Chapter 293: Burning

When the group of eight quickly arrived at the scene, the humanoid figure had already ceased moving. It stood still a short distance from the flaming, smoke-filled luxury vehicles, resembling a burning statue.

The eerie blue flames continued to burn steadily, filling the air with an unpleasant stench reminiscent of burning oil or leather.

Staring at the large, flaming figure, Zhang Qian felt an inexplicable sense of melancholy.

Just minutes ago, this person had been so arrogant, treating everyone as insignificant. Now, all that remained was this charred husk.

“We should leave quickly. A blast of this magnitude will attract attention soon,” No. 1 suggested.

Zhang Qian knew it wasn’t wise to linger and prepared to leave with the others.

However, she noticed that Lei Yin was staring at the corpse with an unusual expression.

“What’s wrong?” Zhang Qian asked, puzzled.

Lei Yin didn’t answer. Instead, he suddenly unsheathed the thick-backed long blade from his back and walked toward the corpse.

While the others watched him in confusion, he approached the body and began slicing into its chest with the tip of his blade.

“What’s he doing?” No. 5 whispered to Zhang Qian.

Zhang Qian remained silent, watching Lei Yin’s actions intently. She knew he never acted without reason—whatever he was doing, there had to be a purpose. Yet, she couldn’t fathom what that purpose might be.

After a while, Lei Yin carefully cut open the corpse’s chest. The charred, fabric-like blackened skin peeled away bit by bit.

The others were startled to see a strange material beneath the burnt skin. It was a bluish-black substance with a metallic sheen.

“What… is that?” Zhang Qian felt a strange tension in the air.

Lei Yin didn’t continue scraping away at the material. Instead, his expression grew increasingly serious.

After a moment, he spoke. “Extinguish the fire as soon as possible. We need to take it with us.”

Realizing the situation was far from ordinary, Zhang Qian turned to No. 1. “Do as he says.”

No. 1 glanced at Lei Yin, then quickly instructed the others to use their jackets to smother the flames. He removed his own jacket and approached the corpse.

As they prepared to put out the fire, a sudden hissing sound emanated from the body.

The unexpected noise startled everyone, causing them to step back instinctively.

After the strange sound ceased, No. 2, who was closest to the body, noticed something shocking. A seam had appeared just below the collarbone of the corpse.

Accompanied by a series of strange noises, the seam widened, as though the chest was slowly peeling open.

This bizarre sight caused the team members to retreat even further. Meanwhile, Lei Yin and Kuang Dao gripped their long blades tightly, ready for anything.

Soon, the mysterious material covering the corpse’s chest opened like a car hood, folding down to a horizontal position.

Everyone could now clearly see that behind the metallic layer—or rather, inside the body—there were no internal organs or bones. Instead, a person was sitting inside.

No one could have imagined that such a massive, over-two-meter-tall body could conceal a person within. For a moment, everyone doubted their own eyes.

Although Lei Yin was also surprised, he had mentally prepared for the unexpected. He was the first to regain composure.

Illuminated by the flames outside and on the corpse, Lei Yin got a clear view of the peculiar occupant.

The person inside wore no clothing. Their head was bowed, obscuring their facial features. Their bald head lacked even eyebrows, and their skin had an unusual grayish-white tone. Several wire-like objects were attached to their scalp.

Although only the upper half of the body was visible, the frail and thin frame suggested the person’s height was likely limited.

Aside from these details, Lei Yin noticed the person’s skin was covered in numerous blisters and swelling. Some of the blisters had burst, oozing pus—obvious signs of severe burns.

Shifting his gaze to the interior, Lei Yin observed the smooth surface surrounding the person, though several areas emitted wisps of white smoke.

At this point, Lei Yin understood why the body had stopped moving. Perhaps this artificial construct was impervious to bullets, but under the intense flames of over a thousand degrees, its internal circuits must have melted. As for why the outer shell had suddenly opened, Lei Yin speculated it might have been a safety mechanism to protect the occupant inside.  

“What do we do now?” Zhang Qian asked softly, a bit at a loss.  

After a moment of thought, Lei Yin replied, “That should be the cult leader himself. To be safe, we should put another bullet in him. As for the artificial body, we need to find a way to take it with us—we can’t leave it behind for others.”  

Zhang Qian knew it wouldn’t be long before others arrived. Without hesitation, she drew her gun and aimed at the person’s head.  

Suddenly, she saw the individual inside slowly lift their head and open their eyes, silently staring at her.  

It was then that Lei Yin got a clear look at the person’s face. In that instant, he realized something.  

Zhang Qian saw that the person’s features appeared quite young. His eyes were a strange shade of green, unlike anything she had seen before—akin to seaweed or a muted emerald. Unlike the usual green or blue seen in Europeans, this shade was peculiar and otherworldly.  

