NOVEL WEB Chapter 44: Chapter 44: Farewell and Departure
Chapter 44: Farewell and Departure
"Alright," Shizuku said, sitting across from Haru and extending her left arm.
Haru chuckled, noticing her choice. "Your dominant hand is your left? Then why did you use your right hand at the amusement park last time?"
"Because you extended your right hand, so I went along with it," Shizuku replied matter-of-factly.
"Then let's use the left hand this time," Haru said as he glanced around the room. "Do you have any lipstick?"
"I don't use lipstick. I have lip balm, though."
"That won't work. I need something that leaves a clear mark."
Haru searched around Shizuku's room until he found an oil-based marker. He removed the ink cartridge, flicked it sharply, and used the ink to draw a pentagram on his left palm.
Shizuku watched curiously as Haru casually returned to the table and extended his left hand, signaling for her to grab it.
"Whenever you're ready," Haru said with a grin.
Shizuku adjusted her glasses, which slid down her nose, and reached out her left hand to grasp his. But the moment she made contact, she froze. Her hand wouldn't budge, as if it wasn't her own. It was as though she was locked inside her own body, unable to control it.
"Lose to me," Haru commanded.
At his words, Shizuku felt her sense of self returning, as if she were surfacing from underwater. However, her body still wasn't entirely under her control. Her left hand began to tilt toward the table, falling in slow motion until it finally touched the surface—she had lost.
Regaining full control of her body, Shizuku looked down at her left palm. On it was the ink pentagram Haru had drawn, but now overlaid with a shimmering rose-gold star.
"I get it now," Shizuku said in realization. "That day, no matter which hand I used, I couldn't have won against you."
Haru reached over and slapped her palm. The glowing star mark vanished.
"My ability isn't any worse than your Blinky, right?" Haru teased as a gray rock sparrow darted in through the open window, chirping energetically as it landed on his shoulder.
But Shizuku still had no memory of ever seeing these birds.
"I'm an Manipulation-Type user," Haru explained, gesturing to the bird. "The mark I placed on your hand allows me to control you. Watch this."
Haru controlled the sparrow, guiding it to fly to Shizuku's shoulder. "During special situations, you can think of these birds as extensions of me."
"Alright…" Shizuku nodded thoughtfully and held out her palm. "Come here," she said to the sparrow.
The bird fluttered onto her hand.
"Do a flip," she commanded.
Under Haru's control, the bird flipped in her palm.
"Fly around my hand," Shizuku said.
The sparrow flapped its wings, circling her hand once before landing back on her palm.
"You're smiling again, Shizuku," Haru remarked.
"Am I?" Shizuku touched the corners of her mouth, confused, then glanced down at the sparrow. "I guess it's because I find this interesting."
"Let's try out your Blinky again," Haru suggested, excited. "Let's test its limits. It'll be much more useful if it can retrieve items on command, like a four-dimensional pocket. The inability to absorb living beings seems to be a core restriction, though—part of its underlying logic—so it might be hard to change."
"Okay," Shizuku agreed, summoning her grinning vacuum cleaner.
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The morning flew by as they experimented and discussed their abilities. It wasn't until their phones rang, and Menchi's voice came through, that they realized they had missed lunchtime.
"Shizuku, I've been waiting for you two all morning! Where are you?" Menchi complained.
Haru glanced at his brand-new smartphone, realizing he still needed to get a SIM card.
"Is Haru with you?" Menchi asked suspiciously. "Shizuku, you're too naive. Don't let that scheming guy manipulate you!"
"Not at all," Shizuku replied, glancing at Haru.
"Talking behind my back, huh?" Haru chimed in. "Careful, or your cooking will suffer for it. We're on our way."
Hanging up, Haru and Shizuku headed out to meet Menchi for another afternoon of rigorous training in the wilderness.
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The day passed in a cycle of practice and recovery. They focused on foundational skills—Ten, Zetsu, Ren, Gyo—before moving on to Ken. Each round pushed their aura reserves further, increasing their total Nen output.
Thanks to Menchi's restorative green-seasoned meals, they pushed through until dusk. By the end, Haru extended his Ken duration to just over 105 minutes, Shizuku reached 122 minutes, and Menchi managed 7 minutes.
Haru's total aura reached 6,329 units, Shizuku's 7,349, and Menchi's 455.
As Haru exhaled deeply, he reflected on his progress. With his current abilities, defeating someone like Garo was no challenge—even with one hand tied behind his back.
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That night, lying in bed, Haru stared at the moonlit sky. He wondered if it was possible to officially adopt Crescent Tiger, Toru. Even if the creature was endangered, his Hunter License could likely clear the way. But his license was black market—an unregistered "shadow" license.
Adopting Toru would require dealing with official channels, and those channels might expose his false identity. Furthermore, the Blanchett Company, the island's caretakers, might not be the only stakeholders—official agencies from Kakin and Oshima could get involved. It could turn into a bureaucratic mess.
Sighing, Haru thought, Shizuku's Blinky would be so much more convenient if it could absorb living things.
He closed his eyes and fell asleep.
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At dawn the next day, Haru ventured into the forest alone. Toru padded over from the shadows, its crescent-striped fur glinting in the faint morning light.
Haru crouched down, stroking Toru's head. "Alright, buddy. Time to say goodbye for now."
Then, he called out into the stillness, "Little white! Are you there?"
A faint white silhouette resembling a boy emerged from the misty woods. Haru chuckled and patted Toru's head. "Little white, we're kindred spirits. I'll entrust Toru to you for now."
Toru nuzzled him in response. Little white's translucent figure showed little emotion, appearing even more spectral compared to his form in the white fox toy.
Haru smiled and extended his hand. "If you agree, let's shake on it."
Little white hesitated for a moment before reaching out. Their hands met in a silent pact.
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By 7:30 AM, Haru, Shizuku, and Menchi boarded a ship at West Town's harbor. As the vessel prepared to set sail, Haru turned back toward the island. In the distance, Toru stood at the forest's edge, Little white's ghostly form hovering above it.
"Goodbye," Haru whispered, waving.
"Come on, Haru!" Menchi called from the deck. "The ship's leaving!"
Haru turned with a smile, joining the others. The ship pulled away from the island, cutting through the waves toward the port city of Grellborg.
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(End of Chapter)
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