# 673
Chapter 674: Kyōsuke's Request
"Ahhh!!"
With a chorus of exclamations, the drop tower plummeted from the sky.
A few minutes later, Uncle Kyōsuke led Yuzuri Nana out of the drop tower ride.
Lin Qiye and Amemiya Haruki were still waiting nearby.
Although Yuzuri Nana had just invited them to ride the drop tower together, Lin Qiye really didn't want to go. After all, he had ridden dragons and the Somersault Cloud—what was a drop tower of this height to him? If he went up and everyone else was screaming, he'd just stand there with a blank expression, which would really ruin the atmosphere. Besides, this was a time for father and daughter to reunite; he didn't need to intrude.
"Alright, we've finished the last ride. Time to head back, right?" Uncle Kyōsuke held Yuzuri Nana's hand and smiled at her.
Yuzuri Nana lowered her head, saying nothing.
"Little Yuzuri?"
"Hm... oh..." Yuzuri Nana snapped back to attention, lifted her head, and forced a smile onto her face. "I, I'll go to the restroom first."
Watching Yuzuri Nana jog toward the restroom, Lin Qiye furrowed his brow slightly.
About ten minutes later, Yuzuri Nana walked out of the restroom, head drooped, looking somewhat dispirited.
"What's wrong, Little Yuzuri?" Uncle Kyōsuke asked with confusion.
"Nothing." Yuzuri Nana smiled. "Let's go back."
The group walked along the colorful paths of the amusement park toward the exit. The atmosphere between them seemed somewhat heavy—Yuzuri Nana hadn't spoken much, and even when Uncle Kyōsuke tried to make conversation, she only responded distractedly.
In the sky above, drizzle began to fall. Dark clouds gradually shrouded the heavens. It was only afternoon, yet little sunlight could be felt.
Despite this, the amusement park's laughter and excitement never ceased. Visitors opened their umbrellas, forming groups to queue for rides. The cartoon shuttle fleet played cheerful music, slowly moving forward along the paths.
At the amusement park's gate, Yuzuri Nana suddenly stopped.
"What's wrong, Little Yuzuri?" Uncle Kyōsuke turned to ask.
Yuzuri Nana stood there with her head bowed. Her eyes began to redden, and tears involuntarily welled up in them. Her small body trembled slightly as she slowly crouched down, hugging herself into a ball.
Lin Qiye and Amemiya Haruki exchanged a glance.
"I'm sorry..." Yuzuri Nana buried her face in her arms, speaking through sobs. "I, I just can't hold it in..."
Uncle Kyōsuke froze for a moment, then quickly said, "Little Yuzuri, do you want to keep playing? That's fine, we can come back later and play as long as you want. We could even buy some umbrellas at the shop..."
"Thank you, but that's not necessary... Xiao Jin-ge."
A tear-streaked face forced a smile from Yuzuri Nana.
Uncle Kyōsuke stood rooted to the spot.
Lin Qiye and Amemiya Haruki stood where they were, silently sighing.
"My dad... he's terribly afraid of heights, so he wouldn't go on the drop tower with me. Even if he did, he wouldn't smile so happily..." Yuzuri Nana's voice choked. "I should have realized earlier—we killed the Oracle Envoy, and this matter couldn't possibly end there. Dad worked so hard to get the [Black Rope]. He wouldn't give up like that...
So many Oracle Envoys died. If we want to ascend to [Pure Land], now is the best opportunity... Didu is still being tortured. At this critical moment, why would he come to the amusement park with me and have so much fun?"
Uncle Kyōsuke stood there for a long while, then let out a long sigh. Scattered golden specks of illusion dissipated, revealing his true form as Xiao Jin.
And the [Thousand Cranes] in Yuzuri Nana's arms had transformed into a cute wand-shaped bubble sword.
Today, from the moment Yuzuri Nana opened the door, Xiao Jin had been hypnotizing her.
This was Uncle Kyōsuke's request.
Last night, after Yuzuri Nana fell asleep, Uncle Kyōsuke borrowed both the [Thousand Cranes] and [Rainfall Collapse], and hurried to Tokyo overnight. Everyone except Yuzuri Nana herself knew about this.
Uncle Kyōsuke wanted to stay and accompany Yuzuri Nana, but if he wanted to ascend to [Pure Land], he absolutely couldn't miss this opportunity. So he could only ask Xiao Jin to transform into his appearance and at least take his daughter to an amusement park once. No matter what, he wanted to leave her with a beautiful memory...
"Little Yuzuri, you don't need to worry too much." Lin Qiye crouched down in front of her. "This time, your father will definitely come back with your brother. Then your family can reunite."
Amemiya Haruki nodded beside him.
"But..." Yuzuri Nana thought of the nightmare she had last night, and her heart filled with anxiety. She looked up at Xiao Jin. "Xiao Jin-ge, don't worry about me. Go help my dad quickly."
Xiao Jin glanced at Lin Qiye, who nodded at him.
"Then I'll be going. Take good care of her..."
With that, Xiao Jin turned into scattered golden light and dissipated on the spot.
Lin Qiye watched Xiao Jin disappear. After a moment, he extended his hand to Yuzuri Nana, who was crouching on the ground, and said with a smile:
"Let's go. Let's go home."
...
Tokyo.
Beneath the dark, low-hanging thunderclouds, this modern metropolis flickered with psychedelic lights. The humming of traffic and distant rumbles of thunder blended together. Through the mirrored surfaces of skyscrapers, the deep blue lightning could be clearly seen dancing between the clouds.
As the storm approached, pedestrians on the streets couldn't help but quicken their pace. The pedestrian signal had barely started flashing when large numbers of people crossed from the curb, hurrying home.
The light turned green.
On the dark asphalt road, only one man remained standing.
He wore a black sequined suit, his hair combed immaculately slick. In the pocket at his waist, a withered red rose was tucked away. A gust of cold wind mixed with drizzle swept past, scattering a few petals from this rose.
At his waist hung four blades.
Pedestrians passing by caught sight of him and whispered among themselves. They skirted around this man and hurried away, terrified he might be some madman carrying blades on the street.
Some people even stopped at a distance, pulled out their phones, and called the police. Soon after, faint sirens rang out from the end of the street.
The man stood quietly by the roadside, seemingly unconcerned with everything around him. He only lifted his head to gaze upward at the massive silver disc suspended high in the sky between the thunderclouds. His eyes were as deep and cold as a winter lake.
After an unknown amount of time, he gently raised his palm and swept it across his face.
That ordinary middle-aged face vanished instantly. In its place appeared a cold, stern face marked with three savage scars. If one overlooked those wounds, this would undoubtedly be a handsome uncle, like aged wine that only grows more intoxicating with time.
In that moment, the pedestrians on the roadside suddenly felt this face seemed familiar...
They seemed to recall something, and terror bloomed in their eyes!
This man carrying a withered red rose and four blades at his waist was no longer Uncle Kyōsuke from the Osaka Black Wisteria Club.
Now,
He was the country's [Fierce Ghost]-level wanted criminal,
Yuzuri Kurotetsu.