The story we started

"so?"

Yukinoshita Yukino smiled gracefully, the sunlight shone through the window behind her onto her back, as if casting a halo on her head and forming a pair of wings of light on both sides of her arms.

"Now, now there is no evidence..."

Zaimokuza seemed to have shrunk in size.

““““Oh, is that so? ””””

The four people said in unison with no expression on their faces.

"..."

Zaimokuza, covered in gray, squatted in the corner, drawing circles on the ground with his hands.

"Have you recently lent your clothes to someone else for a play? Or is the embroidery on your clothes copied from someone else's?"

Hikigaya squatted beside Zaimokuza and patted his shoulder. His dead fish eyes filled with dha looked at the embroidery on the wrist of his windbreaker with some curiosity.

"How is this possible! This dress belongs to my soulmate! Would you lend your soulmate to someone else!?"

Zaimokuza slapped Hikigaya's hand away and yelled in dissatisfaction.

"What about the embroidery on your wrist?"

"My grandma embroidered it for me two years ago."

"Then did a director use you as a prototype to make a TV series? That's really bad taste."

“That’s not right! Even if that’s the case, you can’t just embroider my name on it! Why don’t you just say that person is my future self!”

"..."

He silently glanced at Zaimokuza's round face and his body that could be described as fat and muscular, or obese and fat, and then recalled the white-haired young man in the video with a tall figure that could be a model and a handsome face that could turn all the Yan people into dogs. Hikigaya's eyes became incomparably gentle, and he looked at the patient who was about to be sent to the operating table with encouragement like an attending physician.

"Have you read any strange books recently?"

"I'm telling the truth!"

"Be good~ Tell me the truth, I won't laugh at you."

"You're already laughing from that expression! And you're laughing so wildly!"

"……Do not."

Yukinoshita, who had been watching the video on her phone in silence, suddenly interrupted Hikigaya's questioning.

"Ok?"

Hikigaya looked at the girl sitting on the chair in confusion. Even Zaimokuza, the fat cat-head with tears in his eyes, sniffed and looked at her from behind a layer of mist.

"What Zaimokuza-san said...maybe it's correct."

Yukinoshita's eyes were fixed on the new character that appeared in the video. The expression on her face gradually changed, filled with disbelief.

"Ah——this person is..."

Hikigaya looked down at the screen of his mobile phone, and the character that appeared on it made his eyes gradually widen.

【Seongnan University】

[At this late hour, the lights in the university studio are still on. A long-haired woman in a sweater is sitting in front of a computer, quietly sorting out the information that the archaeological team just sent over on TV.]

[She wore a pair of plain glasses without prescription, and her face was beautiful and elegant, like the new snow piled under the flowers and trees, the pure white buried in the deeper layer of snow, her temperament was cool and quiet, and her figure was as smooth as flowing water.]

[The student card clipped to her chest identifies her identity. ]

[Buried Cultural Property Investigation Office: Yukinoshita Yukino. 】

"Xiao, Xiaoxue?"

Yuigahama Yui raised her head, blinked her cute big eyes, and looked at Yukinoshita Yukino beside her with a silly look on her face.

"Yukinoshita... have you recently asked your family to find a connection to get you a role in a TV series in preparation for entering the entertainment industry?

Shizuka Hiratsuka sat cross-legged on the chair, holding the phone in both hands and looking at Yukinoshita Yukino with some confusion.

This time, Yukinoshita Yukino didn't even reply to her. She stared at "herself" displayed on the screen, staring at her lips, eyelashes, eyes, nose wings, as well as the temperament and expression between her eyebrows, and finally had to come to a conclusion that made her unbelievable.

This person is her, another genuine "Yukinoshita Yukino".

Could it be that the scene shown in this video is——

"Could it be that the scene shown in this video is... the future?"

Hikigaya expressed her unspoken guess, her dead fish eyes widened as she looked back and forth at Zaimokuza Yoshiki and Yukinoshita Yukino, her eyebrows gradually twitching.

Regardless of whether the scene shown in it is really such an incredible thing as the future, the difference between the two people appearing in it is really too big.

Yukinoshita is fine, her figure and appearance have hardly changed except that she's grown a little taller, but Zaimokuza... they're completely two different people!

Height, temperament, words and deeds, eyes, apart from wearing the same brown windbreaker and having white hair, there is absolutely no similarity between these two people!

……

"Ah, ah, ah ~ Yukino-chan really can surprise me, your elder sister."

