Chapter 46 Monsters (2 in 1)
…
Shuichi Akai has been in a bad mood lately.
In his chest, there was a storm of rage and unspeakable fear.
This stems from his investigation of Ethan Bendon.
Shuichi Akai never asked Ethan Hondou directly or indirectly about Miyagawa Ryo.
But for many things, there is no need to ask; the results can be inferred from the details alone.
Ethan Hondou has only been in Group X for a short time.
The last time he undertook a mission for Mingye Society was after he came to Group X.
Ethan Hondo truly fears that "devil" from the bottom of his heart.
What else is unclear?
——Ethan Hondou’s partners in that mission included Ling and the “devil”.
He had witnessed those horrific death scenes with his own eyes. They were done by the "devil", and that was why Ethan Bendon was afraid.
But... Ling was also there.
The black moon icon is drawn by Ling.
Even if one does not want to admit it, the most obvious reality is that Ling is the "devil" in everyone's eyes.
He is a member of Group X.
Moreover, Shuichi Akai has a terrible guess.
He had just joined Group X at that time and did not understand the situation. When he saw the questionnaire, he just thought that the members of the organization were having bad taste.
But now think about it, sending out that kind of questionnaire, emphasizing the "method of death"... Why is the style of this legendary code member and the "devil" so similar?
——Ling is the devil, Leo, and the one who distributed the questionnaires.
The probability of this is 80%.
80%.
This is a number that Shuichi Akai could not get away with even if he tried to find evidence to exonerate Miyagawa Ryo.
"A Xiu, do you want to be a police officer in the future? Wow, no, it's too tiring!"
"Although it was fun solving a case with you last time, I really don't want to be a police officer."
The boy in my memory, who was reluctant to become a policeman but would try his best to save people, turned into a demon who killed people without blinking an eye when we heard about him again many years later.
The news that was even more distressing to Shuichi Akai was that he was forced out by drugs.
Shuichi Akai had been looking forward to the meeting, but after reasoning about this, he was actually a little scared.
He didn't know how to face the other party.
He also didn't know whether the one he wanted to pull out of the abyss was the sweet boy who could smile back then, or... a monster that had been completely mutated and could not be saved.
·
Twelve years ago.
"Can't you not return home?"
As the sun sets, the last day of fun comes to an end.
The two boys were on their way back. They had just gone to the other side of the city and played something they had wanted to play for a long time.
And tomorrow, Shuichi Akai will return to his country.
Akai Shuichi said: "No."
Miyakawa Ling took two steps forward, walked backwards, and looked at his friend expectantly: "Then, can you come back here to attend high school? Or college?"
A thought flashed through Akai Shuichi's green eyes: "I don't think he will come."
"Ah!" Miyagawa Ling pouted in disappointment: "Why is that so! I wanted to go to Toudou University with Xiu!"
"I'm not interested in it."
"How cold! How excessive!" Miyakawa Ling stretched out his claws angrily and pulled You Xunran's face to the sides.
Akai Hideichi slapped his hand away expressionlessly.
As if Miyakawa Ling had expected this, the next second after being slapped away, he jumped onto You Xunran, wrapped his legs around his waist to prevent him from struggling, and then rubbed his expressionless face vigorously:
"Damn it! Damn it, Xiu! Are you going to betray our friendship?"
"I didn’t."
"You didn't even tell me you were going back home! Did you think that if you stayed with me for a day, I would forgive you and send you off happily?"
"Hurry up and get down!" Shuichi Akai was thrown to the ground by the boy because he was unsteady on his feet. He explained with a headache: "I didn't think that way and didn't tell you because my mother only decided on the trip last week."
"That's still a week, you bastard! If I don't hear Auntie talking about going back, then I won't even be able to say goodbye to you properly!"
"..." Akai Shuichi was speechless.
Seeing that Miyakawa Ling was indeed getting even more noisy, he simply gave up explaining and just carefully moved away the gravel on the ground to prevent his friend from getting hurt due to his large movements.
