"Taki, what's wrong?"
Takamatsu Tomori asked softly.
Although it was a date with Kitahara Makoto, Tomori was sensitive and thoughtful, so she naturally didn't forget to pay attention to her friend beside her.
"It's nothing…"
Shiina Taki forced a smile, but the worry between her brows remained unshakeable.
Takamatsu Tomori was silent for two seconds, then softly said:
"Let's stop here today, Taki, shall we go back?"
Since Shiina Taki was unwilling to speak, Tomori naturally wouldn't force her. Even as friends, she wouldn't overly interfere with others' privacy.
"Okay."
Shiina Taki quickly nodded, clearly eager to leave.
Kitahara Makoto stood up, stretched his limbs, and picked up his backpack:
"Let's go."
As the three walked out of the Planetarium towards the Train Station, Shiina Taki kept her head down, staring at her phone, and even almost bumped into someone while walking.
They arrived at the Train Station.
Kitahara Makoto was about to board the train when a hand suddenly tugged at his clothes.
"Kitahara-kun…"
Shiina Taki bit her lower lip, her eyes pleading.
Kitahara Makoto stepped back half a pace, got off the train, and softly said:
"Tomori, you go home first."
Takamatsu Tomori stood on the train and gently nodded:
"I'll go back first… Makoto-kun, take good care of Taki."
"Leave it to me."
"…"
Watching the train depart, Kitahara Makoto turned his head to look at the black-haired girl beside him.
"Now you can tell me what happened."
"My sister might be in danger." Shiina Taki bit her lower lip with her pearly teeth, her eyes filled with worry, and held her phone in front of Kitahara Makoto. "This is my sister's fan support group that I joined."
Kitahara Makoto looked at the support group, only to see messages rapidly scrolling, reaching ninety-nine in the blink of an eye.
"I'm sorry, I was wrong."
Kitahara Makoto suddenly apologized.
"Eh?"
"I thought Taki and your sister were like fire and water, and you probably didn't even have your sister's contact information. I didn't expect you to actually join your sister's support group. It's completely different from what I imagined."
"It's not that extreme!"
Shiina Taki couldn't help but glare at him.
Her relationship with her sister was indeed average, but it hadn't reached the point of mutual dislike. Don't look at people through colored glasses!
However…
She hadn't joined the support group before.
It wasn't until a few days ago, after seeing her 'future' from the answer book and completely erasing the inferiority complex in her heart, that Shiina Taki finally adjusted her mindset and curiously joined the support group.
"Let's talk about serious matters first, don't dwell on boring things!"
Shiina Taki took a deep breath and quickly said:
"My sister's Kessoku Band had a performance today at the Ikebukuro stadium. After watching the meteor shower just now, I suddenly saw a message pop up in my sister's support group saying that a patient with mania appeared at the stadium…"
Kitahara Makoto raised an eyebrow slightly:
"Is it a Mind Demon?"
"Exactly, it's the same situation as the middle-aged man on the train."
Shiina Taki's small face was full of worry.
Regarding the video on the train, Anon had already secretly sent it to everyone. Now that Taki was an 'insider,' she naturally also received a copy.
"I've been sending messages to my sister, but they remain unread, and her phone can't be reached at all…"
Shiina Taki took a deep breath, then suddenly bowed ninety degrees, pleading:
"Please, Kitahara-kun, accompany me there!"
Shiina Taki knew very well that with her strength alone, she would never be a match for a monster. Going alone would only be a suicide mission. At this time, she could only rely on Kitahara Makoto.
Even if Kitahara Makoto took the opportunity to make some excessive demands, she wouldn't refuse…
"Get in the car."
The boy's steady voice rang in Shiina Taki's ears.
"Eh?"
Shiina Taki looked up in surprise and saw Kitahara Makoto had already hailed a passing taxi.
"No time to space out, get in quickly."
Kitahara Makoto opened the car door and got in first.
"Ah… okay."
Shiina Taki came back to her senses and quickly got into the taxi.
"What's the exact address of the concert?"
Kitahara Makoto turned and asked.
