The Bizarre Detective Agency Chapter 63

A boundless malice poured from beyond the door.

It was the middle of the summer rainy season, yet a bone-chilling cold filled the detective agency. Anna's aura roiled, every fiber of her being recoiling from the piercing, blood-red malevolence.

She was like a cat with its fur on end, facing down a threat.

The effect on Lu Li was even more pronounced. Michelle's unrestrained aura assailed him, a living person, as if he were the polar opposite—the mortal enemy of a vengeful spirit.

Though Lu Li's expression remained calm, his body tensed. His gaze fell to his right hand resting on the table, his fingers clenching into a fist almost of their own accord.

Thump... thump... thump...

A heavy, slow knock echoed from the door. No one moved to open it, nor was there any need.

A long, blood-red dress drifted through the solid wood and into the living room. The sharp stench of blood filled the detective agency.

"I found thirty-four and killed thirty-one," the girl announced dispassionately. She lowered her head with a hint of frustration, tugging at the hem of her dress. "I'm sorry, I don't know why it turned out like this, or how to fix it..."

She pouted slightly and tilted her head. "Maybe it's a mark of my sins?"

Michelle had always been a quiet, reserved girl, but the version of her that now stood before Lu Li was cruel and unnervingly sweet. It was hard not to connect this transformation to the sheer number of people she had killed.

"This will probably make headlines tomorrow," Lu Li remarked, reaching for his glass of water. The hand that gripped the glass trembled like that of a Parkinson's patient, sloshing water over the rim.

He silently set the glass back down and explained to the curious Michelle, "I'm not afraid. I just can't control it. Your aura is too strong, you see."

"Hey... I can't take it anymore..." Anna stammered, her face flushed.

Just being in the presence of the vengeful spirit, Anna had to use all her strength to resist Michelle's aura.

"Go back into the painting," Lu Li told her.

"Are you sure?" Anna was worried Michelle would attack him.

"Can you hold on any longer?"

Anna deflated instantly and cried out, "I can't!"

And with that, she dissolved into a wisp of spiritual energy and darted into the painting.

Michelle watched the painting with interest before turning her blood-red eyes back to Lu Li. She laughed softly. "I've done what I had to do. Now you must send me to hell."

"There's no need for that act. Be yourself." Lu Li's response made Michelle freeze. The feigned innocence and purity gradually faded, and she once again became the quiet girl she had been.

Lu Li spoke first. "Not so fast. I have a question."

"What is it?"

Lu Li let out a quiet breath, fighting against the oppressive aura. "How did you know I was an exorcist?"

"After I... changed because of my hatred..." Michelle paused, then pointed to her blood-red eyes. "I could sense an aura... on your hip... It repelled me."

By "changed," Michelle likely meant her transformation into a vengeful spirit.

Hearing this, Lu Li took out the holster.

"That's it," Michelle said, glancing at Lu Li's palm and nodding.

"Can it harm you?"

"It might cause some... discomfort."

This meant the Spirit Gun would have only a minor effect on Michelle. Lu Li filed the information away for future comparison with other vengeful spirits.

"Can we start now?" Michelle urged again.

"Are you in such a hurry?" Lu Li asked in return.

Michelle said nothing, only nodding.

She had already realized that ever since becoming a vengeful spirit, her consciousness was being pulled, seduced by some entity from the depths of the In-Between. After the unbridled bloodshed, she could no longer resist its call. Once her sanity plunged into the abyss, all that would remain in this body would be instinct—an instinct filled with malice for the living.

"It's not time yet. There's something you need to do," Lu Li said, shaking his head slightly in refusal.

"What?"

Michelle tilted her head, a red light flashing in her eyes.

...

"Why... did you bring me here?"

Beneath a gloomy sky, the peeling red wall of a long apartment building spoke silently of the first settlers who had lived here. A conflict played out on Michelle's face. She stopped in front of it.

Lu Li stepped into the dark hallway, then stopped and turned back. "You need to see them. Are you really ready to leave just like that?"

Michelle was silent. In that moment, she finally seemed a little more like her old self.

"Come on. You'll see them," Lu Li said, heading up the stairs. Michelle lowered her head and followed him into the corridor.

On the second floor, Lu Li stood before a simple, weathered wooden door and raised his hand to knock.

Knock, knock, knock...

A few seconds later, muffled voices and footsteps could be heard from inside.

Click!

The door opened, and a middle-aged man in a suit emerged. He froze for a moment, then nodded to Lu Li, said his goodbyes to the man behind him, and headed downstairs.

"Excuse me, are you...?" The man at the door looked at Lu Li, studying him.

"Hello. I'm one of Michelle's teachers."

"A teacher?" Hostility flashed in Michelle's father's eyes. He gripped the doorknob. "Did you know the man who just left?"

"No."

"That was the dean of your academy."

"...Is that so," Lu Li said, completely unfazed. He nodded and turned slightly. "I didn't want to disturb him, but I've run into a bit of a problem, so..."

He didn't need to finish. Michelle had already manifested behind him. Her eyes were blood-red... but they held a deep sorrow.

Michelle's father and his wife, who had come to the door, froze on the spot.

Lu Li had no desire to witness the scene. He slipped into the room and headed straight for the balcony.

The rain had stopped for the moment, but the sky was still blanketed in clouds.

Leaning against the railing, Lu Li calmly breathed in the fresh air. About fifteen minutes later, a figure appeared beside him.

"Did you say everything you needed to?" Lu Li asked without turning.

"Yes... It's time for me to go." The voice beside him grew colder, and an icy chill ran down Lu Li's spine. "But before I leave, I'm going to kill you."

Lu Li suddenly shook his head slightly, turned, and looked directly into Michelle's eyes. "Do you want to see me scared that badly?"

"Pfft..." Michelle suddenly burst out laughing, her smile as bright as the sun after a storm. She pressed her lips together, her eyes crinkling, and gave a deep bow. "Thank you."

"Don't thank me. Thank your own strong heart," Lu Li replied, turning away to look at the sky again.

Perhaps it was a coincidence, or perhaps a sign from above, but at that exact moment, the sky began to clear.

A break formed in the clouds, and a ray of afternoon sun shone through. A rainbow appeared over the rainy city of Belfast.

It was the first time Lu Li had seen the sun in this world. It was nothing special.

Michelle moved closer to Lu Li and, mimicking him, looked up at the sky. "I was always studying. I never noticed how beautiful it was."

"Then take a good look," Lu Li said, glancing over at her.

The girl beside him was gone.