"First, inspect the whole house to see if any fog has seeped in..."
Collecting her emotions, Nijika stepped out of her room and meticulously inspected every door and window; after confirming there were no issues, she finally picked up her phone, only to see all sorts of messages popping up in an endless barrage.
There were texts from classmates, friends, teachers, and relatives, as well as officially broadcasted notices.
The official notifications were the most serious and formal, warning the public to refrain from going outdoors for the time being and remain at home awaiting rescue; the dense fog would blur the boundary between reality and Otherworld, thereby making it easier for Otherworld anomalies to invade the mortal plane—though as long as residents remained indoors and kept the fog from penetrating their homes, they would largely be out of harm's way.
Messages from other acquaintances were a mixed bag.
"wonderful! I can stay holed up at home and play Expedition of Light and Shadow to my heart's content!"
"Finally free from overtime work! God of Fog, please never disperse!"
"What should I do if there's no food left at home?"
"No need to worry; before long, the fog will clear up on its own. That's how it went every time before."
"..."
Confronted with the eerie mist quietly enveloping all of Tokyo, the vast majority of people still maintained an optimistic mindset.
After all, over this recent period, fog phenomena had erupted in various parts of the country multiple times, but before long, the mist would always disperse on its own accord.
Yet those people forgot one crucial detail—
When the fog incident first broke out in Kamakura, it had never once dispersed on its own.
In the blink of an eye, noon arrived.
The mist shrouding all of Tokyo still showed not the slightest sign of clearing away; ordinary citizens could still keep their composure, as most households had more or less some food stocked up, and even without food, drinking tap water could stave off hunger.
Time trickled away second by second.
The entire city seemed as though a pause button had been pressed upon it, quieter than ever before, save for bizarre growls and raspy roars echoing out from the fog from time to time.
In the blink of an eye, night had fallen, yet the fog still showed zero signs of receding.
At this very moment.
Panic finally began to spread quietly...
Kita: "Ryo-senpai called it right on the mark. The fog actually isn't going away."
Anon: "No way! Anything like the end of the world must definitely never happen!"
Tomori: "I was just peering out beside my window, and I saw a figure holding a paper umbrella wandering the streets outside."
Soyo: "It's definitely an anomaly that crawled out of Otherworld. Tomori, don't open your window."
Tomori: "I know; I've already warned mom and Dad."
Kita: "Manager, the store won't open for business today, right?"
Seika: "With the fog so dangerous, nobody will dare step outside anyway. Rest properly at home; business can wait until after the fog clears."
Nijika: "Everyone keep your cool; the authorities are definitely taking emergency countermeasures right now."
"..."
The consolations had little effect.
The reason why the fog outbreaks in the recent period had dispersed voluntarily was purely out of dread toward Kitahara.
Yet with Kitahara currently banished deep into Otherworld, personnel from the Administration Bureau couldn't accurately pinpoint the Spatial Worms at all; even if everyone mobilized together, they couldn't eradicate the mist's sources, to say nothing of the diverse abnormal monsters prowling inside the fog, which severely impeded suppression operations.
Seeing the depressive atmosphere, Anon—clad in the pure-white bridal gown and perched on the couch—pursed her lips:
"I have some good news to share with everyone!"
Anon lived alone in a rented studio apartment with no family nearby, so wearing the bridal gown required no sneaking around; consequently, over these past few days, Anon had essentially stayed in the gown to act as the reality anchor.
Kita: "Eh? What does Anon-chan want to share?"
Anon: "I just sensed that Kitahara-kun's pace has accelerated tremendously, giving off an unstoppable momentum like snapping bamboo; before long, he should be able to return!"
Tomori: "I wonder how Sakiko and the others are doing, whether they're hurt."
Soyo: "No need to worry; Kitahara-kun will definitely take good care of everyone."
Ryo: "It's super worrying, actually."
Soyo: "Eh?"
Ryo: "There aren't many contraceptives stocked in the Onsen Dimension. It wouldn't surprise me if, once Kitahara returns with everyone, Sakiko, Hitori, and the others are all sporting big bellies..."
Kita: "What?! Even Hitori has a baby?!"
Nijika: "Ryo, stop spouting strange nonsense!"
"..."
