Chapter 87

Two weeks have passed in the blink of an eye.

During this period, nothing particularly memorable happened at the Shuuchuin Academy.

The Far East Magic Society also quieted down, seemingly living a life of peace and tranquility. Members would bicker and joke around during club activities, and their bonds with each other steadily grew stronger.

"Izumi-chan, let's go get some ramen!"

"Can."

"Oh, and don't forget to bring Kōko along!"

"I only agreed because of Kōko."

"Waaah, such a true answer..."

One Saturday, Hasegawa Izumi answered her phone and received an invitation from Chika.

After hanging up the phone, he immediately told his Little Sister about it.

"That's great, bro!"

Kōko happily gave him a hug.

Night gradually fell.

The three of them agreed to meet at the ramen shop they had eaten at together last time.

Stepping inside, you'll see several faded landscape paintings hanging on the walls, creating a nostalgic atmosphere, while the air is filled with the rich aroma of sauce and noodles, whetting your appetite.

Several shop assistants were busy at the counter, their hands deftly manipulating the noodles of ramen, while the steaming broth simmered in a large copper pot.

"Guest, is there anything you require?"

Upon seeing the trio seated, a staff member came over to inquire.

They repeated exactly what they had said last time.

While the three of them were waiting, the topic of conversation among the customers caught his attention.

"Have you seen the news? There seem to be a lot more animal attacks lately, and it seems like the cause still hasn't been found."

"Could it be a rabies outbreak?"

"No way! I haven't heard of this in years... If this thing spreads widely, it would be terrifying."

"Wouldn't it be even more terrifying if it were an unknown disease?"

"That's true... Hopefully, we can find the cause as soon as possible."

Results of the 97 Incident Investigation

Something unusual must be going on.

Hasegawa Izumi listened to their conversation, looking thoughtful.

If it really is rabies, it's not that threatening. After all, although rabies seems very deadly, very few people die from it in more developed countries.

Even if it could be confirmed that this was an unprecedented infectious disease, it would be acceptable.

What's most frightening is that you can't find the cause at all; that's the scariest thing.

"Chika, I remember you seemed to have a dog, right?"

Suddenly, he turned his head and asked.

He had heard Chika mention this during occasional chats between classes.

"Izumi-chan, are you referring to my dog, Pace?"

Fujiwara Chika subconsciously extended a finger and rested it on her chin, as if deep in thought.

She overheard the conversation as well and quickly explained, "My dog, Pace, doesn't seem to have any aggressive tendencies. In fact, he's been sleeping more lately and eating even more than me... and he refuses to go for his morning exercise anymore! So I have to exercise by myself!"

The girl pouted her pink lips, looking very cute.

"Is that so?"

He wasn't surprised to receive this answer.

As the celestial event approaches, its impact will be enormous, but the effects on each species will vary subtly.

However, this incident is clearly not so simple and requires investigation.

"Are the beasts starting to stir too? They can sense it too! The New world we've been dreaming of is right before our eyes!"

Kōko waved the two Chopsticks in her hand and spoke with great enthusiasm.

Clearly, her excitement stemmed from the ramen that was about to be made.

"Hehe."

Hasegawa Izumi, realizing this, laughed.

"Although I don't understand it, Kōko seems very happy... Then I wish the New world you've been longing for will arrive soon!"

Fujiwara Chika clapped her hands, tilted her head slightly, and smiled as she offered her blessings.

"Guests, your ramen is ready."

The staff brought over the cooked ramen and placed it on the table.

"It smells so good!"

The enticing aroma wafting to their noses instantly filled the two girls with joy, making them eager to wait.

"Alright, I'll start eating!"

Fujiwara Chika styled her hair into a chic single ponytail, and after bowing with her hands clasped together in greeting, she began to enjoy the delicious food using the traditional method of eating mini ramen.

This time, Kōko tried the same way of eating it, and her eyes lit up as if she had discovered New world.

"Humans do occasionally come up with some whimsical ideas!"

After eating and drinking their fill, the three of them left the ramen shop.

"Today was so fulfilling. I had a lot of fun with everyone this afternoon, and we even had ramen together tonight... I've never had such a happy day before."

A satisfied Fujiwara Chika stroked her now rounded belly, expressing a contented sentiment.

"This kind of life is indeed not bad."

