If Sonou Mori had to choose what she disliked the most about the horrible gas that had taken hold of the city, it was the constant and penetrating humidity. The stale smell was irritating, but her brain overrode it after some long minutes. But the humidity was constant. Her skin hadn't taken it too well, and she felt so cold that even her bones felt moist.
After the whole night standing around, she couldn't sleep when she returned home. Not with the previous night's attack. Koizumi was able to use his powers then. But they were next to useless against those beings; they reformed themselves ipso facto. So if they attacked again, then what?
So after crashing into the sofa for a few long hours, she got back up and prepared a pot of coffee. After a night of standing around, only the purest Italian Roast coffee would be enough to keep her engine going. As the coffee machine started making a pitching screech, she turned on the small portable radio she had in the kitchen.
"-st hour, the JMA rose Typhoon Kujira's category from two to four in twelve hours. Afterwards, the Kansai and Shikoku region prefectures declared the state of emergency."
After last night's weather, it was apparent. Mori was old enough to remember the Kobe earthquake of 1995, which affected Nishinomiya. If this typhoon were even as half as devastating, it would take several years to recover fully. Flood prevention systems would hopefully work correctly.
She filled a mug of the dark beverage and continued to listen, taking a sip once in a while.
"Current predictions expect Kujira to make landfall in Tokushima prefecture tomorrow evening before reaching the Hyogo and Osaka prefectures at night. Therefore, we encourage all listeners to follow the recommendations and evacuate if your area is at risk of flooding."
Nishinomiya mainly was settled on a slope, so the flooding points were sparse and primarily located in the city centre. And if she remembered correctly, North High was an evacuation point. Hence if push comes to shove, it would be beneficial to have Suzumiya and Kyon at that location.
It was all conjecture. The typhoon would isolate everyone, making it a blessing and a curse. What mattered at the moment was testing and screening the enemies they had made a few hours ago.
She finished her strong black coffee and headed out with that in mind. Her senses were still on high alert and enhanced by the coffee, so she might as well take advantage of them.
The old Kawasaki Ninja parked on her porch was unfazed by the strong breeze of the early morning. Against her better judgement, she rode it once again. Unfortunately, the ride was anything but eventful. The roads of Nishinomiya were populated by vehicles, but only on the lanes out of the city. Those cars who headed out of town would quickly find themselves unable to do so. By the looks of it, an accident had completely shut off the main highway towards Kobe, and Osaka's more than likely fared the same fortune. So escaping by car was out of the question.
The city centre was equally as tense. People walked from here to there, from their homes to work and vice-versa, but something was out of place. Everyone walked like their lives depended on it. Some gathered their wits and tried to combat that raw emotion of fear. Others gave up and ran to god knows where. Mori couldn't blame them. She had been on edge yesterday, and last night's attack pushed her over it. If she wasn't part of the Agency, she might have been stuck in traffic on her way to Tokyo.
The streets became silent as she headed into a residential area. Only a few cats stared in silence as she rode by. Nevertheless, she still followed the rules and stopped at a red light. It was then that her body tensed up. A closed space had formed somewhere to her left. North High was that was. This past year, closed spaces only began when she slept. So this meant trouble and a great one at that.
She quickly took advantage of the red light to get her phone out and call Koizumi. It was supposed to be a lunch break, but he took a long time to answer. Finally, she decided to hang up and head towards the high school. Perhaps Koizumi had his hands too busy, and she should take care of it.
Mori sped up and continued with a 180-degree turn. The motorcycle's engine roared in pain, its age showing clearly, making it quite some time to reach an appropriate speed.
And then something crashed on the back of her helmet
The road was far away for a few moments, her grasp on her motorcycle long lost before she crashed into the asphalt. Her helmet took most of the hit and the afterwards slide, while her heavy leather jacket protected most of her torso. Her legs, however, were scraped and burnt by friction. Several thoughts dashed through Mori's mind. First, she had somehow crashed, and she was alive. But she hadn't hit on any object, and the road was clear. It was like an object suddenly smashed into her.
As the ESPer tried her best to gather her senses, she heard someone talking. She couldn't distinguish anything; her mind focused mainly on her right arm and head pain. Her legs felt like jelly, the brain not fully recognising the pain they were in, yet she tried to stand up.
