Chapter 29: The Bargain
"Kyōshun? Who is it? Do you know them?" The sister's frail voice drifted from the inner room. Kyōshun looked frantically between the doorway and the sound of her voice. He gritted his teeth, leaning close to Shuichi to hiss, "Whatever you want, take it out on me. I'll give your wallet back. Just… leave my sister out of this."
"That's not your decision to make." Without waiting for further invitation, Shuichi pushed the door open wider and stepped inside.
The first thing he noticed was the burnt-out room. The scorch marks on the floor and ceiling formed an unnatural, concentrated circle. Not a random fire. A fireball technique. A shinobi was here once.
"Kyōshun?" the girl called again, confusion lacing her weak tone. She'd heard murmuring but couldn't make out words.
Seeing Shuichi heading toward his sister's room, Kyōshun's fear evaporated into protective fury. He threw himself in front of the doorway, arms spread wide. "Stop!"
Shuichi looked down at the boy—shorter even than Momiji—and smiled. He reached out, ruffled the grimy hair in a mockingly gentle gesture, then simply sidestepped the human barrier.
"Hey!" Kyōshun tried to grab him, but a pale, iron-strong hand clamped onto his arm from behind. Tenmu held him fast, another hand covering his mouth to stifle his protests.
Shuichi entered the inner chamber. The girl sat on her worn quilt, her long black hair stark against her paper-white skin. Her eyes widened in shock as he entered.
Clearly unwell. Doubtful she can even stand. He hadn't expected the little thief to have a dying sister. The thought of turning him into a demon suddenly lost its appeal.
"You're the thief's sister?" Shuichi's voice was calm, conversational. "I understand you're ill. But your brother steals from a great many people. Shouldn't you… rein him in?"
The girl's shoulders slumped. She bowed her head. "I… I am so sorry. I will make him return everything. There won't be a next time."
"You should be grateful you met someone as… understanding as me." Shuichi crouched before her, bringing his face level with hers. "I can cure you. Of everything. Would you like that?"
"We… we have no money…"
"I don't want money. Besides, I can't make you completely 'normal.' The price for perfect health is a lifetime of fearing the sun. Do you understand?"
The girl's dull eyes lifted, meeting his. In the dim light, she saw the faint, bloody glint in his irises. She'd been sick for so long, worsening daily without treatment. Kyōshun, just a child, had shouldered it all. She'd accepted death as her inevitable, quiet end.
But here was a stranger offering a cure. The price? Never to walk in sunlight again. Compared to death… it was an easy choice.
"Is… is what you say true?"
Her question was her answer. The decision was made.
"Why would I lie to a penniless, powerless girl?" Shuichi replied. "All you need to do… is drink my blood."
Whump! Mmmph!
From the other room came a muffled thump and strangled cry. Kyōshun, hearing this, had gone berserk in Tenmu's grip, his struggles frantic but futile.
Shuichi paid no mind. He focused on the girl—Karyūka Akiwa, as he would later learn. "Just a sip. It will be over quickly."
Her resolve held. She nodded, a slight, determined dip of her chin.
Minutes later, Shuichi emerged from the room, wiping a trace of blood from his wrist with a scrap of cloth. He glanced at Kyōshun, whose eyes were wide with terror and rage. Shuichi gave a casual wave. "Release him."
Tenmu's grip loosened. Kyōshun exploded forward, not even sparing a glance for Shuichi, barreling into the inner room.
"Sister! SISTER! What did he do to you?!"
Shuichi watched the doorway thoughtfully. The transformation had been… messy. Her will had been surprisingly resilient. The mental conditioning woven into the Blood Curse had taken, but not perfectly. She would remember her name—Karyūka. She would remember her brother, Kyōshun. A first, for him. Perhaps his integration rate wasn't high enough yet for flawless overwrites on strong wills, even in civilians.
"Kagemi," he said softly. "Fetch someone from outside. Someone… half-dead will suffice."
"Yes, My Lord." Mirror Shadow melted into the deeper shadows and was gone. With her Layered Space, abducting a single person without raising an alarm was trivial.
Since Karyūka's memories remained partially intact, Shuichi needed to reinforce her new nature. He couldn't risk her developing moral qualms later, wrestling with her hunger until she slipped his control. Best to cement her demonic instincts early.
A gasp and a thud came from the inner room—Kyōshun's shocked reaction to his sister's transformed state. Shuichi could see the boy slumped against the far wall, face a mask of horror.
He had no intention of turning Kyōshun. Not yet. The boy, fiercely loyal, would likely become his sister's devoted protector and accomplice, helping to conceal her true nature. A useful, unwitting ally.
"My Lord, I have returned." Kagemi reappeared, dragging the limp form of a middle-aged man. A deep, bleeding wound stained his stomach. Alive, but not for long without intervention.
"Good. Bring him inside."
Kagemi understood. She hauled the dying man into the inner room and unceremoniously dumped him before the newly transformed Karyūka.
The scent of fresh blood hit her like a physical blow. Her head snapped up. She swallowed, a dry, audible click in the silent room.
When Kagemi pushed the man closer, the last threads of human restraint snapped. With a guttural sound, Karyūka was upon him, her newly formed fangs tearing into the offering.
Against the wall, Kyōshun watched, his world shattering, his expression blank with traumatized shock.
Shuichi observed, satisfied. A wallet was pressed into his hand. Tenmu, using his Byakugan, had easily located it in the dark hovel and retrieved it. Shuichi pocketed it.
His work here was done. Through the shared connection, he would know if Karyūka awakened a Blood Demon Art. Now, he needed to find suitable lodgings in the town to wait out the coming dawn. The night had been productive. A new piece was added to the board, her loyalty secured by trauma and blood. The game expanded.
(End of Chapter)
✨Enjoying the story? You can support me on Patreon —
Patreon.com/MizuSan
✨ Patreon members get early chapter access, bonus content! 🥰
🎉 Plus, I'll release 1 extra chapter for every 5 reviews!💎 Or grab 1 bonus chapter for every 50 Power Stones you send my way! 🥳
🌊 Let's reach 20 Patreon members to unlock 5 extra chapters together!