――On a weekend towards the end of November, Tsugumi made her way alone to the government office. It was for a final check before heading to the restricted area.

After heading to the now familiar office of Tono and explaining the planned route through the restricted area, Tsugumi quietly took out something resembling a stick from her pocket and placed it on the table.

“This is the artifact I borrowed from Bell-sama, but do you really think it’s safe to use? Bell-sama said she borrowed a replica from a god she knows, but just holding it feels so intense…”

Tsugumi said this with a wry smile.

What she had placed in front of her was a small wand with a straight wooden stick wrapped with a silver double-helix branch. It was about the size of a ballpoint pen, making it convenient to carry around in her pocket.

The wand supposedly had dowsing powers—it was said to indicate the right path to follow.

Additionally, it had a self-defense function where, if pointed at an enemy, it would put them to sleep. However, the power was supposedly quite strong, and Tsugumi had been warned not to use it on humans, as there was a possibility it might cause eternal sleep.

…The fact that the presumed targets are beings beyond human is terrifying enough. Just what kind of wand is this?

“Hm, I have a rough idea of what it’s based on, but I don’t think it’s as powerful as the original, so you probably don’t need to worry too much. The fact that no one stopped you on your way here likely means that even Yatagarasu passed it through the check.”

Tono said this as she curiously poked at the wand with her fingertip.

“Still, it’s surprising. The original form of this wand—it’s likely the Caduceus, but I never would’ve expected that the god who owns this wand and your contracted god would have any connection. Even if it’s a simplified and weakened version, the fact that they lent it to you shows they’re on good terms.”

At Tono’s offhand remark, Tsugumi couldn’t help but raise her voice in surprise.

“…Wow, this is way more dangerous than I thought. I can’t believe Yatagarasu-sama even approved its use.”

The Caduceus is famous as the staff of Hermes from Greek mythology, but no matter how you look at it, it’s hard to imagine that Bell would get along with someone like him. It’s more like oil and water.

Alternatively, it could be tied to other gods like Asclepius, the god of medicine, or Iris, Hera’s messenger. But no matter which god it might be, none of them seem like a good match.

…Maybe Bell has a wider circle of acquaintances than I realize. I’d love to ask her more about it, but I get the feeling she wouldn’t tell me even if I did.

That aside, the wand itself is something else.

If this is a replica of the Caduceus, it should provide the blessing of Hermes, the protector of travelers. It’s the perfect item for exploration. You can see how serious Bell was by bringing this.

Maybe it’s just my imagination, but I might actually be really important to Bell.

“She might’ve just wanted to avoid quarreling with your god. I hear your god has a bit of a temper. ――Here, this is a little something from me. Feel free to use it however you like.”

With that, Tono handed Tsugumi a small pouch with a long string attached.

Curious, Tsugumi opened it and peeked inside to find something dry and yellow. It gave off a faint sweet smell.

“This is, um… dried sweet potatoes?”

“…Dried peaches, actually. If you start feeling the effects of the pollution beyond your tolerance level, pop one in your mouth immediately. I’ve blessed them as well, so they should have some purifying effects.”

Tono said this with a bright smile.

“Thank you. I’ll take good care of them.”

Tsugumi hung the pouch with the peaches around her neck and gently touched it.

Since ancient times, peaches have been believed to ward off evil spirits. Given that she was heading into a land polluted by divine power, they were sure to come in handy.

…Though it’s still dangerous, the fact that everyone’s going out of their way to help me like this makes me feel more determined to give it my all.

“You’re welcome. I won’t say I expect a good report… but I do hope you come back without any injuries.”

“Yes. I plan to explore as much as I can, but I’m sorry in advance if I don’t find anything.”

“It’s fine. If you don’t find anything, we’ll just send you back after some time.”

Tono said this casually as Tsugumi offered a light apology.

Akakuchi Town is a place that brings up a lot of complicated feelings, so Tsugumi doesn’t exactly want to go back there repeatedly… It looks like I really need to find some kind of trace of whatever’s out there, no matter what.

Tsugumi shrugged her shoulders slightly and glanced at the clock hanging on the wall.

The time read eleven o’clock—it seemed that quite some time had passed since she arrived, which had been just before ten.

“It’s already this late… I should be going soon.”

With those words, Tsugumi stood up.

――Come to think of it, Chidori and Yatsuru were supposed to meet around ten. Their conversation might be wrapping up by now.

Though there likely wouldn’t be any problems, Tsugumi still felt uneasy until she could hear the results.

Well, in any case, the task at hand needed to be prioritized.

――This particular case has another significant issue.

Normally, it would be around the time to start thinking about lunch, but today was no ordinary day. Since she had no idea what effects might manifest in the restricted area, Tsugumi had decided to forgo lunch entirely.

――I wonder if I can make it without eating or drinking until nightfall. To be honest, I’m not very confident.

