Xiaolian looked up at the goggled gang leader, who stood on the tail of his manta ray kudan. Her own kudan was in front of her and the boys she saved, flames rising around them protectively.

"A kudan that manipulates fire," the goggled leader smirked. "I'm water and you're fire, this will be fun." He said before his manta ray shot a powerful jet of water at Xiaolian. The girl raised her arms wide, standing over the boys. The water met her shield of fire, dissipating into steam upon meeting. "I'm Asagi Shougo," the goggled leader introduced himself, "and you?"

"…Xiaolian," the archeologist replied cautiously.

"I like you now," Asagi began and Xiaolian didn't know why that statement made her heart pound, skin tingling in a way she couldn't identify as good or bad. All she knew was that she was definitely on edge.

"Shougo! The police are coming!" One of the goggled gang members called, but he and the rest of Asagi's gang were all grinning, excited by the prospect.

Asagi sighed. "Damn, this is bad timing." He turned to his gang. "You guys, separate!"

"Fowoo!" the gang cheered and followed as Asagi led them away.

"I can't wait until I see you again!" Asagi tossed over his shoulder at Xiaolian as they made their escape.

Xiaolian didn't have time to process it before her wolf kudan swirled, compressing itself into a stream of flames that sunk back inside her chest. She touched it in confusion.

"It went…inside me?" Xiaolian murmured in confusion.

"You were great!" Fai smiled, making Xiaolian startle as the older woman and Kurogane approached. "Was that all your doing?"

"That was also a kudan," Kurogane pointed out.

"I don't really know, but my body started to get hotter…" Xiaolian tried to explain before turning around, alarmed as she remembered why she'd jumped into danger in the first place. "Are you hurt?" she asked the boys she saved. The boy who tripped stared back at her tearily as the boy with the tasseled hat bowed to her. "Phew," she exhaled, "are you okay?"

The boy who nodded to her turned into a gust of magic that disappeared inside the teary boy, causing Xiaolian and Kurogane to double-take.

"What? He disappeared!" Xiaolian gasped.

"Oh!" Fai placed her fist in her palm. "That was also a kudan!"

"Anything is possible," Kurogane huffed in exasperation.

"Anyways, what happened to the kudan of ours?" Fai glanced around.

"Mokona!" Xiaolian gasped, swiveling around quickly to look for the white creature.

"Ah, it probably got stepped on somewhere around here. Like some sort of discarded pork bun." Kurogane scratched her head, not really bothered.

"No, I don't think so. Look!" Fai pointed to where a group of women had acquired their guide.

"So cute!" one cooed.

"Fluffy!" another praised.

"The sweetest thing!" another sighed happily.

"Mokona is popular~!" Mokona giggled.

Xiaolian hurried over, bowing apologetically before taking Mokona. The white creature jumped back onto her head and the girls squealed before taking their leave, Mokona waving goodbye to them.

"Where were you, Mokona?" Fai questioned.

"I was on top of Kurogane. Then, she threw me off." Mokona sniffled before jumping in realization atop Xiaolian's head. "And! Yeah! Mokona was like this!" Mokona opened its eyes wide like it promised to do in the presence of a feather. "But nobody noticed Mokona!"

"Saku's feather was nearby!" Xiaolian exclaimed, taking Mokona off her head and into her palms, cradling it gently as it spoke.

"It was there before, but Mokona doesn't feel it anymore." Mokona explained.

"Did you find out who has it?" Xiaolian asked urgently.

"I don't know," Mokona shook its head.

Xiaolian deflated, looking quite akin to a kicked puppy. "O–Oh…" she murmured.

Mokona looked down, ears flattening in dejection at the fact that it missed its chance and made Xiaolian sad.

"It's difficult to figure out who was there a few minutes ago, but the fact that we know someone nearby has it is good." Fai reasoned with a kind smile.

Xiaolian perked up, and so did Mokona. "If you find out anything new, tell me." Xiaolian requested and Mokona nodded enthusiastically.

"Yeah! Mokona will try hard!" it promised.

Fai turned to Kurogane, smiling airily. "It's all Kuro-chin's fault that Mokona fell," she pointed at the taller woman.

"Why blame me? And I told you, don't call me that!" Kurogane growled.

"Um…excuse me!" the boy Xiaolian saved bowed to her. "Thank you so much for that situation! I'm Saitou Masayoshi, I want to do something to thank you." Masayoshi clenched his fist in determination.

