Chapter 291: Crown of the Mundane and Divine 『 Part Five 』
Vivian suddenly felt her throat tighten. In a panic, she grabbed the sunflower near her hand to shield half her face, her voice coming out muffled from behind the petals:
"Do you think… using 'Dear' to address someone you've only just met is a bit too frivolous?"
Belle blinked, suddenly leaning in until she was close enough for Vivian to count her eyelashes.
"Does Vivian want to try it out?"
"Wha—"
The sunflower slipped from her hand and hit the ground with a soft thud. Vivian felt all the blood in her body rushing to her cheeks; her face was burning even hotter now…
Belle crouched down nonchalantly to retrieve the flower, gently handing it back to the still-dazed girl.
"Just like this—"
She suddenly flashed a sly smile.
"'Dear' Vivian, you dropped your flower~"
"M-Master Phaethon—"
Vivian felt her head beginning to spin, her heart seemingly transforming into a bluebird eager to take flight, fluttering wildly within her chest, crashing about so frantically she felt a little desperate.
"…That is absolute foul play!"
—
「 "It seems I was overthinking things. Herta was acting on a whim… very much her style." Ruan Mei let out a long sigh of relief. "Fortunately, it was just a false alarm. However, meetings are my biggest headache… It looks like it will be hard to slip away; I'll have to stay here for a while."
She saw that Stelle had already recovered the lifeform in the Master Control Zone, but there were things she needed to explain to Stelle beforehand: her lifeform recovery mission involved more than just that one. There were others, stored in a certain sealed cabin.
Due to the Legion's invasion, that area was no longer open to the public. Currently, that was where her [Big Trouble] was kept.
"Herta authorized you to use it?"
Ruan Mei nodded. "Yes, she gave me the permissions and didn't ask any further questions. However, I can disclose some information: that area is also used to receive non-humanoid visitors, and there is a shuttle that connects to the outer space."
Ruan Mei handed her own keycard to Stelle. After recording her fingerprint data, she granted her the right to come and go freely.
"My dear, stay safe. If you encounter a danger you absolutely cannot resolve, just give a signal. Regardless of the consequences, I will personally intervene."
"Remember, in the center of the cabin, there is a giant… incubator. That is where my [Big Trouble] is stored." 」
「 .....」
〜Jujutsu Kaisen World, Future Timeline〜
"Big trouble? How troublesome can it be? More troublesome than a Doomsday Beast? Or more troublesome than Cocolia?"
Kenjaku counted on his fingers.
"She can't be unaware of Stelle's strength, right? She's someone who has even beaten up a Lord Ravager of Destruction. Could it be that Ruan Mei has cultivated a creature on the level of an Emanator?"
If she had that kind of capability, her own power would be completely on par with an Emanator, wouldn't it?
"Humans are always keen on creating dangerous fellows, and then killing each other… though it is quite interesting."
Ryomen Sukuna leaned languidly against the headboard, his robes wide open, his chest recklessly exposed to the air, the sprawling black tattoos stained with traces of blood.
In his hand, he held a slice of bright, vivid meat. A faint pink permeated with a subtle red, still carrying shards of ice; it looked like fresh meat that would burst with juices in a single bite.
The flesh of these Jujutsu Sorcerers had been captured and immediately butchered by Uraume. In the past, Sukuna would have enjoyed this flavor, but ever since experiencing the Swarm Disaster, he had lost interest in this kind of meat.
—It wasn't that he had developed an interest in bugs, but rather, after feeling the power of a Star God at close range, the meager, residual cursed energy in human flesh could no longer satisfy his "appetite."
"…No appetite?"
Kenjaku propped his chin up and chuckled lightly.
"Hmph. Just wait. Once I kill Gojo Satoru, perhaps that hunger will be satisfied."
Kenjaku licked his lips.
"Then, when the time comes, could you spare an eye for me?"
"As you please."
—
「 Upon arriving at the sealed cabin, the darkness surged forward like viscous asphalt.
Stelle swallowed hard, her boot soles treading on the metal floor, producing a lonely echo. With every step, it felt as if unseen things were staring at her from the darkness.
Suddenly, her steps faltered. Not far away, a Fried Cold Rice Robot was floating in the air.
And just as she was only a few steps away from the robot—
buzz—
The robot suddenly swiveled around, its mechanical joints emitting a tooth-aching grinding sound. Immediately after, a blinding red light abruptly lit up on its eye display, and its mechanical arms began to convulse madly. Terrified, she couldn't help but let out a scream, stumbling backward a few steps and colliding with the cold cabin wall.
After scaring her, the lights in the cabin suddenly turned on. Everything was so coincidental that it felt like a haunting.
That out-of-control little robot from a moment ago was just nearby. Through it, Stelle learned that this was one of the Space Station's few "High Danger Warning Zones." Not only were Ruan Mei's creations stored here, but Herta's dangerous Curios were as well.
Stelle followed the elevator down to a deeper room. On a computer there, she discovered an earlier experimental log regarding Ruan Mei.
"The seed of the Phase Flame is fascinating, but unfortunately, it disappeared before the research was completed; I have started a new attempt."
"The growth status of the two samples this time is promising. I incorporated personal taste preferences into the concept, but I'm uncertain of the outcome of such an action. They simultaneously possess two sets of emotional traits. They are at once cute, weak, sentimental, and sensitive... yet are also fierce, instigating, demanding, and confident."
"Interestingly, they also possess a kind of inclination — a yearning for their creator. It manifests as a natural, inherent emotion — similar to that of a baby towards its mother... Life towards sustenance, or the peculiar bond between humans.."
Just as Stelle intended to continue reading, a strange noise suddenly came from the laboratory entrance. She walked out the door, only to see a Critter Pick curled up on the ground, making cute "meow meow" sounds.
"…This is the big trouble Ruan Mei was talking about?" 」
「 .....」
〜Akame Ga Kill World〜
"How can this be called big trouble? This is clearly a little cutie~"
Accompanying those "meow meow" sounds, Mine felt her entire being melting. Stars twinkled in her pink eyes:
"Lady Ruan Mei really is a genius! To actually be able to create such a cute creature! Najenda! I want to raise one too!"
"But we don't have that kind of small animal here. If you want to raise a cat, that would be fine…"
Najenda admonished,
"But you have to take full responsibility for your own pet! However, no matter how you look at it, this little thing has nothing to do with Big Trouble, right? Could the trouble still be waiting ahead?"
Lubbock shrugged.
"I read a novel once where a similar thing appeared—a monster that looked like a small animal on the surface but was actually a demon. Maybe this pastry-like cat is just disguised to be cute, and the moment Stelle turns around, it'll suddenly grow huge and eat her in one bite!"
Just as Lubbock was getting into his theory, the Critter Pick in the sky screen timely let out another soft, prolonged "Meow~", causing Stelle to pick it up and nuzzle it immediately.
This is the correct posture for making contact with Ruan Mei's creations!
—