“Appear, fight, disappear—that’s all it is,” Yuu Kagami said, sliding a biscuit stick into her mouth.
She extended her palm, offering the candy to the wary Princess.
“Time spent with kin like this should be cherished.”
“You… too?”
Tohka’s eyes widened, touched.
“Mm~ Pursued, driven off, invited to the same date as you, so here I am,” Yuu replied with a playful, almost theatrical tone, tilting her head slightly.
“My name’s Yuu Kagami, just Yuu for now. Share your name, and this candy’s yours to enjoy~”
“Um… Yuu, Yuu, got it! I’m Tohka! Shidou named me! This is the first time I’ve met another spirit!”
Tohka’s hostility was reserved for humans.
She still couldn’t fully distinguish between the Self-Defense Forces, clad in robotic suits and firing at her, and ordinary humans.
This was tied to the spacequakes that accompanied her appearances, triggering citywide alarms and evacuations.
It wasn’t that she couldn’t tell them apart.
Until meeting Shidou, every human she’d encountered was part of the attacking forces.
Even now, though she’d reluctantly accepted Shidou Itsuka, Tohka had no intention of lowering her guard around other humans.
The next human she met would likely cause her to tense up, spiritual energy gathering at her fingertips for an attack.
But beyond humans, Tohka retained a strong curiosity and fascination for everything else.
It was a common trait among newborn spirits, lacking social knowledge.
Before they could blend into society, they all faced similar issues.
In short—there wasn’t enough time.
From the moment they manifested, they were attacked.
If careless, they could be injured.
Chased by bothersome humans blasting away, they’d flee until they naturally vanished.
The AST took up too much of their time, leaving little for them to explore or experience this vast, unfamiliar world.
New things, instinctual hunger, a hand extended by kin.
Fresh, unknown, yet not unwelcome.
After enduring countless hostile glares, Tohka was especially sensitive to genuine kindness—whether talking with Shidou or facing this outstretched hand.
As the vivid sweetness spread across her tongue, the girl realized—
Not everything in this world is hateful.
***
Following Kyōhei’s instructions through the earpiece, Shidou Itsuka slowed his pace to lead the way.
Just behind him, Tohka tugged Yuu’s arm, while Yuu held Kotori’s hand, forming a simple diagonal line.
Initially, Kotori had scolded him for walking too fast, ignoring their differing strides, so Shidou deliberately slowed down.
As a result, he found himself distracted by the scene.
How to put it… For Shidou, who’d never gone out with girls other than his sister, this felt entirely new.
Their linked hands swayed as they walked.
If not for their striking Divine Raiments, anyone would mistake them for close friends, not calamities threatening the world.
There was no romantic tension, just a pleasant harmony that caught the eye.
Shidou’s gaze kept drifting to the girls.
A love for beauty is universal, and all three—including his adorable sister—were undeniably beautiful girls.
Just looking at them was soothing.
The location Fraxinus provided wasn’t far, but Shidou, a longtime resident of Tenguu City, had little recollection of the place Kyōhei indicated.
“Come and see how capable we are,” was the vague gist.
Please don’t be so cryptic…
Imagining a few food trucks crammed into an alley, unloading wares, Shidou took a deep breath, uneasy.
“The smell Tohka mentioned should be around here, probably…”
Honestly, Shidou hadn’t noticed any distinct scent earlier.
Only at the end of the path, rounding the corner, did he catch a whiff.
A gentle aroma…
Impressed by Tohka’s sense of smell, Shidou relaxed slightly.
If there was the scent of bread, it likely wasn’t a makeshift street stall… though a stall wouldn’t be bad, it just felt a bit off…
The path ended.
Stepping around the corner, midday sunlight spilled down, slightly dazzling.
But Shidou had no time to mind the discomfort.
He froze in place.
Bakery, café, candy shop, family restaurant… familiar brand names lined up in an unfamiliar arrangement before Shidou Itsuka.
In his memory, this path was just a shortcut to the market.
There weren’t even restaurants nearby, let alone food services.
Yet, these shops felt vaguely familiar—especially the fourth, a family restaurant that looked exactly like the one he and Kotori visited to celebrate special occasions.
She loved their deluxe kids’ meal.
“How’s that, Shidou-kun! Building a food street from scratch would take over ten minutes, so we relocated nearby top-rated shops instead! The deluxe kids’ meal the Commander missed is already being prepared! Perform well!”
“Is it really okay to just move people’s shops like that—?!”
Grasping the extent of Fraxinus’s support, Shidou shouted, worried for the shop owners.
“Yuu, what’s this smell? This aroma!”
“I haven’t manifested many times… I know it’s probably from a bakery, but don’t ask me specifics…”
Yuu glanced at Kotori, who showed no intent to explain, then spoke casually.
“Since the boy proposed the date, he should handle the explanations.”
“Hm… is that so? Shidou, what’s this aroma!”
Letting go of Yuu’s arm, Tohka tugged Shidou’s sleeve, her eyes sparkling with curiosity.
I don’t have a nose for identifying scents…
But clearly, that wasn’t the answer she wanted.
Suppressing guilt over troubling the shop owners, Shidou felt his wallet in his pocket and made up his mind.
“Wanna go in?”
“If Shidou wants to go in, I guess I could join you.”
“Yes, yes, I want to! Super want to!”
“Alright, fine, you win.”
Tohka boldly pushed open the bakery door and strode inside.
“She’s got some guts. I didn’t know a place like this existed before,” Yuu remarked, watching Shidou follow.
She gently pinched Kotori’s hand.
“To ensure smooth interaction, meeting the spirits’ needs is only natural,” Kotori said casually, eyeing the bakery’s entrance, looking like she wanted to follow.
“Your protection methods are lacking, but your attitude’s decent. I’m starting to see you in a new light~”
“Oh, really? What about you, not going in?”
Kotori raised an eyebrow, her face clearly eager to enter.
Under her gaze, Yuu shook her head.
“Let’s go to the family restaurant. The boy can bring Tohka to join us later. You seem to have questions for me. As a reward for keeping our date, I’ll answer them.”
“So… you’re covering the bill.”
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