To Capturing Their Existence

The girl with long hair, light blue color. Has a mole right under her left eye. The way how she smiled confused people who saw it as a smug face, even if she stopped smiling. 

The girl who refers to herself as Angelica Groveland walks towards Meryna. Angelica slowly walks around Meryna as Meryna herself is confused for her action. But all she knows is that Angelica is giving a gaze as if she's observing something. Which is Meryna herself.

As soon Angelica stopped observing, she approached Meryna and put her palm on Meryna's cheeks, the two girls' faces were so close they could kiss if there was consent. Angelica muttered as she smiled wider.

"Ahh...~ It's been a while since I've met one...~" 

"One what?" Meryna questions Angelica.

"Oh, it's nothing. It's just some spark of interest when I meet new people." Angelica backed off with a smile. Then, she decides to avert her attention toward Derugo who's in his robe.

"W-What do you want...?" Angelica didn't answer Derugo. Instead, she approaches him without any words. Making Derugo who's uncomfortable with a stranger creeped out.

"Oh~ Don't be scared~ I'm not biting or anything~" Angelica tried to come closer to Derugo, but Derugo kept his distance from the lady with curiosity. As if he was a cat that doesn't like strangers.

"Hahahaha, Derugo doesn't like to particularly close his distance from the people he just met." Said Meryna with a friendly smile. Upon hearing Meryna's words, Angelica stopped with a face of disappointment.

"Ah~ That's a shame... But oh well, at least I'll get to meet interesting people this night. Anyway, you're welcome to take shelter in our mansion as the town is currently been raiding by the bandit. Or... Do you prefer to reside in the courtyard? Having a breath of fresh air outside?"

"Ah, no. We're coming to make sure the mayor isn't unscathed."

"Ahh... As you can see, the one who currently holds the title of the mayor is indeed unscathed. Or maybe, you're talking about the real mayor..."

"It doesn't matter. Either way, It's reassuring both you and your parents are fine." The rough familiar voice comes from behind as he passes the people in black robes the same as the tall figure. Jin Horigami, walking alongside Sunny as making eye contact with the one who holds the title of the 'Mayor', Angelica Groveland.

"Angelica~ You've become cuter each time I've seen you~" Sunny ran off to hug Angelica. As Angelica did the same, the two were inside each other embrace before let go of each other.

"I too, it's been a while since we've met, Miss Angelica..."

"Yes, it's been a pleasure, Mr. Jin."

"The reason we come is to make sure of your safety. But, are you sure you're assured of your safety beyond this gate?"

"I'm fine I'm fine~ I've had people protect me here. Even 'Bone' himself showed his presence beyond this gate." Angelica was referring to the group of people with black robes including the tall figure she referred to as 'Bone'.

"But, I don't mind for a little bit of protection. But, rather than assure of my safety, I'd rather clear out the 'bug' that's been destroying my hometown, one way or another." As Angelica was about to take a step, she was stopped by Jin.

"No, the word from The Sage is that to protect Miss Angelica at all cost. So going out beyond here is out of the question. If your parents were about to wake after their 'hibernation' and see something happen to their only child..." Second later, before Jin realized it, Angelica somehow passed Jin as if she had phased through him.

"Then... You'd better make sure I'm safe, at least before the dawn show itself..."

"But Miss Angelica..." At the same time, Jin felt the warm palm tap on his shoulder.

"It's fine it's fine~ It's Miss Angelica we're talking about." As Jin heard Sunny's assuring words, he simply sighed, following Angelica and their group behind. Both Meryna and Derugo also decide to follow them in their objective to clear out all the 'bugs' as they refer to the bandit.

...

At the center of the town, Valena, approaches Kochigawa Tennisuke who's dragging the dead body from behind. She stopped as she exchanged her words with Ten.

"Ten, I've cleared all the remaining bandits that are trying to escape. And as you've instructed, spare those who're surrendering."

"Ah, good job Valena. I'm currently short on hands, mind if you lend yours a bit?"

"I don't mind. But, are you sure you're not helping others fend off the remaining members who are currently causing havoc in this town?"

"No, I trust them. Even if life were to take them, that's what it is. They were simply unlucky." Ten arranged the dead bodies, putting them side to side as he opened the mask that the bandit was wearing. Ten searched for his pocket and took out some sort of device as he gave them to Valena.

"Take this camera and take a photo of the dead corpse, one picture per person." As Ten simply lends the device called a camera which he got from Rudy to Valena, Valena takes a careful look at it as she's clueless about how the camera works.

"Is it perhaps your first time using the camera?" Ten was about to approach Valena as she became flustered.

"Ah no but no matter, I'll learn how to..."

"No, that will take the time. Come here, what this button does is..." Not long time has passed. Soon, there can be heard the sound of camera clicks. Taking a photo of the face of a dead person, Valena started to question Ten the reason he does this.

"The reason? To acquire the information, obviously. If you were thinking not capturing these faces before they were about to rot is meaningless, that's one of the biggest mistakes of your life. It's true, they might come to destroy this town. But some people also decide to give them the proper burial, even if you stacked them as mountains of corpses and burned them."

Ten lifted up the corpse wearing the casual clothes, which is the civilian who fell victim to the bandit's hand, and put them beside the bandit's corpse. Arranging the group of corpses among the civilians and the bandit.

"The purpose of the camera is to simply capture their face, as the proof of their existence, that's all. But, I for myself didn't care one bit. A corpse is a corpse, once their soul is left they're not moving. Hurry, the curtain is about to close, better fast up our progress."

"Y-Yes, Ten..." Valena once again clicked the camera button, taking the photos of the dead body...