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"Let's do another verification," Kitagawa Marin pursed her lips and suggested, "A single case doesn't count as a pattern. Others will be coming in later, and it would be troublesome if they encountered danger."
Amamiya Natsuki nodded lightly:
"That works too."
It was already known that the pain curse was not a permanent debuff; as long as one left the extra dimensional space, the curse would naturally dissipate, so there was no need to worry about safety.
"The 'refresh' point for the stairs is on the second floor."
Amamiya Natsuki opened his notebook, on which delicate handwriting had already appeared, reporting the position of the thirteenth step like a transparency cheat.
"Let's go straight there," Amamiya Natsuki looked at Marin, saying meaningfully, "Conveniently, there's a Vengeful Spirit Loli in the restroom on the first floor that you can use for verification."
"Eh? What kind of Vengeful Spirit Loli?"
"You'll know soon."
"..."
Dusk settled heavily.
Amamiya Natsuki and Marin passed through the campus, where the setting sun was like blood, and quickly arrived on the first floor.
"Wahh... wahh..."
Intermittent sobbing drifted into their ears.
"Natsuki, did you hear a strange crying sound?"
Kitagawa Marin lowered her voice, nervously holding onto Amamiya Natsuki's sleeve, feeling a bit of a tingle on her scalp.
"I heard it," Amamiya Natsuki stopped a few meters away, outside the restroom, and then introduced, "This is the Vengeful Spirit Loli I just mentioned. She's in the last stall of the restroom. Her name is Miyuki, she's in fifth grade, thirteen years old, wearing a blue and white sailor uniform, with shoulder-length hair. She actually looks quite cute."
"Wait a moment," Kitagawa Marin couldn't help but exclaim, "You know too much!"
Amamiya Natsuki spread his hands helplessly:
"No choice. When I first came in, I was unfamiliar with the place and didn't know where Hanamori was, so I had to ask someone for directions."
"Who would ask a Vengeful Spirit Loli for directions?!"
"In any case, the Vengeful Spirit Loli inside is basically harmless," Amamiya Natsuki said, "As long as you speak a bit fiercely, she'll immediately apologize and say 'I'm sorry.' For now, use her for verification. I'll wait for you outside."
"Hoo..."
Kitagawa Marin took a deep breath, clenched her small fists, and her gaze quickly became firm: "I'm going in."
This Succubus Girl was incredibly proactive; she acted on her decisions and never hesitated or regretted things she had decided. If it were Komi, she would probably tremble for a long time.
Without hesitation.
Kitagawa Marin walked into the restroom with her head held high and chest out.
To say she wasn't scared at all would be a lie.
But Natsuki dared to explore the restroom alone when he first came to the extra dimensional space, and now that all the information was clear, it would be too embarrassing if she still backed down!
Watching Kitagawa Marin walk into the restroom, Amamiya Natsuki opened his notebook and communicated the situation with the girls outside.
At the same time.
Inside the restroom.
"So dark."
Kitagawa Marin muttered nervously to herself.
Darkness brings primal fear; even if one knows there's nothing there, many people are still afraid of the night, let alone when there's really a Vengeful Spirit Loli in a dark restroom.
After a few seconds, allowing her eyes to adjust to the light, Kitagawa Marin lowered her voice and said softly:
"Um... is anyone there?"
"..."
The crying in the restroom stopped abruptly.
Only a deathly silence remained.
Kitagawa Marin continued:
"Is there anything I can help with?"
"..."
Still no reply.
"If you need help, you can tell me."
"..."
Kitagawa Marin walked step by step to the last stall. Although she already knew what was inside, her heart rate uncontrollably quickened.
Nervous and fearful emotions surged out.
Creak~
Kitagawa Marin gently pushed, and the wooden door of the stall quietly opened inward with a friction sound.
"Eh eh eh?" Kitagawa Marin suddenly panicked a little, her heart rate increasing again, "What's going on? Didn't Natsuki say the stall door couldn't be opened?"
But since it was open, she couldn't back down at the last moment.
Kitagawa Marin lightly bit her silver teeth, took a deep breath, and pushed the wooden stall door open with force.
In the dim twilight, a Vengeful Spirit Loli wearing a black and white sailor uniform, with black shoulder-length hair, soaking wet and dripping water, was tilting her head, silently looking out.
Her eyes were only stark white, with no other color.
"Ah..."
The sudden jump scare made Kitagawa Marin involuntarily cry out, slamming the door shut with a bang, and instinctively turning to run.
As soon as she ran out of the restroom, Kitagawa Marin felt something abnormal with her body.
"I heard your scream from outside."
Amamiya Natsuki put away his notebook and looked at the Succubus Girl speechlessly.
"Of, of course I'd be scared," Kitagawa Marin clutched her chest, her pretty face pale, her voice particularly resentful, "Why didn't you say that Vengeful Spirit Loli's eyes were super scary?"
"It's just white-eye disease," Amamiya Natsuki retorted, "When I first saw her, I just thought she was from a certain ninja clan, and I wasn't scared at all."
"It was clearly scary!"
"..."
Amamiya Natsuki got to the point:
"How do you feel now?"
"I don't feel the pain like before," Kitagawa Marin hugged her arms and shivered slightly, "but I feel so cold."
"Very cold?"
Amamiya Natsuki pondered.
It seemed the pain 'synchronized' from the Vengeful Spirit Loli was not always the same.
The Vengeful Spirit Loli who wiped the table with her hand had a bleeding right hand, which made people feel pain.
The Vengeful Spirit Loli in the restroom was clearly splashed with water by bullies outside, soaking wet, so Kitagawa Marin's current feeling was cold.
Kitagawa Marin stepped forward, extended her arms, and embraced Amamiya Natsuki from the front, pressing her pretty face against him.
"Phew~ So warm."
"Don't hug me, you're too cold."
"Hmph, I'm going to hug you anyway."
Upon hearing this, the Succubus Girl tightened her arms, drawing warmth from Amamiya Natsuki, and looked up, saying softly:
"Being bullied isn't their fault. Perhaps not everyone will vent their pain on others... What if we give her a hug? Would that help?"
Amamiya Natsuki extended his arm and gently embraced the girl's soft, slender waist, pondering:
"Whether it helps or not, guessing won't give us the answer. We'll know if we verify it."
"Mm," Kitagawa Marin nodded, "Let's go verify it now... Come with me."
"I go too?"
"Of course you have to go, just in case."
"..."
The Succubus Girl held Amamiya Natsuki's arm, and the two re-entered the restroom.
The moment Amamiya Natsuki stepped into the restroom, the crying stopped abruptly. Clearly, the Vengeful Spirit Loli in the stall still remembered the fear Amamiya Natsuki had brought her.
Arriving at the last stall, Kitagawa Marin pushed the door open. Inside, the Vengeful Spirit Loli was hugging her head, trembling.
"You must be very scared being alone, right?"
Kitagawa Marin extended her arms and gently held the Vengeful Spirit Loli in her embrace.
"..."
The Vengeful Spirit Loli slowly looked up, her white eyes looking at Kitagawa Marin, seemingly a little disbelieving.
Kitagawa Marin said softly:
"Don't worry, no one will bully you anymore."
"..."
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