"Let go of me!" Aoki shook off the girl's hand vigorously, and when Liu Meier was checking the dome of the lobby just now, the little girl jumped out of nowhere and pulled him into the secret passage. Pen? Interesting? Pavilion wWw. ｂiquge。 ｉｎfo

"Someone's still there!"

"Shhhhh That sister is holding such a big sword, it's dangerous for you to follow her, but don't worry, it's safe here, do you want to eat fruit candy? And the berry flavor! ”

"You're annoying!" Aoki pushed the little girl away and wanted to go back to the lobby, but the secret passage was so intricate and dark that he didn't know which exit was the right one.

"Which direction should I go?"

The little girl pouted and stuffed the candy back into her pocket, "Don't tell you, you're not good, the nest hates you!" “

"Hurry up and tell me where the exit is!"

The girl suddenly stopped talking, and reached out to grab Aoki's sleeve, "I want to give you candy...... Please! ”

Aoki looked at the top of the girl's head, her shoulders seemed to tremble a little.

"Crying?"

"Not really!" The girl raised her head, grimaced, and stuffed the candy into Aoki's hand, "My name is Rona, and my brothers call me Little Nana." ”

"Nana...... That sister who came with me is dangerous, I'm going to look for her, can you tell me how to get out of here? ”

"Why do you go when you know it's dangerous? Fool! ”

“…… I don't know, but she saved me. ”

"The layman also saved us...... When we were most hungry, the layman brought me and my brother back and gave us something to eat...... Brother, stay too! ”

"Who is this? Stay away from Nana! Hear no! ”

"Hadron!"

Aoki was startled by the sudden appearance of a boy named Hadron, who looked at Hadron with a dusty face...... Are there any other children here? So why is it so quiet?

"Nana...... Are there any other kids here? ”

"Well, there's Xiao Xiao, Colin, Lily, ......"

Rhona counted them one by one on her fingers.

"Don't count, I didn't see you in the pool, so I knew you ran out again!"

"What about the others? In the secret passages like you? ”

Hadron squinted at Aoki and snorted, "Are you stupid?" Why tell someone?! Nana, let's hurry back, it's terrible to be found by the laymen! ”

"Don't! Brother wants to be together, too! Nana wants to be with her brother! ”

"Nana!"

“…… I'll go with you. ”

"Hey! Nana, are you crazy?! ”

Aoki walked to Rona's side, he thought about going to find Liu Mei'er, but he would definitely not be able to get out of this intricate secret passage on his own, and if these children were still alive, Liu Mei'er would also find them, she could protect herself, so now, he had to protect these children.

"Brother!" Rona took Aoki's hand, "You'll love the Trevi Fountain, where the monks prepare a hearty breakfast every morning, along with cheese and strawberries!" ”

"What if the layman sees him? Do you say, 'Brought from the secret passage?' ”

"You're so stupid, just say that he smelled the fragrance and came in to steal it, just like Beibei."

"Babe! Babe, she ...... It's really ......" Hadron hung his head in abandonment, but immediately remembered something, and shouted at Aoki in a low voice, "Hey, you, if you tell me about the secret passage, I will kill you, and no one is allowed to say anything!" Do you hear that? ”

"Don't pay attention to him, he's been here for a long time, he's jealous of Beibei and them, that's why he won't tell the others," Rona turned back and stuck out her tongue at Hadron, "If you treat your brother so badly, no one will want to adopt you." ”

“……”

Hadron pursed his lips and said no more, but the way he looked at Aoki made Aoki feel that the cold and sad eyes should not belong to a child at all.

"What's the daze, let's go, if you don't hurry up, the strawberries will be eaten!"

Aoki followed behind Rhona and Hadko, holding hands only with the child who was high in his chest, sometimes stopping to puncture the freshly woven cobwebs in the corner, as if they did it every day, expertly weaving through the twists and turns of the secret passages.

Behind the lobby is a small, delicate garden surrounded by a cloister, which is small but apparently well-maintained, unlike the decaying sight seen before, with snow-white roses clinging to low rattan brackets.

Liu Meier stood under the porch, staring at the statue in the distance. It was the only way to the main lobby, and further down was Jizo-an, where she thought Aoki should have arrived before her, but the garden was so quiet that she could hear the sound of her heartbeat, and it was clear that there was no one else here but her.

