TW: Depictions of PTSD, trauma response, implied physical abuse

"Guess that makes the two of us, huh?" Gyomei heard someone behind him, causing him to jolt around in the direction of the voice.

"Whoa whoa big guy, no need to get hasty."

"Apologies, I can't...I have no sight. What do you mean?"

This one's a young girl, it seems...I know Hebiyama-san also passed, but do children this young enter as well? She can't be older than 13.

"Ah, that explains it. I meant, you know, we're sticking out like sore thumbs."

"People are noticing."

"Yeah."

He shifted away slightly from the chorus around them. It was hard to pick out singular voices among the buzz, but he could almost hear what they'd say.

Is he seriously entering?

How is it fair to give him a different weapon? If he can't use a sword then he shouldn't think about demon slaying at all.

Man, is he gonna even find his way out?

Someone should have tried out for kakushi work.

Don't think that being a musclehead will get you anywhere-

"Hey."

One voice pierced through the others.

"Just thought I should introduce myself. Sorry. I'm the girl from earlier by the way."

"I can tell."

"Wow, really?" She flushed. "Ah...I feel so silly now!"

"Don't be. Is this your first time meeting someone who can't see?" He gave her a soft smile in response.

"Ah...ahhhh." She nodded vigorously in agreement.

"I can't see but my hearing is sharp. Don't worry about me recognizing you." Gyomei gestured to his right ear.

"Mm! I understand!" The girl gave him a quick bow. "Nimiki Kuwajima, I'm 13 year old and I use the breath of Thunder. Please take care of me!"

"Ah..." her taller companion dipped his frame into a bow. "My name is Gyomei Himejima, I am eighteen, and I use breath of stone. It's a pleasure to meet you, Kuwajima-kun."

"Wow, you're really an uncle compared to all of us!"

"I-I beg your pardon?"

Am I really that old?

"Ah..no I just meant-" She started sweating.

Dangit, Nimkii! You really need to keep your trap shut sometimes.

"It's just most of us are thirteen to sixteen. You're not an uncle in general, but to us..."

"I understand."

I may have forgotten how unbridled children may be.

However surprising this was, it did bring a small chuckle through his lips.

"I think it's about to start." Nimiki turned to look at the two white-haired girls descending upon the entrance to the final selection.

"Namu Amida Butsu."

"Hm? What did you say?" She noticed that he had his hands folded and was reciting the phrase over and over.

"Namu Amida Butsu. I am asking protection from the Buddha of infinite light and life. If possible, for everyone here during the seven nights."

"I see."

She merely gazed at the snow-locked referees who began their announcement.

"In these mountains lay a population of demons. They cannot escape due to the wisteria flowers at the bottom of the mountain."

Gyomei wondered why it was only now that he had noticed the sickly saccharine of the flowers' scent. His head started throbbing. Even being charged at by man eating beasts would be favorable to staying at the entrance.

"Your selection will take place on the mountaintop, where there is no wisteria. Survive seven days on the mountaintop and you become a fully fledged demon slayer worthy of a nichirin blade."

The slightly smaller girl coughed.

"We-we wish you the best of luck. Thank you." Flushing, she was escorted away with her sister. Their giggles could be heard muffling through the perfumed grove.

Finally, someone spoke up.

"Er...guess we should be going now?"

Whizz.

Thump.

Not even a spot of blood on the hands. This was how killing would be from now on.

"CURSE YOU! YOU-EVEN IF IT'S NOT ME SOMEONE WILL GET A TASTE OF THAT FLESH, YA HEAR ME!? SO DON'T-"

"..."

The flesh that connected them was gone. And yet...

"What pain..."

His opponent shuddered.

"Is it hard?"

"What is?"

"Being such a musclehead."

Second one. Straight in front. It jumped back at one swing of the weight.

"I'm not just a musclehead. What gives?"

"It's always turn the other cheek for you."

"I wonder if it's true, what the rumors say." He heard the smacks of tongue and shivered.

"Yes...Perhaps we can even become moons."

