I, Yuhaka, am hungry!

They probably won't be able to beat it, but those Cursed Children from the Liberation Front might be able to. Once, when Chishou Natsume and her friends encountered a Level III Gastrea in the wild, those Cursed Children from the Liberation Front took it down in just two or three hits with their Radiant Power Techniques, leaving it without even a trace.

Chizu Natsuyo also tried her own Shining Power Technique. Her Shining Power Technique didn't have much offensive power; at most, it could only create some water. However, thanks to this water-attribute Shining Power Technique, she could now drink clean, odorless water without having to drink dew, rainwater, or go to unclean water sources.

After conjuring water with her radiance, Chizu Natsuyo drank some to moisten her throat. After finishing the water, she wiped the water from the corner of her mouth and looked at the distant forest with a frown, saying:

"By the way, where exactly is this place?"

No one could answer this question, and Natsuyo Senju felt that ever since she passed through that door, she had felt as if she had come to another world.

However, Chizu Natsuyo's mind rejected this idea, as it seemed unrealistic, and Chizu Natsuyo had not received enough information to analyze the situation.

"Ha... Anyway, let's go back to the outer area first. Staying in the inner area will eventually lead to people discovering that I am the Cursed Child."

With that, Chizu Natsuyo stood up, dusted herself off, and walked toward the distant forest. Although she didn't know what the forest was, Chizu Natsuyo felt that a place like the forest, where few people would come, would be a suitable hiding place for her.

So Chizu Natsuyo headed towards the forest, and soon, in no time at all, she arrived at the forest.

Senju Natsuyo looked at the densely wooded area, scratched her head, and said with a puzzled expression:

"To be honest, I'm starting to doubt if this is really the Tokyo area..."

Despite her doubts, Chizu Natsuyo still felt it was better to find a suitable place to stay first. So, Chizu Natsuyo entered the forest. But as she entered, a white dog poked its head out from the bushes and looked at her with an expression as if it had spotted her target. Then it turned and left.

...............................

As Chizu Natsuyo entered the forest, she rubbed her shoulders. Although the temperature wasn't particularly cold today, she felt a chill, as if something was watching her. However, after looking around, she didn't find anything staring at her, which puzzled her greatly.

"Hmm... I guess I was just too sensitive the other day..."

However, just as Senju Natsuyo continued walking forward, a pair of crimson eyes flashed past above the trees.

After walking for a while, Chizu Natsuyo noticed a scene ahead that looked like someone had lived there. After checking it out, Chizu Natsuyo found that the camp had not been inhabited for a long time, which made Chizu Natsuyo feel relieved and very fortunate.

"Looks like I won't be sleeping outdoors this time..."

After gathering some dry firewood and starting a fire by friction, Natsume Senju felt like taking a bath. After all, she had only wiped herself with water in the restaurant earlier.

There just happened to be an iron bucket here, and Natsume Senju thought it could be used to boil some water for a hot bath.

To be honest, Chizu Natsuyo felt she needed to take a proper bath. After all, she hadn't showered for several days while in the unmanaged area. Even back in the outer area, she would use her Radiant Power to clean herself every day, since she was a girl after all.

After placing the iron bucket on the campfire, Natsume Senju used her Radiant Power to release some clean water. Once the water was almost boiled, Natsume Senju placed the iron bucket filled with hot water aside. For the Cursed Children, the weight of the iron bucket filled with hot water was simply effortless.

Because of the gastrula virus, the cursed children possess greater strength and physical constitution than adults, and they also have a strong resistance to most viruses and toxins.

After placing the iron bucket in place, Chizu Natsuyo put some clean stones inside to prevent her feet from getting burned. Then, she prepared to take off her clothes, but before doing so, she checked her surroundings to make sure no one was watching her.

Although she didn't think her 10-year-old figure was anything special, Chizu Natsuyo always felt a little uncomfortable with the way people were watching her.

Afterwards, Natsume Senju realized that she was probably overthinking things. She had also considered that it might be a Gastrea or something, but Gastrea would probably attack immediately if they discovered humans.

After taking off her clothes and placing them on a tree stump, Chizu Natsuyo soaked in the hot water in the iron tub and let out a comfortable sigh.

"Phew~ After a long day of fatigue, a hot bath is definitely the most comfortable thing..."

Just as Natsume Senju was leisurely taking a bath, two pairs of crimson eyes lit up in the woods behind her, staring at her.

OowoO~

Chapter 267 [You Chase, I Run~]

In the forest where Yuhaka used to live with Kanna, Yuhaka perched on a tree branch, watching the sandwich thief who stole his beloved work uniform.

However, he was relieved to see that the man who stole his clothes was not a burly pervert named Yuhaka. He no longer had to worry about his clothes getting dirty.

However, what Yuhaka found very strange was that the sandwich thief in front of him had a strange smell that was mixed with the smell of a human, and Yuhaka could also sense the fluctuation of radiance.

"OwO?"

Although Yuhaka was confused, that didn't stop him from getting his clothes back.

