Bizarre Honkai, a Wife-Chasing Crematorium

"Class, today we'll discuss the differences between humans and Bizarre entities…"

The kindergarten teacher held a long bone, pointing at a PowerPoint slide filled with graphic images of human deaths.

Li Mo sighed inwardly. Back in college, he'd spent lectures browsing the internet. Now, he had to pay attention. This was vital information.

"Seriously? This is kindergarten? How is this legal?" He muttered, sitting in the second-to-last row.

Beside him, Mei trembled, clutching her white dress, her bandaged hands white-knuckled, her head bowed. The bone, the images, the casual talk of murder…

Is she human? He wondered, observing her. So far, she'd acted like a normal human: her wounds didn't heal, she needed to eat, she displayed fear and vulnerability.

Too perfect. Like a lamb among wolves. If it was an act, it was flawless, which in itself was suspicious. She seemed like a frightened child with a dormant Honkai Stigmata. Not easily killed, but killable.

But no Bizarre entity had attacked her. Was it because she was considered his "toy"?

Her mental state was fragile, like Seele in the game.

Li Mo, on the other hand, feigned fascination with the gruesome slides.

"Humans are easily swayed by emotions. Their language is complex, nuanced. They can describe intricate feelings with simple words. They are… aesthetically displeasing, but their forms become quite beautiful in death, especially when accompanied by their… delightful screams. Just imagining it sends shivers down my spine…"

The teacher, lost in her own macabre fantasy, blushed. The other students stared at the slides, enraptured.

Wake up! Those aren't anime girls! Oh wait, they're Bizarre entities. Never mind.

Li Mo mimicked their expressions, a vacant smile plastered on his face. It felt ridiculous, but he had to blend in.

Bizarre entities were emotionless. These… things had twisted, corrupted emotions.

He watched Mei. Still normal. Still afraid.

"If you'd like to own a human, you can purchase a body from the Human Garden. You can cuddle it, or preserve it as a wall decoration. A truly satisfying work of art." The teacher beamed.

Humans? Li Mo noted the word. They still existed, but as commodities, like gold. A "Human Garden," filled with corpses… Were there no living humans left in this world? The laptop had said all the natives were Bizarre entities. But what about Mei? Human? Bizarre? Or something else entirely?

The others treated her as one of their own. Did she have a "quirk"? A rule she followed to maintain her disguise?

He hoped no other humans stumbled into this world. Without knowing the rules, acting human was a death sentence.

And if that happened… would he save them? Would Ryoma allow it? Would the others suspect him?

Too many variables. No room for error.

"Raiden Mo? Are you daydreaming?" A normal-sounding female voice came from behind him. "Could you do me a favor and pick up my eraser?"

He glanced down. An eraser. If it was a Bizarre entity, he would have sensed the coldness. He hadn't.

But… something felt wrong.

He slowly raised his phone, using the dark screen as a mirror.

A small girl's head rested on his shoulder, detached from her body, held aloft by her headless corpse.

"What are you looking at?"

"You can see me?"

"You see me?!"

The head shrieked, the temperature plummeting. The other students turned, their heads swiveling unnaturally, their eyes fixated on him.

The teacher's bone transformed into a buzzing chainsaw.

The walls became flayed skin, the floor a pile of corpses, the textbooks bloody organs.

Li Mo forced himself to remain calm. He hurled his phone at Mei's head.

"Oof!" The classroom flickered, reverting to its normal appearance.

"Not enough…" he muttered, grabbing Mei by the throat.

The other students relaxed, their monstrous features softening.

He released her, watching as she coughed and sputtered on the floor. He hadn't held back.

"Maru, how could you trick Raiden Mo? That's so rude! He's the young master of the Raiden family! He's obviously one of us!"

Trick? You can disguise yourselves as humans? That explained why he hadn't sensed anything.

"Hee hee, just kidding! I was scared too! He reacted like a human! I thought he was one of them!"

"..."

"Just… teaching her a lesson," Li Mo said coldly, glaring at Mei.

