mygo, but Cthulhu

"Ran, I know you're sad about what happened with Saki. In fact, I'm sad too... But I'm also worried about you. You look really bad. Have you been sleeping on time these days? Why are there such heavy dark circles under your eyes?"

"...Mocha, you don't have to worry about this."

After a moment of silence, Mei Zhulan just shook her head.

Because of anxiety and fear, she couldn't sleep at all these days. Whenever she lay in bed, she couldn't help but start to worry about the conditions of Mocha and the others, and whether they were safe at the moment... But if she told them the reason, Mocha and the others would definitely worry more, so she decided to forget it.

"Don't worry about it? Lan, how can I not care about you?"

Moka sighed again when he heard her words and shook his head seriously.

"You are our friend. Not only me, but Xiao Fei, Tutu, and Tomoe are all worried about you. Even if you have that kind of power now, you still need to eat and sleep, right? If you continue like this, your body will not be able to bear it."

"..."

Mei Zhulan frowned, she looked up to meet those familiar blue eyes, then slowly looked at the others, and as expected, she found that they were all sincerely worried about her.

…She should have been happy about this, but the first thing that came to her mind was fear. She suddenly remembered the cause of death of Arisaki and Satomi… They both died because they cared about their friends and wanted to save them.

It should be a beautiful friendship for friends to cherish each other, but this increasingly terrifying world does not care about such things. This kind of emotion will only easily destroy the fragile mortals who are reckless, leaving those who care about her in grief.

Mizukuri had no doubt that if she were in danger, Mocha and the others would save her at all costs, but this might cause them to die in front of her... She couldn't accept this.

"Your worries are pointless,"

Mizukari sighed softly, then made up her mind and spoke slowly. Everyone was stunned by her words. Moka opened her eyes wide, and Himari trembled a little before forcing a smile, desperately trying to ease the atmosphere.

"Ahaha, Lan, you really know how to joke, but you can't just say things like that. Oh, by the way, Tugumi's shop has some new products recently, why don't we..."

"I'm not kidding, your worries are pointless,"

Mizukuri repeated it expressionlessly, causing Himari's voice to stop abruptly. Under the setting sun, the atmosphere became completely stiff. After a moment of silence, Ueda Gawabun frowned and spoke first.

"Lan, what do you mean by our worrying is pointless? We're worried about you. Isn't that normal?"

"Maybe it's normal, but now that we've realized that hidden real world, so-called normality can no longer help us."

Mizukari shook her head slightly, and Tomoe's tone became a little anxious.

"Even if that's the case, what does that have to do with us worrying about you? We are your friends, aren't we? No matter what we've been through or what we're about to face, we should stand together and never separate, right?"

"...Is that what you think, Tomoe?"

After a moment of silence, Mei Zhulan spoke slowly in a cold voice, looking at her expressionlessly.

"Do you really think that we can stay together forever? All five of us will be together?"

"Lan...what exactly do you want to say? Staying together forever, isn't that the promise we five made together? Even if we encounter difficulties, didn't we vow to overcome them together? Why...are you suddenly asking this?"

"When we made this agreement, we knew nothing about the reality of this world. How could such an agreement still count? It was nothing more than a child's play."

Mizukari sneered, and everyone was stunned again. They looked at Lan incomprehensibly, and the latter just looked at them indifferently, until Yuze Tsugumi trembled and couldn't help but suddenly raised her voice.

"Lan! What are you talking about?! What do you mean by playing house? Didn't we agree at the beginning? We should always be the same as usual. Why are you suddenly saying this now? The you now... I'm starting to not recognize you. Are you really Lan? If so, why are you belittling everything like this? Why?"

"Because our promise is actually so fragile that it can't withstand the horrors of this world. The idea that things are just like normal is just self-deception! We simply can't keep living our previous lives forever!"

Mizukari gritted her teeth and raised her voice, staring into her eyes and roaring. Tsugumi Yuzawa was stunned for a moment, and Ran quickly approached her and grabbed her shoulders.

"Thrush, you said I belittled our promise. So tell me, how can we stay together forever? Massacres keep happening one after another, and even something like the Black Sun can happen... Do you think we can continue like before? It's impossible for us to go back. We've been on the edge of a cliff for a long time."

"..."

Tsugumi Yuzawa stared at her blankly, tears rolling down her eyes, and Mitakelan was also stunned when she saw her crying. She pursed her lips and slowed down her voice a little, but still firm.

"Anyway, I hope you understand that it's impossible for us to continue as usual. Now, except for me, none of you have been able to learn magic, which means you actually have no ability to protect yourself... Of course, I don't blame you. After all, it was only because my father used magic to transform my physique since I was a child that I was able to learn so quickly."

