The street remained frozen.
Not a single step.
Not a single breath.
"…Mr. Liar."
The word still lingered in the air.
Heavy.
Unavoidable.
Like it refused to disappear.
No one spoke.
No one moved.
Even the wind seemed to hesitate.
And then—
A soft chuckle echoed.
High above—
Nurarihyon smiled.
A quiet, satisfied smile.
Not loud.
Not mocking.
Just—
Certain.
As if everything had gone exactly the way he wanted.
His eyes rested on Rishiro one last time.
Studying him.
Understanding him.
Then—
His figure slowly faded into the air.
Piece by piece.
Like he had never been there.
Gone.
But the smile remained.
And so did the word he left behind.
Liar.
The silence broke.
"…Liar…?"
"That's what he called him…"
"Then everything he said—"
Whispers spread instantly.
Fast.
Sharp.
Like cracks forming across glass.
The crowd shifted uneasily.
People stepped back.
Not from fear of yokai—
But from doubt.
Kenta laughed.
A short—
Sharp—
Controlled laugh.
"Well."
"That explains a lot."
His voice cut through the noise.
Clean.
Confident.
Like he had been waiting for this moment.
The crowd slowly turned toward him.
Looking for direction.
For answers.
Kenta stepped forward.
"You all heard it."
He gestured slightly.
"Even the Yokai leader called him a liar."
His gaze swept across the survivors.
"Think about that."
"If even something like him says it…"
He paused.
Then finished—
"…how much of what this guy says is actually true?"
The whispers grew louder.
More unstable.
Suspicion.
Doubt.
Fear.
All mixing together.
And then—
Kenta turned.
Directly.
Toward Maru.
Toward Daichi.
Toward Hikari.
"And you three…"
His voice lowered slightly.
"You're still following him?"
Silence.
Immediate.
Heavy.
Maru froze.
Her fingers tightened around the bat—
Then loosened.
Hikari lowered her gaze.
Her thoughts racing—but no words coming out.
Daichi clenched his jaw.
His grip tightened around the axe.
But he said nothing.
Not a single word.
And that—
That silence—
Was enough.
Rishiro didn't move.
Didn't react.
Didn't defend himself.
Didn't even look at them.
Then—
Something surfaced.
A memory.
Uninvited.
Unstoppable.
A schoolyard.
Bright.
Normal.
Voices overlapping.
"See? I told you!"
"He's lying again!"
"Always lying!"
A younger Rishiro stood there.
Still.
Quiet.
Expression unreadable.
Someone held up a crumpled paper.
"Look! This proves it!"
Laughter broke out.
Loud.
Careless.
"Liar."
"Don't trust him."
"Stay away."
The word repeated.
Again.
Again.
Again.
Maru stood nearby.
Confused.
Her eyes shifting between the crowd and Rishiro.
"…Rishiro wouldn't—"
A girl grabbed her arm.
Tight.
"Don't!"
"You'll get dragged into it too!"
Maru hesitated.
Just for a second.
A single moment.
Then—
She stepped back.
Just one step.
But it was enough.
The circle closed.
Voices grew louder.
And Rishiro—
Was left alone.
The present returned.
Rishiro blinked once.
Slow.
Calm.
"…I see."
His voice didn't shake.
Didn't break.
Too calm.
"…Nothing's changed."
Kenta smirked.
"What?"
"Nothing to say?"
Rishiro turned slightly.
But not toward Kenta.
Toward the three behind him.
For a moment—
He looked at them.
Really looked.
Maru avoided his eyes.
Hikari stayed silent.
Daichi said nothing.
No defense.
No trust.
No words.
That—
Was enough.
Rishiro exhaled softly.
"…That's all?"
Kenta frowned slightly.
"…What?"
Rishiro turned away.
Hands slipping into his pockets.
Casual.
Like none of it mattered.
"…If you're done talking."
He took a step forward.
Then paused.
Just slightly.
Without turning back—
"I'm heading out."
Maru looked up quickly.
"…Where?"
Rishiro stretched his shoulders lightly.
"…Some investigation."
His tone was light.
Careless.
Like always.
"I'll be back."
No explanation.
No reassurance.
No attempt to fix anything.
Just—
That.
Then—
He walked.
Forward.
Past the crowd.
Past the whispers.
Past the weight of the word—
Liar.
Maru took a step forward.
"…Rishiro, wait—"
She stopped.
The words—
Didn't come out.
Her voice—
Didn't follow.
Rishiro didn't turn.
Not once.
Not even for a second.
The crowd slowly parted as he walked through.
No one stopped him.
No one called out again.
They just watched.
As if unsure—
If they should trust him.
Or fear him.
And somewhere—
Far above the city—
A faint laugh echoed.
Soft.
Amused.
Watching.
As if everything—
Had gone exactly as planned.
Rishiro walked alone.
Just like before.
The noise faded behind him.
The whispers.
The doubt.
The distance.
All of it—
Left behind.
He exhaled quietly.
"…Heh."
A faint smile appeared.
Not angry.
Not sad.
Not broken.
Just—
Calm.
Accepting.
"…Guess I'll check things myself."
His eyes lifted toward the distant city.
Dark.
Endless.
Waiting.
"…Let's see what this world is hiding."
The wind passed through the empty street.
Cold.
Sharp.
And once again—
He walked forward.
Alone.
But this time—
It felt different.
Because now—
The world wasn't just against him.
It was watching him.
End of Chapter 22