Soon, Yuhaka quietly followed Chizu Natsuyo to their old camp. Seeing the familiar camp made Yuhaka feel a little nostalgic, but she quickly focused her attention on Chizu Natsuyo.

After Chizu Natsuyo took off her clothes to prepare for a shower, Yuhaka's eyes immediately lit up. Don't get me wrong, Yuhaka wasn't interested in Chizu Natsuyo's body, but rather in seeing her work clothes taken off and placed aside by Chizu Natsuyo... Uh... it feels really strange no matter how you explain it, right?

Well, now that Yuhaka sees his work clothes being placed aside by Chizu Natsume, he doesn't need to worry about his clothes getting damaged.

Once Chizu Natsuyo lowered her guard, Yuhaka transformed into its third form and slowly crawled toward Chizu Natsuyo with two pairs of bright red eyes. Chizu Natsuyo, who was taking a bath, did not notice Yuhaka behind her and was still rubbing her arms.

Unfortunately, as Yuhaka sneaked over, he accidentally stepped on and broke a branch hidden in the grass. With a "crack," the surroundings suddenly went quiet. Yuhaka looked at the broken branch with a puzzled expression.

“Owo?”

Meanwhile, Chizu Natsuyo was covered in cold sweat. The instant she heard the sound of the branch breaking, her little brain started analyzing the situation like a high-speed computer. In less than a second, she figured out what was behind her.

Based on the intelligence gathered by Chizu Natsuyo over the years, Chizu Natsuyo could immediately determine that there was a very large creature a few meters behind her. As for what kind of large creature it was... Chizu Natsuyo didn't even need to guess to know that it was undoubtedly a Gastrea!

Chizu Natsuyo placed her hands on the edge of the iron bucket, used her limbs to leap out of the bucket, and ran towards a nearby tree stump, preparing to grab her clothes and weapons and escape. However, in that instant, Chizu Natsuyo heard several whooshing sounds as they flew towards her. Thanks to her dolphin factor, she possessed extremely high knowledge and also extremely fast reaction speed (although sometimes her physical speed was not as fast as her reaction speed).

Senju Natsuyo slammed on the brakes and stopped abruptly. Although she stopped immediately, she was grazed by the sudden attack.

Senju Natsume looked at the several black, spiky scales stuck in the ground with a solemn expression, but she didn't think for long before quickly jumping back.

Then a huge figure leaped over from the side, causing a massive impact, but fortunately, Chishou Natsuyo jumped far enough away that he was not affected.

"!"

Natsume Senju stared in shock at the enormous figure before her. Before her stood a gigantic creature, its two pairs of crimson eyes a testament to its Gastrea nature.

Natsume Senju frowned as she looked at the Gastrea in front of her, which was actually Yuhaka.

Chizu Natsume felt uneasy seeing the various strange creatures in Yuhaka's hands. Undoubtedly, a Gastrea with multiple biological characteristics was most likely a Level III or Level IV Gastrea, but Chizu Natsume felt that the Gastrea in front of her was more likely to be a Level IV.

"Oowoow~OowoO~"

Yuhaka roared at Chizu Natsuyo in front of him, telling her not to touch her Penguin Logistics uniform. Chizu Natsuyo looked at Yuhaka nervously. Although she was a cursed child, Chizu Natsuyo might not be as powerful as other cursed children in terms of direct combat strength. However, Chizu Natsuyo was good at calculation and could deal with a large number of Gastrea through various means.

The prerequisite is that there are enough weapons.

However, right now she's completely naked; she doesn't have a single piece of clothing on her, so don't expect her to defeat a Gastrea, let alone a level III or IV Gastrea.

Even if she had clothes, she still couldn't win...

After careful consideration, Senju Natsuyo decided that running away was the best option, so he turned and ran.

Yuhaka was also stunned when he saw Chizu Natsume running away. However, Yuhaka was more concerned about whether his Penguin Logistics uniform was okay than about the sandwich thief's escape.

Once back in his first form, Yhaka examined the clothes on the nearby tree stump. After picking up his Penguin Logistics work uniform and finding no problems, he put the uniform back into his dimensional cave.

"Hmm O_O?"

Yuhaka noticed the other clothes on the tree stump and looked puzzled. Yuhaka picked up one of the clothes placed on the tree stump, examined it carefully, and then sniffed it.

Hmm, there's nothing strange about it. Yuhaka did smell the scent of earth and weeds, along with the scent of Senju Natsuyo. Then, as if remembering something, Yuhaka paused for a moment and said:

"Ah... I almost forgot."

That sandwich thief just stole my sandwich and I haven't returned it to her yet. I have to get it back!

Of course, Yuhaka knew that Chizu Natsuyo, who was on the run, obviously didn't have any sandwiches on her, but Yuhaka wanted to catch Chizu Natsuyo and make her repay him for the sandwiches with her body.

Uh... please don't misunderstand, Yuhaka just wants Chizu Natsuyo to make him a sandwich as repayment, and it's not the kind of plot that gentlemen like to see.

