The downpour had dwindled without anyone noticing. The night slowly passed, dawn broke in the east, and light fell once more upon the earth and forest.
But the demon at the temple door... had not been quiet all that time.
When Tetsu no Sosuke smashed his head into his chest cavity, he really had lost consciousness.
But as soon as he came to, he began trying to recover.
His recovery was slow.
He struggled until morning without managing to pull his head back out.
At last, dawn spilled across the temple entrance. Realizing he was about to face the sun, the demon let out a muffled cry from inside his chest: "No... no!!"
His muffled screams faded as he disintegrated.
Only the vines remained on the temple door.
Only then did Tetsu no Sosuke finally breathe a sigh of relief. He stood up, his head feeling a little light.
It was different from spending a whole night at the forge. When he forged, his body moved and his mind stayed focused, keeping him energized. He could bear that.
But this night, his body had stayed still while his nerves remained taut. After so long, drowsiness had begun to creep in.
Whenever it did, he pinched his thigh to wake himself up. By morning, it was covered in purple marks.
He stepped outside and splashed his face with rainwater collected in a hollow in the ground. He felt alert at once.
"I should reach the Butterfly Estate today. There's no time to rest. If I fall asleep now, I might not wake up until night, and then I'll be stuck here again."
Urgency burned in his heart. Having seen what a demon could do, he was even more worried about Kochou Kanae.
He returned to the ruined temple, put on his clothes, and set off again without even eating breakfast, carrying the Sword Case in his arms and the Forging Hammer on his back.
With the cool morning wind against him, Tetsu no Sosuke raced through the mountain forest.
The journey should have taken another day, yet he reached the Butterfly Estate before noon.
Dusty and disheveled from the road, he hesitated at its gate.
Can I see her looking like this?
He almost didn't want to go in. Perhaps he should find somewhere to wash his face first. Then again, he wore a mask, so no one could see his face.
But what about my clothes?
His fight with the demon had left them stained with blood.
The downpour had washed some of it away, but an unpleasant smell still lingered.
"This is no time to worry about all that."
He shook his head, feeling foolish. He stepped forward and raised a hand to knock.
But the gate opened before he could.
With a creak, a young woman carrying a broom stepped outside. The instant she saw Tetsu no Sosuke, she froze.
She seemed startled.
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