Chapter 126. Who is Fang Ming? I don't know him. ...

Donghu Miya.

Born from a "failure" of the Salvation Ranch, the Black Goat is feared by the people of Calamity Society. Because of the characteristics of the Black Goat, he is a dangerous person who brings multiple calamities.

Only someone like that could say something like that without sounding presumptuous.

However, Tsukino and Chiya's first reaction was: That's quite an appetite.

She really has a good appetite.

Tsukino and Chiya could hardly remember when they first met this person... but it certainly wasn't a pleasant encounter. His parents were quite well-known in the Calamity Society, but that also attracted some idiots who couldn't see their own true abilities, and besides, the fact that they had a child wasn't exactly a secret...

So although such cases are extremely rare, it is true that some people would set their sights on Tsukino and Chiya, who were not yet called Tsukino and Chiya at the time.

Back then, Tsukino and Chiya weren't as averse to trouble as they are now, and they wouldn't choose which events to avoid or not avoid. Or, to be more precise, he was eager to encounter something to prove his abilities.

Looking back, Tsukino and Chiya now realize they might have been a bit reckless. However, they didn't completely mess things up back then. Not only did they manage to make everything unfold as they had envisioned, but they also met Higashigo Miya, who had gotten involved because she had her eye on a certain calamity.

At that time, he witnessed one of Higashigo Mimi's calamities, "Hibiscus." This calamity allowed Higashigo Mimi to swap bodies with another person and switch back whenever she needed to.

Tsukino and Chiya themselves have never experienced that ability. However, according to someone who once swapped bodies with Higashigo Miya, Higashigo Miya has been in a state of prolonged hunger due to the characteristics of the "Black Goat".

so……

Tsukino and Chiya glanced at each other and saw that the other had already devoured several bags of bread at an astonishing speed and had started tearing open potato chip packaging.

—Her appetite was indeed astonishingly good.

This seemingly bottomless hunger requires a vast amount of food to fill it, and of course, not just any food in the conventional sense. If possible, Higashigo Miya would be more willing to devour some powerful calamities for her own use.

Given the constant dangers around us, it's perfectly normal to want to become stronger and more powerful, right?

As far as Tsukino and Chiya knew, the early Black Goats seemed to have been in a constant state of being hunted. This situation improved considerably after she partnered with the church and together they destroyed the Salvation Ranch.

Perhaps for this reason, the calamities that Tsukino and Chiya knew about Higashigo Mimi mainly consisted of abilities like "Hibiscus" that facilitated survival and escape.

But to underestimate her because of that... hasn't the fate of the already destroyed Salvation Ranch already demonstrated the consequences?

There are still many differences between a society plagued by disasters and supernatural phenomena. Tsukino and Chiya are aware that the supernatural phenomenon called Aurora poses a life-threatening crisis, so they do not force Miya Higashigo, whom they can only say they know but are not friends with, to participate in it.

Just as Tsukino and Chiya sought help from the former Shinmura Kou and the current Watanabe Tsuna Bandai in computer technology, he also sought help from Higashigo Miya, provided it wouldn't affect others and taint them with the strange curse.

For example, when he needed an item that might be able to seal the doll, he received it as a gift from the shrine maiden through the matchmaking of Higashigo Miya. And for another example…

Miya Higashigo was the last trump card that Tsukino and Chiya asked for when they planned to meet Ayatsuji Yukito in Yokohama.

At that time, Tsukino and Chiya realized that she had more or less wanted to officially participate in this matter, but they did not expect her to do so in such an unexpected way as a teacher.

However, Miya Higashigo's curiosity about the supernatural wasn't triggered by the Aurora incident. She'd wanted to engage with the supernatural for a long time, but hadn't been able to find a good opportunity before.

People in calamity societies possess information related to calamities, and this is more easily obtained by joining certain factions within these societies. Higashigo Mimi is not affiliated with any faction and has only had cooperative or hostile relationships with some factions. However, Higashigo Mimi seems to have her own channels, something that Tsukino and Chiya neither investigated nor showed any interest in.