"Hey, hey, leave something for me too."

"Can't you think of any other way than taking it?"

"You'll be eaten up one day, like this. So..."

Sweat pooled in a film around the dark metal. He breathed.

"Leave the fighting up to your big bro, k?"

"Please stop."

The one to his right had its neck snapped by the impact of the weight, then totally severed by a yari tip. One of them clawed into his arm, only to have its eye gouged out, then the neck. He caught the one behind him with one end of the chain. It was sent into a tree.

The demon slumped down and felt something searing into his neck. He attempted to struggle, but his body was on fire.

"ARGH!"

Gyomei stopped running to hear what seemed like another trainee struggling nearby. A faint sent of iron spilled into the air.

"Please-someone!" A boy maybe two or three years younger backed up against a tree trunk, holding his shoulder. "Someone please-" His chest tightened as the demon approached.

Don't try to save anyone or anything, kill and get out.

Gyomei's steps slowed.

You never know who will feed you to the demons.

"I can't-I can't die-I..."

"No need to tremble, little guy, I'll make this quick for you." The demon approached with a widening grin. "It'll be over in an instant. If you stop freaking out..."

And it was. But not for the trainee.

He shrieked as her head rolled softly on the ground, some feet away from her body. Unlike the others, however, she merely closed her eyes in a contented manner and faded.

"Are you alright?"

He turned his attention to the thinner swordsman in front of him who gripped a bloody yari blade..

"...y-yeah...I..."

"Are you too injured to walk?" He offered a hand to lift him up.

The younger boy shook his head and accepted with his good arm. "No. I...it got my shoulder."

Gyomei nodded.

"If you can, run East, away from the moon. That's where the sun will hit first."

"How can you tell? You can't-"

"I cannot, but I'm sure you can."

The boy sniffled and took his hand, pointing it to their left. "It's straight that direction. Head there, too."

"Thank you." He smiled as he heard the other party's footsteps pattering away.

"Ne, Onaku."

"What?" The boy turned to his companion while keeping a hand on the hilt of his blade.

"I think we really do have a chance. If I'm right, why don't you treat me to some oyakodon after all this?"

"What makes you say that? From what I've seen, you or I could still be eaten any minute." He remained stiff. "We can't expect too much, Suika."

"We do have some really strong compatriots this year, though." The girl yawned. "Remember what Saseyama told us about?"

"Oh, you mean about that-"

"The swordsman who wields a kusarigama. Saseyama said he cut the heads off of five demons in one stroke."

"Still, one swordsman can't clear an entire mountain of demons." Onaku scoffed. "He'll meet his match soon. He'll be defeated and die. And the rest of us will be scrambling to save our skins."

"Who said it was one swordsman?" Suika heard a growl, which caused her to grip onto her sword hilt as well. "They say there's another one out there who's so fast you can't even see him. The only sign people get beforehand is the smell of burnt wood in the air. Then boom. The demon in front of them has crumbled to dust."

"Suika..."

The girl's smile started to tremble as she unsheathed her blade at the figure behind them.

It was large. Larger than any of the other ones they'd seen. Its height seemed to dwarf some of the shorter trees.

"Onaku..." she sucked in breath. "...I r-really want my oyakodon, k?"

"Suika!" He ran to her side, blade unsheathed and bristling.

Suika bit her lip. Tears formed in the corners of her eyes. "If we die here...I just want you to know...that I...Onaku I...I l-"

The beast suddenly fell back, as if it was being yanked. A figure leapt towards its back and stuck a short blade into its neck, pushing it in until it had completely sliced through. Their adversary gave one last roar as he fell onto the ground and began to crumble.

The pair witnessed as a tall, lanky figure stood by its remains. He froze for a good few minutes, hands seemingly folded.

"Ah...excuse me-" Onaku stepped forward. However, the man merely walked away.

"...the swordsman who wields a kusarigama."

Suika finally moved her legs to stand straight.

"...You can't deny he's on a whole different level, huh?"

