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Still inside the dilapidated chapel.

Noticing how a certain True Ancestor girl's expression had grown increasingly peculiar since Asagi showed off their couple's photo, Bokue Keikain cleared his throat to change the subject.

"Asagi and I just came to check on you. But it's getting late—are you and Yukina heading back, Nagisa?"

"Mmm, you're right~"

Nagisa pressed her legs together, hands clasped behind her back as she swayed her slender body cutely.

"Hehe, honestly we only came out today because Big Brother wasn't around this morning, and Yukina and I had nothing to do at home. So we made plans with Kanon to come see the cats. Now that we've finished feeding them, it's about time to head back."

"But..."

While it was certainly good news they could finally escape this heat and go home, Yukina pulled out her phone to check the time and her expression turned serious.

"It's already pretty late. If we go grocery shopping now, by the time we eat lunch it'll be afternoon."

"Oh, that's true."

Nagisa blinked, then pressed her index finger to her brow.

"Hmm... how about we just grab lunch at some restaurant on the street? Everyone can pay for themselves."

"I'm fine with that."

Yukina thought it over and realized this was probably the most practical solution.

"I-I'm okay with it too..."

The white-haired girl raised her hand somewhat shyly.

That made three votes already.

Eh~

Not expecting things to turn out this way, Asagi glanced at the youth beside her.

Honestly, she'd much rather have lunch alone with Bokue if possible. But at this point, if she suddenly insisted on leaving, it would seem too petty.

Guess... this was the only option.

Sighing internally, the blonde girl nodded reluctantly.

"Fine, let's all go eat together."

"Yay, let's go!"

Seeing Asagi agree, Nagisa—whose scheme had succeeded—clapped her hands happily and quickly moved to Bokue's other side to secure the advantageous position.

On the way out of the chapel, the seemingly shy white-haired girl Kanon Kanase brought up something that had been bothering her.

"Hey Nagisa, there's something I'm curious about..."

"What is it? You can ask me anything, Kanon! Don't worry about it!"

Nagisa remained as enthusiastic as ever.

Kanon smiled gently with a soft 'mm': "It's about Bokue-senpai. I heard you calling him 'Big Brother' earlier. Does Nagisa have an older brother at home?"

"Ah... not exactly."

Nagisa waved her hands quickly.

"Big Brother is actually Yukina's half-brother from different parents. He lives next door to us with Yukina, so we got to know each other. And since he's Yukina's brother, I just started calling him Big Brother too."

She hadn't forgotten the original cover story.

"A blended family, I see..."

The white-haired girl seemed to understand, covering her mouth in mild surprise before nodding.

"In that case, I'll call him Big Brother too."

❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁

Without much interaction, they simply had a quick meal at a student restaurant near the school.

After lunch, the group of five disbanded on the spot.

Kanon lived in a completely different direction from everyone else—she couldn't even take the same bus home—so they parted ways at the bus stop.

Meanwhile, Bokue and Asagi decided to escort Nagisa and Yukina home first.

It was on the way anyway.

Scene shift—beneath an ordinary apartment building in the eastern district, the bus slowly pulled up to the stop.

"Phew~ Finally back."

Stepping down from the rear door, the Sword Shaman let out a gentle sigh of relief as her feet touched solid ground again.

She didn't get carsick, but summer buses kept all windows closed for air conditioning. With so many people aboard, the air inevitably grew stuffy and oppressive.

"Indeed, but should we have come back first?"

Nagisa's voice came from behind as she followed off the bus.

Yukina turned with confusion: "Not come back? Why?"

"Because Sayaka called yesterday saying she'd arrive today. Shouldn't we have picked her up at the airport?"

"Ah, about that..."

Yukina's mouth twitched slightly.

"I was actually thinking about that all morning, but Sayaka never sent me any messages, so..."

"So she's already here."

Bokue and Asagi were the last to disembark. Hearing the two girls' conversation below, he pointed toward the apartment building entrance nearby.

Eh?

Both Yukina and Nagisa instinctively looked where the youth pointed.

There under the apartment building's entrance awning, a kyudo girl with her reddish-brown hair in a high ponytail leaned against the wall with arms crossed, head down as if deep in thought, her beautiful face showing hints of gravity.

She was so absorbed in her thoughts that she hadn't even noticed them getting off the bus.

"Isn't that... Sayaka! She's already here!"

The Sword Shaman covered her mouth in surprise.

Meanwhile, Nagisa was already waving and calling out loudly.

"Sayaka~ Sorry for the wait! We're back~"

!!

As if jolted by the girl's voice, the kyudo girl who'd been leaning against the door trembled slightly, then looked up their way. When she saw Yukina, her previously grave expression immediately transformed into a genuine smile.

"Yukina, you're finally back! Though I actually just got here myself... uh!"

Her words cut off abruptly, the joy freezing on Sayaka Kirasaka's face.

Because she'd spotted Bokue Keikain behind Yukina.

The kyudo girl raised a trembling finger to point.

"Y-y-you... Yukina said you were in the demon realm all this time! Why are you here?!"

"Because I got back yesterday."

Bokue shrugged, unsurprised by the question.

Besides, he wasn't lying—he really had returned from the demon realm yesterday. Just in the morning, that's all.

And when Sayaka had called, Yukina had just been turned into a cream puff by him.

"You're... back already."

Sayaka Kirasaka gritted her teeth, a flash of struggle crossing her beautiful face before being replaced by determination.

"I understand. Then it's you."

"...What?"

Bokue had no idea what she meant.

But the War Dancer girl had already fallen completely into her own world, her eyes blazing with the light of resolution and sacrifice.

"You and I will search for the missing Princess La Folia together! I absolutely won't give you any chance to lay hands on Yukina and Nagisa!"

???

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