Toyokawa Shoko doesn't want to become a witch

"Don't interrupt." Xiangzi tapped the map. "Now we get to the main point."

Xiangzi had been inquiring for more than a day. Apart from the matter of time resetting, she had actually investigated the matter of the five familiars before she was given the final ultimatum by Minato Yuki. She had also roughly drafted a plan, but she was just lacking people to carry it out.

“This city is dead, but it’s also alive. Banks also have working hours, and many of these scattered ghosts work inside.” Xiangzi curled his lips. “By piecing together the information we gathered from them, we know that Amoris hid his ‘head’ in the deepest part of the ‘bank’.”

"That is its vital point, its only weakness, a weakness that leaves it with no ability to resist."

"Meow Dream, there's only one thing I need you to do."

“Sneak into the deepest vault of the bank and find Amoris’s head.” Miao Meng knew what she had to do without Xiangzi saying it. “Then kill it.”

"Completely correct."

“But with so many guards, it’s hard for me to get in without sounding the alarm,” Miao Meng said with difficulty. “If I’m surrounded, I won’t die in a short time, but it will be very difficult to escape.”

“I’ll help you draw the attention of the Stormtroopers and Amoris,” Chu Hua said. “Then you won’t be under too much pressure.”

"Chuhua and I will help you share the burden."

“…Alright then.” Miao Meng sighed. “Since the boss has said so.”

She shrugged.

"When will construction begin? Now?"

"My time is limited, so let's get started now."

Xiangzi stood up, rolled up the map, and put it away.

“Oh, right,” Miaomeng said, “Give me the map, I need it.”

Xiangzi handed her the rolled-up map.

Miaomeng took the map, but found that Xiangzi did not let go.

Their eyes met.

"I'm reliable most of the time."

Xiangzi repeated what they had said when they first met.

She let go of her hand and let Miaomeng take the map.

"I hope you really are that reliable."

=====

P.S.: I'm taking tomorrow off; I need to go out.

The Tale of Nirvana: Staying True to One's Heart: Chapter 50 - The Classic Climbing of the Ventilation Duct

"Is there anything else? If not, I'll be going." Miaomeng took the map and turned to leave.

Xiangzi thought for a moment and then said.

"There's something else."

""Um?""

Not only Miaomeng, but even Chuhua nodded in confusion.

“I have a different idea. We’ll proceed as planned with Chuhua.” Xiangzi took two steps forward and came to Miaomeng’s side. “I’ll go with Miaomeng.”

"Xiao Xiang, it's too dangerous for you to go with her. I don't agree." This was Chu Hua.

"Seriously? I thought letting me in to steal a head was already outrageous enough, boss, do I have to bring a burden along too?" This is Meow Dream.

“It’s just as dangerous for me outside. Since Dolores’s transformation, the city’s defenses have increased. It’s actually more dangerous for me to follow you,” Xiangzi told Chuhua. “I know what I’m doing.”

"..."

Chu Hua pursed her lips.

Xiangzi's words make sense; when a fight breaks out, she really won't have the energy to pay attention to Xiangzi.

However, on the other hand, Chu Hua was really worried about Miao Meng.

"You trust her that much?" Chu Hua pointed at Miao Meng next to Xiang Zi. "She almost got you killed."

"She almost killed me, which proved her ability! (~1) V?〧2 Q ten private Qi private Wu Lu Li."

Xiangzi shrugged.

"The witch's barrier of money is no simpler than this bank; she can come and go as she pleases."

"Besides, she is already the best candidate that can be found in a short period of time. There is no time to pick and choose in two weeks."

"Hey, so I only chose this because I had no other choice?" Meow Dream grumbled. "That makes me look cheap."

“I’m not worried about her abilities,” Chu Hua said, pursing her lips. “Aren’t you afraid she’ll screw you over again?”

"I brought her along because I was afraid she would slack off."

"Are you all pretending I don't exist?!"

"Alright, since that's the case..."

Chu Hua walked to the roof, and a pair of huge, jet-black wings grew from her back. These were the enormous wings of a bird of prey, and when scaled up to her full size, they were seven or eight meters long, more than four times Chu Hua's height.

She turned her head and looked at Meow Dream in the shadow of the huge wings.

"Don't worry if anything happens to Xiao Xiang."

"You can't get out of this barrier."

The dark figure leaped from the rooftop, flapped its wings, and flew towards the main entrance of the bank.

"Wow~ What a powerful aura, no wonder it's the soul of Sumimi."

Miaomeng clapped her hands as she looked in the direction where Chuhua had disappeared.

Then he turned his head, a half-smile playing on his lips.

"But does she really think she can catch me?"

