41: The Demon's Lair Beneath the Shopping Mall

Yukino tapped her fingertip against the wall, her eyes shimmering with longing. "I want to set up display cases here to showcase various styles of Wagashi in the future... and place two sets of tables and chairs by the window so customers can enjoy the warm afternoon sun while tasting sweets..."

Lin Luo nodded in agreement, his thoughts following hers. "The preparation room can be set up in the back; we'll need to order professional ovens and refrigeration equipment. As for the second floor..." He looked up at the stairs, "Let's keep it as a lounge so we have a place to relax during business breaks."

The two discussed the renovation details with great enthusiasm, while Tohru, standing to the side, showed no interest at all. She was squatting in a corner, her vertical pupils fixed unblinkingly on a small crawling insect. Her tail drooped listlessly behind her, forming a sharp contrast to the passion of the other two, looking so bored she was almost yawning.

When they finished their preliminary discussion and walked out of the shop, they happened to run into Sōma from the Kouhei Teishoku next door, returning from a delivery. The young man's eyes lit up the moment he saw the two women beside Lin Luo—both beautiful yet with vastly different temperaments. He quietly gave Lin Luo a thumbs-up, a mischievous grin appearing on his face.

Lin Luo shook his head helplessly and was about to explain when Sōma briskly untied his headband and issued a warm invitation. "Looks like we'll be neighbors from now on! Why not come over and try a new dish I've just developed?"

At the mention of a "new dish," memories of that last plate of "Hell Cuisine"—squid tentacles coated in peanut butter—instantly assaulted Lin Luo. His face turned pale, and he quickly held back Tohru, who was already restless at the mention of "eating." "Next time, next time! We'll definitely come to taste it when there's a chance!"

He gave a dry laugh, pulling Tohru, who was still peering into the restaurant, with one hand and lightly guiding Yukino's shoulder with the other. He practically jogged away from the storefront.

"Eh? That shop smells really good!" Tohru squirmed discontentedly, her Dragon tail swishing restlessly under her skirt. "Why won't you let me try it!"

Yukino followed Lin Luo's pace obediently but couldn't help glancing back. The aroma wafting from the restaurant was indeed enticing. She whispered in agreement, "Actually... judging by the scent alone, Sōma-kun's skills seem quite good..."

"Some other time!" Lin Luo replied decisively, quickening his pace. He still had lingering fears about the destructive power of Sōma's special dishes—that bizarre combination of squid tentacles and peanut butter had left his sense of taste malfunctioning for three days. That impact was practically torture for the taste buds; he really didn't want the two beside him to suffer the same ordeal.

"Stingy!" Tohru puffed out her cheeks, her molten-gold vertical pupils filled with dissatisfaction.

Seeing Tohru's reluctant face, Lin Luo changed the subject and asked in a light tone, "Alright, alright, didn't we say we were going out to play? Let's go to the mall and buy you some clothes for the new season. Tohru, you can't always use your scales to manifest clothes; you should try the clothes from our side too."

"Human clothes?" Tohru tilted her head, her dragon horns reflecting the sunlight. "But my scales are clearly more comfortable..."

"Just consider it a part of experiencing human life, how about it?" Yukino joined in the persuasion with a gentle smile in her eyes. "I can help Young Miss Tohru pick out some suitable styles."

She had already begun to conceptualize in her mind: "I heard mint green and light pink are popular this year. Young Miss Tohru's blonde hair would suit them well..."

"I want the shiny kind!" Tohru interrupted immediately, her eyes lighting up instantly. "Like the way my dragon scales reflect the sunlight!"

"There aren't many styles like that on the market," Lin Luo couldn't help but laugh.

Tohru immediately pouted, even her dragon tail drooping listlessly. "Human clothes are so boring..."

"But," Lin Luo changed his tone as if suddenly remembering something, "I recall a shop that specializes in clothes with sequin decorations. They sparkle under the lights; you might like the effect."

Tohru's vertical pupils lit up instantly, and she grabbed Lin Luo's arm. "Then what are we waiting for? Let's go to that one now!"

When the three entered the mall, it was the busiest time of day. Bright lights poured down, crowds flowed like a river, and the air was woven with cheerful music and a mixture of food and perfume scents. Children chased and laughed on the polished floors, couples snuggled on benches sharing ice cream, and the elderly browsed the shops leisurely. A dazzling array of goods glittered under the lights, together forming a vibrant urban scene full of the breath of life.

Tohru was immediately drawn to the bustling scene, looking around curiously. With Yukino's patient assistance, she tried on several outfits. Each time she emerged from the fitting room, she would do a light spin in front of Lin Luo, awaiting his evaluation. Lin Luo nodded with a smile, dutifully taking charge of the bags and the bill. He watched as Tohru developed such a strong interest in human creations for once, while Yukino carefully helped her adjust her hemlines and offered advice. A warm and harmonious atmosphere permeated the three of them.

However, they did not know that beneath this prosperity, deep in the basement of the mall, a crisis was quietly brewing in a nest constructed of damp rock walls and thick spider webs.

