Chapter 22
The incident began
Sitting in the dessert shop, with no one around, Dongshu picked at the small cake in her hand, but she wasn't in the mood to enjoy it. The rain outside was loud, and she didn't know when it would stop.
Her gaze passed through the window to the dark sky outside, where there was not a glimmer of light. The rain was getting heavier and heavier, as if it were about to drown the world.
The man sitting opposite her wore round-framed glasses and had a complicated expression.
As an official organization and a government agency, the Special Abilities Division has the authority to issue business licenses. They quickly launched an investigation into the recent attacks on a large number of superhumans by strange creatures in Yokohama.
They noticed the two sword-wielding figures who were always seen slaying strange creatures, and without the two making any attempt to hide, they successfully found a... little girl?
The Special Abilities Division continued their investigation and discovered that the girl seemed to have some recent contact with the Port Mafia.
They had no evidence to confirm that the Mafia was responsible, but their intuition told them there must be some connection.
However, when tracing the past of the little girl and the man with the knife, it was as if they had appeared out of thin air; no trace of their past could be found.
The frequency of attacks on people with superpowers has increased, and the appearance of people carrying knives has become more frequent. All the blame points to the mysterious girl, and thus, the scene in the dessert shop today unfolded.
They needed her and tried every means to get more useful things out of her.
Dongshu changed the subject, saying nothing but not showing any opposition.
Watching the man leave, Fuyuki's smile faded.
Her gaze fell on the glass window, where raindrops slanted and splashed, leaving faint traces.
Gokotai and Tsurumaru Kuninaga, who were waiting outside, came in. Perhaps this place has something to do with the Special Abilities Department, otherwise they wouldn't have chosen to talk here.
I can't come to this store anymore.
Although the Special Abilities Department is an organization that does not exist on the surface, its capabilities should not be underestimated. It may be omnipresent, and sending infiltrators is something they do frequently.
Fuyuki tapped her fingers rhythmically on the table, her brow furrowed.
And why does she always seem to like going to dessert shops? Even if it's to make her lower her guard easily, does she really seem to like desserts that much?
Dongshu hesitated for a moment, then quickly denied it.
She's not a sweet tooth.
Fuyuki stood up and walked out of the dessert shop.
The heavy rain outside continued to rage, and the trees on both sides of the street were washed clean by the rain. The leaves danced in the wind, making a rustling sound, as if they were sobbing.
"Boss, spicy curry."
"Okay!"
A bowl of red curry was served, steaming hot and fragrant. Fuyuki picked up a spoon and tasted it; it was very spicy, but also very delicious.
She hadn't eaten more than a few bites when she picked up a glass of water and gulped it down. Seeing that Gokotai and Tsurumaru Kuninaga seemed a little uncomfortable with the spiciness, she handed them more water.
"Should we try another one?"
"It's alright," Tsurumaru Kuninaga shook his head. "It was quite a scare, too."
After drinking the water, Wu Hu Tui said he was fine.
Dongshu nodded. It wasn't that she liked spicy food; it was just that the food at this restaurant was delicious, so she would come here occasionally.
But it wouldn't be good if only she liked it.
After eating the delicious spicy curry, my stomach felt full and I felt incredibly comfortable.
After finishing his meal, Dongshu looked out the window. The heavy rain had thinned out and was gradually weakening, but it was still pouring down without any sign of abating.
Tsurumaru Kuninaga and Gokotai sensed a familiar presence and exchanged a glance: "Master..."
It is the Time Travel Army.
Although Fuyuki wasn't as perceptive as the Tsukumogami, she could still sense that unpleasant aura: "Go."
Of the five tigers who retreated, only one tiger cub remained.
She held up her umbrella, gazing at the scenery, somewhat lost in thought. The continuous rain was making her feel down. She wanted to find a place to rest for a while, but the rain seemed like it would never stop.
She never really liked this kind of weather. Being alone, she felt a bit bored and didn't want to go back, so she just walked slowly down the street with her umbrella.
Perhaps because it was lunchtime and it was raining, there weren't many pedestrians on the street.
Soon, the leisurely time passed, and the familiar paper appeared before my eyes.
Dongshu had no time to sigh; he could only quicken his pace and run swiftly following the directions.
