Chapter 130: So, it appears that I already met her once .

Ouka and I returned to the different dimension shrine where Karen and the little foxes were waiting for us . Seriously, I thought I was going to die there . Ouka who walked near me had a sullen expression on her face .

"I didn't know it would come to that..."

"Y-You are at fault, Yato-sama! You didn't want to let me down!!"

I spoke with a sigh while Ouka got angry at me for what I did . Well, it's my fault anyway for fooling around . On the way back to the shrine, I insisted on carrying Ouka on my back until we arrived . Of course, Ouka asked me to let her down countless times, but I didn't listen to her and kept carrying her . Everything was going nicely until then, but once we got close to the shrine, her fear and embarrassment of getting seen by the others carried on my back made her turn a little too emotional . She suddenly screamed at me to let her down and activated her lightning skill in all her body .

Apparently, because of that, I got electrically shocked and let her down immediately . If it were someone else, they'd surely die by that shock . I walked while checking if my hair got burned when finally a few little foxes nearby noticed our arrival .

"Ah!? Ouka-sama!!"

"You're back!!"

"Welcome back!!"

They all rushed towards her and welcomed her back . I moved back a little to not get involved with them and watched Ouka talking with the little foxes . They were so happy to see her doing fine . They must have been worried about her all this time . Ouka changed her sullen expression to a gentle broad smile and greeted them back .

"I am back . Have you all been good children while I was off?"

They all replied with an affirmation and started asking her about the details of what happened and how she defeated Souki . I stood at my place and watched Ouka dealing with her children foxes with a smile until Karen entered into my field of sight .

"Welcome back . "

"Hey . "

"Good work tonight . "

"Thanks . "

We exchanged a short conversation without talking about the details of what happened .

"We should go back to the festival later . "

"Yeah . "

The festival still didn't end yet, so we can still fulfill the promise of going back to the festival . A feeble smile appeared on Karen's face when I told her that .

"Let me ask you this just in case; you didn't do anything to the foxes, did you?"

I asked her while gazing at the little foxes surrounding Ouka . Karen reacted with to me by puffing her cheeks and said .

"Surprisingly, I didn't do anything . "

Maybe she didn't like how I asked her with the assumption that she actually did something . Well, that's fine . I honestly expected her to teach them something trivial despite telling her to not do it . I casually apologized to Karen as she continued to make the same displeased face .

"Yato-sama . "

Ouka who finished her conversation with the little foxes standing behind her addressed me .

"Thank you very much today . Thanks to your assistance, we were rescued . "

"It is the same here . Thanks for helping me out . "

If we failed at defeating Souki at that place, this place could have gotten involved as well . Karen stared at me while saying something like as if I were reluctant at the start, but I chose not to look at her in the eyes .

"Karen-sama, thank you for taking care of the children while I was absent . "

"It was fun, so it's fine . "

Ouka bowed down to Karen who told her not to worry about it while waving her hands . I heard the foxes behind Ouka telling Karen to teach them something else again next time and recalled the mysterious incident back in the sealing area .

"Are you going to be fine if you get assaulted by those stones again?"

"I can take care of that matter alone, do not worry . But in case I can't, I will rely on you again . "

She answered me with a casual joke as she smiled back . It would better if she doesn't drag me into any more troubles . I returned an awkward smile and noticed that Ouka was taking out something from within her sleeve . She held that item preciously and continued .

"Our encounter must be some fate; we need to be grateful to it . "

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It was a handkerchief for kids with a robot embroidery . Hm? Is this...

"Is that my handkerchief?"

I intentionally asked when I saw the familiar handkerchief . Ouka widened her eyes when she heard that question and asked back in a trembling voice .

"Y-Yato-sama, is that t-true?"

"Yeah, I still remember that handkerchief very well . "

I couldn't remember well back at home, but now I do . It happened one day when I was still a grade schooler . Not much time had passed since the death of my parents and I was still having some difficulties in getting used to my new family, so I used to spend my time strolling in the mountain .

"Uu... uuu... "

I heard a voice groaning as if it were enduring pain . I looked around me and looked for the person behind the voice, but I couldn't find them . I thought that I was just imagining things in the start, but the voice gradually got distinct, so I tried calling it .

"What happened?"

"My leg..."

Hearing that short answer, I immediately understood that the one behind the voice was injured in their leg but I couldn't do anything to help because I couldn't see them in the first place .

"What should I do?"

I asked the voice to tell me what to do because I had no clue of what was going on, then the voice answered me in anguish .

"Give me ... a piece of cloth . "

A piece of cloth . The only item that corresponding to the voice's request was a handkerchief with the design of an anime robot I used to watch . I wondered if a handkerchief would be sufficient to save the person behind the voice, but I had no other way to help them anyway .

"What about this?"

I lifted the handkerchief in my hand and asked . I waited for my question to reach the voice and listened to its reply .

"Yes, that will do . But, is it fine?"

"It's fine . You need it more than me so you can use it . "

I answered without hesitation and looked for a way to give the person behind the voice the handkerchief . However, the voice became quiet for a short while and asked me hesitantly .

"Aren't you scared?"

"From what?"

"Don't you feel uncomfortable from having to give your belonging to someone you don't even know?"

I stopped to think about an answer, but couldn't come up with one and instead replied with one word .

"Dunno . "

"You don't know?"

"You're not scary and there isn't really any reason for me to refuse you request . If you're troubled, then I can help you out . "

I smiled all by myself . I had a white heart at that time now that I think back about it . I was too pure and different from my current corrupted self . The voice went silent for a few moments before I heard it this time giggling .

"You are a strange human . "

"You think?"

I tilted my head to the giggling voice . I couldn't understand what the voice meant at that time, but now that I think about it, I was a little strange . I mean I was casually talking with someone I can't see without doubting the situation . A short while later, I heard a different voice calling me .

"Big brother . "

It was Karen's voice calling me from a distance .

"Ah, it's Karen . "

"Eh?"

"I need to go now . I will leave the handkerchief here . "

I placed the handkerchief in the roadside and turned back before the voice called me one last time .

"Please, let me express my gratitude to you . "

"It's fine . You don't need to do that . "

"I can't let you go without returning you this favor . "

Despite telling the voice that I didn't want anything, it still insisted on returning the favor . At that time, I knew that the person behind the voice was in pain and came up with a suggestion .

"Then, if we were to meet another time, grant me one wish . "

"You have a wish?"

"Yeah, so grant it to me next time we meet . Later . "

I ended the conversation briskly and ran to Karen who was looking for me . I heard the voice calling me from behind, but I didn't answer it .

"Ah, I didn't ask for its name . "

I realized that I didn't ask for the name of the voice, but soon forgot about it completely . The next day, I went to the same place thinking I'd meet the person behind the voice, but couldn't find anything .