Chapter 138, Broken.

The fourth person who had just appeared in the underground space was standing next to the ladder that served as the only passage, as if she had really climbed down from there—but if that were the case, how could the others present not have noticed anything?

But that person's attitude seemed far too frank. She so openly exposed her unusual movements to others, appearing completely unguarded… Was it because she trusted the others present too much? Or because she was overly confident in her own abilities?

But—that's true.

If it were her, it would simply be a matter of sneaking in silently; for her, it probably wouldn't be a difficult task at all.

Because it is a calamity messenger.

Tsukino and Chiya thought for a moment. As the one of the three who was most familiar with the newcomer, it would be more appropriate for him to start the conversation. However, before he could speak, someone else beat them to it.

"Hey—who is this mysterious purple-haired figure who suddenly appeared? How can she be so calm and collected in this supernatural setting? Is she trying to steal my persona?" Wangma Xiaoji complained with dissatisfaction. "But looking closely, she seems a bit familiar. Could she be one of the low-level members I kicked out of the organization? Do Kohinata and Kotsukino know her?"

"Ohma-kun's memory really isn't good." The mysterious purple-haired figure—who was actually Higashigo Mimi—raised a dangerous smile upon hearing this. "It just so happens that I, your teacher, actually know a little about medicine. If Ohma-kun needs it, I can treat your memory problem for free, okay?"

Ah...yes, yes.

Faced with this blatantly sarcastic and barbed dialogue, Tsukino and Chiya surprisingly felt a sense of "finally normal." This feeling was mainly directed at Higashigo Mimi... He always felt very uncomfortable seeing Higashigo's gentle and mild-mannered demeanor in class.

"Huh? Teacher? I don't have a teacher like that in my class... Could it be!" Wang Ma Xiaoji stared at Dong Hu Mimi for a while, his gaze intense yet not impolite, before suddenly realizing, "Oh my—it's Teacher Dong Hu. It's been so long, I almost forgot you existed."

Higashigo Miya smiled without saying a word, clearly having no intention of getting entangled in a verbal argument with Ouma Shokichi. It must be said that this was quite sensible, because everyone had witnessed Ouma Shokichi's ability to steer the conversation off-topic, and besides, few could match him in verbal sparring.

"Why are you here?" Hyuga Hajime asked.

Although Hyuga Hajime is now also Higashi Miya's student, he is the one among those present who is least familiar with Higashi Miya. At most, they only know of each other's existence, nothing more. After all, Higashi Miya came to Hope's Peak this semester out of interest in the existence of supernatural beings, while Hyuga Hajime hasn't been involved in anything related to supernatural beings for some time.

"Why am I here?" Higashigo Mimi seemed surprised that Hinata Hosei asked such a question. After repeating herself, she replied, "Naturally, for the same reason as you."

"What?!"

Wang Ma Xiaoji looked astonished as if he had seen the sun rise in the west.

"So, Teacher Donghu also came here to turn this place into the 11037th secret base of an evil secret society?! Ah... I'm so conflicted. On one hand, I don't want to just hand over this place that I finally found, but on the other hand, I don't want to take over a place that others already know about. What should I do next?"

Miya Higashigo pointed out expressionlessly, "No, I came here for the supernatural."

Upon hearing this, Wang Ma Xiaoji breathed a dramatic sigh of relief: "What? It was just a weird thing, then it's alright!"

"That's right. It seems you have a general idea of ​​what the situation is now."

As she spoke, Miya Higashigo's gaze fell upon the doll's head on the ground. Just then, a hand suddenly appeared in her field of vision and picked up the eerie yet pitiful doll's head.

Miya Higashigo's gaze followed the hand holding the doll's head—finally settling on the person's face. It was Tsukino and Chiya, who were closest to the doll, who, completely unconcerned about the dirt on it, deftly picked it up.

Tsukino and Chiya glanced down at the expression on the doll's head in their arms—well, how could a doll have any change in expression? Since it couldn't even speak, Tsukino and Chiya had no way of knowing what the strange doll in their arms was thinking at that moment.

And then again...

Tsukino and Chiya didn't actually feel very nervous.

Considering the strange past behavior of the dolls I'd heard about or witnessed firsthand, perhaps I shouldn't so rashly hold this seemingly harmless head in my arms. The distance is far too close; if this head suddenly undergoes some strange change and attacks, I might not be able to dodge it.

"Give it to me." Higashigo Mimi took a few steps forward, then stopped in front of Tsukino and Chiya. "Didn't we come here to solve the doll's strange behavior?"

"..." Tsukino and Chiya asked, "What are you going to do?"

“Of course, I’ll solve it.” Miya Higashigo said matter-of-factly, “using my special methods…you know I can do it, right? Otherwise, you wouldn’t have agreed to let me get involved in this in the first place…although I never need anyone’s permission to do things.”

Using the power of calamity?

That was something the others present couldn't do. Since the enemy was a supernatural being, naturally, supernatural methods were needed to deal with them to have a greater chance of victory. Therefore, when Higashigo Miya volunteered to join them, Tsukino and Chiya did indeed have such expectations for this Black Goat, who was renowned throughout the world of calamities.

However, all of this is predicated on...

As their thoughts raced through their minds, in reality, Tsukino and Chiya showed no hesitation, simply nodding calmly: "Alright."

Having received a satisfactory answer, Higashigo Mimi said nothing more. She smiled and extended her hand, waiting for Tsukino and Chiya to hand over the head.

Tsukino and Chiya also extended their hands.

With lightning speed, he suddenly extended his hand, which had been hidden behind his back and barely noticeable, and held a strangely shaped dagger. He then thrust the blade with incredible precision into Higashigo Miya's heart.

"you……"

All of this happened in the blink of an eye. The expression on Miya Higashigoro's face, caught off guard, froze between a smile and astonishment in an instant. Before she could even utter a complete sentence, it shattered completely in the next second.

Breaking in a physical sense.

The appearance that had belonged to Mimi Higashi collapsed instantly, replaced by another figure that was equally familiar to them—a doll who called herself "Aurora" fell straight down, motionless on the floor. The doll with the broken chest now seemed to be just an ordinary doll, devoid of any life.

Apart from the sudden collapse of the dolls, nothing changed in their surroundings.

Ouma Kokichi and Hinata Hajime didn't seem surprised by this development.

The purple-haired boy stroked his chin, glanced thoughtfully at the doll on the ground that seemed to have completely lost its soul, then went to Tsukino and Chiya's side and asked directly about the head in his arms: "Is that guy dead?"

The doll's head blinked twice.

As expected.

Neither Tsukino nor Chiya were surprised.

Although it has not been confirmed, the mark on his back should still be there.