'Wow, my beautiful sister!　Play with me!
No!　Play with me!
Sir!　We have a visitor.
Hey, guys - help me with the dishes!

　Yuto and the others entered the room at Shihira's urging and stepped into the very large living room, and were puzzled by the reception they received from the many children.
　The children gathered around Mizuho and Marion in particular, and Mizuho and the others cringed as they tugged on their hands and hugged each other.
　Looking at them, the children, other than Shihira, seemed to be of a low age, not exceeding ten years old, with a few of them being around kindergarten age.
　The rooms were of an advanced design, and also very spacious, estimated to be at least 150 square meters. In fact, this household room that this Dark Night Leopard had prepared was a six-bedroom, young, high-grade apartment. Even so, it was still too small for nearly twenty children to live in, but the children didn't seem to be bothered by it.
　Watching the children interacting with each other, they seemed to be getting used to living in a large group of people in a friendly atmosphere.

'Hey, guys!　

　Shihira approached the girl called Kodama, a calm-looking girl who was one of the oldest of the children, and the girl nodded.

''Alright. Brother Shihira.''

'Err, why are you packing?'

'Come on, guys, we're going. Just bring your clothes and your most important things.

""Yes."

　As Yuto watched the children scattered individually, he felt distressed. These children were abandoned by their parents and taken away by adults they didn't know, without knowing anything about, and came here. And even now, they continue to be caught up in the selfishness of adults.

(Maybe what I'm doing is the same as the dark night leopard.... (Whatever the reason, I'm trying to take these kids out for our convenience, something that has nothing to do with them.

　Mizuho and Marion also remembered the same feeling as Yuto and showed a slight expression of complexity.

''Let's talk over here.''

　Following Shihira who said that, they were led into a room about 6 tatami mats in the middle of the corridor, and when only a chair was prepared in a bleak room with no table, they each sat down.
　Then Shihira turned to Yuto and the others and opened his mouth.

'I've heard a lot about it. I knew that Stopwater works for the Chinese government. But is it true that you are employed by this mysterious military organization called the Dark Night Leopard?　And that's why they're holding us hostage and making us obey the water shutoff.

　When Yuto and the others nodded, Shihira clicked her tongue and twisted her face.

''Stopwater didn't tell me anything, nothing!　If that's the case, so am I!

Shihira-san, I am the one who fought against this Mr. Stoppage.

"!　You did?　I don't know how you can fight the water shutoff and stay alive...

''Yes ... he was a powerful enemy. If I hadn't stood up to it as best I could, I would have been beaten right back. So listen to me. I believe that Mr. Stopwater is following the Dark Night's Leopard against his will. It's trying to protect you guys... The Midnight Leopard is a dangerous organization. Even if you continue to follow that organization and fight against us... the World Organization of Gifted Persons and win, you probably won't be freed. That is, of course, and Shihira-san and the others....

....

''So, let us protect Shi Ping and the others. Then there will be no reason to follow Mr. Stopwater's Dark Night Leopard. Besides, the World Ability Agency, which seems to be bigger and more powerful than the Dark Night Leopard, has decided to retaliate against the Dark Night Leopard with all its might. If they succeed in this, there will be no more harassment by the Dark Night Leopard in the future. Of course, we won't make the agency feel bad about the future of the children involved in this case.

....

　Shihira listened to Yuto's story silently and gazed at the serious Yuto's face.

''That's.......still not something I can agree to.

'What?　Why?　Shihira-san. If you stay here.

　Yuto and the others widened their eyes at the unexpected answer.

I'm sure you're not the only one who thinks that the World Organization of Gifted People is trustworthy. Besides, you came here because you found it difficult to fight against the water stoppage, right?　The bottom line is that we're scheming to not fight the water shutoff,

!

'What are you talking about?　It was the Dark Night Leopard that did it first!　We don't like doing this either!　And you're not going to stay a hostage either!　Once we're protected by the agency, we can get out of this!　It's tens of thousands of times better than living a life trapped in a dark night leopard!

　Mizuho couldn't keep quiet and countered.

''Well you're all the same in the end, with the Chinese government.

What?

'Surely, if you ask me, the people who set this up are called the Dark Night Leopard, right?　That pissed you off and you decided to retaliate. But the water's too strong for that. So this could be our salvage, right?　But that would be comfortable to call it a rescue, but in effect, our hostage position is almost the same. It means we'll be your hostages this time, right?　Change the word hostage to the word protection. The only reason is the difference between fighting the water stoppage and not fighting it.

