Eldritch Horror Theatre

Silence lingered in the stained white room for a long time.

Given the situation, Fu Qian was in no rush to speak. He set the massive turkey head on the bed and waited quietly, looking toward the Mirror.

Deep, bloody gouges from tearing through his restraints marred his wrists and ankles in a gruesome display.

Of course, the true cause of those injuries was himself.

He had even actively suppressed his healing abilities purely for the visual effect.

He wasn't here to kill today, but to engage in an academic discussion.

Clearly, Sawada needed a little time to process the shock.

Since Fu Qian had already called him out by name, he was confident the man wouldn't just leave.

Click!

The man who had been disguising his voice earlier didn't even bother to wear a mask like his partner.

"You don't have a good eye for picking helpers."

Fu Qian showed no surprise as the man entered, casually pointing toward the corpse.

"We truly didn't mean any harm."

Sawada resisted the urge to look at his decapitated partner and explained through gritted teeth.

"Why don't I believe that?"

Fu Qian shook his head.

"Why don't you tell me how you planned to wrap this up if I refused to cooperate?"

"No, you would have cooperated."

Only now did Sawada seem to fully process the sudden upheaval. He let out a long breath.

"From your backyard to your kitchen."

He tossed out the seemingly baseless phrase. Seeing Fu Qian fall silent, Sawada shook his head.

"We know far more than you can imagine."

"And believe me, we aren't like the Night Watchers. Even if you manage to maintain your facade as an ordinary person, we are more than capable of sending you to the Electric Chair."

"It's just a pity I didn't make that clear from the start. In my original plan, this would have been a much more peaceful conversation."

"In your plan, I'd be a lot more cooperative once cornered, is that it?"

Fu Qian snorted.

"That was the original idea, yes. After all, we were only looking to gather some preliminary information."

Sawada's gaze turned sharp.

"I must say, your actions have complicated the situation."

"Yeah, it certainly looks like you've run into some trouble."

Fu Qian unhurriedly wiped the blood from his hands onto the mattress.

"So have you."

"Your performance just now was entirely non-human. If the Night Watchers find out, you won't end up as anything but ashes."

Sawada scoffed, staring at the forcibly torn restraints.

"I understand, really. That's why you refuse to expose yourself, isn't it?"

"After all, once you're labeled a transcendent, you face far more restrictions."

"Where exactly is this place?"

Rather than answer Sawada, Fu Qian suddenly changed the subject.

"Why do you care?"

"The essence of communication lies in mutual sincerity. I hate being played for a fool."

"I admit I underestimated you earlier. You're much sharper and far more dangerous than I imagined."

As Fu Qian's tone softened slightly, a faint gleam flickered in Sawada's eyes.

"Tell me, does devouring your own kind grant a person's mind such Sublimation?"

Even then, he didn't forget to slide in a threat.

"Of course, to demonstrate my sincerity, I'll answer your question first. This is a specialized hospital owned by a corporate group."

"So don't say I didn't warn you—even if you walk out that door, you won't necessarily make it home."

"So this really was just your own initiative, then?"

Fu Qian ignored the threat completely, nodding in thought.

"...Why would you say that?"

Sawada's body stiffened once again.

"Don't be so nervous. I know you've been trying to imply that I'm up against the Anjing Group so I'll be more willing to accept your terms."

Fu Qian sneered at his reaction.

"But there's a fundamental difference between a member of the group and the group itself."

"It felt strange from the very beginning. The way I see it, the Anjing Group has absolutely no need to pull a stunt like this. Geniuses and freaks might be rare, but with a large enough population base, there's never a shortage of them."

"And a fully mature framework like theirs is far more important than one or two rare specimens."

"As long as they keep it running smoothly without taking unnecessary risks, they'll have an endless stream of experimental subjects delivered right to their door. Why would they go out of their way to grab people themselves, especially when it carries such massive risk?"

"If I were your boss and you brought a plan like this to my desk, do you know what I'd do?"

Looking at Sawada, whose face was shifting between red and pale, Fu Qian shook his head.

"I'd grab everything within reach and hurl it at your face, then give you exactly five minutes to get out and go back to farming."

"So, the most reasonable explanation is that this was entirely your own idea."

"The Anjing Group might have indeed listed me as a special observation target, but this presumptuous little operation was ninety-nine percent your own brainchild."

"After reading some files on me, you stumbled upon the fact that I actually came to the Anjing Building today. You immediately decided to make contact for a close-up observation."

"After all, if I truly did have some special gains from my dietary habits, you'd have a very high chance of writing up a spectacular report."

"Let me guess. After I rejected you, what solidified your resolve to make a move? Was it when I caught Kisaragi Kana?"

Fu Qian inspected his mangled hands.

"It seems being a gentleman really doesn't pay off, does it!"

"A brilliant analysis."

Throughout Fu Qian's deduction, Sawada's expression had shifted unpredictably, and by the end, he actually began to clap.

"Now it seems it's no wonder he died."

"You guessed correctly. This was indeed my personal plan."

"But just as I said earlier, I had no intention of getting violent. I only hoped to use a more unconventional form of communication to get you to cooperate with my tests."

"That much I believe."

Fu Qian nodded.

"But your little scenario rested on one major premise—that your guess was correct and I wasn't an ordinary person. What if your guess had been wrong?"

"How did you plan to handle the aftermath?"

"If you let me go peacefully, how could you be sure I wouldn't report this to the Night Watchers?"

"You also wouldn't want your little cannibalistic habits—"

"That's impossible!"

Fu Qian abruptly cut off Sawada's defense.

"The Anjing Group could easily send me to the Electric Chair, sure, but you can't."

"When it comes down to it, you're just low-level cannon fodder. I highly doubt they'd endorse your idiotic behavior."

"If that happened, your best option would probably be turning yourself in to the Night Watchers. So from the moment you decided to act, you were banking on me not being ordinary. Otherwise, you'd be looking at a grim end."

"So what exactly do you want?"

At this moment, Sawada finally realized that the man in front of him was, in some ways, even more inhuman than he was—a monster who preyed on his own kind. It was best to be blunt.

"Now that's more like it. All that hypocritical small talk was meaningless anyway."

Fu Qian's features slowly twisted until they formed a manic smile.

"I was simply helping you analyze the situation. To sum it up: someone died because of your foolish gamble, and since you have no way of justifying it to your bosses, you're dead."

"If that's truly the case, then your own fate isn't looking too bright either."

Sawada couldn't help but snap harshly.

"I know, but you're a dead man."

Fu Qian's smile didn't falter.

"Fortunately for you, you're in luck. I've suddenly taken a bit of an interest in transcendent powers."

(End of Chapter)

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