「At the same time.」
Inside the snack shop.
"Hm?"
Yi Beidou paused. He sensed something, and his eyes narrowed slightly.
'Has my plan to lure the snakes from their holes finally worked?'
'Have some of those lurking in the shadows finally slipped up?'
"My apologies."
Just then, Shintani Norika returned from the restroom. An apologetic smile graced her features as she walked gracefully toward Yi Beidou.
But at that exact moment...
FWOOSH!!
Fierce Blue-White Demon Flames suddenly erupted around Yi Beidou. The terrifying power that burst forth in that instant drained the color from Shintani Norika's face, and she retreated instinctively.
Then, Yi Beidou's aura abruptly retracted. The Demon Flame distorted the magnetic field around him, clouding the senses of everyone nearby. Just like that, his figure vanished before their very eyes. The onlookers could only perceive an indistinct blur darting out of the snack shop before losing all trace of it.
"This..."
