NOVPUBSnowy... she actually just walked out. Just like that. No attempt to hide. No hesitation.
She clearly saw those people, yet she still walked right into the open.
“Oh my god—what is she doing?!”
I was nearly dying from anxiety. I pressed my palm against the glass, desperate to shout at her to stop, but Rainie Bai reacted faster. Her hand shot out from the side and covered my mouth.
“You promised me you wouldn’t go out there.”
“...”
But—! Snowy!
“I understand how you feel. But even if you went out there... what could you do? Please, calm down and think about it properly.”
This time, Rainie didn’t tie me up or restrain me. She gave me a reason I couldn’t argue with.
My emotions, which had flared up instantly, began to subside as I listened to her. Just like she said... I forced myself to think it through.
It’s true. Even if I ran out there now, the best I could do is... what? Be a meat shield? And even then, it’d only be good for one hit.
And Snowy—she wouldn’t want that. She definitely wouldn’t want me getting hurt for her sake. If anything, she might hesitate to fight freely just to avoid involving me. That’d only make things worse.
“If those murderers target you, you’ll end up dragging her down. Isn’t that right?”
Rainie’s thinking aligned exactly with mine.
“You’re... not wrong.”
I had to admit it. If I acted recklessly, there was a real chance I’d do more harm than good.
I know my own limits. When it comes to facing murderers, I’m practically made of paper. One wrong move and I’d be torn apart.
And if they got a hold of me and used me as a hostage... yeah. That’d be game over.
But... am I really just supposed to sit here and watch?
...No. Don’t panic. Let’s at least try to understand what’s happening outside.
“Alright, I won’t go out. But... is there a way we can hear what they’re saying?”
“That’s no problem. I’ll cast a Wind Ears spell. And Clairvoyance as well... there.”
Rainie Bai brushed her hand lightly across my ear, then wiped across my eyes. Immediately, the sound of the rain grew louder—and beneath that, I could clearly hear voices. At the same time, my vision changed—I could zoom in and out freely, getting a clear look at what was going on.
Whoa. That’s amazing.
“Oh? Didn’t even wait for us to come knocking, and just showed up on her own? How thoughtful of her~ Don’t you think so, Bone Scraper?”
That lazy, sleazy tone... had to be that skinning killer, Modar.
“Muhihihihi~ What a cutie! Even cuter than I imagined~ Uncle Clown just loves little girls~ Now why are you tiptoeing, girl~?”
The clown’s high-pitched cackle grated on my ears, but his painted grin was monstrous—more demon than human.
Why were their titles glowing like that?
Black (Malice), Red (Killing Intent), Purple (Greed)—all swirling together, like some thick, sticky fluid, radiating from their bodies.
Just looking at it made my stomach churn. I dry-heaved a couple times, unable to stop myself.
And for them, this was normal.
Even the mentally ill probably have more stable auras than these freaks.
“Murderers... what even are they? They’ve already completely abandoned their humanity...”
I didn’t mean to say that out loud, but Rainie answered anyway.
“Murderers are humans who’ve been possessed by ghosts and fallen into the path of slaughter. In exchange for their bodies and souls, they gain power from the ghosts. To serve their ‘employers’—that is, the spirits possessing them—they must kill within a set timeframe to keep those ghosts fed. Otherwise, they get devoured themselves.”
“So that’s it... so when they were talking about ‘time’ earlier...”
They were talking about the time limit. And Snowy—she was their target this time. If they kill her, they probably get a huge extension on their timer. That’s the logic here... right?
So basically, murderers are just enforcers for ghosts.
“Wait. If that’s the case, then unless we get rid of the ghosts themselves, more and more murderers will just keep showing up, won’t they?”
So the real culprits are the ghosts that possess people!
“Yes, that’s right. However, only certain people can be possessed. It takes someone with an exceptionally heavy killing aura. Not just any murderer will do. After all, very few people can remain calm after taking a life...”
Meaning, only those who can kill and still act like nothing happened are ‘qualified’ to be possessed?
That is rare. Most people feel guilt, anxiety, fear, or regret after killing. Very few could stay completely unaffected.
“Then what about Snowy...”
So she can kill without flinching?
“Yes. Jiang Xueqing is one of them. One of their kind.”
“I knew it...”
So the ghost possessing her must be that ghoul, Kan Tsukiyo. That would explain why her saliva has healing properties...
I wasn’t expecting Rainie to react so strongly when I said that. She looked at me in shock.
“You already knew Jiang Xueqing was possessed by a ghost?! Then why would you...”
“Why would I still get close to her, right?”
