Chapter Text
"Nobody can force you to enter the labyrinth," says Kirijo. Yukari can't detect any condescension in her tone, but the words sting anyway. "Reconnaissance duty is vitally important as well, and if Akihiko and I are venturing into the labyrinth, there is no one else to do it other than you."
Sanada scratches at the bandage wrapped around his arm and nods distractedly, but doesn't seem to want to contribute to the discussion. The gladiator's gaze darts periodically to the stairway down, eyes skimming past the debris and other rubble. It's obvious that he's antsy to set out again, even with his lingering wounds from the last expedition.
"I understand," Yukari says. She tries to project the same calm, keep her eyes and voice steady like the sovereign's, but Kirijo is inimitable. She's almost entirely certain that they both can hear that almost-stutter of hesitation.
"Good," Kirijio says. She nods.
The silence is awkward only for a moment, before Kirijo lifts her chin, her pose settling into something more battle-ready. "Well then, Akihiko and I will be off. We'll return at daybreak."
"Right," Yukari says. "I- I'll be on reconnaissance duty."
They both nod, and they're off again. Yukari stands, ramrod straight, until she can't hear their footsteps on the stone stairway anymore, and then sighs, shoulders drooping. All three of them know that reconnaissance duty is essentially worthless; they determined after the first two months here that the labyrinth monsters wouldn't even go near the staircase to the surface. All the monsters are down there.
Where you're not, Yukari thinks to herself. Because you're a coward.
Her hands curl into tight fists around her bow, fingers trembling. "You can do it, Takeba," she says. "It's just a bunch of stairs."
Stairs with monsters lurking beneath. And this close to the full moon too... Yukari knows that just means that Kirijo and Sanada need all the help they can get. But still...
She takes one step forwards. Two. Her hand reaches out to the entryway.
And then she stops. Frustration makes the tears in her eyes burn even more. "I will enter," she says to herself. "I will."
And, because she still has a job to do, Yukari turns around without letting the tears fall, and sets off on reconnaissance duty. She doesn't expect to find much- up until quite recently, Gotham was home to research teams from the Midgard Library investigating The Incident, after all- but this is her duty all the same. She intends to do at least this right.