"Hahaha! Trying to take advantage of me? Pah! Let's see if this doesn't scare you to death!"
Moxi was in high spirits after pranking him twice in a row. She hummed a cheerful, unknown tune as she left the director's room.
Shinji, who had watched the entire scene from the shadows, hesitated for a moment before deciding to follow her.
This Special Grade Cursed Spirit named Moxi seemed different from the others he had encountered before.
But he couldn't be sure if that was her true nature or just an act.
To be honest though, what she had done earlier hadn't been repulsive at all. That despicable director, on the other hand, was truly disgusting.
Even so, Moxi hadn't killed him. She had only taught him a small lesson and then left.
That didn't quite match the descriptions of the brutal murders that had happened here recently.
"Could it really not be her? Is there another Cursed Spirit hiding somewhere?" Shinji wondered, uncertain.
His [Greed Eye] had its limits in range. It wasn't practical to try and track down a killer across an entire country using it alone.
Besides… what if the killer wasn't even a Cursed Spirit?
This industry was deep and murky. No one knew if what lurked in the dark was human, monster, spirit, or beast.
It wasn't impossible that a jealous insider was behind the killings.
Shinji stayed well hidden, never once alerting her to his presence along the way. Only after confirming where she was staying did he vanish quickly into the night.
---
The next day.
A piece of gossip spread rapidly across most of the Land of Wu.
It was said that the famous director Ku had suffered a stroke during the night, and had been rushed to the hospital early that morning.
But many people claimed it wasn't a stroke at all — he had seen something evil!
Witnesses said that as Director Ku was carried away, he stared blankly into space, repeating only two words: "Monster…" and "Raccoon‑dog face…"
When people connected this with the tragic deaths of several popular celebrities before, rumors of a "Monster on a Killing Spree" spread wildly, leaving everyone fearful and on edge.
Hearing the news, Shinji thought Moxi was sure to be in trouble.
But instead, the assistant director had run away that very same day, taking all the production funds with him.
No one knew if he fled out of fear of retaliation, or because there were things he didn't want investigated.
With both directors gone and the money stolen, the film production ground to a sudden halt.
Kazahana Yukihime was exasperated when she received the notice.
She knew perfectly well Director Ku was a lecher, yet she had still agreed to join and take the leading role.
She had done it because she believed in the script and wanted to take a chance.
Despite his faults, Director Ku was undeniably talented.
For this role, she had even accepted a pay cut, taking only a small advance payment.
Now the project was falling apart, and she had no idea who would pay her the rest of what she was owed.
Just as she was struggling with this problem, things took an unexpected turn.
---
"Is everyone here?"
"Everyone except the director and assistant director."
"Good. Pass the word."
Okajima Kizō, dressed smartly in a suit, cleared his throat, picked up a megaphone, and addressed the whole crew.
"Good day, everyone. I am Okajima Kizō from Kameow Film & Entertainment. I believe you've all heard what happened within the production team. I'm standing here now to tell you — the rumors are true. Director Ku is in the hospital, and the assistant director ran away with the funds!"
Commotion erupted across the set.
"Quiet, please! Quiet down!"
Okajima wiped the sweat from his forehead and continued.
"But rest assured — production is not shutting down. Kameow Film & Entertainment will be taking over this project."
Okajima wasn't the greatest speaker, but with a series of promises and reassurances, he managed to calm everyone down and win back their trust.
However, his final announcement caught many by surprise.
"…All footage shot previously will be discarded. We will restart filming with a brand‑new script. Also, let me introduce you to Miss Hotaru. She will be one of the lead actresses in the new version. The story now focuses on two heroines — and so on, and so forth…"
"Miss Hotaru" was, in fact, Tamamo Hotaru, who had been pushed into this role completely against her will.
She stood off to the side, looking utterly miserable, enduring everyone's curious gaze.
But honestly — just looking at her face, everyone understood instantly why the script had suddenly been rewritten and why a second lead had appeared out of nowhere.
They dressed it up with nice words, but everyone knew the truth: they wanted to use Kazahana Yukihime's existing fame to boost the new girl's status.
Glances turned subtly toward Yukihime's face. Everyone expected a drama to unfold — but she said nothing. She simply accepted it.
After the meeting, Yukihime prepared to leave, but Okajima called her aside. Since they were from the same company, he spoke frankly.
"I'm truly sorry about this. We should have informed you earlier, but everything happened so suddenly… we simply went with the flow."
"Miss Hotaru here is a new talent we signed. She's also bringing her own investment into the production. This movie could only be saved because of her support. That's why the script had to change. I know it's unfair to you, but the boss asked me to assure you — we will make it up to you next time. We hope you can be understanding and gracious about this."
Kazahana Yukihime knew exactly how dirty this industry could be.
She felt disappointed, certainly — betrayed in a way, even by her own company. But it wasn't a fatal blow.
Looking at the bright side: she was still a leading lady — just one of two — and she would still receive a generous payment afterward. She wasn't losing out completely.
She had long prepared herself for the reality of people stepping on others to climb higher.
She said nothing more, promised to cooperate fully, and left.
Okajima let out a heavy sigh of relief. If she had made a scene, things would have turned very ugly very fast.
Everything he had said was true.
Originally, the project was dead. No sane person would take over such a mess.
But Shinji saw it as an opportunity.
With a bit of extra publicity, Tamamo Hotaru could gain fame instantly through this shortcut.
For him, this was nothing compared to his main goal: luring out the target of his mission.
As for the promised investment… He gave just enough money to restart production.
The rest? He would just delay paying it. After all, once his mission was done, they would leave immediately.
He couldn't care less who would be left holding the bag later.
Finding the killer sooner rather than later was better for everyone involved.
Tamamo Hotaru, naturally, was the first to oppose this ridiculous plan.
But her objections were ignored, and before she knew it, she had become the leading lady of the film.
____________________
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