SUBMIT

20

        "Sorry, but I'm not . . . who you think I am."

Those were the words that escaped the young man in front of them, awkwardly shuffling about when neither of the two moved from their spot. Nanami didn't move for obvious reasons as Menreiki's fingers curled into his skin to the point he had to reach up and gently coax her off of him. She had lightened up her hold, but didn't remove herself away from him, merely tugging him back into the safety of her rotating masks. Menreiki, herself, didn't seem to be doing too good at the situation at hand.

"Then, who are you?" Nanami took the lead of the conversation, noticing that the cursed spirit was staring at the man in a daze. "If you don't mind me asking."

"R-Right," The man lowered his arms in front of him, polite and diligent as he bowed his head towards them. His eyes, too, were focused on the floating being behind Nanami, and the sorcerer couldn't help but feel like he was missing something very important. "I'm Kuono Seika."

"You can see her. You know who she is." Nanami said after Kuono's eyes had yet to fall from Menreiki's floating figure. The man flinched at his words before quickly shooting his eyes down as if that would change the fact that he could perceive the spirit. But there was an invisible string that kept bringing him back to Menreiki's figure, and when he looked up, the young woman was in front of him, a frown on her face. He yelped and jumped back, his feet unable to catch him, causing him to tumble to the ground.

Menreiki leaned back, her arms wrapped under her knees in a loose curled up position. Her eyes drifted to the sorcerer by her side, musing, "He can see me."

Kuono slowly got up from where he was on the ground, "I . . . Yes, I can see her. I know who she is; everyone knows who she is."

It was dangerous for them to stay any longer with someone who knew about her. Most who encountered her either wanted to end her or were in danger of being terminated by her instead; Nanami knew that there was a good chance that Menreiki might retaliate should the man before them prove to be dangerous.

"We should go, Menreiki," Nanami uttered to the spirit who had taken no heed of his words.

If Kuono did happen to be an adequate sorcerer, one that was more than willing to use force to capture Menreiki, there was a chance that both of them would be caught in a bad predicament. Nanami's weapon had been abandoned in Shibuya since his encounter with Mahito, leaving him defenseless. Although, if he truly just relied on his equipment all the time, then he never would've become an adequate sorcerer in the first place.

The most he would be able to do was cause a distraction for her, enough to give her time to subdue Kuono if the situation arose.

Menreiki looked away from Kuono to turn her attention back to the makeshift grave nearby. She quietly asked, "Do you keep this place tended to? Are you the one praying at this grave?"

"Ah, yes," Kuono shuffled on his feet to get a closer look at her. He nervously played with the white handkerchief in his hands, "It's been in my family tradition for a long time."

"I see," She said after a moment before looking back at him, a nod of her head being directed to him. "Thank you . . ."

"A-Actually, Menreiki, I would love to speak to you mo—!"

The young man hunched over as he coughed into his white cloth, hacking his lungs out as he fell to his knees. Nanami and Menreiki came to frame his sides, with the former laying a hand on Kuono's back and patting it lightly to help, if only a little. Menreiki floated back in front of the man, descending to sit on her knees in front of him.