"Senpai, we'll go with her."
Amamiya took the lead and walked forward.
"Um."
Tsubame let out a light breath, pulled her scarf up to cover her mouth and nose, then hugged her arms and walked forward.
"I'll lead the way."
Little Red Riding Hood quickly wrapped her clothes tightly and walked ahead with her short legs.
It was evening.
The weather is getting colder.
Although he was wearing two pieces of clothes, they were not real cold-proof clothes and had limited warmth-retaining capabilities, so he was still shivering from the cold.
The three of them trudged forward in the wind and snow, but they had not gone far when Little Red Riding Hood could no longer hold on. She walked with one foot deep and one foot shallow, staggering from side to side, and her pace was getting slower and slower. It seemed as if her petite body would fall down in the wind and snow at any moment.
"Amamiya-kun?"
Tsubame pursed her pink lips and gave him a worried look.
"Stop for a moment." Amamiya called to Little Red Riding Hood, "Are you unable to walk anymore?"
The little girl turned her head quickly and looked over. Her small body was shivering in the wind and snow. After a while, her lips turned purple. She said pitifully, weakly and helplessly:
"Please, please don't leave me alone!"
"I don't plan to abandon you for now." Amamiya tightened her clothes. "You just stood in the snow for so long and nothing happened. How come you're so cold now?"
"I, I don't know either."
Little Red Riding Hood folded her arms and her teeth chattered slightly as she spoke.
"It should be related to that mushroom." Tsubame guessed, "The mushroom growing from the top of the head may have some unknown special effects."
"It's possible."
Amamiya nodded.
The only difference between this Little Red Riding Hood and the previous one is the mushroom on the top of its head, which has been cut off like a deer antler. Its current weak state is obviously related to the removal of the mushroom.
"How far is it to your grandmother's house?"
Amamiya asked.
"We still have to walk over that mountain." The little girl stood on tiptoe and pointed forward, "Grandma's house is under three big oak trees. You can see it when you walk over there."
Amamiya complained:
"Does your grandmother still have a walnut hedge around her house?"
Little Red Riding Hood raised her head, her face full of shock: "How did you know, brave man?"
"Because that's what it says in the fairy tale book!"
Tsubame complained in her heart, she didn't expect that the dungeon had many similarities with the fairy tale in reality.
"Amamiya-kun, can you give Little Red Riding Hood another piece of clothing?"
Tsubame coughed twice and suggested, "Her clothes are too thin. If she continues like this, she probably won't be able to walk far."
Amamiya shook his head and said:
"All the clothes are on us. We have no spare clothes."
"Huh?"
Tsubame was stunned when she heard this, and quickly bit her lower lip, looked down at the shivering little loli, hesitated for two seconds, and quickly made up her mind.
Although the other party was just a character in the copy, it was impossible for her to just stand by and watch her die.
Morality and emotion are one of the criteria that make us human.
I just don't know if my choice would be stupid in Amamiya-kun's eyes?
Tsubame took a deep breath, her eyes became firm, and she said:
"I'll take off a piece of clothing for her... Amamiya-kun, go make another prop for walking in the snow."
"No need to be so troublesome." Amamiya waved his hand, reached out and picked up the little girl directly in his arms, "For an elementary school student like this who weighs less than 100 pounds, one hand can be enough to hold her."
"ah..."
Little Red Riding Hood cried out in fear and hugged Amamiya's neck nervously.
"Brave man, please put me down quickly." The little girl said nervously, "I will dirty your clothes."
"Just wash it clean if it gets dirty."
"But…but…"
"Believe it or not, I'll hang you up?"
"S-Sorry!"
"…"
Seeing Amamiya frightening the little girl so easily, Tsubame's lips twitched slightly, and she whispered with a worried tone:
"It's difficult to walk in the snow. Will Amamiya-kun's physical strength be enough to support it?"
Girl, don't underestimate those who lie flat! Being stepped on by girls every day, the passive effect of bearing humiliation is triggered, and I am getting stronger every day!
"Tsubame-senpai actually doubts me." Amamiya's expression grew serious. He extended his right hand and said firmly, "Come here."
"…For what?"
"To prove my physical strength to you."
"I don't need you to carry me." Tsubame stepped forward angrily. "Since you say you're fine, then you're fine. It's getting dark—shall we set off already?"
Amamiya sighed in a tone of mock disappointment. "Senpai, are you sure you don't want free transportation?"
"Absolutely not." Tsubame crossed her arms over her chest. "I can walk on my own."
"Good." His expression instantly returned to calm. "It's just as well you refused. I was worried I couldn't carry you with one hand anyway. After all, you weigh over 100 pounds."
"I do not weigh over 100 pounds!" Tsubame protested instinctively. "I'm only 49 kilograms!"
