Chapter 21 "Pray".
If anyone were to look into Azhi's room right now, they would probably be horrified by the terrifying scene inside.
The room was completely covered in a net.
A-Zhi finally understood why so many courtesans had disappeared silently from the pleasure quarters, and she also learned what the ghosts hiding in the red-light district looked like.
In just a few breaths, countless brightly patterned ribbons emerged from the cracks in the roof, quickly occupying the entire interior space as if they were alive, even cutting the light into a mottled pattern.
It matches exactly what 000 said; the ghost really did come.
"--ah!"
Ah Zhi let out a short cry, and before she could react, ribbons reaching out from all directions bound her limbs and gagged her, leaving her no time to call for help.
The girl's face was pale. When she was pulled from the bed, she seemed a little confused. Her beautiful eyes stared blankly into the void, and then tears fell down her cheeks.
The sturdy silk ribbon pressed tightly against her soft skin, wrapping around her in a way that she could not break free from no matter what, causing the flesh in the bound area to slightly indent.
Ah Zhi hadn't exercised much, and her skin and flesh were all soft and flabby. Just touching her would make you sink in. Not to mention, this ghost didn't have much pity for her at all.
The ribbon seemed to have a mind of its own, its soft body swaying, revealing a large red mouth. It moved closer, swaying its body, and began to speak to itself, its tone filled with deep confusion.
"I really don't know what's so special about you that makes adults pay so much attention to you?"
The weak and pitiful human girl had no ability to resist at all. She frowned and showed an expression of unbearable pain. If the ribbon ghost loosened its binding force even slightly, it could crush all the bones in her body.
She scrutinized A-Zhi's face carefully, frowned, and concluded: "Besides her face, she's utterly useless!"
I don't know why Lord Muzan assigned her to watch over this useless and cowardly person, and before leaving, he even instructed her not to hurt her. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to eat someone who displeases Lord Muzan in the most cruel way.
She glared at the girl with a vicious, knife-like gaze, trying to discover what was so special about her that made Muzan treat her this way.
Could it be because she has rare blood?
No, Muzan is so powerful that he doesn't need to rely on eating people to increase his strength like they do, and that would be much more convenient.
To Azhi, the ribbon ghost seemed to be contemplating which part of her body to attack. This was the first time she had ever encountered a ghost alone, and sure enough, just as 000 had predicted, she started crying.
"What should I do?" Azhi couldn't speak, only silently weeping. Her thick eyelashes were wet and stuck together. Her voice trembled with despair, "A ghost has come for me. I'm going to be eaten."
Aori was worried that Tanjiro would encounter danger while gathering information, but she didn't expect that she would be the one to suffer first.
On a optimist note, at least she doesn't have to worry about anyone else now...
A-Zhi: [Waaaaah.]
I can't be completely optimistic.
000: […………]
Strictly speaking, it was its fault. If it hadn't persuaded Aori to go out, she wouldn't have encountered Muzan Kibutsuji outside, thus attracting his attention, and the current situation wouldn't have occurred.
But now is not the time to dwell on these things.
Unable to understand why she chose to cause trouble for A-Zhi, the ribbon ghost spoke in a terrifying tone, every word revealing her terrible mood: "If you move again, I will cut off your feet."
"It must be fun to crawl around on the ground without feet, right?"
As she spoke, she stretched out a ribbon and touched Azhi's calf, as if searching for the best angle to strike.
Azhi closed her eyes in fright, goosebumps rising all over her body, and only muffled sobs escaped from her tightly closed lips. Even though there was still some distance between them, she seemed to feel the bloody smell from that huge mouth hitting her face, and she couldn't help but want to back away.
The girl was wrapped in countless ribbons, as if she were suffering. Cold sweat covered her forehead, and the tranquility on her beautiful face was finally completely replaced by panic. The ribbon ghost was pleased.
"You'll bleed a lot, won't you humans? You'll die from blood loss." Even if you can't do anything, it's not a problem to threaten them a little with words.
"However, a picture drawn on the ground with your blood would probably look quite nice."
The silk ribbon, devoid of any warmth, felt icy and slippery against the skin, like being crawled on by some cold-blooded mollusk, sending chills down one's spine.
With each word the ribbon ghost spoke, Azhi's body would tremble in perfect unison. As the ghost described each word, she could already imagine how miserable her future would be.
She widened her teary eyes and quickly shook her head timidly, indicating that she was being good and wouldn't move.
Crystalline tears slid down the girl's cheeks, wetting the ribbon tied around her lips. She trembled with fear, like an animal cub encountering its predator.