"...No I can't." He let his sword hang loosely at his hip. "Oh, Suika, that reminds me. Were you about to say something to me?"

"Eh? I don't remember." She finally let out a small chuckle.

"Come on, you can't let me hanging. It was probably really important!" Onaku gripped her by the shoulders. "Can't you remember?"

"Ehhh? Onaku-kun didn't your mom tell you not to be rough with girls like that?" Suika side-eyed him coyly, causing him to flush and release her.

"S-sorry..."

"Well, since it was on accident, I'll forgive you." She shrugged and continued down the path as if nothing had happened.

"So you really don't remember?"

"Nope!" Despite her pounding heart, she flashed him an oblivious smile.

"Really? Not even one word?"

"Nope!"

"Suika, come oooon." He pestered.

"Ahahaha, silly Onaku!"

I don't know how many more confrontations I can take on, Gyomei thought. Perhaps it is better to run and hide...

The selection, however, did not allow him to flee. Gyomei's head jerked back as he caught a loud shriek to his left. Two humans, none the less.

You can't win another round.

He resolved to plant his footsteps straight away from the noise.

It wasn't shrieking anymore. He could hear someone start to cry in terror.

If I don't come back, who knows what will happen to Kaigaku and Sayo. I need to survive no matter what.

"HELP ME! PLEASE!"

Survive.

"PLEASE! SOMEONE!"

Block your ears.

The two examinees were pinned against each other while a hefty gang of demons tightly encircled them.

"You might have gotten some of mah boys but y'all won't be cuttin' heads for much longa'." One of them who seemed the leader hissed from behind the other heads whirling around.

"Knock 'em down bouas."

The pair squeezed their eyes shut in preparation for a quick death. What followed, however, was not claws and teeth digging into them but blood spattering on their skin.

"Wha-" The head turned to his side as his right hand man's head plopped to the ground. "Ahh..hell..." He peered at the new arrival. His clothes...the prayer beads that hung by his waist...

"That man's an ascetic. Forget the two bozos. If we eat him, he might make us moons an' we can git outta this shithole."

The pair of examinees managed to wriggle out among the formless writhing mass of nails, claws and metal. All of a sudden, they weren't the ones being circled.

"They forgot about us."

"He's the only prey they want now. Let's run."

Gyomei had no time to mourn the leave of his fellow trainees. As he cut one assailant down, another would always take their place. His limbs did not feel as light as they did when he struck down the towering demon attacking the couple. The long breathes he attempted to strengthen his forms were continuously severed by the frequency of offenses he had to defend against.

I told you to survive! Then why did you choose to save them...

One second. All it took for one to hit him smack in the face and send him to the ground. He tasted copper from his nose.

Because of your choice, now Sayo and Kaigaku will be alone

He heard a squish behind-one of them had pinned his ankle down. He grunted, turning back to stab it in the head and throat before forcing it to retreat into the crowd.

It doesn't hurt at all.

He struggled onto the good ankle and continued to swing the yari blade around himself, alternating with the weight to create distance. Most of the claws and heads were severed before they could touch his skin. Their numbers were diminishing. So was the feeling in his arms.

How many times did I say, you don't have the strength to survive another fight?

He coughed. Someone slammed into him. His arms couldn't move.

Idiot! Why!?

Something grabbed both sides of his head.

"N-ni-" he coughed.

"GYOMEI!"

"Hey, what's that burning smell?"

The head leapt back as a lightning bolt flashed inches from his face. No, not a lightning bolt...

"Thunder breathing, first form..."

The flash made a beeline for its fellow examinee, slashing down the demon who had dug into him.

"Thunderclap and flash."

Gyomei felt a hand on his collar, albeit not a hostile one.

"Hey, Himejima-san! What a coincidence!" His savior beamed down at him. "Looks like you're quite popular. Good for you!"

"K-Kuwajima?"

"Looks like we've overstayed our time here, though. Sorry everyone, but we'll have to be taking our leave."

"Hey! Who do you think you, are, taking him-" Before any of the demons could react, she had disappeared in another flash with their delicacy.