After enough noise, Miyagawa Rei collapsed to the ground with no strength left, and Akai Shuichi also felt exhausted.
The two of them lay on the ground, looking up at the sunset not far away.
"Hey, Xiu."
"Yeah." Akai Shuichi tilted his head and saw Yumeng's eyes, which were also filled with light like the setting sun, beautiful and bright.
"You said..." His voice lacked its usual vitality: "Will we meet again in the future?"
Akai Shuichi said without hesitation: "Yes."
As soon as he finished speaking, the pair of light golden eyes in front of him became visibly brighter.
The boy looked at him. "When?"
Akai Shuichi met those eyes and found it hard to lie: "Maybe... after I graduate from university."
"Eh? It will take many years..." The boy muttered, and then asked seriously: "Will we still be good friends by then?"
"Of course!" This answer is more firm than all the previous answers.
Then, the boy with golden eyes smiled and proudly announced: "The progress of the strategy show... 100%!"
Akai Shuichi sat up, touched his messy hair, and straightened his wrinkled clothes. He glanced at his friend whose smile was brighter than the sunset in the sky, and silently extended his hand...
Ruffle your partner's hair.
"What are you doing!" Miyachuan Ling jumped away.
Akai Hide looked straight ahead and said, "This way, I won't be the only one scolded when I go back."
"..."Miyagawa Ling.
"Okay, Xiu, you're done!"
"......?" Akai Shuichi widened his eyes slightly: "You're coming again?"
How on earth does this guy have so much energy?!
A few minutes later, the two stopped under the condemning gazes of passers-by on the roadside.
"We really didn't fight, uncle! This is my friend, he just has a naturally bad face!"
"..."Akai Shuichi.
He is not!
Shuichi Akai covered You Huanran's mouth with one hand and dragged him away.
By the way, to prevent passers-by from thinking too much, I turned around and said, "Ling is a man who doesn't like to talk by nature."
“……”Passerby.
Under the setting sun, the backgrounds of the two boys blend together, close and intimate.
And just thirty minutes later, before they could even say goodbye, they were never seen again.
·
In order to get home earlier, the two walked through an alley they had never been through before.
The afterglow of the setting sun could not reach the alley, but only cast a hint of orange at the end, allowing the two people to see their surroundings clearly and determine the direction.
Shuichi Akai grabbed Miyagawa Ryo's hand and started running.
Miyakawa Ling followed his steps in cooperation.
"A Xiu..."
Before Miyagawa Ling could finish his words, Akai Shuichi in front of him suddenly slowed down his pace, turned around and looked at him. His eyes were full of vigilance even though they were so close to him.
Miyakawa Ling stopped talking immediately before he finished speaking, and he slowed down his breathing and stopped walking as if he had telepathically understood what was going on.
"Woo..."
“Woo woo woo…”
The sounds of children struggling and crying could be heard not far away.
The sound was very faint and somewhat muffled, as if the mouth was covered.
The two looked at each other, their eyes becoming serious.
They were now approaching the middle of the alley. If they continued walking straight for another fifty meters, they would be able to leave here and return to the road they were familiar with.
And that sound came from the right side of the cross corner ahead.
Shuichi Akai quietly walked to both sides, stood by the wall, and leaned over to see the situation on the other side.
Not far away, where there was no tall building to block the sunlight, I saw a man wearing a hat and a mask, covering a little girl's mouth with a handkerchief and dragging her into the shadows.
The girl struggled violently and kicked the man twice, but to no avail.
Two seconds later, she fainted.
The man loosened his hand and sneered as if he was angry. He threw the girl to the ground and brushed the dust off his body.
then……
He kicked the girl in the face!
The force was so strong that the girl's entire body was kicked back several steps!
But the man was still not satisfied and continued to attack!
"What are you moving? You've made my clothes dirty! Ugh!"