The current situation is indeed terrifying.
Azhi sobbed, unable to speak clearly, "[000, if... I die... then you should find... the next host... and help you complete... the mission!]"
This ghost is terrifying; she really doesn't have long to live.
000: There's no need for that.
It sighed deeply. "We're a legitimate system; we don't have a concept of changing hosts."
000 felt a splitting headache for the first time in a long time. The feeling of everything going in an unexpected direction was really unpleasant, but it was certain that the situation the girl was most worried about would not happen.
Aori should not be eaten by Upper Moon Six now.
However, the situation that 000 fears most may happen!
There are too many variables in this world, which seriously hinder the completion of the mission. 000 feels it is necessary to compile the relevant issues and send them to the system center so that the system center can decide whether to allow Azhi to continue the mission.
—So shouldn't Muzan Kibutsuji have been scared and hidden away? Why did he brazenly appear in the entertainment district?!
Azhi wiped away a tear in her heart. She couldn't comprehend 000's true feelings and was still foolishly worrying, "What...what should we do?"
If the system can't change hosts, then wouldn't it mean going into the ghost's belly with her and losing its life for such a useless host? That would be too pitiful.
Some of her fears were diverted, and A-Zhi shifted her focus from being afraid of herself to worrying about 000's tragic fate.
000's voice was soft: [Pray.]
Pray that reinforcements will arrive in time, before Muzan Kibutsuji achieves his malicious goal, and before things get worse.
That way, everything can get back on track.
************
This ghost seems to really enjoy crying, that's the conclusion A-Zhi finally came to.
This ribbon ghost kept spouting extremely vicious language, and sometimes seemed to be in a bad mental state. Whenever Azhi trembled or cried even harder, it would become very excited.
Ah Zhi was furious. She felt humiliated and pitiful, having to suffer such humiliation before her death.
"She seems to really dislike me." Azhi was incredibly upset, but she didn't dare reason with a ghost, so she could only vent to 000, "I've never even seen her."
000 was a little exasperated: [Are you trying to reason with a ghost?]
Azhi retorted: "But it's really scary."
She had cried until she was almost numb; her tears had dried on her cheeks, and even the slightest movement of her face caused a stinging sensation. The genuine crying she had just endured had taken a toll on her mental energy.
Strangely, the ghost seems to have only restricted her movements but doesn't seem to want to eat. Could it be that she had some indigestion from her last meal?
She looked listless, like a plant deprived of water, and asked weakly, "Why hasn't she eaten me yet?"
For so many years, she had never experienced the elements in the Shiren House, and her skin was so delicate and tender. In the end, it was all for naught. Thinking about this, Azhi's nose started to sting again.
000 casually replied: "Maybe I'm not hungry yet!"
Azhi choked up for a moment: "Okay."
Amidst a series of shocks, she miraculously calmed down. Compared to being alone in the unknown fear and constantly overthinking, the current situation didn't seem so bad.
After all, the worst that could happen was being eaten. If she weren't restrained, Azhi would have preferred to lie peacefully on the bed with her hands flat on her stomach and wait to die.
"—Bang bang bang"
A series of regular knocks sounded, followed by a familiar voice that sounded worried: "Miss Aori?"
It's Tanjiro, no... it's Tanjiro, he's using a female voice.
Azhi lifted her eyelids and looked over in shock. As soon as she moved, the ribbon ghost noticed the movement and tightened the ribbon in a very threatening manner, causing her to wince in pain.
"Miss Aori, are you inside?"
There was no response. After waiting outside for a moment, he called out again, as if he wouldn't give up until the door was opened.
—Where did this idiot come from! If you don't get a response, you should leave. Is this person a moron?
Daki's true form was in Kyogoku-ya. She was controlling the Ribbon Demon with two minds, so she naturally knew what had happened. As someone with a very high status in Kyogoku-ya, she couldn't possibly understand the insistence of the person knocking on the door.
If anyone dares to do that outside her door, she will definitely teach that person a lesson.
Lord Muzan only instructed that the woman be watched over, but he didn't specify when. However, it shouldn't be too long.
During this time, Daki naturally had to keep a low profile and not act too ostentatiously, so as not to arouse suspicion. Otherwise, if she attracted the attention of the Pillars and they rescued her, it would be a loss.
The ribbon ghost leaned down and stared into the bewildered girl's eyes, its tone chilling, "You should know what to do!"
A note from the author:
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I'm surprised I have the potential to write suspenseful stories (touched).
Thank you everyone for your support! Without further ado, here are some kisses for each of you~
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