Miku clasped her hands together, smiling with delight as she looked at Shiori.
"So what about you, Shiori-chan? Are you a Spirit too? Or are you with those people called 'Wizards'?"
"You really do know a lot..."
A little cold sweat appeared on Shiori's forehead. She hadn't expected Miku to know about Wizards too.
But he shook his head and answered her question.
"I'm not a Spirit or a Wizard, though."
"Oh? Good girls shouldn't lie, you know. How could an ordinary person be immune to my power?"
As soon as Miku finished speaking, Shiori hastily added,
"I may be an ordinary person, but I have the power to seal away a Spirit's Spirit Power!"
"..."
Miku's expression grew serious, and she frowned.
"Seal away Spirit Power...? What does that mean?"
"Exactly what it sounds like."
Lingmeng scratched her head and explained on Shiori's behalf.
"Shiori has the ability to seal a Spirit's power inside himself. Once that power is sealed, the Spirit won't be hunted by those Wizards and can live a peaceful life."
"I see..."
Miku murmured thoughtfully.
Then she raised her head, tilted it, and smiled.
"If that's true, then I suppose our meeting at the Café was a coincidence.
But yesterday's meeting at Tengu City Plaza wasn't just chance, was it?"
"Yeah... Sorry. We actually sought you out."
Shiori nodded.
Miku narrowed her eyes as if something had occurred to her.
"So you two want to seal away my Spirit Power?"
"That's right."
"If you're willing to believe me, Miku, I want to... save you!"
"..."
Lingmeng and Shiori answered in turn.
Miku didn't reply. She simply looked them both in the eye.
Silence filled the living room. Only the wall clock's ticking and the sound of their heartbeats could be heard.
After what felt like