The Person Without Facial Recognition

This level of regeneration surpassed even the White Flower's healing, far exceeding that of a normal person. Non-fatal wounds healed at a visible rate. Schicksal HQ had run several tests but couldn't determine the cause, eventually giving up.

Shigure Kira attributed it to some lingering benefit from Li Mo reversing her time and didn't dwell on it. After all, that gloomy guy was shrouded in mystery.

And Saori Tsuruyo…

Since leaving St. Freya, she had become unusually quiet, disliking noise and social interaction, her speech increasingly formal and precise, rarely joking. This wasn't typical for someone her age.

Becoming more composed wasn't necessarily good or bad.

The current Saori Tsuruyo excelled at thinking and reasoning, saving Shigure Kira a lot of trouble.

In terms of combat, due to her limited talent, the peak Saori could reach after immense effort might only be the starting point for some geniuses. Realizing this, Saori focused almost entirely on her intellect.

Sometimes, Shigure Kira would delegate decision-making to her. Saori knew more, analyzed more, and could judge situations more accurately than herself.

Shigure Kira changed the subject. "Indeed, whether the gloomy guy is going up or down, this is the only way."

"We just need to wait patiently."

"But… I've always wondered about that Shenzhou wedding held every dusk. What's its origin?" Shigure Kira inquired.

Saori would surely have thought more about this. She was from the Far East, close to Shenzhou, and should know more.

Saori paused, recalling, then shook her head. "I'm not sure. Shenzhou and the Far East have quite different wedding customs. I wouldn't dare make assumptions."

"However, the recurring wedding in this town is likely a special Bizzare phenomenon. My intuition tells me we shouldn't try to disrupt it."

"Just like the funeral back at St. Freya, the one hosted by who-knows-who. Our intrusion only made things worse, disrupting the original process."

"Big Brother once said it's best not to interfere too much with such rituals. If you get involved, you must follow the corresponding steps precisely. The wedding procedures in Shenzhou are more elaborate than in the Far East. Perhaps Big Brother knows more."

"As long as he's here, he can definitely solve it."

Shigure Kira: "That may be true, but hasn't this wedding ritual been going on for too long? Don't the people in this town find it strange?"

"I've been wondering about that… I suspect the time in this town might be trapped in a loop, stuck on a specific day."

"That would explain why everyone thinks each wedding is the first time."

Having experienced a time reset herself, Shigure Kira now saw time loops everywhere.

Saori didn't deny it. In Shigure Kira's squad, she could voice her thoughts objectively, and Shigure Kira wouldn't pull rank.

"There's no evidence to support that fact. But if I'm not mistaken, the ritual must be missing something—an object, a person, a step—which is why the wedding keeps repeating. As for why the townspeople are oblivious, I don't quite understand either."

"We've tried talking to them, gathering information, but their answer is always that this is the first time."

"Is it possible that everyone in town… isn't alive?"

Shigure Kira gasped, taking a moment to compose herself.

She found it hard to accept.

The innkeeper, the residents… they all acted normally, communicated without issue, even joked around. The children played pranks and games. They didn't seem like ghosts at all.

Shigure Kira had chatted with many of them, teasing and joking.

Everyone in town exhibited human thought processes. Furthermore, she and Saori had observed that their injuries didn't heal unnaturally fast.

She wanted to deny the possibility.

But their collective amnesia about the wedding was irrefutable proof.

Such a grand event, repeated daily… even if it happened only once, it should have left a deep impression.

It wasn't just one person forgetting; it was everyone except them.

"If they're not alive, then what are they?" Shigure Kira pressed. "They don't seem like ghosts. The only strange thing is forgetting the wedding. Could we be overreacting?"

Saori mimicked Li Mo's thinking posture, lowering her gaze in contemplation.

"No. Even if they appear alive now, their essence must be ghostly. Bizzare phenomena defy logic."

"If they're not human, they must be ghosts."

"We've gathered enough information about the town. Tomorrow, I'll observe the wedding, photograph the bride in the sedan chair, and record the entire process. Then we can analyze it back at the inn."

Shigure Kira voiced her concern. "Isn't taking photos directly with your phone too dangerous?"

