In another clearing of the primeval forest, where dust and white mist billowed.
Hm? Higure, crouched on the ground with his back to the swirling dust and white mist, paused in the act of raising his head to drink. His eyes flicked slightly to the rear right, toward the billowing dust and mist.
Has he arrived? The thought suddenly crossed his mind.
"Whoosh!"
Just then, a figure abruptly appeared in the reflection of his eyes, which had paused on the gradually thinning dust and white mist.
"Tap!"
The next second, the figure landed on one foot, its raised toe touching the ground with a faint sound.
No mistake! It's him! The instant his gaze touched that figure, Higure immediately withdrew his eyes. The brief glance seemed perfectly timed, as though he had happened to see the figure touch down. From any angle behind him, he still appeared to be drinking water with his head raised in concentration.
"Crack... crack crack... crack crack crack!"
Then, the instant the footstep sounded, a series of cracks and falling impacts followed. In the forest directly behind the figure, who had landed in a posture meant to cushion the force of high-speed movement, branches fell one after another from back to front.
That was—
As the branches shattered behind him, the one-footed figure's eyes narrowed slightly. Reflected in them was a circular pile of rubble, nearly level with the ground and only slightly raised, roughly five or six meters in diameter, beneath the completely dissipated dust and white mist.
Then, as his eyes shifted instinctively, Higure's crouching figure came into view. His head, raised for drinking, was slowly lowering again, and he looked as though he had yet to react.
This scene...
This sense of déjà vu...
Could it be?! At that instant, the figure