Somebody grabbed her by the shoulders, dragging her forcefully towards a nearby streetlamp. Although her vision was bloody and blurry, she could see three people around her. All of them dressed casually, with black hoods and hastily decorated masks. Focusing, she could see the drawings looked like wind gusts. These guys had to be part of the group that sent them the letters. With that realisation, sheer anger replaced her confusion.
The woman in the back talked in an odd language, ordering the other two people. The couple tried and failed to remove her helmet, too nervous about performing the task successfully. She took that chance to fight back.
One of the men staggered back as she kicked him on the groin, while the other stumbled in confusion as she rolled over and threw off his balance, falling to the ground. Mori crawled on the floor, fighting the pain to get up from the pavement. Unfortunately, she didn't focus enough to notice the woman in charge blindsiding her, kicking her stomach and forcing her back to the ground. She picked Mori up from the ground, her head on an armlock while shouting once again in a foreign, clicking language.
This time, the underlings got her helmet off. Again, she thrashed her legs around to no avail. But the strong woman grappling with Mori applied more pressure to her lock. Finally, a subordinate opened the ESPer's mouth with both of his swollen, red hands while the other started chanting. The chant was almost inaudible due to her pain, but somewhere deep in her mind, she understood what it meant. A chant of summoning, death and revival. What else would it be in this horrifying situation?
Somehow, Mori could only think of that fateful night four years ago. When she first realised her powers. When she first met the rest of the people of the Agency and those who became splitters. When the purpose of her new abilities came to be. What would have happened to her if that didn't happen? At the time, she had dropped out of university and had no aim in life. Was this how all of it would end? Because of some cult that had nothing to do with them?
Pure focus took over her mind. Mori's body glowed red as power rushed through her veins. She blasted the two men before her with a single fireball while the leader behind her stumbled back with burnt arms. The dizzying air that rushed to her lungs felt awful, but it was better than nothing.
"You… Cursed by the Mother of Abominations. We're granting you release…!" One of the men hued and cried.
Mori clutched her hurt right arm after wiping blood from her face. Was it hers? She couldn't tell. "Speak like a normal human being. Who the hell are you?"
Her arm formed a small fireball aimed at the woman in charge. But, instead, the cultist spoke in the odd language again. Then, Mori fired it on cue at the leader's head, missing it deliberately.
"I'm not going to ask again. And you two better sit down before I put you back into place." The usually calm ESPer snapped back
"Would you sell out your saviour, missy?" The cultist woman spoke with a smile, barely fazed by the situation.
"Don't start with the bullshit. Why have you attacked me? Why have you sent us threats?" She spat back.
"If your devil asked for a snack, would you give her a 500 yen candy bar? Of course not. You'd go for the best goddamn snack in the entire world." The leader said, half-laughing, as she attempted to get up. "And the best snack is in this town."
They were after Suzumiya. Mori didn't need any more words to know it. But how did they know her existence? They were ordinary people, as far as her senses told her.
"You want to offer us as sacrifices to… this air?" Mori clenched her teeth, adrenaline still kicking high.
"You specifically? No. You cursed children are an appetiser. The less of you there are, the better. That girl told us everything we needed to know. Your numbers, your motives. She never told us you could use your curse, but that won't stop us."
"Kawahara…" Mori whispered. "Alright. Then your job is over. We are getting rid of this stupid fart that has spread its ugly smell all over the city. And you three are coming with me."
The leader laughed audibly. Mori's piercing glare disappeared as a gale of wind suddenly swept over the street. And then, the cultist leader was gone. Luckily, the same couldn't be said for the underlings. They stood silent, not understanding that they had been left as prisoners as Sonou limped her way towards them.
Her motorcycle was a few metres away from her, still running. She pulled off her phone, screen cracked but operable. She called Arakawa, hoping to get his tattered car in here. Mori waited, biting her fingernails as the call went unanswered. Was everybody else attacked as well?
Koizumi's instinct reacted well before the windows cracked and shattered. Suzumiya and Asahina yelped in surprise as he forced them to the ground. Nagato was further away. He presumed that she would escape unscathed. The rest couldn't be said about the rest of the classroom. It wasn't full, but some students got caught in the rain of glass shards. The sudden gust had also filled the classroom with debris and random objects such as newspapers, plastic chips and bottles and even a traffic cone. It difficulted vision and only added to the panic.
