A Friend

The apartment was quiet, and as soon as Chitose opened the door—

“Kazu-kun?”

A white dog immediately stood and ran toward her.

“Woof!”

“Zuzu!”

Chitose crouched down and hugged him.

“I’m sorry if I keep you waiting.”

Kazuha wagged his tail.

Momoka smiled.

“Aw. He's cute.”

Miyo looked at the dog.

Something about him is off right now. I’ll try a quick checkup on him.

Miyo crouched down.

“Hi, Zuzu.”

Kazuha looked at her.

Then looked away.

“Woof.”

Miyo tilted her head.

“He doesn't like me!”

The dog slowly walks to Chitose.

“He definitely does.”

“He's just shy.”

Kazuha looked at Chitose.

Chitose smiled.

Then she looked toward the kitchen.

I feel like the Eye of Order forgets to activate; something was missing.

The angel was gone.

The kitchen was completely normal.

No strange figure checking expiration dates and no spoiled food.

Chitose looked at the refrigerator, then at the nearby trash can.

Where did it go?

She didn’t remember seeing it leave.

“Chi-nee?”

Chitose looked at Miyo.

“Hmm?”

“Something was wrong?”

“Nothing.”

Chitose smiled.

“I'll start cooking.”

---

The kitchen filled with the smell of spices.

Momoka sat on the sofa, and Miyo sat beside her. Kazuha was lying near the sewing machine.

Chitose starts chopping vegetables.

Then stirred the sauce.

Then, secretly checking the recipe in the grimoire.

“Hmm…”

Miyo watched her.

“You really like cooking.”

Chitose nodded.

“I do.”

She smiled.

“Cooking makes things easier.”

Momoka laughed.

“Easier?”

“Yes.”

Chitose placed the finished dish on the table.

“When people are hungry, they begin to struggle, especially when they are thinking.”

Momoka stared at her.

“That's… actually true.”

Miyo laughed.

“She's right.”

Chitose sat down.

“Okay.”

She looked at everyone.

“Let's eat.”

Momoka picked up her chopsticks.

“Thank you for the food.”

“Thank you for the food!”

Chitose smiled.

---

Miyo took her first bite.

She froze.

Her eyes widened.

“…Huh?”

Chitose looked at her.

“Is something wrong?”

“No.”

Miyo took another bite.

Then another.

“These tastes familiar.”

Chitose blinked.

“Really?”

“Yeah.”

Miyo stared at the food.

“I've eaten something like this before.”

Chitose smiled.

“Maybe it's just a common recipe.”

Miyo shook her head.

“No, it’s unique.”

She took another bite.

“I definitely know this taste.”

For some reason, it reminded her of home, of someone’s cooking.

Someone she couldn't recall who cooks this kind of recipe

Miyo smiled.

“It's super good by the way!”

Chitose smiled back.

“I'm glad.”

---

After lunch, Momoka leaned back in her chair.

“That was delicious.”

Chitose began clearing the plates.

“Thank you.”

Miyo suddenly noticed Momoka's bag.

Something was hanging from the zipper.

It was a small, sketch art keychain.

Miyo's eyes widened. She was so excited.

“Wait.”

She pointed.

“Is that—?”

Momoka looked down.

“Hm?”

Miyo grabbed her bag.

She pulled out a keychain.

It was the same character.

Except hers is a customized art style.

Miyo looked at Momoka.

Then at the keychain.

Then back to Momoka.

“Wait.”

Momoka blinked.

“What?”

“You know From Nowhere?”

Momoka smiled.

“Of course.”

Miyo's eyes sparkled.

“I LOVE From Nowhere!”

Momoka froze.

“Really?”

“Yes!”

Miyo immediately stepped closer.

“I watched the anime!”

She held up her customized keychain.

“Look! I had this made because they didn't sell the exact one I wanted!”

Momoka stared at it.

“You customized it?”

“Yeah!”

Miyo smiled proudly.

“She's my favorite character.”

Momoka covered her mouth.

“Really?”

“Yes!”

Miyo suddenly realized something.

“So…”

She looked at Momoka.

“You really like it, too?”

Momoka laughed awkwardly.

“Well…”

Miyo narrowed her eyes.

“Why do you look so nervous?”

“I'm not nervous.”

“Are you?”

“No, it’s rare to see a fan too.”

Momoka smiled.

“I'm just happy you like it.”

Miyo continued staring at her.

Then something clicked.

“Wait.”

She pointed at Momoka.

“Don't tell me…”

Momoka laughed.

“Okay, okay! My husband is the author, and I'm the manga artist.”

Silence.

Miyo's eyes widened.

“You're WHAT?!”

Chitose looked up from the kitchen.

“Hm?”

Miyo grabbed Momoka's shoulders.

“YOUR HUSBAND MADE FROM NOWHERE?! AND YOU ARE THE MANGA ARTIST?!”

