This is not the date I wanted.

"I see...it was that time."

Kotori couldn't help but droop her brow in thought, remembering that during the summer school trip, a desert area abroad was suddenly destroyed by a large lightning strike and turned into a scorched earth. Although the Yamai sisters confirmed that it was Meng Yue's doing, the reason for doing so was completely unknown. If it was a battle with Kurumi, it would be understandable.

"Although there are many things that I am concerned about, let's put them aside for now. Then, after Kurumi left, the phantom appeared?"

Kotori asked.

"It's a bit tricky to say this. It should be said that she was hiding and watching from the sidelines from the beginning."

Meng Yue couldn't help but smile bitterly. At that time, she couldn't feel the existence of the phantom at all. If it weren't for Kuang San, Meng Yue wouldn't have known that she was being followed.

"So, Sister Mengyue, do you know the true face of Phantom?"

"Unfortunately, I once tried to use the Dawn Sage to detect the other party's true identity, but that layer of mosaic seemed to be an interference wall created by ultra-high-density spiritual power, so I don't know either."

Meng Yue shook her head gently. Just when everyone was a little disappointed, Mei Jiu suddenly asked.

"Well... if Honey was born as an elf from the beginning, then why did Phantom come to Honey?"

Hearing Meijiu's words, Mengyue couldn't help but smile.

"Regarding this point, I actually asked the Phantom the same question at that time. Then, it gave me a very interesting answer."

"interesting?"

Meng Yue nodded, closed her eyes, recalled her memories at that time, and repeated it in a deep voice.

[A year ago, I sensed a spirit power different from the spirit crystal I possessed emerging from you, so I began to observe you.]

"Is there anything wrong with this sentence?"

Shidou scratched his head in confusion.

"The problem...is getting bigger."

As if realizing what Mengyue wanted to say, Qinli's eyes widened and she clenched her teeth in excitement.

As if to answer Miku and Shidou's confusion, Reine explained slowly.

"So far, the only spirits confirmed to have been transformed from Phantom are Miku and I. But from Mengyue's description, Phantom actually expressed surprise and doubt about Mengyue, a spirit that was definitely naturally generated. It's as if Mengyue's existence was beyond her expectations."

After hearing this, Shidao suddenly realized.

In Meng Yue's memory, the phantom did not say that an unknown spirit power had appeared. Instead, it directly said that Meng Yue's power did not come from the spirit crystal in her hand.

What does this mean?

Phantom's understanding of elves is fundamentally different from that of Shidao and others.

"Perhaps, I am the only one in the world who is what you, Shidou, consider to be a naturally born spirit."

Meng Yue shrugged, with a strange expression on her face, and expressed her guess.

"All the elves in this world, except me, are humans who were given spirit crystals by the phantom and turned into elves."

The moment they heard this, Miku, Shidou, and Reine all took a deep breath at the same time.

"Tohka, Yoshino, and Yamai...are all of you humans who were transformed into spirits by phantoms?"

Shidou felt his palms begin to sweat.

"The memories that Shidou and I have seen Phantom have been sealed...assuming that Phantom has the ability to modify memories. This hypothesis is not impossible."

Kotori took a deep breath and calmed her excited heartbeat.

"Sister Mengyue... just in case, let me confirm again. Your memory hasn't been wiped out by the phantom, right?"

In response, Meng Yue nodded without hesitation.

"I can be sure of this. I remember everything that happened after I came to this world. The day I fought against Kurumi was the first and only time I saw a phantom. I am definitely not a spirit transformed by a phantom."

Let’s not talk about the possibility of memory erasure for now. If someone says that the figurine that completely ignores people and talks to itself is the same person as the phantom, Mengyue would never believe it.

01 Founder of Ratatoskr

==============================

September 10nd, Sunday.

Yesterday, Meng Yue and Kotori Shidao discussed the hypothesis that Tohka and the others were transformed into spirits by illusions. However, there is no evidence to prove this hypothesis, and if it is said casually, it may cause unnecessary psychological burden to Tohka and the others, so Kotori asked everyone present to keep it secret.

At this moment, Mengyue was doing her monthly routine and came to the comic counter of the bookstore to read the latest issue of the comic magazine.

"The new heroine mistakenly thought that the hero had seen her secret and decided to kill him to silence him... I see, this suspense is well designed."

Meng Yue was flipping through the latest issue of the comic she wanted to read with great interest, looking with anticipation at what the male protagonist saw in the smoke. However, when she turned to the next page, she saw the closing remarks that read "Stay tuned for the next issue", and she clicked her tongue in slight displeasure.

"…It seems we can only wait until next month."

Sighing helplessly, Meng Yue took a book and took it to the cashier under the bookstore staff's look of disbelief and shock.

"Um...are you sure you want to buy it?"

Hearing the clerk's confused voice, Meng Yue couldn't help but be speechless.

"Does this mean that we can only look at it but not sell it?"

Well, Meng Yue could understand the attitude of the shop assistant. After all, she usually left immediately after reading the book.

"Of course not! It's quite the opposite!"

The clerk shook his head desperately, as if he was afraid that Mengyue would suddenly change her mind, and hurriedly took the book and scanned the code with the machine.

“340 yen, thanks for the review.”

After paying the bill from the bookstore clerk, Meng Yue left the bookstore with the shopping bag and ran towards Shidao who was standing at the door.