"It's in Ikebukuro…"
Shiina Taki quickly gave the address.
Kitahara Makoto nodded and looked at the driver in the driver's seat: "Sir, please get there as fast as possible."
"…"
The taxi roared away with a sudden acceleration.
Twenty minutes later.
Ikebukuro District stadium.
"The destination is just ahead." The driver stepped on the brakes at a traffic light. The road ahead was already completely blocked. "I don't know what happened, but we can't get through now. Do you two guests need to change your destination?"
"No." Kitahara Makoto said decisively, "This is fine. How much is it in total?"
After the driver reported the fare, Shiina Taki quickly opened her wallet, then her breathing hitched slightly, and her small face involuntarily flushed red.
Not enough.
The banknotes and coins in her wallet, combined, weren't enough to pay the fare.
There was no other way. Taxis in Japan were like beef in South Korea; ordinary people simply couldn't afford them. But this matter couldn't be blamed on Kitahara Makoto either. If they had taken the train, they would have had to transfer, and it would have taken an unknown amount of time. Taking a taxi was the most convenient and fastest option.
"Here."
Kitahara Makoto directly opened his wallet, pulled out a Fukuzawa Yukichi, and paid the fare:
"Taki, let's get out."
"…"
Shiina Taki quietly put away her small wallet, followed him out of the taxi, and whispered:
"I'll pay you back tomorrow…"
"We'll talk about it when there's time." Kitahara Makoto waved his hand. "Let's find your sister first."
Something had indeed happened at the stadium. The entrance was now packed with people, completely blocked, and two police officers were maintaining order at the stadium entrance.
Kitahara Makoto was about to squeeze through the crowd, but when he turned his head, he saw that Shiina Taki, who was only a little over 1.5 meters tall, was already submerged in the crowd, her small head almost invisible.
No choice.
Kitahara Makoto could only squeeze back out, find Shiina Taki, then pick her up and throw the black-haired girl onto his shoulder.
"You, what are you doing?!"
Shiina Taki was startled, her small face rapidly flushed, and she instinctively hugged Kitahara Makoto's neck.
Sitting on a boy's shoulder in public, wasn't that too terrible!
"See if your sister is in the crowd." Kitahara Makoto said as he squeezed inward. "You can't bring a phone during a performance, so your sister might not be in danger; her phone might just not be with her."
"I understand…"
Shiina Taki took a deep breath, suppressed her embarrassment, and quickly scanned the crowd with a flushed face.
"No."
"I didn't see my sister at all…"
After looking around, Shiina Taki's small face quickly showed disappointment.
Kitahara Makoto had already squeezed through the crowd and arrived outside the cordon.
"Excuse me, what's the situation inside? Has the patient with mania been caught?"
"We are working hard to handle it…"
The two police officers were trying to calm the crowd.
"So, they haven't caught him yet?"
Shiina Taki bit her lower lip tightly, her expression worried.
Since she didn't see her sister outside, she was most likely inside the stadium.
Another police officer looked over:
"I'm sorry, there are still many people stranded inside the stadium. Please be patient, our police force will arrive soon."
As he spoke, several bicycles whizzed by, the police officers riding them pedaling almost like they had fire wheels.
That's right.
They were bicycles.
Not all police in Japan are equipped with guns or police cars. In fact, most of the police commonly seen on the streets of Japan are police boxes, whose main daily work involves helping tourists with directions and sobering up drunkards, among other things. Their mode of transport is a bicycle for each officer. In the event of a murder, it is the responsibility of the Mobile Investigation Unit of the Criminal Police.
But for some unknown reason, despite Kitahara Makoto and Taki rushing over, there were only Koban officers maintaining order at the scene, with no sign of the Mobile Investigation Unit.
"Why haven't those guys arrived yet?"
An older police officer couldn't help but complain.
"No choice," another police officer quickly dismounted his bicycle, lowering his voice. "Mutations have appeared in several places: Shinjuku Station, the University of Tokyo campus, and the University of Tokyo Hospital. Those guys in the Criminal Department are already swamped and can't spare anyone to come over."