Momoka laughed.

“Yes.”

Miyo stared at her in complete disbelief.

“I've been reading the manga!”

“I see.”

“And I watched the anime!”

“I see.”

“I cried during volume seven!”

Momoka blinked.

“Volume seven?”

“Yes!”

Miyo suddenly covered her face.

“Oh, my god.”

She looked at her keychain.

“I've been carrying your character with me this whole time.”

Momoka smiled.

“That's adorable.”

Miyo slowly lowered her hands.

“I need to tell Juriasu.”

Momoka laughed.

“Is he a fan too?”

“YES!”

Miyo nodded rapidly.

“He's going to lose his mind. He really wants your autographs in all the volumes of the manga.”

“Wow! I didn’t expect that in the bonus. Give all the manga to me. Luckily, my husband is the author, so he can get his autograph too.”

“Really!”

Momoka nods quickly, and Chitose looks at Miyo.

“You have a friend named Juriasu?”

Miyo nods.

“Yeah.”

Chitose smiled.

“I'd like to meet him someday.”

Miyo smiled.

“You will.”

---

Later that afternoon, Chitose stood beside Miyo, a measuring tape in hand.

Miyo looked at her.

“What are we doing?”

“Before I forget, I’ll be taking your measurements.”

“My measurements?”

“I want to make something for you.”

Miyo's eyes brightened.

“Really?”

Chitose nods and smiles.

“Of course, you are my model!”

She wrapped the measuring tape around Miyo's shoulders.

“Stand straight.”

“Like this?”

“Not quite.”

Chitose adjusted her posture.

“There.”

Miyo smiled.

“You're like a pro.”

“I am.”

Chitose measured her waist.

Miyo looked down.

“Is this going to be a dress?”

“Maybe.”

“Can I choose the design?”

Chitose paused.

“…Maybe.”

Miyo smiled.

“Then I want something cute.”

“I knew you’d say that.”

---

A phone rang.

Momoka looked at her phone.

“Hikaru?”

She answered.

“Hello?”

Chitose kept measuring Miyo.

Momoka's expression slowly changed.

“Already?”

She looked toward the clock.

“Okay.”

She sighed.

“I'll be home soon.”

She hung up.

“Hikaru needs me to go home.”

Chitose nodded.

“Okay, I understand”

Momoka stood up.

“Thank you for the food.”

“You're welcome.”

Momoka smiled.

“And thank you for inviting me.”

She looked at Miyo.

“It was fun to meet a fan of From Nowhere. Don’t forget to tell your friend, okay!”

Miyo nodded and smiled.

“I'm still processing this. I'll tell him.”

Momoka laughed.

“I'll see you again.”

“Bye!”

Momoka waved.

“Bye, Miyo.”

She looked at Chitose.

“Bye, Chi-chan.”

“Bye, Momoka.”

The door closed.

Silence.

Chitose waited.

Miyo waited.

Kazuha lifted his head from the floor.

Chitose looked at Miyo.

Miyo looked at Chitose.

Then both of them spoke at the same time.

"So, about your friends?"

“We need to go to the Mansion.”

---

Miyo sat down.

“First, we need to decide what to ask.”

Chitose nodded.

“The man said he wasn't a demon anymore.”

“Yeah.”

“He called himself something else.”

Chitose shook her head

“A human?”

Miyo looked at her; she didn’t know the answer either.

She looked down at the Grimoire.

“What does it mean that the Eye of Order didn’t recognize what he is? It only highlighted him in orange. I want to know what it means.”

Miyo nodded.

“There are other things, too.”

“Like?”

Miyo counted on her fingers.

“How does a demon become a human?”

“One.”

“How did you get the Grimoire?”

“Two.”

“Why can Kazuha move inside it?”

Chitose's expression changed.

“Three.”

“How did you know Zuzu's true name? And how did you know he could move inside the domain?”

Miyo looked at her.

“The ouroboros will answer that…”

She smiled slightly.

“You're going to meet everyone.”

Chitose blinked.

“Everyone?”

“Yep.”

Chitose sighed.

“I've only met you.”

“I know, and don’t be surprised, you probably met someone before me.”

Chitose was confused

“What do you mean!?”

Miyo stood up.

“This might be a little overwhelming, but save your questions. They will be answered later.”

Chitose looked at Kazuha, then at the Grimoire, then at Miyo.

“I think I'm already overwhelmed.”

Miyo laughed.

“Then you'll fit right in.”

Chitose smiled.

“Let's go.”

Kazuha stood up.

“Woof!”

Chitose looked down at him.

“You're coming too.”

Kazuha wagged his tail.

---

They left the apartment.

Miyo walked beside Chitose, with Kazuha beside them.

After a while, they arrived at a small underground music venue.

A sign was above the entrance.

MATCHBOX UNDERGROUND

Music could be heard from inside.