"But you also saw the deaths of Arisaki and Satomi. I don't want you to end up in trouble like them. Furthermore, Tokyo is clearly becoming increasingly dangerous... Therefore, I hope you can emigrate abroad. My father can use his connections to help you. Your family will have a better life there, and you can be away from danger."

"Lan...what about you?"

After being stunned for a moment, Mocha spoke seriously first, while Mizukuri just shook her head.

"I can't leave. I'm the heir to the Mitake family. Whether I like it or not, I'm a member of the committee. My leaving Japan would mean provoking the Mizono family, and the president wouldn't allow that."

"If Lan doesn't leave, I won't leave either..."

"Don't say such childish things!"

Before Feimali could finish her words, Meizhulan interrupted her with gritted teeth, her voice full of anger.

"Do you think you can help me by staying by my side? I tell you, you are a burden to me. You don't know magic, you can't shoot accurately with guns, and your physical fitness is not strong enough. How can you help me by staying?! You will only drag me down and force me to save you!"

"It would be better for me if you leave Japan, understand? That way I can focus on things here without worrying about you."

"..."

Mizukuri's merciless words left them speechless for a moment. Feimali and the other two subconsciously looked at each other and saw hesitation in each other's eyes.

If what Lan said was true... then wouldn't it be better for them to actually leave?

Yes, just leave it like that, and it would be better if you resent me, so that you can be safe.

Seeing their reactions, Mizukami breathed a sigh of relief, and her clenched fists slowly loosened, but the next moment, she suddenly heard Mocha's calm voice.

"Lan, is this really the case?"

"?!"

Mi Zhulan didn't expect her to ask this question suddenly, and subconsciously opened her eyes wide and looked at her. Although she quickly reacted and hurriedly controlled her expression, her heart sank. She gritted her teeth and tried to look impatient.

"what do you mean?"

"If we're only dragging Ran down by staying here, then of course we won't stay here any longer... But, I can tell that Ran seems to be hiding something, and every time you get nervous, you clench your fists like you did just now... Ran, is there anything you haven't told us?"

Mocha looked at her seriously, and the other three quickly realized that they had not noticed Lan's strange expression because they were caught off guard. Now they also noticed something in Lan's eyes, frowned and asked hurriedly,

"Lan, is what Moka said true? Is there really something you're not telling us?"

"...I did not tell you something, but that is because you cannot know that. You also understand that some knowledge is more dangerous if you know it."

After a moment of silence, Mei Zhulan pursed her lips and tried to make up an excuse, but the four people who had grown up with her saw through her cover-up and their expressions became serious.

"Lan...you're lying. We've spent so much time with you, we can tell...what exactly happened? Why can't you tell us?"

"...I thought I could at least fool you this time."

After looking at them for a moment, Mizukami sighed deeply in resignation and shook her head silently.

"Okay, here I go... Because the members of that large-scale bloody confession all participated in the cannibalism ritual hosted by my father, the powerful and influential have serious doubts about my father... If we want to persuade them to send you abroad now, my family will have to pay a huge price, and it may also attract the attention of the CIA."

"But even so, I still hope you can leave here... because I really don't want anything to happen to you."

By the end of her speech, Mizukami's voice was choked with sobs. She cruelly blamed Mocha and the others, hoping to distract their attention and deceive them, but she didn't expect to fail in the end... It's no wonder, after all, they knew her too well, and it was natural for her to fail.

"Lan, don't be sad. Since this will put you in more danger, we certainly can't leave here."

Mocha gently held her hand, and the others gathered around her. They stared at her seriously, and the meaning in their eyes was clear: they were all willing to accompany Mizukari.

But the more determined and passionate their feelings were, the more frightened Mei Zhulan became. She couldn't help but

Thinking of the tombstones of Arisaki and Satomi, his voice trembled.

"Why...why are you so persistent?"

"Need I say this? Of course it's because the five of us are going to be together all the time."

Moka answered softly with resignation, while the others nodded vigorously. Mizukari turned her head away silently, not looking at them.

"I've already said that this agreement is childish and useless. None of us can guarantee it."

"It doesn't matter, because even if one of us dies, the living will still remember her, and then the five of us will still be together."

Mocha responded softly, and Mizukari's vision was blurred by tears, and she responded softly with a trembling voice,

"How can that even be considered? The dead can no longer talk to the living. The dead can't come back."

"But even so, as long as there are still people who remember us, then we are not dead. We are still alive at that time, living in the memories of the living."

Mocha hugged Mizukari gently, and tried to comfort her in a slow voice.

"So, don't be afraid anymore, Lan. We can't guarantee that nothing will happen to us... but we can't let you put yourself in danger for us, so let's cherish every second we have now, because this is our time."

"Even if you try to force us to leave, we will resist to the end. You know us well, so you should understand our determination, right?"

“You, you… wuwuwuaaaah!”