A child with a sickly pale face, curled up in the center of a giant spider web, had his eyes closed. His fingertips rested lightly on a few vibrating, translucent silk threads. Through the senses of the "children" scattered in every corner of the mall, fragmented images and mixed scents were constantly flowing back into his mind.

His brow furrowed slightly, and his nostrils twitched. Through the compound eye of a spider lurking in the shadows, he "saw" three extraordinary figures. These were by no means ordinary prey, but... high-quality "ingredients" emitting an enticing aroma!

A human male, surrounded by a... very special aura, pure and warm, like an unpolished gemstone.

A human female, yet surrounded by an ice-like chill, cold and unique.

And that... blonde one with vertical pupils... what exactly was she? Her energy form was filled with a primal, violent sense of oppression that made him instinctively feel a trace of unease, yet it was mixed with even deeper greed.

The boy's lips moved soundlessly, emitting a murmur of confusion and desire: "Such a special scent... especially that man..."

The information transmitted by the spider silk was rapidly integrated and compared in his mind. Suddenly, a terrifying imprint deeply rooted in the consciousness of all demons, coming from the absolute source, was triggered!

The boy's murmur suddenly became clear and sharp, carrying unbelievable dread and a hint of excitement at discovering prey: "This human... is the target Lord Muzan personally ordered to be killed at all costs! The two women beside him... their power is also extremely strange..."

He licked his somewhat dry lips, a flash of cruelty and coldness that completely contradicted his apparent age appearing in his eyes. His hands began to manipulate skillfully, the spider web in his grasp changing shape accordingly as silent commands were sent out along the invisible network.

At the same time, inside the mall, the three's warm time was instantly shattered.

Without warning, the lights on the top floor of the mall flickered violently a few times and then went out completely! It wasn't an ordinary circuit failure; it was more as if the light itself had been swallowed by some invisible dark power. Instant darkness descended, with only a few eerie green emergency lights struggling to turn on, casting distorted, swaying shadows on the polished floors and walls, adding a touch of the uncanny.

"What's going on?"

"Is it a power outage?"

At first, it was just confused questioning, but the terrifying abnormal change that followed immediately turned all questions into screams of terror!

Sticky, semi-transparent spider silk, like living creatures, surged frantically from ventilation ducts, elevator shafts, and the shadows of every corner! With a scalp-numbing hissing sound, they accurately lashed out at the panicked crowd.

"Ah—! Help!"

"Something's wrapped around my foot! Someone help me get it off!"

Screams rose one after another. Dozens of customers near the edges were the first to suffer, their ankles caught by spider silk as they were screamed while being hung upside down in mid-air, swaying helplessly. More people were wrapped layer by layer in more silk, becoming white cocoons writhing on the ground in the blink of an eye, their cries for help quickly muffled.

The spider silk not only entangled people but was also weaving rapidly, blocking all exits and windows. In an instant, it formed a massive white net that shrouded the entire interior of the mall, turning it into a closed, desperate hunting ground.

Lin Luo stepped forward almost the moment the anomaly occurred, shielding Yukino firmly behind him. The Spiritual Energy in his body circulated spontaneously, a faint golden light appearing on the surface of his skin as his sharp gaze scanned the chaotic scene.

Protected behind him, Yukino could clearly feel the warmth from his back and his unhesitating protective stance. Her heart warmed, but her deep blue eyes also instantly turned ice-blue. Her hair moved without wind, and a piercing chill spread out with her as the center—she was not a weakling who needed complete protection; she was a partner who could fight side by side.

Meanwhile, Tohru's molten-gold vertical pupils shone terrifyingly bright in the gloom. There was no fear in them, only a cold rage from having her territory encroached upon. "Filthy insects, you dare to act wildly before this Great One?" She didn't even move; the air behind her simply distorted, and the phantom of cyan-gold dragon wings suddenly unfurled. A blazing aura erupted, instantly vaporizing all the spider silk trying to approach them, turning it into nothingness.

For the first time, Yukino felt Tohru's overwhelming power and protective stance as a giant dragon so intuitively. That blazing and pure energy barrier firmly isolated the chaos and danger from the outside, bringing an indescribable sense of security.

"It's demons." Lin Luo's voice was low, his gaze scanning the chaotic scene like a hawk as his spiritual perception expanded fully. "And there are many of them; the auras are very mixed." He could feel the malice hidden in the shadows, though he couldn't pinpoint them precisely yet.

As if to confirm Lin Luo's words and in response to that malicious murmur from underground, a rustling sound came from the floor and walls. A "monster" with the lower body of a giant, hairy black spider and the upper body of a pale, evil-eyed boy came crawling rapidly along the wall, his movements eerie and swift.

He let out a shrill laugh, and with a wave of his hand, countless fist-sized, colorful poisonous spiders gushed from the spinneret beneath him. Like a bursting dam of black tide, they surged toward Lin Luo's group from all directions, the air instantly filling with a sickly sweet, nauseating stench.