Afterwards, Yuhaka threw Chizu Natsuyo's clothes and pistol into his dimensional portal, then transformed into his third form and chased after Chizu Natsuyo.

Chapter 268 [The Sandwich Thief Has Been Caught!]

In the forest, Chizu Natsuyo was running away. Although running naked made her feel a little embarrassed, she couldn't care less at the moment, as a Level IV Gastrea was chasing her.

Although Chizu Natsume didn't know why a Level IV Gastrea was inside the giant stone monument, the only thing she understood was that if she didn't escape, she would only have two fates: either be eaten by that Gastrea, or become a Gastrea herself.

But Chizu Natsuyo didn't want to choose either of these options.

After running for a while, Chizu Natsuyo leaned against a tree and kept a watchful eye on the direction behind her. She breathed a sigh of relief when she didn't see the Gastrea. Although she didn't see the Gastrea now, Chizu Natsuyo knew that she hadn't escaped its pursuit yet.

That Gastrea might still be chasing him relentlessly, but right now the most important thing for him is to get rid of the Gastrea and then find a way to get his clothes and pistol back.

After all, he couldn't possibly go into the city looking like this. Not only would it attract attention, but it might also attract a bunch of gentry and even the police.

Although the pistol wasn't loaded with bicolor bullets, it was still a good option for dealing with hunters.

"However, how to get back the clothes and weapons is still a problem."

Just as Chizu Natsuyo was thinking about how to get her things back, she suddenly felt a liquid drip onto her shoulder, which startled her. Just as she thought it was going to rain, she noticed that the liquid on her shoulder was sticky, which made her heart race.

Without a doubt, the Gastrea or some other Gastrea was drooling right above her head. Chizu Natsuyo immediately took off running, but before she could run more than a few steps, a numbing sensation spread through her body, causing her to lose control of her steps and fall to the ground.

This is... a neurotoxin?! When was I injected with a neurotoxin?!

As Chizu Natsuyo's mind raced, she recalled the time when she tried to retrieve her clothes and was scratched by several spiky scales. At first, Chizu Natsuyo didn't pay much attention to it, since for a cursed child, scratches would heal completely in a short while.

But Natsume Senju didn't expect that those black, spiky scales were actually carrying neurotoxins.

"Well!"

Chizu Natsuyo struggled to get up, but the numbness in her limbs made her feel very weak. At this moment, Yuhaka in his third form climbed down from the tree and looked at Chizu Natsuyo, who was unable to move due to the paralyzing toxin, with a smug expression.

At first, Yuhaka was wondering why his paralyzing toxin hadn't worked on Chizu Natsuyo; turns out it hadn't fully taken effect yet.

After Yuhaka arrived at Chizu Natsuyo's side, he tentatively nudged Chizu Natsuyo, who was lying on the ground and whose muscles were twitching from time to time, with his nose. After seeing that the paralyzing toxin had stabilized, Yuhaka smelled Chizu Natsuyo to make sure that he had not found the wrong person.

Chizu Natsuyo, on the other hand, felt unwell. She could feel the Gastrea behind her sniffing her, as if confirming something. The hot breath from its mouth made her shudder and her whole body stiffen.

At this moment, Chizu Natsuyo felt extremely nervous and scared. Although her strength was much greater than that of an average adult, she was still just a 10-year-old little girl. Psychologically, Chizu Natsuyo might be a little stronger than the other Cursed Children, but she still felt afraid of Gastrea.

"ah!?"

Just as Chizu Natsuyo was quickly thinking of how to get out of her current situation, she suddenly felt the monster bite her.

Yuhaka rolled Chizu Natsuyo into his mouth and held her head in it, while avoiding biting off Chizu Natsuyo's head with his sharp teeth.

After taking Chizu Natsuyo into its mouth, Yuhaka used its wind power to make itself fly and float in the air. Chizu Natsuyo was very puzzled when she saw Yuhaka flying with her in its mouth, since the Gastrea in front of her did not eat her immediately... However, Chizu Natsuyo thought that maybe the Gastrea wanted to take her back to its nest to eat her.

Thinking about it this way, Senju Natsuyo felt extremely nervous and scared...

..........................................

Chizu Natsuyo didn't experience the scenario she imagined: Gastrea taking her back to their nest to eat her. Yuhaka, looking completely bewildered, was near Himeko and the others at the edge of the forest. Himeko and the others waved to Yuhaka after seeing him return with Chizuyo in his mouth.

After flying down from the sky, Yuhaka landed next to Ji Lin and the others. Ji Lin looked at Yuhaka and said to the bewildered Chizu Natsume:

"Master Youyou, is this child the thief?"

Yuhaka spat out Senju Natsuyo, then wagged its large tail and said to Ji Lin and the others:

"Yes, the smell is the same as on the clothes."

Hearing Yuhaka's words, Ji Lin and the others nodded and then looked at Chizu Natsume, who had been spat out by Yuhaka, with a very subtle expression. Why was this little loli thief in front of them not wearing any clothes?