The next day, we set off just after dawn melted with the distant horizon. The smell of dew still lingers in the air. The forest in the distance is bathed in sunlight and sparkles. Like, the stars in the night sky.

The streets are full of lights, and the signs of some snack bars are still a little thick in the fog, flickering and dimming. The aroma of charcoal grilling slowly wafting in the wind slowly enters the nasal passages. It can't help but make people stop. There are a lot of people who stop because of this......

"Hey, we're not here to eat today!"

At this time, Shion's voice sounded next to him, and then he turned his face to me and reminded me with a very serious expression.

"I know."

As soon as I finished speaking, the traffic lights next to me began to change again, and at the same time, we crossed the intersection, getting farther and farther away from the street. On the other hand, the forest is getting closer and closer. At this time, the mobile phone in his hand rang again. Instantly, all of us couldn't help but get nervous—

I looked at Shion and Izumi, and my sister behind me.

"Do you want to pick it up?"

"Let's take it."

Shion nodded with a refreshing and bright expression.

"I'd like to see what else that guy can ask for—"

So, I pressed the answer button, and after a shrill noise, the voice of a man who had been mixed in with it became clearer and clearer—

"You're here alone, aren't you?"

"It was my sister who came with me. After all, you know, I can't go out alone. ”

Before I knew it, I was desperately trying to restrain my voice. But even so, the little anxious emotion that accidentally leaked out of his throat was still captured by the other party.

"Ah...... Well, if you can do anything about it, I can't guarantee what will happen to this guy—"

"I know."

In an instant, I don't know if the last words were conveyed, but it seemed that the other party had already hung up the phone before that. Shion patted me lightly on the shoulder, as if she wanted to say something, but before that she seemed to change her mind and finally said nothing.

At this time, Izumi's voice sounded a little depressed.

"Well, Shion and Izumi, don't you go, right? Is that what it is? ”

Natsume said as he pushed me past a ramp in front of me.

Then, turning his gaze to the two of them.

"Why?"

"Because I don't want to bother you."

After hearing this, Shion sighed a little angrily. Then slowly crouched down in front of me—

"Chihiro, I know what you're thinking. Honestly, it's a pleasure for you to think of us......"

She said to me as she brushed away the leaf that she had touched overhead, hanging upside down from the end of a branch.

"However, my good friend is in danger, and neither I nor Izumi can stand idly by...... So, thank you. But I can't listen to you this time. ”

The moment she finished speaking, her expression suddenly became very serious, and then she reached out and gently took my hand, and then slowly covered it.

At this time, her expression became very bright and refreshing again, focusing her eyes on my face.

"It's you, you have to be careful."

"Why?"

I was a little surprised, and my expression was a little confused. I didn't react a little, so I asked after blinking a few times.

"You think, if Lola is saved, but the price is something irreparable to you, wouldn't that be putting the cart before the horse?"

As he spoke, he could already see an abandoned warehouse at the end of the ramp, which was covered by lush trees. That's where we're going.

Then, we talked about the topic of non-nutrition, and when we came to our senses, it was already in front of us.

"Let's wait outside—"

Seeing that Shion couldn't help but rush in, Izumi grabbed her upper arm from behind. Then, in a very calm voice.

"Okay......"

Originally, Shion's expression seemed to be a little unwilling. I thought about defending myself, but I immediately calmed down. Then, face me again – it took a moment to finally put together a decent smile.

"Go ahead! We're just outside, call us if there's any danger. ”

She said as she reached out and poked me lightly on the shoulder, half as if it were a joke; Half of it was a serious voice telling me.

"Hmm."

I nodded, and with a nervous expression, I stepped over the log at my feet and the vines that seemed to stretch out irregularly in front of me to the door of the warehouse. When I tried to push the door in, I found that it was sealed by a huge log.

So, Natsume took me around to the back of the warehouse again. There is also a small door...... It's just that it's covered by weeds and not easy to spot.

"That guy, he's deliberately embarrassing you, brother! —”

At this time, Natsume clenched his fists in anger and instantly swung towards a place where no one was. It's so fast that I can't even see it...... The eyebrows were furrowed, and they were almost connected.

"Forget it, Natsume—"

"But ......!"

