Tokyo: After years of stagnation, the heiress of the yakuza arrives.

Night slowly descended from the street corner.

One by one, the streetlights on the edge of the rat district lit up, and the warm white light fell on her shoulders, making her gentle and quiet face look as if she had just casually asked about the weather, rather than precisely stabbing Kuroba Shido in the spine.

Kuroba Shido froze on the spot, a chill running through him from head to toe.

You're drenched in sweat, bro!

When you feel stressed, you can come and see Kuroba Shido.

Onodera Zannen watched him quietly.

Kuroba Shido's brain began to work frantically, his smooth brain suddenly becoming wrinkled, making him a force to be reckoned with, even compared to a supercomputer.

Onodera Zannen didn't laugh at him or expose him; she simply said softly, "If Shido-kun doesn't want to say it, he doesn't have to."

Kuroba Shido was taken aback.

Onodera Zannen looked at the old buildings in the rat district and said calmly, "I just feel that there are many traces of Shido living in that house, but it doesn't seem like people still live there often now."

Kuroba Shido gasped.

really.

It's very likely that Onodera Zannen saw it from the very beginning.

The door was broken and hadn't been repaired, the cabinet was excessively empty, the refrigerator showed no signs of use, the room smelled too dusty, and the tea leaves were obviously taken out as if it were for a temporary guest. Even his initial nervousness in not wanting her to look at them was probably within Onodera Zanne's observation range.

Kuroba Shido suddenly felt a sense of desolation, as if he had accidentally stumbled into a high-level match.

He thought he was just dodging the question.

Onodera Zannen may have been watching his performance from the very first step.

Is this what high-level gameplay looks like?

Those despicable clever people!

In a fit of rage, Kuroba Shido… then in zero seconds accepted the fact that he was a piece of trash and no match for his senior.

A weak, cowardly cook for a day, a weak, cowardly cook for a lifetime!

No!!

Onodera Zanne looked away and turned to look at him again, her face still bearing that gentle smile that sent chills down one's spine.

"Shidou-san."

Shido Kuroba's throat moved slightly.

"exist."

"If you encounter any problems that you can't solve, you can come to me."

Shido Kuroba blinked.

Onodera Zanne said softly, "Because we are friends, friends who can be trusted and helped."

As these words were spoken, the night wind blew across the street.

It's very light.

But it sent a chill down Kuroba Shido's spine.

friend.

When someone else says it, it might just be a very ordinary expression of concern.

When spoken by Onodera Zanne, these words sound like a contract wrapped in gentleness. On the outside, it says "friends," but inside, there may be a series of small clauses that Kuroba Shido dares not think about, such as "relationship confirmation," "priority assistance," "long-term observation," and "intervention in the target's living environment when necessary."

But her tone was too sincere.

So sincere that Shido Kuroba was momentarily speechless, unable to even utter a retort.

"Well... thank you, senior."

Onodera Zannen nodded gently.

See you at the zoo the day after tomorrow.

Shido Kuroba nodded stiffly.

See you the day after tomorrow.

Onodera Zannen turned and left.

She walked slowly, her silhouette stretched long under the streetlights, her skirt gently lifted by the evening breeze, until she finally disappeared at the street corner leading to the station.

Kuroba Shido stood there, watching her walk away completely, before finally letting out a long breath as if he had been freed from some invisible pressure.

My back was completely soaked.

I was terrified... Okay, so the lie I told you is out!

He now even suspects that when Onodera Zanne waited for him at the back gate of the school, it wasn't just because of the zoo invitation, but also because she took the opportunity to find out his route away from school, his temporary residence, the condition of his old house, his weekend plans, and all of Miyazaki Kiyoshi's related activities.

This doesn't look like a senior student at all.

This is a high-end intelligence agency disguised in a gentle exterior.

Kuroba Shido, leaning on his cane, remained silent for a long time before finally muttering with a sigh, "Rice ball head, forgotten ghost, it's a blessing that you can live such mindless lives..."

At least Yamamoto Shinjin wouldn't have predicted his prediction.

Although Ito Fusei is cunning, he usually pushes Yamamoto out as a scapegoat and doesn't break down his life into seventeen intelligence reports.

Kuroba Shido glanced down at his phone.

To prevent any further trouble in front of Onodera Reine, he had turned off his phone.

The last time filming started was for Onodera Zanne's scene where she says, "I just saw the zoo news, it's not that I'm not going to reply." After filming, they quickly shut it down to avoid triggering any unknown rules or supernatural tales...

Turning on your computer will kill you, turning it off will kill you, glancing at it will kill you, not glancing at it will kill you, reading it and not replying will kill you, reading it and replying will kill you...

