The first morning rays of sunlight were already piercing through the dense foliage, casting faint shadows across the damp ground.
The fog had thinned a little, finally allowing Takeshi to clearly make out his surroundings. After walking all night, he at last managed to reunite with the other two.
"Well then…" Yoshiro shot him a glance before stretching lazily. "…Did you already go and stir up some shit this early in the morning?"
Without realizing it, Yoshiro had actually put his hand on the truth.
Ayano, as usual, said nothing, contenting herself with a simple look before returning to her tasks.
"We need to get moving," Takeshi said calmly, a slightly awkward smile on his face. After all, he was surprised that those so-called rebels weren't already there waiting for him.
"Shit, man!" Yoshiro cursed, turning around abruptly. "What did you screw up again this fine morning? Can't you go five minutes without causing trouble?"
Takeshi really looked like that rowdy student sitting at the back of the classroom, always causing chaos in every lesson. If he hadn't left the camp to wander deep into the forest, none of this would have happened.
"Stop whining and try to look at the bright side," Takeshi replied with a dismissive wave of his hand. "…If I hadn't gone out to explore, I'd never have known there was a group of rebels nearby…"
Silence fell between the three of them. Sleeping right next to the enemy… it was sheer luck they hadn't been ambushed. From that perspective, Takeshi wasn't wrong. In times of war, information played a crucial role so in a way, it was an advantage.
"…How many are there?" Ayano asked, seeming to think deeply, her sharp eyes fixed on Takeshi.
"I don't have an exact number, but I think there must be a good dozen or so…" Takeshi explained.
"Then let's just try not to run into them. It's not like they know we're here," Yoshiro concluded with a sigh. Ayano also seemed to agree with her companion.
"By the way…" Takeshi said, scratching his head lightly.
"No… no… no," Yoshiro cut in, not letting him finish. "Don't tell me you really went and messed with them? You're not that crazy, right?"
It seemed Yoshiro truly didn't grasp the complexity of the man standing before him. Or maybe, deep down, he knew him well but simply refused to admit the truth.
"…I killed their captain," Takeshi said plainly, without turning away.
"You did what, you asshole?!" Yoshiro spat, nearly choking on his own saliva. "Now, if they had no reason to attack us before, you've just handed them a damn good one, you son of a bitch."
"Ah… what difference does it make?" Takeshi asked irritably. "…You saw it yourself there's no talking with those guys. In the city, all they did was attack us without asking questions…"
"How long do you think it'll take them to get here?" Ayano asked, her arms crossed. She hadn't even commented on Takeshi's actions what was done was done, and talking about it now would only waste time. And time was something they didn't have.
"…Honestly, I thought they'd already be here," Takeshi replied, stroking his chin. "It was at night maybe the fog slowed them down."
"At night!" Yoshiro put his hands to his face. The more he learned, the more he wanted to beat the hell out of that bastard. "…What are you, some kind of fucked-up werewolf? While everyone else is sleeping, you're roaming the forest, killing the other side's captain?"
If only you knew I didn't just kill their captain… Takeshi thought, recalling the sensation of a certain very plump lip. "Yeah, yeah, must be that. I'm a rakshasa…"
"Anyway, we need to move quickly. It's only a matter of time before they find us," he continued, looking at Ayano.
"Very well. We're leaving this area," she replied. "Where to?"
"Well…" Takeshi smiled. The others seemed to sense something as well. Yoshiro gently placed his hand on the hilt of the katana at his belt, while Ayano subtly slipped her slender hands into her jacket.
But Takeshi was the fastest. He suddenly vanished, reappearing a short distance away in a clump of weeds. "It's not very polite to eavesdrop on other people's conversations," he said quietly to the one hiding there, dressed head to toe in black.
Unfortunately for the man, he wasn't fast enough. As he turned to flee, the last thing he saw was Takeshi's blade piercing his skull, entering through his right eye and bursting out the back with a sickening sound.
Blood sprayed, staining a few nearby leaves, while the man's other eye went dull before his body collapsed to the ground, lifeless.
"I think they're already a lot closer than we expected," Takeshi remarked, not even bothering to give the corpse another glance. He simply cleaned his weapon and sheathed it.
"Whose fault is that?" Yoshiro growled, a vein throbbing at his temple.