"The item that just integrated into the kittens is called Power of Existence, and it only lasts for half an hour."
"After half an hour, the kittens will disappear again, and you will once more believe they are missing."
Toya spoke calmly, delivering words that sounded brutal to Yukinoshita Yukino.
"My memory is excellent; how could I possibly forget something like that?" Yukinoshita Yukino asked, hugging the two kittens in disbelief.
She had possessed a photographic memory since childhood. But could an excellent memory truly combat supernatural power? The answer was clearly no.
"I might really have forgotten." Yukinoshita Yukino suddenly recalled something, her expression grave. "When the kittens first vanished, I asked my neighbors."
"I was told that no one, not even the landlord, remembered me owning any kittens."
"I didn't take it seriously, believing the neighbors and the landlord were playing a joke."
Yukinoshita Yukino remembered the events, her clear voice betraying shock. "Everyone forgot I owned cats, and only I remembered."
"The strange thing is, it seems because you mentioned the Power of Existence just now, I'm starting to forget again."
"But for some reason, I haven't completely forgotten; I just thought the cats were missing."
"We don't need to explore why you haven't forgotten completely right now," Toya said calmly. "Right now, I need to recover the kittens' Power of Existence."
"I hope the Power of Existence hasn't been consumed by the Flame Haze."
"You, however, need to settle the kittens somewhere safe and make sure they don't run off."
"Toya, wait, I want to come with you."
Yukinoshita Yukino stopped Toya, her face serious. "I want to see what kind of existence the Flame Haze is. If I encounter one, I can avoid it in the future."
When a Flame Haze steals a being's Power of Existence, everyone eventually forgets that being ever existed.
The thought alone was chilling. A being whose Power of Existence was stolen could use any method, yet still fail to draw anyone's attention.
Eventually, they would vanish from the world in isolation.
"There's no use in you coming." Toya frowned. "A Flame Haze isn't as simple as you think. Just stay home."
"They possess an ability called Fūzetsu (Sealing Boundary). If you, as an ordinary person, enter it, your very self will be frozen."
"That includes your thoughts. Stay put and don't cause me trouble."
Yukinoshita Yukino insisted, "But you will be there, won't you?"
"Even if my Power of Existence is consumed, you can defeat them and retrieve it."
Toya rubbed his forehead, deeply troubled. "Why won't you listen? You know it's dangerous, yet you're actively trying to get involved."
"I truly don't understand what you're trying to achieve."
"Please, promise me!" Yukinoshita Yukino said earnestly.
She had a reason she couldn't ignore, not just for the kittens, but a strange feeling.
She felt that if she didn't go, she would regret it for the rest of her life.
"Fine. Just be careful." After a moment's thought, Toya decided to agree to Yukinoshita Yukino's request.
He really wanted to refuse. A beautiful, defenseless girl would only slow his blade.
But the recent message, '1,000,000 yen credited,' forced his compromise.
My bottom line just dropped again.
Soon after, Toya circled Yukinoshita Yukino's apartment complex and found a unique message.
It was a faint band of light made of Power of Existence, guiding him toward a specific location.
The Power of Existence trail had been left long ago and was on the verge of fading.
Yukinoshita Yukino stared at the location Toya was looking at, her beautiful eyes confused. "Is there something I can't see?"
Although she could see some anomalies, it was limited to only those entities.
"Come with me." Toya told Yukinoshita Yukino to follow, chasing along the path indicated by the Power of Existence.
They tracked the trail for nearly half an hour, arriving at a dilapidated residential area.
As soon as they arrived, Toya saw a faint, illusory boundary, a Fūzetsu, isolating the entire area from the outside world.
"Found it." Toya's eyes flashed sharply.
His efforts hadn't been wasted. He had found the Flame Haze surprisingly easily.
Is the Flame Haze about to die? Is that why they are desperately stealing Power of Existence without any disguise?
Toya looked solemnly at the Fūzetsu.
Enveloping an entire residential area within a Sealing Boundary was an extremely vicious method.
"Toya, are you crazy?" Yukinoshita Yukino's slender, fair hand immediately grabbed him as he prepared to enter the Fūzetsu.
Toya turned his head, asking in confusion, "Why are you stopping me?"
"You're insane! That's an unfinished construction pit ahead!" Yukinoshita Yukino exclaimed anxiously. "Are you planning to walk straight in and jump down?"
"Construction pit?" Toya glanced at the seemingly time-frozen residential area and understood immediately.
The Flame Haze's Fūzetsu was interfering with cause and effect, completely isolating the neighborhood to ensure no onlookers would interfere.
It created a complete illusion, substituting the neighborhood with a non-threatening construction pit in Yukinoshita Yukino's eyes.
"I told you not to come, but you wouldn't listen."
Toya sighed, watching tendrils of Power of Existence float from the neighborhood toward the rooftop.
Choosing not to explain further, he gently freed his hand from Yukinoshita Yukino's grasp.
As Toya stepped into the residential area hidden within the Fūzetsu, he instantly vanished from Yukinoshita Yukino's sight.
Yukinoshita Yukino looked at where Toya had seemingly fallen into the pit, hesitating.
Is it really not a construction pit?
I should believe Toya. He wouldn't lie to me!
After a moment of steeling her nerves, Yukinoshita Yukino bravely followed.
Instantly, the sensation of falling from a great height overwhelmed her.
I messed up! It really is a pit!
Toya made a mistake!
Toya, if I don't die, I'm going to demand a refund when we get back! Yukinoshita Yukino was filled with despair and frustration.
Why did she forget to test whether it was a pit first?
After a long while, Yukinoshita Yukino realized the sensation of falling persisted, yet she never hit the ground.
"Are you done playing?" Toya's gentle voice, laced with weariness, spoke up. "It's really not a pit. This is flat ground."
"Open your eyes, and the illusion will disappear."
He was astonished by Yukinoshita Yukino's boldness. She had ignored all instinct and forced herself into the Fūzetsu.
"Open your eyes. My hand is starting to hurt."
Toya said with a wry smile.
Yukinoshita Yukino was gripping his hand tightly.
If his own strength wasn't so high, he would have cried out in pain long ago.
"Huh? It's really not a pit?" Yukinoshita Yukino opened her beautiful eyes and looked around in utter astonishment.