Chapter 55
Chapter 55
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 55
Chapter Title: A Tumultuous Date with a Beastkin and a Demon (4)
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I’m pretty sure the whole point of this meeting was for Sabrina to apologize for her accidental rudeness.
But maybe it was because Sabrina and I had similar tastes in so many ways?
I was having a much more enjoyable time than I had expected.
It wasn't that strange, if I thought about it.
Right now, Sabrina looked incredibly cute in her flowy dress with her hair down, but she was usually such a tomboy that you could mistake her for a pretty boy.
Maybe that was why. The things she usually liked leaned more toward active sports and games.
Recalling the original story, she was crazy about soccer and baseball, to the point where there were descriptions of her watching tournaments.
I, too, was more interested in this kind of thing than playing with dolls or taking cute pictures.
Even though I’d become like this, my heart was still that of a boy passionately pursuing adventure.
So, after visiting the dessert cafes and doll shops that Reine seemed to have recommended, the moment Sabrina's steps suddenly halted in front of a large arcade we stumbled upon, I grabbed her arm and dashed inside.
“Uh, uh… Yuria, are you interested in games?”
“…!”
Of course! I love them!
I swung my arms around and nodded vigorously at Sabrina.
I was so excited to see what an arcade in this world would be like that my chest was about to burst.
As if not to betray my expectations, the inside of the arcade was pure bliss.
The loud game noises that assaulted my ears, the shouts of people, the sound of something being forcefully struck.
On top of that, there were flashy game machines installed everywhere you looked, and even VR headsets hanging on the walls.
The sight alone made my heart pound, and I couldn't stop myself from fidgeting with excitement.
This place… looks so fun!
“Whoa, Yuria. Be careful. You might fall if you're not looking.”
“…”
But was it because I was too excited?
I was so busy looking around that I didn't notice someone passing by and bumped right into them.
Fortunately, thanks to Sabrina catching my waist just in time, I didn't end up falling on my butt.
Suddenly finding myself in her arms, I managed to cool my head.
Losing my mind just because an arcade is new to me. I'm not a child.
Lately, it seemed my body had been reacting before my mind more often. I needed to restrain myself a little.
“Hmm… I don't have much money, so we can't play a lot. Yuria, is there a game you want to play?”
“…!”
At Sabrina's question, I thought for a moment before pointing my finger at a game where two players shoot zombies on a screen.
A competitive game wouldn't be bad, but I figured it would be more fun to play a cooperative game since we were together.
After waiting in line, I soon picked up the heavy model gun and confidently stood on the treadmill-like platform that was synced with my character.
‘Phew, is this my chance to show Sabrina how cool I am? I'll show her just how good I am at games!’
My gamer soul burned hot.
I'd never played this particular game, but it was common sense that a gender-bent pretty girl is good at games!
Besides, as someone who's loved games since my past life, I didn't want to make a fool of myself.
Afterward, Sabrina, standing on the platform next to me, finished her preparations by tapping the floor with her gun.
And so, we began our struggle against the zombies pouring in like a tidal wave.
And when the first stage finally ended three minutes later, Sabrina lowered the model gun she had held close to her face and said,
“…Yuria, you're not very good at games, are you.”
“…”
My ears burned with embarrassment, and I squeezed my eyes shut.
There was no excuse. I'd underestimated the model gun, and its recoil was stronger than I expected. I dropped it, and in that instant, a zombie bit my leg, killing me within ten seconds of starting.
I-I won't die so pathetically again! I'll at least try to survive longer than Sabrina!
With intense focus, I continued through the second and third stages.
But I couldn't last more than thirty seconds in any stage.
Before I could even say "Huh?" a zombie would bite my shoulder from behind, and before I could say "What?" I'd fall into a zombie trap.
Man, this is… harder than I thought…
I couldn't believe I ended up being dead weight. Dejected, I could only blankly watch the surviving Sabrina fight off the horde of zombies, which now included my share.
But despite my pathetic skills, Sabrina easily handled the zombies meant for two people all by herself and cleared the game up to the final boss without any problems.
What is this overwhelming skill gap!
I resented my utterly useless body that was so weak without psychokinesis.
“It wasn't as hard as I thought. Yuria, did you wait long?”
“…”
How frustrating. I wanted to show off my skills, but I ended up just watching Sabrina's highlight reel.
Vowing to repay this debt someday, I left the arcade with her.
Perhaps because the arcade had loosened our reins, we decided to just dive into anything that looked fun at the moment.
Dessert cafes weren't bad, of course… but it seemed we needed a bit more of a dopamine rush.
How long had we wandered around Nighthaven like that? Before I knew it, the sky, which had been a gray canvas for the falling snow, had darkened.
‘Looks like it's about time to part ways.’
Walking down the street filled with neon signs, I glanced back at Sabrina, who looked clearly disappointed.
I had a really fun day, and seeing her like that, I was glad she seemed to have enjoyed it too.
“Hey, can't we stay until dinner…?”
“…”
No way. It'll be too late by the time we get back. Everyone will be worried.
I shook my head firmly at Sabrina.
The sun had set, so it was dark, but it was only around five o'clock.
But if we had dinner here, it would be too late when we returned.
And we were too young to be wandering around a dark Nighthaven without a proper guardian.
