Stepping into the spatial mist, the entire world instantly turned into a vast expanse of white, as if submerged in milk. Even objects about two meters in front of them could not be seen clearly.
"Natsuki, where do we go?"
Miko asked nervously.
Although Momo didn't speak, it was clear that her right hand tightened slightly, indicating she was also somewhat nervous.
"Don't panic, stay calm." Natsuki's voice was steady, "When we crossed over, we were just sitting on the subway and didn't do anything, which proves that as long as we choose the right spatial mist, the rest of the matters don't even require us to act..."
Before he finished speaking, the mist in front of the three gradually dispersed, revealing the outlines of their surroundings.
Momo whispered, "The mist seems to be thinning?"
Natsuki nodded, "Momo-senpai has good eyesight."
"Bah~"
Momo couldn't help but lightly spit, giving him a white look and saying, "Anyone can see it, it has nothing to do with eyesight, right?"
Natsuki said, "Blind people can't see."
"..."
To be safe, the three stood still and did not move around randomly. In just over ten breaths, the originally incredibly dense white mist quietly dispersed, and familiar Japanese lights came into view.
Immediately after, various sounds poured into their ears: the honking of vehicles, the conversations of passersby, the barking of pets, and various other sounds.
Natsuki took a deep breath. There should be a Japanese confectionery shop nearby, as the sweet scent of Japanese confectionery wafted through the air. He smiled and said, "We're back."
Miko's eyes sparkled. Even though she was a lazy girl, her pretty face now showed an excited expression, and she said excitedly, "We're finally back... Wait, is this world really our world?"
Natsuki said, "You'll know if you call Auntie."
"That's right." Miko slapped her forehead and quickly said, "Natsuki, quickly give me your phone."
Natsuki took out his phone. As the network connected, various text messages and calls immediately bombarded him. Fortunately, the phone's performance was good, and there was no lagging.
"Here."
Natsuki first handed the phone to Miko, letting her report that she was safe.
At the same time.
In the air behind the three, disheveled and soaking wet figures suddenly appeared out of nowhere. Most of these people were panic-stricken, breathing rapidly, and some even stumbled and rolled directly onto the ground. This was clearly due to getting lost in the mist and running around in a panic.
"Natsuki-kun? We're back?"
A familiar voice sounded from behind.
Natsuki looked back. It was Mrs. Ozawa, her face slightly pale.
"We're back." Natsuki said gently, "Madam, you can call home first to confirm your daughter's safety."
"C-call..."
Mrs. Ozawa came to her senses and quickly took out her phone, fumbling to dial the number.
After the others recovered, they also took out their phones and made calls. Before long, various crying sounds echoed in the dim alley.
"Phew..."
Miko let out a long sigh of relief, returned the phone, and said excitedly,
"The call went through, Mom's fine… We really are back!"
Natsuki took the phone and first dialed Mitsui's number. Having suddenly returned from another world with a crowd of people behind him, he knew this kind of thing should be handled by the Strange Tales Management Bureau.
The phone rang only twice before it was answered, followed by Mitsui's excited voice from the other end:
"Natsuki-kun?"
Natsuki said, "It's me."
"Thank goodness, we can finally get in touch." Mitsui quickly said, "You've been gone for three whole days, and so have all the passengers on that late-night subway. Are you all safe?"
"It's a long story. We can talk about it slowly when we meet." Natsuki said, "Most of the passengers are safe. I'll send you my location, and then I'll stop the others from leaving for now. You can send people over first."
Mitsui decisively said, "Natsuki-kun, please wait. I'll be right there."
"…"
He hung up the phone.
Natsuki opened his map application, sent his location, and glanced at everyone's current position.
It was good.
They were still in Tokyo; as long as they hadn't run off to some remote mountain forest, everything was manageable.
After sending the location, Natsuki opened his messaging app, preparing to inform Shinomiya and the others that he was safe, when his pinky finger suddenly twitched. Unconsciously responding, secretary Chika's call immediately came through.
"Moshi moshi."
Natsuki answered the phone.
