ただの友達 | y. okkotsu

eleven

You and Yuta ran as fast as you can to reach the desolate part of the venue, looking frantically for the source of a familiar shriek you heard as soon as your cable car landed.

Footsteps were heard, running as well but towards the two of you, making you and Yuta halt in a stop to wield your weapons in defense.

Fortunately, or maybe for the worse, it was only Emiko and Mamiko, crying profusely as they tried to explain the situation.

"Papa told us to run. But Papa won't be able to handle them alone." Emiko tried to talk, stuttering and choking in between her sobs, shuddering and shivering from both fear and tiredness from weeping and running for their lives.

We turned to Mamiko, who was almost as equally in distress as Emiko, if not only for the small composure she had left.

"We went out of the car and looked for a place to wait for the two of you. But while we were waiting, a curse appeared and tried to attack us. We tried to call, but we were too busy running from it. Then when it caught up with us, Eiko told us to run and he'll hold it back but—" Mamiko Auichi couldn't finish her explanation, but you and Yuta already knew what you should do.

"Splitting up would pose too much of a risk. Let's just stay together so you could guide us to Eiko-san too." Yuta looked towards you for approval, which you returned to with a sharp nod. The other two weakly nodded, still holding back sobs and tears of pain and worry for their father.

~

The running seemed endlessly long amid panic and worry for Eiko, and the stumbles and short breaks you would take to wait for the unfit Mamiko and Emiko seemed to last an eternity rather than a second. So in the end, you and Yuta, who were much stronger and fit for the challenge of running as fast as you can to reach Eiko, carried the two for faster travel.

Yuta took Mamiko, who was hesitant but agreed nonetheless, and you carried Emiko, wrapping your arms delicately around her, placing her head on the crook of your neck, whispering sweet words of assurance that made her cry silently while she nodded and clenched her small, soft hands, tightly onto your shirt.

You reached the location in a few moments, only to see the father of the family injured while desperately trying to fend off the cursed spirits.

"Eiko-san! We're here!" With your shout, the man looked at you with a relieved smile on his face painted with blood. "Our saviors have finally come, I see. How great."

And with that, you and Yuta placed the mother and daughter down, dashing side by side with katanas bared bravely, approaching the two curses who seemingly belonged to at least grade one class.

You first approached the limp Eiko, catching him by the waist, and with a run, gave him to his wife to care for in the meantime you and Yuta fight.

"Thank you for coming, [y/n]-san. Please be careful." The father said, but you could only nod as you rushed back to he curses with a worried frown.

Yuta, who has already started the fight with curses a few seconds earlier than you, was seen radiating an intensifying amount of cursed energy, most probably trying to summon Rika to a certain degree.

After catching up with him, you too took out your flexible katana, and though lacking complete mastery, you were at the very least capable of wielding it to some extent so far. So with a stance and a harsh huff of breath, you focused on extending your energy to the sword, your arms whipping up to slice Land the curses with a single strike.

bang.

The sound of a gunshot was heard, but you were a second too late to retract the hand that was milliseconds away from forcing your katana to slice the curses in half.