"No!"
The young man let out a desperate cry.
Outside, the crowd finally began to understand what was happening.
"So that's it!"
"This family… they're monsters!"
"Jiuna must have been killed by him!"
"Disgusting! What's that thing attached to his head?"
The middle-aged woman glared at the young man, who now looked towards Kaizen with growing regret. If only he hadn't provoked Kaizen earlier, none of this would have happened.
He could have continued his old life, keeping Jiuna locked away in the basement where no one would ever know. He could have carried on the family's twisted lineage. But now? It was over.
Their family's dark secrets had been laid bare for the entire town to see.
Whispers rippled through the onlookers:
"I remember people used to go missing around here every so often… but no one ever found the culprit."
"It must've been them all along!"
"Monsters like this don't belong here. Kill him!"
The young man's so-called friends turned on him, their anger spurred by fear. This wasn't just about the past—they realized they could have been the next victims. The mob closed in, kicking and beating the young man without mercy.
The middle-aged man tried to intervene. "Stop! Don't hurt my son!" he shouted, rushing to shield the boy.
But before he could reach him, a dark aura filled the air.
Kaizen remained silent as a swarm of insect eggs emerged, attaching themselves to the man's body. His energy, his aura, began draining rapidly, and the grotesque skulls attached to his head started to loosen.
"Crack!"
One skull fell to the ground. Then another. Then a third.
The man's aura flickered weakly, his movements sluggish as the skulls shattered on impact, releasing the stench of decay. Some disintegrated into dust before they even hit the ground.
The crowd recoiled, horrified by the spectacle. The young man, curled up on the ground, shuddered, trying in vain to shield himself from the blows.
Kaizen stepped forward, his cold eyes fixed on the middle-aged man. Without so much as a word, he slashed with his knife, cleanly severing the man's throat before plunging the blade into his heart.
The body crumbled into dust, the skulls lying lifelessly on the ground.
As the last remnants of the family's curse dissipated, the young man gasped. For the first time in his life, the suffocating weight that had bound him was gone. Yet the relief came too late—Kaizen's knife had already decided his fate.
The crowd turned their attention to the house. "If the family's been hiding all this, who knows what else is inside!" someone yelled. The mob surged forward, searching the home for valuables and secrets alike.
Kaizen, however, was already making his way inside, calm and methodical. The sinister aura that had hung over the house remained, though its source was fading. It would take time to dissipate completely.
As he entered, Kaizen glanced at the middle-aged woman. "You owe me for saving her life. One million Jenny."
Her face drained of color. "I'll… I'll get it." She scurried off, returning moments later with a bulging backpack. "Here's cash… and some jewelry."
Kaizen nodded and took the payment without a word. His cold demeanor suggested this was nothing more than a transaction to him. He continued his exploration, knowing there was still more to uncover.
Meanwhile, the middle-aged woman frantically searched the house. Her thoughts raced: If Jiuna's still alive, she must be here. She has to be!
Finally, a faint cry reached her ears.
"Jiuna!"
The woman's heart leapt as she found her daughter in a basement room.
"I'm scared!" Jiuna sobbed, throwing herself into her mother's arms.
"It's over," the woman whispered, clutching her daughter tightly. "We're going home now. Everything will be fine."
As the two emerged, the young man lay lifeless outside, beaten to death by the enraged mob. The rest of the townspeople ransacked the house, scavenging anything of value.
Kaizen, however, had already disappeared into the night.
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