Can I Still Survive, Everyone?

Sixth Street was a district where countless factions intertwined. If you were a dragon, you had to coil up here; if you were a tiger, you had to lie low!

Because once you stepped into its backside, it was like passing through a tunnel in time and space into a completely different world.

See that Uncle Enzo over there?

His shop looked like an auto repair garage, but it was actually Second-Ring Thirteen-Lang's base for illegal Bangboo modifications.

See the dark-skinned big sister across from me?

Her shop appeared to sell records and make vinyl, but she was actually developing weapon hardware and software, custom-making W-Engine hardware drivers!

See Master Chop next door?

Ordinary people ate ordinary noodles at his ramen shop, but the few palate-cleansing candies insiders got after a meal could save their lives in the Hollows!

See Master Tinman?

On the surface, he was just the teapot guy at a coffee shop, but in reality, he had supply channels for black-market Ether batteries!

I won't list the rest one by one!

At the general store, you could buy military-grade hardware and batteries. At the toy store, you could buy toy guns—the kind that could damage mechs.

Sixth Street's business directory: "illegal Bangboo modifications," "arms trafficking," "controlled military supply trafficking," "high-potency stimulants," "Proxy commissions"...

As for me, Wise, I ran a video store on Sixth Street. On the surface, Belle and I were the Cereal Siblings, but in reality, we were the Hollow Sage, the Ether Commandant!

New Eridu's strongest Proxy—Phaethon!

I had two younger sisters. One was my biological sister, Belle. She had a fiery temper and an overwhelming sense of justice.

The other was adopted. Her name was Griseo. She had blue hair, loved painting, and had been staying at our video store for a year. I already treated her like a real little sister.

Griseo did not have a New Eridu citizen card, and I did not know how old she was, but she was definitely underage—a little girl!

Oh, I forgot to mention!

Everyone's first impression upon seeing Griseo was like—

A pure white bird soaring freely through a clear sky, reflected in the girl's star-like eyes, as though she, too, were gliding freely through a river of stars...

So in just one year, Griseo had become Sixth Street's darling, the [The Stars] Princess in everyone's eyes!

If anyone on Sixth Street did anything harmful to her, they could wake up the next day and find themselves embedded somewhere in a Hollow, in some bridge's concrete pillar, or in the wall of some high-rise building.

All right, enough nonsense. Back to the point—everyone, do you think I can still survive?

Today had originally been a beautiful day, bringing two pieces of news!

Good news: Belle had gone to help Griseo collect her admission notice, which meant our little painter was about to start school.

Bad news: Belle was planning to call the police on a "super invincible perverted lolicon," and that lolicon was me.

Here was what happened. Belle went out this morning, while I stayed behind at the store, since cleaning up involved plenty of heavy, exhausting work.

Moving boxes, organizing shelves, cleaning the place—after doing all that, half my old back was practically ruined.

At the time, I was sprawled across the tatami like a salted fish. Even moving an inch made my spine scream.

Then Griseo stepped onto me barefoot, her feet soft and tiny.

Griseo's voice came from above my head. "Brother Wise, your color has turned gray, like a stone that has been rained on."

I was so comfortable I nearly cried. "Griseo is so considerate... Could you move the massage spot a little lower?"

Griseo's strength was just right, and I started babbling nonsense.

"Yo~ whoa~"

"So good~ Kimochi~"

Griseo was still asking, "Brother Wise, should I use more force?"

Listen to that! What a considerate child!

Was this what an adorable, well-behaved little girl was like?

He could finally understand that passage from the Bible—little girls were like dew on green grass in the morning. They were everything beautiful in the world. They were the future. They represented hope. They revealed the beauty of life. They represented God's miracle.

Regret getting electrocuted after liking little girls, regret it for life if you didn't like little girls!

As the saying went, "Roses need not grow tall; those in love will bend down on their own." Rather than liking mature women, it was better to accompany them as they grew up—and then, the door opened.

"I'm back!!"

It was Belle's voice. I instinctively looked up and met her eyes.

How should I put that look? It was like she had seen something filthy.

Before I could explain, Belle had already pulled out her phone, her fingers moving so fast they left afterimages.

"Hello, Public Security Department? Random Play video store on Sixth Street. Yes, Random Play. There's a super invincible perverted lolicon here! Yes! CAUGHT! IN! THE! ACT!"

Me: "???"

Griseo: "Huh? Sister Belle is back!"

"No, sis, listen to me!"

"Griseo only stepped on my back because she saw how tired I was! I didn't have any impure thoughts at all!!!"

"Sis, my dear little sister, could you please put down that phone first!!!"

Well, that was roughly what happened. Everyone, tell me, can I still survive?

The Public Security Department officers would not really come, would they!!!

What should I do now!!!

Waiting online for answers!!!

Urgent!!!

As the defendant—Wise—finished his tearful statement, Belle slowly turned her gaze toward Griseo.

"Griseo, is what my brother said true?"

"Sister Belle~" Griseo nodded and said, "Brother Wise moved lots and lots of boxes today. I saw that he was very tired, so I wanted to help."

"See? That's exactly what happened!"

"All right!"

Hearing Griseo say that, Belle temporarily put away her phone, but the suspicion in her eyes did not lessen in the slightest!

"Waaah, Griseo is the best!"

Seeing Griseo explain things for him, Wise let out a relieved breath. If word got out, those neighborhood folks would chop him into mincemeat.

"Listen! Listen! See how considerate and kind Griseo is! That's my good little sister!!" Wise protested indignantly.

"Belle, you should learn from Griseo and trust your big brother more!"

"..." Before Wise could finish, one glare from Belle made him obediently shut up.

Belle temporarily put away her phone, then changed the subject and switched into "strict big sister" mode. "Lei, why are you barefoot again? The floor is so cold. What if you catch a cold?"

"Um..."

Lei lowered her head to look at her fair little feet, then looked up at Wise, her voice soft and sweet. "Because... Brother Wise said he liked it better this way..."

The air suddenly fell silent, and Wise's smile froze on his face.

Belle instantly pulled out her phone again and dialed a different number. "Hello, Defense Force?"

"No! Belle! I never said that!!!" Wise frantically waved his hands, his survival instinct at maximum. "Lei, hurry up and explain!"

Lei blinked innocently. "Didn't Brother Wise say that wearing shoes made it easy to get paint on them, and when I ran around, I would dirty the canvas and leave footprints all over the store..."

After a pause, the little girl added, "So I didn't wear shoes. And I like being barefoot too. It's soft and warm, like stepping on grass."

Belle: "..."

Wise: "Lei, next time... could you explain everything first?"

"Okay, Brother Wise!" Lei nodded obediently.

Belle stood there, looking at innocent Griseo, then at her biological brother, who was breaking out in cold sweat, and silently slipped her phone back into her pocket.

"Big brother, I'll let you off this time. Don't let me see it happen again... or else!!!" Belle made a throat-slitting gesture at Wise.

"Come on, Griseo! I'll carry you upstairs to put on your shoes!"

"Thank you, Sister Belle!"