Chapter 54

Clearly, the reason for this meeting was supposed to be Sabrina’s apology for some unintentional rudeness she had committed.

Could it be because, in many ways, our tastes just happened to align?

I was having a far more enjoyable time than I had anticipated.

Come to think of it, it wasn’t all that strange.

Right now, Sabrina looked incredibly cute in a floaty dress with her hair let down, but on regular days, she appeared so androgynous that one might mistake her for a pretty boy.

Perhaps that’s why her usual interests leaned more towards active sports or gaming.

If I recalled the original work, there were even scenes where she went nuts over soccer or baseball, eagerly following tournaments.

Rather than playing with dolls or taking cute pictures, I found myself much more drawn to these kinds of activities.

So here we were—though things had turned out differently, my heart still burned with romantic aspirations like that of a boy.

Thus, after wandering around places like the dessert café and doll shops recommended by Raine, when Sabrina suddenly stopped in front of a large game center we stumbled upon, I grabbed her arm and dashed inside without hesitation.

“Eh, eh… Yuria, are you interested in games?”

“…!”

Of course! I absolutely love them!

I vigorously nodded at Sabrina while flailing my arms.

I was so excited to see what kind of games this world’s game center had to offer—it made my heart race.

True to my expectations, the inside of the game center was nothing short of mesmerizing.

The earsplitting noise from the games, people shouting, and the sound of something being hit with great force.

Everywhere I looked, flashy game machines were set up, and VR devices hung on the walls.

This scene naturally heated up my heart, making my butt unconsciously wiggle with excitement.

This place… looks so fun!

“Whoa, Yuria. Be careful. If you’re not paying attention, you might trip.”

“…”

But maybe I got too excited.

While looking around, I failed to notice someone passing by and bumped right into them.

Fortunately, thanks to Sabrina quickly grabbing my waist, I didn’t end up falling flat on my butt.

Instead, I found myself leaning against her, which helped cool my head down a bit.

To get so distracted by a game center like some little kid… Lately, it feels like my body reacts before my mind does. I should really try to control myself more.

“Hmm… I don’t have much money, so I can’t play too many games. Yuria, is there any game you want to play?”

“…!”

After pondering Sabrina’s question, I pointed to a game where two players could shoot zombies on screen with guns.

Competitive games weren’t bad, but I thought cooperative ones would be more fun since we were together anyway.

Soon, after waiting in line for our turn, I confidently stood on a treadmill-like platform linked to the character, holding a mock gun that felt surprisingly heavy.

‘Phew, this is the moment to show Sabrina how cool I am. Let me show her just how good I am at games!’

My gamer spirit burned fiercely.

Though I’d never played this particular game before, it was common sense that TS girls were good at games!

Plus, as someone who loved games even in my past life, I didn’t want to look pathetic.

Meanwhile, Sabrina, standing on the platform next to mine, finished her preparations by tapping the floor with her gun.

And then, we began our fierce battle against the wave of zombies rushing in like a tide.

When three minutes passed and the first stage finally ended, Sabrina lowered the mock gun she had been holding close to her face and said,

“…Yuria, you’re really bad at this.”

“…”

I felt my ears burning with embarrassment and squeezed my eyes shut.

There was no room for excuses. I had let my guard down thinking it was just a mock gun, only for the recoil to make me drop it. I got bitten by a zombie within ten seconds of starting and died.

I won’t die so pathetically anymore! I’ll survive longer than Sabrina, at least!

With renewed determination, I moved on to stages two and three.

But no matter what, I couldn’t last more than 30 seconds in each stage.

Just as I wondered, “Huh?” a zombie snuck up from behind and bit my shoulder. Then, before I knew it, “Eh?” I fell right into a zombie trap.

Ugh, this is… harder than I expected…

Never did I imagine I’d become such dead weight. Feeling gloomy, I could only blankly watch as Sabrina fought off the horde of zombies, including my share.

But despite my miserable performance, Sabrina effortlessly took down twice the number of zombies by herself, clearing the final boss without any issues.

What on earth is this overwhelming skill gap?!

I cursed my pitiful physical abilities, which were utterly useless without telekinesis.

“It wasn’t as hard as I thought. Did you wait long, Yuria?”

“…”

I was frustrated. I wanted to show off my skills, but instead, I ended up watching Sabrina’s mad skills in action.

Vowing to pay her back someday, I left the game center with her.

Thanks to the reins coming loose at the game center, we decided to dive into any place that caught our interest.

Dessert cafés weren’t bad either, but… we needed more dopamine.

Lost in the whirlwind, we wandered around Night Haven until the gray sky, dusted with snow, darkened.

‘It’s about time to part ways.’

Walking down neon-lit streets, I glanced back at Sabrina, whose regret was evident. I was glad she seemed to have enjoyed herself today as much as I did.

“Hey, couldn’t we hang out just until dinner…?”

“…”

No. If we do that, it’ll get too late, and everyone will worry.

I firmly shook my head at Sabrina.

Though it was only 5 PM and the sun had just set, staying for dinner would mean returning too late.

