301-305

*Chapter 301: The Official Residence*

"This madman!"

Kyoto, Metropolitan Police Department.

Upon hearing the last name Takayama recited in the video, even Sakai—who had remained composed all along—couldn’t hide his shock.

He never expected Takayama to be this insane.

He was actually attempting to use Keiko's power to assassinate Japan's Prime Minister.

If the Prime Minister really died from Keiko’s phone call, it would trigger an unprecedented political crisis throughout Japan.

Realizing the gravity of the situation, Sakai shouted with all his strength:

"Contact the Cabinet Office immediately! From this moment on, the Prime Minister must not answer any phone calls!"

Keiko’s method of killing involved phone calls.

The only countermeasure Sakai could think of was to ensure that no phone reached the Prime Minister.

Because the moment he picked up a call, the deadly pattern would be triggered.

This supernatural, inescapable force couldn’t be stopped—not even by the Prime Minister himself.

---

Nagatacho, Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo—Prime Minister’s Official Residence.

Upon receiving Sakai’s urgent message, the entire residence sprang into action.

The Prime Minister's residence, brightly lit deep into the night.

Because of the alarming report from Kyoto, even the Cabinet members who had already gone to bed were forced to get up.

"Keiko? This ridiculous nonsense… and people actually believe it?"

Hearing that the reason behind this sudden mobilization was some so-called urban legend, the Deputy Prime Minister—who also served as the Minister of Finance and Financial Affairs—couldn’t help but sneer in disdain.

"The officials in this residence are getting more and more incompetent. It seems like they need a serious overhaul."

"Haven't you read the report from Kyoto, Deputy Prime Minister?"

Unlike the Deputy Prime Minister’s dismissive attitude, some Cabinet members took the Keiko rumors more seriously. After all, the deaths of those middle school students were real, and the eerie photo of Keiko found in the time capsule had sent chills down their spines.

"So what if I read it? Japan has countless shrines and priests—are you telling me they can’t handle a mere ghost?

"This is just a fool’s misguided revenge. I refuse to believe that some so-called spirit can infiltrate the Prime Minister’s residence. This is Tokyo, not some backwater like Kyoto!"

Despite the Deputy Prime Minister’s stubborn arrogance, the Prime Minister himself was far from calm.

Outwardly, he maintained a composed façade, but deep down, the thought of Keiko’s call filled him with unease.

The Deputy Prime Minister could afford to be indifferent—because he wasn’t the one cursed by Keiko.

But if Takayama had targeted him instead…

He certainly wouldn’t be acting so carefree.

"Regardless, until we confirm the situation is safe, we should follow the Cabinet Office’s advice and avoid using phones for now—"

"And what about our scheduled call with the U.S. President? We spent a long time arranging that conversation!"

"..."

"This is an emergency. I'm sure the President will understand. Besides, even if we can’t proceed with the direct leader-level call, our diplomatic channels with the U.S. remain intact. It won’t severely impact our strong relations."

The Deputy Prime Minister, however, had a very different view.

"Diplomatic channels are no substitute for a leader-to-leader conversation. That U.S. President just took office—he’s eager to establish his reputation through diplomacy. If we suddenly cancel a long-planned call, it might leave a negative impression."

"Moreover, since the beginning of the year, the U.S. has been pressuring us over military expenses. They’ve repeatedly demanded that Japan increase its financial contribution to U.S. troops stationed here. If we cancel this call, the U.S. might use it as leverage to push us even harder in negotiations."

"Deputy Prime Minister Aso!"

Hearing Aso’s relentless argument, the Prime Minister—whose life was quite literally on the line—finally lost his patience and cut him off.

"Yes, U.S.-Japan relations are Japan’s most important foreign policy priority. But let me be clear: all diplomacy depends on domestic political stability. Right now, our Cabinet is facing an unprecedented crisis. Until we ensure internal security, all diplomatic concerns must take a backseat. Do you have any further objections?"

"…No, I don’t."

Seeing the Prime Minister uncharacteristically furious, Aso realized he might have pushed too far.

He clicked his tongue in frustration, lowered his head, and fell silent.

As the Prime Minister watched the previously outspoken Aso finally quiet down, he turned to glance at the other Cabinet ministers.

"Now then—"

Just as he was about to continue…

*Ring—ring—ring—*

The sudden ringing of a phone cut him off.

The eerie sound sent a chill through the Prime Minister’s residence.

The Cabinet ministers exchanged uneasy glances, then turned toward the Prime Minister.

Though he still wore a composed expression, his face had visibly paled.

