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homura (DarkMudkip/Jikkah)

It was likely that Botan wouldn’t notice the note for some time, as when she worked she often got so caught up that she would forget to eat, but Botan was always sure to send word when things were progressing.
 
Yuko returned to Mitsuri and nodded that she was ready to go, smiling under her coverings. She was sad she didn't get to speak at all to Genya, but that was ok. Perhaps another time.
 
Mitsuri and the others set out with Yuko as night fell, leaving behind the village after being carried to the outskirts of the surrounding forest blindfolded once again.
 
The guide held Yuko firmly on her back, making sure she wouldn’t drop her before reaching their destination. Once there all were set down and unblindfolded. “Sorry about that, I know it’s not the most comfortable, but security must be kept to keep the village safe.” The guides bowed their heads to them. “Oh it’s no problem at all, we understand!” Mitsuri said with a smile, bowing back. “Thank you for your hard work!”
 
once they had given their thanks they set off for their next destination, leaving behind the sword smith village.
 
They were walking for a little while before the echoing of a bell sounded through the forest, frightening the birds.
"That sounds like..." The girls looked nervous and Yuko's expression changed to worry.
"The alarm bell. Mitsuri-sama, the village!"
 
Mitsuri looked to the direction they had just come from, then to the kakushi. “Alright, let’s go!” She nodded. “The village is in trouble, let’s hurry back and help!”
 
"Hai!" They nodded and hurried after her, Yuko doing her best to keep up. How did anyone or anything know where to find the village? Was it a demon? How many were there?
 
Mitsuri hurried ahead, knowing that she had to get there first, and the kakushi would help evacuate when they got to the village.
 
"Don't push yourself, Yuko-chan!"
"There could be some villagers that get passed us, you can help them!"
"Hai!" Yuko called back. But she wanted to help Mitsuri the most.
 
It wasn’t long before the kakushi saw several large fish creatures chasing the sword smiths, some dead or injured in the street.
Mitsuri was there in an instant using her long strange blade to slice up each demon before it could kill anyone else.
 
The girls were hard at work helping the injured and carting of the dead, Yuko defending them and guiding the less injured to follow the girls to safety. She kept her eyes open, killing any demonic fish that came too close.
 
What had happened? They had only just left and already so much had happened, Mitsuri splitting off from the girls to tackle the larger demon creature she spotted in the destroyed building of the chiefs residence.
 
Yuko's anxiety flared; Botan's house wasn't far from the chief. She made sure the girls and the villagers would be ok before she hurried off.
 
The house was in partial ruin, just like many other of the houses, but she couldn’t see or sense anyone in the house. Maybe Botan hadn’t been home at the time of the attack? Maybe she had been out on the street and had already fled with the others- or maybe she was still where Yuko had left her in her workshop out in the forest.
 
Yuko cursed and hurried to where she knew Botan's workshop was, killing as many fish as she could along the way to help Mitsuri thin them out.
 
There were a few bodies scattered along the way, and even more destruction. As she neared where Botan’s workshop was set up, she could see that the building was already demolished, and a large fish demon was pawing at something in the rubble. That something was Botan, who was almost completely trapped beneath the debris of the collapsed workshop, pinned by a heavy beam so only her upper body and one arm was exposed. She swung a sword at the fish in an attempt to keep it away, just barely keeping it at bay.
 
"Bo-chan!" Yuko panicked before rushing forward, ignoring the searing pain in her knee before she took the fish's head clean off. She wobbled, struggling to fight her whimpers before she turned to pull the beam off with some struggle, "D... Daijoubu...?!"
 
Botan let out a breath of relief, half her mask beneath her nose was missing, broken off of her face in the chaos. “Yuko! Thank the gods, I thought you had left!” She scrambled out from the beam as quickly as she could, but her foot had been crushed, and was now broken.
 
Yuko waited until Botan was clear before dropping the beam with a pain filled gasp, "We weren't far...we hurried back when we heard the bell.."
 
Botan was close to tears, unable to stand due to her injuries. “Thank the gods you did..! Was that the demon attacking? Are there more?”
 
Botan nodded firmly. “I only saw the fish demon, but from what I’ve heard they’re targeting the sword smiths right? Hotaru-chan is still out in his workshop, they’ve probably gone after him too!”
 
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