"Why am I so unlucky?!"
On the side of the road, Sirin stomped her foot in frustration. The entire area ahead of them had already been cordoned off.
The explosion had triggered a chain reaction—like the car they had been riding in, which was rear-ended the moment it stopped.
Because so many vehicles had braked suddenly to avoid the blast, a series of collisions followed.
With his car damaged, their driver naturally refused to continue. He canceled the trip altogether, told them they didn't need to pay, dropped them off at the roadside, and went off to argue about the accident.
Finally—no Mei, no Yae Sakura—just her and Kiana alone together.
And now… a car crash.
What utterly cursed luck.
The exploded vehicle looked suspicious. The flames had burned through it far too fast; now only a blackened frame remained.
"Looks like we'll have to walk to the next intersection and catch another ride," Sirin said.
"That explosion wasn't normal," Kiana muttered.
"Hm?"
Sirin glanced at her dismissively. "Cars don't usually burn that quickly, sure, but it's probably just some gang feud or revenge killing."
"But right when it exploded, I saw something fly away."
Kiana was certain she hadn't imagined it. Something the size of a pigeon had shot out from the flames and vanished into the dark. She couldn't make out what it was.
If it was a targeted hit, the police would handle it—but Kiana couldn't help wondering if it was something else. Could it have been a Kami?
Then again, she'd never seen one that small before, which only made her more curious.
"Something flew away? Maybe you saw wrong—probably just a bird that happened to pass by," Sirin said.
"It came from the fire," Kiana insisted.
"…That's strange," Sirin admitted. "I've fought enough Kami to know—that's not their style. None of them are this subtle. And why would one bother? Just to assassinate a random human and cause panic?"
"Let me check the victim's identity," Sirin said after a moment. "If it's a revenge killing, we'll know. If not, we might have a bigger problem."
"Good idea," Kiana nodded, pulling her gaze away from the burnt wreck.
The street around them was unfamiliar—not as polished or extravagant as the areas near the airport or hotel, but lively enough. Through a nearby alley, she could see hints of bright street stalls.
"There seem to be a few stalls over there. Want to take a look around? Or should we head back toward downtown?"
"Let's look around here," Sirin said. "I'll call it in while we walk."
"Okay!"
They passed through a narrow alley and emerged into a smaller pedestrian street lined with food stands and the occasional shopper.
Not too crowded.
Most people had probably rushed off to gawk at the explosion.
Kiana tugged Sirin along to look around, and they finally stopped at a barbecue stall. After ordering a pile of skewers and two bottles of soda, they sat down outside.
"Alright, I've reported it. We should get an update soon," Sirin said, setting her phone aside.
"Thanks for the help," Kiana said with a bright smile.
"Haha, no problem."
Sirin tried to sound casual, but the pleased grin on her face was impossible to hide. Clearly, she liked being praised.
"Want me to help sort out your ID problem too?" Sirin asked, remembering their earlier conversation.
"Would that be troublesome?"
"One word and it's done. What trouble?" Sirin waved her hand. "Plenty of people have suffered from Kami attacks. I'll just fabricate a backstory for you—no one will question it."
"Then I'll leave it to you."
Even if she wouldn't be staying long, having identification was still better than nothing. Without one, she couldn't do much of anything.
"Just a small favor," Sirin said with a shrug, glancing back at her phone and sending a quick message to someone.
"So, you're not from Izumo, right?" she asked suddenly.
Kiana nodded without hesitation. "No."
"From somewhere farther than Takamagahara, then?"
Sirin glanced up at the night sky, curiosity flickering in her eyes. "What's the world outside like?"
"Hmm…"
Kiana thought for a moment. The places that came to mind were the space station, Jarilo, the Xianzhou, and Penacony.
"The outside world is vast," she said finally. "There's nothing you can't imagine—only things you haven't seen yet. Take Penacony, for example—it's called the 'Planet of Festivities,' located in the Asdana star system. Because of a substance called Memoria leaking into the environment, it became a unique world of dreams."
"A dream world?"
"Yup!" Kiana smiled. "Maybe someday we can go there together. There are also resort planets for vacations, and icy worlds where people struggle to survive under endless snow."
"If you like thrilling adventures, that's fine too. The universe is full of conflict and chaos—if you want, you could even go around playing hero and saving worlds."
"Who'd want to live that kind of life?!"
The corner of Sirin's mouth twitched. Saving other worlds? She could barely handle her own. What she wanted most was to retire in peace.
Saving Izumo was hard enough.
Once every Kami was defeated, she was going to retire on the spot—and never, ever play the savior again.
Seriously!
"You're that type of person, though, aren't you?" she asked. "Someone who goes around saving worlds like Izumo?"
"I'm not."
"Not?"
"I'm not the kind of person who goes looking for worlds to save," Kiana said firmly.
Izumo was different.
Because it was Mei's home.
That was why she wanted Izumo to endure.
Sirin tilted her head, neither agreeing nor denying. "Then, once we finish off all the Kami, let's go see that Planet of Festivities together. A kingdom of dreams… I can't even imagine what that looks like."
"Hello, your barbecue is ready."
The waiter arrived with a large platter of freshly grilled skewers and set it on the table.
"Thanks."
Kiana's eyes sparkled as she looked at the steaming food. Thoughts of saving the world vanished completely—dinner was now the top priority.
"You're welcome. Please enjoy."
Kiana picked up a particularly appetizing skewer and handed it to Sirin with a grin. "It's a place where you can eat barbecue and drink as much as you want, endlessly."
"…When you put it like that, I suddenly don't feel that excited anymore," Sirin deadpanned.
"Oh, come on."
Kiana took a bite, savoring the rich flavor with a blissful smile. "It's hard to describe, since I've never actually been to Penacony myself. But when we can, I'll take you there to see the Charmony Festival, okay?"
"I hope it's really as amazing as you say."
"If you don't like that kind of world, then I'll take you somewhere else—again and again—until you find one you do like!"
"…Is your home among those worlds?"
"…No. That's a place I can never return to."
Sirin: "…"