17: Chapter 17: Angel Campus (Seventeen)

"Ding-dong~ Ding~ Hee hee~"

"Come quickly~ Hee hee~ Come quickly~"

Being close, Chiba heard it clearly. Among the sounds was the voice of a Little Girl, like a demonic melody, carrying a hint of enticement.

"Zhan Hao! Zhan, Zhan Hao, you, cough, let go... of me." Mo Lan struggled, one hand slapping at the hand on her neck.

Her attention had been entirely on the big shot over there when suddenly, Zhan Hao beside her grabbed her throat.

Hearing the commotion, Tai Feng saw Zhan Hao strangling Mo Lan with both hands. He quickly moved to pull Zhan Hao's hands away.

"Zhan Hao! Zhan Hao!"

Those hands were like iron, gripping Mo Lan's neck in a death lock.

Tai Feng watched as Mo Lan's eyes were already rolling back, one hand flailing wildly.

Her other hand, at that very moment, was still tightly clutching Chiba's flower pot.

"Freeze." A flash of light struck Zhan Hao's arm, freezing it for only a moment before returning to normal.

"Ding-dong~ Ding-dong~"

"Hee hee~ Come quickly~"

The bell sound grew closer. Chiba's gaze fell on the flower pot in Mo Lan's hands. Raising an eyebrow, she walked towards it.

"What's going on?"

"Why is there only one person?" The footsteps stopped just as Chiba arrived beside Mo Lan.

Raising the hong ling umbrella, she brought it down directly. Zhan Hao's arms were severed cleanly by her, yet no blood sprayed out.

Tai Feng was stunned.

Turning his head, he saw Zhan Hao's eyes were hollow, his face covered in intertwined red and black lines.

"How did this happen?"

"Cough... cough cough..."

Mo Lan pried the hands from her neck with effort, gasping for air in big gulps.

"B-Big shot, your flower." Even now, she hadn't forgotten to hand the flower she was holding to Chiba.

A flicker of surprise passed through Chiba's eyes, seemingly mixed with confusion.

Then it returned to normal.

"Hold it tight."

Mo Lan was taken aback, then obediently held it close.

"Big shot, he's..."

Mo Lan looked at Zhan Hao, saw his hollow eyes, and froze.

"Just controlled by drugs."

"The infirmary." The only thing that came to Tai Feng's mind was the red granular pills from the physical exam.

He had been forced to take one.

Seeing the patterns on Zhan Hao's face, Tai Feng rolled up his sleeve. Sure enough, there were some lines on his arm too.

His heart turned cold.

He had nearly met the same fate as Zhan Hao.

Tai Feng turned his gaze to Mo Lan. Had she noticed too?

"She's not that clever." Chiba cast a cool glance at the little flower in Mo Lan's arms.

She hadn't expected it would be willing to protect a human.

Mo Lan listened, bewildered. What drugs?

Seeing the look in her eyes, Tai Feng fell silent. She really was lucky!

"Clap clap clap."

The sound of applause, "clap clap clap~," came from the center of the sports field.

"Yahahaha, such a touching scene."

"I find it utterly detestable."

Hearing this voice, a flash of surprise crossed Tai Feng's eyes. He pressed his lips together tightly.

It was him, that doctor from the infirmary later.

In contrast, Chiba showed not a trace of surprise, as if she had expected it all along.

"Hehehe, I'm liking you more and more..."

"...your body." The man wore a sinister smile, his gaze at Chiba full of covetousness.

"The perfect experimental subject."

The man's gaze grew more fervent the longer he looked.

Chiba twirled the little red umbrella in her hand, grinning. Her eyes held a wickedness that surpassed even his.

"I'm curious too."

"Let me study you properly." The man's expression grew increasingly manic.

Chiba grinned, her eyes innocent. "What a coincidence, I want to study you all too."

"Hee hee hee, you agree, don't you~"

The man's face darkened.

"Hah, refusing a toast only to be forced to drink a forfeit. Do you think you can escape?"

The man moved his hand, and the strange creatures moved accordingly.

Seeing this, the man's smile grew even more bizarre.

"Oh my, I'm so scared." Chiba lightly covered her mouth, putting on a frightened act.

As she spoke, she stepped closer to him, one step at a time.

With a "pfft" sound, the man's face changed drastically. He clutched his abdomen, bending over.

"You..." Agony was written all over the man's face.

It hurt so much, as if an icicle had been driven into him.

Chiba leaned forward slightly. "Hee hee, do you like it~"

Without giving him another chance to speak, she finished him off cleanly. The man fell, the shock in his eyes not yet faded.

How was this possible!

How could she kill him!

He couldn't believe he was dead just like that.

Chiba bent down, plucked the name badge from his chest, and casually put it away. It was made of the same material as the previous one bearing the name "Wu Tian."

Only then did she stand up, carefully straightening her dress.

Hmm, one must always maintain elegance.

Opening her little red umbrella, she strode forward with graceful steps. The rose on the umbrella handle seemed to grow even more vivid as one looked at it.

Tai Feng looked up at the sky. Thick fog churned. Not far away, the young girl, elegant in demeanor, stood amidst severed limbs and a river of blood behind her, like a queen emerging from hell, destined to return to darkness.

That scene would stay with him for a long time.

——

Leaving the sports field, Chiba went directly to the Office Building.

She went straight to the teaching office door, kicked it open, and, unexpectedly, found no one inside.

Chiba stepped in, recalling the two people she had seen that night.

One was in the corner, the other seemed...

Chiba turned and walked back towards the door.

Her gaze locked onto the wall, covered in mottled, chaotic marks.

If there was one thing different, Chiba focused on the indicator sign.

It looked somewhat familiar.

Chiba took out the two name badges and compared them. So that was it.

The indicator sign was made of the same material as the name badges.

Chiba used the tip of her umbrella to move the indicator sign. A soft "beep" sounded, and the door appeared in the corner inside the room.

"Hmm, finally found it."

Swiping a name badge over it, the door automatically opened.

Chiba's gaze paused for a moment on the corner inside the door before withdrawing it.

As soon as she stepped in, the door closed automatically. The sensation of going down made Chiba realize this was actually an elevator.

From the moment she entered the elevator, the faint light overhead began flickering incessantly.

Soon, red liquid began seeping from every crevice in the elevator, converging from all directions towards Chiba's feet.

Chiba's gaze fell on a corner inside the elevator. Within her line of sight, there was a Little Girl with her back turned to her, motionless.

"Hee hee, such a fragrant scent~"

"So hungry, so hungry."

Chiba lightly twirled the hong ling umbrella in her hand.

"Why are you in here?"

Hearing Chiba's voice, Nan Nan was startled. She turned around, allowing Chiba to see the child clearly.

Her head was split open, her face covered in stitches. The left eye was only the white, while the other eye held a clear light.

"You... you can see Nan Nan?" As she spoke, she suddenly smiled.

Grinning, the smile pulled at the threads on her face, still oozing blood.

"Sister, since you can see Nan Nan, stay and keep me company, okay~"

"Nan Nan is so lonely."

"Can't go anywhere."

Chiba looked at the school uniform she wore. It seemed slightly different from the current style, looking older.

Looking at her, Chiba also raised a sweet smile. "Of course sister can play with you~"

"But..."

Chiba looked at the cramped space and shook her head.

"Sister doesn't like such a small place." After saying this, she even blinked her eyes.