In the winter, the temperature drops below freezing, and even on a clear noonday, it is so cold that you can barely open your eyes. Although the cold wind blowing on the cheeks can bring the fresh smell of the forest in the foothills, it cannot blow away the white mist that lingers around you.

This is a village called "martial arts" in the foothills of Tateyama Mountain in Toyama Prefecture.

Tateyama is an active volcano, and the activity of the earth's crust has given it a stunning volcanic landscape, especially in the vicinity of this martial arts village, where the terrifying rocks, overlapping ravines, and sulfur-smelling white mist are intertwined, and the desperate sight of Naraku with extremely low visibility has given it the nickname "Jigokudani".

But contrary to that terrible title, there are a lot of B&Bs and tourists here, especially in the middle of this winter, and even need to book a room half a month in advance. The reason why this is so great during the off-season is because of the annual folk festival of the martial arts village, the martial arts festival.

There are many ordinary and luxurious buses parked in the parking spaces next to the B&B, and various logos are printed on the body, but the first thing that attracts people's attention is a slightly old bus printed with a shield emblem with the word "cup" written on it.

The bus slowly stopped next to the B&B in people's sight, the door opened, and more than a dozen tall young people came out: they wore uniform uniforms and carried travel bags of uniform style, looking like ordinary students organized by the school on a tour, but the bundles of road uniforms hanging on the bags made them look a little different.

The leader is a handsome young man with black-rimmed glasses, his resolute black hair and expressionless face make him a little cold, but the cold aura emanating from his body has sharply increased this coldness, turning it into a powerful coercion that makes people unable to get close. The moment he stepped out of the car, the parking lot, which was still a little noisy, suddenly became silent.

Immediately after getting out of the car was a long-haired fiery girl, the large scarf that firmly covered her chin seemed a little ruined, but the slender eyes exposed above the scarf became dazzling because of this, and the habitual squinting of golden green eyes just casually glanced for a week, and successfully made the onlookers chill down their spines.

Although the other people who got out of the car were not more eye-catching than these two, they were also distinguished by their temperament compared to the others who came to participate in the martial arts festival. They didn't do anything, they just stood together, and they invisibly brought an indescribable pressure to others.

- Kyogoku Shin, the champion of the men's individual competition of the junior high school national competition, Nao Saotome of the women's individual competition, and the karate club of Kabito Junior High School, the team champion of the junior high school men's karate national competition and the semi-finals of the team group of the women's national competition.

"Hoo-ha-it's finally here!"

As soon as he walked into the B&B, Sakamoto Shumei, who had blond messy hair, first stretched out a big lazy waist, drooped his eyelids and let out a sigh, "What are you doing, you don't say a word when you get off the bus, I thought I was back at the award ceremony of the national competition! I didn't have time to take a closer look at the surrounding scenery, and the rare good interest was all lost, even if I got off the horse, there was no need to be so fast, right?"

"What are you talking about? Ujigawa Natsuki, who was parallel to her, rolled her eyes, "This martial arts festival is not only here for training members of other middle school karate clubs, but also for members of various high schools and universities across the country, and not all of them learn karate, there are also lovers who learn kendo, judo, and aikido, who are you talking about getting off the horse to see?"

"Eh, why are you so nervous?" Shumi pointed to the two people at the head of the team, "Nao, who loves to pretend, you see that even Kyogoku seniors have become cold, isn't this a dismount?"

"Hey, that guy from Kyogoku is the real pretend," Natsuki pouted in disgust, "Do you remember the 'pomp' when the school first started? If that guy didn't pretend to be cool, he would have been eaten alive by the in the parking lot." Come to think of it, if the national champion with a good face and a good personality smiles at those, I'm afraid we won't even be able to enter the door of the homestay. ”

"Uh...... Indeed it is. Shumei shuddered as if she thought of that terrible sight.

"As for Nao—" Natsuki smiled and gestured to the living room, "just see for yourself." ”

As soon as Ujigawa Natsuki's words fell, everyone heard a sound that seemed to be thousands of horses stepping into the guesthouse, and as far as they could see, they saw Nao, who was walking at the forefront, suddenly speeding up, and rushing to the stove in the center of the living room with a fierce momentum, and a puff of smoke rose behind him.

"Ahh

The red-haired girl stripped off the large scarf wrapped around her neck in two by two, and snuggled up to the stove with a happy face, two blush floating on her face.

"Ahem......" Kyogoku Makoku on the side held back a smile and said to the others whose chin almost hit the top of her feet, "She's just afraid of the cold." ”

"Such an exaggeration...... Shumei opened her mouth, "Although today's temperature is only one degree, it is not so cold that Cheng Dù can't stand it, right?"

"The temperature in Okinawa in winter is basically around 10 degrees Celsius, and suddenly I was able to adapt to the sub-zero temperature...... Do you think everyone is as rough and thick as you, wild boar? Nao said slowly while roasting the fire, "And it's not that I can't stand it, it's just that I hate the cold." Otherwise, why do you think I'm here for this training camp?"