Impossible.
Absolutely not.
Amamiya's gaze drifted downward to the curve of her chest. Despite the layers of clothing, the distinct silhouette was undeniable.
With that much… volume, she must weigh over 100 pounds.
Tsubame's cheeks puffed up in irritation. "Don't stare at me like that!"
"…"
The two continued their journey, bantering along the way.
Now unburdened by Little Red Riding Hood, Amamiya and Tsubame moved with significantly greater speed. After trudging for a while, they finally spotted a wooden house in the distance.
"Brave hero, we've arrived at Grandma's house!" Little Red Riding Hood exclaimed, her eyes lighting up as she pointed ahead. "It's right under those three oak trees."
Amamiya nodded. "Yes."
Beneath the trees stood a small wooden cabin, alone amidst the snow and wind. It looked desolate, almost forlorn.
Living alone in the forest, with no transportation or infrastructure… As an elderly person, this is simply asking for trouble.
"Amamiya-kun, do you want me to carry her instead?" Tsubame asked, her concern evident.
She had been checking on him repeatedly throughout the journey, worried he might be overexerting himself. This time, Amamiya didn't refuse. He handed Little Red Riding Hood over to her, taking the opportunity to rest and recover his strength.
The cabin could hold unexpected dangers, and they needed to face whatever was inside in peak condition.
"Let's keep moving," Amamiya said after a brief pause.
With Little Red Riding Hood in her arms, Tsubame followed behind. At first, she kept pace easily, but after a few steps, she felt the child's weight dragging on her. Her movements became labored.
(My arms… they're so tired.)
(Amamiya-kun carried her so far without breaking a sweat. His stamina really is impressive. Could he actually lift me with one hand…?)
Lost in thought, the three soon reached the cabin.
Amamiya scanned the surroundings, his expression calm and analytical. He glanced at Tsubame, who understood his unspoken command. She set Little Red Riding Hood down gently.
"Grandma, open up! Open the door!" Little Red Riding Hood dashed forward, knocking on the wooden door with gleeful impatience.
Amamiya sighed under his breath. "Not only a guide but also a doorman. No wonder she's portrayed as clever in fairy tales."
Tsubame shot him a look, whispering, "She's just a child. It's normal for her to act impulsively."
"She tried to turn us into puppets earlier," Amamiya replied dryly. "If it had been someone else, she might've called them 'Daddy.'"
"…"
Their conversation was interrupted by the creak of the door. A dull, grinding sound accompanied its slow movement, and it stopped halfway open.
Inside, dim light revealed a wrinkled face lurking in the shadows. The figure hunched over, wearing a pointed hat. The details were unclear, but it seemed like mushrooms might have been growing on the hat—or the face itself.
Amamiya raised an eyebrow, his eyes narrowing as he studied the scene.
"Grandma, I'm here to see you! That's the hero and his companions..."
Little Red Riding Hood chirped, recounting the situation in her high-pitched voice.
Behind the door, Grandma remained silent, her figure barely visible. After listening to Little Red Riding Hood, she finally nodded slowly and spoke in a hoarse, rasping voice:
"Please come in, dear guests."
The room beyond the doorway was shrouded in darkness, and Tsubame couldn't suppress a sudden twinge of nervousness. She instinctively grabbed Amamiya's hand, leaned in close, and whispered alertly:
"It's so dim—I can't see anything clearly. Could it be Grandma Wolf?"
"It's good to stay vigilant," Amamiya whispered back calmly. "But logically speaking, there's no wolf in existence that could swallow a person whole."
Tsubame frowned. "This is a fairy tale world."
"Even so, basic reasoning still applies," Amamiya replied evenly. "Just look at Little Red Riding Hood—she nearly got herself killed earlier."
"That's true…"
Still gripping Amamiya's hand, Tsubame took a deep breath and cautiously stepped into the cabin.
Inside, the room was just as gloomy as it appeared from outside. In a corner, a small oil lamp flickered weakly, its dim flame barely illuminating the space. It seemed like the slightest puff of air would snuff it out entirely.
The room itself was narrow and cold. Though a fireplace was present, it lay dormant, providing no warmth.
Amamiya observed the surroundings with a calm, steady gaze before turning his attention to Little Red Riding Hood's grandmother.
The old woman looked frail and withered, her thin body hunched over. Her face was a map of deep wrinkles, and she was dressed entirely in black, which lent her an inexplicably eerie presence.
"Hello, thank you for saving Little Red Riding Hood," Grandma said, her voice quivering as she shuffled forward with a basket in her hands. "I still have some food left at home. If you don't mind, please take some to eat."