Hasegawa Izumi gave a casual reply, then looked up at the sky.

"Chika, it's already dark. Let me take you home."

The neon lights shimmered brightly at night, but beneath this enchanting nightscape lay unspeakable risks.

"Won't that waste Izumi-chan and Kōko's time?"

Fujiwara Chika didn't agree immediately, but hesitated for a moment.

"Is it alright, Kōko?"

He asked his Little Sister for her opinion.

"Kukuku, consider this a reward for your offering of a high-ranking sacrifice; I will protect you for a while."

Kōko raised its head and chuckled wickedly several times.

"Oh well."

Fujiwara Chika didn't refuse.

After a five-minute tram ride and a five-minute walk, the three finally arrived at the Fujiwara Family mansion.

Goodbye, Izumi-chan, and Kōko.

Fujiwara Chika waved to the two people under the streetlight with a big smile on her face.

Hasegawa Izumi nodded in acknowledgment, then looked down and saw that her usually shy younger Little Sister had also slightly raised her hand.

It seems that Kōko's affection for Chika has increased significantly because they are both ramen lovers.

That's fine too; Chika might become Kōko's first true friend.

After saying Chika, Hasegawa Izumi took her younger Little Sister's hand and headed towards the train station.

Some time later, he and his Little Sister walked out of the tram stop near their home.

Just after walking a short distance...

"My other half, have you gone astray?"

Kōko looked around at the unfamiliar roads and the slightly dilapidated paths, feeling uncertain.

Although she hadn't been to many places, she was very familiar with the routes around her home. Moreover, when her older brother took her home before, the scenery was quite different. The surrounding area was clearly not well maintained, and the number of streetlights had decreased significantly.

"Brother, it's too dark here..."

In this dark world, Kōko's little hands nervously gripped her brother's palm.

"What's wrong, Kōko? Don't you always say 'Darkness is my only friend'? Why are you so afraid? Hehehe..."

A sinister laugh escaped from Hasegawa Izumi's mouth.

"Dude, you...! You're not possessed by a ghost, are you?! No, don't scare me!"

Kōko looked up at her brother's terrifying smile and was immediately startled, her voice trembling.

"You call yourself the True Ancestor Vampire? You're afraid of mere ghosts? Sigh."

He sighed as he looked at his timid little Little Sister and stopped teasing her.

Upon hearing this, Kōko understood perfectly well that her older brother was just trying to scare her.

"Ugh, my... my My other half! You actually used such a low tactic to intimidate me! I'm ignoring you!"

She said with a wronged expression.

"I wasn't trying to intimidate you. I just wanted to toughen Kōko up, but it looks like that's not going to work. You're already too scared to walk this far. In my opinion, your title of True Ancestor Vampire is completely undeserved."

Instead, Hasegawa Izumi shrugged her right hand and said with a look of disdain.

"Nonsense! I'm not scared at all! I'm just exposing the conspiracy of my My other half!"

Kōko Dove immediately became unconvinced again.

"Alright, how about we continue deeper in? We'll go around from there, then walk straight for about two kilometers, and we'll be at our house soon."

Faced with her brother's dangerously smiling invitation, the Little Sister gritted her teeth and nodded in agreement.

It's okay, it's just a dark road, nothing to be afraid of!

Of course, it was clear that Hasegawa Izumi's decision to take the long way home this time was not to test her Little Sister's courage.

This sudden idea stemmed from what I'd heard at the ramen shop; I wanted to investigate and verify some things myself.

The area he is currently in is actually an abandoned area. It used to be very prosperous, but a fire caused a serious accident, which led to the abandonment of a large part of it, leaving it desolate.

Of course, public spending in such places would be drastically reduced, making them frequented by abandoned small animals.

We arrived at an abandoned small park.

He suddenly stopped and turned around.

Kōko followed his gaze.

In the darkness, two eerie green lights appeared, so abrupt and strange, like the covetous gaze of a demon.

"Brother!"

Kōko Dove immediately cried out in a trembling voice and hid behind her brother.

"Don't be afraid, it's just a kitten."

Hasegawa Izumi narrowed her eyes, and through the dim light, she saw the truth behind this phenomenon.

Meow~!

Sure enough, a low meow came from where the green light was, as if questioning their origins.

"Meow."

Just as Kōko's fear subsided, something else happened that left her completely bewildered.