Zongman: Beginning and Snow under the Rain Escape from Raccoon City

"how so……"

She bit her lip, a low sob escaping her throat.

The scene downstairs is etched into my mind like a brand, and I can't shake it off.

My mother—the one who was always strong and gentle in front of me—was now in that man's arms, in such a shameful posture…

Izumi Sagiri trembled all over, tears blurring her vision.

She hated herself.

I hate myself for being so useless.

If she could earn enough money through drawing, her mother wouldn't have to sell herself; if she could be more sensible, her mother wouldn't have to suffer so much.

"It's all my fault...it's all my fault..."

Izumi Sagiri buried her face in her knees and sobbed uncontrollably.

Although I knew this day would come sooner or later after signing the contract with Yukinoshita Haruno that day.

But Izumi Sagiri never expected this day to come so soon.

She wasn't mentally prepared.

Meanwhile, downstairs.

The living room lights were still on.

Asuna knelt in front of the sofa, covering her face tightly with her hands, tears seeping through her fingers.

"...She saw it..."

She was completely devastated, her shoulders trembling uncontrollably.

Ye Hai sat upright on the sofa, his expression calm and amused.

He looked down at the scene before him, a slow smile playing on his lips: "Isn't it fine?"

Mrs. Izumi looked up abruptly, her eyes red: "Good? What do you mean 'good'? She's still a child! How could she... how could she see such things!"

Ye Hai looked at her calmly, his gaze deep, as if he could see into her soul.

"What are you afraid of?"

"I--"

Mrs. Izumi's voice trembled, and she choked up, barely able to speak: "I don't want her to follow in my footsteps... She should have her own future..."

Ye Hai didn't answer, but instead rubbed his chin with his fingertips, a half-smile on his face.

"Okay, stop thinking about it and continue."

Ye Hai pressed Mrs. Izumi's head down with his hand.

"Well--"

Mrs. Izumi was somewhat reluctant, but she still did as she was told, despite the humiliation.

With the burdens of life weighing heavily on her head, how could she not bow her head?

……

"elder brother--"

"Are you really okay?"

With a conflicted expression, Komachi poked Hachiman Hikigaya with her finger, who was looking dazed.

He's been acting a bit strange ever since he reappeared in the main world.

"Ah—Komachi..."

Hachiman Hikigaya snapped out of his daze and managed to force a smile.

"I'm fine, I just need some time to recover."

It was this encounter in Silent Hill that truly made Hachiman Hikigaya understand the terror of the Main God Space.

I was really lucky to have traveled to such a peaceful world last time.

If it weren't for his vampire bloodline granting him extraordinary regenerative abilities, he probably wouldn't have been able to return to the main world so completely.

The kid named Conan Edogawa who went in with him was in a terrible state; he was put on the stake and even set on fire. If he hadn't happened to return to the Main God Space...

That kid Conan is probably already dead inside.

Even after returning to the Main God Space, Conan was forced to spend several hundred of his thousand reward points on treating his burns.

"Brother, what exactly happened to you...?"

Komachi Hikigaya tilted her head and asked, as she had no terrifying impression of the Main God Space.

Hachiman Hikigaya gave a wry smile, and then began to tell Komachi Hikigaya about his experiences.

He already knew that Komachi Hikigaya had also entered the God Space.

"..."

"The burning rack... I can still smell the burning in my head."

Hachiman Hikigaya propped his forehead with his hand, barely managing to twitch the corners of his mouth.

Is that guy named Conan Edogawa still alive?

Komachi asked softly.

"Can't die."

Hachiman Hikigaya curled his lip: "That kid is really something. I told him to hide, but he insisted on going to investigate some truth."

"If you ask me, what's the point of exploring the truth about this ghost world?"

"Just protect yourself."

Hachiman Hikigaya complained, wondering why the God Realm had assigned him such a teammate.

They insisted on following the policewoman and the mother whose child had gone missing to search for the missing person.

He was forced to follow suit.

After all, according to the usual horror movie formula, if they go separately, one side has three people and the other side is all alone.

It's obvious they're targeting those who go solo!

Chapter 191 Shiina Mahiru's New Home

"Shinichi, where did you go before?"

"I can't find you."

"I thought you'd been kidnapped by the Black Organization."

Professor Agasa poured Conan Edogawa a glass of cool water and placed it in front of him.

Conan's palms still trembled slightly, an illusion left by the flames licking at his feet.

Even after returning to the main world, the phantom pain still exists.

He looked down at the water in the glass, where ripples spread gently.

—I can't say.

The cold, robotic notification sound from the Main God Space still echoed in my mind:

[WARNING: Any attempt to disclose spatial information to unauthorized parties will immediately trigger an erasure.]

Conan took a deep breath, suppressing the heaviness in his chest.

"...Doctor, I'm sorry to have worried you."

He forced a smile: "I just... went to investigate a lead."

"A clue?" The doctor was taken aback.

"Yes, it's about the organization."

Conan said in a low voice, deliberately slowing down his speech to make his words sound reasonable: "But... it was too dangerous, I almost gave myself away."

He gripped the cup with his fingers, his palms turning white from the force.

"So I deliberately cut off contact these past few days."

"Really..."

Dr. Agasa shook his head, feeling both worried and helpless.

In a world like Silent Hill, even the most composed detective can be driven to the brink of collapse.

If he hadn't returned to the Main God Space at the last moment, he probably would have really died at the stake.

The professor handed over a plate of snacks and sighed, "Shinichi, remember, no matter how dangerous something is, you have to tell me first. Don't always go on adventures alone. Ran will cry her eyes out if she finds out."

"..."

Conan pursed his lips, his knuckles tense, but he didn't say anything more.

"Ah."

He responded softly, but his gaze drifted out the window.

After the rain, children ran and laughed as they splashed through the puddles on the streets.

But Conan felt that he was getting further and further away from that world.

The idea of ​​one's own body shrinking is already quite sci-fi.

But now they've actually entered some kind of God's Space.

His worldview was about to collapse.

……

"Shiina Mahiru-kun, are you feeling better?"

In the office, Kirisu Mafuyu looked at Shiina Mahiru with concern.

Yesterday, Shiina Mahiru asked her for leave, saying she wasn't feeling well.

This is a very rare occurrence. Shiina Mahiru is always very strict with herself, and even if she has a minor cold or a slight fever, she will still insist on coming to school.

Shiina Mahiru blushed slightly: "It's alright now, Kirisu Mafuyu-sensei."

"If you're not feeling well, you can take a few more days off. Your teacher, Kirisu Mafuyu, isn't an unreasonable person."

Hiratsuka Shizuka casually remarked from the side, "You're much more well-behaved than that guy in my class named Ye Hai, who takes leave every few days even when he's not sick."

When Shiina Mahiru heard Hiratsuka Shizuka mention Ye Hai, the blush on her face became even more pronounced.

It was because of Ye Hai that she had to take the day off yesterday!

For some reason, she subconsciously lowered her head and spoke softly in defense of Ye Hai: "Ye Hai... he probably has his own reasons."

"what?"

"You know him?"

Hiratsuka Shizuka looked at Shiina Mahiru with some surprise.

"..."

Shiina Mahiru then realized that she might have said something she shouldn't have, so she quickly said, "He's a celebrity at our school, how could I not know him?"

Hiratsuka Shizuka looked slightly suspicious: "Really?"

She always felt that things weren't that simple.

"Right, that is it."