The man’s gaze swept across each of their faces. Then, in an odd tone, he spoke:  

“I never thought I’d lose to insects like you. But there’s one thing you don’t know: I’ve actually been in Japan for over two months. The person you encountered in Europe was merely my double. What I wanted is already in my hands. Even if I die, my successor will continue the work I’ve left unfinished.”  

“Shoot!” Lei Yin suddenly shouted before the man could finish speaking.  

Startled, Zhang Qian immediately pulled the trigger, and the muffled sound of a gunshot rang out.  

After confirming that the cult leader’s head had indeed been hit, Lei Yin shouted again, “Danger! Everyone retreat immediately! Kuang Dao, run!”  

Without further explanation, he grabbed Zhang Qian’s hand and bolted.  

Kuang Dao, who had never seen Lei Yin so tense, didn’t waste a second and sprinted after him.  

“Retreat now!” No. 1, though unsure of what was happening, made a swift decision to lead the others in retreat.  

After running nearly 100 meters, Zhang Qian finally found a chance to speak. “Masashi, what on earth is going on?”  

“I don’t know either. Right now, the priority is to stay alive,” Lei Yin replied without slowing down.  

In truth, he didn’t know what was about to happen. But as he listened to the man’s words, an overwhelming sense of danger gripped him. This peculiar intuition, honed over countless reincarnations, had saved him many times before. Trusting it without hesitation, he acted immediately.  

Just as Lei Yin finished speaking, a deafening explosion erupted behind them. Moments later, a wave of fiery red flames surged toward them like an unstoppable tide…  

—  

“Late last night, two massive explosions occurred east of Shibaura, suspected to have been caused by underground gas leaks. The blasts happened within half an hour of the Shibaura blackout. One of the explosion sites was the private residence of the Tokyo Foreign Trade Director. According to local residents…”  

Beep. The television was suddenly turned off.  

Lei Yin casually tossed the remote aside and stretched out on the sofa. Picking up his phone, he called a nearby fast-food restaurant to order takeout.  

Just then, he heard the sound of a key turning in the lock. Smiling, he said into the phone, “Please cancel my order. The person who cooks for me is here.”  

Moments later, Kazumi walked into the living room and quickly spotted her brother lying on the sofa.  

“Brother,” she called softly as she approached him.  

Lei Yin suddenly widened his eyes and stared at her.  

Startled, Kazumi glared back and said, “So you’ve been awake all along.”  

Lei Yin chuckled. “Don’t you always say I must have been a cat in a previous life? You came at just the right time—I’m a bit hungry. Go make me something to eat.”  

Kazumi didn’t respond immediately. Instead, she studied him with a scrutinizing gaze. After a moment, she asked, “You seem to be in a good mood. Did something good happen?”  

“That’s exactly why I’m happy—because nothing happened! Think about it: the world is at peace, truly at peace. Is there anything better than that?” Lei Yin said enthusiastically, acting as though he was rallying a crowd.

“Tch, fine, don’t tell me then.” Kazumi lost interest and stood up, walking over to the fridge and opening it.

After a moment, she turned her head and said, “Since I wasn’t sure if you’d be back tonight, I didn’t buy groceries. There are only some eggs and sausages in the fridge. How about I make some fried noodles for you?”

“Anything’s fine, just be quick. I feel like I’m getting hungrier by the second,” Lei Yin replied, picking up the remote to turn the TV back on.

About ten minutes later, Kazumi emerged from the kitchen, holding a large plate of steaming fried noodles.

The aroma immediately perked Lei Yin up. He sat up straight on the sofa, ready to eat.

Kazumi glanced at her brother as he devoured the food like a starving man, and couldn’t help but ask, “You look like you haven’t eaten all day. Did you skip lunch?”

Lei Yin took a sip of water before answering, “I slept from eleven in the morning until just now. I haven’t had a single bite of food. Moments like this really make me appreciate having a sister who can cook.” He resumed eating with gusto.

Kazumi chuckled softly, then turned back to watch the TV.

After finishing the entire plate of fried noodles, Lei Yin grabbed a can of beer from the fridge. On his way to the kitchen door, where Kazumi was washing dishes, he asked, “When are you planning to go back home?”

Without stopping her work, Kazumi replied, “Since there’s nothing much to do at home, I’m thinking of continuing my part-time job for a while longer.”

“It’s better to head back sooner. Mom hasn’t seen you in quite a while.”

Kazumi thought for a moment before nodding. “Alright, I’ll go back soon.”

“Kazumi’s such a good girl.” Lei Yin smiled mischievously and patted her on the head.

Kazumi immediately glared at him as if she wanted to bite him.

Since it was still early, the two of them had nothing else to do and ended up watching a horror movie on the sofa.

As the film played, Lei Yin couldn’t help but comment on the sight of Kazumi calmly munching on potato chips during the goriest scenes. “Hey, miss, this is a horror movie. Can’t you at least show a normal girl’s reaction? Who in the world eats potato chips so calmly during scenes like this?”

Kazumi replied nonchalantly, “What’s there to be scared of? It’s all fake anyway.”

