A light rain fell beneath the pitch-black night sky, pattering down without end. The ground was wet and bitterly cold. Even though Seele and the others could not feel the rain now, a chill still crept into their hearts.
After walking for less than a few minutes, the heavens seemed dissatisfied with merely raining and began to thunder. A deafening crash shook the sky, colliding like heaven and earth were splitting apart. Its tremendous force gave the unprepared group a huge fright.
The sudden peal of thunder startled Hiyamaru, who had been sitting on Seele's shoulder, straight off her body and onto the ground.
At the same time, Asou Yuna reflexively wrapped her arms tightly around Seele. It was not that she was afraid of thunder; it had simply come too suddenly.
Seele and the other two were doing somewhat better, after all, the three of them were together.
Kimura Tatsuna, who was a few steps behind them, was nearly scared out of his wits—especially since they were in such a remote place on a rainy night.
"This damned weather..."
After grumbling, Kimura Tatsuna raised his head to look at the sky. The utterly black night, where one could not see a hand before one's face, was steeped in a dreadful atmosphere.
He looked around again. There were very few houses here, and even the streetlights were nearly gone. In the dark corners around them, he could vaguely make out strange things watching him.
That gave Kimura Tatsuna another fright. Looking at the three girls ahead of him, he could not help quickening his pace to move closer to them.
"Up ahead is where Kashima Reiko died. The abandoned memorial monument should be there too..."
After walking for over twenty minutes, the rain had eased slightly, though there was