"This is the place."
Having become quite proficient at flipping manhole covers aside onto the grass, Sū ěr was met with a sight that left him between laughter and tears. Beside the ancient well, a wooden sign had been erected at some point. On it were six bold characters: NO MONSTERS BEYOND THIS POINT. In the bottom-left corner of the sign was a drawing of a demon face that seemed intended to look ferocious, but in reality, it was just adorable.
If this wasn't Kagome Higurashi's handiwork, Sū ěr would eat his own slippers.
He gave a cold snort. Instead of tossing the sign, he produced a pen, crossed out the word "Monsters," and wrote "Kagome" over it instead.
There. Much better.
Think had been busy scanning the Sacred Tree and the well for any changes that had occurred since they last departed this era. Seeing Sū ěr childish behavior, she couldn't help but roll her eyes.
"It's just a joke," Sū ěr laughed awkwardly, then turned to Jibril. "Anyway, this well is how we returned to the past originally. That power from the Galaxy is currently being used to sustain your existence, isn't it? It's your primary source of energy now. So, if there are secrets hidden here, you're the only one likely to find them."
"Precisely. So, even though it might be extremely difficult and taxing for 'Little Gibby-Meow,' you're really going to have to use your brain for once, okay?" Think added... though her confirmation was far from friendly.
Alright, she was being deliberately catty.
Ever since that date, Think nickname for Jibril had changed to this slightly-too-cute "Little Gibby-Meow." Jibril had thought being called that by Azriel was annoying enough, but she never imagined the same three syllables could reach new heights of nausea and irritation.
"Not a problem at all~ Grandma Think~" Jibril sneered back. "At your age, you really should be getting your rest~ Leave the thinking to us young people like Sū ěr and me~"
"Who are you calling old?!"
"Who are you calling brainless?!"
The two glared at each other. If Sū ěr weren't standing there, they might have literally started head-butting one another.
"Ahem, ahem! Calm down, both of you," Sū ěr interrupted their usual "friendly" banter. "Anyway, Jibril, if you're bored with modern society, spend your time researching this well and the power supporting you. Even if we can't go back to prehistoric times, going back a few hundred years would be something."
"Didn't you ask Nurarihyon? He was quite certain we appeared back when he was young."
"I understand. Leave it to me," Jibril nodded, a look of anticipation crossing her face. "A world where monsters and humans run wild?"
"That sounds much more interesting than this current era~"
If Think belonged to the "Tech Faction," then Jibril belonged to the "Physical Faction."
If Think was Iron Man, then Jibril was Spider-Man.
For the record, these analogies came from Think, and she absolutely did not mean Jibril should start calling her "Godmother."
Because their philosophies differed, Jibril found this high-tech society—which provided Think with endless inspiration and alternative theories—rather suffocating. She preferred a free-spirited atmosphere where supernatural beings didn't hide beneath the surface but lived openly, dividing the world with humanity.
She had once imagined a world occupied only by humans based on Sū ěr descriptions. While it differed slightly from the world-full-of-crawling-monkeys they had pictured, the current era—where one couldn't even fly freely and openly—made Jibril weary. It was simply her nature.
There were just too many humans—why were there only humans?!
Sū ěr knew that even Think had felt this way.
Leaving Jibril to her task gave her something to do other than sit at home playing video games all day. Setting aside the electricity bill, staying cooped up inside wasn't healthy. Sū ěr was genuinely worried the Flügel might become a total shut-in.
Meanwhile, he had been waiting for the vampire hunters to show up for so long that it felt like they had forgotten a vampire lived here. Sū ěr wondered if they had abandoned their mission and fled.
The wind chime at the door rang.
"Welcome! What can I get for you today?" Sū ěr flashed a standard professional smile, but his eyebrows shot up when he saw the customers.
He knew Koyomi Araragi. He knew Tsubasa Hanekawa. He didn't know the blonde man leading the pack, but looking at their positioning, they were clearly together.
Wait—blonde?
Sū ěr suddenly recalled a description from a certain vampire. The man who had silently taken her heart... in this age of dyed hair, blonde wasn't rare, but a blonde man appearing with Araragi was highly suspicious.
Also, why was Tsubasa Hanekawa with them?
"Yo~ What a top-tier handsome guy~"
The blonde man noticed Sū ěr observing him, but he didn't look embarrassed at all. Instead, he casually raised a hand and waved, offering a blunt compliment.
"You look energetic. Did something good happen?"
He sounded like he was chatting with an old friend.
Sū ěr ignored him for a moment. After nodding a greeting to Hanekawa, his gaze landed on Araragi, questioning him with his eyes.
"Sorry to trouble you, Sū ěr-san," the black-haired high schooler said with a bitter smile. "Can we talk?"
The fact that the vampire hunters hadn't attacked yet was actually causing Araragi quite a lot of stress. If it weren't for spring break, he wouldn't even know how to explain his absence to his parents or the school. But break was only a break, and break eventually ends.
Even Araragi found it ironic. Not being attacked should have been a blessing, yet here he was, wishing they would just get it over with so he could move on.
"Let's order first. What would you all like?"
"...Four large colas and a wing bucket, please."
"Understood. Please, have a seat over there."
Sū ěr took the opportunity to boost the store's sales.