......

'I've had enough of this!　You need to leave us alone!　We just want to live our lives in peace!　You show up out of nowhere, get the water stops into a fight, we're hostages, protection, what the hell are you people!　I'm sorry.　When the guy came to me earlier to explain this, I thought I'd be better off following your lead. But at the end of the day, all that's destroyed, all that's been taken from us, we'll never get anything back!　

　Mizuho tries to raise her voice, but when she sees Shihira's pained face, she shuts up.

''Enough ... we'll decide what to do from now on. We're going to leave this place like this. If you do that, your purpose will come true, so there will be no problem, right?

'What?　It's absurd!　Where are you and Shihira-san going alone?　This is Japan!　And without fail, the Dark Night Leopard and the Chinese government will come after you. There's no way we can get away with it!

　Marion is surprised to hear this decision of Shihira.

'I'll fight too. I've studied martial arts to stop the water, too. I have money, and I'll find a place to live quietly, away from the cities. And once you and your friends have defeated the Dark Night Leopard, there won't be any more problems, right?

Oh no...

　Marion keeps her mouth shut at Shihira's resolve, but Marion is probably right. It is extremely difficult for a young boy like Shihira, much less a Japanese, to cross over in a foreign land. And with nearly 20 children in his arms, just getting around is a challenge.
　Yuto bit his navel, knowing firsthand Shihira's despondency and his will to protect his life with his children.
　This was by no means the responsibility of Shihira and the others.
　They were forced to make such a decision, and others put them in a situation where they were forced to make such a decision for their own benefit. In that sense, the curse on Houzuki Akiko that Mizuho had requested was the same.
　Somewhere in there is a person involved in these things who cares nothing for the lives of others, their circumstances, or their hearts for their own purposes. Maybe it's not just one individual. It is possible for organizations with large families to lose their decency for the good of the organization. They don't quantify human beings and stop their hearts at the sacrifice of a few.
　This is the kind of sacrifice that Yuto often heard from the people in the upper echelons of the organization during the fierce battles in the Demon World.
　Whenever he heard that line, Yuto was troubled by the frustration that welled up in his heart even if he could understand it in his head.
　And..........the situation Shihira and the others are in is, in a sense, the front line. In front of a large organization, Shihira and his team are nothing more than quantified "objects". Moreover, they were unintentionally caught in the middle of a situation. And that includes, of course, stopping the water.

I understand what Shihira-san says.... With this, one can't help but think that Shihira-san and the others are being used as a tool of the two organizations.......

　Everyone focused on those words from Yuto with their respective expressions.

''......... Once you understand that, you can leave now. And when you meet with the water stoppage, I want you to tell them. Tell Shihira and the others that they are no longer anyone's hostages.......and that Stopwater is free. Then he won't have to fight you. And you won't have to die. And stopping the water won't save us from a fight we don't want to have. It's a win-win situation.

No, Shihira-san I still want you to come with us.

'What?　What are you talking about?　I don't know if I'm that afraid of stopping the water!　You don't know this, but I'm a liar to stop the water!　I would never fight without something to tie me down like we did.

''It's not. What I'm trying to say is that even if Shihira-san is right, and even if Shihira-san and the others are protected by the agency here, it's still... not... normal.

'So!　You said that earlier!

'But what Marion-san says is also true. No matter how you underestimate Shihira-san and the others in the future, I think it will be difficult for them to become what Shihira-san says they are. Even Shihira-san should know that. He knows what it's like to take a large group of small children with you and look for a safe place to live in a foreign land. In fact, if we leave now, there's a good chance we'll be reported to the police in a heartbeat just for moving around. That's why Shihira-san wanted to follow us in the beginning, right?

....!

So I promise you.

　Yuto looked up and gave Shihira a serious look.

''I'll convince Mr. Stopwater to bring you to Shihira-san for once. After that, Shihira-san and the others can decide what to do. And once that's done, I'll also find a place for Shihira-san and the others to live, and I'll have the agency stop protecting Shihira-san and the others.

"...what?　Guess what I'm going to say........ You've got to be kidding me!　How can I promise you that?　If the water shutoff refuses, that's where it will end. Besides, the agency would be better off protecting us, right?　That way we can force the water shut-off to join us!

