Do You Remember? (5)

At that moment, Kagami glanced at the Beastfang standing behind them. Unlike the others, this one wasn’t radiating bloodlust; he was watching them as if sizing them up. There was a certain dignity to his bearing, and Kagami couldn’t help murmuring, “Hoh...” in admiration.

The Beastfang man wasn’t old enough to be called elderly. He looked to be in his early thirties, with unruly black hair ruffled by the wind and a short beard along his chin. His sharp, intelligent gaze and powerful, well-toned body—clearly still fit for battle—suggested that he was the leader currently commanding the Beastfangs.

“Why are you asking that?”

Having decided that the man could at least hold a conversation, Kagami met the gaze of the Beastfang who seemed to be their leader. The man met his eyes in turn, as if willing to talk.

“As I thought... you’re the leader.”

“Why do you think that?”

“Even surrounded by us, radiating bloodlust, your heartbeat alone has never faltered. ...That’s not normal.”

Hearing this, everyone broke into a nervous sweat, realizing just how keen the Beastfangs’ senses were if they could detect their physical condition. Kagami was surprised too. Though his senses weren’t as sharp as Pitta’s, he hadn’t expected every Beastfang to be capable of noticing so much. His expression tightened slightly.

“What should we do, Kagami-chan? That one... I think even I’d have a hard time against him. If I could land a hit, that’d be another matter, but... I don’t know if I can.”

“He probably saw what Takako-chan could do during the battle just now, so even if we fought, he’d be careful to avoid her attacks. Takako-chan definitely has the advantage, but... I doubt he’s the type to fight us head-on when he’s at a disadvantage.”...