Chapter 288: The Sunflowers Slumber, the 'Girl' Departs
Courage didn't know why, but she returned to her room exceptionally early today. Her abrupt departure made Kasugano Sora, who was sitting in the main dining area, pause in surprise. For some reason, Sora felt that Courage seemed to be overthinking things, lost in a storm of her own thoughts.
Sometimes, an outsider sees things most clearly. Those caught in the eye of the storm are often blind to their own actions, while those watching from the sidelines can perceive the entire picture with perfect clarity.
Kasugano Sora hugged her rabbit doll a little tighter and whispered to the man behind the counter, "Big Brother Ren, I have a feeling that if Sister Courage finds out about your mischievous side, it's going to cause a lot of trouble…"
Ren tilted his head, a faint smile playing on his lips. "I'd call it being sly, at most. It doesn't quite count as mischievous, and besides, it keeps things interesting. But Sora, you just moved in today. Shouldn't you go back to your room and get some proper rest?"
Kasugano Sora glanced at her phone. "I am a little tired, but I feel like I can stay up a bit longer. I want to see what kind of guests from another world will arrive tonight. Big Brother Ren, what kind of guests are you hoping for?"
"He, of course, hopes for beautiful women."
The voice, dripping with dry amusement, came from Lucifer. Ren turned to look at her, only to be met with an expression that screamed, 'I'm right, but you're not allowed to nod.'
Ren chuckled, undeterred. "Pretty much. After all, beautiful women are more pleasing to the eye."
"Hmph!" Lucifer turned her head away with a sniff.
Cerberus, ever the excitable one, suddenly piped up, her ears twitching. "Master, I have a feeling that some extraordinary guests will come tonight… and not just one person…"
Lucifer's head snapped back around, her eyes gleaming with interest. "Why is it that when you say that, I suddenly feel a rush of excitement?"
Kasugano Sora, however, grew a little nervous. "Strange characters won't show up, will they? If that happens, it would truly be… a bit terrifying…"
Ren tapped his chin thoughtfully. "Extraordinary guests, more than one, strange characters… You don't think Sadako is bringing Kayako out for a visit, do you?"
The moment those two names were spoken, the air in the room seemed to drop several degrees. Lucifer and Cerberus both froze. A second later, Cerberus yelped and immediately latched onto Ren's arm, her tail tucked between her legs. "If Sadako comes, I'll protect you, Master!"
Looking at Cerberus's genuinely terrified expression, Ren couldn't help but laugh. "Don't worry, Sadako wouldn't dare to come here. And Lucifer, what are you doing?"
Lucifer was staring intently at the front door, her posture rigid. A few beads of cold sweat trickled down her forehead, as if she truly expected a legendary ghost to crawl through the entrance at any moment.
Kasugano Sora, however, seemed completely unfazed. "Sadako, Kayako… if you look at them long enough, they're not that scary anymore. There are even some strange comments about them online, posted by perverted boys…"
Cerberus stared at her, dumbfounded. "Sora is unexpectedly brave…"
"Your use of 'unexpectedly' always reminds me of Mr. Tony…" Ren mused.
Hearing the name Tony Stark was like flipping a switch in Lucifer. Her fear of ghosts vanished, instantly replaced by pure, unadulterated rage. She slammed her hand on the table, shouting, "That Tony guy! Calling him an 'Imagination Master' is the understatement of the century! If it weren't for Potts, I would have let Cerberus kick him into next week long ago!"
Kasugano Sora whispered timidly, "Um… Sister Lucifer… Sister Cerberus would probably kick Mr. Tony to death…"
Cerberus tilted her head, considering it with unnerving seriousness. "Barring any unforeseen circumstances, kicking a normal human to death with a single blow is not a problem… If I had my magic power, it would be even easier…"
Ren gently rubbed Cerberus's head. "There's no need to research this in such detail. However, Cerberus, I've been meaning to ask you something. Are you one person with three souls, or three souls sharing three bodies?"
