"Wow, I never expected Miss An Le to draw so beautifully."
"I want one too! I want one too! Big sister, please draw a mask for !"
Sakura Country, Kyushu Island, Shenxiang Village.
Inside the World Shrine, An Le held a calligraphy brush, smiling at the elderly won and middle-aged ladies gathered around her.
Of course, there were also the two little ones, Aoi Ka and Kazuya.
Four days had passed since Yan Huan and An Le arrived in this peaceful village, and the village's annual festival was fast approaching.
At this mont, An Le was helping the villagers draw Ema, masks, fans, and other items needed for the festival.
She dipped different calligraphy brushes into various pignts, gently writing characters on a finished Ema.
"Safety within the family."
After finishing this, she handed the Ema to a middle-aged woman beside her.
"Here you go, Aunt Taguchi."
"Wow, it really is beautiful."
"Thank you, Miss An Le."
Not only that aunt, but the rest of the people around also held the Ema, fans, and other items she had drawn for them.
An Le set down the calligraphy brush and looked at the happy expressions of everyone around her.
Surrounded by their joyous atmosphere, she found herself smiling happily, needing no special reason of her own to feel glad.
"Sorry for the trouble, Student Yan. That wooden boat is too heavy; us old folks simply cannot push it."
"It is no problem, just a bit of elbow grease."
Right at this mont, a bit of bustling noise drifted in from outside the shrine.
An Le tilted her head toward the entrance and saw the n returning from their work.
Several shirtless old n and middle-aged n surrounded Yan Huan, seemingly discussing how to proceed with their tasks later.
Amidst the crowd, Yan Huan seed to feel An Le's gaze and looked over toward the room.
"..."
Catching a glimpse of the happy smile on her face, Yan Huan could not help but smile back.
These past few days, accompanied by Yan Huan in his new identity fabricated through mory Correction, An Le had been in an exceptionally good mood.
At the very least, she smiled far more each day than she had when they first arrived in Sakura Country.
Moreover, they rested together every night.
Initially, Yan Huan had treated An Le with the sa caution as Ye Shiyu, worried that if he let his guard down at night, she would drown him in pleasure and turn him into a cream puff.
But to Yan Huan's genuine surprise, she was incredibly quiet at night.
She simply lay beside him, listening to Yan Huan tell stories that were not even particularly captivating.
As if that alone was enough.
Instead, for Yan Huan...
Every night felt more like a tornting test.
Because, after spending these few days in such close quarters, he finally realized just how alluring An Le's body truly was.
Sleeping so closely together every day was sheer torture for him.
The fact that Yan Huan actually managed to endure it made him a true divine person.
"Wow, who would have thought your boyfriend had such a great physique. Things must get pretty heated between you two every night, huh?"
"Eh?"
Watching Yan Huan walk away with the n, the woman beside her retracted her gaze. Seeing that An Le was still staring in that direction, she could not help but tease her with a smile.
An Le's face flushed slightly. She awkwardly picked up her calligraphy brush and asked,
"Um... didn't you still need
to help draw masks and such? I... I will start drawing now."
"Do not change the subject."
Several won gathered around chuckling, chiming in one after another,
"It has been a long ti since our village had such a young couple. Everyone really likes you two."
"Yes, our village used to have a grandpa who painted Ema. Unfortunately, since he passed away, we have been buying them online and having them delivered to town..."
"It would be wonderful if you two could stay here permanently. Everyone in the village would be absolutely thrilled."
Hearing the won's words, An Le paused, her heart fluttering slightly.
But before she could speak, an elderly woman nearby quickly intervened,
"Alright, alright, do not speak so casually. They have their own plans to consider."
"Sigh, but they have been very happy during their ti here."
"Indeed. Even though our village is not like the city, we certainly will not treat them poorly."
The won and the elderly continued to chat, while An Le smiled and lowered her head, resuming her painting of masks for Aoi Ka and Kazuya.
"..."
An unknown amount of ti passed before the won, having collected the items An Le painted, bid their farewells one by one and left the shrine to prepare for the night's festival.
The massive shrine seed to fall silent, leaving An Le all alone.
anwhile, the village was incredibly bustling, with people hanging small lanterns, pushing the wooden boat, and everything in between.
So this is a festival...
An Le sat alone at the edge of the shrine. Leveraging the mountain's elevation, she gazed down at the beautiful village below, lost in thought.
A gentle breeze brushed past the black hair at her temples, as if blowing away the gloom in her heart, making her feel exceptionally relaxed.
Right at that mont, a white snake suddenly materialized beside her.
Looking at An Le, who was smiling as she surveyed the village, the white snake flicked its tongue and abruptly spoke.
"Why not just stay here with Yan Huan?"
"..."
Hearing Little Finger's voice after such a long ti, An Le turned her head to look at it.
"The location you dropped into was randomly generated along a straight line between several reality barriers. Landing within Sakura Country was purely a stroke of good luck.
"So conversely, as long as you do not reveal yourselves, it is entirely impossible for the other Hosts to find you here.
"You can stay here forever."
