"Nice to meet you-" His voice slipped from between his upturned lips. "Yuta Okkotsu."
Okkotsu's fingers tightened a little around the edge of the sink, his knuckles turning even whiter. His lips parted slightly, and he was just about to say something-
Then she came.
"Don't hurt Yuta!"
The enormous white figure lunged out from Okkotsu's left.
She thrust out her clawed hands, reaching for the white-haired man.
Okkotsu hurriedly tried to stop her.
"Stop, Rika-!"
The instant he shouted her name, the white figure paused in midair. But her desire to protect him was too strong. The pause lasted less than a tenth of a second before her claws continued forward, swiping toward the white-haired man's face.
Then she stopped.
Her claws hung in front of the white-haired man's face, less than ten centimeters from the tip of his nose.
Okkotsu froze, staring at the white-haired man. The man stood there in exactly the same position as before, without moving a single step. Even the hem of his clothes hadn't stirred in the gust Rika's charge had raised.
He looked up at the clawed hand suspended before his face, at the enormous mouth full of sharp teeth mere inches away.
"So this is that special grade cursed spirit?" His gaze swept over Rika, from her enormous mouth to the streamers behind her head, then to her hands and her long tail of black mist.
"As for her strength-" He paused, his smile widening a little. "Hmm, not bad."
Okkotsu slowly lowered his hands, bit by bit, his thoughts in turmoil.
A special grade cursed spirit? What's that? Does it mean she's dangerous?
He raised his eyes to the white-haired man, and his next realization sent another jolt through him-Rika wasn't attacking anymore.
No, it was because Rika couldn't move.