“You were the one who was arrested,” Xiangzi said.

"Ahem, I walked into the trap myself." Miao Meng cleared her throat. "I really need to be prepared so that no one can catch me."

She glanced at Xiangzi.

"Are you really planning to come in with me? Let me make it clear first, I don't want to, and I'm not capable of, protecting a burden like you."

"I won't be a burden to you. Chu Hua and I once stormed into a bank head-on. Although we were forced out by Amoris, we still managed to gather enough information."

Xiangzi said.

"I have a better memory than a simple sketch just to explain things to you."

She pointed to her forehead.

"I remember it much better here."

It means that there's something Xiangzi hasn't told Miaomeng yet.

"...Alright."

Miao Meng's lips curled into a smile that was neither a smile nor a frown.

"Maybe if you really die inside, I won't have to pay off my debt."

=========== 陾意衫洽旗镹瘤<散弼越?漪=

Soon, a series of commotions broke out in the bank, and the patrolling soldiers switched to combat mode and rushed towards the entrance.

This has resulted in a hollowed-out internal structure within the bank.

However, getting in is also a challenge. Apart from the main entrance, the walls around the bank are high and smooth, with no handholds or windows to enter.

However, the barrier is the witch's dream, and dreams are the subconscious mind, which can reveal some subconscious perceptions that are not usually noticed.

For example, there is no such thing as an impenetrable fortress in the world.

For example, large buildings have ventilation ducts.

The whip got tangled in an inconspicuous grating on the smooth wall, and with a strong pull from below, Miaomeng ripped the grating off.

Miao Meng's weapon is a pair of whips, and they are two long whips with different functions: a leather whip and a long whip with a barb and a blade, which is very much in line with her habit of being ambidextrous.

The whip, which could be freely controlled in length, pulled down the grating of the ventilation duct, but there was nothing in the duct to hold the whip in place; she would have to create something to secure it herself.

Then another long, bladed whip flew up, its sharp tip piercing through the metal of the pipe, using its sharp barbs to hold itself in place.

“They’re all barbed wire, are you planning to climb up by grabbing onto the barbed wire?” Xiangzi said.

"of course not."

Miaomeng wrapped the leather whip around the barbed whip and then pulled the mechanism on the handle of the barbed whip.

The barb tightened quickly, pulling the whip up with it.

Miaomeng then put her arm around Xiangzi's waist and led her up the ventilation duct along the leather whip.

Xiangzi only realized what had just happened after he climbed into the pipe.

The barbed whip tightened its inner spring rope, deforming it. The whip got stuck in the middle of the spring-loaded mechanism, firmly fixed in place. The not-fully-deformed barbed whip looked like a cane.

"Your weapon is interesting," Xiangzi said.

"The most interesting part is yet to come," Miaomeng said, climbing in after her.

Xiangzi's petite figure had some room in the ventilation duct, but Miaomeng, who was tall, looked very cramped after entering.

Miaomeng tucked the weapon into her waistband and nudged Xiangzi's butt.

"Weren't you here to be a human map? Hurry up and lead the way."

"I'm not in a hurry, why are you?"

Xiangzi knelt in the ventilation duct and crawled forward little by little.

Miaomeng followed behind her, watching Xiangzi's buttocks with great interest.

She could only look at Xiangzi's buttocks; she couldn't just close her eyes and crawl around aimlessly.

Half a year of homelessness had taken a toll on Xiangzi's health. Malnutrition made her look extremely thin and fragile. Her cheap skirt clung tightly to her hips because of her posture, outlining a pitifully thin figure.

The last time we met, she held a gun to my head, so I didn't have a chance to observe her properly.

But how should I put it, it's pretty much what I expected.

They are the type that are strong on the outside but weak on the inside.

I guess they really enjoy trying to do things they can't do themselves.

Like a stray cat possessive of its food.

She's the type I like, someone I really want to tease a lot.

However, the Mitsuba Hatsuka beside her is not easy to deal with...

No, no, why am I thinking such nonsense? She's got your life in her hands, Meow Dream! I should think about how to kill her here and then kill Mitsumi Hatsuka too, that way no one will know...

Bang.

Meow dream bumped into a skinny butt.

It looks meatier than it actually is.

This was Miaomeng's first thought.

what happened?

This was Meow Dream's second idea.

Footsteps came from outside the ventilation duct grille. Xiangzi stopped in front of the grille and looked outside.

"(What's going on?)"

Meow Dream used the magical sensing technique commonly used among magical girls to ask the question in front of her, which could be heard by ordinary people.

"Some people will go to work even if the bank is robbed."

Xiangzi replied in a low voice.

"(Speak plainly, and I can hear you even if you reply in your mind.)"