Tracing Memories

The world returned to its original state, and the girl in his arms stared at him with wide eyes, bringing him back to his senses.

"Did you see her again?" Mira asked.

"Hmm." Chiba nodded, then lowered his head and asked, "Are you feeling better?"

"No..." Mira blinked and snuggled closer to him.

Chiba: "..."

"Ugh... this reinforced concrete has absolutely no charm..." Seeing his speechless expression, Mira playfully pinched his face.

Chiba released her grip and then asked, "Did she tell you where she lives?"

"Halfway up the mountain," she replied.

Chiba hesitated for a moment, then finally said in a deep voice, "Let's go take a look."

The four of them walked together towards the mountainside.

Along the way, they encountered many villagers. These people seemed unaware of their identities, treating them only as tourists from out of town.

This village has a large population, significantly more than a typical village, but still much smaller than the population of a town. Before accepting the mission, they investigated some information about the village. Although they are a village that makes a living from mining, they unusually worship ancient gods. Every year, they hold sacrifices to their revered deity, and it seems that the days for these sacrifices fall within a few days.

The village was bustling with activity, people coming and going in the streets and alleys, children playing and adults chatting. In the days leading up to the ancestral rites, they all seemed to have put down their work, just like during the New Year.

The four of them soon arrived at the foot of the mountain, where dense jungle stretched as far as the eye could see, with only a narrow, winding path connecting the foot of the mountain to the top.

Before long, they arrived at the mountainside, where there was a large open space. On the side facing the mountain, there was a fenced yard with a dilapidated thatched hut inside.

Chiba gently pushed open the dilapidated wooden door, and they entered the courtyard. The courtyard was filled with fallen leaves. Next to the thatched hut, there was a thick, tall tree with its strong branches extending outwards, its lush green leaves shading the thatched hut. A very simple, dilapidated swing was tied to the branch, but one side was broken, and the other side was buried under withered leaves.

Chiba could smell a unique, warm atmosphere. Even after many years, he could almost hear the clear, bell-like voice of a girl echoing in the courtyard.

He activated his Sharingan and paced back and forth in the courtyard.

"No one has lived here for a long time..." Erza surveyed the desolate scene around her.

"Hmm." Chiba approached the swing, lowered her head, and said, "It's been about three or four years."

His eyes narrowed, and a scene appeared before him.

"Hehe! Sister, come and catch me!"

"Wow! Don't you dare run away!"

"I'm running! Hehe!"

A child's innocent voice echoed in the courtyard, clear and melodious. Two small figures chased each other, when suddenly, the wooden door was pushed open, and a tall figure appeared. At that very moment, the scene shattered, and everything returned to reality.

He was ostracized.

However, the footage suggests that an adult once lived here with two children, and this adult... appears to be a woman...

The village chief said Menair is an adult woman, so could this woman... be Menair?

Erza gently pushed open the door, sending a cloud of dust down, covering Mira's head in it. Then, the two of them started arguing like tigers with their fur standing on end.

Chiba and Laxus exchanged a glance, then went inside.

The room was dusty and small, almost crammed with things, but everything was arranged neatly and orderly, without any sense of disorder.

He looked at the simple wooden bed in the corner.

"Mom, why are we stuck here?"

"Because... Mom made an unforgivable mistake..."

"But my sister and I really want to go out!"

"I'm sorry, it's all Mom's fault, I'm so sorry..."

"Don't cry, Mom. It'll be alright when Dad comes back."

In the flickering candlelight, beside the wooden bed, a woman held her two children and wept softly. The children gently patted their mother's back and spoke words of comfort.

His consciousness returned to reality, and he stared blankly at the wooden bed covered in a layer of dust, feeling a strange sadness... and loneliness.

"There's a door over here," Laxus said.

Chiba looked in the direction he pointed, and there was a small door there.

The two pushed open the door and went inside. As soon as they opened the door, the scene in the small space behind the door came into their view.

It was a grave.

Although it was called a grave, if it weren't for the small stone tablet, you wouldn't know it was a grave at all. It was practically just a small mound of earth overgrown with weeds.

He saw it; it was that day with the torrential rain.

Lightning flashed in and out of the clouds, tearing a gaping hole in the sky, and all the water poured down. Countless raindrops pounded on the trees and the ground, splashing up muddy mud. The small courtyard was packed with people, all wearing black raincoats. They were talking to each other, but it seemed like they were whispering. In the flash of lightning, everyone's expression was indifferent, and their eyes were all turned towards the house.

Inside, it was even noisier, with quite a racket of sounds. But suddenly, in an instant, everything fell silent. Only the patter of the heavy rain and the relentless howling of the wind could be heard.

A moment later, several men wearing black raincoats came out and seemed to say something to the others. Then, the cold expressions on their faces gradually turned into a faint sadness.

"Menair violated village rules and committed blasphemy. Because of his contributions to the village, his execution was delayed, and he is now dead."

A cold voice echoed in everyone's ears; they placed one hand on their chest, closed their eyes, and mourned in silence.

But suddenly, a slender female figure appeared before Chiba. She smiled slightly, which sent chills down Chiba's spine.

As his consciousness returned to reality, Chiba gasped for breath. He couldn't help but look up at the tombstone.

[The Tomb of the Witch Menair]

"You're here again?"

A faint female voice reached Chiba's ears, startling him. He looked around but found nothing but Laxus staring at him with a puzzled expression.

It felt as if a crack had appeared in his heart, from which a chilling coldness emanated, and... that laughter that almost suffocated him.

"Boom!"

A sudden explosion reached their ears, startling them. The sound came from inside the courtyard.

They ran quickly to the yard and saw that Erza and Mira were fighting.

The explosion just now was from their fight.

They initially thought the two women were just playfully bickering, but when they saw that Mira wasn't her usual Demon Satan, they realized things weren't as simple as they thought.