Of course, it's just my appearance, but it would be troublesome if a police officer stopped to talk to us.
“Yeah… okay. Then that's it for today.”
Sabrina, dripping with reluctance, seemed to have no choice but to accept my decision.
She was a smart kid, after all. She seemed to understand that throwing a tantrum wouldn't change anything.
Watching her, I let out a small laugh, reached out, and took both of her hands.
What's there to be sad about? We can just hang out again next time, right? It's not like today is our only chance.
As if to say that, I fiddled with the back of Sabrina's hand with my fingertips.
Even if she didn't get the exact message, did the general meaning get across?
Her spirits, dampened by our parting, seemed to lift as she smiled shyly and squeezed my hands back.
“Next time, let's hang out again.”
“…!”
Like that, we shared a bit of warmth through our fingertips, lightly shaking off the sadness of our farewell.
After all, we were in the same city and could meet again anytime.
If anything, I felt a surge of anticipation, thinking about all the fun we couldn't have today that we could save for next time.
Having concluded our date, Sabrina and I walked side-by-side toward the subway.
This was a downtown area, a bit of a distance from the agency.
To get back to our original district, the subway was the fastest and cheapest way.
“So, yesterday, my idiot brother forgot his promise to Reine, and she got super mad, you know? Reine might seem nice, but she's really scary when she's angry. So my brother just dropped to his knees and…”
“…!”
I see. No wonder David was in such a frantic rush when he left work yesterday. So that's what was going on.
While nodding enthusiastically to Sabrina's lively story, I suddenly noticed that our surroundings had become strangely quiet.
‘Huh? This area… why is it so empty?’
I stopped dead in my tracks. Sabrina tilted her head as if asking what was wrong, but I gave her a look that said 'wait a moment' and listened to the sounds around us.
What I heard were faint sirens and the urgent-sounding voices of people. The atmosphere was ominous, as if something terrible had happened.
Sabrina also seemed to sense that something was wrong and began whipping her head around, scanning the area.
And at that same moment, someone dropped from above and landed in front of us.
Someone just fell from the sky? Startled, Sabrina and I stared at the person who had landed.
It was none other than a blue-haired man in a police uniform. He spoke.
“Hey, kids. It's dangerous up ahead, so turn back. This area is about to be cordoned off.”
“Uh, excuse me… we need to take the subway…?”
“There's a problem at the subway, that's why we're doing this. Turn around and go, quickly. I'm busy.”
The man answered Sabrina in a cold voice devoid of any emotion.
Sabrina flinched at his terribly callous tone.
But I couldn't help but blink repeatedly at the sight of the man, who felt so familiar despite this being our first meeting.
A handsome man with a cold aura and hair so deeply blue it was hard to believe it was dyed.
Added to that was a distinct vertical scar by the corner of his mouth and a police uniform so crisp it didn't have a single wrinkle.
I knew this man. Of course I did—he was a pretty important character in the original story!
‘His name was Ethan… right? A young, elite officer, considered Raven's rival on the police force.’
The team leader of the Special Crimes Response Team 3, who handled the main police storyline.
If Raven was the protagonist and the face of the Fixers, you could say this man was the face of the police.
He was one of the very few people who could be considered Raven's equal in terms of ability, age, and status.
I can't believe I'd run into Ethan here, of all places. How strange.
Feeling this way about Ethan's rather sudden appearance, I prepared to leave obediently.
Right now, I was a person of unknown identity, so getting involved with the police would be troublesome.
If we got into an argument, I'd be the only one at a disadvantage.
Right, right. If he says to go, we should go. No reason to linger.
Just as I thought that and turned around with Sabrina, a voice suddenly crackled from the radio on Ethan's shoulder.
[ “Captain. We've identified the suspect currently rampaging on the subway tracks. Her name is Answer, an ordinary citizen who registered her move to Nighthaven 27 days ago. A records check shows no significant ties to any criminal organizations.” ]
[ “What, then why is she suddenly going wild on a perfectly good weekend? This is driving me crazy! I was off duty today!” ]
[ “Maybe she has a grudge against society or something… You know how demons are…” ]
[ “Liz, that's a completely prejudiced remark.” ]
[ “Gasp! Th-Then can you pretend you didn't hear that…” ]
[ “In that case, ten meal tickets…” ]
“Stop chattering on the radio, you idiots. Betty, you keep searching for any other clues. The rest of you, assemble at Libra Station once civilian control is established. We'll await orders from command there.”
[ “Understood.” ]
[ “Yes, sir!” ]
*Crackle.*
After finishing the transmission, Ethan looked at Sabrina and me, who still hadn't left.
“Anyway, hurry up and go back. I can't take responsibility if you get hurt.”
Fortunately, he didn't seem to care much that we had overheard the radio transmission, only telling us not to go spreading it around before leaving.
But even after he left, we couldn't bring ourselves to move.
The shocking news from the radio transmission felt like being hit on the back of the head with a hammer.
“Yu-Yuria… Don't tell me that was…”
“…”
I nodded at Sabrina, whose eyes were trembling, as if to say, ‘You're right.’
Then, I took out the napkin I had received from Answer earlier.
The letters written clearly on the napkin were wavering back and forth, as if they were struggling to maintain their shape.
It seemed… something was happening to the Answer we had just met.