Campione: Strongest# 445: Help Me Calculate...

Haru looked up at the beautiful young woman standing before him. Her messy, shoulder-length black hair looked as if it had been cut on a whim, yet it suited her perfectly, lending her the air of a classical noble lady. She wore a simple light blue kimono under a red leather jacket—an odd combination that, paired with her delicate, androgynous features, was surprisingly harmonious.

“A date? You mean dragging me all over the city?” Haru said with a helpless sigh, scattering the last of the corn kernels for the pigeons.

After two years of living together, he had grown accustomed to the antics of SHIKI. Her insatiable curiosity about the world often led to these spontaneous excursions.

“You got a problem with that?” SHIKI shot back, planting her hands on her hips with a look of displeasure.

“Not at all. So, what’s on the agenda this time?” Haru stood and brushed off his pants. After two years, even a city as large as Mifune had started to bore SHIKI, and the original Shiki always vetoed trips to other cities, calling them a hassle. She must have found something new to capture her interest.

“Well, today’s the first day of school, and I heard some girls talking about a fortune-teller called the ‘Mother of Mifune.’ Our mission today is to find her!” SHIKI took a small step forward and hooked his arm, her face alight with an eager smile.

Haru raised an eyebrow. The Mother of Mifune? He narrowed his eyes slightly. “You mean that kind old woman with ‘Future Sight’?”

“You’ve met her?” SHIKI’s dark, pearl-like eyes widened, her expression exceptionally cute.

“Just heard the rumors,” Haru shrugged. In both his past life’s memories and his time in this city, he’d only ever heard stories. An amicable old woman, not some enchanting girl. Why would he have sought her out?

“Since neither of us has met her, our date today is to find the Mother of Mifune!” SHIKI declared, pulling Haru excitedly toward the city.

The sounds of the bustling old district of Mifune surrounded them. The area was a labyrinth of complex alleys and street stalls, its main street resembling a crowded flea market. Haru reflexively took SHIKI’s hand as they navigated the throng. Though they’d set out with a clear objective, they had already strayed, drawn in by the district's chaotic charm.

“See anything you want?” Haru asked, tilting his head toward SHIKI, who was taking it all in.

Despite calling it a date, SHIKI had never shown any interest in shopping. That’s why Haru had brought her here, to this older part of the city on the verge of modernization, famous for its street food—the only thing she ever seemed to want.

“To be honest, I’ve pretty much tried everything on this street,” SHIKI pouted, a look of genuine distress on her face.

“That is a problem,” Haru chuckled, teasing her. “You’re tired of the high-end cuisine at the Ryougi mansion, and now you’re bored with street food. I guess I’ll have to take you abroad next time.”

“Ah, let’s do that. I heard the country across the sea has amazing street food,” she replied with a light laugh, her tone surprisingly serious. It was clear she’d taken his joke to heart.

“Sure, why not,” Haru said nonchalantly. Distance was irrelevant to him, a master of spatial laws. He could take her out of the country in an instant. A passport, on the other hand… that was a different story.

“Eh, what’s that?” SHIKI suddenly stopped, pulling Haru’s arm toward a nearby stall.

“Hey, what’s going on?” Haru asked, puzzled by her sudden excitement but allowing himself to be pulled along.

“Mister, how much is this?” SHIKI asked the old man at the silver ornament stall, pointing to a cross-shaped bracelet.

“Eight hundred yen,” the man replied, holding up eight fingers.

“I’ll take two!” She picked up a pair of bracelets and, with a mischievous smile, pointed at Haru. “Uncle, pay the man!”

Haru took out his wallet and paid, looking at her with surprise. “When did you get into religious accessories?”

For SHIKI, who never shopped, to suddenly buy a bracelet—and a religious one at that—was baffling.

SHIKI lifted Haru’s right hand and, while fastening the bracelet around his wrist, smiled. “I just thought the cross suited you. Since I’ve already bought it, does it really matter why?”

Haru stared blankly at the bracelet. As a god, the cross was, ironically, an exceptionally fitting symbol for him.

“Come on, put mine on too!” SHIKI glared at him, a hint of dissatisfaction in her eyes.

Haru took the bracelet she offered. A slight smile touched his lips.

“Alright, I get it.” He held her slender, pale wrist and gently fastened the second bracelet. “How does it feel?”

SHIKI lifted her left hand, shaking the bracelet with a look of pure joy. “It’s okay, I guess.”

“Let’s go. There’s a sukiyaki place across the street,” she said, using her newly adorned hand to pull him away.

Their culinary adventure continued until 9 PM, but SHIKI’s enthusiasm showed no signs of waning. She was still dragging Haru through the bustling old streets when he suddenly paused, pulling her to a stop. His face was filled with keen interest.

“What’s wrong?” SHIKI asked, turning her head in surprise.

“Look,” Haru gestured toward a small, dark alley.

At the far end, an old woman in a black veil and funereal clothes sat at a small table, her hands clasped as she stared intently at a crystal ball. The sporadic moonlight and her dark attire made her look like a medieval witch, radiating a mysterious aura.

“The Mother of Mifune! Right, we were supposed to find her.” SHIKI lifted a stick of dango, ate the entire thing in one go, and tossed the skewer aside. “Let’s go get our fortunes told!” she said, her words muffled as she pulled Haru’s hand.

“You’re talking with your mouth full. Aren’t you afraid of choking?” Haru shot her a look of gentle reproach but let her lead him into the alley.

“Are you here for a reading?” a mysterious, aged voice asked softly. The Mother of Mifune lifted her head and smiled at SHIKI.

“That’s right. Start with him,” SHIKI said, pointing at Haru with keen interest. It was clear she was far more curious about his future than her own.

The Mother of Mifune shook her head, her gaze fixed on Haru. Her voice was slightly panicked. “I dare not. An unnamable presence surrounds him. To look into his future would be to invite an unimaginable madness. I am old, and I wish to enjoy my remaining years in peace. I apologize, young lady.”

Haru’s lip twitched.

An unnamable presence… Nyarlathotep, no doubt. For a mortal to gaze upon an Outer God would certainly lead to madness. It seemed the Mother of Mifune’s ‘Future Sight’ was more than just a rumor.

‘Huh, she can sense my ahoge?’ Nyarlathotep’s voice echoed in his mind, a hint of surprise in her tone.

Ahoge? Haru’s lip twitched again. He had stumbled upon a great secret.

“You can’t do his? Then do mine.” SHIKI looked disappointed. She shrugged, pulled a stool over, and sat down, offering her left hand to the fortune-teller.

“Very well, young lady. What is it you wish to know?” The Mother of Mifune reached out, her wrinkled hands, adorned with Buddhist beads and gold rings, grasping SHIKI’s.

SHIKI turned and glared at Haru. “Get out. Go to the alley entrance. Don’t peek, and don’t listen.”

“Hey, now. You didn’t mind me being here for my reading, but now you’re kicking me out for yours?” Haru looked at her, bewildered.

“Are you going or not?” SHIKI gritted her teeth, a cute, threatening look on her face.

“Alright, alright, I’m going,” Haru chuckled, walking toward the alley entrance with a wry smile.

SHIKI watched him go. Only after he had disappeared from sight did she turn back to the Mother of Mifune, her cheeks flushing slightly.

“Tell me about my love life.”