Little Finger also gazed at the village before them, then calmly explained,
"The villagers here are very welcoming to you. You are happy staying here too, are you not? It is much better than anywhere else.
"With just a little more power, I can use mory Correction on Yan Huan again, making him willing to stay here with you forever.
"That way, the two of you can get married, have children, and live a peaceful, ordinary life right here."
Listening to everything it had to say, An Le looked back at the tranquil village before her.
This ti, she did not speak in her mind, but rather conversed as if addressing a physical being beside her.
"I see. Thank you for thinking of , Little Finger."
Little Finger thought her words were ambiguous sarcasm and that she was still on guard against it, so it retorted crossly,
"Hmph, do not misunderstand. I am not doing this for your sake.
"You have been harboring thoughts of giving up lately. It is actually because you figured out how to kill , right?
"As far as I am concerned, since you already know a way to kill
at any ti, I have already failed. There is no need to deceive you anymore."
Little Finger flicked its tongue and turned its head away.
"If you continue to fight the other Hosts, even if you defeat them, you will definitely kill
in the end.
"So I might as well offer a win-win solution. You can achieve happiness by relying on my Ability, and I get to stay alive. Why not do it?
"Besides, without Yan Huan, it will not be easy for the other Hosts to evolve into their final forms...
"They will probably exhaust most of their energy just trying to find you two. You do not need to worry about them causing any more harm."
Listening to Little Finger's words, An Le shook her head, but replied with a smile,
"I am not being sarcastic with you, Little Finger."
"Eh?"
Little Finger turned to look at An Le, only to discover that the lingering thought of giving up in her heart had finally dissipated.
Because of this, it could once again sense An Le's emotions.
In that instant, it felt An Le's reaction to its proposal.
It felt...
Temptation and joy.
That ant An Le was genuinely moved by its suggestion.
"Even though you lied to , Little Finger, and I was very angry about it...
"But sotis I cannot help but think about how you encouraged
when I was at my most lonely and helpless.
"And without your Ability, I am afraid I would never have had the chance to stand alongside dazzling girls like Vice President Sakuramiya in my entire life, right?"
An Le smiled softly, turning her head to look at Little Finger.
"So, I am starting to think that maybe you, Little Finger, are like the anesthetic that saved the old lady back then.
"Harmful when abused, but absolutely vital in critical monts."
Hearing An Le's words, Little Finger froze slightly, unable to speak for a long ti.
Only after a long while did it turn its head away and mutter softly,
"Are you stupid? Soone harms you and you can still look past it."
"..."
An Le did not say anything, rely offering a gentle smile.
eting her gentle smile, Little Finger turned its head back, visibly annoyed, and snapped impatiently,
"So, you are tempted by the proposal to stay here, right?"
"Yes."
An Le raised her head, looking at the sky above, and murmured to herself,
"It really is beautiful here...
"Simple, serene, peaceful, and carefree... Just like when Xiao Huan and I were in the South Ward as children...
"Only by staying here did I truly realize that what I have always wanted was exactly this—to return to the past with Xiao Huan." Sensing the growing temptation in An Le's heart, a joyful expression appeared on Little Finger's face, and it imdiately followed up,
"Exactly! Since that is the case, tonight we should..."
"But, Little Finger..."
Yet, even though they shared a ntal connection at this mont, it still did not anticipate that An Le would shake her head in refusal.
"I... cannot do that."
"Huh?"
Looking at An Le shaking her head, Little Finger could not help but recall the ti she had just unlocked Superconductor Loser.
Back then, she could have easily used Superconductor to get that dress for free...
Back then, Little Finger had clearly felt her temptation and love for that dress...
Yet it could never understand why, despite liking it and being so tempted, she still chose to refuse.
"W-why?"
"...Because the longer I stay in this beautiful dream, the more I realize... this beauty belongs only to ."
An Le pursed her lips. Looking down at her shrine maiden outfit, she said blankly,
"And this beauty is entirely maintained by your Ability, Little Finger.
"A day or two might be fine, but for an entire lifeti...
"I could rot here for the rest of my life, decaying in the past.
"But... Xiao Huan cannot."
Little Finger stared blankly at An Le, entirely at a loss for words.
"Honestly, sotis I really envy Vice President Sakuramiya and Senior Female Student Ye Shiyu.
"Perhaps it is not just because of their family backgrounds, but more because of their purity..."
Pure-hearted, driven people have always been admirable.
If only she were a pure person too, regardless of whether she was good or bad.
She could either be like Vice President Sakuramiya, choosing to help Xiao Huan without asking for any reward in return...
Or she could be like Senior Female Student Ye Shiyu, choosing a path and committing to the darkness, thoroughly taking full advantage of Xiao Huan until nothing remained...
But no matter which path it was, An Le could not walk it.
She clearly had burning Desire within her, yet for so reason, she could not harden her heart.
Perhaps it was exactly this lack of purity that made her unqualified to even be a true Host?
After all, the Host Little Finger truly should have chosen was Xiao Huan's boss.
But since things had already co to this, dwelling on it was useless.
