When it came to attempting to kill enemies, Ichika, Nino, Yotsuba, and Itsuki were fine; although it was somewhat disgusting, they still completed their respective quotas.
Only Miku didn't dare to come out.
However, Kisaragi Rin could differentiate between the personalities; the fearful Miku wouldn't even be able to manage having her sisters Disguise themselves as her to experience their first kill.
Watching Itsuki's hair turn brown and her eyes fill with tears, Kisaragi Rin said strangely, "I thought that since you knew about the Paradise, you would be the most excited of the five. After all, you can actually meet Military Commanders and the like. But now you can't even kill a single monster. You probably won't be able to speak to your favorite Military Commander even if you meet him."
"...That's too much."
These words made Miku puff up her cheeks, sparking a bit of fighting spirit, but unfortunately, this tiny spark quickly vanished after seeing the disgusting appearance of the Bat-people up close.
When they weren't controlling Itsuki's body, their perspective from inside was more like watching a first-person game screen; although it was realistic enough, it couldn't compare to experiencing it firsthand.
Just smelling the suffocating odor and hearing the shrieks emitted by the Bat-people, Miku's legs went weak, and the knife in her hand was useless due to her trembling body. In the end, she had to rely on Kisaragi Rin, completing the kill only with his assistance.
Feeling the sharp blade pierce the Bat-person's neck, and the viscous black blood flowing down the wound, Miku swallowed hard and moved slightly closer to Kisaragi Rin again.
"I did it."
She said softly.
"Congratulations, you are now qualified to be a fodder soldier mowed down in a hack-and-slash game."
Kisaragi Rin grumbled internally, but his attention was drawn to Miku's hair pressing against him. He felt her hair; Miku didn't seem to realize she was attracting attention, nor did she notice how intimately close she was to him.
Speaking of which, although Miku and the others are currently using Itsuki's body, since the five of them are the Nakano Quintuplets, isn't it essentially no different from using their own bodies?
Most likely, only the hairstyles would be different.
Hmm... Although Kisaragi Rin can see the colour difference, it's not enough to cause the hairstyle itself to change. Itsuki's hair ends are slightly curled, and her front bangs are long enough to poke someone.
Just then, Miku suddenly flinched.
Nino had already reminded her internally that she was too close to Kisaragi Rin.
Turning her head to stare at Kisaragi Rin, Miku asked expressionlessly, "Then what would Kisaragi be?"
She wasn't just paying lip service; even after learning about the Paradise, she still wanted to meet the Military Commanders.
It's just that, like the fodder soldier Kisaragi Rin mentioned, she was genuinely more afraid of being killed easily.
After all, liking Military Commanders didn't mean blind worship; Miku, who had studied much history, still understood how dark those eras truly were.
"Hmm... A newcomer who harvests the lives of Military Commanders."
Kisaragi Rin answered thoughtfully, but his gaze left Miku and turned toward the sky.
"This moon seems a bit strange?"
"Strange?"
She switched back to Itsuki.
She raised her head and looked up at the sky.
The darkness was heavy and thick; there were no stars in the sky, only the crescent moon casting a faint, eerie glow, providing little light to the Strange Speech Forest.
Although the moment Itsuki saw the moon, she inexplicably felt that the moon was deeper and more terrifying than the surrounding darkness, aside from that feeling, there was nothing particularly special about it overall.
Just then, a figure appeared.
Glancing at Kisaragi Rin, she lowered her head again and used an unfamiliar, hoarse voice to say, "This moon has never set."
"Never set?"
Kisaragi Rin countered, "Are you saying the sun in this world has stopped rising?"
"Yes, I heard there used to be a sun, but I haven't seen it, at least."
The Gingerbread Witch's appearance and figure had changed drastically compared to before. Her light grey hair spread out behind her, falling all the way to her ankles, emitting a slightly strange Soapberry Scent. Her facial features and physique possessed the allure of a Western European Beauty, but the empty sockets where her eyes should be looked truly unsettling.
She noticed this too, which is why she kept her head lowered while speaking to Kisaragi Rin.
Kisaragi Rin pulled out an eye mask and handed it to her.
He then asked, "Since there is no sun, do the Bat-people exist because the living couldn't survive in this world and had to transform into Strange Tales?"
"As far as I know, apart from the Mutated Plants that have already started mutating, humans and other animals all need to rely on Strange Tales to survive.
Or rather, the formation of Strange Tales is mostly for the sake of survival in this world without a sun.
Not everyone has the potential to transform into a Strange Tale, so they can only attach themselves to Strange Tales and become their current Semi-Bizarre Tale state."
The Gingerbread Witch's choice of words was quite precise. Taking the eye mask Kisaragi Rin handed her, she naturally didn't know what it was since she had no sight, and she didn't dare to ask. After pondering for a moment, she actually tucked the eye mask into her bosom.
Hmm... She guessed half of the meaning of "eye mask."
Kisaragi Rin: "..."
"This is an eye mask."
Kisaragi Rin took it back and handed it to Itsuki, signaling her to put it on his bodyguard.
"..."
Only then did Itsuki realize what the Gingerbread Witch had intended to do with the eye mask.
"Are there any major powers in this world?"
Kisaragi Rin asked. Besides grimm's fairy tales, he wanted to investigate if there was anything else in this world.
"I've always stayed in the Strange Speech Forest, and I only know that there is a Rapunzel Territory outside the forest."
The Gingerbread Witch said softly.
"Are all witches homebodies, then?"
As Itsuki put the eye mask on the Gingerbread Witch, she was truly astonished by the change in her appearance, as her transformation was practically black magic compared to mere makeup.
"What do we do next?"
Itsuki asked.
"After resolving the current crisis, naturally, we need to understand this world's world view.
Then, set a goal—one you believe is sufficient for you to achieve a certain evaluation.
The S Evaluation for the Initial Trial is relatively easy; you just need to do something impossible for an ordinary person.
Didn't this person say that the Rapunzel Territory outside has a witch who is even more powerful than her?
Traditional monster grinding and leveling up is already enough to raise your current stage evaluation.
Moreover, the Rapunzel Territory can conveniently help us acquire deeper information about this world."
With the two terms, Rapunzel and Witch, Kisaragi Rin had already thought of a certain fairy tale.
And the opponent's strength is definitely greater than the Gingerbread Witch, who was burned alive by children in the story.
"So, how do we get to the Rapunzel Territory?"
Itsuki asked the Gingerbread Witch.
Their eyes met, and the Gingerbread Witch felt a little awkward.
"...I'm just blind."
Itsuki: "..."
"Just wait a little while.
I just deceived the Master...
A powerful Strange Tale will soon come to my Candy House to take the dessert, and its destination is the Rapunzel Territory outside the forest..."