"I'm sorry, Shidou. I was supposed to go out to buy ingredients for dinner, but I asked you to wait here."

Meng Yue clasped her hands together and apologized.

"It's okay. We didn't wait that long anyway."

Shidou waved his hand to show that he didn't mind.

"But why doesn't Shidou come in? Don't you have any books you want to read?"

"No, I'll let it go..."

Hearing Meng Yue's words, Shidao smiled bitterly and shook his head. Meng Yue went in to read the bully book and was not kicked out because she was a cute girl, so the owner couldn't get angry. If he followed in, he would be pierced by the murderous eyes of the owner.

"Ok?"

Meng Yue tilted her head in confusion, obviously not aware of this problem, or rather, she didn't have this awareness.

With a somewhat complicated sigh, Shidou began to change the subject.

"By the way, what book did you buy?"

“Ah, this is a book about cooking.”

Hearing Shidao's question, Mengyue smiled excitedly and handed the package in her hand to Shidao.

《Greedy! Ten ways to make pumpkin dishes》

"Mengyue, do you like pumpkin?"

"The main thing is, you see, it's only about two weeks away. Halloween will be here, right?"

"Well, that's true."

Walking on the street, Shidou looked around. At this time, the shopping street was already filled with the atmosphere of celebrating Halloween, and decorative pumpkins and clothing accessories for families were also sold in the stores.

"In fact, I have already made an agreement with Yakuya and the others this morning. On Halloween, we will hold a Halloween party together to celebrate. Then, I will be responsible for preparing the pumpkin dishes for the party."

Meng Yue scratched her face and said embarrassedly.

In his previous life, he didn't really celebrate Halloween in his dreams. Firstly, Halloween is not a well-known holiday in China. Secondly, he was not interested in those social parties held under the pretext of holidays. Thirdly and most importantly, he had no relatives, so instead of celebrating Halloween alone in the apartment, he might as well watch the latest anime and play some games.

Of course, things are different now. Meng Yue's proposal received strong support from everyone, and everyone decided to hold a party together on Halloween.

Meng Yue, as the proposer, also took the responsibility of cooking very consciously.

"I see. It's a good idea to celebrate Halloween together."

Shidou nodded in realization.

"Right, right!"

Hearing Shidou agree with her proposal, Mengyue smiled happily.

"Well, let's try making this pumpkin pie when we get back. This pumpkin soup seems to be pretty good too... Tohka and Yakuya seem to like the golden pumpkin pie."

After taking a quick look at the recommended picture on the cover, Meng Yue showed an eager expression and clenched her fists in a hurry.

"Do you need my help?"

"Of course, I don't have the confidence that I can handle Tohka's stomach alone. I would have brought you here to help even if you didn't want me to."

"No mercy!"

Mengyue and Shidao looked at each other and couldn't help but laugh happily.

"Um...can I bother you for a moment?"

Suddenly, halfway through the journey, a foreign man who looked to be about fifty years old sitting in a wheelchair stopped Mengyue and Shidao. And the woman who was in charge of pushing the wheelchair who looked to be in her mid-twenties.

"...!"

When Meng Yue saw the two people in front of her, she seemed to have thought of something and her pupils widened slightly.

"Excuse me, could you tell me where the hospital is?"

the man asked in fluent Japanese.

"The hospital?... Go through the shopping street and turn left at the intersection. Turn right at the third traffic light and go straight. You will see it."

After Shidou finished speaking, the man shook his head slightly.

"I'm sorry, I don't quite understand. Can you take me there if it's convenient?"

"Yeah... no problem."

Although he wanted to buy something, it wasn't far away, so Shidao looked at him with a questioning look. Mengyue nodded indifferently.

"Thank you so much! The Japanese are so kind."

"No, just a little thing."

"Ah. By the way, my name is Baldwin and this is Karen."

"Please give me more advice."

The man——Baldwin pointed at the woman pushing the wheelchair, and she responded softly, then continued to push the wheelchair silently. However, the light gray blond hair and blue eyes. Although it was the first time they met, Shidou felt a sense of déjà vu.

Since the other party had already introduced himself, Shidou also hurriedly spoke.

"Um, my name is Gokawa Shido."

"…I am Liang Yi Meng Yue."

Hearing what Shidou and Mengyue said, Baldwin smiled with great emotion.

"Well, I must thank God for meeting such a wonderful couple in a foreign country."

""puff--!""

Mengyue and Shidou both burst out laughing at the same time. The difference was that Shidou was shocked, while Mengyue looked more like she was laughing.

"Haha! Mr. Baldwin, you are such a joker! Shidou and I are not a couple. You should know that this guy has several cute girls in his heart besides me. You are a sinful playboy."

"Although I can't refute it in many ways...there's no need to insult me ​​to such an extent in front of someone we just met for the first time."

Shidou complained in a low voice with some dissatisfaction. Although Shidou was a little puzzled by Mengyue's sudden and unscrupulous words to someone he just met for the first time, he felt a little hurt when Mengyue answered the question in the negative without hesitation.

"That's it."

I don't know if he didn't take Meng Yue's words seriously, or if he took them seriously and didn't care. Baldwin's expression didn't change, he just tilted his head and said with some confusion, "But it seems to me that you and this young man from Shidao seem to get along well."

In response to this question, Meng Yue shrugged and a gentle smile appeared on the corner of her mouth.

"Well, after all, let's put aside these premises. He is my most important family member."

"—!"

"Shidou?"