"Whose phone is that?"

"I thought we instructed everyone not to bring phones in here."

Sweeping his gaze over the gathered ministers, the Prime Minister forced out the words.

"It’s mine."

Under his piercing stare, Deputy Prime Minister Aso slowly raised his hand.

Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out the ringing phone, still wearing his usual unconcerned expression.

"It’s probably just a normal call."

Glancing at the caller ID, Aso nonchalantly flipped open his phone and pressed the answer button.

"Don’t, Aso!"

One of the Cabinet ministers cried out in alarm.

"It’s just a phone call."

Aso’s eyes flickered with disdain at their reaction.

Of course, he remained calm—because he knew Takayama’s revenge wasn’t aimed at him, but at someone higher up.

"Hello?"

He brought the phone to his ear.

A moment later, a chilling voice whispered from the receiver:

"Found you~"

In that instant, Aso’s entire body turned ice-cold.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter 302: The Gamble

*Tap, tap, tap!*

Nagatacho, Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo—Prime Minister’s Residence.

Accompanied by hurried footsteps, the doors of the Cabinet meeting room burst open.

"Ministers, please refrain from answering or making phone calls!"

"Just now, journalist Takayama published an article online. The Prime Minister and every minister’s name is on the call list!"

The security personnel at the Prime Minister’s residence rushed into the room, their faces filled with panic as they delivered the urgent warning.

With phone lines compromised, they had no choice but to rely on this primitive method of communication.

"We're already aware of this..."

The Prime Minister took a deep breath, suppressing the fear in his heart as he spoke in a trembling voice.

"More importantly, bring in the security personnel stationed outside and have them remove the body from the conference room."

At the Prime Minister’s command, the security officer who had barged in finally noticed the dried-up corpse slumped over the table—dressed in an expensive suit, lifeless and still. In the corpse’s hand, a folded phone remained connected to a call.

"This seat…?"

"It's Deputy Prime Minister Aso, Minister of Finance and Financial Affairs!"

The security officer’s eyes widened in shock at the realization.

As the second-in-command of the Cabinet, Deputy Prime Minister Aso’s sudden death would undoubtedly send shockwaves through the Liberal Democratic Party.

Swallowing hard to suppress his disbelief, the security personnel hurriedly removed Aso’s shriveled, horrifying corpse from the room.

---

Inside the Cabinet meeting room.

As they watched Aso’s body being taken away, several ministers let out a sigh of relief. Sharing a room with such a grotesque corpse had been mentally unbearable.

"Gentlemen, I believe I don’t need to explain just how serious this situation is."

The Prime Minister took another deep breath and surveyed the remaining ministers.

"Aso’s tragic fate confirms that the rumors about Keiko from the time capsule are not mere superstition. The curse is real. Now, it's not just me—each of you in this room has been added to the curse’s list. The moment we answer a call… we will end up like Aso."

"This is no longer a personal crisis but a national disaster!"

Recalling the eerie way Aso had perished after answering the phone, the Prime Minister couldn't help but shudder.

As the highest authority in Japan, even he was powerless against Keiko’s terrifying curse.

"Perhaps we can summon a priest to perform an exorcism!"

Faced with a life-threatening crisis, the ministers scrambled to suggest solutions.

The room erupted into chaos as everyone desperately brainstormed ways to survive.

However, sitting at the head of the conference table, the Prime Minister’s face grew increasingly grim as he watched the panic unfold.

He clutched his stomach, feeling a faint ache setting in.

---

*Kyoto, Metropolitan Police Department.*

Receiving the latest intelligence from the Prime Minister’s residence, Sakai’s face darkened.

Takayama was far more dangerous and cunning than he had anticipated.

The video had initially hinted at only one target for revenge.

However, Takayama’s subsequent article revealed that the entire Cabinet was on his list.

If the ministers started answering Keiko’s calls and perishing one by one, the political stability that Japan had maintained for decades would collapse instantly.

"…We’ve traced the article’s origin. It was uploaded from an internet café near Shugakuin in Kyoto’s Sakyo Ward!"

By tracking the IP address, the cyber specialists from the Special Rapid Response Unit pinpointed Takayama’s last known location.

"Move out immediately! Deploy officers from the Metropolitan Police Department—capture Takayama at all costs!"

Sakai furrowed his brows and issued the order without hesitation.

Takayama, the mastermind behind this crisis, could not be allowed to roam free any longer.

A single miscalculation had already led to a catastrophe that threatened the entire nation.