So, bowing our heads a little, we went inside. It was pitch black in front of the sight, and almost nothing could be seen. However, both my eyes and Natsume's eyes are used to this level of darkness. So as long as it's not completely devoid of light, it's fine.

There seemed to be several shipping containers in front of my eyes.

Natsume walked up to them and was about to take a closer look, but the door behind him closed at this moment! And in an instant, it made a very loud sound, similar to the sound made by metal touching the ground.

"Brother?!"

Natsume quickly ran back to me, stretching out his right hand to stand in front of me.

After a while, another voice sounded—

"Chihiro? Are you there? ”

"Lola?!"

At this time, relying on each other's voices, we finally confirmed each other's positions. It turned out that Lola was right behind the container. At this moment, I guess I heard Natsume's voice and stood up, right? Thanks to these eyes, which had long been accustomed to the night, I was able to see her face clearly.

"Really, I've said so many times that you shouldn't come."

"How could you not come...... After all......"

In an instant, as if to interrupt my conversation, Lola drowned out my voice with her own—

"Already, got it...... I know it all, so I don't need to explain it anymore. ”

As she spoke, Lola's voice became a little shy, and her gaze subtly avoided me and turned somewhere else. Then, a laugh that sounded like emotion accidentally leaked out of his throat. Suddenly, I didn't know how to answer.

"Why?"

"I came to contact me from another world not long ago. Probably, 10 days ago? At that time, she told me all the causes and consequences. So, there is no need to explain. ”

Her voice was soft, small, but it reached me clearly.

"That's why I told you not to come. But you're — ! ”

As she spoke, Lola seemed a little angry. Unceremoniously glared in my direction!

So, the moment we came back to our senses, we argued about it—

"If that's the case, I'm supposed to be here, shouldn't I?"

"So, I mean ......!"

Lola was stunned for a moment, showing a very unwilling expression, and couldn't help but raise her voice......

"Forget it, it's too late to say anything anyway!"

With that, she turned her face out of sight as if she was making a fuss, and sat down on the floor with her back to me. Then he sighed as if he was angry......

"Now isn't the time to fight? Brother ......"

Natsume sighed as well, and said to me in a disgusted voice, glaring unceremoniously. When I turned around, my eyes were on track. However, it didn't take long for her attention to be out of me. Instead, he ran to the door, reached out and pulled the doorknob next to the iron grille—

"No! It seems that it is impossible to open it from the inside. ”

In an instant, Natsume's voice was a little depressed and depressed. With my head down, I walked back to where I had been standing...... Squatted down slowly.

"Brother, do you think we're going to be locked up here forever?"

"No, it won't!"

Suddenly, I said it without even thinking about it.

"Perhaps, Shion and Izumi are trying to figure out a way! Yes, they must have noticed! ”

However, before he could finish speaking, he was interrupted by Lola—

"I think it's better to think that both Shion and Izumi have been restricted by the mastermind behind the scenes who don't know where they are hiding at this moment, rather than expecting that the two of them are trying to figure out how to figure out how to do it."

Her voice was calm, very calm. It's pretty much close to the truth, so I can't argue with it.

"Otherwise, in terms of Aster's ability and character, it is impossible not to find out that we are locked up for so long......"

After saying that, after being stunned for a moment, he sighed a little depressedly.

"Is there a way to light it up compared to this?"

Now, Lola's expression brightened again—leaning over to me. It didn't take long for our shoulders and upper arms to touch.

"No way. There's nothing in me that lights up this place right now. ”

As we spoke, our eyes met again.

"Really?"

In an instant, she let out a voice of some disappointment.

After a while, I suddenly remembered something and took something out of the inside pocket of my coat - it was a lighter.

"Why are you carrying this?"

Lola's eyes widened as if surprised, and her gaze shifted several times between my face and the lighter I was holding. Then, with a very serious expression, he asked me.

"I don't know, maybe I accidentally ...... while doing laundry"

"I don't smoke!"

Natsume interrupted me a little angrily and emphasized it very seriously. So, I could only pretend to be stupid and laugh a few times. Then, put the lighter, which has already sparked a little flame, in the middle. And just like that, as time went on, the warehouse was finally not so dark anymore......