The Strange Adventures of Hearn the Believer

"...the girl, right?"

"Adding such a suffix would hurt my feelings too much. Didn't you say I've reformed?"

"Is there any difference between before and after shedding her ways? I can't tell."

"some."

"for example?"

"For example—treating Kazusa's tongue."

"Wait a minute, what do you want to do?"

……

There will be another update later, remember to vote, thank you.

Chapter 57 Scouting the Location (Part 2)

"I head north, leaving behind the season that held you..."

"[Around the steering wheel, my regret swirls...]"

"I sped to overtake, but couldn't shake off the sorrow of being relentlessly pursued..."

From the wall-mounted television, a hoarse male voice, accompanied by the distant roar of an engine, sang a similarly heart-wrenching melody, while Kuroyukihime bit her handkerchief and choked back sobs.

"Waaaaah... Natsuki is so mean... so mean... so mean... waaaaah... Takumi..."

The video was copied from the hard drive that had been taken away beforehand, but two hours later, Kuroyukihime wished she had never copied it in the first place.

It turns out that both the scones and Touma were right...

It turns out that no matter how fast Takumi's AE86 went, it couldn't catch up with Natsuki sitting in the passenger seat of the Mercedes...

It turns out, race car drivers don't need women...

Yukinoshita, who had silently watched the entire vintage film, felt her eyes welling up, but she tried her best to hold back. Looking at Kuroyukihime, who was sobbing uncontrollably with tears streaming down her face, she instinctively pulled out a tissue, wanting to wipe away her tears...

Without warning, the earth shook violently, the sky was dyed a blood-red hue, and sight and hearing were momentarily lost.

Coming to her senses, Yukino looked at her outstretched left hand, then looked around and saw bookshelves surrounding the walls, a dazzling array of ancient books, a flickering fireplace, and a dark gothic girl sitting quietly on the sofa in the center, engrossed in reading.

Dantalian.

They're back.

The black gothic girl didn't seem surprised by their sudden return. Her deep black eyes slowly moved up from the ancient book she was reading, taking in the three girls who had returned to the warm room deep underground in the [TheRealFolkBlues] bar.

"Miss Yukinoshita, Miss Touma, Miss Kuroyuki, welcome back. Our journey at the [Hakukan] has come to an end."

Yukinoshita and Kuroyuki exchanged a quick glance. Their gazes swept over Touma, who was still fast asleep on the sofa, and finally settled on the clean-cut face of the black gothic girl.

"Mr. Hearn and Miss Lesenba haven't returned yet," Yukinoshita asked instinctively.

“It’s a pity that their path back has been disrupted; this is not unprecedented,” Dantalian replied softly, nodding slightly to Kuroyukihime.

Yukinoshita cast an inquiring glance at Kuroyukihime, who nodded slightly. "Yes, there have been precedents, but I believe Scones is capable of handling any unexpected situation. We just need to wait a little while."

"Really? That's good." Yukinoshita felt a little relieved after hearing this. If Mr. Hern and Ms. Touma had encountered an accident on their way to scout the White House because of her absence as the "beloved one," her conscience might be tormented for the rest of her life. Thinking of this, she volunteered, "I'll take care of Ms. Touma."

"Then I'll trouble you. Also, Dantalian, now that [Hive] is over, what were our gains this time?" As is the nature of an internet addict, even though Miss Kuroyuki had been winning all the way, she was still full of expectations for the rewards after everything had temporarily settled down.

Upon hearing this, Dantalian took out five pure white cards with white backs from her books, and handed two of them to the two of them. "Their predecessors were the letters you once held. Now, please accept what you have gained from this trip."

……

Weiss slowly rose from the ruins.

As the powerful earthquake struck, she keenly sensed the mana turbulence in the atmosphere. A colossal object roared in from afar, streaking across the sky and tearing apart the elemental sequence of the atmosphere in its path. In the critical moment, she unleashed more than ten repulsive runes in one breath. The pure white twelve-sided snow crystal runes enveloped her completely, and most of the falling building debris was deflected by the invisible force field, allowing her to escape the disaster.

