Weather like this always made people uneasy. A downpour could begin at any moment.
Tetsu no Sosuke looked up at the sky, torn. The weather was far from ideal, but they had come too far to turn back now.
He was in bad shape. Exhaustion, pain, and a deep ache that seemed to seep from his bones filled his entire body.
"It should be... just ahead."
He drew a long breath and forced himself to rally.
A figure landed beside him. He turned, gave a faint smile, and said, "Kid..."
"..."
Shinobu Kocho looked at him in silence. She pulled his arm around her shoulders and tried to support him, but she was too short to lift him properly.
After a long silence, Tetsu no Sosuke said, "Maybe I should walk on my own. I'm not that bad."
Shinobu Kocho said nothing and kept trying.
Tetsu no Sosuke tried shifting his weight onto her, but at this rate, dragging his feet along would probably wear through his pants.
He was still wondering whether to ask Shinobu Kocho to give up when Kyojuro Rengoku appeared, a lifesaver if ever there was one.
"I can manage!"
Shinobu Kocho glared at Kyojuro Rengoku, stopping him just as he moved to help.
Tetsu no Sosuke looked at her helplessly. If he brought up her height now, she might kill him on the spot.
In the end, Shinobu Kocho dragged Tetsu no Sosuke all the way to the entrance of the structure ahead.
A door stood there, set into a bluestone wall that rose from the ground.
The door opened, and a group of people came out.
Tetsu no Sosuke looked up at them. "You're all here."
They looked at him but said nothing.
The Rock Pillar came to his side and took his arm.