Devil's Eye Reborn - Shadow Angel Awakens - Chapter 83

Chapter 83: Chapter 81：Hayashi Junko’s rescue operation
 

“What’s wrong?” Zicheng asked, noticing my prolonged silence.

“Nothing,” I shook my head.

Although I wasn’t the one who killed Hayashi Minamoto Takehiko, I had taken his and the real murderer’s bodies without permission. Even if I told the truth, Hayashi Junko might not believe that I had nothing to do with her husband’s death, so I decided to change the subject.

I asked Hayashi Junko, “How did you find this place?”

“During the autopsy, we discovered a red tattoo on the left rib of the killer. The tattoo was circular, with an inverted pentagram inside the circle, and a small circle touching the star within the pentagram,” Hayashi Junko said hoarsely, her voice tinged with hatred. “We initially thought it was the emblem of some cult, but there was no record of this symbol in the police database. I was at a loss until I met a member of a mysterious organization by chance. After seeing a photo of the tattoo, he told me it was the mark of the Satan’s Cult.”

Hearing this, I couldn’t help but interrupt her, “What is the name of that organization?”

Hayashi Junko hesitated for a moment and, seeing Zicheng nod, she softly said, “The organization is called the Demon Slayer Association.”

“Just as I thought,” I mused.

The Satan’s Cult had a long history and had been active in various fields throughout the ages. Important institutions in any country, including developed ones like Japan, were more or less aware of its existence.

It was no exception in Japan, but the fact that the police had no record of the cult’s emblem could only mean that the Satan’s Cult had already infiltrated the upper echelons of the Japanese government or police, using their power to conceal its existence.

As for the member of the Demon Slayer Association whom Hayashi Junko encountered, it likely wasn’t a coincidence either.

The Demon Slayer Association had always been hostile to demons, dedicated to killing them. However, many normal people in real life were tainted with demonic energy.

I surmised that to avoid killing innocents and prevent them from being recruited by the Satan’s Cult, the society would monitor these suspicious individuals.

Given that Hayashi Junko’s husband was a demon and she herself had demonic energy, it was natural for her to be under observation. Their contact with her was not accidental. I just didn’t know if the society’s guidance was out of goodwill or if they had ulterior motives.

“But this base is heavily fortified. How did you, a lone woman, manage to get in?” I asked.

“Actually, besides me, the Demon Slayer Association sent three demon exterminators with me,” Hayashi Junko said. “When we arrived at Aokigahara, we found that the entry and exit passages were unguarded, allowing us to enter unimpeded. The underground base was littered with corpses. We thought it was a blessing from above, but as soon as we put on those black armors, we… we…” At this point, Hayashi Junko’s face turned pale with fear, and she began to tremble.

It seemed she had been severely frightened at the time, and even recalling it now made her shudder. Seeing this, I patted her shoulder gently and asked softly, “What happened to you?”

After a moment of comforting, Hayashi Junko calmed down slightly. She looked around warily before saying, “We intended to disguise ourselves as one of them to uncover the secrets hidden in this place.

But we hadn’t gone far when we encountered a giant monster!”

As she spoke, her eyes filled with terror.

“A monster?” I wondered, immediately thinking of Rahab. I asked, “Was it a giant black beast with a human face?”

“Yes!” Hayashi Junko’s eyes widened, her fear intensifying.

“What happened next?” I asked, concerned upon hearing news of Rahab.

“The monster was ferocious and brutal. As soon as it appeared, it extended its giant claws and tore two demon exterminators to pieces!” Hayashi Junko closed her eyes, her face turning pale as she recalled the scene. “It was so terrifying… We watched as the two were shredded before us, but we didn’t even think of running because we knew we couldn’t escape. The monster’s gaze was so sharp that it felt like we were being pierced by invisible swords!”

“But you survived in the end,” I said, noticing tears at the corners of her eyes.

Although Hayashi Junko had a demon husband, a giant beast was beyond her comprehension. Moreover, Rahab’s true form was indeed frightening, so it was no wonder she was so terrified.

