Masato....the agency has instructed us on the destination of the hostages we have protected. They wanted me to go to an abandoned house in a rural area of Gunma Prefecture, and they wanted me to go there.

''Well so, Mr. Meira, will the agency be able to allocate personnel?''

They're sending an officer tomorrow. They will bring daily necessities that are currently needed right away. Mr. Kakitate-san works very fast, doesn't he? And he's going to think about how to handle the hostages in the future. Mr. Kakitate-san will come here soon to deal with that. We need to listen to Shihira's wish as well. He says he'll be after us soon.

　A relieved expression appeared on Yuto's face when he heard that, and he looked from the passenger seat of the wagon that the Shitenji family had prepared for him to the back. Behind him, Marion and Mizuho were struggling with the small children who were also in this car.

''Sis, sis, where are we going?''
Sit on top of your sister!
Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. Is the water going to stop?

　Marion responded with a smile, while Mizuho was fumbling and fumbling with the children.
　Yuto smiles a little and turns forward, his expression turning serious. Then he opens his mouth as if to turn to Meira and do penance.

''Thank you, Meira-san. Maybe, but.........

''Haha.......is it possible that the Dark Night Leopard will attack on this way?　If so, I've already told my men about it.

What?

''They'll soon realize that the hostage of the dead bird has been taken, too. Naturally, the assault team of the Dark Night Leopard, which can see the reliance on the dead bird, will move quickly. Besides, after all, the target, Marion-san, is here. They have no way of escaping us, who are working in small numbers, and they're getting impatient because of all their failures. But this is more than that. The problem is....

It's a swallow stop.........

　Meira nodded as she drove.

''What the dead bird thinks of this situation I honestly don't know yet. If the agency has already finished preparing for the protection of the hostages, and the Dark Night's Leopard is unable to do anything about it, then the possibility of a nostalgic move like Yuto-kun says will increase, but as of yet, it's equivalent to us just kidnapping the hostages. I'm sure they're thinking about the possibility of being recaptured by the Dark Night's Leopard again. Besides, how much do you trust the agency?　That's another problem with the dead bird.

Yes.....

　In fact, it was only after he had convinced Shihira and the others that Yuto realized this situation. In that sense, it could be said that Yuto was in too much of a hurry. Now, Masato had begun to wonder if he hadn't simply gotten his friends involved in his own emotions.
　So Masato's face begins to cloud over.

''Yuto-kun, this is advice from an older man but I'll tell you one thing.

Yes, sir.

Don't get lost.

　Yuto raised his downcast head to look at Akera at the core tone of Akera's voice.

''It's also true that if it wasn't for this timing, it would have been difficult to protect the dead bird hostages. If we had taken a slow stance, there is a high possibility that we would have been attacked ourselves before then. In that sense, Yuto-kun's move to make some kind of move ahead of the enemy was not bad. You could say that this limited the enemy's actions.

....

Either way, now that we've convinced Shihira-kun and the others to take them out, we must also meet with the dead bird. In other words, we're not just waiting for them to attack us now, we've taken the initiative. Now we just need to figure out how Yuto-kun is going to talk to the dead bird, whether he's going to fight or protect it. Marion and Shihira-kun, we, the Shitennji family, will make sure to protect you and Mizuho-sama. So, Yuto-kun........

　At this time, Mizuho and Marion were quietly listening to the conversations of these Yuto and others. The children who were dealing with them earlier were out on their respective seats, probably due to fatigue.
　Meira turned her head to look at Yuto and stared into his eyes, then looked forward and smiled.

'Believe in the actions that you yourself ... can't miss, can't forgive, that you caused. You have the strength to do it and the heart to do something about it, don't you?

