Pᴀʀᴀʟʟᴇʟ | Dᴏʀᴏʀᴏ 2019 Fᴀɴғɪᴄᴛɪᴏɴ |

11: Kou and Eri

"Bro, here, follow me..."

Dororo spoke. After adjusting the slings of Kou's backpack on his shoulders, he started pulling the young man on his arm. It was not like he was some jolly kiddo from the very beginning, but Dororo could feel that Hyakkimaru is depressed.

He lost Mio.

And now, they didn't know whether Kou is alive or not.

The child could only pray that she was alive somewhere. But if that's the case, where in the world did she go?

'Did she return home?'

He shook his head.

If she is going home, there was no way that she wouldn't say goodbye. Aside from that, all her belongings are still there. Dororo thought on who could be the one who took out her bag from the burning shrine. He pushed that thought aside, knowing that no one will be there to answer his questions.

He turned his head back to the teenage man behind him. He was looking at something that was in his hand.

Kou's hair ties.

The one she always used for tying her hair into those low twin tails. Dororo found it on the pocket of her bag when he checked inside it.

He sighed.

Dororo could only pray for the best case scenario.

That Kou is alive and will be reunited with them soon. 

ಠ_ಠಠ_ಠಠ_ಠ

Kou glared at the man in front of her.

He only whistled in response, a little amused.

"Oho~ I never thought that you could glare at me like that". He said while chuckling. "Glare all you want, I'm not going to let you escape".

Another four unknown people appeared.

Kou thought that this must be the man that has been watching them back in the shrine. And like she thought, he have back up. Her kidnapper leaned forward, removing the cloth covering her mouth.

"Who are you?" She spat angrily.

"Now, now. Don't pretend that you don't know me. Let's save the questions for later and get a move on. We're behind the time, you know".

One man carried her on his shoulder like a sack. The girl gasp, feeling his shoulder poking deep in her stomach.

"Hey! Let me go!" The girl struggled to break free but it was all for nothing.

"And where do you plan on going again?" The man with the cat like eyes spoke.

Kou immediately stopped moving.

"Right. The people from the shrine were all dead. If not for me stopping you on time, you would already be one of those corpse".

The girl didn't respond. Her mind occupied with everything that had transpired on the shrine. If she was there, maybe something could've changed? Maybe she was able to save even a few of them? Kou loathed herself for her own powerlessness.

A single tear escaped her eye.

She didn't listen to the man with catlike eyes who kept talking. Once they were out of the forest, a carriage was waiting for them. The man carrying her put her down and removed her binds. Kou didn't bother struggling as she doesn't have the energy anymore.

The girl just silently followed the catlike man's instructions and got into the carriage, sitting herself across him.

"Hey, cat face..." Kou called out when the carriage started moving.