Weird Tales: Weird Tales, #1

By Meroy Bert

Wilcox, whose danger rating is A, finally has a new interrogator one day.
However--
Why is an unknown red liquid flowing out of the faucet at midnight? Who is responsible for the dolls wandering in the corridors? What kind of bizarre truth is hidden behind the shrill laughter that echoed throughout the crowd?
Faced with one after another strange incidents, the gods sharpening their swords were speechless and choked.
——This script is completely different from what they imagined!

Whether you believe it or not, I believe this story of redemption and counter-redemption.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Meroy Bert
• Release date: May 14, 2024
• ISBN: 9798224611904

Book preview

Chapter 1

I OFTEN WONDER.

The girl sat on the platform, leaning her back against a wide pillar. Her calves, tightly wrapped in stockings under her uniform skirt, hung on the edge of the platform, swaying gently according to her mood.

She put her hands on her sides, and the black leather shoes on her feet were as clean as new. The impact on the stone fault occasionally made a dull sound.

Below that, there are tracks that stretch to the left and right. The gravels on the tracks are large and small. After the erosion of time and being soaked by the night, the traces of the original blood stains have long been lost.

I've thought about it over and over again. She said with a smile, her tone was full of resentment that didn't match her expression. She didn't even spare a glance at the person standing next to her. Why... was I the one who died?

Raglan was murdered without warning.

It was on the platform, right where she was sitting .

It happened very suddenly.

On the day before the New Year, it was a dull morning like any other, but Raglan overslept. She hurriedly ate rice balls at the convenience store near her home for breakfast, and when she ran to the station, the tram she usually took closed its door right in front of her.

Panting, Raglan had no choice but to stand behind the yellow line again. Since the people in front of her had already squeezed onto the tram, she stood at the front. Soon, commuters to work and school also lined up behind her one after another , waiting for the next express train to arrive.

It's still a bit late.

Raglan looked at his watch, then at the arrival time of the next tram shown on the sign, and calculated when he would arrive at school.

She had a bad habit of not arriving early if she could just catch the time , which meant that the train she just took was the last one that could take her to class, so she would definitely be late now.

Don't oversleep tomorrow.

Such thoughts flashed through Raglan's mind as she watched the long tram roaring from a distance.

Then, someone pushed her behind.

This man used so much force that Raglan was pushed forward while he was stunned. She had time to take another step on the platform, but she couldn't stop the tendency to fall. She crossed the platform and hit her arm hard on the gravel on the track.

Raglan 's life ended at the moment when the tram came, and that was the last vivid image she saw in the world.

screams rang out.

Not long ago, what happened to the girl who was in the same school as us...did you hear about it?

The high school girl in a private girls' high school uniform walked through the wide-open tram door and onto the platform. She turned around hesitantly and said to her companions.

Yeah, it was that vicious murder. Her friend nodded. I was so scared when I heard it. Who would have thought that I would be pushed down while waiting for the car?

That’s what I mean.

They walked side by side down the stairs to the station entrance. The high school girl who had spoken earlier continued with lingering fear: That's the train I usually take. I heard that men always want someone to take the blame. If I hadn't gotten up early that day and wanted to go to the club first... maybe we would have met.

Maybe the person who was pushed down was replaced.

Luckily it wasn't you, Ivy Joe, her friend said with a sympathetic look on her face . Besides, I think we should not stand in the first row when we are waiting for the bus next time.

Yeah, I think so too.

The high school student named Ivy Joe responded vaguely, then touched his arm exposed outside his short-sleeved shirt and asked, Do you feel a little cold?

It seems... a little bit. Let's buy a cup of hot cocoa when we pass by the convenience store later!

Two high school girls, excitedly discussing their next trip, walked through the station's ticket gate, unaware that they had just passed by the victim of the incident.

Raglan stood there, expressionless.

That ticket gate was like a boundary, clearly separating her from the world of the living.

She knew she was dead, just as she knew she would never be able to leave the station.

The ghost named Raglan turned into a ghost bound to the station and platform at the moment of her death. She had no way to leave here, and even the truth about her death was heard from the passing passengers.

The incident, defined by the police as a serious criminal case, dominated the headlines of major media within a few days.

The suicide incident, which was originally a common occurrence in society due to excessive pressure, attracted widespread attention because the man pushed down the female high school student standing in front of him before jumping. According to the police investigation, the man who committed suicide had no relationship with the high school girl he pushed down, and his suicide note further proved this.

The company's layoffs and emotional setbacks made him despair and choose to end his life by lying on the railway tracks - but this was not enough to vent his hatred for society.

No matter what, I don't want my people to die like this.

It doesn't matter even if someone else takes the blame.

This was clearly written in his suicide note.

The girl he murdered was from a wealthy family and attended a famous private girls' high school. Her grades were among the best among her peers, and her classmates and teachers praised her. Her future was bright. Who would have thought that in just a moment , her future was buried under the wheels.

After this information was reported, it aroused the sympathy of many people.

But so what?

The dead are gone.

What's more, no one will ever know that the person they feel a little sad about when they talk about it is still trapped in a corner of the station and cannot be freed for a long time.

Why did I have to die?