Once again, he used his spiritual power to pull Dazai Osamu out of the water. The rain was pouring down, and the boy, who was already soaked, was drenched even more.
Dazai Osamu coughed twice, stood up, then suddenly squatted down and squeezed under Fuyuki's umbrella.
Fuyuki frowned slightly and moved the umbrella slightly, but Dazai Osamu followed the umbrella closely.
Dongshu stopped in her tracks and looked at him, somewhat reluctantly: "I don't want to get wet too."
The rain pattered on the umbrella, like tapping on his heart. Raindrops dripped from his wet hair onto the ground, shining brightly in the rain.
He looked up at her face; raindrops slid down her forehead, running down her eyelashes and across her cheeks. She closed her eyes.
“Little Winter Tree is always so timely, just like my guardian angel~” he said casually.
Fuyuki simply said, "It's nothing."
Dazai Osamu remained silent for a while, his iris-colored eyes looking at her for a long time with a deep look in them. Suddenly, he reached out and grabbed her arm, pulling her into his arms.
The rain pattered on his clothes, on the umbrella, and on them under the umbrella. She was pulled into his arms and could hear his steady, powerful heartbeat.
"Are you afraid? Why?" Dazai Osamu's voice was low and deep, and under his deliberate actions, it had a calming magic.
Fuyuki blinked, wanting to push him away, but then, remembering the narrow canopy of the umbrella above her head, she gave up struggling.
In this way, she could no longer achieve her goal of not getting wet, and struggling was pointless.
My eyes stung a little, and my mood, which had been somewhat gloomy all day, suddenly lifted because of those words.
A silence fell between them.
The raindrops pattered, and silent emotions spread between the two.
A gloomy, rainy day brings out hidden emotions.
At midnight, the crescent moon hung high, its silvery light pouring down, while stars twinkled in the black night sky, contributing their light to the darkness.
"Bon Voyage."
Watching Tsurumaru Kuninaga and the five tiger cubs leave, Fuyuki and the remaining tiger cubs looked at each other in bewilderment. This time, all five of them were left behind.
The little tigers clung to her, their fur tickling her, making her shrink back involuntarily. Dongshu laughed so hard she could barely breathe, weakly pushing them away: "Hahaha... no, no, don't do that, little tigers."
The tiger cubs obediently stopped, sat in a row with their heads tilted to the side; these little guys are just too cute!
"Awoo~" came out in a deliberately cute tiger roar.
Even cuter!
Dongshu gently rubbed and stroked each of them, her fingers skillfully tracing the fur on their backs. The well-fed little ones obediently let her touch and rub them, the soft fur squeezing into her fingertips and enveloping her small hands.
Burying their faces in the fur, eyes closed, they were completely immersed in it. Soft paw pads rested on their arms, one, two, three... They pinched their fingers, only to be overwhelmed by the little tigers again. This is probably the kind of joy only children can experience.
Dongshu huddled under the covers, and the little tigers squeezed into the warm bed, their bodies pressed close to hers.
I casually picked one up from beside me and hugged it, resting my forehead against its soft, furry belly. My consciousness was becoming hazy, and I was getting sleepy.
A strong aura swept over, and Fuyuki's tightly closed eyes suddenly opened, the sleepiness in her dark eyes instantly vanished, replaced by a barely perceptible panic.
Her arms tightened, and a large amount of spiritual energy scattered in an instant, exploring the unknown landscape in the distance.
The tiger cubs sensed her unease and howled as they pressed close to her skin, using their body heat to soothe the young Saniwa's panicked emotions.
The scene she perceived made Dongshu jump out of bed quickly, throw on her clothes, and rush out the door, her voice urgent: "Let's go!"
The tiger cubs jumped and quickly followed, and the last tiger cub that went out deftly slammed its tail shut on the door.
Dongshu wasn't fast; she could only run as fast as she could, her short legs carrying her through the empty road. The night air was cold, and when it brushed against her face, it felt like a knife, making her shiver.
In my line of sight, a familiar piece of paper began to appear in the air. It moved with the winter tree, but instead of the familiar arrow indicators, it displayed a sentence.
[The crack has been torn open; a massive invasion is underway! Quick!]
The world is in a panic, and it is trying to mend the cracks.
