The other side of the perfect world

Chapter 18 Shadow

#18 Shadow

"It fits well... By the way, you are not nervous, are you?"

Seeing Kougi who was stiff and taking off his helmet, Makishima's eyes were full of excitement like a child discovering a new toy.

"You bastard did it on purpose!"

Gazing at Makishima, Kouchi hesitantly stretched out his hand to stroke his hair, the strange touch that doesn't belong to the hair made him flatten his mouth in displeasure.

"This hairstyle suits you very well, and it's time to change your image once in a while."

Makishima said with a smile while stretching out a finger, poking at the hedgehog-like gnawing hair that was fixed with hairspray.

"Is it fun for you to tease me like this?"

"Well, it's fun!"

Nodding decisively, Makishima guessed that Kouya must be eager to punch him, but the man who was still angry under the eyes of everyone naturally couldn't use his fists, so he could openly "molest" this old enemy who once killed him.

It's been a long time, I haven't been this happy...

"Tch, then again, why am I the only one who insists on changing my image?"

Putting on a bitter face, Qiao Nian couldn't help but stop when he passed a large mirror, and swayed his body from side to side to take a picture twice.

The him in the mirror is quite different from usual, even Ginoza and Zhu may not recognize him when they see him.

Cunning is originally a tall, muscular type. From any angle, he is the only hanger in a tuxedo, and the pure black is more like a paintbrush to reconcile his innate awe-inspiring aura into a grand and noble atmosphere. , coupled with the "hedgehog hair" carefully groomed for him by Makishima, no one can see him now as a police officer. Guessing from his identity, he is probably a young entrepreneur who came for entertainment or an acting school star.

This outfit is very handsome, but it is far from his own style.

It was like wrapping the foxtail in expensive wrapping paper and then tying it with a lace ribbon—he felt uncomfortable wearing this gorgeous dress.

"Because... this is a piano concert, and your usual appearance is too inelegant."

Being poked at the sore spot, the cunning was speechless, and the eyes that had become ferocious due to being teased swept Makishima like a tornado. Even so, the tolerant smile on Makishima's face could not be blown away.

Unlike him, Makishima remained the same.

No, to be precise, only the temperament remained the same—elegant—even if she was completely naked, she could not be violated by any external force, elegant.

High-grade smooth fabrics, well-tailored shapes... In the eyes of the cunning, Makishima, who is wearing such a white tuxedo and walking in the auditorium, is not so much a rich man who comes to enjoy the concert, as he is about to go on stage to save all sentient beings saint.

"Actually, you want to say, you don't need to change your appearance to be elegant, right? So am I just your foil?"

"Wrong, you are not a foil, but a male companion."

Jin Tong narrowed his eyes slightly, Makishima was about to continue "flirting" with Qiao Yao, suddenly, a burst of electric current stimulated his temples, his heart beat violently, his brows and eyes frowned, he turned around quickly——

In the corridor not far away, which was plunged into darkness due to lack of lighting, something floated leisurely, like five claws studded with sharp steel knives, scratching Makishima's eyes.

That's... a few strands of long, silver-white hair...

"Hello, Makishima, Makishima?"

His sanity was punctured all of a sudden, like a balloon bursting with a bang, Makishima turned his head, and his narrowed pupils recovered to their original size little by little after recognizing that the man in front of him was Sly.

"Are you OK?"

There was a twist between the brows, and it was not difficult to see the worry that could not be hidden on Qiao Yao's face.Originally, Makishima's complexion was very pale, but now, the whiteness seemed to be rubbed with an eraser a few times, it was very bleak.

"I'm really flattered that you care so much about me!"

A smile was forcefully forced out of a face that could not be called innocent. Although the smile was charming, the bravado revealed indistinctly made people inexplicably distressed, at least that's what Cunning thought.

What must Makishima have seen just now?But, what exactly could make Makishima uneasy to such an extent in an instant?

Clouds of doubt piled upon layers, covering the real answer with a thick quilt.

And this answer, Makishima himself does not know.

That feeling...what the hell is going on?

The incomprehensible anxiety, which he had never experienced in his life, was like a rapidly built city wall, blocking his thinking from all directions, as if turning him into a caged beast.

This is really... interesting...

The corners of the mouth curled up a little. Compared to annoyance, Makishima's biggest reaction to challenges or provocations is-interest, like a sprout out of the soil, this interest in unknown dangers is thriving.

"Do you know that your expression is scary now?"

A cunning and deep voice came from beside his ears, and Makishima's smile deepened a bit.

"I'm obviously smiling..."

"That's why it's scary."

"Could it be that you are afraid of me?"

"how is this possible……"

Spreading his hands casually, Qiao Yao stepped forward and said, "I'm warning you, don't have any evil intentions."

