Hanabira’s eyes trembled as Torakichi’s body went through the temple and out of sight.

Without thinking, she ran through the temple’s single narrow hall before running down the ancient stairs that led down the mountain.

Countless dark and tall trees filled the area meaning Hanabira had to keenly inspect everything as she ran down the mountain.

Brutally strong winds blasted across the mountain side and they carried with them ice cold snow, but Hanabira managed to keep herself from freezing by covering her body in as much Ne as she could.

She eventually spotted several broken trees which she ran towards before spotting Torakichi’s body beneath them.

“Mr. Kanemoto!” Hanabira cried as she held his large body up with all the strength her body could muster. Making this even more challenging was the fact that Hibana was still somewhat bound to Torakichi’s back, further adding to his weight.

Hanabira then noticed the large and deep cut that went from Torakichi left shoulder to his right.

Surprisingly enough, the wound barely bled.

Hanabira shook herself free from all other thoughts as she surveying the surrounding area.

She then spotted Torakichi’s Ōdachi.

She picked up the large weapon and dragged Torakichi towards a spot where the trees offered protection from the winds.

“Hanabira!”

A distant voice called while Hanabira wrapped Torakichi in all of her blankets.

“Hanabira!”

The voice called again, now closer than before.

Hanabira wrapped her arms around Torakichi as the winds cruelly howled by.

“I found her!” Amai said before rushing to Hanabira’s side.

“Is he breathing?” Keii asked as he too rushed to Torakichi’s side.

He then placed an ear near Torakichi’s nose to find that he was breathing, but ever so faintly.

Keii looked around while Amai desperately tried comforting the wailing Hanabira.

“Dammit!” Keii cursed before noticing that several of the surrounding bushes lacked their berries.

He also noticed several paths that led into the forest along with countless broken braches.

“Stay here.” Keii said before dashing into the forest deep.

He followed a path of freshly disturbed snow for a few minutes before coming across a rather small cave.

He quickly unsheathed his katana before rushing into the cave where countless monkeys could be seen huddled together in the cave’s corners.

Keii felt a surge of heat rise from within his chest as the monkeys spotted him.

He then took a deep breath before raising his head.

“AHHHHHHH!” He roared with a deepness that couldn’t have been made by the human voice.

The monkeys all fled the cave and Keii followed them out before rushing back up the mountain where he found Amai and a still weeping Hanabira.

“Come.” Keii said before attempting to grab Torakichi, but Hanabira tightly clung to him defiantly.

“Hanabira! You must let go or he’ll freeze!” Keii yelled, but Hanabira wept on.

“Tsk! Amai, grab her.” Keii yelled, frightening Amai slightly.

“Now!”

Amai frantically nodded before grabbing Hanabira and tearing her from Torakichi.

Keii then lifted Torakichi onto his shoulders.

“Follow me.” Keii said before leading the two women to the small and rather smelly cave he’d found.

There, they prepared a makeshift bed for Torakichi using all the blankets they had, but before Keii could cover him up, Hanabira ran to Torakichi’s side and opened up his yukata, revealing the mangled scar on his chest.

“Is that… stone?” Keii asked as he inspected the hardened grey material that sat at the centre of the large scar.

The flesh around the stone was swollen and discoloured.

Hanabira turned an enraged eye to Keii.

“Heal him!” She said in a hushed scream. Her body covered only in a thin kimono.

“What?” Keii asked.

“Fix him! Use your Ne! Do something!” She said. Her face drenched in tears.

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“I- I can’t.”

“What do you mean? What good is your Ne if you can only use it to inflict harm?” Hanabira asked.

“Ugh!” She sounded before placed her hands on top of Torakichi’s chest.

Thin strands of Ne then began pouring out from her body and into Torakichi’s.

“What are you doing? Stop that!” Keii said as he placed his hand on Hanabira’s shoulder but she quickly slapped it away before turned to face Keii and looking into his eyes.

She then took several deep breaths before closing her eyes.

“Fine. Then tell me what to do. How can we help him?” She asked as she slowly opened her reddened eyes.

“I… I don’t know. Our best chance is the pond, but Jundo guards it still-“

“Then we should kill Jundo.”

“Easier said.” Keii said.

Hanabira opened her mouth to speak, but she bit her teeth instead.

Amai crawled towards Hanabira and say by her side before wrapping her arm around her.

“We should stay here for a while and nurse him while he rests. Everything else can be tended to after.” Amai said.

Hanabira looked into Amai’s teary eyes and slowly nodded.

The two leaned closer to each other before touching foreheads as they looked at the unconscious Torakichi.

Keii nodded to himself before standing up.

“I’ll be back. I need to find something to stop that wound from festering. Maybe find some food.” He said as he turned to leave.

He then crawled out of the cave before gathering some ambient Ne and placing it over the Caves entrance.

“This’ll keep the warmth inside. You can cut through it using your own Ne, should an emergency arise.” Keii said and Amai nodded promptly.

Keii took a deep breath before walking further into the forest.

“I hate this.” Hanabira said.

“I hate having to watch him suffer.”

Amai’s eyes widened briefly.

She then let go of Hanabira before gathering some kindling.

She started a small fire and quickly noticed that Keii’s wall of Ne was trapping the smoke inside the cave.

She crawled to the wall of Ne and placed her hand on it to find that it was rather soft and warm.