The question startled Lucifer as well; it was a detail she had never really considered. Cerberus thought for a moment, her brow furrowed in concentration. "It's one soul living in three bodies. When we become one, it's a complete soul… No, that's not right… The souls in the three bodies are also complete souls… It's something like that…"
Ren pondered her tangled explanation. "But if that's the case, why do the three of you have such different thoughts and personalities?"
"Because we're in separate bodies, we gradually developed certain habits…"
Lucifer narrowed her eyes, a predatory glint in them as if she had just uncovered a fascinating secret. She stared at Cerberus, whose gaze had become slightly evasive. "Cerberus~ Are you sure it's not because your soul inherently carries all three of those personalities?"
Cerberus's ears, which had been twitching animatedly, went completely still. She looked at Lucifer with wide, startled eyes. A mischievous, almost demonic, smile spread across Lucifer's face.
Ren thought for a moment. "So, the current Cerberus has all three personalities? But I haven't seen any signs of a scheming side from you."
Cerberus quickly shook her head, her voice laced with panic. "Master, Master, Master! It's not like that! Really!"
Ren simply glanced at her and said nothing more. The nature of souls was far beyond his comprehension. Seeing that he wasn't going to press the issue, Cerberus breathed a silent sigh of relief. How could she possibly let Ren see her darker, more calculating side? In front of her Master, she was determined to remain a well-behaved hound.
Kasugano Sora, who naturally knew the true dynamic between Cerberus and Ren, watched them with a touch of emotion. "I still can't quite believe that Sister Cerberus is actually a Hellhound, and that her Master is Brother Ren…"
Cerberus's ears twitched at the comment, but she said nothing, content to simply sit beside Ren. Ren, meanwhile, gazed at the entrance of the shop. He didn't know why, but he shared Cerberus's premonition. The guests arriving tonight were not going to be ordinary characters.
At that very moment, in a world far away, the eyelids of the 'girl' facing a vast sunflower field twitched. She slowly opened her eyes, their ruby-like depths reflecting the endless sea of flowers swaying gently in the moonlight. A soft chuckle escaped her lips.
"It's cold…"
The 'girl' glanced at the cup of flower tea beside her, now completely cold. A flicker of regret crossed her features before vanishing as quickly as it appeared. She lifted the cup and drank the last of the chilled liquid, whispering to herself, "As expected, the taste is gone…"
"Hmm? Something seems off…"
Her senses suddenly flared. The 'girl' realized something was wrong; the strange, solitary door behind her seemed to be glowing. She immediately stood and took a step back, not out of caution, but to take in the scene more comprehensively.
She stared at the door, a thoughtful expression on her face. After a moment, she turned to look at a single, strangely oriented sunflower and murmured, "So, has this door been glowing for a long time…? Interesting…"
With that, the 'girl' reached out and pulled the door open. A wave of soft, white light poured out, washing over the entire field. The sunflowers reacted as if they were hardworking office workers suddenly sinking into a hot spring after a long day. They reveled in the unusually gentle light, a light even more captivating than the sun, and their petals unfurled completely to bask in its warmth.
The 'girl' was stunned for a heartbeat. Then, a slight curve appeared at the corner of her mouth. "It seems I need to have a chat with the owner of this light," she whispered. "I hope it's not a weakling…"
A gentle breeze rustled through the field, carrying a few loose petals with it. The 'girl' caught them in her open palm and looked down, her voice a soft murmur. "Do you want to come, too…?"
She then stepped through the doorway and vanished. The door swung shut, the light winked out of existence, and the entire sunflower field curled back up, as if the flowers had all fallen into a deep, collective sleep.
A moment later, a crack split the air. A different girl, this one clad in a purple Western-style dress, materialized in the now-empty space. She looked at the spot where the door had been and smiled. "Oh my, I seem to have found something interesting… Well, let's see what happens when I come back."
After speaking, she vanished as she had come, leaving only the silent sunflowers swaying gently in the evening breeze.
The sunflowers slept. Night had fallen.
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