"President?!" Chika's extremely excited voice, even tinged with a sob, came from the other end of the line. "Are you alright?"
Natsuki gently shook his pinky finger in response, and said softly, "I'm back."
Chika excitedly said, "Where are you, President? We'll come find you right away!"
Natsuki said, "It's very late now. You should rest first. See you tomorrow?"
Chika: "Stupid President, you've been gone for three whole days! How could we possibly sleep?!"
"…"
Natsuki had no choice but to send Chika his address.
"President, wait for me! I'm coming right away!"
From the other end of the line came the sound of hurried footsteps.
Faintly, Moeha's voice could also be heard: "Sister, wait for me! I want to see President too!"
Hanging up the phone, Natsuki let out a soft sigh. He decided not to make any more calls and instead just posted the news of his return in the group chat.
There was no other way.
Each call would take at least several minutes, and deciding who to call first and who to call later was already a headache.
There were too many girls to call; if he called them one by one, Chika might even arrive before he finished all the calls.
So Natsuki opened his messaging app and directly sent a message to everyone in the group:
"I'm back again!"
After a brief silence, the chat group instantly erupted.
Kaguya: "…President?"
Marin: "Eh eh eh, is it really Natsuki?!"
Sayu: "Na-Natsuki-sama, you're finally back."
Tsubame: "Kouhai, where are you now?"
Hayasaka: "Please prove your identity."
Haruno: "Yukino and I are coming right away."
Juju: "Why did it take you so long to come back?"
"…"
Calls and messages bombarded him all at once.
With no other option, Natsuki had to use video chat to prove his identity.
Momo stood not far to the side, and seeing the girls appearing on Natsuki's phone, she widened her eyes slightly. She couldn't help but turn to Miko, only to see Miko's expression was calm, merely biting her lips slightly, showing no sign of anger at all.
"Miko… You knew all this?"
Momo couldn't help but ask.
Several of the girls in the video were all teary-eyed, their expressions surprised and excited. Clearly, their relationship was very unusual, and the key was that Miko was right there!
Miko gently exhaled, and nodded softly, saying, "I knew."
Momo pursed her lips and couldn't help but ask, "You don't mind?"
"Of course I mind." Miko said softly, "But… they are all players who went through life and death together with Natsuki in the game."
Before crossing into the other world, Miko had not been chosen by the game, and thus couldn't truly empathize with the emotional bonds forged through shared life-and-death experiences.
But at this moment, after spending nearly half a month in the other world, Miko could now understand why everyone chose to be together rather than leave…
Natsuki was still talking when a middle-aged man beside him, clutching a backpack, suddenly prepared to leave.
"Wait a moment."
Natsuki put away his phone and called out.
The middle-aged man stopped, nervously hugging the backpack in his arms, and said in a low voice, "Natsuki-kun, is there something you need?"
Natsuki raised an eyebrow and said, "Stay in the alley for now. Don't leave."
"Why?"
The man took half a step back, his gaze quickly becoming wary, clutching the backpack in his arms tightly.
Natsuki said calmly, "Don't worry, I'm not interested in gold or jewels, and I won't take your things."
This was the truth; as a top player, money was truly no longer important to him.
As he spoke, several other calm passengers, while wary of each other, tried to quietly slip away. Most of these people's backpacks contained a considerable amount of gold and jewels. If sold, it might not instantly grant them financial freedom, but it could at least free them from their arduous corporate slave lives, so the atmosphere between them grew tense again.
"You all stay as well."
Natsuki's gaze swept over them, stopping the few who tried to sneak away, then he raised his voice and said, "I'm not interested in your belongings, but no one is allowed to leave for now—having just returned from another world, you might have contracted viruses and bacteria from that world. I've already notified the authorities, and in ten minutes, someone will come to pick us up for a comprehensive check-up."
"You actually notified the authorities?"
Immediately, some people became nervous.
"Will the authorities confiscate our things?"
"I'm perfectly healthy, I don't need a physical!"
"That's right, we're going home now!"
"…"
At first, it was just one person protesting, but as others continuously joined in, more and more people protested, and the atmosphere became increasingly tense.
