𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐗𝐗𝐗𝐈𝐗 - 𝐎𝐍𝐄 𝐋𝐀𝐒𝐓 𝐓𝐈𝐌𝐄, 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐈

                                    

                                          
KINZOKU MIKAZUKI COULD NO LONGER FEEL HER LEGS. The sorceress had been walking close to seven hours, an endless path of sewers and wastewater as she made her way down the tunnel. Gojo walked beside her, his face blank even now that the tension between the two had somewhat settled – not that Mikazuki would ever forgive him. 
The sorceress had never been one to move on fast from the past, let alone when someone she used to trust decided to torture her and watch idly as she was being eaten alive by Cursed Rats. There weren't enough lifetimes in the world to move on from that, a fact Satoru was well aware of by now. 
Still, the sorcerer decided to look up, risking a glance towards Mikazuki. She felt the pair of eyes settle on her back immediately, yet she didn't dignify him with a reaction. Walking was already hard enough with a bad leg and countless rat bites, she didn't have time to dwell on Satoru's emotions. 
Mikazuki paused, her Eternity flickering as the Cursed energy signature she'd been following for over seven hours grew into a green halo in the distance. The sorceress narrowed her eyes, taking a good look into the darkness, yet there was nothing her naked eye could see. Satoru sighed, walking beside the woman and setting his Six Eyes on the same place. 
However, before his eyes could register the large green energy pouring through the cracks of the walls, a loud roar echoed in the darkness. The sound was so loud it rattled the walls as large cracks began forming on the bowed ceiling. The previously dormant rats in the shaft immediately sprung up into life, running towards the noise as their tails wagged happily. 
Mikazuki followed the trail with unsure eyes, watching as the rats faded into the darkness and joined their mother beyond where her golden eyes could reach. The sorceress then turned to Satoru; her expression guarded. 
"That must be the mother." She commented casually. "Her cursed energy is all over the place." The heiress said as she began picking up the pace and walked towards the end of the tunnel. 
Satoru reached out with his arm, as if to stop the sorceress, but he quickly stopped himself, remembering how Mikazuki had lashed out house earlier when he tried the same thing. Instead, Gojo cleared his throat, calling out her name instead. Mikazuki turned, an annoyed expression crossing over her face as she settled her gaze on the man.  
"We need to devise a plan before we go in. We can't fight down here, meaning we have to lure it back to the surface." He explained as he jogged towards her position, voice unsure. 
Mikazuki shook her head vehemently. 
"That will take too long, by then the Cursed Rats will have reached the city." 
Satoru didn't answer, instead going over her words in his head. Unfortunately, the sorceress was right. Although the special-grade was their priority, they couldn't allow a giant swarm of rats take over the city. Those things had already been troublesome enough. Gojo scratched his forehead, deep in thought while Mikazuki rested against the wall, her golden gaze trailed on the rats as they made their way into the darkness in a single file. 
She was disgusted by the display, yet also unwilling to take her eyes away from the procession of rodents. She could still feel their teeth sinking into her skin, their tiny little paws walking all over her body like a carpet. The woman glared at Gojo, the memory doing nothing but fuelling her hatred. 
"Then we'll have to handle both at the same time." Satoru concluded.
Mikazuki narrowed her eyes, staring at the man as if he were crazy. At this point, she wouldn't be surprised. 
"How?" She asked coldly. "These rats are already troublesome enough on their own. I doubt the mother will be any easier." 
Courselings were young, they were usually easy to handle – and yet, she'd let her guard down and nearly got eaten alive. The special-grade acting as the mother surely would be much harder to take down, and Mikazuki's strength had already been spent. Their chances of successfully completing the mission had reduced exponentially, especially when they still had plenty of Curses to go around.