White Blood Cell: "…"
She didn't quite understand what was happening, but she knew one thing: his job was to kill germs.
March 7th: "I'm feeling a little dizzy... I'm more curious about what anthropomorphic cells look like. White Blood Cell, Platelet—do you have any photos?"
White Blood Cell: "…"
Kisara Tendo: "The group has a screenshot function. You can send images."
White Blood Cell: "A picture... like this?"
Platelet: "U-Um… here's mine."
No one clicked the images right away.
One showed a white-haired woman dressed in a military-style white uniform, complete with a white hat and a longsword.
The other featured a shy little girl in a pale blue outfit with the word "Platelet" printed across it.
"…"
A female White Blood Cell.
A female Platelet.
Aren't they… part of the same body?
Nanashi immediately thought of Cells at Work! and Cells at Work! Black.
Still, nothing was confirmed.
What he truly wondered about was something far more abstract: what would it feel like to travel into their world?
The White Blood Cell had crossed into his world—and she was just a cell.
So what if he traveled into hers? Into the body of a living organism?
Wouldn't that be a little too surreal?
If the organism were just a regular human, would he accidentally blow them up?
His eyelid twitched.
"No way it's that exaggerated... right?"
Silver Wolf: "Incredible. There really are humanoid cells in this universe!"
March 7th: "The world is so vast—there really are all kinds of strange things... Wait a minute!"
March 7th: "Are my body's cells also running around in human form?!"
Saeko: "Don't scare yourself."
Momonga: "At this point, if someone told me video games could become real, I'd believe it."
Nanashi: "…"
Kid, you're not far off.
White Blood Cell: "I'm not sure where this is, but I have a mission to complete. I'll be going now."
Suho: "May your actions be swift and effective."
Seitenshi: "What a dedicated Miss Cell."
Kisara Tendo: "Miss Cell… I don't even know where to start with that title."
Nanashi silently agreed. Talking to cells was still surreal.
"Nanashi… hmm?"
Sayuri, who had been quietly tidying up, suddenly noticed something: the weapon had reloaded.
Nanashi smirked.
Well… perfect timing.
"In that case—let's try a new position."
He put the chat group aside and re-entered drive mode—with both hands.
Morning.
"Ding-dong! Nanashi, I made cookies!"
Yui burst into the research club room, cheerful as ever—while Yumiko sat nearby, looking defeated.
It was the same as always.
Yui always stopped by the Paranormal Research Club during breaks.
"…"
Yukino glanced up from her book, quietly appreciating the peace—until now.
Yui skipped happily up to Nanashi, holding a small bag of cookies in both hands. She beamed brightly, her two front teeth poking out like a bunny.
"Cookies?"
Megumi, still leaning against Nanashi, glanced at the cookies, slightly suspicious of their normal color.
Marin put her phone down and ran over excitedly.
"Cookies! Can I have one?"
"Sure, but I want Nanashi to try them first," Yui nodded earnestly.
"Tch, she made it especially for you," Marin said, nudging Nanashi's elbow with a grin.
"Well then, I'll try them."
Nanashi reached for one and brought it to his mouth.
"!"
Yumiko froze, her lips parting slightly like she wanted to say something—but it was too late.
"…Chew. Swallow."
Yumiko turned her head away. She couldn't bear to watch.
She had personally taught Yui how to make them—supervised every step.
And yet…
Why?!
She followed the instructions exactly. I even helped her step-by-step!
Are Yui's hands cursed?!
How could her cookies still turn out so—
"It's sweet and delicious," Nanashi said with a gentle smile.
"???"
Yumiko blinked.
Did she hear that right?
Those cookies—burnt like dirt, with the texture of ash—were delicious?
"Really!?"
Yui's eyes sparkled, her excitement overflowing.
"I want some too!" Marin reached for one.
But Nanashi quickly pulled the cookie bag away with a smirk.
"Sorry. These are from my little Yui—just for me."
Marin pouted, stomping her foot.
"You're so stingy, Nanashi-kun!"
Nanashi ignored her and proudly nibbled another cookie.
Yui, cheeks flushed, turned to Megumi and whispered,
"Sorry, I'll make some for you next time!"
"Hehe, next time, let's bake together and make him super jealous," Marin giggled, making a face at Nanashi.
Megumi, now quietly nibbling on one herself, wasn't stopped by Nanashi.
She took a small bite.
"…"
Her eyebrows creased faintly—then relaxed as she glanced at Nanashi's content expression.
A faint smile touched her lips.
"…"
Yumiko was stunned.
Nanashi looked like he was genuinely enjoying it.
Is there something wrong with my taste buds?
No—no way. I'm not the one who's wrong.
The caramel didn't even have sugar in it. It was all burnt—pure char.
There's no way that's sweet!
But when she saw Yui's bright, beaming smile, she finally understood.
...I kind of envy this silly girl.
Nanashi, who had been leisurely tasting the cookies one by one, suddenly froze.
Because a new pop-up message appeared in the chat group:
[Apocalypse Companion]
[Doomsday Journey]: Walking for Two
[Travel Duration]: 1 Day
[Participants]: White Blood Cell, Nanashi
[Mission]: Save the world.
The end of the world? In the white blood cell's world?
Nanashi: "White Blood Cell, what's happening over there?"
White Blood Cell: "The body's functions are rapidly declining… they're about to shut down…"
March 7th: "Doesn't that mean… the lifeform is dying?"
Nanashi: "I've always wondered—if a lifeform is really small and I travel through to its world, what happens?"
