In late spring, the weather is hot and humid, but the stone bricks made of green bricks are cool.

Marisa is walking down the path to her home.

The houses with blue bricks and gray tiles, simple and clean shops, are no different from the houses near the temple house. It's just that the avenue has become a bazaar, selling fresh meat, gambling stalls, and singing operas.

Marisa didn't even look at it, and took out a green leaf from her pocket, which she had just picked at random from the Forest of Magic.

The lips are lightly pressed against the edge of the thick green leaves, in a simple, melodious but strange tone.

A moment later, on the stage, the gong and drum beaters suddenly screamed a few times, and Marisa pouted and glanced at it before walking towards the corner of the street.

As Marisa blows the tune, many people on the street change subtly.

The beautiful actor on the stage turned around and got off the stage and was replaced by two old men with raw faces. The shirtless man who was shouting to buy and leave made several secret gestures one after another.

Marisa kept walking, and the originally bustling street moved out of the way, intentionally or unintentionally, and soon she came to the door of a fairly imposing mansion.

There is a plaque hanging next to the mansion, on which only the word fog and rain is written.

……

……

The Foggy Rain family is a family that runs a business.

Despite being a relatively closed village, the head of the Kiriyu family used some wonderful means to trade with the kappa for a hundred years.

There are many places in the world where the seal of the Fog and Rain family is engraved, perhaps on the cutting board for chopping vegetables, on the corner of the coffee table, or on the side of the bookshelf covered by dust.

The Fog and Rain family never interferes with people's decisions, but it changes people's lives.

It is said that this is because the head of the Fog and Rain family came from the outside world a hundred years ago.

Everyone in the people knows that there is such a local tyrant family in the village, and they will distribute money there during the New Year's holidays, and they live very closely, so they live a very dull life.

So much so that everyone almost forgot that Marisa Kiriyu is also a member of this clan.

Many servants in the courtyard were doing the daily maintenance of the courtyard, and when they saw Marisa suddenly break in, they were a little dumbfounded for a while, and they couldn't help but stop what they were doing.

"It hasn't changed at all, this family. 」

Marisa didn't even flicker her eyes and continued to stride forward.

Walk through the courtyard to the Japanese-style main hall, open the sliding door, and a white-haired man squatted at a small table, playing with a teapot.

On the table, there was a plate of peanuts, two cups of weak tea, and the tea was still steaming.

Seeing that he was still brazen and in control of his life according to his own wishes, Marisa's worries for days finally let go, and she breathed a sigh of relief and read his name.

"Xianglin. 」

……

……

This tall man who is not much taller than Marisa is actually not called Xianglin.

Xianglin's real name is Mori Kinrin's nosuke.

But he wasn't called that at first.

The concept of a name is wonderful for the yokai themselves, and the yokai with a name will have an extra fate with the world.

And the fate of Mori Jinlin's help is in the fog and rain house.

Before Marisa was born, Rinnosuke Mori worked at the Kiriyu family's grocery store.

At that time, he looked much the same as he does now.

Rin Nosuke is a youkai, a half-demon to be exact.

The current head of the Fog Rain family didn't care about these problems, and when the previous generation of witches was at the peak of their fame, they silently took in this injured half-demon.

Then there was one less swordsman and one more clerk in the world.

Rin Nosuke has an ability that is very suitable for being a grocery store clerk, so the head of the Misty Rain family has always joked that he was born to be a clerk.

Because it's a half-demon, it's not easy to starve to death if you don't eat, and you won't get sick if you catch a cold when it rains.

Basically, I work full-time with a part-time salary, thunder and rain, and I am not late for the New Year's holidays.

Just when the villagers in the human world have begun to get used to the half-demon who has a depressed look in his eyes and faces the overly beautiful half-demon.

He vanished, and alone he silently opened an unattended grocery store near the Forest of Magic.

In the same year, Marisa ran away from home, and in her first year of self-reliance, she fired the first cannon of her thief's life in the grocery store in the Magic Forest.

These are two wonderful characters.

Back to the people.

Back to the fog and rain.

……

……

The half-demon with his eyes closed, the first thing Marisa said when he opened his eyes was.