Dongshu wrote it down, waved it away, and looked up at the sky with concern, as if he could see that chaotic world. The night sky no longer had a bright moon or twinkling stars, only a gray expanse.
There were hardly any people in Yokohama late at night; the streets were deserted, and the streetlights shone forlornly.
The spiritual energy worked diligently, providing feedback and filtering routes, choosing the shortest path to navigate the alleyways.
The intricate routes, chaotic alleys, and dimly lit environment could not hinder her progress under the perception of spiritual power.
This is--!
Dongshu suddenly stopped, took a step back, and then something dark brushed past her. Looking in the direction the person came from, she saw a familiar figure emerge from the shadows.
With his hands in his pockets, Chuuya Nakahara's beautiful blue eyes shone brightly in the darkness: "Hey! Get out of here!"
Dongshu didn't reply. The familiar scent made her stiffen. Turning around, she finally saw clearly what the thing that had just flown past looked like. It was the Time Travel Army.
A skeletal, snake-like creature with a short knife in its mouth slid off the wall and onto the ground, leaving a dent and cracks extending outwards from the center of the dent, showing how much force it was thrown out.
The enemy dagger's body, which had been scattered, curled up again. Its eyes gleamed with an eerie light, and it assumed an attack stance, charging straight at the winter tree.
Dongshu's nerves seemed to be paralyzed. She could not mobilize her spiritual power to form a shield to protect herself as usual. Her body seemed to be rusty, hesitant and stuck.
The spiritual energy flowed awkwardly around her, struggling to gather together, but it couldn't condense due to her strange state. Suddenly, the enemy's short sword flew in front of her, her pupils contracted, and her heart raced.
"Hello!"
She snapped out of her daze and suddenly dug her thumbnail into her index finger. The intense pain restored her strength, and with a flick of her wrist, a transparent barrier appeared before her.
"Clang!" A piercing impact sound rang out.
The next instant, Chuuya Nakahara kicked away the enemy's short sword in front of her. The enemy's short sword fell to the ground in a sorry state, and then black and white hair replaced the terrifying enemy's short sword in her eyes.
The tiger cubs swarmed forward, clawing and biting, actually breaking the enemy's short sword into pieces. The pieces fell to the ground and then dissipated into black mist.
"Awooo!" The little creatures stomped angrily on the spot where the enemy's short sword had disappeared, then gathered around her.
Dongshu blinked hard and then moved his fingers.
It hurts a little.
The spiritual energy flowed, gathered, and enveloped the wound, which had been oozing blood, and healed in an instant.
Why is she so afraid of the Time Travelers, and why does she fall into a strange state every time she sees them for the first time?
This state of mind was hard for her to understand. She thought that even though her first encounter with this creature was being hunted down, the appearance of Kashuu Kiyomitsu made that disaster less painful.
"You're really something, always running off to dangerous places."
The sound interrupted Dongshu's thoughts.
Seeing the reddish-brown-haired boy walk up to him, Fuyuki smiled and greeted him, "Chuuya, good evening."
When she was rescuing Dazai Osamu, she met Nakahara Chuuya a few times, exchanged names, and became somewhat acquainted with him.
"Ah, good evening, Fuyuki," Chuuya Nakahara replied reflexively.
Then, looking at the girl who should be sleeping, he asked with a hint of helplessness, "Why are you running around so late at night?"
He glanced at the group of tiger cubs at the foot of the winter tree: "They are truly extraordinary."
Dongshu didn't pay attention to the other person's probing of the tiger cub, and simply said, "I have something to do."
Chuuya Nakahara twitched his lips; it was utter nonsense.
"Never mind, the nights in Yokohama have been rather unsettling lately, I should head home as soon as possible."
He's a good person.
He's clearly a member of the mafia.
However, she didn't intend to waste time chatting here.
Fuyuki smiled and said, "Chuuya, I have something to do, so I'll be leaving now."
Chuuya Nakahara met those dark, clear eyes, which reminded him of the young children who had just joined the Sheep Club.
They lived in harsh conditions, yet because of their young age, they remained pure. As time went on...
He coughed twice and didn't say anything more, only awkwardly showing concern: "Remember to be careful."
Fuyuki nodded earnestly: "Yes, thank you."
[Author's Note]
Fighting, fighting
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