Yoriichi arrived too late to buy the strawberry daifuku, and though Hiru felt a pang of regret, he could only wait until the dessert stall opened again the next day.
Night soon fell, and as promised, Yoriichi took Hiru with him to hunt demons.
Hiru had always known his brother was a formidable swordsman. But it wasn't until he saw Yoriichi slay a demon with his own eyes that he truly understood the extent of his brother's power.
"The wound hasn't healed…" Hiru crouched down, watching the demon that had stopped cursing and was now trembling in fear at the sight of him. "Is this some kind of special technique?"
"Hmm. When severed with a particular sword style, the regeneration is delayed." Yoriichi drew his katana, gripping the hilt tightly. The jet-black blade flared with fiery brilliance. "Like this."
"Hmm… I see. I can sense it—this blade feels far more dangerous than before."
"Why are you catching demons?" Yoriichi sheathed his sword.
"I want to test my Blood Demon Art." Hiru stood up. "When I first turned into a demon, I think I used it unconsciously, but it happened so fast that I couldn't confirm it. I'd like to try again."
Yoriichi stepped back a few paces. "Go ahead. I'll be watching."
"Mm." Hiru tried to recall the sensation from the previous night when he had accidentally activated his Blood Demon Art. He stretched out his hand toward the defenseless demon, fingers splayed. "Blood Demon Art: Banshoku Seki."
The dark shadow behind the demon suddenly expanded, engulfing it completely in an instant. The demon didn't even have time to scream.
Hiru crouched down, examining the ground carefully. At last, he spotted a black gemstone about the size of a millet seed lying in the grass.
"That's a gemstone, right?" Yoriichi, curious about this Blood Demon Art as well, walked over and crouched beside him. "You can turn a demon into a gemstone?"
"Hmm… It feels a bit like germanite—the kind used for pigments. Maybe I'll try it with animals and plants next. I get the feeling this could make great paint!" Hiru placed the tiny gem beside the one from yesterday. The two immediately fused, becoming a slightly longer grain. "But using it makes me so hungry… it's like all my energy is drained in an instant."
"There aren't many large beasts left nearby." Yoriichi frowned. "And lately, the Kakushi have started investigating this area because of the mass deaths of animals."
"Then I'll have to look for a substitute. Otherwise, I'll starve before anyone gets the chance to kill me…" Hiru sighed, rubbing his growling stomach. "Too bad demons can't taste human food anymore. If they could, this wouldn't be such a pain… Waaah, damn it, I really want strawberry daifuku."
Yoriichi sighed. "Stop whining. I'll go buy some later—though you'll probably only get to smell it before it ends up in my stomach."
Hiru: …?
"You're so cruel, big bro! It's bad enough that I can't taste anything, but now you're going to eat it right in front of me?" Hiru angrily punched the trunk of a nearby tree. "I remember when you used to be kind to me!"
Yoriichi simply shook his head with a small smile. "If there's nothing else, let's head back. Daybreak's coming soon."
"Unbelievable! Even if you're my brother, you can't tease me with my favorite strawberry daifuku when I'm starving!"
"Yes, yes, my fault."
"When we buy them, you're not allowed to touch a single one!"
"Yes, yes, they're all yours."
The brothers chatted as they walked home, but their easy laughter faded the moment they saw four sword-wielding figures waiting in front of their house.
"Mr. Yoriichi! We meet again!" The man with golden hair—its tips blazing red like fire—called out loudly as his eyes locked on Hiru. "We've received reports! The Kakushi say you're living with a demon! I didn't want to believe it! Please, give us an explanation!"
Yoriichi's brow furrowed slightly. Things were about to get complicated.
Hiru, on the other hand, curiously studied the man speaking—such a loud voice and cheerful energy. If I were still human, I think I'd get along well with him.
"Mr. Rengoku! Don't waste words on someone who's betrayed our creed!" barked a scar-covered swordsman, drawing his blade and aiming it at Yoriichi and Hiru. "Anyone corrupted by a demon deserves the same fate as one!"
"Brother, are they your comrades?" Hiru whispered. "Should I leave first?"
Yoriichi slowly drew his sword. "No need. You must not leave my sight at night."
"Alright, then I'll just wait here…"
But as veterans who had fought demons for years, the brothers' exchange was easily overheard by the four swordsmen before them.
The man called Rengoku-sama hesitated, his movement to draw his sword halting, though his booming voice remained steady. "He's your younger brother, Yoriichi-san?"
"Yes." Yoriichi pointed his blade toward the ground. "He became a demon the night I found him. He hasn't eaten any humans. If he does, I'll be the one to slay him."
"Even so, it's hard to believe," said the swordsman in a blue haori, his face gentle yet filled with sorrow as he drew his long blade. "I've heard of Mr. Hiru helping passing swordsmen before, but even someone as kind as you is difficult to trust once you've turned into a demon."
"Mr. Oborozuki, put away that pointless compassion." The last swordsman, short-haired and stern, drew his weapon as well. "Who would've thought that one day we'd have to fight the teacher who taught us the Breathing Styles? How tragic."
"I don't wish to fight," Yoriichi said, raising his sword. "But I'm sorry—this time, I'll act according to my own will."
The five powerful swordsmen stood locked in a tense standoff. Strangely, neither side made the first move.
Hiru's gaze shifted nervously between them, then drifted toward the brightening eastern sky. He quietly began inching backward—only for all five swordsmen's attention to snap toward him in unison.
Hiru: …
〒▽〒
The pressure is really getting to me.