I said you are all war criminals

Xiangzi cursed under his breath and got out of bed carefully.

The floor was a bit cold, stimulating Xiangzi's feet. She walked barefoot to the window and pulled open the curtains, letting the sunlight pour into the room. The glare of the sun made her squint, but it also illuminated everything in the room, including the hideous wounds on Mu's body.

It’s okay to hurt yourself.

But she, Xiangzi...shouldn't have hurt Mu.

"...Why don't you just die, Xiangzi?"

Xiangzi turned his back to Mu and put his hand on his neck again.

13

Chapter 13: Aine's transfer to another school was not smooth.

Chihaya Aine was standing in front of the classroom, waiting for the teacher to call her in.

In Japan, transfer students usually enter the classroom after being introduced by a teacher.

This is also a common practice.

Aine wasn't actually familiar with this process, after all, she had never transferred schools before. This was her first time, and it was still a bit new.

"Chihaya Aine-san, please come in."

The middle-aged bald head teacher pushed his glasses and spoke in a slightly hoarse voice.

Aine took a deep breath, trying to look natural. She put on a perfect smile and walked into the classroom. The room instantly fell silent, dozens of eyes fixed on her. Aine, still smiling, walked to the podium and bowed slightly.

"Hello everyone, my name is Chihaya Aine, please take care of me."

Her voice was clear and melodious, echoing through the classroom like windchimes. To lighten the mood, she added a playful wink, "My hobbies are singing and girl bands! I hope to become good friends with everyone in the future!"

The classroom erupted in applause, mixed with a few whispers. Aiyin could sense that there wasn't much enthusiasm in the applause, but rather curiosity and scrutiny.

She tried not to care about it and returned to the seat assigned by her homeroom teacher.

The school Aine had transferred to was Hanaoka Girls' College, a school that prioritized academic advancement. Honestly, Aine was partly aiming for the scholarship. If she could get it, it would certainly offset some of the losses she'd incurred while studying abroad.

To be honest, Chihaya's family doesn't need that much money. It's more that Aine herself wants to compensate her parents... It would be great if she could get a scholarship, but there's nothing she can do if she can't.

Aine had barely sat down when the bell rang. She stretched, ready to launch her diplomatic offensive and mingle with her new classmates. She had come to Haneda with the lofty goal of becoming a modern person, so how could she miss any opportunity to socialize?

Just as she was about to get up, she felt a black screen in front of her eyes, and a figure firmly blocked her way.

"Please form a lifelong band with me!"

The gray-haired girl's voice was resounding.

"The guy at the airport?"

Aine felt a chill down her spine. "You chased me all the way to school?"

The blackness before her eyes just now was an adjective, but this time it was a real metaphor. Chihaya Aine had never expected to meet this girl here.

...Could it be that Hakuno is here too?

No, no, no, before that, why was this girl also—

"Hey? Do you know the lamp?"

The girl next to her asked curiously.

Aine's head turned, "Deng, is her name Deng?"

"Strange, the lamp seems to know you..."

The girl next to her looked at the gray-haired girl who had just finished speaking and lowered her head again, "This girl is Takamatsu Deng, the cutest girl in our class!"

Does this girl know the gray-haired Takamatsu Deng?

In other words, that is to say?

Was Takamatsu Deng a student in this class at first?

Come to think of it, that day Takamatsu Deng was wearing the same uniform that he is wearing today, this is Haneda's uniform!

Why didn’t I notice it!

Aine almost wanted to hold her head.

However, it is impossible for Aine to transfer schools again now... If she transfers again, Chihaya's father will really kill Aine.

"ANON-chan, please form a lifelong band with me!"

The lamp, which had been silent for a while, spoke again.

"ANON-chan!?"

Aine felt like she'd been struck by lightning, frozen in place. This name...was too embarrassing! And being called that in such a public place! The gazes of her classmates gradually shifted from curiosity to gossip, shining on her like a spotlight, making her wish she could find a hole to crawl into.

No, we absolutely cannot let the situation get any worse! Aiyin made up her mind and grabbed Takamatsu Deng's slender wrist. Without caring about her reaction, she ran away.

"Hey? Wait, ANON-chan! Where are you taking me?"

Takamatsu Deng was startled by this sudden action and stumbled after Aine.

Aiyin had no time to pay attention to her. She just wanted to escape this Shura scene as quickly as possible. She rushed around the corridor like a frightened rabbit, and behind her, Takamatsu Deng was like a suitcase being dragged, stumbling along the way.

Aiyin dragged Takamatsu Deng up to the rooftop in one breath. The wind was so strong that it blew her hair wildly. She bent down, her hands on her knees, and gasped for air, her lungs burning. Takamatsu Deng followed, and although he was also exhausted, he had a silly smile on his face: "ANON-chan, are you willing to form a band with me?"

Aine rolled her eyes at her, her tone filled with a hint of annoyance and helplessness: "Who wants to be alone with you? What do you want to do? And don't call me ANON-chan! It's disgusting!"

Gao Songdeng finally calmed down a bit. Her gray hair was blown by the wind, covering half of her face, making her look like a lost animal. She said seriously: "I want to form a band with you, forever!"

