Here we go again: what kind of woman do you like?

Chinatown

We seemed to have crossed layer upon layer of barriers in space and time, arriving somewhere both unfamiliar and familiar to me.

It felt familiar because it was steeped in Huaxia style, yet unfamiliar because, after all, this wasn't where I had lived in my previous life.

I missed my old world a little, but life here was pretty wonderful too!

Fragrances filled the air: the tempting aroma of roast duck, the refreshing scent of tea, and all sorts of delicious smells drifting from the food stalls.

With a grand sweep of my hand, I declared, "Gojo-sensei, my treat today! Pick whatever you want!"

"Great! Then I'll try every dessert here!"

"...Huh?" I froze. "You came all this way just to eat desserts?! Can't you see that delicious roast duck?!!!"

"Don't care, don't care! I'll die without desserts!" Satoru Gojo dragged me into a random restaurant, then slumped over the table in dejection as soon as he sat down.

"...Fine, let's order first." I forcibly hauled Satoru Gojo upright. "Gojo-sensei, stop lying on the table. Are you a little kid?"

Satoru Gojo grumbled reluctantly and picked up the menu, flipping through it at random. "...Why isn't there any Daifuku?"

"...This is a restaurant serving roast duck from China's capital! Asking for Daifuku here is practically begging to get beaten up!!!"

I snatched the menu away. "Let me!"

After handing my order to the proprietress, I returned to our private room to find Gojo-sensei rolling around on the sofa, throwing a tantrum.

"Edano, Edano, Edano~ I want Daifuku!"

I felt exhausted. Why did it feel like I was taking care of a son...?

I patted his head. "All right, all right. Stay right here and don't wander off. I'll go to the Hong Kong-style Teahouse next door and get you some dim sum to go."

That's right! I was buying him dim sum, so what was wrong with sneaking in a little verbal jab?!!!

Satoru Gojo's voice drifted after me. "Edano, I want sweet ones~"

I felt even more exasperated. "I know, you lousy teacher!"

"Hello, what would you like?"

I considered it briefly. "One of every kind of dim sum... Actually, make that two. Make sure one serving is extra sweet."

"We have quite a lot of varieties. Are you sure?"

I thought about Satoru Gojo's appetite, as though he had two bottomless pits for stomachs...

"...Actually, add another serving of each. Make those extra sweet too."

In the end, I staggered back with bags hanging from both hands, followed by a sturdy young man the proprietor had sent to help after taking pity on me.

When I pushed open the door to our private room, Satoru Gojo greeted me with a radiant smile, but it vanished the instant he spotted the young man behind me.

Why did the room suddenly feel so cold?

"Edano~ Who's this?" Satoru Gojo's voice sounded ominous.

Goosebumps rose all over me. "I bought too much to carry back myself, so the proprietor took pity on me and sent him to help."

At that, Satoru Gojo instantly returned to his usual playful self, smiling as he took the bags from the young man. "Oh, right! We should thank him properly, then. Sorry for the trouble. Bye!"

Satoru Gojo, why didn't you take my bags first? Can't you see I'm about to topple over?!!!

Satoru Gojo finally took my bags and arranged their contents one by one. "Okay~ Time for dim sum!"

Watching Satoru Gojo eat with such relish made me hungry too. "Why haven't the dishes I ordered arrived?"

"Munch, munch, munch. Oh, I made a tiny little request, and then they told me to cook it myself. But there's no way I'd do that~"

That bad feeling came over me again. "...What did you ask for?"

"Ummm... Nothing much. I just asked them to add sugar to every dish and replace all the chili peppers with sugar. Then they refused to cook it."

Without even looking up, Satoru Gojo swallowed two Crystal Shrimp Dumplings.

"...Sa! To! Ru! Go! Jo!" I swung my fist down, but an invisible barrier stopped it just before it reached him.

"...Limitless. You win this round!"

"Ah~ You're so loud, Edano~ I can hear you just fine~"

Scum! Absolute scum!!! My roast duck! Aaaaaaah! This is serious, you lousy Gojo! Don't think you can get me to give in with that pretty face!!!

And so, our next conversation went like this:

Satoru Gojo pushed a plate of chicken feet toward me. "Edano~ These chicken feet are really good. Try some~"

"I only eat them with added sugar."

"..."

Satoru Gojo held a shrimp dumpling to my lips. "Edano~ Have a bite of shrimp dumpling~"

"I only eat them with the chili peppers replaced by sugar."

"..."

"Edano~ China must have lots of delicious food, right~?"

"Nope. Back home, we all like replacing chili peppers with sugar when we cook."

"..."

In the end, Satoru Gojo couldn't stand the bizarre atmosphere of us talking past each other anymore. He tugged pitifully at the hem of my clothes. "Edano~ I was wrong."

Gojo, playing the schoolgirl, lowered his head slightly, revealing the eyes hidden behind his sunglasses. "You can do whatever you want with me, Edano. Just forgive me~"

"...Fine. But you have to agree to one condition."

"I'll agree to anything!"

"Wear a skirt and let me dress you up."

Satoru Gojo closed his eyes and gritted his teeth. "...Fine!"

In the end, I led the well-fed Satoru Gojo over to offer the proprietress a sincere apology. Thankfully, she was gracious enough to forgive us.

...Seriously, why was this feeling more and more like a mother taking her son out?!!!

The dead of night, an unnamed street

Satoru Gojo waved at me. "Go get them, Edano! I've already put up a [Curtain] for you!"

The assistant supervisor spoke hesitantly. "Mr. Gojo, are you sure about letting Miss Taketori go in alone?"

"Sure! Exorcising a mere special grade cursed spirit is a piece of cake for the strongest sorcerer's student~"

The assistant supervisor felt a twitch at the corner of their mouth. He really did live up to his reputation as the strongest. 'A mere special grade cursed spirit'? Is that something a sane person would say?! Huh?!

As soon as I stepped deeper into the street, a powerful stench of blood hit me, as though the air itself had been steeped in it. An eerie atmosphere hung over everything, and it was so dark I could barely make out the road. It sent chills down my spine and made my hair stand on end.

I felt as though something had latched onto me, but no matter how I tried to sense it, nothing revealed itself.

I activated my Cursed Technique and removed the Silk Ribbon covering my eyes.

An ethereal, lilting female voice sounded beside my ear, and an icy sensation touched my shoulder. "Little girl, you're quite special."

It could talk!

That realization made my heart tighten. Combined with the heavy stench of blood I'd smelled earlier, it suggested that 'Lilith' had been born quite some time ago.

"With such a strong aura of curses, I'm almost starting to suspect you're one of my kind."

"So..." The female voice paused. I instantly went taut as a bowstring, every hair on my body bristling, ready to face whatever danger might come.

"What kind of woman do you like?"

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