Edward's expression twisted slightly as he stared at the gently smiling Kayako standing before him. He coughed once, trying to compose himself. He had only just finished "clearing" Kayako yesterday, and yet here she was again.
However, the current Kayako before him was in an extremely strange condition. In the past, she had always carried a thick, oppressive aura of resentment clinging to her body, but right now, that resentment had completely vanished.
Instead, it had transformed into an indescribably strange sensation, something Edward couldn't quite put into words. If he had to say it, then the most accurate description would be: Kayako now seemed more like a living person than a ghost.
The realization left Edward confused and dazed. But when he looked closely at Kayako's eyes, an even more subtle emotion stirred in him. Because he recognized that gaze—the tender, affectionate look she now carried was the same one she had shown him during yesterday's conquest.
So, Edward naturally understood what that look represented.
Yet the Kayako standing here now…
"Edward," Kayako spoke softly, her voice warm and serene,
"I had a dream yesterday. In that dream, I lived a long and happy life. Takeo confessed his feelings to me, told me he loved Natsume Sōseki's books, and even proposed to me through a mischievous little prank. I accepted joyfully, and we lived together happily until old age. It was such a wonderful and miraculous dream. But despite how beautiful it was, I still have some doubts about it, because the dream felt too real. So real that all of my resentment disappeared completely… even Toshio grew up into an outstanding adult. Do you know what's going on?" Kayako looked at Edward with gentle eyes.
Edward felt the corner of his mouth twitch. How could he possibly know why?
All Edward knew at this moment was despair, because Kayako seemed to have inherited all her memories from that life he created for her. How? Why? It was a situation he couldn't even begin to evaluate.
"Ahem, well… isn't that a good thing?" Edward said with a cheerful chuckle. Kayako's smile softened further. She herself felt as though she were about to attain Buddhahood—or, more accurately, that she was on the cusp of reincarnation.
All her resentment was gone; every past grievance had been washed clean. She stretched lazily, as if waking from a long, suffocating nightmare. Every unhappy memory had been overwritten by the happiness in her dream, and Kayako now felt nothing but pure joy.
Of course, she knew perfectly well that Takeo Saeki could never become the kind and gentle man she dreamt of, because she knew his real personality far too well. He had been a madman, an unstable and obsessive man whose affection was little more than possessiveness.
And whenever he grew suspicious, he would erupt in irrational, violent rage—more than once. Kayako's despair had come from this very truth.
But she had never expected Edward to change everything. And now, with a perfect life of her own engraved into her memories, Kayako felt nothing but contentment. She was truly happy. Her resentment was gone, her past trauma felt like nothing more than a fading dream.
Edward smiled faintly as he looked at her. He now understood why the system had awarded him a full one hundred million Fear Points. Kayako, this infamous vengeful spirit, had been healed, transformed into an entirely different existence. With her influence being what it was, receiving a hundred million points made perfect sense.
After all, when people listed the top ten horror films in the world, The Grudge was almost impossible to avoid, its themes woven deeply into global horror culture. Edward naturally knew all of this well; he was very familiar with her significance.
So Kayako ending up like this was understandable given the psychological curse she represented and the immense fear she symbolized.
Kayako had practically become a cultural icon of horror films. Mention Japanese horror cinema, and immediately people would imagine Kayako crawling grotesquely down a staircase. That twisted, unnatural posture had become a classic image in film history, widely recognized and deeply embedded into people's minds. And now, thanks to Edward, Kayako had been healed, Toshio included, which made the hundred million Fear Points feel entirely justified.
Edward's mood improved considerably. At that moment, Kayako quietly stepped toward him, stopping right in front of Edward's chest. She smiled, reached out, and gently tapped his forehead with her fingertip.
In the next moment, Kayako's figure dissolved into shimmering points of light and vanished completely. Toshio, too, turned into glowing particles and disappeared. The display was bizarrely surreal, yet strangely fitting all the same.
"Kayako… may your next life be filled with happiness," Edward murmured with a warm smile in his eyes. He understood everything. After all, he had changed Kayako's life, as well as the lives of Toshio Saeki and Takeo Saeki. According to the system, Takeo Saeki's soul had been watching the entire time, meaning Takeo understood that this was the path he should have walked, rather than the tragic cycle of hatred that defined the Grudge.
But there was a deeper reason behind the original curse as well. Edward had observed that the house from The Grudge contained a powerful curse of its own, something that magnified the negative emotions lurking in people's hearts.
This amplification was the real cause of Takeo's explosive madness. But even so, Edward concluded that Takeo's lack of patience and self-restraint had ultimately sealed his fate. With that understanding, Edward felt his mood lighten.
"Well, Kayako has been sent off. That means it's time for a draw. And with this, I can finally update my roster of personal vengeful spirits." Edward rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
"Miss Tomie is still enjoying herself at the amusement park. Freddy is busy doing his dream-demon business on Elm Street, so those two don't need consideration. But what about Kawamata Naoko…? What's Kayako's sister been up to after all this?"
Edward was genuinely curious. He had seen Naoko in the storyline, she had lived as a shaman, working tirelessly every day. Later, she married, and she and her husband continued exorcising spirits as a lucrative career.
