Chapter 11

Lingmeng returned to the alley where she had first met Shido, hoping her luck would hold a second time.

"Hey, pretty girl. What are you doing here all alone?"

Sure enough, a sleazy voice called out before long. For some reason, though, it sounded familiar.

Wait, I know that voice. Don't tell me...

Lingmeng turned around and, to her surprise, found the same thugs from last time.

"Holy crap, it's you guys again! I thought one beating would stop you from harassing people, but here you are!"

"Y-you're that girl from last time..." The three thugs pointed at Lingmeng in terror. They had never expected to run into her again a month later.

"Ahem. It's not the same day, but it is the same alley. Friends, I happen to be a little short on cash again, so could you..."

Lingmeng grinned wickedly and rubbed her fingers together.

"Yes! We understand!" The thugs took out their wallets in perfect unison and handed them to her.

They never imagined their wallets would be emptied in the same place twice. Worst of all, it was by the same damn person!

"Mm-hmm, excellent!" Lingmeng took the cash from their wallets and gave them an approving look. "Since you're being so cooperative, I won't beat you up this time. I have somewhere to be, so I'll get going. See you next time!"

She waved with a smile and left.

What? There's going to be a next time? The thugs stared after her in despair.

"...You know, maybe we should stop harassing people and turn over a new leaf."

"I agree!"

"No objections here."

"Maybe I'll find an inn and stay for a few days?"

As Lingmeng walked down the street, she considered the hundred thousand yen she had just stolen—borrowed—from those thugs. That should cover a few days at an ordinary inn, right?

And just as she thought of an inn, she found herself standing in front of one.

Three large characters stood out on the sign high above her: Dingding Tower.

The people coming and going through its entrance mostly looked like out-of-town tourists.

"Dingding Tower, huh? This'll do!"

Lingmeng smiled to herself and decided to stay there for the next few days.

She strode through the doors. The lavish interior immediately made a good impression on her.

"Welcome to Dingding! How long would you like to stay?"

Lingmeng looked toward the voice and found a pretty young woman speaking to her from the front desk.

She works at reception? She's really pretty!

The receptionist's looks raised Dingding Tower another notch in Lingmeng's estimation.

"Uh... I'm not sure how long I'll stay. Could I book a week to start?"

Lingmeng scratched her cheek, a little embarrassed.

"One week? Certainly!" the young woman replied with a practiced smile.

"How much will that be altogether?"

"Ten thousand yen. Would you like to pay in cash, by WeChat, or through Alipay?"

"Cash, please!" Since cash was all she had, Lingmeng had no other choice.

After Lingmeng handed over ten thousand yen, the receptionist gave her a key.

"Here's your room key. Please keep it safe! Room 404 is at the far right of the second floor. Enjoy your stay!"

"Thanks!" With that brief reply, Lingmeng followed her directions to the room.

Click! Lingmeng unlocked the door.

Inside, she found furnishings and decor that could rival a five-star hotel. Charging her only ten thousand yen for a place this nice was practically a steal!

Ten thousand yen was only about six hundred yuan in her previous life. Dingding Tower rose yet another notch in her estimation.

Without a second thought, Lingmeng leaped onto the bed. Staring at the white ceiling, she murmured to herself.

"Dingding, huh? If there were a rating system, I'd give you five stars!"

The week flew by, and Lingmeng's stay came to an end.

For almost the entire week, her daily routine had been:

Sleep until noon, wash up, eat lunch, play on her phone, eat dinner, play on her phone until three or four in the morning, then go back to sleep...

She had repeated that routine all week and had barely gone outside. It brought back a little of that shut-in feeling.

"We hope to see you again!" the receptionist called as Lingmeng left Dingding Tower.

Evening was approaching, and the sun was nearly down. Lingmeng was still deciding between sushi and a burger for dinner when the Spacequake alarm sounded again.

"Woooo... Woooo... Woooo..."

As usual, everyone fled almost as soon as the alarm began. In moments, Lingmeng was alone on the street.

"..." She fell silent for a moment. "Oh, come on! Why does a Spacequake happen every time I'm out on the street?"

The timing was ridiculous. There had been one when she first came to Tengu City, another when she returned a week ago, and now one had happened the moment she stepped outside again. She didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

"The Spacequake seems to be at the school. The Spirit probably appeared there too. I've got nothing better to do, so why not take a look?"

Lingmeng decided to see what was happening and used her ability to transport herself near the school.

At the school gates, she found the place wrecked beyond recognition by the Spacequake. The sign at the entrance was still intact enough to tell her its name.

Raizen High School.

"Might as well look around!" Without giving it another thought, Lingmeng went inside.

"Hm? Is that someone up ahead? The school's been blown to pieces, and he's still here. How much does that guy love studying?"