As if talking to himself, as if questioning, Raglan muttered and repeated it again.

The person next to me didn't answer.

There was a long silence.

After a while, Raglan spoke on her own, her voice was very soft, and she talked about another unrelated topic.

I used to dislike my family very much.

she says.

Both my father and my mother are always too busy immersed in their own work. As a result, my family has very few opportunities to sit together all year round. I have been thinking that I am not a child anymore. In their minds, they give me material conditions and I repay them with achievements and face, and that’s enough.

but.

Only after I died did I realize that it was them who I wanted to see the most.

Raglan was trapped in the station. The only time he saw his parents was the month after their death.

At that time, they finally plucked up the courage to take a look at the place where the only woman's life was taken.

The pride of the father and mother did not allow them to cry in public or in front of others, but the usually elegant mother's eyes still turned red. When she wiped away her tears with a handkerchief, she did not realize that her daughter was standing next to her and wanted to touch her eyes.

Mom, don't cry.

Raglan watched his fingers run through his mother's body, then turned around and tried to hold his father's trembling hands, but found that it was still futile.

When the mother finally couldn't control her emotions and was on the verge of collapse, the father put his arm around his wife's shoulders and turned to leave the station. As he left the station, he looked back again.

They've only been here once.

She couldn't leave, so after that, Raglan never saw her parents again. She didn't know whether they moved away from the sad place or just never came to the station again.

Suddenly, there was a rustling sound beside me .

The man who was standing just now sat down on the edge of the platform just like Raglan . His movements were not very elegant, and he didn't care whether his white clothes would be stained or not - unlike Raglan who couldn't actually touch the platform, he could condense a physical entity.

It had nothing to do with the image of God that Raglan had imagined before .

But just by being in the same place with him, Raglan could feel the power of his strength.

As for herself, because of her unjust death and her obsession with the living, resentment invaded her soul. Not only was she unable to reincarnate, but she was also trapped on this small platform forever.

From spring to autumn, from winter to summer.

The tenderness that was once a human being was long gone, and all that was left was the gradually distorted hatred of the world.

Due to the actions of the person next to him, Raglan put his hands on his sides above his thighs.

I really want to push him down.

He said it in an emotional tone, with an almost innocent cruelty.

and uncontrollable malice.

Hours ago, the platform welcomed the last train at midnight.

The resentment that has been rolling over the years has gradually condensed into a substantial murderous intention. When seeing the tired office workers wearing suits, it is like activating a mechanism buried deep in the memory, and the murderous intention can no longer be controlled. The ground spurted out. The second before Raglan's fingertips were about to reach the man's back, someone grabbed her hand.

Under the dim light of the street lamp, the charred mark on her right wrist was still very clear, making people feel a pain just looking at it - even though both she and the guy who made the mark knew that he was not using it at the time. What strength.

Direct physical contact with a god is itself harmful to her spiritual body.

Since I can die, there's no reason why others can't, she sneered, Why stop me?

You have accumulated enough resentment.

The god's tone was light, but there was a strange tenderness in it.

If you get involved in killing again, you will really be unable to recover.

For me now, does it make any difference whether I turn over or not?

silenced by the other party's next words .

My power is not as strong as you think. I cannot completely control people's life and death. He said, I can give you a chance to live again, but it's only a chance. There are only two things I hope you can do: learn to love others and how to love yourself . Only when you really do it, can you turn possibilities into reality with your own hands.

Is that so?

to lose anyway .

The smile on her face was somewhat ironic.

Well then, dear God.

of his uniform skirt slid. Raglan bent his knees and stood up from the edge of the platform. He looked down at the long-haired god in white indifferently and from an angle that subverted the substantive status between the two, What do you want me to do?

Recently, the god didn't mind this, someone asked me to help find humans with spiritual powers in the world.

But I'm not human anymore.

Even if it is a wandering year, its essence has not changed. They are not strict in the requirements for candidates. I think you can try to complete this task.

—and, he warned, don't use your real name there.

Why?

The god then stood up and gently touched her forehead with his long fingers.

It will be 'hidden' by the gods.

Shenyin——

Raglan had heard many strange stories about this, which probably always meant that they were hidden by gods and monsters for unknown reasons, and were never heard from again in the human world.

I see, is this the kind of place we are going to... She raised her eyes, Then, what should my name be?

The question that seemed to be asked and answered by myself was unexpectedly answered by the gods.

For 'Qianli', how about 'Qing'?

Varying her name slightly, Raglan mused.

Character?

'Sunny' for 'Sunny'.

Change it, that kind of sunny name doesn't suit me.

Then - what about the 'Qing' of 'Qingshu'?

A strange name...but that's fine.

She moved her lips, but in the end she didn't say thank you. The god who looked far away at the end of the track seemed to understand what she was thinking and smiled slightly.

He is confident.

——To the examiner codenamed Qing. 

The author has something to say:

Regarding the name, it’s not too important, but I think it’s better to explain the logic... Chisato’s kana is ちさと. The single word千 can be pronounced as せん. After the change of sound, せい is the same as Qingheqing. The god uses the せい sound. But in fact, the clear character of せい is generally used in surnames (that is, the phonetic pronunciation), and the pronunciation in names is きよし, so Senri will complain about strange names... Why do I have to make it so complicated...

chapter 2

〖220 AD——〗

Nearly two hundred years in the future.

