Kagura and Kanna followed him, and Kagura's voice came from behind him, carrying an urgency it had never had before.
Chiyo stopped walking, but did not look back.
Kagura stood where she was, still clutching that folding fan, her knuckles turning white from the force of her grip.
She looked at Chiyo's back, his long white hair drifting gently in the morning breeze, his thin coat blown tight against his body.
Her lips moved, as if she were hesitating, struggling.
Kanna stood beside her, holding that mirror, her face still showing little expression.
But her eyes were different.
In those empty eyes, a faint, genuine light was flickering.
Kagura took a deep breath and stepped forward.
Two steps.
Three steps.
She walked up to Chiyo and stopped in front of him.
Kanna followed behind her.
"Why?"
Kagura's voice was a little hoarse.
"What?"
Chiyo looked at her.
"Why help us?"
Kagura looked straight at Chiyo.
"You helped us take back our hearts and gave us freedom.
But you don't even know us. You don't know who we are, or what we've done."
"Why would you do that?"
Chiyo glanced at her.
"It was convenient."
Kagura froze.
Kanna froze too.
Convenient?
Kagura opened her mouth.
She had imagined many kinds of answers.
Maybe it was because they were useful.
Maybe it was because Chiyo wanted to subdue them and strengthen his own forces.
Maybe it was because Chiyo pitied what they had been through.
Maybe it was because Chiyo wanted to use them against Naraku.
She had thought of countless possibilities.
Only not this one.
Convenient.
The reason was so simple it was absurd.
Standing beside Kagura, Kanna showed a rare trace of expression on her face.
Confusion.
She did not understand.
In the world of demons, no demon ever did