The woman wielding the sword casually flicked her wrist and said to the seemingly unremarkable man not far away, "See, Shiki? If you want to, even speed can be killed."
"Even though you say that big sister, I still can't see it. Killing something with a physical body is much easier," replied Shiki Tohno, who also held a short dagger, just like Roa. He shrugged helplessly and casually slashed a beast that passed by. The towering beast collapsed instantly, lifeless.
Standing next to Shiki, the red-haired woman moved even faster. With a carefree toss of her long hair, she transformed the surrounding area into a sea of flames, causing the beasts to run in all directions in a frenzy.
"Miss Ryougi, brother, now's not the time for chatting. Leave the task of intercepting the beasts to me. You and Mr. Muramasa follow the plan."
"Understood."
Shiki gripped her sword with both hands, slashing through the air and carving a beautiful arc, creating a path through the fire.
"Shiki, Shirou, let's go."
"Leave it to me. I'll avenge my master!"
Shirou, armed with a large katana strapped to his back and two wakizashi at his waist, charged at the three enemies, fully prepared for battle.
Shiki Tohno silently followed behind Shirou, his agile and unpredictable steps akin to a spider weaving a web to capture its prey. Their quarry: the three monsters surrounded by a sea of flames.
Two wielding the Mystic Eyes of Death Perception, the descendant of a Red Leaf Demon, and a craftsman forging deadly weapons.
From the outside, they didn't look like a group of good guys, but they were secretly protecting the peace of the city, fighting against true demons and monsters.
Power itself is neither good nor evil; it's the person wielding the power that makes the difference—how true the ancient saying was.
In the sky, beside an open helicopter door.
A cheerful young woman with a high ponytail, a bright smile, and a well-proportioned figure (this is important, take note: not flat) patted her chest and let out a long breath.
"Phew, they landed safely."
"I told you not to worry, Aunt Satsuki," said Mana, only four years old, sitting casually.
"Mom's usually useless most of the time, but when it comes to times like this, she's reliable."
"Mana, it's not right to say that about your mother," Satsuki corrected her. Although she had been brought into the world of magecraft by Aozaki Touko, she was still somewhat of an outsider and retained the common sense of a normal person. It was she who had cast the soundproofing spell to block the noise of the helicopter.
"But useless is useless. Mom admits it herself," Mana mumbled under her breath.
"If only Mom were as amazing as my other mom—she cooks delicious food, makes great tea, folds clothes so neatly, and she can wear more than just kimonos. Other mom, can I move in with you?"
"Ahaha, ahahaha," the girl with hair the same color as Satsuki's, and with a face similar to Mana's, forced a laugh. She occasionally glanced down worriedly at the battlefield below.
"Are they... going to be okay?"
"I said there's no problem, so there's no problem. But tell me, who are you most worried about? Is it Shirou? Or Uncle Shiki? Hehe, Uncle Shiki and Dad look so much alike, and you look so much like Mom. You two are a perfect match!"
As she said this, Mana sneaked a glance at Satsuki on the other side, grinning mischievously.
"Oh no, Aunt Satsuki's jealous!"
"M-Mana!"
Satsuki suddenly became even more flustered.
"Mana-chan, stop teasing the adults," the pink-haired maid sitting in the pilot seat turned her head and said.
"Got it, Aunt Kohaku," Mana stuck out her tongue.
"Though Aunt Kohaku, you also like Uncle Shiki, don't you?"
"Of course I do. I love Master Shiki, just like I love Lady Akiha and Hisui." Kohaku answered straightforwardly, completely unfazed by Mana's teasing.
The maid sitting in the co-pilot's seat, who looked identical to Kohaku, spoke up, "Sister, we've flown quite far already."
"It doesn't matter. Our mission is complete, so let's just fly back to Tokyo." Kohaku replied casually.
"We won't have enough fuel for that."
"No worries, we'll cross that bridge when we get to it!"
"Nice one, Mana-chan," Kohaku gave her a thumbs up.
It was clear that Mana's mischievous nature had been heavily influenced by Kohaku.
Watching the scene unfold, Ayako Mitsuzuri couldn't help but feel a strange sensation in her heart.
"Starting to feel like the world of mystery isn't so scary after all?"
Satsuki, having closed the door, sat down beside Ayako.
"Um, Yumizuka-san?"
"Just call me Satsuki. I, too, was dragged into this world by accident back when I was in high school, just like you."
"You too, Satsuki-san?"
"Yep. Before that, I was living a completely normal life, thinking that stuff like this only existed in stories. Honestly, I was pretty anxious at first, wondering if I'd get eaten by a monster the next day."
"And then?"
"And then, just like you can see now, the world of mystery isn't as terrifying as it seems. Sure, it's more brutal than the normal world, but there's also a lot of beauty and interesting things here."
"Do you regret it?"
Ayako clenched her hands tightly together, asking the question that had been weighing on her mind.
"To say I have no regrets at all would be a lie, but only a little."
Satsuki shook her head.
"If I could go back and make the choice again, I'd still choose to walk that path on that day and call out to that person."
"I see."
Ayako nodded thoughtfully.
"You like Tohno-kun, don't you, Satsuki-san?"
"Ah—"
Satsuki's face flushed red, but she was no longer the shy girl she once was. She wasn't going to be completely overwhelmed.
"W-What about you, Mitsuzuri?"
"I…"
Ayako awkwardly hesitated for a moment.
"I… don't have any experience with romance."
Satsuki was slightly surprised.
"No way? You're so beautiful and have such a great personality. You must be a star at school!"
"People do know me, but I don't have any romantic experience. Maybe it's because I'm too tomboyish. The boys seem to prefer girls like you, Satsuki-san—beautiful and gentle."
"No, being like me isn't all that helpful. I… don't have any romantic experience either."
"..."
"..."
The two women, with their similarly colored hair, exchanged a silent glance and then both sighed at the same time, before bursting into laughter.
"Hehehe."
"Hahaha."
"If you ever need advice, just reach out to me. My experience might be of some help to you."
"Thank you, Satsuki-san."
"Don't mention it. Let's both work hard, whether it's with romance or anything else."
"Absolutely. Rin and I even have a bet on who'll find a boyfriend first..."
Even side characters have their happiness.