The demon's fingernails suddenly grew long, and with a casual swipe, he cut the stick in Yoizumi's hand in half as if it were tofu. Yoizumi frowned and quickly retreated.
"Hehe~ Scared, aren't you, little demon? You haven't eaten a human yet, have you? You look so weak." The demon provoked and taunted Yoizumi.
Yoizumi remained unmoved. What he needed to consider now was how to stall him and then kill him using the sun. The moon was still high in the sky, and it would be several hours until dawn. Thinking of Kochou Shinobu's nimble blade, Yoizumi wished he had that blade.
Since there was no other way, he could only use all his strength to hold him until the sun arrived. Yoizumi actively attacked, quickly approaching the demon. Using the sharpened end of the remaining wooden stick that the demon had cut, he swiftly swung it, leaving a few shallow cuts on the demon's body. The stick also cracked, and Yoizumi immediately pulled away.
"Are you tickling me?" The demon looked at the weak Yoizumi and scoffed disdainfully. He was no longer in a hurry to attack; the ant's final struggle made his originally irritable mood pleasant.
No! The damage is too low! He threw away the wooden stick in his hand. Looking at the demon's sharp fingernails, he thought, if he can do it, can I? Yoizumi thought this, trying, but his fingernails showed no change.
No? What if I concentrate all my strength in my hand? Yoizumi tried to mobilize his body's strength, and the bulging muscles of his right hand were full of power.
It works!
Yoizumi pushed off with his leg, leaping several meters, his speed astonishing. Under the demon's surprised gaze, his right fist pierced through its chest. The demon reacted, angrily severing Yoizumi's right hand with its fingernails. The right hand flew off and fell to the ground. Yoizumi raised his left leg and kicked the demon away with a powerful leg whip.
He covered his injured right hand. In a few moments, his right hand recovered as good as new. Even Yoizumi was surprised. If such an injury could heal, could that demon also heal?
"Damn it, damn it, it hurts so much!"
The demon looked at his pierced chest, sweating profusely from the pain. Such a large wound would take at least half an hour to heal. When he saw Yoizumi's right hand recover, he screamed in horror.
"How is that possible! How could your hand grow back so quickly? Such regeneration speed is only possessed by the Twelve Kizuki! What exactly are you?!"
What are the Twelve Kizuki? Yoizumi didn't pay much attention, but he understood that not every demon possessed this recovery speed. If so, if he encountered a demon again, could he also act recklessly like this, since no matter how severe the injury, it would heal? As this thought emerged, Yoizumi remembered the voice from before.
"Cherish your body, otherwise I will be sad."
For some reason, Yoizumi didn't want her to be sad, so he abandoned the idea. And the owner of this voice seemed very important to him.
Intense pain suddenly filled Yoizumi's mind. Whenever he was about to remember something, the pain would strike. It seemed as if something was preventing Yoizumi from recalling his memories. The severe pain made Yoizumi kneel on the ground, even his heart felt a fine, pricking pain. When his right hand was severed, Yoizumi didn't even blink, but now he was tormented like this.
Why would she make me suffer so much?
Who is she, exactly?
As Yoizumi knelt in pain on the ground, the demon had already begun to move stealthily, inching closer to the woman's position, still muttering curses, but careful not to disturb Yoizumi.
"You stinky brat, I haven't lost! As long as I eat that Marechi, I will definitely win! Just you wait, I'll make your life a living hell!"
Getting closer and closer to the woman, the demon became more and more anxious. Finally, only a few meters remained, and the demon could wait no longer, launching himself in a dive towards the woman.
"Caw caw, just ahead! The demon is just ahead!"
"Tap tap tap."
Kochou Shinobu burst out of the woods, her eyes immediately falling on the demon. In an instant, she drew her nichirin blade and leaped into the air.
"Insect Breathing: Dance of the Butterfly, Caprice."
No, it's too late! That person is going to be eaten!
Although she attacked quickly, the distance was still too great. Just as the demon was about to touch the woman, Yoizumi blocked in front of her, taking the full force of the attack. A very deep wound was carved into his chest. Yoizumi swiftly swung his right fist, blowing off the demon's head.
The headless demon flew backward, landing on the ground, its hands flailing wildly, attempting to attack Yoizumi.
Almost! Almost! Why did you interfere with me? I will tear you to shreds! The demon roared in its heart.
Yoizumi came to the demon's side. Since it had lost its sight, its random attacks couldn't harm him at all. Yoizumi grabbed the demon's hand and, with a strong pull, ripped off its entire arm. He didn't stop until he had forcibly torn off both of its arms.
"Mr. Yoizumi?"
Kochou Shinobu had arrived behind Yoizumi at some point. Hearing her voice, Yoizumi stiffened for a moment, then slowly turned around to look at Kochou Shinobu.
"I..."
"Mr. Yoizumi, you didn't die even after being poisoned by me. That's truly surprising. Also, what are you doing?"
Kochou Shinobu, of course, knew that Yoizumi had protected the woman on the ground. As a demon, and an injured one at that, not to mention she had just briefly checked and found the woman was a Marechi, Yoizumi could actually endure and protect her. Kochou Shinobu could hardly believe it.
"..."
"I just... did what I wanted... to do."
Yoizumi glanced at the demon on the ground, still raging impotently, and then said to Kochou Shinobu,
"Use your... blade to kill... him."
After speaking, Yoizumi remained silent. He really wasn't used to it.
Kochou Shinobu swiftly injected the poison into the demon's body. In a few breaths, the demon vanished. Looking at the dissipating demon, Yoizumi thought about how he had also been injected with poison before. If the poison hadn't dissipated, he would have died like this too.
Meanwhile, Kochou Shinobu provided basic first aid to the woman and waited for the Kakushi to arrive to take the woman back. Finally, she looked at Yoizumi again, her beautiful purple eyes filled with inquiry.
"Mr. Yoizumi, you are not one of the Twelve Kizuki, yet you were able to overcome my poison. How did you do it?"
Yoizumi thought for a long time, met Kochou Shinobu's eyes, and in her curious gaze, uttered three words,
"I don't know."
Kochou Shinobu's smile almost faltered, but she quickly calmed down.
"Mr. Yoizumi."
"?"
"Do you have anywhere you want to go now?"
"No."
"Will you... come home with me?"
The air suddenly solidified, with only the sleepless birds in the mountain forest occasionally singing.
The silent Yoizumi slightly lowered his head, his sapphire-like eyes faintly looking down at Kochou Shinobu.
"Why?"
Looking at his blue eyes, which seemed to hold countless stars, Kochou Shinobu's pleasant voice carried a hint of tenderness,
"Because I am very curious about you."