It seemed that while he had gone to observe Yae Rin, she had returned to the shrine and run into Mei. The two had already been talking for quite a while.
However, from the way they were speaking, Sakura seemed not to recognize Mei.
She had lived at St. Freya Academy for some time. She should have been quite familiar with the three girls living with Ming Yu.
In other words... she had no memories from after waking up in Changkong City?
Within this Stigmata Space, her memories were still stuck in the time she spent with her younger sister?
As Ming Yu pondered this, he slowly returned to Mei's side and drew the two girls' attention with a soft meow.
Yae Sakura, who had been talking with Mei, noticed the little cat's arrival. She lowered her head to look at Ming Yu by her feet, then asked the purple-haired girl before her:
"Big Sister Mei, is this your pet?"
—Given their current age and size difference, Yae Sakura really did have to call the samurai girl in front of her big sister.
"Ah... yes, that's right. This is the cat I keep."
Mei bent down and affectionately picked up the little cat at her feet.
Yae Sakura curiously stroked Ming Yu, full of praise for his soft, smooth fur.
As though she had remembered something, she said to the girl before her:
"Oh, right. To be honest, Big Sister Mei, our village will soon be holding a festival. If you're interested, you can come join us then."
"A festival?"
Mei asked.
"Yes. It's a ritual to pray to the Fox God for rain. Yae Village holds it every year. I was too young to take part before, so this year will be my first time participating. I've been preparing