Yes, that's it.


　When Ayaka interrupted between me and Laguna with that, I reflexively raised an eyebrow.

　Fast, I thought. I had caught the previous Laguna's movements, but I couldn't catch the current Ayaka's movements.

　It seems that over the past five years, Maihime has improved her speed even more.

　As I was thinking about this, I heard Ayaka's voice from behind me. However, it was not directed at me, but at Laguna.


'Laguna, put your sword away.

Let go of me, Ayaka. This man has insulted my identity. He needs to be rewarded.

''That doesn't mean you're overdoing it with the drawn sword (that). I didn't want to interfere in the first fight between brothers in five years, but if you're going to kill each other, I'll have to stop you.

You know, I don't have a brother. I don't have a brother.


　Laguna's voice that seemed to spit out. But contrary to his voice, the blade of the heart-suit I was holding lost its heat in a flash, and a moment later it disappeared into the air as if it were melting. Laguna obeyed Ayaka's words and put his armor in place.

　If Laguna had pulled out his sword like that, I would have snapped his heartsuit like Goz did the other day, but I was wrong.

　I don't know if Ayaka's actions were based on that much of a reading, but as a result, I feel like I was cleverly distracted.

　Fumbling with my feelings of indigestion, I turned to both Laguna and Ayaka.

　I turn my gaze to my former brother and his niece, the latter in particular. The other side turned their gaze to me in response. Her shapely, cherry-red lips move and Ayaka says something to her mouth.

　And as if to abhor my gaze directed at Ayaka, Laguna stepped forward. He stands between me and Ayaka and opens his mouth with a grim face.


''Sora, you--''


　Laguna speaks in a fierce tone of voice, but his voice only trembles in my ears as a sound, never reaching my brain as a meaningful word. But his voice only made my ears tremble with sound, never reaching my brain as meaningful words.

　My attention was focused on Ayaka, who was behind Laguna.

　At first glance, Ayaka was quiet, letting Laguna take control of the conversation. But I was the only one here who noticed that the movements of her eyes, her mouth, and her hand brushing the hair from her forehead were spinning meanings based on a single rule.

　Ayaka and I had been playmates since we were children. We often went out together, partly because of our status as fiancees, and until we became aware of each other's gender identity, we could be said to be best friends.

　We did a lot of things together.

　I'm sure you'll be able to find out more about this as well. There were many other things that only the two of us knew about, such as a secret way out or a secret base.

　As a child, he enjoyed sharing the secrets between the two of them.

　And one of them was a code that only the two of us could understand.

　Of course, it was a child's idea of a code, so I can't tell you the complexities of the code. But as a result of Ayaka's obsession with this sort of thing, she wasted no time in trying, and as a result, she was able to complete a code that could be conveyed to the adults around her without them noticing if it was short.

　Ayaka is now using it.　

　Of course, she won't be bonded with her childhood memories just because they have been poked at. If Ayaka had told me about herself, I would have just ignored it with a cynical smile.

　But what Ayaka was telling me was not about herself. And it's not something I can ignore, saying it's nothing to do with the island.

　It seems that my former fiancee still has a firm grasp on my intuition.

　The fact that this was the case naturally made me cluck my tongue.



◆ ◆



Do you want me to catch it, Mykane-sama?


　The first banner general (Kishou) Diarte Berch briefly asked his lord the moment Sora, who was exchanging words with both Miken Laguna and Ayaka Azurite, disappeared.

　High speed movement with an illusory single sword walk. It would be an unremarkable fast move for most banners (Kishi), but Diarte would be able to catch Sora without moving a single step on this spot.

　Laguna's argument earlier was a wild one, but Diarto didn't want anyone outside the island to be wandering around in this emergency situation, either. In that sense, Diarte endorsed Laguna's actions.

　To this, the head of the family, Miken Shikibu, had a short answer.


'Throw it away.'

I will.


　Diarte, whose suggestion was rejected, did not move a single eyebrow. However, it was clear that there was a slight pause before he responded to his lord's voice.

　Next, his deputy general, KUMON Shukuya, spoke up.


''My lord Gokan-sama, what will you do about the person who drilled a hole in the castle wall?　Judging from the previous jin, it was presumed to be a fearsome hand-to-hand combatant. In addition, the existence of a separate force that led the off-island demons to Hiiragi no Miyako was also a concern. Shouldn't Ichihata also send in reinforcements?


　In response to this dedication of Shukuya, Shikibu did not say, "Throw it away.


'Diarto is to the west, Shukuya to the north and Goz to the east. Exterminate the demons that enter the Hiiragito.

Ha!


　At the same time, the three nodded, and Shikibu continued to speak.


"You only need to look at the demons outside. It's no wonder that you can't care about the inside.

Does that mean that the person who drills the hole should be discarded?


　When Shukuya confusedly confirmed this, Shikibu nodded absent-mindedly.


He said, "Crack the walls with a flourish to get our eyes to look out, and then attack the inside. That's the usual way of war. The target of the enemy will be this pavilion.

"Do you intend to intercept the enemy?　As a vassal, I would ask you to reconsider, but....

I don't care. The enemy has not yet reached this point. "I don't care, the enemy has not yet reached this point.


　No one objected to the order again.

　Diarto moved quickly to the west, Shukuya moved quietly to the north, and Goz moved powerfully to the east. With a gait that had the characteristics of each of them, the three strongest of the Onigashima disappeared from their lord's presence.

　The face of the lone remaining Shikibu was covered with a Noh mask that allowed no one insight.