~Nobody Else~ { M. Tokito}

Chapter 24 - Hunting party

Atsumi woke feeling like crap. There was the slightest itch in her throat from crying herself to sleep after her failed pursuit. And apparently it wasn't just her who woke up in a sour mood. She watched as Sora too sulked around the house.
They nodded their acknowledgement of each other.

"Hey," said Sora. "Sleep somewhat decently last night?" He went grabbed a peice of fruit, taking a bite and chewing lazily.

Atsumi shrugged her shoulders. Contrary to her extroverted traits, she didn't feel like talking to anybody. Not now anyways.
In perfect timing, a crow broke the silence by cawing outside the window. The bird spewed some stuff about Sora's next mission as they both walked towards the window. His crow was bigger than most; they suited each other.

When Sora opened the window, his crow fluttered to him and landed on his shoulder.
"See you later," he said as he walked out the door.

"Wait!" Atsumi followed him. "I need to ask your crow for a favor. Will he listen to me?"

Sora shrugged. "Go for it."

"Hi. Can you please find the Love Hashira for me? I'd like to see her when she's free."

The crow looked to Sora for orders, and with a rub on the head he took off.

"Now that that's done. Bye, Atsumi. I'll be back soon."

"Bye."

• • •

Atsumi anticipated the Love Pillar's arrival as she lay on her bed with her legs up against the wall. Eyes closed, she listened closely to the atmosphere. Out the open window, in close proximity, she could hear a light pair of feet skipping, approaching her house. Before her first could even knock, Atsumi had thrown herself off her bed, ran down the stairs and opened the door.

"Hey, Atsumi," said Mitsuri. She gasped. "Are you okay? You look like you've been-"

She held onto Atsumi as she drooped herself into her arms, right back to sulking like she had be all night through morning.

"I'm so glad you're here," Atsumi mumbled into her shoulder.

"W-what's the matter? C'mon, let's go inside."

Taking breaks to sip on her tea Mitsuri quickly prepared, Atsumi explained to her what had befallen her family, then what ensued as, as she saw it, a result of the talk she had with her brother.
Giving her condolences, Mitsuri made a pretty solid proposal: she and Atsumi could go out together and kill all the demons they could find until the sun rose.
Atsumi thought it over. It would be a good way to blow off some steam, and they would simultaneously be cleansing the world. She agreed, and the pair left when the sun began to rest.

• • •

"Thanks, Mitsuri," said Atsumi. She kicked away one of the demon heads around her. "I feel a lot better now." Blood coated her katana blade, the dark liquid dripping off the tip. They'd been out for two hours now, killing every single demon they came across.

"I'm happy to hear that," said Mitsuri.

They ventured into a town close by that Atsumi was familiar with, just over a hill out of the woodlands. It was quiet as the two covered the rooftops, looking and listening out for one of those demons to rid the town of.

Atsumi started getting the feeling that she and the Hashira weren't alone, and then right as she brought it up to her, she caught a breif glimpse of a mismatched Haori she knew all too well.
"Hey, i think i just saw Tomioka," she says, then takes off to follow the young man, Mitsuri close by.

They found him in a space between two houses, a demon corpse already fading away.

"Giyuu-san!" Mitsuri called as she skips toward him.