TBETW Chapter 11

Chapter 11 – Total Darkness

Main Story 1, Chapter 4, Part 1

Novel Title: 獣はかくして囚われる (The Beasts are Ensnared This Way)

Author：風結子 沙野 (Fuyuko Sano)

Illustrator：小山田 あみ (Oyamada Ami)

Translator: K (@kin0monogatari)

Protagonists: 鹿倉 陣也 (Kagura Jinya -MC) & ゼロ (Zero -ML)

*Please read at freenovels.net, the original site of translation. TQ*

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While Sanae was still asleep, Kagura slipped only the bare essentials into his pocket and left the hotel.

Along the roadside in the early morning of the casino kingdom, figures sat slumped over, seemingly having lost everything in crushing defeats.

―――However, if it was Toono who lured me here, that would be troublesome.

Although it had smelled like a trap from the beginning, Kagura had assumed it was a scheme orchestrated by Li Azhar. But if Toono Ryouji was the one pulling the strings behind Li Azhar, then the investigation into human trafficking would face extreme difficulties.

If Toono had the confidence to summon the Japanese police to Macau and still evade capture, then he must have already taken measures to cover his tracks.

At this rate, even the Aizawa-Somei team was likely to end in failure.

Kagura stepped onto the main street that ran through the heart of the casino district.

He climbed a pedestrian bridge and surveyed the area.

The sight of the first-class hotels towering like royal castles was awe-inspiring. Among them, a black, obelisk-like tower stood out, exuding an ominous and oppressive presence.

It was highly probable that this ‘Invincible Castle’ was the stage for the human trafficking activities.

However, the ‘Castle’ was protected by absolute extraterritoriality.

―――To find out what’s happening inside, I’ll have to enter it myself.

At this point, Kagura felt as though he was already at the mercy of Li Azhar and Toono Ryouji.

If they so wished, Li Azhar’s private army of snipers could attack and eliminate him at any moment.

Running or hiding would be meaningless—and Kagura had no intention of doing either.

Moreover, if Toono was truly the one in charge, it was unlikely that Kagura would be killed quickly.

That man’s preference was to torment his targets, both physically and mentally. If Toono were to capture Kagura Jinya, he would undoubtedly drag him into the ‘Castle’ and torture him to death.

―――All I can do is wait for them to come for me.

Whatever hell might exist within that dreadful black tower, Kagura resolved to face it directly.

At last, he would step beyond the protective safety rails of the “civilized world” and into the realm where Zero existed.

―――I’ll be closer to Zero.

His body trembled with a searing heat from deep within.

***

Deciding to move to a chaotic area where kidnappings were more likely, Kagura descended from the northern side of the Cotai district and headed toward the old town of Taipa Village. He wandered through alleyways and areas with rundown apartment complexes, away from the busy streets lined with restaurants and souvenir shops.

However, as the afternoon wore on, nothing happened. Perhaps they had no intention of launching an attack in such a public place, or maybe they were wary of Kagura’s conspicuous lone actions.

―――How irritating.

He grew increasingly impatient. Without an invitation card, infiltrating the ‘Castle’ was impossible.

The quickest route was to relocate to a quieter, more vulnerable location.

Recalling information from Elio about places even locals avoided, Kagura boarded a bus, crossed a bridge, and headed to an area near the Outer Harbor Ferry Terminal on the eastern side of the Macau Peninsula.

This area had clusters of aging apartment buildings. While there were also hotels and casinos, the place gave off a deserted vibe. Once bolstered by foreign investment, the area had turned into a hotbed of violent crime, including murders and kidnappings, after the investors withdrew.

Even within the small Macau Special Administrative Region—roughly the size of Tokyo’s Itabashi Ward—the disparity between neighborhoods was stark.

Checking a map on his smartphone, Kagura located the apartment complex Elio had mentioned. The massive, aged building stood prominently, its facade lined with countless windows resembling a honeycomb.