But strange news is not so easy to obtain.

The probability of strange occurrences is not high... The reason why people had the illusion that "strange events are easy to encounter" because of the Death Mark incident, the Sibito incident, and now the Death Mark 2.0 incident brought by Aurora, is actually because these three incidents were all "Hyakki Yagyō" (Night Parade of One Hundred Demons) caused by doll strange events, and one of the characteristics of Hyakki Yagyō is that strange events are triggered in large numbers.

Once the Aurora incident is resolved, who knows when another strange event will occur. That's probably why Miyako Togashi ultimately decided to use this incident to test the effectiveness of her calamity on the supernatural.

After a period of observation and dealing with her own affairs, she finally made up her mind to officially get involved.

but……

"Didn't you encounter a strange creature before?" Tsukino and Chiya stroked their chins. "If I remember correctly, you once said that you accidentally discovered a strange creature living normally in human society as a human. Weren't you originally planning to try and see if you could 'eat' her?"

"I'm not the kind of person who repays kindness with enmity."

After finishing her potato chips, Miya Higashigo, who was holding a beverage bottle, sighed softly.

"I did approach that rose with the intention of devouring her. But she also helped me a bit later... Do you think I'm the kind of person who would betray a friend?" (*1)

Tsukino and Chiya retorted, "Aren't you one too?"

Higashigomi Miya smiled without saying a word.

Perhaps she isn't now.

Tsukino and Chiya knew that Higashigo Miya wasn't exactly a good person. During their long years on the run, the Black Goat, who hadn't yet matured, wouldn't have survived to this day if he hadn't been ruthless.

But to say that Higashigo Miya is just a bad person... might not be entirely accurate. In Tsukino and Chiya's opinion, she's more like a bad guy with some good qualities.

No wonder he was taught for a period of time by that man who called himself Yangming.

Whether she is good or bad doesn't matter. As things stand, Tsukino and Chiya know that cooperating with such a calamity maker is beneficial and harmless, and that's enough.

Just like now—

“That child… a child named Wangma who, like you, bears strange marks on his body. There’s something strange about him.”

Miya Higashigo tossed the empty beverage bottle into the bag and spoke in a casual tone, as if discussing the weather over tea.

"You probably don't know this, but after meeting that child at noon today, I noticed something interesting... well, it might not be very interesting for you."

Tsukino and Chiya, who had been casually looking down from the rooftop, turned back and asked slowly.

"What's the meaning?"

...

…………

In short, you should know the truth yourself. I only told you about this.

Miya Higashigo tied a knot in the plastic bag full of garbage, thus concluding the previous topic.

"What happens to your boyfriend later is none of my business. I've already done more than enough by reminding you."

"Ah, I forgot."

The purple-haired woman casually placed the packaged plastic bag next to her, then looked up at Tsukino and Chiya with an undisguisedly malicious smile.

"That child isn't your lover yet, is he? You always like to put on airs, are you finally going to mess things up like this?"

Tsukino and Chiya retorted without hesitation: "Don't talk like you and that green-haired woman have made any progress." (*2)

"You're really not cute at all."

"On this point, it's fair to say we're even."

Their eyes met for a few seconds, like the deep purple of an abyss contrasting with the calm and serene black of a person, before they tacitly looked away, also changing the subject.

"You probably know I won't help for nothing. So, I'll get straight to the point. How about you pay some due price now? For example, tell me something..."

Higashigo Mimi lowered her voice, and a dangerous glint seemed to be hidden in her reddish-purple eyes.

"—Information about 'Brother Fang Ming'."

Tsukino and Chiya's eyelids twitched at this: "...You haven't given up yet. I've already told you, I don't know anyone with that name."

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Author's Note: (*1) Rose is strange, from "NG". On the surface, she is a beautiful older sister, and also a good person in the protagonist's camp (?). Just a cameo appearance, she does not officially appear in this article.

(*2) The green-haired older sister, from DMLC, is Megumi's (Miya's) best friend. Megumi has strange feelings for her (?).

Happy National Day everyone! [heart emoji]