The sun dipped westward.

The sky was slowly washed in orange-red afterglow.

Townsfolk began drifting toward the shrine in twos and threes.

The autumn festival rehearsal was about to start.

Mitsuha hid behind a big tree behind the shrine's main hall, clutching the pull-cord for the smoke flares and a megaphone. Her palms were slick with sweat.

She could hear laughter and chatter out front.

Her father was making some boilerplate remarks about the festival arrangements; he didn't sound the least bit enthusiastic.

He was the mayor of Itomori, yet he had an inexplicable dislike for the shrine and the community activities everyone took for granted. He still had to organize them, but he never wore a pleasant face.

Yes—he despised the shrine. The Miyamizu Shrine, to be exact.

As for why, Mitsuha didn't know.

Time was running out…

8:20 p.m.

8:30 p.m.

The sky darkened; the first few stars appeared.

8:35 p.m.

Mitsuha's heart climbed into her throat.

Now!

She yanked the cord in her hand—

Fssssst—!

Several pre-placed smoke flares spat out thick white smoke, which quickly spread across the shrine's plaza!

"Whoa! What's happening?"

"Is something on fire?"

"No—it's smoke! Where's it coming from?!"

The crowd rippled with alarm.

People stared at the sudden smoke, some of them flustered.

Now!

Mitsuha drew a deep breath, lifted the megaphone, and lowered her voice to make it hoarse and eerie:

"Disaster approaches! Do not go down the mountain! Stay high! Do not go down the mountain! Stay high!"

Bouncing off trees and buildings, the amplified voice turned strange and wavery, almost oracular.

Smoke. An uncanny voice…

Together they created an odd effect.

The murmuring swelled.

"What was that?"

"A warning from the gods?"

"Disaster? What disaster?"

"You've got to be kidding."

Most of the believers there hovered between doubt and fear. Some, spooked, reflexively edged away from the smoke—only to move closer to the mountainside.

"Enough nonsense!"

A barked order cut through the noise—her father, Toshiki Miyamizu.

Face like thunder, he strode out from the crowd, sharp gaze sweeping the grounds.

"Who's playing at being a god? Come out!"

Mitsuha's heart almost stopped. She shrank behind the tree and held her breath.

"A prank?"

"Maybe some kid…"

"But this smoke…"

Her father's voice worked like a stabilizer. The crowd settled a little, though the unease and questions remained.

The seconds bled away.

8:40 p.m.

8:41 p.m.

Mitsuha's heart hammered at her throat.

Right then she wanted her dream to be wrong, for everything to be fine—

and she feared it was right, and her plan would fail…

Just then—

Someone shouted first:

"Look! Up there! What is that?!"

Everyone looked up—including Toshiki, who'd been hunting for the troublemaker.

In the pitch-black sky, a point of light far brighter than any ordinary comet streaked across with a long, blazing white tail, scything through the heavens at a terrifying speed!

Its glare was so intense it lit the astonished faces below.

And it was getting brighter.

Bigger.

Its path—straight toward Itomori.

"A shoot—comet?"

"No… it's getting bigger!"

"Is it coming this way?!"

"Then what she said was true?!"

A huge terror seized every heart.

That burning star, heavy with ruin, filled every eye and shattered any last shred of wishful thinking.

"Run!!"

Someone screamed, and panic exploded through the crowd.

Instinct said to scatter in all directions—

but home lay down the mountain, and that terrible star was falling that way.

"Don't go down! Don't go down!"

Mitsuha forgot all about hiding and burst from behind the tree.

In her own voice, she shouted herself hoarse: "Higher up! Into the woods behind us! Move!"

Her cry was swallowed by the roar of panic, but some people heard—and saw—her.

"It's Mitsuha!"

"The miko!"

"Do as she says! Up the mountain!"

In the chaos, some began, almost on instinct, to follow the instruction and run toward the higher forest behind the shrine.

Toshiki stared at his daughter, then at the death-ball in the sky growing nearer by the second. Disbelief—and the collapse of his worldview—washed over his face.

BOOM!!!

There wasn't an immediate impact sound, but on the far horizon an enormous sun-bright sphere of light erupted, turning night into day.

A split-second later came a deep, earth-heart-splitting detonation.

Rrrrrrr—!!!

The ground heaved violently—worse than any quake.

The shockwave followed.

Winds screamed; trees thrashed as if they'd be ripped out by the roots.

Shrine buildings groaned and creaked in agony; roof tiles came crashing down.

People shrieked, knocked sprawling, then flattened themselves to the ground, clinging to anything solid.

Mitsuha was thrown down too. She clamped her arms around the roots of the nearest tree and lifted her head toward Itomori below.

The glare slowly faded.

In the distance, the basin where Itomori had been was swallowed by a towering pillar of dust and rolling firelight.

The hellish sight froze her blood.

The violent shaking went on; the wind kept howling.

No one spoke—only the wind, the crackle of flames, and the ragged sobs and gasps of those who'd survived.

And yet some could find no calm at all—

they were alive, but their family and friends…