Lingmeng looked more closely at the boy standing near a school building.

To her surprise, it was none other than Shido Itsuka. What were the odds?

Stop Chasing Girls and Go Home

"Kotori, is the Spirit upstairs?" Shido asked his younger sister, Kotori Itsuka, through his hidden earpiece.

Shido had not had a peaceful week. After Lingmeng saved him, he had woken up aboard an airship for reasons he couldn't fathom.

His sister had explained Spirits, the AST, and Ratatoskr so quickly that he could barely keep up.

She claimed Ratatoskr had been built for him and that he was supposed to save Spirits by dating them.

Who would believe something so absurd? Yet Kotori had more or less forced him to agree.

Over the following week, her bizarre demands had nearly driven him mad. First he had to play a dating game named after himself, then strike up conversations with his teacher and classmates.

Whenever he made a wrong move, Kotori threatened to reveal one of his embarrassing secrets. He had no choice but to take the training seriously.

A week had passed, and a Spirit had appeared again. Shido's practice was finally over. His first real mission was about to begin.

"Yeah. According to Fraxinus's computer, the Spirit is most likely here."

His sister's voice came through the earpiece. Instead of her usual playful tone, Kotori sounded like a commander who had seen countless battles.

"Are you sure this is going to work?" Shido asked, narrowing his eyes doubtfully.

Kotori seemed to know what he was thinking. She gave a wild grin.

"Relax, Shido. Fraxinus has plenty of people you can trust! With them backing you up, even a paramecium like you can handle this."

"R-really?" Shido still sounded unconvinced.

"Hmph, you don't believe me? Then let me introduce them!"

Aboard the airship, Kotori flicked her coat dramatically and presented her crew like a boss showing off her finest employees.

"A master of romance with five marriages behind him—'Rapidly Reaching the Doldrums' Kawagoe!"

Doesn't that just mean he's been divorced five times?

"The man who prides himself on his popularity with the Filipinos at nightclubs—'Company President' Senbon!"

That's just because he has money!

"The woman whose romantic rivals meet with misfortune one after another. The woman of two in the morning—'Cursed Doll' Shiizaki!"

She's definitely been putting curses on them!

"The man with a hundred brides—'Dimensional Transmigrator' Nakatsugawa!"

He's just a shut-in! Those wives are all fictional characters, aren't they?

"The woman whose love ran so deep that the law now forbids her from coming within five hundred kilometers of the one she loves—'Protective Observation Disposition' Minowa!"

What did she do in the name of love? Why are they all like this?

"Ah... I suddenly want to go home." Shido clutched his head. He didn't even have the energy to object anymore.

"...Don't worry, Little Shido. They're all dependable crew members."

It was Reine's voice in his ear.

"...Even if you say that—" Before Shido could finish, someone tapped him on the back.

"Gah!" Shido doubled over as though he had coughed up blood.

"Hey, Shido! It's almost dark. Why are you hanging around here instead of going home? Don't you know there was a Spacequake? It's dangerous!"

"Huh?! Lingmeng, what are you doing here?"

Shido turned and saw the blonde girl who had returned a week ago.

"I happened to be passing by. You were standing here in a daze, so I came over to say hi."

"Oh, I see..."

"So why are you lurking around here by yourself?" Lingmeng asked.

"Uh... I'm a student here. It was my turn to clean up today, so I stayed late."

Shido thought for a moment before giving his awkward answer.

Lingmeng glanced at his school uniform. "Oh," she said.

"Well, you're outside now, so you must be done cleaning, right? There was just a Spacequake here. It's dangerous. Let's get out of here!"

She reached for Shido's hand to lead him away.

"Shido! Who is this girl?! Make up an excuse and get rid of her! If you keep wasting time, the Spirit will leave!" Kotori yelled as she watched them on the monitor.

"I don't know how!" Shido replied, caught between them.

"If you don't get rid of her today and the Spirit leaves, I'll send that song you wrote in eighth grade, 'The Messenger from Hell,' to everyone at your school—with your name attached!"

Shido froze.

He had never expected Kotori to go that far. He had sealed that song away long ago. How had she even found it?

"Fine..." Shido sighed helplessly, then turned to Lingmeng. "Um... I think I left something in my classroom. I need to go get it. You should head home without me."

He scratched his cheek, sweating.

"Whatever it is, you can get it tomorrow. Listen to me. It's dangerous here. Let's go."

Lingmeng showed no sign of giving up.

"But it's my homework. If I don't do it tonight, my teacher will scold me tomorrow."

"Your homework isn't worth your life! I'm telling you, that girl who nearly cut us down a week ago is upstairs. If you go up there now, she might attack you again!"