…It would probably make Bell angry if I ate the purifying peaches without a real reason, so I’ll save those as a last resort.

“Well, I’ll be heading out now. I’ll contact you if anything happens.”

“Take care. Be careful.”

With Tono seeing her off, Tsugumi began her journey toward the remains of Akakuchi Town, where the restricted area was located.

◆　◆　◆

“…Hah, I wonder if this really was the right decision.”

After seeing Tsugumi off, Tono stood up and retrieved a laptop from a shelf.

Casually opening it and entering her password, she brought up a map on the screen, displaying someone’s location.

The symbol—marked by a small moon—flickered weakly on the screen at a certain spot.

Tono narrowed her eyes at the sight and spoke with a note of admiration.

“Hmm? When someone with resistance carries it, the GPS still works inside that place, huh?”

She murmured this as she stared intently at the screen.

In the center of an ordinary-looking map, a region dyed black, like a perfect circle, was visible. At the center of this dark circle was the flickering moon symbol.

――Akakuchi Town… right at the heart of it. That was where the GPS was pointing.

“Things turned out exactly like that person… said. …If Sakura-san ends up hating me over this, I’ll never forgive those Yatagarasu kids.”

Tono muttered angrily, then quietly picked up her phone.

With practiced ease, she dialed a number and brought the phone to her ear, beginning to speak.

“Hello? About that case… you can go ahead and start preparing. Yes, first of all――”

◆　◆　◆

――Let’s rewind time to one hour before Tsugumi left the government office. It was 10:00 a.m.

Chidori had arrived at the lobby of the hotel where Yatsuru was staying, intending to meet him.

“The plan was for ten o’clock, but Yatsuru-ojisama is nowhere to be seen… His phone isn’t connecting either. What should I do…”

Chidori muttered as she scanned the spacious lobby. However, there was no sign of Yatsuru anywhere, and none of the people seated nearby resembled him.

Resigning herself to the situation, Chidori tried calling Yatsuru’s phone, but there was no answer. It seemed like his phone was turned off.

Just as Chidori was about to lose hope, she noticed a person rushing into the hotel entrance, looking somewhat flustered.

The person glanced around the lobby, and when they spotted Chidori, they began approaching her, panting heavily.

Chidori instinctively felt like stepping back in fear, but when she recognized the person’s face, she managed to restrain herself. After all, it would have been rude.

The person stopped in front of Chidori and, gasping for breath, spoke.

“Ch-Chidori-kun… It’s been a while… Do you remember me?”

“Ah, yes, you’re Dr. Asakura from the hospital, right? Thank you for your help back then.”

If Chidori’s memory was correct, this elderly man was a doctor and an acquaintance of Yatsuru. He had helped them out during Tsugumi’s hospitalization and after the amusement park incident.

Thanks to some recommendations from Mebuki, Chidori remembered that Asakura had assisted them with various things.

When Chidori responded, the person who had spoken to her—Asakura—breathed a sigh of relief and broke into a smile.

“Thank goodness, you remembered me. That makes things easier.”

Then, placing a hand on Chidori’s shoulder, Asakura began speaking with a serious expression.

“I’m sorry to have startled you like this. When I last met with Yatsuru, he mentioned that he’d be meeting you here this morning, so I hurried over. Listen carefully—this is about Yatsuru. Last night, he collapsed and was rushed to the hospital.”

“What?! Grandpa…?!”

“He told us not to mention it to you, but he’s had heart problems for a long time. It seems another episode struck last night. He hasn’t regained consciousness yet, but his condition is stable, so there’s no need to worry too much. That’s what I came to tell you.”

The suddenness of Asakura’s words shocked Chidori, and she brought her hand to her mouth in disbelief.

She had never heard anything about Yatsuru being in poor health before, so this news came as a complete surprise.

As Chidori stood there, stunned, Asakura continued speaking in a pleading tone.

“If you don’t mind… could you come with me to the hospital? I think he would feel reassured if you were there when he wakes up. Yatsuru may act the way he does, but he cares deeply about you all. So, what do you think? Would you mind?”

“Y-Yes. If it’s okay with me, then…”

Still in shock, Chidori agreed. She followed Asakura outside the hotel and got into his car. Once she was seated in the back and had buckled her seatbelt, Asakura, from the driver’s seat, quietly murmured to himself.

“…I’m truly sorry. I’ve caused nothing but trouble for you and your mother…”

“Huh?”

As Chidori was about to ask what he meant, a shadow suddenly flashed in the corner of her vision.

“Hng—mmph?!”

In an instant, the black shadow wrapped tightly around her body, restraining her movements. The shadow also covered her eyes and mouth, leaving her unable to move. Her mouth sealed and deprived of air, her consciousness began to fade.

“Just sleep for a while. By the time you wake up, everything will be over.”

With Asakura’s final words, Chidori fell into darkness.