73: Mary called

"No," Lin Luo suddenly stopped, a trace of imperceptible spiritual light glimmering in his eyes. His Spiritual Perception spread out like invisible ripples, piercing through the facade of silence, "We aren't too late. There are still people alive, and quite a few of them."

His keen senses captured it—beneath that deathly silence, deep underground, came the faint, concentrated aura belonging to the living.

"There's a sealed cellar here!" A team member shouted from inside a dwelling on the edge of the village. Everyone quickly gathered, only to see a heavy wooden door nailed shut from the outside with thick wooden stakes, as if to seal away some kind of despair.

"Stand back," a team member said in a low voice. Immediately, his nichirin blade left its sheath, a cold light flashed, and the wooden stakes snapped upon impact. As the heavy wooden board was violently pried open, a foul odor mixed with mustiness, sweat, and fear rushed out to meet them.

The cellar was dim and lightless. Borrowing the sudden influx of light, one could see several thin, small figures curled tightly on a pile of straw in the corner. Due to long periods without sunlight and a lack of food, their complexions were a sickly pale, their lips cracked, and their eyes were filled with extreme terror and bewilderment. Like frightened young beasts, they trembled in the strong light, huddled even closer together.

"Don't be afraid, children." Kochou Kanae immediately crouched down, her voice possessing that consistent, soothing gentleness capable of calming any unease, "It's all right now. The monsters that hurt you have all been eliminated by us."

She slowly extended her hand, carrying no weapons, palm facing upward to show she was harmless. Shinobu also immediately retracted all her sharpness, taking fresh water and easy-to-eat sugar cubes from her small carry-on parcel, handing them over with gentle movements.

Infected by the Butterfly Sisters' affinity, which was as soft and firm as moonlight, the children's nerves, tightened to the point of numbness, finally relaxed. The heavy, mask-like fear on their faces gradually dissolved, replaced by a deeper, more unbearable torrent of emotion.

There was no wailing, nor could they even make much sound.

Only tears—large, heavy droplets—rolled silently and uncontrollably from their dry eye sockets, sliding down their pale, gaunt cheeks, dripping onto the dust-covered floor, blooming into dark dots.

It was a sorrow suppressed for too long, to the point where even the instinct to cry had been nearly forgotten. It was fear, it was despair, it was the immense grief of losing loved ones; in this moment when safety had finally arrived, it transformed into a silent torrent, breaching the dam.

Kochou Kanae said nothing more, simply and gently pulling the child closest to her into her arms, using her warm palm to lightly pat his trembling, bony back. Shinobu also silently stepped forward, placing the water and food aside, and used a handkerchief to extremely gently wipe away the tears of a girl that seemed as if they would never stop flowing.

As the search area expanded, team members successively discovered more cleverly hidden shelters throughout the village—beneath heavy rice vats, deep in corners piled with firewood, and even in compartments disguised as walls.

However, hope and despair were laid bare side-by-side in this moment.

A portion of the hiding places had already been discovered by demons, leaving only mottled bloodstains and broken remains inside, silently recounting the final tragedy.

But fortunately, many hiding spots remained intact. When the team members carefully opened these final sanctuaries, they were greeted by the survivors' incredulous gazes, having survived the catastrophe.

Without any surprise, the vast majority of these survivors, protected to the death by the villagers, were children who had not yet reached adulthood.

Clearly, in the moment the disaster descended, the adults here had made a painful and unanimous choice: faced with limited hiding space and slim chances of survival, they had reserved the hope of life for the future to the greatest extent possible.

Under the clear light of the waning moon, several Kasugai Crows flapped their wings and landed quietly, standing on scorched branches, signaling that the mission was complete. Following closely behind were the swift and orderly figures of the Butterfly Mansion logistics team.

Under the care of these professionals, the shell-shocked survivors were carefully helped out, wrapped in warm blankets, and fed light liquid food. In the children's hollow eyes, a faint light finally began to re-gather, bit by bit. Meanwhile, the injured team members also received rapid emergency bandaging and treatment, their heavy breathing gradually settling.

The aftermath was being handled in an orderly fashion, and the clamor gradually subsided. Lin Luo quietly walked out of the village and stopped under an ancient tree that had weathered the ages, its branches gnarled and twisted. He looked up, and within his line of sight, Shinobu was sitting alone on a high branch.

She did not have her usual beaming smile; instead, she tilted her head slightly, gazing at the sparse stars in the sky. The cold moonlight outlined her slightly thin silhouette, and the night breeze gently brushed through her hair.

For the first time, Lin Luo clearly saw a trace of unprecedented sadness, lingering like night mist, in those purple eyes that were always curved and filled with lively smiles.

"Shinobu, you did well today." Lin Luo's voice came from beneath the tree, attempting to use affirmation to dispel that lingering sorrow.

Upon hearing this, Shinobu lowered her head slightly. Moonlight spilled onto her face, and that trace of sadness was forcibly suppressed by her curved lips, turning into an almost inaudible sigh.

Immediately, she flipped down lightly, landing gracefully before Lin Luo like a feather. Her height, not reaching Lin Luo's chest, made him almost subconsciously raise his hand, wanting to ruffle her hair that looked so soft.

