Summary

In Chapter 40, Mikami settled into a bath. He remembered a memory from childhood; he was at home with his parents and his father’s wartime buddy. Mikami never saw his father’s friend again. Mikami then thought about his father who lived in the shadow of his wife. He then remembered starting kendo as a child. Mikami had enjoyed wearing the kendo mask. Mikami’s thoughts then returned to the present. Mikami decided that he would talk to Odate in the hunt for information, and he wondered if Futawatari had already visited him. Minako’s voice interrupted his thoughts. She asked if Mikami were okay, and he replied that he was getting out of the bath now. As he did so, he thought about Ayumi, believing that she must be alive. He wondered where she was.

In Chapter 41, Akama called Mikami to ask...