"Would you call this a deal? I'm sure you've never encountered a being like me before." Jiu Ming rubbed his chin and thought for a moment. "Help me heal her as best you can, and then I'll tell you about my current state. And, well, if there's anything else you want done, I can help with that too. For someone like her, I might even bring you... dozens, or hundreds."
The number Jiu Ming gave didn't seem to surprise the Frog-faced Doctor much. He merely gave a calm "Oh." "Making the treatment of a patient part of a deal would be beneath me. You don't need to be so wary of me."
The Frog-faced Doctor had made it clear: he'd help save her without asking for anything in return.
"I was overthinking it." Jiu Ming thanked him and gave a crooked smile. "Technology here seems pretty advanced. Do you believe in ghosts and things like that?"
"Oh? Unfortunately, there's only science here. Even supernatural powers were developed through science."
Superpowers developed through science? That was much like the main world where Jiu Ming had stayed. There, too, technology had been used to harness High-Energy Mineral Crystals and awaken superpowers. Of course, some people were born with powers as well. Was that true in this world?
"I see. Never mind, then." Jiu Ming shook his head. "I'm not human. I died and became what I am now. In China, beings like me are called 'ghosts.'"
Jiu Ming had confirmed that this world was much like Earth—or rather, that it was an alternate world's Earth. If so, the borders between countries probably weren't all that different. His words had been partly intended to test the waters—not with the Frog-faced Doctor, but about how this world was divided.
Sure enough, when the Frog-faced Doctor heard him mention China, he didn't look confused at all. Jiu Ming's homeland existed in this world, too.
"I see. That really is a fascinating form of life." The Frog-faced Doctor nodded, treating Jiu Ming as a living being. "Why are you surprised? You can speak and think, and you've gone to all this trouble for that girl. You're a pretty good 'person,' young man. I like you. Why not come work for me?"
"Uh... Hey, that's quite a leap. You're already trying to poach me?"
"Hahahaha! It's all right. You used your own ability to remove the bullet from her, didn't you? That's much safer than surgery. You've got real potential."
"I only know how to kill." Jiu Ming gave a crooked smile as he answered. Aside from the skills and mental fortitude he'd honed in the Mysterious Shop, he was just like an ordinary young man... not some kind of high-level tech nerd, either. Just an average guy.
"But you're saving people now."
The Frog-faced Doctor stood up. "Come on. Let's check on the girl first. She should be awake by now."
"Oh, right. Doctor, what's your name? I'm Jiu Ming."
"My name? You can call me Netherworld Soul Chaser."
"...That's a good name."
"No, it's just a title."
A title? Just how badass did you have to be to use a title like that, Frog-faced Doctor?
Jiu Ming shook his head. Why were the names of the people he met so insanely cool, one after another? They made him feel like he had no standout qualities at all. So what if he was hard to kill? He was already dead.
As they walked, Jiu Ming watched the young nurses passing by from time to time. How should he put it? He'd rarely seen male doctors. Aside from the Frog-faced Doctor beside him, he hadn't seen any others... Maybe they'd gone home for the day?
And the nurses here were remarkably attractive, in every way.
"Huh? A shared room?"
"What did you expect? She isn't seriously injured. The only major problem is blood loss."
As he spoke, the Frog-faced Doctor gave Jiu Ming a mildly reproachful look. Jiu Ming could only scratch his head awkwardly. "Uh, I'm new here, and this place is huge. I got a little lost on the way."
"Lost..." The Frog-faced Doctor shook his head, never imagining he'd hear such a bizarre excuse. "Enough about that. Are you really not going to stay here? At least you wouldn't have to worry about certain people coming after you."
"Certain people?" Jiu Ming thought about it for a moment. The first side of this place he'd encountered was its underworld, so he couldn't imagine it was as peaceful as it had seemed on the way here. "Certain people" could mean a lot of things. "I can't. I still have an unfinished commission."
"Then it's up to you. Come on in."
Inside, Misaka 1 sat quietly on the hospital bed, wearing a patient gown. At the sound of the door opening, she merely turned her head slightly and stared at the one person and one ghost who had entered.
"Say what you need to say quickly. She needs to rest, and so do you," the Frog-faced Doctor said. He'd realized a while ago that Jiu Ming wasn't in very good shape. "I've never treated a patient from a nonhuman species before... Would you like me to help?"
"Uh, well, I can recover by sleeping."
Jiu Ming's dubious-sounding answer made the corner of his mouth twitch. He hurriedly declined.
After the Frog-faced Doctor left, Jiu Ming asked with some embarrassment, "So, how are you feeling now?"
