I'm not going to be an Spirit! (Translate)

An entire street?!

Her gaze involuntarily fell on the road ahead. At that moment, it felt as if the street had turned into an endless corridor, causing Natsumi Kyouno to feel a deep sense of dread.

Unable to withstand the expectant gaze of Mamika Kirameki, beads of cold sweat appeared on Natsumi's forehead. Then, without saying a word, she turned and ran.

Caught off guard by this sudden action, Mamika Kirameki was stunned for a moment before quickly chasing after her.

"Little Nana! Wait for me!"

Although Mamika Kirameki was slightly older than Natsumi Kyouno and could easily catch up without using any enhancements, in a bustling shopping mall full of people, Natsumi's smaller frame gave her a clear advantage.

Nimbly weaving through the crowd, Natsumi quickly dashed out of the mall and arrived at a nearby park.

With fewer people around and no more congestion, Mamika Kirameki finally managed to catch up to her.

"Geez, if you really didn't want to continue shopping, you could've just told me."

Mamika Kirameki adjusted the wrinkles in her clothes caused by the chase and said with slight annoyance, "I'm not a demon or anything. I wouldn't force you to do something you don't want to do."

"You were literally forcing me to try on all those clothes earlier!" Natsumi stared at her in disbelief, shocked at how thick-skinned she was.

"That's because I could tell you were actually enjoying it," Mamika Kirameki laughed. "But since you're tired now, let's continue next time."

"There won't be a next time."

It was around noon, a time when elderly people had finished their morning exercises and families weren't yet out for their evening strolls.

After confirming no one was paying attention, Natsumi Kyouno summoned her pseudo-witch and transformed it into the Unsealer.

Although she had never used the Unsealer before, she wasn't unfamiliar with how to wield it.

Because this angel's power was extremely simple and direct, with only four abilities.

The first ability, [Seal], could seal a specific object or concept.

The second, [Unlock], enabled or opened something.

The third, [Release], could fully unleash the body's potential.

The fourth, [Break], could sever the bonds between molecules.

"Unlock."

She pointed the Unsealer at the space in front of her and activated [Unlock]. The space split open, forming a passageway—just wide enough for a person to pass through. A portal appeared before Natsumi.

And inside the portal was the familiar sight of their headquarters.

"Heading back already?" Mamika Kirameki tugged on the hem of Natsumi's clothes. "It's still noon, and we're still in the middle of a mission."

"Ah..."

Reminded of their original task, Natsumi Kyouno paused.

Even though Mamika Kirameki had dragged her to the clothing store, their main mission was still patrolling the area and investigating any clues about new created beings.

Reluctantly, Natsumi threw all the shopping bags into the portal and then used the Unsealer's [Seal] ability to close it up again.

"You really do look like you need a break, Little Nana. It's about lunchtime, too. Let's go eat."

"Okay."

Natsumi had no objections to that suggestion.

Returning to the shopping mall, the two began looking for a suitable restaurant.

"By the way, Little Nana, do you have any favorite foods?"

"Instant noodles."

"Huh? Why instant noodles? I mean, sure, they're convenient, but the taste is pretty basic, right?"

"Yeah... that's true, but for some reason, I just find them delicious," Natsumi scratched her head. "As for why... maybe you should ask Kōshi Tachibana?"

"Good point. After all, it was Mr. Tachibana who wrote your character settings."

Mamika Kirameki made a mentally note to ask Kōshi Tachibana about that later. Out loud, she continued, "But hey, since we're at the mall, we can't just eat instant noodles, right? Do you have any other favorite foods?"

"As long as it tastes good, anything's fine."

"Oh! Then let's get curry! I can never get tired of curry—it's the best!"

"Curry, huh? Fine, curry it is."

"Yay!"

As they were chatting, they spotted a cat café across the street from the mall.

Through the transparent glass windows, they could see several fluffy, adorable cats playing affectionately with the customers inside.

The promotional poster outside the café listed its menu, which included not just coffee, cake, and salads, but also main dishes like curry, fried chicken, and stir-fried noodles.

"Little Nana, do you like cats?" Mamika Kirameki eyes lit up. "That place has both cats and curry!"

"Cats? I'm okay with them. I'm not great with animals, though."

"Huh? Really? That's kind of surprising," Mamika Kirameki said in surprise. "I thought you'd be the type to like cats."

"Why?"

"You just kind of remind me of a cat. Cute when petted gently, but scratchy and temperamentally if you go too far," Mamika said, laughing with a hand over her mouth. "Just like earlier."

"Are you saying I have unstable emotions like a cat?"

"I didn't say that at all! Geez, Little Nana, don't always assume the worst!"

Apparently hitting a nerve, Natsumi's expression darkened immediately.

Mamika Kirameki had to coax and praise her for a while before her mood finally improved.

"So... do you still want to go to the cat café?" Mamika asked cautiously. "If you really don't like animals, we can just find a normal restaurant for curry."

Natsumi thought for a moment, her gaze returning to the cat café across the street.

Just as she was about to make a decision, her eyes narrowed slightly, as if she had spotted something.

She stared intently at a figure walking out of the café, and upon seeing that all-too-familiar face and clothing, her heart leapt to her throat and her pupils contracted.

"Mamika!"

Her voice was tinged with panic as she pointed toward the cat café entrance.

Mamika Kirameki followed her gaze. At first, she didn't understand why Natsumi was so flustered, but when she saw the familiar person, her expression changed instantly.

Telling Natsumi to stay where she was, she quietly summoned her wand and rushed toward the cat café.

But within just a few seconds, the person had already disappeared into the crowd.

"...Sigh."

Too many people around—unable to use her abilities—Mamika Kirameki had missed her chance and regretfully put away her wand.

Her expression, however, remained grave.

"We need to report this to Meteora and the others immediately."