"We need to find some water." Gyomei had fashioned a large branch into a makeshift staff.

"You think there's a pond on this mountain?"

"A stream would also do. Do you also have injuries?"

"Nah." Nimiki cracked her back. "Mostly I just hit and run. I get out there before they can get to me." Just after saying this, she stumbled.

"Are you sure you're not injured?" Gyomei caught her and lifted her up.

"Well I'm not, but you see, the technique I just used is called 'God Speed'." Nimkii steadied herself against a tree trunk. "It increases my speed to the maximum, but it's also kind of hard on the legs."

The sky crackled.

"Well, look! There's your water. You're welcome."

"...Kuwajima-kun perhaps you should look away."

"What? I-AHHHHHH" She screeched upon seeing him begin to untie his top garment. "Wh-What are you doing!?"

"Using the downpour to rinse these injuries. We do not want an infection." He bundled his shirt and hanjuban, setting them underneath a bush to keep them dry as the first droplets fell.

"Ah...Well, I'm going to find somewhere dry to rest my legs." Nimiki scampered up a tree with the last burst of energy in her legs to shelter among the branches. "I can keep a lookout from here, too."

He probably can't come up, either. The branches would break under his weight.

This was the ideal situation.

She looked on as he stayed in the downpour with a rock-like stillness. He occasionally lifted his ankle to the rain to rinse the large claw wound on it.

Gyomei attempted to calm his own fluttering heart after the situation. He finally realized that he had almost died. It had to have been to feel those hands.

Niisan...

Grrrrrrr.

Grrrrrrrrr...

"Kuwajima-kun."

"Hm?"

"Is that you or me?" Gyomei paused in his steps.

"I'm not making that sound." She huffed. "How could I get hungry in this type of situation?"

Grrrrrrrr

"Ahhhh..." Nimiki flushed as she detected a vibration across her abdomen. "I don't know why it's making that sound! Must be some bad natto I had before coming here."

"You are hungry."

"You don't know that."

"The sound of an ill stomach is different than an empty stomach. You know that too, right?"

"We don't need to think about that, ok? It's only a few days more."

"...we should find some food."

Something crushed under his sole. Gyomei bent down to pick it up.

A pomegranate?

"Kuwajima-kun. Can you see any trees with fruit nearby?"

"Huh...I think...that one's got some round stuff on it." Nimiki walked over to one to try and climb the branches. Her legs buckled as she winced.

"Ah...I guess the worst soreness sets in some time after I used God speed." She sighed.

"It's alright. Here-" Gyomei strode up next to her and started to pick some from the branches lowest on the tree.

"Ah, forgot you're tall as a tree." Nimiki chuckled and scrambled to her feet.

"All I needed was to hear you to find where it was. So you helped either way." He deftly plucked an armful of the fruit. "How much do you need?"

"I feel we shouldn't eat that much. I dunno, it might slow us down." Nimiki paused to consider the ideal quantity she wanted.

"Do not be shy. You are a growing girl, are you not?"

"Man, you're really sounding like an uncle now..."

The girl sighed and accepted five of the fruits. Upon breaking one apart, she set upon it like a wolf. Her companion settled down next to her. Although Hisaishi and Sarumei had been consistent and enjoyable dining companions, it was nice to have someone younger to share a meal with. The heavy and sweet scent of rain clothed them.

"HAH!? A grasshopper! Come here!" Nimiki darted after the insect and snatched it up, proceeding to take the legs and wings off before munching it up.

"Himejima-san, would you also like one? I could catch more! Their wings are heavy now so they're slow."

"Ah...no thank you. I do not eat meat." He waved her off to resume consuming his share of fruit.

"What? You can't survive the rest of the time on fruit, tho." Nimiki now was polishing off her second grasshopper. "You'll starve to death before you kill all the demons."

"I am not supposed to kill for myself nor have someone kill for myself."

"Ah, I forgot. You're an ascetic. C'mon, what if I crush the head to not make it suffer?"

Her suggestion only caused a burst of tears.

