Morpheus was unaware that, after he left the Nura Clan, its members were being questioned by the Onmyoryo.
But even if he knew, he wouldn't care.
After leaving the Nura Clan, Morpheus soon exited Ukiyoe Town.
Where to next?
Morpheus wandered the streets aimlessly, lost in thought.
With the yokai matter entrusted to the Nura Clan, he didn't need to worry. He trusted they'd handle it.
After all, they were a prominent organization in Tokyo. If they couldn't catch a single man-eating yokai, they'd be utterly incompetent.
But based on Morpheus's memories, the Nura Clan was far from incompetent.
Under the leadership of their second-generation supreme leader, Rihan Nura, they were terrifyingly powerful.
So, Morpheus had no need to concern himself with the yokai. He just had to wait for results.
"Eh? Isn't that Morpheus-kun?"
As Morpheus strolled aimlessly, a voice called out from behind.
He stopped and turned, spotting a familiar face.
Mio Akiyama.
A member of Sakurai Academy's Light Music Club and the band's lead vocalist.
The infamous "blue-and-white bowl" girl.
Though, according to Morpheus's memories, the blue-and-white bowl incident hadn't happened yet, so Mio hadn't suffered that social death.
But the one who called out wasn't Mio.
"Here, here!"
The familiar voice rang out again. Morpheus shifted his gaze from Mio to the energetic girl beside her.
Ritsu Tainaka.
Mio's childhood friend, Morpheus's classmate, and even his deskmate.
She had short brown hair, with a hairband keeping her bangs off her forehead.
Morpheus had seen this style before—on Sonoko Suzuki, the second daughter of the Suzuki conglomerate.
Though, when Sonoko let her hairband down, her charm skyrocketed.
Ritsu seemed to be the same.
Morpheus recalled a moment in K-On! where Ritsu let her hairband down, transforming so drastically it stunned Yui Hirasawa, another band member.
What a coincidence.
Seeing Morpheus finally look at her, Ritsu put her hands on her hips and grinned. "I'm the one who called you, but you looked at Mio first."
"You've got Mio on the brain, huh?"
Mio, used to Ritsu's nonsense, still blushed at the teasing, her head steaming like a kettle as she turned into a "Steam Princess."
"Ritsu, shut up!"
She pounded Ritsu's shoulders with both hands.
"Ow, ow! Sorry, sorry, Mio!" Ritsu laughed, begging for mercy.
Mio shot her a glare but let her off.
Morpheus couldn't help but sigh. "You two really get along well."
Mio sighed, exasperated. "It's just a lifelong curse."
Ritsu, curious, asked, "By the way, Morpheus-kun, why haven't you been at school? Run into some trouble?"
Morpheus nodded. "A little trouble, but it's sorted. I'll be back on Monday."
Ritsu exhaled, hand on her chest, visibly relieved.
"Good, good. It'd be a drag if we lost our lunch buddy. Life would be so boring."
As if recalling something, Ritsu's mouth watered slightly.
Mio gave her a disgusted look but still pulled out a handkerchief to wipe Ritsu's drool.
"You're so dramatic, Ritsu."
Ritsu countered confidently, "You've had Morpheus-kun's cooking too, Mio. Isn't it delicious?"
Mio froze, glanced at Morpheus, and mumbled, "It is pretty good."
Hearing this, Morpheus sifted through his predecessor's memories and found an interesting tidbit.
His predecessor, an international student, couldn't stomach Japan's cuisine.
A meal or two was fine, but eating it every day? Unbearable.
Habits formed over years couldn't change overnight.
So, after one too many Japan meals, his predecessor started making his own lunches.
Ritsu, his deskmate, soon noticed.
Learning about his homemade meals, she pestered him to share, and they became lunch buddies, eating together every noon.
Over time, their friendship grew, and they often swapped dishes.
Mio, as Ritsu's childhood friend, was soon dragged into it.
Now, the three often shared lunches, becoming good friends.
Morpheus marveled inwardly. He hadn't expected his predecessor to have such a skill.
Morpheus could cook, but only simple things like instant noodles or fried rice, and the taste was mediocre.
More complex dishes were beyond him.
His predecessor's culinary talent was impressive, far surpassing Morpheus's own skills.
Such a pity he died so tragically.
But no matter. Morpheus would avenge him, ensuring the yokai that ate him wouldn't die easily.
"Wow, that was a creepy smile."
Ritsu's voice snapped him out of his thoughts.
Morpheus blinked, touching his face. "Was I smiling?"
Ritsu nodded. "Yeah, and it was super creepy. Ask Mio if you don't believe me."
Mio stammered, unsure what to say. She thought Morpheus's smile wasn't just creepy—it was downright terrifying.
But too shy to badmouth him, she hesitated.
Then Ritsu, suspicious, narrowed her eyes at Morpheus. "That creepy smile… you're not planning to make some weird dish to torture me, are you?"
Morpheus rolled his eyes. "Am I that bored?"
"Maybe!"
Unable to hold back, Morpheus gave Ritsu a light chop on the head.
***
Bonus Chapter:
100 Power Stones = 1 BC
300 Power Stones = 2 BC
500 Power Stones = 3 BC
700 Power Stones = 4 BC
1000 Power Stones = 5 BC
***
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