Chapter Forty-Eight: Poisonous love
Kurumi fans. Iwae.
After days of mentally tormenting me, you all came out victorious.
But hold your hoses though, things won't be that easy.
Saturday,
12:36 A.M.
There wasn't much time to begin with.
"Fuu. Here is okay. Also made sure to avoid their watch."
Inside a narrow alley separating two buildings, just right in the middle.
Standing there, in that complete damp and sour-smelling atmosphere, was Morgan.
He had his back leaning against one of its walls near the pipes lining it.
Pushing his head against the wall, he fell into thought.
Having thought better of it, he didn't overthink anymore.
'...they'd manage. Better than setting off another disaster.'
At first, he had considered using the situation to his advantage.
Especially with the AST.
Since no matter how much he thought about it, this new development was still strange.
Thus, he wasn't sure how the variable would act.
But in hindsight…
He doubted they were even capable of sorting out properly.
Not after what happened a few days earlier. It wasn't surprising.
Losses have piled up.
And nothing good comes out from riling a cornered rat.
So, perhaps...
"Let's rethink the situation for now, and since I don't have [Avalon], it would be troublesome."
Safe to say even Fraxinus has thought of a means to block interference.
«Yes, it would be wise to maintain a low profile at this time, as Fraxinus AI has detected data tampering»
"So, they've begun to analyse us."
«It would be correct to think so»
"Hmm."
While adding that,
Morgan fished out his phone. The screen lit his face with a pale glow.
A single new notification slid down from the top.
It was nothing serious.
Pushing the side button, he switched it off, lowering his phone when—
Click-!
Something beside him clicked.
Meanwhile,
On another end.
"...nu?"
A girl strutted across a dense number of pedestrians passing by her.
Her head swivelled as she scanned the unfamiliar world around her.
People streamed past in every direction, with most of them being tourists with bags.
All of them fitted with the atmosphere.
Well, all but one.
Her outfit was… to put it in simple terms.
Out of complete sync.
At the very least, when compared to others, her strange attire caught the eyes of many.
Yet, strangely, other than taking glances, a few pictures, and whispering, they didn't attack.
It was weird.
She had thought everyone would be like the Mecha Mecha girls who always chased her.
Then again…
Wasn't this world more lively than the desolate and destroyed areas she usually spawned in?
"By the time I knew it, I had just woken up, and before I knew it…"
She took another step.
Her shoes clattered against the paved brick roads.
...right.
There it was again.
'My body.'
Like she thought, her body seemed to move on its own.
It wasn't that she couldn't control herself; if anything, it was the opposite.
Oddly, she still couldn't help it.
Were one to describe it, it was as if she were being drawn to something in particular.
"Psst, look at her."
"Weird... a cosplayer?"
"Hey, think she already has a boyfriend?"
She caught the whispers as she passed them. But their meanings were as foreign as this world.
Cosplayer?
Boyfriend?
She rolled the words silently on her tongue for a moment, repeating them to herself, until…
Her eyes drifted towards them for a moment, as her lips parted with her gaze.
At this moment, she seemed to remember.
Something she hadn't thought about since back then.
If she remembered really well, there was that one boy who stood in front of her back then.
"...I see."
She clenched and unclenched her hand.
And sure enough, just by thinking about that person in particular, the tug felt stronger.
Reason told her that the male was somehow behind this.
If she continues like this, she'll definitely find her answer.
Like that, she stomped off towards the distance.
To a place with a huge signboard with the welcome sign.
…the stalker who had managed to push her into stalking someone else.
"Of course you have no choice… it's really tough on me, you know."
Nia's face twisted into a sour, bitter expression.
Her pace was sluggish at best.
Even though summer hadn't arrived yet, the sun still scorched the streets.
Yet, ignoring that, she wore a black overall, a simple blue shirt, and jeans.
With her back hunched, she dragged her feet as though she were far older than she appeared.
"I'm tiiired. This had better be worth all the stress~"
She trudged forward.
One reluctant step, then another, until something in the corner of her vision caught her eyes.
An ice cream stall.
'Nnngh!!!!'
Instantly, her whole face lit up. dragging her feet towards said place with all her strength.
"Oh, welcome, young lady."
Before the vendor could even finish his greetings.
"The best."
She declared, slapping her hand dramatically on the counter with the little strength she could muster.
"I want the best in the house."
"Sure thing. Coming right up."
The man offered a smile before serving.
