84-Episode 77: Two Meritors
Tomorrow we have a deal with the morgues.
The leader of the adventurer's party, Lesvon Burk, said that in front of the three other members.
The three of them were, in other words, Filhana Glambana, Rain and Wombat. Rain, who had been seriously injured in the match against the Lesser Demon, had also managed to recover and was ready to sit in on the negotiations tomorrow.
It was only a few days ago that I heard that sub-leader Weygun had been captured by the Utsurogies. It was the result of Wombat's selfish actions, but Lesbon didn't have the energy to yell at him for it. Furthermore, the next day, Utsurogi, astride a unicorn, and Ling, a slime, visited us and offered to talk to us about setting up a negotiating table. It was as if they had no veto power.
If one were to think about which side was at fault, Lesbons' side was quite poorly represented. Even though it was Wombat's own decision, we were the ones who broke our promise. Maybe we should consider it better that Wegan hasn't been killed. We don't have the right to call a negotiation that would take his life as a shield as despicable.
"Is that what you're asking for, the delivery to the Old Continent?
Filhana muttered as she stared into the flames of the fire.
'Well, that's definitely a thing,'
Lesvon nodded. They wanted to return to the old continent to join their friends. They demanded that we give them a handover for that purpose, but Lesbon refused, saying he wanted time to think about it once. However, the other party has obtained a negotiation card for that purpose.
That's the extent of it, we can assume it, and our disadvantage is less, so it's still good.
''The question is, what if they demand more than that?
These were the words of a freshly bandaged Rain. Lesvon nodded.
I don't like to think too much about this kind of thinking, but as long as the blame is on us and the other party can use Weygun's life as a shield, a little recklessness can be said about the situation. I have a feeling that as long as I judge Utsurogi's character, he won't do anything that vicious and outrageous, but I shouldn't be optimistic.
It's a bit of a problem if you're asked to join the fight when your forces are exhausted. That's also, well, I feel like I have no choice but to ask, but.......
I've already gathered information on the telepathic network about the monsters that look like Utsurugi-san's friends, though.
Filhana pulled out a folder of clippings from gossip articles.
Some of the articles she had received in her facsimile the other day were interspersed with a few articles about monsters that, in hindsight, might be the friends of Utsurugi. This information is a valid card on our side.
''Let's see.... This one. The Zelga Gladiatorial Principality's, Monster Coliseum.
The article was about a weak team that had registered for the Monster Coliseum, and had defeated the best of the best and advanced to the finals. Although there was no unity among the monsters, including Owga and Dullahan, they were unbeatable with their intelligence and coordination.
There were times when Durahan and Hanuman didn't participate in the tournament due to their health condition before they reached the finals, but after they returned, they played a great role with more power than before, and some people have said that they are actually secretly training each monster.
Rain also peeked at the article Lesvon held in his hand from the side.
''Ho. Oh, so the Gladiatorial Kingdom is now visited by "nameless"?
Oh, that's not the guy I'm talking about.
Nameless is one of the Five Divine Stars, one of the strongest platinum-ranked stars certified by the Adventurer's Guild. He is known as "Nameless of the Wolf Star," and is a sword wielder.
''There's a rumor that one of the Imperial Clockwork Alliance (Dial Knights) has also infiltrated the Gladiatorial Principality, so the Gladiatorial Principality is a hot place.
That's the second seat, the one called "The Underworld Hero". It's a bit of an eyebrow-raiser, though.
Lesvon flips through the pages. There are still more articles of interest.
The next article is that a monster has opened a hot spring inn in a remote area of the Vernetus Kingdom.
This one is also a crazy story, but it doesn't seem to be a demagogue. The area is near a swamp that was originally plagued by a vicious monster, but thanks to the cooperation of a local adventurer who also ran a hot spring inn, the area is getting safe again.
This adventurer is also rumored to be one of the five stars, the howling star. It's a good idea to have a good idea of what you're looking for.
The story of the steel merchant ships that entered the Arkarg and the coup d'état in the southern kingdom is also a matter of concern.
We don't have much information on those two.
Certainly, there's not much more information to worry about when you turn the page further. These two are areas where the power of the empire is strong, so perhaps the telepathic network's restrictions on information are strong.