The beautiful dream she had desperately fought for, perhaps...
Just having these few days was already enough.
"..."
With this thought, An Le lowered her head and took out a slip of paper from her pocket.
On it was the phone number Sakuramiya Hitomi had left on the television broadcast.
In truth, she had known that Sakuramiya Hitomi and the others were searching for her and Xiao Huan ever since the television station broadcasted it a few days ago.
The mont it saw the phone number, Little Finger flicked its tongue, its tone panicked.
"No, wait, you... you... you still want to go back and deal with them?!"
But An Le simply stood up slowly and turned to walk back inside the shrine.
Inside one of the rooms in the shrine, there was a landline phone.
Beep~
She dialed the number written on the paper. Before long, a woman's voice ca from the other end.
"Hello, if you have any clues regarding the whereabouts of Yan Huan and An Le, please tell , and I will report them to Miss Sakuramiya..."
"This is An Le."
"...Please wait a mont."
After a second of silence, the sound of the call being transferred echoed through the receiver.
A few seconds later, Sakuramiya Hitomi's flustered voice ca through the line.
"An Le?! Where are you and the President right now?"
"Um... right now we are at..."
Listening to Sakuramiya Hitomi's voice on the other end, An Le relayed their exact address and current situation in full detail.
From the other side, a few muffled and indistinct phrases could be heard.
Perhaps sothing along the lines of "we will imdiately send soone over tomorrow"?
Little Finger gaped, staring blankly at An Le.
What it did not know was that, besides itself, not far behind An Le, a plump black cat was sitting elegantly on the ground, having watched the entire process unfold.
Imdiately after, the black cat raised its tail, stood up, and bolted out the door in a wild dash.
In no ti at all, it returned to the bedroom.
There, Yan Huan was leaning against the wall, idly playing with a peach pit, having listened to everything Myau-chan relayed in his mind.
'An Le has already called Sakuramiya Hitomi, ow. They will probably send soone over tomorrow to clear the way...'
"Is that so."
Hearing this, Yan Huan lowered his eyes and firmly clenched the peach pit in his palm.
Then, he stood up and said to Myau-chan,
"Let us go, Myau-chan. The festival is about to start."
"ow~"
Myau-chan nodded, eagerly breaking into a short jog before leaping onto his shoulder.
Outside, dusk was gradually giving way to the night.
The entire village was brightly lit.
Flags were erected throughout the village, swaying freely in the evening breeze.
A massive float lumbered through the center of the village, pulled by several middle-aged n in white fishing garnts, circling the village square.
In the center, a gigantic bonfire burned fiercely, casting a faint glow over the lanterns and Ema hanging from the buildings.
"Here, before the revered presence of the World Shrine, we offer our prayers in awe and reverence. Today, the parishioners gather together to respectfully worship the divine virtue of the gods..."
The brightly lit firelight flickered and danced, illuminating Yan Huan's face to the rhythm of the drums and the peculiar chanting.
An Le arrived leisurely. Just as she stepped to the edge of the crowd, Yan Huan turned his head, waving at her with a smile.
"An Le!!"
"Xiao... Xiao Huan."
An Le pursed her lips, a beautiful smile blossoming on her face.
She slowly made her way toward Yan Huan, stepping forward on legs that felt entirely numb.
Seeing her pace slow down, Yan Huan turned back, proactively taking her hand and pulling her to the edge of the crowd.
The roaring firelight illuminated their faces. On their respective shoulders stood an ethereal avatar.
Myau-chan licked its paws, seemingly savoring sothing delicious.
Little Finger wore a hesitant expression, but as it watched An Le holding Yan Huan's hand, it could not help but let out a sigh.
Whoosh~
The night wind blew the flas, making them sway wildly. Feeling the scorching heat on her face, An Le had to raise her hand to shield her eyes from the bright glare.
Because of this, she lost her grip on a completed Ema she was holding, and it dropped to the ground.
"Ah... the Ema."
"I will get it."
Yan Huan nodded, doing it on her behalf. He lowered his head and picked up the final Ema she had drawn.
Looking down, he saw what was written on it.
"Prayer for a Good Match."
Gazing at the words written on it, Yan Huan paused for a mont before handing it back to An Le.
But An Le shook her head, pursing her lips as she said,
"Um... it was originally ant for Xiao Huan. I heard from Granny Kamishiro that using this to make a wish at the festival is very effective."
"Is that so?"
Yan Huan blinked, then held the Ema up in front of both of them.
"Then let us make a wish together."
"...O-Okay."
An Le's face flushed slightly as she happily reached out, grasping the Ema in Yan Huan's hand.
With each of them holding the Ema with one hand, under the bright illumination of the fire ahead, the wooden plaque seed to radiate a brilliant glow.
Carrying both of their wishes, it was cast into the flas together.
'I hope that after returning, I can smoothly deal with the Modifier Hosts and help An Le obtain the Crab dicine.'
'I hope that after returning, we can smoothly resolve all the superpowers, allowing Xiao Huan's life to return to normal.'
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