Looking at the word "sister" displayed on the phone screen, Yukinoshita Haruno poked her pointed chin with her delicate fingers and smiled in a very ambiguous way.

"However, why will Yukino's figure still be so sad in the future~"

[Yukinoshita Yukino gently pushed away her chair and stood up, walking towards a cabinet with a pile of books not far away. ]

[At the same time, on the wall of the teaching building of Chengnan University, a figure wearing a strange mask was climbing swiftly. Seeing that he was climbing the wall without making any sound, he was definitely an old hand at climbing over the school wall. His movements were so skillful that all the poor students envied him. With such a level of skill, how could they have been caught by the dean when they climbed over the wall to surf the Internet?]

[The figure gently pushed open the office window, climbed into the room without making any sound, and stood up gently. He tiptoed towards Yukinoshita Yukino, who was sorting documents with her back to him. He slowly raised his hands like a beast about to pounce on someone, and walked very close to her back——]

[“Although I want to say hello to you, I hope you can come in the normal way. Or have you finally been assimilated into a prehistoric ape by the primitive people of the African tribes in these few years abroad? Zaimokuza-san.”]

[Yukinoshita Yukino was sorting out the documents without looking back, and the hands that were about to touch her shoulders stopped the moment she spoke.]

[“Huh? Minister, your senses are as sharp as ever!”]

【Zaimokuza Yoshiki took off the mask on his face, held the ferocious mask with green face and fangs and touched the back of his head with an embarrassed expression.】

[“I’ve already said that I’m no longer the club leader. The Service Club has been disbanded for many years.”]

[Yukinoshita Yukino sighed silently, turned around with the information in her hand and looked at the young man behind her who was completely different from the one in her memory, her tone calm.]

[“Is this mask the gift you want to give me this time?”]

[“Well! This mask is called the Stone Mask. It seems to be something that the Aztecs wore on their faces a long time ago. Legend has it that it can be used to ward off evil spirits! It’s a gift to you, Minister.”]

[“That’s a lot…wait, a meeting gift?”]

[Putting the hideous stone mask into a glass cabinet filled with a bunch of strange objects such as urns, skull models, and pharaoh masks, Yukinoshita Yukino's body suddenly stiffened, and an extremely ominous premonition instantly flowed through her body. ]

[“Hmm! Dangdangdang——”]

[Zaimokuza proudly reaches into the bag hanging at his side, pretending to be mysterious as he makes a "dangdangdang" sound, and suddenly pulls out a stack of manuscript paper.]

[“A new masterpiece by General Ashikaga Yoshiteru! My Journey with the Cannibals! This is a new work that has not yet been released, and it is also my real gift to you, Minister!”]

【From Zaimokuza Yoshiki's perspective, the manuscript in his hand exudes a layer of pink filter, and the fragrance of flowers and ink fills his nose. Countless beautiful flowers and plants bloom because of the vigorous vitality of the words written on this manuscript. The Christian concerto also rings in his ears, which is a perfect harmony, like an angel in a midnight dream sending you a wonderful invitation.】

[From Yukinoshita Yukino's perspective, the manuscript in front of her exudes a strange black mist, as if there are indescribable tiny tentacles extending outward from the cover of the manuscript. At this moment, Zaimokuza's voice becomes blurred and distorted, turning into a weird laugh. A mysterious whisper whispers deep in her brain, forming a sonata praising death and darkness. Satan is delighted by this, and the devil is inviting you to go to hell together.]

[Yukino Yukinoshita, who upholds justice and righteousness, has regretted only a few things in her life, but there is one thing that she still regrets when she thinks of it. 】

[That is why, back then, she chose to encourage Zaimokuza Yoshiki to bravely stick to his dream, which led to countless people being harmed today and enduring the evil that they should not understand.]

[“…Let me ask you first, have you shown this to anyone else?”]

[With a stiff face, Yukinoshita Yukino took the ominous object emitting a dark aura, and asked with a final feeling of relief - maybe this work is finally acceptable to humans? ]

[“Yes! I copied it and sent it to Editor Machida’s home. She should have read it by now.”]

【Zaimokuza Yoshiki nodded generously.】

【Machida family.】

["Hope no のはな system い だ tie が ～ the current servant ら の chest の中 に あ る か ら ～ decisive し て San る こ と は な い ～生きる力! Hope の は な system い だ——" 】

[The ringtone of the cell phone echoed in the living room, but no one answered. ]

[A short-haired woman wearing black hip-length shorts and a tube top of the same color showed off her proud figure as a mature woman in an empty room. Her beautiful legs were spread apart, and her white skin, which was exposed without clothes, seemed to be glowing under the light. She was lying on the tatami, with a pile of manuscripts scattered under her. Her right hand was stretched forward, and not far in front of her was her constantly ringing cell phone. The whole scene looked like a mysterious murder scene, or a ritual held by some evil cult.]

