𝞖𝙞𝙨 𝙐𝙣𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬𝙣 𝘿𝙚𝙨𝙘𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙖𝙣𝙩//𝙆𝙣𝙮//𝙁𝙁//𝞐𝙐

T w e n t y - t h r e e

"Kota!" Kocho-san suddenly speaks. Uh oh. "Mind telling us about uppermoon 2?"

I bite my lower lip. I don't realize I'm doing it until the irony taste of my blood spreads across my tongue. 

Should I help Kota?

"WE KNOW YOU'RE HIDING SOMETHING!!" Shinazugawa-san shouts, pointing directly at Kota.

I glare at the wind pillar before returning my attention back to Kota. It looks like she's having trouble breathing.

"Kota?" Tomioka-san calls, frowning. He rests his hand on Kota's back. "Kota?"

Kota doesn't answer. She just keeps gasping for air.

Bwing

A familiar sound of a blood demon art is heard, and Kota vanishes. 

I stand up, grabbing my sword. "God darn it, Nakime!" I curse under my breath.

"WHAT THE HELL?!" Shinazugawa-san snarls, his veins about to explode. 

I breathe in deeply. "Calm down, you chihuahua." 

He shoots a look at me. "WHAT THE HELL DID YOU JUST CALL ME?!"

I don't reply. 

"She's suspicious for sure now." Tokito-kun mumbles, and Kanroji-san whimpers. But she nods in agreement.

"I knew she was up to something.. something about her didn't seem right." Igrou-san adds onto Tokito-kun's comment.

Tomioka-san looks away. "I trust her. She wouldn't do this." He whispers under his breath.

"Who were you calling again, Yasu?" Rengoku-san asks, looking up. "Nakime? Who's that?"

I groan. I messed up. At this point, I don't really care anymore.

I breathe in deeply once more, getting ready to yell on the top of my freaking lungs. 

"NAKIME, YOU BIWA LADY!!! WHERE THE HELL DID YOU TAKE KOTA??" I  scream, startling the pillars.

"What are you doing, Yasu?" Igrou-san asks quietly. I ignore him.

"TELEPORT ME TO THE FORTRESS BEFORE I MAKE YOU SUFFER IN THE SUN!!" I demand, literally screaming at thin air.

By luck, she heard me. Before any questions could be asked, I'm teleported the weird dimension. 

"Ugh! This is getting me nowhere!" I grunt, stomping on the random platform I'm on. It could take ages to find Kota!

I dash to a random direction. I hope this will take me where I meed to go.

I see one door. Here goes nothing.

Charging at full speed, I launch into the air, kicking the door with my feet. 

"What the-!" I hear a familiar voice. Uppermoon 3.

"Sorry, sorry!" I bow several times.

"Who the- Yasu?" He frowns. "What are you doing in this deathtrap?" 

I groan. "Any idea where Kota could be?"

He stays still for a moment. "I think so?"

"Where?" I ask, getting impatient. 

"Will you be able to memorize?" He asks.

"I'll take what I can get. If I can't memorize the way, I'll kick every door that I see!" 

"Chill." He backs up a little. "So you go out this way, turn left on the first hallways you see. Run awhile after that, you'll pass 6 hallways then turn 90 degrees right. A staircase should be leading upwards. Go up 9 steps and turn left. There should be a door there."

"First hallway, left. Pass 6 hallway, right. Go up 9 staircase, left." I repeat this multiple times until I get it stuck in my mouth. "Alright! Thanks!" 

"What's that in your pocket?" He asks, pointing at my pants.

I look down at my pants. My cloth with my whole identity is peeking out slightly. I quickly shove it back in. "Nothing! I'll be off!" I shake my head and dash out the non-existent door.

I immediately turn left. Running forward, I pass six hallways. I make a sharp turn to the right. I make sure it's 90 degrees. I spot a staircase and slow down. I go up 9 stairs and turn left again.

There's the door! Launching at full speed again, I break the door successfully. 

I blink once, then twice. I see a black-blue haired girl turning her head.

I gasp. "Kota!!!" I start running towards her. "This is bad!! This is bad!! Why are you with them?? It's going to make you more suspicious!!!"

I slide down next to her, and start to shake her very, very, violently. 

"What's wrong?" She asks.

Is she for real?

"The hashiras!" I mention, but she still looks confused. God, I swear she lacks common sense! "They are onto you now, like, halfway suspicious of you. Tomioka-san is the only one who isn't suspicious of you!! What are you even doing?? Answer me!!!!"

I shake her two times more violently than I already am.

"It makes sense they're suspicious! I disappeared before their eyes!!!! Can you please stop shaking me!!!" She demands, and I stop.

I look over to the two uppermoons, examining them before I'm interrupted. 

"What's that?" Kota speaks up. I look at her, then where her hands are pointing. My cloth has disobeyed me again. It's peeking out.

I shove my cloth back in. "Nothing."

I'm about to change the subject when I feel someone snatching in my pocket. Ugh, you spider!

"Hey!" I shout, jumping up and down trying to reach. Spider is too tall.

He rotates it, and stops. "...writing?"

Oh shoot.

"Don't!!! Give it back!!!" I declare, trying to reach for my cloth.

I can't break my auntie's promise! I promised her not to show anyone. I swore in front of her that I would not ever let it be revealed.

Yet here I am, desperately trying to keep her promise. One simple promise. 

The uppermoon one's eyes widen. He glances over at me. "...Tsugikuni"

I feel anger now. "Give it back, you six-eyed demon!!" I jump up high one more time and successfully grab my cloth. Mission one accomplished, but Kokushibo grabs me by my clothes leaving me swinging in mid-air.

"So..." He starts. "Tsugikuni Yasu... huh...?"

I grit my teeth. "Why does that matter so much to you, huh?"

Uppermoon one tilts his head slightly. "I don't know... maybe because... that's my last name... too..?"

The room falls silent.