Chapter 41: At That Moment
Daichi and Sora flinched at the same time.
At the end of the corridor, that faint movement they had noticed earlier happened again. The shadows trembled, and the dust on the floor lightly rose into the air.
Sora instinctively took a step back.
Daichi clenched his fist.
Just then, a hoarse groan was heard.
San:
"gh… uh… ah…"
Sora immediately turned toward San.
"San!"
But the thing that moved wasn't San.
A small silhouette emerged from between the shadows.
Daichi narrowed his eyes.
"…What is that?"
As the light hit it more clearly, the truth was revealed.
The headquarters' mascot—the stray cat that always wandered around.
Miki.
Covered in dust, one of its ears slightly bent, its tail slowly swaying. It walked forward with heavy steps, as if it didn't care about anything that had happened.
Sora froze for a few seconds.
"…A cat?"
Daichi let out a deep breath.
"Are you serious… My heart almost stopped."
Miki walked up to San and stopped, letting out a soft meow.
At that moment, San moved again. His eyes were half-closed, his voice barely audible.
San:
"…The Quiries…"
Sora immediately knelt beside him.
"What did you say?"
San forced his lips to move.
"The Quiries… they were looking for Yuki…"
As soon as the words left his mouth, San's head fell to the side. His body completely relaxed.
Daichi:
"Hey— San!"
But San had already lost consciousness.
The corridor was swallowed by silence once more.
Sora stood up, the expression on his face hardening.
"So Yuki was the target…"
Daichi clenched his teeth.
"I hope they reached the shelter in time."
At the Same Time — The Shelter
The heavy metal door finally came into view.
Yuki was running in front. Zen and Shin followed behind her; all three were out of breath, their steps slowing.
The moment Yuki reached the door, they were let inside.
As soon as the door closed, Yuki lifted her head.
And locked eyes with Mitsuni.
There was a brief silence.
Then Yuki ran forward and hugged him.
"Mitsuni!"
Zen and Shin entered right after her. Both were trying to catch their breath.
Shin spoke while leaning on his knees.
"Next time… don't run ahead…"
Zen grumbled.
"And he says that, but he got tired first."
They looked at each other and let out a short laugh.
Just then, a laugh came from the corner.
Taro.
He was sitting on a stretcher. His clothes were messy, his wounds only partially treated.
Taro spoke with a grin.
"What happened? Were you running a marathon?"
The twins immediately fell silent.
Zen widened his eyes.
"You… how are you laughing in that condition?"
Shin frowned.
"You're half injured."
Yuki looked at him in shock.
"Taro… are you really okay?"
Taro shrugged, though his face was slightly pale.
"Okay enough."
Mitsuni said nothing.
He simply stepped in with that uniquely his—slightly unhinged—smile.
"Don't worry. Some people talk more when they're injured. It's a kind of defense mechanism."
Taro rolled his eyes.
"Doctor, please don't make me sound normal."
At that moment…
There was a knock at the door.
A dull, metallic sound.
Everyone in the shelter turned toward the door at the same time.
Mitsuni's smile slowly faded.
His eyes grew serious.
And in that moment, everyone thought the same thing: