Kagerou and Kanae stayed silent for a long time.
'At a time like this, it's the man who should speak first, right?' Kagerou thought. 'But what should I even say? She already said she doesn't like the way I talk and… smoking. Wait... smoking?'
He frowned slightly, glancing down at the kiseru in his hand.
"…Kocho-san," he began at last.
"Yes, Rengoku-san?"
"This," Kagerou said, lifting his kiseru slightly, "just so you know, this isn't ordinary smoking"
Kanae tilted her head, curious. Her gaze drifted to the slim pipe in his hand. She studied it for a few seconds, but it looked completely normal. "…What's different about it?"
"You probably think I'm a heavy smoker, right?"
"Am I wrong?"
"Yes," Kagerou said, nodding once, tone completely serious. "For your information, the tobacco I use isn't ordinary tobacco... It's herbal"
"Oh~ really?" Kanae said, half skeptical, half amused.
"Yes," he replied, still straight-faced. "It's called Indian tobacco. It helps relax the airways, stimulates breathing, and clears mucus from the lungs. You could say it helps with my breathing technique"
Kanae blinked. "So you're saying…"
"Yes," Kagerou interrupted softly, taking a slow puff. "It's not smoking... It's training"
"…Training," Kanae repeated flatly, her voice dripping disbelief.
"Exactly," Kagerou said, exhaling a faint wisp of fragrant smoke. "Health and discipline"
Kanae just stared at him, torn between laughter and admiration. In the end, she smiled softly, eyes narrowing. "...You're unbelievable, Rengoku-san"
"Thank you," he said without hesitation.
"…That wasn't a compliment"
"I know," Kagerou replied, unfazed. "Still, I'll take it"
"Ahaha~ what is that supposed to mean~" Kanae said with a light, genuine smile. "But still, even if it's for training, there are always side effects. There's only a small line between poison and herbs. Maybe it helps your breathing now, but who knows what it'll do in the long run, say, five or ten years from now"
Kagerou said nothing to that.
He wondered how she'd react if she knew he'd been smoking since he was a child.
By now, he felt his body had already adapted, what once was a vice had become part of his rhythm, his breath, his technique.
"... I see," Kagerou finally said, lowering his gaze. "I'll remember that advice. Thank you"
The conversation fell quiet again, a silence neither of them seemed to mind.
Then, unexpectedly, Kanae spoke up. "... So, what breathing style do you use, Rengoku-san?"
"My breathing style?" Kagerou echoed. "It's probably not one you've heard of... It's Smoke Breathing"
Kanae blinked, then pressed a hand to her lips, stifling a giggle. "... You're so funny, Rengoku-san"
"Huh? But I'm serious," Kagerou said, frowning slightly.
"Eh? Seriously?"
"Yes. Why would you think I'm joking? Because I smoke? So when I said 'Smoke Breathing,' you thought it was a joke?"
"You're not?" Kanae asked, half-smiling in disbelief.
"Of course I'm not!!"
Kagerou's voice came out louder than he intended.
Realizing it, he froze, glancing awkwardly at Kanae. She blinked, slightly startled, before meeting his gaze.
For a few heartbeats, neither said a word.
Then, as if on cue, they both burst into laughter.
"... Ahaha~ You're really different from what I thought, Rengoku-san," Kanae said between soft chuckles.
"Huh? What do you mean?" Kagerou asked, still recovering from his embarrassment.
"Well~" Kanae tilted her head, that warm, teasing smile returning to her lips. "When I first saw you at the gathering before, I thought you were a cold person. Someone so distant you wouldn't even care about Oyakata-sama"
Kagerou raised a brow, mildly offended. "That's... harsh."
Kanae laughed lightly. "But you're not like that at all. You're actually... quite nice to talk to"
"Thank-"
*Rustle!*
A sudden movement cut him off.
Kagerou's hand instantly went to his ninjatō, Kanae mirrored him, her expression switching from warmth to alert focus as she reached for her katana.
The forest fell silent, too silent.
Only the faint rustle of leaves swaying in the wind could be heard.
Maybe because they had enjoyed their conversation too much, they had dropped their guard. But now, that brief peace is shattered.
'...And now they decide to appear. What a great timing,' Kanae thought, eyes narrowing.
'Shit! I forgot we're still in the Final Selection!' Kagerou cursed inwardly, scanning the darkness around them.
From between the trees, faint shapes began to emerge.
Their claws gleamed in the moonlight. Their twisted grins stretched wide.
A few demons appeared.
"Ohh~ look what we have here~" one of them sneered, its voice slithering through the air like a hiss. Its limbs were long and crooked, nails sharp enough to gouge through bark as it crawled down a nearby tree, upside down. "Two little humans… and both smell delicious~ especially the girl"
Kanae's expression didn't waver. Her eyes sharpened, calm yet focused as her grip tightened around her katana. Fear still lingered in her gaze, faint but real. Even so, she held her ground. She could do this. And this time, she wasn't alone.
Kagerou clicked his tongue. "Tch. You picked the wrong meal, monster"
The demon's grin widened. "Oh? Then come and stop me, little boy~"
Kagerou inhaled slowly, deep, deliberate. Wisps of smoke slipped from between his lips, curling around his body like a living mist.
Kanae noticed it immediately, the faint scent of burnt herbs, the air thickening with something unnatural.
'So this is… Smoke Breathing,' she thought, stepping back to give him space.
The first demon leapt.
Kagerou's figure blurred, then vanished into the haze.
"... Enpo (Smoke Step)"
*Fwoosh!*
The demon's claws sliced through empty air.
"Wh-Where did he-"
A quiet voice answered from behind, calm and cold. Smoke gathered around Kagerou, coiling tightly around his ninjatō still in its sheath.
"... Roku no Kata: Issen! (Sixth Form: One Line)"
A flash.
A single streak of silver tore through the smoke.
The demon froze, then its head slid cleanly off its shoulders and hit the ground with a dull thud.
Kanae's lips parted. "…Amazing-"
"Flattery later," Kagerou interrupted, flicking blood from his blade as his gaze shifted toward the shadows. "We've got company. You good?"
From the treeline, several more demons emerged, eyes gleaming crimson, grins sharp and hungry.
Kanae nodded, exhaling softly. Petals of shimmering pink began to swirl faintly around her blade.
"Then," she said, her voice steady as the first petal drifted past Kagerou's smoke, "let's clean this place up... together"