The next morning.
It was only 6:30 AM, Xiao Qian’s eyes were still a little sore from staying up until 2 AM last night, her heart filled with both anxiety and excitement.
She had only slept for about four hours, but she felt surprisingly energized.
The sky started to turn white before 6 AM in May. Tokyo’s early morning office workers were already bustling about, buses roared past.
Standing on the balcony of her room, Xiao Qian gazed at the city streets, able to faintly hear the honking of cars.
She loved this kind of lively atmosphere.
Just then, Xiao You woke up too. She sat dazedly on the top bunk, still wrapped in a warm air conditioning blanket, staring down blankly. She felt a sense of unreality.
“Xiao Qian!”
Xiao You jolted awake, quickly slid off the top bunk, and rushed outside, taking a deep breath.
The air had a hint of exhaust fumes mixed with the scent of flowers.
She looked out and saw lush greenery on the distant mountains.
Nearby, the scene was no longer the vast snow and steel wasteland of their previous city, but a bustling Tokyo filled with traffic and life.
“Ah~~”
Xiao You stood on the balcony and let out a spontaneous shout.
“It's so nice, Xiao Qian. It's not a dream.”
“Yeah, Xiao You. We can finally live a good life. I wish Grandpa could see this too.”
After waking up, the two girls stared at each other for a moment, completely clueless about what to do.
Before, they would just get in their car and continue their nomadic journey in search of food.
But here, there was more food than they could ever eat...
After a brief moment of confusion, Xiao You started staring at the fish tank, munching on potato chips.
Xiao Qian changed out of her pajamas and went to the living room to find a book.
“Hmm? The bookshelf has... novels and manga?”
“Love Beat? A book with such a terrible name can sell?
“Berwood Eri's latest work, ‘Raging Paradise.’
“Really, is this place actually paradise?”
Xiao Qian's hands trembled as she reached for the manga labeled 18+. This book seemed like a beacon, beckoning her to explore.
.#@#
An hour later,
Xia Tian finally woke up, roused by Xiao Bei Tan’s wake-up call.
“Morning!”
“Boss, why are you sleeping until now? I'm telling you, you're so lazy, you’d have starved to death in the city we came from.” Xiao You complained.
“Life without sleeping in is meaningless.”
After washing up, Xia Tian slipped on his flip-flops and opened the refrigerator. “Let’s eat breakfast first, then start the day’s work.”
Around 8 AM, the four of them were back in the kitchen, full and ready.
Xiao You and Xiao Qian diligently helped grind the tofu. Despite being just girls, they had experienced countless hardships.
A little effort in exchange for three meals a day, for them, it was truly paradise.
“Xiao You, Xiao Qian, put the tofu in the container and soak it. It’s for tomorrow's sales.” Xia Tian explained as he worked. He was making traditional stinky tofu, which needed to ferment for 24 hours.
“Okay, Boss, we’ll do it.” Xiao Qian assured him with a serious expression. These tasks were all quite simple.
“Mhm.” Xiao You nodded. She wasn’t very fond of thinking, but for food, she was willing to learn.
At 3:30 PM, Xia Tian rode his brand-new stinky tofu cart towards the Safe Zone.
He followed the navigation on the system map.
Reaching his destination, Xia Tian breathed a sigh of relief.
The Safe Zone, although there were still Ghouls lurking, was similar to other areas, a modern cityscape with bustling crowds.
Xia Tian strolled around, looking for a good spot to set up shop.
While he was at it, he bought two masks, the kind that covered everything except the eyes and mouth, like an Ultraman mask.
“Tan Tan, from now on, I’m Ultraman Tiga, and you’re Ultraman Zero.”
With the mask on, no one would recognize him. He didn't want trouble, but he also didn't want constant trouble. The power of Food Continent food, after the Ghouls tasted it, they would definitely try to find him. It was necessary to disguise himself.
Xiao Bei Tan obediently put on his mask, even seeming a little excited. “Brother, are we playing pretend? I saw it at the town festival, is Ultraman a god or a monster?”
“Right, right, Ultraman is a giant of light. We can’t take off our masks until we get home.”
“Mhm!” Xiao Bei Tan nodded obediently. Anything his brother said was the rule.
.#@#
Meanwhile,
The students of Totsuka High School finished their classes for the day and were let out on time.
Yukinoshita Yukino instinctively scanned the entrance, disappointed to not see the familiar steamed bun stall. She went home with a sigh.
“I guess they’re not coming this week. I wonder where the boss is setting up shop now.”
Suddenly, Yukino stopped in her tracks at an alleyway. She looked towards it, and there were three kittens inside.
They were in a cardboard box, seemingly abandoned, waiting for a kind soul to adopt them.
Yukino hesitated for a long time. Her mother rarely came to the apartment where she lived, but she was afraid that if she did, her mother wouldn't let her keep them.
“I’m sorry, little ones, it’s not that I don’t want to take care of you, it’s just that I can’t.” She petted the kittens, then reluctantly got up.
But just at that moment, a strange man appeared behind her, holding a towel.
She was forced to inhale the pungent smell of the towel pressed against her nose and mouth. Yukinoshita Yukino's mind went blank.
Only two words remained in her mind: “It’s over…”