"Then you have to be careful," Kyogoku smiled and took off his backpack and sat down on the mat, "This time, except for the Ujigawa seniors who came on a graduation trip, the ten of us are going to participate in the joint training camp at the waterfall with other schools." It's a once-a-year opportunity, and it would be a shame to miss it because of a cold. ”

"Don't worry, I'm not that weak. ”

Nao, who was immersed in the warmth, waved his hand casually at him, and then turned his head to concentrate on the fire. Although exercising since childhood has made her resistant to illness and cold, her obsession with calories is her irresistible instinct. Even if you come to practice willpower in the deep mountains in the cold winter, there is no need to be tense all the time, no matter how to say that this village is an out-and-out tourist attraction in addition to the annual martial arts festival, and the unique weak alkaline transparent hot spring is also one of the main reasons for attracting them to come.

Therefore, while Nao was roasting the fire, Shumi and Natsuki couldn't wait to go out and let off steam.

The Budo Village of Tateyamamurodo, Toyama Prefecture, is less than 20 kilometers from the famous Kurobe Dam, and if you concentrate a little in your room, you can hear the gurgling sound of Lake Kurobe, and you can see the white air of Unazuki Onsen when you go out, and the village souvenir shops are full of martial arts-related specialties, and for tomorrow's martial arts festival, a tall stand has been erected in the center of the village, paper lanterns and braziers have been placed on the side of the road early, and the whole village is full of ancient style.

"When I see these things in winter, I always feel very disobedient......," Natsuki touched his chin and sighed, "But we were invited to participate in the martial arts festival, which was really unthinkable last year." ”

"What's that, this year we were just invited to participate, and we must be the ones who stand on that stage to perform at this time next year!" Shumei waved her hand imposingly, raised her head and burst into a loud laugh, "The performance stage that only the first team in the annual national competition can climb will be occupied by our Cup Tomanaka Women's Karate Club next year, wahahaha!"

"Don't be ashamed, laugh when you actually get on board. Feeling the unkind gaze shooting from all around, Natsuki slapped her finger away with a headache, "I'm going to retreat when I go back this time." You're probably going to be playing as a vice-player in next year's tournament, so think about how you can overcome your problem of holding back when you're attacked. ”

"Eh—I am, that's ......"

"Aren't you afraid of pain? Isn't it good when you usually train, why do you drop the chain when you get to the official competition...... Looks like you're still going to have to train your endurance. Natsuki shook his head, "I can't go with you anymore, you have to have the consciousness to take on the entire community." ”

"Undertake the entire community?" Shumei's footsteps paused, and he turned his head and looked at his former minister suspiciously, "Isn't the new minister Nao? If she is here, with my strength, I am only a deputy general, why do you want me to take on the entire community?"

Natsuki patted the golden boar's chaotic golden retriever, and a little complicated emotion flashed in her pupils, "Nao is indeed the pillar of the entire club, but you also know the current situation, and the responsibility on her body is beyond that of a simple student." You also read the newspaper a few days ago, 'The Dawn of the Metropolitan Police Department' or something...... It's not that Nao is irresponsible to the community, but if a critical case clashes with the timing of a game, which do you think she will choose?"

Natsuki Ujigawa's question was sharp, but Shumi knew that it was indeed highly likely. Nao is now not just a middle school detective known as the "Katarina of the East", but a rookie in the police world known as the "Dawn of the Metropolitan Police Department". Rather than something as childish as club activities, Nao will of course choose a job that can affect her future in the childcare class.

That's right, Shumi thought bitterly. Nao, who would shout "It's okay if there's no strong man, I'll be the first!", was getting farther and farther away from them.

But even so –

"Nao won't leave us behind. ”

With her back to Natsuki, Shumi's voice was unprecedentedly determined, "I'll try to take on the entire karate club while Nao is away, but I definitely won't replace her." She is the only one who is the master of the women's karate club in the cup to, and Nao is the same, and no matter how busy she is with the work of the junior education class, she will never give up karate. ”

The blonde girl turned around, her blue eyes filled with the warm glow of the setting sun, she clenched her bandaged fingers, and smiled a big smile at Natsuki, who was a little stunned.

"Saotome Nao is definitely not someone who can't even do this little thing!"

After dinner, everyone returned to their rooms, and the living room of the B&B gradually became deserted.

Nao, who had been discussing training regulations with Kyogoku for an afternoon, leaned on the tatami mat and looked at Shumi Sakamoto, who had been too quiet since she returned. It was as rare to make a wild boar who couldn't stop for a moment show a thoughtful expression like hail in August, at least Nao, who had been with her for nearly a year, had never seen her like this, and couldn't help but be a little worried.

Could it be that you have a bad stomach?

After thinking about it, Nao picked up the scarf on the side and stood up while wrapping it around his neck.

"Hey, wild boar, if it's okay, accompany me to see tomorrow's training venue. ”

"Oh...... Huh?now?" Shumi came back to her senses and blinked, "It's getting dark, aren't you afraid of the cold?"