Saori: "I'll be careful. I'll stop immediately if anything seems wrong. The phone can capture most of the environment and people without issues. The only thing missing is photos from the wedding itself. I want to see if there's anything different."

Shigure Kira: "Alright. Doing nothing and just waiting might not be the best idea. If anything happens, retreat immediately. I'll cover you."

"It's relatively safer during the day. The ghosts might not be as powerful. With luck, we can escape easily."

"Worst case, we delete the photos and reassess."

Saori: "Okay, Captain."

"It's getting late. Let's sleep first, conserve our energy for tomorrow."

Saori packed her things neatly into her backpack. Shigure Kira did the same. Although her armor was simpler, exposing her midriff, it wasn't light. Sleeping in it was uncomfortable.

They shared a room at the inn. Not just due to budget constraints, but for safety. Unless absolutely necessary, they rarely left each other's sight.

They extinguished the candle in the room completely, avoiding attracting unwanted attention from unclean things while they slept.

Night fell. The townspeople returned home, following the rhythm of sunrise and sunset, just like normal people.

The night passed uneventfully, just like the previous three months.

"Wake up, Captain."

Saori woke early, bought breakfast downstairs, and placed it on the table.

Shigure Kira stretched lazily, rubbing her sleepy eyes. "Morning… up so early again, Saori…"

As she got out of bed, her long hair caught her ankle, tripping her easily.

"Bang!"

"Ouch!" Her forehead hit the floor with a loud thud.

An embarrassing scene unfolded: Shigure Kira face down, one leg tangled in her hair, kneeling, the other leg still pointing towards the bed.

The captain tripped again.

"Pfft." Saori turned away, trying to hide her amusement.

Ever since the funeral, Shigure Kira seemed to be constantly tripping or getting into embarrassing situations.

Once, returning to the Valkyrie dorm at night, she turned on the light and saw a large doll, instinctively mistook it for the Head Ghost, and punched it to pieces. A classic overreaction.

And that was just after the first day. Saori shuddered to think what Shigure Kira might do if she retained all five days of memory—perhaps demolish half the dorm?

But the past was past. Captain Shigure Kira probably wouldn't encounter the Head Ghost again.

"Ugh… damn it, how did my hair grow out again?"

The fall instantly woke Shigure Kira. She grabbed her greatsword, lifted her trailing ice-blue hair, and skillfully chopped it off. She looked annoyed, yet slightly comical.

Saori was used to it. Being around Shigure Kira helped alleviate the tension. The captain was quite cute. Seeing her trip helped Saori relax.

After a simple meal, Saori and Shigure Kira donned their Valkyrie battlesuits. Saori added an outer coat to blend in better. Her features were similar enough to the locals, and keeping her head down helped her blend into the crowd.

Shigure Kira, however, had typical European features: a pretty face, vibrant hair, and sparkling sky-blue eyes. She couldn't pass for a local, no matter what she wore, unless she completely covered herself, which would attract even more attention. She opted to just wear her usual clothes.

They went outside to the street, already filled with the sounds of gongs and drums. The wedding procession was underway, carrying the sedan chair, destination unknown, but likely ending at an old mansion.

"Captain, what are your thoughts?" Saori asked, gesturing towards the bustling street.

Shigure Kira shaded her eyes, her blue pupils reflecting the bright red decorations. "Wow! So lively! So many people!"

Saori: "..."

"Captain, perhaps you misunderstood. I was asking for your thoughts on the recurring wedding."

Shigure Kira looked puzzled, scratching her head. "Hmm… Saori, don't you think the procession has more people now? I remember fewer people initially. Now it looks much larger."

Saori immediately turned, carefully counting the people in the procession.

Previously, only a few men carried the sedan chair. Now, there were two additional adult men beside it. And trailing behind, there was a whole extra group.

"The wedding has changed in a way we don't understand."

"Should we still proceed?"

"Yes. Captain, get ready. I'm going to take photos. It might be dangerous."

"Okay, I'll watch our surroundings."

Shigure Kira didn't bring her greatsword; it was too conspicuous. The twin pistols at her waist were sufficient for most fights. If necessary, she could use her Stigmata to channel Honkai energy.

As long as she wasn't in an area where Honkai energy was restricted or corrupted, her combat power was considerable.

