Dimensional Kaguya Ōtsutsuki

A few days ago, when Ryouko Fueguchi went missing, the people at the Anteiku café were already aware of it. The entire group mobilized to search for her, but after days of effort, they found nothing—no leads, no clues, not even a trace of her whereabouts.

This left them feeling deeply frustrated, and an ominous premonition loomed over them. For someone to abduct her so brazenly within the 20th Ward was no simple feat. Given that the area was surrounded by people from Anteiku, it was clear that the perpetrator not only possessed formidable strength but was also familiar with Ryouko's daily routine.

Some even speculated that CCG might be behind it, seeking revenge on Anteiku. After all, the attack on CCG Headquarters had resulted in devastating casualties, and it was entirely possible that CCG was resorting to underhanded tactics in response. They were even on the verge of storming CCG Headquarters when the manager intervened, stopping them from escalating the situation into an irreversible disaster.

If they went after CCG Headquarters at a time like this, it would inevitably be linked to the previous ghoul attack. At worst, it could be seen as an outright declaration of war, leading to a full-scale hunt against them.

Yet, when Kaguya returned with Ryouko Fueguchi in her arms, everyone was utterly stunned.

After days of fruitless searching, they had lost all hope, only for Kaguya to casually bring Ryouko back as if it were the simplest thing in the world. It was almost unbelievable—but at the same time, an immense wave of relief washed over them.

...

Kaguya sat at the café's bar, speaking softly.

"How is Hinami doing?"

"She cried her heart out but finally fell asleep. The poor thing hadn't slept for two days." Kaya Irimi placed a cup of coffee in front of Kaguya with a warm smile. "It's all thanks to you. If not for you, I can't imagine how much more she would have suffered."

"It was just a small effort," Kaguya replied with a slight smile. She lifted the cup and took a sip. "Kaya, your coffee is as good as ever."

"You're buttering me up again." Irimi gave her a knowing look and chuckled. "Have you eaten? If you're hungry, I can make you a sandwich."

"That would be great," Kaguya responded.

"You're probably thinking, 'If only it were Touka making it instead,' aren't you?" Irimi suddenly turned around, a teasing smile on her lips.

"N-No, of course not!" Kaguya quickly waved her hands in denial, letting out a dry laugh.

How did she guess that?

Did Kaya have mind-reading abilities? Or had Kaguya just never realized before that she was dealing with a trickster?

Kaguya cleared her throat and suddenly remembered something. She looked up and said, "There's something I'm not sure if I should ask."

"Oh? What could possibly make you hesitate?" Irimi smirked playfully. "That's not the Kaguya I know."

Then, with a mischievous glint in her eyes, she leaned in slightly. "Don't tell me you want to ask what color Touka's underwear is. If that's the case, I'm afraid I can't help you—you'll have to ask her yourself."

"What the hell?!" Kaguya's face twitched. Since when did Kaya become so perverted?!

Besides, Kaguya didn't need to ask such things. If she really wanted to know, her Pupil Techniques could see through anything. She simply refrained from using it casually because, well… some things just weren't meant to be seen. Imagine accidentally peeping on someone like Nishio Nishiki or Enji Koma—it would be traumatizing.

Kaguya fell silent for a moment before finally speaking.

"If there was a way to make ghouls coexist peacefully with humans… would you be willing to try it?"

Irimi's smile faded slightly. She stared at Kaguya for a moment, then asked, "Why the sudden interest in such a strange question?"

"I just want to know," Kaguya said, placing her coffee cup down. "No particular reason."

"If there were such a method, of course, I'd be willing," Irimi said, pausing in her task of wiping a coffee cup. She smiled softly. "If that were possible, humans and ghouls would no longer have to kill each other. There wouldn't be a need for ghouls to live in hiding anymore, and maybe, just maybe, we could live like normal people."

Kaguya suddenly remembered something and asked, "Kaya, was your dream… to go to school?"

Irimi's beautiful eyes widened in surprise. "How did you know that? Be honest—did you read my diary?"

"How could I?" Kaguya replied. "Besides, even if you gave it to me, I wouldn't read it. I just made a random guess."

She had never known that Irimi had a habit of keeping a diary.