Raglan narrowed his eyes.

running in front noticed her hesitation, turned around and tilted his head, Master Judge of Gods?

It's okay, just keep walking.

She turned her attention back to the thin Introductory Manual for Soul Examiners in her hand, and continued reading.

〖 In the year 220 AD , the historical revisionists who attempted to change history launched an attack on the past history.

In order to stop them, the government at that time sent god examiners to the era.

The so-called spiritual examiner refers to a person with the following special abilities.

The Shinsengumi can awaken the thoughts and souls of dormant objects, grant them the power to fight, and lead them in battle.

This ability gave birth to the gods Sword Men——〗

Sword man?

This time he really asked out loud.

That's right, the furry little fox with strange patterns on its face, who called itself Cook to her, was extremely enthusiastic about answering the new Shinsengumi's questions. It was her guide on this trip. These are the gods born from swords with the spiritual power of the Shinsengumi. The Time Government hopes to use the power of sword men to repel the Time Travel Army.

I see.

Raglan turned back two pages.

The place where the Shinsengumi and swordsmen live is called Honmaru.

The following content talks about the forging method of swords, how to send the sword men in formation to different time and space, and how to equip them with suitable sword outfits . This kind of thing seems quite novel to Raglan . Cook noticed that she was already flipping through the second half of the manual, and spoke in an embarrassed voice.

actually......

What's up?

You don't have to rush to understand that part of the content, Lord Judge of Gods. Because the Benmaru you need to take over this time is different from the usual Benmaru.

Um?

That's... Cook continued bravely, the original pill left behind by the two judges of the gods.

So - what's the problem?

People don't care whether the castle they are taking over is a Honmaru left behind by someone else.

The gods did not tell her the specific details when they sent her here, only saying that someone would come to take her away. Raglan was still in the dark about what she would face . She really didn't care much, after years of wandering, she looked at everything lightly, because she had lost everything, so she didn't care at all.

Those two people were dismissed by the government of time after investigation because they seriously violated the duties of the Shinsengumi. They are still being dealt with. But apart from them, the problems left in this Honmaru and the problems left by the gods have not been solved. This is why we are looking for a Shinsengumi with stronger spiritual power... I hope someone can purify this Honmaru.

I thought this kind of thing could be handled by you - no, the Time Government. His tone was brisk and inconsistent with the current situation. So it turns out that we have to assign it to the Shinsengumi?

...Because every time we encounter this kind of Honmaru, the situation is different, and it cannot be solved by simply recycling the sword. In view of how troublesome the gods are, the danger level of Honmaru is temporarily marked as ' A'.

That's it.

Cook secretly glanced at the girl with a meaningless expression.

She jumped up the stone steps with ease, and even had a smile on her face, making her look even sweeter and cuter. But if you look carefully, it's obvious that the smile is not sincere, and there is a hint of sinister aura between the eyebrows and eyes .

Can such a judge... really allow Naza Honmaru to take the right path?

Under layers of worry, Cook couldn't help but slow down.

But since it was the recommendation from that adult——

Ah, here we are.

The girl suddenly stopped walking, and Cook, who was immersed in his own thoughts, bumped into her leather shoes. It whined and rubbed the tip of its nose, which was sore from hitting the heel of its shiny black leather shoe, with its paws. It raised its neck and looked at the overly gray door with Raglan .

The corrugations were filled with dust, and the door blocking one person and one fox was so rotten that it looked like it would fall apart if touched hard. Raglan tried to poke it with her finger, and the shaken dust hit her nose, making her cough twice.

——So dirty.

Undisguised disgust.

The stations where she stayed were cleaned by the person in charge many times a day!

Both the Honmaru and the gods need the spiritual support of the judge, Cook explained hurriedly. If spiritual power is injected into the barrier, it should be possible to make the Honmaru look brand new!

Raglan raised an eyebrow.

When she was an ordinary human, she could hardly feel spiritual power. After existing in the soul body for so long, she had accumulated a lot of this power.

Following Cook's instructions, she put her palm against the door panel.

The spiritual power flows through the body, slowly injecting from the palm to the fingertips, and from the contact surface between the hand and the door panel. There was a glimmer of light, and the rotten wood began to become as good as new from the middle.

Raglan, who thought he was really going to live in this shabby place, his eyes lit up, Sure enough-

Zip!

A strange sound like an electric short circuit cut off Raglan's words before he could finish them.

Cook: ...

Raglan: ...

What kind of situation is this?

Is the circuit breaker tripping?

She tried again without giving up, but this time there was no reaction at all. The wooden door remained intact, and not even a speck of dust was shaken off. Only Raglan's hands were covered with dust, and she shook them aside in disgust.

Leaving Cook dumbfounded, Raglan simply pushed the door - the door was not locked, and she stepped in smoothly.

Wait, wait, wait, wait, Shinsengumi-sama! Cook came to his senses and hurriedly caught up. There were a lot of weeds growing between the stones on the road inside the Honmaru, and the broken grass leaves rubbed against it. You haven't opened the barrier of the Honmaru, you can't just go in like this!