As people scrambled away in terror or stood motionless in pain, the rest of the Brigade suddenly reacted. Nagato had protected the prominent members, but even she was standing in shock. The properties of the gas entity were based on some logic that she had not been programmed to understand. Nagato was usually able to use a wide array of sensors, waves and pulses that allowed her to know what was happening around her. However, that gas entity was blocking all of them. Her chaperone, Kimidori, was not faring much better. The interfaces weren't built for such a hostile environment. She had been caught entirely off-guard, and people got injured because of her.
"Yuki!" Haruhi pushed away Koizumi's arm, rushing towards her. "Oh my god, are you okay?!"
"…I am fine." Suzumiya did a quick check of Nagato's face and hands before quickly glancing around at the injured people in the classroom. The wind was still rushing in, bringing more and more objects.
"Mikuru, please take Yuki away, okay? Make sure she's with you." She helped Asahina up, making her lock hands with Nagato. "Come on, go. Don't follow the crowd. Stick to the wall and get out."
Asahina was quick to agree and pulled Nagato away from the classroom.
Haruhi's gaze couldn't focus on any of the injured students in front of her. Her heartbeat beat so loudly that it was about to escape her body. The strong winds still rushed into the classroom, making vision difficult. Still, over that whole ordeal, her mind didn't waver in the slightest. She had to help these students, no matter what.
She would have started moving if Koizumi hadn't stopped her with a firm grip on her arm.
"We have to go." His voice was firm and tense. But deep inside, he was scared. Because if this was an attack by those air creatures, what could he do to protect her?
"People are bleeding." Suzumiya didn't look back with her answer. Instead, she moved forward again before Koizumi grasp tightened. "What are you doing? Let me go." She spun around, eyes wide.
"We can't stand around here. We need to leave now." Koizumi's eyes tried and failed to distinguish any air spider. Daylight and the amount of debris flying around made it impossible to identify. Regardless, this event wasn't a coincidence. And that air creature wouldn't stop until it got what it wanted.
"We need to go?" Haruhi wrestled her arm out of his hold. "I'm not leaving until everyone is safe. Follow Mikuru if you want."
Koizumi reached forward, trying to stop her once again. "If you stay then…!"
"Then what?! Stop being a nuisance! Help or go away already!" Koizumi shied away from Haruhi's livid orders.
She quickly stepped to help a student, too shocked to move. Although his face was sprinkled with blood and glass shards, he didn't fully realise what had just happened. Regardless, she led him out of the dangerous classroom, dodging all the desks and flying debris.
Koizumi bit the inside of his cheek. He wasn't thinking straight, and Haruhi's reaction had made everything worse. If he had kept his head cool, then he would have rushed to help as well. It was what she expected.
Dejected, he rushed to help some other students. But, he didn't stop glaring at the broken windows. If Suzumiya wasn't going to leave until everyone was out of the classroom, then the least he could do was keep watch against an unbeknownst enemy.
Nagato and Asahina stood outside the high school among other students, the wind relentlessly crashing into them. An ambulance arrived ten minutes later and parked right on the front gate. There, the two members waited for Koizumi and Suzumiya.
"This is my fault," Nagato said. "I didn't have proper countermeasures prepared."
"It's… Don't blame yourself, okay?" Asahina wasn't sure of what to say. She wanted to be comforting, but what was she supposed to say? Nagato should have known that it would happen so Mikuru couldn't sugarcoat it.
"I can no longer contact with other interfaces." Nagato continued. "If this keeps up, my connection to the Overmind will fail."
Asahina remembered what happened when Suou Kuyou tried to establish contact with Nagato, almost severing the connection to the Overmind. Nagato would weaken if that were to happen, and their primary defence against these cultists would be gone.
"I… I have to go." Mikuru spoke up, her voice trembling. "If I find out who gave Kyon the idol, then… I don't know. It has to lead us to another clue."
"You cannot." Yuki turned to her. "Not until I apply proper barriers."
"But the more we wait, the stronger this gas will become. And then…" Asahina trailed off, observing some injured students being treated.
"Our current objective is to acquire the information required to seal the gas entity. If unable, we need to transform it into a more malleable form. That way, my data jurisdiction will be enough to seal or destroy it."
Asahina knew it; Nagato was the only one capable of dealing with the situation. But it was easier said than done.