There is plenty of information to be concerned about, such as His Highness the Princess of the Grandeldoe Knight Kingdom leaving for the east in secret, or the discovery of a dragon king piece that had been long unaccounted for and was transported to the imperial capital, but there is nothing that could be used in negotiations with Utsurogi and the others.
While the three of them were talking, it was Wombat who was silent throughout.
He was in a hurry to get the job done, and as a result, he put his friends in a tight spot. His awkwardness must have been considerable, but knowing this, Lesbons would not say anything wild. However, he would have to make a sincere apology along with him to the Utsurogi and the others.
On top of that, if they want to hand over the wombats or to be executed privately, he must adamantly discourage it. Because if they make a mistake, he is one of the party members.
'Lesvon. I don't know what to do.
'You don't have to show up for the negotiations. I'll let you apologize if you need to, but maybe we'll just negotiate, so there's no need. We'll probably be in the same boat on the way back, so we'll probably see each other eventually.
It's human nature to apologize when you do something wrong, but this isn't that kind of place.
''.........''
That was the only word Wombat spoke, after all. Only his gaze moved around impatiently.
He's young. He's the youngest in the party. Since he's from a favela, I can understand his impatience with his merit. But it's forbidden for an adventurer to break a promise. The most worrisome thing is that I hope they don't try something extra to make up for this failure.
'Wombat, don't be too worried about it.
No. Yeah, I know.
Somewhat absent-mindedly, the wombat replied.
The other classmates returned to Kyousuke and the others. Rin and the rest of the food-securing group were still in large numbers, and Karasuma and Hakuba's patrol group also reported that there was nothing wrong with them.
It's already getting dark. Now we're going to prepare for dinner. Yukinoshita is in charge of cooking today, and Azuki is carefully washing and chopping the vegetables with a knife. Rin and Hatano are tagging along, but Inugami is still lying in the field, chewing on a yawn. He occasionally looks up at the western sky meaningfully, but that's all.
Kyousuke had just received a brief report from Hakuba about the patrol at that time.
'Utsurogi, can you listen to me for a moment?'
Shirouma unexpectedly said something like that, which caused Kyousuke to lightly gush.
''What?''
No, I was thinking that you sound like Ryuzaki...
That was usually the first thing that Class Committee member Kunihiro Ryuzaki would say to Kyousuke when he called out to him. That hadn't been the case when he arrived in Albadamba, but until then, he would call on him for help and advice on anything and everything. As Kyousuke, who was happy to be relied upon, it didn't bother him in the least, though.
The white horse's horse face makes a dumbfounded face. His eyes are on either side, so it's hard to get the wrinkles between his eyebrows.
'If you ask me, you look a lot more like Ryuzaki than I do.
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I'm not so sure. Well, I'm somewhat aware of that.
You did. Well, that's okay. So, you see, it's about Karasuma.
As he was told, Kyousuke glanced back. In that direction was a small cage, containing the captured sorcerer Weygun.
'Karasuma's?'
Weigan had just pointed out to me about Karasuma. I ruminate over what he said in my head.
'Yeah, that Karasuma guy seems to be a bit mentally unstable. I was just wondering if he was okay.
I see.
Wegan said something similar. He said that he was running on merit.
Kyousuke doesn't really know what that word means. It's not quite clear to him what human emotions are driven only by merit. However, he could see that leaving it out would cause problems like Koganei's.
Care must be taken. Kyousuke decided, out of pure goodness, to seek advice from Karasuma. Because he didn't want to see something like Koganei happen again.
Good intentions didn't always cause good things to happen, but Kyousuke hadn't learned enough about that yet.
'Alright. Did Karasuma say anything?
Hmmm... Have you ever wondered, 'Why isn't it me in there?' Or something like that.
Is that...?
Kyousuke nods his head.
Does this mean that he is dissatisfied with his position? This is the only thing I'll have to ask. Should I discuss this beforehand with Ozashiki, who is good friends with Karasuma? And then there's Rin.
I was keenly aware of this when it happened with Yukinoshita, but I'm apparently not very good at persuading others.
Suddenly, my eyes met with Yukinoshita who was cooking. No, Kyousuke didn't have eyes, though. There was a look in his eyes.
With no expression on her face, Yukinoshita clenched her fist as hard as she could and gave me a thumbs up. But immediately after, she brought that thumb to her neck and made a gesture of cutting off her neck with a hot smile. As usual, she seemed to be strangely disliked by her.
