join p atreon.com/KeyofStars and become a Sequence 9: Reader for advance chapters | Every 100 powerstones = 1 extra chapter | Report issues @discord.com/GVBdncd9Wr
"What are you talking about...?"
Ijichi Nijika's tone was bewildered.
However, before she finished speaking, she heard an identical voice ring out beside her ear.
"Eh?"
Ijichi Nijika turned her head and saw another Nijika with wide eyes, looking at herself in shock. She was immediately startled, and both Nijika retreated in unison.
"Who is she?"
"Why is she mimicking me?!"
The voices of the two Nijikas were still identical, 100% synchronized, looking strangely peculiar.
The cousin with glasses said calmly:
"The middle-aged bald man sitting by the door disappeared. If I remember correctly, Nijika was closest to him just now. So, after the lights went out, that middle-aged uncle must have transformed into Nijika's appearance."
After a pause, the cousin with glasses frowned and said:
"We must find the real Nijika as soon as possible, otherwise something bad might happen."
"But the two Nijikas-senpais look exactly alike..." Kita Ikuyo widened her eyes, trying hard to find the differences between the two Nijikas, but unfortunately, she couldn't tell any difference at all, and said in a daze:
"...I can't tell, I really can't tell!"
Let alone Kita, even Yamada Ryo was frowning with a solemn expression at this moment.
Whether it was height, weight, or movements, the two Nijikas showed no difference at all. Even their words were 100% synchronized. Even Nijika's parents wouldn't be able to tell them apart at a glance.
"Since it's come to this, let's ask the answer book..."
Kitahara Makoto took a deep breath and decisively took out the answer book, using his last questioning opportunity.
"Who is the real Nijika-senpai?"
Whoosh.
The answer book flipped through its pages rapidly on its own, quickly giving the answer:
[The left one is fake]
"The one on the left is the fake Nijika-senpai!"
Kita Ikuyo quickly shouted.
Facing everyone's wary gazes, the Nijika-senpai on the left suddenly revealed a strange smile.
The next second.
Bang!
The lights in the subway carriage suddenly brightened.
The bright white light made everyone instinctively close their eyes.
When they opened their eyes again, both Nijika were already sitting on the subway seats.
"She just pulled me!"
The two Nijikas spoke in unison, saying exactly the same thing, with their tone and expressions still 100% synchronized.
"She's fake!"
"She's fake!"
"..."
"Oh no, now I can't tell them apart again." Kita Ikuyo said nervously, "Kitahara-kun, quickly ask the answer book."
Yamada Ryo frowned: "The last questioning opportunity was just used."
"Eh?" Kita immediately panicked. "Then, then how do we tell who is the real Nijika-senpai?"
The few girls were at their wits' end.
Even Yamada Ryo, who was closest to Nijika, couldn't tell who was who for a while.
Yamada Ryo frowned and suggested:
"Take both Nijika to the Reality World, and then ask the answer book after it cools down tomorrow?"
"No." The blonde glasses girl rejected the idea. "Although I don't know what method you plan to use to leave here, distinguishing between real and fake is the rule of this carriage. If both of them leave together, it might violate the rules, which could cause the real Nijika to disappear."
"..."
Although they weren't sure if what the blonde glasses girl said was true or false, no one dared to gamble when Nijika's safety was at stake.
At the critical moment, Kitahara Makoto suddenly stepped forward:
"Leave it to me."
"Hmm?" Yamada Ryo looked up. "Can Kitahara-kun tell the difference?"
"That's right."
Kitahara Makoto walked up to the two Nijikas and looked down at them.
"Kitahara-kun, I'm the real one, she's the fake one."
"Kitahara-kun, I'm the real one, she's the fake one."
The two Nijikas both looked up, not only saying the exact same words, but even their nervous and worried expressions were identical.
"Stop pretending." Kitahara Makoto looked at one of the Nijika, his fist quietly clenched. "Even if you can perfectly mimic her, there's one thing you can never imitate... In my eyes, Nijika sparkles."
Hearing Kitahara Makoto say something akin to a confession in front of everyone, one of the Nijika's pretty faces quickly flushed red.
Kita's eyes immediately widened: "Ah, the other Nijika didn't blush..."
Before she finished speaking.
Kitahara Makoto had already struck out fiercely, punching the impostor in the head.
When he said Nijika sparkled, it wasn't because he knew the impostor wouldn't blush. It was because, in his eyes, Ijichi Nijika truly sparkled—
Don't forget, Ijichi Nijika's ever-present biscuit box hair tie was actually a special item that could be optimized, and it indeed sparkled in Kitahara Makoto's eyes.
When the subway lights suddenly went out just now, the light was too dim, and Kitahara Makoto didn't notice. Now that the lights were back on, Nijika-senpai's biscuit box hair tie started sparkling again, clearly visible.
Although the impostor could pretend to be Nijika, it was clear that the biscuit box ribbon Nijika used to tie her hair was a special prop, while the impostor's ribbon was just an ordinary decoration.
One sparkling, one dull, the truth and falsehood were naturally clear at a glance.
Pffft—
As Kitahara Makoto threw a merciless punch, the impostor's face immediately melted like candle wax, and her entire body distorted and transformed into the bald middle-aged uncle from earlier.
After being attacked, the middle-aged bald uncle immediately became enraged and ferociously lunged at everyone.
Kitahara Makoto quickly drew his katana and mercilessly pierced the opponent with a single strike.
Whoosh.
The strange uncle directly melted into a mass of black mist, which rapidly spread along the katana, seemingly trying to invade Kitahara Makoto's body.
Kitahara Makoto was about to dodge, but the next second, a soft 'buzz' suddenly echoed in his mind, and his soul seemed to rise infinitely, revealing a scene from the future:
[If only I hadn't dodged back then...]
"My future self regrets?"
"Regrets dodging the invasion of the black mist right now?"
Kitahara Makoto hesitated for a moment, but still chose to trust his future self.
This was the ability to foresee the future; he couldn't possibly trick himself, could he?
The next second.
The strange black mist suddenly invaded Kitahara Makoto's body.
"Ugh..."
Kitahara Makoto let out a muffled groan, feeling his heart rate suddenly accelerate, his entire vision turning blood-red, and an indescribable negative pain surging into his heart.
"This is... the side effect of the Dutiful Exorcist physique?"
Kitahara Makoto suddenly had an epiphany.
The Dutiful Exorcist's physique was not without limits; once the carrying capacity was exceeded, he would suffer a backlash, leading to a state of collapse.
What the hell!
Didn't it say he wouldn't trick himself?
He was clearly tricked!
At the same time.
Seeing Kitahara Makoto suddenly kneel on the ground, black mist swirling around him, and his eyes turning blood-red, the girls immediately panicked.
"Eh, eh, what's wrong with Kitahara-kun?"
"I don't know. Quickly ask the answer book."
"The answer book's questions have just been used up."
"What should we do, what should we do…" Ijichi Nijika's gaze fell on the Beast Eared Girl, and she quickly said, "Hana, do you know what's wrong with Kitahara-kun?"
The Beast Eared Girl looked up with her small face: "Backlash. Papa is in great pain."
Ijichi Nijika bit her lower lip upon hearing this: "How can we make Kitahara-kun recover?"
The Beast Eared Girl said expressionlessly: "…He needs a kiss."
join p atreon.com/KeyofStars and become a Sequence 9: Reader for advance chapters | Every 100 powerstones = 1 extra chapter | Report issues @discord.com/GVBdncd9Wr