He struck her very hard, and it looked as if the girl was about to be seriously injured or even die.
Miyakawa Ling bent over and saw this scene. He couldn't help but poke the hand of his younger brother and asked with his eyes: "Call the police?"
"Ling."
"Um?"
"It's too late to call the police. I'll go save people."
Miyakawa Ling widened his eyes. He wanted to say that he was more worried about the safety of his childhood friend than a girl he didn't know.
He didn't want him to take any risks.
But Akai Shuichi left a message and ran out.
"Ling, stay here and call the police."
The boy has a nimble and strong figure, and looks decisive and handsome when he rushes out. Although his back is not very tall, he gives Miyakawa Ryo the feeling that he is on par with a god.
Ah Xiu... is really handsome.
Not the same kind of person as him.
He took out his cell phone and called the police, but he couldn't take his eyes off the young victim.
"Who is that..."
"Huh? Who did I think it was? Another product delivered to my doorstep!"
The man pulled out a dagger.
Miyagawa Ling's heart was slightly tense, but the black-haired, green-eyed boy in her sight was not panicked at all. His movements were calm and neat, and his expression was always cold and calm.
After just a few moves, he used a clever move to knock away the man's dagger, and then punched the man hard in the abdomen, causing him to fall to the ground in pain, wailing and unable to stand up again.
Win!
"So cool!" Miyagawa Ling's eyes sparkled, and A Xiu was simply so handsome!
Akai Shuichi punched the man a few more times, and after making sure that he was no longer a threat, he turned around and looked at the young boy.
The sunlight fell on the boy, giving his body a golden edge, and his eyes sparkled.
He raised the corners of his lips slightly: "It's solved, there's nothing to worry about, Ling."
Miyakawa Ling burst out laughing, and shook his phone regretfully: "A Xiu won this time. There is no signal here, so I can't make a call..."
"Bang!"
Miyagawa Ling's words suddenly stopped and the smile on his face froze.
A bullet passed through the green-eyed boy's chest right before his eyes.
Blood splashed onto the broken wall. The smile on the boy's lips froze, his pupils shrank, and he fell to the ground.
Miyagawa Ling slowly raised her head——
Not far away, on the other side of the alley wall, a man stood on the stairs, looking down at Akai Shuichi.
"Bang!"
Another shot hit the man who fell to the ground.
"Waste!" he commented, and then shot the girl dead.
The man turned and looked at Miyakawa Ling.
"..." Miyakawa Ling's face was pale and confused, as if he saw everything but couldn't understand it.
"Hey, you look good. Keep this one. It's just the right size to make up for the missing stock..." The man pointed the gun at Miyakawa Ling and said, "Don't even think about running away. Otherwise, I'll kill you."
·
One second before the bullet hits the body.
It's hard to say why he had such a strong feeling, but Shuichi Akai did feel a sense of crisis. He didn't have time to speak, nor could he dodge completely. He could only try his best and slightly move his body to the side!
"Puff." A severe pain came.
Shuichi Akai's eyes went dark and he fell to the ground powerlessly.
The sounds in my ears became extremely far away, as if they were coming from outside the world.
"It looks good, let's keep it..."
"Don't even think about running away, or I'll kill you."
Oh no!
Shuichi Akai wanted to ask Yujinran to run faster, but he found that he could not make any sound. He could not exert any strength from top to bottom and it was difficult for him to even move a finger.
That bullet...even if it didn't kill him immediately, it took away most of his vitality.
"Don't look at it... He's dead."
Akai Shuichi tried hard to open his eyes.
Ling, run quickly.
Calm down.
If it were you, you would have a way to escape even in such an unexpected situation!
"You should thank your heroic friend. If it weren't for him, I wouldn't have discovered you."
"Remember this feeling at this moment - from now on, your miserable life will all be caused by him."
The man's voice faded away.
A deep sense of uneasiness and panic surged in Akai Shuichi's heart. He used all his strength and slightly opened his eyes.
