I said you are all war criminals

"……Um,"

Kanesada nodded, then asked another question, "But Yamada Hanako drowned in public. At least no one saw anyone else in the fountain at the time. A fighter wouldn't be able to drown someone from a distance, right?"

"Hey, you should have said this from the beginning!"

Kita raised his hand and clamped Kanesada's head, rubbing it hard - Kanesada's white hair felt like cat ears, which Kita enjoyed very much.

After kneading for a long time, Kita Ikuyo finally let go of her hand with satisfaction. Kanesada's white hair was messy, like a tangled bird's nest, but this made her look more like some kind of furry little animal, making Kita unable to resist the urge to stroke it again. However, business was more important. She turned her head and looked at the shadowed corner on the other side of the courtyard, "Also, isn't it time for the students over there to come out?"

A gentle friction sound emanated from the shadows, like the friction of fabric against the wall, or the rustling of dead leaves being crushed. The sound was remarkably clear in the silent dusk... A figure slowly emerged from the shadows, a vague outline at first, but as she drew closer to the glow of the streetlight, her form became increasingly distinct.

Kita narrowed his eyes, carefully examining the newcomer. It was a girl wearing the Hanasakigawa Girls' Academy uniform. The grayish-yellow sailor suit and bright red scarf seemed dim in the dim light. She was tall, broad-shouldered, and stood straight. Her hair was short, shoulder-length, with the ends curled slightly inward, giving off a faint black sheen under the dim streetlight.

Due to the distance and lighting, Kita couldn't see the girl's facial expression clearly. He could only vaguely see her tightly pursed lips and slightly pale face. The girl stopped and kept a distance from Kita and Kanesada. She seemed a little nervous, and her hands unconsciously clenched the hem of her skirt. She took a deep breath and asked in a slightly trembling voice: "Who... are you?"

Her voice was clear and resonant, echoing in the empty atrium, with a subtle hint of hostility. She paused, as if trying to organize her words, then raised her voice and shouted, "Hanasaki River is not a place for you supernatural tabloids to be news fodder. Please leave!"

Before Kita could reply, he heard the other person's sharp voice again, "Please don't trample on the dead here!"

…It seems like I met a student who really loves the school.

Kaneda took a step forward and walked next to Kita, "Well, Kita, do you need me to chase her away?"

"Hmm... Let me think about what everyone would do at this time."

Kita thought about it.

If it were Hongxia, she would probably apologize.

If it was Yili... the current Yili, he would definitely be incoherent.

If it's Ryo-senpai... wow, that's a bit too much.

Then, let’s use Hakuno’s approach.

"Hello--"

Kita moved forward, approaching the other person at a speed that was a bit too fast. Before the other person could react, he grabbed the other person's hand and said, "You must be thirsty too. Let's go drink together--"

"It's coffee, Kita."

Kanesada followed, interrupting Kita and correcting him.

"Yes, yes, would you like to have coffee with me, classmate?"

Kita readily changed his statement.

At this distance, she could clearly see... the other person's emerald green eyes, slightly widened due to fear.

oops.

Could it be... screwed up?

7

Chapter 7: Conversation in the Cafe.

The café is neither too big nor too small and can accommodate about thirty people. The natural wood-colored tables and chairs are arranged in a staggered manner, which neither makes it look crowded nor does it hinder communication between guests. The walls are painted in a soft beige color and dotted with some simple decorative paintings. A few pots of green plants are placed in the corner, adding a touch of vitality to the café. Soft light pours down from the ceiling chandelier, illuminating the entire space and making the aroma of the coffee more intense. There are a few small round tables next to the floor-to-ceiling windows, and the sunlight shines in through the glass, creating a warm and comfortable atmosphere. At this moment, there are only a few scattered guests in the café, some talking in low voices, and some reading quietly. The air is filled with the aroma of coffee and soothing music, creating a relaxing and comfortable atmosphere.

This is the cafe where Hachiman Kailing often comes to order coffee.

Hai Ling sat down in her usual seat.

Across from her, the eerie duo were looking at the menu together.

...The red-haired girl who crossed a distance of more than fifteen meters in half a second, or perhaps less than half a second, and the white-haired girl who gave people a strange feeling.

Hai Ling stared at the red-haired girl.

The girl's facial features were delicate and three-dimensional, and her skin was as white and delicate as fine porcelain. However, Hai Ling felt a chill run down her spine as she stared at this girl, who was the same age as herself.

Honestly, Hai Ling initially thought the two were reporters from a supernatural tabloid who were going to use Hanako's accidental death as a joke in the newspaper. Although Hanako was no longer active in the band, as her former bassist, Hai Ling felt obligated to stop the two.

but……

Reporter, it's impossible to run that fast.

"What would you like to drink?"

The red-haired girl peeked out from behind the menu. "By the way, my name is Kita. You can just call me Kita."

She didn't seem to have the slightest intention of introducing her companions.

"...Hachiman Kairin."

Hai Ling whispered.

"Then I'll call you Hai Ling, okay?"

Kita asked again, "It was time to go home from school, why were you still in school? Did you forget to take something?"

"...I went to mourn the dead, unlike you."

Oops.

Hai Ling knew that she had messed up a bit - she subconsciously took an aggressive stance, perhaps because she knew that the other party was "not an ordinary person", or perhaps because the other party was likely to have bad intentions.

"Well, to be honest, I don't know anything about that dead girl, and I don't intend to. I just followed the rumors of the 'secret resurrection technique' and came all the way here... Did you know that the resurrection technique that's popular in Tokyo right now originated from this school?"

Kita was surprisingly straightforward and told Hailing the purpose of her visit very directly, "I think the resurrection secret may have something to do with the dead girl."

"...The secret of resurrection? Did you come here for that too? That's just a ghost story."