"You're not being honest," Irimi teased, tapping Kaguya's forehead with her finger. Resting her chin in her palm, she sighed dreamily. "But yes, I always wanted to experience school life. Sometimes, I really envy Touka. She gets to enjoy it as much as she wants."

"Is that so…"

Kaguya's hand unconsciously slipped into her pocket, fingers tightening around the small vial inside.

"But now, I don't have such childish thoughts anymore," Irimi continued as she wiped the cup.

"Why not?" Kaguya asked, slightly taken aback.

"Because it's impossible," Irimi said, staring down at the cup in her hands. "No matter when or where, ghouls will never truly coexist with humans. It's impossible for them to stop hunting us, and it's impossible for ghouls to stop eating human flesh. As long as this fact exists, nothing will ever change."

Kaguya suddenly grinned. "If—and I'm just saying if—I could make you the same as a human… what would you give me in return?"

Irimi chuckled softly. "That's impossible."

But the moment she said that, her laughter stopped abruptly, her eyes widening as if she had just realized something.

"Wait… don't tell me—"

Kaguya extended her hand, her lips curling into a mysterious smile. As she spread her fingers, a transparent glass vial rested quietly in her palm. Under the light, the liquid inside shimmered with a dreamlike glow.

...

...

As Kaguya walked up to the second floor of the café, her legs still felt slightly unsteady.

She never would have imagined that the usually composed and elegant Kaya Irimi could be so… passionate. She could still feel the lingering warmth against her skin.

But seeing how happy Irimi was made Kaguya feel reassured—this decision had been the right one.

Even though ghouls were fundamentally different from humans, the fact remained that many ghouls longed for a life without killing. They wanted to be human, to have a place in the world, to live without fear. If this experiment succeeded, it would be a huge step toward that goal.

But the issue was that achieving this required her blood.

And given the current number of ghouls, there was no way she could supply enough.

How could she make this work?

As Kaguya stood there, deep in thought, fingers on her chin, a sudden blur of movement caught her off guard.

A figure dashed toward her from behind—

And then leapt into her arms.

Kaguya was momentarily stunned. She looked down at the girl with chestnut-colored hair and a petite frame.

"Hinami? What are you doing here?"

Hadn't Irimi just said that Hinami had fallen asleep?

"Thank you… thank you so much…" Hinami's eyes were red, and she clutched tightly onto Kaguya's clothes, sobbing softly. "If it weren't for you, Mom… she…"

Kaguya froze for a moment, then smiled in understanding. She gently ruffled Hinami's hair and said, "Don't worry. As long as I'm here, everything will be fine. So, stop crying now, okay?"

"Mm." Hinami nodded against Kaguya's chest, sniffling.

"By the way, how's Miss Fueguchi doing?" Kaguya asked.

Hinami lifted her head, her face lighting up with joy. "Mama is much better now! The manager said that if nothing unexpected happens, she'll be fully recovered by tomorrow."

Kaguya chuckled and reached out, gently wiping the tear stains off Hinami's cheeks. "Look at you, you've cried so much you look like a little raccoon. If Miss Fueguchi sees you like this, she'll definitely be worried."

"Mm." Hinami nodded obediently. Then, as if suddenly remembering something, she grabbed Kaguya's hand and whispered mysteriously, "Onee-chan, come with me."

"What is it? Can't you just tell me here?" Kaguya asked curiously.

"Just come! You'll see! Hurry!" Hinami giggled, her big, bright eyes twinkling with excitement.

Kaguya followed Hinami into a room, but the moment she stepped inside, she froze.

The entire room was filled with colorful paper cranes. They were scattered everywhere, covering almost every inch of space. The sight was breathtakingly beautiful.

"Well? Pretty, right?" Hinami beamed proudly, clearly expecting praise.

Kaguya bent down and picked up one of the paper cranes. Its shape was delicate and precise, folded with incredible care and precision. It was clear that a lot of effort had gone into making each one.

"Mm. Very pretty." Kaguya nodded in admiration. Even if she were to try folding them herself, she probably wouldn't be able to make them this well.

"They're all for you!" Hinami smiled sweetly, her innocent face glowing with happiness.

"For me?" Kaguya blinked in surprise.

