We probably shouldn't be enemies, either... We're family, after all.
Sure enough, clearly defining the relationship between two people wasn't so easy.
But once we had a clear idea of where we stood, wouldn't maintaining that relationship become much easier?
Shinobu Kocho drifted off into thought again.
Tetsu no Sosuke left her alone, chatted with the Flame Pillar and the Wind Pillar for a while longer, then headed to the Sword Forging Shed to get to work.
That evening, Tetsu no Sosuke held a small welcome party for them.
He had the kitchen prepare a few extra dishes, and they all enjoyed a lively little gathering.
After all, it had been a long time since they had last seen one another.
Although the Wind Pillar was somewhat annoyed with Tetsu no Sosuke, that was mostly resentment over what he had accomplished.
But when he had heard about the incident at the mine afterward, he couldn't help feeling a chill.
Had he been in Tetsu no Sosuke's place, he doubted he could have acted so decisively, ordering everyone in the mine to evacuate based on such fragmentary information.
After all, if his guess had been wrong, the losses would have been substantial.
Tetsu no Sosuke's own reputation would have suffered the most.
Yet Tetsu no Sosuke seemed not to have considered that at all. He had ordered everyone to evacuate without hesitation.
And in the end, Kibutsuji Muzan really had appeared.
If they had been even a little slower and delayed until nightfall, it truly would have been all over.
So now, he felt some admiration for Tetsu no Sosuke, too.
Decisive and unwavering—in that respect, he couldn't measure up to him.
As a result, he was quite friendly at the feast, nothing like his earlier cold, cutting manner.
The Flame