Chapter 34. Tsukino Kazuya, with a beaming smile.

What would it be like if a monster came down through the curtains to kill someone? That scene seems a bit abstract; I can't imagine it.

However, it does seem that it's not entirely impossible?

Before Tsukino and Chiya could even reply with "We can't rule out that possibility," Ohma Kokichi casually put the piece of cloth back into Chiya's hand, thus completing his own question and answer.

"But thinking about it, it makes sense. If the monsters that were thrown into the water can reappear in places with water after they die, then why can't the monsters that seem to be related to curtains appear in places with curtains? So, Hinata, don't sleep too soundly tonight." (*1)

Hajime Hinata's lips twitched: "Why me?"

Wangma Xiaoji declared confidently, "Of course it's because Kohinata is the hero who stood up the monster, so in the monster's mind you're the most heinous one, right? Your situation is truly perilous~"

"Besides, I'm the 'Ultimate Leader'. Tonight I'll have twenty men on guard for me. If any anomalies appear, they'll all rush to their deaths without hesitation to buy me time, all I have to do is give the order."

At this point, Hyuga Hajime was too lazy to even ask, "Is this a lie?": "...What about Tsukino Kazuya?"

"Kozuki no Kazu? We don't need to worry about Kozuki no Kazu at all." Wang Ma Xiaoji's tone was cheerful. "He is a super exorcism master. He is highly talented, decisive, virtuous and capable, has miraculous healing skills, is as beautiful as a flower, and has a friendly smile. When he encounters monsters, he can kill them one by one with a swift stroke. Dealing with monsters is as easy for him as chopping up children."

Tsukino and Chiya: "No, I didn't, the little kids will cry."

Hajime Hinata: "A smile...so charming?"

Who is he talking about? Is it Tsukino Kazu from a parallel world? That's interesting.

"However," Wangma Xiaoji continued, seemingly oblivious, "we can't let Kozukino steal the spotlight every time, so I've actually been reading a paranormal magazine lately—the one that reported on the Death Mark. What I just read was from that magazine. So, Kozukino, am I right?"

He was referring to his earlier statement that "strange things related to curtains might happen in places with curtains."

"Are you asking me?" Tsukino and Chiya gave a soft "hmm". "I'm just speculating about what we might encounter in the future based on things that actually happened in the past."

"However, Wang Ma is right. There are instances where strange things do come knocking. In short, be careful in everything you do, and don't let your guard down just because you're back in a familiar place."

Hajime Hinata was sweating a little: "I see... Which magazine are you talking about? I'll buy it and take a look later."

After hearing what you guys said, I feel like I'm not going to be able to sleep at all tonight!

"But even if we do encounter it, it shouldn't be a big problem."

Wang Ma Xiaoji, recalling the scene that had occurred not long ago, kindly offered a suggestion.

"Because that guy with the cloth strip seems to be very afraid of the cloth being cut, just carry a sharp weapon with you and stay calm to cut the cloth with the knife."

"But... why is it afraid of this? That's really intriguing~"

Yes, that's right.

Tsukino and Chiya agreed in their hearts.

This may be related to the strange man's past experiences, but unfortunately, they don't know the details yet.

That being said...

"The man in the cloth strip?"

“That’s right, that’s right! Using ‘weird’ every time is fine… but we might be talking about other weird things later, and it’s easy to get confused, right?”

"So I think it's better to give it a nickname. 'Cloth Strip Man' is easy to understand, right? Of course, it's also acceptable for Kozuki to insist on a name like 'Binding God Spiral Forbidden Spell Sealing Cloth'~"

"Well, I think 'Cloth Strip Man' is fine. But the other name doesn't really sound like your style."

"Hehe, I named it after a classmate's preference."

*******

The night was growing deeper.

Not long after saying goodbye to the two, Tsukino and Chiya, who had already returned to their dormitory, left the school gate alone again.

He walked down the street. There weren't many passersby around him, and their faces all showed signs of fatigue after a busy day.

Suddenly, Tsukino and Chiya's phones buzzed a few times.

He typed the message as he walked and sent it, then put his phone away and stopped paying attention. Instead, he went straight to a 24-hour fast food restaurant.

Wangma Xiaoji is already in the store.

He was sitting by the window. Although he wasn't the only customer at this time, his purple hair and the distinctive clothes he had changed back into were particularly eye-catching. In addition, Tsukino and Chiya had pretty good eyesight, so they noticed Ohma Kokichi sitting alone in his seat from afar.

On the table in front of Wang Ma Xiaoji was a glass of carbonated beverage that matched his own hair color. The purple-haired boy stared silently at the glass in front of him, doing nothing else—like checking his phone while waiting for someone.

