I can rewind time to prevent death

"Why does Ito Yuko want to kill me?"

As the screams outside grew fainter, Kurosawa Tsuyoshi turned to Yan Junze and asked.

He paid no attention to the horrifying screams of Yuko echoing from outside the tea room.

After all, this woman did initially try to kill him. As someone who constantly dealt with strangenesses, Kurosawa Tsuyoshi could turn heartless in an instant. He felt no sympathy for Yuko anymore.

Yan Junze explained, "Yuko's plan was flawless. After her parents killed Junichi, in order not to worry their daughter and to avoid police investigation, they secretly dismembered Junichi's body and stored it in a freezer. Later, they both mysteriously 'fell ill' and died… Uh, let's just assume they really died of illness. Then Yuko rushed back, only to discover that the terrifying multi-limbed being had already manifested in the house."

Kurosawa Tsuyoshi suddenly understood. "Yuko realized that Junichi had turned into the multi-limbed being and, fearing for her life, pretended to know nothing and sought our help."

"That's correct." Yan Junze nodded. "But she didn't expect that even after you arrived, the multi-limbed being couldn't be killed in a short time. And even more unexpectedly, I showed up here. Not to mention, you agreed to use my more pacifistic exorcism method to handle the situation."

Kurosawa Tsuyoshi gave him a puzzled look.

Yan Junze knew what he was about to ask. "After Yuko's parents 'dealt with' Junichi's body, the two of them died so suddenly that Yuko had no idea how exactly they handled the corpse."

Kurosawa Tsuyoshi shook his head, still unable to grasp the logic.

Yan Junze continued, "So Yuko assumed that if the body could be found, we might have a way to truly destroy the multi-limbed being. However, when she realized that after finding the body, we were preparing to leave, she knew the matter wasn't over. Once we left, the multi-limbed being would inevitably appear again to haunt her. Moreover, if the multi-limbed being ever gained self-awareness and uncovered who was behind its death, it would most certainly seek revenge on her."

Kurosawa Tsuyoshi nodded, signaling his comprehension.

Yan Junze elaborated further, "To Yuko, the existence of the multi-limbed being was like a ticking time bomb—ready to explode at any moment. She couldn't allow that to continue."

"I see now. She wants to kill me to create the illusion that I was killed by the multi-limbed being!" Kurosawa Tsuyoshi exclaimed, suddenly enlightened.

Yan Junze shook his head. "In truth, as long as you're dead, it doesn't matter if it was the multi-limbed being that killed you or not. Though Yuko didn't fully understand how powerful a Reaper Exorcist like you is, she overheard our discussions. From those, she gathered that you had a weakness and couldn't confront the darkness. She figured she could exploit that and arrange your death in this house. If that happened, the Nether Bakufu wouldn't sit idly by. They wouldn't believe that an ordinary person like her could kill you, so they'd undoubtedly investigate thoroughly."

Kurosawa Tsuyoshi nodded. "At that point, whether they suspected the still-lurking multi-limbed being or dealt with it outright, it wouldn't matter. Either way, Yuko's objective would be achieved."

"Exactly," Yan Junze affirmed.

As their conversation reached this point, the screaming outside had completely ceased.

Daisuke Kitahara pushed open the door to the tea room. Yan Junze and Kurosawa Tsuyoshi turned to look, only to see a blood-soaked, mangled human form slumped against the wall opposite. There was hardly any uninjured part left on the body.

The multi-limbed being was nowhere to be seen.

"This matter… it's finally resolved," Yan Junze said to Kurosawa Tsuyoshi. "But for now, you still can't leave tonight, and from this point forward, you need to remain vigilant and avoid touching the darkness."

Kurosawa Tsuyoshi pressed his lips together, then grasped Yan Junze's shoulder, his expression somewhat moved.

"Mr. Yan, delete that video we just recorded. I'll have Kitahara record a new one and send it to the God of Death. This time, we need to cooperate fully and fight together!"

Yan Junze froze for a moment but eventually nodded in agreement.

Daisuke Kitahara picked up his phone again. This time, Kurosawa Tsuyoshi spoke with determined conviction into the camera, delivering a much lengthier speech than the earlier video.

Even though Yan Junze still couldn't understand any of it, he had a feeling that this new clip would definitely be much more persuasive to the God of Death than the last one.

Unexpectedly, Kurosawa Tsuyoshi had withheld some crucial information all along!

Daisuke Kitahara made calls to other Exorcists from the Nether Bakufu and the police department, notifying them. Reinforcements would arrive soon.

Following their plan, he and Yan Junze set off for the Chuan Area.

The two boarded an off-road vehicle and drove through the streets of M&R City until they entered a dark, unlit path.

Yan Junze glanced back and realized they had reached the outskirts. The illuminated headlights of the vehicle ensured clear visibility along the way.

Yan Junze asked Daisuke Kitahara about the distance. He replied that they would arrive at the Chuan Area roughly fifteen minutes after leaving the city borders.

The Chuan Area was a cemetery located on the outskirts of the city.

After the strangenesses outbreak, the Chuan Area had been taken over by the Nether Bakufu and completely cleared of any strange phenomena.

However, it had been six months since the last purge, so new strangenesses were bound to have appeared.

Nonetheless, this posed little concern for Daisuke Kitahara and Yan Junze.

Yan Junze still remembered what Daisuke Kitahara had mentioned before the rewind—something about the God of Death in Japan's Great Capital having already been dead for a very long time.

He struggled to comprehend. If Japan's God of Death had indeed been deceased for ages, how could it still operate as the God of Death? Could it be that these Gods of Death were themselves strange entities?

Reflecting on how Wu Mayun, the God of Death in Huaying's Great Capital, had transformed from a human into a special Strange Body, this possibility didn't seem too far-fetched.