Aine nearly choked on her own saliva, "Ahem... a band for life? Are you serious? Do you even know what you're talking about?"

She couldn't help but sigh and hold her forehead.

Nowadays, there are more and more girl bands. Aine also formed a band when she was in junior high school... Of course, it was not too serious, just for fun.

But, no matter what, the term "lifelong band" is too much!

"A lifetime... this statement is too heavy."

Aine took a deep breath, trying to calm her pounding heart. This girl, could she be crazy? A band for life? She actually came up with that! The wind from the rooftop ruffled Aine's hair, calming her chaotic thoughts a little. She slowly squatted down, bringing her eye level with Takamatsu Deng, and tried to speak in a gentle and persuasive tone: "Deng-san, 'a lifetime' isn't just a casual remark. Do you know how long a lifetime is? That's decades! Wouldn't you get tired of being in a band for decades?"

Gao Songdeng tilted his head, seemed to think seriously for a moment, then shook his head, and his gray hair swayed with the movement like a soft cloud.

"will not."

Aine nearly choked to death at her naive answer. "You know, forming a band is hard work? You have to write songs, rehearse, perform, and deal with all kinds of interpersonal relationships. There might even be all kinds of conflicts and arguments... Are you prepared for all this?"

"But……"

Gao Songdeng's voice lowered, and his eyes dimmed a little, "We agreed..."

"Agreement? What agreement?"

Aine keenly grasped the key words.

Gao Songdeng bit his lip and said, "We promised to be in a band for life."

——I don’t remember that kind of agreement at all!

Aine was about to cry.

Think about it quickly, Chihaya Aine. When did you make a promise with this troublesome woman? When was it... elementary school? Junior high school? Or kindergarten?

Looking at Takamatsu Deng's tearful expression, Chihaya Aine felt her scalp tingling.

"Um, I'm sorry, I can't remember..."

Finally, Aine had no choice but to ask humbly, "Excuse me, when was this agreement made?"

Deng reached out, wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes, and gave an answer.

"Two months later."

"Oh, so it's two months later...huh?"

Aine realized something.

She looked towards the light and repeated what she had just heard.

"Two months from now?"

"Yes. Two months from now."

…Aine’s eyes went dark.

She was about to pass out.

14

Chapter 14 The Knights 1.

"Hey, wasn't that too much just now?"

"Hey, what's excessive?"

"What you just said, what you said."

"...I think it's all your own fault."

Onmizu Kazuhiko leaned against the railing of the emergency ladder, gently sipping milk. "To suddenly say 'I'm a knight' in class, he must have been completely sleepy, right?"

"Ah, warm water, that's just not your thing..."

Yanaijian shook the lunch bag in his hand, and the plastic bag made a crisp friction sound, as if mocking the slowness of the warm water.

"I wasn't completely sleepy. I just remembered some things."

Wen Shui couldn't help but ask, "Remember something? Like the specific amount of money you owe me for the meal?"

"It's more important than that."

Yanaijian approached the warm water mysteriously and lowered his voice, "I saw the future."

"The future... is it about novels?"

Onmizu and Yanami were supposed to be members of the literature club, and their club activity was writing novels. Perhaps Yanami was talking about novels...

"What exactly is it like?"

Wenshui took a sip of milk, obviously not taking Yanaijian's words seriously.

Yanaijian cleared his throat in a mysterious manner, then began to describe the event vividly: "Ten years from now, you are wearing a neat suit, standing on the podium, the spotlight shining on you, and the audience applauding. You receive the trophy from a white-haired old man and give a speech thanking your parents, your teacher, and your hamster..."

"Wait, why should I thank the hamster?"

Wen Shui couldn't help but interrupt her.

"Who knows? Who can predict the future?"

Yanaijian waved his hand and continued, "Anyway, you won the Akutagawa Prize with a shocking novel. Since then, you have become famous and a rising star in the literary world. Countless publishing houses have competed to sign you. Your novel has been translated into dozens of languages and is a global bestseller..."

"Stop, stop, stop,"

Wen Shui interrupted her again, "Akutagawa Prize? I write a light novel, right? Can I win the Akutagawa Prize?"

"Oh, don't worry about the details!"

Yanaijian waved his hand impatiently, "The point is, you will become a great writer in the future, gaining both fame and fortune, and reaching the pinnacle of life!"

Wen Shui shook his head, "Yanaimi, the meaning of dreaming is not dreaming."

"Warm water, that's the thing about you..."

Yanai curled her lips in dissatisfaction. "I saw your future with my own eyes. It's sparkling and brilliant! You have to believe me. As long as you work hard, this future will definitely come true! I have a promise with you!"

"Okay, I see. This is encouraging me, right?"

Wen Shui still didn't take it seriously.

"No!"

Yanaijian flatly denied it, "Your novel is barely written, what's so interesting about it? Everything I said is true! Ten years from now, you'll thank me!"

Wen Shui shrugged, noncommittal. He put down the milk carton and asked curiously, "Then tell me, what kind of novel did I write? How did it win the award?"

"It's a folk novel about the 'art of resurrection,'"

Yanami said mysteriously, "It's about the various tragedies surrounding the resurrection technique. It's very interesting because it's all based on real events."