While I was chanting a curse, the system said I was Xiao Yan?

Okinawa.

Sunshine, beach, sea breeze, coconut trees.

And a white seaside hotel.

The hotel wasn't large, only five stories, but it was exquisitely decorated. The white exterior walls gleamed softly in the sunlight, and the balconies were planted with flowers of various colors, swaying gently in the breeze.

The hotel faces the sea, and you can see the entire beach from your room, with white sand, blue water, and tourists running around on the beach.

Xia Youjie sat on a sofa in the hotel lobby, holding a book in his hand and flipping through it.

His black, shoulder-length hair was tied in a bun, with a long fringe hanging down. His expression was gentle and focused, and he exuded a calm and composed aura that seemed out of place with his surroundings.

Beside him, Misato Kuroi sat upright, holding a tablet computer and looking at some information.

Riko lay on the sofa next to her, legs crossed, chewing gum, staring blankly at the ceiling. She was wearing a loose white T-shirt and a pair of flashy beach shorts, with flip-flops on her feet. She looked exactly like a tourist returning from the beach.

"I'm so bored."

Riko sighed, blew a big bubble out of her chewing gum, then inhaled it again: "When is Satoru coming back?"

Xia Youjie turned a page of his book, saying without looking up, "It should be soon."

"That's what you just said."

Riko rolled her eyes, sat up from the sofa, crossed her arms, and glared at Xia Youjie: "You said an hour ago, 'It should be soon,' and what happened? We haven't even seen a trace of him!"

Xia Youjie looked up at her, a slight smile playing on his lips, a hint of helplessness in his expression: "Wu suddenly has something to take care of, he'll be back when he's done."

"What is it? Something more important than playing with me... or protecting me?"

Xia Youjie was silent for a moment, then spoke, his voice still gentle, but with a hint of seriousness in his tone: "It's about a friend."

Riko paused for a moment, then said "Oh," and lay back down on the sofa, muttering something like "It's more fun when I'm with Satoru," but her voice grew softer and softer until it became an indistinct murmur.

Xia Youjie didn't respond and continued reading his book.

Misato Kuroi watched this scene from the side, a slight smile curving her lips, before turning her gaze back to the information on her tablet.

Outside the hotel, the sun was shining brightly.

Haibara Yu and Nanami Kento stood on the steps at the hotel entrance, both dressed casually.

"Nanami."

Haibara Yu spoke up, his voice brimming with youthful energy: "Shouldn't we find a place to train? We've been playing all day, and I feel like my body is rusting."

Nanami Kento glanced at him, wanting to say that it was during a mission and that "extra training" was tiring, but considering that he had indeed been too relaxed that day, he remained silent for a moment and then nodded.

"Okay, let's find a quiet place."

Haibara Yu's eyes lit up: "Over there! There's a grove of trees over there. I saw there weren't many people there, so it should be okay."

He pointed to a small grove of trees next to the hotel. The grove wasn't large, but the trees were quite dense, and sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting dappled shadows on the ground.

Nanami Kento glanced at the finger he was pointing at and nodded.

The two walked down the steps and headed towards the grove of trees.

The sunlight shone on them, casting two long shadows on the ground.

The grove was quiet, with only the rustling of leaves in the wind and the occasional birdsong. The ground was covered with a thick layer of fallen leaves, soft and fluffy underfoot, like walking on cotton.

Haibara Yu moved his wrists and twisted his neck, his joints making a crisp cracking sound.

"bring it on."

He said, striking a pose: "It's been a while since I've practiced, Nanami, so don't go easy on me."

Nanami Kento glanced at the energetic Haibara Yu and sighed, wondering how the other man maintained his vitality. It was Saturday, and he really had no motivation.

"I won't."

The two began practicing together.

Without using any magical tools or magical power, it was purely physical combat—fists, feet, elbows, knees—each collision producing a dull thud that echoed through the quiet forest.

Haibara Yu is fast, agile, and has sharp punches and kicks, while Nanami Kento's movements are more steady, with each block perfectly timed and each counterattack precise and powerful.

The two fought for about ten minutes, both sweating profusely, but neither showed any intention of stopping.

Then, Nanami Kento's movements suddenly paused.

His brow furrowed, and his gaze passed over Haibara Yu's shoulder, landing deep in the woods.

Haibara noticed his unusual behavior, withdrew his fist, and followed his gaze.

"What's wrong?"

Nanami Kento did not answer.

His gaze fell on a figure deep in the woods.

The person was wearing a black short-sleeved shirt and flip-flops, with their hands in their pockets, and was walking towards them at a leisurely pace.

His gait was casual, as if he were strolling in his own backyard, but the distance between each step was exactly the same, as precise as if it had been measured with a ruler.

He was burly, with muscles that were faintly visible under the thin fabric. A scar on the corner of his mouth added a touch of ferocity to his already somewhat roguish face.

But his expression was calm, even languid, like an ordinary tourist taking a stroll after dinner.

Nanami Kento looked at that person, his brows furrowing even more.

He couldn't quite put his finger on what was wrong, but his intuition told him that something was off about this person.

Haibara Yuya also sensed it.

He dropped his energetic, youthful expression, replacing it with a serious and wary look. He leaned forward slightly, lowering his center of gravity, and his right hand was already on the hilt of the short sword at his waist.

"Who are you?" he asked, his voice devoid of fear, carrying only the caution one might show when facing the unknown.

The person did not answer.

He didn't even look at Haibara Yu; his gaze passed over the two of them and landed on the white hotel behind them.

Then he shook his head and made a cryptic "tsk".

"I chose the wrong direction. I ran right into people from the vocational college. The mission is urgent, and there's no time to gather any intelligence. It's definitely not that simple." He muttered to himself, his voice low and hoarse, carrying a sense of helplessness that said, "I knew it would turn out like this."

Haibara Yu's pupils contracted slightly.

He gripped the hilt of the knife tightly, his magical power began to gather, and his body sank slightly, ready to strike at any moment.

"I'm asking you..."

He hadn't finished speaking.

That person moved.

Haibara Yu didn't even see how he moved. One second he was standing there, hands in his pockets, looking lazy, and the next second he was already in front of Haibara Yu, so close that Haibara Yu could see every line of the scar on the corner of his mouth.

A large hand reached out.

Haibara instinctively tried to dodge, but the hand was too fast, so fast that his body couldn't react in time.

That hand precisely gripped his neck.

Then, a tremendous force came from his neck, and Haibara felt as if the whole world was spinning!

The world spun around, and the sunlight and tree shadows blended together, becoming a blurry patch of light.

His head hit the ground with a dull thud.

His consciousness became blurred in that instant, as if someone had poured a bottle of glue into his brain, making all his thoughts sticky, slow, and difficult to flow.

He heard a sound.

It sounded like someone was calling his name from afar.

Then, everything went dark.