Had Hinami's affection for her already reached such an overwhelming level?

Well… it wasn't too surprising, really. Kaguya smugly flipped her hair, feeling quite pleased with herself. With her charm, it was only natural that she'd captivate even a little girl.

"I forgot to give you the paper cranes from last time, so I made even more this time," Hinami explained cheerfully. "Nine hundred and ninety-nine paper cranes—if I fold that many, my wish will come true!"

Huh?

So that was the reason?

Kaguya's smile stiffened slightly, feeling a little disappointed. She had thought Hinami was just utterly enamored with her.

Noticing Kaguya's odd expression, Hinami suddenly walked up to her and wrapped her arms tightly around Kaguya's waist. She buried her face against her and whispered, "But I know… I know the truth. The paper cranes aren't what make wishes come true—it's you, Onee-chan. If it weren't for you, I don't know what I would have done…"

Kaguya flicked her forehead lightly, laughing. "You little brat, what do you know? You're just a tiny thing, stop trying to act all grown-up."

"What do you mean, I'm not small!" Hinami pouted, clearly displeased by Kaguya ruining the mood. But with Kaguya's teasing, the sorrowful atmosphere dissipated instantly.

Kaguya could never stand heavy, sentimental moments, so she always made an effort to break them apart.

"Not small, huh?" Kaguya reached out and poked Hinami's tiny chest with a mischievous grin. "You've got a long way to go."

"Onee-chan, you're the worst!" Hinami blushed furiously and, embarrassed, raised her tiny fists, raining down harmless punches on Kaguya.

"Ahh! It hurts! It hurts so much!" Kaguya pretended to yelp and dodge, though Hinami's punches barely had any force behind them.

After a while, when the playful tussle ended, both of them lay on the bed. Hinami panted slightly, the exertion having taken its toll on her frame.

"Thank you, Onee-chan," Hinami murmured softly.

"You've already said that a bunch of times. If you say it again, I'm leaving." Kaguya flicked her forehead lightly.

"But I don't know how else to thank you. I'm still little, I have no strength, no special skills, I'm not good at anything…" Hinami lowered her voice. "I only know how to fold paper cranes."

"Paper cranes are great! I really like them," Kaguya ruffled her hair playfully before smirking. "If you really don't know how to repay me, why don't you just marry me and become my little wife?"

"Little wife?" Hinami blinked in confusion, not fully understanding the term.

"Yeah, like a fiancée," Kaguya explained casually.

"Really?" Hinami's eyes lit up as she suddenly sat up, excitedly declaring, "Then I'll be Onee-chan's little wife!"

Huh?!

That easy?

Congratulations! The loli's affection has reached 100! You've unlocked a new reward: one loli, fully yours to use as you please!

If this were a game, that's probably how the notification would pop up. But in real life, this situation was… well, a little too morally questionable, wasn't it?

"Ahem…" Kaguya scratched her head awkwardly and cleared her throat. "I was just joking earlier."

"Does that mean… Onee-chan doesn't like me?" Hinami's expression instantly darkened, her voice soft and dejected. "It makes sense… I'm weak, I don't have any skills, I can't do anything—"

"Alright, alright! I give up!" Seeing Hinami's pitiful face, Kaguya sighed in defeat. "And besides, you just said that exact same thing a moment ago!"

"Then from now on," Hinami beamed, snuggling into Kaguya's arm, "I'll be Onee-chan's little wife!"

Looking at Hinami's radiant, joyful expression, Kaguya found herself slightly dazed.

Maybe… having a little wife like this isn't so bad after all.

Perhaps due to the stress and fear from the past few days, or the emotional turmoil of her mother's situation, and the exhaustion of staying up for two nights straight, Hinami soon began to yawn. Before long, she drifted into a peaceful sleep.

Watching the girl sleeping soundly in her arms, Kaguya couldn't help but smile.

These past few days must have been incredibly difficult for her.

Suddenly, Kaguya's eyes narrowed slightly, sensing something. Carefully, she pried Hinami's hands off her arm, tucked the blanket around her gently, and quietly got up. After slipping on her coat, she stepped outside the room.

With a smirk, she said softly, "Looking for me this late? What do you want?"

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