Shinobu, however, as if she had expected it, nimbly hopped back half a step to dodge, simultaneously casting a glance at him that held no deterrent power.

"Who allowed you to call me 'Shinobu'?" Her tone carried feigned dissatisfaction.

Lin Luo looked at the girl who had instantly regained her vitality and smiled slightly: "I heard Kanae call you that."

"That's only something my sister can call me." Shinobu put her hands on her hips, looking up at him, a flash of slyness in her eyes as she deliberately drew out her tone, "As for you... what, do you want to be my brother-in-law?"

"If Kanae doesn't mind, it wouldn't be impossible for me."

Before Lin Luo finished speaking, Shinobu's hand had already struck toward his waist like lightning. He had anticipated it and dodged to the side, a helpless smile playing at the corners of his mouth.

"In your dreams!" Shinobu missed her attack but did not pursue, simply withdrawing her hand and glaring at him with those purple eyes. That trace of sadness finally hid away completely, filled once more with her familiar liveliness. "My sister is gentle and strong; the people pursuing her could line up from Butterfly Mansion to Mount Fujikasane. You'd have to ask my nichirin blade if it agrees first!"

"Stop messing around, you two."

A gentle, quiet voice came from behind. Unbeknownst to them, Kochou Kanae had quietly approached and was standing a few steps away, looking at them with curved eyebrows and eyes. Moonlight spilled onto her, as if draping her in a soft veil, and her tolerant gaze carried a hint of understanding and mild indulgence.

Shinobu immediately reined in her playful demeanor, walking quickly to her sister's side, her tone carrying a bit of affectionate complaint: "Sister, look at him!"

Kanae gently patted her sister's hand, turning her gaze to Lin Luo, her lips holding a light smile: "Mr. Lin Luo, thanks to you today, we were able to complete the mission so easily. Thank you for protecting us as well."

Her gratitude was sincere and solemn, not just for the completion of the mission, but even more so for the lives that had been able to continue because of his timely intervention.

Lin Luo met her gaze and shook his head lightly: "It was my duty. Besides, without your swords, I wouldn't have been able to purify all the demons so smoothly." He paused, his gaze sweeping over Shinobu beside him, who seemed to still be slightly puffing out her cheeks from the previous joke, and his tone carried a trace of imperceptible warmth, "And, being able to witness the grace of both of you wielding your swords with my own eyes is my honor."

Shinobu listened to Lin Luo's exceptionally formal answer, quietly turning her face away, her shoulders slightly shaking as she pursed her lips to suppress a laugh. This guy, only in front of my sister does he put on such a serious and reserved act.

Kanae took in her sister's little movements, a flash of knowing amusement passing through her eyes, though she did not point it out. She simply replied gently: "Mr. Lin Luo, you are too modest. Well then, let's set off; these children need to return to the Butterfly Mansion as soon as possible."

Under the moonlight, the three of them walked side-by-side on the return journey. Shinobu would occasionally steal a glance, her gaze shifting quietly between Lin Luo and her sister's backs, a smile—sly and knowing—always lingering at the corners of her mouth.

...

Recently, Shiina Mahiru had constantly been receiving calls from a disconnected number on her way home from school.

At first, it was just some unintelligible static, but later it became a flat, unsettling female voice repeating incomprehensible phrases. Recently, however, the content of these calls had been gradually becoming clearer and more pressuring, making her feel an inexplicable sense of panic.

"This is a call from Mary, I'm coming to find you!"

"This is a call from Mary, is your house Room 605!"

"This is a call from Mary, I'm downstairs at your house now!"

"This is a call from Mary, I'm getting ready to go upstairs!"

"This is a call from Mary, your house is on the 6th floor, right? I'm on the 3rd floor now!"

Every day, she would receive such a call at around the same time, the content like a countdown to death, stepping closer and closer to her reality. She tried to tell herself this was just a cruel prank, but the number always displayed as "Unknown," and calling back only resulted in a busy signal. This was not funny at all.

Mahiru gripped her phone tightly, her fingertips turning white from the force. She couldn't help but look back at the empty space behind her, a chill creeping up her spine.

If... if next time, the content of the call suddenly changed to "I'm already behind you," that would be the true...

She didn't know how long this prank would continue, but it had already become like invisible vines, winding around her until she couldn't breathe. Every ring of the phone felt like a death warrant, causing her heart to skip a beat. She began to fear school being over, to fear that fixed route home.

Even worse was the mental erosion. Every time after receiving that call, the night would always inevitably fall into the vortex of the same nightmare. In the dream, she was running desperately through boundless darkness, her lungs burning with pain, while behind her, some unspeakable, unfaceable "Great Terror" was closing in; she could feel that thing's breath blowing against the back of her neck...

Then, she would wake up with a start, her heart pounding wildly, cold sweat soaking her pajamas. Outside the window, it was already the pale light of the next morning. And the specific details of the dream, like handwriting soaked in water, quickly blurred and faded, leaving behind only a heavy, sticky sense of fear, lingering in her heart like a hangover, unable to dissipate all day long.