Yumeko stumbled back, her face pale with panic. How many times has she lost to Haru now? Her proud demon spirit had been shattered again and again by this fifteen-year-old human boy. She could barely stand to face him anymore.
'I have to escape! Or I'll die!'
The thought pounded in her mind. Finally, the crushing fear of death broke her will. She turned and ran, desperate to get away.
Even wounded, her body still surged with raw power. In two or three seconds, she could clear the temple. Haru was just a human after all, he couldn't catch her. Or so she thought.
After driving her this far, Haru wasn't about to let her slip away. He pushed magical energy into his legs, straining his circuits to their limit. Dark red patterns glowed bright across his skin. Pain tore through his bones, sharp enough to grind them to dust, but he ignored it, his eyes locked on her.
In a blink, his speed soared beyond what anyone could track. A faint shadow lingered where he'd stood, but his body flashed ahead, cutting off Yumeko.
She'd just steeled herself to flee, not even taking a step, when under her horrified stare, Haru's blade, Muramasa, traced a deadly, dreamlike arc.
"Ahh!!"
Her scream pierced the air. Facing death, she tapped into a strength she didn't know she had, twisting her body a foot to the side.
Haru had aimed for her chest, planning to slash a cross with his earlier strike. The shift threw him off, and the blade carved across her scaled stomach instead.
With the first cut across her chest, it was like he'd torn her open completely.
Yet, as a dragon kin, her life clung on stubbornly.
Her mind raced, and she made a choice. She squeezed her insides, her abdominal muscles clenching tight around something. As Haru charged again, she met him head-on, then forced her stomach to contract.
Poof!
A pale figure slammed into Haru, catching him off guard and breaking his attack. A long, dark shape whipped from the side, forcing him to dodge while clutching the woman in his arms.
Yumeko lashed her tail, shoving Haru back, then coiled it around Shion, securing her again. Her body twisted into tight loops, muscles tensing, storing energy that burst free in an instant.
With that surge, her massive form shot into the air. She glared at Haru, spread her wings, and though she hadn't mastered flight, she used them to glide on the momentum.
Even gliding, she slipped beyond Haru's reach. He had no ranged magic, only close combat, and could only watch as she vanished into the forest.
"Damn it!"
Anger flared inside him. He started to give chase, but pain stabbed through him. Blood still seeped from his stomach and thigh, and he nearly collapsed.
After a moment, he gave up. In this state, even if he caught her, he might not have the strength to fight.
He glanced down at the one who'd disrupted his strike, letting Yumeko escape. His breath hitched.
It was a sleeping face, peaceful and pure like a child's.
For some reason, despite being forced out of Yumeko's stomach, not a drop of blood stained her. But her clothes had dissolved, leaving every detail bare under Haru's gaze.
"…"
Haru's mind blanked, then snapped back. "Right, first thing first, get her to a room. Is there a bed in this temple?"
…
A vein pulsed on Haru's forehead as a strange ache crept up from below.
Sweat dampened his hair…
"Ugh…"
After about half an hour, he finally finished bandaging his wounds!
"Damn, that stings!"
Haru stood shirtless, his torn clothes wrapped roughly around his stomach and thigh. It was sloppy work, but with his sturdy build, it'd probably hold.
…Probably.
If it got infected… dying from that after surviving Yumeko would be a joke.
Kiyoko lay under the covers in white pajamas, breathing steady, her face calm.
Luckily this was her home so finding women's clothes wasn't hard.
Wait, who cleaned her up and dressed her?
Who else…
But no worries, Haru was a gentleman. He wouldn't take advantage of someone like that.
It took so long not because he lingered, but because he was thorough. Being expelled from a monster's gut had to be awful, and he wanted no trace of it left to haunt her.
"Ah… I'm almost touched by my own kindness." Wiping away his fake tears, Haru grabbed a neutral-patterned garment and threw it on.
Everything was settling down. He'd wait for Kiyoko to wake up and ask her some questions… but why did he feel like he'd forgotten something?
"Oh, crap…..Tsuda's still out there!"
The kid wasn't dead… right?
…..
Tsuda's injuries weren't too bad. Yumeko's fan had struck his chest, nearly knocking him out, but it hadn't ruined anything vital. He'd been out so long mostly because of the orb and demonic sword; they boosted his strength but drained him dry.