Some time had passed since the Mind Demon appeared, and the police were clearly aware that Mind Demon were not something ordinary people could handle. So these Koban officers merely sealed off the entrance, with no intention of going inside.
Shiina Taki, while pricking her ears to eavesdrop on the conversation, anxiously checked messages on her phone, then suddenly tensed up and held her breath:
"Someone in the fan group said that my sister's Kessoku Band, and several other Kessoku Bands, were all in the stadium and didn't manage to escape…"
"And there's more than one person with raging symptoms."
"A fan in the support group witnessed the entire incident. A member of an underground idol group was suddenly exposed for having secretly given birth, even to twins. As a result, that idol's fan went completely wonderful."
Kitahara Makoto: "…"
Understandable.
Underground idols are a spiritual pillar for many people, and the first requirement is to establish a good persona. As an idol, no matter what kind of person you are in private, in front of the public, you must be single. Dating is absolutely forbidden, let alone getting pregnant before marriage.
As the saying goes, the deeper the love, the stronger the hate. Once an idol's image collapses, fanatical fans are very likely to go to extremes, while casual fans will just enjoy the gossip.
"We can't wait any longer; who knows when the Mobile Investigation Unit will arrive," Kitahara Makoto said in a low voice. "Taki, wait for me here."
"Huh?"
Shiina Taki was slightly stunned, then quickly reacted:
"You're going in alone?"
"That's right," Kitahara Makoto took off his backpack and handed it to Taki. "Time waits for no one."
Shiina Taki bit her lower lip with her pearly teeth:
"It's too dangerous alone. I'll help…"
"Wait for me obediently outside." Kitahara Makoto stretched out his right hand and ruffled Taki's small head. "Don't cause me any more trouble."
Shiina Taki: "…"
Kitahara Makoto waved his hand and strode towards the yellow caution tape.
"Excuse me, please don't approach without permission…"
A patrol officer extended his arm, ready to stop Kitahara Makoto, but then felt a blur before his eyes. Kitahara Makoto had already flashed behind him, then directly lifted the yellow caution tape and rushed into the stadium at a speed comparable to Usain Bolt.
"Wait, come back!"
Seeing this, several police officers immediately became anxious, wanting to stop Kitahara Makoto, but unfortunately, they couldn't even touch the corner of his clothes.
One of the police officers chased a few steps, but seeing that Kitahara Makoto had already disappeared, he finally stopped at the stadium entrance, not daring to go deeper inside.
"…Do boys all like to play the hero?"
Shiina Taki lightly bit her lower lip with her pearly teeth, holding the backpack in her arms, and stood on her tiptoes, watching Kitahara Makoto's retreating figure with a very complex expression.
Earlier at the Train Station, when she called out to Kitahara Makoto, she had already prepared herself to be taken advantage of, but Kitahara Makoto said nothing. Now, he even told her to stay outside and entered the dangerous place alone…
Shiina Taki's emotions were complex, and she finally understood why, even though having a harem was such a terrible act, everyone chose to tolerate it.
Because Kitahara Makoto was different from those men who only sweet-talked and deceived girls. At critical moments, he would truly step forward and provide an indescribable sense of security.
At the same time.
Kitahara Makoto had already entered the stadium. The vast stadium was unusually quiet at this moment. The entrance was a mess, and many discarded shoes and bags could still be seen.
Clearly, when the danger erupted, most people escaped, and there was a crush and stampede at the entrance.
Kitahara Makoto looked around but saw no one. Those who hadn't managed to escape had apparently hidden, and the stadium was eerily silent.
"Instead of looking for them one by one, it's better to just lure the monsters out…"
After two seconds of deliberation, Kitahara Makoto bent down, picked up a plastic water bottle at his feet, distorted off the cap, poured out the water, and then raised the bottle and smashed it onto a seat.
Bang!
A loud sound immediately reverberated throughout the stadium.
Bang bang bang!
The rolling noise quickly spread throughout the entire stadium.
At the same time.
In the broadcasting room on the second floor.
A group of girls were hiding inside, their faces full of panic, cautiously observing the situation outside.
"Hey, what's that sound outside?"
"Could it be the police?"
