Help from the Shadows (Open Novella Contest)

16 (Original Quartet Rescue Part 1, Mitsue)

Arriving at the Youmakai, we set off at once for the shore connected to the ocean, where we stood side by side at around 3 p.m., squinting to get a look at the mirage island through the thick mist. 

Akino took out a pair of binoculars from his backpack and adjusted its lighting for a while before he took them off, "It's still there, all right." 

"Okay, so if I remember it correctly, in episode 31, the Original Quartet had to use a boat to get to the island in complete silence, and then dived to the palace from the island," Choiseung muttered under his breath. 

"Wouldn't it be more efficient if we dived here?" Jorogumo asked. 

"No, Genbu's palace can only be accessed from that island now, since its bearer is now inside his Yoseiken," I explained to her. 

"Oh..." she nodded. "That makes sense..." 

"Anyway, if we put all the clues we have together, then the only place they could be at right now is at the throne room," Choiseung deduced. 

"Don't we have to go through some obstacles to get there, though?" Chenhua frowned. "You guys DID mention that the throne room was at the bottom of the palace, and they only got there after passing them."

"True," Akino sighed. 

"Then how do we get in there without losing the element of surprise?" Haruya asked. 

"Maybe the obstacles were deactivated to make it easier for the kidnapper to go as they pleased," Rau suggested hopefully.

"That would be great, to be honest," Shimanouchi agreed. "We should try to preserve our energy as much as we can."

"Hopefully so," I nodded. "But if they HAVEN'T been deactivated, then we'll still have to go on to save them. We can't back down. Not with so many people counting on us, even the unknowing ones."

The rest of them understood my meaning.  We don't know anything about our enemy. But we can't afford to back out, not when the Original Quartet are counting on us. Also, who knows how long it will take the entire town to realise the truth now that their parents have returned. 

"Come on, let's go," Ayame gripped her backpack tightly. 

"Oh," Chenhua agreed. 

After Akino found the boat the Original Quartet had used, we looked at the boat before we looked at one another. 

"We'll need to take some round trips," Rau noted. 

"How about we send Haruya, Shimanouchi-san, Mitsue-san, and Yame-chan first? Then Haruya can come back and pick up Akino, Rau and me, before he gets Jorogumo and Dad," Choiseung decided. 

"Good idea," Akino nodded. 

So, after we got comfortable on the boat, the 4 of us set off in silence, with Haruya and Shimanouchi rowing the boat. 

If you asked any of us how we had felt at that time, we would probably say that we had been tense.

To be fair, I was tense. I was worried about everything. I was worried for Akinori. Natsume. Touma. Keisuke-kun. Ayame. Akino. Rau. Choiseung. Chenhua. Jorogumo. Of the outcome of this entire thing. 

Just then, I felt a warm hand put itself on my shoulder. I turned to see Ayame smile softly. That smile comforted me at once, so I smiled back. 

Eventually, we arrived at the island, so Shimanouchi, Ayame and I were let off before Haruya turned the boat around and began rowing back to the shore to pick up the rest.