It was the ice cream cone variant, with three toppings and three different flavors.
"Kyaaa… nothing beats ice cream on a schoooorching hot afternoon."
She sighed blissfully, clutching it tightly.
She spotted an outdoor bench, sitting just right in front of trees lined up like a park scenery.
Having sat on it, as she began munching when—
"Oh? So this is where you are, huh? What about the person I told you to monitor?"
Her jaw froze mid-chew.
Nia had just finished the top cone, yet...
That voice that sounds like a demon's whisper, that chilling atmosphere.
Slowly, painfully, Nia lifted her head.
Of course.
A tear clung to the corner of her eye.
It was him.
Her black-hearted employer. The one person she should've run from.
Maybe joining Fraxinus really would've been the smarter decision.
Not that she regretted it… exactly.
Honestly, though, it was more reasonable to work with Ratatoskr than with this sole individual.
She thought about it very well.
"…give me a break. I've been working all afternoon, you know. Cut me some slack."
Unable to hide her exasperation, she said that, slumping against her chair with her ice-cream.
Half expecting Morgan to scold her, however, she braced herself for it...
"No, you did great."
Pah!
A gentle tap landed on her head, making her jolt as her shoulders shot up.
Her eyes widened when she looked up and saw Morgan calmly patting her.
For a moment, she didn't know what to say or do.
Not that she enjoyed it, but it was more like she was stunned out of it.
"My my~ I didn't expect you to show affection like this. A girl could get jealous, you know~"
"Eeee—!"
Nia nearly shrieked.
She sprang off the bench, hiding behind Morgan clutching his arms.
Behind the bench, she was sitting on.
…standing there was none other than "I will bring you problems" herself.
Kurumi.
Wearing her black gown with an eyepatch on her left eye, holding a bag with a smile.
"Seriously, Kuru-Kurucchi, stop sneaking up on me like that."
Clinging tightly to Morgan's arm, Nia peeked from behind him like he was a shield.
There was no mistaking it.
She felt real hostility in Kurumi's tone.
'Maybe it's just me, but… hasn't this girl been way too fixated on Employer lately?'
Even so, she refrained from peeking into their pasts.
It was simply her principle.
But right now, she was so tempted.
Enough that she wanted to unbolt Kurumi's head and see what's going on inside it.
"Nia-san is quite bold today. How long are you planning to cling to him?"
"Ah— r-right."
She let go of Morgan, still gripping her ice cream in the other hand, then shot a sideways glance…
At Morgan.
"…So?"
"Don't look at me."
Morgan subtly tilted his head toward Kurumi.
"She dragged me out here."
"More like she threatened you by pointing a gun at your head."
"…How did you know?"
"Oopsies."
Nia shrank away, turning her gaze aside under both of their scrutinizing stares.
It lasted only a moment before—
"Gah, enough with this poisonous love. The two of you should just… um… date?"
For a moment, Beth stared at Nia as though she had a screw loose.
And something about the poisonous love made both their lips twitch.
"Crap, I spoke too much didn't I?"
"What do you think?"
Kurumi's smile deepened.
Morgan sighed. Shaking his head in resignation.
Well, he'd been using the excuse that it wasn't time, but Nia had probably seen through it.
There was no point in hiding.
He wasn't going to act as though he didn't find it hot when she held him at gunpoint.
"I wouldn't mind. She's my type anyway, but that's not the thing here."
No, no, you can't just gloss over that so casually.
Both Kurumi and Nia thought the exact same thing.
Obviously, it stunned Kurumi too, but now didn't seem like the best time to tease him about it.
Well, maybe later.
'No you're supposed to stop and ask aren't you.'
Seeing the smile on Kurumi's face, Nia's jaw dropped.
What to say?
She had no ideas.
Of course, that was what was on her mind before the words—
"I'll be returning to the States tomorrow."
Both of them stared at Morgan in shock.
He had excused himself earlier, only to run into Kurumi, who… apparently had been camping in his shadows.
And suddenly, she had him at gunpoint. Truly, this might be poisonous love.
"My~ Then what about him?"
"Do as you like…"
Kurumi's eyes narrowed.
Her smile turned predatory as it stretched further into an unsettling grin.
This was also one of the reasons Nia stayed in this camp.
'…Seriously. What do you two even hope to accomplish?'
Nia knew.
There was no point in asking.
She already knew the answer.
One wanted to kill god, and the other wanted to surpass god.
What kind of trouble have I gotten myself into now…