"Quick, check the monitor."
The girls cautiously looked at the monitor, then all showed disappointed expressions.
"It's not the police, just a young boy…"
"What is he doing? Doesn't he know the noise will attract those monsters?"
"Oh, no! A monster is rushing over!"
"…"
The girls watching the monitor all turned pale, no longer daring to watch the cruel scene that was about to unfold.
When the chaos erupted, security guards maintaining order at the scene went forward, trying to stop the monsters. As a result, one of the uncles was bitten on the neck, his throat directly torn open, and the spraying blood was over two meters high. The terrifying scene was like a nightmare.
Seeing Kitahara Makoto still standing there 'foolishly', one of the girls gritted her teeth, grabbed the microphone nearby, and nervously shouted:
"A monster is coming! Quick, hide!"
"Hm?"
Kitahara Makoto heard the broadcast, looked up towards the broadcasting room, but it was too far to see who was inside. So he turned to look at the surveillance camera nearby and gave an OK gesture.
"Not only is he not running, he's even making gestures there. Is he an idiot?"
One of the girls couldn't help but complain.
"It's too late," another girl said, her face pale. "Those monsters have already rushed out of the hallway and are all heading over."
Rumble.
The sound of heavy running entered their ears.
Kitahara Makoto looked over in the direction of the sound and saw a man running out of the passage. This man was wearing a fan shirt with an idol girl printed on it, clearly a typical otaku.
But at this moment, the otaku's eyes were bloodshot, his entire body was unnaturally bloated as if inflated, almost tearing his shirt, his face was covered with veins wriggling like earthworms, and there was clear blood and shredded flesh on the corners of his mouth and his sharpened fingers.
"Mind Demon, finally seen one."
Kitahara Makoto looked over curiously.
These are monsters catalyzed by the fusion of negative emotions in the human heart and negative energy from the Otherworld. In this state, the Mind Demon has long lost all reason, retaining only the urge for bloodlust and slaughter.
At the same time, two more monsters rushed out from other passages. Three Mind Demons simultaneously locked onto Kitahara Makoto; clearly, the noise-luring tactic was highly effective.
"Ho ho…"
Upon seeing Kitahara Makoto, the three otaku-turned-Mind Demons didn't hesitate. They let out strange, low growls from their throats and directly dashed towards Kitahara Makoto.
In the broadcasting room on the second floor, several timid girls no longer dared to watch, all averting their gaze, not believing Kitahara Makoto had any chance of survival.
These monsters were incredibly strong; even professionally trained security guards were no match for them. An ordinary person would be torn to shreds by three monsters in an instant, wouldn't they?
However, a few seconds later, a gasp suddenly rang out:
"That boy is so wonderful!"
"Huh?"
The girls who hadn't dared to watch all looked at the monitor curiously, and immediately saw a shocking scene that they found unbelievable and would never forget for the rest of their lives.
Kitahara Makoto, surrounded by the three monsters, looked calm, moving among the three monsters with a sense of leisurely strolling, as if taking a walk in a garden.
"It's similar to the Mind Demons in the Dream World; there isn't much difference in speed and strength…"
Two days ago, while weaving dreams at Nijika's house, Kitahara Makoto had, of course, personally gathered information on the Mind Demon.
After confirming that the three Mind Demon in front of him were not much different from the monsters in the Dream World, Kitahara Makoto quickly began to counterattack.
Boom!
Kitahara Makoto delivered a leaping front kick, directly sending the Mind Demon pouncing from the left flying. Then he stretched out his right hand, fiercely grabbed the heads of the other two Mind Demon, and slammed them directly into the ground, causing blood to splatter instantly.
All of this happened in a flash, like a scene from an action movie, causing the Kessoku Band girls in the broadcasting room to widen their eyes and involuntarily exclaim:
"So, so wonderful…"
"Super cool!"
"How did he do that?"
"His movements were too fast; I didn't see clearly…"
The three monsters roared, still trying to get up, but don't forget, Kitahara Makoto is now an exorcist, naturally restraining these things. He immediately clenched his fists, targeted the heart area of the Mind Demon, and delivered heavy blows.
