As she left the Butterfly Mansion, Yohan quickly caught up with Shinobu, who was walking ahead.
"Shinobu, wait for me!"
"Yohan? What are you doing here?" Shinobu hadn't expected Yohan to be right behind her.
"Of course I'm here to help save your sister, Kanae. Have you figured out her exact location yet?"
If they didn't have a precise location, by the time they found Kanae, she might already be—
"I checked the letters my sister left before she departed. One of them mentioned where her mission was."
With that, the two of them sped forward. Time was of the essence now, and there was no room for idle talk.
"Alright, then you lead the way. Let's not waste a second."
….
Meanwhile, with Kochou Kanae—
Having decided to investigate the Eternal Paradise Faith, she planned to start with the family of the most recently missing girl.
"Let's start there. Maybe her parents know something."
According to the intel she had,
left turn, then straight ahead, then right turn at the corner...
Winding through the little streets, Kanae arrived at a certain spot in the town.
"This must be the child's home, right?"
Matching the house with the address on the letter, Kanae knocked on the door.
But no sound came, even after quite some time.
"Not home? Guess I'll have to give up for now…" Kanae turned to leave.
Creaaaak—
A soft sound—the door opening.
"Who are you looking for?" A raspy voice asked.
Behind the door stood a middle-aged couple.
"Hello. I'm here to ask you about your daughter."
"Our daughter!" The man's already hoarse voice sank even lower.
"Our daughter is already missing. There's nothing to ask. Just leave."
It felt like they were trying to drive her away. But this was her first lead—Kanae wasn't willing to give up so easily.
"I'm sorry. I know this must be painful to talk about…"
"But could you at least let me inside? I might be able to help find your daughter."
"My husband's just talking nonsense. Come in."
This time, the woman spoke first. Her attitude was noticeably different from the man's.
"You… ah, just come in."
Though reluctant, the man finally agreed.
Kanae followed them into the house.
Inside, the place was messy and looked like it hadn't been cleaned in ages.
"Sorry about the mess. We haven't had the heart to tidy up lately. Please don't mind it."
The woman seemed a little more forthcoming, busying herself with preparing tea for Kanae.
"If you have questions, just ask my husband." She gave the man a look as she spoke.
"Sir, could you tell me the circumstances around your daughter's disappearance?"
Kanae didn't waste any time. Every second counted.
The man went quiet for a while, as if recalling something, then slowly spoke.
"Well… miss, a while ago, my daughter said she was going to attend some sort of event. And then… she just vanished."
"Do you know what kind of event it was? Was she going with anyone?"
"I don't know. She's not a child anymore, so I didn't pry. But I do remember… it wasn't her first time. She used to go to this event monthly."
"I thought it was just like before… but that time, she never came back."
"As for other people—no. She always went alone."
The man was visibly pained as he spoke, holding his face in both hands.
"I'm sorry… but before she disappeared, did she do anything strange at home?"
Kanae knew she was digging into a wound, but she had no choice.
"Strange…? No, she was normal at home. Nothing unusual at all."
"I see…"
Kanae frowned. The lead had gone cold.
This family truly seemed to know nothing—but something felt off. Were they hiding something?
Kanae suspected the man was withholding part of the truth. But from his expression, he seemed genuinely tormented by his daughter's disappearance.
"Are you sure there's nothing else?"
She decided to ask one final time. If nothing came of it, she'd have to move on.
At her words, the man trembled. The hands covering his face seemed to press down harder.
"I… I really don't…"
Clink!
The sharp sound of a teacup being set down on the table.
Startled by the noise, the man froze. Then, slowly, he spoke again.
"Actually… there is something."
Kanae studied the strange pair in front of her. Something about them didn't feel quite right.
Still, a lead was a lead. She had to hear what he had to say.
"Please, tell me. Anything, no matter how small, could help."
"I remember… the first time she went to that event, I followed her."
"I was worried, so I trailed behind her secretly. But when we reached the destination, she found out."
"She got angry. I had no choice but to leave. But afterward, she always came back home safely, so I stopped following her."
"Where was this place!?" Kanae suddenly tensed.
She had a hunch—it was dangerous.
"It was… a place just outside the town…"
After saying this, the man fell completely silent.
No matter how much Kanae questioned him, he simply shook his head. The woman never spoke again.
"…Alright. I'll take my leave now. If I find any news about your daughter, I'll let you know."
Kanae realized there was nothing more to gain here. Her priority now was to check out that location outside of town.
The couple didn't walk her out—just silently let her go.
Kanae didn't notice: from the moment they entered the house, the man had never once removed his hands from his face.
"She's gone now. Put your hands down," the woman said softly.
"I know… but I've wronged her. I truly wronged her…"
He was full of guilt, consumed by self-loathing.
"What else could we do? We lost our daughter—we can't lose our son!"
"We're doing this… to save our son!"
The woman erupted. Her earlier calm demeanor had been nothing but a mask.
"But… she was just a child too…"
The woman's expression shattered. The house echoed with the sounds of crying.
And by then, Kanae had already left.
Though she hadn't heard any of it, the man's strange behavior left her uneasy.
Something wasn't right. And she could feel it—she was getting closer to the Eternal Paradise Cult.
At that same moment, within the Eternal Paradise Cult—
"Master, the woman has entered the house."
"Then… it's time I made my move."
"Yes, Master."
Doma smiled.
The bait had taken.
The fish… was on the hook.