Climbing over the low railing that separates the cloister and the garden, Liu Meier walked the gravel path to the fountain, and the water gushing from the fountain was so clean that she could almost see the faint glow of the pale blue scales of the fish sunk at the bottom of the fountain. Liu Mei'er seemed to be seduced by the mermaid's song, and couldn't help but reach to the bottom of the pool to touch the weak but beautiful body, but the fish seemed to feel the fluctuation of the water current, and instantly spread out to all sides.

"You scared them."

Liu Mei'er turned around and put the half-demon swordsman around the man's neck, squinting her eyes and looking at it carefully.

The young man had soft hair that snuggled comfortably around his cheeks, and a pair of warm dark brown eyes.

"You're scared of me too," the young man raised his hands and said with a smile: "My name is Chiayi, and I am a florist from Jizo Nunnery, who are you?" I've never seen you. ”

"What about the people here?"

"It's all in the Jizo-an in the back.,This was originally a private house.,Since no one worships anymore.,It's changed to Jizo-an by the laymen.,But I've heard about it too.,You...... Can you take the sword back first? It's dangerous......"

Withdrawing the half-demon swordsman, Liu Mei'er returned to her senses and stared thoughtfully at the statue. It's so peaceful that it doesn't look like there's a monster haunting it, but what's the matter with that commission?

"Are you the ones who asked us for help?"

"Who?"

“…… Half-Demon Swordsman," although Liu Mei'er didn't think it was their name, it was obviously much easier for others to understand than 'organization', "Did you entrust the Half-Demon Swordsman?" ”

"Why should we entrust a half-demon swordsman? It's not as prosperous as it used to be, but it's peaceful...... At least compared to our town......"

"Your town?"

"My sister and I came here more than a year ago, our hometown is in the mountain pass in the west, and two years ago it was suddenly attacked by demons, and my sister and I were the only two people left in my family.

"That'...... No demons here? ”

"How can there be such a thing? What did you hear about in town to come here? ”

"No," Liu Mei'er remembered what the contact person said, and the letter of entrustment clearly stated that the demon was hidden in this Jizo Nunnery, was there any misunderstanding? Or, or maybe the people here are hiding something," the client said the demon is here. ”

"Hmm...... Perhaps, perhaps, you should ask the laymen that the troubled laymen and others are responsible for the affairs here. The children are only responsible for some trivial things, like me, I am responsible for taking care of the roses here, so that they can bloom beautiful flowers every day," Chiayi leaned over and folded a rose from the flowers and handed it to Liu Mei'er, "A girl like you who is more beautiful than a flower should be equipped with a rose, not a long sword." ”

Seeing that Liu Meier didn't understand, Chiayi pinned the rose to Liu Meier's silver armor, and the snow-white and delicate flowers were attached to the silver armor, lining Liu Mei'er as if she was a brave and warlike female warrior.

"Poof, I shouldn't have called you a girl, you're more like an angel, it's so beautiful."

Liu Mei'er frowned, looking down to see the rose on her chest swaying gently in the breeze.

"Chiayi! Why are you still here? This is......? ”

"It's hard to get through it."

Hearing Chiayi's voice, Liu Meier looked up and saw the laymen coming from the corridor.

"Chiayi, is this your friend?"

The layman's deep and serious voice broke the peaceful and quiet atmosphere of the garden, and the larks perched on the trees seemed to feel the sudden drop in temperature and flew away from the branches.

Chiayi's hand swayed rapidly in front of his chest, as if he was anxious to clear up his relationship with Liu Meier, and shook his head hurriedly.

"I also just ran into her, and she got lost here, saying ...... What a half-demon swordsman. Look for demons. ”

"Demons?"

The voices of the laymen were much higher, and they began to whisper again.

"Where are the demons here?!" The monk clenched the cross on his chest, "This is the Holy Land!" With the blessing of the Bodhisattva, demons cannot be approached! ”

Liu Meier saw Chiayi look at her with the eyes of "Look, I said it a long time ago".

"We received a letter of entrustment saying that there are demons hidden in the Jizo-an in Yamaguchi Town."

"Nonsense! Don't insult the gods! It doesn't matter what kind of half-demon swordsman you are, or whatever, as long as you're not here to pray, please get out! ”

"There was a boy who came with me and he was lost."

"Boy?" The face of the monk became a little solemn, "When did it happen?" ”

"Just now."

"Chiayi, you send this half-demon swordsman out of the house, and then look for the boy, if you find it, you must send him back, the time is almost up, I and the laymen are going to the chapel to pray for the rebirth of the dead."

"Got it, it's hard to get married."

