Chapter 191: Confrontation

When Naoko opened the door, she was surprised to see Takeda’s elder brother, Takeda Kurashi, standing there.

“Good evening, Mr. Takeda. Is there something I can help you with?”

Takeda Kurashi appeared somewhat absent-minded. “Good evening, Ms. Hasegawa. May I come in to speak with you?”

Naoko hesitated. Although it was only around 9 PM, being alone in a room with a man didn’t seem appropriate. The memory of what Junichiro Nishinaka did two years ago still lingered in her mind.

Seeing her reluctance, Takeda Kurashi gave a bitter smile. “Since it’s inconvenient for you, I’ll leave. I’m sorry to disturb your evening.”

As he turned to leave, Naoko hesitated. After all, this was someone else’s home, and refusing such a request might seem too cold. Lowering her head in thought, she finally said, “I apologize for my earlier rudeness. If there’s something important, please come in and talk.”

Takeda Kurashi suddenly bowed deeply. “Thank you, Ms. Hasegawa.”

Startled by his overly formal gesture, Naoko quickly said, “There’s no need for that, Mr. Takeda.”

After he entered the room, Naoko left the door open wider instead of closing it. Takeda Kurashi didn’t seem to notice her deliberate action and sat upright on the opposite side of the table.

Naoko brought a cup of tea to him. “Please have some tea, Mr. Takeda.”

“Thank you.” Takeda Kurashi picked up the teacup with impeccable manners and took a sip.

“The tea you brewed is very good, Ms. Hasegawa,” he said after setting the cup down.

“You flatter me. Your family has run a tea school for generations, so your praise is more than I deserve,” Naoko replied politely.

Takeda Kurashi responded earnestly, “No, I’m speaking the truth.”

Seeing his serious expression, Naoko didn’t know how to respond and instead asked, “What brings you here, Mr. Takeda?”

Takeda Kurashi fell silent, unable to speak for a long time.

Seeing his hesitation, Naoko didn’t dare interrupt and waited quietly for his answer.

The room fell into a tense silence.

After what felt like an eternity, Takeda Kurashi finally raised his head, looked directly at Naoko, and said something completely unexpected:

“Ms. Hasegawa, I like you.”

Naoko was so shocked she nearly knocked over the teacup in front of her.

Regaining her composure, she immediately said, “Mr. Takeda, I—”

Takeda Kurashi interrupted her. “Please don’t misunderstand, Ms. Hasegawa. I don’t have any ulterior motives. I’m fully aware that you love Mr. Gennai deeply, and I won’t do anything to disrupt your relationship. I just wanted to fulfill a wish before I leave.”

“Before you leave?” Naoko finally noticed he was wearing a suit instead of his usual kimono.

“Yes, there’s an urgent matter at the company, so I’m flying out tonight. This may be the last time I see you, Ms. Hasegawa. I wanted to express my feelings before leaving, not expecting anything in return. I just didn’t want to have any regrets. If I’ve caused you any discomfort, please forgive me.” After speaking, he bowed deeply again.

Looking at this man who had maintained a serious expression since he arrived, Naoko didn’t know what to say. After a while, she steadied herself and replied, “Mr. Takeda, your unrequited affection makes me feel deeply uneasy.”

Takeda Kurashi said, “Ms. Hasegawa, you are the most beautiful and gentle woman I have ever met, and I hold great admiration for you. I sincerely wish you and Mr. Gennai a lifetime of happiness together.”

“Thank you, Mr. Takeda. With your qualities, I’m sure you’ll find someone suitable for you very soon.”

Takeda Kurashi smiled faintly. “Thank you for your kind words. But to be honest, I truly envy Mr. Gennai.”

“You flatter him,” Naoko said quietly.

After finishing the tea to the last drop, Takeda Kurashi stood up. “Well, I’ll be leaving now, Miss Hasegawa. Please take care.”

“You too. Have a safe journey,” Naoko said, standing to see him out.

As they reached the doorway, Takeda Kurashi suddenly turned to her and asked, “This might be a rude question, but I still want to ask—what exactly do you like about Mr. Gennai?” He couldn’t understand why someone as perfect as her would be drawn to such an ordinary man.

Naoko froze momentarily, then softly replied after some thought, “In this world, there’s no one who treats me better than he does.”

Seeing the gentle expression on her face, Takeda Kurashi seemed to grasp something. Turning away, he slowly left.

In one of his previous reincarnations, Lei Yin had spent time studying the features and distinctions of various ethnicities and indigenous peoples.

The moment he first saw Bryn, Lei Yin concluded the new laborer wasn’t Japanese. Perhaps, as Takeda’s old steward suggested, the man truly was an illegal immigrant.