Sakai couldn't afford to imagine what further damage Takayama might cause if left unchecked.

"If necessary, permission to use lethal force is granted!"

After a brief pause, Sakai issued the final directive to the Special Rapid Response Unit.

"Understood."

The unit members nodded without question.

Though some officers in the room hesitated upon hearing the order, none dared to voice their opposition.

Sakai wasn’t giving the shoot-to-kill order just to salvage his own reputation after being outmaneuvered by Takayama.

He had a far more pressing reason.

Keiko’s curse seemingly targeted individuals based on a grudge linked to phone calls.

So, if the person seeking revenge—Takayama—were eliminated, would Keiko’s curse cease?

Sakai hoped the answer was yes.

"Additionally, I need a secure room… and a telephone."

While capturing Takayama was a gamble, Sakai wasn’t going to stake everything on a single bet.

If Takayama’s death failed to stop Keiko’s curse, he had a backup plan.

---

*The Next Day—Horikawa High School.*

The massive tangled object had been removed overnight by the authorities.

Standing at the school gate, Shimada waved at his friend Endo, his expression weary.

"What's wrong, Shimada?"

Noticing his friend’s exhaustion, Endo asked with concern.

"A will, Endo."

Shimada hesitated before speaking in a hushed voice.

"Do you remember the will that appeared in my shoe locker? Yesterday, because the school was on lockdown, I didn’t go inside. But when I got home… I found a second will on my desk."

At the mention of the second will, fear flickered across Shimada’s face.

After all, if the one in the shoe locker could still be dismissed as an elaborate prank…

Then how had this new one appeared inside his own home?

He had no explanation.

---

*(End of Chapter)*

*Chapter 303: The Ritual*

"I already asked my family, and they said no one but me has entered my room."

He recalled the moment he discovered the will, panicked, and questioned his family.

Yet, when he was told that no one had entered his room, instead of feeling relieved, a deeper fear crept into his heart.

He had no idea how he made it through the night.

"I can feel it, Endo. These wills—this is no longer just a simple prank!"

"Someone… someone is watching me. Every time I close my eyes, I can feel someone hiding in the shadows, glaring at me with a sinister gaze."

Looking at his friend in front of him, Shimada’s expression was desperate, as if grasping at his last straw.

"Endo, you're the only one who can help me now."

"You were the first to receive a will, but after that, they stopped appearing for you and started showing up in my shoe locker instead. You must know how to make them disappear, right?"

"……"

Lowering his gaze, Endo looked at Shimada’s fingers tightly clutching his shoulder.

A flicker of indifference flashed through Endo’s eyes. He pried Shimada’s fingers off his shoulder one by one, hesitating as he spoke.

"I don't know if this will work."

Shimada’s focus was entirely on Endo’s words, oblivious to the coldness in his eyes.

"It has to work. Please, Endo, for the sake of our past friendship, I beg you."

At Shimada’s desperate plea, Endo hesitated before finally speaking.

"…In fact, the will I received wasn’t just the first one. I got another on the second day, and then a third on the third day. Each one contained a countdown, announcing the exact time of my death."

Hearing this revelation, Shimada's expression froze in shock.

"At first, I thought it was just a cruel prank, just like you. But instead of ignoring it, I decided to find the person responsible and teach them a lesson. So, I stayed at school in secret, hiding in the building to catch the culprit…"

Listening to Endo’s explanation, realization dawned on Shimada.

Now he understood why Endo had been coming home late—he had been staying behind to catch the one leaving the wills.

"So, the arcade was just an excuse?"

Endo nodded and continued.

"The first time, I almost caught them, but they managed to escape because of a mistake I made."

"But the second time, I didn’t fail. I caught them."

"Then… you caught the one writing the wills? So they stopped sending them to you and targeted me instead?" Shimada asked.

"No, it’s not that simple."

Endo shook his head and looked at Shimada with an eerie expression, speaking slowly, word by word.

"I killed them."

"What?!"

Shimada’s eyes widened in disbelief.

"The will already foretold that between you and me, one of us was destined to die."

"The only way to survive was to kill the other person mentioned in the will. I killed them, so I lived. And now, Shimada, you are destined to face the same fate. I hope that when the time comes, the one who survives… is you."

Leaving behind those final words of "blessing," Endo calmly walked into the school building.

Standing frozen in place, Shimada stared blankly at Endo’s retreating figure.

In that instant, the friend he once knew felt like a complete stranger.

…

*"I, Shimada, will die in one day!"*

He found today’s will in his shoe locker.

