After a moment of silence, Zhou Si smiled at Erii, raised the white dog to his chest, and gestured to Erii with one of its paws.
"I am Zhou Si, and this is Bai. Please take care of me."
"Uesugi Erii, nice to meet you."
The red-haired girl turned to a page she had prepared long ago, and with her beautiful eyes, she deeply etched the image of the person and the feline in front of her into her mind.
After a brief self-introduction, Zhou Si and Erii stared at each other. He had only thought about how to get Erii out of the city, and he hadn't thought about what to do after that.
"Boss, let's make a disguise for Erii-san first, meow."
Bai, perched on Zhou Si's shoulder, offered a suggestion, which Zhou Si nodded in agreement. After all, there were pursuers behind them, and it would be disrespectful to swagger out on someone else's turf.
Erii's eyes widened when she heard Shiro speak, and she raised her notebook again.
"White Morgana?"
"It's a white cat!"
"Can Erii join the Phantom Thieves?"
"Joining a hunting party is an option, meow!"
Although it was unclear how the two, a person and a cat, had connected on a whim, Zhou Si had already prepared a disguise for Erii.
A few minutes later, Zhou Si led a black-haired witch with a huge red and white bow on the back of her head out of the alley.
Chapter Six: Boss, have some decency, meow!
At noon, in a traditional Japanese house, Tachibana Masamune, the current head of the Snake-Headed Eight Families, sat in the main seat. In front of him sat Genjiro and Fuuma Kotaro, the current head of the Fuuma family, one of the five outer families.
"Chishin, I understand what you're saying."
Tachibana Masamune picked up the teapot in front of him and poured a cup of tea for the young man in front of him. Compared to Origami Chisei's anxious appearance, this patriarch did not seem to be worried about Erii's safety.
"But Father, Erii, she..."
Genji hesitated, unable to remain calm in the current situation, whether as the head of the Snake-Headed Eight Families or as Erii's older brother.
"Kotaro, you can go ahead and get busy."
"Yes, patriarch."
Fuma Kotaro bowed respectfully and then slowly left the room.
Tachibana Masamune raised his teacup and took a sip. The rising steam obscured his eyes, making it impossible for Genjiro to guess his father's attitude.
“Chiki, you should know very well how important Erii is to the family.”
Genji chose to remain silent on this issue, for he was well aware of the situation.
If he is the emperor chosen by the Snake Clan, then Erii is the sharpest sword in the family. Her high-risk Word of Judgment allows her to cause great destruction simply by speaking.
Not to mention that Erii's bloodline itself is the biggest secret of the Snake Clan since ancient times.
The source of their bloodline, the legendary White King.
This is information that absolutely cannot be known to other hybrid factions.
“I know very well that after spending so many years together, you have come to regard Erii as your own family, your own sister, but that’s precisely why you need to be even more calm.”
Tachibana Masamune slowly stood up, patted his slightly wrinkled clothes, walked to Genjiro's side, patted him on the shoulder, and spoke with great affection for the siblings.
“I asked Shigeo, and Erii’s bloodline won’t be a problem in the short term. Kaguya and Kotaro will also search for Erii’s whereabouts 24 hours a day.”
“But you are the future head of the family. You need to consider more than just rescuing Erii. There are deeper things to consider.”
Tachibana Masamune guided Genji step by step. Genji had the potential to take a leadership position, both in terms of strength and personal charisma, but he was not qualified yet. That's why he put Genji in the Executive Department for training.
"You mean, the reason they're targeting Erii?"
Tachibana Masamune nodded. If Genji still couldn't understand after all this reminder, then he really must have an intellectual problem.
Over the years, although the Snake Clan has been under the control of the Secret Party, they have also gained valuable time to develop. It is because of this that they have the Genji Heavy Industries and Princess Kaguya, who can rival Norma.
But the truth cannot be hidden forever. They cannot remain hidden in the shadow of the secret society forever. There will always be people who turn their attention to this island nation. The secrets contained in their bloodline are enough to drive most mixed-race people crazy.