Why? Raglan did not stop as Cook advised. It seems that I don't get along well with this Honmaru... So, will this make me the first Shinsengumi to be fired?

That's not the question!

Cook said with tears in his eyes.

The purpose of the barrier is not only to maintain the daily operation of the Honmaru. If the barrier exists, the Dark Fallen Gods will not be able to directly harm the Shinsengumi. If the barrier cannot be opened successfully—

Then the danger level of Honmaru would change from A to SS!

So I think we should report the situation to the government of time or that gentleman first—

The girl's light words interrupted Cook's words that were yet to come out.

That kind of thing doesn't matter at all, right?

......Eh?

Since there is no barrier, the so-called gods or anything else can come. She shifted her gaze to the dead tree standing in the courtyard. As for me, I've long been tired of wandering around the station day and night, so the reason I came this time...

Sitting alone on the platform after midnight where no one would come, I felt as if I was abandoned by the whole world. I don't want to go back and experience that a second time.

There was a hint of smile in his voice.

I only ask for life, or death.

Cook: ..............................

This pill is a pill!

Lord Judge of Gods, calm down, ah ah ah ah ah! It pounced hard, bit the ankle of the sock, and tried to drag Raglan back, mumbling indistinctly, The world is still very beautiful, and there is still a lot of fried tofu left to eat! Don't give up just like that! Didn't we agree to face the new sunrise every day with hope!

There's no such agreement at all! Just wait and calm down - you're going to tear my socks off!

呲——

With a tearing sound, louder than the sound of snagging, the black knee socks that were longer than the knees were torn out by the fangs to create a long gap, revealing the girl's jade-white calves.

...Woo.

Cook huddled at her feet holding his head in aggrieved tone.

Seeing it like this, Raglan sighed and squatted down.

I didn't say I wanted to give up, she said in a rare soft tone, even though she couldn't get angry with the soft creatures, Anyway, there's no need to be so unsure of my power. After notifying the government of the time Let’s go try them out first, and now you can tell me more about this Honmaru.

I-I know.

Actually, I don't know much about it either... The little fox scratched his ears in embarrassment, This is the second time I've been to this honmaru. Other than that, I've only seen the map.

Raglan couldn't hide his surprise, It turns out you're not in charge here?

We, Cook, are in charge of different headquarters. The paw drew a circle on the ground. This place was originally supposed to be owned by my colleagues... but it is still in the government of the time for various reasons, so I was asked to take over...

If it hadn't been for the fact that Cook hadn't reported to the government for a long time, the judge of this main pill might still not have been replaced.

Before that, no one noticed anything unusual here.

Cook shook as he thought of the tragic situation caused by his colleagues by the former interrogator.

He didn't notice the lingering fear in his heart and just kept observing his surroundings.

The square layout and overall structure were very neat, but just like the door that left a strong impression on her, everything here was a testament to the word shabby. The corridor connecting to the inner courtyard even had a few wooden boards warped, covered with thick dust and hung with spider webs.

Empty stables.

Barren fields.

What's this?

She looked through the window and saw the stove inside the room was gone.

It's the forge, Cook replied readily, where new swords are forged.

It leaned on the window frame and pointed it out to her.

The cabinet on the left and the pool here are for storing resources, such as charcoal, cooling materials, etc. Over there are the tools needed for forging. The government will send a swordsmith to help forge your sword soon.

I see. But it's been so quiet here since I entered. Didn't you say there are gods here?

As you can see, the gods are just like this Honmaru. Due to the lack of a position for the Shinsengumi, they have not been able to replenish their spiritual energy for a long time and have become sleeping instruments again. But if they are awakened, they will still retain their previous memories. You...

The little fox couldn't make a very vivid expression, but Raglan clearly saw a meaning in its eyes as if to say Are you sure you want to do this?

certainly.

...Then please follow me.

Cook led her to a small warehouse.

The door was pushed open as she moved, and a ray of light came into the dark room .

Letting the light shine fully into the warehouse, Raglan left the door wide open and first saw the knife rack against the wall.

The knife rack was bare.

She looked down and saw the knife thrown aside.

This one?

Without waiting for Cook to answer, Raglan walked forward, picked up the knife, and felt the heavy weight in his hand.

It is indeed a genuine samurai sword.

As a high school student who had neither studied kendo nor participated in a kendo club at school , this was her first time using a real sword. Turning over the red scabbard, Raglan saw the tan pattern.

pattern......

It looks familiar.

I remember, the top student's memory has always been widely praised. Even after a year, she can still clearly recall the shallow memories left behind, it is a bit similar to Okita Souji's family crest - but not too different. Same.

Amazing—

What sounded on the other side was Cook's exclamation, which said seriously: This is indeed Okita's sword, and the sword pattern also comes from his family crest... Lord Judge of God actually recognized it at a glance.

...No, he's just a national history teacher who used to be a fan of the Shinsengumi.

He had even written several papers on the subject, and when he was talking about the Bakumatsu period in class, it almost turned into a presentation of his doctoral thesis. Fortunately, she went to a girls' school. Under the influence of many rumors and otome games, the girls were quite obsessed with the story of the Shinsengumi with several handsome men, and listened to it with gusto.

before—

She no longer thought about it, and with a push of her hand, the cold light came out of its sheath.