Miss Xue Ni quickly checked the surrounding situation.

The shockwave came from the other side of the mountain. The hotel building, which was built on the mountaintop to enjoy the view and natural light, was the first to be hit by the shockwave from the near sea and was destroyed.

Fortunately, most of the sheltered buildings located below the mountain peak and inside the mountain range suffered minimal damage. This majestic mountain range, like a benevolent father, embraced and protected the inhabitants of the mountain in the face of natural disaster.

An undersea earthquake?

Many guesses flashed through Weiss's mind, but the truth remained hidden behind the fog. When the disaster struck, she was resting indoors. The room faced south, so she had no chance to witness what was happening on the northeast coast.

A hand grabbed her from behind by the back of her collar. She turned around, sword in hand, and saw a pair of familiar violet eyes.

Charlotte, the woman who had previously "treated" her well, was also unharmed.

“If you’re not here to fight, please let go of my hand.” Weiss had a very bad impression of the girl because of the previous unfriendly encounter. Even though Hearn came out of the room later and repeatedly clarified that it was just a misunderstanding, the first impression was already there. Being able to communicate normally was the limit.

“I don’t want to either, because there are more important things to deal with right now,” Charlotte replied calmly.

"whats the matter?"

"follow me."

Cinderella casually opened a subspace rift in front of Weiss, gestured "please," and quickly stepped into the chaotic corridor.

This time, Weiss didn't hesitate and followed closely behind.

The corridor was still not very long. The two girls walked less than ten steps in the dim chaos before the crack at the other end came into view. They broke free and saw a bright and sunny world outside. They could hear birds chirping, the sound of waves crashing against the shore, and the howling of the sea breeze—it was a vast coastal forest.

Amid the salty sea breeze, there was an inexplicable smell of burning.

Charlotte looked around for a moment, then headed towards the rising terrain, with Weiss close behind. The two girls walked quickly, and it didn't take them long to leave the forest behind. They arrived at the cliff edge overlooking the sea and stepped onto the damp grass.

“Is this the harbor situated on the seaside of the mountains?” Weiss quickly realized where she was.

“Yes.” Charlotte nodded slightly. “Our original destination was also here. It’s a luxurious mansion perched on a sea cliff, a traditional, elegant, and classic building.”

“But I didn’t see any old houses by the sea… My God…” Weiss exclaimed as she looked into the distance and cast her gaze along the coastline toward the southeast.

Charlotte looked over as well, and the sight that met her eyes made her frown.

A moment later, her brow relaxed, and she pulled Weiss along the edge of the cliff towards that direction.

"I understand, come with me."

Weiss was led along by her, remaining silent.

It was a scene of purgatory. At the end of a sea cliff extending into the nearshore waters, scorching lava and the tides clashed violently. White plumes of steam, under the deadly heat, transformed into ring-shaped clouds that soared upwards, forming a magnificent obsidian ring reef on the sea surface, resembling a volcano. The "crater," larger than eight football fields, contained boiling lava. Above it, a meteorite, slightly smaller in diameter than the atoll, was deeply embedded in the earth's crust of the shallow sandy bed. Its jagged surface was a molten iron-red, continuing to melt under visibly intense heat. Dark golden liquid flowed and collapsed from top to bottom—molten lava.

A scorching ring of air, carrying a strong sulfurous odor, rose up, so intense that even seabirds dared not fly overhead; a vast forbidden zone for life had already taken shape.

Charlotte led Weiss closer, and as the heat in the air rose to an unbearable level, she softly chanted a few short syllables. A cold field was rapidly released, enveloping the two of them, and Weiss felt much better.

Their brief exploration has come to a temporary end; they have arrived at their destination.

“Mr. Hearn, the White House has been completely wiped out, and the other three have all returned safely.” Charlotte stopped and, standing seven steps away, lowered her eyes and respectfully reported to Hearn, the Nobunaga who was sitting under the tree closest to the shore.

"What exactly does 'White Pavilion' refer to?" Weiss felt she was getting the hang of it, but she was still a little confused. Her gaze kept sweeping back and forth between the group of people.