"No matter how cold it is, it won't be colder than tomorrow's training. Nao frowned impatiently, "Do you want to go or not?"

"Go, of course. Shumei followed her with a smile, "In case our lord is freezing, I'll have to carry her back." ”

"Long-winded, who would freeze!"

The two laughed and walked out of the homestay and walked along the path behind the parking lot towards the mountain.

At six o'clock in the afternoon, the sky in the mountains had darkened, and a faint orange light shone through the white mist, illuminating the small village like a fairyland. Looking down from the hillside, the B&Bs on the side of the road and the surrounding crowds cast deep and shallow shadows under the orange light of the paper lanterns, like a shimmering river.

"It's so beautiful!" said Shumei with a sigh, "I didn't expect the scenery in the countryside to be so beautiful, much more beautiful than the streets of Tokyo!"

"Watch out for the streets of Tokyo, where there are no stones or stones. Nao shone a flashlight on the mountain road and snorted at Shumi behind her, "Don't look at the woods on both sides of this path, these trees grow on the edge of the cliff, in case you step on the air, either to see Amaterasu or to reunite with the wild boars under the cliff." ”

"No, it won't......"

Shumi looked down cautiously with her flashlight, and the sight made her swallow - there were so many trees around her that it did look like a forest, but all but a few on both sides of the path grew on an almost vertical slope, and it was pitch black that she couldn't see all the way down. And when she took two steps forward and wanted to look again, she was pulled back by Nao's arm.

"-Are you a pig!

"—Are you stupid!

At the same time that Nao was teaching Shumei a vicious voice, a shout that overlapped with her voice suddenly came not far in front of the road, but the difference was that the sound from there was also mixed with the sound of suppressed force, and the sound of "fluttering" like dirt sliding down was also sounded.

"Even, flat ......"

"Idiot, don't talk, hold on to me!!Hey—over there, come over here and help save people!"

Either hearing Nao's words, or seeing the light of a flashlight, the young man in front of him shouted loudly to the two.

Nao and Shumi exchanged glances, and quickly ran towards the place where the sound came from.

The edge of the path was littered with clods of dirt and raised roots, and Nao and Shumi staggered in the darkness to get closer, and in the white light of the flashlight, they could see the boy crawling on the side of the hill and the arm that belonged to the girl in his hand.

Nao took a quick look at the hillside and couldn't help but smack her lips in annoyance. The mud of the hillside that the girl slid down was slippery, and the soil was also soft due to the fog of the surrounding hot springs, and she and Shumi would have slid down with the crumbling mud if they stepped on it rashly, and at present, they could only maintain their balance by half-lying on the ground like the boy who saved people.

But that's not the worst part......

"Tsk, the soil here can't bear the weight of three people!" Nao stopped Shumei, who also wanted to step forward, and stuffed the flashlight into her hand, "Shumei, you wait here, if the situation is not right, go and call someone!"

"Oh, oh!"

Shumi took a step back, watched as Nao □ unusually carefully, and stretched out her hand to the girl who was hanging in the air.

The girl with a high ponytail handed her other hand hard, but the wet and slippery palm made the hand that she had just held slip, and the other hand that the boy grabbed also sank, and several clods of earth rolled down from under her arm, and on the other side, Nao, who was lying □, suddenly turned gloomy, and her narrow eyes narrowed into a thin slit.

From the moment she started, a rumbling sound like tinnitus continued to sound deep in her cochlea, causing a strong sense of foreboding in her chest.

"Kazuha, support it!"

The boy known as Heiji gritted his teeth and lifted the girl alive for half a meter, and although the soil under his chest tended to slip again, Nao grabbed her hand again.

Feeling that the weight in his hand was half lighter, the young man's chest couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief, and he turned his head sideways and grinned at Nao: "Okay! I'll count one, two, three, let's ...... together."

However, before the young man's words fell, the ground below him suddenly trembled violently, and the falling dirt and stones made Kazuha who was hanging on the hillside scream in fear. Only then did Nao realize that Fang Cai's tinnitus-like voice was obviously a wail from the depths of the earth.

"Nai, Nao!"

"Heiji!!"

The sudden earthquake caused the two girls to cry out in panic.

Nao felt her fingers clasped around the other slip away one by one, and her body crouching on the edge of the cliff became lower and lower......

And in the moment of lightning, the dazzling golden green met the deep dark blue, and the owners of the two lines of sight seemed to be pulled by an invisible force, and leaned over to hug the girl who fell downward, and threw her up with all their might—but the figures of the two slid down the steep hill at the same time, and disappeared into the bushes where they could not see their fingers.

The author has something to say:

Oops, didn't catch the weekend update... The next one, if nothing else, is the day after tomorrow

The next chapter is a new case.,White hair and gentleman appear at the same time~ Originally, there were only gentlemen.,But someone forced me to add white hair to it...... Think about it.,It's time for Nao and Nioh to interact more.,Although I'm not very good at writing ambiguous or something.,But the tribulation can always be squeezed out a little.,Ahaha~~