Michiko

Trotting back up the road with her two friends, Michiko felt her usual lightness of spirit returning, and she took the opportunity to crack a handful of jokes, as if making up for lost time. The battle had weighed heavily on her, and the girl was abundantly glad to be on the move again, despite the dull ache from her injuries. If Masaru could keep going with his, she could manage just fine, Michiko thought.

Kaken's mysterious map intrigued her and Michiko very much wanted a peek at it, but Chiiro's question hooked her attention more. Keimatsu was becoming a sensitive subject, and she chewed her lip while Masaru explained. He was oddly willing to talk about, as little as they were allowed, anyway, but she was glad he let the subject drop. There were still too many unresolved questions and Michiko was too worn-out to stir up her mind again.

"Keimatsu is a story we don't have time for and Kaken's a bastard only if he doesn't feed us soon," she quipped with a hint of a grin. "Did I mention I'm starving?"

The girl rolled her shoulders to shake out the stiffness, cracked her neck with a grimace, then cocked her head at the boy with a look of appraisal. After a moment, she nodded to herself and jerked a thumb at the road they had been following.

"C'mon. I don't believe in coincidence, so you're coming with us," Michiko said matter-of-factly. "'Sides, I doubt you'd wanna be here when all these ronin goons come to, 'f you know what I mean," she added with a grin.