"Too slow!"
When Luo Zhen appeared here, a mysterious impact struck him on the head, accompanied by a childish yet strangely imposing voice.
"Bang!"
Amid the dull thud, Luo Zhen's head was struck hard.
"Ouch...!"
Luo Zhen immediately covered his head and stepped back.
In front of him, the petite girl in a formal dress gave a soft snort.
"You actually made me wait alone in this desolate place for so long. Don't tell me you thought beating the Third True Ancestor meant you'd grown capable?"
As she spoke, the girl reached out a tiny hand, pretending to tug Luo Zhen's ear.
"N-no, that's not it! Nagisa, Himeragi, Aurora, Youse, and Asagi kept talking to me! I couldn't find a suitable chance to slip away!"
Luo Zhen hurriedly dodged the hand reaching for his ear and explained with a bitter smile.
Looking closely, the girl really had been waiting here alone in this deserted place. She was wearing a stuffy formal dress, and even though a sea breeze blew over from time to time, it was already night. On Kageno Island, where it was perpetually summer, waiting alone for someone in a place like this while dressed that way must still have been terribly uncomfortable, right?
Given that, it was only natural for his imperious big sister to get angry.
"So why wear something so hot?"
Luo Zhen could not help muttering.
"What did you say?"
Natsuki glared at Luo Zhen.
"N-nothing!"
Luo Zhen quickly shook his head, his heart filled with helplessness.
He had come here prepared for the conversation to be a heavy one. He had not expected Natsuki to be just as she always was. It reassured him, but at the same time, it also left him feeling rather deflated.
*(In the end, I still can't hold