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Kanata held out one arm in front of him so he could protect Sakura at any time, and advanced little by little.

“(Wh-Who’s that?)”
“(No clue. But they’re clearly suspicious.)”

The two kids moved behind the nearest storage to get temporary relief from the pressure emanated by the person who was simply standing there, and observed the situation.

“Way too suspicious…”
“Yeah…”

Five minutes after they reached this spot, the man in black finally turned his gaze on them. Then, he spoke for the first time.

“Co… come… out.”

The two kids were baffled by his words accompanied by a beckoning motion. Kanata steeled his heart and stepped forward. Sakura nuzzled up close to him, trembling slightly.

“Who are you?”
“…Identity… doesn’t matter… Let… see you… better…”

Kanata took a step forward in response to the strange demand. Sakura kept behind him, as if to hide herself.

“Hrm… Grown big.”
“Grown big…? What are you saying…?”

Kanata was perplexed by the mysterious man nodding in satisfaction. Still, he judged that the stranger wasn’t about to attack, so he asked a question.

“Are you the one who keeps following us recently?”
“Following…? Following?”

The man in black inclined his head. It made Kanata ponder that this gesture was well-suited to certain people.

“Did not follow. Rather, did watch.”
“…You watched us? Why?”
“…Know. That’s why.”

Sakura, who only felt confusion at this conversation, went to hug Kanata.

“…You also followed Shuu, didn’t you?” the boy continued his questions. “Do know who I mean? That guy who gives off a feeling of strength.”
“Understand… Did not follow. But… did watch. Won’t deny.”
“So, you followed us because you ‘know’, but why Shuu?”
“Smelled… that’s why. Scent of Anazumu.”

That made Kanata frown even harder. The reason for that was obviously the last word.

“Anazumu…”
“…Yes, anyway, hard to speak. This. Same, but, old fellow. Yes, soon,” the man muttered with a hint of regret as he clutched his throat.

His intonation was all over the place, making it sound to the kids as if he was speaking a foreign language.

“For now, tell me this: are you an enemy?”
“Enemy? About that… enemy… ha, ha-ha-ha…”

The man laughed while holding his stomach, as if something had gone exactly as planned. Still, he seemed somewhat dejected, causing Kanata to give up on trying to judge the man’s thoughts from his behavior.

“Phew… hah… MUAH-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA!”

His earlier faltering manner of talking was gone without a trace. The man, seemingly shocked himself, held his throat as his laughter became more normal. Then, as if to check whether his voice worked normally, he cleared his throat and produced a few vowels before nodding and turning his gaze on the kids, never taking off his hood.

“Hrm, did I adapt to this body? Right, I never answered your question. As for whether I am friend or foe, I don’t feel like telling you. Still… we will surely meet again. This is certain, Kanata.”
“…!!”

Kanata was shocked at the man suddenly starting to speak fluently and then addressing him by his own name. Though it wasn’t enough for him to freeze up.

“Farewell, for now…” the man spoke, before disappearing with a poof, like a shadow dissolving into air.

Only the two kids remained.

“Somehow, this turned into a big deal.”
“S-Someone other than us who knows about Anazumu… no, more importantly, he said your name…”
“My name has been broadcast in the whole country, so it’s not that strange for him to know it. Still… I’m stunned that he’s actually related to Anazumu, as I hypothesized.

The area had grown silent, a stillness in the air. Sakura gasped as if remembering something and pulled out her smartphone.

“We need to contact the others…”
“Let’s wait until tomorrow with that.”
“What?”

She looked at the boy in surprise, who was shaking his head.

“We have to gather everyone anyway, which likely won’t be possible today. They’re all busy with something.”
“That’s… true, I guess…”

She stopped fiddling with her phone and put it away. When he saw her looking anxious, he ruffled her hair somewhat roughly but still gently.

“Come on, let’s continue our date.”
“Bwuh? Are you sure?”
“I am. You were having fun, weren’t you? At this point, there’s no way we’d cancel the date over a little shock like this.”
“…Yeah.”
“I know that you’re anxious, but this is us. We’ll manage somehow.”
“Y-You mean I should rely on you?
“Yep. Please do.”

They composed themselves, resumed their date, and moved on to the mountainous enclosures where bears and foxes could be found.

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