After all, she, Shigure Kira, was a Schicksal-certified S-rank Valkyrie! How could she keep tripping?

Saori turned on her phone's video recording function, holding it above her head, carefully capturing the wedding procession, trying to get a complete view.

She wasn't worried about being noticed; people in this era wouldn't recognize a phone. To them, she probably looked like a drunk girl holding a brick above her head. Saori didn't care about their misinterpretations. She had her own burning desire, her own goal, and their opinions didn't matter.

Due to the angle, she couldn't capture the entire procession. She needed to move forward to film the front half.

"How is it? See anything?" Shigure Kira asked, hands on her hips, pistols ready, scanning the surroundings.

Saori looked up at the phone screen, lost in thought.

She had facial recognition enabled, but the phone wasn't detecting any faces in the crowd…

Photos captured objective reality—light and shadow. There were people, the sedan chair, the environment. It was concrete and objective. So why wasn't the facial recognition working?

"This is a big problem. The facial recognition isn't detecting anyone. Let me try pointing it at you, Captain, to see if it's my phone."

Saori quickly considered a phone malfunction, lowering it to aim at Shigure Kira.

Instantly, a white square appeared on the screen, moving as Shigure Kira moved her head.

Shigure Kira asked, "Is the phone broken?"

Saori shook her head. "No, Captain, it recognizes you. The recording hasn't stopped. The phone should be fine. The problem is with the wedding procession."

"My previous guess was correct."

"They are all ghosts, just in a peculiar state."

Shigure Kira nodded, then asked, "Then why do they look so much like living people, and why haven't they attacked us?"

Saori raised the phone again, carefully examining the screen. Inside the red sedan chair, there was a distinct human figure. The sedan chair bearers smiled, but their smiles were eerily similar, as if sharing a single expression, a single emotion. In a procession of dozens, facial expressions should vary. Some happy, some less so. They shouldn't all have the exact same unchanging smile.

Smiling wasn't scary, but dozens of identical smiles were deeply unsettling.

"I have a wild guess… but I don't know if it's true," Saori murmured.

"It's okay, tell me. Knowing a possibility is better than knowing nothing."

Saori nodded, pushing through the crowd, whispering her thoughts to Shigure Kira.

"These people are actually dead, but some special power is sustaining them, making them appear normal."

"They must be performing some kind of ritual. Perhaps the ritual's power keeps them looking alive."

"As long as the ritual continues, they can maintain this appearance."

"They haven't attacked us because we haven't interfered with the ritual, and we're not part of it. Last time we were attacked because we were in the funeral, not just observers."

"So, we need to keep our distance from the procession to avoid getting drawn into the ritual."

"Of course, if we did enter the ritual and complete it properly, we might be able to resolve this bizarre wedding."

"But… it's unnecessary. The wedding isn't killing anyone. Interfering is too dangerous. Even Big Brother wasn't entirely confident during rituals. If we interfere recklessly, the outcome won't be good."

"Let's go to the front. Once we film the front part of the procession, we'll go back to the inn and analyze. The bride is in the sedan chair in the middle; the groom should be leading on horseback at the front."

"Anyway, the wedding will happen again tomorrow. We have time."

Saori explained everything clearly. They had followed from behind and hadn't seen the groom. Given the similarities between Shenzhou and Far Eastern customs, Saori quickly made her deduction.

Shigure Kira nodded, immediately moving ahead, pushing through the dense crowd to clear a path for Saori.

"Excuse me, excuse me."

Shigure Kira's slender frame wasn't much of a hindrance, mainly because she was strong enough. She had to control her strength to avoid knocking people over.

"Captain, stop!"

Saori suddenly called out from behind. Shigure Kira turned, confused. "What's wrong? We'll miss them if we don't hurry."

Saori pointed towards the sedan chair. It had rotated ninety degrees, and the procession was now heading in a different direction.

"The procession's direction has changed…"

"In three months, this is the first time…"

Saori frowned, a hint of nervousness and worry crossing her face. Her pupils dilated slightly, her fingers fidgeting. Her rapid, shallow breaths betrayed her unease.

In Bizzare incidents, the most frightening thing was a change in the rules.

Because you never knew why the rules changed, or what the new rules were.

Every change had a reason.

But not every reason could be found by the living.