Silently, he opened it and stared at the countdown.

But his mind was consumed by Endo’s words.

Dazed, he walked into the classroom.

"Ahem… Students…"

On the podium, the teacher spoke with difficulty.

"I'm sure by now, you’re all aware of what’s been happening in our school."

"Given the frequent supernatural occurrences in recent days, the school has invited monks from Kinkaku-ji Temple to perform a purification ritual. The exorcism will last an entire day. Please do not disturb the monks while the ceremony is in progress."

"Do you all understand?"

"Yes!"

The students responded in unison.

On one side of the classroom, Shimada, who had been lost in thought, slowly regained some clarity.

He wondered—if the monks' ritual actually worked…

Would that mean the one leaving the wills would be exorcised as well?

If so, then he wouldn't have to follow Endo’s method—he wouldn't have to kill anyone.

That thought gave him a glimmer of hope.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the classroom, Endo’s expression remained unchanged.

Through the classroom window, he silently watched the monks gathering in the schoolyard, his face devoid of emotion.

…

"Please, Masters, we entrust everything to you!"

At Horikawa High School, the principal greeted the monks from Heian Shrine with a deeply troubled expression.

To be honest, the situation at Horikawa High had grown dire.

Over the past few days, his office had been flooded with requests from parents wanting to transfer their children out. If things continued this way, the school’s future would be in jeopardy—possibly even facing closure.

Desperate to prevent this worst-case scenario, the principal racked his brain for a solution.

Finally, in an emergency meeting, the school decided to invite monks from Kinkaku-ji, one of the largest temples in Kyoto, in the hopes that their Buddhist ritual could bring an end to the crisis.

"Amida Buddha, please rest assured, Principal."

The lead monk pressed his palms together and chanted softly.

Being a national treasure with deep historical roots, Kinkaku-ji’s monks did not come cheap.

But given the severity of the situation, Horikawa High’s board of directors had gritted their teeth and paid the steep price to bring them in.

(End of Chapter)

*Chapter 304: Incoming Call*

*Knock—Knock—*

"The Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara, practicing deep prajnaparamita, clearly sees that the five aggregates are all empty, thus overcoming all suffering and distress. Śāriputra! Form is not different from emptiness, emptiness is not different from form; form itself is emptiness, and emptiness itself is form. The same applies to sensation, perception, mental formations, and consciousness. Śāriputra! The characteristic of all dharmas is emptiness..."

In Kyoto, at the open grounds of Horikawa High School.

Monks from Kinkaku-ji sat in a circle, their heads mostly concealed beneath their ceremonial head coverings. The monk seated at the front gently struck a wooden fish while chanting the Heart Sutra in a low voice.

The rhythmic chanting echoed throughout the school, starkly contrasting with its surroundings.

---

"…Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, Minister for Financial Services, Aso, did not attend today’s cabinet meeting due to health issues. According to sources from the Prime Minister’s Office, Minister Aso had been feeling unwell since this morning. Upon waking up, he experienced dizziness and was forced to take the day off to rest."

Since early this morning, news about the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, Aso, being unwell had been circulating online.

Major media outlets quickly picked up on the report, confidently detailing Aso’s supposed illness.

However, political news rarely gains much traction online. Even though the subject this time was Aso, the Deputy Prime Minister, it failed to create much of a stir.

Only a handful of commenters speculated about Aso’s health condition. Some individuals, with ulterior motives, even linked it to the videos and articles previously published by Takayama.

They believed that Aso had likely received that phone call.

However, any such speculation was swiftly dismissed by the Chief Cabinet Secretary during a routine press conference.

Meanwhile, the internet remained far more engrossed in a recent scandal involving a top idol, which had been exposed by Shūkan Bunshun.

---

"Hmph. ‘Unwell’ my ass…"

Inside the Prime Minister’s Office, the Minister of Defense scoffed as he read the newspaper headlines.

"Aso is dead because of that damn phone call."

As a key member of the cabinet, the Minister of Defense knew full well that the reports were merely a cover-up for Aso’s death.

To prevent widespread panic, the truth about Aso’s demise would never be disclosed to the public.

Instead, the government would gradually fade him out of the public eye and eventually announce his official retirement under some pretext.

Closing the newspaper, the Minister of Defense wore a grim expression.

Unlike the oblivious masses, he had witnessed Aso's death firsthand at yesterday’s cabinet meeting.

That horrifying way of dying—the way his body shriveled up in an instant…

Every time the Minister closed his eyes, he could vividly picture Aso’s anguished face, mouth agape in pain.

