Chapter 236: My People

Characters (in order of appearance)

• Sen Kagemiya
• Todoroki
• Fumiya Somegi
• Ito Orihara
• Madarao
• Yoshimori Sumimura
• Makio
• Shu Akitsu
• Hakubi
• Souji Hiura
• Tokine Yukimura
• Man 1 (In Souji's memory)
• Kakeru (In Souji's memory)
• Michiru (In Souji's memory)
• Man 2 (In Souji's memory)

Summary

Fumiya Somegi checks on Todoroki, who is still out cold due to how hard Takemitsu hit him. Sen Kagemiya has also returned to his normal state, and asks about Ito Orihara, who has left to get supplies.

Yoshimori and Madarao go to meet the Shu Akitsu retrieval team. Makio reports their success, and once Shu wakes up, he immediately apologizes to Souji Hiura for biting him. Shu is weakened, so he reluctantly drinks Todoroki's blood to recover at Makio's suggestion. Sen is annoyed that Shu allowed Souji to save him, but Shu points out that Souji didn't hurt him even though he could have. Fumiya applies a temporary medicinal herb tattoo on Souji's wound to ease the pain, which Souji thanks him for. Yoshimori thanks Souji for keeping his promise not to hurt the people around him, but reminds Souji that he himself is also one of those people, so he can't allow himself to get hurt, either. Souji admits he was confused and that slowed his reaction time, but next time he'll do better.

Fumiya asks how Yoshimori dealt with Karasumori's anger, and Yoshimori says he talked to it. This shocks everyone. Yoshimori explains how the voice wanted to leave, and Yoshimori promised to provide a more interesting place later, though he admits to having no ideas about how to manage this. Fumiya and Ito neutralize the mark that was left on Karasumori with Yoshimori monitoring the process this time. Tokine asks Souji where he saw the mark before. Souji recalls it was near a castle, though he does not mention a giant, bound creature or the Karasumori intruders standing over it in his memory.

On the way home, Tokine wonders how long Karasumori will be willing to wait, but recognizes it has a certain connection with Yoshimori. Yoshimori shows Tokine the "no thought" box. To his shock, though Tokine has never heard of it, she seems to understand the principle behind it at once. Tokine explains she has practiced reading techniques with her fingers. She suggests that because all ability users have different ways of understanding, Yoshimori's grandfather gave him the box in hopes it would improve his understanding. Still at a loss, Yoshimori asks Souji what he thinks about when he uses his own powers. To Yoshimori's shock, Souji says he thinks about nothing.