She remembered all those times Torakichi and Keii coated their weapons in Ne and wondered what would happen if she coated her finger in Ne.

She raised her hand and sent some ambient Ne to her index finger.

Her finger began glowing slightly and as a test, she tried tapping the cave’s stone floor and much to her amazement, her finger struck the floor with a loud tap.

In her excitement, Amai wondered if you could simply create a blade of Ne without using another object as a proxy.

“What are you doing?” Hanabira asked.

“Give me a moment.” Amai said while gathering Ne in her palm.

She then imagined a flat sheet of Ne and by compressing the Ne in her hand into itself, a blade slowly appeared in her hand, although it’s blade was far shorter than its handle.

It was a Ne dagger.

“Look!” Amai said excitedly while offering the dagger to Hanabira, who keenly inspected it.

“Oh my... did you create that by yourself?” Hanabira asked as she returned the dagger.

“Yes, just now.”

“Amazing. Would you kindly teach me how you did it?” Hanabira asked.

“Of course, just give me another moment.” Amai said before facing the wall of Ne.

She then cut out a small hole, allowing the smoke from the small fire to leave.

Amai then returned to Hanabira’s side before showing her how she created her dagger.

.

..

Keii had found the herbs he was looking for. He’d also managed to catch an unsuspecting rabbit.

With this, he began his trip back to a certain cave.

His pace was steady, even as the freezing cold winds of the mountains bombarded him relentlessly.

However, as he weaved through the dark forest trees, he heard something that made him dive into some nearby bushes.

His eyes frantically searched the forest for the owner of the terrifying low sound.

“Mmm… so this is the mortal plane.”

A deep voice said.

Keii felt the ground shake slightly as the sound of heavy footsteps filled the air.

Keii’s eyes widened as a large figure emerged from the forest deep.

It was a man, except he was far too tall and had ash white skin.

He had long bright red hair and bright red eyes.

His naked self stood almost arrogantly in the midst of the storm.

“Do you think we’ll find him here?”

A feminine and ethereal voice asked.

Keii watched as the large man crossed his big hairy arms.

A pale blue light bathed his body, but the large man blocked Keii from seeing the light’s source.

“Maybe. Maybe not. I can only hope. I honestly didn’t think you’d come.”

“Why not?”

“Can’t say. Anyway, give me a moment.” The large man said before walking in Keii’s direction.

Keii stayed completely still as he hid in the bushes, but the man seemingly looked him in his eyes as he approached.

The man then came to a stop about a meter away from Keii.

“Hello, human.” The man said with a voice so deep, it shook Keii’s very bones.

“Don’t be afraid. Come out.”

Keii slowly nodded before standing and walking toward the large man, who’s eyes burnt brightly red.

“A weapon, calloused hands and those sharp- frightened, but sharp eyes. You’re a warrior, aren’t you?” The man asked.

“Y- yes.” Keii said, although his throat felt like it was being crushed.

The man in front of him was oozing with Ne. A bright and heavy Ne that heated the air around the man.

“What is your name, warrior? Perhaps you and I can of be of some use to each other.”

“K-Keii. My name is Keii Umihara.”

“Umihara. Strong name. I am called Fusei. I am from another world and I’d like to know where the Golden Child is.”

“Golden Child? I- I’m sorry, but I know not what you speak of.” Keii said, prompting Fusei to stand upright.

He then looked to the north as his long, red hair flew with the wind.

“I see. Well, that’s a shame. Is there anything you’d like to ask of me?” Fusei asked as he turned to leave.

“W-what are you?” Keii asked.

“Oh, good question. I am a weapon who just happens to be able to think and move of his own will.” Fusei said before walking back to the pale blue light within which stood a small woman, who’s body was an ethereal blue.

She wore no clothes, just lime Fusei and had long blue hair.

“Farewell, Umihara. May clarity guide your hand.” Fusei said before walking into the forest deep with his companion.

Keii stood completely still for a moment before walking in the direction of a certain cave.

He kept thinking back to Fusei’s question although he reached no meaningful conclusions.

.

..

Keii returned to the cave where he left Hanabira and Amai to find a small pillar of smoke rising from a hole in the wall of Ne he’d erected.

With the flick of his right hand, he destroyed the wall before crawling into the cave to find that Hanabira and Amai hadn’t let go of Torakichi.

He almost didn’t want to disturb them, but he approached them regardless before created another wall of Ne over the cave’s entrance, only it had a small hole at its centre.

He then grabbed one of the few bowls that hadn’t been cracked in his bag before mixing up the herbs in he’d harvested.

After created a dark green paste, he crawled up to Torakichi and looked at Hanabira with a raised eyebrow.

Hanabira’s eyes narrowed as she slowly unwrapped her arms, letting Torakichi go in the process.

Amai did the same allowing Keii to remove Torakichi’s yukata.

He then began applying the thick paste on the large scar across Torakichi’s chest.

Even Keii himself winced as he reached deep into the scar while applying the medicine.

He felt the hard grey substance within before hastily withdrawing his hand.

After wiping his hands, he then wrapped Torakichi’s entire upper torso in what little bandages they had left, but he didn’t stop there.

Keii wrapped Torakichi in an added layer of cloth to keep him warm.

He even coated Torakichi in a layer of Ne, while taking care not to cover his head.

“T-“

Hanabira tried saying.

“Mmm?” Keii sounded while getting comfortable in a spot not too far from everyone.

“Thank you.”