Even though Otomoto Ai forcefully suppressed the emotion in her voice, Beichuan Si could still feel her loss.

Although she always seemed indifferent and uncaring about other matters as if she were chanting "long live energy saving," Beichuan Si knew better.

Otomoto Ai only appeared to be aloof on the surface.

She actually valued connections between people very much.

Once someone died, all of those connections would naturally be severed.

"What I can't accept is the bizarre manner of their deaths," Otomoto Ai sighed. "The last time we met, they were joking and frolicking with you, but the next time we met, they could only lie in a cold coffin... I just can't accept that."

Death normally has a reason, but now even that reason was unclear.

Did they encounter a serial killer? But if the killer was so capable, why didn't they kill Fukuda and Inuzuka's parents as well? It made no sense whatsoever.

A vendetta?

Fukuda and Inuzuka were just high school students; who could have such a deep grudge against a bunch of high schoolers?

The motive for murder was a problem, and so was the method of murder.

It was said there were no signs of the windows or doors being pried open, nor were there any traces of the pipes or walls being climbed.

Didn't all this seem odd?

"And... Brother Temple, have you ever heard of the term 'Cursed Object'?"

Otomoto Ai introduced a totally new term.

"Cursed Object?"

Beichuan Si frowned; this was indeed a new term for him. At least in Tokyo, he had never heard of the term "Cursed Object."

But just from the name alone, one could tell it wasn't anything good.

Seeing Beichuan Si frown, Sakura Miori, who had been silent beside him, spoke up to explain, "It's normal that Brother Temple hasn't heard of it. Previously, Ai explained to us that the 'Cursed Object' is actually a popular urban legend in the high schools of Yamanashi Prefecture... To be precise, it's an item related to curses."

Beichuan Si gestured for them to sit and then calmly said, "Tell me about it in detail."

The 'Cursed Object' was a curse-related tale that circulated among the high school students of Yamanashi Prefecture.

"The person who obtains the 'Cursed Object' can make a wish... With just one wish, the calamity can easily kill the person you dislike, that's the gist of it."

Sakura Miori said this while glancing at Otomoto Ai, and seeing that she still looked resolute, she continued with a sense of helplessness:

"But this curse is not one-sided. The person who prays for calamity will eventually be afflicted by the calamity as well. After your wish is granted and the person you cursed is killed, the profound calamity will also wrap around you, and you will die in the same manner as the one you cursed."

She raised three fingers:

"No regret is allowed. The entire process of cursing is irreversible. The moment your request is granted, the calamity is already bound to you."

Beichuan Si was slightly taken aback by this statement.

Curse someone else to death and die yourself at the same time?

With such a heavy price... Would people still be willing to use such a thing?

But Beichuan Si quickly understood.

This society... In fact, people in this world are like this. No one dares to say they've never had thoughts like "this disgusting society should just disappear," or "life is so boring, I wish I could die."

Even if you don't, there will always be people who do.

In times of misfortune, in moments of rage, one tends to blame others and envy what they have... It's normal for such people to use an object of curse like the 'Cursed Object.'

"All this information came from my friends' LINE group chats," Otomoto Ai sighed again. "But actually, the people in the group didn't take it seriously. Who would believe such an abstract concept like 'calamity' could kill someone?"

With that, Otomoto Ai looked at Beichuan Si: "But I believe it, because Brother Temple has taken me... No, taken us to see those horrifying things, I believe that 'calamity' does exist in this world."

"In fact, I didn't want to take you there; it's just that you insisted on playing some spirit summoning game, and I was forcibly called over to rescue the situation," Beichuan Si stated emotionlessly.

"..."

The group of four exchanged looks, speechless after Beichuan Si's comment.

Beichuan Si didn't care about their expressions; he just flicked his fingers and began to think.

Fukuda's and Inuzuka's mysterious deaths, their identical manners of death... Together with the legend of the 'Cursed Object.'

There were indeed many similarities.

But what Beichuan Si was most concerned about was something else...

He looked up at Otomoto Ai:

"Fukuda and Inuzuka were your friends, right?"

"Mmm. Inuzuka was one of the closer ones. As for Fukuda, I can't say we were close, but we weren't on bad terms either."

Otomoto Ai nodded.

"Was there any irreconcilable conflict between them?" Beichuan Si asked calmly.

"What do you mean by that...?"

Seeing Otomoto Ai's puzzled expression, Beichuan Si's voice didn't pause:

"Assuming everything is as you said, and everything began because Inuzuka used the 'Cursed Object' to curse and kill Fukuda, and then Inuzuka died because of the curse... There must have been some irreconcilable conflict between them. Otherwise, why would Inuzuka risk the possibility of dying himself to curse Fukuda?"

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