Location: Outer Gate No. 2105380 of the Little Garden. Peribed Avenue, in front of the Fountain Square.
"Yo! Young Master Jin, I'm back~!" From a distance, Black Rabbit waved excitedly at the two people standing by the gate.
"Did you bring any new companions?" Seeing Black Rabbit approach, the small boy sitting on the steps stood up with a cheerful smile and walked over to greet her.
"Of course! Black Rabbit went through a lot of trouble to bring back these four… new companions!" she said proudly, stepping aside to reveal the four people behind her.
"But Black Rabbit, there are only two ladies here," Jin said with a puzzled expression, pointing at Kudou Asuka and Kasukabe Yō who stood behind her.
"Eh? Eh? Two?" Black Rabbit turned around with robotic stiffness, and then—with a clatter—completely froze on the spot.
"She's completely petrified," Kudou Asuka commented as she tapped on Black Rabbit, producing hollow metallic sounds.
"She must've crashed. Rabbits from another world are probably different from Earth's," Kasukabe Yō said as she grabbed one of Black Rabbit's ears and began spinning it, as if searching for a power switch.
"Ugh… Ah?! There were two more! One was a sharp-eyed boy with a venomous tongue and an aura screaming 'I'm a problem child!' The other was a poker-faced man exuding the air of a solitary powerhouse!"
Clutching her head, Black Rabbit screamed in frustration, throwing out those strange descriptions.
"Oh, you mean Izayoi? He just said, 'I'm going to see the end of the world!' and ran off in that direction."
Asuka pointed toward the towering cliff they had seen from 4,000 meters up.
Frozen in place in the middle of the road, Black Rabbit's ears shot upright in alarm. "Then where did Lord Yoru go?!"
"Izayoi-kun said the end of the world might hold the key to traveling between worlds, so Lord Yoru followed him."
"Wh-Why didn't you stop them?!"
"He said, 'Don't stop me.'"
"Then why didn't you tell Black Rabbit?!"
"He said, 'Don't tell Black Rabbit.'"
"Lies! That's definitely a lie! You two just thought it was too much trouble, didn't you?!"
"Yup!" ×2
Thud! Black Rabbit collapsed weakly to her knees. She now envied the hopeful version of herself from just a few hours ago.
She should never have expected anything from these problem children! She should've just tied them all up and dragged them back!
"Um… Black Rabbit, are you okay?" Jin asked with a wry smile, watching as a dark aura of rage began to rise behind her.
"Young Master Jin, I leave these two young ladies in your care."
As she spoke, Black Rabbit's blue hair turned back into a brilliant cherry blossom pink.
"Wait—Black Rabbit, what are you going to do?" Jin asked nervously, sensing her overflowing rage.
"Of course I'm going to catch that number-one problem child! He even tricked Lord Yoru into going with him—unforgivable!"
With that, Black Rabbit shot off like a bullet and vanished in the blink of an eye.
"She's fast!" Kudou Asuka exclaimed.
"Well, she is a rabbit," Kasukabe Yō said, unsurprised.
"Ladies, this way please."
Seeing that both girls radiated the same "problem child" vibe, Jin sighed and politely gestured for them to follow.
"So this is the end of the world? The view's not bad," Izayoi said casually, standing near a waterfall with a relaxed air.
"Doesn't seem all that special," Yoru remarked, scanning the surroundings.
Although this world was called Little Garden and they were supposedly at the world's edge, he didn't see anything resembling a "wall."
"Ah… It's a box garden, but not literally a box."
"You humans actually managed to find this place. Are you here to take part in my 'Gift Game'?"
A deep, androgynous voice rumbled from the waterfall before them.
"Join my 'Gift Game'!"
Splash! A torrent of water fell from above, drenching Izayoi from head to toe.
A massive, serpent-like white creature emerged from behind the waterfall, its overwhelming aura disturbing the surface of the lake.
On Yoru's side, however, the water transformed into an icy wall that shattered into pieces upon falling.
"Hey! Why didn't you block it for me too? I'm soaked!"
Izayoi complained about Yoru's self-centeredness, but the latter only shrugged with a smile.
"Sorry, I didn't react in time. The cold aura automatically forms around me for protection."
"Tch… Kinda irritating. What even is that thing?"
Izayoi muttered while lifting his head to examine the enormous creature before him.
It was a huge serpent-like being, with glowing amber eyes fixed squarely on Yoru and Izayoi.
"Now that you've come before me, the Serpent God, choose your trial. If you pass, I will grant you rewards beyond imagination!"
"Serpent God?!"
Yoru's eyes widened slightly. That divine title sparked his interest.
"Yes, I am the Serpent God, ruler of this world's edge and the master of the Torridtuness Waterfall!"
The white serpent declared proudly, while a dangerous glint flickered in Yoru's eyes.
"If we pass the trial, we can choose any reward? Any reward?"
"That's right. No matter what you ask for. But take note—if you want the best prize, then use your strength and defeat me fair and square!"
"Oh… defeat you, huh…"
The corners of Yoru's mouth curled upward.
The poker-faced man actually smiled—for the first time.
But it was a cruel and twisted smile.
Feeling inexplicably uneasy, Izayoi glanced at Yoru—then instinctively backed away several steps.
A frightening white frost crept toward his feet.
Realizing this was not the place to linger, Izayoi didn't hesitate—he turned and bolted.
He loved showing off and fighting, but this was clearly not the time.
Yoru had entered an excited state, and that was seriously unsettling.
He still remembered the scene of the massive lake being frozen solid—and he definitely didn't want to become an ice sculpture.
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