"Why are they acting like this?" Miko frowned, unable to help but say, "It's clearly thanks to Natsuki that they were able to return. It's one thing not to thank him, but why are they showing such expressions?"
"Heh."
Momo crossed her arms over her chest and scoffed, "This is what's called repaying kindness with enmity. Children always think this world is black and white, and everyone is kind. The truth is, everyone has a dark side, and when it comes to their own interests, examples of repaying kindness with enmity are countless."
Natsuki, however, remained calm, with no expression of disappointment on his face.
The reason was simple.
He had never considered these people his companions, so there was no talk of betrayal. All along, they were merely unfortunate souls who happened to be on the same subway.
If you don't have expectations, you naturally won't be disappointed. Life is often that simple.
So, facing the current 'public outrage,' Natsuki's response was equally simple.
"You want to leave, do you…"
Natsuki reached out and gripped, and a blood-stained fire axe appeared out of thin air.
Bang.
He chopped the axe into the ground, and shattered stones immediately scattered.
The passengers, who had been pushing and shoving and had already approached Natsuki, were all startled and quickly retreated, and the noisy alley quickly quieted down.
"Either wait quietly for ten minutes, or pass under the axe." Natsuki said expressionlessly, "It's that simple."
"…"
The alley was unusually quiet; no one dared to utter a single word of nonsense.
Although many people didn't believe Natsuki would actually chop them with the axe, what if? What if he really did chop them?
At times like this, a scapegoat was needed to test the waters.
Unfortunately, everyone present was smart, and smart people knew how to protect themselves, so no one was willing to step forward, and the scene fell silent.
Natsuki turned and said, "Senpai, please go guard the back of the alley. If anyone tries to force their way out, do whatever you want."
"Leave it to me."
Momo showed a pleasant smile on her face, walked through the now quiet crowd, and then came to the other end of the alley, blocking the way.
When encountering troublemakers, should one reason with them and state the facts?
Reasoning was pointless.
It was already clearly written in textbooks that the essence of a nation is a violent machine, and violence is the ultimate means to solve all problems.
For example, now, Natsuki simply showed his axe, and his ears instantly became quiet.
Time passed by second by second.
Not long after, special cars and ambulances arrived one after another with sirens wailing.
"Natsuki-kun!"
Mitsui, dressed in her professional attire, was the first to jump out of the car and jogged over excitedly.
Natsuki smiled and said, "It's good to see you again, Mitsui."
Mitsui then greeted Miko and asked curiously, "Natsuki-kun, you've been gone for three whole days. Were you caught in an Urban Legend?"
"It's a long story, much more important than an anomaly, and it can't be explained in a short while." Natsuki said, "Let's go to the hotel first."
Mitsui nodded, glanced at the passing passengers behind Natsuki, and asked softly:
"What about them?" Natsuki asked casually.
"You handle it."
Mrs. Ozawa nodded slightly, naturally understanding Natsuki's meaning. She waved her hand, and medical personnel in full protective suits, along with professional-looking staff, quickly stepped forward.
Natsuki could suppress everyone with a single axe. Now, seeing the large group arrive, the passengers naturally became more obedient. No one dared to resist. Under the staff's arrangements, they obediently boarded the vehicles, ready to undergo inspection and disinfection.
Natsuki, along with Miko and Momo, shared a car with Mrs. Ozawa, heading directly to the hotel where the Strange Tales Management Bureau was located.
The journey was silent.
Not long after arriving at the hotel, Chika and the others began to arrive one after another.
"President!"
The moment she saw Natsuki, secretary Chika's eyes welled up with tears as she rushed over.
Next were Marin and Sayu, then Juju and Shoko... Familiar girls appeared one after another.
The last to arrive were Hayasaka and Kaguya.
"President..."
Kaguya was only wearing a nightgown, clearly not having had time to change. Her pearly teeth bit her lip, obviously trying hard to control her emotions, but her eyes were already red.
Natsuki gently ruffled Kaguya's hair and said softly, "I've returned from another world."