“Yes… I survived,” Hayashi Junko opened her eyes and looked at me for a moment before saying helplessly, “The monster pinned the last demon exterminator to the ground and wrapped its tail around me, squeezing tighter and tighter, almost crushing my body. Just as I was about to lose consciousness, it suddenly loosened its tail and let me go.”

Listening to her description, I thought for a moment and asked, “Were you wearing a helmet at the time?”

“I was, but it fell off while I struggled with the monster,” Hayashi Junko said, and I immediately understood.

Rahab’s “Heart-Piercing Eye” could read people’s thoughts. I guessed that in her near-death state, Hayashi Junko thought of her husband or recalled her life, which included Zicheng. Rahab must have seen this and, knowing we would be captured by the Satan’s Cult, spared her life to give us a chance to escape.

Hayashi Junko continued, “Although the monster spared me, it didn’t let the demon exterminator go.

It said something to him before biting off his head and then disappeared like the wind.”

“What did it say?” I asked curiously.

Hayashi Junko shook her head, “It wasn’t in Japanese, so I didn’t understand.”

“That’s okay. What happened next?” I asked, wondering what Rahab might have said.

“After the monster left, I stood there for a long time until I heard rapid footsteps approaching. I remembered I was in enemy territory and quickly put my helmet back on. Shortly after, a group of Satan’s Cult members wearing the same uniform as me arrived,” Hayashi Junko said with a bitter smile. “Thanks to the monster, the scene was chaotic. They saw I wasn’t injured and let me join a few others who had survived and return to the central monitoring room. I guess I should thank the monster because I watched it kill the pursuers one by one on the monitors, indirectly avenging me, haha!”

Hayashi Junko forced a laugh, but her smile lacked any sense of relief. I knew she felt guilty about the three demon exterminators’ deaths.

“They never made you take off your helmet?” I asked, puzzled.

Hayashi Junko shook her head, “No, everyone was focused on the screens. I took advantage of their distraction to secretly investigate and noticed one monitor was watching Zicheng.”

“What happened to the monster later?” I asked.

“The monster fled toward the exit but was blocked by a white figure. The white figure circled the monster for a while before it suddenly collapsed. After the monster fell, a man in a white robe appeared on its back, and the monster remained motionless, seemingly unconscious,” Hayashi Junko paused, then continued, “Three cult members in strange attire arrived and tried to chain the monster. But as soon as the white-robed man jumped back, the monster used its tail to knock him away! However, the three cult members eventually subdued the heavily injured monster and locked it in a large cell.”

Although I didn’t know who the three people were, I was sure the white-robed man was Samael.

After I was knocked out in the secret chamber, they must have had a fierce battle.

Although Rahab’s combat power increased significantly in his beast form, he was still no match for Samael, especially with the iron-masked man by his side. Knowing he couldn’t win, Rahab escaped, leading the pursuers to reduce our obstacles.

After thinking for a while, I asked Hayashi Junko, “How did you rescue Zicheng?”

“Although the monster was eventually subdued, the Satan’s Cult suffered heavy losses. Besides the researchers, there were only about twenty combat-capable individuals left in this base,” Hayashi Junko said. “The survivors were divided into two groups: one patrolled the prison, and the other protected their leader.”

“Protect their leader?” I asked in surprise. “Is their leader injured?”

Hayashi Junko shook her head. “I don’t know about that; their conversations didn’t mention it.” I nodded for her to continue.

“I was assigned to the prison patrol group. Normally, they operate in pairs, but due to the shortage of personnel and the need for at least two people in the central control room, they had to patrol individually. Initially, I was part of the patrol team, but since I wasn’t familiar with the prison layout, wandering around aimlessly could easily expose me. Additionally, being alone in a dangerous place made me very anxious. When I saw Zicheng here, I was not only surprised but also overjoyed, so I decided to rescue him first,” Hayashi Junko said, turning to look at Zicheng. “I pretended to have a sprained ankle, making it difficult for me to move, so they let me stay in the monitoring room. I waited until one of the cell monitors malfunctioned. When the other monitor operator was focused on the screen, I shot him from behind and then freed Zicheng.”

Hayashi Junko looked at me and said, “You know the rest.”

I nodded, silently admiring her patience and decisiveness.