Mochi was sitting at the bottom of a deep pit dug into the earth. Beside her was a small dark-haired girl with a tired expression. It was Mari, the missing child they had come to find. The little girl had both cheeks puffed out as she stuffed her mouth with the sweets Mochi had given her.
After being kidnapped, Mochi had been carried by the tengu to the top of the mountain.
During the flight, she had considered attacking the anomaly and escaping. However, she dismissed the idea almost immediately.
They were flying far too high.
She didn't trust Kero to slow a fall from that height enough to prevent her from ending up as a stain on the ground. And that wasn't the only problem.
Judging by the enormous amount of ether she could sense, that tengu was near the upper end of C-rank.
There was no way she could defeat it in a single blow.
Most likely, if she tried to escape, the creature would attack her in the middle of the fall, leaving her completely defenseless.
No.
Fighting at that moment would have been stupid. Besides, there was another reason. If Mari was still alive, that anomaly would probably lead her straight to her.
So she decided to wait.
Throughout the entire journey, she kept her eyes wide open, carefully observing the terrain below.
She memorized paths.
Rock formations, possible escape routes. Anything that might prove useful later.
When they finally reached the summit, Mochi managed to make out several structures scattered across the mountain.
Small improvised buildings.
Huts.
Sheds.
Some appeared to be made from old wood, while others were built from materials she couldn't identify from the air.
The place looked like some kind of settlement.
The curiosity lasted only a few seconds.
The tengu suddenly descended.
The wind struck Mochi's face as she was carried toward a huge hole in the ground.
Without the slightest bit of care, the creature dropped her.
Mochi landed on the compact earth at the bottom.
Before she could get back to her feet, the tengu had already taken off again.
Its enormous black wings beat once.
Then it disappeared into the distance.
That was when she discovered she wasn't alone.
At the bottom of that makeshift prison was a small girl.
Mari.
The child had curled up against one of the dirt walls and was watching her with a mixture of fear and distrust.
At first, she refused to speak.
She didn't even respond when Mochi tried to introduce herself.
Her condition was worrying.
She was much thinner than in the photograph Yoshida had shown them.
The dark circles beneath her eyes were evidence of entire nights spent crying and terrified.
It looked as though she had barely eaten since being kidnapped.
Fortunately, Mochi had exactly the right solution for a situation like this.
Every pocket of her coat was stuffed with sweets.
She pulled out several candies, chocolates, and treats she had bought during their sightseeing trip.
Then she placed them in front of the girl.
Mari's eyes immediately lit up.
At first, she cautiously took one.
Then another.
And another.
Within minutes, she was eating enthusiastically.
Little by little, the tension faded.
And just as Mochi had expected, the girl finally began to talk.
Mari told her everything she could remember.
She explained how a tengu had kidnapped her while she was playing near the forest.
How it had carried her through the air to that mountain.
And how, before leaving, it had told her she would remain imprisoned there until its master completed a ritual.
Since then, she had barely received any food.
From time to time, an anomaly would throw fruit down into the pit to keep her alive.
Nothing more.
That made Mochi frown.
She didn't like what she was hearing at all.
A ritual.
Organized anomalies.
And a leader in command.
All of it was far more serious than they had imagined.
Even so, she didn't allow her concern to show on her face.
Mari was already frightened enough.
The last thing she needed was to see her rescuer panic.
So Mochi smiled confidently. A warm, reassuring smile. Then she placed a hand on the girl's head.
"Don't worry, Mari," she said firmly. "I'm going to get you out of here and take you back to your father."
The little girl's eyes widened slightly. For the first time since Mochi had arrived, a spark of hope appeared in her gaze.
Mochi looked up toward the opening far above their heads. The reality was far less encouraging than her words.
The place was a perfect prison.
The pit was roughly as tall as a three-story building. Its walls were almost completely vertical, made of compacted earth and smooth stone. There were no ledges to grab onto and no roots that could serve as an improvised ladder.
Only a tengu could enter and leave it easily.
Mochi frowned.
Jumping straight up was impossible. Even with Kero's help, she couldn't reach that height in a single leap, much less while carrying Mari.