The apartments were residential from the second floor up, while the first floor and basement housed various shops.

Reportedly, the basement had fallen into complete disrepair.

The first floor was bustling with stores and a few customers, raising doubts about whether such a desolate place could exist below.

Venturing deeper, Kagura found an escalator leading underground.

The escalator was non-functional, likely due to disuse.

The basement appeared unlit, its depths swallowed by darkness. Just gazing into it sent chills down Kagura’s spine and stirred a visceral sense of revulsion.

This truly seemed like a place no one would willingly enter.

“…A fitting entrance to hell,” Kagura muttered.

Switching on his smartphone’s flashlight, he illuminated the path ahead and descended.

At the bottom, he swept the light around to survey the surroundings.

It appeared the area had once been home to bars and bowling alleys. Although the signs remained, the shutters had been graffitied over with psychedelic colors, depicting deities.

Among the vivid illustrations were Thousand-Armed Kannon, Madonna and Child, Ganesha, Poseidon with his trident, and an Egyptian god with the head of a ram—and then.

Kagura’s flashlight stopped on one figure.

A demon with the head of a goat: Baphomet.

The ominous image of Kiriyama wearing a black goat mask overlapped in Kagura’s mind.  

Suddenly, he felt a chilling sensation, as if he himself had become the sacrificial lamb.  

Shaking his head to dispel the thought, Kagura started walking down the hallway of the floor. Though some shops had left their shutters open, the interiors beyond shattered windows were desolate, clearly abandoned long ago.  

The flooring was cracked and peeling, threatening to trip him with every few steps.  

There was an area littered with panels, each adorned with drawings. Judging by the rough style, it was likely the work of the same person who painted the images of gods earlier.  

A steady stream of water flowed across the floor—perhaps a burst pipe was to blame.  

Under his shoes, discarded syringes crunched and shattered repeatedly, the sound and sensation unsettling.  

Before long, the noise of his footsteps and the syringes breaking began to multiply. Someone—or perhaps multiple people—was tailing him.  

Despite this, there was no attack. Instead, Kagura was aimlessly led through the labyrinthine underground district.  

At the end of the maze, he arrived at another space ringed with paintings of gods. He had been brought back to the starting point.  

Kagura stopped, sensing the presence of others around him.  

In the unlit spaces, he could distinctly feel the weight of human presences.  

Just a little more.  

He turned off the light on his phone.  

As he plunged into complete darkness, the presences crept closer, their approach unmistakable.  

It was as though the painted gods had gained physical forms in the shadows—  

A sharp blow to the back of his head sent sparks flying before his eyes.  

Even though he had planned to fall into their trap, his body reacted instinctively. In the pitch-black environment, he sensed their movements and lashed out with punches and kicks.  

He landed a few solid hits, one of which fractured an opponent’s nasal bone, the sensation unmistakable against his fist.  

A sudden, boiling sensation surged through him, as if his blood was on fire.  

―――So, this is what it’s like to fight in total darkness.

This must be how Zero and the Enwu fought, he thought.  

But then, a tremendous impact struck his temple. His body was hurled sideways, rolling across the floor.  

Repeated blows to his abdomen left his body curling in on itself.  

“Ugh…!”  

Unable to move, Kagura felt the sharp prick of a needle sink into his neck. As cold liquid entered his veins, his consciousness melted away into the darkness.  

***

A throbbing pain echoed in his head as Kagura opened his swollen eyelids.  

He found himself seated, his body folded into a cramped metal box. His hands felt cold—handcuffed behind his back.  

As he shifted slightly, a sudden jolt from the side toppled the box over.  

The impact sent him tumbling, and his upper body spilled out.  

“Renjou~!”  

The distinctive, high-pitched voice of Renjou announced his name. Kicking the box again, Renjou narrowed his long, slanted eyes.  

“Oh, you’re already awake?”  

The rough, metallic rasp of another voice entered his ears.  

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Next update: 2025.11.27

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