The Lost Village (迷家)

If you'd just go away...!

Don't!

Hold him down!

Mitsumune-kun!

Stop!

Please don't hurt him anymore.

I'll tell you the truth.

Masaki-san...

I've actually been to Nanaki Village

once before.

The Lost

Village

Visit Nanaki Before Doubting Masaki

Oh, there it is!

This is the fourth one, Masaki!

Really? That's good.

The next marker's near the river.

Let's take a break there.

Okay!

There! There it is!

If we can keep going like this, we'll get there before noon.

Yeah...

Are you tired?

Want to rest a bit more?

No, I'm okay.

Okay.

I'm surprised Uncle let you come along and look for a mythical village.

He said I'd be okay if I was with you.

But he also said he'd call a family meeting if I got hurt.

Scary!

Even my dad says that Uncle's scarier than a monster when he gets mad.

Hey, do you think we'll really find that mythical village?

It exists!

It exists right here on this mountain!

We've steadily found markers leading toward Nanaki Village,

and we've made all the necessary preparations for finding them.

The last one was the fifth, so we just need to find two more.

If we trace these markers, we will find the village.

And if this mark is at the village we find...

Oh, that must be me.

Come to think of it, I skipped breakfast.

I'm starving!

Oh, then...

Nice! Did you make this yourself?

Yeah.

This is one thick fog.

Do your feet hurt?

Yeah, just a bit.

Sorry, I didn't realize.

No, I'm the one who didn't speak up.

Where are you headed?

Um, up ahead—

You mustn't go there.

Why not?

Just turn back.

I'll take you to the station at the mountain base.

Wait!

That guy was seriously shady.

I bet Nanaki Village is up ahead.

Reiji...

Hang in there, Masaki.

We're almost there.

It's Nanaki Village! We finally found it!

Really?

W-Wait.

Wow!

It's so big and has a lot of homes,

but no one's here!

This is totally an abandoned village!

I bet the club members would be shocked!

I was expecting more of a thatched roof, old-fashioned feel,

but I guess it's pretty modern.

Reiji, it's getting late.

Don't worry. I'll be done soon.

It looks like people lived here until just recently.

Yeah. But would it be so worn down if that were the case?

Reiji.

It's amazing that no one's been able to find this place until now.

We'll never finish checking it out—

Reiji!

I'm sorry, Masaki.

I just got so caught up...

It's okay.

I do have a flashlight, so we'll be fine.

What's the matter?

Did you hear something just now?

Let's hurry.

Reiji?!

Run... Run!

Why?

Didn't you see that massive monster just now?!

No, nothing...

Damn it!

Go ahead!

No!

Masaki!

When I came to, the highway was right in front of me.

I climbed back up the mountain so many times hoping to go back,

but I could never find Nanaki Village again.

Oh...

I'm sorry I kept quiet.

I knew about that monster you all saw,

but I just couldn't say anything.

I just really wanted to see Reiji

and save him...

That's all.

I see.

How nice of him to put his life on the line for a girl!

As if...

As if anyone could believe that!

How did you just happen to find this village and leave the same day?

Good point.

Even we only stumbled upon this village by chance.

How did you figure out where it actually was?

Reiji found it. I was just tagging along.

I don't know how he found it.

Um...

So did Reiji-san know what kind of place this village is?

I don't know.

He did say it was a place where everything can be forgotten, though.

So was he your boyfriend?

It didn't seem like he was just a friend...

He did risk his life to protect you from the monster.

He's my cousin.

I see.

Cousin?

What the heck?

So, even though you managed to get out, you came back because you wanted to see him?

Did mew find him?

He wasn't here...

He may be in a different village.

A different village?!

What, there are others?

You mean there are other Nanaki Villages?

Why didn't you mention something so important before?!

Wait, it was just a guess.

I don't actually know if there are others.

Then why'd you say that?

I just recalled Reiji mentioning something like that.

I don't know the details, either.

That aside, if you know the way out, tell us.

Yeah, the way out!

How'd you get out?!

We got so lost when we tried to leave.

Maybe it's that place... the tunnel...

Oh, where we caught her?

Don't go there!

Hey, maybe you've hit the bull's-eye.

Yeah.

It's got to be the exit, right?

It's not the exit!

I thought it was at first, but I was wrong.

I can't really explain it,

but I think we should stay away.

Huh? What do you mean?

Didn't you see what's on the other side?

I had a bad feeling,

so I turned back midway.

So where is the exit? You made it out once, didn't you?

I'm sorry.

It was dark,

and I'd just fallen off the cliff, so...

There's one thing I don't understand.

You said you didn't see the monster that Reiji guy said he saw, right?

Right...

Though in different forms,

everyone's seen or heard monsters.

Didn't you see something different?

I didn't see anything...

You still don't see anything?

That means she hasn't been attacked, either.

Besides, why are you still with us?

You could've just gone and looked for that cousin of yours.

Well...

If there are other villages, I don't know how to get there, either.

But wait, you did go missing once.

Yeah, with Yottsun.

Maybe you went looking for him then?

Yottsun was with you during that time?

No!

Back then...

She probably killed him because she didn't want him to find out where to go!

No!

I just really don't know.

I bet what you said just now was all a lie,

and Reiji was just a guy you'd dragged into Nanaki Village!

Hey! Where'd that come from?

Her story's too vague.

Maybe you weren't actually aware of what you were doing.

You mean she's a ghost bound to this place?

What? Just listen to yourselves—

And now, you've chosen us to be your next targets?

No!

That's not true!

Then did you ever go home after you left the village?

What?

Why didn't you just go home if you couldn't get back to the village?

That's right!

It's not like you'd eloped here, unlike us.

No, I've never gone back.