Amamiya glanced down and saw that the basket contained dried fruits, like pine nuts, rather than anything suspicious or unidentifiable.
"Ah…" Tsubame exhaled a quiet sigh of relief. She had been bracing herself for the possibility that the grandmother might offer something far more unsettling—perhaps a platter of bloody, indescribable food.
"My dear heroes, please eat," Little Red Riding Hood said cheerfully, holding the basket toward them.
Tsubame's lips twitched slightly in hesitation. After a moment, she reached out, plucked a pine nut, and said politely, "Thank you."
The little girl beamed and shook her head quickly. "No need to thank me! But I'll have to ask the brave hero to help Grandma pick mushrooms later."
Amamiya raised an eyebrow. "Where is your grandmother?"
Little Red Riding Hood tilted her head. "Grandma's cooking."
"In such dim light? Can she even see properly?"
"Ah, that's right!" The little girl suddenly realized and exclaimed, "I'll go find Grandma!"
As Little Red Riding Hood scampered off, Tsubame glanced down at the pine nuts in her hand. She had initially planned to set them aside; in such a precarious situation, eating unfamiliar food seemed like a reckless choice.
But as the moments ticked by, an inexplicable sensation crept over her. The pine nuts in her hand began to seem irresistibly tempting—almost as if they were calling to her.
Tsubame's stomach rumbled as she trudged along, exhaustion evident on her face.
(I'm so hungry. I've been walking forever, and my stomach feels completely empty...) she thought.
Yet another voice in her mind warned her, (But you can't eat unfamiliar food.)
Her gaze fell on a pine nut lying nearby.
(Just one should be fine. I'm starving, so it won't hurt, right?)
Resolving to ignore her caution, she reached for the pine nut, ready to pop it into her mouth.
But just as it reached her lips, a hand darted in and snatched it away.
"Ahh!" Tsubame exclaimed, her hunger-fueled frustration flaring. Without thinking, she bit the offending hand, her teeth sinking into Amamiya's finger.
"Senpai, snap out of it," Amamiya said firmly, his voice low and commanding. "Remember where we are."
The sharp words and lack of food in her mouth jolted Tsubame back to her senses. Embarrassed, she quickly released his hand and wiped her lips, her face flushed. "I... I'm sorry. I was so hungry, I didn't know what I was doing. I just really wanted to eat that pine nut..."
As she spoke, her gaze drifted back to Amamiya. A flicker of hesitation crossed her face before she mumbled, "Amamiya-kun, can I have a bite?"
Amamiya raised an eyebrow. "A bite of what, Senpai?"
"Anywhere!" she blurted out in desperation.
He sighed, his voice tinged with wry amusement. "You're really not picky about your food, are you?"
But the air grew heavier by the second. Even Amamiya could feel an inexplicable hunger creeping in, a primal urge that seemed far from normal.
"Amamiya..." Tsubame's voice quivered as she stood, her hands gripping the table for support. She leaned closer, her breath quick and uneven, her expression a mixture of struggle and longing. "Amamiya-kun, just one bite... please?"
"Calm down, Senpai," Amamiya urged, placing a steady hand on her shoulder. "If you don't, you'll regret this later."
Her response was immediate and breathless: "I won't regret it."
Her breaths grew warmer and sweeter, her eyes clouding with an unsettling confusion.
Amamiya clicked his tongue, resisting the strange pull that threatened to overwhelm him. His willpower, though strong, was being tested.
"You'll think differently later," he muttered. Without hesitation, he turned on his heel and walked toward the small kitchenette at the end of the dimly lit corridor.
The faint glow of the stove flickered in the darkness. Amamiya paused, narrowing his eyes as he noticed a figure hunched near the stove. The grandmother was crouched low, her head bent as she chewed on something with relish.
Quietly stepping closer, Amamiya caught sight of her hands. She held a long strip of something that she was nibbling on, oblivious to his presence.
A shiver ran down his spine as a memory surfaced—a childhood recollection of a grim version of the "Little Red Riding Hood" fairy tale that had haunted him for years.
It told of a time when Little Red Riding Hood, carrying her basket of goodies, ventured to her grandmother's house.
On the way, she encountered a wolf but dismissed it as harmless.
By the time she reached her grandmother's home, night had fallen, and Little Red Riding Hood decided to stay the night.
In the dead of night, she was startled awake by the sound of rustling, as though someone were eating.
"Grandma, what are you eating?" she whispered into the darkness.
"Delicious candy," came the reply.
Grandma Wolf handed her a piece of the "candy," and Little Red Riding Hood, suspicious, tucked it under her pillow instead of eating it.
When morning came, she discovered the "candy" was a bloody finger.
Now, watching the grandmother, Amamiya felt the eerie parallel unfold before his eyes.