After the entrance ceremony ended, and after returning to the classroom, Shibasaki Makoto, the teacher of Class A, briefly explained some things and then announced that school was over.
"Class starts officially tomorrow, don't be late. That's it, dismissal——"
The students in the classroom stood up one after another. Keisuke Fushimi picked up his shoulder bag and turned his body back.
"I asked, Zonggu, do you want to go to a nearby..."
Zonggu, who was walking out, stopped for a moment and glanced sideways, indicating that he would talk later.
"Soya——"
"Eh?" Kirino Akane looked inside at the back door of the classroom, "Who is that, friend?"
"Don't worry."
Soya stood against the wall so as not to block the passage, "Tirino and Yoshikawa should go back first, Suzu and I still have some things to deal with."
"..."
She immediately opened her eyes.
"It's a bit troublesome to explain. I'll explain it to you slowly after I get back."
"All right."
Asagiri Suzu and Yoshikawa Anko also walked to the back door, and Soya simply repeated what he had just said. Yoshikawa certainly had no objection to being able to go back with Kirino Akane.
He turned around again and looked into the classroom.
"Fushimi."
"Sogu..."
"See you tomorrow."
"..."
...
"What a chance encounter."
Kirino Akane smiled, patted the empty space next to her, and said to Soya who was standing.
"Let me explain now. It will take a long time to take the train anyway."
"...That's right."
Soya looked at Sugawara Kyoko who was sitting alone on the other side of the carriage and sat down.
When he met Akane Kirino and Yoshikawa waiting for the train at the platform, he learned that Fuun Shrine was just two stops away from Kirino's house.
"Sugawara-senpai sitting over there invites Ling to join the shrine. Ling can't make up her mind and wants to go to the shrine first."
"Oh. Is that just that?"
"That's just it."
"Then what's the trouble?"
"If Kirino is willing to believe it, then there will really be no trouble..."
"..."
Akane Kirino turned her head and looked at him for a while.
"Forget it, Zheng Zonggu has been secretive during this period, and I can't care about it. It's up to you."
Sure enough, she was a little awkward.
Zong Gu couldn't explain much for a while, so he could only deal with it with a wry smile.
They sat like this until two stops before Kirino Akane was about to get off, Soya, Asagiri Suzu and Sugawara Kyoko at the other end, only got up after the train stopped.
"Soya."
"What?"
"Part-time job this afternoon."
"Are you working part-time... I should be able to come back soon."
"oh."
When he was about to get off the car, he stopped again, and Kirino Akane spoke as he expected.
"Sogu, go buy a mobile phone."
"I see."
After watching Zong Gu and the others disappear at the stairs of the platform, she turned around and looked straight out of the opposite train window.
After stopping for a while, the tram slowly started again.
"Hongzi."
"Akane?"
"Can you see?"
"What……"
She suddenly grabbed Yoshikawa's hand.
"Hongzi, take me home."
"..."
Yoshikawa Anko was stunned for half a second, then nodded immediately.
"Um!"
When he walked out of the station and heard the sound of the tram starting, Soya looked back for a while until the last car was gone.
After getting along for nearly a month, he certainly knew that Kirino Akane was very curious and wanted to know everything new;
But this time, when it came to the existence of Asagiri Suzu, he thought it would be better to continue to hide it.
He has no intention of telling the truth to the other side for the time being.
Sugawara Kyoko, who was walking in front, seemed to notice something and turned to look at him and Asagiri Suzu.
"Sugawara-senpai?"
"fine."
Zonggu quickened his pace and followed.
"I haven't seen you for a month. How is senior's injury?"
She looked at him and said, "Thank you for your concern. He has recovered."
"Really? It's almost time to close the net for the second time. Will senior sister join the war?"
"..."
Only then did Sugawara Kyoko understand his intention of coming along.
This ordinary person is curious about the "invisible world" again.
"Sorry, I don't have any information to provide Soya-san."
But Soya showed a thoughtful expression, "In other words, will the shrine also participate in the war this time? It seems that we didn't lose many people last time, which is really lucky."