Yukinoshita Ryouka continues to be a bewildering character, even after joining up, I'm not sure if she's a pessimist or an optimist. Her coming out, "I'm not actually hot blooded," greatly startled Wallino and Karasuma, but even so, there were still times when she would say and do something feverish and superficial.
Even with that Yukinoshita, her persuasion itself was unsuccessful. As a result, it did encourage Yukinoshita's awakening and helped her to grow, but if one focuses on Kyousuke's actions alone, it must be said to be a disastrous failure.
Will Kyousuke's words be understood by Karasumaru Yoshitsune as well?
No, let's not think too hard about it. We have no choice but to do what we can.
And now is the time to have a proper discussion with him. I don't want to leave too much of the problems that have arisen at this time. Kyousuke tried to talk to Ozaji and Rin afterwards, but he could not get a clear answer to the "something" that Karasuma was holding.
However, the faceless Rin, although she didn't have any expression on her face, muttered this in a serious tone of voice.
''Kyousuke-kun, I have a feeling that we shouldn't be too hasty in this conversation.''
Rin's instincts are sharp. If she says so, then maybe it's true.
''Karasuma-kun, you were on the track team for a little while in your first year, right?''
When I asked her if she had caused any problems, Rin denied it.
'Nothing happened. I mean, Karasuma-kun, you're pretty fast, and they expected you to be able to do that.''
But he soon moved to the gymnastics club, Rin said.
It seems that she was always a good athlete. To the extent that it's hard to believe that he was a member of the newspaper club in junior high school. He may have had the ability to do everything without a hitch. It's called dexterity and poverty.
But Karasuma switched to a different club.
When I was wondering why, Rin said.
''Kyousuke-kun, do you know? I was the fastest sprinter in the prefecture.
Of course, I know. What does it matter?
'When I was a human, I was faster than Karasumaru-kun, you know.
These were Rin's words, which were slightly tinged with the lingering desire for "speed." Kyousuke could sense that emotion, but he never said it. It was because he knew Rin wouldn't want him to.
But how in the world did that fact relate to him? In response to Kyousuke's twitching of his head, Rin's voice was close to a bitter smile.
''Karasumaru-kun, you're the kind of person who doesn't feel comfortable unless you're the best in the moment.''
Karasumaru Yoshitsune is the type of man who doesn't always feel comfortable with not being the best. However, he himself is not a hard worker by any means. His half-baked talent of being able to do a certain amount of things with dexterity without effort to begin with has made Karasumaru jerk off.
It was not that he was unaware of it. But he wasn't so auspicious as to try to correct his nature.
Why wasn't he the one there?
Karasuma knows very well that jealousy is not a very nice thing. But it's hard to stop this feeling. And moreover, in the world around you, your friends are gaining strength one after another. For Karasuma, who has always been able to get by in a decent position without much effort, this situation is painful.
Currently, only he, Hakuba, and Inugami are the only ones who do not have the Phase 2 ability among their peers.
Among them, Hakuba's ability is a one-of-a-kind. The support magic called 《Life Magic》, which is specialized in recovery, is something only he can handle in his class. What's more, he overheard that this magic system itself is something that many intelligent races, including humans, cannot handle. Even without being a Phase 2, Hakuba was still worthy of being a unicorn just because he was a unicorn.
Right now, the only thing that could keep Karasuma's pride intact was the existence of Inugami.
As a werewolf by nature, Inugami does not have the Phase 2 ability. His fighting ability was uneven, as it depended greatly on the phases of the moon, and it wasn't uncommon for him to struggle against a bloodline with class. If I had to say anything more, it would be the fact that he has a nose that can accurately pierce the scent of his blood clan that is unique.
Karasuma was by no means stronger than Inugami. In terms of averages, they are about the same. If I had to put it that way, it's only that I have a slight advantage over her because I can fly.
There were a number of large holes in Karasuma's perception, but he wasn't going to be able to maintain his petty self-esteem if he didn't at least assume that.
And even if he assumed it, there was no way he could be satisfied with the current situation.
Devil's edge.
The word was said to refer to a mind like Karasuma's now.
What that word meant, Karasuma still couldn't remember.
'Karasumaru-,'
As Karasuma tries to calm his wishy-washy heart, he is approached by a voice.