The fast food restaurant's windows were spotless, but from the outside, part of Ouma Kokichi's face was obscured by the advertisements pasted on them. Even so, it was enough for Chiya to see and fill in the blanks in her mind with his calm expression.

I wonder what he's thinking as he stares at his carbonated drink; of course, he might not be thinking about anything at all. Although the events of tonight didn't last long overall, maintaining vigilance and focus throughout was still quite exhausting.

Even the usually energetic Ouma Kokichi must look a bit tired now.

Tsukino and Chiya kept walking and soon arrived at the entrance of the fast food restaurant. After pushing open the door, they went straight to the seat opposite Ohma Koki and sat down.

The purple-haired boy, who had been keeping his head slightly down, had noticed Qianye the moment he pushed the door open. He smiled and said, "Good evening, Tsukino Kazumi. You came pretty quickly. I didn't order for you. Wouldn't it be better if you ordered your own food?"

Tsukino and Chiya nodded and ordered some simple food after looking at the menu.

Before long, the dishes that Wang Ma Xiao Ji had ordered earlier, as well as those that Yue Ye and Qian Ye had ordered later, were brought up by the waiters.

"Speaking of which, a pleasant late-night snack like this seems more suitable after everything is settled. But whatever, I've been really busy since I just finished dealing with the mansion and then had to go to school and deal with this now. The last time I ran around like this to investigate something was... Hmm? Although the taste isn't bad, it's still a bit different from what I imagined."

"Perhaps it's because you've been eating too much of 'Ultimate Chef's' cooking lately, so other foods don't taste as good to you anymore."

"Hmm, that makes a lot of sense. A decadent lifestyle is really easy to get addicted to."

Tsukino and Chiya were called out for a late-night snack by Ohma Kokichi shortly after returning to their dorm.

Of course, they both knew perfectly well that having a late-night snack was just a convenient excuse, but now it seemed as if they really were just sneaking out at night to eat and chat to pass the time.

To the fast food restaurant staff and other customers, Tsukino, Chiya, and Ohma Kokichi, sitting at the same table, seemed like any other ordinary, well-liked high school students who had arranged to eat together at a fast food restaurant.

But... who would have thought that, in fact, when Hope Peak first started school, the two of them weren't even that familiar with each other?

Over a year ago, when Tsukino and Chiya first found Ohma Kokichi... at that time, they were complete strangers to each other. Moreover, Ohma Kokichi back then was very different from who he is now.

This does not refer to the fact that when they first found Ouma Kokichi, the purple-haired boy was physically weak and had to stay in bed for a period of time before regaining his vitality.

Rather, it refers to... the attitude that Oma Kokichi, whom he had just found, displayed when he woke up from his coma was much sharper than it is now.

Of course, while it was described as "sharp," Ouma Kokichi's words and actions back then weren't actually that different from his current outward appearance. However, for Tsukino and Chiya, they could still sense something unusual about Ouma Kokichi.

No matter how skilled a person is at concealing their abilities, when placed in a completely different environment, due to the lack of intelligence and clues, they will inevitably reveal some information.

At the time, Wangma Xiaoji was confined to his bed, so his means of obtaining information were naturally limited. He seemed lively, cute, and outgoing, and full of lies... well, and also had a somewhat subtle aggressiveness? But rather than being aggressive, it was more like he was protecting himself, which is what is meant by "sharpness."

Therefore, Tsukino and Chiya had actually speculated whether Ohma Shokichi had ever been in some kind of isolated, extreme environment. Because if that were the case, many things would be explained.

For example, if that's the case, then it makes sense that they couldn't find out Ouma Kokichi's identity, and that Ouma Kokichi was unfamiliar with many places in this world.

Tsukino and Chiya didn't doubt that such terrifying environments could still exist in modern society. For example, the Salvation Ranch, which was destroyed by the church and someone else in a joint effort, was such a place. Tsukino and Chiya had even speculated that Ohma Kokichi might be a Calamity Messenger artificially created by some extremist force, like someone else. (*2)

Of course, places like the Salvation Ranch are still a bit too dangerous for ordinary people like Tsukino and Chiya.

Chiya hadn't been involved in these kinds of things much, nor was he a member of the church. The reason he associated Ouma Shokichi's past with places like ranches was simply because his mother currently worked at the church and was one of its top fighters.

...In short, if that's the case, it's actually not appropriate to contact the police. So Tsukino and Chiya didn't do that after finding Ohma Kokichi.

Ultimately, however, it's all just speculation. As the ones who found him, Tsukino and Chiya had tried to directly ask Ohma Kodakatsu where he came from, but all they got in return was an obvious lie.