I turned to her calmly, cutting her off and finishing the question # Nоvеlight # myself.
She paused for a moment, maybe surprised by how unshaken I was. Then she nodded.
“...Yes. If you knew this, then you must also understand how dangerous she is—”
“She’s my friend.”
That one reason is enough.
More than enough.
Snowy came to a halt, slowly scanning the four murderers. Her face was completely blank. The murderers didn’t make any sudden moves either—they were all sizing her up carefully, probably trying to figure out where this girl’s confidence came from.
One against four... it’s just too one-sided.
“Can’t you help her?”
“I already used most of my cultivated spiritual energy on the beans and ghost-repelling talismans I threw earlier. What I have left is minimal. I need to save it in case things go wrong.”
“Mm...”
Rainie not only saved me, she followed me into this ridiculously dangerous place. I really shouldn’t ask for more.
Without meaning to, I clenched my fists. Frustration welled up inside me again.
If only I had power...
“Besides, I don’t think you need to worry that much. Jiang Xueqing is fundamentally different from those people.”
“Different... how?”
“Well...”
Right then, the tense standoff outside finally broke.
Snowy started walking again—completely ignoring the murderers in front of her, as if she meant to walk straight through them.
Modar, the skinning killer, raised an eyebrow and reached out to grab her shoulder.
“Hey, little girl, don’t ignore us like that. You should really—”
He didn’t finish his sentence.
Because his hand fell off midway.
His entire palm hit the ground with a wet thud, blood spraying out in arcs. Snowy calmly shifted her umbrella sideways, keeping even a single drop from touching her.
“AAAHHH! My hand! What the hell just happened?!”
Modar clutched his bleeding wrist, screaming in shock. He had no idea what just happened. Edward Cain narrowed his eyes beside him, as if he’d realized something, and muttered under his breath.
“So that’s how she keeps slaughtering our kind...”
Snowy took a few more steps forward, then turned around to face the murderers—and me. She folded her umbrella and pulled down her hood.
Her hair was pure white now, and her pupils glowed a vivid red.
“...You’re annoying.”
We weren’t that close in distance, but somehow, I could feel her mood.
She was pissed.
“Muhihihi! Let Uncle Clown play with you then, little girl!”
Snowy shook the rain off her folded umbrella and began to tidy it up.
Wait—why the hell are you doing that now?! Aren’t you afraid they’ll attack you?!
As expected, the moment she dropped her guard, the bastards made their move. The clown threw a flying knife, and Modar, furious from losing a hand, charged with his skinning blade.
But...
They couldn’t touch her.
She dodged everything. The flying knife, the close-quarters slash—all of it missed.
And if you looked closely... her clothes weren’t even wet! The rain had lightened into a misty drizzle, sure—but not using an umbrella and still staying bone-dry? That’s not normal.
Even Rainie sounded impressed.
“You see now? That’s what sets Jiang Xueqing apart. She’s not just ‘possessed’—her relationship with the ghost isn’t one of master and servant, or superior and subordinate. It’s a partnership. A state known as ‘Pingyi’.”
“Pingyi?”
“In this state, the ghost divides its soul and places half inside the host. With its aid, the host becomes a half-ghost. Normal possession is just a contract—it grants limited power. Pingyi is far stronger. That’s why you don’t need to worry too much.”
So Kan Tsukiyo really gave half her soul to Snowy...
Suddenly I remembered that scene Tsukiyo showed me—the two lolis, naked and kissing.
That wasn’t just her treating Snowy’s throat with saliva...
She was transferring part of her soul.
Snowy finished putting away the umbrella and murmured softly.
“Quick and clean.”
With practiced ease, she pulled a knife from a sheath strapped to her inner thigh. The blade spun once in her hand before she reversed her grip, pointing the tip behind her.
“I’m going.”
She spoke flatly, then moved.
But her target wasn’t Modar, the skinning killer—it was John Gacy, the clown.
The clown clearly didn’t expect to be targeted. He froze for half a second before fumbling for his rope and flinging it forward!
The rope looped around Snowy’s neck—but before it could tighten, it was cut to pieces. Several of his fingers went flying too.
The clown’s grin finally vanished. He let out a strangled screech and leapt backward, trying to flee.
But Snowy’s blade was already coming for him.
“As... a clown.”
It pierced straight into his mouth, then slashed left.
His jaw split open to his right ear. Crooked teeth spilled out. His skull and gums were a bloody pulp. The blade didn’t stop—she sliced across his left cheek, then spun around behind him, the edge continuing its arc—
The connection between his upper and lower jaw severed. Half his head, no longer supported, slipped off and hit the ground with a plop.
