With one final deafening crash of metal against the ground, the wildly tumbling train finally came to a complete stop amid a thick cloud of dust.
A deathly silence settled over the surroundings.
Only the occasional scrape of metal outside the carriage and the faint whistle of cold wind through the shattered windows remained.
"Cough, cough... cough..."
Rokuya coughed several times as the dust pouring in choked him, then struggled to open his eyes. Everything around him was pitch-black, and the air reeked of blood, engine oil, and raw earth.
"Shinobu... are you all right? Are you hurt anywhere?"
Rokuya's voice was slightly hoarse. He did not let go immediately, instead gently feeling over the back and head of the girl in his arms with his callused palm. Only after confirming that there were no obvious wounds did he let out a long breath of relief.
"I... I'm fine."
In the darkness, Shinobu Kocho's voice was much softer than usual, even carrying a barely perceptible tremor. She tilted her head up slightly in Rokuya's arms. Though she could not make out his face, she could feel his warm breath against her forehead.
"Good."
Rokuya shifted his aching shoulders slightly, and the terrible drain caused by activating Demon Form began to make itself faintly felt within him. He looked around and discovered that their carriage had tipped completely onto its side. What had been the roof was now a wall, while what had been a window was now an exit overhead.
"We can't stay here. The wreckage's structure is completely compromised. It could collapse again at any moment. We have to get out now."
Rokuya took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the churning protests of his hungry stomach. He wrapped one arm around Shinobu Kocho's waist and braced his other hand