"No, I didn't do anything." Xiaolian waved her hands humbly.

"But, but…" Masayoshi fretted.

"I want to eat lunch! At a good place!" Mokona chirped from atop Xiaolian's head.

"Eh?" Xiaolian blinked.

"Well?" Mokona prompted.

"Okay!" Masayoshi smiled excitedly.

They travelers and Mokona were seated at a booth where a tabletop grill frying four flat piles of food separated Fai and Kurogane, and Xiaolian and Masayoshi.

"This is…?" Xiaolian looked down in wonder as Fai smiled, Kurogane trying to figure out exactly what the food is.

"Well, okonomiyaki is my favorite dish…" Masayoshi explained quickly, fretting.

"This is called okonomiyaki!" Fai said in wonder.

"What?" Masayoshi tilted his head. "Okonomiyaki is the main food from Hanshin, so if you don't know, that means…" he trailed off before brightening. "Ah! You came from somewhere outside the country?" he asked.

Both Xiaolian and Kurogane were still staring down at the okonomiyaki, Mokona's ears flapping in excitement, so Fai answered.

"'Outside?' Well, you could say that." Fai said and Masayoshi tilted his head in confusion. "Do those people always fight over there?" she asked.

Masayoshi looked down, fiddling with his hands. "That was… They want to test their strength. They form teams and compete over who has the stronger kudan."

"Oh!" Fai placed her chin in her palms. "And the team that wins gets the rights for the property," she finished.

Xiaolian looked down, brow furrowing. "But if they fight in a roomy space like that, doesn't the fight trouble other people?" She pointed out.

"Yeah…" Fai hummed.

"That's because we're too crowded," Masayoshi tried to explain. "Um…there are bad teams, but there are also good teams. They watch for people not to get violent in the property, and fight the bad guys. It's like a police on their own."

"What about the team that came here?" Fai questioned.

"The one that had the hat is a bad guy!" Masayoshi said. "But the one with the goggles is different! When he fights the other teams, he only destroys a few buildings and the adults get mad, but he doesn't do anything else that's bad." He said excitedly, eyes sparkling. "Especially the leader, Shougo-san, has the best kudan. And he's big and strong, so he's everybody's role model!" Masayoshi finished before realizing that at some point he'd stood up, Xiaolian looking up at him curiously and Fai watching in amusement. Kurogane and Mokona were still intently focused on the okonomiyaki.

Masayoshi quickly sat back down. "I'm sorry!" he blushed heavily.

"So, you admire him," Fai said gently.

"Y–Yes!" Masayoshi nodded quickly before looking over at Xiaolian, smile tinted with a red blush of admiration. "But I also admire Xiaolian-chan."

"Huh?" Xiaolian blinked in surprise.

"Anybody with a special kudan is just amazing," Masayoshi chirped.

"Special level?" Xiaolian questioned as Fai looked on in interest.

"It's an especially high level for a kudan," Masayoshi explained. "The fourth level is the lowest, and moving up, there's the third level, second level, first level, and it goes upward. The top is the best, the special level," he said emphatically. "Having a level system was banned by countries a long time ago, but normal people still use it."

Kurogane was getting restless, wanting to do something about the okonomiyaki as Mokona hopped on her head in excitement.

"So, that leader has a really strong kudan." Fai prompted.

"Yes!" Masayoshi nodded. "Xiaolian-chan is the same. A strong kudan, the best kudan, only goes with people who are strong themselves." Masayoshi looked over at Xiaolian, who donned a look of surprise. "A kudan reflects upon a person's strength of mind, and I admire that." Masayoshi looked down, blushing in embarrassment. "Mine is the bottom, the fourth level." He admitted quietly.

"Masayoshi-kun…" Xiaolian murmured, unsure of what to say.

"But when did a kudan go with Xiaolian-chan?" Fai pointed out coyly.

"Oh, yeah!" Xiaolian blinked as Kurogane carefully tilted up the bottom of the okonomiyaki to check it. "I had a dream last night."

"Wait!" Someone cried and Kurogane startled, caught, as Mokona flew off her head.

The one who had barked at Kurogane turned out to be none other than Touyami, dressed in the restaurant uniform with Yukiko behind him, the pale-haired woman smiling.

Xiaolian gasped in shock. "Your Majesty! And the High Priestess?"