"puff!"

Machida Wanko sprayed the coffee in her mouth onto the information in front of her. Shock and shyness appeared on her pretty face. She looked at "herself" showing off her benefits to everyone on the video on her mobile phone.

“That’s—me!?”

[“…Did she call or message you afterwards to give you advice?”]

[Yukinoshita Yukino was silent for a long time before speaking again. Her face was calm and it was hard to tell what she was thinking.]

[“Not yet, maybe he’s asleep?”]

[Zaimokuza shook his head in bewilderment, still scratching his hair with his hands, looking confused.]

【“That’s fine.”】

[Yukinoshita Yukino made a cross on her chest with a heavy expression, solemnly pressed the manuscript in her hand on top of the stone mask in the glass cabinet, and turned to walk towards her computer.]

[“Hey, hey! Minister, please take a look!”]

[Ignoring Zaimokuza's murderous words, Yukinoshita Yukino walked to her seat and sat down, continuing to translate the mysterious text on the computer screen in front of her.]

[“Hey, is this the new discovery at the Jiulangyue ruins that you mentioned on the phone, Minister?”]

【Yoshiki Zaimokuza, who was standing next to him, looked at the strange totems displayed on the computer curiously. Because of his large movements, his forehead almost collided with Yukinoshita Yukino's. 】

[“Hmm…what is this?”]

[Yukinoshita Yukino pushed his face away and was about to scold him but her eyes fixed on the translated result on the computer.]

[At this moment, the computer has translated the inscription on the surface of the sarcophagus, but these two short characters are filled with an extremely ominous atmosphere.]

【The two characters mean "death" and "warning" respectively. 】

【At this moment, the remains of Jiulangyue. 】

[Advanced and high-end archaeological instruments flickered and emitted distorted noises, the light strips hanging with electric lights burst one by one, and screams of fear filled the entire cave.]

[“Hello! Are you the police? This is the excavation site of Kuroyue. Help! Help!!!”]

[The woman who had an excited expression just now now held her cell phone with a look of fear as she called the police. The young man who was criticized by the professor stood there in fear. A huge black shadow gradually covered his entire body, and a ferocious hand slowly covered his stiff face.]

[“Ahhh!!!!!!”]

[Amid the shrill screams, the bloodstained camera fell to the ground, and the powered-on lens faithfully recorded everything that happened next.]

"Ah ah!!!"

Yumiko Miura, who was actually very timid, screamed and threw her phone away. She threw herself into Hayato Hayama's arms with a look of fear on her face.

Hayato Hayama hurriedly comforted her, staring seriously at the phone on the table in front of him.

"Is this really... the future?"

[“Hello? Hello!”]

[All the numbers she called were not answered, and Yukinoshita Yukino felt more and more uneasy. 】

[“I’ll go over there for you and call me if you need anything!”]

[The sound coming from the door brought her back to her senses, and she turned around to see the corner of Zaimokuza's windbreaker disappearing from behind the door.]

[“Wait a minute! Zaimokuza-san.”]

[Ignoring Yukinoshita Yukino's cries, Zaimokuza ran out of the gate of Jonan University at an extremely fast speed, got on his motorcycle and started heading for the Kuroyama ruins. ]

[The scene changes. Just before dawn, a sudden heavy rain covers all the roads around Nagano Prefecture, causing all drivers on the road to complain bitterly.]

【Zaimokuza was riding his motorcycle on the road wearing a helmet, but the flashing red light in front of him forced him to stop his speed and wait for the green light to come on.】

【“!”】

[A strange feeling suddenly surged from his heart. He looked in the direction of Jiulang Yue and saw an incredible scene.]

[A huge white lightning column shot up from the direction of the valley. Thin and long lightning reflected from the lightning column in all directions, destroying everything in its path.]

[In the valley where the lightning pillars shot up into the sky, a figure with disheveled hair walked slowly inside. ]

[The figure was very tall, wearing something like a cloak, with long hair flowing down from his head. With every step he took, the surrounding trees were destroyed by flashing lightning, and blazing fires ignited along the path the figure walked, but they could not illuminate any of the darkness that shrouded the figure.]

“What is this…!?”