Silver Cross and Draculea(Vol. 01 - 05)

(Vol. 03) Chapter 3 - Summer Training Camp

A bus was currently driving along a highway along the shore.

This public bus route normally had few passengers and was running on a very infrequent schedule, on the verge of being scrapped. However, the back row of the bus was exceptionally lively today.

An androgynous youth was accompanied by four outstanding beauties—no, more accurately, there were five.

"You sure about the destination? Is your memory accurate?"

"Yes, the place I met him was definitely the beach ahead."

Had there been any other passengers nearby, surely they would have have felt surprised by Hisui's conversation—or rather, his apparent mutterings to himself.

Sitting on the end of the back row seats, Hisui was currently speaking to the empty window seat beside him.

The vacant space there was just enough for one person to sit.

The content of the conversation seemed shallow and meaningless, but that was not the case for Hisui and the others.

Naturally, the one sitting in the empty seat was Touko.

Apart from Hisui's entourage, no one could see her. Making use of Hisui and friends' holiday, Touko was leading them to the beach near Seidou City.

According to her, the members of the Occult Research Club she participated in before—those girls—had first met the vampire here.

Why did Hisui's whole group come? Tracing the cause would require an explanation starting with club president Rushella's "interrogation."

The vampire who had appeared ten years ago, Touko's death, the mystery of the coffin—In order to clarify all this, the first thing they did was to question Touko herself in detail.

Hence, Rushella decided to begin an investigation. In her own words, the "interrogation" commenced immediately.

Then for some reason, Hisui was ordered to take notes with his back towards the girls.

"Hey, the composition of this scene is very strange. I'm sure you're being influenced by those police detective movies. Besides, doesn't Kariya have a computer, so what I'm doing is completely unnecessary? Can't I join the observing team?"

"You're being noisy so shut up! This 'interrogation' is absolutely essential! So hurry and call that Touko whatever... For thorough questioning. If there's a need, order some 'takeout food.' This girl here can prepare snacks for tea!"

Rushella pointed to Kirika as she spoke.

As a side note, Kirika and Mei were standing on the sidelines, observing from a safe distance.

"Hey, what kind of rubbish are you talking about? The interrogation you described sounds so Shouwa era from the last century... And even if you order katsu-don takeout, Touko-san can't..."

She can't eat it because she's a ghost... Feeling that such a statement would be inappropriate, Hisui swallowed his words.

But Touko herself smiled with shining eyes.

"Well, even if I can't eat it, but if you bring it up to me, there's a kind of... satisfying feeling. Probably what's called getting full just by watching? Back when I was alive, I never understood how offerings presented to gods at shrines worked, but now that I'm dead, I seem to get it. When the dead receive offerings from loved ones visiting their graves, they must be very happy, I suppose?"

"...I see."

Seeing her bright smile, Hisui gave up on ridiculing Rushella.

His impression of ghosts was also completely overturned.