'It's time for dinner!'
Yeah, I'm coming. I'm coming!
As much as possible, Karasuma replied, keeping his voice sound as low as usual.
It was Soraki Kyousuke who called Karasumaru over to him. Next to him was Himemizu Rin, as usual. At the dinner table were his friends who had been sent to this continent. Kabeno is with Ozaji, Inugami is with Azuki, and Yukinoshita and Hakuba are sitting at the dinner table without being next to anyone else.
Come to think of it, I heard that there were still two other classmates who were sent to this continent. They were the Arakune reincarnated Itomi Kumozaki and the Roper reincarnated Natsuhiko Tentahara. They were explained about them by Hakuba and Inugami (well, mostly by Hakuba, since Inugami has been left beastified). It was very likely that they had already been captured by the Blood Clan, very likely.
The Blood Clan had already crossed over to this continent. If Kumizaki and Tentahara had been captured, then together with Koganei, the three of them had already fallen into their hands.
Suddenly, Karasuma had an idea.
The reason they were reincarnated in this world was due to the plans of the blood family. So, if that's the case, the quickest way to learn how to use your power properly would be to get a lecture directly from the blood clan, wouldn't it?
In fact, according to Ryuzaki and the others who had engaged Koganei, he was already moving as if he had awakened to Phase 2.
Even Spiderzaki and Tentahara wouldn't be killed. They, too, would be trained to become Phase 2, and would probably have a new power up.
And with that much thought, Karasuma shook his head.
It's a pear. I'm not going to ask for power, no matter how much it takes, to go down to their military ranks. I don't want to.
I don't want to do that, I shouldn't.
"--- Karasumaru-kun, what's the matter with you?
Suddenly, Mitarai Azuki looked at me and nodded her head curiously.
'It looks like you haven't touched your rice at all.
Can you eat my food? Huh, I guess you're right....
'Yeah, snowflakes are twisting pessimism in a weird way again.
Karasuma dropped his gaze to the plate.
'I, no, it's not like that........ It's not like that........
My mind was boggling. The fact that the person who worries about us and says kind words to us is always in a higher position than we are, does not sit well with Karasuma. Even Mitarai Azuki, who is so shy and doesn't really like to talk to others, looks down on us.
"Lately, Karasumaru-kun is acting a little strange.... Everyone is worried about you..... Hey, Utsurogi-kun.
'Huh? Oh, yeah, yeah....
Kyousuke looks up and looks at Karasuma.
Swoon. Karasumaru's entire body felt a strong rejection. Every time he stared into Kyousuke's empty eye sockets, Karasumaru's heart whispered.
At this moment, he was the one person that Karasumaru Yoshitsune could not tolerate the most.
Why would he go to such lengths to care for someone else? It was a thought process that Karasumaru could not understand at all. At the same time, the mild manner Kyousuke showed was terribly unpleasant to him. It made him feel as if those who could afford it were looking down on him, just like Azuki's words and actions.
He is the first in his class to awaken to Phase 2, and is favored by Ryuzaki, the head of the rear group, and is favored by Rin, the former but beautiful girl in class 1, and vice versa by Sakuma, who has jumped up to become the class 1 beauty. She is also a favorite of Beni Asuka, and because of her blood, she is the only one in her class to have reached Phase 3.
From Karasuma's point of view, it seems as if everything is going well. Soraki Kyousuke acted as if he was on the fringes, but in fact, he had always been at the center of the class after the transition. And now, even here, he naturally takes on the role of bringing the members together.
Ryuzaki, Benii, Rin, Sakuma, and Goubayashi and Kenzaki, to name a few. He is recognized by them, relied upon, praised and favored by them, and furthermore, he gets the ability to be close to the strongest in his class in fact.
With those conditions in place, anyone could be as gentle and kind as he was.
That's why Karasuma didn't want to show these feelings to Kyousuke alone.
'Karasumaru-kun, I think you should talk to him about something that's bothering you.... You see, Yukinoshita-san and Himemizu-san, Utsurogi-kun did something about it too.
I didn't get rescued by Utsurogi-kun. I got through it with my own effort and perseverance.
Apparently, Azuki was worried about Karasuma in her own way. Even Inugami, the only one of them who hadn't been served dinner (she usually went out to hunt and eat whenever she wanted), was lying there, one eye open and looking at Karasuma.
