"No way… did he just die like that?"
The blond-haired punk stretched his hand forward and placed it under the man's nose, testing for breath. When he realized there was none, panic took over.
He had only wanted to teach the crazy man a lesson. Never had he thought the guy would be so fragile. That thin body couldn't withstand more than a few punches and kicks before collapsing lifelessly.
"You two! Pretend you never saw anything today, got it?"
Behind him, his underlings snapped out of their daze. One by one, they pulled out knives and waved them threateningly at the two figures nearby.
"Are you idiots? As long as we stick together, we can say he was killed by that guy!" The blonde regained his calm after the first wave of panic and pointed directly at Toji.
"Eh? Yeah… boss is right!"
Despite their dull brains, the lackeys caught on what he meant. They raised their hands too, ready to shift all the blame onto Toji.
"You better admit it quietly. Otherwise… every year in Japan, thousands of people go missing or die for no reason…"
The blonde tried to sound fierce, but his forehead was already dripping with sweat. The thrill of winning money and the fear of killing by mistake had faded, and only now did he realize just how tall the man in front of him was.
Even under loose clothes, his powerful muscles were impossible to miss. What made it worse was his face. After watching them kill a man, he remained calm, like he had just been watching a circus act.
And the little brat beside him, his eyes were practically spilling over with mockery and disdain.
"Guess how much their lives are worth?" Mukuro finally spoke, a faint smile on his lips.
"Uh… gamblers are tricky. Could be their entire fortune, or perhaps nothing at all," Toji rubbed his chin, answering seriously.
"What the hell are you talking about…"
The venue was empty except for them, yet the blonde felt a strange chill. Their odd conversation made him sweat even more.
"You think he'll end up on his knees, begging us?"
"Maybe. Fear of death is something most people can't escape."
The two kept their calm expressions, chatting casually, but every word sent shivers down the blonde's back.
"I said… what the hell are you two saying! Don't mess with me!" He shouted, trying to scare off the unease growing inside him.
"Give it back…"
A voice came suddenly, sharp and screeching, similar to glass being scraped. It made everyone freeze.
Then the light seemed to dim, as though something huge had blocked it.
"What is that?!"
The group turned and saw it, a monstrous figure, ugly and towering, standing behind them. Its face twisted, lips curling to reveal dagger-sized fangs. From the hollow eyes poured thick malice.
They stumbled backward in terror. One tripped and crashed into Toji, only to feel like he had hit a solid wall, then slid to the floor, trembling.
"Didn't you just say thousands go missing or die in Japan each year? Well, now the reason's right in front of you."
Mukuro stepped forward and kicked them aside, his voice carrying a mocking tone as he "helped" explain.
"Damn it… don't underestimate us! You guys, kill it! It's just some old man turned into a ghost, nothing to be afraid of!" The blonde forced himself to calm down, guessing the creature must be linked to the man they had beaten to death. He shoved his lackeys toward it.
"Us?! Wouldn't it be better if those two went first? They look like they know what's happening!"
One of the lackeys resisted and turned to point at Mukuro and Toji.
"Good idea!"
But when they looked behind them, the two were gone.
"Time to start bidding! If you want us to save you, bring out something worth our while!"
From the top seats, the brothers watched with interest, as if it were all a game. Mukuro lifted a finger and looked down at them calmly.
"Don't be scared, it's broad daylight… if we all attack together, it's just one ghost. We can handle it!"
The blonde ignored him. Staring at the monster that crept closer, he drew a knife from his waist and rallied his men.
"Y-Yeah! When he was alive, he was trash. Turning into a ghost won't make him strong…"
The lackeys swallowed hard and gripped their weapons, muttering under their breath to calm themselves.
"Three, two, one… attack!"
At his count, they all rushed forward, stabbing at the cursed spirit.
Clang!
The sound was like metal striking metal. Their knives didn't even pierce its skin. The impact sent shocks through their arms, numbing their hands so badly they nearly dropped their weapons.
"It's so hard!"
Before they could recover, the cursed spirit roared, "Give it back!"
A gust of wind surged from its mouth, knocking them off their feet. Its massive hands seized two men by the head, lifting them like fruit.
Crack!
With a squeeze, their skulls burst like tomatoes, splattering blood and brain matter everywhere.
"Monster! Run!"
The blond and the last survivor screamed and bolted toward the exit.
Boom!
In an instant, the curse blocked their path, jaws wide open. The other man ran too fast to stop and plunged straight into its mouth. The creature bit down and chewed like it was eating a snack.
"Talking right after forming… this isn't some low-level thing. Probably grade 2 already." Toji sat on a seat above, observing the gruesome scene with indifference.
"Winners bask in glory, losers fall into ruin. Gambling is soaked in resentment. This curse didn't form from just one man." Mukuro rested his chin on his hand, eyes on the blonde. "Still, it's nothing but trash formed from a pile of weak grudges."
"Save me! Whatever it costs, I'll give you everything!"
The blonde collapsed, legs shaking too hard to stand. Seeing the creature crunch his friend like a biscuit, his pants grew warm, a puddle spreading beneath him.
Desperately crawling backward, he finally remembered the two who had been sitting high up. He didn't care about anything else now, scrambling toward them like a madman.
"'Whatever it costs' is too vague. We want to know exactly how much you're willing to pay for your life." Mukuro crossed his arms, showing no intention to help yet.
"Two million! I won this ticket worth two million! It's yours, just take it!"
He pulled a slip of paper from his pocket and held it out, eager to hand it over.
"Two million, huh… barely acceptable. But only this once."
Without warning, Toji appeared before him and snatched the ticket. When the man tried to grab his leg, he kicked him away, sending him rolling.
"Give it back!"
The curse spotted the ticket in Toji's hand and went wild. Tossing aside the mangled corpse it had been chewing, it rushed forward.
"Thanks for funding me. You've done your good deed."
Toji pulled out a dagger and vanished from sight with a sudden step.
Slash!
The monster froze. Its arms, once reaching for Toji, hit the ground.
"Ahh!"
Whether from rage or pain, it opened its mouth to bite him, but its body stumbled, jaw snapping at nothing.
"Up there."
Mukuro stood in front of it at some point and gestured upward.
The creature looked up and saw only a blade growing larger in its vision, piercing straight into its skull.
"Give ba—"
It didn't finish the last word. With a groan, it collapsed and slowly turned to ash.
"S-So strong…"
The blonde stared in shock. He hadn't even seen what happened, only a flash, and then the monster was dead.
"Two million. That's the price of your life. Pretty cheap, if you ask me."
Toji waved the ticket in his hand as he and Mukuro turned to leave, their mocking laughter echoing behind. The blonde sat frozen, unable to process anything.
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