Chapter 119: A Face-to-Face Battle With the Curse“Damn it! Damn it!! Damn it!!!”

  Returning to her room, Miyo Takano had pletely shed the graceful and posed mask she wore in public. Her face twisted in rage, and her bloodshot eyes gleamed with fury like an enraged bull.

  Her hands were covered in bloody scratches, but she paid no attention to such trivial wounds.

  “How dare he! How dare he mock my grandfather’s research!! Who does he think he is?! A mere fool dares to look down on my grandfather’s work!!!”

  Miyo Takano shredded the papers in front of her into pieces, ed by her anger.

  Her mind was filled with the image of Alex’s smug smile and the sful tone he used wheioning her grandfather.

  This brought back memories of her childhood—of so-called "experts" visiting her grandfather’s home and ridig his research.

  Back then, her grandfather had e in silence, uo retaliate.

  But that was then.

  Now is different!

  I will make you pay for your insolence!

  A manic smile spread across Takano’s face as she thought about her revenge.

  Yes… Oyashiro-sama’s curse… She would make him experiehe true wrath of a god.

  Takano grabbed the phone and dialed a number.

  “Hello, Okonogi? It’s me. I’ve decided on a arget for our pn…”

  The threads of fate were shifting.

  Alex raised his head and gazed into the pitch-bight sky.

  As a Seer, he could faintly sehe movements of certain forces—destiny, the future, and the ever-ging flow of life.

  Fate was not immutable.

  No one could step into the same river twice. The currents of destiny were always shifting.

  While the endpoint remained stant, humans were like fallen leaves caught in the river of fate, striving to grasp or alter their course.

  Yet in the end, their destination would not ge.

  Death awaited all living things, and even the ability to see the future could not ge that.

  A Seer’s role was to choose the smoothest path through the rapids, avoiding the waterfalls.

  However, to simply drift along the currents was to surrender.

  True strength y in reshaping the river, not merely navigating it.

  Fate, eternal and unyieldied iorrent and trickle.

  It would her ge course for prayers nor halt for pleading.

  Until the end of time.

  Thud!

  The low beat of a drum brought Alex back to reality.

  He turoward the shrine and saw Rika Furude on stage, dressed in her red-and-white miko attire.

  The solemn girl wielded a rake taller than herself, focused on her ceremonial dance.

  Rika, too, was a small life striving to ge her destiny.

  After tless cycles in fragmented worlds, she sought to escape the shadow of death and endless repetition.

  Yet for her, fate remained ever the same.

  Thud! Thud! Thud!

  As the drumbeat ended, Rika o the crowd ahe stage.

  The vilgers began lining up to take the ritual cotton to the river, pleting the final ceremony of the Watanagashi Festival.

  Alex gnced once more at the y stage before turning to leave.

  Night deepened.

  Uhe silver moonlight, the forest was shrouded in darkness.

  From afar, the flickering lights along the riverbank were visible, the vilge appearing peaceful and serene.

  No one would suspect that after this festival, this quiet vilge would begin its dest into hell.

  All of this stemming from the pitiful and deranged whims of one woman.

  But not this time.

  I will break your delusions and show you the true meaning of despair.

  “Ah, Mr. Alex.”

  A voiterrupted his thoughts.

  Turning, Alex saw a green-haired girl in a dress standing on a nearby path, smiling at him.

  “Hello, Shion. Still not heading home?”

  “Walking alone is a bit scary. Could you walk me to the interse? Someone will pick me up there.”

  Shion Sonozaki skipped toward him, g her hands together as she gazed at him expetly.

  “Would you, Mr. Alex?”

  “Of course, no problem.”

  To be ho, Shion’s presence here surprised Alex.

  Especially since, unlike in the anime, she had not disguised herself as Mion during this Watanagashi Festival.

  Instead, she appeared as herself, causing quite a stir.

  Even Mion, Keiichi, and Rena were shocked, as they had never heard Mioion having a twin sister.

  The revetion had sparked quite the otion.

  Judging by Shion’s smug demeanor now, it was clear she had caused Mioy of trouble.

  "I heard from my sister that you're the club advisor, Mr. Alex? I’ve also pyed that game called 'Killers of the Three Kingdoms,' and it’s really fun!"

  "I'm gd you like it," Alex replied with a smile.

  "And also, also…"

  Perhaps because she rarely visited Hinamizawa, Shion was unusually excited, chattering away like a little bird. She eagerly reted everything that happened during the Watanagashi Festival to Alex.

  This included participating in the festival petitions with Keiichi and the others, enjoying various delicious foods, and her impressions of everyone. She talked about how Keiichi was always getting pranked until he ractically dying, how Rena turned out to be even more amazing than expected, and eveioned Satoko.

  "…"

  Wheopic reached this point, Shion suddenly fell silent.

  "What’s wrong?"

  Seeing Shion grow quiet all of a sudden, Alex raised an eyebrow and asked. He uood perfectly well why the girl in front of him had fallen silent.

  Satoko Houjou was the younger sister of Satoshi Houjou, the boy Shioly loved. Shion’s feelings toward Satoko were extremely plicated.

  She deeply resented Satoko because, in Shion’s view, Satoshi had already beeally scarred by the various burdens he carried. He was incredibly fragile in this state.

  Yet, Satoko pletely ignored her brother’s dition and tio rely on him. This pced even more pressure on Satoshi, often leaving him in pain and anguish. Of course, this was Shion’s personal perspective.

  "It’s nothing," Shion finally replied, smiling and shaking her head at Alex.

  "By the way, Mr. Alex, I’d like to sult you about some things in a few days. Would you have time?"

  "Of course, no problem."

  Hearing Shion’s request, Alex immediately agreed.

  "Then, thank you. Oh, my ride is here. I’ll head baow. Goodbye, Mr. Alex."

  Honk honk…

  Just then, a bck sedan approached from the end of the road and stopped by the roadside. Shion waved to Alex befetting into the car and leaving.

  I know what you want to talk to me about.

  Watg Shion disappear behind the car window, Alex’s lips curved slightly into a faint smile.

  That’s the advantage of being a Seer—many things Alex could already sense ahead of time.

  Though these were only vague impressions, for someoh "future vision" like Alex, even a rough premonition was enough to firm the truth.

  But I think you’ll have your answer very soon.

  With that thought, Alex gnced again toward the forest trail in the distance.

  Through the trees, he could clearly see a silver van quietly parked on a small path.

  As Shion’s car disappeared from view, the van suddenly started its eurning onto the road and heading toward Alex’s location.

  Pulled aggro from the boss because of some taunting, huh?

  At this, Alex let out a cold chuckle and turo walk back toward the school.

  If you’re not afraid of death, e at me. If you want to py, I’ll py along with you.

  (End of Chapter)

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