"Ahh...I was just kidding! Kidding! I won't do it. Promise." Nimiki attempted to break the awkward silence by scarfing down the rest of her lot. By the time she finished and was stuffed, the young examinee collapsed onto her back. "Wow! Never knew that could fill me up so fast."

"Hey-" She saw that her companion had still not stopped crying. "Hey...Himejima-san...you aren't still upset aren't you? If that was too cruel I'm sorry."

"No, no. I just cry at times." He wiped his eyes. "Someone actually taught me."

"To cry?"

"Indeed."

"What a strange thing to teach someone." Nimiki rolled onto her stomach. "Or to need it to be taught."

"Indeed."

"What a strange thing to be taught", that's what you were about to say, correct, my child?

What strange things our tears are.

What strange and precious things these molten bits of water that crystallize on our cheeks.

How strange.

"It's getting dark, we should be careful." Nimiki stretched her legs and shook them a bit to relieve their stiffness.

"I could massage your legs to get the soreness out faster."

"It won't be needed." She smiled at him.

"Are you sure?" He sensed a knot building in her voice for some reason.

"Absolutely. " She padded along the trail briskly. "C'mon."

He did so.

Nimiki looked to the front and back. No signs of any demons. Unexpected after their experience of the first three nights, but welcome.

"Do you think there's just not many right here? Are they hiding?"

His silence, though an attempt at focusing on background noise, was not favorable. She swallowed.

The thunder breather felt a breeze carrying dust around them when there was no wind. No hazy sun. No men across the horizon.

She inhaled.

I need to chill out.

Nimiki started to hum while her bones screamed. Nothing was going to happen. They were about to finish this. She could get away from this place and go home in no time. To shihan, to that warm bed and room with a lock and key. For now, her lungs felt a little cramped even though she should have had no problem avoiding strain during breaths.

"Kuwajima-" Her ears picked up a small sound behind her. She jolted and turned.

"Yes-"

A hand smothered over her mouth as she was dragged into the foliage. Nimiki screamed through his fingers. Gnawing down on her assailant's hand, she managed to elbow the attacker in the face, scrambling onto the trodden path ahead.

"Kuwajima-" Gyomei ran to the clearing. The demons had already spotted her.

"Huh? Don't you think she's a strange lookin' one?

"I don't know if I like mine toasted..." The smaller one's lips curled. "But I guess beggars can't be choosers right?"

"Oh look, the little thing's trembling. I feel like this is really unfair." The taller demon strode over lackadaisily, not noticing the other examinee sprinting at them.

Breath of stone, first form...

A spray of blood erupted from the tall demon. Then another from the small one. Nimiki clenched her teeth, watching as their bodies crumbled. Gyomei took a moment to realign his breathing back to normal.

"Kuwajima, why did you run? That was dangerous."

He held out a hand in assurance.

"Kuwajima-"

A hot sensation slid across his torso. Gyomei managed to withdraw his body before it went too deep.

"Why..." Nimiki swallowed as her lungs heaved, her blade ready for attack. "I-I...Oh..."

She turned heel to run.

"Kuwajima-kun! Kuwajima-" Gyomei coughed.

The girl watched from a tree as he wandered.

"Kuwajima..." He leaned against a trunk to catch his breath. She did not sound greatly injured, but I cannot be so sure.

"Go away." She withdrew further into the branches.

"Eh? Kuwajima?" He scrambled over to the source of her voice. "Are you injured?"

"I'm fine and dandy, now scram!" A twig bounced off the ground by his feet. "Or I'll hit you!"

"What's wrong?"

"I don't know!"

She unwillingly hiccuped.

"Just leave me alone."

"You are crying. Something is not right."

"What part of 'leave' do you not understand!?" A heavier stick plopped onto his head, causing him to recoil. By the time his mind had cleared enough to hear her footsteps rustling away, he lost her.

Something bothered Kuwajima. But the demons didn't hurt her...

His hand moved to the throbbing of his solar plexus.

Oh right...the one she hit was me.

His footsteps stopped.