He probably didn't really want to talk about it. —After realizing this, Tsukino and Chiya didn't press the matter further. It was pointless anyway; they would only be brushed off with one lie after another, and it might even provoke resentment.

Tsukino and Chiya did not want this to happen.

To be honest, he was very interested in the enigmatic Ouma Kokichi. Unfortunately, after recovering, Ouma Kokichi spent his days and nights out, and no one knew what he was doing all day.

Tsukino and Chiya considered themselves normal human beings with normal values, not some Stoka. Of course, they wouldn't do something like, "I'll give you three minutes to find out everything that Ohma Kokichi has been doing these past few days."

Because he's not the kind of person who would casually investigate others just out of interest. Getting to know someone doesn't necessarily require resorting to underhanded methods, right? He's been praised as a "good kid" since childhood; he wouldn't do anything malicious.

When meeting someone for the first time, Wang Ma Xiaoji can always be quite naturally warm and friendly—for example, making jokes and pranks that seem to have a slightly unbounded sense of boundaries, as if they have known each other for a long time.

In addition, neither Tsukino nor Chiya are the type to feel awkward around strangers, so they get along very naturally every time they meet again.

But their contact gradually increased, starting with the long-dormant mark showing some faint reactions, followed by Hope's Peak's request for a commission, Ouma Kokichi's sudden selection as "Ultimate Student" and enrollment, and their first formal collaboration because of the mark...

Tsukino and Chiya couldn't help but feel concerned.

How does Wang Ma Xiaoji view himself from the beginning to the present?

The person who took him away? His savior? An unlucky fellow with the same mark? A collaborator who appeared because of the mark? Or...?

For some reason, Tsukino and Chiya remembered what Hinata Hajime had said back then.

Are we friends?

...Just friends?

"Back then—after Kozuki returned to the infirmary from the top floor, she lied, didn't she?"

At this moment, after having a quick late-night snack, Wang Ma Xiaoji smiled and brought up the events of the evening.

When it comes to the topic of "lies," this expert on lying speaks with considerable certainty.

"You said there was nothing on the top floor, but you were lying, weren't you? Such an obvious lie can't fool me, who lies as naturally as breathing. After all, you and Kozuki spent quite a bit of time upstairs back then, you know?"

So you must have encountered or done something else. — Chiya saw this meaning in the purple-haired boy's smiling eyes.

"If this is related to the strange occurrences, then Kazuki Kozue shouldn't have any reason to hide it from me and Hinata. But logically speaking, there shouldn't be anyone else who would be stuck on the rooftop besides the three of us... So, did Kazuki Kozue encounter her?"

Tsukino and Chiya did not deny it this time. There was no need to hide such a thing from Ohma Kokichi, and he had never thought of hiding it from him.

He simply didn't want to involve Hyuga Hajime, who should be able to return to a normal life after resolving this strange event, so he temporarily concealed the situation.

“That’s right.” Tsukino and Chiya admitted, “She said her name was ‘Aurora,’ and that she was the culprit who left the mark on us.”

"Oh, that's fast! She admitted it so readily, that's really bad. Generally speaking, it's not a good sign when a villain admits to doing something bad before the final battle, especially if he does it so readily."

Wang Ma Xiaoji's analysis was very logical and reasonable.

"Because doesn't this perfectly reflect the attitude of 'I am the villain, but what can you do to me?' This is what is called being fearless because you have nothing to fear."

"Yes, and..." Tsukino and Chiya didn't hide anything and slowly recounted their experience of meeting Aurora alone that night.

The culprit behind the Death Mark incident not only left a mark on the person in Kujo House, deceiving and manipulating him, but also awakened other anomalies that can mark people... If the anomalies that have been frequently appearing recently are also due to Aurora's existence, then Aurora is indeed not to be underestimated.

This is a bit troublesome.

Wang Ma Xiaoji seemed to share this sentiment: "Speaking of which, Kozuki Kazu, isn't there any official agency in this world specifically responsible for dealing with supernatural phenomena? I don't believe that even now, the authorities are unaware of the existence of supernatural beings."

Tsukino and Chiya: "This..."

Perhaps there is.

Just like how there's the Hidden God who runs the Monster House for monster-related matters, the Special Abilities Department for matters of supernatural abilities, and the Church that handles and conceals the existence of calamities in the world of calamities... So it's possible that the authorities really do have an agency specifically responsible for investigating paranormal events.

“…Maybe. But I’m not sure if such an organization even exists. Since we can’t get in touch with them, there’s no point in asking for help,” Tsukino and Chiya said. “Even if they do exist, we can only wait for them to contact us.”

Actually, after being marked, Tsukino and Chiya did consider seeking help, but he ultimately gave up on the idea.