Plus, Haru's less-than-gentle kick… ahem.
Letting Yumeko escape again left Haru with a flicker of guilt. He laid Tsuda on a soft futon and sat beside him, waiting for him to wake up.
When Tsuda's eyes fluttered open, he saw Haru's tired and worried face, blood faintly staining the bandages wrapped around him.
Tears welled up in the boy's eyes. Aside from his late adoptive parents, no one had ever cared for him like this.
'This guy… he is really kind to me.' Abandoned by his birth father and hardened by a cold world, Tsuda felt like crying.
Haru, confused by the boy's reaction, thought he was in pain. He rested a hand on Tsuda's head, stroking gently. With no medicine or treats, it was all he could offer.
But Tsuda just cried harder…
If Haru knew why, he'd probably hide his face in shame. Yumeko might not have hurt Tsuda as much as he had…
…..
After a while, Tsuda settled as dawn broke. Haru let him rest and, though exhausted, dragged himself to check on Kiyoko.
He meant to peek in and then crash somewhere, but when he slid the door open, the sight stopped him cold.
Kiyoko was awake, leaning by the window, staring at the fading moon. Her demonic energy was gone, leaving her hair a pure black that flowed like silk over her white pajamas; a quiet, striking picture.
She turned at the sound, saw Haru, and her face clouded with sorrow.
She dropped to her knees, bowing low. "I'm sorry… I lied to you. Please, kill me…"
Lying was wrong; Kiyoko had believed that since she was small, holding it as an unshakable truth. Honesty was the heart of trust, wasn't it? Without it, you lose the right to others' faith, even your own humanity. To her, it was almost an obsession.
She hated being deceived and deceiving others. But this time, for her sister Yumeko, she'd tricked Haru and Tsuda, even turned her blade on them.
Shame and pain gnawed at her. She'd become what she despised.
Still, she didn't regret it. For her beloved sister, she'd toss everything aside. If her fall meant Yumeko could smile, that was enough…
That's what she'd always thought, how she'd lived; until her sister swallowed her.
In that warm, dark stomach, as her mind faded, she understood: Yumeko had lied all along.
Her sister didn't love her, didn't see her as precious. To Yumeko, Kiyoko was just a handy tool, a snack for desperate times.
She'd known deep down but clung to hope, fooling herself.
Maybe being cast aside was a mercy. Now she could despair without holding back.
Was it crueler to be broken by others or to choose to ruin yourself?
For Kiyoko, living on meant only atoning for her mistakes. She hoped Haru would take her head himself so that she could wash away her sins.
Ready to die, she waited. But no anger came, no blade rang free; only deep, steady breathing.
Puzzled, she looked up. Haru sat against the doorframe, eyes closed, his chest rising and falling…He was asleep!
Kiyoko, braced for judgment, froze. The executioner had fallen asleep. What about her punishment? A strange emptiness settled in her chest.
She stood, lost, unsure where to go. Then a calm voice reached her.
"You protected someone you cared about. That's not wrong. I'd do the same. She lied, betrayed, and left you. That's her fault, not yours."
"And… even if you died, it wouldn't fix anything. Value your life. Demons live long, you've got time to find something worth holding onto again."
Tears slid down her cheeks. She glanced at Haru, still asleep, his breathing unchanged, as if he'd never woke up.
But she knew it wasn't a dream…
'This guy… he's kinder than I thought.' She'd seen him as a cold warrior, but now he felt like just a normal boy.
He drew his sword in rage, spared in mercy, slept in exhaustion, and closed his eyes in gentleness…
Wiping her tears, Kiyoko crawled back into bed, her aching body sinking into the warmth; the first she'd ever felt like this. Her heart began to mend, and sleep took her.
Haru slumped against the door, worn out. Truth be told, he resented Kiyoko a little for letting Yumeko escape, but pity outweighed it. Killing her now wouldn't change a thing, and it'd only weigh on him later.
'Sigh, whatever…'
His thoughts drifted, his body relaxed, and he slipped into sleep for real.
Inside and out, two soft breaths fell into sync, like they were meant to match.
Night was nearly gone; the sun would rise soon. It wasn't the best time to rest, but for now, before dawn, let them sleep a little…
.....
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