Tomoko's aggressively pleasant smile did not falter, not when she was hugged, not when Hina began to beg for mercy, not a single moment passed by where it showed even the slightest sign of fading.

"Have fun~ I'm sure Shimizu-san can make you look convincing!"

Completely brushing aside the zasshiki-warashi's pleas, the Intermediary happily waved at Kaori and Hina as they departed.

Somehow, the fact that she didn't have any sign of outward malice made the gesture even more threatening.

Clapping her hands together, she took a deep breath and turned towards her remaining club members.

"Now, Kiyohara-san is exactly right. I'm afraid we don't have time for a cafe visit," began Tomoko, "Not when time is quite a precious resource. We don't know exactly what Hasshaku-sama does with the children she abducts. Certainly, in the original story they simply died, but because of the influences of different iterations on the original idea there's no way to be certain."

It was quite possible that the first children abducted were already dead. Or worse.

"We have no idea if she is killing them, or simply keeping them locked away," continued Tomoko, "So we have to do everything we can to work as swiftly as we can, because we may be running out of time to save their lives."

She shrugged.

"Or we may already be too late. It's impossible to know until we find her. So, we need to have our plan ready to execute as quickly as possible."

There really was only one way to know what happened to the children, and that was to find them. Hopefully, they'd all still be alive.

But they had to get there first.

"I suspect that Hasshaku-sama is not occupying normal space when she isn't visible. It would explain where the children disappear to," Tomoko elaborated. Of course, it was just a guess, but ultimately unless the children were instantly disintegrating or turning invisible they had to be put somewhere, "I'm guessing she uses a closed space to get around, and to take the kids she abducts."

Grinning, she pounded right fist into her left hand.

"So, we'll just have to bust it right open once we've lured her out! Ultimately, a closed space is just a barrier, which means within enough force, especially from a a phantom entity, we should be able to crack it wide open and get inside!"

Of course, this plan wasn't without its dangers. If Hasshaku-sama really was using a closed space, the interior would be an advantageous territory for her, a location in which she had at least some control over its rules and functions. But at the same time, it was unlikely that such a closed space would be designed with combat in mind.

At least this made it obvious what Akari was intended to do.

[@Raineh Daze][@Vega7285][@Pyromania99][@Rune_Alchemist][@Octo]