The moment after the light flashed, Raglan could clearly see the mottled scratches and even several gaps on it.

The tip of the knife was retrieved from the scabbard. After looking at it, she quietly inserted the knife back.

what do I need to do?

Just like activating the barrier at the door, use spiritual power to awaken the gods. But...

But it just failed.

Raglan understood what it was trying to say, and to be honest, she was also curious whether it would succeed.

She squatted down and put the knife back on the ground. Her fingertips brushed across the blade , and she pressed it on the sheath, trying to inject spiritual power into it. The spiritual power flowed in the direction she pointed, and this time -

This time, unexpectedly, there was no hindrance.

My hands suddenly felt empty.

She looked up and met a pair of dark red pupils. 

The author has something to say:

Waiting in line for washing (Hey

The first is Qingguang, of course, because of my initial knife complex (.

The quote is from the prologue page of the official setting collection.

The gods within the private barrier cannot harm the God Judge. Of course, the barrier cannot be used due to [ ], so the private background is of little use at the moment → →

Chapter 3

THE APPEARANCE OF THE gods is somewhere between a boy and a young man.

The first thing Raglan saw were his eyes. The corners of his eyes were slightly raised, and they were slightly slender, slender eyes. The dazzling red condensed into a dark color in his eyes, and no fluctuations in expression or emotion could be seen between them. There is a black mole on the lower left corner of his mouth, which further highlights his exquisite appearance. His smooth and shiny hair is stuck into a ball at the end.

The dark traces stuck to the ends of his hair were also stained on his face, and Raglan smelled the salty smell like rust.

—Blood.

The smell of blood filled the warehouse as he appeared, and Raglan felt his stomach churn almost instantly.

She swayed as she stood up.

Lord Judge, Cook noticed something was wrong with her and asked worriedly, Are you bleeding?

During the years, there were many people who committed suicide by lying on that stretch of railway track.

They jumped from the platform just before the tram came, and blood splashed all over the ground when the wheels ran over them . She watched indifferently as the same scene played out over and over again. As time passed, she could occasionally see the hallucination of being pushed down.

The man also jumped forward after she fell. How dare this despicable guy, how dare he let his blood mix with hers——

Someone was picking off the buckles of her leather shoes.

Raglan came back to her senses and realized that she was not in the small space where she had been imprisoned for many years, but in a strange honmaru located in the gap between time and space.

......No.

She looked at Cook at her feet who was trying to get her attention, covered up the frenzy in her eyes, and mumbled: I'm fine.

With this kind of blood volume, it should be fine...

She said this sentence between her teeth, almost mumbling in a way that no one could hear clearly. After regaining his sense, Raglan took a deep breath, but the strong smell of blood lingered in his mouth and nose. But after controlling herself, she was able to devote her energy to observing the gods standing in front of her.

He seemed to be seriously injured . He could barely stand, and his eyes were still cold. He looked from Raglan to Cook who jumped between the two of them.

This was once one of Souji Okita's favorite swords, Cook proactively introduced, California Kiyomitsu.

Raglan narrowed his eyes.

Thanks to her history teacher, she certainly remembered the two swords that Souji Okita loved. When she heard Cook say that the sword pattern came from the Okita family crest, she began to guess whether it was California Kiyomitsu or Yamato Moriyasu, but both the former and the latter had been lost among the people in the long history.

It was said that the tip of California Kiyomitsu's knife was broken in Ikedaya, but when she just checked, the tip of the knife was clearly intact, and she almost thought it was Yamato Moriyasu.

this.

face California Qingguang this time .

He is the newly appointed judge of this honmaru.

To Raglan 's surprise, he lowered his head and called Master without showing any resistance.

But that's all.

He was avoiding eye contact with her and was otherwise aloof, an attitude that was clearly not normal, but Raglan didn't care .

I hate all this blood, she asked Cook. Is there some kind of infirmary here?

HAND INTO THE ROOM.

This is the room where the sword men usually receive treatment after returning from battle.

Cook, who was walking in front, was very agile even though his head was limited. He jumped up and grabbed the door handle without Raglan reaching out. Like any room in Honmaru, this place was filled with a musty smell due to long-term neglect. The only good thing was that there was not much dust. Raglan walked over and opened the window for ventilation.

Under normal circumstances, as long as enough resources are provided, the injured sword can be automatically repaired, but because... Due to the unknown degree of darkness of the gods present, Cook skipped the reason that he and the new Shinsengumi knew very well, so you may need to bandage and treat the wound yourself.

Are there any emergency medicines?

It might be in the closet.

Kashuu Kiyomitsu leaned against the door, watching them rummaging through the drawers in silence.

The intense pain coming from all parts of his body clearly reminded him that even though the sword had been in a semi-comatose state for a long time due to lack of spiritual energy replenishment, the injuries on his body had not improved at all with the passage of time. This was natural for the sword, they did not have their own will since birth, and if they wanted to repair themselves, they had to rely on others.

