Kael turned and walked out of the Metaverse, finding the sky dark—it was already night. In fact, it was late at night. Even at the bustling Shibuya Station, there were few people around, leaving it somewhat empty. But though there weren't many people, there were plenty of evil spirits.
Kael needed a large number of evil spirits to break through his bottleneck, so he wouldn't miss the chance. He pulled out the Hundred Ghost Banner, infused it with mana, and gave it a slight shake toward the nearby spirits. Countless evil spirits were drawn in, like rivers flowing to the sea, sucked into the banner and suppressed.
Previously, when Kael destroyed the Akiyama Group, he had skinned them to refine the banner. Now, the banner in his hand was far stronger than before. Where once it struggled to suppress a single spirit, now it easily subdued seven or eight at once. Even so, the banner wasn't full.
As Kael walked, he continued to wield the banner, drawing in spirit after spirit. Soon, more than fifty spirits were gathered inside. But that wasn't enough to break through his bottleneck. He needed ten times that number.
Fortunately, Tokyo had no shortage of evil spirits. Capturing five hundred wouldn't be difficult. The only problem was that his banner was reaching its limit. After absorbing a dozen more spirits, it began to show signs of strain. Though upgraded, it wasn't perfect—suppressing sixty or seventy spirits was its maximum. To continue, he would need to upgrade it again.
With that thought, Kael put away the banner and headed toward Shinjuku. Soon, he arrived. Shinjuku, Tokyo's most prosperous district, housed many yakuza groups. Kael casually chose one—the Yamada Group—and walked in.
Unlike the Akiyama Group, which thrived on exploiting women, the Yamada Group was a more traditional yakuza. And how did traditional yakuza make money? The answer was simple: loan-sharking, protection fees, and most importantly—drug trafficking.
Yes, the Yamada Group was built on selling drugs. Though small in number, its members were fierce and willing to fight, which was why they had survived in Shinjuku.
Upon entering, Kael set up a barrier, preventing anyone from escaping. He intended to wipe them out completely.
Inside, he counted about thirty men. Two were talking, while the rest were asleep—it was late, after all.
Kael targeted the two. He sent a burst of mana into one, instantly devouring his flesh and blood, leaving only a limp skin on the floor. Not even a scream escaped.
The other man, the group's boss, was stunned. What had just happened? In the blink of an eye, his subordinate had become a skin. Terrified, he tried to speak, but a red light shot from the skin into his body. He felt his soul, thoughts, and flesh consumed. Darkness swallowed him.
Moments later, the red light flew out of him and returned to Kael. Along with it came the flesh and souls of both men.
Kael exhaled deeply. The sensation was intoxicating. Devouring them had strengthened his body slightly. Not much, but enough to feel. The accumulation was addictive.
He then consumed the flesh and souls of all the Yamada Group members. Their skins were smeared with his blood, inscribed with runes, and refined into the banner.
At last, Kael had created a complete Hundred Ghost Banner. No longer a defective product, but a genuine one. Though only genuine, not superior or ultimate, it was enough for now.
Leaving the Yamada Group, Kael walked the streets, continuing to collect spirits. Soon, more than two hundred were inside the banner, yet it showed no strain. Its power was clear. If upgraded further to superior or ultimate, it could hold thousands.
But upgrading required vast amounts of flesh and skin. Kael had no intention of doing that now. From the memories of the Yamada Group, he learned something important.
The disappearance of the Akiyama Group had drawn attention. Their members had vanished without a trace—neither alive nor dead. It was too strange. Many suspected they had provoked something supernatural. Police had questioned other groups, including the Yamada boss.
What surprised him was that the police investigation was led by a girl who looked like a high school student. He had been curious about her identity, intending to investigate further. But Kael killed him before he could.
The boss hadn't known her, but Kael did. She was none other than Isayama Yomi, a member of the Countermeasures Office for Supernatural Disasters.
In other words, the mysterious disappearance of the Akiyama Group had already drawn the office's attention. Now, with the Yamada Group gone, the office would surely intensify its pursuit.
This was the modern world. In ancient times, even if a whole village vanished, few would care. But now, even a dozen missing men would trigger serious investigation.
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Late upload. I was busy. Anyway, here are the promised bonus chapters. Gimme your stones so there'll be more 😊