"The symptoms of blood loss will pass soon. Misaka answers, slightly puzzled by your embarrassed expression."
"Huh? It's all my fault for being careless. You wouldn't have gotten hurt otherwise." Jiu Ming sighed and shook his head. He should have thought of that sooner... Wait! Saying "I should have thought of that" after the fact was just hindsight. If he should've thought of it, why hadn't he thought of it earlier?!
Saying "I should have thought of that" afterward... Tsk. He should just admit he'd been careless and hadn't thought of it. Why dress it up with so many words?
"It's fine. Misaka is just a mass-produced—"
"Stop, stop! I don't care what your status is. To me, you have a soul and the ability to think... even if your thought process is a little strange. And you're my employer right now. That makes you far better off than me, a being who can't even be human."
Jiu Ming cut Misaka 1 off with a wave of his hand.
"...Thank you," she said. At last, she was starting to understand. But Misaka's next words made Jiu Ming's face twitch. "Misaka says gratefully, while wondering whether he's deliberately ignoring the very tired expression Misaka is making."
Tired... expression?
Jiu Ming's eyes widened. He carefully scrutinized Misaka 1's face again and again. No matter how he looked, she had the same expressionless face she'd had all along. Where was the tiredness supposed to be?
"Sleepy? If you're sleepy, then go to sleep!" Jiu Ming sat down on the other empty hospital bed. Since no one was using it, he figured the Frog-faced Doctor wouldn't mind him borrowing it.
"Understood. Misaka answers in a relieved tone." Then Misaka 1 did something that astonished Jiu Ming: she started taking off her patient gown. In that instant, he saw that Misaka Sister was wearing... absolutely nothing underneath!
Should he go have a "talk" with that Frog-faced Doctor?
"Stop! What are you doing!?" Jiu Ming sprang up. His expression was strange; if he had a body, he'd probably have been bright red by now.
"To sleep... aren't you supposed to take your clothes off? Misaka asks, somewhat puzzled." She tilted her head, and her delicate, expressionless face showed an innocence that made him feel ashamed...
"Sleeping naked might be a good habit, but there's no need when someone else is around. Especially when that someone's the opposite sex!" Jiu Ming emphasized the last part.
"Why? Misaka's knowledge includes accounts of men and women being naked together."
"...Damn it! No means no." Jiu Ming ran a hand through his hair. "Just remember this: don't do that with someone you're not especially close to... No. Just don't do that with someone of the opposite sex. Got it?"
"All right. Since you're sleepy, hurry up and get some rest." After stopping Misaka 1's "abnormal" behavior, Jiu Ming sighed and spoke with a weary air.
Once Misaka 1 had lain down, closed her eyes, and her breathing had slowed, Jiu Ming turned off the lights in the room and sat back down on the empty bed. The Frog-faced Doctor seemed to know about Misaka 1's original body. With a lead like that, Jiu Ming's time here was clearly limited. Now that he knew who her original body was, would it really be hard to find her?
If so, he needed to make proper arrangements for this innocent Misaka. At the very least, he couldn't let her be threatened again. Maybe this hospital would be a good place?
If possible, perhaps he could find a way to bring the other Misaka Sisters here, too...?
He just didn't know how many there were. Damn it, maybe he should go find that White Hair and have a "talk" with him!
Once he'd made up his mind, Jiu Ming rested as well. The night seemed to settle into silence again. It felt as if only an instant had passed, yet also as if a very long time had gone by, when a flash of inspiration suddenly crossed Jiu Ming's sleeping mind.
He snapped his eyes open and stood up, pulling the curtain aside a little. Dawn was breaking. Misaka 1 was still sleeping peacefully. The Card Collection Book appeared beside Jiu Ming. He opened it and took out one of the cards.
After Jiu Ming crushed the card, it turned into a phone clearly meant for a girl. He searched the contacts for a moment, selected Nagato Yuki's number, and called.
"%&...%￥#!" After the call connected, a string of harsh, garbled noise made the corner of Jiu Ming's eye twitch. What was going on? Was the signal bad?
Or was it impossible to call across worlds? No, the call had clearly gone through.
"￥%Wait... I'll *#adjust@%..." A girl's voice came through in broken snatches among the static, reassuring Jiu Ming a little. At least it had connected. There shouldn't be any powerful interference devices nearby... Wait! Did a miraculous phone capable of making calls across dimensions even need a signal?
About a minute later, the chaotic static gradually settled, and Nagato Yuki's voice came through clearly. "What is it?"
Before you continue