Verbally acknowledging the new Shinsengumi sent by the government is one thing, but what you think in your heart is another. It is still unknown whether the new Shinsengumi will be like her predecessor. Kashuu Kiyomitsu has no confidence and no interest in looking forward to it. At least after he was reawakened, the look in the Shinsengumi's eyes showed that she didn't like him.

To be more precise, it is the indifference wrapped in a sweet smile.

Facing the seriously injured gods, she just asked Can you still walk? without any intention of helping him - of course, he was not expecting it in the first place - and now she brought him into the room not because of his injuries, but just as she said, she hated so much blood.

He could not see anything about this world in her eyes. The cold sharp weapon that had experienced a long time could sometimes pierce the essence more easily than anything else - precisely because he didn't care, there was no question of whether he liked her or not.

——Oh no, that’s bad.

Contrary to his inner thoughts, a hint of mockery crept up the corners of his mouth.

——Maybe he will be another extremely bad master.

Alcohol, cotton balls, bandages, hemostatic forceps, saline solution... Without paying any attention to what the person at the door was thinking, Raglan counted the medicines he found one by one , handed them to Cook and asked him, I don't know how you calculate the time now. Are these expired?

After getting the other party's definite answer of no, she held the tray and raised her chin to California Kiyomitsu who was still standing at the door.

Okay, Raglan said calmly after he sat down on the chair in the middle of the room as she indicated, take it off.

The gods' cold masks finally cracked.

Cook: ...Shinsen-sama?!

It's still small! It's not suitable for watching these intense scenes!

What are you thinking about?

Raglan was unwrapping the plastic bag of the bandage, and when he heard the sound, he knew it wanted to wander into the Mariana Trench. With a puzzled look on her face, she unscrewed the cap of the alcohol bottle and sterilized the utensils first.

I didn't expect that you look cute and furry, but you are actually thinking about this kind of thing in your heart. She rolled her eyes angrily, The injury is not just on the face, I see, my clothes are stained red, how can I apply medicine and bandage if I don't take it off?

Cook nodded as if he suddenly understood, feeling ashamed of his dirty imagination just now, California Qingguang was still awkward there .

Raglan urged impatiently.

Come on, do you want me to help you take it off?

California Qingguang: ...

Cook: ....................................

It’s not your fault at all! It doesn’t matter if it doesn’t want to be crooked , okay? !

Long windbreakers, red scarves, vests, and shirts were taken off one by one, and the upper bodies of the gods were exposed in front of one person and one fox. He was obviously not used to this situation and turned his head a little uncomfortably. This reaction was more lively than the previous indifference .

Perhaps it was because the long trench coat made him look slender, and due to the serious injury, he looked a bit slender and thin before, but now that he took it all off, he looked different. He's in pretty good shape, Raglan thought like a comment, and his eyes quickly turned to the mottled blood stains on his body.

The wounds were mainly concentrated on the abdomen and back, and many of them were so deep that they showed flesh and blood.

This kind of thing will require stitches in the hospital, right?

She muttered to herself thoughtfully.

It may not heal well without stitches, but I'm not good at sewing... How about giving it a try?

The girl had no idea that the topic she was talking about was so horrifying, and it sounded like she was seriously worried about the problem.

A bean of cold sweat the size of a bean crept up California Qingguang's forehead.

No, no, no, no, no, that’s not necessary, Master Shinsengumi! Cook felt a phantom pain just by listening to it. He quickly stopped the dangerous idea of forcing it, The gods are different from humans. You just need to do the simplest bandage! With spiritual nourishment, it shouldn’t take too long to heal!

...I see.

What's the point of that regretful tone? !

Shocked by this terrifying opening, California Qingguang was even mentally prepared when she approached with a cotton ball soaked in hydrogen peroxide with tweezers. However, it was completely different from the rude behavior he thought, and it ended up on the injured area. The movements were surprisingly gentle.

Only the stinging pain at the wound made him frown. Raglan was using saline to wash away the white foam caused by the sterilization of hydrogen peroxide.

...The Judge of Gods also has a lot of knowledge in this matter. As she wrapped the bandages in circles, Cook watched her skillfully tying the knots, and he praised her without hesitation . Regretfully, I thought there was something I could contribute.

before......

When she spoke the words, Raglan herself was in a trance. She recovered and continued.

The school doctor in high school used to be very popular in the school, he said in a calm tone, as if he was talking about something that had nothing to do with him. Everyone said that the teacher was handsome and gentle. He would pretend to be injured and go to the school doctor's office when there was nothing wrong. There are also people who do it in the name of helping. I belong to the latter group, and I can be regarded as a right-hand man later, but this is my first time dealing with this kind of wound.

Her skills are no better than pure knowledge. After so long, her movements are still somewhat jerky.

—alright.

After finally cleaning the scrapes on his cheeks and corners of his mouth, Raglan finally completed his task and collected the bloody cotton ball bandages together, holding the tray and preparing to go out.

You stay here first, I'll throw these away, she tilted her head, Cook, where to throw them?

The little fox quickly jumped down from the chair where he was squatting.

I'll lead the way for you!

A SHORT PAIN IS BETTER than a long one, and she couldn't expect a seriously injured patient to treat his wounds himself. Rather than letting him wander around in front of her covered in blood , it would be better for him to endure the nausea and treat it himself - in a sense, Raglan treated himself quite decisively.

