"Turn off your phone. Immediately."
Li Mo approached Kira's squad members, his voice calm but firm.
The named Valkyrie froze momentarily, confused. She had only used her phone for illumination.
"I'm just afraid of the dark, so I used the flashlight to see better. I was also looking at some old photos. You know there's no signal in here, right?" she retorted, a hint of irritation in her tone.
She hadn't taken any inappropriate pictures or done anything wrong. As young adults, none of them liked being bossed around unnecessarily.
Kira quickly stepped between the two, trying to settle the tension.
"Alright, stop it. Don't wake the others," she said, gesturing around.
But it was too late. The Valkyries and students stirred, waking up one by one, puzzled by the confrontation between Li Mo and the young Valkyrie.
"Kobayashi, just turn off the phone," Kira urged.
"Captain, I was just—" The Valkyrie, feeling wronged, tried to explain her side.
Before she could finish, a gunshot cracked through the silence, shattering the phone in her hand with pinpoint precision.
The entire auditorium was now wide awake, the drowsiness evaporating. Li Mo's decisive gunfire reverberated, leaving everyone stunned.
The phone screen went dark as smoke curled from the barrel of Li Mo's silver-gray handgun, marked with mysterious, intricate carvings—a blend of artistry and power.
"You… What's your problem? Who do you think you are?"
"You had no right to destroy my phone!" the Valkyrie yelled, her anger blazing as she glared at him.
"Stand down!" Kira's sharp gaze froze her subordinate in her tracks. Reluctantly, the Valkyrie returned to her seat, tears glistening in her eyes.
Kira exhaled slowly, composing herself. She faced Li Mo, her voice steady but loud, demanding an explanation.
"I need a reason. Tell me why you fired."
"You always act with purpose. You're not the type to create trouble or abuse power. If my team made a mistake, I'll take responsibility. But if they didn't, and I let them be humiliated, then I've failed as their captain."
"Give me a reason now."
Kira's voice wasn't meant to pressure Li Mo but to give him an opportunity to justify his actions. A valid explanation would only elevate his authority in the group, as it showed he acted with everyone's safety in mind.
Li Mo holstered his gun and scanned the room. No one dared use their phones now. The only illumination came from the flickering incense, though its flame was visibly weaker.
Without intervention, the first stick of incense wouldn't last until dawn.
Shaori spoke up in his defense. "Li Mo must have noticed something. He wouldn't fire recklessly."
The students nodded in agreement. Even when faced with Aikiri, a Head Ghost, Li Mo hadn't pulled the trigger of the pistol, no matter how threatening the confrontation.
Tonight, however, his sudden shot marked a stark departure.
"Why did he fire?" one student whispered, scanning the room nervously.
Li Mo broke the silence. "I am under no obligation to explain my actions to you. Telling you is a courtesy, not a duty. But let me be clear: if anyone thinks this place is safe enough to act carelessly, let me know now. I'll step back and let you handle things.
"When danger comes, I'll prioritize my own survival. But if your reckless behavior threatens the group—and me—then next time, my bullet won't hit an object."
Li Mo's cold words struck a chord. Everyone shivered as he pointed towards the portrait, the black coffin, and table in which various funeral objects lay in.
The blood pooled there wasn't human. Dark red and viscous, it resembled oil mixed with animal blood. Despite the amount, it emitted no stench, its sinister presence unnoticed until Li Mo's warning.
The funeral portrait oozed blood from its painted eyes, which twisted unnervingly between laughter and tears, leaving everyone uneasy.
In normal funeral portraits, the depicted gaze would face forward, as if watching over the room. This one, however, stared directly at the shattered phone, its hateful expression glaring at Li Mo.
"Wait… Wasn't the portrait facing the entrance earlier?" someone whispered.
"I thought so too…" another voice replied, trembling.
A collective chill ran through the group as they realized the portrait had shifted. Its eyes, alive with loathing, now bore into them all.
"Everyone, behind me!" Kira ordered, drawing her large, battered sword and readying herself.
"Not again! Damn these ghosts!" she cursed.
Ignoring her warning, Li Mo approached the portrait, unshaken.
"Hey, don't go! That thing moved—it's dangerous!" Kira shouted.
Li Mo glanced back, his gaze cold. "I know. I sensed it the moment we entered. The temperature drop confirmed it."
"You all want to know why I destroyed the phone?" he asked, picking up the first incense stick, now barely burning.
"The portrait is crying blood. It wants to extinguish the incense.
"If the incense goes out, this auditorium loses its ability to shield us from the ghosts' senses. The moment that happens, every ghost in this academy will know we're here. And we'll die."
Li Mo's calm explanation sent shivers down their spines.
They had never truly left the danger zone. Ghosts had been near them all along.
"But what does that have to do with the phone?" someone asked.
"In Shenzhou, there's an old saying," Li Mo replied.
"Never sleep with the lights on at midnight. It's like a lighthouse in the vast ocean—it'll draw the unclean things to your side."
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