“The old house I just mentioned, its actual owner was named Tsukiyama Seiichi, a shady merchant who made his fortune by smuggling dust crystals.” Charlotte then pointed to the crater in the sea and gestured to Weiss, “It was originally located at the end of that sea cliff, but it has disappeared now, so there’s no need to worry about it anymore.”

“Okay, I get it. So, can someone explain to me what that terrifyingly large meteorite is all about? And who is that rude little girl sitting on Hearn’s waist, pinching his face so hard that she won’t let go?!” Weiss’s gaze jumped back and forth, finally landing on the girl who looked about twelve or thirteen years old, with unusual rainbow hair.

As the silver-haired girl finished speaking, Charlotte solemnly raised her head and cast a look of utter reverence, as if she were looking at a dead man, at Weiss…

……

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Chapter 58 Gains and Transformations

At the bar of 【TheRealFlokBlues】, Touma and Yukinoshita took their seats one after the other.

"What would you like?" Jill asked as she sculpted a fist-sized ice puck and saw the two emerge from the depths of the bar.

This tone of treatment towards a regular customer made Yukino feel favorably toward her, while Touma seemed to have already gotten used to it.

"Warm water, thank you," she replied wearily.

"Understood, please wait a moment." Jill put down the puck and began to work.

Yukino noticed Touma's listlessness and was pondering how to start a conversation, but soon realized there was no need.

“Since that guy is not here, I will be handling the final stages of the business, Ms. Yukinoshita.” Touma turned his head. “Below is a part of what that guy dictated beforehand, which you can choose to listen to selectively.”

Yukino nodded. "I understand."

"Two portions of warm water, with some brown sugar added." Jill turned back to the bar.

"Thanks, Jill, put the bill on that guy's tab."

"of course."

Yukino silently observed the entire process of the bartender and pianist putting a blacklist on someone, their movements so smooth and practiced that it seemed they had done it countless times before.

"Why did you come back so quickly this time?" Jill asked as she picked up a gleaming silver knife and resumed polishing the hockey puck.

"There was a slight mishap, but the goal was achieved in the end," Touma replied in a brief pause, sipping his sweet soup.

“I remember Hearn put a lot of effort into planning this Christmas trip, running around a lot of Hives to find most of the invitations. Although it was essentially a club activity, the abrupt ending felt out of character for him. He’s the kind of person who really values ​​the process.” Jill casually placed the polished ice ball into a cup, then picked up another square ice block and started over. “The essence of your trip is a ‘fun Christmas trip for silly friends.’ There are two main goals: first, to improve Touma-san’s bad mood; and second, to give Yukinoshita-san the right to ‘refuse.’”

"Jill, don't you think I'm in a good mood right now?" Touma shifted his gaze from his glass to the female bartender in front of him, and casually pointed to his face.

“Yes, but you seem a little unsatisfied. Do you want me to help you?” Jill raised her eyebrows and smiled as she offered a very constructive suggestion.

"No need." Touma held up one finger, then turned to Yukinoshita beside him. "Let's deal with her problem. Yukinoshita-san seems to have quite a few questions she wants to ask."

“Of course,” Yukinoshita said slowly, gathering her thoughts after the two men’s gazes fell upon her. “First of all, what does the right to ‘refuse’ mean?”

"While the dark side of the Cyber ​​Sea world is far from the idyllic portrayal it to be, it's not entirely heartless either," Jill replied. "Lucky individuals like you, Miss Yukinoshita, who successfully survived the second Hive, gain the right to refuse Hive. This means you no longer need to worry about being inexplicably drawn into dangerous Hive again someday. In fact, if you wish, you can live a peaceful and uneventful life, completely isolated from Hive, whether in the Cyber ​​Sea or in reality, within a controllable framework."

"Is this Mr. Hearn's intention?" Yukino asked, somewhat moved.

“Yes, that guy is actually quite considerate of his clients, as long as you're not too annoying,” Touma continued. “As for other gains, I think you’ve already gotten them from Dantalian.”