"I disagree. 」

Marisa silently grabbed a handful of peanuts and put them in the palm of her hand, and whispered, "This has nothing to do with you. 」

There was a hint of exhaustion and helplessness in Mori Kinrinnosuke's eyes, and his spirit was not as good as usual.

Listening to Marisa's subconscious rebuttal, Rinnosuke shook his head and criticized.

"Do you think this is still an ordinary mutation like you used to play games at home?"

Marisa said after a moment of silence.

"I don't think it...... There is much difference in essence. 」

Rinnosuke stopped playing with the teapot and looked at her.

"But it's not that simple...... If Kukura didn't have the support of Yakumo Murasaki, the acquiescence of the Hakurei witch, and the help of Yokai Mountain, do you think he would be able to do this alone?"

He put down the teapot and said with a sigh.

"The Witch of Hakurei ignores civil strife, and only human beings can interfere in the affairs of the world. Neither the sage nor the youkai have the right to directly intervene. As the adopted son of the village chief, Jiukong Xun has nothing to dispute about in terms of identity. So the shrine maiden can't make a move. 」

"I can't, you can't. 」

He looked up, looked at Marisa, and said deeply.

"Neither can the fog and rain. 」

……

……

Marisa Misty Rain raised her head and stared at Mori Rinnosuke's face closely, and after a moment, many complicated expressions of disappointment, understanding, and abandonment appeared on her face.

He smiled wryly and said, "That's right, after all, I'm not the eldest lady of this family anymore. 」

According to common sense, Marisa is the eldest lady of the Misty Rain family, but she is only an eldest lady. After leaving the family for many years, he did not bring any benefits to the Wuyu family, and there were a lot of troubles.

How could such a self be able to persuade an old family that did not meddle in people's affairs in the first place?

The Fog Rain family is still the one who is rigid and indifferent.

Although Marisa was disappointed, she was not very surprised, but a wry smile tugged at the corner of her mouth, secretly thinking that she had made so many mental preparations, and when she went home today, she finally couldn't hold back her tears.

Looking at Marisa, whose eyes were slightly red, Rinnosuke said gently.

"If you understand this, why are you here? 」

Marisa didn't know why he was asking this, and said after a long silence.

"In the past two days, I went to the Red Devil Pavilion, to Alice's house, to the shrine. I didn't find them, and then I realized that they all seemed to be hiding from me, and I was the only one who didn't really understand anything. 」

"So you're here for help?"

"No, it's not. 」

Marisa stubbornly and proudly lifted her face, tears rolling in her eyes.

"Because this is my home. 」

……

……

"Give me the gossip furnace. 」

Hearing this, Marisa looked at Rinnosuke in some surprise.

Rin Nosuke looked at her and said with a smile.

"The master has said a long time ago, no matter what, as long as you open your mouth and admit your mistakes, the past will not be investigated. 」

Marisa was stunned, and immediately understood what Rinnosuke meant, and an indescribable excitement surged in her heart, licking her lips that were a little dry, and carefully took out the gossip furnace from her hat, along with something, and handed it to Rinnosuke.

Opening the bag and taking out those bright green fragments, Mori Rinnosuke was a little distracted for a moment.

Seeing that the calm Xianglin was able to stay like this, Marisa actually laughed out loud for a while.

"How did you get it?"

Rinnosuke's expression was a little dazed.

Marisa recalls the tragic battle that night, her eyes turning red, and she said lightly.

"It's his life, and now that he's dead and dead, I want to take over his ...... Will. 」

"So, help me melt it. 」

Mori stood up, slowly rubbed the surface of the fragments with one hand, felt the unique touch and power, and took a deep breath, and in this moment, all the troubles in the world disappeared.

What Yakumo Purple, what Hakurei Shrine Maiden, what Youkai Mountain, all faded in his mind like sea foam.

He was just thinking about the metals, thinking about the little girl who was holding the Tiancong Cloud Sword and pulling and screaming that he had melted it.

Sure enough, I still grew up.

=========

PS: Twenty years of dreams are gone...... Ash still doesn't have a champion.