In the distance with double images, the black-haired boy was grabbed by the neck by a man and restrained roughly.
Those golden eyes were the only bright color in the dim alley.
Like the sun.
The sun is crying.
There were also flashes of tears in Shuichi Akai's dark green eyes.
Stop crying, Ling.
Save yourself, and you win this round.
But reality is always cruel.
The fading sun in the sky set, and the golden light around Shuichi Akai gradually dissipated. Finally, he was buried in the darkness.
The golden eyes in front of him closed, and the crying boy slowly lost consciousness, leaving only Shuichi Akai in the cold alley.
This stay lasted for twelve years.
·
Miyakawa Ling was taken away.
Brought to a place of unimaginable darkness.
So he became a monster in a place unknown to Shuichi Akai.
Shuichi Akai is not afraid of monsters' fangs.
But he was afraid of the way the monster looked at him.
Strangeness, hatred, disgust...whatever.
…
The temperature in November was a little cool. Miyakawa Ling strode out of the banquet hall, his black suit jacket covering the blood-stained dagger.
"Mission accomplished." He raised the corners of his lips slightly.
"...You really don't give people room to show their talents." Chianti on the other side was a little shocked, but also a little accustomed to it, with a very complicated tone.
"It's time to get off work. I'm hanging up now." Miyakawa Ling put away the headset.
He went straight back to the safe house, took a shower and changed his clothes, then picked up the paper on the table and left the house again.
Miyagawa Ryo is now going to Miyano Akemi's house. Today is the day he has agreed to meet Moroboshi Dai.
Although it's still a little early, he has finished his work for the day, so it doesn't hurt to go early.
It was five o'clock in the afternoon and there were quite a few people on the street. Miyagawa Ling didn't drive very fast and it took him more than half an hour to reach Miyano Akemi's residence.
"Ling Jun." Miyano Akemi opened the door from the inside and smiled gently: "Please come in."
"Sorry to bother you, Ms. Mingmei." Miyagawa Ling walked into the house.
"Don't be polite with me. I should be the one thanking you for coming."
Miyano Akemi noticed what Miyagawa Ling was holding and asked in confusion: "What are you holding?"
Miyagawa, like Miyano Shiho, was suspicious of Morohoshi Dai. He handed the paper to Miyano Akemi and said, "This is the suspicious evidence I found about Morohoshi Dai. Take a look at it first."
Miyano Akemi took it and took a look.
"Survey on the Satisfaction Level of Killing Techniques"
“……”Her expression changed.
Miyakawa Ling looked innocent: "I don't know why Mr. Morohoshi would fill out this kind of questionnaire, and his words are so cruel, and he knows a lot about how to die. Miss Mingmei, he is definitely not a good person."
Miyano Akemi took a quick glance and couldn't bear to look any further.
This questionnaire...it's as if it was written by a murderer who enjoys killing people!
"Zhuxingjun... is he this kind of person?" Miyano Akemi put down the paper and recalled the man's always calm and steady expression in her memory. It was hard for her to imagine that his heart was actually the opposite of his appearance, crazy and vicious.
"Not sure yet, but there's an 80% chance." Miyagawa Ryo knew that Miyano Akemi had always felt guilty about it. He did not try to persuade her when the incident happened urgently, but now he hoped that Miyano Akemi would realize the mistake and stop dwelling on the fact that she had dragged people into the organization.
Miyagawa Ling has read some of the information about Zhu Xingda. Before joining the organization, he was a person who mingled in the inner world, and his boxing and shooting skills were very advanced... Each of these details increased his suspicion.
But even if he didn't approach Miyano Akemi on purpose, based on his past experiences, Miyagawa Ryo also hoped that Miyano Akemi would draw a clear line between them.
"Thank you, Ling-jun." Miyano Akemi took a deep breath and quickly accepted the reality.
"I didn't do anything. When will the stars arrive?"