“Eri’s being taken away may not be a bad thing. That child has the ability to protect herself. She may be able to lure out a group of tigers, leopards, and wolves that are secretly watching us.”
"...I see."
Although Genjiro was very unhappy about using Erii as bait, he could also understand his father's position, and reason told him that this was the best choice at the moment.
External threats cannot be ignored, and Erii's safety cannot be neglected. All Genji can do is try to make things develop in the direction they want to see.
"Go do what you're supposed to do, Chisei, don't let me down."
"And don't let that child get into danger."
Tachibana Masamune's voice came from behind him. Genji gripped the long sword in his hand and walked out of the room without looking back.
Watching Genjiro's departing figure, Tachibana Masamune returned to his seat and drank the rest of his tea.
"You guys can go too."
Tachibana Masamune's voice suddenly turned incredibly cold. A blurry figure flashed past in the corner of the room, and the room fell silent once again.
————————————————————
"I didn't expect you to be so secretive!"
In the bustling arcade, watching his character fall once again, Zhou Si looked at the girl beside him in surprise. She had acted like she'd never been to an arcade before, but she was a super pro?!
"Would you like me to move aside for the hunter?"
Erii, standing to the side, raised her notebook. She didn't mean to mock him at all; she was just saying it because she could tell that Zhou Si clearly had never played a fighting game before, as his movements of using the joystick and buttons were very stiff.
This is normal. After all, when arcade games were popular, Zhou Si was still a student and struggling to make ends meet. He had no interest in going to places like arcades.
Later, when he went to university, the mainstream gaming medium changed from arcade games to computers, making it even less likely that Zhou Si would have the opportunity to play games.
But that doesn't mean he can tolerate such humiliation!
Looking at the words in the notebook, Zhou Si's eyes sharpened instantly. He looked into Erii's innocent eyes, and his fighting spirit was ignited by Erii at this moment.
"I admit your King of Fighters skills are indeed very strong, but I'm about to get serious!"
Zhou Si lowered his voice. He had been observing Erii's actions for the past few rounds. Zhou Si's learning ability was recognized by Lao Niao, and he had already memorized the basic operations.
But these alone are not enough to defeat Erii.
"Good luck, Mr. Hunter!"
Erii sincerely encouraged Zhou Si, but she had no idea that Zhou Si had now become a 'despicable' guy who would do anything to win.
'Boss, is it really necessary, meow?'
Bai, disguised and perched atop the arcade machine, stared in shock at his hunter. Zhou Si's eyes had completely transformed into the vertical pupils of a dragon, and that wasn't all; wisps of crimson battle aura emanated from his body.
Bai silently covered her eyes; even with all the filters applied, Zhou Si's actions were beyond her comprehension.
The scum hunter who uses his fighting spirit to enhance his arcade skills has finally found his roof.
Zhou Si, having exhausted all his methods, made rapid progress in the following battles. He went from being unable to fight back at the beginning to being able to hold his own against Erii, and even suppressed Erii, who was a veteran player.
Although Zhou Si was far inferior to Erii in terms of character proficiency and experience, his dynamic vision and reaction speed were enough to react the instant Erii's character made a move.
And so, with Zhou Si's cheating methods, the score between him and Erii finally reached 33:1.
"The hunter is amazing!"
Seeing Erii's heartfelt amazement, Zhou Si turned her head away in shame, completely unable to meet the girl's clear eyes.
Ultimately, driven by his conscience, Zhou Si confessed his crimes to Erii. However, to his surprise, Erii was completely unconcerned about his 'cheating'.
"have a good time!"
The girl's upturned lips intensified Zhou Si's guilt, and he instinctively sought out his closest confidant to confide his current emotions.
Let me eat first: [I am a sinner.]
A passing hunter: [Don't go to this barbershop.]
