Honkai: Husband-Chasing Crematorium

"Rest assured, this is a real gun. If you think it's a toy, go ahead and bet your life on it."

"Or better yet, gamble on the chance that my gun has no bullets."

The muzzle of the gun pressed firmly against Aikiri's forehead, and his body went limp in an instant—a natural reaction of ordinary people when faced with the deadly aura of a firearm.

The icy touch of cold steel wasn't what froze him; it was the primal fear buried deep in human instinct.

If Li Mo so much as pulled the trigger, Aikiri's brains would splatter out like a grotesque crimson firework.

"You—this is murder! It's illegal!" Aikiri stammered, his voice trembling. "I'm a normal person! Ghosts wouldn't react like this, would they?!"

Panic surged through Aikiri as he desperately tried to justify himself, hoping Li Mo might show mercy.

Li Mo sighed and spoke in an almost wistful tone, "Maybe. Right now, you might still be 'human.' But there's a ghost inside you."

"To make sure you understand, look at this."

Li Mo pulled out an ID badge with his other hand, displaying its contents:

Name: Aikiri Shawai

Position: Cleaner

Gender: Female

The badge had a photo—an identical face to the one in front of Li Mo. The difference was striking, though. In the picture, Aikiri's features leaned toward androgyny but undeniably belonged to a well-proportioned woman. The Aikiri before him, however, had a flat, distinctly male body.

"Do you know where I found this?" Li Mo's voice sharpened.

"Outside the women's restroom, on the headless corpse of a woman." He emphasized the words "headless," "woman," and "corpse," each like a hammer striking Aikiri's fragile resolve.

"How do you explain the drastic change in your body? Don't tell me the ID card got it wrong."

Aikiri's gaze wavered like a candle in the wind. His eyes darted between the badge and his own hands, the dissonance of memory and reality breaking down his sense of self.

A cleaner? A woman?

No, that couldn't be right. But why… why couldn't he remember?

"Impossible… I…" His voice quavered as his mind spiraled into chaos.

Li Mo's finger hovered dangerously close to the trigger.

"There's one way to prove my theory—go to the surveillance room and pull footage from ten days ago. But frankly, I lack the time and patience for that."

"It's summer. Everyone's dressed light, but here you are in a high-collared suit. If I'm not wrong, you can't feel temperature anymore. Unbutton that collar, and I bet you'll find a distinct seam—your head and body belong to two different people."

Li Mo's words hit like a cold slap, leaving the surrounding students wide-eyed and breathless as they stared at Aikiri.

Trembling, Aikiri fumbled to undo his buttons, failing multiple times out of fear. When he finally exposed his neck, his shaking hand brushed over the skin—desperately searching for proof that he was still alive.

But then he felt it.

A groove, a seam, encircling his entire neck.

"... It's real," he whispered.

"So it's true… I'm the ghost that killed all those people."

Aikiri sank to his knees, his voice hollow, his will to resist completely shattered. "Kill me… I'm sorry…"

Li Mo didn't pull the trigger. Instead, he holstered his gun.

"Not yet. I need you to do something for me first. Think of it as payment for the truth."

"Normally, I don't harm humans. Though a ghost resides in you, you're still… barely human," Li Mo said, his gaze drifting away, as if to convince himself of the lie.

Barely human? Even Li Mo knew that wasn't true. From the moment Aikiri picked up that coin, his fate as a ghost was sealed. The only part of Aikiri left was his consciousness, a temporary remnant clinging to a decomposing vessel.

Li Mo's experience told him that within a week of death, a body undergoes rapid decay. Skin pales, stiffens, and eventually bloats. By the end of that week, even the strongest mind would fade, leaving only the malicious will of a ghost behind.

"What do you need me to do?" Aikiri's voice was weak, resigned.

"Open the door," Li Mo replied. "A ghost can leave without dying. If we humans try, we'll drop dead instantly."

Aikiri let out a bitter laugh. "Can I at least know the truth? How did I die? How did I end up like this?"

Li Mo observed him carefully before answering, his voice steady. "You died ten days ago. Cause of death: opening a door and stepping out. Your head fell off, and your body collapsed outside the restroom. A ghost nearby seized the chance to take your head and invade your mind, transferring your consciousness into another dead body."

"You led survivors to the broadcast room because you're a ghost. You thought you were helping, but your actions were influenced. Why else would you gather everyone in a room with no exits?"

Aikiri's face crumpled as realization dawned. Food and water had already been scarce. Why had he brought more survivors in? The logic didn't add up.

"Ghost logic," Li Mo said simply.

After a long silence, Aikiri nodded and opened the door. He stepped aside. "Go ahead."

Li Mo exited first, followed by the trembling students.

Once everyone was out, Aikiri locked the door behind them, sealing himself in. "I'll destroy the broadcast equipment. Even if I die, the ghost won't lure anyone else here."

Li Mo paused but nodded. "I'll look after them. You have my word."

Inside the now-empty broadcast room, Aikiri sat against the door. His eyes, like the flickering ceiling light above, dimmed and brightened in turn.

"Death's final gift is to cause no trouble for the living," he murmured.

As Li Mo prepared to move, he felt a tug at his sleeve.

He turned to see a petite girl clutching his shirt tightly, her tear-streaked face lifted toward him like a frightened kitten. Her trembling eyes were filled with equal parts fear and hope.

Behind her stood sixteen other girls, all around the same age.

These were supposed to be the future Valkyries, trained to fight agains honkai beast. Yet now, their courage had been eroded by the terror of the anomalies. They clung to Li Mo like a final lifeline.

After all, they could fight Honkai Beasts with weapons and combat instincts. But ghosts? Ghosts were invincible.

You couldn't see them.

You couldn't fight them.

And they could be anywhere—

Behind you. Under your bed. At your side.

Everywhere.

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