"Hey, sensei."

"Yes, Komatsu?"

"Are you really not gonna smack anyone? Even when Kaigaku's really bad?"

"Why would I do that?"

"Senko's mom said that's why he's a bad kid."

He shouldn't have minded it. They said those things all the time. Yet, he couldn't help but let the axe fall off-center.

"...no."

"Why? He makes you tired all the time."

Gyomei knelt down to take a break. "Before he came to live here, Kaigaku was hurt by some people who were mean to him. They smacked him, too."

"Probably because he was naughty."

"Would you feel good if I smacked you, though? Even if you were naughty?"

"But I'm not."

"I heard you sneak a bug into Mirai's hair today."

The boy flushed, but realized it was futile. "No."

"How would you feel?"

Komatsu fidgeted. "...I'd be sad."

"And Kaigaku?"

"He'd be sad, too..."

"Sad and maybe scared. Because he knows people who smack him will also do worse things." A large hand rested on the boy's head. "And I would be sad, too."

"But you're always sad! You always cry." Komatsu laughed and felt his wrist.

"Then I'll be more sad." Gyomei smiled. "I will cry buckets."

That's right.

If I became the monster who hurt you guys, I would be sad as well.

So I promised.

But I broke it.

He sighed and turned around.

Kuwajima ran away because of me. I should not to frighten her anymore.

He steeled his fluttering heart to continue the rest of the journey alone.

The universe seemed to have different plans, however, as Himejima's solitary trek merely lasted half an hour before another scream rang out through the woods to his right. He scrambled into the clearing to make out an injured human. A familiar voice crept up his neck.

"Oi, nice to see you again. You think hiding those beads can trick us?"

"Are you alright?" Gyomei gestured for the boy to come closer.

"M-my arm..."

"I will get you out of here, just stay close."

He heard a barely audible 'yes' to his left before a small form pressed against his back. He was jarred at his hardness-it seems not everyone had been finding food.

"That's a pretty big bluff for someone who ran away." Their adversary chortled. "Alright boahs, we can't let him get away a second time, right? Well it's your lucky day. Looks like that thunder chicken ain't here to save ya."

A whimper vibrated behind Gyomei. He gripped his weapon.

"It's going to be alright..."

He inhaled, smashing his weight into the first one who made a move towards them. "Can you use your good arm?" A shallower inhale went towards driving a row of demons back in a wide arc.

"Th-there's too many."

We need an opening...

But is seemed for every area he cleared, it seemed to clog up again with a new seething mass of bodies.

Breath harder. Breath more.

As long as he felt warmth on his back, he attempted to push forward. Even so, his attacks were far from their effectiveness a few days ago, as if his lungs had flat out refused to synch with his pulsating heart.

"Give up already! Yer on yer last legs!" The head's voice resounded in front of him.

"I refuse." He responded with a robust swing of his chain.

Even in the face of them, I know I can't...

Sayo...Kaigaku...

I need to apologize to Kuwajima.

And yet, with the clattering of flying metal, his resolve cracked.

If it wasn't for him catching the yari blade in time, Gyomei would have been left weaponless. He instinctively slashed across the head's face, causing the demon to screech in pain as his nose bridge burned from the nichirin.

Gyomei groped for the boy to keep him close. Unfortunately, his companion only responded with a screech as his back went cold.

"NO!"

Despite his wheezing, he turned and reached for his companion among all the other arms smothering his, guided only by the boy's bloodcurdling yelps as he started to be eaten alive. There was a hint of the warmth of the human hand-

-And then it was torn away.

The demons who did survive the incident would go on for years to tell of the examinee who was a wild animal. He fought on with a broken kusarigama blade to retrieve his companion. Unfortunately, by the time he had felt the youth's fingers again, they were no longer attached to a body.

"That dude seemed to not wanna live anymore." The head groaned and felt at his scar, still burned into him by nichirin.

"And I think he just met the kid, too. What's his deal?" A smaller demon piped up. "He's like one of those wailing mothers you hear in stories. I remember one like that from Mexico."