Edward and Kayako had even received a luxurious high-rise apartment in Tokyo from them as a gift. But Edward still preferred his own home, so he only visited occasionally. Later, when Toshio grew up, he moved into that apartment, though their "little cotton-padded jacket" always returned home to visit.
The world in that storyline had indeed been interesting. Take Toshio, for example, under Edward's guidance, he grew into an acclaimed literary writer. His debut novel won the highest newcomer literary award in the country, making him famous overnight.
Despite his busy schedule, Toshio always set aside time to visit Edward and Kayako. Kayako was delighted each time, and Edward played the role of a supportive father, never ruining the mood, always encouraging Toshio with a bright smile.
Edward even attended Toshio's wedding and watched him have children of his own, becoming a grandfather within the storyline. The experience felt surreal yet wonderful, like he had lived through a round of The Sims, filled with novelty and excitement. Edward genuinely enjoyed it, and Kayako had been overjoyed as well.
As for Saeki Mai, Edward placed great expectations on her—or perhaps "mischievous hopes" was a better description. He had cultivated her with a particular senpai in mind, though he wasn't harsh about it. He simply encouraged Mai to pursue whatever she loved. And Mai truly excelled, becoming a successful celebrity and later finding the perfect boyfriend, someone who cherished her deeply.
Edward felt reassured watching her flourish. Yet on the day of Mai's wedding, Edward quietly pulled the groom aside and showed him a token given to him by a close brother from a yakuza organization.
Edward calmly warned him to treat Mai well, or else there would be no problem adding one more concrete-filled barrel to Tokyo Bay. The groom turned pale instantly. Edward didn't say another word afterward.
When Edward reached middle age, he gathered a group of older men and formed a mutual support association, not for anything shady, but simply to discuss life, help each other with personal troubles, and share companionship. But as the saying went, when three men gathered, there would always be one "ideas guy."
Kayako would never have imagined that behind the scenes, Edward indulged in the role of a big brother figure, eventually establishing a company of his own and earning a formidable reputation.
If Toshio had not pursued literature, the leadership position could have been passed to him. But he chose to become a writer, so Edward handed the position to a capable young man who had been close friends with Toshio, someone who possessed strong talent and had mastered the principles of being a good man and a good leader.
The young man deeply despised certain stubborn traditions of the old generation, so it was hard to say whether a constitutional monarchy might fall in the future. Edward, of course, was aware of all this. But he could not be bothered to interfere. He had his own matters to focus on.
His expression grew more serious as he thought about his future scriptwriting plans when he come back to the Pokémon world. He intended to finalize the script for his next film—one inspired by the concept of the Brain-in-a-Vat thought experiment.
Edward knew that conventional horror films struggled to evoke true fear unless he deployed actual vengeful spirits to terrify people on a daily basis, which obviously wasn't feasible. So, he decided to pursue a slow-burning psychological horror instead. His next movie would embody that style, serving as his final work before retirement.
After completing this film, Edward planned to stop directing altogether, propose to Shizuka, and settle into a peaceful life with her.
After all, he wasn't getting any younger. Looking back on all the years he had lived since transmigrating, Edward felt deeply satisfied. He had changed countless things—captured Giovanni, dismantled Team Magma and Team Aqua, and even had Groudon sleeping contentedly at his waist.
His life was stable and fulfilling. He had already discussed his future plans with his father, who promised Edward a three-year honeymoon period after his marriage, a three full years to travel the world freely.
During that time, his father and Steven would help manage the entire Devon Corporation. Edward was ecstatic. Without that honeymoon, things would've been troublesome, but with it? Everything suddenly felt perfect and manageable.
"Well, with that decided, I can move on with the preparations. Once filming begins, everything else will fall into place." Edward rolled his neck, his mind already filled with ideas. His concept for the new movie was strikingly unique. With careful thought, he summoned Zoroark and instructed it to begin arranging the production logistics.
This time, Edward would not only direct but also star as the male lead. Yes, he intended to act as the protagonist himself. It was his final work, so indulging himself a little was acceptable. And besides, as a skilled director and a skill that cause him to be a naturally gifted actor, Edward had great confidence in his own performance.
"Boss… is this our retirement project?" Zoroark asked, having sensed Edward's intentions. Edward nodded. Zoroark felt a surge of emotion as she gazed up at him. It was as if she could still see the young version of herself who had once followed Edward into this line of work—back when she had only just begun, and her memories had been full of strange and fragmented uncertainties.
But all of that was over now, including the matter with Miss Shizuka. With a lighter heart, Zoroark hurried off to begin the arrangements. This project needed to be set in motion quickly, and once everything was properly prepared, the rest would be far easier to handle.
Meanwhile, Edward sat reading over his script. It was simple in structure but deeply unsettling upon reflection. The core concept revolved around provoking the audience to question their own reality—and the solution to the philosophical dilemma was as simple as "I think, therefore I am." It was not a particularly unique idea, but used correctly, it could be chilling.
Edward stretched lightly and rose to his feet. If that was the case, then it was almost time to begin preparing the production work. Once filming was complete, he could move on with the rest of his plans. He no longer had the patience to waste time on unnecessary complications. His goal was clear—start filming as soon as possible and observe the reaction from the audience afterward.
But before shooting began, Edward decided to conduct the lottery draw. He planned to use up the entire one hundred million Fear Points right away, then deal with the results afterward and see what surprises awaited him from the draw.
(End of Chapter)