Hai Ling bit her lips.

The reason why she thought Kita was a reporter for a supernatural tabloid was because of this secret resurrection technique.

At 4:44, invite the fox, dog and raccoon dog at a distance of 4 feet 4 inches and 4 points, and they will know how to resurrect people.

How could a secret resurrection technique like this, which is obviously made up, be true?

"Well, to be precise, we are here to prove that [it's just a rumor]."

Kita continued, "After all, there's no such thing as a resurrection technique in this world."

Hailing noticed that the white-haired girl looked slightly towards Kita.

Is this because Kita is lying?

Want to try it out?

……No.

Hai Ling knew she had no material to offer in negotiations. Even if she raised this point, it would likely be brushed aside. Furthermore, if she rashly touched upon the other party's potential vulnerability, she didn't know what would happen.

Let's be safe here.

"...What do you want to ask me?"

"Well... I actually wanted to ask you at first if you witnessed the scene of the girl's death."

Kita put down the menu and then added, "Now I want to tell you, don't try the resurrection technique."

"……why?"

In fact, Hachiman Kailing had no intention of trying the resurrection technique.

She is Hanako's friend.

But she is just Hanako's friend.

...She wasn't close enough to Hanako to try something like the resurrection technique, which sounded dangerous.

"From ancient times to the present day, rumors of the art of resurrection have been circulating endlessly. However, I believe everyone understands that the art of resurrection does not exist... So why do rumors of the art of resurrection continue to spread?"

Kita spoke eloquently, "Because the resurrection technique, those false resurrection techniques, were designed to require a huge price."

"Because it requires a huge price, it cannot be easily verified. In this case, regardless of the authenticity of the spell, for those who believe in it, it is true until it is proven false."

As if realizing that Hailing didn't fully understand, Kita raised his hand and continued to explain.

"For example, if I tell you right now... that you can [summon a dragon] by [putting your hands on the table and saying three numbers], what would you think?"

Hai Ling did as she was told subconsciously, placed her hands on the table, and silently counted three, two, one in her mind.

A gust of wind blew.

Of course, nothing happened.

Kita smiled and said, "See, nothing happened. You proved that I was lying. But what if I told you that [Summoning a Dragon] requires [Killing Ten Thousand People]?"

"...This is ridiculous."

Hai Ling frowned.

"Ten thousand people... Even if it's true, who would do such a thing?"

Hai Ling felt a chill. She imagined the mountains of corpses and her stomach churned.

"So, this kind of thing is simply a lie."

Kita shrugged, speaking with the air of someone who'd experienced it before. "It's the same with the secret art of resurrection. It requires human sacrifice, selling one's soul to the devil... These terrifying-sounding requirements are actually designed to scare you away from trying, so no one can prove it's fake."

"But the requirements for this resurrection technique aren't that exaggerated."

Hai Ling retorted subconsciously.

This was not because she wanted to resurrect anyone, but simply because, as a rational person, she realized that what Kita said did not match reality.

"At 4:44, invite the fox, dog, and raccoon dog at 4 feet 4 inches and 4 inches to learn how to resurrect people... This doesn't require killing 10,000 people."

"Then what does the fox, dog and raccoon at four feet four inches and a quarter refer to?"

Kita asked.

Hai Ling didn't know the answer to this question.

She knew about it... It was a game where you wrote words and numbers on a piece of paper and placed your finger on a coin to summon a spirit. Even if you hadn't played it, you'd probably seen it in movies or anime.

but……

"Four feet four inches and a quarter... I really don't know what that is."

Hai Ling said.

"Four feet, four inches, and four points...that's weird no matter how you think about it."

Kita rested his chin on his hand and tapped the table with his index finger. "It feels like some kind of code, pointing to a specific place."

"Place?"

Hailing repeated the word, several possibilities emerging in her mind. Could it be the height of a cabinet? Or perhaps it was referring to a point four feet, four inches, and four points away from Hanako's body? Or perhaps... the center of the room?

Hai Ling did not express these thoughts.

To be honest, Hai Linghai doesn't believe Kita...or rather, what reason does she have to believe Kita?

"However, since it's a code, there must be an interpretation... 'You couldn't revive the dead because the location is wrong'. After failing, you might think so."

Kita retracted his finger, "So, the resurrection technique is all a scam."

Hai Ling nodded slightly and agreed, "Yes, it does sound like a lie. It's better not to believe this kind of thing."

She lowered her eyes to hide the suspicion in them.

Kita's explanation sounded reasonable, but she always felt something was wrong.

Kita spoke with such conviction, as if she knew all about these scams. But she repeatedly emphasized the falsity of the "resurrection technique," not the falsity of all supernatural phenomena. This subtle difference caused Hailing to harbor a trace of doubt. Could it be that Kita believed in the existence of other supernatural phenomena, but not the resurrection technique?

The thought, once it emerged, grew like a weed in her mind. She recalled Xiduo's incredible speed in the corridor. He'd covered a distance of ten meters in the blink of an eye. It didn't seem like something a normal human could do.

"Anyway, I hope you won't try the resurrection technique."

Kita's sermon ends with this passage.

Hai Ling took a deep breath, as if she had finally made up her mind.

"Yeah...you're right. It's better not to believe in things like this."

She tried to make her tone sound more natural, as if the doubt just now had never existed.

After a pause of a few seconds, Hai Ling asked casually, "By the way... Miss Kita, you seem to know a lot about these things?"

Kita remained noncommittal, "I just have some common sense."

Hai Ling didn't miss this opportunity. She leaned forward, staring at Xi Duo with a burning gaze, and said with a hint of tentativeness in her tone: "I always feel that you seem very familiar with these...how should I put it, 'supernatural' things. It's like...you have experienced them firsthand."