Coming out of the room filled with the smell of blood, the air naturally became much fresher.

All the way Raglan was trying to lift the blood-stained cotton farther.

I'm thinking about something.

After walking for a while, she suddenly spoke.

Cook, you said before that you Cooks are in charge of different Honmaru?

yes.

Do other Honmaru have the same gods, such as... Kashuu Kiyomitsu?

Yes, the little fox looked back at her, the Shinsengumi summon the spirits attached to the swords. But even the same gods are different in different Honmaru, because they have different experiences and are unique. What do you want to ask?

Just a little curious.

Raglan Road.

Although I know that it was the fault of the previous two Shinsengumi, his reaction is obviously wrong. I am curious about what kind of personality the original Kashuu Kiyomitsu would have.

It's a cute knife. Cook answered her question, It hopes to be loved by its owner because it dresses up beautifully... That should be the case.

Yeah......

She looked out.

You can see the clear blue sky that stands out against the gray Honmaru.

She recalled the somewhat obscure and complicated looks in the eyes of the gods before.

I can't imagine it at all. 

Chapter 4

BY THE TIME RAGLAN and Cook returned to the room, California Qingguang had put on all the clothes he had taken off earlier.

Do you care about beautiful appearance...

Thinking of Cook's statement, Raglan looked at his long trench coat that was torn and torn, and found that the other party showed a completely different lack of concern from before on this point alone. Raglan, who once had a similar mentality, would have no trouble understanding some of what he is thinking now.

I said, she leaned her shoulder against the door frame, Originally, if you wanted to give up on yourself, I wouldn't stop you.

But since you are a patient I have helped, I don't want all the hard work I have done to go to waste.

She pointed to the large blood stains on her vest and shirt.

There must be blood on it. Continuing to wear those clothes will breed bacterial infection. Do you have any spare clothes? Or wear something else first and wash these few pieces and mend them later. But - as I just said Yes, I’m not good at sewing at all, so it’s up to you to do the sewing.

——What I just said.

Recalling her dangerous statement at that time, California Qingguang felt a chill in his back.

...there were two sets each for the internal service and the previous one, the gods were silent for a moment and then spoke the longest sentence since seeing her. Raglan found that his voice was a little hoarse, but I don't know where they are.

—Um.

Raglan straightened up , realizing that he might have been in that small warehouse longer than she thought.

Following her and Cook from the warehouse to the hand room, no matter how much they had no time to pay attention to Zhou because of the wound, they could still tell that the government of the time had probably not touched much of this place based on its abandoned state.

If he just fell into a deep sleep because the judge left, he would not easily say that he didn't know where his spare clothes were.

Relating to the injuries all over his body...

She became more and more curious about what happened in this book .

I understand, she said, Kook and I will go look for him, so the sick people can stop wandering around.

Stretching out his muscles, Raglan began to search from room to room with Cook.

Sword men usually act in person, but also have their own dormitories at night. However, due to the limited size of the honmaru , the layout of the house clearly shows that it is a shared residence, ranging from two people to several people.

Raglan pulled the sliding door of the closet hard. Even though the air was filled with dust, she was almost blinded by the armor that reflected the sunlight inside and became more and more gleaming .

The vocabulary accumulated over several years of life seemed to be reduced to nothing at this moment.

......what! Golden Saint Cloth ? !

Lord Judge of Gods! Lord Judge of Gods! Cook called her from next door at this time, I seem to have found it!

She walked to that room and saw that California Qingguang's underwear of the same style and color was indeed hung neatly on the side of the closet.

Well done.

Raglan rubbed his sore eyes from the shaking, and did not forget to praise Cook first. Her original idea was to take someone else's to clean it up in California if she couldn't find it, but now it seems that the solution has been solved.

Her eyes were quickly attracted by clothes in the same row but in different colors.

—— She looked through the light green feathered fabrics and saw the word Sincerity printed on the back. This looked completely different from California Kiyomitsu's dressing style, but the distinctive features undoubtedly showed that it belonged to the new era. Selecting team uniforms, Is it Yamato Mamoru's?

So he's also in this Honmaru . Seeing Cook nod, Raglan asked casually, Where is he now?

The swords are stored in different places, but I feel... it's better not to wake him up now.

The short time they spent together was enough for the man and the fox to establish some tacit understanding. Raglan's slight movements were enough to make Cook understand her questions and answer them spontaneously.

If I'm guessing correctly, Yamato-mori's stable state should be very dangerous.

Compared to California Clear Light?

She saw Cook shake his head heavily, as if to say that there was absolutely no comparison.

Do you have any specific information about what happened here?

The government is still investigating, but what can be interrogated from them is limited. The arrested always tend to defend themselves from the side that is beneficial to them... At least one thing is certain at present, California Qingguang and other gods The difference is that he was in that warehouse before the time government intervened.

Put it in by the Inquisitor?

Probably.

Anyway, as you can see, this place is in urgent need of a general cleaning.

Raglan pointed to the spider weaving its web leisurely in the corner.

