In a certain dark, damp room, the atmosphere was oppressive and suffocating.
A woman stood in front of the washbasin, staring at herself in the mirror.
"What… what is this…"
She gripped the hair on her head tightly with both hands, suddenly erupting into a furious rage for some unknown reason, and began tearing out every single strand from her scalp.
Her movements became more frantic, more forceful. Blood flowed down her forehead, staining her face and the washbasin red.
One strand fell, then a hundred began to fall. Her hair was torn into a messy tangle, some even falling into the sink with faint rustling sounds.
Suddenly, the woman froze. She stopped her actions, just staring blankly at herself in the mirror.
"Ah… I'm bald…"
In the washbasin, clear water began to continuously gush out, forming a small vortex that spun inward until it almost filled the entire washbasin.
"You finally grew your hair back, only for you to pull it out again?"
The voice came from inside the sink, carrying a hint of mockery.
"Typhoon… Typhoon? Typhoon Devil?"
"It's me. How is the mission going? Have you gotten the dick flesh from under that person?"
The woman's head moved, looking into the sink. Her eyes were empty, and her movements stiff.
"Why, why are you devils so interested in this… this piece of flesh called dick that grows on that woman? Can you tell me?"
"What? So you haven't gotten it yet."
The water in the sink began to swirl inward, gradually flowing into the pipe.
"You don't need to know these things. You just need to consider how to get the dick back. Afterwards, I will sign a complete contract with you as promised, allowing you to use all my remaining power, with no time limit."
The bald woman's lifeless eyes moved back and forth like a machine. She tried to smile, but couldn't.
"I see… Then I will get that piece of flesh called dick and give it to you."
The Typhoon Devil paused.
"But remember to be careful. That guy is very strong and has some powerful special abilities. He can also do some simple disguises, but the most important thing is, do not have physical skin contact with that guy."
"Don't have physical skin contact with that guy? What, that's all?… It's fine… Then I'll just use the old method~"
"The old method?"
"That's right, Typhoon Devil. My old method is very effective, you know. As long as I catch the people close to these targets, strip off the skin of their mothers, sisters, and younger sisters, and throw it in front of the targets, these targets will surrender themselves… Hehe… Hehehehe…"
"At that time, I can order this woman you call Renji to cut off her own dick flesh and give it to me, won't that be fine…? Physical contact and such… naturally can be avoided, right…?"
The Typhoon Devil's true form had completely vanished into the sink, only his chilling voice still echoed in the pipes, lingering for a long time.
"Whatever you want, as long as you can bring me the dick…"
...
...
"Two guests, I really can only take you this far. If I drive any further, I won't have enough gas to get back."
The female driver gently applied the brakes, bringing the car to a steady stop at the roadside.
Reze gently nudged Renji, who was still groggy, with her elbow. Renji was startled awake by the nudge. He rubbed his sleepy eyes, looking around, seemingly not fully understanding the situation yet.
"Hmm? Ah… oh, oh, have we… have we arrived?"
"Guest, you haven't told me the specific destination. You just said to keep driving in this direction, so I drove here."
The driver patiently explained, then repeated what she had just said, telling Renji that the gas was almost running out.
Renji waved his hand, closed his eyes, and was about to lean back in his seat to continue his sweet dream.
"If you don't have enough gas, just find a gas station and fill up. If it really comes down to it, I'll cover some of the cost for you. Just keep driving forward."
Hearing this, the female driver raised an eyebrow slightly. She looked back at Renji, who had already closed his eyes and was leaning back in the seat, preparing to continue sleeping, then turned to look at Reze sitting beside him.
"This… this isn't about fueling up or not. The point is, there aren't any gas stations nearby. We really can't drive any further, or else if we run out of gas, we'll all be stranded here."
"Hmm? What do you mean? How could a city as big as Tokyo not have a gas station?"
Renji yawned and sat up again.
"This… this kind of thing… how could someone not know? Guest… you're not trying to fool me, are you…"
It was only then that Renji realized he had probably encountered a piece of common knowledge in this world that he didn't know.
It was similar to how everyone knew there were only two cities in this place—Tokyo and Kyoto—but Renji had subconsciously assumed there were other cities, countries, and continents.
In such a situation, a simple conversation could immediately expose him, and the other person would think Renji had a problem. Normally, it wouldn't matter, but now Reze was right there.
Renji quickly gave an awkward laugh and tried to gloss over it.
"Hmm? Ah~ No, no, I just…"
Reze reached out and placed her hand between Renji and the driver. Without waiting for him to say anything, she paid the fare, grabbed Renji's wrist, and stepped out of the taxi.
The taxi drove off, leaving just the two of them standing by the roadside.
After catching a bit of sleep, Renji felt much more refreshed. He looked around and realized they were on what appeared to be an ordinary street.
However, unlike a typical street, there was a desolate and eerie atmosphere lingering in the air.
As far as the eye could see, the houses on both sides of the road seemed particularly neglected, as if they'd been forgotten by the world—abandoned in some hidden corner of time. Most had their doors and windows tightly shut, completely devoid of life.
Some structures even showed signs of decay. A few roofs were partially missing, exposing the mottled interiors. In other cases, collapsed walls revealed chaotic, abandoned rooms within.
"What time is it now?" Renji couldn't help but ask, his voice carrying in the silent street.
Reze, hearing his voice, pulled out her phone and glanced at the screen.
"Hmm… it's already 4:22 AM. Almost dawn," she replied softly.
"Ah?! That long?!"
Renji recalled their conversation in the coffee shop just a few hours ago, when they were chatting about holidays. The more they talked, the more excited they had become.
Renji had really wanted to see what the world looked like beyond Tokyo and Kyoto, so they spontaneously decided to take a trip.
Without hesitation, Reze had asked the coffee shop owner for leave, and under the owner's astonished gaze, the two of them had walked out together.
When they got into the taxi, it was still early—just around 10 o'clock.
Now, nearly six hours had passed.
Under the pale moonlight, Renji slowly walked toward the center of the street. He stopped, glancing around with growing curiosity.
In front of them stretched a deserted road, completely devoid of pedestrians. The dilapidated shops lining the sides stood in silence, their doors half-open, half-closed.
And in the distance, countless uninhabited buildings loomed—dark, forgotten, and still.