---

"Sir, the priest from Meiji Shrine has arrived."

The Minister of Defense was pulled from his grim thoughts by a servant’s announcement.

"Bring him in at once!" he ordered immediately.

Shinto, Japan’s indigenous religion, held even greater influence than Buddhism.

Moreover, Meiji Shrine, as a prominent Shinto institution, had deep ties with the Imperial Family. Its influence and prestige among the people far surpassed that of a mere cabinet minister.

Following the Minister's order, a Shinto priest clad in ceremonial robes entered the official residence.

Upon seeing the arriving priest, the Minister of Defense finally managed a faint smile—his first in a while.

If not for his position, he might have already fallen to his knees, begging for help.

Of course, though he hadn’t voiced his desperation aloud, the very reason he had invited the priest was obvious.

Faced with the threat of vengeful spirits, the Minister instinctively turned to divine protection.

In fact, it wasn’t just him.

Since yesterday, nearly every major shrine and temple in Tokyo had received calls from cabinet ministers seeking assistance.

The chief priest of Meiji Shrine had even entered the Prime Minister’s residence himself.

The priest gave the Minister a calm, acknowledging nod, his composed demeanor subtly influencing the Minister’s own nerves.

"Please keep this protective charm with you. Its presence will shield you from malevolent forces."

The priest handed a carefully prepared omamori (protective charm) to the Minister. His unshaken composure seemed to have a soothing effect.

Taking the omamori in his hands, the Minister of Defense felt a fleeting sense of reassurance.

It was as if the divine power of Meiji Shrine was truly protecting him.

---

*Riiing! Riiing!*

But in the very next moment, the sudden ringing of a phone shattered the illusion of safety.

The Minister's face twisted in fear and rage.

"Whose phone is that?!"

His voice trembled as he shouted.

Having learned from Aso’s fate, he had ordered all phones in the residence to be dismantled the moment he returned.

In theory, there should have been no way for him to hear a phone ringing.

Yet, to his growing horror, the sound was unmistakable.

All eyes in the room quickly turned toward the source.

The priest from Meiji Shrine slowly lowered his gaze to his chest.

From within his robes, the sharp, persistent ringtone continued to echo through the Minister’s residence.

*Gulp.*

The continuous ringing filled the room as the priest swallowed hard.

He reached behind himself, gripping his ritual gohei (a wooden wand with zigzag paper streamers) and brandished it over the ringing phone.

Then, under the watchful gazes of everyone present, he cautiously extended his hand and retrieved the still-ringing device from within his robes.

*Riiing! Riiing!*

With the phone now in view, the ringing grew even more urgent.

The relentless, piercing sound was like a death knell, reverberating through the residence.

Under normal circumstances, a caller would have given up by now after so many unanswered rings.

Yet, this phone call showed no signs of stopping. It was as if the caller was *determined* to get through.

Feeling the vibrations intensify in his grip, the priest’s expression paled.

Even as a high-ranking priest of one of Japan’s most sacred shrines, his duties had always been limited to conducting prayers and rituals.

Never had he encountered *real* supernatural phenomena.

Despite Japan's reputation as the land of eight million gods, and despite Shinto’s deep connection with spirits, there had never been an actual case of ghosts or deities killing people—*until now*.

---

(End of Chapter)

Chapter 305: Breakdown

In a certain sense, the priests of Meiji Shrine were just like the cabinet ministers—they were encountering a demon for the first time.

In fact, based on experience alone, the Minister of Defense had encountered demons more often than the priests had.

Inside the Minister of Defense’s official residence, the phone’s ringtone echoed endlessly.

Gripping the gohei tightly in his hand, the priest suppressed the fear surging in his heart. He tried his best to appear calm as he waved the white paper streamers attached to the gohei, performing the same ritual he had conducted thousands of times at Meiji Shrine. Then, he began chanting over the ringing phone.

“Evil spirits, begone…”

The white paper streamers of the gohei swept repeatedly over the phone, accompanying the priest’s incantation.

The ringtone seemed to gradually decrease in volume.

“It’s working!”

Noticing the change, the priest’s previously anxious expression brightened. Encouraged, he chanted even louder and waved the gohei with more force.

The movement of the gohei became so rapid that only faint afterimages remained. The priest continued his exorcism, raising his voice as if trying to drown out the ringtone with sheer volume.

“…”

And so, after what seemed like a difficult battle, the once-ear-piercing ringtone was finally suppressed. The phone, which had been ringing incessantly, finally fell silent.

“It worked!”