Recently, Lei Yin had noticed the peculiar behavior of Bryn, paired with the man’s recurring injuries and the earlier discovery of a possibly drained dog carcass. These clues naturally linked in Lei Yin’s mind, piquing his curiosity about the man.

After walking nearly an hour through the outskirts near the shrine, Bryn finally stopped at a location resembling an air raid shelter.

After scanning the surroundings carefully and confirming no one was nearby, Bryn pulled aside a pile of wild grass to reveal a narrow entrance, barely wide enough for one person.

Dragging the iron cages in a straight line, one by one, Bryn disappeared inside. Little did he know, a shadow-like ghost trailed him silently not long after.

The interior was pitch dark, but it posed no problem for Lei Yin. He surveyed his surroundings and confirmed it was indeed an abandoned air raid shelter. In Japan, such shelters—built during World War II—were once numerous, though most had been buried during urban development.

To avoid being noticed, Lei Yin carefully watched his footing, ensuring he didn’t kick anything that could alert Bryn.

Suddenly, a piercingly sharp dog’s howl broke through the silence, but just as abruptly, it fell silent again.

In such utter darkness, hearing such a sound could severely strain one’s nerves. However, for Lei Yin, a millennium-old ghost accustomed to chaos, it was merely a momentary annoyance.

Sensing the climax of the scene approaching, Lei Yin quickened his pace.

After a few more steps, another harrowing dog’s scream filled the air, accompanied by other indistinct noises.

Minutes later, Lei Yin could tell he was closing in on Bryn. The third anguished canine cry resounded just as he neared.

“Three dogs in a row? That’s quite an appetite,” Lei Yin mused as he hurried forward.

At the end of the shelter, he noticed a row of closely packed rooms. From one of them, dim light seeped out.

Lei Yin suddenly froze, hearing a familiar sound:

A guttural growl like a starving beast, combined with heavy, erratic breathing…

The noises matched perfectly with the feral traits of the experimental subjects Lei Yin had encountered before.

Could Bryn truly be one of those escaped experimental subjects? Lei Yin’s suspicion grew stronger.

But soon, a man’s voice shattered that theory.

“Big brother, you must control your emotions…”

Though the speaker used Nepali, Lei Yin quickly identified Bryn’s voice.

A ferocious roar erupted from the room, followed by the thud of something heavy hitting the ground. Lei Yin immediately rushed to the door, attempting to push it open, only to find it locked. Without hesitation, he kicked the door in.

Inside, under the faint glow of a battery-powered energy-saving lamp, Lei Yin saw a figure—or rather, a creature. Covered in thick, tawny fur, with elongated claws dripping blood and a severely twisted face, the “werewolf” was pinning Bryn completely to the ground.

The sharp teeth protruding from its mouth, blood-red eyes, and the saliva constantly dripping from its maw clearly indicated that it viewed Bryn as its prey.  

Attracted by the loud sound of the door being kicked open, both the experimental subject and Bryn instinctively turned to look.  

They saw a figure burst in, having just kicked the door open. Bryn immediately shouted, “Get out of here!”  

But it was already too late. The experimental subject leapt off Bryn and charged toward the intruder.  

Bryn quickly flipped himself upright and yelled, “Don’t kill him!”  

However, the experimental subject ignored his words. When it reached the man, it swiped its sharp claws toward him.  

Just as Bryn thought the man was done for, something completely unexpected happened. It seemed as though the man moved slightly, and in the next instant, the experimental subject was struck by an immense force, flying across the room and slamming into the wall with a resounding *thud* before collapsing to the ground.  

The entire sequence occurred in the blink of an eye, leaving Bryn utterly bewildered as to what had just happened.  

Then, he heard the man speak. “You said he’s your brother—what’s going on here?”  

Hearing the man speak in Nepali, Bryn was both surprised and overjoyed. “Who are you?”  

“This isn’t the time for that. Step aside quickly,” the man replied.  

Bryn didn’t understand why he said that at first, but he quickly found out.  

Facing the experimental subject, whose blood-red eyes now locked onto him, and its towering height of over two meters, Lei Yin felt a surge of excitement.  

No wonder this was a bioengineered creature—it had withstood a punch where Lei Yin had used 80% of his strength and still got up quickly without showing any significant signs of injury. Although Lei Yin’s internal energy was at about 30% of its peak due to recent rigorous training, in terms of raw physical power, the experimental subject still had the upper hand.  

Since his previous fight with an experimental subject in a parking lot, Lei Yin had been eager to face such a powerful creature again. Tonight, after tailing them for so long, the opportunity had finally presented itself.  

“Leave now, or you’ll die,” Bryn said to Lei Yin before stepping in front of the experimental subject.  

