"How could this be... Please don't give up, miss!"
Looking at the woman whose eyes had gone lifeless, Onshin crouched down and tried to make one last effort. Yet no matter how she cried out, there was no response.
"They're already gone, Onshin-san." Mukuro gently patted her back as he spoke.
"So you should repent." Toji grabbed the culprit, whose arm had been twisted out of shape, and threw him hard against the wall. His sharp gaze pinned the man in place.
"This was just an accident. I didn't mean it..."
The driver, seeing that he was no match, fell to his knees and began to beg frantically. But his pleas weren't aimed at the couple who had lost their lives, instead, they were directed toward Onshin.
He could see it clearly. The terrifying man before him cared only about the young girl.
Slap!
The usually gentle Onshin did not respond with words. She stood up, raised her hand, and struck the man across the face.
Even Toji and Mukuro were left staring in surprise.
"Let's go, Toji-san, Mukuro."
After making sure the couple had no chance of survival, Onshin's eyes dimmed. She turned and prepared to leave.
WEE-OOO! WEE-OOO!
Just then, sirens blared. Police cars and ambulances pulled up, their wailing filling the air. Officers and doctors pushed through the crowd toward the scene.
"What's going on here?! Why hasn't that truck been moved yet?! And you three, why are you standing so close?!" The police chief shouted when he saw Mukuro and the others right at the site of the crash. He urged the doctors to hurry.
"Officer! Here! I want to turn myself in!"
The driver, as if spotting a savior, lifted his uninjured arm and crawled toward the police.
"What happened here?" The chief studied the man's expression and realized this wasn't a simple traffic accident.
"I… I hit that car by accident, but before I could move my truck away, this guy dragged me out and beat me! Look at my arm! He even said he'd kill me! And this woman too! She blocked me and wouldn't let me save them!"
The man clung to the police chief's leg, flipping the truth and pushing all the blame onto Toji and Onshin.
"Liar!"
Toji stayed calm, but Onshin exploded with anger.
"That's not true! He tried to flee after hitting them, and that family stopped him!"
The bystanders, who had been silent until now, found courage once the police arrived. One after another, they spoke out, exposing the truth of what had happened.
"I'm sorry," a doctor finally said after checking the victims. He shook his head, his tone heavy. "There's nothing we can do. Both of them are gone."
The couple's injuries were too severe. Almost every bone was shattered. Not even a miracle could bring them back.
"You bastard." The chief's veins bulged as he listened to the crowd's testimony and the doctor's confirmation. Rage filled him, but his uniform forced him to remain calm. He gave a quick signal, and two officers moved forward, snapping cuffs onto the driver.
"What about those two? That woman slapped me, and that man broke my arm. That's the truth! Everyone saw it! If you don't arrest them too, I'll file a complaint!"
Knowing he couldn't escape blame anymore, the driver lashed out like a madman, determined to drag Toji and Onshin down with him. Even if they wouldn't really be in trouble, he wanted to spite them.
"Shut up. You're a criminal now!"
The officers holding him wished they could gag his mouth. After everything he'd done, they wanted nothing more than to haul him to the station right away.
The chief looked at Toji and Onshin. "You two, would you mind coming with us to give a statement? It won't take long."
With so many eyes watching, he had to follow procedure. Although he believed they acted out of justice and self-defense, rules were rules.
"Yes... I don't mind." Onshin nodded cooperatively.
As for Toji, he noticed Mukuro giving him a small wink and agreed casually.
"No need to be afraid, little one. We will give you candy," the chief said with a smile, bending down to coax Mukuro as if he were a child.
"Got it."
He waved dismissively and followed after Toji.
* * *
The group was soon driven to the police station. The couple's bodies were covered with white sheets, carefully placed into an ambulance that followed closely behind. The crash site was left to other officers to handle.
"Don't worry. From the testimonies, it looks like you'll just need to say a few words before leaving. It's only a formality."
In the chief's office, he personally served Toji and Onshin hot tea. He also placed the promised lollipop in front of Mukuro.
"Thank you... But that man, I feel like it wasn't just an accident."
Onshin recalled the driver's behavior. It didn't feel like carelessness. It seemed more like murder disguised as an accident.
"We'll investigate properly. Please warm up and wait here. My men will take your statements soon."
The chief didn't dismiss her words, but neither did he believe them outright. He was a policeman. Whether it was intentional or not, it was for him to confirm.
Not long after, both Toji and Onshin were escorted out, leaving just Mukuro and the chief in the office.
"Don't like sweets, kid?" the chief asked when he saw Mukuro didn't touch the candy. He thought perhaps the boy was shy or nervous.
"Asleep already? I suppose so. A child must be shaken after seeing so much blood."
He noticed Mukuro's eyes half closed and thoughtfully placed a blanket over him. With a quiet step, he left the office.
* * *
In the temporary holding cell, the driver trembled violently. Having finished his statement, he now lay on the floor, wailing.
"Scum. Look at me."
The sudden voice made his entire body shake. He raised his head, and to his shock, the boy who had been beside that terrifying man was standing right in front of him.
"You… why are you here? Never mind that, you came at the perfect time! Kid, help me get out of here!"
The man lunged toward Mukuro, but his body passed straight through. He slammed into the iron bars with a thud.
"I can't touch you? Are you human or ghost?"
He turned in horror and saw Mukuro still standing calmly. Cold sweat soaked him as panic set in.
"I don't care why you killed, or whose orders you followed. What I do care about is that your actions disgusted me."
A breeze stirred the air, and only then did the man notice the strange glow in Mukuro's right eye. It bore the number "1."
"Answer one thing. What food do you hate most?"
The man didn't reply. He pounded on the bars with all his strength, desperate to draw the guard's attention.
"Stop that racket, or you'll regret it!"
As he wished, the guard came. But the officer didn't seem to see Mukuro at all. He just cursed the driver.
"A ghost... Let me out! Please, let me out!"
Seeing the guard ignore Mukuro, terror consumed him. He cried and begged, body shaking.
"A ghost? That's right. I'm a ghost. Don't make me lose my patience."
The guard left, taking away the man's last hope.
"Spare me! It was the Star Religious Group that paid me to kill that family. It wasn't my fault!"
The driver broke down completely. Words poured out as he confessed everything, hoping to save himself.
"No answer? Then take some of my specialty." Mukuro snapped his fingers and vanished from sight.
"He's gone... finally gone..." The man exhaled in relief, but then strange sounds reached his ears. He looked down and froze.
Numerous twin-tailed creatures crawled over his body. Before he could scream, his mouth opened wide as if pulled by some unseen force, drawing them inside.
* * *
Elsewhere, near the crash site.
"Damn it... Why won't she just die? Always pretending to be so kind. Who is she trying to impress? And now she's even stolen my guaranteed admission spot…"
A plain-looking young woman gritted her teeth, muttering curses under her breath.
It was she who had shoved Onshin earlier.
A chilling hiss broke the air.
"What was that?"
She opened her backpack carefully, only for several venomous snakes to spring out, sinking their fangs into her face.
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