Nightfall descended on the Kii Peninsula, and bright sparks flew from the high railway as the train passed by, with pedestrians hurrying by and neon lights shimmering diffusely through the rain.
But that was in the Kii Peninsula's busiest metropolis, and in the more remote Taiji Town, there were no colorful signs and advertisements, just the undisturbed black sea.
After pouring rain for more than ten hours straight, all one could see under the round streetlights was a uniform grey expanse, with no clear distinctions.
No sooner had the door's lock snapped shut than a window on the other side opened, and a man with a burlap hood leaped into the room.
Richard and the others tensed at once, but relaxed their stiff postures once they made out who the newcomer was.
The hood soaked through to the hair beneath, giving off a strong scent of earth; the short-sleeved shirt was wrung out, releasing a stream of brown muddy water and then shaken clean.