'The agency wouldn't do that!　This time, too....

　Unintentionally, Mizuho stood up, but Marion hushed her.

'Well, let me ask you, then?　How are you going to fulfill that? If neither the water shutoff nor the agencies turn down your proposal, what are you going to do?

'I'll do ... by force ...' If this proposal doesn't go through, both Mr. Stop and the agency will do what they say by force.

!

Yuto!

Don't be ridiculous!　I don't know about the agency, but I don't think the water shutdown is something you can handle!　And you guys came here to not fight the water shutoff, didn't you?　That would be the end of the world!

''If the agency is thinking of using Shihira-san and the others to stop Mr. Stopwater... then I'm not going to belong to the agency either. Well, I've said some bluster, but honestly, I'm not worried about the agency. The head of the branch office is someone who can talk. But I'm not sure how Mr. Stoppage will fare.

Well, I guess we're not going to get to keep your stupid promise anyway. There's no way in hell you're going to force a water stop.

'Shihira-san you've learned a bit of Sendo, haven't you?　I've been feeling the slightest hint of sacred ki from earlier.

'Hey!　How could you do that...

'Has Shihira-san ever seen Mr. Stoppage-san's real Senki?'

!

　Actually, there is. Shihira had once asked Stopwater to show him in the middle of his training. In the forest near the house, in the mountains, Stopwater quietly releases his sacred ki.
　 At that time, Shihira couldn't even stand due to the pressure coming from the water stoppage and grabbed the plants and trees growing on the ground.

''So, what do you mean...''

'I'll show you my real Senki. That's all you need to do is compare it to Mr. Stoppage. It's not just Senki alone that decides the winner.　But Sennki is about accumulation, awareness and overcoming. It's ... protect, break, and leave. By repeating this and knowing that the root of all of these is the same, the sacred ki grows. I've heard that there were some who didn't even have to go through this process to come to know the Shinra, but I'm not exaggerating, I'm dying to try. Then we'll see....

""What?"

　Immediately after this, the door of the room Shihira, Yuto and the others were in blew off, and the children were surprised and uproarious when it was overturned.


'You're an idiot!　Hey, you're an idiot!

'It's true!　I was stuttering, giving it my all here.

Oh, no, I was just trying to get Shihira-san to believe me... oh, ouch!　I'm sorry!

　Inside the room, Mizuho and Marion are lecturing Yuto with their crumpled hair intact.
　Shihira is leaning against the wall and falling on his buttocks.

''Ah, you ... you are also a Taoist, aren't you?　And ... this thickness of Senki.

'Yeah so how does it compare to Mr. Stopwater?'

　Honestly, Shihira couldn't compare them. All there was was only surprise and the fact that this boy was in the realm of incomprehensibility.
　But........even though Shihira had only just begun his training, there was something he could feel from Yuto's Senki.
　It was........straightness and warmth. And.........it was hard to put into words, but he felt a sense of acceptance that he hadn't felt at the time of the cessation of water, or a sense of being accused of being the same to each other.
　That we are all in this together....
　It was as if we were told that there was no boundary between love and anxiety, gain and loss, light and shadow, and that what we thought were opposites were in fact the same thing.
　All there is is that we are all just looking for happiness. That's all we are.

'You....what the hell are you.... And Xianqi.........

'Each person has their own......... Because there is no mistake in each of us. Sendo is the practice of knowing that. So, do you believe in me, Shihira-san?

....

　I don't know if this is how Yuto can bring the water stoppage in front of him by force, I don't know. It's true that he felt an incredible force, but that's the same with the water stoppage.
　But I feel like I might as well believe it. I think that this boy will try his best to fulfill his promise. And somehow........I think that victory or defeat could go either way now.
　All there is.......is that I want to stop the water again and live with my children with the water shut off. I know that one day we will say goodbye.

(But I don't want to say goodbye like this. I want to say goodbye not like this. Even if this person can't bring Stopwater to me, I want to know what Stopwater really wants one more time. And I want to let Stopwater do what he wants.)


　Shihira remembered the smile Shihui had shown him once, just once.... It was really a slight change. Maybe he had seen it wrong.
　It was the day when Shisui had gone to town to buy something and had been stranded in heavy rain and hadn't been able to come back. There was nothing to eat ... and we were all hungry on the night of the heavy rain.
　Someone said, "Drink some water and forget it! I said. Then the children went to get water and drank it.

