The fainted girl was lifted out of the fire, and because her body was different from a human, the flames could not cause any harm to her. To put it more bluntly, the sin wrapped around her is non-combustible garbage.

Walking out of the burning house, Chu didn't go far, just hugged the girl, found an open space to sit down on the side of the house.

Her actions require orders from the summoner, and she doesn't know what to do without them. So all she has to do now is wait for the girl to wake up.

Speaking of which, the girl's eyes before she fainted made Chu a little familiar, and she had seen such dull eyes in many people.

The unconscious girl had her eyes closed, her lips pale, and her body trembling slightly, perhaps from fear or cold.

Chu put the black robe on the girl's body, and that's all she could do.

The blazing flames, emitting a scorching and piercing light, reflected the collapsed wreckage, and reflected the figures at the edge of the fire. Chu hugged the girl and sat quietly on the side, watching the flames burn everything out.

When the girl frowned in Chu's arms and let out a murmur, she woke up.

It was late at night.

She felt someone holding her, but instead of looking at the man, she looked back at the wooden house, which was charred and black, and the flames that burned the house were about to be extinguished.

The last sparkle in the girl's eyes gradually lost, and Chu didn't speak, just hugged her.

A tear slipped from the corner of the girl's eye, and she finally couldn't help it, turned around and lay in Chu's arms, crying loudly.

She cried bitterly enough to make anyone who heard her cry ago.

But at first there was no reaction, she just lowered her head and let the girl's tears wet her sin.

It was a long time before the girl's cries subsided, her eyes red and swollen, and Chu helped bury her parents, the two charred corpses in the yard.

Then, she asked Hatsu to take her out of here.

Where are you going? She didn't say, and she didn't ask.

The girl's foot was sprained in the fire and she couldn't walk, so Chu carried her on his back and walked outside.

Crossing the path, the two passed by a field, where the crops were not yet ripe, and at night they could hear the chirping of frogs, and a few fireflies were flying in the field, with fluorescent.

On the way, the girl lay on Chu's back and asked in a low voice, "What's your name?"

"Chu. Chu answered.

"My name is Sakurako. The girl said her name blankly, her eyes darkened, and she asked, "Where are you from?"

"A far, far away place. At first glance, I saw the shadows of isolated trees swaying on both sides of the road at the foot of the mountain.

"Will you help me get revenge?" Sakurako's hand clenched slightly, and then loosened.

"I will. Chu's answer was brief, but her tone was firm, and she would definitely complete the summoner's mission.

"And after that, will you kill me?" Sakurako had already signed a contract at the beginning of the summoning, and although she was still a child, she could vaguely feel something.

At the beginning of helping her get revenge, she will have to pay the price. This price is what the contract says about sin. She thought that if she wanted to take away the sin, she would have to kill herself.

But even so, she still chose to sign the contract.

"No, it won't. Hatsu gave Sakurako an unexpected answer, "I'll only take what I need to take with me." ”

She won't take any of the rest, and she won't take anything with her.

Sakurako stopped talking, maybe she was asleep, maybe she didn't want to say any more.

There was no sound on the road at night, and at first I carried Sakura on my back and walked a long way.

That night, Sakurako felt like she was in a dream in which the mountains and rivers were quiet, and she sat on the back of a black bird that carried her high in the sky, through the flowing clouds, and over the silver galaxy.

She lay among the bird's feathers, soft and warm, touching her cheek.

Eventually, they flew under a cherry blossom tree, which was in full bloom with pink petals flying all over the sky. The bird left her a feather, then flapped its wings and flew away, flying off into the distance she didn't know.

······

After walking for a long time with Sakurako, they needed to find a place to stay, but there were no people around.

It was supposed to be the third day, the color of the sky was overcast, and the clouds were low.

The air was a little damp, and at first I found a small town with Sakurako, which I said was a small town, but in fact it was more like a slightly larger village.

There are not many inhabitants here, and the houses are somewhat shabby, mostly low-rise bungalows. Wooden houses are prone to mold and leakage on such damp and rainy days.

