Journey Through Dimensional Worlds

Chapter 19 Compensation

When the school bell rang, a large number of students wearing red school uniforms poured out of the gate of Tianwangzhou Middle School.

Then someone stopped in their tracks.

He Quan walked ahead, his hands in the pockets of his tracksuit, his steps leisurely.

Yuzuriha Inori walked beside him, her red school uniform skirt swaying gently in the evening breeze, her light pink twin ponytails hanging down her shoulders.

The two walked side by side on the road leading to the school gate, less than half a step apart.

"Look, look! It's Teacher He Quan!"

"Is that... Yuzuriha Inori, the student who transferred here today?"

Do they live in the same direction?

"I don't know."

"Could Inori have been coerced?"

"Does Teacher He Quan need to be coerced? I'm willing to go home with Teacher He Quan!"

Whispers spread like ripples.

Some people secretly took photos with their phones, some whispered among their companions, and some pretended to look at the scenery while keeping their eyes glued to the two figures.

Kusama Kanon stood at the school gate, still holding the class journal in her hands. Her gaze fell on He Quan's back, on the less than half a step between him and Yuzuriha Inori.

She remembered the sports drink that had been handed to her during PE class; the bottle was ice-cold, and she held it for a long time until her palms were sweaty.

Teacher He Quan accepted it and said "thank you" to her.

Those two words had been on her mind for the entire afternoon. But now, seeing him walking side by side with Yuzuriha Inori, those two words suddenly felt very faint.

Shu Ouma was walking behind the crowd, and he saw it too.

Yuzuriha Inori was standing right next to He Quan, so close that the ends of her hair almost brushed against his arm.

That distance made his chest feel tight, and he couldn't quite describe the feeling.

He withdrew his gaze, quickened his pace, and left in another direction.

......

The apartment door closed behind me.

He Quan stood in the entryway and suddenly said, "I really hate it when men come into my house."

Yuzuriha Inori sensed that He Quan seemed to be angry.

There was a silence in the living room for about three seconds.

Then, the three people emerged from behind different hiding places.

Gai Tsutsugami straightened up from behind the sofa, his long golden hair cascading over his shoulders, gleaming with a cool luster in the twilight.

He was wearing a dark funeral home uniform, with his signature long robe draped over his shoulders, the hem of which reached his knees.

With his hands in his pockets, he stood tall and looked calmly at He Quan, as if he were sizing up an opponent worthy of serious consideration.

Da Yun emerged from behind the kitchen partition wall. He was so burly that the two-meter-wide partition wall couldn't hide him at all, but he controlled his breathing perfectly. If it weren't for He Quan, an ordinary person might not have noticed the person standing in the shadows even if they walked to the kitchen doorway.

The black combat uniform stretched taut over his broad shoulders, his thick arms hung at his sides, his fists slightly clenched, his knuckles large and covered with old scars.

Argo emerged from behind the floor-to-ceiling curtains on the balcony. The boy's figure was slender and sharp, like a knife that had been deliberately polished to an extremely thin edge.

He gripped the dagger in a reverse grip, the blade gleaming coldly in the twilight. His center of gravity was slightly lowered, and his feet were positioned one in front of the other, a stance ready to launch a charge at any moment.

"Mr. He Quan."

Gai Tsutsugami spoke.

His voice was steady, carrying a seasoned composure.

He took half a step forward, his lips slightly parted, ready to say the next sentence.

He Quan moved.

The first kick landed on the side of Gai Tsutsugami's right knee.

The knee is one of the most vulnerable joints in the human leg. Applying enough force from the side can easily tear the medial collateral ligament, the anterior cruciate ligament, or even cause the meniscus to rupture.

The second kick landed on Dayun's left shin.

Da Yun was the most robust member of the funeral home, weighing over 100 kilograms, with leg bones as thick as two load-bearing pillars. But in the face of He Quan's kicks, load-bearing pillars were no different from withered branches.

The third kick landed on Argo's right knee pit. The knee pit is one of the most flexible parts of the leg, densely populated with nerves and blood vessels, and a key fulcrum supporting the body's weight.

Three cracking sounds rang out almost simultaneously, like the sound of a perfectly dry twig being snapped underfoot. Clean, crisp, and swift.

Then came the sound of three people falling to the ground.

Yagami knelt on one knee, his forehead instantly beaded with cold sweat.

But he didn't make a sound. His teeth were clenched so tightly they were grinding together, his jaw muscles were taut like stone, and his fingers were gripping the floor so hard that his knuckles were pale.

Da Yun fell to his side. His body was too heavy, and the moment his left tibia broke, he collapsed like a wall whose base had been removed.

Argo collapsed to the ground, his right leg completely numb from the knee down.

The entire process, from He Quan taking action to the three people falling to the ground, took less than a second.

Yuzuriha Inori stood in the entryway, her deep red eyes reflecting everything in the living room, a hint of worry in her heart.

He Quan stood in the center of the living room.