Bemoaning in the situation, she didn't notice Suzumiya storming out of the building, schoolbag in hand. Instead, Mikuru shuddered at the sight of Haruhi's angry scowl. Koizumi trailed behind, willingly putting some distance between them, visibly upset.
"Are you two alright? We need to get moving." Haruhi immediately asked.
"We're fine." Nagato answered for the two of them.
Koizumi took out his phone, taking a few steps back as he made a call.
"Uh, is everything okay?" Mikuru asked.
"If you ignore everything that's going wrong, yes." Haruhi's sullen expression didn't do much to lessen the severity of the situation. "You two should go pick up all your things before the weather gets worse."
Asahina's delayed nod was not enough to entice a response from the Brigade leader. The time traveller headed towards the school building but stopped short when Nagato did not follow her. Instead, the alien spoke with Haruhi in a small voice, unusual from her usual self. Asahina didn't approach them and instead turned to Koizumi. He talked to his phone in a quiet rage, pale as snow and on the verge of shouting in frustration. Taken aback by his attitude and unable to come to anyone, she stood in the middle of the schoolyard, helpless. Why did it look like everything was falling apart in a matter of minutes?
Nagato and Haruhi kept talking as Asahina sank into the gloom.
"What do you mean you're sorry? There's nothing to be sorry about." Haruhi could barely hold back her voice as Nagato's anguish became too clear.
"I should have known it would happen." She lamented once again.
Haruhi was a mess of emotions at the time, but even in that entanglement, she knew that wasn't true. As the wind rushed around them, making their clothes flap and flutter, Suzumiya could have easily broken down alongside everyone. Give up and go back home; everything wanted to do that. The weight of everything that had happened, the overwhelming stress whispering in her mind, the lack of proper sleep… everything swirled around her, wanting to push her down. And if she looked at her Brigade members, they all looked in tatters. Asahina stared off in the distance, wallowing in uselessness. Nagato stood in front of her, disheartened and downcast, while Koizumi couldn't hide his angry frown as he barely contained desperate barks against his phone.
And then, in that adversarial weather and storm of negative emotion, she maintained her resolve—a moment of clarity in the swirls of her mind. The point of the Brigade was to enjoy themselves. And if that objective wasn't fulfilled, then it meant she had to step it up.
"Come on, Yuki. Even if you knew the windows would break, there was barely any time to react. So don't think about what you couldn't do. And instead, focus on what you're doing right now." Haruhi took a step towards Nagato and gave her a soft and warm hug. "Because you know? I'm glad that you finally told me your emotions. It means a lot to me."
The wind itself seemed to slow down as Nagato felt a surge of a new, stirring emotion inside her. Air went still as the fragrant aroma of the nearby cherry blossoms took over the whole school surroundings. It was like the god Ninlil-Shu's influence suddenly disappeared from the area. And that moment of clean air changed the stress of everyone involved; people gathered their wits, realising the irrationality of their actions. From the panicked students to the injured ones, even the paramedics seemed joyful at the minor injuries of the wounded.
Koizumi stopped talking as his enhanced senses ceased screaming. Asahina took a deep breath and calmed herself. Nagato seemed content at being hugged.
"Thank you." Yuki whispered, closing her eyes.
Haruhi couldn't hold back her embarrassment but kept hugging her until she entirely calmed down.
"A-Anyways, let's go gather all your things." Suzumiya took Nagato's hand and turned towards Asahina, who smiled fondly at the scene. "What are you gawking at? Let's go, let's go!"
Haruhi walked past her, ignoring the mascot's delighted giggle. Instead, she glanced at Koizumi, who raised his hand to stop her.
"I have to go. Someone I work with got injured." The ESPer was tense, the argument with Haruhi still fresh on his mind.
"Oh, is it serious?"
"Ah no, just some scratches. But I may need to replace them in the meantime." Koizumi sighed, relieved as Haruhi seemed much more relaxed.
"We'll be at Kyon's home if you're able to go." Haruhi nodded as she turned to the entrance.
It took him a few tries to continue. "I'm… also sorry for what happened. I wasn't thinking clearly. I want to apologise properly, but the situation is not appropriate."
"I get it. Don't worry, go." Haruhi didn't look at him straight in the eye. She had other troubles in mind, and his argument had to take a seatback.
As Haruhi and the other two girls re-entered North High, Koizumi took a deep breath of the clean air that had overtaken everything. It was so refreshing he almost fell asleep. Then, with his mind clear, he ran out of high school.