Don't do that. Karasuma thought.
'Ah. Azunyan, Azunyan, hey, hey.'
Then Rin raised her voice and interrupted (no).
''Well, that kind of thing is a personal matter, and it's not something to be forced to rush.......is it? Hey?
Yeah. Well, yeah.
In response to Rin's words, Kyousuke averted his gaze somewhat awkwardly as well. The subtlety of the air was more than enough to give Karasuma the facts.
They already knew. On top of that, they were merely trying to find a solution that would not irritate and care for Karasuma.
At that moment, Karasuma felt as if the gazes directed at him at that table had been transformed into something he could never tolerate. He could see that Yukinoshita, Hakuba, Ozashiki, and Kano were all looking at him. He felt as if he had been pulled out of his disgusting self-esteem, which he had been hiding to keep from leaking to the people around him until now.
''Ah........''
Kyousuke said, scratching his cheek somewhat awkwardly.
''Karasuma, I'm not forcing you to say anything or anything. It's just that, um, even if it's not me, you don't need to talk to anyone or anything...
It's okay. It's fine.
Karasuma tried to smile, but realized that the crow's beak wouldn't do that either.
'Utsurugi already knows what I'm like. You know what kind of guy I am, at least. Then why don't you just tell me exactly what you are?
It's disgusting. You say that.
While the air was tense, there was one guy who didn't seem to care much about it and continued to eat.
He didn't need to ask who it was, but it was Yukinoshita Ryouka. As she scraped the vegetables on the plate into her mouth, she gave Karasuma a cold gaze, typical of a snow woman, and then said in a voice that seemed to mock her.
'I can't really see what you're talking about, but I can see that you've been getting on my nerves lately, Karasumaru-kun, that's the only thing I can really see. So maybe that's why Utsurogi-kun is being so careful in his inability to read the air? And when you find out that they're being careful, you're telling them to stop because it's a misery, right? It's disgusting. You don't have the spunk.
Huh...!
He pointed to a figurehead. Instantly, Karasuma's mind went blank. Yukinoshita's gaze at me is cold. It's not just Yukinoshita. Inugami, too, opened only one eye and stared coldly at us. Azuki was only dazed by the tension that her statement had brought on, and Kabeano and Gozashiki were holding their breath and not saying a single word.
''Yu, Yukinoshita.... That kind of thing is an exaggeration.....
His blanked out thoughts exploded as Kyousuke tried to follow up with Karasumaru, chiding Yukinoshita.
Raising his right arm, a tengu leaf fan was summoned between the bird's claws. It was his exclusive tool that he had worn since his reincarnation. Azuki lets out a small scream and Inugami nips her collar and flies away from her. Kabeno deployed a wall of light that prevented the attack. Kyousuke and Rin stood up to stop Karasuma. Hakuba was taken aback by his sudden action.
Karasumaru's anger turned first to Yukinoshita. As he took a swipe of his leaf fan, Kamitachi arose and rushed to Yukinoshita. As he stands up, Yukinoshita swings his right arm down as if in a kesa. The air instantly cools, but instantly the molecular motion reverses and creates heat. The sudden change in temperature created a boundary in the air, causing the blade of wind to dissipate.
Immediately after disabling Karasumaru's wind magic, Yukinoshita was about to turn to attack. Karasuma felt his own limbs, and the base of his wings, go cold again.
'Yukinoshita!
At the sound of Kyosuke's voice, Yukinoshita stopped moving with a twitch.
His wings and limbs, which seemed to be freezing, were freed from the cold air. Without taking his gaze off Karasuma, Yukinoshita told him in a cold voice.
'Let's get away, he.'
As it turned out, the words were true. At this time, Karasuma no longer had the option of staying here.
There was no way for him to escape. In the first place, this was not an action that came from logical thinking. It's just that I didn't want to stay here for even one second longer. Yukinoshita must have anticipated this and intended to block Karasuma's movements.
However, she took Kyousuke's words to heart and dutifully stopped attacking him. Karasumaru spread his wings and took off.
'Hey, Karasumaru! Wait!
It was the white horse that shouted this. I shall not wait. Not something that can wait. Not to stay.
To be seen in such a disgusting state of myself.
After all, this might have been the end of a man who had tried to be the best in every place, but hadn't put in the effort to do so. Karasuma didn't even have the time to mock himself at this point.