Upon reading Ryo's wild and shocking remarks, the gloomy atmosphere was swept away in an instant.
"Nijika-senpai, there's a favor I'd like to ask of you."
Anon pursed her soft lips and sent a direct message to Nijika.
The message was soon marked as read.
Nijika: "What's up, Anon?"
Anon: "Well, I'm a bit worried about my parents at home. Who knows when the fog will clear up, and since nobody can go outside right now, staying in this apartment all by myself feels far too lonely. I want to go home and be with mom and Dad."
Clever and quick-witted, Nijika instantly caught Anon's drift:
"Anon wants me to wear the bridal gown instead?"
"Mhm, mhm! Please, Nijika-senpai!"
Everyone was already well aware of how vital the reality anchor was; thus, the pure-white bridal gown had to be worn continuously to provide Kitahara with constant 'navigation.'
Now that Anon missed her family and wanted to head home, someone else had to step in as the fresh anchor; thinking it over, Nijika was naturally the most suitable candidate.
Tomori, Soyo, and Kita were currently living with their parents, making wearing the pure-white bridal gown inevitably inconvenient in many ways, whereas Nijika harbored no such worries.
Her mother was a ghost who required no lengthy explanations, and her sole living guardian was the store manager, Seika—who, by now, might have already been thoroughly devoured by Kitahara anyway...
"Understood." Nijika indeed did not refuse, agreeing promptly, "Leave it to me; I'll summon Hana and have her deliver me to your apartment, Anon."
Breathing a sigh of relief, Anon thanked her cheerfully:
"Lord Angel, please accept my worship!"
Nijika: "..."
Pocketing her phone, Nijika gave Seika a brief rundown of the situation, then stepped into the restroom.
"Hana, come here for a second."
As Nijika summoned her silently in her heart, concentric ripples like disturbed water quickly surfaced across the mirror, and an animal-eared girl with silver hair and crimson eyes crawled out.
"Mama."
Hana lifted her gaze and called out; though her small face was expressionless, her voice was soft and sweet, exceptionally pleasing to the ear.
"Hana, please take me to Anon's apartment..."
Nijika crouched halfway down, pinching Hana's animal ears, her voice gentle.
The first time Hana called her "Mama," Nijika had felt profoundly embarrassed—as a sophomore in high school who had never even dated a boyfriend, suddenly being addressed as a mother felt far too scandalous no matter how she looked at it.
Yet now... her daughter was undeniably super adorable!
Moments later.
Holding Hana in her arms, Nijika emerged into a bathroom through the mirror.
"Anon?"
Nijika pushed open the bathroom door, calling out softly.
"Coming, coming!"
Pitter-patter footsteps sounded as Anon, dressed in the bridal gown, jogged over swiftly:
"I'm sorry for troubling Nijika-senpai."
"It's no trouble at all," Nijika said softly. "It's very dangerous outside right now, so it's only natural that Anon wants to go home."
"Ehehe~"
Anon beamed happily:
"Let's hurry and swap outfits; I guarantee Nijika-senpai will be in for a huge surprise in a bit."
"Eh?"
"Nijika-senpai will understand once you put on the dress."
"..."
Moments later.
Changing into the pure-white bridal gown, Nijika instantly understood what surprise Anon had been talking about:
"Eh? Kitahara-san's speed actually became this fast?!"
During their group chat, Anon had mentioned that Kitahara's pace of return had increased, but reading plain text gave no tangible sense of scale.
Only after donning the gown could one truly perceive how blistering Kitahara's present speed was: if he had been walking sluggishly beforehand, he was now tearing along a highway like a sports car, with every indication of accelerating further.
"I wasn't lying, was I?" Anon's voice sounded crisp and lively. "Kitahara-kun just loves doing that kind of thing: taking it slow at first so people can adjust, then accelerating faster and faster the further along it goes..."
Before she could finish her sentence, the air abruptly fell into dead silence.
Anon and Nijika subconsciously exchanged glances, then both turned their blushing faces away, scandalous scenes involuntarily flashing through both of their minds.
"N-Nijika-senpai, don't misunderstand!" Anon stuck out the tip of her pink tongue, scrambling to explain. "I was talking about boyfriend's travel speed returning home, not that kind of thing!"
