Uesugi Tetsu: "..."
Chisa: "If Kujo-san calls me that, doesn't that make my seniority exactly the same as my master's!?"
Uesugi Tetsu ignored Kujo Machi's flexible change of address, waved his hand, and gave them another two minutes to prepare.
Once the fully armed Kujo Machi and the somewhat muddled Chisa, who was still confused about the earlier form of address, were ready.
Uesugi Tetsu once again wrapped them both in dense, viscous black-and-red energy, constructing simple energy circulation systems for them as well to prevent anything abnormal or uncanny from approaching unnoticed.
Koma-inu General led the way out of Kujo Machi's room, and the others followed.
As soon as they reached the first floor, Koma-inu General tensed his sturdy body and bared his teeth at the slightly open doorway and the strands of darkness seeping through the gap.
"Grr... grrr..."
Koma-inu General growled lowly, and dark yet exceptionally warm flames ignited all over his body.
Yet to the endless darkness rolling and writhing outside, those flames were not even a candle flickering in the wind, let alone a drop in the ocean.
The moment they stepped outside, they would be extinguished.
Dad, see? We really can't get out. Why don't we squeeze together in the room? If we lie low, we might survive two more days. What do you think...?
Before Kujo Machi could voice her thoughts, a bolt of blue-violet lightning shot past Koma-inu General, vaporizing the tottering door and the sinister darkness beyond it together.
Rustle, rustle...
The grating, uncanny sounds seemed to have been activated by Uesugi Tetsu's bolt of lightning. The noise grew more frequent and louder!
Kujo Machi saw it clearly!
—Within the darkness resembling deep-sea currents, thousands upon thousands of unsettling, greedy gazes turned toward them!
But before Kujo Machi's legs could start