Crow's wings pounded the sky, accelerating his black body. With his own speed, not letting anyone catch up to him, and moving away from the hillside in a matter of seconds, Karasuma was the only one who remembered that he was the only one who was faster than anyone else in his escape.
The sun was setting and night was coming to the new continent. As Karasuma flew straight east across the Time World desert, he saw a strange light emerge in the evening darkness.
'Karasumaru's gone,'
The white horse muttered to himself.
The Raven Tengu has an impressive flight speed. There's not a single person among the current members who can catch up with her. Even if you scrape together all of your classmates, it would be only the Thunderbird's Kaminari Toriba. Kyousuke sighs heavily.
He sighs, but at this point in time, he couldn't blame anyone.
'If I hadn't stopped you, I wouldn't have let you get away with it.
Yukinoshita said as she ate her dinner, which Karasuma hadn't touched in the end. It's not that he's particularly dissatisfied.
''Well. But I don't know if it was the right thing to do at that point in time to force him or her to do it, either.
If Yukinoshita froze his limbs on his wings, it would certainly keep Karasuma from escaping, but he couldn't imagine a future where he could open up to Karasuma with that. If leaving this place would cool him down, then perhaps he should do so.
Well, the pre-meeting he had with Rin and the others had been in vain.
''Oh, um.... I, that's unnecessary........
That's not your concern, Azunyan. It's not like we can recover from that problem on our own.
Rin's words were half for the purpose of following Azuki, but the other half was an unmovable fact.
'Karasumaru-kun, it was like you were looking at Utsurugi-kun in the eye...'
Murmurings from Wallno. Kyousuke nodded.
I don't know what I did to upset that guy, but...
I guess you don't have to do anything to not like their existence.
Sesshomaru said, flattening the plate cleanly.
'Maybe Karasuma was jealous of you.
Hakuba also added as he cleaned up Kara's dishes.
'As far as who's worse, it's Karasuma's fault, and there's nothing to make Utsurugi feel like a drawback, though.
Am I in a position to be envied?
Well, that depends on who you ask. I don't envy you at all.
It's also complicated to be able to clearly declare that, though.
Anyway, Kyousuke has his head in his hands. Another problem has been added. It's almost like a hole in his stomach, but without needing to think back, Kyousuke doesn't have a stomach. It's just that the problems pile up with the stomach pain as a sensation. It's a terrible story.
Negotiating with the adventurers, searching for Karasuma, and dealing with the blood family that says they are on this continent. There's also the matter of Kumozaki and Tentahara, who may have been kidnapped.
''Well, let's focus all our efforts on tomorrow's negotiations first.... They might even help us find Karasuma....
The question is, where will Karasumaru-kun go? I hope he's not caught by his blood.
Yeah. There's that problem too. At Karasuma's flying speed, it didn't seem impossible that he could get away on his own, but he had flown east into the desert. There are no landmarks over there, so the search will be quite laborious.
'Speaking of the east, I can see what looks like a faint light here and there, but I guess it's that thing.
Hearing Hakuba muttering, Kyousuke also turns his gaze.
''Hmm? .............That's true. What the hell is that?
Turning my eyes from the hillside towards the desert, I can certainly witness the fluffy lights floating around the horizon.
''Ha, could it be Ei?''
'I'm not stupid. There are so many of them.
Kyousuke's words were cut off by Yukino.
But it's a vague light that reminds me of Ei Hino. There are a lot of them, though. Are they caused by the wispy monsters that live in this new continent? Or are they the lights of civilized people moving through the desert? According to the adventurers, there are no people living in this new continent, but in fact, that perception could be wrong.
It's also possible that they are a blood race, which is a possibility. And it could also be a demon species.
''I wonder if it's a foxfire.
I was thinking of asking Weygun directly later, when Azuki said something like that.
'Foxfire?'
Mr. Inugami went hunting in the desert in the evening, and came back with a fox in his mouth.
I wonder if there are foxes in the desert...
Generally speaking, Kyousuke wondered if there was a fox, would it cause foxfire, but he quickly changed his mind.
This world is a fantasy. I have a feeling it's not a bad thing.
The foxfire flickered eerily in the direction Karasuma had flown, but even when he asked Weygun directly afterwards, he couldn't make out the identity of the foxfire.