# 666
Chapter 666: Father and Daughter
Lin Qiye walked to Amemiya Haruki's side, examined him carefully, confirmed there were no fatal wounds, and sat down beside him.
"How is it?"
"Sacrificed some lifespan, nothing serious."
Amemiya Haruki raised his head and looked at the retreating figures of Yuzuri Nana and Uncle Kyosuke walking together in the distance, then slowly spoke:
"What about you? Why did you come back with him?"
"We killed an Oracle Envoy, but he self-destructed at the end. Uncle Kyosuke saved me."
"Did you ask him what happened?"
"I asked. It was pretty much what we expected…"
Amemiya Haruki, Lin Qiye, and Shen Qingzhu sat side by side against the wall. The first two were explaining the trap that Yuzuri Kurotetsu had set, while Shen Qingzhu couldn't understand a word they were saying. She simply pulled out a cigarette from her coat, lit it, and let out a long puff of smoke…
…
On a rain-soaked street, Yuzuri Nana and Uncle Kyosuke walked side by side. Yuzuri Nana stared at her own feet, silent.
Uncle Kyosuke wanted to say something but didn't know where to begin. After all, he owed Yuzuri Nana too much. He could even guess what kind of image he must have in her heart…
After much deliberation, Uncle Kyosuke finally opened his mouth. Whatever the outcome, whether Yuzuri Nana could forgive him or not, he wanted to explain everything to her.
Before he could speak, Yuzuri Nana, who had been looking down all this time, suddenly spoke:
"Dad, all these years… you must have had it really hard, right?"
Uncle Kyosuke's body trembled.
Yuzuri Nana took two steps forward and, noticing Uncle Kyosuke hadn't followed, turned her head slightly. After a moment of hesitation, she quietly said:
"I'm sorry, Dad…
Before, I always thought you were some scumbag who abandoned his wife and child, just like in the dramas. Drinking, smoking, gambling all day long, in huge debt, found another woman, and completely forgot about me and Mom in Yokohama…"
Uncle Kyosuke was stunned for a long time. "And now?"
"I don't think that anymore." Yuzuri Nana shook her head, her scattered hair chaotic in the wind. "Even though we haven't known each other long, the Uncle Kyosuke I know is a responsible, kind, and gentle man… If you were a father, you'd definitely be the best dad in the world.
I don't know what you went through, why you became a fugitive, or why you left me and Mom behind, but I believe you had your reasons…"
Uncle Kyosuke looked at Yuzuri Nana with complicated emotions. He had imagined this day countless times, but he had thought today's conversation would inevitably be an angry interrogation. In the worst case, Yuzuri Nana might even sever all father-daughter ties with him on the spot.
But he never expected Yuzuri Nana to forgive him so easily and even apologize proactively… even though she didn't even know the whole story and was simply willing to trust him.
She was too understanding, or rather… too smart.
Smart enough to make one's heart ache.
"Do you want to know the whole story?" Uncle Kyosuke suppressed the bitterness in his heart, forced a smile, and asked.
"I do." Yuzuri Nana paused. "But before that, I have one question…"
"What question?"
"If I remember correctly, Dad, I wasn't even five when you left home, right?" Yuzuri Nana gazed into Uncle Kyosuke's eyes. "So, how did you know I came to Osaka? You shouldn't have known what I looked like after growing up."
A slight smile appeared on Uncle Kyosuke's lips. "No, I knew."
Seeing the confusion in Yuzuri Nana's eyes, Uncle Kyosuke smiled. He took out several photographs from his coat with careful reverence and handed them to Yuzuri Nana.
Yuzuri Nana took the photos and flipped through them one by one. Her confusion deepened.
These were photos of her birthday celebrations each year. In each photo, the young Yuzuri Nana wore a birthday hat, a bright-colored dress, stood before a large birthday cake, hands clasped in prayer making a wish, then blew out the candles.
Seven, eight, nine… twelve.
Every year's photos were right here.
"Did Mom send these to you?" Yuzuri Nana's confusion grew. It was as if she'd realized something. She shook her head. "Impossible… Mom passed away when I was nine. The birthdays after that were spent with Crane Grandma. She couldn't even use a camera…"
"No, I took these."
"You took them?" Yuzuri Nana froze. "But you never came back for my birthdays…"
"Just because you didn't see me doesn't mean I wasn't there." Uncle Kyosuke placed his hand on the hilt of 【Illusory Pupil】, a proud smile spreading across his face. "Little Yuzuri, Daddy never missed a single one of your birthdays…"
Yuzuri Nana held those photographs, her eyes reddening again. "Then, if you came, why didn't you see me?"
"I was afraid that if I saw you, I wouldn't be able to leave." Uncle Kyosuke said helplessly. "No father can be made of stone when faced with his daughter's tears and pleading… But if I didn't leave, I would only bring danger to you."
Yuzuri Nana bit her lip, tears welling in her eyes. She clenched her fist and ran quickly to Uncle Kyosuke, throwing herself into his arms.
Uncle Kyosuke gently embraced her, his eyes filled with love.
"Then… will you leave me again?" After a long while, Yuzuri Nana looked up at Uncle Kyosuke, tears swirling in her reddened eyes. "Dad, please don't go anymore, okay…"
Uncle Kyosuke stared into her eyes in silence. After what felt like an eternity, he smiled and nodded.
"Okay…"
Hearing this, a smile finally appeared on Yuzuri Nana's face. She buried her head in Uncle Kyosuke's embrace, wiping her tears on his sequined suit, laughing as she did so.
"Dad, your current appearance is fake, right? I want to see what you really looked like…" Yuzuri Nana seemed to have just thought of this.
Uncle Kyosuke's expression turned conflicted. "Little Yuzuri, Dad's original face was injured… It might scare you."
"I don't care." Yuzuri Nana said stubbornly. "I would never嫌弃 my own dad's looks!"
Under Yuzuri Nana's persistent pestering, Uncle Kyosuke helplessly sighed. He reached for the hilt of 【Illusory Pupil】 at his waist and gently touched it.
"Alright then…"
A mystical light flickered, and Uncle Kyosuke's features gradually transformed, revealing an unfamiliar face.
It was the face of a middle-aged man, younger than Uncle Kyosuke's current appearance, with more symmetrical features—a perfect golden ratio face. His features were handsome, those beautiful eyes filled with the depth and melancholy of a mature man. As far as his features alone were concerned, he was even more refined than Lin Qiye!
However, on his forehead and left cheek, three gruesome scars were branded into the flesh like brands, completely ruining this face. It transformed him from a handsome hunk who could steal countless women's hearts into a fierce, terrifying villain. Just one look would startle anyone, making it impossible to look directly at him.
In Uncle Kyosuke's arms, Yuzuri Nana raised her head and studied this face for a long while. A brilliant smile spread across her face:
"What are you talking about, Dad? You're totally handsome! And even better looking than Qiye-ge!"