Nijika: "..."
The more you explain right now, the easier it is for people to misunderstand, alright!
"Ahem..."
With her face burning red, Nijika cleared her throat twice, took Hana's right hand, and bashfully changed the subject:
"Then I'll head back first. Anon, pack up your apartment, and in a bit I'll have Hana take you home."
"..."
Scurrying back to her room in a flash and gazing at herself in the full-length mirror, Nijika's cheeks flushed faintly as she quietly let out a breath of relief.
"Phew..."
Although she often queued as a duo with Ryo, and had even queued together with her sister, she had zero experience fighting side-by-side with Anon after all, so abruptly discussing that sort of topic was naturally super embarrassing.
"And Ryo's earlier comment..."
Nijika stared at the mirror, a sudden look of resentment creeping into her eyes.
"There really aren't many contraceptives in the Onsen Dimension. When Kitahara-san returns from Otherworld, Hitori and the others won't actually be sporting big bellies, will they?"
At the thought that Hitori, Sakiko, and the rest might very well be sporting big bellies the next time they met, Nijika's feelings grew exceptionally complicated.
(They're clearly still just high schoolers. If Hitori accidentally got pregnant with a baby, it would be an absolute mess, wouldn't it?)
(Though the apocalypse has already arrived and everyone can barely look after themselves, so even if Hitori really did have a baby, nobody would care, right... No way! I'd care a whole lot, alright!)
Knock, knock, knock.
Amidst her wild thoughts, the sound of knocking on the door suddenly broke out.
"Nijika, are you back yet?"
Seika's voice drifted in from outside the door.
"I'm back..."
Nijika hastily gathered her thoughts, turned around, and opened the door.
Seika lowered her gaze, which fell upon the pure-white bridal gown adorning Nijika; her pretty face blushed faintly, her thoughts drifting back uncontrollably to the school festival several days ago.
Back then, it was precisely because she put on that pure-white bridal gown that an impulse got the better of her, allowing that bratty pervert to have his way in the end... Had she known, she never would have worn it!
"Onee-chan, now that Anon has gone home and Kita and the others are likewise staying with their parents, only the two of us can serve as the anchor." Nijika's face was faintly red, her golden side ponytail swaying gently under the lamp light, looking stunningly gorgeous paired with the pure-white bridal gown. "Right now I'll wear the gown. Onee-chan likes staying up late, and there's no need to open the live house right now anyway... Can I leave the night shift to Onee-chan?"
Seika let out a soft hmph and crossed her arms over her chest, not refusing:
"Leave it to me."
"Ah, wait a second." Nijika blinked, suddenly recalling something. "To activate the affix attributes, you have to kiss Kitahara-san while wearing the bridal gown... That night at the onsen, Onee-chan was busy stocking inventory and didn't go, so you can't activate the gown's attributes."
As Nijika spoke, she sighed helplessly:
"Looks like we can only ask Ryo for help."
The moment Ryo came to mind, Seika couldn't help snorting softly; if Ryo hadn't pushed and fanned the flames behind the scenes back then, she wouldn't have been eaten clean by a high schooler:
"No need to call Ryo for help. I can do it."
"Eh?" Nijika looked over curiously. "When did Onee-chan ever wear the bridal gown?"
Seika crossed her arms over her chest, her face burning hot, her gaze wandering evasively toward the side:
"It was on the day of the school festival... when I helped sell mapo tofu, and then went to the Onsen Dimension to rest for a bit..."
Nijika pursed her soft lips, suddenly lowering her voice:
"Could it be that Onee-chan has already... with Kitahara-san..."
"I'm not! I didn't! Don't talk nonsense!"
Seika hastily fired off the denial triple-combo, though the guilty conscience on her face was something even an elementary schooler could see through.
"...Looks like I guessed right."
Nijika sighed helplessly.
Regarding the fact that her older sister had been devoured clean, although Nijika felt a twinge of sourness in her heart, she quickly accepted reality.
After all, if one really traced it back to the root cause, the chief culprit was actually herself.
If she hadn't curiously used the Wish Sticky Note in the first place, her sister wouldn't have injured her waist, and the subsequent events naturally wouldn't have happened.