Because dealing with anomalies is different from dealing with monsters, supernatural beings, or calamities. "Dealing with anomalies" is a completely different concept from "just defeating the enemy."

Ultimately, no matter how capable the person trying to solve the strange phenomenon is, the only way to do so is to "understand the phenomenon's obsession, find a way to eliminate the obsession, and help it end its obsession."

While it's not impossible to use supernatural abilities to deal with the supernatural, the counterattack of the supernatural creature, whose obsession has not been resolved, after "dying again" will be even more terrifying, cruel, and unsolvable.

Therefore, no matter how powerful the monsters, superpowered individuals, or calamity-bringers who come to help are, in most cases, you cannot simply rely on strength to deal with the strangeness; you must use your brain to resolve their obsessions.

Perhaps this is what is meant by "everyone is equal in the face of the bizarre"?

Since that's the case, and it's the same process no matter who comes, I might as well try to solve it myself.

Well... to be more precise, it should be that we worked together with Wang Ma to solve it.

After answering the previous question, Tsukino and Chiya continued their conversation about meeting Aurora.

"I see." After Tsukino and Chiyo calmly explained the situation, Ohma Kokichi, who had learned the details, suddenly chuckled. "Haha, so he really is the culprit behind this arrogance. It seems I'm still a bit too popular, otherwise why would anyone be so eager to see me play games?"

again?

Having recounted the events of their encounter with Aurora in great detail, Tsukino and Chiya, feeling slightly parched, took a sip of their milk tea. They then belatedly realized it seemed to contain caffeine, hoping it wouldn't negatively affect their sleep that night.

"all in all."

After clearing their throats, Tsukino and Chiya continued.

"Just like we said in the infirmary, after this strange event is resolved, we'll visit Kujo-kan. I contacted Mr. Hachishiki a while ago... Are you free this weekend?"

He had no doubt that they could get rid of the strange cloth strip before the weekend. After all... with the mark on them, if they didn't resolve the issue by the weekend, they were probably doomed.

"Yes, there is." Wang Ma Xiaoji swallowed the last bite of the small cake from his food. "Don't worry, even if someone tries to stop me from going, I'll step over their corpses to get there."

It's not that exaggerated.

Tsukino and Chiya selectively ignored the last sentence: "That's good. So, the main thing to do now is to investigate Morikawa Yoshiko and Enoshima Junko. I've already..."

Speak of the devil and he appears.

Just then, the phone that Tsukino and Chiya had casually placed on the table suddenly lit up. It was a message from someone they had commissioned to do an investigation.

Sure enough, that person couldn't possibly be asleep at this time.

Tsukino and Chiya opened the message and saw that the content sent was concise and to the point.

[Sure, but the price has gone up.]

Tsukino and Qianye: "..."

Tsukino and Chiya thought sadly that it was time to find a few more part-time jobs.

*******

He hadn't expected the drinks at that fast food restaurant to be so good; he really couldn't sleep.

After finishing their late-night snack with Wang Ma Xiaoji, Tsukino and Chiya returned to their dormitory, but found it difficult to fall asleep.

But now I probably don't need to sleep anymore.

Tsukino and Chiya sat on the bed, yawning softly as they looked towards the window where the noise was coming from.

The next second, a hand suddenly squeezed in through the gap in the open window.

“￥％&@#％&…”

A faint, inhuman voice drifted in from outside the window. Tsukino and Chiya pulled out the daggers they had placed under their pillows just in case, but instead of acting on them, they carefully tried to decipher what the strange voice was saying.

"Shield, shield..."

"It's so high, it's terrifying... When are you coming over?"

Where are you?

As he said this, a strong wind blew outside the window, causing the curtains to billow and flutter as the wind blew through the gaps.

A head slowly rose and appeared on the outside of the glass window.

-----------------------

Author's Note: I'm sweating buckets! I just uploaded the unedited version, so please check out the new one if you see it now. Sorry QAQ (wiping sweat)

(*1) There are such strange situations in NG where the cat chases you all the way home, but the current story timeline has not reached NG yet. The example that Xiao Ji used is an original event that he saw in a magazine.

(*2) "Calamity" can be understood as the term for superpowers in the Werewolf Village worldview, and "Calamity Users" can be understood as superpowered individuals. The Salvation Ranch was an extreme organization within this worldview that believed in a future apocalypse. They artificially distorted the personalities of their trainees to grant them superpowers, hoping to save the world when the end came. Currently, this organization has been taken down by a certain person and the church in collaboration. [Facepalm emoji]

In a sense, fighting monsters isn't as extreme as infighting. After all, fighting monsters is just about fighting monsters, while infighting involves more considerations... So, based on my personal understanding, the situation with Xiao Ji here will be a bit milder (?) than with V3.