　When Yuto received Akera's words, his face was filled with life. He was glad that Akera had given him this affirmation... and encouragement for his actions.
　Yuto thought back to what had happened so far to the current situation.
　First of all, Mizuho and Marion's friend, Houzuki Akiko, came to Seisei Academy to save her from being unreasonably tormented by a curse.
　While there, she encountered a group of people attacking Marion in an attempt to kidnap her and fought them off.
　In addition, the strong enemy hired by these attackers, Yan Shizui, has been taken hostage, and although the whereabouts of his true intentions are unknown, there is no doubt that he has some influence on Shizui's actions.
　And ... as an extension of all this ... there is an entity that is hiding in the shadows, not showing itself, disrespecting the lives of others and pulling the strings for its own ends.
　Whether it is the Dark Night Leopard, an organization belonging to the Chinese Communist People's Republic or an individual, I do not know.
　But.

(At least one person, Count Cagliostro, is involved in all of this...)

　A simmering emotion bubbled up in the depths of Yuto's gut.
　There was a reason why Yuto had become so emotional about these series of situations.
　The thing that was most unforgivable to Yuto.
　It is those who justify the sacrifice of something other than themselves.
　Forbidden to Yuto.
　That is.........

　Unwilling restraints, hostages, and sacrifices.

(.....) Lieselotte. Everyone......)

　In the softest part of Yuto's heart, the indigo-haired girl he met in the demon world and shared his heart with comes to mind.
　Her beloved girl and her comrades-in-arms, who were killed by the demons of the disaster that sowed chaos and tragedy in the other world called the demon world, and even their souls were bound....
　These are all irreversible events caused by his own negligence.
　They don't know how much pain was still assaulting their souls even after their deaths until Yuto defeated the demon of disaster.
　Nevertheless, the sight of Lieselotte and her comrades-in-arms, who forgave her with a smile, now envelops Yuto's heart.
　Yuto looked at the scenery through the windshield of the car with eyes filled with strong will. The wagon driven by Akera and the others formed a formation and entered the Kan-etsu Expressway.

''........Thank you, Akera-san. I'll do my best too. I won't let Marion-san get to you. I just can't bring myself to forgive these unpleasant people. I apologize for the inconvenience, but please help me.

Of course, Eugene. We'll do it, thoroughly!　I don't feel guilty about anything these people have done. We're going to make them regret what they've done to us.

'I'll fight, too. If I'm the target, then that's something to fight for. I have no compassion to put on Akiko-san or anyone else who doesn't think anything of involving these little ones.

　At the sound of a voice from behind him, Yuto turned around and was surprised to see Mizuho and the others who had come right up to his face... but he looked at them in turn and smiled.

''I know. I've been planning to do that to Mizuho and Marion-san from the beginning.''

　Seeing that Yuto and the others, Akera also smiled and murmured in a whisper.

''Yes, that's fine. It's our job as adults to follow up on that........



　Yuto looked at the highway, which was going smoothly with few vehicles, and after thinking about it for a while, he looked at Akera.

''Akera-san, I think we should probably consider that the enemy is getting closer. So, let's go some distance and get off at the interchange where we can see the mountainous area.

Okay.

　While telling Akera that, Yuto at this time had other things on his mind.

(The connection between Gaston and the information from Omine-san........ What is Count Cagliostro's.......coexistence with an outsider?　(What this guy is trying to do is...)



　The car pulls off at a lonely, secluded interchange.

'What are we going to do?　Yujin-kun.

'Yes, for now, get the car somewhere where no one will be involved. Preferably some kind of open space with a good view from the mountains and forests.

All right. Let's just run a little wind.

Yes, please....

(Ha!)

　At that moment when he answered that, Yuto's eyes widened wide and his body tensed up.

(You're getting close........Swallow stop!

　Yuto sensed the presence of the Immortal Daoist messenger who was spewing out as if he was flaunting his Immortal Ki.

''Meira-san, they're getting close!　Mizuho-san, Marion-san.

　At Yuto's words, Mizuho and Marion huffed at Yuto, but nodded calmly.

''Yuto-kun, I found a good spot, I'm heading there.

Please!

　He replied, and Yuto let out that sacred ki to himself, as if he was inviting a swallow stop.
　At this time........Shihira, sitting next to the children who were asleep in the last van, shifted his eyes to the moon among the mountains seen through the window and murmured, ".......stop the water.

''....................Stop the water.''