Standing amid a sea of crackling flames is not unfamiliar to her.

' As odd as such a statement sounds.

It reminds Shiki of her most recent Obon experience, a little bit. To be precise, it reminds her of the flame barrier that she and all the others present during the

okuribi

had been briefly trapped in.

But flames in the real world are flames of an entirely different nature, as one might expect. For starters, there 's a lot more

smoke

involved, which had been conspicuously absent in the barrier in comparison. If it were not for her cursed technique, Shiki would probably be finding it difficult to breathe right now as she navigates throughout the building.

A loud, dangerously creaking sound suddenly comes from somewhere above her. Was a portion of the ceiling overhead about to collapse soon? In that case, she should '

' ' elp! Someone ' please ' '

Another voice?