"Huh? My movie got approved?!"
Inside the Ghost Films Building, Percival Quill stared in shock at Zoroark standing before him. His expression was full of disbelief, and even his tone carried a tremor of astonishment. Honestly, Percival was beginning to suspect his ears were playing tricks on him. Otherwise, how could he possibly have just heard that his ridiculous script had actually been approved?
Percival had read through the script that his friend had sent him. And after reading it, his first reaction had been that his friend must have completely lost his mind. Because if his friend hadn't gone insane, there was simply no way he could have written something so absurd.
Just look at it—what kind of deranged imagination could come up with this? A tornado that somehow manages to suck up a bunch of giant sharks? That alone was enough to make people doubt the writer's sanity. But then, this tornado full of sharks actually hits a coastal city, and those sharks go on a killing spree, biting countless people to death?!
The moment he read that part, Percival had the sudden urge to grab his friend by the collar and demand to know what exactly was wrong with his brain. Because, seriously—what kind of normal person could write a plot this brainless?
Still, unable to withstand his long-time friend's persistent pleading, Percival reluctantly decided to submit the script to Zoroark, who worked as the secretary to his boss. Maybe, just maybe—it would get a glance from the boss before being tossed aside.
Of course, Percival himself didn't hold out much hope. In his view, his young, rich second-generation boss was already a League-awarded "Best Director" despite his age. The man had both talent and vision, and many of those hugely popular scripts everyone knew were written by him personally.
But to his utter shock—his boss had approved it!
This was beyond ridiculous.
"Yes," Zoroark said impassively, "the script passed. However, the boss said not to release it under Ghost Film's name. Instead, use the name Phantom Film's. From now on, that company will specialize in producing these... brainless movies."
Percival's mouth twitched. Brainless movies? Well, he couldn't deny that was a fitting description. Even Zoroark herself thought this particular film idea was absolutely idiotic.
But since the boss had made the decision, Percival naturally had no objections. Once, he had been a filmmaker with ideals and creative aspirations. But over the years, he had gradually come to see the truth of the world—this world was absurd, chaotic, and ruled by money.
Dreams were beautiful, yes—but years of poverty had stripped away his illusions. Now, as long as the pay was good, he would film anything.
So, Percival accepted the task and began preparations for production. He contacted some of his old friends to discuss how best to approach such a ridiculous project.
Meanwhile, at that same time—
"Hmm, RULE#1 has ended its run too? The box office seems a bit lower this time," Edward muttered, checking the revenue numbers. Indeed, RULE#1 had already finished showing in theaters, and while its earnings were somewhat smaller than before, Edward found them acceptable.
In fact, compared to most horror films, its performance wasn't bad at all—it was actually above average.
The only thing troubling Edward now was the Fear Points system. He had earned three spins at the lottery this time, but each draw still required one hundred thousand fear points.
"Let's draw," Edward said, yawning. These days, he didn't particularly care what the draws gave him anymore. Whatever the prizes were, he'd take them in stride.
[You have obtained: a Bloodstained Letter]
[You have obtained: a Strange Dice]
[You have obtained: Advanced Acting Guidance]
"...?"
Edward blinked. Well, that was unexpected. Lately, the rewards had all been rather ordinary, lacking novelty. He had assumed that from now on, he'd just be collecting more of the same—but this time, there were two completely new and bizarre items.
[Advanced Acting Guidance: You can now perceive flaws in actors' performances and provide appropriate coaching. After your guidance, the actor's acting will align more closely with your expectations.]
It was a pretty standard skill, but one Edward had never drawn before. Still, it was quite useful. When shooting films, he often found it troublesome to explain exactly what kind of performance he wanted. His lack of deep understanding of acting techniques made communication harder. This skill would definitely make that process smoother.
[Strange Dice: A die numbered 1 to 100. During luck-related events, you may roll once. The resulting number will increase or decrease your luck accordingly. Highest value: 100.]
Edward raised an eyebrow. A luck-altering dice? That was a first. Though it clearly carried risks—it could boost luck or lower it—essentially, a double-edged sword.
If used well and he rolled a perfect hundred, he might just win the lottery. But if he rolled a zero... well, then he'd probably trip, lose his wallet, and get hit by a truck all in the same day. Still, he found the concept amusing.
[Bloodstained Letter: A letter soaked in blood. Its origin is unknown.]
Now this one was strange. A completely meaningless-looking item. Edward frowned, curious. Still, he pulled it out for a look.
The moment he did, a thick metallic scent of blood filled the air. The crimson stains on the envelope began to dry rapidly, as though it had been left untouched for years.
He tore it open—surprisingly easy despite the dried blood sticking it shut—and inside was a neatly written note in graceful handwriting.
(To my classmate, Shunsuke Kobayashi, greetings.)
Seeing the name, Edward immediately realized who had written it. There was no mistaking it—this was Kayako's letter. But why was her letter appearing in his possession?
He continued reading.
(Dear Shunsuke Kobayashi, forgive me for addressing you this way. I honestly don't know how to express my feelings for you. Every time I picture your face, my whole body trembles uncontrollably. I'm sorry, even as I write this, I can't stop shaking... but I've decided to confess my feelings, to tell you that I love you.)