Reinhard: "…"
Suho-sama: "If you show up inside a living organism, you'd rupture it on the spot."
Emilia: "That's… terrifying."
Silver Wolf: "There's no time for hesitation. We're at the edge anyway—trust the chat group."
Nanashi: "Right. I'll go first."
He didn't hesitate any longer and pressed Confirm.
This time, no swirling black hole appeared.
In the blink of an eye, Nanashi's figure vanished from sight.
"Nanashi is gone!!!"
Yumiko, who had been keeping her eyes on him, cried out in alarm.
"Nanashi?!" Yui shouted, panic rising in her voice.
"Calm down."
Yukino's icy demeanor returned as she tapped the table gently, her authoritative tone quickly grounding the two girls.
Her gaze swept over them—cold and sharp—and instantly, both Yumiko and Yui froze, their anxiety cooling like ice water poured down their backs.
"He's probably traveled to another world or is handling something important," Yukino said calmly. "There's no need to panic."
It was just a guess—based on the wormhole she'd seen previously and Nanashi's sudden disappearance. But right now, it was all they had.
Yumiko and Yui slowly began to relax after hearing her explanation.
Until the next second—
"Another world?!"
They shouted at the same time.
"Vital signs are crashing!"
"Heart rate plummeting!"
Inside a sterile, blue-and-white emergency room, chaos erupted.
Doctors shouted over one another under glaring lights as they worked frantically to save a young girl.
Her arms twisted unnaturally, her face contorted in pain.
"Ha… ha…"
Her breathing mask fogged with each ragged breath, but the sound was fading—growing softer.
"Am I… going to die?"
Sweat beaded on her forehead. Her half-lidded eyes stared at the light above her, a desperate will to live flickering in their dim glow.
The doctors began to slow.
She could feel it—like the gates of heaven or hell were opening.
She saw someone.
A figure—someone gently stroking her forehead.
A warm sensation flowed through her, as if his touch breathed life into her again.
"Are you… an angel?"
"Sorry, I'm not from heaven."
That's a shame, she thought.
His voice was so gentle.
His hand was so warm.
"Then… a messenger from hell?"
"Sorry to disappoint you again. I'm not from there either."
He smiled.
It was so… beautiful.
"Then what are you?"
"I'm just a human," Nanashi replied softly, removing her oxygen mask.
The sterile scent of medicine filled her nose.
Fresh air rushed into her lungs.
"!!!"
She bolted upright—too fast—and slammed her head against the lamp above.
"Ouch! That hurts!"
"Looks like you're not too bright. Heaven and hell don't take fools, you know."
He grinned, blatantly teasing her.
"Wha—?!"
The girl blinked. He was still there, still smiling. "Did… did you hear my thoughts?"
"Yup."
"Then when people die, and they don't go to heaven or hell… where do they go?"
Nanashi leaned closer, pinched her cheek.
"Does that hurt?"
The girl winced and rubbed her cheek. "Yeah… it does."
"Then maybe you're not dead after all."
"Heeey!!!"
She panicked and began poking herself all over. Everywhere she pinched, it hurt. Was she… actually alive?
But the confusion lingered.
"Then why are the doctors just standing there like statues?"
"I told them to stop," Nanashi replied nonchalantly. "I slowed their thoughts to a crawl. They're not actually frozen—just... paused."
That was when she truly began to wonder.
"Wait… are you a god?" she asked, eyes sparkling like stars.
"Sorry to crush your dreams again. I'm just a regular guy."
She pouted. "What? You're not anything special?"
Nanashi smirked. "Private Marseille~"
"Pfft!"
She burst out laughing.
"That was the weirdest 'excuse me' I've ever heard."
"Well, it was a joke."
"I didn't get it at all!"
Still giggling, she wiped the tears from her eyes.
Nanashi casually pulled out a cookie and popped it into his mouth.
"What's that?" she asked, her eyes following the motion.
"Cookie."
"I love cookies." She was clearly hinting.
"Want one?" Nanashi offered her a piece, holding it up.
"Ahh~"
She snapped it from his fingers with her mouth and tossed her head back, chomping down without the slightest concern for her image.
She chewed thoughtfully, tilting her head. "Did you make this?"
"No, my girlfriend did," Nanashi said with a soft smile. "Sweet, isn't it?"
The girl paused, then smiled brightly.
"Yeah… really sweet."
Nanashi blinked at her answer. Slowly, his expression softened. He reached over and gently ruffled her long, golden hair.
"Your illness is cured now," he said quietly. "It's time for me to go."
[Ding! Nanashi has saved the world. The Doomsday Journey has ended!]
[Congratulations! Nanashi has received 10,000 Doomsday Points. White Blood Cell has received 1,000 Doomsday Points.]
[Return confirmed. Initiating return…]
Just as the girl felt her existence beginning to fade, she shouted anxiously, "My name is Miyazono Kaoru!"
Nanashi smiled, his voice clear and gentle. "I'm Nanashi."
"!!!"
In the next instant, Nanashi vanished.
"Get ready to resuscitate her—now!!" one of the doctors shouted.
Suddenly, as if reanimated, the entire medical team sprang into action.
Then they froze.
Because Kaoru was now sitting up in bed.
Scratching the back of her head awkwardly, she gave a sheepish laugh. "I… don't think it hurts anymore."
"..."
The room fell silent for a moment before erupting again.
"Check her vitals immediately!" a doctor yelled.
The medical staff broke into chaos once more.
Kaoru, meanwhile, noticed the bag of cookies sitting on the bedside table. She gently picked it up and held it to her chest like a treasure.
"…It was real."