Chitose looked at Miyo.

“This is it?”

Miyo nodded.

“Yep.”

They entered.

A live concert was happening inside, and the band was playing on stage. The audience was cheering. Lights flashed across the room.

Chitose looked around.

“Why are we here?”

Miyo smiled.

“You'll see.”

They walked toward the bar.

The bartender looked at Miyo.

“Hey.”

“Hi.”

Miyo placed a coin on the counter.

The bartender looked at it.

“Looks like you have insufficient entry.”

Then looked at Chitose.

Then at Kazuha.

“Oh! She’s finally here!”

He reached underneath the counter.

He took out another coin.

Then handed it to Miyo.

Miyo took it.

“Thanks.”

Chitose looked at the coin.

“What is that?”

“A ticket.”

“To the concert?”

Miyo shook her head.

“No.”

She smiled.

“To the Mansion.”

Chitose blinked.

“Ouroboros?”

Miyo walked away.

“Come on.”

Chitose followed her, and Kazuha was beside her.

---

They walked through a hallway. The music grew quieter. They passed another door, then another.

Chitose looked around.

“Are we supposed to be here?”

Miyo nodded.

“Yeah.”

“Why isn't anyone stopping us?”

Miyo shrugged.

“Maybe they think we're staff.”

Chitose looked at herself.

“I don't look like staff.”

Miyo looked at her.

“Just kidding, they are already expecting you.”

Chitose sighed.

“That doesn't explain anything.”

Miyo laughed.

They stopped in front of a dressing room.

Miyo opened the door. Inside was a large mirror.

Chitose looked around.

“That's it?”

Miyo nodded.

“That's it.”

She took out the coin.

Chitose looked at it.

“What does the coin do?”

“You'll see.”

Miyo threw the coin at the mirror.

CLINK

Nothing happened, but the coin returned to her hand, then suddenly—

As Chitose blinked, the entire room blurred. The walls stretched. The lights became long lines.

The mirror began to crack.

CRACK

CRACK

CRACK

Chitose stepped back.

“What?”

The mirror shattered.

SHATTER

But the pieces didn't fall.

The pieces of glass floated in the air around them.

Chitose looked at them.

The dressing room was disappearing.

The walls, floor, and ceiling.

Everything blurred.

Then, it was gone.

As she blinked, she found herself standing in a completely different place. A huge entrance hall. A large staircase stood in front of her.

Miyo smiled.

“Welcome to Ouroboros Mansion.”

Chitose looked behind her. The pieces of the broken mirror were still floating in the air, but the dressing room was gone.

“Where did the room go?”

Miyo pointed at the mirror.

“It's still there.”

Chitose looked at Miyo.

“But I can't see it.”

“That's the point.”

Chitose looked at the floating pieces.

“So, this is a portal?”

“Yep.”

Miyo, lift the coin.

“The coin activates it.”

Chitose looked at the mirror again.

“And what happens to anyone in the dressing room?”

“They can't see us.”

“Why?”

“Because we're already here.”

Chitose stared at her.

“So, the moment the room blurred…”

Miyo nodded.

“We were already inside the mansion.”

Chitose looked at the floating mirror pieces.

“That makes sense.”

Miyo smiled.

“Really?”

“No.”

Miyo laughed.

Kazuha walked between them.

“Woof.”

Chitose looked down.

“Kazu-kun, stay close.”

Kazuha wagged his tail.

Miyo started walking.

“Come on.”

Chitose followed her.

They walked deeper into the mansion. Behind them, the floating pieces of the mirror slowly disappeared.

---

Chitose looked around.

“So…”

Miyo looked back at her.

“What?”

“What kind of people are your friends?”

Miyo thought for a moment.

“Interesting people.”

Chitose looked at her.

“That doesn't answer my question.”

Miyo smiled.

“You'll have the answers soon.”

Chitose sighed.

“I have a bad feeling.”

Miyo laughed.

“You should.”

---

Chitose was shocked; it was the second time she saw an Angel, but the Eye of Order remained silent. It was Angel, wearing her butler outfit, with her wings visible.

“Angel! How are you!?”

“I’m fine, my lady. Everyone was waiting for you.”

Angel notices Chitose.

“Oh, Harbinger! It’s my pleasure to meet you. I’m Angel.”

Chitose smiles gently like a delicate woman.

Is she an angel or just a cosplayer?

“Oh, my ladies, please come in.”

The large doors at the end of the hall creaked open.

Umi was talking about Shiizaa.

“So when will Shiizaa arrive?”

Jei was resting his arm on the table and responded.

“Shiizaa was still the owner of his company, you know.”

Chitose was shocked

Someone was standing on the other side, drinking a cup of tea.

“Miss. Morizuki?”

It’s Nao. She smiled and welcomed her.

“Welcome to Ouroboros, Chi-onee-chan.”