Or did she believe she wouldn't run into Kibutsuji Muzan?
"What are you looking at?" Shinobu Kocho noticed Tetsu no Sosuke watching her.
"You're awfully calm," Tetsu no Sosuke said. "Aren't you worried?"
"I am," Shinobu Kocho said. "But somehow, I feel like we can get through any hardship."
"..."
He didn't know where that confidence came from, but he had to admire it.
Talking while sprinting only wasted energy. After that brief exchange, they fell silent and kept running.
The moon had reached its zenith and was slowly descending. Tetsu no Sosuke didn't know how long it would be until dawn, but it felt close.
Shinobu Kocho's breathing had grown ragged. After running all night, she was nearly at her limit.
That was proof of how far she had come.
When had she ever had this much stamina before?
Tetsu no Sosuke pointed to a large rock in the dim moonlight. "Let's rest a moment."
"All right." Shinobu Kocho sat down on the rock and let out a long breath.
Tetsu no Sosuke tossed her a canteen.
"You even brought one with you?"
Shinobu Kocho looked pleasantly surprised.
"We need our strength if we're running for our lives."
Tetsu no Sosuke was even more tired than she was. No matter how much stamina he had, he had only just returned from Mt. Sagiri during the day, with no time to rest before running again that night. He wasn't in good shape.
"I wonder how everyone else is doing."
Shinobu Kocho took a drink and handed the canteen back to Tetsu no Sosuke.
Tetsu no Sosuke scanned their surroundings and took a sip. "The Kasugai Crow hasn't brought any news, so at least the Serpent Pillar must be safe... As for the others..."
Tetsu no Sosuke fell silent.
There was