Sazume waited until it was late to put her plan in motion. She had dinner with her parents, but left the table early, heading straight to her chambers, under the excuse of still being angry about her father’s decision. She didn’t hesitate to jump from the window to the liberty of the garden, which surrounded the small fortification. Silently, she snuck between the trees, running away from the castle. She was willing to find her brother and join his group at any cost, or do her own hunt alone.
However, she realized she was being followed. Instinctively, she slowed down, keeping herself aware. The moon was hidden behind heavy clouds, and it was too dark to see very far. Still, as any dog-demon, Sazume trusted her sense of smell, which didn’t failed her. She hid behind a tree and stood still, observing.
Soon she heard someone’s steps, heading toward the distant sound of the river that flowed in a deep valley, not far from there. Whoever her pursuer was, he didn’t smell familiar, so it couldn’t be one of Ichimaru’s hunters. She observed for a little while, and then heard the crack of a branch under someone’s foot.
Without thinking, she charged against the pursuer, thrilled by the idea of the hunt. She approached the sound’s source, but ended up colliding with her prey, which suddenly appeared from behind a tree. Only when she was close enough did she see it was Kumari. The young noble was pushed away and staggered, heading dangerously close to the cliff above the river’s valley, which, to Sazume’s surprise, was closer than she thought.
“Watch out, Kumari!”
Sazume stepped forward trying to reach him, and out of reflex, he stretched the sheathed katana that he carried in her direction. She grabbed the scabbard, but the sword was pulled out because of his weight.
“Stay back, my Lady,” begged the man in despair, fearing that she would fall too, before falling down into the chasm.
Ignoring his warning, Sazume tried to reach his arm, and ended up suffering the same fate.
