking extremely horrifying, and the people around her screamed in terror.

As a cursed spirit, the deer-like creature is inherently bloodthirsty, so it naturally wouldn't stop Yuuki Matsuna from losing control, nor would it teach her how to use her power.

It just looked at it, looking down from above.

Yuki Guren even felt as if she could hear Shikazuki's laughter.

Unable to control the power that had erupted, Yuuki Matsuna's technique caused everyone present to lose their will. Their eyes lit up along with Yuuki Matsuna's, a sign that they were being controlled.

If Yuki Guren hadn't been there, all of these people might have been killed by Yuki Matsuna's uncontrollable power.

Guren Yuuki took action before things got any worse.

Her eyes darkened, she held her breath, and moved with lightning speed behind Yuuki Matsuna, striking her unconscious with a karate chop.

This has happened more than once.

To prevent trouble for outsiders, to prevent outsiders from coveting Yuuki Matsuna's power, and also to control Shikazuki and Yuuki Matsuna, Yuuki Guren ordered that no one should take Yuuki Matsuna out.

Matsuna Yuuki can only live in places where Guren Yuuki can sense her presence, so that if any unexpected incident occurs, she can rush there immediately and control the out-of-control girl.

However, this behavior soon turned sour.

After learning that the Lu Shu also possessed the ability of prophecy, Yuki Shunichi gradually became crazy and obsessed. He no longer relied on his own strength, but only wanted to use the Lu Shu's power to profit himself. Over the years, the Lu Shu had already made a lot of money for him.

This is not a good thing.

However, Guren Yuuki never stopped it.

Now, the time has come to stop it. The prophecy has disappeared, and Yuki Shunichi must learn to rely on his own strength. Yuki Matsuna has also reached the point where she must make a choice.

Guren Yuuki wanted to seal this power away, believing it to be an ominous force.

"Red Lotus." At night, Lu Shu came to her room and hissed in a low voice, "You're getting old too, and you're about to leave this world, so stop doing these meaningless things."

Yuuki Guren looked at it silently, without saying a word.

"You actually want to seal me away?" Lu Shu exuded boundless hostility. "I've done so much for your family. Your Yuki family is where it is today thanks to me, and yet you want to seal me away?"

"Humans are such greedy creatures, they disgust me, they're nauseating."

Yuuki Guren finally spoke, her tone completely flat, as if announcing a given fact: "I must seal you away."

"Your power will only bring misfortune to people. With you around, it's impossible for Matsuna to live happily in this world." She lowered her head, picked up the things she had prepared in advance to seal it, and decided to stop speaking.

"You'll regret this." The deer turned around, glanced at Yuuki Guren, snorted coldly in dissatisfaction, and left Yuuki Guren's room.

Whether she will regret it or not, let's wait until she dies to see those questions.

She probably won't see what happened next.

"Mom, why seal Matsuna's power?" Yuki Shunichi asked, puzzled. "Since the Rokushu can benefit us, why don't we take advantage of it?"

Guren Yuuki turned to look at him.

She reached out and slapped Yuuki Shunichi across the face, her voice filled with anger: "You brat, how long are you going to be so stubborn!"

Shunichi Yuki never expected to be hit, and he didn't react for a moment.

"Matsuna is your daughter, not a tool for your own profit!" Yuuki Guren scolded sternly. "Can you even be called a human being now? Is this how I raised you?!"

Shunichi Yuki covered the half of his face that had been hit, lowered his head and did not refute.

*

"Uncle Shen'er," the girl asked, "do you think my power is a blessing or a curse?"

Fuheshel raised his eyes.

"Why do you ask that?" He didn't answer, but asked in return.

“Grandma wants to seal my power.” The girl reached out and stroked the deer’s fur.

She buried her face in the deer's fur, her voice muffled: "Uncle Shen'er doesn't know, sometimes I can't control my power, and I've even accidentally killed a maid once."

"Such power must be unfortunate, it must cause suffering to those around us."

"Who told you that?" Fuhe Shen'er was annoyed. He stopped leaning against the tree and walked towards Yuki Matsuna, thinking that children were such a hassle.

He roughly ruffled Yuuki Matsuna's hair and said, "Didn't you save me with your own strength? Don't hate your abilities too much."

"People with talent are very enviable."

Uncle Shen's words sounded like an inexplicable ending.

“No matter which one it is, I’ve decided to have Grandma seal away my power,” Yuuki Matsuna said.

She sighed, nuzzled Lu Shu's face, and said reluctantly, "But I really can't bear to part with Lu Shu. Lu Shu is my good friend. If my power is sealed, Lu Shu will definitely be sealed as well."

"...If you're so reluctant to part with it, then why seal it away in the first place?" Fu Hei asked, puzzled.

Yuuki Matsuna didn't answer his question. Instead, she changed the subject, her eyes lighting up, and said, "Uncle Shen, once Grandma seals my power, we can go out together!"

Fuheishen didn't answer for a long time before finally asking, "Hey, kid, what's your wish?"

“If you tell me now, I might be able to help you achieve it,” he added.

The girl blinked, and her answer surprised him.

She said, "My wish is that Uncle Shen will stop killing people."

“I hope Uncle Shen can have a home and stop living like a stray dog ​​without a goal.”

He suddenly chuckled.

That's definitely the answer a little girl would give.

"Okay." Fuheshen'er's tone contained both joy and a strange sadness. "I promise you."

*

One day ago.

"Mr. Fuhei".

Seeing the old woman blocking his way, Fu Heishen raised an eyebrow, stopped, and asked, "What business does the brat's grandmother have with me?"

“I will seal Matsuna’s power.” Yuuki Guren met his gaze in a silent standoff. “I will seal away all her memories related to sorcery.”

"She will forget what sorcery is, and think of herself as just an ordinary little girl who will never have any connection with the world of sorcery again."

“At the same time—” Yuki Guren paused, then said, “she will also forget you, Mr. Fushiguro.”

Fu Heishen was taken aback.

“My granddaughter saved you once, so please repay this kindness and never appear before her again. I don’t want her to have any contact with the world of sorcery.”

Yuki Guren didn't come to seek consent, but to inform: "If you appear in front of Matsuna again, I will take appropriate measures."

Once Matsuna Yuuki's power is sealed, she will no longer remember Shinobu Fushiguro.

*

The girl's power was sealed.

The Shika-no-Ku is sealed inside Yuuki Matsuna's heart, which is the best place for sealing. Whenever they encounter an enemy, the Shika-no-Ku can protect her in time and then return to her heart.

Fuhe Shen'er felt that Lu Shu must be just as unhappy as he was.

I'm so annoyed, so incredibly annoyed.

The can was crumpled and deformed. He sat on the eaves, recalling what the girl had said.

“I hope Uncle Shen can have a home and stop living like a stray dog ​​without a goal.”

What utter nonsense.

But then he remembered that he had personally promised the girl that he would not kill anyone again.

So what is he going to do?

Fukushi jumped down from the roof and walked to Yuki Shunichi's door, knocking on it.

Upon seeing him, the people inside the house showed expressions of confusion and surprise.

“I will be the protector,” he said with a smile. “I will inherit the sealed Deer-like creature and secretly protect Yuuki Matsuna.”

A note from the author:

Four chapters combined into one to end the past storyline. I'm so awesome! I'm patting myself on the back. The next chapter will return to the present.

There will be one more update today.