The air dipped in quality the farther away he got from North High. The air grew stale, but it wasn't overwhelming. Haruhi's action had weakened the gas entity. And she did it herself. She faced stress and came out on top of it. But it wasn't on her alone. If not for Kyon's temperament, she'd never have grown that much. That's why he needed to make things right as well. A closed space had emerged, and the cultists had attacked Mori. Whatsmore, he had discovered a way to eradicate the gas entity.
Koizumi just needed to make some important calls.
The TV signal's weakness should have alerted Kyon that an ominous event had happened. The typhoon was coming, and he hadn't prepared at all. His parents called home shortly after. He made sure to lessen their worries, but they would go home as soon as possible. What else could he do besides holing up and holding the fort? So far, he didn't have to evacuate.
His body didn't feel as weak as before, so he took it upon himself to get ready. There was always a survival kit somewhere around the house, so he moved as efficiently as possible. A first aid kit, a radio, a can opener and a flashlight with extra batteries were tidily put away on a cupboard in the kitchen. As he checked them, he noticed a suspicious amount of water bottles on the kitchen counter that neither he nor his sister had bought. The restocked food on the pantry confirmed his suspicion. Kyon muttered a quick thanks to the Brigade.
With most of these, he had a good start. He gathered a few more objects and brought them to the living room. Among them was a swiss penknife. It couldn't hurt to have it, not with the current situation. It contained a few tools besides the knife itself, and it could come in handy in a hurry.
Next, he had to do something about the windows. The lower floor was lucky, and some windows had exterior shutters. The ones on the upper floor, however, didn't. So the only thing he could do was close them and pray they didn't break.
The rain started to pour as he closed the last window. It was intense and unrelenting, dancing on the heavy wind. It was mesmerising, like they were smoke signals trying to communicate. He did his best to ignore it. Pretty it may be, but he was on a tight schedule. Besides, could her sister go back home safely with all this rain?
Kyon didn't think twice about it. His mindset, he did his best to dress up and charge up his phone for a few minutes. The goal was to contact one of her classmate's parents to bring her home. If unable, he'd go and get her home, somehow. Her school was much closer than North High, so he had one thing going.
As he was getting his raincoat, he noticed the pile of clothes on the corner of his bedroom. Kyon had no recollection of doing that. The way they had been pressed against the wall was too deliberate and packed as well. So he didn't forget and somehow did it when he became sick. Was it Haruhi or maybe Nagato?
Before he could get closer, somebody called his phone. He scrambled to get it, but much to his disappointment, it was Koizumi.
"What do you want? Haven't classes started?"
"My, is this the way you treat your friends?" Kyon could already tell he was smiling like always. "We've got some problems. Classes are suspended, and Suzumiya and company are coming your way."
"I guessed as much."
"I also want to warn you. Do not open the door to anybody. Find a place to hide if needed. As a last resort, you might need to arm yourself."
Kyon dropped his attitude and got serious. "Is it that bad? What's going on?"
"There are too many details, but we're on a race against time. So do not open the door to anybody. We've got hostiles in the area, both human and inhuman." Koizumi himself was serious, which always meant business.
"But my sister is…."
"I am sending someone to pick her up. Then, they will meet up with Suzumiya on their way home. Like this, you won't have to open the door. But, of course, it goes without saying that you should lock it up."
"Damn it… Okay, what about you? Are you coming? Don't go do something stupid."
"I appreciate your concern, but I won't do anything reckless." A brief pause afterwards, he continued. "It pains me to say this due to your state. However, I would like you to do something for me, and well, for everyone involved. That includes Nagato and Asahina, as well as my fellow Agency comrades and Nagato's TFEI companions."
Kyon sat down on his bed, bracing himself. "I'm much better than yesterday. But you don't even need to ask. It's about Haruhi, isn't it?"
"You got me. I only want her to have a good time. The more she believes in herself, the better. It might be the key to defeating the foul stench surrounding the city."
"I don't know how to do that. So I'm just going to be myself." Kyon raised an eyebrow as he listened to Koizumi's laughter.
"I wouldn't expect it any other way! Nagato will make sure nothing happens, so just worry about her and yourself." Koizumi's upbeat tone mellowed as he continued. "But remember, until they reach your home, be on alert. I cannot contact some of my companions watching over your home. And one last warning."