"Hehe, don't worry... Even if there is, it's not against you."

Following behind Koujima, Makishima tilted his head slightly backward while entering the concert hall, and the pupils that slipped to the corners of his eyes intentionally glanced at the long corridor not far away, where there was nothing but darkness——

Of course, the so-called nothing is within the range covered by the field of vision.

The concert is about to begin.

There were far fewer guests coming and going in the auditorium, and occasionally there were a few staff members in uniforms hurrying away.

The corridor on the right is just as dark as before, and people dare not approach it, but gradually, if you listen carefully, you can hear the sound of shoes soles stepping on the marble floor tiles——

The sound of footsteps proves that humans are walking.

"It doesn't seem like the time to meet...but if we do meet, what will your expression be? Makishima...Holy Guardian..."

The melodious baritone sang softly, and the slender body with its back against the wall cast a narrow and restless shadow on the mirror-like marble floor tiles.

"Then, let's start!"

In the dressing room, the man in a luxurious navy blue tuxedo stood up and straightened his uncluttered bow tie in front of the mirror, as well as the bunny brooch on his chest that didn't match the overall design of the outfit.

This man is tonight's protagonist - Haru Hasegawa.

"Your designer will cry when he sees your bunny brooch."

In the corner, a pleasant baritone voice suddenly sounded. If there were other people in the dressing room at this time, that person would definitely be frightened and scream.

"Are you a ghost? Besides, if you want to come to my show, come early! Anyway, I'm also a celebrity!"

Hasegawa Haru complained with a pouted mouth, the cute expression didn't match his elegant and luxurious attire no matter how you look at it.

"I'm not that free, and I'm not here to see you this time."

"Oh? So you saw them?"

"Hmm! Like His Royal Highness... very beautiful..."

"Hey, you like them so much? What if something happens to one of them after listening to my concert?"

Picking up the music score, although Hasegawa Haru's voice was magnanimous, the smile on his face was extremely strange.

"What can I do?"

The man who stayed motionless in the corner finally turned his head slightly and replied: "If they only have that level, they are not worthy of playing this game with me. And..."

"And what?"

"nothing……"

"What! If you half-talk, you will be punished by God!"

Looking down at the gold watch studded with diamonds, Haru Hasegawa felt that if he didn't go out again, the eager fans would lift off the roof of the concert hall.

"Well... I'm leaving!"

"Please come on."

"Don't worry, I will..."

After stroking the gelled hair a few times, Hasegawa Haru clamped the music score under his armpit, clasped his hands together and snapped his fingers a few times. Beat people all over the place looking for teeth.

"Then, let's begin... present the most beautiful death prelude to the fans who have betrayed me."

There was a burst of thunderous applause, and the concert began.

The man who stayed in the corner took a while to move his slender body out of the shadows.In the empty dressing room, as if a ghost was complaining, the voice that was about to disappear echoed desolately.

"I... don't like the two of them... or rather, I hate them, especially..."

The headquarters building of the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare - NonaTower, is also brightly lit and dazzling tonight.The blue laser projection outside is like a solid armor, rejecting the invasion of all suspicious things.

Located on the non-existent 20th floor underground, the Sibyl system monitors the entire city with visual nerves that surpass human beings, and implements sacred and inviolable justice.

However, a man walked in.

Wearing his hat on one side, with his hands in his pockets, he looked like a hip-hop extra—his existence was incompatible with the hundreds of brains that were operating at high speed in front of him.

However, no warning was issued by any security facility, NonaTower was asleep, and Hesheng Zongzong did not show up, as if this man was made of invisible and intangible air. Or yes, the default.

"No matter when I come to visit you, you are always so magnificent... No, you are much more magnificent than before!"

The man was muttering when the phone in his pocket suddenly vibrated.

"Ming, I'm catching up with old friends, don't disturb me."

"What old friend, old friend or something...Really, I still want to waste my time calling you, do you know that I am very busy..."

"Busy? Are you busy trying to catch up on sleep?"

"That's not it, ah... so sleepy, so sleepy... Speaking of which, will you come back to eat at night? If you don't come back, I will eat it all by myself... Speaking of which, why should I ask you? It's so unnecessary... ah~ ah..."

After a while of unintelligible chatter ended, the man hung up the phone.The one of the two eyes not covered by the brim of the hat narrowed, like a fox staring at the meat in the bowl.

"I want to know... the new enemy will make you continue to evolve? Or... will it make you go to destruction? No... Even if you are destroyed, it may not be because of that fake...well, the process will be very interesting anyway !"

Stretching, the man turned around, and when he was about to leave the secret room that closed the Sibyl system, he whispered again——

"Shinya Kou, Makishima Shōgo... these human beings with their own consciousness, the result of their struggle will determine your fate..."