"【Charm of Humanoid Creatures】..." Yukinoshita recalled the cards she had received before, her expression becoming somewhat embarrassed. "It's the newly unlocked Golden Magic."

“Really? That’s wonderful, it suits you perfectly,” the bartender and the pianist replied in unison.

"Touma/Jill-san!"

"Don't be misled by the literal meaning. This magic is practiced by other schools of thought besides the Gold School. Its essence is actually to make your ideas more easily accepted by humanoid beings, such as humans," Jill explained calmly.

"In other words, if you're isolated at school because of your foul mouth, this permanent magic will greatly improve your interpersonal relationships." Touma thought for a moment and used a fairly ordinary example to explain. "However, I don't think Miss Yukinoshita needs this magic. After all, you're very likable in both appearance and personality. You should be a core member of the popular group at school, with high popularity and prestige. You're the kind of perfect young lady who is admired by seniors, secretly loved by peers, and admired by juniors, and is both literate and athletic."

"..."

"Hmm? Touma, you seem to have gone a bit too far with your praise. Look, Yukinoshita's face is all red." Jill kindly reminded her, "Don't use our adult standards to judge high school girls. Young girls are very sensitive."

"It's all the believer's fault. She hangs out with that guy all the time, and even my thinking has been distorted."

"That's true. People who deal with him for a long time will all feel that way."

“…Ahem,” Yukinoshita, having recovered slightly, decided to change the subject. She cleared her throat and asked, “I have a question. Why hasn’t Mr. Hern returned yet?”

"I don't know," Touma replied calmly.

"You don't know? That's it? Aren't you worried at all about Mr. Hearn's situation? What if he's left there and never comes back?" Yukinoshita thought of the series of strange creatures she had encountered before, and the "unnatural deaths" she had learned from Mr. Hearn. Those crawling dark creatures still made her shudder.

"He'll be back."

"Yes, he will come back."

"But……"

"Miss Yukinoshita, Nobunaga asked me to convey a message to you. Rather than worrying about his situation, there is something more important that you need to decide for yourself." Touma placed a hand on her right shoulder. "After uncovering part of the veil of this utterly terrible world, will you still stubbornly decide to go overseas?"

"..." Faced with the question that Touma had solemnly posed, Yukinoshita hesitated for once.

In fact, this question had been on her mind ever since she escaped from the Dragon Palace with Hern.

A dark world lurking beneath reality is slowly unveiling itself to her, and her past knowledge is far from sufficient to cope with the undercurrents that may strike at any moment. She is like a novice boatman, navigating an unstable raft, aimlessly drifting on the dark ocean.

“Thank you, Ms. Touma. I do need to think about it carefully.” After a moment of contemplation, Yukinoshita nodded her thanks to the pianist. “Please rest assured, I will stay in Tokyo until Mr. Hearn returns and give him an answer in person.”

After bowing and saying goodbye to the female bartender and the pianist again, the girl logged off at the bar.

"Looks like she's calmed down," Jill said with a hint of感慨 after Yukino went offline. "Wouldn't you say this averted a family tragedy?"

“Perhaps. These days, young girls who run away from home are too bold. Although we can’t control all of them, we should try to persuade those we’ve run into to go back. At the very least, we should try to find out their real-life IP address, knock them out at their door, and hand them over to the police station.” Touma seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. “That was also Nobunaga’s original intention.”

"He's a good man, even though he's always talking about becoming a 'yellow-haired thug.'" Jill couldn't help but chuckle as she recalled the man's usual behavior. "Shouldn't a proper 'yellow-haired thug' be someone who cheats, swindles, gambles, does drugs, and helps others get away with it?"

"Come on, he's a typical soft-hearted person with a sharp tongue. I'd rather he stay that way, so I can have some peace of mind." Touma couldn't help but laugh as he spoke.

"Touma, I get the feeling your mood has improved a lot since this trip." Jill keenly sensed something more intimate beneath the surface. She leaned forward from behind the bar, her voice ambiguous and suggestive.

"None of your business, you lesbian!" Touma's face inexplicably turned red. She coughed lightly, then reached out and pressed her finger against the bartender's forehead, pushing her back behind the bar.