One-way traffic

Click.

Before she could even react, Accelerator swiped his phone on the gate's access control.

The gate was opened directly.

Ignoring Hatsune Miku's surprised expression behind him, he walked straight in.

Was that... unlocking the door?

Could it be that one of them has been here before?

But shouldn't this be a new world? What exactly is going on...?

More and more questions gradually arose in Hatsune Miku's mind.

But most importantly, we still need to find out what exactly happened.

Thinking this, she quickly followed the other person upstairs... or rather, into the elevator.

As they went uphill, the two remained silent, not exchanging a word.

'I have a really strange feeling about this atmosphere…'

Hatsune Miku looked at the person standing to the side with some concern. He was no different from usual, except that he casually put his hands in his pockets.

But the look in his eyes was different.

That was clearly a somewhat wavering look in his eyes.

What kind of situation could possibly make Accelerator waver?

Before we knew it, the elevator had reached the thirteenth floor.

This must be a very high floor.

The elevator doors opened, and the apartment door came into view.

The two walked to the front, and Accelerator looked at them as if deep in thought.

…then, gently.

Knocked on the door.

"A package? Did you order a package?"

"No, not at all. You didn't order it, did you?"

"How could that be? I don't need anything normally."

"Hmm...who could it be?"

Familiar voice.

A very, very familiar voice reached my ears.

Accelerator even felt his breathing become a little heavy, but he still kept his eyes fixed on the front.

Then, the door was opened.

An older woman with long blue hair, wearing a yellow-green tracksuit, appeared before me.

what.

That moment.

As Accelerator passed by, he suddenly felt a certain sensation within him.

That feeling called peace of mind.

"...Huh? You're back so early? I remember you said you wouldn't be able to come back for a long time?"

"Hmm? Ai Sui, who is that?"

From outside the door, you can see another person in the living room, a woman with dark hair who looks to be over twenty years old.

She walked to the door with the older woman, both of them showing a somewhat surprised expression.

"Accelerator?"

The three of them stared at each other in bewilderment.

Only one person is different.

"What... what is this...?"

Standing outside the door, the twin-tailed girl, her face filled with anxiety and utterly bewildered, spoke with a trembling smile.

"What on earth is going on?!"

————————————————————————————————————————————————————

Ten minutes later, everything made sense.

While the two women—Aiho Yomikawa and Kikyo Yoshikawa—went to do other things, Accelerator and Hatsune Miku sat down together on the sofa.

"So...that's how it is."

The expression on Hatsune Miku's face was one of disbelief.

"This is... the world that was once..."

That's pretty much it.

However, it was Accelerator himself who changed his personality the fastest.

Even after such a dramatic reunion, he didn't overreact. He was only initially surprised, and then showed no further emotion.

He wasn't overly surprised by this and readily accepted the fact.

That is precisely why Hatsune Miku was so surprised.

'Even though this is my native world, I didn't have a huge reaction when I first returned.'

How should I put it?

'Sure enough, one side is one side; no matter where they go, they always do things their own way.'

After realizing this, Hatsune Miku couldn't help but look at him, but his expression remained casual.

"Hey, what kind of expression is that?"

After that, a very loud and carefree voice came over.

Aiho Yomikawa was holding a large tray with three mugs on it, which probably contained a beverage similar to hot cocoa, as could be identified from the smell.

After placing the tray on the table, Aiho Yomi crossed her arms and looked at Accelerator with a half-smile.

"When you came in just now, you looked like you hadn't been home for years. I even doubted if it was really you."

"You can shoot me in the head; if I don't die, then I'm the real deal."

"Forget it, I don't have the guts to do such a thing."

Blinking, Aiho Yomikawa also began to scrutinize him.

"And you seem to have changed a lot, like you're missing something, or maybe you've gained something..."

"Aisui, it's almost midnight, isn't it?"

"Ah... I know, it's just cooking, watch me finish it in no time!"

Urged on by the female voice behind her, Aiho Yomizuki sighed impatiently, took a mug, and walked to the kitchen in the back.

Another person stepped in front of the two of them in her place.

"...You've really changed a lot since I last saw you."

It is Yoshikawa bellflower.

Like Aiho Yomikawa, she was also holding a cup, but it seemed to contain a trendy, chilled cocktail rather than a steaming hot drink.

Sitting directly opposite the two, Kikyo Yoshikawa couldn't help but chuckle.

"A lot has changed, Accelerator."

"Oh, what's changed this time?"

"Appearance is a major characteristic. First of all, I don't remember you being able to think easily without electrodes. You shouldn't even be able to speak at this time, right?"

"..."

"And your clothes have changed too. Compared to your previous black and white and gray outfits, the pure white one suits you better now."

"Say what you want."

"However, even putting all that aside, I think the most important changes are in other aspects."

She smiled and looked at Accelerator.

"breath."

"what?"

"Your aura has become completely different from before. Although there is still a sense of darkness, it is undoubtedly much smoother, like a triangle that has been gradually smoothed out."

She took a small sip of her cocktail and couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief.

"It's like I've become a completely different person. This feeling is actually quite nice."

Accelerator couldn't help but catch his breath.

"You haven't changed at all."

"That's true, it's you who... things have definitely changed a lot here."

Yes.

As Kikyo Yoshikawa spoke, she glanced at Accelerator's side.

—The girl with the blue twin ponytails who never dared to speak, wearing the same pure white dress as him.

She looked to be about sixteen years old. Her white dress gave her a serene air, but at that moment, she simply clasped her hands together, appearing quite shy, and her blue eyes were filled with bewilderment.

Ah...you really have a youthful vibe.

"Well, let's put everything else aside for now and eat. Aiho has already prepared the food. Today it's hamburger patties."

"...I remember this was the same thing when I left last time. Could it be that you've been eating the same dish for the past few days?"

"It's not that shabby. Although they are all hamburger patties, at least they are made of beef and pork to differentiate them."

"Isn't it all the same thing in the end?"

While complaining, Accelerator and Kikyo Yoshikawa got up together.

"Come on, join us too."

"Eh…?"

Hatsune Miku, who was sitting to the side, was startled by Kikyo Yoshikawa's behavior.

She chuckled softly and reached out her hand to him, continuing her story gently.

"Since he brought you here, I think there must be some reason behind it."

"Anyway, let's have dinner together first. Although my cooking skills may not be very good, I'll have to make a fool of myself."

"Hey, I'm telling you, it's fine to complain about me in private, but at least don't complain about me in front of other people!"

On the other side came Yomikawa Aiho's very unconvinced voice, which made Yoshikawa Kikyo laugh again.

Hatsune Miku paused for a moment, then finally grabbed her hand and stood up.

"Um, excuse me..."

Chapter 170 An Unsettled City

It's lunchtime.

Seated at a relatively spacious table, Yoshikawa Kikyo had already prepared the tableware.

Accelerator casually sat down in the chair, crossing his legs, seemingly already used to it.

Hatsune Miku glanced at the people at the dining table, thought for a moment, and then went straight into the kitchen.

Yomi Kawa Aiho, who had just finished cooking, ran into her face-to-face.

"Oh, are you planning to eat with us? We're so sorry, today's lunch is just hamburger patties and vegetable soup."