(Shunsuke Kobayashi, I think—I know—that I love you. I know everything about you: your preferences, your address, your daily habits... even the bottles you've drunk from, I've kept them all carefully as my treasures.)
(But Shunsuke Kobayashi, I also know you already have someone else. You two seem very close. When you're together—when you make love—I lie beneath your bed, listening to your voices... and in those moments, it feels as though you are on top of me instead. It makes me so happy. I wanted to give up this feeling... but then I heard from our classmates that you argued with that bitch.)
(So, Shunsuke Kobayashi, why won't you look at me? Look at me. Look at the one who truly loves you. I will love you forever, no matter how you treat me. I'll never resent you. I could even die for you. Shunsuke Kobayashi... Shunsuke Kobayashi, Shunsuke Kobayashi, Shunsuke Kobayashi, Shunsuke Kobayashi—)
Edward stopped reading.
The letter ended abruptly there. The rest of the page and even the back, was filled entirely with the same name, Shunsuke Kobayashi, scrawled over and over again, the handwriting growing increasingly distorted. A bloodstained photograph was attached as well—Kayako's photo, unmistakably hers despite the dried red blotches covering it.
"So, this is Kayako's letter... probably the one she wrote when she finally worked up the courage to confess her feelings to him," Edward muttered. "Still… good thing she never sent it."
Because if she had, Shunsuke would almost certainly have been terrified of her. Her behavior was beyond obsession—it was full-blown stalker territory.
Edward even thought that if Shunsuke ever discovered she'd been hiding under his bed, listening to him, he'd call the police on the spot.
[You have finished reading Kayako's unsent letter. Your bond with Kayako has deepened. Kayako's hostility toward you has vanished. From now on, she will treat you with greater affection.]
"So, this thing increases affinity with evil spirits?" Edward muttered, expression twisting. The bloodstained letter burst into flames and burned to ash in his hand.
He couldn't help laughing helplessly. He'd expected some creepy event trigger or maybe a special quest, not a simple affection boost.
Still, having Kayako lose her hostility toward him was definitely a good thing. Not that it mattered much—after all, he didn't live in Kayako's world. But if he did, that would've been a life-saving blessing.
Thinking so, Edward decided to summon Kayako to test it out. As soon as he formed the thought, Mimiko Mizunuma (One Missed Call ghost), who had been peeking curiously from his shadow, immediately retreated back to her own realm and Kayako appeared before him with Toshio in tow.
"Edward-kun," Kayako said softly, smiling.
Edward looked her over. She wore normal clothes now, her expression calm and gentle, her body unmarred—no longer the horrifying, vengeful ghostly figure she used to be.
"So, this is what Kayako looks like when she isn't angry," he thought, and greeted her with a smile. "Hello, Miss Kayako."
Kayako was powerful, and she could be useful for protection. With her by his side, Edward didn't feel in any real danger. Especially now that Team Rocket had already been wiped out, and both Team Magma and Team Aqua were practically finished—only a handful of stragglers remained.
Still, that gave Edward a sense of unease. These criminal organizations were always filled with lunatics. What if one of them suddenly decided to come after him for Groudon? That would be a headache.
Those fools had already stolen one of the orbs, and no one knew what they were planning now. Maybe they were hunting Groudon. Maybe they were just causing chaos. Or maybe they'd already been taken down by the League.
In any case, things had been hectic lately.
And if they did come for him, it would be a major problem.
While Edward wasn't worried for his own safety, he didn't want his security staff to get killed because of him. That would only cause unnecessary trouble.
So, he turned to Kayako, wondering if she could help. Her powers were… unique, after all.
Normally, her curse only activated when someone entered her house—but obviously, these enemies weren't going to just stroll into her home.
"If you can find one of their members," Kayako said thoughtfully, "then I might be able to help you."
That reminded Edward—her curse was contagious. Anyone who came into close contact with a cursed victim would also be marked for death.
In earlier versions of her curse, it was even worse—a security guard merely heard a victim's dying cry and was dragged to his death moments later.
"That won't be a problem," Edward replied confidently. After all, many Team Aqua and Magma grunts had already been captured.
So, he paid a visit to a detention facility. A short while later, he left—mission accomplished.
Kayako's curse now clung to those poor souls.
From now on, whenever those captured members came into contact with their comrades, the curse would spread. But under Edward's orders, Kayako wouldn't kill them—she would merely watch. Track their interactions. Locate the main forces of Team Magma and Team Aqua.
Then, once she pinpointed their bases, it would all be over.
Edward would no longer have to worry about deranged criminals coming after him again.
And now he finally understood the true value of that affection increase. Without it, Kayako might have ignored his commands—or worse, killed the cursed people outright, drawing the League's attention and causing a massive investigation.
This way, he avoided all that trouble.
All in all, the reward turned out to be quite practical. And for now, Edward had yet to encounter any real power capable of countering these vengeful spirits.
Perhaps the Legendary Pokémon could—but Edward wasn't about to go picking fights with divine beings just to find out.
(End of Chapter)