“Ah! How could someone so young pass away just like that?”
“Yeah, yeah, who would’ve thought the cause of death was a gas explosion from smoking…”
“A Legendary Investigator, no less. What a pity…”
In the suburban cemetery, many people dressed in black suits with white flowers pinned to their chests had gathered for the funeral of Ye Xi, the Investigation Bureau’s most renowned Legendary Investigator, the one who had made the greatest contributions and sealed away the most Evil Gods.
The funeral was crowded, with men and women of all ages present, all grieving and lamenting. The small graveyard was shrouded in sorrow, and even the heavens couldn’t help but weep.
At the very edge of the crowd, a tall girl with long black hair and deep crimson eyes stared at the tombstone.
On the small stone slab, four large characters were engraved: “Forever in Our Memory.” Below them was a photograph of a handsome young man, wearing a bright, sunny smile.
At such a mournful occasion, she was supposed to feel sadness too, but no matter what, she simply couldn’t.
After all, that photo was of herself.
Yes, Xi Ye was attending her own funeral.
To be exact, it was the funeral of the “former, male version of herself.”
Seeing her usually strict and nitpicking boss and the colleagues who’d gossip about her behind her back all standing shoulder to shoulder, hand in hand, mourning with such exaggerated grief—all for the sake of the deceased—Xi Ye couldn’t help but feel a surge of anger.
She habitually lit a cigarette and put it in her mouth, only to be choked into a coughing fit.
“Cough… cough, cough!”
Ah, she’d forgotten this body couldn’t handle cigarettes.
Damn it! After slaving away for the Investigation Bureau for more than ten years, she had planned to finish her last mission and retire, but the higher-ups at the Investigation Bureau were even worse than the British—squeezing every bit of value out of their talent.
On the very day she handed in her Resignation Letter, she was taken to a dark little room, where a girl calling herself an Agent gave her two choices:
Accept the mission, or die.
Hah, after all these years in this line of work, was she really afraid of death?
As a Legendary Investigator, of course her choice was—
“Don’t be in such a hurry to die…”
The Agent wore a teasing smile.
“Mr. Ye Xi, you wouldn’t want Miss Tendou to be in any danger, would you?”
Tendou Yukino, her girlfriend.
“Mm…!”
Recalling that moment, Xi Ye’s hand holding the cigarette trembled ever so slightly.
The result was that she accepted the mission, on the condition that she give up her original body and take on the one provided by the Investigation Bureau.
She had every reason to suspect the Bureau did this just to keep her more tightly under their control. This new body was probably rigged with something to prevent her from rebelling.
And since the mission required absolute secrecy, she had to follow her superior’s orders and cut off contact with everyone. In public, she played out the act of “dying in a gas explosion caused by smoking, leaving not even bones behind.”
Among the deleted contacts was Tendou Yukino. Xi Ye left only a single message—“Let’s break up. I wish you happiness”—before blocking her, and then threw her phone into the sea.
“I wish you happiness”—that was heartfelt. To protect Yukino, Xi Ye had no other choice.
All she wanted was to let Yukino believe she was truly gone, so she could forget her and move on with her life.
Thinking of this, Xi Ye swept her gaze across the crowd.
She wondered if Yukino would come to her funeral.
“I recall that smoking is forbidden in the cemetery.”
A gentle, soft voice brushed past Xi Ye’s ear.
This voice was all too familiar, but its owner had no reason to speak to her at a time like this, startling her so much that she lost her grip on the cigarette, letting it fall to the ground and be extinguished by the rain.
Xi Ye turned her head, and saw a pair of pale blue eyes—beautiful and fragile like shattered ice. Snow-white hair was braided into a plait and tied with a black ribbon at the back of her head; a few strands stuck to her cheek, wetted by the rain since she hadn’t used an umbrella.
Her eyes were shadowed, her lips pale. She looked exhausted, on the verge of collapse.
“Sorry, I didn’t know. I’m just feeling down and wanted a smoke.” Xi Ye made up a casual excuse.
“I can understand.”
She just stood there in the rain, even though a single step forward would let her share Xi Ye’s umbrella.
“Were you close to Ye Xi?” Tendou Yukino tilted her head, fixing Xi Ye with those pale blue eyes. “I don’t think I’ve seen you before.”
Xi Ye shook her head and calmly replied, “Not really, we only met once. Mr. Ye Xi was a very good person… Miss Tendou, my condolences.”
She answered as smoothly as she could—after all, Tendou Yukino was also a Legendary Investigator. As her former “girlfriend,” Xi Ye knew her abilities all too well.
“Mm, thank you.”
Tendou Yukino replied softly. Raindrops tapped out a “pat-pat” rhythm on her black trench coat.
Xi Ye watched her profile out of the corner of her eye.
She’d never seen Yukino like this before. Even in her darkest moments, Yukino always wore a gentle, serene smile, sometimes even comforting Xi Ye and their comrades.
But now, Tendou Yukino was silent and fragile, like a thin sheet of paper soaked through by rain.
And the one who caused all this was her.
Xi Ye bit her lip, gripping the umbrella handle tightly, as if she might crush it.
“What’s your name?”
After a long silence, Tendou Yukino suddenly asked.
“Xi Ye.”
Xi Ye didn’t intend to hide it—names were easy enough to look up.
“…It’s a good name.”
Tendou Yukino rubbed her left index finger with her right hand.
“Really bold of you to just disappear on your own…”
Her voice was so quiet only the two of them could hear. Xi Ye couldn’t tell if Yukino was speaking to her, or just muttering to herself.
“What?” Xi Ye hadn’t caught it.
“It’s nothing.”
Tendou Yukino shook her head and walked into the rain.
“Goodbye, Miss Xi Ye.”
“Mm, goodbye.”
Just as Xi Ye thought Yukino was leaving and she could finally breathe easy, Yukino suddenly turned and said:
“Oh, and if you can’t smoke, don’t force yourself. It’s bad for your health.”
With that, she disappeared into the crowd.
Xi Ye froze for a moment, then forced a bitter smile and tossed the cigarette pack into the trash.
“I really can’t hide anything from you, can I…”
She took one last look in the direction Yukino had gone, then turned and left the cemetery. As she walked, she pulled out her phone and tapped on an APP with a six-sided die as its icon.
This APP had been installed ever since she got the phone. Through it, she could communicate with the Agent and check on her mission’s progress.
At the top of the message box was a message from the Agent, one Xi Ye had read countless times:
“Dear Teacher Xi Ye, hello. In seven days, you’ll be starting at Dream Realm Metropolis. Please be sure to study the Admission Manual thoroughly.”
“[Our Mission]—To safeguard the future of Humanity, and to make Evil Gods the stepping stones for human progress, the Headquarters has formulated a Three-Step Strategy.”
“First, contain and neutralize Evil Gods.”
“Second, have Evil Gods take on human bodies, then further alter their consciousness so they accept their roles as students.”
“Third, which is your Final Goal—
“Through your teaching, make Evil Gods into Humanity.”