Clean everything that needs to be cleaned and renovate. This project is quite large. It's definitely not enough for us alone - let alone the seriously injured patients inside - helpers are necessary. If Yamato Shou'an can't do it, do you have any recommendations? ?

Cook quickly ran through the existing list in his mind.

Regardless of the reason for the dark fall...

tanto wakizashi with childlike temperaments are definitely not good enough, as they themselves need to be taken care of; as for other katana and tachi , if we were to say which type might be good at housework, it would be -

Candlesticki Mitsutada or Yasakiri Hasebe?

OK.

Then, Cook watched her finger circle twice, and the dust on the tatami was wiped away by her fingertips to form a small circle. Raglan muttered something, and her finger kept jumping between the two circles , which confused Cook.

Shinsen-sama, what are you doing?

After reading the last sentence Whoever is picked is the one, Raglan's index finger stopped at the right circle before answering it.

This is the mantra we used to pick things when we were young. Just click on it when you finish reciting it. Raglan said calmly, The decision is yours, pressure-cut Hasebe.

Cook: .................................... ...

too casual , Lord Judge of Gods? !

And why does the last sentence have a subtle feeling no matter how you listen to it? !

However, before that, let's deal with the problem over there first.

She took two sets of clothes from California Qingguang and prepared to give them to him.

The moment he turned around and stepped forward, Raglan suddenly felt a strange feeling arise.

The long-lost hunger was clamoring in her stomach, and she wondered in confusion when the last time she felt hungry was.

Anyway...it was when I was still a human being.

There should be a kitchen here, right?

Ah, yes, Lord Judge...are you going to cook in person?

Well, at least I make bento by myself whenever I have time. Seeing Cook's eyes suddenly light up, Raglan laughed, There's no need to count on it, the materials here must be limited, and my cooking skills are average, so I can just make do with it. "

Her words were not modest.

Although he was confused about whether the sword should be eaten or not, after Raglan and Cook finished eating, he still sent one to California Kiyomitsu who had changed his clothes.

There were only simple white porridge and two plates of side dishes on the table. California Qingguang stared at them for a long time. It wasn't until the heat on them gradually dissipated that he tentatively picked up a spoon and took a bite.

The heat hasn't completely subsided yet, and the rice grains have been steamed to be warm and soft. Of course, you can't taste anything just by tasting them like this, but after swallowing them, you can feel that they seem to be comforting your empty stomach after not eating for a long time.

Realizing his own thoughts, Kashuu Kiyomitsu's hands trembled and he threw the spoon back into the bowl.

He made up his mind not to look at these things again and just let them cool down.

RAGLAN HAD NO TIME for that.

The food she had sent was left there as it was, and the only problem she had was whether to eat it sparingly or just throw it away. Cook had already licked the bottom of the pot until his belly was round, and she didn't eat much before she felt the hunger disappear like an illusion. She didn't intend to force herself, so she simply chose the latter - throwing it all into the trash can that looked like a black hole in space.

She had enough time left in the day to clean up two rooms.

As the sun set and the night deepened, sleepiness crept in. Raglan finally realized that in Honmaru, she felt hungry and sleepy - the feelings she had as a human were gradually reviving in her.

The hand-entry into the room doesn't work, but the water and electricity are working fine. It's really strange.

Raglan shook out the bedding on the cleaned tatami. This was prepared by the government of time from her start-up fund before she came. These daily necessities were piled near the entrance. Raglan thought it was unnecessary, but soon found that she would not be sleepless here like she was on the platform.

This is the first time I've encountered such a situation... Cook said with a bitter face, But at least it's not too bad as we have water and electricity. Do we really not need to inform the government about the barrier ?

No, don't mention it yet.

She refused outright.

You go, good night.

Good night, Master Shinsengumi.

Cook respectfully left the room. He was entrusted with the task of obtaining as much information as possible from the government about the previous two Shinsengumi . Although he was still a little uneasy, judging from how the Shinsengumi got along with the gods, there shouldn't be any big problems.

......perhaps.

OF THE BROKEN CLOCK on the wall never moved forward, making it impossible to tell how much time had passed.

The corridor was dark with the lights turned off .

A shadowy figure quietly appeared in the middle of the aisle.

His steps were fairly steady, and the wounds wrapped in layers of bandages were already healing. He was careful not to make any noise, and after a few minutes, he stopped at the door of a room.

The paper sliding door didn't lock.

The doubtful thought only stayed in his mind for a second, and then he hooked the small door handle and opened the paper door little by little.

The heel of his shoe ran over the plain tatami mat made of rushes, and he could vaguely make out the undulating figure of a human being. He grasped the sword on his waist with the tiger's mouth facing the back of the sword.

The action stopped at this step and did not continue.

He stood there for a long time. Even California Qingguang didn't know how long he stood there.

After a while, he finally relaxed his grip on his hands, turned around and walked out.

At this moment, there was a sudden soft pop sound behind him, and half of the room was filled with dim light.

Have you given up?

The speaker was still smiling.

Wariness crept up his spine, California Qingguang's loosened right hand tightly grasped the handle of the knife again, maintaining the posture of drawing the knife at any time, and he turned around.

The new examiner was sitting there, with the soft quilt still hanging around her waist. However, no matter from her attire or her expression, there