The Mind Demon's heart is where the most negative energy resides, and it was also a weakness discovered in the Dream World. As Kitahara Makoto delivered a heavy punch, most of the negative energy instantly dissipated. The monsters, losing their energy support, could only fall to the ground, their bodies twitching wildly like frogs on a dissecting table.
Thud.
Thud thud thud.
The three Mind Demon all fell to the ground, began to twitch uncontrollably, and were no longer able to stand up.
"What a pity…"
Kitahara Makoto shook his head lightly.
After these monsters were catalyzed by negative energy, their consciousness and bodies were destroyed. Even if they were saved, they would only become idiots lying in a hospital bed for the rest of their lives.
"He actually won?"
"That boy eliminated three monsters by himself?"
"Unbelievable…"
The Kessoku Band girls in the broadcasting room widened their eyes, unable to believe what they were seeing.
"Wait, there were only three monsters in the stadium in total, and now they've all been eliminated by that boy. Can we go out now?"
One of the Kessoku Band girls suddenly realized.
Hearing this, the other girls quickly became alert. After exchanging glances, they swiftly opened the locked door and ran out of the broadcasting room. Before leaving, they didn't forget to use the broadcasting room to notify the other hiding audience members.
A moment later.
Looking at the girls and audience members running out of the passage, Kitahara Makoto's gaze quickly locked onto one of the black-haired, straight-haired girls among them.
Before coming in, Kitahara Makoto had seen the poster in the fan group; it was clearly Taki's sister.
Kitahara Makoto withdrew his gaze, casually picked up a hat he had just found, put it on his head, and quietly melted into the shadows.
What happened next goes without saying. There were dozens of unfortunate people stranded in the stadium. So many people rushing out all at once completely stunned the police who were blocking the entrance.
Kitahara Makoto blended into the crowd and easily left the stadium.
"Sister, are you alright?"
Finding her sister in the crowd, Shiina Taki excitedly went up to her, her face full of emotion.
"I'm fine… Taki, why are you outside the stadium?"
The sisters reuniting was naturally a joyous occasion.
"It's a long story…"
Shiina Taki explained softly while searching for Kitahara Makoto's figure in the crowd.
Just as she thought Kitahara Makoto had quietly left, a voice suddenly sounded behind her:
"What is Taki-san looking for?"
Shiina Taki quickly turned her head, looked at Kitahara Makoto behind her, and her eyes lit up as she said:
"Kitahara-kun, you're not hurt, are you?"
Kitahara Makoto clutched his chest:
"A little trouble."
"..."
To leave after the deed is done, hiding one's achievements and fame?
Why should he!
He had worked so hard to save her, so of course, he should ask Taki for a reward; he hadn't gotten today's lottery draw chances yet!
"Ah, it's you!"
Shiina Taki's older sister let out a soft cry and quickly bowed ninety degrees to Kitahara Makoto:
"Thank you so much just now; otherwise, I don't know if we would have survived. I'm so grateful!"
Kitahara Makoto nodded slightly:
"It was nothing."
"Um, are you Taki's friend?" Shiina Taki's older sister's eyes sparkled, and her face showed undisguised admiration. "We were hiding in the broadcast room on the second floor and saw Kitahara-kun easily deal with those three monsters... Can we exchange contact information?"
"I must repay you properly!"
"Please!"
Shiina Taki: "..."
Crisis!
Big crisis!
A great sense of crisis suddenly surged in her heart. Looking at her older sister, who was so proactive and enthusiastic, Shiina Taki's eyelids twitched uncontrollably.
What did her older sister mean?
Could it be the so-called suspension bridge effect, causing her older sister to develop an inexplicable good impression of Scumbag Kitahara?
Would she have to call him brother-in-law in the future...?
No!
She absolutely wouldn't watch her older sister fall into the fire pit!
Shiina Taki bit her teeth, deciding to cut off her older sister's 'delusion' at the source. She suddenly stretched out her arms, grabbed Kitahara Makoto's arm, and said with a flushed face:
"Older sister... this guy is my boyfriend!"
☰