In a deep voice, Lei Yin replied, “If you don’t want to die, step aside. He’s already lost his humanity.”  

“My brother still has some sense left. If you leave…”  

Before Bryn could finish, the experimental subject suddenly pounced, knocking him aside and lunging toward Lei Yin.  

As the creature’s claws swiped at him, Lei Yin deflected with a backhanded block. He then followed through with a curved elbow strike, driving it hard into the creature’s chest.  

Had the strike connected, it would have likely decapitated Lei Yin. However, he swiftly ducked to avoid the lethal blow and immediately retaliated with a short-range punch to the creature’s abdomen.  

A muffled *thud* rang out, and the experimental subject, struck once more, howled in agony.  

But Lei Yin didn’t let up. As the creature roared, he delivered a kick to its abdomen, sending it flying backward.  

The flurry of dazzling, fierce attacks and seeing his brother once again knocked to the ground left Bryn, who had been thrown aside, in disbelief. He could not fathom how a normal human could fight a bioengineered monster like his brother to this extent.  

“Who… who are you?”  

“Why do you talk so much? If you have questions, wait until I’ve dealt with him,” Lei Yin replied curtly.  

If the lighting weren’t so dim, Bryn would have seen the strange smile forming at the corner of Lei Yin’s mouth.  

Seeing the experimental subject get back on its feet again, Lei Yin was thrilled, his hair standing on end with excitement. Hell yes. This is amazing. This one was far stronger than the experimental subject he had fought in the parking lot—not only taller and more muscular but also tougher and more resilient. Lei Yin loved the heavy, visceral feeling of landing blows on such a creature. He had no intention of using any weapons; he just wanted to continue trading blows with it.  

The intense pain coursing through its body had completely enraged the experimental subject.  

Its blood-red eyes, almost seeping with rage, locked onto Lei Yin. It no longer cared about hunger; it only wanted to tear him to shreds.  

With a deafening roar, the experimental subject charged at Lei Yin again, and the third round of combat began.  

Unlike before, the enraged experimental subject attacked Lei Yin wildly, either trying to bite him with its teeth or claw at him with its talons. However, Lei Yin was equally unyielding, countering with strikes so fast they were almost imperceptible, neutralizing each of the creature’s attacks one by one.  

In terms of raw physicality, the experimental subject was far superior to Lei Yin. Just like when Lei Yin had fought an experimental subject in the parking lot before, hitting it felt like striking a tire. On the other hand, if the experimental subject managed to land a blow on Lei Yin, the consequences would be entirely different. Even two or three hits could lead to broken bones or severe internal injuries.  

Nevertheless, Lei Yin’s advantage was evident—his unparalleled and extraordinary martial arts. Every time the experimental subject attacked, Lei Yin either skillfully deflected or dodged it. To an outside observer, it seemed as though the experimental subject was the one being beaten down the entire time. Moreover, bolstered by his internal energy, Lei Yin’s punches were not significantly weaker than the creature’s.  

Watching the two exchange increasingly fierce attacks, Bryn, lying on the ground, felt like he was witnessing a battle between monsters.  

As the experimental subject’s brother, Bryn deeply understood its terrifying power—something no ordinary human body could possibly withstand. Yet, this man was not only holding his ground against it but seemed to have the upper hand. Bryn could hardly believe his eyes. If he had known this man once used a single knife to dispatch five similar experimental subjects in an instant, he might not have been so shocked.  

From the intense battle between the two, muffled impact sounds occasionally reached Bryn’s ears. He realized these sounds came from the man landing blows on his brother. The sheer force of those strikes, palpable even through sound alone, made Bryn worry about his brother for the first time.  

After what felt like an eternity, the fierce exchange continued, though both combatants’ speed had noticeably slowed.  

Judging purely from appearances, the man seemed to have a significant advantage.  

Bryn could clearly see that the experimental subject’s body was covered in wounds of varying sizes. Particularly in critical areas for humans—such as the chest, head, and abdomen—distinct marks from punches and kicks were clearly visible. Blood trickled intermittently from the corner of its mouth.  

In contrast, the man appeared unscathed aside from a few tears in his clothing caused by the creature’s claws.  

This stark disparity left Bryn astounded once again.  

However, Lei Yin himself was well aware of his struggles. While the greatest strength of his internal martial arts was its long-lasting and quickly replenishing energy flow, ensuring he never had to worry about exhausting his inner strength, prolonged combat at such high intensity was taking its toll on his muscles. The repeated strain caused his reactions to slow slightly, resulting in a few near misses where the creature’s claws almost caught him.  

Although the experimental subject was also showing signs of fatigue, who knew how much longer it could endure?  

