A Country Sister and Brother

"Hehe, that's more like it, little Sera," Cyrene said smugly, folding her arms.

"All right, you don't need to worry too much about me."

"Mm..." Sera answered vaguely.

But how could he not worry? He himself would be mostly fine.

It didn't matter if he lost his body. As long as he had the Herrscher Core, Sera could come back to life. As for destroying the core, that was hilarious. If you could destroy it, Sera would hand you his life~

"Approaching Dual-Phase Paradise," the spaceship's AI announced.

"Activate the Cognition Filter," Sera said as he clipped a star-shaped hairpin into Cyrene's hair. A pale blue, moon-shaped hairpin was faintly visible in Sera's white hair, and Cyrene simply watched with a smile.

"To avoid unnecessary trouble, wearing these hairpins will make us look like ordinary passersby to everyone else. Only people I authorize will be able to see what we really look like."

Sera explained this to Cyrene. He had only thought to make these marvelous little gadgets after Polka came. Polka hadn't activated a Cognition Filter, but Zandar had taught Sera about it; seeing Polka had simply reminded him.

"Okay~" Cyrene nodded obediently and let Sera clip the star-shaped hairpin into her hair.

"..." Sera suddenly remembered something very sad: he didn't have any Credits to pay the docking fee.

With that thought, Sera took out his phone (from now on, the remote sensor will be called a phone; I'm too lazy to keep typing remote sensor), hacked into a certain "kind person's" account, and transferred all its assets to a confidential account Sera had hastily created. After he erased every trace, the assets in Oswald Schneider's account vanished without a trace.

"All right, there aren't any problems now. Cyrene, we have money!"

"Okay~" Cyrene looked tenderly at the happy Sera and didn't ask where he had gotten the Credits. Cyrene knew what kind of person Sera was, so if Sera really had robbed the rich, that person must have had something wrong with them!

"Come on, we've arrived, little Sera. Let's get off."

Cyrene took Sera's hand and walked out of the spaceship.

After Sera paid the docking fee in full, the two walked out of the station.

"So this is Two-Dimensional City." Sera looked around at the distinctly anime-styled city and marveled.

"The old me definitely would have liked it."

"What about now?" Cyrene asked.

"Now I like wherever you are, Cyrene." Sera came straight out with it.

"I like wherever you are too, little Sera." Though Cyrene's cheeks were flushed, her eyes, which seemed to sparkle with stars, were utterly earnest.

Sera raised a hand and hailed a cab.

"Driver, take us to the best hotel around here."

"Sure thing, young man. Sit tight, both of you."

Sera had originally wanted to go straight to Dove River District to find Busitu, but he suddenly remembered that this wasn't fifteen years later. Lili Weekly didn't exist yet, let alone Busitu's detective agency. Right now, that property should still belong to Himeko's family and not yet be available for rent.

"Hey, driver, are there any detective agencies in Dual-Phase Paradise?"

"Detective agencies? Let me think. There really is one. It's called the Undying Detective Agency or something, over in Dove River District."

"Great. Do you have the agency's contact information?"

"I do. Let me find it..." They arrived at their destination just then, and after parking the cab, the driver gave Sera the contact information.

"Thank you, driver."

Sera let Cyrene lead him into the hotel by his right hand, while his left hand held his phone, which he used to forcibly add Busitu as a friend.

[Feather of the Eclipsed Moon]: Hello, Mr. La Mancha.

[Just a Passing Detective]: ?

[Feather of the Eclipsed Moon]: No need to be nervous. You should have heard of me. I'm Seraphis, Genius Society #84.

[Just a Passing Detective]: Hello, Ms. Seraphis. I'm very pleased to meet you.

[Feather of the Eclipsed Moon]: ...?

[Feather of the Eclipsed Moon]: Who told you I was a woman?

[Just a Passing Detective]: Huh... you... I... what?

[Feather of the Eclipsed Moon]: Sigh, forget it. I'm magnanimous, so I won't hold it against you. Enough chitchat. We're going after Dr. Primitive. Are you in?

[Just a Passing Detective]: I'm in!

[Feather of the Eclipsed Moon]: Good. One more thing: I'll provide your Galaxy Rangers with an Antimemetic Agent to turn those Sleepy Banana Monkeys of yours back to normal.

[Just a Passing Detective]: ...Thank you.

[Feather of the Eclipsed Moon]: Don't thank me yet. I haven't finished!

[Feather of the Eclipsed Moon]: In exchange, you'll do as I say and help me fight in this Phantasmoon Games.

[Just a Passing Detective]: All right... if what you say is true, as long as it doesn't go against justice, I'll do as you say from now on.

[Feather of the Eclipsed Moon]: Hold on. I haven't told you who the enemies are yet.

[Feather of the Eclipsed Moon]: Let me think: the Lord Ravager Finality, Shuhu, who might be reborn, that damned monkey, and the Voracity suppressed by Phantasmoon.

[Feather of the Eclipsed Moon]: The last one isn't a concern. Its seal should still be holding for now.

[Just a Passing Detective]: Who? Shuhu?

[Feather of the Eclipsed Moon]: Yes, Shuhu, the Emanator of Abundance.

[Just a Passing Detective]: ...I understand.

[Feather of the Eclipsed Moon]: I'll contact you if anything comes up. That's all for now.

Sera put down his phone because Cyrene had actually booked only one room.

Sera stared silently at Cyrene, who looked around awkwardly.

This floor sure is floor-like! Cyrene marveled.

"Cyrene, what are you thinking?!" Sera reached out and shook her.

"I'm not an adult yet. You'll get electrocuted for this!"

"Hehe♪" Cyrene tried to act cute to get away with it.

"What do you mean, 'hehe'?! No, you're not getting away with acting cute."

Cyrene remained unmoved and continued playing dumb.

"Sigh..." A little helpless, Sera got up and headed for the door.

"Forget it. I'll go back down and get another room."

Cyrene grabbed Sera, and when he saw the pitiful expression she put on, Sera relented.

"Fine... I agree, okay?"

Come to think of it... Sera picked up his phone and checked the time.

Apparently, Sera was almost an adult. His birthday fell on the very day the Phantasmoon Games began, which was tomorrow.

"So Sera will be legal very soon, won't he~" Cyrene stood with her hands behind her back, an innocent smile on her face.

"I've prepared a coming-of-age gift for you tomorrow, Sera~"

"But tomorrow is the opening day of the Phantasmoon Games." Sera hesitated.

"It's fine. Won't we still have time in the evening?" Cyrene looked at Sera with a smile.

"Oh, okay." Sera agreed, looking puzzled.

"What about now? It's time to eat!"

Cyrene pulled Sera downstairs and headed for the buffet area below.

"Wow~ This is delicious, and so is this!"

"Cyrene, you're making us look like a country sister and brother from who knows what backwater."

"Aren't we?" Cyrene looked a little puzzled.

"Oh no, we really are a country sister and brother from who knows where." Sera slapped his forehead and spoke helplessly.