After having a great time, Zhou Si and Erii left the arcade together. This was probably the most relaxing moment for Zhou Si in a while. It was also the first time he realized that hunting commissions were not just about fighting and killing.
only...
Zhou Si looked at the girl beside him. Although he had run out of the Genji Building with Erii, the mission in the Hunter's Book was still not completed. Could it be that simply leaving the Genji Building did not count as escaping imprisonment?
We can't possibly leave Japan, can we?
Moreover, neither Erii's attitude nor the actions of the Genji Heavy Industries group suggested that she was being imprisoned.
At least in his understanding, it was unlikely that a person imprisoned could escape from their 'cell' on their own.
Although the afternoon spent with Erii was very pleasant, she still has too many secrets, and perhaps I should find some time to talk to her about them.
Zhou thought to herself.
"Mr. Hunter, where do we go next?"
Erii held up her little notebook. Compared to her blank expression when they first met, Zhou Si felt that Erii seemed much more lively now.
"Is there anywhere Erii would like to go?"
Zhou Si's knowledge of Japan was limited to a few place names, such as Akihabara and Shimokitazawa. Rather than letting him choose, it would be better to listen to Erii's own preferences.
"I want to blow up a train."
"I'd like to, but it's not very realistic."
Seeing Erii's somewhat indignant expression, he could roughly guess what anime she had been watching recently.
Erii wasn't angry when her suggestion was rejected. After all, she wrote those words mostly as a joke. For some reason, she always felt very relaxed when she was with the hunter, and even the dragon blood in her body, which was originally very restless, became much calmer.
Without the oppressive power of the dragon's blood, Erii was much more energetic than usual.
The two were at a loss for what to do, but fortunately, Brother Zhou's stomach always made a sound at the right time.
"Shall we go get something to eat first?"
Zhou Si's eyes were sharp; he had evolved and was no longer surprised by such trivial matters.
"I'll listen to Mr. Hunter."
Erii naturally had no objections.
So Zhou Si led Erii to the ramen stand near the University of Tokyo, the one they had visited the night before.
Perhaps because it was still early, Master Uesugi's ramen stall was rather deserted, with only a few students sitting at the stall eating ramen.
"Master Uesugi, I'm here again!"
The familiar voice made Uesugi Kotsushi raise his head. "Hey, isn't this the kid who didn't pay enough yesterday?"
He brought someone with him today, but wait, why isn't it that red-haired girl?
Zhou Si's image in Uesugi Yue's mind plummeted. Although he was a scoundrel when he was young, it didn't mean that such a person could have a good impression of him.
Master Uesugi is a master of double standards.
"Kid, you're still short a lot of money for yesterday's ramen."
Just as Zhou Si and Erii sat down, Uesugi Kotetsu's sarcastic voice came over. Although Zhou Si was a little surprised by his sudden change in attitude, it was indeed his fault that they didn't have enough money yesterday.
But this time was different; he came prepared.
Although his identity issue remains unresolved, he has already solved the money problem using survey points.
Zhou Sihao slammed a wad of banknotes onto Uesugi Yue's food cart.
"Don't worry, Master Uesugi, this time you definitely won't be short of money."
But to his surprise, Uesugi Kotsushi's attitude seemed to worsen after he said that.
After all, this guy was broke yesterday and couldn't even afford to pay for noodles, but today he's suddenly become extravagant, accompanied by a very well-dressed girl.
Others might not be able to tell, but Uesugi Kotsugi, after all, was once of noble status, and he immediately recognized that Erii's shrine maiden outfit was not a cosplay prop, and that the materials and way it was worn were very particular.
When you put all these things together, it's hard for Uesugi Koshi not to think of it as him being a kept man.
'This kid is even more of a jerk than me.'
Uesugi Kotsu gave Zhou Si a furtive glare, and was about to tell him to leave when Zhou Si's next words put him in an awkward position.
"This is Uesugi Erii, the person I was looking for whom I told you about yesterday."
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