Lei Yin shook his head in exasperation. “If everyone reacted like you, the global movie industry would collapse. Sure, we all know it’s fake, but you’re supposed to pretend it’s real so you can get immersed and enjoy it!”

Kazumi thought about his words for a moment before suddenly standing up.

“Oh, did you finally get it?” Lei Yin asked.

“No, I just want to grab a soda from the fridge.”

Lei Yin looked at her, speechless.

Noticing his expression, Kazumi’s lips curled into a smug smile.

Halfway through the movie, the doorbell unexpectedly rang.

When Kazumi opened the door, she saw a young woman in a light-colored dress standing outside.

“Who are you looking for?” Kazumi asked, her tone cautious as she scrutinized the girl.

“I’m here to see Gennai-san. Is he home?” the girl replied politely.

“He’s here. Come in,” Kazumi said coldly, stepping aside to let her in.

“Sorry to intrude.” The girl bowed respectfully to Kazumi before entering.

Once in the living room, Kazumi called out, “Brother, someone’s here to see you.”

Lei Yin turned around and, upon seeing the girl standing behind Kazumi, smiled. “You’re here. Have a seat.”

“Sorry for bothering you so late,” Aikura Ai said apologetically.

“It’s only about eight o’clock, so it’s not that late. Want something to drink? I only have beer and soda. Soda, right?”

“Yes, please.”

At that moment, Kazumi said to Lei Yin, “Brother, since you have a guest, I’ll head out now.”

Lei Yin nodded. “Be careful on your way back.”

As Kazumi walked past him, she suddenly whispered, “Brother, don’t do anything bad.”

Lei Yin felt a pang of frustration and reached out to pinch her cheek.

Kazumi, already prepared, swiftly dodged and smiled mischievously as she walked out.

After she closed the door, Lei Yin returned to the living room and saw Aikura Ai staring at the horror scenes on the TV with an expression of clear fear.

Lei Yin sat down and said, “I was just watching this movie with my sister. If you’re scared, I can turn it off.” He then paused the DVD with the remote.

Aikura Ai awkwardly replied, “I’ve been a scaredy-cat since I was little, so I’ve never dared to watch horror films. I’m afraid I won’t be able to go to the bathroom alone at night if I watch them.”

“Well, at least your reaction is more normal than my sister’s. That girl can eat potato chips and drink soda while watching gruesome scenes like they’re nothing. By the way, do your family know you’re back safely?”

Aikura Ai nodded. “They scolded me, and now they want me to go home tomorrow. That’s why I wanted to come and thank you tonight.”

“You’re too polite. After all that’s happened, it’s probably a good idea to rest at home for a few days.”

Aikura Ai hesitated before speaking again. “Masashi, can you tell me what happened to that person?”

Lei Yin glanced at her and replied, “I can only tell you that person is dead.”

Upon hearing this, Aikura Ai’s eyes darkened with a trace of sadness.

After a moment, she softly added, “Actually, he was a very pitiful person.”

“It seems like you know something about him. Can you tell me more?” Lei Yin asked. The situation had been so chaotic last night that he had rushed to get her to safety and didn’t have the chance to ask any questions. Now it seemed like she knew something, and he was curious.

“There’s a lot I don’t know because he only talked to me for a short time. He kidnapped me just to study my special ability and didn’t plan to hurt me. It seems like he wanted to use that ability for something very important.”

Lei Yin thought for a moment before asking, “How did he know you had this ability?”

Aikura Ai replied, “He said that people like me, who can accept other people’s brain waves, naturally emit a special wavelength without even realizing it. But this wavelength is usually undetectable to ordinary people. Only someone with a special constitution like him can sense it. He accidentally discovered that I was emitting this wavelength. To test if I really had the ability to accept brain waves, he pretended to be someone else and approached me to observe my reactions. At first, he didn’t expect me to follow him. He planned to take me once he confirmed the test, but because you were with me at the time, he decided to let me go.”

Lei Yin sighed. “I never expected the person who kidnapped you to be him. I thought it was someone from the government. It wasn’t until I saw his face last night that I remembered he was the same guy who tried to kill himself. That’s when I realized it was a premeditated kidnapping. His acting was so good. Even though you and I followed him for an entire day, we didn’t notice a single clue. Do you know who he actually is?”

Aikura Ai shook her head. “I don’t know. He never told me anything about himself, but I feel like he’s not a bad person.”

Lei Yin thought to himself, That’s only because you haven’t seen how he ordered his bodyguards to attack us.

After driving Aikura Ai back to her apartment, Lei Yin sat in the driver’s seat, deep in thought.

He recalled that the leader, before dying, had mentioned that his successor would continue his work. Lei Yin hoped that the leader had only said that to stall for time, because if a successor truly existed, it would bring even more trouble in the future.

Feeling a headache coming on, Lei Yin didn’t want to think about it anymore. He quickly started the car and drove off.