───

     "TELL US WHO HIRED YOU AND WE WON'T hang your heads for your comrades to see", tōji threatened, stepping on the head of the leader, meanwhile gojō, getō, and itadori had the rest of the men tied up.

     "w-we really don't know!! he just came to us and paid us to distract you guys, seriously!", the man choked out, feeling tōji's heels dig deeper into his head — nearly cracking the man's skull.

"what did he look like? give me details, you imbecile!"

"I-I-I really don't know!! all I know is that he's a male that wore a dark hood!!"

     tōji frowned as he harshly stepped on the man's head again, causing bloodshed, as everyone flinched, with the exception of getō and gojō.

     "speak, or you all will end up like him", tōji stated, making a few shiver in fear, as one had even passed out.

"maybe we should just start killing them off", gojō suggested, taking out himari's holy sword, as he pointed it at a random male.

"P-PLEASE!! W-WE REALLY DON'T KNOW ANYTHING!!"

"hm? are you sure? if you tell us, we might spare you from this cruel fate", gojō wickedly smiled, to which a male that was tied to another tree had suddenly spoke up.

"I...I-I'll talk!"

"shh! you can't, or else he'll kill us and—"

"talk", getō commanded, gripping tightly onto the man's chin, as he glared down at the jittery bandit.

     "u-umm...h-h-he said that he went by the n-name m-mechamaru....i-if that h-helps..."

the four then glanced at each other, immediately mounting onto their horses, as they headed off, leaving the bandits tied to the trees.

"WAIT!! BUT WE'RE STILL—"

"DON'T KILL HER!! IF YOU WANT REVENGE, THEN JUST TAKE IT OUT ON ME!", himari shouted, making rumi tear up.

     "no worries. I don't plan on hurting the innocent", muta assured, making himari raise a brow.

     "h-huh? so this a personal attack?! what the hell did I even do to you? like sir, I don't even know you!!", himari exclaimed.

     "you're the reason why my lover and I can't be together! so either I kill you or you make yourself useful, your choice!"

     himari scratched her head in confusion.

     "your lover? are you gay? because I only like guys".

     muta felt an irk mark appear on the top of his forehead as he controlled his breathing.

     "just answer my proposition, you vile woman".

himari sighed as she just shrugged.

"umm I mean...I guess I'll accept your offer since anything's better than dying. what do I have to do?"

muta pointed to the tray that was on the dusty table, to which a pure white fabric had laid on top, with a puny jar and multiple hair ornaments.

"change into that and I'll tell you later. if you two even plan on escaping, I won't hesitate to take back my offer and end you", muta warned, walking out the room as his back faced the doors — guarding it.

     himari awkwardly stood up as she trudged over towards the table, unfolding the white fabric as she motioned for rumi to come over.

     "while I change, look around the room for the incense and destroy it. as long as ryō awakens, we have a chance of escaping", himari whispered, to which the girl had nodded as she started to quietly search the abandoned room that was in the middle of nowhere.

     himari then proceeded to change into the white shiromuku, opening the petite jar that contained a small pad of red ink that was meant for the lips.

"should I paint my entire face red and prank him? maybe he'll get scared and faint", himari snickered to herself.

"h-himari!! I found it!", rumi softly alerted, to which himari had snapped her head around as she watched rumi step on the incense, smearing it against the ground.

the auburn-haired woman then swatted her hands around, trying to circulate the air as sukuna seemed to slowly awaken.

"ryō, how are you feeling?", himari asked, petting sukuna's head as she picked the bunny up, cradling him.

"better..."

"well recover faster, because I might become dinner tonight", himari whimpered, snuggling into the top of the bunny's head, as sukuna scoffed.

     "yeah yeah, give me a moment", the demon grunted, wrinkling his button nose, as himari sighed.

it wasn't until a few minutes later that himari had suddenly heard a familiar voice outside.

"where is she? answer before I break your neck".

rumi and himari glanced at each other as they nodded, tiptoeing towards the shoji as himari slightly opened the door, witnessing tōji holding muta in a chokehold.

"mechamaru was it? what's your goal in kidnapping them both?", getō questioned, making himari gasp as she quickly slammed open the door, making all the males look up.

"CHOTTE MATTE! MECHAMARU?! LIKE...THE ROBOT? BUT HOW'S YOUR BODY LIKE...OKAY?!"

himari hastily dropped sukuna, who had changed back to his original form, as the red-haired woman squatted down to the teenager's eye-level.

"lady himari, were you going to marry him? why're you wearing a shiromuku?", itadori asked, making himari confused.

     "huh? I thought I was going to be offered to some fake god or something..."

     tōji then released the poor boy, forcing himari to stand up as he gripped onto her chin, tilting it side to side as he examined her hands too.

     "wha aw you dowing?", himari asked, as her cheeks were squished together, making tōji hum as he swiftly let go.

     "nothing".

     "hmph! I see you've even seduced other men to protect you. as expected from a woman like you!", muta spat, making himari peek over tōji's tall build.

     "bro seriously, what the fuck did I do to you?"

muta gritted his teeth as he glared at himari, to which she had suddenly felt the need to hold onto tōji's arm just in case the boy went feral.

"because of you, kasumi and I can't be together! this is all your fault!!"

himari stopped for a second.

"umm...excuse me??"

rumi then tugged on himari's sleeve, making the woman turn to her, as she whispered something in her ear.

"young master naoya's fiancée is miwa kasumi, the one who you tried to supposedly poison".

     himari then covered her mouth as she nearly died on the spot.

     "you're telling me that I bullied miwa? like...best girl miwa?!", the woman mumbled, making rumi slowly nod.

     'past himari, you're truly the pettiest bitch ever! not you dumping all your damn problems onto me!'

     "wait, so naoya's engaged to miwa?!"