Just like this weather, the residents on the road are also worried.

When Hatsu and Sakurako walked in front of the village, it began to rain in the sky, and the rain quickly wet Hatsuwa Sakurako's hair and shoulders.

Sakurako is a little weak, she has been just eating wild fruits on the side of the road to satisfy her hunger these days, and now she is cold and hungry.

When she first looked at the village, she thought she could find a place to stay, close to the crowds and convenient for exchanging goods. As for where to live, you can build a house by yourself or find a natural place to live. She has some experience when it comes to survival.

But first, they should find a place to shelter from the rain.

Most of the houses in the village were inhabited by residents, and there were few shelters from the rain, so he eventually took Sakurako to the door of a temple.

The gate of the temple is closed, and the words "Seishinji" are written on the door.

Although it is difficult to enter, the eaves in front of the temple are large, which is just right to shelter from the rain.

The two sat in the corner in front of the temple gate, watching the rain outside, watching the rain slide down the tiles of the eaves, and listening to the raindrops ticking on the stone slabs.

Sakurako clasped her hands and sat next to Hatsu, who was her only support now.

Suddenly, the door of the temple opened, and out came an old monk, wearing a gray monk's robe, with a string of Buddhist beads around his neck, and a bamboo and wooden broom in his hand.

He was a little surprised when he saw Hatsu and Sakurako, and it seemed that he didn't expect this deserted temple to have guests suddenly visit.

When I saw the old monk for the first time, he didn't say anything, but just stayed on him, with some vigilance in his eyes.

Sakurako also raised her eyes and did not speak.

The first meeting between the three of them was so silent.

Until the door, the old monk smiled peacefully, he looked at the sky outside and said.

"You're here to take shelter from the rain, which is always very rainy in the spring. ”

He didn't drive Hatsu and Sakurako away, nor did he invite them in, he just said.

"You can wait for the rain to stop before you go. ”

With that, he closed the door again.

Outside the door, only the sound of rain remained, and Sakurako cowered in the corner.

Except for asking about Chu's name that day, she rarely took the initiative to speak. Sometimes, you don't say a word in a day.

After a while, the door was opened again, and it was the same old monk, this time he was holding a lunch box with a rice ball in it.

"It's left over from the middle of the day, it's not much, but I think you should be hungry, so eat a little. ”

He placed the lunch box next to Hatsu and Sakurako, turned around and walked back to the temple.

The rice balls looked to have just been heated, and there was a faint mist and aroma of rice wafting on them, and there was nothing superfluous, just ordinary rice.

But for Sakurako, who has been hungry for many days, this is completely enough.

Sakurako's stomach gurgled as she picked up the rice balls and opened her mouth to bite them off, but suddenly stopped.

Holding the rice balls, she turned her head to look at Chu beside her.

The sound of the rain was soft, and Chu quietly guarded her side.

Rainwater splashes in puddles under the eaves.

Halfway through, Sakurako lowered her head, divided half of the rice balls in her hand, and handed them to Hatsu.

"Here you go. ”

She was hungry, but she still chose to give half of it to Hatsu.

At first, she was a little puzzled, in her understanding, Sakurako should have been very hungry at this time, and she shouldn't have given the food to herself.

She had seen hungry people fighting each other for a bite of food, so Sakurako's behavior made her very puzzled.

In fact, in addition to competition, people also share, but most people don't learn it.

Looking at the rice ball in front of her, Chu took it, because it was given to her by the summoner, and she would not refuse.

I took a small bite, and it had a very light taste, some sweetness that was almost indelible.

She remembered that Hillman, the last summoner, had also given her food, and that this rice ball was much worse in taste than the food Hillman had given her.

But for some reason, she had a special feeling when she ate it.

Sakurako gobbled up half of herself, gulping down and munching on the warm rice, tears streaming down her eyes.

She remembered her mother's cooking, and her mother, who loved to smile and watch her eat.

Tears mixed with rice were eaten by her mouth.

Many years later, Sakurako can still remember the warmth of that rice ball when she thinks back to that rainy day.