He bent down, took the walkie-talkie from Gai Tsutsugami's waist, and stepped on the back of Gai Tsutsugami's head.

The soles of his shoes were covered in golden hair, pressing his forehead against the floor.

A teammate's urgent voice came through the walkie-talkie. "Ya! Ya! What happened! Answer me!"

He Quan pressed the call button: "I broke your teammate's leg."

Quartz's voice was low, tinged with obvious tension and a desperate attempt to maintain composure: "Who are you?"

"You barged into my house and then asked who I was?"

He Quansong released the call button and slightly pressed down with his foot.

creak.

This is the sound produced by the skull under sustained pressure.

"what!"

Gai Tsutsugami finally couldn't hold back any longer and let out a painful cry from deep in his throat, a cry that had been suppressed to the extreme before finally breaking down.

A teammate's voice, distorted, came through the walkie-talkie: "Stop!!! Don't hurt him!!!"

He Quan pressed the call button again: "If you want him to live, come in obediently. If you dare to make a move, I'll stomp his head."

He released the call button and then applied more pressure with his feet.

creak.

"Listen to him!!!"

The teammate's voice on the walkie-talkie was almost a scream: "We're coming in right now!!"

He Quan casually tossed the walkie-talkie aside.

Less than a minute later, the door was pushed open.

Quartz walked in front, pushing the wheelchair.

Ayase Shinomiya sat in a wheelchair, her long, dark brown hair cascading over her shoulders. She had delicate features, but her brows were furrowed, and her dark eyes burned with undisguised anger. She wore the funeral home's black uniform, and her legs were covered by a blanket.

Dong followed beside the wheelchair, her petite figure trembling slightly. Her gaze was fixed on He Quan, like a cat with its fur standing on end.

Behind them followed several ordinary members of the funeral home, carrying a stretcher, their faces filled with tension and unease.

Then they saw the scene in the living room.

Yagami knelt on the ground, forehead pressed against the floor, right leg twisted to one side. Daiyun lay on his side, a dent in his left shin. Argo lay prone on the ground, right knee severely bent. All three had broken legs.

He Quan stood between them, his left foot on the back of Yang Shenya's head.

Shinomiya Ayase's fingers gripped the armrests of her wheelchair tightly, her knuckles turning white. She stared at He Quan, her lips trembling. This man was stepping on Tsutsugami Gai's head, as if he were a stepping stone.

He Quan withdrew his foot, walked to the sofa, and sat down. He relaxed, crossed his legs, and rested his arms on the back of the sofa.

"come over."

Yuzuriha Inori walked in from the entrance hall. Her steps were slow and her face was expressionless. She walked to He Quan's side and sat down next to his legs.

He Quan's hand landed on the top of her head, his fingers running through the light pink strands of hair, gently rubbing them.

Yuzuriha Inori neither dodged nor responded; she simply sat quietly, her deep red eyes gazing at the opposite wall.

Gai Tsutsugami's gaze fell on that hand. He watched as He Quan's fingers ran through Yuzuriha Inori's hair, watched as his fingertips gently caressed the top of her head, and watched as Yuzuriha Inori quietly accepted it all.

"You broke into my house, armed, and hid in my living room waiting for me to come back."

He Quan said calmly, "Now, give me a reason not to break all of your legs."

Gai Tsutsugami raised his head, cold sweat still seeping from his forehead, mixing with the blood flowing from his hair and sliding down his cheeks. His right leg was twisted at an abnormal angle, but his back was straight.

"Mr. He Quan. We broke into your residence because you took our members away."

His voice was hoarse but steady: "Yuzuriha Inori is a member of our funeral home. She went missing during a mission, and we tracked her down to her last known location, where we found her with you. We didn't know your identity or your intentions, so we had no choice but to act directly."

"I admit, we underestimated you. This was entirely my mistake, and I am willing to bear all the consequences."

He Quan glanced at him but didn't reply.

Quartz stepped forward and bowed slightly: "Mr. He Quan, our actions have indeed offended you. We are willing to offer substantial compensation. As for money, you may propose any amount, and we will do our best to meet it."

"I don't lack money."

"Weapons. GHQ standard equipment, including EndRave accessories and ammunition."

"It's not needed."

"Intelligence. The Funeral Parlor has been operating in the lockdown zone for years, and they have information on GHQ's troop deployments, the progress of their research on the Apocalypse virus..."

"unnecessary."

The quartergrande fell silent.

He Quan leaned back on the sofa and deliberately asked, "Tell me first. Who are you people?"

Gai Tsutsugami was silent for a few seconds before speaking.

Funeral home, GHQ, SVD, apocalypse virus, lockdown zone—he stated those words in a steady tone.

Liberation, sovereignty, justice... His voice was not loud, and his tone was steady, as if he were stating a fact that had been repeatedly confirmed.

He Quan looked at him, at the boy kneeling on the ground, blood still seeping from his forehead, his right leg twisted to one side, and recited those grand and righteous words in a steady tone.