"'Teaching'? Such a nuanced word… are you imitating human speech, Raiden Mo? Or are you…?" Suspicion returned.

"Learning from you," Li Mo replied flatly, omitting any unnecessary words.

"You're a quick learner. I almost mistook you for a human. I wanted to kill you."

"You can't kill me."

"True. We can't kill each other." He used their shared immortality as a shield.

This was a nightmare. Not only could their perceptions be contaminated, but even uncontaminated actions could be misinterpreted.

Bizarre entities pretending to be human. Humans pretending to be Bizarre entities.

As Li Mo pondered this, the gloomy sky outside cleared.

Apart from the basic functions of society, this world seemed to be a complete inversion of normal.

Even their "quirks." In the real world, humans didn't pretend to be human. But children sometimes pretended to be ghosts, and actors portrayed them on stage.

He stared at the headless girl, a daring idea forming. He couldn't ask directly. It might expose him.

He glanced at Mei, huddled on the floor, avoiding his gaze. He maintained a predatory stare, reinforcing his "quirk."

If I think like a Bizarre entity… they know I'm one of them, even if I pretend to be human. Does that mean I can pretend to be human in certain situations, and they'll accept it?

If so, becoming an actor… a human actor in a world of Bizarre entities… that could work. No one would suspect a human playing a human in a Bizarre theater, just like no one would suspect a Bizarre entity playing a ghost in a human theater.

School ended early, much earlier than he was used to.

"At least the food is normal."

"No… it only looks normal. Like the classroom. This world is already corrupted. I just haven't seen the full extent of it yet."

He led Mei to the car, her chain still in his hand.

No Ryoma.

He didn't ask, simply observing the scenery.

"Young master, you're quiet today," the driver commented.

"..." Li Mo glared at him. "Today" implied a difference.

Mei remained silent, her eyes filled with fear. Today's events had clearly shaken her.

Back at the villa, still no Ryoma. Only a note on the table:

[The basement is ready. Everything you need is there. If anything is missing, let me know when I return.]

[No electronic devices in the basement. Enjoy your… playtime without worrying about being recorded.]

[The entrance is in your bedroom. I won't be home tonight. Have fun…] A single bone lay beside the note, a macabre flourish.

Playtime? Li Mo glanced at the security cameras. The villa was under constant surveillance. What about the cameras he hadn't found? One wrong move, one human gesture caught on camera… even if he maintained his "cruelty" act, Ryoma would see through the deception unless he kept torturing Mei.

If he hadn't gone to the basement, or if he'd gone to the wrong room, Ryoma would be here with reinforcements.

"Kneel," he commanded loudly, ensuring the cameras recorded it.

Mei flinched, biting her lip, taking a step back.

"B-Brother…" she whispered, her voice trembling, her one good eye pleading. Her vocal cords had been repaired. Ryoma's methods were disturbingly effective. Her soft whimper was almost enough to make him relent.

But he couldn't. Not yet.

He kicked her leg, sending her sprawling to the floor.

"Good. That's where you belong."

He dragged her through the villa, searching for his room. He couldn't risk going to the wrong one.

He led her outside, into the garden, continuing the "playtime" act, making sure the cameras saw his enjoyment. Every gazebo had multiple cameras. He treated them all as Ryoma's eyes.

Nowhere was safe.

Back inside, he said impatiently, "Let's get you acquainted with the house. Move faster." He yanked the chain, and Mei whimpered, her head bowed in shame.

Her knees were raw, her hands bloodied, small stones embedded in her flesh.

Li Mo carefully observed his surroundings. The first floor was normal: living room, gym, dining room, kitchen, laundry room. Few cameras. Only one per room.

"Second floor."

He noticed a bowl of fruit on the table. Fresh, vibrant, juicy. He remembered the meager offerings in their old apartment. He picked up a lemon and bit into it.

"Holy shit! That's sour!" The unexpected jolt of acidity made him curse, almost breaking his composure. Had lemons always been this sour?

He tossed it to Mei. "Hold it in your mouth. Don't spit it out. Don't swallow it."