Seeing the now-silent phone in his hand, the priest’s face briefly showed a look of relief, as if he had just survived a catastrophe.

However, he quickly composed himself, turned to the terrified Minister of Defense, and nodded with an air of confidence.

“All right, the evil spirit in the phone has been exorcised. Minister, you are now safe.”

Hearing the priest’s words, the Minister of Defense lowered his head to look at the now-quiet phone in his hand. His fearful expression gradually eased, and he let out a relieved sigh, just as he was about to say something—

*Ring, ring, ring—*

The next second, the ringtone blared once more.

The Minister’s face froze. He looked at the priest in shock.

On the other side, the priest, who had been maintaining a composed demeanor, also found himself unable to keep up the act. He stared at the phone in his hand, the relentless ringing sounding like a death knell.

Gritting his teeth, he made a decision.

He ripped off the phone’s back cover, removed the battery, and in one swift motion, snapped the folding screen and keyboard apart.

After finishing, the priest let out a sigh of relief.

*Ring, ring, ring—*

But before he could even catch his breath—

The phone, now without a battery and broken in half, inexplicably started ringing again.

“Aaahhh!!”

Hearing the eerie ringtone continue, the priest’s fragile grasp on sanity shattered.

He screamed, turned around, and scrambled out of the official residence on all fours, shouting as he fled.

“Evil spirits! It’s an evil spirit! There really are evil spirits in this world! Hahahaha…”

*Ring, ring, ring—*

Inside the official residence, watching the priest flee in terror, the Minister of Defense’s fearful expression gradually faded.

He looked down at the protective charm in his hand, then casually tossed it to the ground. Picking up the broken phone, he pressed the answer button with a blank expression.

*“I’ve found you~”*

The moment the call connected, a soft chuckle came from the other end of the line.

Then—

The Minister of Defense’s body began withering rapidly, starting from the hand holding the phone.

Within mere seconds, his appearance changed from normal to that of a dried-out corpse, as if he had been dead for years.

*Thud!*

His lifeless body collapsed to the floor with a heavy sound.

As the Minister’s corpse lay motionless, a bloodcurdling scream echoed through the residence.

Yet, no one noticed that, just before the phone screen went dark, a single blood-red eye flashed across it.

---

### Kyoto, Sakyo Ward, Near Shugakuin

“…No, it’s not that simple.”

Looking at the news about Minister Asō online, Takayama immediately sensed the truth behind the incident.

*No mistakes, no typos—everything was clear as day.*

His lips curled into a twisted smile, his pale face showing an almost sickly expression of excitement.

“Asō is already dead. It was Keiko. Keiko did all of this.”

“Now, let those arrogant bastards finally feel fear.”

His smile vanished. Quickly clearing his browsing history, he shut down his computer without hesitation.

Then, he left the internet café without looking back.

He knew that by targeting the Cabinet as his means of revenge, he would soon face relentless pursuit and danger.

But Takayama had no regrets.

Because he was changing this society. He was pushing this decaying country toward a better future.

And those foolish, self-righteous cabinet ministers? They were the reason for the country’s decay.

Stepping out of the café, Takayama adjusted the mask covering his face, scanning the crowd around him. After confirming that no one suspicious was following him, he cautiously chose a route and started walking.

To remain undetected, he avoided hotels or any locations that might expose his whereabouts.

Instead, he chose to live as a vagrant, sleeping on the streets and in parks.

Using this method, he had managed to hide around Kyoto for several days. He believed that soon, he wouldn’t have to hide anymore.

Once the Prime Minister was dead, those government dogs would have no time to hunt him down.

Takayama had even made up his mind.

With Keiko’s help, he would kill a few police officers—to warn those meddlesome fools to stay out of his way.

As he walked toward the park where he had been hiding, he silently planned his next move.

However, along the way, he started to sense that something was off.

Realizing the danger, he didn’t hesitate.

Takayama broke into a run, heading toward a crowded area.

*“Target has been identified. Drop the disguise and move in immediately!”*

Seeing Takayama flee, several disguised members of the Special Rapid Response Unit sprang into action.

“Knew it… I just knew it!”

Takayama’s face twisted in frustration. He had done everything to stay hidden, but he had still underestimated the government’s reach.

He looked ahead—just a little farther, and he would reach the busy streets filled with people. If he could blend in, even these special forces wouldn’t be able to grab him right away.

Then, he would have a chance to escape.

Seeing the crowd just within reach, Takayama’s eyes burned with hope.

*Bang! Bang!*

(End of Chapter)