"Ha ha"

He Quan smiled.

"A group of high school students. Armed with a few guns stolen from the GHQ, hiding in a basement, wearing matching uniforms, giving themselves respectable names. And then they think they're 'liberating Japan'?"

He tilted his head, his tone mocking: "A high school student trying to save the world, huh?"

Ayase Shinomiya's voice rang out.

"Do you know what GHQ did?"

Her voice was trembling.

"Do you know how many people are taken away by SVD every day in the lockdown area? The elderly, children, pregnant women, without any reason, without any procedure. They say you are infected, and you are infected."

"Last month, at checkpoint C, a mother was crossing with her five-year-old child. The child had a fever, and the soldiers identified him as a 'suspected case of infection' and tried to take him away. The mother refused to let go and knelt down to beg them. The soldier shot and killed the mother in front of the child."

Her hands gripped the armrests of the wheelchair.

He Quan looked at her, his expression unchanged: "Finished?"

Ayase Shinomiya's lips were trembling.

Gai Tsutsugami spoke up: "Ayase, that's enough."

Ayase Shinomiya's voice was stuck in her throat.

Gai Tsutsugami looked at her, gently shook his head, and slowly loosened his grip on the armrest.

He Quan withdrew his gaze and looked back at Yang Shenya.

"Back to compensation. I don't want money, weapons, or intelligence. What else can you offer?"

Gai Tsutsugami kept his head down, but his eyes were not looking at the floor.

He was looking at He Quan's hand, which was still resting on Yuzuriha Inori's hair, gently stroking it intermittently.

His movements were casual, even a little absent-minded, but Gai Tsutsugami noticed that from the moment Inori Yuzuriha sat down next to him, his hand never left her hair.

possessive?

He thought of Yuzuriha Inori. From the moment they broke into the apartment, she hadn't uttered a single word. Not that she was forbidden to speak, but that she didn't want to. She sat beside He Quan, as quiet as a stagnant pool.

Gai Tsutsugami knew her; she wasn't the type to succumb to violence. If she truly wanted to fight back, she would have done so even knowing she was outmatched. But she didn't.

Gai Tsutsugami wasn't sure what this was. Was it some kind of method beyond his comprehension? Was it Yuzuriha Inori's own choice? Or a combination of both? He didn't have enough information to judge. But he was certain of one thing: He Quan's attitude towards women, or rather, towards the women he cared about, was completely different.

He looked up and his gaze fell on the thrush.

Dong was staring at him, her eyes red and her lips pressed into a thin line. Her hands hung at her sides, clenched into fists, her nails digging into her palms.

Gai Tsutsugami looked at her.

His eyes were calm. There was no guilt, no reluctance, only a heavy trust.

Dong understood. Her lips moved, as if she wanted to say "Why should I?" or "I won't stay," but the words wouldn't come out.

She stood there, her fists trembling at her sides, then nodded very slightly.

Gai Tsutsugami shifted his gaze from Tsugumi to Ayase.

Ayase sat in her wheelchair, her hands gripping the armrests. She looked at Gai Tsutsugami, her eyes reflecting his kneeling face, blood trickling from his forehead.

She understood it too.

Ayase didn't speak. She simply looked at Gai Tsutsugami and then nodded slightly.

Yang Shenya withdrew his gaze and turned to He Quan.

"Ayase and Tsugumi".

His voice was hoarse but clear: "I'll leave it with you as compensation."

The air in the living room seemed to freeze.

Dong stared at He Quan, her lips slightly parted, but no sound came out. Her lips were pressed into a thin line. She turned her face to the side, no longer looking at anyone, but her shoulders remained tense.

Ayase Shinomiya didn't speak. She had already nodded. She knew Gai Tsutsugami never made meaningless decisions; he must have his reasons for letting them stay.

She didn't ask what the reason was; there was no need to. If Ya believed it was the optimal choice under the current circumstances, she only needed to execute it and find the answer in the process.

"Can."

He Quan's voice rang out.

Gai Tsutsugami lowered his head: "Thank you."

He was carried onto the stretcher quietly. Only as he was being lifted did his gaze meet Ayase Shinomiya's for a final, brief moment. That glance was fleeting.

But Ayase understood, stayed, observed, and returned alive. She nodded again.

Tsugumi stood to the side, watching the stretcher being lifted and Gai Tsutsugami being carried towards the door.

Dayun and Argo were also carried away. Quarterly walked at the back, pushed up his glasses, turned around, and bowed slightly to He Quan.

"Mr. He Quan, please take care of them."

The door closed.

The apartment fell silent. Outside the window, dusk had completely sunk below the horizon. The city's clamor drifted in from the distant streets, indistinct and far away.

Ayase Shinomiya sat in her wheelchair, her hands on her knees, her back ramrod straight. Her expression had returned to calm, at least outwardly.

Dong stood beside the wheelchair, arms crossed, head turned away from He Quan, cheeks slightly puffed out.

(End of this chapter)