For several minutes, she remained silent, studying the walls.
Mari finished eating the sweets while watching her curiously.
"Are you thinking of something?" the little girl asked.
"Mhm..."
Mochi continued examining the pit. She looked at one wall. Then the one opposite it. Then she looked up again.
Slowly, an idea began to take shape in her mind.
Her feline ears twitched.
Her eyes lit up.
"I've got it!"
Mari jumped slightly in surprise.
"Really?"
"Yeah! Well... I think so."
The girl looked at her suspiciously.
"That didn't sound very convincing."
"Trust me!"
Mochi walked over and crouched in front of her.
"Mari, climb onto my back. I know how we're getting out of here."
The little girl obeyed immediately.
A few seconds later, her arms were wrapped around Mochi's neck while Mochi made sure she was holding her securely.
"Ready?"
Mari nodded.
"Ready."
Mochi took a deep breath.
She concentrated ether into her legs.
The energy flowed through her muscles like a warm current.
At the same time, she directed part of that flow into Kero.
During the last month of training, she had discovered something extremely useful.
She could transfer ether to him.
And the more ether Kero received, the stronger his abilities became.
"Hold on tight, Mari," Mochi warned. "This might get a little rough."
The girl hugged her even tighter.
"I won't let go!"
"Perfect."
Mochi bent her knees.
And jumped.
The ground exploded beneath her feet.
For an instant, the two of them soared into the air.
Of course, they didn't come remotely close to reaching the exit.
But she had already expected that.
Before gravity could begin pulling her back down, she planted both feet against one of the walls.
Push.
Jump.
She twisted her body in midair and launched herself toward the opposite wall.
That was her plan.
To bounce between both walls.
To gain height little by little.
Until they reached the surface.
"Now!"
She planted her feet against the second wall and tried to propel herself upward again.
But her feet slipped.
"Damn it!"
The dirt crumbled beneath her boots.
Both of them began to fall.
Fortunately, Kero reacted immediately.
Their descent slowed.
Just enough for Mochi to twist in the air and land safely.
"Oof!"
Mari let out a small yelp.
"I thought that would work!"
"So did I."
For a few seconds, they remained silent.
Then Mochi got to her feet.
She brushed the dirt off her clothes.
And smiled.
"It's fine. We just have to try again."
"Are you sure?"
"Of course."
She positioned herself in front of the wall once more.
And jumped again.
She failed.
She tried again.
And failed again.
Over and over.
Sometimes she misjudged the distance.
Other times she lost her balance when landing.
On one occasion, she even ended up spinning in midair and landing on her back.
Every failure was followed by another attempt.
Minutes turned into hours.
The sun continued its slow journey across the mountain sky.
Fatigue gradually began to build.
Sweat soaked Mochi's forehead.
Her legs burned.
Her breathing grew heavy.
But she didn't give up.
The thought of giving up never once crossed her mind.
Each attempt helped her understand the movement a little better.
Each fall taught her something new.
Little by little, she began coordinating the flow of ether more effectively.
Little by little, her jumps became more precise.
Little by little, she started gaining more height.
Until it finally happened.
After nearly three hours of nonstop attempts, Mochi planted her feet against one wall.
Jumped.
Then against the other.
And again.
And again.
Each push brought her closer to the exit.
"Almost there!"
Mari shouted excitedly.
Mochi gritted her teeth.
Her muscles screamed in protest.
But she kept going.
One final jump.
She stretched out a hand.
Her fingers caught the edge.
Dirt crumbled beneath her nails.
For a moment, it seemed like she was going to fall again.
"Mochi!"
"I'm not falling now!"
With one last burst of effort, she pulled herself upward.
She dragged Mari up with her.
And the two of them rolled onto the ground above.
For several seconds, they lay on their backs, staring up at the sky.
Mochi panted heavily, completely exhausted.
Her legs felt like lead.
But a huge smile spread across her face.
"We did it."
Mari started laughing.
"Yeah! We escaped!"
For the first time since she had been kidnapped, the little girl was genuinely smiling.