Chiayi pulled Liu Meier's cloak and motioned for her to follow her, but Liu Meier didn't move, but instead plunged her sword deep into the bluestone under her feet.

"I won't leave if I don't find Aoki."

Aoki followed Rhona and Hadron up an upward slope and made his way out of the secret passage, when the light that suddenly appeared in front of him pierced him and made him unable to open his eyes.

"Brother."

Rona dragged Aoki by the corner of his coat to a hidden rose vine, and only then did Aoki see Rona's appearance. She had enviable natural curls that fell around her waist, and her brown eyes looked as sweet as honey when they were in the light.

"Shhhh

Dragged into the garden by Rona and Hadron, Aoki turned back to look for the place where they had just come out, only to find that it was a sewer mouth hidden among the grass and flowers, and the place that had been fastened with copper mesh had a corner that rose outward, and the narrow entrance, if you didn't pay attention, you wouldn't have noticed that the intricate waterway there was so wide that it could easily hide many people.

Immersed in the midst of the children gathered in the garden, Aoki is much older than the children here, but it seems that because of their good nutrition, Aoki is not much taller than them, and can easily hide in it as long as he bends down slightly.

He stood behind Rhona and took in his surroundings, a garden surrounded by buildings with vines and intricately built into labyrinth-like passages.

Most of the roses are planted in the garden, and occasionally there are some green trees that can't be called at all, but whether it is a bright rose, or other flowers without a name, without exception, they are all as bright red as blood.

The courtyard filled with flowers has only a clearing in the middle near the fountain, where two long tables are placed side by side like a picnic.

Honey whole wheat bread, bacon, syrup, cheese, fresh milk, and even seasonal fruits such as strawberries are on par with the conditions of Jizo-an that Aoki has ever seen.

"Look, strawberries, I like them the most, and so does my brother, I only ate them once before I came here, but my brother didn't eat any of them that time, and he left them all for me. My brother only got fresh strawberries for the first time when I came here, so I liked it the most! ”

Rhona ran to the table with a cigarette and threw food into her skirt's pocket.

"You've been here for a long time?"

"I've been here for three years, Nana...... It seems like it's been almost two years," Hadron looked at Nana's back, "If she's still alive, she'll be as old as Nana......"

Aoki wanted to ask who Hadron was talking about, but Rona had already run back to Aoki with her skirt in one hand and strawberries in the other.

"Eat strawberries!"

"You know how to eat."

Hadron took a dry piece of rye bread from his pocket and took a bite.

Aoki took the strawberry and tossed one in his mouth.

"What's that?"

"Which one?" Seeing Aoki pointing to the fountain in front of him, Hadron snorted coldly, "That's the Trevi Fountain, and it was said to be very effective before." ”

"That's Jizo King Bodhisattva, my brother likes him very much, because he symbolizes rebirth and hope."

"Whose is that statue in the distance?"

"Six Paths, Lord of the Night......"

Lorna suddenly lowered her head and bit down on the strawberry without saying a word.

"He symbolizes destruction and chaos," Qiangzi looked at the statue of the Six Paths, "They all share the same soul, the elder said that if there is no death, there will be no rebirth, we are all the same, the people in this mountain of dead souls are all waiting for the day when they can be reborn, but unfortunately...... Many people can't wait for that day. ”

Rebirth and death, Aoki carefully examines the statue of Jizo, kneeling in the pool and leaning forward, his arms propped up on the ground, his head buried deep between his arms. The muscles of the shoulders and backs carved from the marble were tense, as if the gods were enduring some great pain at this time.

Aoki lowered his head and looked from below the statue to catch a real glimpse of the hidden twisted face, the clear spring water pouring down his eyes and pouring into the pool.

"He's crying."

"It was him weeping for the dead, and for every tear he shed, someone was born again...... Bastard," Hadron suddenly got up and smashed the hard bread in his hand against the statue of Santo Totiville, "it's a lie at all, it's all dead, what are you crying about!" ”

"Hadron! How can you smash the Bodhisattva! That's the Trevi Fountain, and God will punish you. ”

"That kind of thing, it's all a lie, what a wishing fountain, it's not working at all!"

"Qiangzi doesn't believe in this kind of thing, how do you know that it doesn't work if you haven't promised it?"

"I, I'm ......" Qiangzi turned his head and looked at the Jizo Bodhisattva who was crying for the dead in the world, "I just know ......"

"Lord Jizo is the messenger of the Buddha Kingdom of Elysium, and I made a wish to him and he fulfilled it."

"What did you wish?"

Aoki asked.