If Lei Yin had been alone, he might have gladly continued fighting such a worthy opponent. However, Naoko was still waiting for him to return, and he had no desire to die here. That said, he didn’t want to kill the creature unless absolutely necessary.  

While fighting, he shouted, “Bryn, go find an iron rod right now!”  

Bryn was startled but struggled to his feet and began searching for an iron rod.  

After looking around the room for a while, he shouted, “I can’t find one!”  

Lei Yin grew impatient. “If you don’t want your brother to die at my hands, drag one out of somewhere if you have to!”  

Having witnessed the man’s strength firsthand, Bryn felt he wasn’t bluffing. However, since the two combatants were blocking the exit, Bryn had no choice but to carefully avoid them and run outside.  

After a while, Bryn returned with an iron rod about a meter long. “I found one!”  

“Good.” Lei Yin had just finished speaking when he suddenly delivered a full-force punch to the experimental subject’s face. The creature flew backward like a cannonball, spinning half a turn in midair before crashing to the ground with a resounding *thud.* This was the third time Lei Yin had sent it flying.  

Taking the iron rod from Bryn, Lei Yin steadied his somewhat labored breathing, then focused intently on the experimental subject, which was slowly getting back on its feet.  

Lei Yin felt it was a bit of a pity. This creature was incredibly resilient—despite taking so many hits, it was still able to stand up again. He really wanted to keep fighting it until one of them emerged victorious.

At this point, the experimental subject no longer exuded its earlier ferocity. It now resembled a sick beast. However, its gaze toward Lei Yin remained filled with hatred.

Suddenly, Lei Yin had a realization. While all these experimental subjects had undergone beastification, there seemed to be differences depending on their original personalities. For instance, the experimental subject he encountered in the parking lot had chosen to flee when faced with the combined assault of Ayano Eiko, who was armed, and himself. This one, however, was determined to fight to the death.

Finally, after taking a few deep breaths, the experimental subject charged at Lei Yin again.

Amid a piercing roar, the experimental subject was sent flying straight back, crashing violently into the wall.

Bryn couldn’t see what the man had done at all. He only saw him suddenly bend down, then dodge to his brother’s side in a strange but precise manner. Immediately afterward, his brother was sent flying sideways.

This should do it, right? Lei Yin thought to himself as he glanced at the iron rod in his hand, now bent at a 50-degree angle.

After a while, seeing that the experimental subject truly wasn’t getting up again, Lei Yin finally let out a sigh of relief.

He carefully approached it and checked its breathing. Then, picking up a bundle of rope from the ground, he tied it up completely, wrapping it tightly like a dumpling. After securing it, Lei Yin turned to Bryn and said, “Now, tell me what’s really going on.”

Bryn, looking at him with a mix of fear and awe, said, “My brother and I escaped from a laboratory…”

After listening to Bryn’s story, Lei Yin thought for a moment before asking, “Aside from your brother, were you ever experimented on?”

“No. At the time, I was sick, so they only took my brother. I didn’t even know what they wanted to do. One night, the laboratory suddenly caught fire, and many people escaped. My brother also escaped and took me with him during the chaos.”

Lei Yin continued, “What happened after you escaped here?”

Bryn’s expression turned pained. “My brother started acting stranger and stranger. Not only did his temper become violent, but he also had bouts of madness. Then one night, I caught him secretly eating raw meat. I knew something was wrong. Later, he confessed everything to me, saying he might turn into a monster. At first, I didn’t believe him, but as I saw changes in his body and his bouts of madness growing more frequent, I realized he was telling the truth.”

“Why did you start capturing stray dogs for him?”

“One time, he ran out, and I barely managed to find him. When I did, he was biting a dog’s throat, desperately drinking its blood. From then on, he became more beast-like. If he didn’t drink blood, he would become extremely aggressive. I had no choice but to catch stray dogs for him to drink from. At first, one dog a day was enough, but in the past few days, he’s needed three at a time. And he’s becoming more and more violent—the wounds on me were caused by him.”

After hearing this, Lei Yin cursed, “You idiot! If you knew he was like this, why did you keep bringing him dogs? All you’ve done is push him further into the abyss. Look at him now—he’s practically lost all humanity!”

Bryn started crying. “I didn’t know what to do. I was so scared. I even thought about leaving him and just running away…”

Lei Yin sighed. “What’s your real name? It can’t actually be Bryn, can it?”

“My name is Barin. I’m from the Limbu ethnic group in Nepal, so I changed my name to Bryn.”

“Is your brother’s name Yebin?”

Bryn stared at him in shock. “How do you know that?”

“Because I once saved a Nepali boy like you. His name was Kitaba. He mentioned your brother’s name before.”