Silver Infinity ((Kamukura X Komaeda))

Chapter Fifty-Eight: The Underground

"I saw Matsuda." Komaeda blurted out, blinded from the cave's darkness.
Kamukura didn't respond, but the pirate still continued.
"When we were pushing the stone, he was next to me."
The sound of boots against the jagged rocks told Nagito that the dark Captain still walked beside him, but his silence said otherwise.
With a deep inhale, he moved closer and reached out until his fingers felt the soft cloth of Izuru's coat.

"Ghosts don't exist," The Captain suddenly muttered ever so quietly, yet his words still echoed in the small space.
"I'm not sure it was a ghost," Komaeda exhaled that breath, suddenly a little nervous. It was obvious to hear the refusal in Kamukura's voice, as though he still hadn't accepted his death. Not that he could argue that, it still didn't feel quite real to him either, but it was probably rather common in a life of piracy. "But it was really something. That shows he's still with us, right?"

"Did he say anything?"
The pirates walking behind them kept quiet, either having nothing to say, or prying into the men's conversation.
"No,"
To his, and probably everyone's surprise, it almost sounded like Kamukura chuckled.

"Of course, dead men tell no tales after all. It's not my word to say if he was there or not, but it is perhaps a comforting feeling to know we are not alone."
"As if you're alone right now," Monaca chirped in suddenly from behind, sarcasm dripping within her voice. "Anyway, this cave is strange, isn't it?"
It was obvious to hear her attempting to lighten the mood, and it wasn't as though anyone wanted to stop that.

"You're right," Ryota piped up, "Caves are made by... Streams of water digging into rock for thousands of years, right? That would make the walls pretty soft. But this is..."
"Jagged," Izuru finished for him, "Because it's artificially made. Which means be careful not to fall into the walls or trip. Unless you want a cut, that is."
Fuyuhiko gave a small, dismissive laugh,
"You'd probably like that, a free blood meal for you."

Komaeda quickly felt a sense of fear towards the remark, only for Kamukura to snort,
"From you? You couldn't pay me."
As a few laughs erupted, Komaeda's worry melted away. It was a refreshing sense for everyone to get along and joke about what they wouldn't have before. For a moment there, he was prepared for the dark Captain to snap at the comment towards him.
A sense of unity among thieves, is that what it was?

Komaeda dragged his feet along the ground, careful to keep himself steady for the off chance there was a loose rock or sudden dip. So far, there hadn't been any, calming him to the fact it had been well-made enough for King Ryoma to travel.
Without warning, Nagito's ears popped, causing a pain that brought him to clench Kamukura's jacket tighter.
A few others hissed as well, likely facing the same problem.
"Seems like we're descending into Doggerland," Kamukura merely remarked, giving no sign he was affected at all.

Everyone's footsteps became heavier, their echoes louder.
Some pirates muttered amongst each other, chattering for the sake of chattering.
"When I signed up for this," Licorne's voice rose up above everyone else's, "I was expecting to still stay on top of the ocean, not travel under it with men that smell like they bathe in shit."
"Where do you think your shit goes when you throw it overboard?" Kokichi snickered, earning a few disgusted groans.

"Can we just have a nice, relaxing walk, please?" A groan was released from Korekiyo.
Nagito couldn't hold back a smile, and felt a bit of happiness it was too dark to properly see. Seeing as everyone else was having fun, his attention turned to Kamukura.
"What do you think about them?" He lowered his voice carefully, to ensure it wouldn't echo and be heard by everyone.
"Let them mess around," He replied quickly, just as softly. "That ship was still following us, who knows how long they'll have to play."
That was true; in fact, he hadn't seen the ship following them anywhere since they docked. With an exhale, he felt the need to change the topic, rather than stress himself out over it.