Chapter 268: 266
Genichi closed the notebook in his hand. The faint smile on his lips quickly vanished as though it had never existed.
His expression returned to its usual calm. It was not gentle or composed, but a state of utter, absolute indifference.
Like stagnant water, without a ripple, without warmth, without the slightest trace of emotion.
He had received the message from his shadow.
Yukino had finally relented. She had finally admitted that she wanted power, that she wanted to become his.
By all rights, he should have been pleased. He should have felt satisfied that his plan had taken another step forward.
But he did not.
He merely smiled, and there was no joy in it. There was only something colder, like a hunter's satisfaction when his prey stepped into a trap, or a chess player's calm when his opponent made the exact move he had anticipated.
Yukino could not escape.
He had known that from the beginning.
It was not because Haruno had persuaded her, nor was it because of Mrs. Yukinoshita's decision. It was because of Genichi himself.
He had given them hope. He had given them power. He had offered them something they could not refuse.
Haruno thought she had convinced her sister. She thought she had pushed events in this direction and protected her family.
But Genichi knew that he was the one who had truly made the difference.
It was his power, his experiments, and his Ghost Tamer Project.
Yukino had not been persuaded by her sister. She had been defeated by reality.
Genichi rose and walked to the window, gazing out into the night.
Moonlight streamed inside, casting his shadow across the floor and stretching it unnaturally long.
His fingers tapped lightly against the windowsill, producing a steady rhythm.
Haruno always thought far too highly of him.
In her eyes, he was a savior, a protector, and a man worthy of entrusting her entire life to.
She had draped him in gentleness, crowned him with kindness, and wrapped him in a hero's mantle.
But Genichi knew that was not who he was.
He had never been gentle, kind, or heroic.
He merely did what he needed to do: grow stronger, survive, and protect the people he cared about.
As for everyone else, he did not care.
He did not care about the volunteers who had died during his experiments.
He did not care about the souls devoured by vengeful spirits.
He did not care about the families whose lives had been destroyed because of him.
The only thing he cared about was the result.
Would the Ghost Tamers succeed? Would his power continue to grow? Would he ultimately claim the throne?
Haruno believed he was saving the world.
In truth, he was only saving himself.
Saving the world was merely incidental. It was a means to an end, another step on the staircase leading to his throne.
If the day ever came when he had to choose between saving the world and saving himself, he would choose himself without the slightest hesitation.
That was who he was.
Genichi.
Not a hero. Not a savior. Not the gentle, kindhearted man Haruno believed him to be.
He was a selfish, indifferent, utterly unscrupulous demon.
In the most literal sense of the word.
Suddenly, a series of noises came from outside the laboratory. It was not the ordinary bustle of the research facility, but the clash of metal, shattering glass, and heavy, muffled impacts.
Genichi's fingers stopped tapping.
He withdrew his gaze from the window and looked toward the laboratory door.
The shadow beneath his feet writhed slightly, instantly relaying information from throughout the research facility.
Someone had broken in.
More than one person. There were at least five.
They had passed through the outer security perimeter, avoided the surveillance cameras, and even bypassed the hidden sentries stationed by the Momobami Clan.
These were no ordinary intruders. They had received professional training.
Genichi narrowed his eyes.
He raised a hand and lightly snapped his fingers.
At that same moment, beneath the gray-white sky of the World of the Dead, Yukino, Haruno, Kirari, and Ririka were all enveloped in crimson light.
Before they could react, they were transported back to the laboratory.
"What happened?"
Haruno's voice carried a hint of confusion and vigilance.
They had been testing their abilities in the World of the Dead only an instant ago, yet they had suddenly been pulled back.
Genichi would never interrupt their training without a reason.
He turned to look at them.
His expression was calm, but there was no warmth in his eyes.
"The research facility has been infiltrated."
His voice was quiet, yet every word was perfectly clear.
"I want to know who broke in and why they came here."
Haruno's face instantly went pale.
She and Kirari were jointly responsible for the facility's security.
The Yukinoshita family provided the location and guarded the outer perimeter, while the Momobami Clan handled internal security and personnel screening.
If something had gone wrong, the responsibility belonged to the two of them.
Haruno set down her dagger, hurried to the entrance, and pushed open the door.
Several people dressed in black combat uniforms lay sprawled across the corridor, pinned firmly to the floor by Genichi's shadows.
Their weapons were scattered nearby. Some had been snapped apart, while others had been swallowed by the darkness.
The intruders struggled to rise, but the shadows pressing down on them were so powerful that they could not move at all.
Haruno crouched and tore the mask from one intruder's face.
It was completely unfamiliar and utterly unremarkable. The kind of face no one would recognize in a crowd.
Kirari stepped into the corridor as well and stopped beside Haruno, looking down at the intruders.
Her expression shifted from confusion to anger, then from anger to something far colder.
Killing intent.
"The Momobami Clan's security has never been breached before."
Her voice was icy.
"These people aren't ordinary intruders."
The two women returned to the laboratory. Genichi was seated at the workbench, writing something on a sheet of paper.
"Investigate them. I don't care who they are or where they came from. I want their identities, their objective, and the person behind them."
Haruno and Kirari nodded simultaneously.
"Understood."
Genichi raised his head and looked at them.
There was no emotion in those eyes, but Haruno could sense something concealed beneath their stillness. It was not anger or concern, but something deeper and far more dangerous.
She silently swore that she would uncover the entire truth. She could not allow herself to disappoint him.
Genichi watched the two women leave, and the corners of his lips curved upward slightly.
It was a faint smile, carrying a trace of mockery, a trace of indifference, and something else that was harder to define.
Satisfaction.
He knew that from this day forward, Haruno and Kirari would work even harder. They would push themselves further and become even more ruthless in accomplishing their duties.
Because they understood that if this ever happened again, he would not simply tell them to "investigate."
(End of Chapter)
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