"..."
Sugawara Kyoko frowned.
She just said she couldn't reveal the information... Was it a random guess?
Soya changed the subject again, "Speaking of which, I didn't expect that Sugawara-senpai is also a student at Dankai High School."
"My academic ability is limited, and I barely managed to get into Dangao. It's not worth mentioning."
She glanced at this junior student and saw that he was wearing a light uniform, which surprised her even more.
I remember that a month ago, he seemed to be still preparing for the exam, and the content was still relatively basic - at least it wasn't the content that students who aimed at getting high grades should learn at that time.
"Do seniors also need to pass the exam to enter Dangao?" Zonggu asked.
"I will not use the recommended quota of the shrine." She only explained this sentence.
"Yeah."
Soya didn't ask any more questions, and Sugawara Kyoko subconsciously breathed a sigh of relief. When she looked back, she was surprised by her own state of mind just now.
Is she afraid of him?
Because of what happened a month ago, there might be some emotions like embarrassment or awkward gratitude... In any case, she shouldn't be afraid.
As the eldest daughter of the Sugawara family, she cannot have such embarrassing emotions.
"..."
For no apparent reason, Zonggu was suddenly glared at.
"...Senior?"
"nothing."
Look, he's just an ordinary boy, nothing to be afraid of.
Sugawara Kyoko looked at the road that was divided into two parts in front of her, showing a bit of the coldness and majesty she had when she first saw him.
"Fuun Shrine is ahead."
...
The road bisects at the foot of the mountain and extends to both sides, with a huge red torii gate facing the intersection.
The stone tablet erected nearby is old and mottled, with the four characters "Fuyun Shrine" engraved on it.
Behind the torii gate, there are tall and dense cedar trees on both sides, with a long staircase in the middle. Fuyun Shrine, located halfway up the mountain, is hidden behind the steps and cedar trees.
Soya would follow Sugawara Kyoko here, partly because she was obsessed with Asagiri Suzu, and the latter said it wouldn't hurt to come over, and partly because she wanted to inquire about the movements of the peerless evil spirit.
But looking at the long steps in front of him, he couldn't help but start to consider whether it was worth it.
Of course, the thought flashed by, and it was just a thought.
Climbing up the steps, Zonggu quickly felt the chill in the forest. The dense cedar trees blocked the light, and I am afraid that in summer, the temperature here will not be too high.
There were hundreds of steps, and at intervals there was a platform two or three meters long and wide, with stone lanterns standing at the four corners, only reaching his knees;
Climbing the steps was really hard work, so the platform became a short resting place for the three of them, decided without any discussion.
In the quiet woods, except for the sound of the soles of feet running over the stone steps, there was only the sound of Soya and Sugawara Kyoko's heavy breathing one after another. Only Asagiri Suzu was as calm as ever.
When the three of them stopped for the last time, the main hall halfway up the mountain was already vaguely visible.
Soya rested while holding the stone lantern, his eyes swept across the ground of the platform, towards Kyoko Sugawara who was standing alone on the side, and then quickly glanced back.
"..."
There are some strange patterns carved on the ground.
He changed the angle and discovered that the content of the pattern was some dancing people, which was probably a record of some kind of ritual.
"The Returning Dance."
"What……"
Soya looked up at Sugawara Kyoko who suddenly spoke, "Is this some kind of festival at Fuun Shrine?"
"Not only Fuun Shrine, but also shrines in the Kinki area will perform this kind of dance during worship."
"Yeah."
"Legend has it that this is a dance taught by the gods from Takamagahara."
"It seems like it has a long history."
While the two were talking, Asagiri Suzu just looked down.
After almost resting, the three of them continued to climb up. After climbing dozens more steps, Soya finally saw the complete main hall of the shrine.
"Huan, welcome..."
He looked at Kyoko Sugawara, who was also out of breath, and suddenly understood the reason why she quickened her pace at the last moment and walked in front of him even though she had no strength left.