One day, like a pale leaf drifting past, after Yumigawa Sumeragi and his companions left the Central Continent.

A silver-haired girl, frost-bright and clutching a kitten plush, sprinted toward the quiet manor of the Mizumi Clan’s head, Yugami Yuu.

She reached the gate and pushed it open without a knock, the wooden breath like an old pine sighing.

“I’m going to find big brother!!!”

She declared it the instant the door swung, her voice like a bell tossed into a still lake.

“Huh?”

Yugami Yuu almost sprayed tea, steam scattering like startled fireflies.

“I said, I’m going to find big brother!”

She dashed to his side and shouted into his ear, her breath a gust tapping his eardrum.

“...Hey, Littlesky, no need to be that loud—my ears are buzzing like bees.”

Yugami Yuu rubbed the ringing, a wry smile thin as mist on morning water.

No need to guess—the whirlwind was Yumigawa Nozomi.

“Uh, well...”

Once the buzz settled, Yugami Yuu looked at Nozomi, helplessness hanging like rain that wouldn’t stop.

“Littlesky, why do you want to go after Sumeragi?”

“Do you even need to ask?”

She huffed, then spoke as if stating sunrise: “Because I want to stay by big brother’s side!”

Yugami Yuu seemed to have expected that reply; he answered at once, the words firm as a gate bar: “Littlesky, that won’t do.”

“Why!”

Her cheeks puffed like two little buns, displeasure bright as a sparrow flaring its wings.

Yugami Yuu ignored the pout and went on, each point clean as strokes of a brush:

“First, you’re still too young, without the strength to leave safely.

Second, the outside world is harsh, and you’re so pure and cute—someone will try to whisk you away.

Third, you don’t even know where Sumeragi is; how would you find him?

So, no.”

“Ugh...”

Her mouth fell silent, the truth pressing down like a heavy quilt on a small bed.

Then—

Unwilling to accept it, Nozomi shouted like a kitten baring tiny claws: “Waaah, Dad, you’re a big dummy!!!”

She ran off with her face a knot of stubborn clouds.

“...”

“Who did I even offend?”

Watching her curse and flee, Yugami Yuu felt gloom settle like dusk under old trees.

“Mm, Littlesky, what’s wrong?”

Just outside the manor, a voice as gentle as a spring breeze brushed her ear, and she turned by reflex.

“Oh, Serenemoon—nothing, Dad’s just a big dummy.”

It was her second sister, Yugong Jingyue.

“Oh? What happened?”

Yugong Jingyue’s curiosity glimmered, her gaze warm as lantern-light.

“Uh, it’s like this—I wanted to go find big brother, so I told Dad...”

Thinking Serenemoon might have a way, Nozomi spilled everything, each detail like pebbles plinking into a clear stream.

“But Father isn’t wrong; asking you to search for Little Emperor would be too much.”

Once she finished, Yugong Jingyue spoke her thoughts, calm as shade beneath bamboo.

“But to me, days without big brother are boring beyond belief, like cloudy skies that never break!”

Even so, yearning tugged at Nozomi like tide at the shore; she still wanted to leave and chase her brother.

“Mm, so you won’t give up no matter what?”

“Of course. I’m definitely going to find big brother!”

“Mm, I see.”

Looking at that stubborn light in Nozomi’s eyes, Yugong Jingyue closed hers for a beat, thought drifting like a slow cloud, then said, “Alright. I have a way to let you leave and look for Little Emperor, and I roughly know where he is.”

“What way!?”

Nozomi’s eyes lit up like stars catching a breeze, her gaze fixed on Serenemoon with bright expectation.

“Mm. You’re an Elf User, right? A thousand li southwest of our home lies a valley called the Valley of Wind Spirits. There, a Wind Elemental King resides. If you can sign a contract with it, you shouldn’t have any trouble going to find Little Emperor.”

“That’s perfect! I’m going now!”

The moment Serenemoon finished, Nozomi tossed the words down like a seed and bolted off, excitement a fluttering flock.

“Uh, that’s awfully fast. Still, how sweet—Littlesky loves Little Emperor so much.”

Left in place, Yugong Jingyue’s smile bloomed like moonlight on water, and she walked away, steps light as drifting petals.

“Huff—huff—”

After a few minutes of running, Nozomi stopped, half-crouched and panting, breath swaying like reeds in wind.

“Oh dear, how do you run a thousand li? I got way too excited.”

She took a few measured breaths, then shook her head, trying to cool the heat fizzing in her thoughts.

“Mm, a thousand li... how do I get there? I don’t have a mount. No choice—summon a spirit.”

Muttering softly, she hugged her kitten plush with one arm and stretched the other hand forward, five fingers splayed like a pale blossom.

“Elemental spirit who signed a pact with me, show yourself. Solve my trouble and appear—Aerucia Bird!”

She spoke, then closed the splayed hand into a swift fist, like catching a gust.

At once—

A cyan-blue magic array blossomed around her, woven lines like ripples of water and threads of wind, expanding fast and stopping at five meters.

From that array rose a giant bird, its whole body shining in cyan, body shaped of water, wings formed of wind—majestic as a tidal gale.

It was an elemental spirit, born from the breath of heaven and earth.

(Elemental Spirits: spirits formed by the world’s elements, several times stronger than ordinary spirits. Bodies of pure element shrug off most physical attacks; their command over elemental energy is extraordinary, though their numbers are rare as snow in midsummer.)

“Chirp!”

Seeing Nozomi, the Aerucia Bird crouched obediently, like a wave bending to moonlight.

“Mm-hmm, good child. Take me to the Valley of Wind Spirits.”

Nozomi climbed onto its back and stroked its head, her touch gentle as warm rain.

“Chirp!”

The Aerucia Bird voiced its pleasure, then spread beautiful wings glowing sky-blue, one strong beat throwing them forward like an arrow on the wind.

One minute later.

A valley unfurled before Nozomi’s eyes, wrapped in blue wind like a silk veil rippling over green.

“Whoa, so this is the Valley of Wind Spirits. The wind-element here is thick as honey.”

She dismounted and looked around, curiosity wandering like deer through glades, gasps slipping out as she took in the beauty—life lush and green everywhere.

Especially the cyan wind shrouding the valley, it lent mystery like mist draped over jade cliffs.

“Chirp!”

Even the Aerucia Bird was entranced, trilling now and then with clear, bright notes.

But just as girl and bird soaked in the scene—

“Who comes? For what purpose do you step into my Valley of Wind Spirits!”

A vibrant female voice rang from within the valley, lively as a mountain stream leaping over stones.

Then a surge of cyan light flared before Nozomi, the rush carrying the taste of wind, like a gale turned into radiance.

When the light faded, a girl appeared in front of Nozomi.

She floated, wrapped in wind; sea-blue hair and emerald eyes, curiosity burning in those green depths like spring leaves in sunlight.