Kyon gripped his phone tightly as he waited.
"Unlike in previous instances, we have human opponents. Not ESPers, or aliens or time travellers. They want to do something with Suzumiya, but whatever it is, we won't let it happen. What's more, they seem to be aided by a rogue TFEI, Kazumi Kawahara. However, she has no connection to the Overmind, so her abilities should be minimal. If for some reason they try to break in, be cautious and buy as much time as you can."
"Do you want me to boil the ocean as well?"
"You say that, yet you're one of the few people capable of that feat. Regardless, as long as you don't leave your home, you only have to worry about them. Ignore the wind and whatever you see moving outside. And most of all, good luck."
"Same goes to you. I better see that annoying smile before nightfall."
A dry laugh was all the response Kyon heard as the call swiftly ended.
And with that, silence. Rain and wind hit the windows, nothing else. The conversation with Koizumi had only encouraged the gnawing and unpleasant sense that something was with him in the house. He had no actual evidence of it, but the feeling was tangible. It was paranoia, he was sure. The true danger laid outside, in that wretched wind. Because the windows were too thin and the walls too weak. Kyon had never realised what few centimetres separated him from the outside world. So if something wanted to get inside, it would.
Grasping the raincoat in his right hand, Kyon left his room. The hall was cold, and the wooden floor creaked with each step. He was cautious; who wouldn't be in that situation? Sure, he hadn't seen any hostile creatures or humans around his house, but a humanoid interface was something he had way too much experience with.
Asakura and Suou were on a completely different level. He was only saved because Nagato and Kimidori saved him on each separate occasion. And whatever Koizumi said, he didn't buy that this Kawahara was weakened at all. So he had to act under the assumption that he'd be utterly dead if she approached him. Therefore, he could only hide and pray.
He climbed down and spent a few long moments staring at the front door before locking it. The atmosphere of the front was blighted, filled with a rasping sort of pestilence that had soaked his lungs. The air was seeping in through the gaps of the door. There was no way he could indeed be safe.
Kyon took some steps back, going to the living room. The outer shutters were enough to stop most of the wind's rampage, but it didn't let any sunlight through it. His hand was about to switch on the light when his legs took a step back before locking in place. His body had reacted before his mind did.
He looked into the dark room, expecting to see something, anything. Whatever it could be to understand what he was feeling. Pure fear. He looked back towards the front door. It was the sound of scratching. Right away, he thought of Shamisen. And then he started thinking it had gained quite some weight because the sound was intense. Like it was scrapping the wood out of the door.
But if there was any doubt in his mind, it quickly evaporated into the musty air. It wasn't scratching anymore. It was tapping. It followed a familiar rhythm; Kyon had heard it in those old American movies several times. Shave and a haircut, two bits. That was the name. Yeah, that mystery was solved, but who was knocking at the door? Kyon didn't want to know, especially not now, so he just stayed motionless in the middle of the hallway, hoping that whoever or whatever would go away.
The tapping grew exponentially into a knock, losing its previous rhythm. Why didn't that person just say something? Whoever was knocking knew he was inside. And they weren't going away until he opened that door. So what could he actually do?
Kyon slowly backed away into the living room, glancing at the swiss army knife on the coffee table. It was then that he realised his mistake. Whoever or whatever was out there knew he had moved away from the hall because the knocking stopped. Only to start on the living room windows. Covered by shutters they might be, but that didn't calm him at all.
What waited for him outside knew precisely where he was. And the very idea of that filled him with a numb terror. He no longer could hide in a room as Koizumi had recommended. Instead, he was enthralled by whatever thing was out there, knocking the windows so hard that they looked about to burst. Kyon took the swiss penknife in hand and wondered why he had even picked it. There would be no chance in hell he could harm that thing outside.
Kyon noticed the raincoat he was holding on his other hand in a moment of sudden realisation. He couldn't know for sure how the thing outside saw where he was. So instead of wearing the raincoat, he backed away into the living room corner, crouched and covered his body with it. The knocking went from intense to impatient, but he didn't shift. And then, when the window was about to explode into fragments, it stopped. He heard it once again, but this time on the kitchen windows. It didn't linger too much there as the loud knocking moved to the upper floors.
Kyon's relief didn't last too long as the sounds of broken glass blasted through the house. It was inside.