Chapter 141: A Meatball That Calls You 'Brother'? Take It Home to Gensokyo.
Following the map provided by the ghost letter, the five of them soon left the Human-Faced Beetles' territory and stepped into an area marked in a foreboding shade of purple.
Kaguya, ever curious, tried to press the spectral artifact for details on the monsters in this new zone—their characteristics, their weaknesses. The only answer she received was a name.
[Cute Meatball]
Staring at the two words, Haruto was momentarily lost.
Information from this type of ghostly artifact usually reflected the common consensus. In other words, the vast majority of people who had encountered this creature agreed that "Cute Meatball" was a fitting name.
But… no matter how he parsed it, the name radiated an indescribable eeriness.
Haruto genuinely struggled to imagine what kind of "meatball" could possibly be considered "cute."
He didn't dwell on it for long, though. He would face whatever came his way. With his current arsenal of trump cards, the very concept of danger felt distant.
The group continued their trek.
Yotsuya Miko and Lin Xuelao remained on high alert, their senses constantly sweeping their surroundings. Youmu, ever the loyal guardian, walked quietly at Haruto's side.
Since the network connection in this instance was surprisingly stable, Haruto and Kaguya had devolved into a pair of dedicated "phubbers," strolling along while chatting away in their group chat. They didn't even forget to snap photos and take videos, sharing their bizarre journey in real-time.
Of course, Haruto wasn't one to place his full trust in a haunted piece of paper. Whenever they passed by bookstores, visitor centers, or police stations, he made a point to stop and check for any official maps.
His diligence paid off. Inside a derelict police station, they not only found a detailed city map but also stumbled upon a stack of old news reports detailing the insect swarm.
The articles painted a grim picture.
A year ago, an earthquake of unmatched scale had struck a remote, unpopulated region. While the location meant there were almost no human casualties, the aftermath was catastrophic. A thick, white mist began to pour from the fissures torn into the earth.
This was no ordinary fog. It possessed the unnatural ability to shatter the genetic boundaries between species, breaking down the very laws of reproductive isolation.
Although the government had noticed the anomaly almost immediately, it was already too late. A new generation of bizarre, hybrid creatures had already been born.
Despite immediate orders to purge them, these new lifeforms reproduced at an astonishing rate. Their numbers exploded, particularly among the various insectoid races. In the world's remote, ungoverned territories and nations with weak infrastructure, the situation spiraled completely out of control.
More powerful nations had offered "aid," but their proposals were universally rejected. To make matters worse, the subterranean fissures continued to bleed the mutagenic mist into the atmosphere. Subsequent research revealed an even more terrifying truth: long-term exposure to the mist could trigger spontaneous genetic mutation, even without any cross-species breeding.
As time wore on, one small country after another collapsed under the tide of monsters.
Vast swarms of mutated, insect-like creatures poured out from these fallen nations. The most terrifying among them were those that had fused with human genes. Some had even begun to develop rudimentary consciousness, making them exponentially more difficult to combat.
Finally, humanity resorted to a familiar, desperate strategy: Project Ark.
The so-called "Elimination Points" marked on their map were, in fact, the designated evacuation points for this very project.
Since all the information lined up perfectly with what the ghost letter had told them, Haruto set his worries aside and led the team forward.
The air around them gradually thickened with mist. However, this was just ordinary fog, not the gene-altering haze from the reports. Since it posed no biological threat, there was no need to find a detour.
Any other team would have likely halted their advance, their visibility reduced to near zero.
But this group was different. Whether through sight or sheer perception, their senses far surpassed those of ordinary people. The dense fog hid no anomalies from them; to Haruto and his companions, it was almost as if it didn't exist.
Haruto hummed a cheerful little tune, his eyes scanning the shrouded scenery with idle curiosity. Youmu shadowed him silently, her hand resting on the hilt of her sword, ready to draw it at a moment's notice.
"Brother~"
A soft, sweet call suddenly drifted out from the thick fog. In an instant, every head snapped toward the source of the sound.
"Big brother, can you help me?"
"I'm so hungry… Can you give me a little something to eat?"
"So hungry… Brother, I want food."
The voices belonged to several little girls. They were delicate and saccharine, the kind of voices that conjured images of adorable, innocent faces.
Yet Haruto didn't move toward them, nor did he toss out any food. Instead, a peculiar expression settled on his face.
The others had a similar reaction. Even through the heavy mist, their enhanced senses painted a clear picture of what lay ahead.
Little girls?
Who were they trying to fool?
The things making those sounds weren't children. They were round, rolling… meatballs.
Their skin was a fleshy pink or a dull red, and their appearance was… well, strange. Haruto felt that if you gave them a coat of fur, they could probably cosplay as Fuzzy Balls. Like a hairless cat or dog, they possessed a bizarre, unconventional sort of cuteness.
He finally understood why they were called "Cute Meatballs." After a moment's consideration, he reached into a Gap, pulled out a few palm-sized chocolate bars, and tossed them onto the road.
Like cats spotting a school of fish, the pink meatballs swarmed forward. In the blink of an eye, they had devoured everything, including the wrappers.
"Haruto-sama, should I cut them down?" Yotsuya Miko asked, her hand already gripping the hilt of her blade as she eyed the creatures still blocking their path.
Haruto's brow shot up. "No, no, that's too cruel!" he cried out in mock indignation.
A massive, invisible question mark materialized above Miko's head. She had seen Haruto give her the nod to cut down humans who dared to block their way without a second thought.
The others looked just as puzzled.
Haruto closed his eyes, extending his senses for a moment. After confirming that the combat power of these meatballs was roughly on par with a Fuzzy Ball, a grin spread across his face. He strode forward with surprising speed. With a deft movement, he snatched up a pink meatball and unceremoniously tossed it into a waiting Gap.
Seeing this, the other Cute Meatballs immediately tried to roll away in a panic. But whether they were pink or red, none could escape Haruto's grasp. He excitedly scooped them up one by one, chucking them into the void.
Yotsuya Miko and Lin Xuelao still didn't understand what was happening.
Youmu, however, ventured a guess. "Haruto-sama, are you planning to cook and eat them instead of Fuzzy Balls?"
"Why would I eat this stuff?" Haruto shook his head, patting the last meatball before sending it into the Gap. "The meat quality is probably terrible. It feels rock-hard, not springy and tender like a Fuzzy Ball."
"Oh. Never mind, then."
A flicker of genuine regret crossed Youmu's eyes. Ever since she had tasted the Fuzzy Ball Haruto had cooked—her first time ever eating one—she had fallen completely in love with the flavor. Fuzzy Balls moved in swarms, were plentiful, tasted delicious, had no intelligence, and were laughably easy to catch. Most … they were free. This discovery had led her to make regular trips to the mortal world, just to catch a few batches to bring back to Hakugyokurou.
Hearing their exchange, Kaguya's expression grew subtle. She was now more certain of her initial guess, but she still asked tentatively, "You're planning to take these back to Gensokyo, aren't you?"
Haruto nodded enthusiastically. "Yukari is always complaining that the biodiversity in Gensokyo is too low. Once she completely takes control of those other worlds, Gensokyo's territory is going to expand several times over. It's the perfect time to stuff some more creatures in. I think these meatballs are a pretty good candidate."
"...I think if you really bring those back, your sister is probably going to smack you." Kaguya's eye twitched. She could already picture Yakumo Yukari's expression—a perfect blend of confusion and horrified shock—the moment Haruto presented her with his new acquisitions.
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