"It is said to be about 7 o'clock."
"Yes." Miyakawa Ling smiled brilliantly: "We will find out what kind of person he is tonight."
Miyano Akemi saw his smile and shuddered.
Ah... Even though I know what kind of person Ling Jun is, I still feel a little cold when I see this smile!
She silently mourned for the stars for a few seconds.
The two chatted for a while and the atmosphere was very good.
Miyagawa Ling talked to her about some of the organization's missions, but the focus was not on the missions themselves, but on the members of the organization who were pissed off by him. It was more like a joke than talking about the missions.
Miyano Akemi couldn't help laughing. She felt that Miyagawa Ryo's words were artistic, but she cooperated with him:
"Ling Jun is very powerful."
“They must be very angry.”
"I've recently..."
After chatting for a while, Miyagawa Ling leaned back on the sofa and looked up at the ceiling. Suddenly, he said, "Although... it sounds easy, but Ms. Mingmei, you must feel that it is really tiring to be in the organization."
Miyano Akemi stared at him, her voice soft, "Well, thank you for your hard work."
"I always wonder how my mother is doing now." Miyakawa Ling lowered her voice: "That day I told her in a rage that I would not be home for the next two months... Now two months have passed, and I still haven't returned. I don't know if she will call the police."
The topic began to become serious.
Miyano Akemi was a little sad: "At least Lingjun, you are still alive."
"Yeah..." The young man seemed to be lost in memory, his expression a little dazed: "Every time my mother quarreled with me, she said that she didn't want to see me anymore, but she would still make my portion of dinner... Now that I'm really gone, she won't be stupid enough to make an extra portion of dinner every day, right?"
Miyano Akemi felt like crying after hearing this.
"Although we often have conflicts in some concepts, my mother is still the person I love most in the world." The young man smiled bitterly, and then, as if seeking empathy, he looked at Miyano Akemi: "Where is Miss Akemi?"
Miyano Akemi inevitably recalled her mother, and along with it, the few happy times of her childhood.
"My mother..."
The clock points to half past six.
Miyagawa Rei has already obtained the information he wanted to know when he first approached Miyano Akemi - Miyano Elena.
She is the mother of Akemi Miyano. She came to the organization with her husband many years ago and was forced to help the organization do some research. Later, the couple died in a fire.
Although Akemi Miyano did not give specific details, Ryo Miyagawa was able to infer the general course of events.
Zero must have known the Miyano couple when Ms. Akemi was still a child.
Later, their family was deeply mired in the organization's quagmire and no news was heard from them. Miyano Shiho was born after this, and she was probably forced to take over her parents' research.
This is the truth that Zero wants to know.
Ms. Elena Miyano, whom Zero was looking for, is dead.
It's a bit regrettable...
I hope Zero won't be too sad.
Miss Mingmei, he will definitely protect Zero.
Miyagawa Ling comforted her softly, and Miyano Akemi shook her head to indicate that she was fine.
"We are all the same, Ling Jun."
He said, "Yeah, we are all the same."
He is real, just like the Miyano sisters.
“But we are also different,” she added.
Although both are deeply involved in the organization, he is different from her.
Miyakawa Ling's eyes fell on the questionnaire on the table: "Yes, we are different too."
He can't do it.
It is impossible to go through everything that Miss Mingmei has gone through and still maintain a kind heart like her and Shirley.
He...is not really a good person.
It is only because of A Xiu that I help others to the best of my ability.
It is only because of zero that it desperately grows towards the sun and puts on a layer of false color.
He hopes that people under the sun can live happily and he is willing to give his life for it.
He also prayed that all the evil spirits in the shadows would die, and he didn't mind doing it himself.
If Gin had been asked to kill a heinous criminal instead of an innocent child that night, he would have done it without hesitation.
Miyagawa Ling is not pure white.
He fooled the police and his friends, but he couldn't fool the organization.
So the organization recognized him.