"!!!"
Mikoto and Shido exchanged glances. From each other's eyes, they understood that Doma's words had shocked them both.
Spirits. To Shido and Mikoto, they were an existence far too ordinary. But to normal people, they were far too extraordinary.
No—in the first place, how could Doma, who was only a detective, know about Spirits?
"Heh. It was just a joke. You both looked so serious that even I started feeling sentintal. You're right, Yakumo-san. My wife and child both died in a traffic accident."
Doma laughed once, breaking the heavy atmosphere. If it had been anyone else, they would likely have been deceived by Doma then and there, because Spirits were simply too unbelievable.
But for Mikoto and Shido, they could feel it. When Doma said that his wife and child had died at the hands of a Spirit, the emotion behind those words had not been false.
"By the way, where are you two planning to stay? My house is available too, but…"
Doma did not intend to continue that topic. He looked at Mikoto and Shido and asked. Although his ho had many empty rooms, because of his wife and child's deaths, a suffocating atmosphere still lingered here. It was not suitable for guests.
"Thank you for your concern. Shido and I will stay with a friend."
Mikoto said. Coincidentally, Miku and Natsumi had also co here, and it seed Miku had rented out an entire inn.
"Ah, right."
Shido nodded too. According to Miku, it seed to be a very famous inn, rented out by the production crew as a place for Miku to rest, as well as a filming location for the music video.
The two had lunch at Doma's house. In the afternoon, Mikoto continued helping Doma familiarize himself with the shrine's business.
"Doma-san, are you planning to resign from your job as a detective?"
The girl, now changed into a shrine maiden outfit, asked.
"Yeah… though probably not right now. There are still so things I can't let go of."
Doma hesitated for a mont, then said.
"By things you can't let go of… do you an Yuko-san and Hina?"
Hina was Doma's daughter. Mikoto felt that if there was still anything this man could not let go of, then it must be his deceased family.
"Mm…"
Doma nodded, then took a cigarette from his pocket.
Smack!
Only for Mikoto to lightly swat it away with her hand.
"Honestly, I already said you can't smoke inside the shrine, Doma-san."
"Cough, cough. Sorry. I've been a heavy smoker for a long ti, so I can't change the habit right away."
Seeing the girl puff out her cheeks in annoyance, Doma laughed awkwardly.
"Then, I think that should be enough for the shrine office work. Normally, jobs like selling charms and other small items can be left to part ti shrine maidens."
Mikoto smiled. By the ti she had finished explaining the shrine office work, the sun was already beginning to set.
The two bid farewell to Doma and headed toward the Asaba Inn, where Miku and Natsumi were staying.
"Hey, senpai."
On the road, Shido spoke.
"Mm?"
"What do you think about Doma-san saying that his daughter and wife were killed by a Spirit?"
It bothered him. Or rather, it bothered him far too much. Shido had spent the whole afternoon thinking about this question. Doma was only an ordinary detective. Logically speaking, he should not possibly know anything about Spirits.
"It didn't seem like a joke. Rather, that isn't sothing one can joke about in the first place."
Mikoto thought for a mont and said.
My wife and daughter were killed by a Spirit—Mikoto did not think Doma was the sort of person who would joke about the deaths of his family. In that case, there had to be so reason behind his words.
Especially when Doma said those words, the two of them had definitely felt hatred from him.
"But why would Doma-sama know about Spirits?"
Shido still felt puzzled. Setting aside whether a Spirit killing soone was true or false, even if he had encountered a Spirit, why would Doma be so certain that it was an existence called a Spirit?
"We can figure that out by process of elimination, Shido. Aside from Spirits themselves, there are only three organizations in this world that know about Spirits: Ratatoskr, DEM, and…"
Mikoto thought for a mont, then analyzed.
She did not particularly believe Doma had seen sothing with pointed ears, or sothing like a tiny fairy from a children's story. Compared to that, in this world, the appearance of a Spirit like herself, Tohka, and the others was far more plausible.
"AST!"
Shido finished the girl's sentence. That was right. Aside from Ratatoskr and DEM, only AST knew of the existence of Spirits.
"Doma-san is only a detective. I don't think DEM would recruit mbers from the police. As for Ratatoskr…"
Mikoto shook her head. Kotori was Ratatoskr's commander. There was no way she would not know if a subordinate's family had been attacked by a Spirit. If that really were the case, Shido would have been dragged to Izu by the young commander long ago.
"So Doma-san is from AST?"
Shido said. According to Mikoto's process of elimination, if it was neither Ratatoskr nor DEM, then the only possibility left was AST.
"I don't think AST would recruit police officers as mbers either. Rather than Doma-san, Shido, don't you think Hina is more likely to have been a Wizard?"
Mikoto shook her head.
"Hina, huh… that is very possible."
Shido nodded. Mikoto's reasoning made sense. Judging by the portrait, Hina looked to be around her first year of high school, which very much matched the age of an AST Wizard.
And it was not impossible for Doma, as her father, to learn about Spirits from Hina. After all, they were her parents.
"In any case, I'll contact Origami and Kotori about this."
Mikoto took out her phone and said.
Of the Spirits she knew, aside from Kurumi, none of them would have done such a thing, nor did they have the ti or motive. As for Kurumi herself, judging from the occasional news reports in Tengu City about large groups of people collectively losing consciousness, Kurumi's range of activity had not left Tengu City.
In that case, if the one who killed Doma's wife and child really was a Spirit, it was highly likely to be a new Spirit—in other words, soone Shido would have to conquer.
Contacting Kotori was necessary. As for Origami, Mikoto felt that with Origami's connections in AST, she should be able to confirm whether there was an AST base in Izu, and whether Ono Hina had really been a Wizard.
"In any case, we haven't confird whether a Spirit has truly appeared yet. Shido… it would be better to relax a little."
Mikoto gently took Shido's hand. For the boy who wanted to save Spirits, a murderous Spirit like Kurumi was an extrely difficult type to handle, one that could even make him suffer.
"Yeah… you're right."
Feeling the warmth of the girl's palm, Shido's stiff body gradually relaxed.
Mikoto was right. It was still too early to start thinking about the Spirit matter.
Holding hands, the two arrived at the inn where Miku and Natsumi were staying.
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