"I think I'm feeling bloated!
It's true!
'What?　Then I'll drink it too!

　It wasn't possible. In truth, they were just too hungry to go to bed.
　But by doing this, a brightness was lit for all of them....
　Then Waterstop appeared and said with his usual blank expression.

''Wait for me. Let's go get some wild rabbits now........

　So said the children, as they turned their bodies around and prepared to go out into the heavy rain pile, to stop the water.

'It's okay!'
The water's stopped.
I drank the water, I'm fine, I'm fine!

　For the kids, sometimes they are anxious to lose an adult on a day like this. They are hungry, but they wanted Stopwater to stay home more than that.
　Stopwater just looked over in silence as the children tried to keep him from going out as they pressed on.
　Then.........at the same time as if it was measured........

　Guh~.

　And the children rumbled their stomachs.
　The water stop seems to stiffen for a moment.

'They found a wild rabbit's nest nearby the other day. Just wait, it won't take long.

　Saying that, hurriedly, Stopwater ran out of the heavy rain.
　Shihira saw then......... The edge of his lips had risen slightly when Stopwater turned his body........

　Shihira locked eyes with Yuto, who was now staring at us as if waiting for our evaluation.
　Then he decides.

''Okay......... I'll trust you.''

　Shihira said that she believed in Yuto, and at the same time, she decided to believe that Stopwater must have been happy at that time. And I'm sure that Tomosui is also........with us. Shihira believed that they were in a relationship where seeing the other person happy made him or her happy too.



　Shihira and the children went down to the bottom of the apartment with Masato and the others, and each of them got into the three newly prepared wagon-type cars that the Shitendera family had prepared.



It's OK to call me Yujin, Shihira-san.

OK......

　Shihira raised his hand lightly to Yuto and gave him a smile as he turned to head for the last van.

''Shihira-san,''

Yeah?　What is it?

　When Marion called out to him, Shihira stopped and turned to face the blonde girl with a kind face.

''In fact, the people who hired Mr. Stoppage..............The purpose of the Dark Night's Leopard is me. I don't know why, but they're trying to take me away.''

"...What?　That's it!　You didn't say that earlier.

''Yes, Yujin-san may have forgotten to mention this.

It's...

　Marion smiled and showed her a smile, and now she looked serious.

''Also, Mizuho-san and my classmates were cursed by the Dark Night's Leopard and are now under intensive treatment.

!

　Shihira was astonished to hear something unexpected.

''Then you guys are........''

"We were going to fight the Dark Night Leopard regardless of agency or agency. In fact, this morning, we are fighting that Dark Night Leopard. And Yuto-san went head to head with Mr. Stopwater. As far as I could tell, the two of them were fighting for real.

'Serious water stoppage and that guy!　Then why did that guy........why did Yuto contact us.......

　Shihira doesn't understand. If that story is true, then Yuto has the same power as Stopwater. If that is the case, then it should have nothing to do with us, the hostages of Stopwater.
　If they and their friends were under attack, and if they were that powerful, then they could beat the leopard in the dark nighttime with the help of Shutsui. It is also backed up by the very powerful Shitennji family.
　To Yuto and the others, it was the Dark Night Leopard with Cessation that suddenly attacked them. The legitimacy lies with Yuto and the others.

So he chose to cooperate with the Dark Night No Leopard, to fight against Mr. Stopwater, and to leave Shihira-san alone when he was taken hostage.......

That's not the mindset of a man with power!　And even if that's how you guys fought and in case you killed the cessation, you're not doing anything wrong. No, that's as it should be!

Maybe so.

　For Shihira, it would make more sense that Yuto only came to save themselves so that they wouldn't have to fight the cessation. There was no need for Yuto to show Shihira the Senki from earlier just by telling him the situation Marion had just described.

''It's just that, Yuto said. He said that he didn't become strong in order to turn a blind eye to the unreasonable...''

....

'But isn't that why........isn't that why Shihira-san is here now, too?　I think so.

　Marion smiled again and walked past Shihira to the car where Yuto and the others were.
　Shihira shifted her eyes to Yuto who was just now trying to get into the car.



　When he blurted that out, Shihira got into the last van.