Takumi did his best to keep himself from panting, conceal how winded he truly was. He couldnât be weak, not even but especially now. There were other people who needed medical attention far more than he did. Never mind the fact that he was a grimy mess, dirt and enemy viscera slowly building on his clothes. Never mind that he was pretty sure the gouge in his thigh ran too deep to be ignored. Those aspects did not matter, he had to be strong.
But Sakuraâs plea⊠it made his jaw tighten and the hands on his knees ball into fists. He couldnât look her in the eyes, something similar to guilt balling up in his chest. They both knew what his answer would be. He lowered his head as healing magic washed over him, a warm embrace to mend all the bruises and cuts. He stood once it was over and looked out past his sister.
    âFaceless. I donât know how, but thereâs a ton of them out there,â disdain drove his words as he grit his teeth for a new reason. âItâs nothing I canât handle, but thereâs a lot of monsters. Theyâre good at surrounding you.â He regretted saying that as soon as he remembered what he still had left to answer. She didnât need more reasons to worry about him.
    âSakura⊠you know I have to go back out there.â He couldnât hide the sadness in his eyes as he finally looked her way once more. âRyoma and Hinoka are probably out there still fighting. I have to join them. Not to mention, I may be able to help people.â He sighed, made an attempt to smile. âWhat you do is so important, but I can at least try to lighten your load, right? Save people before they get injured?â
   Faceless... as much as she knew that familiar monsters would be roaming the city, there was something about hearing it from Takumi that made it all the more terrifying. Despite the fact that their past experience meant they were well-equipped to handle the Faceless, Sakura did not feel relief. Instead, she felt afraid not only for her brother who was so insistent on fighting them, but also for the helpless citizens who had been thrown into the mix. And even worse, she was sure that there were even worse beasts than the Faceless, beings from other worlds that she couldnât even comprehend without seeing them with her own eyes.
   It was hardly a whisper when she began to speak again. âYou canât save anyone if you donât make sure youâre safe first.â Sakura looked down at her feet, staff still in hand. Her posture was in no way confident, but she knew she had to look confident when she told Takumi what she was going to say next. Otherwise, he likely wouldnât agree to it.
   âI know I canât stop you. But if... if youâre really going to go back out there, then Iâm coming with you!â All too familiar with the stubbornness he would certainly display if she were to continue pushing him not to go back out there, Sakura decided a different course of action was more likely to yield results. If it was so important to hold off the monsters before they hurt the helpless, Sakura could help, too. So she put on her bravest face, attempting to mask her worry in front of her sibling. She hadnât yet used the yumi she had been given. If there was a time to do it, it would be now, before it was taken away yet again. And it would be easier to come to his aid if she were by his side to begin with.