Only now that Onodera Zannen has finally left did he dare to restart the project.

The screen lights up.

A few seconds later, the phone started vibrating continuously.

hum.

Hey.

Kuroba Shido's eyelids twitched.

He has now developed a conditioned reflex to his phone vibrating.

No matter who sends the message, his first reaction is that the capital is about to set him up again... He used to laugh at those who failed the online college entrance exams and were foolishly lucky to be set up by the capital.

Now it seems that it might really be true; the fact that he's been set up is the best proof of that!

Damn it, it's already been transported here and reopened. Even after the capital took over, they still won't let him go!

Kuroba Shido gritted his teeth and then opened the messages on his phone.

Contact person... Old Ox and Horse!

[Hey kid, where are you?]

Is he still alive?

The whole family of Big Black is still in my house. Did you dump your rat wife and kids on me?

Are you coming back today?

As Kuroba Shido looked at these messages, his eyes even felt a little moist...

Old ox and horse.

It turned out to be an old cow or a horse.

After navigating high-level battles and being tested by multiple forces, we ultimately discovered that simplicity is best...

In plain language... Amamiya Kaoru is an easy target.

There was nothing we could do; the others were all too cunning, and only Lao Niu Ma was somewhat easy to bully.

There was no way around it; bullying the weak and fearing the strong was his lifelong motto. The strong were meant to humiliate the weak!

Shido Kuroba immediately dialed the number.

The call was answered quickly.

Amamiya Kaoru's voice came from inside, tinged with impatience: "Kid, where have you been? Are you coming back today?"

Hearing this voice, Shido Kuroba was even more moved.

it is good.

Great.

This is what a normal person is like.

Despite her bad temper, terrible life skills, riding a shared bike like she was fleeing a disaster, having no food at home, and having even removed the batteries from the smart lock, compared to those high-level opponents from the previous game, Amamiya Kaoru was practically harmless, like a swearing corporate slave hamster.

Old cows and horses are good.

Old cows and horses are simple-minded.

Old oxen and horses are simple-minded.

In plain language... they're easy to bully and exploit.

They can also pick him up by shared bicycle.

Kuroba Shido's tone instantly softened.

"Teacher, I suddenly realize that you are truly the kindest, purest, and most humane person I have ever met in Tokyo."

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone.

Amamiya Kaoru asked warily, "What do you want me to do now?"

The Black Feather Warrior said, "..."

not good.

Even old cattle and horses are starting to evolve.

at the same time.

Kamikawa University Clinic.

Amamiya Kaoru sat on the sofa with a half-eaten apple next to her, and some soap opera was playing on TV. She looked quite content.

She had been waiting for Kuroba Shido here for almost two hours, but Kuroba Shido still hadn't come. Old Ox Horse's keen intuition realized something... Kuroba Shido might have been caught or intercepted or something.

And so, this scene unfolded. In a single second, Kaoru Amamiya went through hundreds of mental struggles and made a decision that went against her ancestors' wishes!

Amamiya Kaoru scratched her hair guiltily.

Actually, the reason she messaged Kuroba Shido wasn't just because of whether he was coming to see her today or coming back to stay; there was an even more important reason... about Onodera Zannen!

After talking with Onodera Zanne in the infirmary today, she felt more and more uneasy.

What about whether you have a boyfriend, what about liking a boy a few years younger than yourself, what about keeping your distance, what about handling things rationally.

Even now, when Amamiya Kaoru thinks about it, she still gets chills down her spine. Wasn't this a death knell for her?

ahhh-

On the other end of the phone, Shido Kuroba was still sighing.

"Teacher, really, I had many misunderstandings about you before, but now I realize how precious someone like you is."

Amamiya Kaoru's eyes became even more wary.

"Kid, you tell me first, do you owe money?"

"no."

"So, have you gotten into trouble again?"

"Teacher, how can you look at me like that?"

"Because whenever you suddenly praise me, it doesn't seem like a good thing."

Kuroba Shido remained silent.

Although Lao Niu Ma is simple-minded, he seems to be getting more and more experienced in being persecuted by him.

Amamiya Kaoru rubbed her temples and finally spoke.

"Kid, I have something to tell you."

Kuroba Shido leaned against a street lamp, his mood just starting to recover a little from the high-level game.

"Teacher, please speak."

Amamiya Kaoru glanced guiltily at the door of the infirmary and lowered her voice.

"Today, that...that senior who seems to have a bit of a crush on you came to the infirmary to see me."

The Black Feather Warrior said, "..."

The air was quiet.

A gust of wind blew by on the street, and the plastic bag rolled a short distance away.

Kuroba Shido gripped his phone, his eyes widening little by little.

The next second, his voice boomed into the phone.

"What?!!"