Besides, we were too young to wander around dark Night Haven without proper guardians.

Well, at least I looked young. Getting stopped by the police would be troublesome.

“Alright… I understand. Then, that’s it for today.”

Sabrina, dripping with reluctance, reluctantly accepted my decision.

She was smart enough to realize that throwing a tantrum wouldn’t help.

Looking at her, I chuckled softly and reached out to hold both her hands.

Why so glum? We can always play again another day. Today isn’t the only day.

As if conveying that message, I gently tapped her hand with my fingertips.

Even if she didn’t catch the exact meaning, she seemed to grasp the vague sentiment.

Shaking off her gloom, she bashfully held my hand in return.

“Let’s play again next time.”

“…!”

Exchanging warmth through our fingertips, we lightly brushed off the sorrow of parting.

After all, we could meet again anytime in the same city.

Rather, the thought of making up for today’s missed fun next time filled me with anticipation.

With that, Yuria and Sabrina headed toward the subway side by side.

This area was a bit far from where the office was located, closer to the downtown side.

To return to our original district, the subway was the fastest and cheapest option.

“So, yesterday, that dummy brother forgot his appointment with Raine-nee, and she got super mad. Even though Raine-nee seems nice, she’s terrifying when angry. That’s why Dummy Brother immediately dropped to his knees…”

“…!”

Ah, so that’s why David seemed to leave in such a rush yesterday. Who would’ve guessed?

Nodding enthusiastically to Sabrina’s lively storytelling, I suddenly noticed how eerily quiet our surroundings had become.

‘Huh? Why are there so few people around here?’

I abruptly stopped walking. Sabrina tilted her head, wondering what was wrong, but after signaling her to wait a moment, I listened closely to the sounds around us.

Faint sirens and urgent voices reached my ears, creating an ominous atmosphere as if something serious had happened.

Sensing something amiss, Sabrina started looking around nervously.

At that very moment, someone suddenly dropped from above and landed right in front of us.

A person falling from the sky? Both Sabrina and I were startled as we stared at the newcomer.

It was none other than a blue-haired man in a police uniform. He spoke.

“Hey, kids. It’s dangerous ahead, so turn back. This area will be sealed off soon.”

“Uh, excuse me… We need to take the subway…?”

“There’s an issue with the subway right now, which is why I’m telling you this. Hurry up and go back. I’m busy.”

The man replied to Sabrina in a cold, emotionless tone.

Sabrina flinched at his harsh voice.

But despite meeting him for the first time, I couldn’t stop blinking at how familiar he looked.

His unnaturally deep blue hair and icy demeanor screamed ‘cool guy,’ complemented by a sharp scar running vertically along one side of his mouth and a perfectly pressed police uniform.

I knew this man. Of course, he was quite a significant character in the original work too!

‘His name’s Ethan, right? The young elite officer who rivals Raven in the police storyline.’

The captain of the Special Crimes Response Team 3, who led the main police story arc.

If Raven was the face of the Pixie side, this guy was the face of the police side.

In terms of ability, age, and status, he was one of the rare individuals considered equal to Raven.

To unexpectedly bump into Ethan here of all places. How curious.

Feeling a bit amused by his sudden appearance, I prepared to leave quietly.

Given my current situation as an unidentified individual, getting entangled with the police would be troublesome.

Arguing with him would only put me at a disadvantage.

Alright, alright. If he tells us to leave quickly, we should. No reason to linger.

Just as I turned to leave with Sabrina, Ethan’s radio suddenly crackled to life.

[“Captain. We’ve identified the suspect currently rampaging in the underground subway lines. Her name is Anser, a regular citizen who registered her move to Night Haven exactly 27 days ago. After checking records, it seems she has no significant ties to any criminal organizations.”]

[“What? Then why is she causing trouble on such a nice weekend? This is driving me crazy! I was supposed to be off-duty today!”]

[“Maybe she has some grievances against society… Demons are like that, aren’t they…”]

[“Liz-senpai. That’s blatant racial discrimination.”]

[“Eek! C-can we just pretend I didn’t say that…”]

[“Then ten meal tickets…”]

“Stop chit-chatting on the radio, you idiots. Betty, check if there are any other clues. The rest of you, gather at Libra Station once civilian control is complete. We’ll await further instructions from above.”

[“Understood.”]

[“Yes!”]

Static.

After finishing the transmission, Ethan glanced at Sabrina and me, who hadn’t moved yet.

“In any case, hurry back. I can’t take responsibility if you get hurt.”

Fortunately, he didn’t seem too concerned that we overheard the transmission. After warning us not to spread what we heard around, he left.

But even after he was gone, we couldn’t bring ourselves to move.

The shocking news from the transmission felt like a hammer blow to the back of our heads.

“Y-Yuria… Could it be that just now…?”

“…”

I nodded at Sabrina, whose eyes trembled, confirming her suspicions.

Then I pulled out the napkin Anser had given me earlier.

The letters written on the napkin wobbled as if struggling to maintain their form.

It seemed something was happening to Anser, whom we had met earlier.