"Did you guys eat him, then?" The fledgling cocked her head at her elders.

"Nah. We could've on our own, but..." The head got up from his squat as the final selection signal sounded. "...Well ladies and gentlemen, looks like we gotta make it through another year."

"Wait, finish the story. How could he have survived? I thought you guys were pretty much gonna win."

"Well-" The head stretched. "-Remember the Thunder Chicken I complained 'bout earlier?"

Who's there?

It feels hot. Who's there?

It's so hot.

A crackle landed to his right, sweeping away a few individuals. He wrenched his arm forward to catch Nimkii's arm as she tripped.

"Ahh, you should watch out little bird, your legs won't last forever, see?" The head rubbed his temple and started to regenerated his arm which had been torn by the impact.

"Can you run?"

"I don't know..."

"It's alright."

Gyomei took advantage of the demon being stunned to carve across his eyes rapidly.

"Eh!?"

The young man slung his companion over his shoulder, scampering into the woods before his adversary could regain vision. Nimkii who had thought of protesting gradually abandoned the idea. After all, the only choice was leaving her to get eaten.

"The breath of thunder takes a toll on the legs. Thinking about it, I shouldn't have been so eager to jump into action." Nimkii stretched her legs out on the forest floor, hoping to expel the soreness from them soon.

"If you hadn't saved me, you wouldn't be in this pickle, I suppose?"

A minute passed with only the chirp of the nightly birds.

"...why did you save me?"

"I don't know. Why do you have to ask?" She groaned and tossed her head back.

"I upset you back there, didn't I?"

"You could stop talking, can't you?"

He wiped his nose which has a scratch on it.

"I suppose someone spit into your soup this morning?"

"Assuming I even had soup to eat..." Her stomach grumbled.

Gyomei felt a spreading warmth across his back as the sun rose.

"I require sleep, but we could look for food later if you are willing to stay."

He leaned against a tree trunk to settle down into a napping position. The wounds he had sustained were catching up to his head.

"Kuwajima-san...you're thirteen, right?"

"Unh? Didn't I tell you?" She scrambled up the tree, dangling her legs to stretch. "What? You're some freak who's into that?"

"...Huh? N-no!" Gyomei grunted softly. "Is that what you thought?"

She fell silent. He craned his head upwards.

"Kuwajima-san?"

Nevermind. He couldn't think of anything else to ask anyways, as soon the clouds took over. Gyomei sunk again into the tree trunk.

"...Mirai would have been thirteen today." He mumbled without a care if anyone would hear.

"...Mirai, huh." Nimkii cocked her head downwards. "Who's that?"

"The oldest...huh, always was running around... helping and taking charge..." Gyomei's eyelids wavered. "She shouted...like a nightingale...a little nightingale..."

"My little nightingale..."

"...Where is Mirai now?"

Gyomei's eyelids paused mid-closure.

He couldn't feel his face through the prickling.

"Himejima?"

A large, calloused hand covered his eyes as he drew his legs in.

"Himejima?"

"Where's Mirai now?"

Her voice rang from the tree like a call of a nightingale, a call gradually drowned out by the swallow of rustling leaves.

Gyomei awoke from the scratch of fallen leaves. He set himself up and rubbed his eyes, attempting to gauge the time.

Had Nimkii left? Was he alone? Was it nightfall? Did he need to ready himself?

Of course she didn't stay.

She didn't need to, so why in the world would she?

He gripped the short handle of his spear head, straightening his back. Most of his wounds had clotted.

As he took a step, he was greeted by a mass of hair whipping his forehead.

"Agh!" Gyomei lept back and readied his weapon to defend himself.

"Oh! Sorry I should have let you know I was still here!"

She dropped from the branch to hang from her arms so she could speak to him from a lower level.

"After a few hours, I just thought..."

Nimkii inhaled from her stomach and mustered courage.

"I could trust you."

She didn't exactly know how she could, but after hearing about Mirai, she felt as if those milky opals held no deception behind them.

"Don't you want to know what you did?"