Mochi struggled to break free, but the claws sank deep into her body. Within seconds, her figure became a black speck vanishing into the mountain abyss.
The silence that followed was unbearable.
Kotone slowly got to her feet, her knees scraped raw and her white hakama stained with dirt. Her hands trembled uncontrollably.
—That... that thing... was coming for me... —Kotone muttered.
Her voice, usually so confident, sounded small and fragile.
It was the first time she had ever faced real mortal danger.
She stared at her trembling hands.
She had agreed to explore the area because she trusted her ability to detect anomalies before they got close. But this tengu had descended in a high-speed dive. By the time it entered her detection range, it was already too late. Her reflexes had not been fast enough to evade it.
If not for Mochi, Kotone would have been seriously injured—or worse.
—We have to go after them! —Miyu was already prepared to move, gripping her wagasa tightly, fierce determination burning in her eyes.—If we leave now, we might still catch it.
—That's insane! —Kotone grabbed her arm, trying to use logic as a shield against her fear.—Didn't you see it? It's obvious that thing knows how to fight agents! If we go alone, there'll just be three casualties instead of one. We need to return to the village and inform the adults. They'll know what to do. That's... that's the efficient choice.
Miyu pulled free from her grip with a coldness that surprised Kotone.
—She saved you, Kotone. What you're proposing isn't "efficient." It's cowardly. If we go back to the village, we'll lose two hours. By the time Zeke and the others arrive, it might already be too late. I'm going up there. With or without the "greatest genius in OHRA."
Kotone fell silent.
The word cowardly hung in the air.
She looked toward the summit, where the darkness was beginning to swallow the mountaintop, then down at her own hands.
—Wait! —Kotone shouted before Miyu could start climbing.—You're not going alone... It would be a waste of resources to let you get killed too.
Kotone raised her hand and pointed directly at the sky.
—Burst!
A sphere of pure white light shot from her palm, climbing hundreds of feet into the night sky before exploding like a massive firework.
—My uncle and the others will see that. They'll know we're here and that there's danger nearby —Kotone said, recovering a little of her usual composed mask, though her breathing remained unsteady.—Now let's move. If that idiot survives this, I'm going to teach her a lesson about how to properly push a lady out of the way.
* * *
The sun was beginning to disappear behind the mountains.
Takahiro was panicking.
—I told you so. Damn it, Zeke, I told you this was a bad idea. I never should have let her go without supervision. Twelve years old—no matter how much of a genius she is, she's still twelve years old!
—Calm down, Takahiro. You're making people stare at us like we're about to explode. Mochi and Miyu may be clumsy, but they're not stupid. They know how to take care of someone. —Zeke tried to calm him down.
—Take care of her!? They're the ones who should be learning from Kotone! If anything happens to her... if even a single hair on her head...
—Please, breathe. Your energy is starting to attract the area's minor spirits. Zeke, ask around at that charm stand. I'll check the inn. —Seeing that Takahiro was beginning to lose control, Rei stepped in and took charge.
The three split up for a few minutes before regrouping near an old bus stop.
Zeke arrived with a serious expression, something unusual for him.
—An old man in the square saw them. He said the three girls were in high spirits. They went to the house of someone named Yoshida.
—Yoshida? Who's that?
—An ex-convict, Takahiro. He was released from prison just a year ago. He lives on the outskirts of town, near the edge of the forest. —Zeke replied.
—A criminal!? Are you telling me my niece is in the house of some damned delinquent!? I'm going to burn that place to the ground!
Rei intervened again.
—Stay put! You're not burning anything. Use that block-shaped head of yours for a second. If Kotone went there, she had a reason. Besides, an ordinary human couldn't have done anything against them.
They arrived at a modest, somewhat worn-down house.
A man with slumped shoulders and sunken eyes greeted them on the porch. He didn't look like a dangerous criminal, merely a man who was utterly exhausted.
There they met Yoshida.
He told them about his encounter with the girls, as well as the disappearance of his daughter, Mari.
After leaving Yoshida's house, they headed toward the base of the mountain and began climbing at a brisk pace.
Darkness was swallowing the trail at an alarming rate, and the vegetation grew denser with every step, erasing any traces they might have followed.
—This is useless. Even with my senses pushed to their limit, I can't track them. They must be very far away by now. —Zeke complained.
Rei nodded.
—Zeke was right. The area is too large, and the night isn't helping. We'll have to split up or—
A streak of white light shot out from the deepest part of the forest, rising above the treetops.
When it reached its highest point, it exploded into a flower of fire, illuminating the entire mountain for a few brief seconds.
—That's a spell. Kotone is using that spell like a flare. —Takahiro immediately started running in that direction.—Move your legs! If she's had to use a spell to signal us, then the fight has already begun.