At this moment, all of Mizukuri's emotions burst out instantly. She could no longer bear the suppressed fear and emotion, and hugged Mocha's body and burst into tears. Feimari and the other two also hugged them and cried. The five of them pressed their bodies against each other, their tears and breathing in the same way.

Under the orange sky, the setting sun lengthened their figures hugging each other little by little. Even though a corner of the night slowly covered them, they still did not separate.

Chapter 218 Garden Dahui's Lies

"So many things have happened over there... It seems like it's not been easy for us lately."

After listening to what Kazuo Ruiyi said quietly, Hanazono Tae sighed, and Ruiyi nodded tiredly.

"Yeah, we really did suddenly learn the truth about this world. Chu's parents also met with an accident without any warning... Now she hardly talks all day, and even Pareo's desperate efforts to comfort her don't help much... It's really a headache."

"Alas, it's a pity that I can't help her. I can only hope that she can get better."

Hua Yuan Duo Hui sighed, picked up the coffee and took a sip, staring at the table for a moment before suddenly speaking softly,

"Rui, I heard that Zhiyou and her parents have special powers. Is this true?"

"Although I haven't seen it with my own eyes, it should be true... Duohui, why are you asking this?"

"...As you know, Saaya is having mental problems right now. She still believes that Arisaki and Satomi are alive. Kasumi has no choice but to take her to the hospital."

After a moment of silence, Duohui looked up at her. Her green eyes, which used to be casual and cheerful, were now filled with depression and obscurity, which made Ruiyi even more heartbroken.

"I want to help Sha Ling, but I know nothing about mental illness... I can only hope that with the help of this power, I can find the right method to help Sha Ling return to normal."

"Is that so... What a pity, Chu? Her parents didn't teach her any magic. Her parents probably didn't want her to know about it. Unfortunately, they didn't succeed in the end and died not long after arriving in Japan."

Ruiyi shook her head, and Duohui continued to speak calmly.

"But, chu? She should have gotten her father's belongings, right? What exactly are they?"

"Hmm... probably just some hard-to-read notes, a few enchanted items that have drained their power, and an ancient book."

"Ancient book... Ruiyi, do you think there's a way to cure Sha Ling in it?"

"Dahui...you don't want to..."

"I have no other choice, Ruiyi. Kasumi is about to collapse. I have to do something for them. Otherwise, won't I just be helpless and watch all this happen, unable to do anything?"

Duohui interrupted her eagerly, and Ruiyi hesitated and sighed.

"Duohui, you should know that this kind of power is very dangerous, right?"

"Of course I know, but I've made up my mind, Ruiyi, please, just help me this time, okay?"

Duohui looked at her pleadingly, and her expression completely broke through Ruiyi's psychological defenses. Ruiyi lowered her head in silence, and after a while she spoke softly,

"I can try to ask Chu for you. She knows about Arisaki's death and Saaya's condition. Although she's upset, she should be willing to lend you the ancient book... But you have to promise me that you will only look for a way to cure Saaya, and have no other intentions."

"Thank you, Ray, I promise."

Duohui nodded without hesitation, and Ruiyi sighed and silently drank the bitter coffee. She said goodbye to Duohui softly, and the latter sincerely thanked her again.

Until Rui Yi's figure completely disappeared from her sight, the sad yet touching expression on Hanazono Dahui's face slowly solidified. She slowly lowered her head and looked at her expression reflected on the glass table. She couldn't help but sneer in her heart.

Hanazono Tae...you are so ridiculous and dirty that you would deceive your friends without hesitation for power... Rui will definitely hate you if she knows the truth.

"Yes, I know, of course I know that,"

Then, she heard herself mumbling an answer, and the face on the glass table gradually became distorted.

"I cheated on her, and I don't expect to be forgiven... But I can't stand it anymore. I can't stand my powerlessness anymore."

"I want to gain strength, enough to protect Kasumi and Saaya. They are all I have, and I must never lose them again... For this, I am willing to bear any sin and accept any punishment."

"If this world is cold and terrifying, then please let me bear it all... I would rather die first than see my friends die in front of me again."

Chapter 219 True and False

Bai Lu Qiansheng suddenly opened her eyes, and what she saw was still the familiar pure white room. She subconsciously wanted to struggle, but found that she was tied tightly to the bed and could not break free no matter how hard she tried.

Seeing that she had woken up, the nurse who stayed beside her hurriedly called to inform her. Not long after, the doctor she had tried to attack walked into the room. His face was full of genuine concern, and he asked in a serious and responsible manner,

"Ms. Bai Lu, how do you feel now? Are you feeling uncomfortable?"

"Stop acting for me, you bastard!"

Bai Lu Qiansheng roared in anger, and the doctor sighed as usual, made a few notes in the medical record, and continued to ask questions.

"Ms. Bai Lu, can you tell me why you suddenly attacked me? Do you think I was planning to harm you? Or do you think I'm not human, but a monster in disguise?"