"Let my brother and Nana be together forever."

Aoki saw Hadko's thin shoulders trembling slightly when he saw standing behind Rhona, and he knew that this child must know some secrets about this Jizo-an.

"Why don't you eat those fresh things and nibble on moldy rye bread instead?"

"That's fodder, not food."

"Feed?"

Aoki was about to ask him, but the bell rang again in the sky over Yamaguchi.

Demon's breakfast time! Aoki stood up and tried to pull Nana over, but he didn't expect her to be one step ahead of him and jumped up happily.

"Playtime, playtime, hurry, hadron."

Rona dragged Aoki behind Hadko, returned to the sewer entrance from the flower path they had just come out, and quickly climbed in.

"What playtime?"

"Shh

Hadron made a "shut up" gesture to Aoki, turned his head and continued to walk deeper into the waterway.

"Keep your voice quiet, or you'll be found. The person who was found in hide and seek will be punished, and Qiangzi and I have never been found, so you can follow us. ”

After turning a corner, the hadron finally stopped.

"Nana, count down to a hundred."

Hearing Hadron's words, Nana put her hands to her ears, closed her eyes and began to count.

"Nana?"

"Shh," Nana whispered to Aoki as she pretended to be mysterious, "this is the secret that Hadron gave me, as long as I count down a hundred times like this, I will definitely not find it, so you can come too." ”

Aoki saw that Rona was covering her ears with care, and she tried to cover her ears, but she heard a faint scream from the direction of the exit.

"What's that?!"

"Don't go!" Hadron grabbed Aoki's wrist, "It's safest here, go somewhere else." ”

"Let go."

Pushing away the hadron, Aoki ran towards the exit of the waterway. The screams became clearer in his ears, and Aoki could almost smell the blood in the air that was not circulated in the sewers.

As he climbed the small slope, Aoki was almost frightened by the sight outside the copper mesh. Through the tiny gaps, he saw the demon's outstretched wings flapping above the Jizo statue, and tiny drops of blood were scattered in the wind.

"Help me, layman, Sarah—"

The child who was caught by the demon seemed to be calling the name of his companion, but it was just that, and in the next second, his body was torn apart from the middle.

The demon swooped down to the ground, its offal scattered everywhere was its favorite food.

"Bastard!"

Aoki got up and tried to climb out of the mouth of the waterway, but was pulled back by Hadron.

"Are you crazy? Get out now, not only will you die, Nana and I will be discovered! ”

"I ......"

There was another commotion in his ears, clearer than he had been in the depths of the waterway.

"There's one last one left, and when the bell stops, it'll be gone."

"What do you mean?"

"It takes one more every day, I don't know where it goes, but the one that was taken away never came back......"

"Here ......"

"Hide and seek is just a lie, this is where it hunts, we are raised to be fat and sent here on time every day to flee around, and those who are caught are said to be sent to be punished......"

"He takes one a day with him...... To put it this way...... And a demon?! ”

Hadron pouted.

"I don't know...... I've only seen this one...... But ......"

"But what?" Aoki tugged at Hadron's collar, "Say it quickly!" ”

"The adopted babe they ...... I never saw them when I sneaked out of here......"

As if he understood the meaning of Hadron's words, a cool air ran up Aoki's spine.

"Three ......"

"Such a beautiful rose...... "Hadron looked back at Santo Totivville weeping in the courtyard, surrounded by the thorns and flowers of the mournful red roses, as if the tears had fallen on the ground and turned into thick blood, "did you see the white roses in the back garden of the chapel when you came?" A year ago, it was full of those beautiful flowers, but then they were all dyed pink, so I had to plant red roses instead......

"Laymen...... And the people in the town don't care? Someone wrote a letter of entrustment to the half-demon swordsman, someone must have ......"

"Because you sent us here, you ...... They won't care anyway! ”

"What did you say?"

Aoki looked into Hadron's eyes, those tough, sad eyes. Another scream sounded in his ears, and when he turned around, Aoki saw a child a few years old outside the copper net being grabbed by a demon, and he wailed and cried for help, but no one went to help him, and the children here were all like Qiangzi, hiding in a corner, covering their ears with their hands.

The death of a person is a day of relief for them, and only when the child is taken away can they live until tomorrow.

For some reason, an irrepressible anger suddenly welled up in Aoki's chest, against these man-eating demons, but even more so at the unquenchable anger of the adults who kept these children in captivity.

"Demons?"

A familiar voice rang in his ears, and Aoki could barely believe his eyes. (To be continued.) )