"Let's talk serious business first." Seika tightened her expression, hurriedly changing the topic. "Just now, something in the fog slammed into the window of my room."
"What was it?"
Nijika looked over with concern.
"Is the window okay?"
"With Hana's barrier in place, the window is safe and sound." Seika's expression turned solemn. "The fog outside was churning, so I couldn't see very clearly... It looked like an enormous insect."
Nijika pondered: "It should just be a coincidence, right?"
"No, that bug slammed into it several times." Seika gently shook her head, her face serious. "It felt like a moth darting into a flame—very deliberate and driven."
"Onee-chan doesn't need to worry," Nijika comforted her softly. "Even though Kitahara-san hasn't returned yet, Hana is very capable too. If that bug shows up again, I'll call Hana over to help."
"I wasn't worried, alright." Seika crossed her arms. "I'm just reminding you so you don't get startled... that's all."
"..."
Time quietly slipped away.
In the blink of an eye, the next day arrived.
"Phew..."
The alarm went off, and Nijika got up sporting dark circles under her eyes, covering her mouth with her hand as she let out a yawn.
She hadn't slept well last night—not only because she was worried about the fog outside, but also because in the dead of night, something had suddenly crashed against the glass, the loud thud giving her a terrible fright.
Upon closer inspection, Nijika had been shocked to discover that the monster slamming into the window was a giant insect looking like an oversized locust, its body easily the size of an adult's forearm—evidently the strange bug Seika had spoken of.
Nijika pushed open her bedroom door, only to see Seika wearing the bridal gown, seated on the living room sofa.
"Nijika, you're awake?" Seika looked up. "Did that bug come by again after that?"
"No," Nijika gently shook her head. "It really is bizarre. That bug was far too persistent, and against a monster that massive, the window wouldn't actually hold up on its own, would it?"
Right now, with the fog lingering and anomalies escaping from Otherworld running amok everywhere, occasional monsters bumping into buildings was normal, but relentlessly persisting was deeply abnormal.
"It feels like we've been targeted by a monster bug." Seika's expression turned grave. "It's best to call Hana over and let her help."
"Okay."
Nijika agreed readily, heading to the restroom to summon Hana.
"Hana, we ran into something very strange last night..."
Holding Hana's small hand, Nijika explained softly.
Bang!
Before she could finish, a dull impact echoed once more.
Nijika quickly turned her head and saw a remarkably ferocious-looking bug ramming toward the window yet again.
"...Hana, that's the one!"
Nijika recognized the monster outside the window at a glance.
Expressionless, Hana raised her right hand. Within the seemingly ordinary room, a flash of emerald light suddenly surged, followed by a bramble springing out from empty air; growing with the wind, it instantly transformed into a long spear, piercing right through the airborne bug.
Screeech!
The bug thrashed frantically, a large volume of dark-green fluid oozing from its wound and rapidly corroding the bramble.
However, the creature's life had reached its end; it flopped down from midair with a slap, ultimately crumbling into ash and dissipating into nothingness.
"Hana is wonderful, taking care of that bug so fast."
Nijika happily scooped up Hana, sparing no praise.
"Not yet," Hana said with a serious expression. "That is... bad bug."
"Eh?" A question mark popped over Nijika's head. "...Bad bug?"
"..."
After careful questioning, Seika and Nijika finally understood what 'bad bug' meant.
Although Otherworld was kaleidoscopic and exceedingly chaotic, no matter how chaotic, a certain degree of natural order still inevitably existed—such as between Hana and the strange bug just slain.
Hana's true form was a flower field, whereas the bug slain just now was a locust of Otherworld—an existence that specifically preyed upon all manner of plant-based anomalies.
In short, that otherworld locust was Hana's natural predator.
The reason it kept ramming the window from time to time was that it caught the scent of Hana emanating from the barrier.
"Hana won't be in danger, right?"
Having grasped the cause and effect, Nijika looked at her daughter with worry.
"Mama, don't worry. Barrier... very strong," Hana stated expressionlessly. "One bug, not afraid."
"As long as everything's okay."
Nijika gently breathed a sigh of relief.
Hana wouldn't lie; since she said it was fine, it was truly fine.
Who knew Hana wasn't finished yet:
"Unless... bugs form swarm."
Nijika: "..."