Upon entering the shrine, what could not be seen remained unseen, and what could not be touched remained untouchable.
Fujimaru Ritsuka kept himself under control, forcing himself not to pay attention to those strange things that were probably statues.
"Please come with us first."
Himiko and Iyo seemed to have realized something and had already been waiting beneath the shrine's torii gate.
They each led Sakumura Anno and Oda Nobunaga away, leaving only Fujimaru Ritsuka and Sakumura Kanna before the shrine.
"Miss Kanna, I... Miss Kanna?"
Fujimaru Ritsuka wanted to say something to Kanna, but the moment he called her name, he sensed that something had changed—either in Miss Kanna, or in the entire shrine.
Sakumura Kanna said nothing. She passed Fujimaru Ritsuka, entered the shrine, walked through it, and vanished from his sight.
Fujimaru Ritsuka realized something and hurried after her.
The shrine grounds were quiet. The room before the shrine was empty, and after passing through that vacant chamber—what came into view was that enormous cherry tree.
Kanna stood beneath the cherry tree, head raised as she quietly watched the petals drifting from its branches.
".You're not Miss Kanna, are you?"
Standing behind Kanna, Fujimaru Ritsuka said with certainty.
"Kanna" turned around.
"I know this question may be unnecessary, but you will inevitably choose to seek the truth. That is your duty."
"But how will you view the happiness before your eyes?"
"Kanna" asked.
"This is false."
Fujimaru Ritsuka answered firmly.
"Of course it is false. You understand that, and so do I. But—does falsehood mean it should not exist?"
"Kanna" threw the question back at Fujimaru Ritsuka.
"Huh?"
Fujimaru Ritsuka was stumped.
"Once, I asked you a question." The deity stretched out a hand and caught a falling cherry blossom. "So-called Heroic Spirits bear a weighty part