"I'd advise you not to move."
A leisurely voice tinged with a faint sneer slowly rang out across the silent, dim forest clearing.
It carried the smug satisfaction of a plan succeeding.
This was...?
Exploding Tags? At that moment, Hada Ryuhiko, who stood in front of Hada Anna protectively, raised his head and looked toward the lowest branch of the huge tree directly before him.
At that moment, a black-haired man wearing spectacles stood on the lowest branch of that enormous tree, his face bearing a somewhat smug expression.
When he saw Hada Ryuhiko look over, he adjusted his glasses and pointed at the companion beside him, who was half-crouched on the ground with two fingers raised in a hand seal.
Clearly, the moment they made any move, Spectacles Man's companion would detonate the Exploding Tags.
At such close range, even in the best-case scenario, the two of them would lose their ability to fight.
It could be said that in that single instant, Hada Ryuhiko and Hada Anna had fallen into an absolute disadvantage.
They had practically been restrained already.
"W-What... what do we do? R-Ryuhiko!"
At that moment, Hada Anna's terrified voice sounded from behind Hada Ryuhiko.
All at once, Hada Ryuhiko felt his sleeve tighten. The cuff around the wrist of the arm he had used to shield Hada Anna was tightly gripped by a small, trembling hand.
"It's okay, Anna. Calm down. I'm here—I won't let anything happen to you! Trust me, all right?"
Feeling the trembling of that hand, as well as the soft body pressed tightly against his back, Hada Ryuhiko's previously calm expression changed slightly. Traces of panic began to surface.
"Mm..."
Hearing that, Hada Anna practically hid herself entirely behind Hada Ryuhiko. She was utterly flustered, her face filled with terror.
"Hmph!"