It was eight in the evening.
At this hour, when even delivery services had closed, Misaki City had fallen into a deathly silence.
Though the city's nighttime lights flickered, everything around Aoko Aozaki remained utterly still.
The reason it was so quiet was their current location.
Taochuan, one of Misaki City's focal points that had yet to be disturbed by Outsiders.
Apart from an elevated bridge that was practically unused, there was only the softly flowing river.
Though this river could be considered Misaki City's largest riverside area, it did not connect to an estuary and offer economic benefits the way Fuyuki City's did. In terms of scenery alone, it had nothing remarkable to offer in Misaki, which was still rural, so naturally no one came.
Even after taking a bus, they had still needed to walk a long way. The location shut out not only the bustle of the streets but also the moonlight. In the cold, gloomy night, two sets of footsteps broke the silence.
"There don't seem to be any traps in this area. It looks like we've secured this position."
Alice Kuonji spoke, looking up at the birds scattering across the sky.
During the day, she had replenished the Song of Sixpence that Aoko had eaten. Fortunately, this Familiar's true body was merely chocolate refined from magical energy, originally intended only as a substitute for emergency medicine, so making more was no trouble.
"No sign of the enemy?"
Dressed in her school uniform, Aoko Aozaki swept her gaze around, warily examining her surroundings.
"At least not yet. But someone capable of evading the Barrier might have been following us all along without us noticing. Besides, whether that person shows up or not, we'll still have to deal with the usual attacks."
With a cold expression, the