𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐨𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐧 𝐏𝐚𝐬𝐭 • 𝐊𝐍𝐘

Ｃｈａｐｔｅｒ ２４

.

| Ｂｌｏｏｄ　Ｆｌｏｗｅｒ　Ａｒｃ |

.

Etsumi felt the moonlight graze over her as the portal disappeared. The air felt unusually still as she fell to the ground.

The moon glinted onto her eyes like a beacon as she twisted her body mid air, still tumbling down from the sky.

When she reached the ground, she tucked her body inward, rolling on the dirt and negating the fall impact on her legs.

There was deafening silence as she finally came to a stop, huddling herself into a ball. The wind didn't dare to make a sound as it blew Etsumi's hair towards the entrance of the little town.

The only sound that could be heard was the breath of everyone as they tried to fathom what had just happened.

"Damn it!" She yelled, suddenly stabbing her katana into the ground.

Everyone felt it,

'Loss'

They all were breathless, Kasumi shivering, and Himari taking in as much oxygen as she could recover. Sanjiro wiped his brow and after sheathing his blade, headed over to where Etsumi was crouched. She was breathing laboriously as if she was drowning with every breath she took.

He offered her a hand as she looked up at him, angry tears brimming at the ends of her eyes. He carefully pulled her up as everyone finally seemed to get the memo. Himari helped Kasumi get an injured Hinote to his feet, not long before she bandaged his wound.

Etsumi picked her blade up from the ground, shoving a torn piece of Ayame's haori in her pocket.

"Whoever is able to run the fastest is with me," Sanjiro instructed as they all nodded, but the only ones who were able to were Etsumi and Himari. Kasumi fireman carried Hinote on her shoulders as Sanjiro took a head count.

"How's your range?" He asked, pointing at Himari.

Himari recovered a few of her arrows as she looked to Sanjiro. Her amber eyes were burning, as if a flame had just been sparked.

"Far enough."

Sanjiro nodded, "Good, Tomioka-san how's the arm-"

"Fine, let's get moving." she responded as she stretched her legs quickly as her arm slowly dropped blood.

Himari nodded as she pulled an arrow back, taking a breath as she pointed her arrow slightly above the treeline.

"Sun Breathing

.

Arrow Technique

.

8th Form

.

SolarFlare, Wings of Light."

With a powerful rush, the arrow flew off of Himari's fingertips at the speed of light, igniting the cold dark sky in gold and blue rays. It cut through the night like butter as Himari shook her arm. All of them watching the flickering arrow fade into the distance like a star.

"Alright, let's go."

•⊰ ❂ ⊱• - •⊰ ➸ ⊱• - •⊰ ❂ ⊱•